Short Change Hero

Chapter 17: Look Around

Chapter Seventeen

Stomping the Roses

"Did you feel like stomping the roses,
Smashing out all the feeling inside of them,
It's bad business,
The way you're stomping the roses..."

Stomping the Roses by David Archuleta

Saturday October 12th, 1996

Inside the Library- Almost one in the afternoon

With a heavy sigh, Hermione watched the windowpane closely while raindrops rolled down one after another upon the glass from the pouring rain as she sat inside a singular study desk near the back of the library. It was where she liked to think when she had a lot on her mind, which seemed like all the time lately, but really, it almost completely had to do with how much she had been thinking about Malfoy.

Lifting her right arm upon the table, Hermione rested her chin upon the palm of her hand with her lips pursed in thought as she remembered their last encounter. Scoffing she recalled the rather presumptuous Zabini who most likely knew about their tryst, or at least that was what Malfoy probably told him (which it was most definitely not). It was most likely only a matter of time before everyone here at Hogwarts knew that she and Malfoy were snogging up against some wall, which yes, happened, no matter how much she suddenly wished it did not.

As if it were possible, Hermione noticed the downpour of rain coming down even harder and with a grimace, understanding why professor Dumbledore canceled the Quidditch game for today. Looking downwards towards the windowsill where a small leak from the window started forming a pool of water. Thinking about how the rain felt against her skin just as the memory of having Draco's lips upon hers intruded her thoughts causing her exhale softly.

In all honesty, it had been her first real kiss since she hardly counted a peck upon the lips she had gotten back in fourth year, but she then shook her head deciding that no matter how good the kiss had been, in the end, Hermione was still unsure about it since it had been with, him. Tilting her head to her left, she dropped her hand to rest it upon her opened charms book as she then looked towards a vase that held two red roses that were starting to wilt and beginning to lose their scarlet coloring.

Glancing over her shoulder as a soft padding sound of shoes digging into the carpet, Hermione's brows frowned as someone stopped just an aisle from where she was sitting. Standing up from her chair, she walked over to the bookshelf looking between a small opening at her eye level where all she could see was someone wearing familiar a black suit and tie who seemed to be walking around towards the back.

Once the boy rounded the shelf she almost scoffed aloud as Draco Malfoy looked up from the ground towards her while he swallowed loudly. Shaking her head, she quickly thought about the pros and cons of talking about what happened deciding that since he was here she might as well get some answers. When she was about to start talking he turned almost right around as if he were about to leave, but was stopped by her voice.

"Wait just a minute, I need to talk to you." she whispered sharply while he paused to look at her over his shoulder while wearing his usual sneer mixed with a uneasy stillness that made her shake her head and then look at him directly. Other than the obvious lines of stress along with how tired he looked, while she could almost read the signs of a right troubled mess he was becoming, and he seemed rather hollow which was concerning to her. Taking a few steps towards him with a sigh, she watched him turn to face her, while she wondered about what was getting to him so badly because it seemed as if it was starting to eat away at him.

"There's nothing to talk about Granger, and you said it yourself last night, that I need to stay away from you. Which is rather hard to do considering the simple fact you cannot seem to leave me alone. A bit hypocritical if you ask me...," he drawled raising his left brow while she forced a smile to stop by pursing her lips while he sighed looking around the library before turning back to her with a hard expression. Even if it what he had just said was true, there was no way she could stay away without an answer as to why he just outright kissed her for some unbeknownst reason and pretend that it didn't happen.