Torn

Year 2

Draco's preoccupation with Hermione Granger had started as nothing more than competition between classmates. He'd been extremely annoyed when she had beaten him repeatedly in all of their classes on tests and essays, earning him a fair amount of grief from his father. The fact that she was muggleborn only added insult to injury.

He'd become fixated on matching her study schedule and endeavoring to do more studying than she did whenever possible. This led to a fair amount of observing and following her, always making sure to tuck himself away in a corner of the library where she would never notice him.

And she never did.

He would employ the same tactics this year, only instead of trying to copy her study habits, he would be making sure that whatever plan his father had would surely fail. At least, in terms of Hermione Granger.

The other muggleborns could die for all he cared. Then again, Hermione would probably care, so perhaps he should too.

It was this that was passing through his mind the moment that a fellow customer in Flourish and Blott's backed into him.

"Ack! Watch where you're going!" Draco commanded as her spun around to face the person.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, dear!" a woman that was about his mother's age said, as she put a hand on his shoulder to steady him. "I'm afraid I'm still a bit dazzled by the sights here," she said, looking around.

Just as Draco was about to open his mouth and say something snotty, he froze, mouth agape.

She was dazzled by the sights... because she didn't come here often. Draco had only seen her once before, at King's Cross on the last day of first year, meeting her daughter to take her home.

"Granger," he said, and then clapped his mouth shut.

Mrs. Granger gaped at him, "You know who I am then?" She laughed, gazing around as if wondering if this was real life.

"Now, I admit I knew our little girl was a bit famous, but I had no idea-" she cut herself off, gazing around the nearby shelf, then shouted, "Rupert!"

Draco gasped and stepped forward with the idea of fleeing, but Rupert Granger turned out to have been just around the other corner, and so they came face to face.

"What's this?" the man said, looking from Draco to his wife.

"This boy knows who I am, who WE are, Rupert! We're famous!"

Rupert looked down at Draco and said, "Is that so?!" Then, he turned, and Draco turned paler than ever as Hermione Granger herself followed closely behind her father.

"Hermione dear, is this one of your classmates?"

Their eyes locked, and it sent chills down his spine. So rare were their moments of eye contact.

Hermione cleared her throat and said, "Yes father, this is Draco Malfoy."

Both of her parent's faces fell, and Draco felt a horrible sense of dread spread through his chest as he realized... he had a reputation.

"Are you the one who doesn't like Harry Potter, then?" Mrs. Granger said, and he could hardly look at her, her expression had shifted so drastically.

Mr. Granger seemed to be scrutinizing him, and he dearly wished he had an invisibility cloak and could simply slip away in that moment.

But then...

"It's really just the typical Hogwarts House rivalry, Mum."

He stared at her, and she allowed him another brief moment of eye contact before refocusing her attention on her father. She was sticking up for him? He couldn't imagine why.