The New Normal

By: BonaFake

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Author's Note: This is a one shot for LadiePhoenix007. A Ravenclaw dramione sorting au, and my previous entry for the dramionelove fest on LJ.

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She sits in front of him, looking unbearably awkward. Draco Malfoy groans, and runs his pale hair through his fingers. They're in Hogsmeade, Madame Puddifoot's. It's Valentine's Day. There's an unwrapped small jewelry box between their hands. She's wearing the contents on her right hand. "First dates really shouldn't be like this," he says, looking at her whiskey colored eyes and bushy brown hair.

"No, definitely not," Hermione agrees. "Why is it with us?"

"Because - I don't know," Draco responds. "We've known each other for a long time?"

"Okay," Hermione says, taking in a breath, straightening her blue and bronze tie and looking at his. Self consciously, he straightens his, too. She looks around the small tea room, decorated with obnoxious hearts and snogging couples. "Let's try something different, then. Pretend that this is just - it's just us talking, like normal."

Draco closes his grey eyes. He's imagining it now, the hallway where he stumbled into her in first year, her nose in a book, asking to borrow it, not knowing she was filth until he did. Until he noticed the tears in her eyes. That was the start of an incredibly messy friendship.

"How's your day been?" he tries, opening his eyes. The room is buzzing with singing valentines. He tries to tune them out, focus on her eyes and her voice.

"It's been pretty good."

"Great," he says, voice shaking a bit. Merlin, he's so nervous and he has no idea why. He hates not knowing.

"How about you?" she asks, eyes closed.

"Well -" he answers awkwardly, not sure about how to articulate this little tidbit properly.

Hermione's eyes snap open. "Something wrong?" she asks, her voice deceptively calm.

"Nothing," he says, looking down at his hands.

"You're a shite liar," she says. "It's no wonder you weren't sorted into Slytherin."

He grins. This has become something of a joke between them. But then he looks up at her and sees the serious expression on her face. She really wants to know, then. "Fine," he says, looking at his pale fingers, hers right next to his. "My dad asked me to - to talk to him next week."

"About - about taking the thing?" she asks, knowing exactly what he's talking about instantly. Draco lets out a quick breath. He can't take it. He can't. For her, member of the DA and Luna Lovegood's best friend. For her, the most beautiful, intelligent, kind dirt he's ever laid eyes on. He won't take it. He won't. For her.

"Yeah," Draco says, still staring at his hands. His wrists. The left one was where they put it, wasn't it?

"Oh. So, well, what are you going to do?" she asks, looking at him curiously and calmly. The most level-headed dirt ever, too.

"I won't," he says fiercely, grabbing her hand. He's surprised by how natural it feels. Hermione looks at him with surprise. He's not sure if it's the hand grabbing or the part about not taking the Dark Mark.

"You do still have to talk to him," she responds, moving her hands slightly. Is she letting go? No. "You have to know all the facts before you decide something," Hermione adds.

He nods. Even though he's certain the nod doesn't say everything he wants to say. He wants to say that he wants to kiss her. He wants to say that she's the smartest person he's ever met but he's snapped back to the present when she says, "I mean, we're only in sixth year. There's so much time to make a choice," she says, twisting her hand around nervously.

"I choose you," Draco says instantly. It's brave, and he isn't brave, isn't special, but saying that is. Looking into her eyes while he does it is even braver. And kissing her afterwards is the bravest thing he's ever done.

Hermione Granger, brightest witch of her age and Ravenclaw extraordinaire, twists the blue bracelet around her wrist and smiles.