Author's Note: Between making new friends, homework, and unpacking the last of my things, writing these stories finally finds time into my day. But I promise to keep writing. I won't give up on my stories. I think I owe that to you guys. If you take the time to read them, I should take the time to write them. Fair enough, right? Anyways, thanks for reading and don't forget to review. Much love, Brokenpens
Chapter Eight: Feeling
He looked down at the sleeping witch. Living with her was one story, but being trapped with her in the same room over night was barely tolerable. She finally quieted when she fell asleep, and he was grateful for that. He liked her better when she was unconscious. He looked down at her peaceful face. A strand of hair fell across her face. He moved closer to push it back when her hand shot up and grabbed his wrist. He looked down and met eyes with her. Brilliant brown eyes widened at him. He felt a bolt of electricity run up his spine. What was this feeling?
Staring into his icy eyes, she felt a surge of excitement. She didn't know what she hadn't let go of his wrist, or why he was still sitting so close to her. Neither of them were moving, but just staring at the other. Finally she slowly let go, and pulled back. He didn't move at first, but just looked at her. She felt her heart flutter as his eyes swept across her face. What was this feeling?
Draco felt a slight nudge in his side. He groaned and rolled over. Another poke followed. Draco mumbled, "Stop." He was only half awake, his eyes still closed and his mind still drowned in dreams. He wasn't aware of the condition he was in. His hair a mess, his robes draped over him like a blanket, and of course he was laying on Hermione. A harder poke in his side finally pushed Draco off the edge. "I said stop it!" He yelled as he bolted up and stared straight into the eyes of Professor McGonagall. "Professor!" He felt something move against him and he turned around to see Hermione stirring from her own sleep. Draco stared wide eyed. McGonagall caught them sleeping like that.
"Good morning, Mister Malfoy." She put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. "Did you sleep well?" Malfoy narrowed his eyes at the old witch before he turned to face Hermione.
"Granger, get up. Professor McGonagall is here." Hermione moaned and curled up in a tighter ball. "Granger, get up!" Draco shoved her. She cursed and sat up, giving him a heated glare.
"What are you on about, Malfoy?" She suddenly gasped. "Professor!"
"Yes, Miss Granger?" Draco pinched in nose in frustration.
"I... we... we didn't..."
"Didn't what, Miss Granger?"
"Nothing happened! We were just sleeping, I swear it!" Draco sighed.
"Of course, dim wit. Would you really think I would do anything with you?" Hermione narrowed her eyes.
"That's not the point, ferret." Draco sneered.
"That's enough, students. Professor Dumbledore is waiting for you." Hermione looked up at. Her eyebrows rose in curiosity.
"Professor, why did you lock the door last night?"
"Well, you better hurry! Don't want to leave the Head Master waiting! Have a good afternoon, students!" Hermione and Draco watched as McGonagall hurried out of the room.
"Did she just blow me off?" Draco smirked and stretched. Hermione watched as he stood, combing through his short hair with his fingers. He looked down at her and raised an eyebrow.
"Aren't you going to get up? Dumbledore is waiting on us." Hermione rolled her eyes mumbling under her breath. "What was that, Granger? I couldn't hear you." Hermione glared at him as she stood and straightened her clothes.
"Nothing. Just hurry up." Draco sighed and shrugged on his robes. He watched her in the corner of his eyes. She didn't look half bad with sleepy eyes and messy hair.
Hermione stomped all the way to Dumbledore's office. Draco followed behind her, annoyed by her ranting.
"He'll regret this if he had anything to do with it!" She said for the umpteenth time. "He stepped over the boundaries of teacher and student involvement! Locking us alone in an office over night is completely irresponsible and just plain weird!" Draco sighed.
"Will you give it a rest?" Hermione spun around and glared into his eyes. Draco smirked back at her.
"Aren't you in the least bit upset over their actions?"
"Hardly. I didn't mind it too much." Hermione stepped back and narrowed her eyes.
"What are you up to?" Draco blinked.
"What are you talking about? I'm not up to anything."
"I was counting on you to be on my side. I thought you hated to even be breathing the same air as me." Draco shrugged.
"Oh well." Hermione gasped. "What?"
"Oh well? Oh well! Is that all you have to say? What happened to you last night? Did you hit your head while I was sleeping?" Draco smirked.
"No, my head was safely resting on you." Hermione glared and resumed walking.
"That was a one time deal."
"Aw, really? I was hoping I could trade in my pillows for you." Hermione mumbled but didn't turn around.
Dumbledore smiled at Minerva as she paced his office. "They're coming. They'll be here soon. I hope you have a plan. Hermione will ask a ton of questions, you know she will." Dumbledore nodded slowly.
"I'm prepared for both of their reactions." Minerva stopped pacing and looked into his misty blue eyes.
"When will you tell them?" Dumbledore frowned.
"They're not ready." Minerva sighed and rubbed her temples.
"We're running out of time."
"I know this." She glanced over at a picture on a side table. A beautiful blonde was smiling back at her with dazzling brown eyes while a dark haired boy with gray eyes danced with her inside the frame. She smiled at the two.
"I wish we could have protected them better." Albus said nothing but looked at the same picture. His eyes sparkled as he watched the two lovers twirl.
"Voldemort has caused many families pain." Minerva nodded.
"I should go, they'll be here soon." Albus sighed and leaned back in his seat as she left his office. He smiled when he saw the boy dip the girl. She silently laughed and placed a kiss on his cheek as he brought her back into his arms.
"Forgive me, old friends."
Hermione glared at Dumbledore. "I suppose you have questions?" Hermione clenched her jaw.
"Sir, Professor McGonagall locked and charmed the door last night so that Malfoy and I couldn't get out. I was wondering if this was your doing." Dumbledore grinned.
"It was." Hermione gasped and placed her hands over her mouth.
"But why?" Dumbledore kept grinning as he reached over his desk and picked up a dish filled with Lemon Drops.
"Lemon Drop, anyone?" Draco smirked and crossed his arms. Hermione glared. "I'll take that as a 'no'." He smiled and popped one in his mouth. Hermione impatiently tapped her foot.
"Are you going to answer me, sir?"
"You're very demanding today, Miss Granger." Hermione fixed her glare on the floor.
"I'm sorry." The Head Master sucked on his Lemon Drop for a moment before answering.
"It's quite alright. I know you're both curious as to what my purpose was for having you locked in an office over night." Hermione nodded and Draco shrugged. Dumbledore gave them a smile. "I was hoping you two would have time to get to know each other a little better." Draco snorted.
"Oh, I got to know her alright. I found out she's a lying, sneaky, conniver."
"I am not a conniver."
"You lied to him and agreed to that 'other deal' without me even knowing!" Hermione glared at him darkly.
"I wouldn't be yelling at me right now."
"Why's that? Going to pretend to be my girlfriend without me knowing? Oh, wait... you already tried that!"
"I never tried it, git! I just agreed to it!" Dumbledore calmly watched before placing a hand in the air.
"That's enough. Obviously there have been quite a few misunderstandings. Miss Granger, I knew you never talked with Mister Malfoy about the other deal. Mister Malfoy, she would have told you before she took any drastic measures. You know she would have."
"Drastic? I think agreeing to it was drastic."
"It might have been."
"If you knew I was lying, sir, why did you pretend otherwise?" Dumbledore grinned.
"I had faith in your persuasion skills." Draco harrumphed. Hermione glared at him while Dumbledore continued. "I decided that you could handle getting him to agree on your own terms."
"That was risky. And now he completely disagrees."
"I wouldn't have agreed in the first place." Draco mumbled.
"I realize that. Mister Malfoy, do you understand why I asked Miss Granger to make this deal?" Draco looked up at him with dull eyes. He could care less. "The school is in danger because of the prejudice boundaries between its students."
"Don't point any fingers at me." Draco retorted. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"No one is, Mister Malfoy." Draco shrugged and Dumbledore continued. "I will not see my school being torn apart like this, especially from the inside." His voice became stern, but Draco remained stoic as he watched the old wizard. "My passion is to make this school the first to have inner house peace. I refuse to see valuable students like yourself and Miss Granger wasted away on such a subject as purebloods and muggle-borns." Hermione stared at her shoes, obviously feeling guilty. But Draco remained unaffected.
"I'm sorry, sir. But I refuse. Friendship is as far as I will go." Dumbledore sadly nodded but remained smiling.
"I understand."
"And that stunt you pulled didn't work. I still hate her guts."
"I see."
"So, you can stop plotting some mushy romance. There isn't any."
"I realize this." Hermione sighed and scratched her arm.
"Sir? I still have another question." Draco sneered at being interrupted. He still had more to slam into that old coot's face. "You said we weren't ready for something." Draco looked at her. I completely forgot about that. "Is that still true?" Dumbledore's eyes sparkled.
"Yes."
"But why? How are we going to be ready? When will we know?"
"Miss Granger, look at Mister Malfoy." Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Go on, take a good look at him." Hermione slowly turned to face him. Draco met eyes with her. Those deep chocolate brown eyes that always emitted hatred in his direction. Her hair still messy, hanging slightly in her face. Her lips were a soft pink, nothing too special. Her skin still had a blush a summer's tan. He felt a bolt in his spine. What is this feeling? Hermione blushed and looked back at the Head Master.
"What was I suppose to see, sir?" Dumbledore smiled.
"Do you hate that boy?" Hermione said nothing. She usually responds so quickly. Draco waited for an answer. "No answer?" Hermione glared at her feet.
"I hate him." Draco felt his heart stop. Did she really just say that after... after that moment? Wait, since when was looking at Granger a moment? Whatever. Draco glared at her. Dumbledore nodded.
"And Mister Malfoy, do you hate this girl?" Draco glanced at her before looking Dumbledore straight in his bloody sparkling eyes.
"Yes, sir." Hermione's blush deepened.
"That is why you aren't ready. Now, I need to get to work and you two need to get to class. Have a nice day!"
Draco piled his books on the table in the common room. He pulled the ones he needed for his morning classes and shoved them in his book bag. Hermione was in the bathroom. She wouldn't talk to him after they left Dumbledore's office. She ignored his comments and walked ahead of him. He was now very familiar with Hermione's back.
He sighed and shoved the last book in with the others. He didn't know why this was bothering him so much. Usually, Hermione ignoring him was a good thing. But now he felt it was wrong for her to be so mad at him she wouldn't even speak to him. Draco looked up when he heard the bathroom door open and close. Hermione walked down the stairs, her bad slung over her shoulder, and her robes open revealing her school uniform. She met his eyes before turning to walk out.
"Granger, wait." He didn't meant to sound so desperate. She kept walking into the hallway. "Granger! I said wait!" He ran out of the dorm and grabbed her arm, forcing her to turn and face him.
"Let me go!" She yelled and tried to pry him off.
"What do you think you're doing to that young lady, Malfoy?" General Vox boomed from his frame. Draco ignored the old man.
"Talk to me."
"Why? You hate me, remember?"
"You said the same thing!" Hermione glared and yanked her arm free. "Look, I just hate being ignored." Hermione cursed and shoved him away.
"Of course! Everything is always about you! You can't think of anyone else for one bloody second, can you?" Draco watched as her face distorted in anger. "Oh, Hermione, I need a pillow. Oh, Hermione, you're ruining my life. Oh, Hermione, you're ignoring me. Oh, Hermione, you're a mudblood. Oh, Hermione, I hate you. Oh, Hermione, just kill me!" She mocked him in a high pitched voice. Draco glared at her darkly. He hated being mocked... and his voice was not that squeaky.
"Forget it." Draco tried walking away but she blocked him off.
"Forget what, Malfoy? There wasn't even anything there to remember." She shoved him back again. "Just a fake..." Another shove. "Lousy..." She really was strong. Draco stumbled as she shoved him again. "Pathetic deal!"
"I wasn't talking about that, psycho!" Hermione sneered at him.
"Then what? The last time I checked, there wasn't anything else but that."
"I... I was just... it doesn't matter!" Hermione stared.
"Nothing ever does." She grabbed her bag from the floor and stomped away from him. Draco watched as her back walked away from him. He was used to looking at her back. She walked away from him a lot. But it didn't matter before. You're wrong, things do matter. Draco sighed and leaned against the wall.
"You remind me of a relative I had." Draco looked up. He had forgotten General Vox was watching from his frame. "He was always yelling at the poor girl. I'm surprised they ever stopped." Draco looked down at his feet.
"Why did they stop?"
"They fell in love."
Minerva tapped her fingers, watching the old man suck on a Lemon Drop. "This is serious." Albus rocked back and forth in his chair. "And all you can do is suck on candy!"
"I've heard enough yelling for today, Minerva."
"I don't understand. I thought... I thought this would work. If they're so much like them, why didn't this work?" Albus stopped rocking and smiled.
"Oh, but it did." Minerva raised an eyebrow.
"How?"
"The past has a way of becoming our present." He smiled. "They are aware the other person has feelings, and now, the fun begins."