Disclaimer: Ahaha, no I don't own Harry Potter.

Yaaay! I finally finished this story! This is for my friend who I presuaded to indulge me with a Harry Potter "story swap". Haha.

It was horrible, trying to fit this in with my busy schedule and whatnot. But a promise is a promise! Hope you like it.

Sweet Escape

By: Kikushi

It was just one of those days.

Our heroine, wearing her usual perfect, unwrinkled black robes under her usual bushy brown hair, walked down the corridor with her usual omniscient air floating around her. Nothing out of the ordinary. Her hands, stacked with books and books and books, just barely left enough room for her eyes to peek over them as she carefully maneuvered her way to her usual hideout.

As she rounded the corner, she proceeded with newfound haste (thank-goodness-the-door-was-open!) into the library. The sweet smell of aged paper and ink filled her nose.

Hermione Granger was finally inside her beautiful sanctuary: the library. Tears almost welled up in her eyes. Struggling, Hermione made her way to her usual spot in the library, eager to finally place her books down and get to work. She took her usual shortcut through the bookcases, skillfully dodging anyone in the way. She was almost there, just a few feet away. She made a turn and almost dropped her books in horror.

WHAT WAS THAT THING DOING IN HER CHAIR?

IT was sitting in her usual chair. The chair she usually sat on. Usually. IT was sprawled all over the chair, completely DEGRADING the beautiful polished oak just by sitting on it. IT was horrible. IT was horrifying. IT was Draco Malfoy.

She could just hear her chair screaming her name, crying in tortured sobs, and pleading her to come and reclaim her rightful spot. Draco Malfoy shifted his position on her beloved chair, slouching just far enough for him to prop his feet up on a conveniently-placed library stool under the desk. His head was inclined downwards to the (HER) desk, on which a book lay open. His momentary literary interest seemed shockingly sincere.

Realizing that she had been gawking, Hermione Granger struggled to regain her composure. Was today a special day? What had gone wrong today? She replayed her morning, trying to remember if there had been something out of place.

She had woken up, ready for breakfast and first period class in a little less than over fifteen minutes. She had gone down the stairs to eat breakfast with Ron, Harry, and the others. She went to all her classes dutifully where nothing out of the ordinary occurred, and then snuck a quick visit at Hagrid's minutes before lunch. Then she ate hastily, due to the fact that she scheduled the rest of her lunch time in the library. From there, she would finally finish her Charms essay as well as her DADA homework. Everything was supposed to go according to her usual flawless plan.

Obviously, Hermione Granger had NOT expected THAT THING that was currently lounging in her chair. Snapped out of her thoughts, Hermione turned to leave, to find another table (for TODAY only), when IT unexpectedly turned his head up in her direction.

Their eyes met and she froze on the spot. An electric jolt shot up through her body like a ghostly chill. A shadow of a smirk passed across IT's face tauntingly and Hermione ducked her eyes behind her books and turned on her heels to leave in lightning speed, neither caring nor taking note of who or what she bumped into on the way out.

*****

"Hermione?"

"Why is this happening to me?" Hermione whispered to herself, pacing frantically about in front of the fireplace.

"Hermione?"

"How could I be so stupid?" she exclaimed, covering her eyes with one hand, head thrown back and facing the ceiling.

"Hermione!"

"Now I have to go back—"

"HER-MY-NEE!"

"WHAT?!" she yelled, and stopped pacing.

Harry Potter and Ron Weasley sunk back deep into the couch of the Gryffindor Common Room with raised eyebrows. Hermione had rushed inside the common room five minutes ago and had done nothing but pace around. Immediately, they had pelted her with questions and questions demanding for the answers to their much-less-than-important-homework… Only to find out, of course, that Hermione Granger had not even heard a word from their mouths.

And presently, said girl was glaring at them with such ferocity that it was all Harry could do to ask, "Er, is there something wrong?"

"YES!" Hermione shrieked, throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation and causing both boys to jump. "It's all because—"

Of Malfoy, she had intended to say. But even in her almost delirious state of frenzy, something had stopped her short from saying it. Was it because of Ron?

"—because I left a book in the library," she finished, calmly and truthfully. In her panicked escape, she had not noticed the fact that she had been spilling books. That's right. She hadn't lost one book, but two.

"Oh, well why don't you just get it then? I'm sure the library's still open," Ron said, a little wary of Hermione's sudden change in attitude. Harry nodded beside him.

"Well that's exactly what I had planned before you two interrupted," she snapped, unwilling to give any more information. Without another word, she marched to the exit, but not before hearing an irritated exclamation of "Women!" from one of the two boys.

Only a few more minutes remained of Lunch as Hermione burst through the library doors for the second time that day. She retraced her steps carefully, eyes on the ground. If she made a left turn at the end of this bookcase, she was sure her books would be found. A sudden thought halted her footsteps.

What if IT was still there?

It was a difficult situation, but Hermione Granger was already decided. Someone could have picked them up by now anyway, she thought, consoling her sky-rocketing nerves. I'll just ask the librarian.

But the heavens were not on her side today. She had just barely turned around to leave; so close she was from sweet escape.

"Looking for these?" a voice asked from behind her. The lazy drawl was chillingly familiar. Reluctantly, Hermione whirled around and found herself face to face with her worst nightmare. He wore a smug smirk as he looked down on her. She then became conscious of their close proximity to each other. He was so near. His face was a mere few inches away and she could feel his every exhaled breath touch her face. As if on instinct, she moved to back away, only to find that she was trapped! Her back pressed against the bookshelf uncomfortably.

"Those are my books! Give them back!"

…Was what she SHOULD have said. Instead, the only thing that came out of her mouth was a baffled, "Uh…"

If it was even possible, his smirk grew wider. He leaned in closer, bringing down his head so that they were eye-to-eye. Then he slowly moved in closer again.

Oh no, Hermione thought frantically, he's going to KISS me!

Her eyes fluttered shut, as if on instinct, and she waited in dreaded anticipation for the unwelcome kiss…

He looked at her, slightly amused, then moved his head to her ear at the last second and whispered, "You might want to be more careful with your books next time, Granger."

"Ughh!" she gasped suddenly, her eyes snapping open. Something had been pushed to her stomach and it took her a couple of seconds to realize that Malfoy was handing the books back to her. Clumsily, she took them with shaking hands.

He pulled away, grinning wickedly, and stalked out of the library, leaving Hermione Granger flushed, angry, embarrassed, and very, very, confused.

It was just one of those days.

The next day, everything was back to normal. The following days were similar. Draco Malfoy had never expressed much interest in Hermione Granger before, thanks to his entertaining rivals, Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley, and he certainly did not express any new interest in Hermione Granger now. But to say the least, he can be found spending more and more time in the library.

Perhaps something did change after all.

END.

Well, it didn't turn out as long as I hoped it would, but I hope you enjoyed reading it. I had a lot of fun writing it!

Kikushi