Chapter Text
Hermione slumped onto the stairs, crying her eyes out. She wasn't the only one however she was the only one not being comforted.
“Isn't this a surprise.” Hermione raised her head to the blond above her. She grabs her wand and points it right at his throat.
Draco raises his hands in mock surrender, a slight smile on his lips. He opens his mouth to speak but Hermione cuts him to it.
“Ron and Harry are over there just make it quick.” Draco's perfectly sculpted face frowns a bit.
“And what do you mean by that love?”
“You're going to do that obnoxious gloating thing where you make fun of them, get them angry, detention for them while you go scot free,” Hermione sighed. “Only for it to happen again.”
Draco chuckles. “I've become too predictable haven't I.” Hermione smiled and Draco knelt before her.
“Quite.” Hermione tilts her head as she realises one key fact. She addressed him as Draco in her head and he's addressing her as love? Where's the hostility? The open display of hate?
“Guess I have to do something different then.”
“Like what?”
“Depends.” he answered cryptically, a slight upturn in his lips she'd never seen before.
“On?”
“Your answer.” her eyebrows raised
“On what?”
“Will you spend the rest of your night with the prince of the Slytherin House?”
Badump
Badump
Badump
“And why on earth would I do that? The rest of the Gryffindors would have my head!”
“No need to be that dramatic. What they don't know won't hurt them y'know.” Draco held out his arm.
“That logic always ends with a blowing up in everyone's faces.”
“Let me show you how a real boy treats a girl like you.” a blush coated her cheeks
“Don't you hate me for my blood and all I feel like I'm missing something really key here.”
“What's the muggle saying? Ah yes, I grew out of it. I've had my worldview perspective changed and I'd like to tell you about it if you'd let me steal you for a while.”
Hermione let out a laugh earning a few looks, looks turning to staring as they say who her conversation partner was.
“Steal me away?”
“Why yes. You're a gem aren't you.”
“Does flattery run in your Malfoy genes.”
He gave a non commital shrug.
“So you're not leading me to a trap or some kind of prank.”
“I'm being completely honest with you, love. Take my hand won't you? It's getting quite cold all alone out here and it needs some company.”
“One wrong move and I'll hex you without my wand, make it more embarrassing.”
“Wouldn't expect anything less,” Draco grins. “Come on love, I know just the place.”
Ron and Harry watch from the top of the stairs as Hermione takes Draco's hand and walks out with him (them and the onlookers on the stairs)
“Has she gone mad!?” Ron asks bewildered. Harry looks at the leaving figures.
“You were so wrong she switched sides.”
“How dare you I-”
“Save it, let's follow them.” Harry takes out his cloak and they’re gone in seconds. They follow Draco and Hermione up to the third floor where the statue of the witch is. Down the passageway, and soon they’re in hogsmeade. They follow closely behind and the pair disappear down an alley but when Ron and Harry turn-
“They’re gone!” Ron exclaims as he scans the alley.
“Great detective work Sherlock.”
“Who’s Sherlock?”
“Nevermind.”
***
“You think a random get together in a fancy apartment is going to make up for the past three years? I’d expect more from you Malfoy.” Draco winced as he sat down.
“I’m not really sure how to apologise or even make up for what I've put you three to, but I want to start here. I am really sorry Hermione. I grew up with the prejudices and mentality of a pureblooded wizard and I have a lot to make up for not just to you but to everyone else. I made a few friends outside of it all and it’s made me realise a couple of things.”
Hermione leaned in, curious. “Like what? Go on, I’m interested, Malfoy”
“One, I prefer being called Draco.”
“Draco.” Draco froze as the sound of his name left her lips.
You have no idea what you do to me, love.
“Two, most purebloods suck.”
“True.”
“Three…”
“Three?”
“Three. I like you.” Hermione’s eyebrows flew into her hair and her cheeks reddened.
“I-”
“Don’t feel the same I know,” Draco smiles a crooked smile. “In my head I planned it all out to the tea but elements kept shifting, plots got poked with holes, inaccuracies. But, one thing stayed the same, your feelings for me.”
Hermione reached over and took his hand in his.
‘You have one month to convince me to date you.” Draco’s shock was quite evident, making Hermione giggle.
“But if you are tricking me know that I will hex you with a curse of my own creation. Meaning? No identifiable anti-curse.” her voice low and threatening, sending a chill down Draco’s spine.
“Yes Ma’am.”’
They talked a little more and Draco finally rose two hours later holding out his hand.
“If for any reason you need a place, here is always open to you.” Hermione slipped her hand in his. “I hope it's easy for you to find.”
“Yes.”
The pair descended and Harry spotted them.
“There!” He pointed out. “Hurry, he might have her under a curse or something.” The boys followed closely behind as Malfoy and Hermione went back through the secret passageway.
“We'll see how you go, Draco.” Hermione's face was hidden. “For now, I'm on the fence about this.”
“May I have some sort of insurance for this one month, a trust that you won’t give me a hard time.”
‘What might that be?”
“Nothing major.” he said before a lone figure patted his cheek. “A kiss maybe.”
“You are bold Draco.” Hermione said, rolling her eyes, Draco fell in love 10 more times.
“True but indulge me this once.” a cheshire grin that reached his eyes.
Hermione leaned forward, her lips brushed against his cheek, leaving a pink hue in its place.
“One month.”
They went their separate ways leaving Ron and Harry speechless.
“She kissed him Harry, SHE KISSED HIM, That’s proof!”
***
Hermione started to act stranger than ever, sneaking off to the library even more, and when they were in the library investigating the egg Harry had gotten, she’d leave randomly at the end of it all and finally Ron had enough.
“Hermione, we need to talk!”
“Talk? Talk about what?’ Hermione asked packing her bags and get ready to go to the girls' dormitory. “You and Harry find something?”
“Your disappearances.”
Hermione freezes before slowly putting everything down. “My disappearances?”
“You bloody well know what we’re talking about, all you're sneaking off. When we ask you about it either you are funny enough don’t hear it or you change the subject!”
“Since when did I have to tell you and Harry everything!”
“Since you started hanging out with that twit Draco!” Ron’s ears were popping red. Harry watched as Hermione’s fingers twitched.
“IRONIC HOW A TWIT LIKE HIM SEEMS LIKE A BETTER OPTION THAN YOU RIGHT NOW!”
“MIGHT AS WELL CHANGE HOUSES HUH? SEEMS GREEN LOOKS BETTER ON YOU.” choked Hermione grabbed her wand and Harry raised his, however, that was the wrong choice.
“Always choosing his side over mine,” a dry sob left her and she wiped her tears, with a flick of her wrist all her things were in her bag. “I’ll see you later.” however Ron wasn’t done.
“OF TO HANG OUT WITH YOU LITTLE SNAKE BOYFRIEND-” Hermione lashed her wand in the air, soon Ron was in a body-binding curse but his facial features were mixed. His lips had duplicated and replaced his eyes while his real eyes were on either side of his head.
Hermione stormed out of the common room, leaving Harry to Ron’s humiliated self.
“Hey ‘mio! Wait up,” However Hermione ploughed on to the astronomy tower. Sitting down she noted how sad she was and how she probably looked worse for wear. Quietly he sat down beside her.
“It’s late, you shouldn’t be out here by yourself.” Hermione brought her knees to her chest.
“What do you truly think about me?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I want to know what you see in me that makes you want to be with me in any sense.”
“I think,” Draco paused, searching for the right words. “I think you are the epitome of intelligence, I think you are the brightest star in the sky, brighter than Sirius, brighter than the sun.”
Hermione raised her head and looked at his eyes glistening in the moonlight. “Draco.” she whispered.
“I’m not done yet, love.”
Hermione smiled. “Aïe, mon cœur, your smile lights up even the darkest of days, stronger than any patronus. You are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met who I think no picture or portrait can ever capture. I think you are something special that I have to work hard for, that I don’t deserve but I want to anyway.”
“Thank you Draco, I don’t hear sonnets like that from Ron or anyone really.”
“Usually Poet’s have to love or care deeply about someone to be able to write a sonnet.”
“It’s sweet knowing you care for me-”
“Other one.” Draco said, fixing his eyes on the moon. “Don’t get me wrong, I do care about you, sometimes more than I care about myself. But the other one is more accurate.”
“Oh Draco.”
“This month, this one month, has meant the world to me, our little dates, the faded enemy lines. Hermione Jean Granger, I want to make a confession and I hope you will hear me out.” Draco glances over at Hermione who looks at him with wide expecting eyes. “Do I take that as a yes.” Hermione nodded. Slowly he shifted till he faced her, planting both knees on the ground he took her hand in his.
“Hermione Jean Granger, you are a witch who made me question everything at the tender age of 11, however I never saw the idea of you wanting anything to do with me. You were a muggle born whom I insulted almost everyday and I just kept digging a bigger, wider hole. So i attempted something that if my father heard about he’d have me avada’d in minutes, I attempted to woo you.”
“I managed to gain you as a friend but you may not come to love me like i love you but if you ever love another, just know that my heart's always yours.”
A soft chuckle perked his ears. “Who knew the snotty brat I met in the Hogwarts train was such a softie.” Draco’s face burned and he turned his attention to the moon. However the head on his chest brought him back.
“Your heart is beating so fast. I like you too, Dray.” Draco grins.
“I should mark this in my calendar.”
“Fermez-la, Dray.”
“Look who’s learning.”
“I learnt from the best.”
“Well of-”
“Marie Curie is such a muggle inspiration in the field of research for radioactivity. The first woman to ever be awarded a Nobel Prize, like come on-” Hermione burst into a fit of giggles at Draco’s ‘bored’ face. “You’re also a factor.”
“That’s nice.”
Hermione stood up and held out a hand. “Come one before Filch catches us.”
“Yes Ma’am.”
***
