Sucker Love

Chapter 11 • Hermione






Chapter
11 • Hermione

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“Well, that really sounds great,” I put in, smiling at my
friends enthusiastically, “but I think I’ll be over there. You know...by the
bookstore. I heard they just got the latest copy of...um...this book and I’m
dying to see it.”

 

I knew I had to make a fast exit. It wasn’t as if I had
any choice; I simply wasn’t...cut out for the torture my own friends were about
to inflict on me. I had no idea anyone could be this cruel.

 

“I could go with you...if you want,” Harry offered
gallantly, although I could tell that the bookstore wasn’t exactly his choice
of amusing attractions. That – at this moment – was a miracle.

 

“No...really, I’ll be fine,” I assured him. “I mean, I’ll
be reading. What could possibly happen?” I waved my hand at him dismissively as
his brow creased and he looked as if he was on the verge of breaking out the
list of things that really could happen to me. “You worry too much. Go – have
fun. They’re waiting for you.”

 

Stepping back slowly, I smiled enthusiastically again,
hoping everyone would eat up my excited features while I made my escape.
Finally, as the short goodbyes were issued, I turned around and sighed with
relief. Wiping my brow with my right hand I shook my head and gave myself
credit; that was a close one.

 

There was no way in hell I was about to go and spend the
afternoon at the Antique Robes and Jewels Festival.

 

I hadn’t a clue why I had agreed to accompany my friends
to Hogsmeade for the weekend. Not the entire weekend, thankfully, since I was
fortunately planning on returning to Hogwarts tonight, but I wasted time
nonetheless. What looked as to be a bonding weekend between Ginny, Parvati,
Lavender and I, turned out to be a sort of triple date scenario: Dean and
Parvati, Lavender and – unexpectedly – Ron, and Ginny and Harry. Of course, I
didn’t think that Harry realized about the latter, that Ginny and he so obviously
looked like they were a pair, but nonetheless joined in on the fun.

 

I couldn’t say that I was unfairly excluded because of the
pairings. True to his ignorance, Harry paid as much attention to me as he did
to Ginny, causing her to show off a bit of irritation towards him as well as
me. Besides, as soon as the Antique Robes and Jewels Festival was brought up by
Lavender and Parvati – beauty queens extraordinaire – I knew that I’d be stuck,
cornered, looking at tens of hundreds of old robes and diamonds for at least
three hours minimum...as a seventh wheel. No. That really didn’t work for me.

 

Hence, my escape to the bookstore.

 

I really could have wondered exactly why Harry, Ron and
Dean didn’t object to this nearly shopping event, but realized that considering
this was almost a date scenario, the guys just wanted to spend a little time
with their girls – even Harry who didn’t realize that Ginny was reeling him in
like a plump trout. They wouldn’t care about hours on end of everlasting
shopping.

 

I did, however. And I didn’t mind that I was basically
exiled to Pete’s and Parlor’s for some one-on-one book time. I was, after all,
planning on going back to Hogwarts soon – even thought it was still Saturday –
and it seemed a shame to leave without having bought anything or at least
looked at anything to my interests.

 

Walking into the dusty bookstore, dense with the rich
smell of fresh parchment and aged volumes, I couldn’t help but smile. I didn’t
know why, but I just wasn’t the glamour shopping type of girl. Looking and
reading books ranked supremely higher on my scale.

 

“Hi, Mr. Etchenson,” I greeted, walking into the bookstore
entrance, and smiling at the clerk whom I’d known ever since second year when I
had to get all of those Gilderoy Lockhart books. Some, of course, I got at the
regular Diagon Alley bookstores, but the rest were sold out. I had to get my
supply of the smug, arrogant git author somewhere.

 

The old, white-haired wizard returned my smile warmly, his
long, wise-looking nose gleaming in the soft store light.

 

“Why, hello, there,” he replied, grinning mischievously as
he got ready to assist his newest customer with whatever books needed. His
mental list of best-sellers was pulled up promptly, I guessed, because that’s
the exact grin he wore when I first met him. “How may I help you, child? School
supplies, perhaps? Let’s see...you look like you’d have Advanced Herbology and
Honors Divination, correct?” He smiled, not even noticing my horrified
expression and reached for a thick, hard-cover text. “Does Unfog Your Future,
Volume Four suit your needs? Or perhaps – ”

 

“No – no, thank you, Mr. Etchenson,” I politely declined
and pretended like I didn’t notice that he deemed me a Divination major.
Honestly. “I just came in here to look around.” I looked at the kind old man in
front of me and raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you remember me? Hermione Granger? 2nd
Year – well, now 7th year – but I’ve been coming in here since – ”

 

“Hermione Granger?” he inquired curiously. “Why, I’d heard
that you moved away from London for good. Something about disappearing off the
face of the Earth.”

 

I broke into a grin. “Long story short, I’m here.”

 

Mr. Etchensen returned my grin as his eyes twinkled
happily – much like Dumbledore’s did. “Well, Hermione, it’s a pleasure seeing
you again.” He patted me on the back lightly as I grinned and headed into the
numerous shelves full of dusty book when suddenly I heard his guilty voice.
“Oh, and do forgive me about the Divination bit.” His sheepish smile made me
forgive him before I even realized what he meant. “Unfog Your Mind hasn’t been
selling too well – not many fortune tellers in the making, I tell you – and I’m
trying to get rid of my last few copies.”

 

“No
problem, sir,” I answered laughingly, remembering amusedly that the old man was
aware of my dislike towards Divination. “Thanks anyway.”

 

Progressing
into the thick texts, I came upon an opening with a table in the middle which
one person occupied, the book hiding their face and a few people browsing
through the surrounding bookshelves. Deciding to look at some Transfiguration
books, I turned to go down the Academic Texts aisle when I heard a very pointed
and familiar shuffling behind me – like it was calling out to me.

 

I
moved to turn around but knew what the noise was before I even saw it.

 

“Took
you long enough to get here,” he observed plainly. “Never took you for a heavy
shopper.”

 

Shutting
my eyes I made the full the one-eighty and looked into the eyes of my latest
observer.

 

“Why,
whatever gave you that idea?” I replied dryly, more irritated at his ‘Why
weren’t you here, because you should’ve been’ tone than anything else. “I shop
with the best of ‘em. Sadly, I had to turn down a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity of bidding on some pretties at the Antique Robes and Jewels
Festival in order to make room for something important in my schedule.”

 

Malfoy
laughed at my response and laid his hardcover book facedown on the table in
front of him. “Some brain activity, perhaps?”

 

I
couldn’t help but break into a grin myself; a small one. “Precisely. What are
you doing here?”

 

“Think
you’re the only one who reads, Mya?”

 

I
raised an eyebrow. “Between you and I?” I snorted. “Could very well be.”

 

Seeing
where this parade was going, Malfoy stood up, dumped his book – literally –
into his knapsack and walked up closer to me, definitely invading my ‘personal
bubble’.

 

“I
have somewhere to be, actually,” he informed, looking at his watch briefly,
then returning his ice-cap blue eyes to mine, “but I think we should talk.” He
glanced at his watch again. “I’m busy today, but tomorrow after Herbology is
good for me. You?”

 

I
perked an eyebrow. What exactly was he getting at now? We had to spend
something close to thirty detentions together and he wanted to get together
even more to chat? And what about? I decided to voice a few of my concerns.

 

“What
do you want to talk about?” I asked, not waiting for his response. “Whatever it
is, we could do it in detention, I mean – ”

 

“Tomorrow
after Herbology it is, then,” Malfoy confirmed, a smug smirk on his face and
his expression signaling that he completely chose to ignore what I’d just said.
Unreasonable mule. “Later, ducks.”

 

And
with that, the Great Malfoy left the building – or shack – store – whatever the
hell it was they called those things. I was too irritated to even remember. It
was like Malfoy wiped everything that was on my mind away except for thoughts
of him - lots of thoughts of him. Prat.

 

Only
he intruded in my life that way, making every single moment about him and
causing me to drop everything just to pay attention to him. And now I had to
re-adjust my schedule so that I could meet the moron after Herbology and talk.
Truthfully, I hadn’t been planning to do anything after Herbology besides go to
the library, but that’s important stuff right there.

 

I
sighed. Maybe I just wouldn’t show up and teach Malfoy a lesson; that he
couldn’t just run peopllivelives like a computer game. But I knew I’d show up.
Just out of curiosity if not common courtesy.

 

I
snorted; now that’s something Malfoy clearly lacked. Common courtesy. What if I
had been busy and I didn’t show up tomorrow? He’d be mad that I didn’t come but
I couldn’t’ve changed my plans.

 

Shaking
my head, I plopped down in a plastic chair and rested my head on my folded
forearms. Malfoy was so complicated. He was making my life complicated. He was
just – unexplainable. Difficult. And I didn’t need that in my life.

 

Deciding
that I should probably head back to Hogwarts and enjoy the silence of the
girls’ dorms while everyone spent the weekend here, I stood up and headed out
the door, lost in my own somehow Malfoy-related thoughts.

 

“Leaving
so soon Ms. Granger? Now, you’re sure you haven’t changed your mind about
Divination? Really suits your personality, it does. Half off all Unfog Your Future
volumes.” Mr. Etchenson leaned over the counter as I was exiting through the
door. “And because you’re my special customer, I’ll give you the first book
free!”

 

.

 

 

 

“’Ermione?”

 

I knew thatce. ce. I couldn’t place it, but I knew who
that was. If only the fog would clear from my head long enough for me to
realize who was speaking to me. I knew it – he was familiar. Yeah, it was
definitely a he. Someone authoritative, kind, tall...

 

“’Ermione, are ye a’right?”

 

I was almost there. If I could only match up the picture
of him in my mind with his name. I was at a loss. I didn’t even remember where
I was let alone the list of my closest male acquaintances who were
authoritative, kind and tall. Something wasn’t right. I was somehow being
called out of what seemed like a trance by –

 

“Hagrid?” I asked weakly, rubbing my eyes then grasping
the side of my head with my right hand. As if to confirm my suspicions,
Hagrid’s bulky, towering form cleared in my vision as I focused and fine-tuned
my sight with the mere use of blinking. I honestly didn’t know where I was or
what Hagrid was doing, standing over me and looking five feet taller than usual
– which was pretty worry-worthy in my book. “What’s going on?”

 

Clearly, he must’ve known why I was disoriented as hell and
was suddenly immensely shorter than him. Or perhaps he got taller. Either way,
his worried expression – which held a shadow of relief as soon as I uttered the
giant’s name – wasn’t looking like it was going anywhere. The worry lines on
poor Hagrid’s face faded a bit, but not completely and I realized that
something must’ve been off to worry the giant so. I also realized that it was
fairly quiet – and strangely so due to the swarm of classmates standing around
me in conspicuous groups, muttering something in hushed tones and looking at me
from time to time. Yeah, this situation – not normal.

 

“’Er, ye don’t remember?” Hagrid tried, his forehead
creasing in hope, then releasing its burden as he shook his head. “Figures ye
wouldn’t. That kid was right – ye probably fainted er somethin’ like it.” The
previous he said mostly to himself, rubbing his mustache a few times before
waving off the crowd that had probably named themselves as a society by now
while watching my ‘fainting er somethin’ like it’.

 

My forehead suddenly creased. Wait a damn second – I
fainted? That’s why I was disoriented...and sent to a class. Again, nothing
added up. I looked to Hagrid for answers once more and realized that he’d been
looking at me questioningly for some time now. It seemed that I hadn’t been
paying attention amidst my own thoughts.

 

“Well, whad’ye say?”

 

“Say to what?” I inquired, playing dumb. It wasn’t too far
a stretch – I really had no idea what the bloody hell was happening. And leave
it to me to not pay attention when my teacher – my friend was trying to help me
out and explain.

 

Hagrid pursed his lips in thought for a second, straining
his eyes at me and examining my current condition. Feeling my hair, I realized
it was disheveled and probably a touch bushier than I’d intended for it to look
this morning. My right cheek hurt from something I couldn’t quite pinpoint and
my clothes were wrinkled.

 

I frowned.

 

And I was sitting up in a bundle of hay.

 

“I thought we might go ter Madame Pomfrey an’ see how yer
doin’ with yer head there,” he suggested cheerfully, pronouncing each syllable
as if he were talking to a three year-old child. I shook my head at his in
disagreement, then stared up at him with big toffee eyes.

 

“No, Hagrid,” I insisted, looking about my... nest, I presumed,
of hay, “just tell me what happened. I feel fine. I just don’t remember why I’m
in...a bunch of hay.”

 

“Well,” he began carefully, scratching his moustache for
the third time and eyeing me carefully, “ye were in my class and we were
discussing the behavior of Jill Suans – ” Dragon looking things, I remembered.
Hagrid was big on that stuff, “ – when I assigned everyone ter go find one and
feed it some Spicefine Nuggets.” He looked over to a Jill Suan that was
hovering around his feeding bowl nervously, aware of all the people in his pen.
One thing I found strange about the animals is that despite their size, they
were very shy and reserved. “That’s when I found ye lyin’ on Jeffrey’s bed
while he was havin’ ‘imself some breakfast.”

 

My eyes widened. Oh, my God. I remembered. I remembered
why I was in...Jeffrey’s bed and why the right side of my face hurt – the damn
scratchy hay – and why I couldn’t remember a thing. Well, now I supposed I
could. It all became clear as the memory of today returned to me. It was
Monday. And today was simply not a good day.

 

“It’s okay, Hagrid,” I finally assured the worried giant
who was still looking at me strangely, like I’d grown two heads, although that
wouldn’t strike someone like him as strange, “I remembered was happened. I
didn’t faint.” I ran a hand through my disheveled chocolate locks in attempt to
smooth them down as a second hand grasped onto a bench nearby, aiding me in
standing up from Jeffrey’s rightful bed. “I...” sighing, I just spit it out, “I
fell asleep.”

 

Nearby students gasped while others opted to drop various
objects in attempt to demonstrate their complete and utter shock at my
admission. I felt like knocking them all in the head.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I fell asleep,” I confirmed, annoyed as I
turned around and looked at all the baffled bystanders. “Hermione Granger fell
asleep.” Feeling my temper rise as none of them disappeared, I crossed my arms
over my chest slowly and calmly, glaring at Hannah, Stacey and Lysa among
others from Hufflepuff who chose to barricade my exit out of Jeffrey’s pen,
quietly whispering and giggling conspicuously. “If you’d like,” I bit out, “I
could sign an autograph.”

 

That cleared the crowd, all but two figures stepping out
of my way as I took a single step forward out of the class. Before leaving, I
turned around and bid Hagrid and short and grateful goodbye.

 

“Sorry about that,” I finished, smiling a small, sheepish
smile as I looked at the kind professor, “and it’ll never happen again. I’m
just – not feeling too well.” Then, without waiting for his approval, I turned
to look at Ron and Harry who seemed to enjoy barricading my only way out of
Jeffrey’s pen. Raising my right hand slowly, I motioned for them to clear our
as calmly as possible. When they did no such thing and had the nerve to look
like they were going to start up a ‘talk’, I simply pushed past them and shook
my head. “Not. Today.”

 

And left. Far away. Where there were no damn people – for
at least a while. And it was for the best. Because whatever Harry and Ron had to
say –

 

Not. Today.

 

 

.

 

 

 

I never realized how much shorter all the first and second
years were than the rest of the school. I supposed I’d noticed now, but that
was irrelevant. Now – today – it was all irrelevant because I couldn’t compare
today to any other day of the week – no, the year. Because today was the day
from hell, the day that was made specifically to torture every part of my body,
my soul, my being and then go the extra mile to inflict just a bit more pain.
Today, I noticed now small and frightened the younger classmen looked – and I
reveled in it.

 

It gave me power to glare them down, bump into them and
yell at their clumsiness – basically just scare the shit out of them. And why
would this amuse me so? Because today was the fucking worst day anyone could’ve
asked for – and then given to me.

 

Clicking my unpolished, loosely-buckled Mary-Janes down
the crowded hallway, I sent the previously mentioned glares at an
uncertain-looking redhead whose books were tucked securely under her chin as she
padded along. Her eyes widened and she cowered slightly as she passed by me,
giving me another fraction of satisfaction from making someone feel just a
little over uneasy. Oh, yeah – Slytherin, here I trot. Warm up my seat for me.

 

Oh, the bloody irony. Just as the thought passed through
my mind, I spotted the very person who would’ve probably volunteered to ‘warm’
my seat at the Bully and Badass Convention. Brilliant. And although I felt no
desire to talk to him whatsoever, I approached the poor, tattered soul anyway.
Oh, how he would regret ever scheduling this living shebang with me. Yeah, he
would.

 

“Your five o’clock is here,” I announced from behind him,
his blonde head whipping around at the sound of my voice. I could tell his mood
visibly brightened as he saw my steaming, seething, sarcastic expression and
that didn’t help my welcoming mood at all. Tapping my the black toe of my shoes
impatiently, successfully creating an annoying rhythm, I rolled my eyes and
spread my arms in exasperation. “Well? What’d you want to talk to me about?”

 

Malfoy’s expression drew out a frown slightly, but not
even to even hint that I’d offended him with my tone of voice. “What – here?”

 

“Why not?” I inquired, quirking an eyebrow impatiently.
“Is it life-and-death-related? Does it involve sexual favors? Would you like to
blackmail me into hanging up colorful banners with your picture and the slogan
‘Draco is the best, Hermione is the pest’ on them? Did you want to ask me to
the Flame Crown Ball and give me a daisy?” Pausing to take a much-needed
breath, I looked at Draco’s slightly perturbed expression now. He didn’t seem
too frightened, but the concern was there. Concern for my sanity, perhaps?
Because even I would’ve agreed that it was a start. “Hm – which is it, blondie,
because I don’t have all day. Arithmancy is waiting.”

 

The last comment really snapped Draco out of stupor at my
behavior and allowed his eyes to flash an icy aqua before returning to his
normal ‘I couldn’t give less of a shit’ expression.

 

“Blondie? I’d tone it down a bit, Granger,” he suggested
casually, although I could tell he really wanted me to cut the crap with the
nicknames. Well, I supposed it wasn’t fair to both of us, then, because I
wanted him to cut the crap period and, well, that wouldn’t be happening any
time soon. “And Arithmancy isn’t waiting for you. It won’t start for another
fifteen minutes. Break, remember?” He paused. “And what was that about sexual
favors, again?”

 

I exhaled through my nose, and clenched my teeth. “Oh.
Yeah. What do you want? Perhaps the cliff notes version, at that.”

 

Draco raised his arms in surrender in attempt to show me a
sign of peace. Yeah – that would work. “Well, I called you here to talk, but I
doubt that’s a possibility now that your mood could rival Filch’s. What the
hell is up?” He did seem sincere enough; that is until he leaned in and cupped
his hand over his mouth. “You’re not on your rag or some shit like that, are
you?”

 

Oh, hell no.

 

My eyes widened and I could’ve steam was steadily coming
out of my ears. My face reddened – to an unnatural point and – but I took a
deep, strangling breath to calm myself. Didn’t work; too bad.

 

“My period?” I asked sweetly, straining my voice to not
yell the crap out of the rich Malfoy bastard. “You...you think I’m on my
period? Naturally, that’s why a girl’s mood is shitty, of course. Because she’s
going through her menstrual cycle and takes it out on every other fucking
innocent person around her, right? That’s the only reason I couldn’t give a
damn about anyone else and finally decide not to be considerate, isn’t it? No,
it couldn’t be because I woke up late today and missed most of my morning
classes. It couldn’t be because my own friends couldn’t wake me up or tell me
that we had a project to turn in today and that I should show up to class and
not bomb a quarter of my semester grade. It really couldn’t be because I’d had
a migraine since I woke up this morning and still had to measure the exact
amount of...” I waved my hands around in frustration “...shit to feed the
plants in Herbology. It just could not – not be because my mom called in the
middle of all that crap to tell me that she was in the hospital for heart
surgery. It couldn’t be that because of my fucking concern and damn lack of
sleep I fell asleep in Care of Magical Creatures – on a Jill Suan’s hay bed!”

 

By this time, my face was flaming, my eyes were definitely
flashing like bolts of pissed off lightning and I was spreading my arms around
like a mad woman, illustrating my day’s frustrations to Malfoy as if it was an
interpretive art. Only more violent.

 

“Of course, it’s not because of that,” I answered slowly,
after taking a few calming breaths and lowering my voice to nearly a whisper.
Then my tone turned deadly. “It’s because I’m on my period.” I looked at him
pointedly. “Isn’t it?”

 

Malfoy’s expression at that moment was classic. If I
hadn’t been so tired, frustrated and angry, I would’ve laughed my ass off and
perhaps taken of picture of his frightened look. He seriously looked scared –
not that I blamed him. His eyes searched mine, hoping to find evidence that the
next step to my rant wasn’t murder and his eyebrows were set high abtheitheir
normal destinations, giving his complexion a, ‘Damn, I’m never saying shit to
her ever again’ look.

 

Oh, yeah. Point to the Granger team.

 

“Well,” he began carefully, meeting my eyes slowly, “so
far that looks like a ‘no’.” As soon as he recognized me relieving a bit of my
tension, however, he dropped his shocked façade and wiggled one confident
eyebrow, “But that leaves the sexual favors option a bit more open, now doesn’t
it?”

 

That relieving of tension thing suddenly left the building
and the fire within me was lit full-blast once more. What was with this
asshole? He wasn’t the first to act like a clueless...guy, for lack of worse
adjective, but no one had ever bothered me that much. I was sure he knew that I
was pissed. I mentally chuckled; if he didn’t, I didn’t know what business he
had taking Enhanced anything, least of all Enhanced Transfiguration. I also knew
that he realized I was looking for some peace at the very least – not some
smartass comment about ‘sexual favors’ which clearly advertised his internal
desire for a good fuck.

 

He realized what he was getting himself into – and it was
too bad he chose this road.

 

“I guess it does,” I bit out, my eyes narrowed and lips
pursed. I could tell his eyes were twinkling merrily and predicted that he was
doing a happy dance inside his head right about now to celebrate getting a rise
out of me. Looking him up and down, I decided to just forget all that ever held
me back. I was pissed, I was tired, I was angry, I was hurt, I was – cornered.
And now...I was free. “So, what are you waiting for?”

 

Dropping my books from my arms and lowering my knapsack to
the floor along with them, I spread my arms askance. “Well?” The guy in front
of me quickly moved to hide his confused expression beneath many layers of
‘cool’ and ‘unbothered’. That made me angrier. I wanted to rip those cover-up
expressions off his face. I wanted him to actually express what he felt – even
if that meant confusion, anger, frustration – anything. I wanted him to feel as
out of control, lost, and confused as I did. I wanted him to feel the
frustration that coursed through my mind when his sexual innuendos played a
little too far into the land of meaning something. At this moment, I wanted him
to know what it felt like not to have control over everything and play it off –
not to radiate vibes of ‘cool’ and ‘unbothered’. Just lost, confused, pissed
off...and falling.

 

“I suppose if you wanted me that badly, we could arrange
something later today down in the – ”

 

He was still fucking joking. I was not.

 

I took a step closer to him, unconsciously cornering him
in the hall.

 

“Why not now, hm?” I asked, challenging him with my eyes
and getting a questioning glance in response. “Quick to say it but not to act,
right?”

 

My tone probably caused him to come up with a rebuttal; it
didn’t matter. He openis mis mouth to say something but he’d had enough
speaking time. So had I.

 

Quickly kicking my books out of the way, I took the final
step towards my once-nemesis and plundered his moving lips with my own. My
tongue took advantage of his open-mouthed shock at my action and slipped into
his mouth right away, tracing the outline of the roof of his mouth, his teeth
and finally finding his nearly lifeless tongue – it, too, probably still
reeling from the initial shock. Finally, however, the blonde opted to respond
to my boldness and matched my ferocity of the kiss, wrapping his arms around my
waist and pressing me further into him while actively participating in the
battle of tongues which I’d initiated. His head tilted, granting both of us
deeper access into each other’s undiscovered caverns and my hands came into
play as well, taking initiative of their own. Both of my arms worked their way
up his chest, making their way north extra slowly in order to trace the
well-defined sculpted muscles they encountered althe the way, then glided over
his broad shoulders in the home stretch before finally hooking themselves
around his neck and deepening the kiss to its fullest capacity.

 

Had we been at the Hilton – or at the very least, Motel 6
– I, myself, didn’t know where the random occurrence would’ve taken us. I
didn’t even think Draco knew. Predictable and organized as I usually was, I
couldn’t have bet on an outcome to save my life. Fortunately – or for the lust
principle in me, unfortunately – a loud, annoying ringing broke us apart, our
mouths tearing away from each other’s immediately.

 

I noticed that he hair was mussed – although I didn’t
remember even driving my fingers through it – and his lips were swollen, as I
predicted mine were as well. But most of all his face was confused, trouble,
frustrated – all in one. I could tell that he wanted the...whatever it was –
make out session, stolen miracle, parallel universe occurrence – to continue
but didn’t even know why. It didn’t make sense, whatever happened wasn’t
supposed to and he didn’t how the hell that happened.

 

If I hadn’t – finally – adopted some common sense and
shock, I wove sve smirked and realized that this was what I’d wanted all along,
to rid Draco of any cover-ups and allow him to display some raw emotion. Real
feelings.

 

But I was shocked – or frozen – at the moment, and
couldn’t figure out what the hell or why the hell it happened. Staring at one
another didn’t help much either, but we both opted to continue down that path,
our brown and blue orbs connected by some intangible string of vision. It
lasted forever. Then, after a minute, it lasted longer than that. And a century
later, I could still see blue.

 

Then, some kid bumped into me and I was brought back to
the real world. I hated it, but I needed it. We would’ve stared at one another
for forever and a day if the clumsy who-knows-what-year hadn’t knocked into me.

 

I promptly glanced around, curious if anyone had
actually...seen the random occurrence just now and was mildly surprised to find
out that, indeed, two short brunettes were staring at Draco and I with confused
and frightened expressions as if we’d just broken the law. Knowing that damage
control was promptly needed, I widened my eyes at them and let them know I
wasn’t something to observe for the liking.

 

“Oh, don’t mind me,” I assured them, my voice icy, piercing
through the crowded hallway, yet reaching only them, “I’m just crazy.”

 

With that, I picked up my books, my knapsack, and whatever
was left of sanity, and glanced backthe the blonde Slytherin who hadn’t moved
from his spot by the wall. His eyes merely followed me and I kneeled, picked up
my discarded items, then straightened once more and met his eyes.

 

I noticed he’d put up a simple blank expression over his
features now and couldn’t have been accused of anything more than not budging
to go to class.

 

Shaking my head, I turned, so that my back was to him and
departed to my next class, my knapsack hanging off my right shoulder sloppily
and my lips still tingly from a few minutes ago.

 

“I’m just crazy.”