Forbidden Paths

Chapter 7

Hermione left the Hospital Wing an hour later. Madam Pomfrey had diagnosed her with a case of nerves. She walked out of the Hospital Wing corridor with her stomach still doing flip-flops because she kept seeing Draco’s face when she pulled away from the kiss. He had a startled and pleasurable look on his face and his face went into the sneer that she hated so much.

She could have slapped him if she hadn’t been puking into the bucket he had conjured. She could still feel the sensation that she had when he rubbed her back gently and how he tenderly moved her hair away from the line of fire. She shook he head trying to remove all those images and thoughts out of her head.

She walked down the hall and she look out the window at the Quidditch Pitch and saw a shock of white blond hair surrounded by a black billowing cloak. She though that maybe he was like Harry who liked to fly in order to calm his nerves. So she thr through the big oak doors and walked to the stadium and sat down in one of the seats and waited patiently for Draco to stop flying and to land.

Up in the air Draco had the strangest sensation he was being watched. He looked up and saw a red and gold scarf blowing in the wing in the bleachers below him. He knew he shouldn’t but he went in a dive toward Hermione. He leapt off his Nimbus 2001 broom gracefully and looked up into her face bluntly said, “What is it?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to talk,” She said breathlessly. Her teeth were chattering slightly so being the chivalrous person he was he threw her his cloak. “Thanks, Draco.”

The way she said his name made him look up at her. The only person that said his name like that was his mother. “About what?” he said incredulously. He was trying his best to play dumb but apparently his eager expression gave him away.

“You know what,” she said quietly looking down at her knees, breaking eye contact.

“Oh you mean thiHe sHe swung his leg over his broom and flew right next to her. He reached out his hand picked up her chin and kissed her. Her mouth opened in surprise so he deepened the kiss and she started kissing him back. He suddenly remembered who he was kissing and he broke away feeling angry with his self.

He pushed off the bleachers with his foot and sped away on his broomstick. Hermione just sat there trying to catch her breath and comprehend what had just happened. She picked up her stuff and started trudging back up to the castle.

“Hermione what the hell are you wearing?” Hermione spun around looking to see who was talking to her. It was Ginny and she was staring at the crest that was on the cloak that Hermione was wearing. “What is that?” she demanded pointing at the Slytherin crest that dawned Draco’s cloak.

Hermione was so overwhelmed that she collapsed on her friends shoulder and began bawling. Ginny patted her on the back and shushed her. Hermione stood back and sat down on the ground. Ginny followed suit and Hermione explained the whole thing. When she finished she said, “Please don’t tell Ron and Harry. They will swear that Malfoy had put the Imperius curse on me and made me do all that stuff. Then they will probably kill him.”

“Well, what’s wrong with that?” Hermione looked up at Ginny and then she quickly said, “Sorry. Come on Hermione let’s go back up to the castle. It’s freezing out here.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco was in his dormitory beating himself up. He must be going crazy kissing a Mudblood like that. He had flown all the way to the window of the corridor that led to the dungeons, used a simple widening charm and climbed through the window. He ran all the way to his dormitory after he had given the password again.

He had run past be abe and Goyle who were about to ask him if he wanted anything form the kitchens because they were about to sneak down there. He didn’t even answer them he just kept running up to his dormitory where he threw him self on his bed and waved his wand so his drapes were shut so that only he could open them.

He sat in his bed thinking man this better not affect my game in two weeks.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

But unfortunately for Draco it did. He had seen the Snitch twice but it both times it was by the Gryffindor bleachers where Hermione was sitting and every time he chased after it he catch sight of her and he would look at her watching him for a second and then the Snitch would be gone.

Of course she was going to be here. Potter and Weasley were both on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Slytherin wasn’t doing to bad the score was 160-200 Gryffindor. But it wasn’t going to stay like that for long because Potter had just seen the Snitch and it was too late for Draco to try and catch up because as soon as he put on a burst of speed Potter’s hand had closed around the Snitch which made the score 160-350. Gryffindor had won.

He flew to the Slytherin Changing room as he watched Hermione jumping up and down with her fellow Gryffindors. He felt a slight pang ofentfentfulness as she kissed Harry and Ron both on the cheek. He slowly changed back into his school robes and walked back into the castle.

He stopped his tracks because he could have sworn that he heard someone call his name. He assured himself that he was hallucinating so he kept walking with his broom over his shoulder. Then he heard it again, “Draco,” he turned around and walked toward the voice. He drew out his wand. He had spent too much time in the Manor to be stupid enough not to y hiy his wand with him at all times.
It was coming from a broom closet. Suddenly a pair of hands grabbed him by his cloak and pulled him into the broom closet. It was Hermione. “You were great out there Draco,” she said softly.

“But Potter still caught the Snitch,” he said bitterly.

“I wasn’t talking about Harry,” she said softer still, “I was talking about you.”

She looked up into his eyes. Draco met her lips with his. He was transported to world of bliss. It was almost like someone had put the Imperius Curse on him. He felt her fingers running through his hair and that was it. He got so excited that nothing else mattered anymore. He pulled her closer and in the distance he heard a small voice calling Draco.

But something about that voice had unnerved him. He pulled back and her saw Hermione’s face. It was the same look that she had had when he almost hit her. He dropped his hands and too his surprise he saw her skirt drop back to its original place. She looked at him one last time and backed out of the broom closet leaving him there gasping for air.

Hermione ran back to the Gryffindor Common Room tears flying from her eyes. For the brief moment that their lips met she had actually trusted him but something happened and he started acting like a love-starved fool. His hands had wandered in the wrong place. She ran into the room and was almost thrown back because of the explosion of sound that had greeted her.

It occurred to her then that of course all the Gryffindors would want to celebrate because they had defeated Slytherin. She ran into Harry on her way up to her dormitory. He said, “Come on Herm! Ha! Have a Butterbeer!” But as soon as her saw her tear streaked face he took her hand in his and led her outsthe the common room, away from the noise.

“Hermione, what happened? Are you okay?” His dazzling green eyes were riddled with concern.

“Oh Harry!” Hermione exclaimed as she threw herself on his shoulder. She started sobbing.

“Hermione come explain to me why you are crying like this?” he led her over to a bench in the hallway.

She sat down and she put head oad on his shoulder and her stroked her hair gently. “I-I can’t tell you,” she said hoarsely.

Harry was kind of shocked because of this piece of information. “Why not?” he asked her lifting her head so he could try and read her expressions.

“B-because you’ll k-k-kill me,” she stuttered, “You might not kill just me either. I’m almost positive you’ll kill the other person.
“Just tell me,” he coaxed. So, she did. She told him everything. “I’m gonna kill Malfoy,” he exclaimed. He ran back into the common room looking like he was seriously ready to kill.

He retuned with a bewildered looking Ron who took one look at Hermione and asked, “What happened?”

“Tell him!” Harry demanded.

So once again Hermione began to tell them about the events that had unfurled between her and Malfoy. As she went on Ron’s eyes got wider and then they began to narrow with rage. Then Hermione stopped. She had seen Ron’s danger sign begin to appear. His ears began to go bright red.

“Where the hell is the slimy little prat!” commanded Ron, but then his expression changed as it dawned on him that Hermione had initiated the kiss. Then he said, “What the bloody hell were you thinking Hermione? Have you gone completely daft?”

Hermione shrugged her shoulders and dissolved into tears again.