Bad Romance - Time

Hermione thought about Draco’s kisses all the next day. She spent the most of it in her little corner of the library, studying. Or trying to study. A pair of icy eye’s kept appearing on her mind, distracting her.

It was afternoon when she found another distraction, in the form of Ginny Weasley. The red haired girl entered the library and from the way she headed straight for her, Hermione knew she’d been looking for her.

‘Hey,’ Ginny said softly as she sat down across the table from Hermione.

Hermione just looked at Ginny, not sure what to say.

‘I hate it when we argue,’ Ginny folded her hands on the table and looked at them.

‘So do I, Gin,’ Hermione gave Ginny a sad look.

Ginny sighed and stroked some of her long hair out of her eyes. ‘Hermione, I know I was a little out of order questioning you so, but it’s only because I care.’

‘I know you do, Ginny. I do. I’m sorry I was so horrid about it.’

Ginny nodded, accepting Hermione’s apology. ‘I knew you’re hiding something though. I know you, Hermione. Something’s changed in you.’

Hermione took a deep breath. ‘Maybe I have changed a little, Ginny. But that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. We’re all changing and growing. We’re all exploring who we are.’

‘I know and I’ve been thinking. Maybe we’ve been neglecting you a little. What with Ron seeing Lavender and Harry and myself. Plus the boys now training. Maybe we’ve forgotten you a little.’

Hermione reached across the table and grabbed Ginny’s hand. ‘Oh, Ginny, that was exactly how I felt. But at Christmas, I had a talk with Molly and I felt better. Don’t apologise for being in love, Ginny!’

Hermione saw Ginny’s face light up and a lovely pink blush cover her freckled face.

‘I am, Hermione. I’m so in love with him.’

‘I know you are. And he loves you just as much.’

‘He told me so at Christmas,’ Ginny confided.

Hermione felt tear’s fill her eyes at the happiness shining her friend’s face.

‘He’s been through so much, Hermione, I’d do anything to make his life easy for him now.’

Hermione nearly choked. If Harry found out about her new relationship with Draco that would make him angry. Her conversation with Ginny told her she couldn’t confide in her friend. She couldn’t ask Ginny to keep quiet about it. She couldn’t ask Ginny to keep it from Harry - it would be wrong of her.

There was no-way anyone could no about her or Draco. Not unless it got serious. Which it wouldn’t, of course. Hermione couldn’t allow it too.

Ginny left not long after and Hermione once again tried to concentrate on her History homework. The giant wars of the eighteen hundreds just didn’t interest her, though.

‘Leadhead started the wars.’ A voice behind her said.

Hermione looked up to see Draco looking over her shoulder at her parchment. ‘What?’

‘Leadhead started the wars, really. He was quite clever for a giant. He convinced the other giants that it was Felland, but it was him really.’

‘It doesn’t say that in the book.’

‘You’re not reading the right book.’ He winked at her. ‘I’ll lend you mine.’

‘And how is yours better then mine?’

Draco moved around the table to sit in the chair that Ginny had not long vacated. ‘Because it’s from the Malfoy library and, give my father his due, he loves his books. Almost as much as you do.’

‘Please!’ Hermione scoffed. ‘Don’t find common interests between your father and I.’

Draco winced. ‘Sorry,’ he whispered.

Hermione wondered at how easy Malfoy seemed to find apologising to her was. It surprised her. She’d bet anything that sorry was not a word that had left his lips often in the past.

‘I wouldn’t mind looking at that book,’ she whispered as she rolled her parchment up and packed away her ink.

‘I’ll get it to you,’ he said and stared into her eyes. ‘How are you?’

‘I’m fine,’ she whispered. ‘You?’

‘I’m doing good.’

They continued to stare across the table at each other before Draco winked at her again and stood up leaving the library.

Hermione sighed, watching him leave.

**************

Draco looked across the potions classroom and stared at the brown curls of one irritating girl. She was driving him mad! She’d hardly noticed him since she’d walked into the classroom. He’d been watching her most of the lesson and she hadn’t turned to look at him once. No little looks, no sneaky glances - nothing!

Yet he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her.

He wanted - No, he needed to spend more time with her alone. He had to get her on her own. But the next Hogsmeade weekend was another two weeks away. That meant they would have to sneak around the castle, looking for empty class rooms.

The room of requirement was a option but not one he wished to use, his feelings and memories of that room were not fond ones.

He ripped off a piece of parchment and quickly penned a note to Granger. Then under the cover of the desks he charmed it to fly and hide its self in her book bag.


************

Hermione slipped of her shoes once she was sat at a desk in the common room and pulled out her Potions notes.

She was tired. They’d had to concentrate in potions, more so then normal as the potion they had been studying was a complex one. Hermione still felt like she hadn’t taken eveything in. She’d been distracted by Malfoy staring holes into the back of her head. Just because he didn’t have to concentrate as much in potions, didn't mean he could try and distract her.

As she pulled out her note book a piece of folded parchment flew out of her bag and landed on her lap.

Hermione picked it p and unfolded it. Thrills swept over her when she saw his bold handwriting.

I need to be alone with you!

Hogsmeade is to far away. Think of somewhere!

DM

That was it. Short and rather curt. No nice words, no sweet nothings. Yet she still felt her stomach flip flop at his words.

Hermione spent the rest of the evening going over in her mind of all the possible places they could meet.

The obvious choice was the room of requirement but something held her back from choosing it. It had been the headquarters of the DA and she didn’t feel comfortable at the thought of using it. Plus she doubted Draco would want to. after spending so much time there during their sixth year.

Hermione folded her arms on the table and rested her head on them to think. So many right.

Then she gasped as the wind howled loudly at the window and lifted her head. It was perfect - the perfect place! Why hadn’t she thought of it before.

It had been used years ago, and not so long ago, as a hiding place and meeting room. It was safe, no-one would every find out.

Quickly she scribbled her own note on a piece of parchment and carried it to the window. She opened it, shivering at the chill, and looked around the common room to check that no-one was paying her any attention. She then pulled out her wand and charmed her note to find Malfoy. It folded it’s self into a paper bird and flapped out of the window.

Hermione stood watching it fly away and smiled.

*********

Draco caught the paper bird that flew at him and looked up at the Gryffindor tower where he knew it had come from.

He hadn’t been able to settle so he’d wrapped himself up in his scarf and cloak and took himself off for a walk in the grounds. Keeping to the shadows so he wouldn’t be seen.

As he walked he’d notice the paper following him and so had stopped to catch it.

He wasn’t surprised to find it was a note off Granger. He’d been expecting it.

I have the perfect place!
Meet me my the Whomping Willow tomorrow after dinner?

H.G.

The Whomping Willow? Was she crazy? Why would she want to meet there?

He shook his head at the thought and then continued on his walk. Trying to think of a alternative place to meet but not coming up with any.

***********

The following evening, after finishing her dinner before anyone else, Hermione went up to her dorm room to change out of her uniform. She put on blue skinny jeans and tucked them into her flat black leather boots. She then pulled on the green jumper that Molly had knitted her for Christmas.

She wasn’t purposely making a effort with her appearance, she told her self. She was just taking a little pride in herself. After all Draco Malfoy had seen her looking far from her best on many occasions.

She charmed her hair not to go too fizzy in the drizzle outside and wrapped herself in her warm black jacket. Her only hat and scarf she could find were her ones in the Gryffindor colours and they would class horribly with her green jumper so she decided against wearing them.

She wore only a little amount of make up on her face and only looked at her reflection in the mirror once.

She then hurried out if the room and down the tower, not wanting to catch the attention of any of her friends, who she hoped, were still enjoying dinner in the great hall.

She quickly left the castle and walked around the side towards the great willow.

It stood in the shadow of the castle and as she looked Hermione noticed that it was active. It’s long, flexible branches were trying to swipe at something on the ground.

As she grew closer Hermione noticed that the something was Malfoy.

‘You got too close, didn’t you?’ she called out to him as she walked to his side.

Draco turned to look at her. He was stood just out of the willow’s reach.

‘It’s a monster!’

Hermione laughed. ‘Why did you try to get near it?’

‘I didn’t know it was going to attack me. I just thought to take cover under it from the drizzle and wind,’ he explained.

Hermione gave him a look of pity. ‘And in your arrogance I guess you never thought to ask it if you could?’

‘Ask it if I could?’ He gave a sarcastic grunt. ‘It’s a bloody tree!’

‘It’s a living organism and as such this tree demands our respect.’

He shook his head at her. ‘And this is where you’ll have us meeting?’ He raised a finely arched eyebrow.

She shook her brown curls. ‘No.’

Hermione took a step forward and then quickly looked around her. A streak of Ginger flew towards them and stopped at her feet.

‘A cat?’ Malfoy asked as if to say, what next?

‘My cat, Crookshanks,’ Hermione told him. ‘Good boy,’ she praised the cat and stroked his head. ‘Go ahead,’ she told him and watched as the cat ran towards the tree, jumping over it’s roots and gracefully avoiding it’s branches. The cat reached the base of the tree and then climbed up it to bat it’s paw at a knot on the trunk.

The tree froze it place and the cat bounded off, to explore somewhere else, it’s job done.

Hermione smugly smiled at Malfoy. ‘Come on,’ she order and began walking towards the tree.

‘Where are we going?’ he asked as he walked slowly behind her as she headed for the tree trunk.

‘You’ll see,’ she said over her shoulder and held her hand out behind her for his hand. Hermione held her breath as she watched him lower his eyes to her hand and look at it. Was he going to take it? she wondered. He then lifted his eyes and stared into hers as he reached out and held her hand in his.

Hermione let out her held in breath in a whoosh of air and felt tingles raise up from her hand and flood her arm.

It was like touching a spark of electricity, she thought.

As she continued walking towards the tree she felt his grip on her hand tighten. Hermione soon saw what she was looking for a crouched down.

‘Here,’ she said to Malfoy and pulled him down with her. She then pushed aside the undergrowth and pulled him with her as she went sliding down a small tunnel.

They landed in a small passage way.

Hermione brushed herself down and looked at Draco as he looked around.

‘What is this?’ he asked, frowning.

‘Stop being so suspicious,’ she warned him. Amused that for once Malfoy was uncertain and unaware.

She’d had a good idea that he wouldn’t know about the real purpose of the Whomping Willow, but then with Snape having been his god father, she wasn’t a hundred percent sure he would have told Malfoy .

She was now though. And only felt a small amount of guilt at taking pleasure in his uncertainty.

She reached for and grabbed his hand again to lead him forward.

It was tight and cramped in the passage and so they stood fairly close to each other as they walked.

Hermione pulled out her wand and lit the end of it so they could watch their footing on the uneven ground.

After a few steps, Malfoy let go of Hermione’s hand and moved both his hands to her waist and held her there to keep her steady.

Hermione basked in the feel of his hands on her and couldn’t stop the shiver that ran then length of her body. She was sure he had felt it too.

After a while the passage way turned and then started to go upwards. Shadowy light shone down on them and together they emerged from the passage into a room. All the furniture in the room was broken and Hermione looked around her, not too sure what she expected.

‘We’re in the shrieking Shack!’ Malfoy cried.

Hermione turned to him and nodded. ‘It might need inspecting. I’m not sure what state it’s in after the war but I thought we could pick one room to use... Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea,’ she carried on when she saw the look on his face.

Malfoy looked around him and frowned.

‘Is this the room where... Snape died?’

‘No,’ Hermione said and looked around. ‘It was a room below.’

‘What about the ghost?’ he asked.

‘Ghost?’ Hermione frowned, not sure what he meant.

‘Well it’s the most haunted building in Britain, isn’t it?’

Hermione couldn’t help the laughter that escaped from her.

‘Well?’ Malfoy didn’t look impressed.

‘Are you telling me that you’re afraid of ghost?’

He shook his head and looked annoyed. ‘Listen, this was your idea, I’m just asking if it’s worth it or are we going to be disturbed by ghost trying to scare us out every five minutes.’

She walked a step closer to him and stopped laughing. ‘Unless Snape has decided to haunt the shack since his death then they are no ghost here. It was a clever ploy made up by Dumbledore to keep people away from the house.’

‘Why?’

‘Because it was Lupin’s hide out.’

‘The Werewolf?’

‘Remember, he was a dear friend of mine, won’t you?’ she warned, not liking the tone he had used.

Malfoy took a deep breath. ‘Sorry,’ he whispered. ‘Old habits.’

‘This was where he went every full moon when he was a student. To keep himself and others safe. Dumbledore had it built and the Whomping Willow planted to guard the entrance.’

‘How do you know about it?’

‘Lupin and Sirius Black explained it all to Harry, Ron and I. During our third year when we found out that it was really Pettigrew who betrayed Harry’s parents.’

Malfoy sighed and nodded his head in understanding. ‘I see. It’s all so complicated, isn’t it?’

‘It doesn’t have to be,’ Hermione said in a soft voice. ‘We need a place to meet and no-one is using this house. We know how to get in and out without too much trouble and after a few spells we could make it comfortable. We have no need to use the down stairs rooms.’

‘I meant the past,’ he whispered and looked at her closely.

‘I know you did. But it’s the past is the past for a reason it’s over and done with. Time moves on, Draco, and the future is what we make it. So, lets make this our meeting place.’

Malfoy looked, slowly around the room and the nodded his head. ‘Ok, lets. We could make something of it.’

He pulled his wand out of his robes and Hermione noticed that he wore a black sweater and dark jeans under it.

Malfoy lifted his hand, holding the wand up and aimed it at a ripped and rather tatty looking couch. He whispered a spell and the couch slowly repaired it’s rips and fixed itself. Settling neatly against the far wall.

Malfoy lowered his wand and turned his head to look at Hermione and smiled.

Hermione smiled back and took out her wand. She aimed it at a table and set of chairs and whispered the same charm.

Within ten minutes all the furniture in the room was looking brand new and the curtains at the window flapped prettily in the light breeze.

Malfoy went and sat on the couch and looked at Hermione expectantly.

Hermione’s heart dropped to her toes and then flew back up to her chest were it repeatedly did a number of somersaults.

She battled with her nerves as she slowly walked towards the couch. What now, she thought?

What did he expect? She was so uncertain. Everything had happened so quickly - Draco and herself. Now she was here. With him. Alone. She didn’t know what to expect or what he expected from her.

Did he expect for her to... to...? Did he want to... well... to?

Hermione just didn’t know.

‘What’s the matter?’ Malfoy asked her. His voice slow and controlled.

Hermione looked up from the floor and stared into his grey eyes.

‘Tell me?’ he demanded quietly.

‘What do you want?’ she asked.

Confusion flashed on his face. ‘What do you mean.’

‘What is it that you’re expecting now that we’re here?’ She felt her cheeks heat up in a small blush.

He seemed to watch her for a while before slowly smirking and winking at her. ‘Well if that’s what you’re offering...?’

‘No!’ She cried. ‘No,’ she said more quietly. ‘I don’t think that...’

‘Shush,’ he whispered. He stood up and held her hands. ‘I don’t expect that.Not yet... I mean it’ll be nice... but It’s not what I’m after... well not just what I’m after. Hermione, I just want to explore spending time with you. We can take things slow at first. Lets get use to spending time with each other.’

Her nerves were instantly calmed and she found herself smiling at him.

'I want you, Hermione,' he continued. 'Have no doubt about that, but I'm prepared to wait for a bit.'

Draco pulled her closer so that she was against him. He lowered his head as she nodded and then he kissed her forehead, cheeks and lips.

A/N; Bit more Draco/Hermione action for you. Hoped you like it. Please leave a review and let me know :) xx