Chapter Text
Chapter 1
(Draco)
I always do my best not to stare… and I’m good at it, I don’t ever. Hardly… Sometimes it’s just too hard…
She’s a MudBlood! And I’m a pureblood, not to mention a Malfoy. Hmph, what would Father think?! I would be cast out of the family for sure, and she’s Potter’s friend, no doubt she likes him anyway. And imagine if I did ask her out, and she were to say, no… well, to say the least I’d be done for, she’d tell Harry and Ron, and they’d make such fun of me! I would never show my face out again, I’d be too busy trying to hide from Father, he’d be out to kill me, because of the shame it’d put on the family.
Anyway, there’s much more to life than her, like good grades—Oh mustn’t forget to write him about how good I’m doing in potions! Oh, yes and I’m doing very good in Quidditch too. Must enjoy school, because once you leave your likely never to see Granger again! Then I find I’ve been staring at Hermione, and that Weasley is eyeing me with a deathly look. I feel my face just go a bit red, and I look down at my plate.
Stare in secret, think of your pride, Draco! So I make myself look up at Ron to give him a sly look, so that he might just think I have a prank planed for poor Granger. He glares at me, I calmly look down at my bacon and eggs.
“What’s up?” Crabbe asks me after the meal.
“What are you on about, Crabbe?” I demand.
“At the table your face just went red is all.” He shrugs his dumb shoulders.
“Ha! What an idea Crabbe, ya’ hear what he said Goyle? Me? Blushing?” I chuckle, shaking my head, “How dumb can ya’ get?”
“Sorry,” Says Crabbe.
I say nothing for a while, what would my father think? You know what? Who cares what he thinks! He isn’t here, what would he know?
***
The very next day, I see her, in her very favorite spot in all of Hogwarts—The library.
All right Draco, here’s your chance.
I straighten my robes, then check once, then twice, to make sure that Potter, and his friend, Weasley aren’t with here. Seeing that they aren’t, I walk right up to her, “Lookin’ for something in particular, Granger?”
“What would you care, Draco?” She asks, lifting her chin, only a bit.
I lean on the book shelf, grinning, “Guy can’t just wonder, can ‘e? Without you getting all snobby.”
“Maybe I wouldn’t get all ‘snobby’ if you weren’t so mean.” She states.
“What would you say if I told you that I wanted to change? That I, wanted to, start over, start a-fresh,” I shrug, “What would you say?”
“I would say ‘good luck, this is how you can start, stop being so mean to poor Harry all the time.’”
I straighten, “You like Harry?” I ask calmly.
“Yes. Yes, Draco, I do.” She answers.
“Why?” I ask.
“Why? Hmph, Is it not clear? Well, he’s kind, caring, and loving. He loves his friends, and takes good care of us, never keeping things from us, and always telling the truth.” She crosses her arms, “I could jolly well go on, but I won’t, Draco, because I know you don’t truly care in the slightest.”
“You don’t think I could be good, do you?” I say, getting in her face.
“I think,” She says not backing down, “You could, you just never will. That’s what I say.”
I open my mouth to answer when Ron and Potter march over to us, Weasley angry, “You leave Hermione alone, Draco!”
“Calm down, Weasley! We were only talking.” I say rudely, “Is that a crime?”
“It is the way you do it!” Ron growls, “Where are your gremlins?”
“You mean Crabbe and Goyle?” I sneer, “They’ve got lives too you know, they can’t be with me all the time.”
“Hermione, are you alright?” Ron asks her, in a much nicer tone.
“Yes, Ron, he really was just talking.” She looks at me for a moment then back at Ron, “Lets go.” With that, they all leave.
I stay in the library to study, I have to get good grades for my father will have my head, not that it’s something I stress over, I’m very clever. Some times I wish I had some who’d sit with me while I study, but Crabbe and Goyle don’t study, and hate being in the library. They don’t even take notes I think. I’m sure they are failing.
Once I’ve finished my work I go outside. I like to have a bit of fresh air before dinner, when I see a hooded man turn a corner, I pause and then run after it. But it’s gone… then I see it, a dark shadow on the floor, the shadow of a man, but no man.
I step back, “What?” I whisper. It must have heard me, because it’s head jerked, and the shadow stared to race toward me. I run, but my pride keeps me from crying out for help.
I look down to see the dark shape of the man under me, all black but it’s yellow eyes. I feel it pull me down into it, my eyes roll back, and everything stops, and I fall…