Work Text:
Gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous! That's how Hermione Granger looked like. He'd be dumb not to notice her first in the crowd. And Draco Malfoy wasn't dumb. He decidedly made his way towards her as soon as he saw her in the great hall.
In fact, he was sure his feet would take him to her even if he didn't decide on it. Her magnetic field is being a little too strong the past few weeks leading to tonight. Truth be told, recently, he's been finding himself next to her without his knowing. It's kind of funny.
What's funnier is that he can't say anything when he's near her. It was that or he was trying his hardest not to. If there was anything he learned the past year was that he can't be too certain. He thought he knew her. Yet at the end of the day, he was apparently just assuming things.
Planning and organizing the Yule Ball sure put him in a difficult situation. In his mind, there was a serious push and pull of ideas. What ifs. Even now.
He was determined to settle the score tonight. So he made his way to her deliberately. Something he was not inclined to do the past few days. When she started the conversation however, his vulnerable side pulled him back. He can't risk getting hurt again.
To his dismay, Theo Nott was harshly right. He loses his eloquence in the presence of Hermione Granger. She was so cool, even apologizing to him for what happened last December. He hates her for that. So much so that he brushed her apology which may or may not have hurt her. Quite frankly, he's still walking on egg shells. He laughed in his response as a defense mechanism.
It was only thanks to Pansy Parkinson that he could prevent more damages to his pride. When she whisked him away from Granger, he couldn't have been more grateful. Although he did send her an S.O.S. by lifting his flute at her.
He has no idea if he was able to perfectly hide the fact that he's furious. Granger was so gorgeous, wearing that emerald green dress. Not that green was his favorite. But the color of his house on her sent his soul out of his body especially when he saw how it looked like at the back.
There was nothing at the back! It was bare! He hasn't even taken any sip of the champagne he got for himself -- he just got it really to request help when needed -- but heat crept in his body like it was nobody's business.
It took every fiber of his being not to snatch her where she sat next to Potter by the alcoves. If Potter turned out to be her boyfriend then he knows he's definitely jealous. And if Potter isn't then that's worse. Because he feels like he still can't have her. Not when he can't read what her actions recently meant, and that if he should allow himself to trust his feelings again.
The past few weeks was torture. Being with her made him happy. But it immediately turns to sad every time he was reminded of how painful it was for him when they broke up.
Although he was sure he already forgave her for that even if she never asked, it was still a bitter memory. He wouldn't say it but it drove him mad. Being near her. He was mad because he's feeling something for her again.
He almost laughed loudly as he lay on his bed. He just had the strangest interpretation of the way Granger looked at him and Pansy while they danced. She looked jealous.
What he would tell her if his interpretation is correct however, is that she should be thankful. Granger should be thankful he talked to everyone else and not her. If anything, that was the highest compliment he could give. It meant he had the outmost regard for her, he couldn't speak.