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Hermione sat amongst her fellow Gryffindor friends, shuffling about in her seat as other students started moving in to come and support the lion house. She remained glued to her seat in the Gryffindor Quidditch stands as the cheers and screams died down in her surroundings, echoing throughout her head as she wished that she had brought one of her books or something else to use as a distraction for her. Hermione really wanted to reread her class readings, even though all of her Professors had reminded her several times that she was constantly ahead of everyone else and didn't need to reread any of the texts for the upcoming year. She disagreed.
The Quidditch game began.
Madam Hooch's familiar screech called out as the flyers moved up into the air above the Quidditch stands. Her best friends: Ginny and Luna, cheer on their respective boyfriends up in the sky, even though the two were playing on opposing teams. Ginny was here, cheering on her boyfriend and Hermione's best friend, Harry, who was, of course, playing for the Gryffindor team, and Luna was on the other side of Hermione, cheering on her boyfriend, Blaise, who was playing for the Slytherin team.
The game was flying by.
Hermione felt as though as soon as the Quidditch game had begun, that it was very quickly over again. Though, that could be down to the fact that she still didn't quite understand the game of Quidditch, no matter how many times she read through the rules and Harry explained everything out in simple terms for her. She still didn't get it, and probably never would understand the fascination with the quite violent game.
Draco caught the Golden Snitch, earning the Slytherin Quidditch team: one hundred and fifty points, winning the game for the house.
Winning the first game for a while with the Gryffindor team as their opposition. They had played a good game, apparently, according to the others surrounding Hermione.
The blond looks out towards the crowd, searching through the Quidditch stands. His slate grey eyes observed over the Slytherin stands before flickering back towards the Gryffindor Quidditch stands, where he kept assessing each and every face in the crowd. Draco watches as the crowd, which features everyone except the dedicated Gryffidors, continues cheering on the Slytherin team's success.
Draco clearly nods towards his two best friends: Theodore Nott in the stands and Blaise Zabini, who was flying beside him; both seemed to know what to do with that signal.
The crowd began looking around, searching for the host of where the loud, obnoxious clearing of a throat was suddenly coming from. Ginny and Luna looked up towards the Quidditch players, almost as if they also knew something was going to start happening. The celebrations around them in the stands continued on.
Draco started flying around the Quidditch pitch, growing higher and higher before moving down as he observed the crowd. The audience just audibly assumed that he was just being cocky, performing his victory lap, but truthfully, something else was going out.
He was getting ready for the next performance of his lifetime.
And this one was possibly going to be more embarrassing.
"You're just too good to be true, can't take my eyes off of you." Draco's voice echoed around the Quidditch stands and the Quidditch pitch, being projected with a magic spell covering his throat and mouth.
Hermione felt herself look back up towards the blond prat on the broom, who had been following her around recently, that was flying closer and closer towards where she was glued to her seat with Ginny and Luna on either side of her.
She was trapped.
"You'd be like Heaven to touch, I wanna hold you so much." Draco's voice continued singing acapella towards the Gryffindor Quidditch stands. It was slowly becoming clearer who the blond prick was singing to. She was panting as she watched the blond.
Hermione couldn't help but glance over to the Professor's viewing stand, staring at them. She waited to see who was bothered and which ones were unbothered by the overtaking of control by the Hogwarts eighth-year students.
However, most likely because the game had been won and the Professors probably thought that this was how the Slytherins decided to celebrate their victory. Especially, as this had been their first victory of the new school year. And so they had decided to celebrate the Quidditch victory by singing a Muggle song.
How had Draco even heard of this song?
"At long last, love has arrived, and I thank God I'm alive." Draco flew around on his broom, allowing his voice to boom out louder around the pitch as his friends and the other Quidditch players watched from further below as they slowly began moving towards the ground.
Hermione couldn't help herself but keep eye contact with the blond man, not being able to hide the smile that was gracing her lips as he continued moving around the air. Performing for her. Performing at her. Or at least, that's what she assumed was happening.
"You're just too good to be true, can't take my eyes off of you." Draco continued singing, seemingly performing what seemed to be a choreographed flying routine — Luna seemed to be enjoying it as she danced along in her seat — as Hermione could hear the Hogwart band enter the Quidditch pitch from the bottom entrance — that was usually used for the medical crew, just in case something happened — as they played the instrumental backing track for the Muggle song.
Hermione couldn't help the girly giggles that left her lips. Yes, she may have wished for a book — mainly Hogwarts, a History — at the beginning of the Quidditch match, but actually, perhaps now, she no longer desired a book as a distraction anymore. She wanted to keep staring at the performance coming from the pointy blond, perhaps store the memory in a special vial so she could rewatch it when she was feeling sad or needed a general pick-me-up.
"I love you, baby, and if it's quite alright, I need you, baby, to warm the lonely night," Draco sang as he now directed all of the words and everything else towards Hermione.
His golden girl.
His curly-haired witch, although that wasn't the fact just yet, but it would be.
Draco was doing all of this for her.
He wanted, practically needed, to win her back somehow.
He would get his golden girl.
Screw the bet. He wasn't doing this for the money.
Hermione continued watching him, her eyes glued to him, and couldn't help the sound of the laughter that was now coming out of her lips. Hermione was completely mesmerised.
Firstly, how had Draco Malfoy, of all people, found out about this Muggle song when she assumed that they hardly ever talked about music, especially Muggle music?
Sendly, how did Draco find out the words to this Muggle song?
Had Theodore and Blaise helped him? Had Harry somehow helped them?
Or, had Ginny and Luna helped them somehow, the thought came to her as she glanced quickly between the ginger and the blonde as they burst into laughter.
"I love you, baby, trust in me when I say. Oh, pretty baby." Draco sang towards the Muggleborn, with a large smile stretching across his lips as their eyes connected. "Don't bring me down, I pray. Oh, pretty baby." His voice echoed through Hermione's head as she watched his movements on the broomstick.
Hermione hadn't spotted Madam Hooch's movements as she grabbed onto her broomstick, angrily kicking off the ground. She hadn't seen Madam Hooch this angry ever before, but Hermione knew not to mess with any of the Professors when they were this angry.
"Now that I've found you, stay and let me love you, baby. Let me love you." Draco sang the final words, smirking at Hermione before he was suddenly pulled off his broom by Madam Hooch. She dragged him back down to the ground, pulling him away and out of the Quidditch stands as thunderous applause sounds out, rumbling through the stands.
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"I can't thank you enough for helping me sneak out of detention." Draco chuckles, smiling as he paddled alongside Hermione on the small boat they had rented from a too cheerful, old Muggle couple. "Very cool." He laughs, the sound mixing with Hermione's.
He couldn't believe that Hermione Granger of all people had busted him out of detention.
"No problem," Hermione mutters, shrugging her shoulders as if it was nothing. But, it wasn't anything because Hermione had never done anything like this before, but perhaps she was turning a new leaf when it came to Draco Malfoy.
"I thought for sure I was busted when I was climbing out that window," Draco smirked.
The two of them laughed together, the noise loud across the lake.
"So, how did you keep him distracted?" He questioned, intrigued.
"I dazzled him with my wits." Hermione blushed, turning away and hiding her face as she held back the laughter that threatened to burst from her body.
"So, what's your excuse?"
"For?" She asked.
"For acting the way we do?" Draco commented.
"I don't like to do what people expect. Why should I live up to other people's expectations instead of my own?" She shrugs her shoulders.
"So, you disappoint them from the start and then you're covered, right?" He asks.
"Something like that." She chuckles, nodding.
"Then you screwed up," Draco admits.
"How?" Hermione shuffles, turning back to look at him.
"You never disappointed me."
They turn to each other on the small paddle boat, smiling at each other. Something is starting to change between them. Electricity sparks in the air before Hermione turns away, feeling embarrassment sizzle its way through her body.
"Are you up for it?" Draco questions, nodding towards a paintball site across the lake.
"Up for what?" Hermione asks, turning back to him as her eyes slowly move towards what he is looking at.
Draco spots a Muggle paintball site, pointing it out to Hermione.
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Hermione aims, throwing it directly into Draco's chest, smirking as she does so. She hides behind a piece of clear plastic in a box, sticking her tongue out at him, goading him on as he plays right into her plan, as he throws a ball of red paint at the plastic.
She laughs in joy before a paintball is directed straight at her stomach, forcing Hermione to double over in pain with a groan. Hermione scuttles away, trying to hide behind any of the brightly coloured objects that had been set up around the site.
They chase each other, paintballs flying everywhere, but landing on the desired targets of each other. Their white boiler suits slowly become covered in splatters of brightly coloured paint.
Before Draco can smash paint on Hermione, she beats him to it and splashes the ball directly onto his head before running away. As she exits the situation, Draco flings a ball at Hermione's back with a loud laugh. She rushes to hide but doesn't get it in time and raises her hands in surrender.
He beckons her into a side hug before splashing a paintball into her curls.
Draco runs after her before giving up on the game and pulling her into a pile of straw. Hermione flings herself backwards, smirking as she takes her science-like eye protective mask off her face, looking into Draco's eyes. He throws his eye protective mask off his face before rubbing paint off her face.
He leans in, smirking as he pushes his lips against hers. Hermione wraps her arms around his neck, bringing him in closer and deepening the kiss between them.
They pull apart, and Hermione declares the war starting back again with a smash of paintball to his face, laughing as she starts running away again.
The paintball war was back on again, smirking at each other as paintballs flew back and forth.
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The Great Hall was completely transformed; it was unrecognisable as the Professors had changed the scenery and atmosphere as the band played. Other Hogwarts students were already filling the dancefloor as they danced with their friends or danced with their partners, who had invited them to the prom.
Hermione was walking down all of the stairs, already hearing the muffled sound of the band. She could feel her heart beating at an accelerated rate.
What was she doing here?
Her hair was pushed back in a fluffy bun, the curls perfected to be impressive and not messy. And her dress was a simple straight down dress, the colour of a deep blue like the sky right before midnight struck. Around her neck was a simple pearl necklace that had been her mother's, which was passed down to her as a present before leaving for her eighth year.
She paused beside the large, overbearing Great Hall doors, breathing out.
Draco crept up behind him, scrubbed up well for the evening. He couldn't keep his eyes off her.
"Wow." He stared at her.
"You, too." Hermione smiled, assessing his outfit.
Draco gave her a single red rose, smirking as he offered her his arm, which she took instantly.
"Where'd you get a tux at the last minute?" She stupidly asked, already mentally guessing the answer.
"Oh, just something I had, you know, lying around." He laughed. "Where'd you get the dress?" He smirked as he turned to look forward.
"Oh, just something I had, you know, lying around." She repeats his sentence with a laugh. Hermione pauses, staring at Draco. "Listen, I'm really sorry that I questioned your motives. I was wrong."
He sighed deeply, leaning against the castle wall as he stared at her. "You're forgiven." They smile warmly at each other.
"Okay." She sighs. "Ready for the prom?" She asked, knowing that she wasn't fully ready at all.
"Yes, ma'am!" He smirks, and they hook arms once again.
They enter the Great Hall, moving onto the dance floor. They are facing each other as slowly the music changes and recognition floats through Hermione's brain and body.
"Oh my...!" She screeches, excited.
"I called in a favour!" Draco announces to her, smirking as he watches her face for her reaction.
Hermione is completely shocked as the singer enters the dance floor, singing the words directly at the pair of them before moving back to the stage. The music and the atmosphere take over as Draco grabs her chin, bringing their lips together in a rough kiss. He smirks as they pull apart, holding her close as they start swaying to her favourite music.
Nothing could ruin this moment for Hermione.
"France!" Draco announces as their dancing has picked up speed.
"What?" She stares at him, narrowing her eyes at him.
"That's where I was last year. I wasn't in jail. I don't know Hugh Grant, and I didn't sleep with a Spice Girl, I don't think." He laughed as he continued twirling Hermione. "You see, my grandfather was ill, so I spent most of the year in his Manor, watching the world go by and making awful food as he sent all his house elves all with a fortune to last them for their whole lifetime. End of story." He declares as he dips her backwards, matching smiles gracing both of their lips.
"No way!" Hermione laughs.
Then Marcus Flint pulls in between them, pushing Draco away from Hermione and shouting in his face.
"Hey. What's Ginny doing here with that cheese dick?" Marcus screeches the words at Draco, pushing him further back. "I didn't pay you to take out Hermione so some little punk could snake me with Ginny."
Hermione hears those words from Marcus, the smile disappearing instantly from her face as she stares at the back of the older boy's greasy head. From over Marcus's shoulder, Draco's eyes connect with hers.
"Nothing in it for you, huh?" She questions him, hurt, covering her face as she pushes past both of them. Draco glares back at Marcus, regret moving through his body as he tries to think of any and every way that he could possibly fix things.
Draco runs after Hermione, panting.
Ron and Harry move to Marcus. The older boy pushes Ronald aside and comes face-to-face with Harry, snarling at the scarred head. Harry shrugs him off, moving aside to help his best friend up.
"You messed with the wrong guy, and now you're gonna pay." Marcus declares, snarling at him. "You and that little bitch." He spits.
Harry slowly turns around. "All right, that's enough, okay! You crossed the line." Harry stares at him.
Marcus smirks, turning away slightly before coming back and punching Harry square in the face, knocking him down instantly with the impact.
"Oh, come on! Get up, you little punk!" Marcus shouts as students start to stop dancing and watch the commotion.
Ginny taps his shoulder, punching Marcus straight in the nose with force.
"That's for making my date bleed!" She shouts, each sentence marked with another forceful punch to the face. "That's for my sister!" To make her last point clear, Ginny knees Marcus in the groin, sending him backwards into the pile. "And that's for me!"
Discarding Marcus, who was moaning in pain, Ginny helps Harry up with a small smile spreading across her lips.
"Are you okay?" She asks, innocently, as if she hadn't just punched someone twice and kneed them in the dick.
"Never been better." Harry declares, with a cocky smile, before she grabs his cheeks and kisses him gently. She had wanted to do that for so long.
Draco finally catches up with Hermione, begging at her. "Would you give me a chance..."
"You were paid to take me out by the one person I truly hate." Hermione screams, shaking her head as she tries to stop the tears. "I knew this was a set-up!" She screeches.
"Hermione, please, it wasn't like that, okay." Draco tries to stop her as she tries running up the stairs.
"What was it, like, a down payment now and then a bonus for sleeping with me?" Hermione was spitting out her words. She couldn't believe this was happening to her. Of course, this was happening to her. It would only happen to her. The stupid Mudblood would never have someone like him truly fall for her.
"No, I didn't care about the money! I cared..." He pauses, panting. The money wasn't important to him; he didn't need it after all. He was a Malfoy. "I cared about you." He confesses.
Hermione didn't believe him for a second, shrugging her shoulders. "You are so not who I thought you were." She goes to turn away, trying to move towards the stairs, but he stops her once more.
Draco grabs her face and kisses her, trying to convey everything that he is feeling, but it doesn't work.
Hermione forces him off of her and finally rushes up the stairs, away from him and away from the party.
Draco watches her leave as Ginny runs out of the Great Hall to catch up to her, but it is no use.
She was gone.
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"All right, I assume everyone has found time to complete their poem," Their Muggle Studies Professor announces with a bated breath. "Except for Mr Flint, who has an excuse." The Professor smirks at the boy, laughing at him as he forces him to remove the sunglasses, covering the bruises that had been put there by Ginny and Harry. "All right, anyone brave enough to read theirs aloud?" He questions the class.
The students look around, but no one is brave enough or willing to be the one to break the awkward silence and raise their hands. Hermione stares across the classroom at Malfoy, sighing as she remembers everything that went on and was revealed at the prom.
She slowly raises her hand. "I will."
Draco stares at her, longing blossoming between his eyes.
"Merlin, here we go." The Muggle Studies Professor jokes as he moves away from Hermione, who stalks up to the front with her notebook. Hermione clears her throat as she stands at the front, looking down at her notebook.
"I hate the way you talk to me and the way you cut your hair. I hate the way you drive my car. I hate it when you stare. I hate your big dumb combat boots and the way you read my mind. I hate you so much it makes me sick. It even makes me rhyme." She smiles sadly, reading from her notes. Hermione sighs, struggling now. "I hate it... I hate the way you're always right. I hate it when you lie. I hate it when you make me laugh, even worse when you make me cry." Her throat swells up as she becomes affected by her words. "I hate it when you're not around, and the fact that you didn't call. But mostly," She looks up at him. "I hate the way I don't hate you, not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all." Tears have welled up in her eyes as she stares at him.
Draco is staring at her, hands clutched together as he watches her. He can feel the prickles in his eyes as tears threaten to escape him, but he can't. He has to stay strong as she becomes overwhelmed with her emotions, rushing out of the classroom.
It left Draco staring at the spot where she had been seconds ago.
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Hermione slowly walks back to her head dormitory, rubbing at her eyes and nose, sniffling. As she enters the small living room, stopping in her place as she stares at the first edition copy of Hogwarts, A History that had caught her mind for months before. However, she never had the money for it.
She picks it up, staring at the book. Her mouth opened, and her eyes glazed over.
Draco slowly creeps up behind her, not being noticed. "Nice, huh?" He smiles as she is completely stunned.
"Is this for me?" She is glued to the spot.
"Yeah, I thought you could use it. Besides, I had some extra cash, you know. Some asshole paid me to take out this really great girl." He purses his lips.
"Is that right?" She laughs.
"Yeah, but I screwed up. I, um... I feel for her." Draco admits, staring at her.
"Really?" Hermione smiles.
"It's not every day you find a girl who'll flash someone to get you out of detention." He laughs and she laughs, hiding her eyes as the reminder flashed through her. She still couldn't believe that she had done that.
He pushes a stray curl behind her ear as he smooshes their lips together, kissing her.
"You can't just buy me a book every time you screw up, you know." Hermione pulls apart.
"Yeah, I know. But we have to fill up the library. I plan to buy you one day." Draco jokes as he leans in, kissing her again and silencing all of her words. Not allowing her to speak anymore about this, his lips glued to hers as he became instantly addicted to the taste.
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