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In the Arms of her Dragon	By : Wolf.Blossom Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 101559 -:- Recommendations : 8 -:- Currently Reading : 50
Disclaimer: JKR owns Harry Potter and all characters. I am not making any profit form this fiction.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
In the Arms of Her Dragon
"Why're you crying?" Draco whispered, sitting down beside Hermione in a deserted Great Hall. Looking up at him with puffy eyes, she admitted what happened earlier at the Gryffindor Tower. Without a moment's hesitation, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and said: "Come on, you're spending the night in the Slytherin dungeon. With me."
.xx.
Hermione's jaw was slack. A light breeze flew through the atmosphere; it was as if time had stopped altogether. Draco's eyes searched Hermione's, hoping to get a glimmer of reaction. Well, he wasn't expecting her to react like that. In his mind he pictured the scenario to look more along the lines of her throwing her arms around his shoulders, telling him that that was what she wanted since their first encounter in 1991 and that all her hopes and dreams had come true with his one question.
But, as much as he wanted the situation to end up like that, he knew that Hermione was too practical to do any of the aforementioned.
Well, maybe except the throwing her arms around his shoulders part. That was the most plausible out of the scenario.
It felt like an eternity ticked by and Draco was unsure of whether he was holding his breath or not. He didn't feel like he was breathing; his attention was more on Hermione's lack of reaction. Well, that bloody well blew up in my face didn't it? Way to go, Malfoy, ask the only girl in the whole bloody school you want to be yours and face a scenario like this. If you didn't want to be my girlfriend, you shouldn't have bloody snogged me in every blasted corner of this goddamned castle!
Should he call her name? He wasn't sure what Hermione was thinking of... perhaps she was contemplating the pros and cons of being his significant other? Draco was more than ready to pull his hair out—
"Why...?"
Draco was anticipating a yes or a yes (the no wasn't really an option in the made-up scenario in his head), but he damn well wasn't expecting her to ask him why he wanted to date her.
But that was what made her Hermione Granger; her need to enquire about every happening in the world made her oh so utterly unique.
"… what do you mean why?" Draco asked, trying very hard to keep his voice steady. Nobody ever questioned him when he asked them out. Granted, he only ever had one serious girlfriend and she lasted for all but six weeks.
Hermione blinked ever so innocently at him, her large brown doe eyes making his heart melt. What the bloody hell, Draco. His mind began to scold him. She is just a girl. Just. A. Girl. Sure, you've been lusting for her since you've developed the hormones required to properly lust for a woman but in the name of bloody Merlin! She's just a girl… albeit incredibly beautiful and outstandingly smart and blissfully witty but just a girl!
"… hierarchy?"
Draco blinked. He totally missed everything Hermione said to him because he was too busy ducking his head and not making eye contact with the scolding person residing inside of his brain. The image he saw of the person scolding him looked oddly like Antonin Dolohov… and that unnerved Draco very much. It was entirely too reminiscent of the year Draco spent with Death Eaters in his mansion. Cue inward shudder.
"Pardon me?"
Hermione looked away from him and a stray lock of her hair dangled just by her ear. Draco used all the willpower he had to resist tucking it behind her ear again—the moment didn't seem too fitting.
"I said, what happened to the hierarchy?" She looked back at him. "That… we're supposed to…"
Amusement rippled through Draco and his shoulders visibly relaxed. "Honestly, bookworm? We're thousands of feet in the air and I'm asking you to be my girlfriend and all you're concerned about is the hierarchy?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Honestly yourself, Malfoy. You know I'm not one to break the rules and quite frankly, this hierarchy is a predetermined set of rules that – although quite ridiculous and nobody sane would follow under any given circumstances – I just can't break with a good conscience."
"So you'd use that explanation to justify sleeping with me?"
Hermione's mouth snapped shut but Draco could just about hear her response: Yes, if the hierarchy called for it. He inwardly did his signature Malfoy Victory Dance. Finding that moment to be fitting, he tucked the stray lock of her hair behind her ear while murmuring in an ever huskily succulent voice: "I'm sure that you, Potter, and Weasley have broken more rules than the school even has."
"We did not." Hermione muttered. She was still caught up with what he asked her; how was she even to respond to that?! She didn't really entertain the idea of being with Draco. Okay, well, she did but every girl in the school probably entertained that thought at some point of their schooling career. Hermione was a 'late-bloomer' in that sense; she hadn't thought about it until she and Draco were actually involved in some form.
But still.
Dating?!
What would his father say? Hermione was amused at herself for thinking what she just thought, but she had a point.
What would his father say…? Of course, when he heard about it.
"Hermione?"
Hermione blinked several times before focusing her gaze back onto Draco. "Sorry?"
His brows furrowed. "You alright? Maybe we should call it a night…" He tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice. He was really hoping for the answer he wanted to hear but if Draco knew anything about Hermione, it was that she wasn't going to make his task as easy as he hoped.
This, perhaps, was one of the many reasons as to why he liked her so much; she never failed to present an intriguing challenge that always seemed to pique his Malfoy-interest.
"I'm quite alright." Hermione inhaled deeply and idly glanced at the horizon. "Yes… we should call it a night."
Don't ask her about the question… don't ask her about the question… don't ask her about the bloody goddamned stupid question!
"So, Granger, what about my question?" His eyes widened, utterly horrified. Stupid mouth! Why can't you ever listen to the brain goddammit?!
"I'll let you know."
Great.
Typical female response.
Augh, Draco you're such an idiot. How could I possibly salvage this one?! And I have her as my potions partner and tablemate for every class this year. Great, you dug yourself your own grave.
"Malfoy?"
Draco blinked several times (quite déjà vu, actually) and noticed that they were hovering just in front of the Gryffindor Girls' Dormitory. "How did… when did…?"
"I flew us down here?" Hermione said, her statement sounding more like a question.
Draco blinked some more. "All by yourself?!"
Hermione deadpanned. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, oh great flying teacher of mine. Can you help me down please?" Keep it together Hermione. Just two more minutes and then you can go kick yourself for your lack of response in peace.
With the utmost straightest face that Draco could muster up, he helped Hermione disembark from his trusty steed and safely (and quietly) into the comfort of her dormitory.
Wait… do I kiss her?
Hermione leaned forward and placed a peck on his cheek.
Well, that answered that question.
"Goodnight, Draco."
Ahh, the butterflies in his stomach. With his typical Malfoy smirk and confident Malfoy aura, he winked at her. "Sweet dreams, bookworm."
Yep, I salvaged that one alright. Draco was inwardly commending himself.
Hermione took a step back and gently shut the window. Without waiting for anything, she quickly made way to the washroom to scream loudly in peace (of course, with a silencing charm placed on her). WHY AM I SO STUPID?!
.xx.
"Hermione, pass the juice will you?"
The aforementioned girl broke from her reverie and looked up at Seamus who was watching her patiently. Ever since the previous night, she hadn't been completely there, so to speak. All she could do was think about Draco and his proposition.
He actually wanted her to be his girlfriend.
As Hagrid would put it, blimey.
Draco threw the hierarchy out of the proverbial window and dismissed all previous discussions of how they must sleep together to attain the title as girlfriend and boyfriend. High atop the Hogwarts grounds he asked her a question that was akin to a marriage proposal—at least to Hermione. Draco wasn't aware how she never had a real boyfriend, or how she was still a virgin; in fact, Hermione was positive that nobody knew her secrets (except the girls… they knew everything about everybody's purity status).
"Here you are." Hermione plastered on her best unfazed face when she addressed her housemate. She was unsure of who she was fooling, though… herself or others. Draco hadn't written to her in their linked journals that morning and she sure as heck wasn't going to the first to break the barrier (so to speak).
Besides, they had double Potions together in less than an hour… he probably would bring 'it' up then.
Maybe he won't. Malfoy ego and all…
.xx.
Draco's mind was facing a conundrum ever since he dropped Hermione off the night before. He wasn't able to get a wink of sleep; all he did was toss and turn and play out the many other scenarios that could've happened last night.
He never would've dreamed that what happened last night actually would've happened. Draco didn't anticipate Hermione to let him know later. What the bloody hell was that supposed to mean?! Did she have to think about it? What was there to think about?! He was a goddamned bloody Malfoy—Malfoys didn't need to be thought about before receiving the affirmation that yes, indeed, the muggle-born with once bushy hair and enormous buckteeth would be his goddamned blasted too-smart-for-her-own-damned-good girlfriend!
… Not that muggle-borns were worthy of Malfoys.
Except Hermione.
But what the hell?! Let him know later?! She was probably penning a quasi-poetic letter to gently let his poor old soul down.
It sounded like a Granger thing to do.
"MALFOY, THE WEASLEYS ARE COMING!"
"… WHERE?!"
Blaise exhaled loudly. "I knew that would catch your attention. You were off in your own little world ignoring everything Adrian and I just said."
"Telling me the red-haired orangutans are coming is not the way to get a man's attention, Zabini." Draco mumbled. His mind began to wander back to Hermione…
Stupid, smart, mean, Hermione.
What the hell, man! Pull yourself together. She is just a girl. Just. A. Girl. Just. A…
"Coming, Hermione?"
Draco's spine stiffened when he heard her name being called just a few feet behind him. The voice sounded like it belonged to the mini she-Weasley. He didn't want to turn around but couldn't help himself when he heard Ginerva Weasley holler: "Hi Gunnar! Care to join us on our way to the Potions classroom?"
Theodore gently elbowed Draco. "It's Gunnar!"
"What am I to do about that? The boy from Durmstrang is free to walk the corridors of Hogwarts as he pleases." Draco was tight-lipped and monotone. Blaise and Adrian exchanged looks but said nothing.
Theodore, however, didn't have that much tact.
"You weren't saying that when he was flirting with Herm-umph!" Blaise and Adrian smothered Theodore's face when they saw Draco's stormy grey eyes narrow. Clearly Hermione and Draco had a squabble and they didn't want any of the Slytherins being on the receiving end of Draco's rage that should be directed towards Hermione.
Granted, they didn't even want Hermione being on the receiving end of the anger meant for Hermione.
"We have class. Let's go."
"Twenty galleons says they're in a fight." Theodore whispered to the other boys when they removed their hands form his face. Adrian rolled his eyes.
"Gee, what gave that away?"
.xx.
Hermione was sitting nervously in class. Draco would enter any moment and things were bound to be awkward. He hadn't written to her all day (granted, she hadn't written to him either), and Hermione was not looking forward to what type of conversation they were going to partake in.
If they were going to partake in any conversation at all, that is.
Speak of the devil… Hermione was acutely aware of when Draco took his place beside her. She could distinctly smell his eau du Malfoy—blasted, why must he smell so good? Back straight and eyes trained on the invisible speck on her desk, Hermione was determined to not make any eye-contact with her tablemate.
"Hey, Granger."
Darn!
"Hello. Malfoy." She added his name abruptly after greeting him.
Draco was leaning back in his chair looking wordlessly beautiful as always… like the statue of Adonis, but perhaps even more majestic. How could anybody in a school uniform look so attractive?! It should be illegal on all levels!
"I'm certain Professor Snape will have us collaborate on our project today. Have you done research?"
Why is he being so casual?! Hermione was so confused!
Keep it together, man. Draco was doing quiet breathing exercises. His heart was racing off the charts; he was sure he was going to suffer cardiac arrest any moment now. Act nonchalant. Pretend as if last night never happened… you're a man, not a boy. Have class.
"I really haven't…" Hermione's voice was meek, as timid as a squeaking mouse. Draco was quite amused, despite the circumstance. He never witnessed Granger to be so confused and squeaky.
"No matter, I've done some preliminary research on some of our ingredients. The one thing I was unable to do adequate research on was tears of a virgin." Draco didn't miss Hermione's back straighten even more than it already was. Yes, he knew her little secret but she didn't know that he knew.
Which made it all the more fun.
"Settle down." Snape's voice droned from the back of the dungeon and within the blink of an eye, all the students were settled in their seats and preparing themselves for a gruelling two hours with Professor Snape.
Harry still questioned why they had to put up with him. His intentions were questionable, despite him claiming that he was on the light side and not the dark. Snape was Snape… he'd always be the most grimy and emotionless professor that Hogwarts had to offer.
Hermione welcomed Snape's interruption. The close proximity between her and Draco was driving her wild! She didn't know how to face him after leaving him hanging the night before—how could anybody possibly face somebody that asked them out? Hermione was caught off guard. In her defense, she didn't see that coming and she wasn't able to formulate her thoughts correctly.
She needed time to think.
Which she did.
All that was left was to understand Draco's intention. The mighty Slytherin Prince was asking her to be his girlfriend when he could have just about anybody in the school. And there was the matter of his pureblood lineage; how were his parents ever going to accept her? Especially since his aunt threw the Crucio at her not even a year prior.
Or was the relationship meant to be kept a secret? If that was the case, Hermione didn't want any part of it. She didn't believe in the wishy-washy 'keep-this-relationship-a-secret' bullocks that some couples did. Yes, keeping their friendship a secret was one thing; they formed a bond the night Bellatrix tried to kill her and Draco heroically intervened. A bond that they knew nobody would understand.
But a relationship?! No way was Hermione going to keep that a secret. How were they ever going to sneak about for dates and whatnot—oh that is bloody ironic. She wanted to smack her herself. That's precisely what they've been doing since the beginning of the school year, sneaking around.
Hermione didn't want to say no. Rather, she wanted nothing more than to say yes to Draco's proposition but she had a lot of factors to consider and she couldn't thoughtlessly accept his offer. Not that she was going to draw a pros and cons list but she had to consider the Slytherins and Gryffindors… his family, his father…
Would she be respected by the people surrounding them if she were to enter such a relationship? Hermione wasn't the type of woman to accept rudeness and disrespect. She had the spark of a Gryffindor and she wouldn't hesitate to chew somebody out. Or hex them, whichever was most convenient.
"Today you will be collaborating on your Potions' projects."
Of course Malfoy's right. Hermione thought, sarcastically.
"I will be providing some text that will help you in your research," with a flick of Snape's wand, more than two dozen books appeared on a long bench at the front of the class. "You may use any text required in this classroom, but none of the books can be taken. For that, you must consult with the library directory. Any questions, I will be here. Otherwise, you may begin."
Draco tilted his head in Hermione's direction. "So, how do you propose we cure heartbreak?"
Hermione was unsure on whether he was implying something which, honestly, made her feel worse than she already was. When he asked her out, it made her heart jump into her throat because she was excited.
But then she was left speechless because she was shocked.
And then all of the questions and concerns that came with dating a Malfoy began to flood into her mind… it really wasn't her fault at all.
Was it?
"We first need to look at the magical properties of the heart." Hermione murmured, not really looking at Draco. "Once we find out what magic is involved in a heart breaking it'll be easy to cure it."
"You sure about that?"
Hermione's heart sunk. "Positive." Without another word, Hermione leaned over to grab her book bag. Her intention was to pull out her potions notebook (of course a muggle notebook that she brought from home) but, as Murphy's Law insisted (damn that muggle Murphy), Hermione pulled out her journal instead.
She rested it on her desk and leaned back over to find her potions notebook. All the while Draco's eyes were glued onto the one thing that linked them together. Her disregard for his question was chewing him up! She could at least say no… he couldn't even involve himself with other women now because a) that wasn't classy, and he wasn't going to drown out his internal turmoil by shagging other women and b) Hermione Granger had eternally ruined him for all other women he could potentially be involved with.
Hermione finally found the object that she was looking for and sat up. She was just in time to see Draco tear his eyes away from the journal and that made her feelings worse—I'm such an idiot.
She would have to talk to him but how was she going to request his attendance in private after last night?! Come on, Hermione. You're the smartest witch of the era, I'm sure you can think of something to lure Malfoy out.
She had to discuss his question with him. She wasn't blindly going to accept his proposition…
Hermione sometimes hated being so analytical.
But then she'd probably fair the same fate as Lavender Brown with Ron…
"So let's get our facts straight," Hermione was going to lock up her inner turmoil and get down to business for the time being. Everything else could be addressed at a later time. "Heartbreak is the result of a person of close relationship letting somebody down dramatically."
"Not letting somebody down," Draco rolled his eyes. "Weasel could flunk his Potions' NEWT and you'd be disappointed. Not heartbroken. Heartbreak is more akin to what weasel would feel if you rejected his romantic gestures for somebody more deserving."
Was Malfoy implying something?
"Can we stop talking about Ron and his romantic gestures for me?" Hermione mumbled. It was awkward because Ron did have feelings for her once upon a time and because of what transpired between her and Draco the previous night.
"Fine." Draco's voice drastically changed. "Gunnar, then."
"That isn't fair," Hermione whirled towards him. "I don't reciprocate his feelings!"
Draco bit his lip, he didn't want to push the matter further; it was bad enough that she didn't want to be with him and here he was rubbing salt on his own damn wound by bringing up other men that had a thing for her. Why did she have to be so attractive both physically and personality-wise?
"Heartbreak is caused by immediate disappointment by somebody that you have a romantic inclination for." Draco muttered, less enthusiastic than before. "What we have to do is find somebody suffering from heartbreak, analyze their heart, and figure out a cure incorporating the four ingredients listed."
Hermione was glad he dropped it. "And who could be actively suffering from a broken heart?"
Draco shrugged. "How should I know? Ask your girlfriends. I'm sure they're up to date on the latest Hogwarts gossip."
Oddly enough, he was right.
"I suppose." Hermione sighed. Nothing else was said after that… Draco had gotten up to grab a few textbooks to do research and Hermione figured she'd do the same. After all, she was the one at fault for making things so awkward between her and Draco.
.xx.
Edited: August 9, 2016
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In the Arms of her Dragon