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Linked by Philyra912
 Books » Harry Potter Rated: T, English, Romance, Draco M., Hermione G., Words: 61k+, Favs: 4k+, Follows: 920, Published: Jun 18, 2005 Updated: Jan 5, 2006
 2,542 Chapter 21: Finding a Cure
A/N: HELLO MY DARLINGS! How I've MISSED you! It's been way too long. I'd like to start off by apologizing for my sudden and unexpected departure from our little world here. Real-life had to trump fanfic-life (wonderful though it may be) for a while, but now that my drama has dropped to a reasonable level, I feel like I can finally devote enough time to this story to do it justice.
A round of thanks yous: First of all, you ALL deserve a HUGE round of applause for being so patient and not harassing me about this chapter! It's been a long time coming and I know how hard it is to wait for a fic to be updated. Your patience astounds and is highly appreciated. Second, a shower of roses and kisses upon all EIGHTY-SEVEN (holy freakin' cow) of you who reviewed for the last chapter. I live off your feedback, my darlings, and you never disappoint. It is for you guys that I was really inspired to return to writing as soon as I did. Lastly, a zillion hugs and kisses to Lorett, beta extraordinaire.
So, who's excited to see what happens next? I certainly am! I'd forgotten what a joy and pleasure this story is for me to write. Now, I think you've waited long enough for this chappie (more than two months, can you believe it?), so I won't ramble on any longer. On to the chapter, my darlings!
Chapter 20: Finding the Cure
He smiled at her the next day. More than once. She hadn't asked him why, because she was afraid that if she did, he wouldn't do it anymore, and she didn't want that. She loved it when he smiled.
Why, you may ask? Well, that was quite simple. Because, when he smiled, he wasn't perfect. His teeth, of course, were white and straight and all that a person could ask for from teeth. It was his smile itself that cracked that mask of dignified perfection: slightly crooked, gently lopsided, utterly boyish and endearing and un-Malfoy-like. She was quite sure that if he knew that about himself, he would never smile again (not that he did it much anyway). For her own part, Hermione thought that it was perhaps the most beautiful smile she had ever seen.
He only did it when they were alone. In the halls, at meals, in classes; there he was as cold and aloof to her as he was to everyone else. When it was just the two of them, though - in the library, at Heads meetings, during late-night patrols - his smile came as easily to his lips as he smirk once had. When he graced her with one of those lopsided grins, she felt more than pleased; she felt privileged.
She suspected that Draco didn't mention the thrills of pleasure she derived from being on the receiving end of his smiles as a sort of pay-back for her never questioning him about why he had begun smiling in the first place. She was grateful for that, for the continued stability and normalcy of the strange, isolated world in which they were the only inhabitants. It was comfortable there, and in those stolen hours in which she resided there, she was happy.
She was not blind to the irony of the fact that the only real peace she could find in this time, as the threat of Voldemort and the epic and tragic final battle loomed ever nearer, was to be found in the company of Draco Malfoy, who had shown her nothing but cruelty and contempt throughout most of their acquaintance. How odd that she should find such comfort in his closeness now, such a feeling of stability in her constant awareness of his presence.
Such was her train of thought as she made her way through the library on the last Sunday before the holiday break. Hermione had put her foot down several days previously about studying for end-of-term exams taking precedence over searching Delilah's journals, so she was not going back to meet Draco for another of their all-day "look-for-the-cure" sessions. She was, however, going back to meet Draco to study for their Ancient Runes examination together. She had finally appealed to his Slytherin thirst for excellence by any means, and had persuaded him to let her help him with his Runes if he would drill her with some of the more difficult aspects of emotion-altering potion making, which they had been studying all semester. She was a considerably stronger student in Potions than he was in Runes, so he thought he was getting the better deal and she knew that she had manipulated him into accepting her help. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
