Love Thy Enemy (Finished)

Haunting Past

It is impossible for me to sleep. I lay in bed, staring at the stone ceiling, trying to clear my head. I try everything: counting sheep, counting backwards from 100, everything I can think of and still my eyes are wide open with no hopes of closing. Sighing in exasperation, I throw off the covers, grab my Ancient Runes book and head out to the common room to sit by the fire.

The only light in the room is cast by the low flames burning in the grate. It causes everything in the room to cast long, flickering shadows across the floor. I pad over in my bare feet and take a seat in the chair closest to the fire and, tucking my legs beneath me, have a seat. I open the book in my lap to the place I left off and begin to read. I don't notice the precise moment when I began to feel sleepy but eventually the markings on the page begin to blur and my eyes close of their own accord.

Draco

The view out my window is still and silent. Nothing is moving, not even the leaves on the trees of the Forbidden Forest. A full moon casts a silvery spell over the entire scene, but I can't focus enough to appreciate it. I haven't really been able to sleep for weeks now. Every time I lay down and close my eyes, terrible images flash behind my eye lids. All of the horrible things I have done, the pain I have caused everyone, haunts me every time I try to relax. Before, I was able to push those things away, to hide them in the dark recesses of my mind and ignore them. But now, they refuse to be ignored. They spring forward every time I try to hide them, commanding my attention.

Frustrated, I turn on the enchanting scene below and storm out of my room and into the common room. But there, I stop dead in my tracks as I realize I am not alone. A hunched form is tucked into an armchair by the fire. I walk slowly and quietly over until I can see her face. Her eyes are closed and her lips are slightly parted. The light from the fire makes the soft cream colored skin over her face and arms glow. She looks so...peaceful. A stab of envy hits me in the chest as I watch her slow, deep breathing. But I force it away. She deserves to be peaceful, I don't. With a silent sigh I tip-toe over to the couch and grab the throw blanket draped over the back. I walk back over to Hermione and gently lay the blanket over her. She stirs a moment before settling into the blanket and becoming still once more.

For a while, I just watch her, hoping that a small piece of that peacefulness will soak into me. It is strange, the light, fluttery feeling in my stomach and the pounding in my chest whenever I look at her. I have been attracted to girls before, but they have never affected me like this. Just the sound of her voice sends heat flowing over my skin. But I know it is all for nothing. We fought on opposite sides of a war, we both lost friends. And now that it is over, I can finally admit, I fought for the wrong side. I was not brave like Hermione. I didn't choose the right side, I chose the easy side, the one I thought would win. We may not be enemies anymore, but I don't hold any hope that we will ever be more than friends.

But I can't ignore the fact that her presence, the soft sounds of her breathing, are like a sedative and I am suddenly exhausted. Not wanting to seem any more creepy than I already feel, I walk over to the couch to sit down instead of the chair next to her where I would like to sit. It isn't long until my eyes refuse to stay open and for the first time in weeks, I sink into a dreamless sleep.

Hermione

I wake up with sunlight shining through the east window right into my eyes. I am so stiff from sleeping curled up in the chair all night I can barely move. I force my joints to move and uncurl so I can stand, and when I do, a blanket falls to the floor. I pick it up and stare at it, confused. I didn't have a blanket when I went to sleep, but I recognize it from the couch. So I scoop up my fallen Ancient Ruins book and turn to put the blanket back where it belongs. But when I get there and see the long, half naked form stretched out on the cushions, I stop cold. Draco is once again sleeping on the couch, but this time he isn't wearing his uniform. In fact the only thing he is wearing is a pair of bottle green, striped pajama pants. My eyes drop to his bare chest and an intense tingling swoops through me settling low in my stomach. His pale, flawless skin flows over a defined chest and waving abs that would make any girl drool. Once again his face is relaxed and breathtaking in its complex, angular beauty. As I am staring, dumbstruck, he stretches his arms over his head, his muscles popping out, becoming even more  defined as he flexes, and his eyes flutter open. When they lock on me they widen slightly and a smile tugs up one corner of his mouth.

"Morning," he rasps in a sleepy voice.

"Morning," I respond, blushing at the guilty tint in my voice.

"How did you sleep?" he asks sitting up and rubbing his long fingered hands over his face.

"Too well considering I had no room to move and I was curled up in a chair. I am suffering for it this morning though. Thanks for the blanket by the way," I say, a little too fast for my feigned nonchelance to be completely believable.

"No problem, you looked cold," he shrugs, but I notice he doesn't quite meet my eyes when he says it.

"Well, I should get ready for school," I say taking a few steps back, towards my room.

"Yeah, me too," he agrees and stands. It hits me again just how handsome and tall and angelic he looks with his pale skin and light hair. I spin and walk quickly into my room. What the heII is wrong with me? I have a boyfriend, and I love Ron...I think. Even though he hasn't written back to me. I wrote and sent him a letter the first day we were here. It shouldn't take that long to get a response, unless he isn't sending one.

Thoroughly depressed by my turn of thoughts, I get dressed and head straight to breakfast, only stopping long enough to yell at some second years playing with some fireworks in the hall. Through the entire day, my bad mood from this morning doesn't lift, in fact, it only seems to get worse as I run over and over the faults in my relationship with Ron. Then, after dinner, it all comes to a head and I can't take it anymore.

I am sitting in my common room with Ginny doing homework when the small owl spotter owl taps on the window. Ginny hops up and throws open the window, letting the owl flutter in and land on the arm of the couch.

"That's Harry's new owl, Newt!" she says excitedly, hurrying over to get her letter from his leg.

She tears it open and begins to read, stroking the owls smooth feathers absently. I go back to my homework, trying to focus through the fog of disappointment swirling in my head. So it is a little while before I realize Ginny is talking to me. I look up with what I am sure is a clueless look and she rolls her green eyes at me.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" I ask.

"I was saying that Harry sent a message for you from Ron," she sighs. A small, warm spark spreads through my chest at her words.

"What is it?" I demand, sure it will be a separate piece of paper or a message of warmth and love.

"Hi," she says. I stare at her for a moment, sure I misheard her.

"What?" I ask when she doesn't continue.

"Tell Hermione that Ron says hi," she reads aloud. I stare at her, trying to control the wave of anger and resentment threatening to engulf me.

"That's all?" I ask, but I have no real hope for more.

"Yeah, I guess that's it," she says quietly, watching me with sympathy in her eyes.

"Well thanks. You can tell Ron I got his message," I say and I am glad my voice doesn't betray the flood of emotions swirling in my head.

"Yeah, okay," she says, looking away.

"Hey Ginny, I think I'll call it a night. It's been a long day," I tell her. She nods quickly and packs up her books.

"I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast. And just think, its the weekend!" she says, trying and failing to sound excited.

"Thank goodness. Night Ginny," I say, very little emotion in my voice.

"Night Hermione," she says and walks out, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Unable to fight them anymore, I drop my face into my hands and let the resentment and anger and depression boil up and over until warm tears are streaming  down my cheeks and dropping to the carpeted floor below. Just as things are getting really bad, I hear the portrait hole open and footsteps heading straight for me. I don't have time to do anything but look up before he is standing there, eyes wide and brow furrowed. As I stare up at him, a plethora of emotions sliding across his face, ending with confusion.

"Hermione?"