Why Don't We Go There (A Dramione Story)

Six

It took another week, but things finally started going back to normal, everyone seemed to forget about the controversy between Draco and I, even in Potions class everything was ordinary. Ordinary as in, Malfoy didn't say one word to me other than what was necessary, he kept that unattractive scowl on his face every time he had to turn in my direction, and always managed to slip something hateful into every sentence.
"Earth to Hermione," Harry waved a hand in my face.
"Er, what?" I mumbled, glancing around and seeing that we were still in the courtyard we were waiting for Ron in.
"I was asking if you were okay because you seemed really distracted lately, which just sort of proved my point." he said, looking at me worriedly.
"Oh," I mumbled, trying my best to muster a convincing smile. "I'm fine, just stressed about school work." That wasn't a complete lie, we were getting hammered with homework this year.
"I'm sure you'll be fine, you're the smartest witch here." Harry told me, patting me softly on the back.
"Yeah, well, even I have to study." I gave him a half smile and got up, "which is what I'm going to go do now. Say hi to Hagrid for me."
"What? Are you sure?" he asked, standing up as well, "you've been saying for the past 3 days that you wanted to visit Hagrid."
"Yeah, I have to study, I'll see him another day." I said, already walking away. I made my way down the stone steps and through a walkway, deciding to go the long way to my dorm.
I inwardly groaned when I saw Draco in the distance, walking in the direction towards me, meaning there'd be no way we wouldn't cross paths. I almost turned around to go the way I'd just come but decided that would be childish, there were none of his cronies around, maybe he'd just pass me by silently. Not a chance.
"Mudblood." He muttered as we brushed past each other, I ground my teeth together and usually I wouldn't condone any sort of magic used against other people in a bad way. Ever. But Draco Malfoy was a completely different story, and maybe this was just my breaking point.
"Avis oppugno" I growled, and watched as 4 little birds erupted from the end of my wand and flew after Draco, nipping at his clothes, skin and hair. I heard him yell as I jogged the last few metres down the walkway, feeling better instantly.

I sat on my four-poster bed and waited for the guilt of cursing Draco to wash over me, finally after an hour of thinking about the repercussions of my actions, and still having no guilt, I decided that Draco had deserved it. After everything he'd put me through - and just for his own entertainment, he deserved a lot more than 4 little birds annoying him.

After checking the time, I left my dorm room in search of Ginny so we could go to lunch together.
"Hermione!" I heard my name being called from behind me when I entered the common room, turning around, I saw Seamus Finnigan by the entry portal, waving me over.
"What's up?" I asked once I'd gotten within earshot of him.
"Draco Malfoy is outside and wants to talk to you." he told me, "he's pretty angry though, and has the Avis curse on him." He added, laughing, "did you do that? Is that why he wants to see you so badly? I heard him ask 10 different people before he saw me."
"I don't know what you're talking about, Seamus." I said nonchalantly, a small smile forming on my face, leaving him in the common room as I left through the fat lady portrait, not wanting Malfoy to gain any more attention that could lead to me getting in trouble.

"What's wrong, Malfoy?" I said when I saw him leaning against the wall opposite the portrait, shooing at a bird that was tearing a hole in his shirt. "Not a fan of birds?"
"Banish the spell, Granger." He growled, annoyance radiating off of him.
"Or what?" I challenged, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Banish it," he said slowly, "or I swear, I will make your life here a living hell."
"Too late for that one, think quick, Draco." I said tiredly, "my patience is running thin."
"Okay, if you lift the curse, I will stop making your life hell. Everything will be sunshine and daisies." He said, wincing and shooing away another bird that was chirping loudly in his ear.
That was a very tempting deal, my life could go back to the way it was before all this drama started.
"Please, Hermione." Malfoy added quietly, the softness of his voice almost broke my resolve.
"Fine." I said after a moment and lifted the spell, leaving him in the corridor before he could say anything else.

"There you are!" I said once I'd made it to the Great Hall, spotting Ginny straight away. I sat down opposite her and started filling my plate. Listening as Harry and Ron told us the latest drama involving Hagrid, which was something along the lines of him trying to get another outrageous pet onto school grounds. I tuned out after a while, shaking my head.

I glanced behind me when I heard the annoying voice of Pansy Parkison, whinging about yet another insignificant thing. My eyes quickly locked with Malfoy's and even though he'd just promised to treat me nicely, I expected to be met with a sneer, it took me a couple of seconds to process that the expression on his mouth was just a smile.
"Whoa." Ginny said instantly, apparently she'd been watching as well. "What was that?" I looked back at her to see her eyes following Draco.
"Was that a smile?" she asked again, raising shocked eyebrows at me.
"Yeah, he promised to be nice to me if I lifted a curse I'd cast on him." I explained with a shrug, still reeling from the genuine smile that I so rarely got from him.
"No way," Harry said, "Hermione Granger cursed someone?"
"I make exceptions for people like Malfoy." I shrugged, continuing on with my meal. Maybe things really will be different from now on, I thought as I kept my eyes on my plate.