In the Arms of Her Dragon (Dramione Fanfiction)

Chapter 15: The Response of a Bruised Heart

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."