The Seventh Year (Dramione Fanfiction)

Chapter 17 - New Beginnings

Not my characters x
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Hermione's head was spinning. She had no idea how she'd not noticed during a whole ten minutes that Draco Malfoy was basically holding her hand. Even more to the point of her madness, Hermione almost didn't want him to let go. His hand was warm, and comforting, which was much to Hermione's dismay. She stared from their hands to Draco's face and back again. Neither of them moved for quite some time.

"Just tell me you're sorry." Draco said, in a gruff, careless voice. "That's all."

"You-you're still-" Hermione began, unable to stop herself from stammering a little bit, which was so unlike her that she wanted to scream.

"I know." Draco cut, still not releasing her.

"I am, Draco." She said, trying with all of her strength to ignore the heat crawling across her cheeks. "I truly am sorry, I thought you'd enjoy the book but you're right that I lied."

Draco looked stunned for a second, as if he hadn't assumed she'd apologise - but he recovered quickly. With a muttered word that Hermione didn't catch, he let go of her wrist and walked out of the classroom, leaving the brunette to wonder what on Earth had just occurred, but even more so- why she almost wanted it to happen again.

~

Draco was reeling with the shock of it all. Hermione Granger's wrist fit into his hand so well that he'd forgotten all about holding it. He felt odd, dirty almost, for feeling anything towards the muggle-born. She was dangerous to him, the way she made him let down his guard without even trying. It was in the moment that he stepped through the doorway into his dormitory that he decided things needed to go back to how they were before the seventh year - enemies.

"Drake. You're going to be late again." Blaise was yelling from across the room while he piled his things into a bag. "Get up."

"Alright, okay." Draco groaned, dragging himself out of bed and trying his best to ignore the grogginess from his lack of sleep. "What class is up first?"

"Divination." Blaise replied quickly, walking over to the door. "I'll meet you there, mum'll kill me if she gets a letter saying i've been late again."

And with that, Draco was alone in his dormitory, fighting the overwhelming urge to go straight back to sleep and ignore everything, because he knew that the next term wouldn't be easy. He'd spent all break with Hermione, and sure they weren't best friends but they were now close enough that they could talk to each other, and Draco'd never admit it aloud but Hermione was actually pretty funny. He'd miss their chats, but it was for the best, for the security of the Malfoy name, that he stayed away from her.

~

"Hey Hermione, anyone sitting here?" Blaise asked, snapping Hermione out of her trance and back into the classroom.

"Oh!" She gasped. "Hi Blaise, no, no ones there."

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." He laughed, "how was your break?"

"It was..." She began, letting her mind trail off a little bit before responding. "Eventful. Yours?"

"The usual." He smiled, revealing two rows of dazzling white teeth. "Pudding and presents."

"Of course." Hermione smiled, unable to contain herself at the sight of Blaise's grin. "Well, welcome back. I know it was a shaky hello..."

"Yeah. It was, I actually wanted to ask about that." He began, leaning forward in his seat a little bit. "Why are you going back to him?"

"I'm most certainly not." Hermione chuckled in response, "no way. Me and Ron are friends now, that's all. Why does it bother you so much?"

"Bother me?" He asked her, tensing up immediately. "What? Oh look. Draco's finally here - Drake!"