Magnetic Attraction

Chapter 6: Nobodies

Getting ready for bed was much less awkward that night then it had been the previous one. Draco didn't make any snide remarks as she brushed her teeth, and had no observations to voice about her pajamas, which included a pair of black and yellow boxers, that he doubted belonged to Potter or Weasely. Likewise, she didn't object as he stripped back down to his own boxers and pushed back the covers of his green and silver bed. Quiet had never been a word he would have ever used in reference to Granger before, other than "I wish she'd stay bloody quiet," but now it was exactly what she was. For once he also thought of her as fragile and lost. Whatever secret she was using all of her energy to guard wasn't good, that much he knew.

The storm outside continued to flourish as they both lay awake in the dark, and every time the loud boom echoed through the stonewalls she would twitch uneasily. The noise and bursts of light didn't bother Draco in the slightest, but seeing her eyes shut each time would have made anybody sympathetic. Of course, the frequent clamping down on his hand didn't help any. So without hesitation, he took his free arm and slid it under her waist, before wrapping it around her and pulling her towards him. Her back molded into every curve of his front, aided by the attraction, as she leant her head against the crook of his neck. She didn't pull away. She had missed this feeling. Her jerking sieced, and when the next rumble of thunder came, she hardly noticed. She was safe, after all. That was what his intimate gesture of cuddling her said, I'll protect you. They both needed each other, and they both knew it. Attraction of not, they now knew each other better than anybody else. There was no turning back.

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"Are you okay?" he asked, gripping her wrist as he slowly but surely pulled her up onto his lap. She was crying, bucket loads of salty tears mingling with the snow that clung to her pale blue dress robes. She couldn't look at him, feeling so ashamed. What had she been thinking? "Speak to me Hermione, are you okay?" He had had the sense to change out of his dress robes for god sake, why hadn't she? "Hermione?"

"I'm fine," she squeaked, her face scrunched up and wet as she sat awkwardly beside him on the broom, feeling his arm still wrapped around her shoulder. Why couldn't she stop crying? What on earth was wrong with her? Why had she jumped? He pulled her head to his chest where she sobbed about everything. Sobbed about Ron, sobbed about Harry, sobbed about Victor, sobbed about rejecting Neville, and mostly sobbed for herself.

"Bloody hell you're not fine, you just jumped off the Astronomy tower!" His tone was soothing and mature. See, he understood her and he didn't even know her! They were descending now, but he didn't let go of her when their feet touched the ground. "Sh, sh, tell me what happened," he cooed, not letting her pull away from him. "Tell me and I'll help make it better."

"Ron just can't let m-me be happy! All h-he thinks about is-is this bloody compition and qu-qu-quidditch!" she stammered into his winter cloak, knowing she sounded childish but not really caring. "All of a- of a sudden I'm popular and-and interesting and hap-happy and he just has to r-ruin everything!" At that point the teen supporting her raised his hand to the back of her neck and soothingly rubbed a circle into it. "Why is it that-that no one notices m-me until I'm on-on the arm of a celebrity? And with that-that vile Rita Sk-sk-sketer woman positively every where I-I feel like no one even knew about-about me before this damn tournament!" He was reassuring, and he hugged her closely, resting his chin on the top of her head, since he was tall enough to do so, as she was only fourteen.

"Whether that's true of not, you know it doesn't matter. Who cares about being noticed by everyone if you know someone notices you? That you've changed someone's life." That was an interesting point, she'd never thought of it like that.

"But I haven't changed someone's l-life," she whispered quietly. He stepped back and cupped her shin in his palm, tilting her head so she was forced to look into his eyes. With a weak smile he told her,