Copyright: Originally created on
7/9/05
Disclaimer: I own nothing, very sad indeed. If I did own this, Hermione and Draco would have ravished each other senseless along time ago.
A/N: Please enjoy, and really tell me what you think.
Puzzled Silence
The warm breeze blew of the lakeshore ahead. Draco and Hermione reluctantly stood almost side by side near the old willow tree in silence with several quills and goblets among them. Everything was right in the world…except for the radiating resentment for one another.
They were supposed to be collecting several samples for Advanced Herbology. Everyone was asked to create the ideal scent of a chosen flower.
To their chagrin, Hermione and Draco were paired off by Professor Sprout. It was a hard task to make them even glance at each other without arguing.
If it weren’t for her threatening to tell McGonagall about their inability to work together as Head boy and girl they wouldn’t have partnered up as easily.
“I want everyone to set about creating the perfect scent to match your favorite flower. Collect as many flowers as you can and observe the many scents of flowers to come up with your own.”
Stupid, was what half of the students thought of this project. It was mainly the boys that didn’t quite like the idea of running about in the sodding grass collecting bloody flowers like little girls.
“The sooner we’re done, the quicker we can leave,” Draco sneered at her earlier. He wanted to hex the professor at the time but, thought better of it.
So…here they were. Just standing, refusing to make conversation, or eye contact with one another. They weren’t allowed to leave one another until everything was successfully collected. Earlier, they had argued for the better part of the period and because of that they had to continue their project after classes.
Hermione was deep in thought until she felt something bump into her side. Looking down with a forming scowl she saw Draco making his way to the ground. He roughly sat down on the grass with a sigh. With everything that had unfolded in the past year, the war, NEWT’s, and soon graduation. He was becoming bored and therefore grew increasingly irritated at the project at hand. He couldn’t care less about some flower scent. He couldn’t deny the relaxed atmosphere around him and after a few minutes of just thinking he’d forgotten who was right beside him.
Hermione gave up on her thoughts and slide down next to Draco. Why they were so close in the first place unknown. Either way both were too tired to care, or maybe it was just lack of sanity. Draco shot her a dirty glower on her interruption of his thoughts.
She in return, rolled her eyes at him, nonetheless she didn’t move. After a while she completely laid down on the grass, her wild mane spread out around her. She closed her eyes with a sigh desperately trying to ignore the body beside her, feeling the mysterious aura she always felt around him. If she wanted, she could have just moved, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do so. Somehow, she didn’t feel threatened by his very presence and so she let her eyes close in somewhat contentment. The project could wait.
……………
Arms slightly touching, Draco and Hermione lay spooning each other under the
Willow tree. Despite there effort to stay awake, the two had soon fallen asleep.
Hermione was the first to wake. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes she shivered from the air blowing against her neck. Rolling on her side she came face to face with Draco’s own pale face.
Apparently in their slumber the two had snuggled up to each other. Draco’s feet where entwined with her own and he was lightly snoring. For some ungodly reason Hermione didn’t move. It would be to easy to just leave the git but, she just couldn’t. Instead, she took the time to study her long time enemy. He looked vulnerable, too vulnerable actually. His silver bangs had fallen over his eyebrows and she had the most insane instinct to move it away.
His features were soft and unmasked in his sleep. Looking closer, she could see the dark rings around his eyes and frowned at the color contrast from his very pale skin. His eyebrow twitched and his lower lip trembled as he dreamt; she never noticed how soft his lips looked.
Hermione shifted again in discomfort. This wasn’t right. She wasn’t supposed to be watching Malfoy--of all people--sleeping and thinking not quite resentful thoughts about him but, she couldn’t bring herself to stop. He had always fascinated her and tonight was the first time she let herself indulge in her own curiosity.
Feeling movement beside him, Draco slowly awoke. Once his eyes refocused, he stared back at Hermione’s own. He shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny and he put his famous resentful mask back in place.
Hermione suddenly frowned at this to his confusion. She continued to stare at him, seemingly reading his soul, or so he thought. Her brown eyes darkened as she propped her elbow bringing her closer to him. What was going on in her head?
Hermione continued to move closer. She wanted to see the vulnerable side of him again. Draco grew nervous as she continued to move closer to him. She looked as though she was trying to solve a puzzle, and currently the puzzle was him. This brought a sudden jolt to his stomach as he studied her features. She didn’t hold that hateful look usually reserved for him, but rather pure fascination. He felt his stomach lurch again as this unknown force drew him closer to her face until they were mere inches from each other.
Fascination turned to curiosity. Curiosity turned into silent need. She needed to know him, needed to understand why he could enrage her every fiber with just once glance. She wanted to see if he was just as supercilious and devious as he led himself to be. She wanted to know the vulnerable side to him.
Nervousness turned to confusion. Confusion turned into desire. He never noticed how alluring she was until this very moment. Her brown eyes were dark pools of knowledge. Her soft lips were innocent to sensual touch. Her thick brown mane never looked so inviting. He could imagine running his hands through endless tresses of hair.
He drifted his gaze back to her. Hermione could see his sudden craving for her and her breath hitched. She continued to watch as his eyes roamed over her every curve. She suddenly felt uncomfortable and began to move back. Then, suddenly he reached out for her shoulder successfully stopping her movement with a demanding look in his eyes.
He brought his free hand up to caress her cheek with an unreadable expression on his face as he pulled her body closer.
She relented and moved in closer to this puzzle and she allowed him to hold her because for once in her life she didn’t need to understand everything. Looking at her once more he brought his lips to her own. As the kiss grew deeper she didn’t analyzed what was happening to her, why she was kissing him back, and why he was kissing her. For once she didn’t think at all. And she was okay with not knowing all the answers. She was okay with not knowing the answers to Draco Malfoy.
Fin
A/N: Please, tell me what you think.