The Grey In His Eyes! Dramoine Story (Draco & Hermione)

Chapter Five ~ Perfection

Harry, Draco, and Neville were playing cards. It was an unlikely group of friends, but yes, they had become one. They played any card game with war. In Draco's words 'There's enough war already, we don't have to play it in a card game too'.

The group talked about a lot of things, often delving a little more personal than Draco's comfort zone. In those times, he usually sat silent. Opening up was taking him a lot longer than he thought.

Finally, in the last week of November, the 21st to be exact, he opened up. Opened up about a few things, anyway.

"Who do you think's the most attractive girl here, Neville?" questioned Harry.

They were like teenage boys, most of the time. Talking about women and sex and all the irrelevant things that got their mind off of reality, even if just for minutes. "Hmm. I'd have to say Parvati, probably" answered Neville after much consideration. "You'd say Ginny, right?"

Harry nodded. "Most definitely. Second would have to go to Cho, though".

Draco snorted. "How utterly mundane and predictable of you, Potter. Your ex-girlfriend and your current one. I, however, am full of surprises".

Ah yes, he certainly was. But he wasn't about to tell them. He thought, and always would (though secretly), that the crown would go to Granger. He frowned. He knew he'd have to make up a lie. But most of the others would disgust him even to lie about... None of them quite fit his requirements the way Granger did.

"Who would you choose, Malfoy?" Harry asked curiously. Draco raised his blonde eyebrows. "I mean, you hate most of the girls here, but just on look".

"No one".

"Pick someone" Neville urged. "Anyone. Surely you think one of the girls here looks good... I mean, I think there's a good few -

"You have low standards then".

A dawn of comprehension fell across the Chosen One's features before he broke into a smirk worth of Malfoy himself. "I know who you think it is" he said matter of factly.

Draco looked taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"You fancy her! You fancy Hermione!" exclaimed Harry. "I can tell you do. You're always staring at her at meetings and your bickering is just a clever cover up!"

The statement caught him off guard. Was he really that terrible at subtlety? Did she see right through him too? Who else knew and for how long? He cursed Potter when he remembered he'd been able to nose around in people's business in school just as well... Apparently, it was a gift that would never leave him.

"A theory worth of Loony Lovegood herself" the blonde rolled his eyes. "Really, Potter. Me, Granger?"

"Its kind of obvious, mate" Neville agreed. "You two have a lot of tension. Hermione does the same thing... She says she hates you but..." he trailed off and Draco took another sip of his butterbeer because God knew he would need it now. "Hey wait! Are you two shagging?"

A fountain of butterbeer spewed across the table from Draco's caught-off-guard mouth. "Wait - wait what?" he sputtered.

"You two sleep in the same living quarters and... It just makes sense".

"On the contrary, Longbottom, I don't really think it makes sense at all" Draco protested, scowling. Harry and Neville were chuckling. "Oh, shut up. If we were shagging, it would be none of your business, anyways".

"I beg to differ. We're your only mates here" countered Harry.

"You won't keep being my mates if you keep making pairings of me and Granger" said Draco darkly.