Masked

Chapter 3

…

I swirl my quill in my hand staring at the shelves of dusty books. I was currently reading my ancient runes spellbook, well I was trying to at least, at a very unsuccessful rate. I began humming a song I heard over the summer unconsciously.

“Shhhhh” I turn around to the hiss expecting to see the librarian and apologize to her.

“I’m so-” I realize it’s only Draco and so I turn back around and pretend like I’ve been focused on my spellbook this whole time and he was only being a pest.

Draco walks around me and sits across from me. “So part-ner, wanna work on the winter solstice dance?” He pulls an apple out of his bag and takes a very huge bite. I raise my eyebrow, “Fine, but let’s go to the room of requirements. I don’t want people thinking we’re good friends.” I close my spellbook and stack my books.

“Hmph, we’re forced head party planners, we’re expected to hang out now.” He says harshly and walks ahead of me. I roll my eyes and storm after him wondering why I ever dated him.

...

‘I giggled but Draco being a quidditch player, he’s much faster and stronger than me, so I was stumbling and tripping after him. We were running from that stupid ghost Peeves, we’re out of bed after curfew and Peeves almost found us. I watch Draco’s platinum hair falling out of it’s perfect, slick back style that he always makes it in. I like it messy much better. He looks over his shoulder with a huge smile on his face and winks at me, causing me to start giggling again. He pulls me between a pillar and the wall and puts his pointer finger across his lips to tell me to be quiet. I pretend to zip my lips and throw away the key making him chuckle with me this time. “My little lion, you’re gonna get us caught.” I run my hand through his hair.

“You gotta break rules once in a while.” I whisper.

“What have you done with my Hermione? Imposter!” He holds his hand to his chest as though he’s been wounded. I giggle again and he chuckles before leaning in and kissing me to get me to be quiet.’

...

Draco walks back and forth in front of the wall where the room of requirements main entrance is on the seventh floor. The door appears and Draco is through the door before I can move a muscle. ‘This is gonna be a long night.’ I think as I follow him through the door.

The room is the same as last time but when I look back at the wall next to the door, the photo of Draco and me is gone. I look around and found it was nowhere to be seen in the room. I huff and pretend like I wasn’t looking for it and it didn’t bother me. I obviously couldn’t fool a hippogriff, luckily Draco wasn’t paying much attention to me. He was sitting in one of the arm chairs next to the fire eating his stupid apple and had a book open. When I sat down next to the coffee table I realize the book he had was a copy of the book I had shown him yesterday. I don’t questions it because this would have been a waste of my time if I made him mad and storm out.

“So… You on board for the 1880’s muggle ball?” I ask him without looking up at him as I pull out a piece of parchment, quill, and ink.

“Yea, sure, whatever.” He mumbles in response. I smirk and we go back to designing the decorations. He decided we were gonna change out the candles for crystalised lanterns. I was in charge of sending an owl to The Weird Sisters and asking them to play at the ball. It was close to sun down when our conversations changed from the winter solstice ball. We had been quiet for a few minutes, I was staring at the fire as it cackled and the wood seemed to never break down. Draco was still reading that book, which we found quite helpful with this timeline style.

“Did you mean any of it?” I said suddenly, breaking the silence. I see him stiffen in the corner of my eye, but I continue staring at the fire keeping my face as still as possible. It’s silent again besides the popping of the fire, but the noise of turning page doesn’t accompany the sound anymore.

“Would you even believe me if I say yes?” He says so inaudible that I barely heard him.

“Would you even mean it?” I say back after a few seconds.

He closes his book and sets it on the coffee table. “Yes,” He leans forward putting his forearms on his legs, “I would.”

I turn to look at him, his grey eyes are storming again and a rough piece of hair was out of line with his “perfect” hairline and was laying around his forehead. “But how do I know that isn’t a lie?” I stood up and walked to the book shelves just to get Draco out of my sight of vision. I grab onto a shelf to hold my shaking body still.

“Why would I lie about that Hermione?” His voice is filled with what he always portrayed to me as sadness, but how could I know for sure.

“I don’t know, why’d you lie to me the past two years?” I whispered loud enough for him to hear me.

“Hermione, listen I-” He began and I hear him get from the armchair.

I spin around and point my finger accusingly towards. “No Draco, you listen to me!” He’s lucky the coach is between us or I probably would have lost my cool and punched him again. “You ‘dated’ me,” I physically did air quotes, “only to get the accidental information I slipped about Harry so you could get him in trouble. And it so happens Professor Umbridge came around and YOU were the one who she gave the stupid job to find out what we were doing. You used me to figure that out so you could get that and one up him and Ron and the rest of us. How could I possible believe you?” I feel tears stinging my eyes but I refuse to cry and try to hold it in as much as possible.

He stand there for a second not saying anything, just being the beautiful, pale boy role he was handed by his father and mother when he was so young. “I understand how you feel Hermione.” He sits down on the coffee table, not daring to look me in the eyes and just stared at the ground. “But believe me that I am truly sorry, I’ve realized that there are things more important than my silly schoolboy rivalry with Harry and Ron. I want you to know I did love you…” He looks up at me and the storm has gone to a foggy morning in his eyes, “I do love you.”

I’m tempted to believe him, “No I don’t-” I turn away from him when I hear him stand up quickly.

“GODDAMMIT HERMIONE!” I jump frightened, I don’t think I’ve ever heard him raise his voice like this. “HOW COULD I FAKE THAT! ARE YOU SAYING THROUGH EVERYTHING THAT WENT ON YOU DIDN’T FEEL HOW REAL IT WAS?” I shake my head no as I shrug my shoulders.

“I don’t know what to think or feel Draco…” I no longer feel the one in power of this conversation and I begin to feel my tears silently slip down my cheeks.

“Then let me show you again how real it was and I mean let me.” I hear Draco moving closer to me and I whip around just as he gets to me and he pushes me against the bookshelves, I grab the shelves behind me to steady myself, and he kisses me.

[Word count:
2912]