"Enemies to lovers. Or, more like friends to lovers who think they're enemies. It's a pretty interesting story for you, I think."
- Whitney G.
Hermione:
It's a silly thing, love. And I, Hermione Granger, never dreamed that it would exist for me. Until...
"He looks a bit ill." I said, trying not to show any compassion with my tone, so that Harry would not catch on. "Draco, I mean... don't you think?" I said, while sitting in the great hall where the voices of my fellow classmates was echoing off the tall concrete and the laughter of the houses were slightly shaking the four walls. I found myself staring at the boy with the long face, the one who once had bright, gray eyes, but they were now turned dull from exhaustion.
Harry frowned. "I dunno." He replied, "I guess so. He kind of always looks like that. Why do you care anyways, Mione?" I shook my head. Of course Harry didn't see it. He is blinded by his childish "hatred" that began in the first year when Malfoy tried to befriend him. To be fair it goes a little deeper than that.
Why did I care, anyways? "I don't." I said after a long pause, "I was just observing." I said, shaking my head and getting back into my book, examining the familiar pages. I was lying if I said I didn't care though because I did.
I did care, and I wanted to show him that I cared.
So yes it was a lie I did care, but I was also "observing." I don't know why I chose to be so observant of everything. Most importantly I do not know why I chose to be so observant of him.
I wanted to know why his eyes were black, why his skin was pale, and why his expressions were muted.
I always noticed the way he slouched when something was wrong, or how he placed his wand to his temple when he was concentrating.
Today, he was doing both.
I tried not to look long, but I couldn't help it. He looks beautiful even when he looks off put or in disarray. It didn't matter. His hair is always perfect, a strand was never out of place.
So I focused on him. The way he has hunched posture and how his hand is on his cheek, he looked sad. I wanted to know why this was, but I guess I never will.
I peeled my eyes away and put them back to my book, but he saw me staring, and for a second, I thought I saw his expression morph into a half smile.
Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't too closed off. Perhaps he wasn't a boy who was too far gone that he was beyond helping.
Maybe he just needed someone, someone to talk to.
But I was silly.
I was silly to think that I could be the one to help him. Me, Hermione 'mudblood' Granger. Thinking I could be the one. The one to bring him the light.
I even sound silly.
I close the book, along with my thoughts. "I'm going to the library if one of you just so happens to need me." I exclaimed to my two best friends. Harry and Ron simply nodded in response. I knew they weren't going to need me, but, if they did, they would wait, because they hated the library. Also, part of me also hoped they wouldn't need me.
}*{
The library is my favorite spot in the castle. The smell of old books and new books filled my nose, as I ran my fingers along the spines of the books on the shelf. My hands stopped as they found a recognizable bind. Romeo and Juliet, one of my favorites. I grabbed the oh-so-familiar book and walked to the chair I always sat in, the one that was made of red velvet and tucked away in a corner. It just seemed more excluded, more quiet. I flipped open the pages and began to read the words my brain was so accustomed to. I let myself fall back into the familiar story, completely engaged with the words, cut off from everything else around me.
Until, I smelled a scent, one that I knew I had smelled before, but never in the library.
It was a fresh scent of mint from the toothpaste he'd used that morning, his freshly washed hair that held hints of citrus, and the subtle, yet unmistakable scent of his cologne.
I peeked over the top of my book, just barely enough to catch a glimpse of the wisps of his white-blonde hair revealing itself between the pages, it was perfectly placed.
"Romeo and Juliet?"
He's speaking to me?
Maybe he was there to see me. I let out a small laugh and shook my head at how stupid I sounded. Of course he wasn't. It's a public place.. I get pulled out of my train of thought, when I catch a wave of the recognizable scent, it got closer to me.
The familiar voice drawled, "I never pinned you as the romantic type, Granger." Of course he didn't, he did not know me after all. If he did he would know I want the sneaking around in private, I want the intimate moment between kisses where you gaze into each other's eyes. Merlin, I want the moments where you wake up in mornings embraced in each other's arms after a rather intimate night. I want the small things only couples that know each other really well do. Maybe I could do that with him.
Another silly thought.
"And what are you doing in the library, may I ask?" I retorted. "I didn't pin you for the reading type." Draco laughed. "My mother." He started, moving closer to me "She loves books. She sends me here every time she wants a new one."
That was by far the worst lie I have ever heard, but I decided to let him have it... at least for the time being.
"You live in a mansion which probably has an enormous library..." I said, "Why can't she just get one there?" Draco laughed lightly, shook his head and moved closer to me with one hand out. "I think I'll take this one..." and the book that once occupied my hands was gone, leaving me with empty space between my fingers.
}*{
Days passed, and every day that I was in the library he was in it, too. And, each day he would sit closer and closer to me. Now was my theory right? Perhaps he was there to see me. I found him at a table "reading" a book. I shot him a quick glare and gently slammed my book on the table. "You do not read!" I huffed. Draco laughed. "Why do you care so much, Granger?"
Why did I care so much?
I knew why I cared. I was just fighting with myself.
All the years I have spent on him already, longing and observing, I shouldn't care. After all, it was just a library. And what if he actually did read? I think I was just secretly hoping he would sweep me off my feet and say something along the lines of
'I'm in here because I like seeing you'.
"I don't care." I said instead. "At all, actually. I'm just... concerned." Draco sighed in response looking back down at his book that he hadn't turned the page on once. "I already told you, my mother-" He said, still "reading", until I gave him a light, quick kick to the shin. He looked up from his book and I gave him a pointed look. "Firstly Granger, Ow and secondly, okay, fine. My mother and I are in a book club and I come here to read the books she assigns." I smiled, picking my book back up.
A book club? Was that a lie? It had to be right? or maybe it wasn't. "A book club?" It seemed somewhat believable and somehow really cute at the same time. "Yeah. A book club." Draco got up and placed the book he was "reading" back on the shelf, swiveling back on his heel, turning to me. "I'll see you around bookworm." And then he was gone, and a familiar boy with tousled dark hair was taking his place a few moments later.
"What's got you all smiley, Mione?" Harry asked.
Malfoy.
"This book." I Lied again, but I could not possibly tell Harry what has me smiling. I don't know what he would say. Probably somewhere along the lines of 'He's a slick git Hermione' Harry shrugged. "Must be some book.." he paused and then lightly tugged at my arm. "Well, come on, it's time for potions."
}*{
"Today, we will be brewing Amortentia." Slughorn stated. Amortentia is the most powerful love potion in the world. I immediately put my head on my desk. Potions was my least favorite class, I liked hands on magic, and I was already well advanced in most of the potions we were learning. "Can anyone tell me what this potion is? Come on! Why don't you give it a try, Ms..."
Please don't say it.
"Granger." I sighed inwardly, knowing that was coming considering I was the only one that paid attention. "It's the most powerful love potion in the world." I said. "It's rumored to smell different to each person, according to what attracts them." Slughorn nodded appreciatively. "Correct, Ms. Granger, well done." Slughorn said, lifting up a vial as to cheers. Now, everyone find a partner and turn to page seven." I turned to Harry, but Ron had already grabbed his arm and was pulling him towards the supply cabinet. Sighing, I glanced around the room, which was pure chaos, everyone was rushing around to grab their friends. Soon, everyone had a partner. Everyone except...
"Mr. Malfoy, why don't you work with Ms. Granger?" Slughorn put a hand on the boy's shoulder, pushing him towards me. "We meet again, bookworm." Malfoy said with a cheeky grin.
Bookworm? Was that what I was?
I raised an eyebrow, "I assume you expect me to do all the work?" He laughed. Leaning back, putting his feet on the desk. "Absolutely not, Malfoy." I said as I shoved his feet off of the desk.
Skimming through the instructions on the page, I started gathering everything I needed to execute the position correctly. "Two Lionfish spines please..." I turned to him and thought for a few moments, "...and a rose petal." Draco smirked while getting up "Coming right up, your majesty." I glared at him and continued to read.
The process wasn't too bad, since Malfoy was top of the class, behind me of course. We would be finished rather quickly. We continued to mix all ingredients as it was stated in the pages, we finally had a bubbling potion. I tried not to get too close, since I was scared of what I was going to smell.
"Time's up!" Slughorn said, "Books down everyone. Now, I'm going to call your names, and when I do I want you and your partner to take a whiff and tell us what your Amortentia smells like. That way we'll know if you've done it correctly."
My heart skipped a beat.
Oh no.
I knew exactly what I was going to smell.
Malfoy elbowed me, "Do you wanna go first or shall I?" He asked. "You go." I said, shaking my head, turning it away from him and scooting the potion closer to his side. Malfoy paused for a moment. "I smell... ginger, old parchment,
Ginger and old parchment? I don't think Pansy smells like old parchment considering I don't think she has ever picked up a book in her life, unless it was a thin magazine with muggle fashion, and that's hardly considered parchment.
and..." he hesitated, "peacocks." I looked over at him and scoffed, "Peacocks?" He had to be lying. I didn't smell remotely close to peacocks, vanilla maybe, but not a bird. The ginger was obviously me, I take it in my butterbeer. Old parchment was books obviously. But peacocks? Draco laughed. "Yes. White ones to be exact. Is something wrong with them, Granger?"
Yes.
"No." I said shortly. "Shall we continue?" Draco asked with a smirk. It was my turn. Should I try to lie? "I smell..." I breathed in, trying to come up with the easiest lie, but I couldn't. "...peppermint, citrus, and mahogany." I quickly pushed the cauldron away and sat down quickly. Slughorn then cleared his throat to push the awkwardness out of the air. "Well, uh, done, class. Tomorrow we will be learning about the principles of potions, please read chapters four through six. You may be dismissed." I quickly gathered my things and rushed out of class. When Suddenly, I heard the sound of footsteps following close behind me, "Peppermint and mahogany? Really, Granger, that's obviously me."
Yes, it is.
"No it is not Malfoy." I scowled, "Why on Earth would I smell someone as vial as you?" I retorted and shake my head. Draco laughed. "If I did, I'm sure I would have vomited over the suffocating stench of Pansys' perfume and your inability to be a sufferable person." He looks at me with a slight twinge in his eye, before shaking his head. "Sure, it's not. See you in the library, bookworm." He said running his hand through his hair and walking backwards for a few steps until turning and heading back down the corridor.
The library. I scoff to myself. Was he really just in the library to see me? It was starting to seem that way.
"Is Malfoy bothering you Mione?" The innocent boy with the carrot orange hair asked. "No, he's just being Malfoy," I said to Ron and continued on, turning my attention "But it wasn't fair. Let me be your partner next time." I said to Harry. "Ron I am sure you'll be pleased with Lavender" Ron pouted slightly, then continued on a rant about how Lavender was too clingy and he was slowly suffocating, he rejected my proposal.
Just being Malfoy I thought to myself. What did that even mean?