"Master!"
"AHHH ! Bloody hell!" Ron screamed.
" Ronald Weasley! It's just an elf!" Pansy pinched his arm.
" Paris.", Draco entered the room.
"Paris has brought master's favourite tie." The elf grinned, his eyes wide.
Draco took the tie from him.
" Thank you, Paris."
The elf wiped at his eyes. " Paris is missing master. Please master, coming home soon.", he began to cry.
Draco crouched down on one leg so he was eye level with the elf. " Soon, Paris.", he told the elf.
Paris sniffed. " Of course. I is seeing you soon?", he asked with hopeful eyes.
Draco glanced towards Hermione who was staring at them. " Just 4 more months.", he smiled.
The elf nodded and disapparated with a crack.
Draco stood back up, and noticed that all eyes were on him.
"Shut your mouth, weasel. You look ugly as it is."
Ron shook his head. " Did you....Did you just treat your elf with....respect? No....I'm seeing things..."
Draco rolled his eyes. " Grow up, weasel."
" And calling him weasel is so mature, right?", Pansy smirked.
Draco rolled his eyes and looked at Hermione. She was still looking at him like she was minutes ago.
He swallowed and looped the tie around his neck. He tried tying it, but it just wasn't working. He began to panic and pulled it off. " Where's the loo?", he asked Ginny.
" In that room." She motioned towards a door.
"Inside the room?"
" It's an attached bathroom, Malfoy."
"Oh", he said before walking towards the room.
" You okay Mione ?", Harry asked.
She inhaled sharply. " Yes....yes I'm fine. ", she said. Something was up with him. He was fine and then all of a sudden he seemed...nervous.
" I'll just come.", she tried to excuse herself, but Ginny grabbed her arm.
" Where you goin' now ?"
" Just want to check something."
Ginny raised her brows.
" In the mirror I mean."
Hermione could tell that the redhead didn't buy her excuse, but she didn't ask any further questions and let her go. Hermione bit her lip and walked towards the room.
When she was out of earshot, Ginny whispered. " She went to check on Malfoy! ", her eyes sparkled.
Harry shook his head.
" I wonder what they're doing right now.", Pansy giggled like a teen.
Now it was Ron's turn to shake his head.
Hermione stopped just outside the door and she could hear his voice. He was whispering to someone. He sounded frantic. She gulped and turned the doorknob, and entered. The lights were switched off and there was nobody else in the room except for the blond, who was sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands.
He was whispering to himself.
" Malfoy?", she whispered.
His head shot up at the sound of her voice, his eyes were bloodshot and the vein on his forehead was visible.
She gasped. " Are you okay?"
"Leave me alone, Granger.", he hissed.
" No!", she approached him carefully.
" Go!", he seethed.
"What happened, Malfoy?"
"I said leave me alone!", he whisper-yelled.
She kneeled beside his legs, on the floor, and looked up at him. He looked magnificent, the moonlight making his hair look silver, and his eyes steel.
He turned away from her and she sighed.
" Tell me what happened. ", she spoke softly.
He hastily wiped the tear, that escaped his eyes, away and glared at her.
" Stop being so stubborn, Granger. "
"No, Malfoy. Let me help you."
"Nobody can help me!", he said harshly, before turning his face away from hers.
"And why is that?"
"Because I'm insane. I'm losing my mind! I fucking forgot how to wear a tie. My hands no longer remember that shit! My mind has been fucked up. I'm fucked u-"
Hermione gasped. " Draco! Stop it this instant!", she scolded.
He stared at her.
Draco.
He swallowed. " Just go, Granger."
"No.", she said stubbornly.
He sighed. " Fine. Then I'll leave.", he stood up and walked towards the door. She grabbed his wrist and whirled him around to face her.
" You are not walking out on me, Draco Malfoy!", she hissed.
Draco.
" What do you want me to do then?", he snarled.
" Where's your tie?", she questioned.
He patted the pocket of his pants.
She held out her hand.
" What?"
"Give me the tie, Malfoy."
Draco narrowed his eyes at her, but said nothing. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled the tie out and placed it in her awaiting hand.
Hermione swallowed and placed both of her hands on his shoulders. She adjusted his position, before she removed her hands and straightened the tie. She looked up and caught him staring at her with hooded eyes. She looped the tie around his neck, her fingers brushing the hair at the nape, leaving his skin tingly. She then pulled the collars of his shirt up, this time carefully avoiding skin to skin contact.
She skilfully knotted the tie around his neck and pulled the collars down. This time, carefully brushing her fingertips across the sides of his neck.
He inhaled sharply and she swallowed. Looking up, she lost herself in the swirling greys and silvers of his eyes.
" We should go. ", he mumbled.
" What?", she asked breathlessly.
" The party ", he reminded her.
Her eyes widened and she pulled her hands, that were braced on his chest, away.
Tough.
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and walked out of the room. The heat rose up to her cheeks when she caught everybody's eyes trained on her.
She tried to smile, but failed miserably. " We're having a serious discussion about this, Granger ", Ginny pointed out.
" Er yeah sure.", she said nervously before taking a seat next to Harry.
He grinned.
" What?", she scowled.
"You're as red as a Weasley's hair Hermione. ", he laughed.
Hermione smacked him on the shoulder. " Shut up."
"Next time, try to come up with a better excuse. Checking your own self in the mirror, Mione? Seriously? ", he laughed again.
Hermione scowled. " Oh Hush, Harry Potter."
On the other side of the house, Draco was panting and gulping; releasing himself of the tension that had built up. Just by her touch and her closeness. Just by her smell.
Gardenia
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
" Ten."
She looked for him in the crowd.
" Nine."
He looked for her
"Eight."
His eyes met hers.
" Seven."
She gulped.
" Six."
He walked towards her.
" Five."
He was in front of her.
" Four."
He could smell Gardenia.
" Three."
He leaned in.
" Two. "
She stopped breathing.
" One."
She leaned up.
" Happy New Year."
He turned his head and kissed her left cheek.
" Happy new year, Granger.", he whispered in her ear.
She shivered.
" You too, Malfoy.", she managed to say without stuttering.
He pulled away, looking slightly conflicted, as if he had just done it without thinking. He swallowed thickly.
She turned her head away, a slight red tinge appearing on her cheeks.
" Astoria loved New Year's.", he admitted and then froze.
Unbeknownst to him, she had frozen too.
Tadaaaa. Candy for you if you can guess where Astoria is ;)