Archive of Our Own

"Do NOT pick that up, Malfoy."

"I was just–"

"No. And don't roll your eyes."

"I did not roll them..."

"..."

"Jeez, okay! You're worse than my mother, Granger. Ouch, stop it! Madame Pomfrey told you not to move."

"I hurt my leg, my arms work just fine. Especially to throw stuff at you. Stop moving my books around and I thought I told you to stop rolling your eyes."

Huff. "I bet you actually transfigured smutty romance novels to look like serious books." Snigger. "Now look who is rolling their eyes."

"Ouch."

"Oh, Merlin. I didn't hurt you, did I? I'm sorry, I didn't think I would jostle you so much when I sat, I should have sat farther away. Wait let me rearrange your– oh, very funny, Granger. Very bloody funny. And here I was actually worried I had hurt your leg. Wipe that swotty grin off your swotty face, you swotty swot."

"Incredible vocabulary you got there, Malfoy. That's what got you selected as Head Boy, isn't it?"

"No, that was my Death Eater connections, didn't you know?"

"Malfoy, if I make a joke like that it's funny. If you make it yourself it's just depressing."

"I saw you laugh."

"I was laughing at your face."

"So, my face induces pleasure?"

"In more ways than you can imagine, but not in the way I want it to."

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"I swear I heard–"

"I think it's time for my potions, could you pass them to me, please?"

"Yes, Madame Head Girl, since you asked so nicely."

Pause. Shuffling.

"Drink your potions, Granger. Don't mind me."

"Stop going through my things, Malfoy."

"Touchy, touchy. Don't tell me... You actually have smutty books in here?! This one looks the most used, is it this one?"

"Malfoy, give it back!"

"..."

"This is not smut..."

"Wow, aren't you the brightest wizard of your age!"

"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, Granger."

"You've read Oscar Wilde?"

"Who? What? No, you said that to me once."

"Of course... Will you put it down?"

"What is this though?"

Sigh. "It's poetry. By this Persian poet called Rumi. It's really old..."

... My, my, my, Granger is a romantic!"

"Wipe that smug gleeful grin off of your face, Draco Malfoy, before I hex you!"

"Okay, okay! No need for violence! But seriously, I never took you for the poetry type. I thought this would be about Dwarfish history or a 7th-century treatise on the enslavement of elves."

"I just... I like reading poetry from time to time. It keeps me... grounded with my muggle identity. Also, I'm not the most creative, that's not my specialty. I can't imagine writing something like that, let alone the type of brain that could put together words in such a sequence as to make you feel... Feelings. And the bravery required to lay your feelings bare like that before the world... That's true courage."

"..."

"Well? Say something you prat."

Ahem. "So, you like this poem? It has a lot of notes."

"Uhh... Yeah, I like most of his poems but this one... I especially like this line:

He is basically asking his lover to be his better half. It's such a beautiful way of putting it."

"It is... Beautiful."

"Malfoy, you're not even reading it. Give it back if you're not going to take it seriously."

"What? Wait, no, no. I really like it, I swear! Granger... Granger! Give it back!"

"No, you like it so much get your own."

"Ugh, fine. You're such a selfish swot."

"And you start alliterating when you're pissed off."

"You did not finish your potions. Don't think I didn't notice. The faster you finish them, the faster that godawful cast comes off."

"Ugh, all right. They just make me feel so sleepy. And I don't like naps."

Snort. "Of course, you don't like naps. They make you feel unproductive, right?"

"Well, yeah." Shrug.

"Yes, I'm rolling my eyes. That deserves an eye roll. Anyway, what's that written on your cast?"

"Oh, it's a muggle thing. When you get a cast your friends scribble on it. Usually stuff like get well soon, take care... Harry told Ron and Ginny about it and they wanted to do it too."

"But this will come off tomorrow."

"I know. I told them. They told me that being bested by Peeves after having suffered through the Cruciatus, broken into Gringotts, and ridden a dragon... Deserved commemoration."

"Well, they are not wrong. Now, drink up, Granger."

Sigh "Blergh. I hate these."

"Now, now, how will you grow up to be a big, strong witch if you don't drink your potions, little lady?"

"Do not call me that."

"Pfft. Lie down, Granger. Wait, let me levitate your leg. I promise I'll be gentle."

"That's what he said. Ow! You cockroach, no pinching!"

"You deserved that."

"How excited are you to get this thing off."

"You won't even believe how much, Gin."

"Oh yes, because it's such a chore to be doted on by the guy you fancy."

"I do not fancy Draco Malfoy!"

"Uh-huh, and you did not slip because you were running down the stairs after you heard that he took a fall during Quidditch practice."

"I told you Peeves–"

"Peeves may have been there but he didn't cause you to fall, that water on the stairs came after you fell."

"... Why have you looked so much into this?"

"I was suspicious at Peeves's lack of gloating, so I asked him. Imagine my surprise when he asked me what I was talking about."

"... I did not want people to know I was running on the stairs."

"Merlin, Hermione. Would it be so bad if people found out that you were human? Or is it because you don't want a certain pointy-faced Slytherin to find out that you were concerned about him?"

"... He doesn't..."

"He doesn't what? Reciprocate your feelings? How would you know? Have you given him the chance to respond?"

"It would get weird, we still have to coordinate our duties, and letting feelings into the mix, especially if they're unreciprocated, could result in a disaster. We just got inter-house unity going and tension between us could mess–"

"Hermione, Hermione, you're catastrophizing. You don't know what will happen, you can't say for sure that the state of your relationship will affect the relationship between houses. Come on, give your friends and housemates a little credit. And love, you also don't know what his response to your feelings will be. All I am saying is give him a chance, he may surprise you."

"I... Okay. Okay, I'll try."

Door opens. "Talk of the devil and he shall appear. Hey, Malfoy. Take care of her for me, will you?"

"Oh hey, Weaslette. Sorry I have somewhere... I have some Head duties I need to do. Just came in to drop off my bag. Wait, did you just call me the devil?"

"If the shoe fits... Anyway, see you later, 'Mione. And don't forget what I said."

"Yes, yes. Go, Harry will be getting antsy."

"Did you mean angtsy?"

"Yeah, that too." Snicker.

Door closes.

"Hey, Malfoy, what Head duties were you talking about? Anything I can help with?"

"No, no... Uhh, McGonagall asked me to handle some detentions."

"Oh, okay."

"Yeah... Well, goodnight then."

"Goodnight..."

Door closes.

Sometime later in the corridors.

Whispers.

"Malfoy? And... Parkinson."

"Granger? What are you doing here? You are not supposed to be walking."

"Granger. Guess we'll continue this later, Draco."

"No need. I am just leaving. Ginny forgot her Potions essay in the Head Dorm and it's due tomorrow... Weren't you supposed to be monitoring detentions for McGonagall?"

"Uhh..."

"There were no detentions were there?"

"Is that what you told her?"

"Pans, not now. I'll see you later."

"As I said, no need. Goodnight. Enjoy."

"Wait, Granger!"

Hurried footsteps.

"Granger, stop. You cannot outrun me with your cast anyway. Let me explain."

"You do not have to explain yourself or your relationships to me. I just don't understand why you had to lie. But that's none of my business either, I guess."

"No, wait, wait. Granger, will you stop? It's not what you think."

"None of my business."

Door opens and slams close. Running footsteps.

"Get out of my way, Malfoy."

"No. I will not have you hide in your room till we talk about this."

"There is nothing to talk about."

"There definitely is, it was not what you think–"

"Then why did you lie?"

"I-it's... Look, uhhh...."

"See! You have got nothing to say! Stop blocking the door. Don't make me hex you."

"Will you please just–" deep breaths, "Okay, I will tell you but you have to sit down first."

"Will you stop hounding me after that?"

"Yes, I swear on my Quidditch kit."

Shuffling, settling.

"Get on with it."

"..."

"Well?"

"It's not easy with you glaring at me like that!"

"I am not glaring at you."

"Your gaze could literally melt–"

"Malfoy."

"Pansy's family finds antiques and rare things."

"And that is relevant to this conversation how...?"

Sigh. "I... I wanted to find a rare book..."

"..."

"I asked her to find a first-edition copy or manuscript of Rumi's works."

"..."

"Say something."

"Why... why would you do that?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"No."

"Well, if you really need me to spell it out then I asked Pansy for a copy of a rare book so that I could give it to you. I did this for the same reasons that I imagine you had when you slipped on the stairs after you heard I had taken a fall in Quidditch practice."

"How...?" Ahem. "Did... Did Ginny tell you?"

"No, I actually wanted to get revenge on Peeves but imagine my surprise when he was confused and a bit frustrated because people kept blaming him for something he didn't do."

"I really need to apologize to Peeves... But before that." Smack.

"Ow. Granger, sto–ouch! Stop hitting me, you mad woman! I thought you were against violence! And damaging books! Ouch– You are going against your principles!"

"You pompous." Smack. "Ridiculous." Smack. "Obnoxious." Smack. "Prat."

"Granger, Granger! Hermione."

"Let go of my hands."

"No, I will not let you hide your feelings for me behind the violence."

"Oh, I have feelings for you then, do I?"

"Well, I would certainly hope so, because otherwise, I might have spent all those galleons over nothing."

"You are ridiculous! Can you be normal for once and ask me out like any other teenage boy?"

"Well, those books were plan A... You were not supposed to see this till tomorrow but the secret's already out, so why not?"

"What are you talkin– Malfoy, why are you raising my leg?"

"Let me know if it hurts okay? I did put a featherlight charm on it but just to be on the safe side..."

"I still can't see it."

"Yes, because it is near your calf, wait, let me just turn it a little. Again let me know if this hurts. I was trying to go for a slow romantic reveal but you always have to do things at your fast, swotty, pace."

"Yeah, well, gotta live up to my 'brightest witch' moniker."

"Can you see it now?"

"Not really..."

Sigh. "Fine. Let me just read it out loud," ahem,

Granger... I have lots of faults and I have made a lot of bad choices. I know I have been a thorn in your side since we were 11, and I can't write poetry for shit but would you give me the chance to show you that I can do better? I can be better. Granger, will you be the rose to my thorn?"

"..."

"Say something. Did I... Bloody hell, did I read this wrong? Did you actually just fall and–"

"Malfoy did you... paraphrase Rumi's poetry and write it on my cast to ask me out?"

"Ye...es? Wait, why are you- are you crying?! Merlin, no, was I that bad? Did I bugger this–"

"No, no, these are happy tears! I just- Malfoy. Draco. You don't need to become a better man, you already are one. If anything I believe I will be the thorn, you know that I won't ever stop nagging you, right? And- and I can't even stand Quidditch!"

"Does that- Does that mean, you...?"

"Yes, you dolt, I like you! Now come here and snog me..."

"Don't mind if I do."

"Oh, but you really need to tell Pansy to cancel her search for those books. You and I need to have a looong conversation on how history belongs to the museums and the problems with private collections."

"Yes, yes, you can tell me all about everything, let me just do this first." Kiss.

End Scene.