Work Text:
Her heart thrummed as she heard a thump beside her. Looking up, she's greeted by soft platinum hair and piercing gray eyes. It's a Sunday; of course he would be here. He was nothing if not consistent, but Hermione hadn't thought he'd show up today- it was just about closing time.
But he surprised her, as he so often did. Because the truth was, Draco Malfoy was a paradox. A puzzle that was hard to understand. A puzzle that didn’t seem like it should fit together, and yet it did, and it made so much sense, yet no sense at all.
Take for example, the idea that Malfoy was one to stick to schedules, but he also liked to be free. He liked to come and go as he pleased, with no attachments to anyone.
“I came to return this.” He said in that low voice of his.
Over the counter he pushed over a thick yellow copy of a firmly bound book. Hermione smiled down at it, the book was one of her favorites. She had recommended it to him last Sunday, and hadn’t thought he would read it, but he
had,
just like the other dozen books she had told him to read
.
Then again, Malfoy was a puzzle. She'd have to learn to stop predicting what he'd do.
That wasn't even the least of her concerns. With every book read, it was like her heart grew warmer. She couldn’t exactly place it, but there was something different about a guy who read books you liked. And liked was quite a jump from their former enmity at Hogwarts College- even though the relationship had started to progress after they'd started talking. Ever since these Sundays started and Pansy married Harry.
Besides that? She still didn’t get why he came to the library. With a wallet like
that
, he probably had his own private library twice this size at home.
Malfoy leaned in, and she got lost in his gray eyes- so misty and mysterious like him. Hermione was broken out of her stupor when he snapped his fingers.
“Hello? Earth to Granger.” He sneered.
She jumped. “Oh. Sorry!”
Her voice was barely a squeak, and she blushed in embarrassment. What was that? And why was she blushing? She didn’t care what Malfoy thought of her. He might be Malfoy , but he didn’t intimidate her. But gods above, what must he have thought of her? Another squeaking fangirl?
She groaned, putting her face in her hands. Hermione was grateful that no one else was around at closing time except the occasional staff member tidying up.
Through her fingers she noticed Malfoy’s face turned to concern. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She groaned harder. What was happening to her? Damn Malfoy and his mysterious eyes.
Malfoy reached out for her, and her heart went into overdrive. He touched her hands, prying them away from her face. And she decided to damn her heart to- it wasn't listening as she tried to wrestle the insufferable organ under control.
He opened his mouth to question her about whatever she'd done just now, and she tried to change the topic. What to say what to say? And so in the heat of the moment she picked the closest thing to her as a topic- the newspaper on her desk about Greengrass and Zabini. The worst and best mistake she'd ever make.
“Have you heard about Astoria?”
His Ex-Girlfriend. Hermione realized only too late that she shouldn’t have brought it up.
“About what?” He countered.
“She’s with Blaise now. Right?”
Blaise had gone to college with them. Hermione hadn’t known Blaise that much- he’d run in the circles Malfoy had (rich and popular and socialite)- despite knowing that he existed. Malfoy flinched for a second. Maybe she shouldn’t have brought it up-
Because really when has reminding a guy about his ex-girlfriend being together with his best friend ever been a good thing? Rewind Granger, she told herself.
She winced and proceeded to do just that. “Sorry! I shouldn’t have mentioned that-”
Malfoy looked stiffly up to the ceiling; not replying. And that tripped up Hermione’s ego bit. Could he not accept an apology for god sake? Any normal person would be shaking their head and saying ‘it’s fine’ while some mildly offended tone. But this Malfoy (Draco?), so she took a breath and tried again.
“I really am!” She insisted.
No response. Malfoy kept looking up at the ceiling. And she ground her teeth. They were doing fine before, and she messed up, and she'd said sorry. And now he was ignoring her. She hated being ignored (it reminded her of the teachers at Hogwarts that looked past her hand so often because-oh give someone else a chance-)
“Fine. I get it. Are you jealous of Blaise?” She goaded.
An expression flickered on his face, too quick for Hermione to decipher. This time he looked at her with something in his eyes. Something different.
“ If I was, would you be j ealous of Astoria?” He asked. There was heat in his tone.
It took her two moments to process his question. And another two to react. He was asking her…if she’d be jealous of Astoria- if he had feelings for Astoria, if he was jealous of Blaise because of her- would she…be jealous of Astoria? Because Draco had feelings for her?
She sputtered.
No, what was happening? Her jaw couldn’t return to her mouth. It just wasn’t listening to her. Her mind was in pieces because of this puzzle of a Malfoy, and she was trying to piece together her own mind now. This Malfoy- he wasn’t just confusing, he was dangerous.
He leaned in. “Are you, jealous?” (read: does she have feelings for him?). This time, his voice conveyed something more than just retaliation. It conveyed Something important. Something meaningful. Something more. Her heart went into overdrive again.
“Why would you want to know?” She whispered back, leaning in.
“You're a smart woman Granger. Figure it out.” Their noses were touching now. Just an inch...now half an inch...and he pulled himself away.
She turned away, embarrassed.
“Don’t dish out what you can’t take Granger.” He told her.
But she could. She could take this.
“You should be taking your own advice, Malfoy. If I was jealous of Astoria would you be jealous of Ron? ”
Gosh could they talk straight? Why did their conversations always go in loops?
Ronald Weasley... her own ex-boyfriend. (Read: she was asking if Malfoy had feelings for her?) Her reply seemed safe, it seemed logical.
“That depends on whether you’re jealous of Astoria. Doesn’t it?” They were both cowards.
“What if I’m not?” No, she was more of a coward.
He licked his lips and turned away, walking to the door of the library. “Then I’ll still be forever jealous of whoever it is you give your heart to Granger. Because I have long given mine to you. Ever since the first Sunday. You can’t play safe all the time.”
Her mind started firing as soon as the door clicked shut behind him. Suddenly, the puzzle started shuffling into place- started making sense, and suddenly...it was gorgeous. Her heart leaped. It had recognized what her brain hadn’t.
For the first time Hermione Granger turned her back on a book, its musty yellow cover lay forgotten. She didn’t bother swinging along a raincoat, or an umbrella. She just rushed out after Malfoy.
She came to face him face-to-face, not caring for the drenching rain. Pressing a hand to his chest, right where his heart was, she leaned in. “Then you’d have to be jealous of yourself. I love you.” She covered his open mouth with hers.
The moment their lips connected, the puzzle became even clearer than before. It wasn’t just a puzzle. It was always meant to be her puzzle.
In a haze, when she pulled away, he stared at her, gaping. “You turned your back on a book.” He muttered in amazement. And she laughed. And sighed into his chest when he said “I love you too.”