Draco Malfoy's First Love

Chapter Fifteen: Everything's Just so Peachy-Keen!

By the time Draco got out of the hospital wing, the whole school was buzzing at the rumors being spread--was it true that Hermione Granger had dumped her beloved Ronald Weasley for the Prince of Darkness, and Slytherin, Draco Malfoy? It just didn't seem right. Draco hadn't even shut the door to the hospital wing when a bunch of Slytherins came up and asked him if the rumors were true. Was he going out with a mudblood? Draco shoved his way through the crowd in search of Hermione. She was nowhere in sight.

Draco unfortunately didn't know the way to Gryffindor House. In fact, he didn't even know what part of the massive castle it was in. Draco thought his best bet would be to go to the library. Where else would Hermione be? He hurried along the passageway and ran headfirst into a girl. He looked up--it was Pansy. Draco could see that she had been crying.

"Draco," she looked at him with her pug-like face, "are the rumors true?"

"What rumors?" he replied coldly. He really never liked Pansy. She wasn't that bright, and he hated her high-pitched giggling and crying.

"You aren't going out with that horrid, that wretched mudblood, are you?" she asked tentatively.

Draco lost his cool. He grabbed Pansy by her thick wrist, "Don't you dare insult her!" he spat, "Hermione is worth ten of you." He could see her fighting back the tears.

"First Potter and Weasley fell for her," she bawled, "and now you!" Pansy suddenly broke away from Draco and ran through the corridor towards the Slytherin dungeons.

Forget her, Draco thought, and he hurried off again towards the library.

* * *

Hermione sat in the very back of the library, back where Draco had shared his story with her. She now sat in a comfy chair facing the fireplace reading a book on advanced arithmancy. She twirled her Gryffindor necklace between her fingers as she turned the page. Finally, she was alone. No more people bothering her about Draco, no more people staring at her in the halls. If only Draco was here, she sighed.

Just then, Hermione felt a fluttery kiss on the back of her neck. She turned around and saw Draco leaning over her.

"Hi," she said.

"Hey," Draco smiled; Hermione noticed it was the first real smile she had ever seen him give her--usually it was a smirk or sneer. His smile animated his face, and it made him look like a whole other person. That was the boy Hermione was in love with.

Hermione stood up and gave Draco a big hug. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Why don't we sit down," he suggested.

Hermione sat in her chair, and Draco pulled up a stool and sat next to her.

"So how is your head?"

"Better," Draco said. A voice inside him though spoke, why don't you just tell her what's on your mind, you big dope! "Hermione?"

"Yeah?"

"Since people have found out about us, have they been bugging you?"

"As a matter of fact, they were. That's why I came to the library--to get some peace. It's all absolute rubbish, the way they go on about Gryffindor and respectability, and not dating Slytherins!"

"I couldn't agree more with you--absolute rubbish!" he said as he thought of Pansy. Best not mention the meeting to Hermione, he thought, she already seems upset enough.

"Anyway, I told them all that I didn't care, and that you are wonderful, and that nothing can tear us apart."

Draco was relieved to hear her say this. After all, she had always been the voice of reason, and now was when they needed clear thinking the most. Draco didn't even notice that he was staring at her.

"Draco, are you all right?" Hermione asked.

Suddenly Draco smiled widely and moved forward to give Hermione a big kiss. Nothing could go wrong now, he thought happily.

How very wrong he was.

* * *

Pansy lay crying on her four poster bed all afternoon. By nightfall, she had become a complete mess of tears. She just had to get Draco back from that mean mudblood Granger. Honestly, what did he see in her? Pansy sobbed some more before an idea came into her head. It was a cruel and evil thought. Would it work? She had no doubt in her mind. She grinned wickedly and closed her eyes, falling into a deep and disturbing sleep.

* * *

Pansy smiled her evil smile. Goyle just looked dumbfounded. "Are you sure this will work?" he asked in a voice quite unlike his own.

"I'm positive, now come with me."

* * *

Hermione walked along the charms corridor a week after Draco was released. She was with Ron and Harry. They were talking about Draco, who had apparently been ill that morning.

"That's right, Ron, he sent me an owl this morning when I woke up."

"I still don't think Malfoy's trust worthy. Remember, before you he was the biggest player in the history of Hogwarts."

"That's only because he was lonely. Besides, half of those rumors were false. I trust Draco because we're in lo..."

Hermione didn't have time to finish her sentence. As the trio rounded the corner, they saw a horrible sight. Draco Malfoy was standing there, arms wrapped around Pansy Parkinson, giving her a good snog. Harry held his breath. Ron got very very red in the face. Hermione gaped in horror. No, she thought, no it couldn't be true! It's not possible.

Pansy and Malfoy disengaged and looked to see the three. "Hello Granger," Pansy grinned broadly as she saw the look of pure horror and disbelief on Hermione's face. Malfoy tore his eyes away from Pansy's face, and turned to look at who had come in.

"Hermione," he said, "it's not what it looks like..."

Hermione eyes welled up with tears and she ran as fast as she could away from them all. Ron and Harry ran after her, but not before threatening Malfoy. "Don't even think about coming, Malfoy, or those concussions I gave you might become a chronic illness!" and with that the two left Malfoy, standing dumbfounded, still entwined in Pansy's arms.