Unexpected

Unexpected

You hadn't expected this. What hadn't you expected? Was it the slow way he changed in sixth year, going from Slytherin, ice prince, future Death Eater, to the man you know now? No, not that? Was it the way you found yourself oddly attracted to his strong forbidden ways?

He did not transform overnight, but it felt as if your feelings for him did. One day you wished him dead and the next you wished him to be holding you, protecting you, loving you. Oh, you had always had protection from Harry and Ron, but you still wanted him to protect you. You needed him to be your savior.

You had watched him from the very first day of sixth year. He didn't look different, he was still the slick-haired, pale, pointed-face git he had been the previous years, yet there was something lacking in his looks. Maybe it was the lack of superiority his face always seemed to radiate. As you watched him, he seemed quieter, not nicer in any way, no, not at all, just quieter. Even when you and Ron passed him for a last-minute prefect meeting, he didn't acknowledge your presence.

This comforted you; in a way it made you feel as if you didn't have to worry about him, but that thought made you worry about him even more. It made you fear what he had in store for you and your friends. His father was in Azkaban, he was most likely a death eater already, and he had threatened Harry at the end of last year. Why wouldn't you fear what he had tucked away in his robes sleeve?

You watched him steadily throughout the meeting. He made no move to look back at you even though you knew perfectly well that he knew you were eyeing him with distrust on your face. Your summer had not been peaceful so to speak; you had stayed at the Weasleys' for the last part of the summer and had heard nothing of Lucius' stay in Azkaban so, you figured, he was still there.

As you walked away from the meeting with Ron jabbering away at some stupid Quidditch thing, you saw Malfoy stay behind. He looked nervous' so unlike his usual self. You stopped walking and watched him approach Dumbledore with a terrified look on his face, his hands trembling, his face paler than usual. You would have tried to listen had not Ron interrupted and demanded you head up to see Harry.

This was not the end, however; no, you didn't stop thinking about it all night. Even as you tucked yourself in, you thought about the way Malfoy had acted and how scared he looked. Telling yourself that thinking about Malfoy before bedtime would not help the nightmares, you settled down and banished all thoughts of the pale haired Slytherin.

The next day it was back to normal; Malfoy must have realized he wasted time the previous day by not taunting you, but he made up for it. Surprisingly, he didn't seem to care that you finally got the upper hand on him and insulted his family, in fact he just smirked and walked down the hall, seeming not to care about the jab you had just made. Scolding yourself for sinking to his level, you headed to Potions with Harry and Ron talking excitedly about your 'Victory' against Malfoy.

As you three walked in and sat down at the nearest table, you saw Malfoy and Professor Snape having a discussion in the front left corner of the classroom hidden amongst the shadows, neither of them seemed to care that the class was half full and people were beginning to stare. Bits of the argument, it now seemed, floated to the back of the classroom.

"You'll regret this....leave it to me..." This conversation didn't help settle your suspicions that Malfoy was up to something. During Potions, you couldn't help but watch him at the front of the class. He seemed to be thinking. Even when Neville blew up his cauldron, singed his eyebrows, and caught Ron's hair on fire, he didn't make a sound. He just turned to see what the commotion was about and then he turned away.

Once, when he turned away you caught his glance and narrowed your eyes challenging him to tell you what was going on. Of course, he didn't ; maybe he just didn't want to or maybe he just didn't understand your rather unusual eye language. He turned and didn't look back the rest of the class period. When class was over, you left without bothering to wait for the guys, they were too slow anyhow.

Nothing happened the next two months until one night you waited up for Harry to get back from a meeting with Dumbledore and when he finally did at twelve, he just pushed past you and didn't say a word as he disappeared into the boys dorm. The next day you caught him glancing at the Slytherin table with disgust and loathing in his eyes. His green eyes didn't help explain his actions either. Every time you asked him, he would give you a blank stare and just shrug as if nothing happened the previous day.

This unnerved you to say the least. Ron, on the other hand didn't seem to notice, and your attempts at convincing him something was wrong didn't succeed. The next month didn't help your suspicions subside.

"Harry, please tell me what is going on," You asked him one day when he got in a fight with Ron over some stupid Quidditch thing. Did they ever think of anything else? Harry just glared at you and walked away. Needing and wanting answers to all the questions that were racing through your head, you stormed off to Dumbledore's office. You didn't know the password but you didn't need to, for Dumbledore walked out just in time. You ran up to him and demanded answers, you talked until talking didn't seem to work, so, you began to yell.

Dumbledore, of course, just watched as you paced the hall and you turned in time to see him stroke his beard thoughtfully. This action seemed to snap you out of your anger. You stopped pacing and began to beg for him to forgive you. He just waved it off and offered you a peppermint cane. You felt horrible and turned to leave saying he owed you no sort of explanation whatsoever. You had gotten half way down the hall when you felt a soft warm hand fall on your shoulder. You turned slowly and looked up into Dumbledore's twinkling blue eyes. He looked so tired and yet he looked so young.

He pulled you towards his office and when inside he offered to answer any questions you had. You started with Harry, of course; you asked timidly why he had started to act so strange after the meeting with him. Dumbledore just nodded and pulled his half moon spectacles off and rubbed a cloth over them. He studied them for a while and you felt yourself get a little impatient. Why won't he just offer you an explanation so you could leave and confront Harry sodding Potter.

His explanation was simple. Draco Malfoy had offered his services to the side of the light. This caused you to jump up and exclaim loudly. How could this be and when did this happen? You hadn't noticed anything different about Malfoy except for his lack of teasing, but maybe he just grown up over the summer. Dumbledore just smiled and nodded as you openly tried to make sense of this whole mess.

No wonder Harry had acted so strange. Who would believe that Draco future Death Eater Malfoy would want to offer his services to the Order? Nobody, absolutely nobody who wasn't raving mad. You began to explain to Dumbledore why he shouldn't be so trusting. You tried to stop yourself from degrading his morals but you couldn't. How could anyone in their right mind believe Malfoy?

Dumbledore just offered you the same thing he told Harry: "Trust me, Miss Granger, I know what I am doing." You huffed and stormed out, when you entered the common room you pushed Ron off and ran up to your room not explaining anything to the two gawking boys. Although you thought you caught a hint of understanding in Harry's eyes as you climbed the steps.

The next two months you watched him even more closely; no, he didn't seem to have changed, but then again, did Snape change from a heartless man just because his loyalties lied with Dumbledore? During the Christmas holidays, you confronted him. Why? Because, you had to know. You were Hermione Granger, you had to know all the answers.

"Why did you do it, Malfoy?"

"Do what, Mudblood?"

"How can you call me that now that you are on our side?"

"Your side? Ha. Don't waste my time, Granger. Step aside" You watched as he flipped his silvery hair and turned with a swish of his black robes. You watched his retreating backside and growled in fury. Why didn't he just answer you? You know he was with the Order so why wouldn't he just tell you? Why should he, you asked yourself as you stormed up to the common room.

You felt his eyes following you from then on. He watched you as you walked into the great hall and his silver eyes followed you as you walked to your potions chair. Why is he watching you? You finally gave into his penetrating stares and turned to look at him. You expected to see cold harsh eyes, but instead you saw soft pleading ones. You thought back on the two weeks you had ignored his stares and thought that maybe you had hurt him in a way.

You watched him for a while and he finally looked down at his parchment. You frowned and waited for class to begin. It was the last class before winter break. You watched as Snape began the lesson but for once, your whole attention was not on it. You found your mind and eyes wandering elsewhere during the long class period. At the end of the lecture, you stood up to get your potions ingredients and as you passed his desk, you felt something fall into the pocket of your robe.

You walked back to your seat and opened it, finding a small piece of parchment with tiny scribbled writing.

Meet me outside of class if you want answers.

-D.M.

You bit your lip and glanced up at him; he was no longer looking at you, but you could have sworn you saw a hint of fear as his eyes snapped to the front of the room. Nothing could have prepared you for what was to happen next. As you walked out of the Potions dungeon, you were followed by a quiet Slytherin. You turned to face him but he just turned and made his way down a narrow passage leading you further and further into the dungeons. You were scared, but you had to get your answers.

When you reached the dungeon he was searching for, you were pulled into the door and he lit the candles. You tapped your foot impatiently and waited for his supposed explanation and answers. You demanded to know as he settled himself on a chair. He told you that patience was a virtue.

"Cut the crap, Malfoy." You shouted as he smirked at you from his perch on the chair. You frowned and turned to leave, but he caught your hand just as you were about to open the door.

"Stay, please, I need to talk to someone." You turned to look at him and were surprised to see sadness and longing in his eyes, the same eyes that just a year ago held such loathing and hatred. You bit your lip and pulled your hand out of his grasp, stalking over to the chair and dropping yourself into it. You didn't know why, but you felt horrible for him, it was probably the way he looked, the hurt in his eyes, the way his lips turned downwards and made you feel as if the world had ended.

"Well, talk, Malfoy." You said with harshness. You couldn't let him know that you felt bad for him. He sighed and began to tell you about his decision to join the light side and how his summer without his father had made him see what he would become and what he could be if he tried. You watched him and just nodded, not wanting to give away too much. You didn't need him know that you were trusting him, that could be a weakness.

When all was said and done, you felt like a huge load had been lifted off your chest, and it looked as if a huge load had been lifted off his as well. He smiled at you, a genuine smile which caused the cold barrier that you felt for him to melt. As long as he kept smiling like that, you would believe anything he said. But, of course, he didn't need to know that.

You walked towards the door and opened it looking back once more at him; he seemed different to you, younger and more handsome, carefree. You frowned at him to make sure he knew you still didn't trust him fully and all he offered you was a smile, a warm huge smile. You failed to resist, so you smiled back. So it began.

The passing months, the war continued with small battles amongst the Death Eaters and the order. Every time a member of the order would leave, you could feel your heart pounding. Would they return? Or would the order lose yet another member? Nothing compared to the anxiety Harry felt. He was a walking mess. Malfoy, on the other hand, never looked more happy. He even bid you good morning one day, which caused your heart to pound with the ferocity of fifty drums. You smiled and looked away shyly when he winked at you.

Soon, you found yourself looking at him even more than usual. Except, this time, you weren't looking to see if something was wrong, you were looking because everything about him seemed right. The way he carefully mixed his potions and the way he tossed his silvery hair back when he laughed, the way he laughed...the way he was there.

You even caught him catching a few glances at you, which caused you to smile even more. You felt horrible, how could you smile when so many lives were at stake? You didn't know and didn't care.

His change was unexpected but what was even more unexpected was the way you fell for him. The tingles in the pit of your stomach were not supposed to be for Malfoy, but they were. The way he smiled was not supposed to make your heart melt, but it did. The way he insulted Ron, Harry and even you was not supposed to make you want to shut him up with your mouth upon his, but it did.

Even more unexpected was when you found out he had the same feelings for you. When he pulled you close and whispered in your ear that he would fight off the whole army of Death Eaters just for you. The way he whispered made you shiver and it made you grin. It made you feel like you had never felt before. Soon, your class grades were slipping, your friends were beginning to notice that you were not the same, but who cared as long as he kept holding you the way he did.

You had always imagined Harry to be your savior, to be the one to save the wizarding world from Voldemort, but lately you had been hoping Draco would be the one to triumph over the dark lord. It made you shudder the way you imagined him defeating him and rising to the top, above everybody, above Harry; you didn't need Harry you needed him.

The last battle arrived, many people were already dead. The students were called out to fight, to save the world as they knew it, to make the good triumph over the evil. This was it, as Draco gripped your hand and turned to smile at you before you made it outside; he looked sad, even with his gorgeous breath-taking smile plastered on his face. You felt your heart flutter as you watched him mouth the words 'I love you'. You could die right then and not care. Or, so you thought.

Yes, it was all unexpected; the way he changed, the way you fell for him, the way he fell for you but most unexpected was the way it all came down. Nothing could have prepared you for what happened on that battlefield. It was Harry and Voldemort facing off, this was it, one would have to die and one would have to live. As you ran towards the battle scene you passed dead bodies, blood everywhere. You saw Draco arrive there first, he ran past Harry and stood beside Voldemort.

Your breath caught in your throat, what was he doing? There was silence as you heard the Avada Kedavra curse performed. You heard Harry's last words

"But, we trusted you!" Then a flash of green light, then silence. You could have killed with your scream. You sunk to the ground and watched as the man you loved killed your best friend. This was not supposed to happen.

"Be careful who you trust." You heard him say as you neared the site of Harry's death. Nothing could stop you from making sure Harry was okay. Even though in your heart you knew without a doubt he was not. As you neared the body you looked up and saw only one person.

"Draco..." you whispered as you knelt besides Harry's now cold body.

"Sorry, Granger, but some things never change"

If someone had told you the last thing you'd ever see was his eyes and then green you would have told them they were crazy. Isn't it funny how your life can end with something so unexpected?

"Avada Kedavra" He may have loved you, but his loyalties were with someone else. Then you saw it, the green in his silver eyes. Life is, of course, full of the unexpected.

The End