When Enemies Interact

Chapter 13: Letter of True Confession.

* - ~ * ~ - * - ~ * ~ - * - ~ * ~ - * - ~ * ~ - * - ~ * ~ - * - ~ * ~ - * - ~ * ~ - * - ~ * ~ - *

The couple of days following were extremely miserable for both Draco and Hermione.

Hermione spent most of her time in the common room, going over everything in her head. She was trying to decide which way to go; which path to follow. Her heart was telling her to follow the path she presumed wrong: Draco. While her mind was telling her to follow the other: not Draco. Everything was so confusing for her and she kept changing her mind constantly.

Draco, on the other hand, had taken to flying around the Quidditch pitch on his new broomstick, trying to keep his mind off Hermione and give her time to decide exactly what she wanted. He was very sure as to what he wanted and he was willing to do anything in his power to get that. He was sick and tired of sitting around and waiting for her to make the choices. He had to do something, anything to get her to realise that the whole situation of them was not wrong, that it was in fact right, very right.

Neither one of them knew how to handle situations like this. Draco ended up getting a cold from flying around in the icy cold air all day and had to go to Madam Pomfrey to take some relieving Pepper-up Potion. In the meantime, Hermione had gotten absolutely nowhere in reminiscing about the past couple of months when she had spent time with Draco.

* - ~ * ~ - *

Draco flew around the Quidditch stadium for about the hundredth time that day, feeling the icy cold wind rip against him. He could sense a snow storm coming, but didn't feel much like going back to the common room and watching Hermione star blankly into the warm, blazing fire. He knew he should, though, as he really couldn't afford coming down with another cold.

Movement below him caused Draco to look down at the pitch and he made his way to the ground. Two figures in scarlet robes were moving onto the pitch, carrying the large Quidditch chest between them. Draco knew almost instantly that it was Harry and Ron. Landing on the frosty grass, Draco got off his broom and began to make his way towards them, a look of pure hatred on his pointed face.

"What are you doing down here, Malfoy?" Ron asked coldly. Draco was satisfied to see that there were still faint bruises around his nose and eyes and he suddenly felt he wanted to make them darker and more severe. "Aren't you supposed to up in your quarters with Hermione?"

Draco sneered at him, but didn't reply. Instead, he shoved passed them both to head to the changing rooms. He wasn't sure why he hadn't retorted as he had badly wanted to.

In the changing rooms, Draco's mind went completely blank as he got under a boiling hot shower to warm up, and he was thankful of it. However, because of this, he didn't notice Hermione enter and take a seat in the corner of the steam-filled room.

Hermione could see the back of Draco's head over the top of the short tiled wall that helped shield most of him from view. She watched him for several minutes, biting her lower lip, deep in thought. She had written him a letter, but she was still considering whether to give it to him or not. She didn't really want to talk to him, as the letter had made her realise some things she felt she didn't have the courage to approach him and tell it to his face. She also didn't want to be put on the spot where he was standing in front of her, wearing only a towel and she could feel the wet heat penetrating from him.

Taking an uneasy breath, she stood up and quietly approached the green bundle of his Quidditch Robes, bundled up on a seat nearby. She hesitated before tucking the parchment envelope inside, where it was likely to become noticeable when he went to put them on. She gave Draco one last glance before heading to the door and exiting out onto the cold grounds and up towards the castle.

Meanwhile, Draco continued to take his hot shower, completely unaware that Hermione had been in the room. He finally got out when his fingertips were becoming wrinkly and wrapped a towel around the lower part of his body. He headed over to where he had placed his clothes and slowly dried and dressed himself, before picking up the robes, only to feel something slip through his fingers. A very light and dull sound followed this, as an edge of the parchment envelope hit the ground, causing Draco to look down at it curiously.

He noticed his name written in a neat scrawl he recognised as Hermione's on the creamy parchment and, frowning, he bent down and picked it up. He looked around the empty room carefully before opening the envelope and pulling out the letter. Sitting down on the seat, he unfolded it, a small frown still on his face and began to read, his heart pace becoming slightly irregular for some reason.

Dear Draco,

I'm writing this letter to make you aware of the exact feelings that I hold for you. I am writing it because I don't think I could handle telling it to your face.

Everything has changed for me over these last couple of months and I'm not sure whether it's changed for the better or not. I've lost my two greatest friends, but I've gained something else entirely. I'm not sure of what that "something" is, but I do that it was you that has given, or is giving, it to me. You, the one I once called my worst enemy, the one who used to insult me, the one I am falling in love with.

It's hard to imagine that something like this could come between two people who despised each other for most of the years of knowing one another, like us. Yet, here I am, writing this letter to you to give you an idea of my affections for you. I've been crying, non-stop, for hours, just trying to work out why we shouldn't be together, when we're supposed to be together. You were right the other night when saying "How can it be wrong, when it feels so right?" The words keep circling my head and with every circle, my feelings become clearer.

I believe this is our destiny, Draco. For some reason I believe it is and I've never been one to really believe in such a thing - a fairy tale. I long for you every second of every day. When our lips touch, it's like fireworks through my whole body and I never want to stop. I do stop though, when a piece of my self conscious tells me that I have to stop; that what's happening is too wrong and I shouldn't be allowing it to happen or have this effect on me. It was like a dagger to my heart in just forcing myself to break that first kiss and telling you to get off me, when I truly wanted the sensation of you against me to continue. I've told you that I was scared and I was, but in a way I still am. I've never felt this way about anyone, Draco, and I've been acting like an idiot about it. I want you to know that I am truly sorry and I am willing to do anything to make up for it.

Writing this letter is causing me to have flashbacks of the times we've spent together, from the time in fifth year when we had to do Prefect duties together, to the kiss on Christmas night. All though the whole time of knowing you, I've had some sort of feeling towards you other than hatred, though I wasn't quite sure as to what it was exactly. The only thing I know is that it has been the past couple of months that has caused me to realise it. I am realising new things each day and today, that thing that I have realised makes my heart pound against my chest at the very thought of you:

I am not falling in love with you, Draco; I am in love with you.

I love you, Draco Malfoy and I believe I will forever.

Love,

~ Hermione.

Draco stared at the last sentence of the letter and ran his fingers through his wet hair, his heart now beating loudly and madly in his chest. No one had ever said those words to him. No one in his whole life had ever said it, not even a member of his family, and he found himself slightly scared of them. The words "I love you" seemed like words of great commitment; a bond between two that is extremely hard to break. Yet, she had said them and he suddenly knew that he felt that way about her as well. He loved her, but he wasn't sure if he could say it, as he'd never said the words to anyone in all his life.

Taking a deep breath, Draco stood up, refolded the letter and pulled on his robes, ready to head back to the castle.

He took his time as he walked from the Quidditch pitch to the castle, deep in thought about Hermione. The letter was still clutched in his hand and he was going over it in his head, trying to work out exactly what he was going to say to Hermione when he reached their quarters.

He loved her and he knew it, he just had to get it out and tell her, but it seemed so hard. He crossed the Entrance Hall and headed up the staircase towards their common room. His heart was still beating furiously against his chest and he had never felt anything like it.

He absently reached the portrait of Daniella and Iain and after giving the password ("Mistletoe"), he headed up the stairs towards the common room to talk to Hermione, believing that he'd never felt this frightened in his life...

* - ~ * ~ - * - ~ * ~ - * - ~ * ~ - * - ~ * ~ - * - ~ * ~ - * - ~ * ~ - * - ~ * ~ - * - ~ * ~ - *