Sweet Sixteen

~*Chapter nine*~

Draco Malfoy got up from the glass-covered floor to see thousands of students running frantically about as though they were in a giant rat maze. He started searching for Hermione Granger. As he had predicted, something had happened and although she was Muggleborn, she knew what she was doing, and was one of the few people who could help. Malfoy tried scanning the mass, when suddenly, he found her on the hard ground surrounded by a few other students. He rushed over in a speed Superman would be proud of. He looked at her expressionless face and tried to wake her, but she continued to lay in the middle of the Great Hall unaware of the chaos that had ensured. Draco Malfoy was a pure-blood right down to the very core, he hated admitting being able to do anything the Muggle way. But he knew no spells to revive her and he had one time seen a Muggle make someone breathe again, so he decided he would try it. He lay his head on Hermione's chest to check for a heart beat... nothing. Then he moved upward and placed his middle and index finger on her neck to check for a pulse... but there was none.

So, he tilted her head back, plugged her nose, and covered his mouth with hers, exhaling his life into Hermione's and making her stomach rise then fall. He repeated the last step once more only to find a second later, Harry Potter on top of him, punching his face repeatedly. Malfoy shoved Harry off.

"What do you think your doing with Hermione? You stay away from her!" shouted Harry pointing at Hermione for emphasis.

"You bloody wanker!" retaliated Malfoy "She's not breathing!" It was as if someone dropped a particularly large anvil on Harry's stomach.

"What... what do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. I was trying to make her breathe again. So, unless you know how, I suggest I get back to it, while you run your scrawny legs up to the infirmary and get Madam Pomfrey. Quick," said Malfoy, hurriedly. Both boys wasted no more time; Harry ran as fast as was humanly possible, and Malfoy leapt back on the floor. He repeated mouth to mouth twice. Then checked again for a heartbeat and pulse. Nothing. Malfoy ran his index finger along Hermione's stomach till he came across her sternum. He clasped one hand over another locked out his arms and pressed up and down muttering under his breath, ".... One and two and three and four and five and...." Until he got to fifteen, before he was able to check for breathing again, Madam Pomfrey came along with Harry.

Draco Malfoy, relieved, got out of her way. Only now was he aware that every single person in the Great Hall had his or her eyes on him. But he didn't care; he helped Madam Pomfrey and Potter get Hermione to the hospital wing.

~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hermione Granger didn't come back to school until a week later. When she had awoken earlier that night, she had assured everyone she was fine and couldn't feel anything; but Madam Pomfrey wouldn't take that answer. Hermione had heard a lot of tales about what happened that night. Ranging from little white lies to totally ludicrous. One night Hermione had enough of the absurdity of it all and decided to ask Harry. But he was nowhere in sight. So, she decided to flee to her sanctuary: the library. She calmly walked back to her table in the corner and found a certain Slytherin in the table next to her own. He must of sensed her because he looked up at her and they looked at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Hermione finally looked down and had a thought.

"Malfoy, may I ask you a question?"

"You just did," answered a smirking Malfoy. "But sure, you may ask me another."

Hermione stared down at her hands then at him. "What happened that night? In the Great Hall, I mean."

Malfoy looked at her in shock. "You don't remember?" She shook her head. "Well, even if I did tell you, you wouldn't believe me."

"Come on, Malfoy, stop being such a git!" shrieked Hermione.

He smirked at her. "Fine, I'll tell you," and he did, from the very beginning. When he was done he looked up at her and was shocked to see the look on her face. Not one of disbelieving, but one of confusion. "What?" he asked, truly wondering what that look was about. He was stunned to see her face burning pink.

"You gave me CPR - a Muggle procedure? To save my life! A Mudblood!" She giggled a little, then, looked at him seriously. "Why would you do that? I don't understand, I thought you hated me."

Malfoy looked her in the eye. "Believe me, Granger, none of that has changed, in actuality, I think my hatred grew. You... you are.... different, Granger, you intrigue me. Why I dunno, you just do." Hermione started to laugh, and I don't mean just a giggle, not just a squeak, but a real roll on the floor guffaw.

"Are you bloody mental, Granger?" She just looked at him and laughed more. "Whatever, I'm out of here." As he started to walk away Hermione abruptly stopped, and stood up.

"Wait, don't go," she asked.

"Why not?" he countered.

"Because, I'm in your debt and I'm repaying you. Now." Before either knew what was happening, Hermione went up on her tiptoes, and pressed her lips against Malfoy's, it was light but sweet. In actuality the best kiss Malfoy had ever had; just don't tell anyone he said so.