The Stalker

The Stalker - 2/14/07

#14 Inside

Word Count: 766

He was tired. His eyes burned from the lack of sleep. His limbs shook from hunger and exhaustion, but still he stayed by the window, watching her.

He wondered why it was her of all people. Why was he becoming so obsessed with Potter's mudblood? It wasn't her looks surely for she wasn't a beauty by any means, not that she was ugly. She did have a sense of regal grace to her, a grace he had not seen since his mother and her features were pleasant but only that.

But it was more her mind that he felt drawn to. She was very intelligent, teeming, like a web, complex and intricate. She knew deep down that they were innocent. He knew that she knew.

He knew that she had put the pieces together. He knew who the pensieve on her table belonged too, the old headmaster's last will and testament was resting in Granger's kitchen. But she didn't seem to care. She knew Severus was innocent, that he wasn't a murderer. She knew that they were on running from both sides.

And he knew that she knew that he was watching her. He watched her tensed form as she washed her dishes by hand, casting a glance from the corner of her eye. He smirked as her shoulders drooped and she wiped her hands on a towel. With a defeated step, she walked to the window.

Draco waved, sneering at her, grey eyes twinkling from under his hood.

With more force than perhaps she intended, Granger unlocked her window and raised it. She placed her hands on the windowsill and glared at him through the top glass.

"Malfoy, please, do really want Ron or Harry to see you?"

"Where are your manners, Granger? I'm a guest. You should invite me in. In case you haven't noticed its bloody cold out here."

He rubbed his bare hands together in a vain effort to warm them. He was sick of freezing to death like a common muggle but heating charms were useless when the authorities were watching your magical activity.

Her eyes narrowed to mere slits and her nose scrunched in a way that Draco found almost cute. "And surely, you have noticed that I really don't care for having a Death Eater stalking me. If you want to kill me, Malfoy, then please do so!"

"Stalking you?" Draco snorted. "Don't flatter yourself, Granger."

She sighed and it seemed like all her energy evaporated with that one breath. "What do you want?"

"You know what I want." He stepped forward and grabbed her wrists, pulling her up against the glass. "Why aren't you talking Granger?"

He stared into her angry eyes, an ashy fire burning in his own. "Malfoy, I'm only going to say this once. The Order wants a scapegoat. You and Professor Snape are the perfect candidates. Moody put me on house arrest for ten days because I told him Snape was innocent. Lupin doesn't care. McGonagall is too worried about the school to do anything about it and Harry wants someone to blame. No one wants to know the truth."

Tears flooded her eyes and quickly spilled over her cheeks. She shut them tight and leaned her head against the pane. "I'm sorry... but I can't help you."

Draco stared at her for a long time, unaware that his grip had released until he realized that his hand was resting on hers. She suddenly gripped his icy hands tightly as a sob poured out from her chest. She breathed shallowly through chapped lips before whispering.

"I'm sick of this..."

"You want out." Draco said simply, more a statement than a question, staring at their enjoined hands. He couldn't help but understanding how it felt to sell you soul to Satan. Only, her Satan was Potter.

"Hermione?"

Fear came over her face quickly, eyes flying open as Potter's voice floated around the corner of the house. Draco listened to the knocking coming from the front, mind quickly planning his escape. Hermione crouched down and held the window above her head.

"Hurry! Leave!"

Suddenly, Draco - with reason other than he felt he needed to - crashed his lips onto hers. It was an awkward kiss, partly from their positions and partly because neither really knew why they did so with such passion. When he broke away from her, she peppered kisses along his stubbly jaw.

"Go. Don't get caught," she murmured breathless, bloodshot brown eyes pleading with him.

"I'll be back later."

"But Malfoy-!"

Draco lightly placed his hand over her mouth. "I'm your stalker, remember?"