Hermione was not one to gossip. To be exact she avoided gossip altogether. A stranger should not bother in other peoples life’s, it was this reason that she did not care for the gossip paper that had started at Hogwarts this year.
She never expected herself to read the paper that had the whole school anticipating the next issue. She also never expected not in a million years that she would be on the front page of said paper.
Hermione took her regular seat at the Gryffindor table for breakfast next to Ginny and across from Harry and Ron. The moment she sat down she could feel that something was a miss.
“Morn’n,” she greeted them.
Ginny just looked but at her with amusement in her eyes. “How was your sleep?” She asked innocently.
“Good,” she responded. She looked over to see Ron and Harry act strange. The redhead wouldn’t look at her and all Harry did was stare at her.
“Ok, what’s going on with all of you this morning?” Hermione asked impatiently.
“Why don’t you tell us,” Ron piped in angrily.
“What are you talking about?” She asked feeling as if she was missing something.
Ginny just placed a piece of paper in front of her. The title read:
*
The Weekly Witch
This witch has found out some very interesting information on two of our favourite students.
It seems as if Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy have been in a secret relationship for a while now.
It surprises me that it took so long to find…
*
Hermione shot up from her spot at the table in confusion and anger.
“WHAT IS THIS?” She yelled drawing the attention of the whole hall.
“You should be telling us!” Ron yelled back
“What do you mean?” She responded with force, how could they think she was dating Malfoy? Did they actually believe this bullshit?
“How could you possibly believe what this witch is writing,” she shouted back at Ron as she stormed out of the great hall.
How could her best friends believe such bloody rubbish? Didn’t they trust her not to date their bully? I mean come on.
She walked furiously through the hallway to where the bulletin board hung, to see a gathering crowd forming. She shoved her way through the crowd to see the paper posted to the board. There was a pile of papers stacked on the ground beside it. Students came and picked up the latest issue of the Weekly Witch giggling as she passed through.
She could feel everyone’s eyes on her as she passed through. The whispers grew louder and she swore she could feel people rolling their eyes at her.
She reached the bulletin board and tried to tear the papers off the wall but found that they were enchanted.
She struggled with it for a while as she desperately tried to fix this outrageous problem. People came up beside her to grab some of the papers to see what could have the golden girl in such a rage. She pulled her wand out as another person took a paper.
“Incendio,” she said quickly lighting the stack of paper on fire.
As she was finally able to take a breath for the first time in a while a drawling voice came from the crowd.
“What the bloody hell are you doing Granger,” Malfoy said as he shoved others out of the way making his way through the crowd. People started to whisper and giggle even louder at his appearance.
“I could be asking you the same,” she said sharply as she shoved the paper that was still in her firm grasp into his face.
His face blanched as he read the paper.
“Granger, what is this,” he said slowly.
“I should be asking you that,” she screamed in his face.
All of a sudden, the sounds of cackling laughter came from either side of Malfoy. The blonde looked at his two sidekicks,
“Shut up,” he yelled at them.
Blaise and Theo just laughed even harder, and it didn’t seem that they would be shutting up anytime soon.
Theo bravely stepped forward and came up to Hermione, placing his hand on her shoulder.
“Welcome to the family,” he was able to say through his laughter. Blaise just laughed even harder as Malfoy scowled at the two. He turned away shoving people out of the way as he made his way to the great hall. Blaise and Theo trailed behind him- well-tried to as they were taken over by laughter.
*
Hermione had had enough, people were constantly coming and asking if the papers were true. She had shouted at the last person not able to take it anymore.
She could feel people’s stares on her back all throughout the day. Some people glared at her and some came to condolence her. Harry and Ron had come up to her after potions and apologized for their insolence. They had made it very clear that they wouldn’t rely on gossip papers for information about their best friend. She had been pleased and thankful for this, she would not be able to handle all of this by herself.
She had gone to the library to finish up assignments and some reading that she wanted to finish by the end of the week. She sat by herself at the back of the library, in her favourite spot. She had the view of the Great Lake and was able to work in silence. She sat in one of her favourite chairs as she read a book on advanced spells.
She was just finishing up a chapter when the sounds of footsteps brought her back to reality. She looked up to see blonde hair and grey eyes
“Malfoy?” She asked.
“Granger,” he responded
“What are you doing here?”
He shifted on his feet, not looking at anything in particular but trying to avoid her gaze. She raised her eyebrow in suspicion, never had she seen Malfoy being a non-prick.
He finally said something but it was too quiet for her to see. Before she could say anything he stopped her.
“Granger as you may know there are some… repulsive rumours going around about us,”
“Yes, I am aware,” she said coldly.
“So as these rumours affect us both I think we should discuss what we are going to do,”
She was shocked, to say the least. Never would she think Malfoy was saying they needed to work together, but sadly she knew Malfoy so there was probably something else up his sleeve.
“And why would I need your help?” She asked
He sneered at her with annoyance caking his face.
“Because granger,” he drawled “like it or not I might know somethings that you don’t, also I can’t have a filthy mudblood ruining my image,”
She just stared at him.
“Well like it or not Malfoy I am not going to work with you. These rumours will probably blow over in no time.”
*
The Weekly Witch.
It has seemed that lots of you do not believe this one witch. So I will provide you all with some proof on the matter. As you may see in the photo below, it seems that Granger and Malfoy, have been up to something rather nasty, clothes a skewed hair ruffled coming out of the library.
We may not know what they were doing but it seems quite obvious.
*
This bitch thought Hermione as she read the latest issue of the Weekly Witch. She knew that she would come out with a new issue about the two of them but she didn’t think that they would have a photo.
Hermione in the photo had her clothes all ruffled and far from straightened but that was because it was the end of the day. Everyone was like that! And her hair was always ruffled, anyone with half a brain would know this, but she saw the looks she was getting. Harry and Ron could barely look at her as they tried to be supportive friends but she saw the doubt in their eyes.
The rest of the day she got sneering looks from most of the school. Even the Gryffindors were giving her the cold shoulder. The girls that she formed with completely ignored her and made her life miserable. None of them would talk to her maybe it was because they had crushes on the ferret as they had explained how he’s ‘so good looking’ or maybe it was because he was the ferret.
She had had enough with this treatment and in the first place, the rumours weren’t even true.
Hermione realized that this wouldn’t just blow over as she thought and she would have to do something before this got even more out of control.
She entered the library and scanned over the shelves looking for blonde hair. As the two best students in their year, they both constantly visited the library and so happened to be there once again. She walked over to him, trying not to draw attention as she tapped him on his shoulder.
“Malfoy,” she hissed
He turned around and scowled at the sight of her.
“What do you want Granger?” He drawled with annoyance.
She moved her head over to the back of the library, telling him to meet her over there. She took it that he understood when he rolled his eyes. She walked away looking around to make sure no one was watching them as she made her way to her favourite place at the back.
She took a seat on the big comfy chair that faced the couch in the small enclosed space. It felt like it was her own small library that she only used. She had made it her own by adding pictures and pillows that made the space more comfortable.
Malfoy walked into the small space and just stared at her.
“What do you want?” He drawled. She just rolled her eyes.
“As you know the rumours have gotten out of control,” she started
“And how is being alone in a place that is far from public view supposed to help with that?” He interrupted.
She just glared at him trying not to let him know that he was right about that.
“Well, I want to take you up on the offer,” she said trying not to back down. He just looked at her for a few seconds before taking a seat on the large floral print couch. He put his leg on his knee and stretched his arms out behind him looking at her with smugness.
“It doesn’t seem that the rumours are going to die down, so what do you suggest we do,” she said, taking all of her pride to do so.
Malfoy seemed to see this as he smirked at her. She tried not to shift as his gaze rested on her.
“Well Granger I thought that would seem quite obvious,” he said with a smug “your always bragging about that brain of yours yet you can’t use it very well can you?” He said with amusement.
She just stared at him coldly until he said something. Finally giving up Malfoy started.
“Well we should find out who this bitch is and get her to write the truth,” he said
She thought about it for a minute and admitted that it was indeed a good idea.
“Yes that does seem… like a good plan,” she said hesitantly knowing that his ego would grow even more. He began to open up his mouth but she interrupted him before he could speak.
“But if I am to work with you we’re going to have to make some rules,” he just rolled his eyes and gestured with his hand to say them.
“When we are together we have to come to a truss. Meaning that no name-calling, no slurs and no making fun of my friends.” She said confidently.
He just sighed and nodded.
“Your such a prat,” she stated.
“Ah ah Granger, now that goes both ways now,” he said smugly.
She grounded her teeth into each other.
“Yes,” barely able to get the words out.
“Ok so now that that’s done, let’s start,” Malfoy said pulling out parchment and a quill. “So who are you, enemies?” He asked
“Um well probably all of the Slytherin house, lavender doesn’t like me and there are probably others but those are the big ones,”
“Ok,”
“What about you?”
“Mostly every house except Slytherin, and there are probably some girls in Slytherin that don’t like me either,”
She rolled her eyes.
“Well, we nothing,” she said with a sigh.
“Well, what about lavender?” Malfoy asked
Hermione just scoffed.
“I mean she is one to gossip but I don’t think that she has enough brain cells to think of this,”
“Wow, Granger you would make a perfect Slytherin,” he said jokingly.
She laughed under her breath. She stopped herself when she realized what she was doing. She looked up at Malfoy who was looking at her like she was crazy. She could feel the blush that start to form on her cheeks.
“Well I guess I’ll see you around,” she said in a rush as she collected her stuff and walked out of her little spot.
*
She walked through the Portrait to find Ron and Harry sitting on the couch. They both looked up as she entered. Ron was the first to speak. “Where were you?”
She flopped down on the chair opposite of the two.
“Library,” she said plainly.
“Like the library, you and Malfoy were last time?”
“Seriously Ron you know that was just a coincidence and I already told you what I was doing that time,” she sighed.
Harry just looked at her and nodded. Ron didn’t seem to completely believe her but as long as he wasn’t being a dick she could deal with this.
She didn’t think to mention that she was there Malfoy, she knew that even if she explained what they were doing it wouldn’t matter. So she just didn’t mention it making it easier for everyone.
*
Draco stepped into the Slytherin common room to find Blaise and Theo sitting on the black leather couch. Both looked up and started making jokes.
“We’re you with Granger?” Theo asked.
“Yea how is she?” Blaise piped in.
They both knew that the rumours weren’t true but they still had their fun.
Draco just ignored them as he made his way to his dorm. He flopped onto his bed, thoughts of the bushy-haired witch had been plaguing his mind for some time now. When had they started? Was it third year where she punched him in the face?
Yes, that was it, these thoughts were just annoyance at the witch. How dare she hit him, a pureblood from one of the most prestigious family’s of the 28.
Yet doubt picked at his brain every time he saw her. How could a filthy little mudblood even come close to comparison to him? Yet she proved him wrong every time. She beat him in every class, she was strong and didn’t care what people thought about her. How could someone like that be below him, yes he was smart, good looking but he was also a prick.
Lately, Draco had been questioning what he had been taught. And all his doubts came back to her, the way she laughed, how her busy hair bounced up and down as she walk, those long legs-. Wait what was he thinking. This was bloody Granger for Godgricks sake.
He was just tired he concluded, having spent the whole week trying to avoid people and their gossip, it had started to make him go a little crazy.
He concluded these thoughts as he drifted off to sleep. Not know that the thoughts that he was trying to avoid would follow him to his sleep.
*
Hermione Granger had had enough of Draco Malfoy.
That stuck-up prick, gods he was annoying. Just spending an hour a day had started to make her go crazy. Why was he always so Malfoyie?
“Granger,” a voice drawled from behind her.
Turning around quickly she was faced with the piercing grey eyes that she had become accustomed to.
“Malfoy,”
She was already sitting on her couch in her little cocoon that sadly had started to become theirs as of late.
Malfoy slumped into a chair opposite of her as he pulled out his homework that had been assigned that day.
She just rolled her eyes as she went back to her own work.
Time flew by as both of them sat in silence.
Hermione reluctantly had become more relaxed around Malfoy. He stuck to their agreement and didn’t call her names or bully her friends. In fact, she had started to enjoy their time spent together, and though at first, it had just been them trying to figure out who the bitch was it then started into a nightly routine of sitting in silence in the back of the library.
She was broken out of her concentration as Peeves appeared.
“Now, now what do we have here?” He said greedily “looks like the rumours were true about you love birds,”
Hermione could feel her face heating up. Something started to boil in her chest.
This was anger. No doubt about it.
“Peeves go away,” Malfoy said still concentrating on his work.
“Oooo want some time with the misses?”
Malfoy slowly turned his face up to look at him.
“No, it’s just your ugly face that I can’t stand to be around,”
Peeves was taken aback but only for a second.
“Can’t wait to hear from your father,” he started “I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to know your fucking a mudblood,” he said with glee.
Malfoy just looked up at him dead in the eyes.
“Don’t ever call her that again,” he said with an abundance of cool anger.
Peeves had run away long before Malfoy could finish, and left the two of them sitting in silence.
Hermione just looked at him dumbfounded unable to form words.
Finally, she was able to spit something out.
“Um thanks,” she said quietly.
“Y-yea no problem,” he responded not able to meet her eyes.
And though they weren’t looking at each other they couldn’t help but notice the rising blush form on their necks.
“I got to go,” Malfoy said and rushed out of their space before she could say anything else.
Wait their space? When had she seen it as their space?
*
“Malfoy,” Hermione said as she rushed to their space at the back of the library upon seeing him there.
“Yes?”
“I’ve got an idea!” She half shouted in his face.
He looked up at her questionably not knowing what she was talking about.
“You know that The Weekly Witch comes out every Thursday correct?”
“Yea,”
“And how the papers are put in the same spot every night,”
“Yea”
“Well someone must put them there,”
He stood up from his spot instantaneously. Both eyes went big with realization.
“Shit Granger,”
“I know I can’t believe I didn’t think of it earlier, all we need to do is wait there and confront this bitch,” she said with a huge smile.
Malfoy wore one to match hers as they both drifted closer together.
“Today’s Tuesday so we should get ready for it in the next few days,” Hermione said with glee
*
They both stood silently against the big wall that separated them from the view of the culprit.
It had been over two hours since they set up post and there had been no action.
Hermione slumped to the floor for what felt like the hundredth time.
“I’m bored,” she said to no one in particular.
“Not my problem Granger,” Malfoy said as he also sat down next to her.
They both stayed quiet for what felt like hours.
Hermione had started to become exhausted and was about to fall asleep at any moment. O.W.Ls were this year and she had been all too busy to catch any sleep and now due to their undercover work, she was missing out on so much more needed sleep.
She forgot who was next to her as she rested her head on his shoulder, she was about to fall asleep but Malfoy interrupted her slumber.
“What are you doing Granger?”
“Ugh, can you just let me be?” She asked annoyed that he was talking.
“Um no, not when your drooling on my shoulder,”
“I’m not drooling,” a light blush scattered her face in embarrassment as she took her head off his shoulder.
When she looked at him to give him a price of her mind her head went blank as she tried to find space between them.
It looked like Malfoy had also seen this and looked at her. No one dared to move.
She told herself that she did not notice the way his hair fell onto his face and how his grey eyes looked like they were dancing.
And she definitely did not notice his pale red lips and how he licked them.
She didn’t know who moved first but suddenly there was no gap between them.
His mouth was on her and she could feel the heat from his lips travel to hers. It was soft at first the way they gently moved against hers. She noticed that her own lips were responding to his as they copied his actions.
But before long the gentle kiss had turned into a deep heated one. His tongue danced along her lips and she greedily opened with permission.
He was all over her then, as his arm slid around her waist and pull her in close to him. She obeyed as he hungrily bit her bottom lip causing her to moan. He covered the sound with his lips as he again roamed her mouth.
He pulled her up onto his lap and she let him as his hands travelled down her side. She was surprised at the contact but engaged in it as she also slid her hands down his chest and torso.
Footsteps from the end of the hall caused both of them to stop as they turned to see who it was.
Hermione couldn’t make out the face of the witch as her cloak covered her head but she was able to identify it as the culprit by the stack of papers she was holding and the long braids that flowed past her shoulders.
Both Hermione and Malfoy jumped off of each other and went for their wands. They jumped out of their hiding spot to confront the perpetrator.
The witch took one look at the two and bolted in the other direction. Hermione looked over at Malfoy and nodded and they spirited after her.
“Stop,” Hermione yelled.
The witch did not stop in fact she sped up.
“Real smart Granger,” Malfoy Mocked her from beside her.
“Just shut up and get her,” she said through heavy breathing.
Malfoy just rolled his eyes and sped up.
He finally grabbed her and Hermione took her time getting over to them.
“You good there?” Malfoy asked her.
“Yea I’m fine just need air,” she said through huffs trying to gulp down the air.
“Ok unmask her,” she said when finally able to catch her breath.
Before anything else could be said Malfoy flipped off the hood of the witch.
Red hair blew out and brown eyes were exposed.
“GINNY?!?” Hermione shrieked as she saw her best friend.
Draco looked just as dumbfounded as she was, all the people that she had thought the witch might be, she had never, never in a million years thought that Ginny Weasley would be standing in front of them.
“It’s the weasels' sister?” Draco said astonishingly.
Hermione was too stunned to say anything, all she could do was gape at the redhead as she tried to avoid their eyes.
“Ok since neither of you are talking, I’ll start,” Draco started “what is going on?”
Ginny finally was able to look at the two.
“Fine, ok it was me I am the ‘Weekly Witch’” Ginny started.
Hermione had just boiled over the pot.
“What do you mean!?!” Hermione said, “why did you say those things about me and Malfoy?”
“One because it would be hilarious,” Ginny said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “And two, you two have so much chemistry and you just but all the tension in harsh words when it obvious that you two like each other. I was just trying to give you a little push,”
Hermione and Malfoy just stared at her.
“What!” They both yelled at the same time.
“We do not like each other!” Malfoy said
“Yea so you two just happened to fall onto each other and just happens to be sucking face, with no feelings?” She deadpanned.
“W-well we didn’t like each other beforehand,” Hermione chimed in.
“Maybe not, but as the ‘Weekly Witch’ it is my job to spot chemistry, which you have so much of that you don’t even notice. YOUR LIKE YING AND YANG FOR GOODRICH’S SAKE! If you didn’t get over your stupid rivalry you’d notice that your perfect for each other. And on top of that, you very much had some feelings for each other- Malfoy have you ever heard the say that boys pull pigtails of the girl they like. And Hermione I see you gazing at him at mealtimes.”
Ginny just looked at their stunned faces and nodded as she turned on her heel and left them in shock.
It was many minutes before either of them dared to say a word.
Finally, Malfoy interrupted the uncomfortable.
“So um, I was going to ask before all that,” he said as he gestured to the spot Ginny was standing “um but would you like to get a butterbeer or something?” He said uncomfortably
Hermione just looked at the Slytherin and started laughing uncontrollably.
She couldn’t help herself as she doubled over laughing.
Malfoy just looked at her and scowled.
“Yeah sure,” she said in between laughs.
*
2 months later.
Hermione walked into the hall with an air of confidence as she walked down to her usual spot at the Gryffindor table.
She ignored the silence that came over the hall and walked in, head held up high.
“Um Hermione,” Harry said, “what are you wearing?”
She looked down at the green scarf that was wrapped around her neck. She smiled up at her friends but before she could say anything Draco was behind her.
“Why Granger what an interesting scarf,” he said with amusement.