Author's Note: you asked for it, you got it! part III of my draco/hermione story---please try and bear
with the formatting, there's really nothing i can do unless some NICE PERSON WITH A KIND SOUL
DECIDES TO HELP ME!!! *cough cough* anyway, on with the show...

Unrequited Love

by indigo
 
 

Chapter 3
 

"Hermione...I...I think I like you..."

"No, no, no, no, NO!" cried the mirror angrily. "I TOLD you, if you want to impress the girl, you gotta
be smooth....confident! Now try it again."

Draco cleared his throat and prepared to, for the umpteenth time, tell the mirror he loved her. He'd gotten
over his initial embarassment and actually found the mirror to be quite a good coach, though fairly impatient.
"Hey baby, c'mere...I got my eye on you..."

The mirror couldn't help it. She laughed in his face, a howling, screeching laughter that probably could be
heard in the Common Room.

"Ssssh!! Shut up! I just did what you told me to!" he said hurriedly.

"I...*gasp*...didn't...*choke*...tell you to....*snicker*...imitate...*chortle*...J-John Tr-Travolta from
GREASE!" she managed to say.

"John WHO?"

"Nevermind. Look, I give up. When all else fails, do what I would do...just say it from the heart..." Draco
was pretty sure he could do THAT.
 

***

Hermione looked up from her Arithmancy book to see Harry and Ron descending from the spiral
staircase leading up to the boys' dormitories. "Finally!" she said, exasperated, shutting her book and
getting up to join them. "I've been waiting for you two forever! Can we get some breakfast now?"

"Sure, Hermione..." Harry replied, and they set off for the Great Hall, talking amongst themselves the
whole way.

When they got there, the Hall was already fairly crowded, and they took their usual seats at the
Gryffindor table next to Fred and George Weasley, Ron's older twin brothers. "Hey you guys, isn't
that Errol?" Ron said to them, pointing to a feather duster-like thing heading toward them, as the
morning owl post delivery took place. He was referring to the Weasley family owl, an old tawny
one that was well over its expiration date. The feather duster dropped down onto Ron's lap, along
with a sealed white envelope, and promptly fainted.

Ron shrugged and tore open the envelope. "Hey Fred, George, it's from Mum!" he called to them.

"No Ron, it's from the Minister of Magic," Fred said sarcastically, as he and George got up to read
the letter over Ron's shoulder.

"She says Percy's just been promoted at his job...must be walking around even more haughtily than
usual," he remarked for Harry's and Hermione's benefit. Percy was Ron's other older brother, and he'd
just recently graduated from Hogwart's and started working at the Ministry of Magic. "She also says
she's going to send you some treacle fudge, Harry...she saw that last picture of you in the Daily Prophet,
says you're getting too thin..."

"Yum." Harry said happily. Ron continued broadcasting the contents of the letter, and then the three of
them finished up their breakfast and stepped out of the Great Hall.

"Guys, I need to go to..." Hermione started, but before she could continue, Ron interrupted.

"The Library?" He said, feigning astonishment.

"Yes, the Library, I need to write that essay for Transfiguration..."

"Okay, okay, Hermione, no problem. We'll meet you at the Common Room later, alright?" Harry said.
She nodded and they went their separate ways.
 

***

Draco Malfoy's stomach was in knots. Today was the day. He'd promised himself that he'd get it over
with by lunchtime, and he was going to keep that promise. He just needed to calm himself a little. He
decided the Library, with its quiet, peaceful atmosphere, was just the place for that.

He reached the Library and stepped inside, then ducked behind the Dragons section just in time to avoid
Hermione seeing him. What was she DOING here? Of all places?

"DUH, you idiot, this place is like her second home..." he said softly to himself. Why hadn't he realized that?

And then the thought hit him. What if he did it now? What if he just went up to her, and said it? He looked
around. No one else was in the Library, since it was Saturday, the day when Hogwart's students generally
slept-in. It was safe. There, he had made up his mind. He stepped out from behind the shelf, clearing his
throat, and Hermione looked up from where she was writing on a piece of parchment.

Her expression changed into one of...no, not hatred...astonishment, maybe? "Malfoy! What are YOU doing
here?"

"Nothing, MUDBL---" He stopped himself before he insulted her. "Nothing, Her-Hermione," he replied,
her name sounding foreign to his ears and feeling weird on his tongue.

She seemed genuinely shocked at this use of her first name. "Did you just call me...?" she asked weakly,
her voice trailing off.

"Oh, come on, Hermione, I don't hate you THAT much. In fact," and at this he sat down across from her,
"I actually kind of...LIKE you."

There, he'd said it. He'd done his part. Now all he needed was to wait for her response.

It wasn't what he'd expected. "How DARE you Malfoy?" she shrieked, even though there was a large sign
right behind her that said SILENCE PLEASE. "How DARE you play with my emotions like that!? Maybe
insult me, FINE, insult my friends, FINE, but DON'T play with my head or I swear I'll jinx you so bad you'll
never be able to---"

"Wait, wait, wait! Why are you so angry? I just bared my soul to you and now you're MAD at me? You're
nuts, Granger!"

"I have every RIGHT to be mad!" she screamed, getting up from her chair. "Here I am, I've been pining
away for you for HOW many months, and NOW it seems you've found out and are trying to MOCK me
with these false confessions!!"

Now Malfoy was completely stunned into silence. He watched as Hermione regained her composure and
sat down again, lowering her head onto the table. When he finally found his voice, he said quietly, "You've
been pining away for me?"

Hermione looked up, her face streaked with tears. "Well...yes."

He said nothing, just took her hand in his. To his amazement, she didn't try to pull it away.
 
 
 

Okay people. tell me. should i write a part IV or just leave this where it is? catch ya later...
-The Author
 

Back to Chapter 2
Chapter 4