Beauty and the Beast

by Sanna
 
 
 

Tale as old as time
True as it can be

It was like something out of one of the fairy tales she used to read when she was younger. Her situation seemed so
similar, yet, she had no clue what to do. What was happening to her was very real, so real, Hermione was very surprised.

Barely even friends

I hate him. He hates me. Plain and simple. There’s nothing much I can do. It’s Gryffindor-Slytherin tradition. He and his
‘friends’ made our lives miserable with their cruel taunts, so in turn we humiliate them in Quidditch.

Then somebody bends unexpectedly.

When I ran into him on the way to Hagrid’s hut I expected him to make a nasty comment about ‘saving more of his nasty
Hippogriffs.’ He surprised me when he helped me pick up my books and gave me a shy smile before dashing off inside.

Just a little change
Small to say the least

What in the world has gotten into Draco Malfoy, Hermione wondered, surprised at his kindness and lack of insults. It
wasn’t anything big. It wasn’t as if he had saved her life or something, but something inside of her told her she would
never forget that short moment when he smiled at her.

Both a little scared

What does he want with me, Hermione asked herself? Why did he smile? The sudden change in him frightened her, yet it
was strangely calming at the same time.

Inside Hogwarts, Draco leaned against a wall, closing his eyes in desperation. Why did I do that? What willed me to smile
at her? Alarm filled him when he realized deep down why.

Neither one prepared, beauty and the beast.

I like him, Hermione told herself, at the exact same moment Draco thought, I like her. It couldn’t be possible. Gryffindor
and Slytherin were destined to be enemies forever, they couldn’t like each other. It was simply impossible!

Despite her arguments, she flushed as she thought about him. True he was cruel, but he was a boy inside despite his
rough personality. She was attracted to the part of him that no one else could see but her. She wanted to reach out to him
and show him she cared, hesitating, wondering if he wanted her to.

He thought for a moment what made him like her and he had to stop himself before the list went on too long. She was
kind, a very attracting feature. He wished he could be like her, be like them, kind and caring, and loved…. But, no, he
couldn’t. He had to be cruel and cold, just as he was brought up to be, a true Malfoy, dedicated follower of Voldemort.

Ever just the same
Ever a surprise

It was almost exactly as in her storybook, the story was the same, and it was happening to her, Hermione Granger. It
came as a surprise to her. Why her? She was no princess, no mistreated peasant. She was just plain Hermione. Why was
she chosen to fall in an impossible love? Why was her worst enemy the same boy she dreamed about?

Ever as before, ever just as sure
As the sun will rise

He sat at the top of the hill next to the willow tree looking out into the distance as he began to contemplate his feelings.
This wasn’t the first time he had. When he first met her, he knew in an instant there was something different about her.
But he had been harsh to her as he should have, but he watched her from a distance as she grew up into the lovely girl
she was now. He realized now how his love had grown for her. It had always been there.

Tale as old as time
Tune as old as song

Draco felt someone standing behind him. It must be Crabbe and Goyle coming to look for me, he thought in irritation. They
know I don’t like to be bothered. He turned in frustration but any unkind word he was about to say was immediately bitten
back. It was Hermione.

He stood up right away and there they stood, face to face. They didn’t say a word. There was no reason to speak.

Ever so hesitantly, they inched closer to each other. It seemed to take Draco forever before he placed his hand tenderly
on her cheek. She shivered in pleasure and in return she placed her hand on his shoulder.

He wasn’t quite sure when he closed his eyes but when their lips met, Draco felt like he was flying. Hermione on the other
hand, felt the opposite. When his lips met hers, she felt weak in the knees. If he hadn’t put his other hand around her waist
and held her closer to him, she might have fallen.

Bittersweet and strange,

As they pulled back reluctantly, he gazed into her eyes, searching for an answer to his many questions, most in particular,
how they felt about each other.

His lips were still tingling from his kiss. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. The kiss had been
different from others. Kissing his father’s friend’s daughters felt forced and unmoved. He had expected that kissing
Hermione Granger would be like kissing a stranger, because in truth she was. But somehow, she wasn’t. It was if he
knew her, saw a different part of her and understood it. It was like despite their confrontations the hidden parts of them
knew each other. It was strange, but he liked it.

They went back inside, completely unconcerned about what the others would think about their new couple status.
Hermione ‘introduced’ him to Harry and Ron as her new boyfriend, and though Draco could see deep doubt in their eyes
about him, he knew they reluctantly agreed because they were glad to see Hermione so happy.

Finding you can change, learning you were wrong

It had been a week since they had started dating, and Hermione and Draco were as happy as ever. Harry and Ron were
beginning to slowly trust him, and Draco made sure he was always polite to them and smiled when he passed them in the
hallway. He hung out with them from time to time when they’d come over when he was with Hermione and he realized he
had been wrong in judging them just because his father said so.

The Slytherins had been angry at him at first, but Draco was still powerful and held a lot of respect in the Slytherin house.
A few cold stares and they immediately shut up. The two lovers were left in peace.

Certain as the sun
Rising in the east

Giggling as she dragged him out of his dormitory in the very early morning, Hermione tried her best to keep him from
peeking behind his blindfold. She had to stifle another giggle. She hadn’t given him much time to change out of his
sleepwear, she shook her head. It didn’t really matter.

She led him up to the hill where they had shared their first kiss and took off his blindfold. He blinked in confusion as he
looked around their dark surroundings. She only smiled at him as she sat down on the soft grass and motioned him to do
so. Draco followed suit.

He wasn’t quite sure what she planned to do, but as always when he was around her, he felt safe and contented. He put
his arm around her waist and a smile crossed his lips as she leaned her head against him. Together, with their hands
intertwined, they watched as the sun began to rise. It was beautiful, but only because he was with her. He leaned down
and kissed her gently.

Tale as old as time,
Song as old as rhyme, beauty and the beast.

He knew his father would eventually find out about them, but he didn’t care at the moment. There was finally love in his
heart and he never wanted to let the feeling go. He would do anything in his power to keep himself and Hermione happy,
even if it meant crossing his father.

They were together and that was all that Hermione needed to know to keep her happy. She felt stronger and stronger as
the days passed, just by being with him. He treated her like a princess, and Hermione finally saw herself as one of those
fairy tale princesses she had dreamed of becoming. He had made her dream become a reality.

Tale as old as time,
Song as old as rhyme, beauty and the beast.

"I love you," he whispered into her ear. Draco saw Hermione’s eyes glisten with tears and he felt himself push back his
own.

"That was the first time you ever said that to me," she told him, cautiously. She was so happy he had said it, but she
didn’t want to cross him by making him feel as if she didn’t think he didn’t love her.

Draco didn’t take it that way at all. "It wasn’t the first time I’ve felt it," he told her.

Grinning from ear to ear, and kissed again, their hearts full of hope for the future, the future they would hope would be
together.
 
 
 

Ok, it’s like I said earlier, I have officially gone nuts to use a song like this for them. *smiles sheepishly* Oh well. I’ll be back with Behind the Mask soon, I just wanted to do this. I am nuts over Hermione and Draco and I think of a zillion of other possible storylines of them being together while I think about my plans for them in my current story. Damn, my writing style changed in the middle of the story. Aughh! Why do I keep doing that? Anyway, I know this is really soon for me to put up, but after a three day weekend, I just wanted to write and write about H/D Sigh. I think I'll be done with Chapter Two of Behind
the Mask by next week. I hope to come up with a new chapter once a week! Wish me luck! Comments, suggestions, criticisms? You know where to leave them! Email me if you can at ladyswan_1@hotmail.com.