I WILL NEVER LOVE YOU

Hermione didn't know how to feel about the other night. She wondered how Draco could be so gentle one minute then be so cruel the next. It's like a flip had switched. She spent her day avoiding him. She didn't understand why he made her feel so guilty for not trusting him. She had every reason not to. Maybe he is trying to change. She wanted to talk to him to apologize.

Draco sat at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall. He was concentrating on his homework and acted like nothing was out of the ordinary. He was good at that. Concealing his feelings came naturally to him.

Hermione watched his eyebrows knit together while he focused on his book. He would often shush or punch Crabbe if he talked too loudly, distracting him. Hermione admired how much he cared about his studies.

After minutes of observing him, Draco made eye contact. He didn't look angry or upset at all. He just looked at her emotionlessly. They stared at each other for a while before Ron broke her concentration.

"What are you staring at?" He said with a mouthful of food.

"Nothing." Hermione slouched and stared down at her plate of food that she hadn't touched yet. Ron turned around and realized that Draco suddenly looked away. Ron swallowed.

"What's his deal?"

"Dunno. Maybe he zoned out."

"But you were-"

"I gotta get to class" Hermione cut him off and excused herself from the table.

"Potions isn't for another hour!" Ron called to her as she rushed out the doors.

***

Hermione arrived at the classroom fifty-four minutes early. She pulled out her book and read ahead. She slowly gathered what she would need for the day to waste time. While she waited, Hermione decided to brew some potions for her personal use. She whipped up Draught of Peace to calm her anxiety and a simple cough potion that would come in handy the next time she caught a cold.

Ten minutes before class started, Snape strode through the classroom to his desk.

"Early, as usual, Miss Granger." He said as he passed her. "Your Draught is too thick."

Snape was never particularly impressed with Hermione. She constantly had to remind herself that it was constructive criticism. She frowned as she added a couple more porcupine quills.

The other students flooded in as the clock ticked closer to eight o'clock. Hermione felt the wind of her classmates as they passed her. One student, in particular, walked past dropping a folded-up note on top of her potions book. She looked up to see a blond-haired boy

make his way across the room. She cautiously opened the parchment.

Sorry about the other night. Come over?

As Hermione read it, Harry walked through the door and sat next to Hermione. Startled, Hermione crumpled up the note so that he wouldn't see.

"What's that?" Harry said, gesturing to the note.

"I messed up on my note-taking."

"Hermione Granger messed up her notes?" Harry snatched the parchment out of her hands. "Let's see then." Hermione watched Harry anxiously as he unfolded the note to read it.

"You liar!" Harry laughed. "Who gave this to you?"

"Erm... Lavender blew off our study session." Hermione tried to come up with something believable. "She needs extra help with Transfigurations." She said in more of a question than a statement.

"You big fat liar!" Harry shook his head. "This is a boy's handwriting." He looked around the room trying to guess who the guy was. "I'll find out who your secret lover is." Harry handed her the note back. "You think you're sooo sneaky." He continued to chuckle to himself as he pulled out his book.

Hermione looked up to see Draco eyeing her suspiciously. She folded the note neatly then nodded in his direction to let him know she agreed to his invitation. He held up eight fingers to tell her the time. She nodded once more.

***

Hermione watched the clock in her room as it ticked closer to eight pm. Despite the confrontation, she wasn't all that nervous to meet him that night. She just wanted things to be okay again. As far as 'okay' went in their relationship.

Hermione crept through the common room to the Slytherin dorms. She quietly knocked a few times and darted her eyes around making sure nobody was watching. She knocked a little harder and the door opened by itself. She slowly pushed the door open and snuck inside, closing it behind her. She almost forgot what Dracos room looked like. She had been pretty drunk the first time she saw it. Draco was laying on his bed reading a book and hardly noticed her come in.

"Hi…" she said softly. Draco closed his book and set it on his nightstand.

"Oh, hey. I didn't hear you."

"How are you?"

"Fine. How are you?"

Hermione never small talked with Draco. Up until now, the conversations always started with an insult or a charismatic line to get her to kiss him. Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

"All right."

She was so afraid she was going to say the wrong thing and he would snap at her again. Draco patted his bed and gestured to her to sit down next to him. She tiptoed over to him.

"Sorry about last night, darling. I was a bit put off."

"Darling? Are we giving pet names now?" Hermione smiled shyly.

"Come here, Granger." Draco outstretched his arms for her. She curled up next to him. She felt at home in his embrace. The love she briefly felt for him was coming back to her. Draco played with her hair and gave her soft kisses on the crown of her head. She never wanted to leave. They lied in silence for a while until Draco whispered in her ear.

"I know something is going on here, but please don't fall in love with me."

"Why's that?" Hermione's heart sank. It was too late for that.

"I don't want you to get hurt."

"Why would you hurt me?" I thought you said you've changed."

"I did- or I am- it's a work in progress. People don't change that quickly. I don't mean to be mean. Sometimes it's not my choice." Draco drummed his fingers nervously on Hermione's arm.

"What do you mean?" Hermione sat up to look at him.

"You know my father. I've never had a friend who wasn't pure-blood. I don't even like my friends. They're all prats." Hermione gave a courtesy laugh. "Anyways, if you get burned by me, it's your own fault. Remember that." Hermione was puzzled.

"Why are we doing this if you're just going to hurt me in the end?" Draco held her tightly.

"I'm not planning on it but you never know what will happen if the wrong people find out about us. But, I do enjoy your company and I'm willing to take the risk if you are." Hermione smiled. Out of all the terrible things he just said, she only acknowledged the fact that he said he enjoyed her company.

"Draco," Hermione sat up. "I will never love you." She said as she leaned over to kiss him. Draco smiled and kissed her back.

"Good."