Snowy Imperfections [Hermione]

[Draco Lucius Malfoy]

He wasn't sure quite why he'd picked the owlery of all places to get away, but nonetheless, Draco was climbing up the steps to just go there and be alone for a bit. He doubted that anyone would be up there anyway today, considering it was pretty cold outside and it was snowing. Why would Draco want to be up there? Simply because he was getting overly anxious about that blasted cabinet again, especially after it had nearly worked and then just stopped. Draco wanted this to all just be over so bad, and he had begun to feel claustrophobic in that room surrounded by lost treasures. Then he'd just left, damning the infernal cabinet for the day. So basically, today the owlery was sort of a nice sheltered spot that he could go to and just be away from prying eyes for a while.

Having finally reached the top, Draco kicked the light dusting of snow off his shoes and then moved over to one of the areas of the owlery away from the door. He leaned against the area where the rectangular space was cut out for the owls to fly through, simply staring out at the grounds and taking deep breaths to soothe himself. This time, he wasn't going to run off and let his estranged emotions overtake him. Draco was going to stand there and calm himself down, then later he'd go back to the castle and maybe catch up on some of his late homework - maybe. Or maybe he'd just go straight to his bed and take a much desired nap. The latter idea sounded much more appealing to him, but Draco had a suspicion that his teachers were nearly done with him and half his homework being late. A soft sigh escaped Draco's lips as he shook his head. Then he took another deep breath and closed his eyes, relaxing his mind and just losing himself to the soft ruffle of feathers and the gentle breeze.

When he opened his eyes once more, Draco resumed his surveillance of the snow covered grounds. He could see practically half of the school from here, and it was probably a good thing he wasn't afraid of heights. He stood there in that position for a while, his arms crossed and on top of the window - if you could even call it a window - sill. Draco tried not to think about anything in particular, but almost inevitably his thoughts wandered back to the cabinet that he needed to make more progress on. Quite honestly, it wasn't at all like Draco wasn't making any accomplishments; it was almost the exact opposite. Still, he just wouldn't be able to relax a bit more until this whole mess was over, and he could just go home and hide away in his room. Preferably away from the Dark Lord, if Draco could somehow manage that. He shuddered slightly, and it most definitely wasn't from the cold snow and air.

After a few more minutes of just standing there, Draco took back his gloved hand from the exposed air and saw the what seemed like millions of little white flakes that dotted the dark glove. He observed his hand silently, not really sure why, then tore his gaze away and looked back down at the snow. Draco couldn't deny it; he loved the white stuff. It fell on the earth and covered up all the imperfections, covering them in a shell of pure white. Draco liked to toy with the idea of second chances and having his stupid actions blown away by a breeze, but he knew that wouldn't happen any time soon. That being said, however, Draco still couldn't tear his thoughtful gaze away from the stuff.

^{STARRING : DRACO & HERMIONE
WORDS : 625
STATUS : FINISHED
NOTES : YAY
LYRICS USED : USE SOMEBODY - KINGS OF LEON
BANNER CREDIT : TANA
TAGGED : TANA}

[HERMIONE JEAN GRANGER]

[

Even in dark times there would always be a light of hope, and that was what Hermione knew she would have to hold onto. Even when things seemed hopeless, she had to believe in something – and that someone was her best friend Harry. Even when he didn’t have faith in himself, she and Ron had never left his side. It was what best friends were for and after everything they had been through there was no question that she would follow him until the end. Even if he was too stubborn sometimes to realize this. How many times had she and Ron, well mostly her, but she knew Ron’s heart was in the right place, convinced Harry that they were going to do something with him even when he didn’t want them to? It was too dangerous or too risky – honestly, it was as if he didn’t realize that he needed them at times. Perhaps it was just her innate ability to look past the emotional aspects of situations and look at things from a strictly logical point of view, but there were times and places to take risks, and she would take them. Yes, she wasn’t too keen on breaking rules but sometimes it was just necessary, such as the previous year. She had been more than happy to help with Dumbledore’s Army and rebel against Umbridge because honestly that woman had been completely awful and she was only going to hurt the students, not help them. They all needed to know how to fight, and just reading without practicing wasn’t going to get them that experience. Voldemort wasn’t going to wait around until they were all armed and ready to attack – he would strike without warning, without them even knowing it was going to happen, and they had to be prepared for that.

She was happy that Dumbledore’s Army, or at least the concept of it, hadn’t died after they had succeeded in driving out Umbridge. Everyone was still practicing and she had still been helping a few who needed some fine tuning on their charms and offensive/defensive spells. Umbridge had been very wrong when she had said there was nothing out there that could harm them – completely delusional, that woman. Had the attack at the Ministry not proven her wrong? Hermione still had dreams about that night when they had gone after the Prophecy and they had fought the Death Eaters – and each time it brought chills to her. Gryffindors were supposed to be brave all around, right? Not necessarily. While Hermione was often the most level-headed in situations, it didn’t mean she wasn’t afraid for her friends. She couldn’t lose them, they meant too much, and they had so much to live for. They would succeed in defeating the Dark Lord, she knew it. Voldemort wasn’t going to win. She just had to keep that mindset even when times looked tough. This year so far hadn’t been full of danger… yet. It seemed almost normal, with the usual woes about homework and studies, add on top of that the fact that she was dealing with feelings she hadn’t really had much experience with at all, and it made this year seem so much more complicated.

Hermione found herself walking up the stairs to the owlery, a letter to her parents in her hand. She tried to remember to post them at least every fortnight or so, but sometimes her studies kept her so busy she hadn’t had a chance. It had been several weeks now since her last letter to them so she thought it was about time to send one. The wind was crisp and cold as it blew across the grounds and tried to make its way through her jacket and mittens. She shivered slightly and reached up to tug her hat down further over her ears, grateful that her long hair helped keep most of the cold off her neck. Best to get her letter sent and then return to the castle where she could curl up in front of the warm fire in their common room for some light reading. Her thoughts wandered to her best friends and she wondered what they were up to. Perhaps she’d go find them and see. After Slughorn’s New Years party fiasco with McLaggen, Hermione was keen to avoid the Quidditch pitch and she didn’t fancy running into him any time soon. It hadn’t been the best of ideas, but she had been frustrated and it had seemed like the only logical solution at the time to her difficulties with Ron. Of course there were some other things weighing on her mind as well, but once again, the party hadn’t helped as much as she had thought it would. As she made her way into the owlery, lost in thought, and not noticing the figure standing by the window, Hermione wondered if her parents had had their usual festivities – she did miss celebrating New Years with them, but there would be the summer…perhaps. It all depended on what happened this year, because even she wasn’t sure how events would unfold. Something was coming, something dark, and she had a keen suspicion that it was going to upend all of their plans. Hermione sighed softly and worked on tying the letter to the owl’s leg, making sure it was secure before sending it off. Hermione watched as it flew out the window, disappearing into the falling snow. She really did love snow…it was so peaceful, and even standing there simply watching it seemed to ease most of those concerns from her mind. For now.

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Credits to: REAL SLIM SHADY !? @ caution 2.0[/color][/size][/center]

[Draco Lucius Malfoy]

As he stood there, Draco slowly found his tense muscles relaxing more, and his frantic thoughts ebbing away with each breath. Draco, almost as soon as he'd calmed himself down, began to mentally berate himself for his actions. They were stupid, he decided, and would only prove his weakness to the Dark Lord and the rest of the Death Eaters. Draco desperately hated showing his weakness, because weakness led to embarrassment. And to him, embarrassment and humiliation were horrible. It was probably worse than facing the Cruciatus Curse from the Dark Lord himself. Alright well, that might be stretching it a bit, but Draco figured embarrassment was on something of that horrific level. As Draco thought on that a bit more, he found a his stomach curl and churn uneasily. Yes, if there was anything that he hated, it was feeling humiliated. The more he thought about it, the easier it was for him to know. Draco shuddered slightly and looked out across the snow, moving his thoughts away from his own pains and trying to just think about something else instead. Draco knew it wasn't good for him, all of this brooding and stressing, but he just couldn't help it. For some reason this year it just came almost naturally to him. It wasn't something he was proud of, but it was completely and utterly true.

A rather bitter sigh escaped from his lips as he hung his head and closed his eyes. Damn this all, Draco thought almost desperately. He felt his anxiety begin to rise once more, and he inwardly cursed himself for having brought his mind back to a topic that he should've known would only upset him. He growled softly under his breath, slamming his fist down against the sill and then focused on the slightly throbbing pain of his hand to fix his state of mind. It worked well enough, and eventually Draco relaxed his tense muscles once more and opened his eyes to look back out across the grounds. His head had begun to throb in a dull ache that he was so used to now he hardly noticed it. For a few silent moments, Draco simply stared out across the grounds, not thinking about really anything at all. He had shifted a bit, about to go back, when he'd heard the sound of footsteps. Draco glanced over his shoulder, his hand almost unconsciously moving to grip his wand in the pocket of his robes.

Draco had to admit, he hadn't expected the person to walk up there be Hermione, of all people. He relaxed again, letting out a soft breath as he released the tight grip on his wand. Draco relaxed again, but almost only slightly, and then he turned his head to stare out the window a bit longer. He heard her rustling around a bit, most likely tying her letter to send it off, but he stayed silent and didn't bother to make his presence known. Finally he heard the rustle of feathers and the beat of wings on the air, and Draco looked over to see her standing there just looking out the window. He thought for a moment, simply watching her expression and the emotion that seemed to flash over her eyes, before he finally headed over towards her. There was no reason for him not to, he figured. Besides, she was one of the few people - oddly enough as it was - who could make him feel better and relax about the sticky situation he'd gotten himself in this year. He came up behind her quietly, then leaned against the wall next to her and looked out across the grounds as well, before finally deciding to break the silence. "Fancy seeing you here," Draco said casually, flicking his eyes from her face to look at the snow.

It was almost like as soon as he looked at the snow, his brain checked out on him and he was back to thinking overly deep and complicated thoughts. He was just able to wrench himself out of them and look back over at her. "Why are you out here sending a letter on such a cold day?" he couldn't help but ask, smirking slightly to show he was just teasing more than anything.

^{STARRING : DRACO & HERMIONE
WORDS : 713
STATUS : FINISHED
NOTES : YAY
LYRICS USED : USE SOMEBODY - KINGS OF LEON
BANNER CREDIT : TANA
TAGGED : TANA}

[HERMIONE JEAN GRANGER]

They say that even in the darkest hour, you’ll always have your truest friends and for that Hermione knew she was one of the lucky few who had such friends – friends who would never leave her side, despite their differences and the rows they occasionally had. That couldn’t be said for other people, of course, many of those people ending up alone with no one to turn to and no way out. Those people she felt sorry for because most of the time, those were the people who put themselves ahead of anything else, but even if she felt sorry for them, karma had a way of coming back against those who did wrong to others. Of course, this didn’t mean Hermione was completely unforgiving because she wasn’t so perfect herself, but she made an effort to do what was right and that was what mattered in the end. No she didn’t always agree with what Harry and Ron did, or some of the things the three of them ended up getting involved in, but things always seemed to work out in the end.

The snow, as she watched it fall outside, seemed to wash away those troubles and worries. She felt almost free, like the owls, almost as if she could fly away and just escape, even for a little while. Hermione fiddled with the spare bit of parchment that she had left over, wondering if she should write another letter to her aunt. Her aunt had been going through some more difficult times as of late, and Hermione felt bad for not keeping in contact with her as much as she should. Though she’d probably have to send the letter via owl to her parents, since she couldn’t use the regular post here, and her aunt wouldn’t sit well with having an owl deliver a letter, especially since she thought Hermione was at some fancy boarding school. Hermione hated keeping that a secret, where she was, but it was necessary. Her thoughts wandered to the upcoming year, even that summer…depending on what happened over the next few months, Hermione wasn’t sure if she’d be back at school the next year. One day she’d finish, but right now there was a war to fight, and it worried her, mainly because of how big a target she was simply for being Harry Potter’s best friend and one of the few who adamantly fought against Voldemort. Because she was this target, that meant her parents were in danger, and that meant she might have to take drastic measures to protect them.

She was so caught up in her thoughts she didn’t realize he was there until he spoke, causing her to start, and spin to face him, taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart. ”You scared me, don’t do that,” she said firmly, frowning slightly before looking out the window again. ”And why shouldn’t I send a letter, there’s nothing wrong with that. I should be asking you the same question. Just staring off into space in the middle of the Owlrey? Really, is that at all productive?”

[/color] she looked over at him, raising an eyebrow. She knew he was teasing, and so she could retort right back. There was a flicker of a smile when she said this but then she looked back out, growing serious again. This was the last person in the world she would have ever thought she’d be talking casually to, much less – well, much less getting as close as she was to him over the past few months. It was dangerous waters she was treading, but she couldn’t seem to pull back for some odd reason. It felt like all the logic in the world couldn’t explain this one, hard as she might try to figure it out. The good thing was that no one was up there with them, and so for the time being, it would just be them. Hermione knew what he was up to, she had guessed it not too long after he had first approached her, and she had told him so, yet he still hadn’t left. Just thinking of the times they had shared together made her cheeks flush with warmth and she was careful to keep her gaze on the falling snow. Yes, many things were going to happen over these next few months, and she wondered just how much would change.
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Credits to: REAL SLIM SHADY !? @ caution 2.0[/color][/size][/center]

[Draco Lucius Malfoy]

Draco looked at her with a slight smirk on his face, though he felt his tiredness creep up on him easily enough. When he made a point to not think about it, of course, his exhaustion only got worse and served to make his life a nuisance. Draco resisted the urge to sigh and run a hand through his hair as he moved over towards her, stopping a few feet away to lean against one of the walls and just look at her. She seemed to have obviously been lost in thought for a few moments, much like he had been. Draco smirked a bit wider at how she looked suddenly flushed, though he wasn't sure if that was just because he had surprised her or what. "It's not my fault you scare easily," Draco said with a slight shrug. His eyes followed her as she went to look back out the window again, and he couldn't help but look out at the snow once more. Draco nearly jumped when she spoke again, but made it look like he'd just shifted to get more comfortable.

"It seems like we're both staring off into space, not just me. So yes, I'd have to say that staring off into space in the middle of the owlery is extremely productive," Draco murmured, raising an eyebrow right back at her. Draco watched as her emotions suddenly changed more serious. He felt compelled to suddenly hold her, and he also wanted to ask what she was thinking so deeply about. He mused silently to himself, wondering if she was thinking about him and, if she was, what exactly those thoughts were. Draco found his head tilting a bit curiously as he watched her try, and fail, to keep another flush off her cheeks. Draco didn't say anything, his own mind drifting off to thoughts that they often did. Thoughts that involved her, and that bloody cabinet, and how there was no way that...Draco pursed his lips a bit, his eyebrows furrowing. He wondered, for nearly the billionth time, if they would even see each other after he'd accomplished his task. And, almost most importantly, would she forgive him for doing it? He'd like to think she would, but Draco had pessimistic issues.

Unable to just lean against that bloody strip of wall anymore, Draco moved over so he was standing right next to her, then looked out. "Is there something specific outside holding your attention, or are you just thinking too hard?" Draco murmured, glancing over at her and shooting her another light smirk. He then looked away, his eyes drifting slowly across the grounds as he took in the snow. Draco felt his thoughts begin to stray again, something that seemed to happen most often to him this year. Thanks to her, Draco had begun to slowly realize that if the worst happened, he wasn't sure if he'd want to keep dragging his feet along this dead road of life. She was like his own personal fire. She made him feel alive, and much more comfortable and warm than anything he'd ever experienced. It was truthfully terrifying for Draco to even begin to imagine, but it was the truth. With all the time they had spent together, Draco was beginning to grow unsure that he'd ever be able to imagine her not in his arms. Sometimes, he wondered if that was just ridiculous; it sounded like something out of one of those overused romance novels. Loving her was almost a cliche, but Draco just couldn't stop himself. Not that he'd want to by this point, of course.

^{STARRING : DRACO & HERMIONE
WORDS : 604
STATUS : FINISHED
NOTES : --
LYRICS USED : USE SOMEBODY - KINGS OF LEON
BANNER CREDIT : TANA
TAGGED : TANA}

[HERMIONE JEAN GRANGER]

Snow could help one forget things, and could also be relaxing, and that was what Hermione was counting on at that point. She just needed to keep things headed in the right direction, and also focus on the task at hand. There was quite a bit of research that needed to be done, and from what she had learned so far from Harry and Ron, she would have more and more on her plate. Not that she minded of course because the more excuses she had to visit the library the better. Though honestly, when did she even need an excuse for that? When he spoke again, she looked over at him and her gaze turned thoughtful. ”Perhaps more like someone, rather than something,” she mused. ”And I never think too much, thank you, rather I think you think too little,”

[/color] she retorted and looked back out over the snow.

Whether it was the breeze that decided to whip through the Owlery just then or something else, it made her step a little closer to him to get out of the main path of the chilly wind. Her arms rested lazily at her sides and her hand brushed his just briefly, but she wasn’t paying attention to that, rather just looking out over the snowy landscape. ”Have you thought any more about what we’ve talked about? You know how I feel about it,”[/color] she said quietly, still not looking at him but keeping her gaze firmly fixated on the mountains beyond, watching as one of the owls flew off towards its destination. Things had certainly changed in the past few months, but one thing that would never change would be her loyalty to her friends, and their mission. If it came down to it, she would stand on their side, no matter what her feelings were. It might have seemed cold, but it was logical, and that was all that mattered.

Nevermind all the nights and days spent otherwise, nevermind those feelings that shouldn’t have been there. She felt like she was back in fourth year all over again, dealing with new emotions when she had been asked to the dance by Victor Krum and then having to fend off Ron at the end of the night, not to mention Harry hadn’t been very helpful at all. Then fifth year, things still hadn’t managed to work themselves out, and this year? The would have to end before Ron would ever buck up the courage to do anything, and now, after what she had shared with the person standing less than an inch or so away from her, the one whose hand hers still brushed faintly, she wasn’t quite sure of anything anymore, that dealt with emotions anyhow. If it came down to books and knowledge, she had shelves of it in her mind. If it came down to anything else, that was where she lacked experience. ”Well at least I have the sense not to just stand here in the Owlery and freeze to death, I’m going inside,”[/color] she said curtly, her way of trying to hide those feelings but failing miserably, even as she turned to go, a tiny part in her mind whispering for her to stay.

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Credits to: REAL SLIM SHADY !? @ caution 2.0[/color][/size][/center]