The White Mostrosity
Written by - I want
You can find them here! - http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1956226/I_want
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The White Monstrosity
Hermione Granger stood at the entrance, a parcel clutched in one hand and the other poised at the knocker of the formidable oaken doors. Why was she doing this again? Oh yeah, apart from it being her job, she really wanted to see him make a fool of himself. So with that thought, she took a deep breath and let the serpent head – how clichéd - of the knocker bang loudly against the door. What she didn’t expect was for him to actually answer it.
Draco Malfoy opened the doors of the manor and his jaw almost dropped – almost - but he was a Malfoy so he restrained himself. You see, he wasn’t expecting her – well, he knew she was coming – to look like that. It was completely disconcerting and he felt like all his resolve was melting as she stood in the morning sunlight with her brown curls wild and untamed, dressed in a ridiculously attractive, yellow sundress. Sundresses, it seemed – on her at least – would be the death of him. He’d been slowly working up the nerve to ask her out ever since they’d both started working as healers at St. Mungo’s and today was going to be the day everything came together. Damn him for falling for her! Damn her and that sundress! But still, she looked so breathtakingly lovely.
She couldn’t figure out why he was looking at her like that. It made her nervous and these odd tingles would erupt down her spine every time she looked at him for too long. They had an event to host and nothing was going to mess it up. Not being at the manor, not Malfoy, and certainly not the way she felt whenever he was around. Trying to rid the atmosphere of the awkwardness, she tried for some of her old frigidity towards him and failed, miserably.
“Are you going to stand there gaping or let me in Malfoy?”
A small smirk played on her lips which he noticed were a very alluring shade of pink and he found himself fantasizing about their softness. He shook his head slightly, marginally clearing the fog in his brain, before making a sweeping motion with his hands and moving aside. “Welcome Granger, the garden awaits you.” He still couldn’t believe he’d agreed to host the St. Mungo’s Easter Benefit at Malfoy Manor – the gardens to be more precise. But then again, it was a children’s benefit and they were having an – what did she call it? – Easter egg hunt. He was confused but agreed to her request because, hey, he sort of felt something for the girl. Tearing his eyes away from the dress that seemed to enhance her very exquisite attributes, he noticed the somewhat guarded expression on her face.
“Malfoy, there’s something I’d like from you.”
The most amazing snog of your life?
She continued on, oblivious to the inner ramblings in his completely testosterone addled brain.
“If you do this one thing, I’ll do anything you ask. Just know that everyone backed out and you were the only remaining option. Don’t be upset but…” then she removed her hands from behind her back, revealing an odd, fluffy and white ensemble that oddly resembled – dare he say it – a giant rabbit, that’d been skinned and cleaned. He grimaced outwardly and she looked crestfallen.
“Why in Merlin’s name have you brought that?” Draco hoped she wasn’t some kind of freak that liked to – well he wasn’t sure what, but it would have to be freaky if it involved that. Just what was it exactly? Furthermore, did he want to know? Yes, yes he did -only if it was because he’d heard her say that she’d do anything he asked. He was beginning to think things would work in his favour. He still couldn’t repress the shudder as he looked at the white monstrosity she was holding in her dainty hands though.
Merlin, what was she doing? Asking Malfoy to wear the suit and pretend to be an Easter bunny? Was she completely barmy or had she inhaled too many smoke fumes from the bars Harry and Ron dragged her to every Friday? Or maybe she just got some twisted pleasure from seeing him – Malfoy, that is – squirm. That seemed more probable.
“This,” she said, putting extra emphasis on the offending garment, “is a costume. You’re supposed to be the Easter Bunny. It’s a character that basically gives gifts to children. I’d like for you to wear the costume and distribute the presents and prizes and whatnot. You won’t even have to wear it for the entire day, just about two hours and even then, no one will ever know it’s you. Please?” She was barking mad. Begging? Seriously?
Draco was adamantly telling himself no, he wouldn’t do it, no matter how attractive she looked in the sunlight or how soft her hair seemed to look. No, he wouldn’t do it for anyone. But then she was looking at him with those big, brown doe eyes of hers and a slight pout on her lips. Draco. Just. Couldn’t. Say. No. The word wasn’t even part of his vocabulary just then as he found himself nodding his acquiescence mutely and then she was in his arms. Quite literally too.
He stumbled back slightly at the sudden force and found her arms wrapped around his torso to be quite welcoming. It was a sensory overload, and everything he’d ever wanted. Her hair smelled of the faintest lavender, her milky skin satiny smooth and that dress! Oh, that yellow dress! She smelled like heaven, and oddly enough, home. It took all of his will power just then to not cup her face and snog her senseless, regardless of the guests that would soon be pouring in.
Hermione didn’t know what possessed her to hug Malfoy the way she was – it was far too intimate for the relationship they shared. She found that she rather liked his wide frame and warm body. He didn’t smell atrociously either, and it would be a welcome change to all the men she’d dated that seemed to forego hygiene and bask in eau de musk. Utterly repulsive. She could just feel the scratch of stubble as his chin brushed her forehead and the tingles – more like shivers – erupted, causing her to break out in gooseflesh everywhere his hands seemed to be holding her. What was going on? She couldn’t possibly – okay, she did. She liked him more than she ever cared to admit but right now, she wanted to believe that he liked her too. She pulled away, too quickly for her liking and thrust the suit into his now empty hands. She saw the ghost of a grimace on his face before he accepted the thing and retreated to get ready.
~O~O~O~O~
The egg hunt was actually quite amusing and seeing Draco a few times in the costume had caused her to enjoy the event considerably. He was due to emerge as himself soon so Hermione decided to venture further into the gardens, most of the guests already leaving. She rounded a corner and ran smack into the mass of fur that was Draco Malfoy’s costume. She’d have fallen on her behind were it not for his reflexes and firm grasp. Glancing at him, she realized he’d long since abandoned the head of the rabbit and was parading in the body of the suit. The only thing Malfoy-like was his head.
“Watch out there Granger. Wouldn’t want to fall and hurt yourself.” He chuckled slightly, almost nervously.
“What are you doing in here?” she gestured and came to the realization that she ventured into a maze of sorts. “The guests are almost all gone. You’re not hiding are you?”
“Gods no! I’m just thinking.” This was it, he had to tell her. It was why he’d done this in the first place. Everything was for her and she didn’t even know. He took a step toward her, slowly, testing the waters, and she stepped back, unsure of herself.
“Thinking of what?” Hermione’s senses were heightened as Malfoy inched closer to her. What was he doing? She couldn’t lose her train of thought now. She had to get him to talk. Why? She wasn’t sure either.
“You. What I want. Lots of things really, but those two spring to mind the most.” He smirked then and knew she was getting uncomfortable. He took another step closer, effectively pushing her against the green shrubbery of the would-be maze. He looked into her eyes, a swirl of caramel and chocolate and found himself speaking the words he could never bring himself to admit. It all came at him in an onslaught of emotion really. Like a never-ending spew of sick. Maybe even a train-wreck. You know; something that was almost surely going to end in disaster and you couldn’t help but look anyway? Yeah, like that.
Okay, he was effectively making her nervous, bothered and fidgety. She couldn’t think straight with his scent invading her senses and robbing her of all her brain function. That was feat in itself. She just wanted to kiss him, feel him, something! Then he was speaking in a low voice that had her melting like ice-cream on a hot, summer’s day.
“You’re the one I want. The only one.” he swallowed thickly, the rush of emotions too much for him to handle, but still he spoke. “Quite possibly for sometime now. I’ve been trying to ask you out for the longest while but there was always something getting in the way. Our animosity, your boyfriends. But some of that changed and for a while, I was content with just being your friend, but I realized, I wanted more. I wanted to see you more, to talk to you, and be the one you smiled at, the one to make you laugh. I want to be next to you, to feel you, to kiss you, to be … mine.”
He was still staring at her intently, and she found it hard to tear her eyes away from his piercing gaze. He was open and vulnerable and Merlin help her if she didn’t feel that way too. How odd was it that he was the one to say everything that she was feeling? It was as though they’d already had a connection. They were friends after all and if what he’d said was true, then why’d he wait for so long? They’d become sociable within the first year of working at St. Mungo’s. That was almost three years ago. Surely he didn’t think that excuse was going to work? Who’d have thought that Draco Malfoy would be pining after this bookworm so ardently and for so long? And that she would reciprocate?
“You stupid prat!” was all she’d said before pressing her lips to his and kissing him the way she’d imagined for so long. Draco responded to the kiss with equal fervour, his hands snaking around her waist and tangling in her hair, their warm mouths speaking promises they couldn’t quite say. Yes, everything was turning out just fine and it didn’t bother him in the least that he was wearing this white monstrosity. It was for her, after all.
“Happy Easter, Granger.” He smiled beatifically before giving her the most amazing snog of her life.
