Drabble Entry for Christmas Challenge 2010 - 3
Title: An Unexpected Moment
Author: MiHnn
Rating: G
Word Count: 1351
Notes/Warning: Prompts - mistletoe and an unexpected kiss.
"This is... unexpected."
Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes. "This is far from unexpected, this is bloody inconvenient."
A perfectly blond eyebrow rose in surprise. "Hermione Granger, swearing? I knew you have been hanging out with Weasley for far too long."
"It's not Ron, Malfoy. It's you." She let out a low, concentrated breath. "Seven months we have been working together, and you still make my blood boil."
At least he had the decency to look affronted. "And you think that working with a high strung workaholic is a walk in the park then?"
"I'm not saying I'm perfect." She ignored his snort of protest. "But, if I'm given a job, I would like to do it well or not at all."
"Yes, I remember your philosophy of work, having heard it nearly everyday for the past seven months of my life. You know Granger, it hasn't been easy trying to live up to your impossibly high expectations."
She stared at him for a moment. "You have been trying to live up to my expectations? You waiting around until I've done all the work? Is that what you call it? You trying?"
"Well I can't bloody well do anything, now can I? What, with a short, bushy haired pixie nipping at my heels whenever I do something in a different way. Not wrong, just different."
"Firstly," she began as she leaned forward, her eyes narrowed. "I am not short. I'm of average height of any witch in this world, thank you very much. And secondly, I told you on the first day of the job that if you didn't know anything then ask me. But of course, you and your Malfoy pride can't go so low as to ask for help."
"That was one little incident. Do we really need to hash it out right now?"
Hermione gestured above them. "Considering that we're stuck for sometime, I think we have all the time in the world."
Malfoy looked up thoughtfully for a minute before he faced her again. "You know there's a way to get out of this, right?"
She stared at him in surprise. "You're not serious."
"Yes Granger, I'm joking. Spending twelve hours a day, five days a week, working alongside you for seven months, would make any bloke want to continue having the same argument over and over, while sitting on the tiled floor of a bloody hospital."
Hermione huffed in frustration as her eyes rose again for what felt like the thousandth time. "Who in their right mind would put one of George's mistletoe in a hospital?"
"Someone daft, I bet. How do the Healers move around? Leaving five feet between them at all times?"
"That must not be good for emergencies."
"I have half a mind to send a lengthy letter of complaint to the owner of this establishment."
She raised her eyebrow at him. "And what would you demand?"
"Compensation, mostly," he said thoughtfully without missing a beat. "I could probably get away with a Galleon for every minute that I had to spend under this bloody fig talking to you."
Hermione smiled sweetly. "Is that what you think you'll get? A Galleon a minute? I hate to burst your bubble Malfoy, but after hearing my side of the story, I think I could definitely walk away with twenty Galleons for every half a minute I was stuck with you."
"I'm excellent company."
"I wouldn't know, considering I try to ignore your existence."
"And does that work?" he smirked.
She fought the smile that threatened to escape. "Unfortunately, you make it extremely difficult to ignore you."
"I'm glad I can do something right ."
They smiled at each other, their previous argument forgotten, until the sound of someone clearing their throat broke them out of their reverie.
"Excuse me," the female Healer smiled as she cast a confused look between the two adults who sat cross legged in the middle of the Hospital corridor. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to have your discussion somewhere else."
"Mistletoe," Hermione and Malfoy mumbled in unison.
The Healer's glance moved up, and her smile immediately dropped. "I thought we got all of those. We ordered some mistletoe to liven the place up for Christmas, but some of the charmed ones got sent in by mistake." She smiled apologetically at them. "I'll get someone to take it down in a bit."
"Yes, please take your time," Malfoy scowled only to earn a reprimanding look from his companion who sat opposite him.
"You could always just kiss her and leave," the Healer said sincerely.
Hermione could swear that his eyes nearly bugged out comically from his head. "Kiss her? I don't think you know what you're asking me."
"You see," Hermione began in mock explanation. "He's a Malfoy, and as a pure-blood wizard, he can't be seen kissing a Muggle-born such as myself. That would only hurt his image that he has used years to cultivate."
"Granger..." Malfoy muttered in a low, threatening tone.
"Think about it this way," Hermione continued, thoroughly enjoying painting him like such a character. "If Draco Malfoy was found kissing someone of 'lesser' blood, the immediate uproar would be horrendous. People will demand retribution. The world will stop spinning. Magic, as we know it, will cease to exist."
"Granger," Malfoy sneered just a bit louder.
"And can you imagine Malfoy and I actually kissing each other? No one would believe it. Some people might even die of laughter. Ron would just blow a fuse-"
"Bloody hell," she heard him mutter just before she felt him grab her face with both hands and slam his lips down on hers hard. Her eyes widened before she realized that this man who has irritated her to no end since day one was kissing her with or without her permission. Her lips parted in protest, which only allowed his tongue to invade her mouth and send a bout of pleasure surging electrically up her spine. Before long, she found herself kissing him back, her own lips meeting his just as urgently. It took the familiar sound of the Healer clearing her throat for them to finally break apart.
"Well then," the Healer mumbled awkwardly. "I guess you could leave now. I'll send someone to remove the mistletoe." Without another word, she left; leaving the two co-workers sitting self-consciously beside each other.
Hermione kept her eyes stubbornly trained on the floor as she stood up and dusted her robes with quick, forceful strokes. "You told me you wouldn't kiss me if your life depended on it," she said in an accusing tone.
"And apparently," he said causally as he stood up himself, "you can't shut up unless I snog you senseless."
Her eyes snapped up to see the bane of her existence smirking. "You find this funny?"
"On the contrary," he stated calmly as he took casual steps towards her. "For months, I have been wondering just how to stop you from spurting nonsense, and now I have my answer."
Her jaw dropped by it's own accord. "You plan on kissing me whenever I'm willing to say anything that you don't want to hear?"
"Pretty much," he shrugged.
"Draco Malfoy, if you think that I will let you treat me like some sort of-" She never got to finish, for at that moment his lips met hers gently with a slight pull against her bottom lip. Hermione stared wide-eyed as he moved back, a wide grin across his face.
"I think I'm going to like this coming year."
Hermione stayed silent, her glare speaking volumes.
Probably satisfied at her lack of speech, his grin widened further. "Shall we go interview that witness then?" Without waiting for her response, he turned on his heel and started moving towards their intended destination. Hermione followed, seething. She was not going to let him get away with this. She was going to talk non-stop, and Malfoy would have to kiss her constantly to keep her mouth shut. One of them is bound to break first, and it is definitely not going to be her.
Author: MiHnn
Rating: G
Word Count: 1351
Notes/Warning: Prompts - mistletoe and an unexpected kiss.
"This is... unexpected."
Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes. "This is far from unexpected, this is bloody inconvenient."
A perfectly blond eyebrow rose in surprise. "Hermione Granger, swearing? I knew you have been hanging out with Weasley for far too long."
"It's not Ron, Malfoy. It's you." She let out a low, concentrated breath. "Seven months we have been working together, and you still make my blood boil."
At least he had the decency to look affronted. "And you think that working with a high strung workaholic is a walk in the park then?"
"I'm not saying I'm perfect." She ignored his snort of protest. "But, if I'm given a job, I would like to do it well or not at all."
"Yes, I remember your philosophy of work, having heard it nearly everyday for the past seven months of my life. You know Granger, it hasn't been easy trying to live up to your impossibly high expectations."
She stared at him for a moment. "You have been trying to live up to my expectations? You waiting around until I've done all the work? Is that what you call it? You trying?"
"Well I can't bloody well do anything, now can I? What, with a short, bushy haired pixie nipping at my heels whenever I do something in a different way. Not wrong, just different."
"Firstly," she began as she leaned forward, her eyes narrowed. "I am not short. I'm of average height of any witch in this world, thank you very much. And secondly, I told you on the first day of the job that if you didn't know anything then ask me. But of course, you and your Malfoy pride can't go so low as to ask for help."
"That was one little incident. Do we really need to hash it out right now?"
Hermione gestured above them. "Considering that we're stuck for sometime, I think we have all the time in the world."
Malfoy looked up thoughtfully for a minute before he faced her again. "You know there's a way to get out of this, right?"
She stared at him in surprise. "You're not serious."
"Yes Granger, I'm joking. Spending twelve hours a day, five days a week, working alongside you for seven months, would make any bloke want to continue having the same argument over and over, while sitting on the tiled floor of a bloody hospital."
Hermione huffed in frustration as her eyes rose again for what felt like the thousandth time. "Who in their right mind would put one of George's mistletoe in a hospital?"
"Someone daft, I bet. How do the Healers move around? Leaving five feet between them at all times?"
"That must not be good for emergencies."
"I have half a mind to send a lengthy letter of complaint to the owner of this establishment."
She raised her eyebrow at him. "And what would you demand?"
"Compensation, mostly," he said thoughtfully without missing a beat. "I could probably get away with a Galleon for every minute that I had to spend under this bloody fig talking to you."
Hermione smiled sweetly. "Is that what you think you'll get? A Galleon a minute? I hate to burst your bubble Malfoy, but after hearing my side of the story, I think I could definitely walk away with twenty Galleons for every half a minute I was stuck with you."
"I'm excellent company."
"I wouldn't know, considering I try to ignore your existence."
"And does that work?" he smirked.
She fought the smile that threatened to escape. "Unfortunately, you make it extremely difficult to ignore you."
"I'm glad I can do something right ."
They smiled at each other, their previous argument forgotten, until the sound of someone clearing their throat broke them out of their reverie.
"Excuse me," the female Healer smiled as she cast a confused look between the two adults who sat cross legged in the middle of the Hospital corridor. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to have your discussion somewhere else."
"Mistletoe," Hermione and Malfoy mumbled in unison.
The Healer's glance moved up, and her smile immediately dropped. "I thought we got all of those. We ordered some mistletoe to liven the place up for Christmas, but some of the charmed ones got sent in by mistake." She smiled apologetically at them. "I'll get someone to take it down in a bit."
"Yes, please take your time," Malfoy scowled only to earn a reprimanding look from his companion who sat opposite him.
"You could always just kiss her and leave," the Healer said sincerely.
Hermione could swear that his eyes nearly bugged out comically from his head. "Kiss her? I don't think you know what you're asking me."
"You see," Hermione began in mock explanation. "He's a Malfoy, and as a pure-blood wizard, he can't be seen kissing a Muggle-born such as myself. That would only hurt his image that he has used years to cultivate."
"Granger..." Malfoy muttered in a low, threatening tone.
"Think about it this way," Hermione continued, thoroughly enjoying painting him like such a character. "If Draco Malfoy was found kissing someone of 'lesser' blood, the immediate uproar would be horrendous. People will demand retribution. The world will stop spinning. Magic, as we know it, will cease to exist."
"Granger," Malfoy sneered just a bit louder.
"And can you imagine Malfoy and I actually kissing each other? No one would believe it. Some people might even die of laughter. Ron would just blow a fuse-"
"Bloody hell," she heard him mutter just before she felt him grab her face with both hands and slam his lips down on hers hard. Her eyes widened before she realized that this man who has irritated her to no end since day one was kissing her with or without her permission. Her lips parted in protest, which only allowed his tongue to invade her mouth and send a bout of pleasure surging electrically up her spine. Before long, she found herself kissing him back, her own lips meeting his just as urgently. It took the familiar sound of the Healer clearing her throat for them to finally break apart.
"Well then," the Healer mumbled awkwardly. "I guess you could leave now. I'll send someone to remove the mistletoe." Without another word, she left; leaving the two co-workers sitting self-consciously beside each other.
Hermione kept her eyes stubbornly trained on the floor as she stood up and dusted her robes with quick, forceful strokes. "You told me you wouldn't kiss me if your life depended on it," she said in an accusing tone.
"And apparently," he said causally as he stood up himself, "you can't shut up unless I snog you senseless."
Her eyes snapped up to see the bane of her existence smirking. "You find this funny?"
"On the contrary," he stated calmly as he took casual steps towards her. "For months, I have been wondering just how to stop you from spurting nonsense, and now I have my answer."
Her jaw dropped by it's own accord. "You plan on kissing me whenever I'm willing to say anything that you don't want to hear?"
"Pretty much," he shrugged.
"Draco Malfoy, if you think that I will let you treat me like some sort of-" She never got to finish, for at that moment his lips met hers gently with a slight pull against her bottom lip. Hermione stared wide-eyed as he moved back, a wide grin across his face.
"I think I'm going to like this coming year."
Hermione stayed silent, her glare speaking volumes.
Probably satisfied at her lack of speech, his grin widened further. "Shall we go interview that witness then?" Without waiting for her response, he turned on his heel and started moving towards their intended destination. Hermione followed, seething. She was not going to let him get away with this. She was going to talk non-stop, and Malfoy would have to kiss her constantly to keep her mouth shut. One of them is bound to break first, and it is definitely not going to be her.