Arctophile: Obsession with bears

[sarahyyy]

Title: Arctophile - Obsession with Bears
Author: sarahyyy 
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine.

-------


To say that Draco Malfoy was furious would be the biggest lie of the year. Because he simply wasn’t.

He was fuming.

Livid.

Enraged.

All because the shop had ran out of it.

The shop had run out of his teddy bear.

Well you see, that teddy bear was important to him. It was a limited edition model! There were only fifty of them in the world and he had just missed it, by two minutes.

Now before you start wondering who those teddy bears are for, allow me to let you in on the biggest secret of the millennium.

Draco Malfoy was an arctophilist.

He collected teddy bears. Big or small, cheap or expansive, black or brown… It didn’t matter to him. As long as it was a teddy bear, he would have it.

He had every single one of them available in the wizarding world stashed up in his “collection room”. All except this one. This limited edition Dancing Teddy Bear. And he was certainly not happy.

After queuing for three hours, it was finally in her hands! That limited edition, wonderful, marvellous, magnificent Dancing Teddy Bear!

She was on cloud nine. Way too happy to describe.

“You can’t run out of them! It’s only been three hours since its release time!” Hermione Granger heard someone say behind her.

That man must have been waiting to buy this bear. He couldn’t have come earlier, eh?

“I’m sorry, but there is simply no more, mister.” The shopkeeper said apologetically to the man.

“I really need it! My…niece, she...is dying. I have to fulfil her last wish… She might not even live to see tomorrow!” The man sounded really pitiful to Hermione. In fact, he sounded really desperate.

“I’m sorry, but there is nothing I can do. Perhaps another type, mister?” Hermione saw the man shake his head miserably and walked out of the shop.

Out of the pure goodness in her heart, Hermione decided to let that poor man have her bear instead. She ran after him.

“Mister, mister! Wait a second!” Hermione shouted at the man, running as fast as her legs would let her.

The man, sensing that someone was calling him, turned around.

Hermione finally caught up with the man and was panting away when she finally looked up. She was speechless for a moment.

“Malfoy?”

That woman who was running after me looked really familiar, but I just couldn’t recall her. When she stopped in front of me, I took a closer look. It didn’t help much.

Chestnut coloured hair that framed her face beautifully, auburn coloured eyes that seemed endless, perfect teeth, about five feet and three inches… She looked stunning. She looked so familiar, yet so foreign.

“Malfoy?” She asked.

The way she spoke my name clicked in my head. I knew who she was. Hermione ‘goody-two-shoes’ Granger. And I just thought of her as stunning. Way to go, Draco Malfoy!

“Granger?” I was tempted to say mudblood, but decided against it. She blinked a few times, as if as she were dreaming and wanted to wake up instantaneously.

“Do you um…need something?” I asked uncertainly.

She looked at me for a moment, looking as if as she was pondering over something, before handing me the bag that she was holding. “You might need this more than I do.”

I blinked a few times, trying to make some sense out of her words. “Huh?”

“Look in the bag, Malfoy.” Granger said, rolling her eyes.

I looked in the bag.

No way.

It was The Bear. (Yes, I capitalized it.) She was giving it…to me!

No way. Nope. Nada. Never. Just not happening.

I am not going to give up the bear that I’ve been queuing for, for the past three hours if I may add, to Draco ‘sarcastic ferret’ Malfoy. He was the one who made my life in Hogwarts miserable!

Since when did things like that stop you from doing something good?

But it’s Draco Malfoy! Surely he can be exempted…

No, it’s his niece, his dying niece who needs it, not him! You heard him, she might not even live to see tomorrow! How would that go on your conscience?

Well… But…

But what? A dying girl wants the bear that you have and you give it to her. Hermione…

Okay, fine. I’ll give the bear to him, happy?

“Granger?” He asked uncomfortably. I realized that I had drifted away with my thoughts.

“Do you um...need something?” He asked, still as unsure as when he first saw me.

I handed my bag (very reluctantly), the very one that contained the bear in it, to Malfoy. ‘Bloody Gryffindor conscience…’ I thought to myself. “You might need this more than I do.”

He looked blank for a moment.

“Look in the bag, Malfoy.” I said, rolling my eyes. Honestly, when somebody hands you a bag, aren’t you curious to see what’s in it?

The look on his face when he saw what was in the bag was totally priceless. I thought for a moment to take a picture of it and show it to Harry and Ron later, but decided against it.

“What…” He started, but trailed off, not knowing what to say.

“Well, I overheard your conversation with the shopkeeper just know, and I thought that um…your niece might need it more than I do.” I explained as he looked blankly at me.

“Um… Thanks, Granger. Thank you.” Malfoy thanked me gratefully.

I smiled at him and walked away.

‘My...niece?’ Was the only thought that ran through my head when Granger explained why she was giving The Bear to me.

She actually believed that I have a niece? And a dying niece at that? What an idiot...

Well, she is a Gryffindor. And all Gryffindors are trusting and nice.

But...me? Why in Merlin’s bright pink robe would she give me The Bear?

Maybe she doesn’t want it. Maybe she doesn’t like it. Maybe she pities you.

Granger? Pity me? I have everything!

Not The Bear...

Should I take it, then?

Yes. No.

What is that supposed to mean?

Yes, you should take it because you’ve waited so long for it; No, because Granger obviously waited longer. You’re supposed to be a gentleman. Figure out what you should do.

“Granger, wait up!” She was almost at the end of the street but she stopped when she heard me.

“Yes, Malfoy?” She asked when I reached her.

“What if... What if I told you that I didn’t have a dying niece?” I started uneasily.

Her eyes widened just a little. Then she blinked. Then she fixed her eyes on me. Then she blinked again. Then she sighed. “I guess you could keep it then Malfoy.”

“What?”

He didn’t have a niece?! He was lying to the shopkeeper! To me!

But he didn’t really lie to you, did he? And besides, he was desperate enough to lie to get the bear... How many people do you know that would tell lies just for one bear? He must really need it for something.

I guess you’re right.

I let out a sigh as I made up my mind. “I guess you could keep it then Malfoy.”

“What?” He obviously wasn’t expecting that...

“I said you could keep it.”

“Why?”

“Because if you were desperate enough to lie for the bear, I guess you must really need it, even if the reason wasn’t your dying niece.” I replied, smiling slightly.

“But I don’t need it. I just want it.”

“I already told you that you could keep it.”

“But... But... ” He stuttered. I’ve never seen Draco Malfoy falter over his speech before, but I’ll have to say I’m not exactly unhappy about it. His face was slightly pink and his mouth was opening and closing randomly.

“But what?”

“But why?! Why are you giving it to me?”

I shrugged. “I have not a clue.”

“I... You... Thanks, Granger.”

I really meant it, you know? When I was giving her The Bear back, I really meant it. But since she was giving it to me, who am I to say no?

“One question though, Malfoy.” She gave me The Bear: I could answer her ten questions if she wanted me to.

“Ask ahead.”

“Why do you want the bear? That’s if you don’t mind me asking.” She tilted her head slightly to the right.

How, in the name of Merlin’s most shiny nail varnish, am I supposed to answer that question? Not even Blaise (who has been my best friend since I was six) or Pansy (who is the sneakiest, most persuasive person I know) or Crabbe and Goyle (who followed me everywhere I went) knew about my fetish for bears!

But Granger is different: she gave me The Bear.

She wouldn’t tell...would she?

“Earth to Malfoy.” She was saying, waving her hand in front of my face.

“Granger, if I tell you, do you promise -no, swear- not to tell anyone?” She raised an curious eyebrow at me, and then nodded.

“Let’s go to somewhere more private. What I’m about to tell you is a top secret that many would kill to know.” I told her.

“-top secret that many would kill to know.” That was the phrase that caught my attention. What was I supposed to make out of it?

“-let’s go to Malfoy Manor. There wouldn’t be anyone there and besides, you could see...” And now he was going to take me to his manor. What was wrong with him?

“-years of collection...” He was collecting top secrets?

“-priceless stuff...” Priceless secret? Should she call Harry and have him get some aurors to protect her?

“-mother said it was slightly abnormal...” Malfoy has an abnormal secret? Things don’t even make sense!

“-father doesn’t go near it in fear that...” Lucius Malfoy fears it? If I weren’t so curious, I’d be scared.

“-even Blaise doesn’t know...” Even Zabini doesn’t know? Why does he want to tell me? Was it because of the bear? Speaking of the bear, what has it got to do with the ‘top secret’?

“-not Pansy as well. You see, she has a mouth so big it could...” And why is he blabbering about Parkinson to me for?

“And of course... Are you listening to me at all, Granger?” Oops. He noticed that I wasn’t listening.

“Sorry Malfoy, but what’s your top secret all about?”

“Come on, let’s apparate to the manor first. You have to side-along. Only Malfoys can apparate to the manor.” I rolled my eye again. Malfoy Manor was unplotable, only Malfoys can apparate and disapparate, how was Harry and his team of aurors going to get there if she needed their help?

“Come on now, we don’t have time to waste.” Malfoy said, grabbing my hand, we apparated to his manor.

Oh Merlin, what have I gotten myself into?

A 25 year-old secret. No one else except my parents and the house elves knew, they of course, kept it well.

And now, I was going to tell Granger. I never knew that it felt so good to finally free myself from a secret.

We were currently standing in front of one of the most forbidden wings (to the house elves, of course) in the manor. I was leading her to my collection room.

“Are we there yet?” Granger whined again.

“Almost. Come on, stop whining and walk faster!” I heard her grumble something which sounded strangely like ‘stupid ferret’ under her breath. I just grinned. Nothing was going to spoil my day.

“Are we there yet?” Granger asked again.

“Yes.” And there it was: the doors to my heaven.

“A door? You wanted to show me a door?”

“No Granger, what I’m going to show you is behind that door.” And they called her ‘the brightest witch of age’...

“Oh. Aren’t you going to open it, then?” She asked, starring at me.

I walked slowly towards the door. And then, I pushed it open.

I turned back to see Granger’s reaction: her eyes were wide open and her jaws were slack.

“Oh Merlin...” I heard her gasp.

I slammed the door at once. I knew it was a bad thing to tell her my secret.

She looked at me for a moment and then opened her mouth to speak.

“Malfoy, you...collect bears?” I glared at her disbelieving tone.

“I knew it! I knew I shouldn’t have told you! Why should I? Even Blaise and Pansy and Goyle and Crabbe and everyone else don’t know! Why did I tell you? Now you’re just going to tell the Weasel and Potty and they’ll probably post it in the Daily Prophet and the Malfoy name will be in shreds! My parents will be so angry, and everyone would be laughing at me and I will be the laughing sto-”

What I was going to say next was cut off by Granger’s lips on mine. She pulled away quickly. “You were getting on my nerves.”

I blinked twice. “So you kissed me?”

“It seemed like a good choice at that time!”

“You! You kissed me! Me!”

“Shut up. Back to the original topic, you’re an arctophilist.”

I just nodded, still dazed about Granger kissing me. She was actually very pretty, and she had nice lips. And she was smart, smart enough to match his parents: now that was an advantage. She was actually a great match for him...

“-nothing wrong with that! Do you understand me, Malfoy?” Granger finished, looking at me. I nodded again. Well, besides the fact that she was the best friend of the Dumb Duo, there wasn’t anything wrong with her, was there? Her blood didn’t matter anymore. There was nothing stopping him from courting her...

She smiled. “Good then we’ll go to the Daily Prophet together and tell them about your fetish for bears.”

And she liked bears too. If she didn’t she wouldn’t have queued up to buy The Bear.

“What?”

“I knew you weren’t listening, Malfoy.” She shook her head amusedly.

“Hey Granger, would you date me?”

“What?” She asked. If her eyes opened any wider, her eyeballs were going to fall out. “Are you insane? Do you even know what you’ve just asked me? Are you having a fever or-”

I tuned out there, enjoying my view. She was really very attractive when she was angry. And her lips (which were moving rapidly) were like two rose petals. The light reflected on her curls brilliantly, making them shine like a river of chocolate. And her eyes shined like stars.

I wasn’t responsible for what happened next.

I grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her. She tasted like strawberries and chocolate, an erotic combination that made me want more. Slowly (and a tad bit reluctantly), we pulled away from each other.

“Granger, how about I make you a deal? You date me for a month and we’ll share the bear.”

“Sounds like a fair deal to me.” She winked and we carried on from where we stopped.