Draco Finds Jesus

Chapter 9: Confusing Hermione

There are those for whom romance is a distraction from all other elements of life. Such people would often maintain that this is of the very essence of love - the intoxication from the very being of the other, the feeling that transcends all feelings. But there are also those for whom romance serves as an enhancement to other areas of life. Being in the presence of the other produces oxytocin, and oxytocin brings pleasure. It is perfectly natural to revel in pleasure and that which brings pleasure. It is equally understandable if pleasure, causing a sense of well-being and satisfaction, allows one to fully engage with the world. Both of our boys were of this latter category.

* * *

It was Saturday morning, and Hermione was awake. She snuggled down in her bed and watched the delicate light of early morning stretching its fingers through the windows. She allowed herself a lie-in on Saturdays, but just a little one. Five more minutes and then she would get up. She would go to the library and read up on that potion Snape had been talking about on Wednesday- it sounded fascinating. Hermione enjoyed her little lie-ins, but was not usually sorry to get up, because she loved to go to the library without having any formal homework to do.

Thus she was cheerily humming quietly as she entered the library half an hour later. There were the same people here as usual - she nodded at a third year Ravenclaw girl who always sat in the Herbology section every Saturday morning, smiled encouragingly at a first year Hufflepuff boy who had been spending more time than usual in the library recently, and with a combination of smiles and nods at various others, made her way over to the Potions section. And started.

'Harry!' she exclaimed, loudly. Eyes from all round the silent library stared at her and she looked down, blushing. He looked up from the desk he was sitting at. 'What are you doing here?' she asked, in a whisper.

'I'm just reading up on that potion Snape was talking about on Wednesday - it sounded fascinating, don't you think?'

'Er-I suppose so,' Hermione replied distractedly. Puzzlement spread across her features again. 'Um, but, it's Saturday,' she added, confused.

'I know, I've got Quidditch practise later, but not for a couple of hours. How about you? What are you here for?'

'Oh- I always- I mean-' she looked wistfully at the potion book Harry was reading. 'I just wanted to look up about. . . Transfiguration. . .'

Harry raised his eyebrows. 'I'd have thought you'd know your way round the library by now, Hermione. Transfiguration books are round there. This is Potions.'

'Yes. . . of course. . . Yes. . .' Still coming to terms with Harry doing extra work, a thought suddenly struck her. 'Don't you have homework to do?'

'Oh yes. Tons.' He beamed at her as though the prospect was delightful. 'I slept so well last night, you know. Think I'll try and do the whole lot today actually. Get it out the way.' For some reason this made him giggle. 'Get it out of the way,' he murmured appreciatively. 'Wand in my pocket! Ha!'

Hermione stared at him as though he had gone stark raving bonkers, and shuffled over to the Transfiguration section. Before she could get there, however, she had an even bigger shock. Someone in a green and silver robe was sidling into the Muggle studies section. Muggle studies! Slytherins never took Muggle Studies - why would they want to learn about a people they despise? She crept over for a closer look and saw. . . .

'Draco Malfoy!' Hermione exclaimed suspiciously. 'What are you doing in here?' Draco leapt a full foot into the air and swung round, terror on his face.

* * *

Draco too had been awake to greet the dawn. He had slept like a baby through the night except that, unused to happiness, he had awoken early with the idea that something bad must be about to happen. He had got to thinking and had found that, to his great surprise, his religious fervour had not left him now that he no longer wanted to smite the Gryffindors. He needed to see Archibald as quickly as possible. Archibald had been quite insistent on the unnatural passions, but Draco could not accept that.

He needed to make room in his head for both Harry and God. Luckily, there was a Hogsmeade trip on Sunday. But what to do with the Saturday? There was only one thing for it. He needed to find the book. Not any of the rubbish Archibald had given him. The book. But where could he find it in a Wizard school?

* * *

Replies soared through Malfoy's head, each one rejected in turn.

'None of your business, you filthy little mu-' no, upsetting Harry's friends probably wasn't the best idea in the circumstances. Besides which, he was pretty sure his conscience would turn up later to tell him how Jesus would never have said such nasty things. Bugger.

How about the truth? 'I'm just looking for the bible.' Hmmm. She'd think he was wanting to smite again. Unless he explained he wanted to gain inspiration over the homosexuality issue. And then she might guess. . . No, that wouldn't do either.

But lying, he seemed to recall, entailed being dipped in pools of hot lava after his demise. Or was that pools of hot chocolate? Well, either probably wouldn't be very pleasant. Unless it was *drinking* hot chocolate *by* a pool? No, that didn't seem right.

Best not to say anything at all.

'Are you spying on Harry?' Hermione asked, narrowing her eyes.

'Harry? No. Why, is he here?' Draco looked around curiously.

'Never you mind!' Hermione snapped. 'You stay away from him. He doesn't want you anywhere near him. He's been much happier since you left him alone.'

Some of the swagger came back to Draco's chest. Had Harry really been happier since . . ? He smirked. He knew the cause of that happiness better than silly old Granger. He was one red hot lover. He was sex in green robes. He was the stud of the Quidditch field. He was. . . He realised Hermione was glaring at him.

'You have nothing to worry about,' Draco replied. 'Or at least, perhaps you do, but nothing you know about. So forget about it. Now if you don't mind, this *is* a library and I for one would like to read a book.' He sauntered off down the aisle, confident she would be stumped by the implication that she was distracting people from their work, and hence she wouldn't follow him and see which book he picked up. True enough, she only stood open-mouthed at his retreating figure for a few seconds, before making her way dazedly over to the Transfiguration section again.

* * *

He'd tried to begin at the beginning but he'd had to skip bits and skim bits - there were only so many begats a boy could take. He was reading Exodus when he heard a familiar whisper behind him.

'Want to watch me play Quidditch?'

Draco looked at the text in front of him. 'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass,' -he thought he'd be ok not coveting any wives or maids, but Harry's manservant and ass were another matter.

'No,' he whispered back. 'I'd better stay in here. I've got a lot to get through.'

Harry sighed. 'Tired of me already,' he sighed jokingly. 'Ah well, it was too good to last I suppose.' He looked around to check if anyone was looking, then gently turned Draco's face around to the side, stooping down and forward to kiss his mouth. 'Bye then.'

Harry sauntered off, positively glowing. Draco watched him, troubled. He certainly wasn't tired of Harry, but there might be some truth in that other part - it was too good to last. What would happen when people found out? Could he find a way to reconcile religion and passion? So far God hadn't seemed to be the most tolerant of deities. Draco's head felt far too busy. He needed a bath. He had just the thing - a rainbow worrier from lush. Watching that ballistic fizz away in the bathwater, guessing what colour it would make the water. . . that would be just the thing.

When he returned to the library later that day, he went back for the King James bible in the Muggle Studies section. But this time he turned to the New Testament.