Drabble: Want vs. Need - Draco/Hermione - for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
gryff_slytherin
Jul. 11th, 2010 01:22 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ashleyfanficTitle: Want vs. Need
Author:ashleyfanfic
Written for:gryff_slytherin
Pairing: Draco/Hermione
Rating: PG
Inanimate Object: Intricate Silver Dress
Word Count: 1543
A/N: I don't work well within word limits :) - this is a little longer than 1500 words. I hope you enjoy it anyway!
She stood outside the boutique and examined the dress in the window. She was entranced by the way the dress seemed to move even though it was completely stationary. At her first passing, days before, she caught a glimpse of it, paused briefly, and then moved along the walk-way to her job at Gringotts. Yesterday, she stopped and actually looked at it briefly, noticing that it seemed to be layers of silver laying upon each other, which only seemed to make it wave. And today, she had stopped to really look at it, trying to figure out if it had been bewitched to shimmer in the light.
The dress was sleeveless with a heart shaped neckline and it appeared as if it would hug the wearer’s curves to the delight of anyone who happened to be looking. It slid down the body and stopped just at the knee. Really, there was nothing overtly sexual about it; however, she could see that it could be considered overly decadent.
“I wouldn’t think silver was your color.” She was startled and turned to see the smirking face of Draco Malfoy.
She rolled her eyes. “It probably isn’t. I was just having a look, anyway,” she said as she glanced at the dress once more before addressing him properly. “I do think it would look dreadful on you, as well.”
Her comment didn’t even cause a twitch at his lips. Instead, he tilted his head and looked at it. “Granger, I never said it would look dreadful on you. I simply said I didn’t think silver was your color. Have you tried it on?”
She blinked several times at him, wondering what exactly was happening. She was standing outside a Wizarding boutique, in broad daylight, having a conversation with Draco Blood Malfoy about fashion. “No.”
“Why not?”
She shook her head. “Because…I don’t need a dress.”
He looked at her once more and tilted his head. “A purchase like that would be more about ‘want’ than ‘need’. And I’ve seen you, several days now, stop here and look at this dress. ‘Want', obviously, is very much a part of it.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Are you stalking me?”
He scoffed. “As if I have nothing better to do than follow you around. No, Granger. I work in the apothecary shop across road.”
“You work?”
He nodded. “I do. It keeps me out of trouble to have something occupy my time.”
“I hardly think you’re one to shy away from trouble.”
He grinned. “How very true! However, pretense being what it is, I like to give the Ministry and anyone else taking a look as little reason to bother with me as possible. Now, why haven’t you tried it on?”
She turned back to the dress. “I told you, Malfoy, I don’t need the dress.”
“Yes, but what is life without it’s little perks, now and again,” he said as he took her by the wrist and pulled her alongside him into the shop. She was so surprised at the action that she didn’t even question him. The bell on the door rang out as they entered and a sales associate quickly moved over to him.
“Mister Malfoy, how can I help you today?”
Hermione eyed him a moment before she realized the girl was ushering her to a fitting room and the dress was floating along behind her. She stood in the small room and admired the dress up close. She thought from the look of it that it might have been course to the touch, but it was the softest thing she’d ever felt. It felt like a combination of silk, satin, and cotton and she was weary of putting it on. She knew that she could not afford it on her salary, and to dip into her savings for something as silly as a dress was absurd to her, but she couldn’t stop herself from removing her clothes and slipping the garment over her head. She felt it size perfectly to her, and she nearly cried at the thought that she wouldn’t be able to have it.
“Come on, Granger, and let us have a look,” Draco called. This was his fault. She wanted to hex him for making her do this. She was Hermione Granger. She was not the sort of girl who fell in love with a dress. But this dress was more than anything she’d ever seen or worn. She stepped out from behind the curtain and kept her eyes on the floor, afraid to see disapproval on anyone’s face. She moved in front of the mirror and nearly choked on her very breath as she saw that this dress really was spectacular on her. She wasn’t prone to vanity, but she couldn’t deny that it seemed almost made for her.
“You look lovely, my dear,” she sales associate said softly.
She blushed a bit and admired it from all sides, acutely aware of Draco’s eyes on her. He remained silent, however as she admired the way it shimmied and swayed with her every movement. Each breath caused a ripple in the dress, which made it shimmer in the soft light. “Well, Granger? What’s the verdict?” he asked.
She shook her head. “It’s lovely, really, but I…I don’t need the dress.”
She locked eyes with him in the mirror and watched as he nodded. “Maybe one of these days you’ll give in to what you ‘want’ and not allow ‘need’ to dictate everything in your life,” he said before he turned and left. She smiled at the woman and moved back into the fitting room to remove the dress. She took care handing it over to the sales associate once she was dressed. She watched painfully as the sales associate took the dress and placed it back in the window. Hermione left quickly and was determined to put it out of her mind.
*~*
She had been seated on her sofa, enjoying a cup of soup and a good book when the post arrived carrying a large white box with a silver bow. As it was after Christmas, she hadn’t been expecting anything and was surprised by its arrival. She removed the bow and opened the lid on the box.
Settled on a mound of red tissue paper were the silver dress and a card. She opened the envelope, and knew who it was from without having to read it. She couldn’t catch her breath. Hermione couldn’t believe that someone like Draco would ever do something nice for someone like her.
Her hands shook as she slid the card from its envelope.
Granger,
After much speculation and thought on my part, I have come to the conclusion that I cannot allow you to turn away from this dress simply because you feel you don’t ‘need’ it. Just accept the fact that I felt that it would be an injustice for anyone else to wear ‘your’ dress.
Draco Malfoy
She couldn’t let him do this. She shook her head and placed the dress back into the box. She wouldn’t allow this to happen and planned to return it.
*~*
She moved into the apothecary shop the following day, the white box in her hands. She didn’t see anyone, but heard his voice call from a room in back. “Be right out!”
She moved towards the back and settled the box on the counter she found there. He exited from the back room and sighed at seeing the box. “Can I help you?”
“You can take this back.”
“All sales are final,” he said as he wiped his hands on a towel that hung at his side.
She frowned. “Why did you do this?”
“I thought the letter explained everything quite well.”
She shook her head. “You can’t just go around…”
“Granger, consider it…an ‘I’m sorry’ gift. I was terrible to you while we were at Hogwarts, insulting not only your blood lines, but your appearance as well. It was terrible. I know that, now. I just wanted to make amends and I saw how much you loved the dress. I have more than enough money that you needn’t concern yourself with that. Just…let me do something nice, for once in my life.”
She sighed and removed an invitation and settled it on the box. “This arrived from the Ministry today. A gala is being held to celebrate or commemorate something. Since I only own things that I ‘need’ and now that I have a dress…I was wondering if you would like to attend…with me?”
He raised an eyebrow as he stared at her. “If this is a joke, it’s not funny.”
“I’m very sincere.”
He was silent for a long while and then smiled. “Very well, Granger. You’ve got yourself a date,” he said as he extended his hand to shake. She placed hers in his. “You want me just a little.”
She chuckled and shook her head. “It wouldn’t matter if I did, Malfoy, seeing as I only go after things I need,” she said as she lifted the box. “Have a good day,” she said before she walked out of the shop and onto the street, knowing that she did get what she ‘wanted’ every now and then.
Author:
ashleyfanficWritten for:
gryff_slytherinPairing: Draco/Hermione
Rating: PG
Inanimate Object: Intricate Silver Dress
Word Count: 1543
A/N: I don't work well within word limits :) - this is a little longer than 1500 words. I hope you enjoy it anyway!
She stood outside the boutique and examined the dress in the window. She was entranced by the way the dress seemed to move even though it was completely stationary. At her first passing, days before, she caught a glimpse of it, paused briefly, and then moved along the walk-way to her job at Gringotts. Yesterday, she stopped and actually looked at it briefly, noticing that it seemed to be layers of silver laying upon each other, which only seemed to make it wave. And today, she had stopped to really look at it, trying to figure out if it had been bewitched to shimmer in the light.
The dress was sleeveless with a heart shaped neckline and it appeared as if it would hug the wearer’s curves to the delight of anyone who happened to be looking. It slid down the body and stopped just at the knee. Really, there was nothing overtly sexual about it; however, she could see that it could be considered overly decadent.
“I wouldn’t think silver was your color.” She was startled and turned to see the smirking face of Draco Malfoy.
She rolled her eyes. “It probably isn’t. I was just having a look, anyway,” she said as she glanced at the dress once more before addressing him properly. “I do think it would look dreadful on you, as well.”
Her comment didn’t even cause a twitch at his lips. Instead, he tilted his head and looked at it. “Granger, I never said it would look dreadful on you. I simply said I didn’t think silver was your color. Have you tried it on?”
She blinked several times at him, wondering what exactly was happening. She was standing outside a Wizarding boutique, in broad daylight, having a conversation with Draco Blood Malfoy about fashion. “No.”
“Why not?”
She shook her head. “Because…I don’t need a dress.”
He looked at her once more and tilted his head. “A purchase like that would be more about ‘want’ than ‘need’. And I’ve seen you, several days now, stop here and look at this dress. ‘Want', obviously, is very much a part of it.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Are you stalking me?”
He scoffed. “As if I have nothing better to do than follow you around. No, Granger. I work in the apothecary shop across road.”
“You work?”
He nodded. “I do. It keeps me out of trouble to have something occupy my time.”
“I hardly think you’re one to shy away from trouble.”
He grinned. “How very true! However, pretense being what it is, I like to give the Ministry and anyone else taking a look as little reason to bother with me as possible. Now, why haven’t you tried it on?”
She turned back to the dress. “I told you, Malfoy, I don’t need the dress.”
“Yes, but what is life without it’s little perks, now and again,” he said as he took her by the wrist and pulled her alongside him into the shop. She was so surprised at the action that she didn’t even question him. The bell on the door rang out as they entered and a sales associate quickly moved over to him.
“Mister Malfoy, how can I help you today?”
Hermione eyed him a moment before she realized the girl was ushering her to a fitting room and the dress was floating along behind her. She stood in the small room and admired the dress up close. She thought from the look of it that it might have been course to the touch, but it was the softest thing she’d ever felt. It felt like a combination of silk, satin, and cotton and she was weary of putting it on. She knew that she could not afford it on her salary, and to dip into her savings for something as silly as a dress was absurd to her, but she couldn’t stop herself from removing her clothes and slipping the garment over her head. She felt it size perfectly to her, and she nearly cried at the thought that she wouldn’t be able to have it.
“Come on, Granger, and let us have a look,” Draco called. This was his fault. She wanted to hex him for making her do this. She was Hermione Granger. She was not the sort of girl who fell in love with a dress. But this dress was more than anything she’d ever seen or worn. She stepped out from behind the curtain and kept her eyes on the floor, afraid to see disapproval on anyone’s face. She moved in front of the mirror and nearly choked on her very breath as she saw that this dress really was spectacular on her. She wasn’t prone to vanity, but she couldn’t deny that it seemed almost made for her.
“You look lovely, my dear,” she sales associate said softly.
She blushed a bit and admired it from all sides, acutely aware of Draco’s eyes on her. He remained silent, however as she admired the way it shimmied and swayed with her every movement. Each breath caused a ripple in the dress, which made it shimmer in the soft light. “Well, Granger? What’s the verdict?” he asked.
She shook her head. “It’s lovely, really, but I…I don’t need the dress.”
She locked eyes with him in the mirror and watched as he nodded. “Maybe one of these days you’ll give in to what you ‘want’ and not allow ‘need’ to dictate everything in your life,” he said before he turned and left. She smiled at the woman and moved back into the fitting room to remove the dress. She took care handing it over to the sales associate once she was dressed. She watched painfully as the sales associate took the dress and placed it back in the window. Hermione left quickly and was determined to put it out of her mind.
*~*
She had been seated on her sofa, enjoying a cup of soup and a good book when the post arrived carrying a large white box with a silver bow. As it was after Christmas, she hadn’t been expecting anything and was surprised by its arrival. She removed the bow and opened the lid on the box.
Settled on a mound of red tissue paper were the silver dress and a card. She opened the envelope, and knew who it was from without having to read it. She couldn’t catch her breath. Hermione couldn’t believe that someone like Draco would ever do something nice for someone like her.
Her hands shook as she slid the card from its envelope.
Granger,
After much speculation and thought on my part, I have come to the conclusion that I cannot allow you to turn away from this dress simply because you feel you don’t ‘need’ it. Just accept the fact that I felt that it would be an injustice for anyone else to wear ‘your’ dress.
Draco Malfoy
She couldn’t let him do this. She shook her head and placed the dress back into the box. She wouldn’t allow this to happen and planned to return it.
*~*
She moved into the apothecary shop the following day, the white box in her hands. She didn’t see anyone, but heard his voice call from a room in back. “Be right out!”
She moved towards the back and settled the box on the counter she found there. He exited from the back room and sighed at seeing the box. “Can I help you?”
“You can take this back.”
“All sales are final,” he said as he wiped his hands on a towel that hung at his side.
She frowned. “Why did you do this?”
“I thought the letter explained everything quite well.”
She shook her head. “You can’t just go around…”
“Granger, consider it…an ‘I’m sorry’ gift. I was terrible to you while we were at Hogwarts, insulting not only your blood lines, but your appearance as well. It was terrible. I know that, now. I just wanted to make amends and I saw how much you loved the dress. I have more than enough money that you needn’t concern yourself with that. Just…let me do something nice, for once in my life.”
She sighed and removed an invitation and settled it on the box. “This arrived from the Ministry today. A gala is being held to celebrate or commemorate something. Since I only own things that I ‘need’ and now that I have a dress…I was wondering if you would like to attend…with me?”
He raised an eyebrow as he stared at her. “If this is a joke, it’s not funny.”
“I’m very sincere.”
He was silent for a long while and then smiled. “Very well, Granger. You’ve got yourself a date,” he said as he extended his hand to shake. She placed hers in his. “You want me just a little.”
She chuckled and shook her head. “It wouldn’t matter if I did, Malfoy, seeing as I only go after things I need,” she said as she lifted the box. “Have a good day,” she said before she walked out of the shop and onto the street, knowing that she did get what she ‘wanted’ every now and then.
