This is a love story that features Hermione, Ron and Draco; the latter turns to the good side. I started writing this story 5 years ago and I haven't finished it yet hehehe. In the very first part Hermione cries a lot, I did not mean it that way but at the time I was heart-broken myself and expressed my sadness through Hermione, eventually I thought of erasing the scenes but I like it that way, so.... Hermione might be sad at the beggining but promise it'll get happier. Hope you like it!
NEVER SAY NEVER
A Secret
Fifteen year old Hermione walked impatiently through King's Cross Station looking for her two best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley she couldn't wait to see them.
It had been in that very same station where she had last laid eyes upon them, just a few months ago, the three of them had been standing there wishing happy holidays to each other and agreeing to celebrate Harry's sixteen birthday, on July 31st, at the Burrow.
But Hermione had been unable to attend the party because she was in France with her parents, but she had made sure Harry knew she was thinking of him and sent him a letter explaining why she couldn't make it.
Dear Harry:
HAPPY SIXTEEN BIRTHDAY!!!!!
I'm soooo sorry for not being there, but we're stuck in Paris, see, there was a huge storm, and the airport is closed. (I can see Ron's puzzled face. An airport is a place where planes take off and land. Ron must be asking you what a plane is. See Ron it's an electronic instrument used by muggles to fly from one place to another. Seriously Ron you should take Muggle Studies next year). Anyway, it will be reopened soon, but my dad says it won't be safe to fly until next week. So we'll stay here for five more days.
Viktor wrote and asked me to visit him in Bulgaria, and since I wasn't able to do it last year, well, I agreed. So I will probably not see you until, September 1st when we board the Hogwarts Express.
I hope you like your gift, it's a book "The World's Greatest Seekers" it has some lovely moving pictures. When I saw it standing on the bookshelf I thought "this is perfect for Harry"
I miss you guys…….
Take care, and give my love to everyone. .
Hermione
The unusually cold night before Hermione left for Bulgaria she was surprised to see Hedwig approach her window. It was carrying a letter from Harry with some unexpected news.
Dear Hermione:
Don't worry for not being here, we completely understand. Say Hello to Viktor for me. I loved your gift, you're right about the pictures they are wonderful, specially the one of Viktor during his spectacular catch at the last Quidditch Cup, although Ron didn't like it to much.
There's also another reason why I'm writing to you, remember Parvati, well her father has been helping the Order a lot, so we've seen a lot of her and Padma lately, and well, I apologized for the way I treated her at the Yule Ball, yes I know a couple of years too late, but everything turned out fine and well, we decided to give it a try, a real one, so we hooked up. This might surprise you, but who knows, it might work.
We miss you too (especially Ron, he needs someone to bicker with). Have fun in Bulgaria and we'll see you on September 1st.
Love
Harry.
And the day had finally come, it was September 1st and Hermione kept looking for Ron's bright red hair that generally distinguished him from the multitude, but the station was unusually crowded.
Hoping to see them in the platform nine and three quarters she crossed the barrier and faced a sea of students. She could tell that they were first years for the look of mingled fear and excitement in their faces. She loaded her belongings in the luggage compartment as fast as she could; she wanted to resume her search. She had just put her last bag in the compartment when she heard a familiar voice calling her name, Hermione turned and a broad smile appeared on her face, it was Ginny.
"Long time, no see" said Ginny happily.
"Yeah" said Hermione giving Ginny a hug.
"Where's everyone" said Hermione impatiently, when she released Ginny from her hug.
"Ron is helping the first years get settled" continued Ginny. Hermione eyes began looking for him. "and Harry?" asked Hermione "he is with Parvati somewhere" answered Ginny. In that moment Hermione's eyes quickly looked back at her.
"And you don't mind?" said Hermione not quite sure if she should ask that.
"Of course not" answered Ginny too quickly "He's happy and that's all that matters" said Ginny looking elsewhere but at Hermione "Plus I've moved on, I'm with Dean now and he makes me happy" said Ginny with a small smile.
Ginny's expression changed suddenly, she looked mortified. Hermione frowned slightly, she could feel it, something was wrong.
"I promised I wouldn't tell you this and… I'm not quite sure I should because Ron said he would tell you" Ginny paused; she was looking for the right words. Hermione gave her a deep look; she was trying to read her mind.
"Ron is…" began Ginny.
"Hermione" said another familiar voice; she turned and found Harry standing behind her.
"Hi" said Hermione with a smile on her face.
"Ginny was about to tell me something. You were saying…" Hermione turned back to Ginny.
"Nothing" said Ginny.
"Where is Ron?" asked Hermione to Harry, she was intrigued. What was Ginny going to tell her about Ron?
"He'll join us any second; he was just saying good-bye to…" Harry stopped at the sight of Ginny's threatening look.
"To…" said Hermione, encouraging Harry to continue.
"Look at the time" said Ginny "Let's board"
"But…" protested Hermione, but before she could continue Harry and Ginny were already boarding the express, Hermione's curiosity was quickly turning into despair.
Hermione boarded the Hogwarts Express hoping to see Ron; apparently there was something he had to tell her. But he couldn't see his bright red hair anywhere, instead she ran into the last person she wanted to see, Draco Malfoy.
"Bulgaria Death Eaters must not be doing there job right or you wouldn't be here." said Draco pointing at her with the deepest disdain.
Hermione gave him a look of deep disgust and walked away. "Why is it that when I don't want to see people I ran directly into them, and when I'm looking for them, they are nowhere to be found" thought Hermione, as she walked toward the compartment where she knew Ginny and Harry had settled. She would make them tell her what was the big secret about.
Hermione opened the door and found Ginny and Harry talking quietly, they stopped when they saw her come in. She sat in front of them and looked right into their eyes.
"I've been looking for Ron but he's nowhere to be found, so you're going to tell what is going on." Hermione said firmly.
Harry and Ginny looked at each other. Then they looked back at her, they tried to open their mouths and say something but they were out of words.
"Don't you have a prefect meeting?" said Ginny trying to divert Hermione's attention, although she knew she wouldn't be able to. Hermione rolled her eyes in response; why was everyone so secretive with her.
"We wish we could tell you" said Harry
"But it's not for us to tell." continued Ginny.
"But why?" she said trying to sound calmed and failing at it. Silence was her response.
"Fine" said Hermione roughly. She stood up and in that very moment the door opened and Ron came in.
"Hi Hermione, I hadn't see you." said Ron casually. Hermione was mad by now, maybe a few minutes ago she would have been very happy to see him, but in that moment the last thing she wanted to do, was to see any of them, so she walked out of the compartment without saying a word, and shutting the door behind her.
She was about to start walking towards the compartment where she knew she had a prefect meeting in a few minutes, when she heard very loud voices inside the compartment and instead she decided to overhear, maybe in that way she would finally find out, what was everyone refusing to tell her.
"Where have you been?" said Harry sounding desperate.
"Hermione has been looking all over for you." said Ginny in a very sharp tone. "She knows that you have something to tell her"
"You could've told her" said Ron sounding unconcerned.
"No" said Ginny sounding more daunting than before "You didn't allow me to send her an owl telling her that you were…"
"Eavesdropping" said a very unpleasant voice behind Hermione. She was completely enraged by now, how could've the most obnoxious person interrupted her in the very moment that she was about to discover what they were hiding from her. She turned and faced a smiling Draco Malfoy.
"Mind..your..own..business" said Hermione sounding very mad.
"What… your friends aren't talking to you anymore?" said Draco mockingly. Draco could see Hermione gazing at him with the deepest hatred; he had never seen her so angry before, but for some strange reason he wasn't enjoying it as much as he was pretending to.
"I'm warning you Malfoy… stay out of this" said Hermione sounding more irritated than before.
"What are you going to do Perfect Prefect... jinx me?" continued Draco sarcastically, and was about to laugh when Hermione said "I might" with a dangerous look on her eyes, she was definitely loosing it. Draco fearfully saw how she was taking her hand into her pocket and taking out her wand. This was the first time he thought Hermione capable of anything.
In that moment the compartment's door opened and Ron, Harry and Ginny appeared. Draco tried to pull himself together and show no fear, because Crabbe and Goyle were nowhere to be seen and he had a fuming Hermione, and her three best friends staring at him threateningly.
"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" said Ron in a despise tone.
Hermione turned to face Ron, Harry and Ginny and found herself still angry at them, and not wanting to speak to them, so she walked out of there and headed to her prefect meeting, to which she was already late.
A Surprise
Hermione was surprised to see the Prefect Compartment almost empty the only people in there were Hannah Abbot and Ernie Mcmillan, Hufflepuff prefects, who were sitting in one end of a big table that was in the middle of the compartment chatting happily and Pansy Parkinson looking distractedly toward the wall on the other end of the table, and that was it, no one else was there. Of course she didn't expect to see Ron or Draco, she had left them behind her, bickering, but she couldn't see why Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil, Ravenclaw´s Prefects weren't there, and most important, why neither the Head Boy or Head Girl were there too.
She took a seat in the middle of the compartment and waited. Soon Ron and Draco entered the compartment. Ron took a seat beside her.
"What was Malfoy telling you?" asked Ron.
"Why, do you care?" snapped Hermione while she eyed him angrily.
"Of course I care, you're my friend" said Ron sounding a little despaired, but after all he couldn't blame Hermione for being mad at him.
Hermione was about to open her mouth when Katie Bell entered the compartment.
"I'm so sorry for being late" said Katie. "But we had an altercate with some fifth year students, the Head Boy and Ravenclaw´s prefects are taking care of it as we speak and that's why they won't be attending this meeting." Katie positioned herself in a way everyone could see her "I haven't introduced myself, I am Katie Bell, Gryffindor´s Seventh Year student, and new Head Girl" she finished proudly.
"Now the issues we will be discussing are…"
But Hermione could feel someone staring at her, she turned and saw Draco looking at her intently with a despise look on his face. She returned the scorn look, and was gazing at him when she remembered something he had told her.
"Bulgaria Death Eaters must not be doing there job right or you wouldn't be here." But how had Draco known that she had been in Bulgaria, she had only told Harry and the Weasleys.
She broke her eye contact with him and focused her attention on Katie. But found it very difficult to concentrate, so she closed her eyes in an attempt to calm herself and refocus on the important thing, the meeting. She breathed deeply opened her eyes and felt more relaxed. She looked at Katie, and finally could pay attention to what she was saying.
"Don't forget to make your rounds, and when we arrive, you're the ones that have to make sure that first years don't get lost, remember they are you're responsibility" said Katie bossily. "I think that's everything. You may go" she finished.
Both Ron and Hermione stood up and left the compartment together but without saying a word. Hermione looked at him, she was no longer mad at him but she was still hurt, what was the big secret they were hiding from her? They walked in silence towards their compartment.
"Hermione" said Ron looking at her when they were halfway toward their compartment
"Yes" said Hermione trying not to sound anxious.
"Nothing" he said and stared at the floor. This happened three more times in their way to the compartment. But the big secret was soon to be revealed.
Ron opened the compartment door and both he and Hermione entered. She saw Ginny and Harry who was holding Parvati´s hand but this was not what surprised Hermione, what surprised her was to see Padma there. She didn't have to think too much, in a split second she had her answer.
"Ron" said Padma excited with her eyes glowing, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him and to Hermione's amazement Ron kissed her back. In a second she realized the thing that Ron was supposed to tell her.
She felt her heart smash into a million pieces, her cheeks were growing red and hot, she could feel tears fighting to fall down her face, but she resisted, she didn't want them to think she couldn't handle Ron being with Padma.
Ginny looked at Hermione, who for a second looked completely devastated, but managed to pull herself together and even smile weakly. But Ginny knew Hermione to well to know that she was feeling completely miserable, it was clear that she hadn't expect to see Ron and Padma kiss. Ginny gave her brother a look of deep anger, how had Ron let Hermione find out like this.
But Ron didn't see the suffering that he had caused Hermione because, in the moment Padma had released him from her kiss, he looked at his best friend who weakly smiled and sat down beside Harry who was also looking at Hermione expecting her to say something, but she didn't, instead she picked up a copy of The Quibbler that was beside her and began to read, or at least to pretend that she was.
"So, something interesting happened at the meeting" said Padma happily to Ron.
"No" said Ron quietly while he stared at the floor so he would avoid everyone's eyes "Katie just gave us some indications, that's all"
"Katie is the new Head Girl" continued Ron looking up to Padma.
"I know" said Padma cheerfully.
"I feel like having some Chocolate Frog" said Ron. He really felt like running out of there as fast as he could. "Let's go see if we can catch the food trolley"
"Sure" said Padma and they walked out, holding hands.
Harry and Ginny looked at each other, they wished they could say something to comfort Hermione, but they didn't know what to say. There was an uncomfortable silence among them.
"So how was Bulgaria?" said Parvati suddenly, Hermione looked up, she tried to smile before she answered.
"It was okay, Viktor showed me some historical sites and I met some of the other players of The Bulgaria National Quidditch Team"
"Lucky you" interrupted Parvati excitedly. Hermione smirked.
"Yeah I attended one of the matches, it was a friendly one between Italy and Bulgaria, but of course Bulgaria won, Viktor made a spectacular catch." Hermione had a sad smile on her face. "The only bad thing was that it was very chilly, you know for being August"
"Yeah, it was pretty cold here too, for this time of the year anyway." said Parvati.
"I´ll see you later guys, I have to do rounds" said Hermione as she stood up and walked out of the compartment. What she wished deeply was to be alone.
Hermione desperately needed time to think, to sort out her feelings because she felt utterly confused. She began walking looking for a place away of the noise, the chattering and the laughs. And she found it, an empty compartment, at the end of the train that distinguished from the others because it had a really big window that showed the changing scenery of mountains, colourful flowers, and enormous trees.
As she stared she thought "Ron is with Padma… so what".
Hermione knew she should be happy for them, Ron was her friend and Padma was a good girl, but she couldn´t help it, she wasn't happy, it was quite the opposite, but for some strange reason she felt extremely angry.
"Ron should've told me, that's why I am mad at him" said Hermione out loud, while she wiped out a tear that against her will had fallen down her face, but as soon as she wiped out that one, many more started to flow down her face, because deep in her heart she knew she wasn't crying because Ron had kept it from her, but because…
"What should've Weasley told you?" said a disgusting voice, behind Hermione.
Hermione turned to see Draco standing right behind her. To Draco's surprise he found a Hermione with red cheeks and really watery eyes. A slight frown appeared in his face that was the last thing he had expected, he had never seen Hermione cry before, and for what he had heard, it was clear that Ron had something to do with it, and he was going to find out.
"So it's true… your friends aren't talking to you anymore." said Draco trying to sound rough.
"I've told you to mind your own business." said Hermione really quickly and sounding truly sad, she walked away so fast that she almost hit Draco on her way out.
Hermione entered another empty compartment not very far from the one she had left an intrigued Draco, but this time she shut the door behind her. She sat down, closed her eyes, full of tears, and took a deep breathe; she had to pull herself together because they would be arriving very soon and she remembered Katie's words "the first years are your responsibility". She took a couple more of deep breathes and she felt more relaxed and it was right moment because the Express was starting to slow down, indicating they had arrived. She walked out of the compartment and saw that people were preparing to exit the train.
"Hermione" said a voice behind her, but this time it wasn't Draco, it was Ginny. Hermione tried to smile.
"I've been looking all over for you, are you okay." said Ginny quickly and looking really worried.
"Yeah, why shouldn't I be okay" said Hermione very slowly and in a tone that was almost a whisper.
"Hermione, I know that…" started Ginny, but Hermione touched her arm and said "Not now Ginny, I have to make sure the first years don't get lost." And she walked away.
Hermione instructed the first years to the boats and into the Great Hall, carefully avoiding Ron, she didn't want to see him, but she couldn't evade him at the Gryffindor Table because he sat right in front of her. But she avoided any eye contact with him during the whole ceremony and Headmaster's Dumbledore speech, because she pretended to listen intently to what he was saying but for the first time in six years, she didn't hear a single word of it, she kept remembering Padma throwing her arms around Ron and kissing him. During dinner, Ron made several attempts to talk to her, but every time he was about to open his mouth, Hermione would start making small talk with Harry and Parvati.
Meanwhile in the other end of the Great Hall, there were a couple of eyes observing Hermione quite closely. Draco couldn't take his eyes away of Hermione he was desperately looking for a clue that would tell him what had made Hermione so sad.
"Mate, what are you looking at?" asked Crabbe with his mouth full.
That brought Draco back to earth "I…was…simply…" he started mumbling.
"Looking for a way to get Potter into trouble" said Goyle while he smiled mischievously.
"Exactly" said Draco firmly and smiling. But his smile soon disappeared, and a frown appeared in his face. Goyle was right that was what he should be doing, not looking at Hermione, so what if she was mad at Ron. Draco shook his head started eating and forgot about Hermione.
Ron and Hermione walked shoulder to shoulder during the first years' tour around the school. They showed them where the common room was, told them the password making a lot of emphasis in the fact that they weren't allowed to say it to anyone outside their house. At the end they walked to bed without even saying good night.
Hermione tried to enter quietly to the girl's dormitory, but Ginny, who wasn't asleep as the rest of the girls, was expecting her.
"Ginny I thought you were asleep" said Hermione, knowing perfectly well that Ginny would wait for her, awake.
"Hermione I think…" started Ginny.
"I am beaten" interrupted Hermione while she let herself fall into her bed. "Completely exhausted"
"Still…" continued Ginny "We should…"
"Go to bed" finished Hermione for her.
"Fine" said Ginny. It was clear that Hermione was avoiding the subject Ginny was trying to talk about.
Confessions
Hermione had a restless night; she couldn't sleep, so at 5 o'clock she went downstairs to the common room, she needed a place to think. She sat in the hearthrug right in front of the fire and stared at the yellow and red flames that gave her light and warmth in that really cold night.
"Why didn't he tell me? Why did he keep it from me? Why Padma?" Hermione gave a deep sigh. "Why does it hurt this much?" She could feel her eyes becoming watery again, but she couldn't help it, every time she remembered Padma in Ron's arms she just wanted to cry.
"Which one do you want me to answer first?" said a voice behind the hearthrug. Hermione made an utmost effort to keep tears from falling and turned to find Ginny looking worriedly at her.
"You should be in bed" said Hermione in the most normal tone she could find.
"So should you" answered Ginny as she approached Hermione and sat in the armchair next to the hearthrug, she also stared at the fire.
"You want to know why…" Ginny paused "it was because of Viktor" said Ginny without taking her sight of the fire.
Hermione who had also been staring at the fire scowled and turned to see Ginny "I don't understand… what's the relation between Viktor and the fact that Ron is with Padma."
Ginny stopped staring at the fire and gave Hermione a despair look. "Ron was jealous that you…"
"Ron can't be jealous" said Hermione quickly as she stood up from the hearthrug and walked away a few steps, giving her back to Ginny.
"Hermione, Ron likes you" said Ginny who was quickly starting to exasperate.
"No he doesn't" said Hermione stubbornly.
Ginny covered her face with her hands, she was tired of the "No he doesn't like me" "No I don't like her, we're just friends" between Hermione and Ron.
"Hermione if we're going to talk about this you have to be true to yourself" said Ginny in an irritated tone.
"I am" said Hermione trying to sound firm, but hardly achieving it,
"You are… ha" said Ginny as she stood up and walked towards Hermione. Ginny took Hermione's shoulder and obliged her to turn and face her; Hermione was playing uneasily with her hands, trying to avoid Ginny's eyes.
"Then look me in the eye and tell me that you don't like my brother" said Ginny firmly, giving Hermione a deep look. Hermione turned to see her hands, she took a deep breath and looked up at Ginny, she was going to do it she was going to say that Ron was just her friend, she opened her mouth but no sound came out of it, she tried once more she was going to say it, but once again she failed at it. She tried a third time but she was unsuccessful
"I thought so" said Ginny.
"I…I…" started Hermione "I like him... there… you have it" said Hermione really quickly and avoiding Ginny´s eyes.
"See how hard could that be." said Ginny elatedly.
Hermione walked away again and sat once more in the hearthrug, she couldn't stand Ginny's triumphant smile. "How hard had it been?" thought Hermione. It had been really hard, because that was a secret she had kept only to herself, a secret she never thought she would have the courage to confess. But now, in a second she had finally come clean about her true feelings, and she had to admit she felt relieved, but also really scared and sad.
"But he doesn't" said Hermione sounding truly disappointed and in the verge of tears. Hermione buried her face in her hands that erased Ginny's broad smile and sunk her back in exasperation.
"God Hermione, you're really smart, the best of your class" said Ginny trying to bring Hermione back to your senses "and you're telling me, you don't see the most obvious thing in the world!"
She began walking towards the hearthrug where Hermione was sobbing quietly and knelt before her. "Hermione, Ron likes you, I've told you that a million times." said Ginny in a sweet tone.
"He… he doesn't" said Hermione while she raised her head a little "if he did… he wouldn't be with Padma." finished Hermione tearfully
Ginny stood up again and her expression turned serious. "I am sorry to say this… but you provoked it" said Ginny a little bit more roughly than she had really meant.
Ginny softened her tone again and sat down in the armchair besides the hearthrug "Hermione you didn't see Ron's expression when your letter came in. The expression on everyone's face." said Ginny as she recalled the scene. "Harry was reading your letter out loud and when he reached the part where you said you were going to visit Viktor, he slowed down and gave Ron furtive looks. Fred and George were also there, they were trying really hard to suppress a laugh because they had expected Ron to burst right after Harry finished reading your letter. But he didn't, he just stayed there looking absentmindedly toward the window; it was like if he had been stunned or something because he didn't say a word. He just spent the next days really quiet staring at Padma… for hours at a time. Then like a week after that, he announced that… well, that he and Padma were together."
"But Viktor and I are just friends" said Hermione sounding more calmed.
"Remember what you were saying when I came in, why did it hurt so much?" Hermione nodded. "Well because you're jealous, because deep in your heart you wish to be in Padma's place." One more sour tear fell down Hermione's face. "Well that's the exact same thing that happened to Ron when your letter arrived. You shattered his heart when you told him you were going to spend two weeks alone with a boy that has more than a crush on you."
"Well, if Ron liked me, why didn't he say something?" said Hermione in a dignified voice.
"Because he's a stupid boy" mumbled Ginny more to herself than to Hermione. She felt really mad at her brother for not coming forward, and provoking the situation that Hermione and Ron were now in. Ginny shook her head and then turned back to Hermione "I don't know, I can't unravel my brother's heart, but you should have listened to me and give a step forward… see I was right"
Hermione stood up and walked a few steps, while she wiped out another tear that had fallen from her really swollen and puffy eyes. "I know but maybe if he had given me a hint I might have…"
"More hint than the scandal at the Yule Ball!!!" said Ginny utterly amazed.
"If he had said something, I might have…" started Hermione again.
"You should've said something" said Ginny in a scolding tone.
"But I wasn't sure if he had feelings for me…"
"Hermione I told you a million times that he liked you, that you had to say something because if not, you were going to end up in the situation you're already in." said Ginny more loudly than she had meant.
"Maybe if I had had some certainty about it I might have…" started Hermione once more.
"Might-have-beens" interrupted Ginny. There was a heartbreaking silence between them.
"You're right" said Hermione and she sighed deeply "Might-have-beens" finished Hermione in a resignated tone. "There's nothing we can do to change the fact that he's with Padma now." Hermione sighed once more as she walked back to the hearthrug and stared at the fire once more, so did Ginny. There was nothing else to say, that was the cold truth, there was nothing else left to do.
"But is better this way, isn't it" said Hermione suddenly. "I mean what would've happened to our friendship if Ron and I… no…no its better this way" said Hermione in an more or less successful attempt to convince herself that Padma and Ron together was a good thing.
Ginny gave her a sad look because she knew that Hermione was right maybe a break up between her and Ron might have affected their friendship significantly and that was a big risk, but a risk, that in her opinion, they should've taken because the right thing or not that would not change the way they felt about each other.
"And besides Padma is a good girl, is not like if he's with that complete cow Pansy Parkinson" said Hermione with a weak smile on her face.
"Yeah…" said Ginny a little bit more cheerfully "it's like if you paired up with Malfoy"
Hermione quivered at the mere thought of it. "No… that will NEVER, hear me… NEVER… happen" said Hermione in a determined voice.
"Never say never" said Ginny.
"Well I just did" said Hermione. Both girls laughed.
Hermione looked at Ginny gratefully she had helped her untangle her mixed up feelings, to admit for the first time something she had known deep in her heart for quite a long time, but had never had the courage to say it. She had finally taken that burden out of her chest, she had at last confessed her true feelings toward her best friend, and even though now it was a lost hope it felt good to be able to share it with someone else.
"What" said Ginny intrigued.
"Nothing" answered Hermione.