I can do this. Dumbledore wouldn't have entrusted us with this project if he didn't think we could do this. So…I can do this. I can date Draco Malfoy. Snickering interrupted my thoughts as I looked over to Blaise in the armchair. We were in Ravenclaw tower where he was showing me around like I promised him to do, but in my mind, I kept thinking about the project Draco and I had.
"What's so amusing to you, Blaise?"
"You look all out of sorts, Hermione. Is dating Draco really all that bad?"
I gasped. "How did you know about me dating Draco?"
"Well, muttering date Draco Malfoy under your breath a few more times and maybe you'll pick up on it too."
"Oh. Right. Well, we aren't dating… yet."
"Yet?"
"Yes, yet." I glanced around the room and saw that it was practically empty with everyone still in class or enjoying the still summery weather outside. "Don't tell anyone, Blaise, but Draco and I have been asked by Dumbledore to… well, date by example and then teach the sixth and seventh years about love and relationships."
"And the old coot thinks you two can miraculously pull it off? Hell Hermione, the whole school knows you both would rather sink to the bottom of Black Lake and be fed to the Giant Squid than be seen kissing and holding hands with each other."
"We tried to tell Dumbledore that it was an outlandish plan but he was adamant that we had to do it."
"Well, if this has to be for the school rumor mill, you better make it convincing. And I'm going to help you both out."
"How on earth could you possibly help us out? You could help me with Draco, obviously, because you are his best friend. You couldn't begin to tell him anything about me to help."
"Ah, that's where you are wrong Hermione. My Italian heritage has made me an expert on being a lover and flowering attention onto women."
My retort was cut short as a bunch of students came in, signaling the end of classes for the day. I motioned for him to follow me with "Let's finish this conversation in private."
Rounding the corner to the Heads dormitory, I saw the "revised Golden Trio"- Harry, Ron, and Ginny. Ginny and Harry were holding hands and Ron was smiling. Their conversation stopped cold as they saw me walking in close proximity to Blaise(and Blaise holding for me some of the 20 large texts that I had taken out from the Library already for the Project). Ron's smile faltered at the sight of me, and pushed my shoulder to pass me. Blaise must have sensed the awkwardness that I felt, and announced that he would wait at the entrance for me. It left me alone with Harry and Ginny.
"Hi Hermione."
"Hey Harry. Hey Ginny."
"Don't mind him, Mione. He's over you two breaking up, so he says. But I think finding out yesterday that you were in a new house, chatting to Zabini and rooming with Malfoy all put him back in a funk. He's been chatting up with Lavender Brown, you know. We're hoping he goes out with her soon."
I fumbled a bit at this bit of news, not expecting my words from last summer to haunt me in real life. I swallowed back the bile in my throat, croaking out, "That's …good. How are things with you guys? How's Gryffindor without me?"
"It's been rather lively to say the least. The whole house welcomed the first years last night. Already planning things for Quidditch season. Ginny and I are going out, in case you didn't know."
"I see." Less than two days and I was already taken out of the Gryffindor existence. Less than two days and they all moved on without me. Bittersweet feelings flooded me. I felt my eyes start to water but I refused to break down in front of Ginny and Harry. "Blaise is waiting for me-I'll see you two around." I kept repeating Sybil's signs of constellations to refrain from crying but one look at Blaise when I met him at the Head Dorm made me burst into tears.
"Oh dear, it looks like you're going to make my work cut out for me. Let's get you inside, Hermione."
