A/N: Hey everyone! This chapter took a little longer to write because I struggled to write about halfway through it. So I just had to take a little break. Hope you like it! xx
-Six-
S.P.E.W.
A few days had passed, Harry had left and Hermione was busier than ever with school work and Head Girl duties. On top of it all she decided to continue her S.P.E.W. club. As she was Head Girl, she was hoping that this status would boost the awareness of the club. She made posters and stuck them around the school and also decided to hold her first meeting the next day to get people to sign up. During her spare time, she walked around the school, shaking a container of S.P.E.W. badges at students.
"Come on people, elves have rights too! Buy a badge and join up, only two sickles!" she walked around the Gryffindor common room, shaking the container in people's faces.
"No offense Hermione, but no one really cares about 'elf rights'," said Ginny, as she was playing wizard chess with Neville.
"Rubbish! I bet there are loads of people who care! Like...err...Neville! You became a member a few years ago."
"What? Oh yeah...right," said Neville. He didn't have the heart to tell her he only joined to keep her off his back.
Just then, Hermione heard a voice from behind her, "You're not still on about that club are you?"
"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed. She ran over to him and gave him a hug. The rest of the Gryffindors all crowded around him too.
"George wanted me to see if anyone wanted to place any orders from the joke shop. Oh, and I've also come for a visit," he added quickly as Hermione glared at him.
Everyone in the common room was excited as Ron handed out flyers, advertising products from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Hermione pouted and sat on the sofa as she watched students forking out money to place orders. "So they can fork out galleons when they want but can't scrounge for two sickles to join S.P.E.W.?"
"Lighten up, Hermione," said Ron as he joined her on the sofa.
Later that evening after dinner, Ron joined Hermione in her common room. "So this is your common room, a bit small, don't you think?" he said as he plonked himself down on the sofa.
"It's only for two people," said Hermione as she sat at her desk and started her Potions homework.
"Oh yeah," said Ron miserably, "How's your new 'roommate'?"
"I don't want to talk about it, Ronald."
"Fine," he said. They both sat there for a few minutes in silence, Hermione's quill scratching away furiously on the parchment.
Then all of a sudden Ron said, "Hermione...do you miss me?"
"What are you talking about?" she said, eyes still on her parchment.
"You know what I mean, do you still have feelings for me?" he said in a small voice.
Hermione put her quill down and looked at him, "Ron, you're making things complicated. I thought we would discuss this after I graduate?"
"Yeah...but what if you don't like me the same way a year later."
"That's absurd! Of course I'll like you the same, you're my best friend."
"Exactly! We're friends, but do you still want to be my girlfriend?"
"Ron...I..." she began. Just then the portrait swung open and in stepped Malfoy.
Draco's eyes narrowed as he saw Ron sitting there, what is he doing here with her? For some reason his blood started to boil as he saw Ron talking to Hermione.
"Weasley! Why are you in here?" he scolded.
Ron got out of his seat, glaring at Malfoy. Hermione got up from her seat too, worried about what might happen if they stayed in the same room too long.
"R...Ron, I think you should go now, it's getting late," said Hermione nervously.
"Better listen to your girlfriend," said Draco to Ron, menacingly.
Ron turned to Hermione, "I'll talk to you later," he said with gritted teeth and he made his way out.
Once Ron had left, Draco walked over to his own desk and sat down, "What was he doing in here?"
"I'm allowed to have friends here, Malfoy. And for the record he is not my boyfriend."
Draco snorted, "He isn't? Wow, I kind of feel sorry for the bastard now."
"What do you mean?"
"He is so clearly in love with you, and you're just stringing him along."
"Oh yeah? And how would you know if he's in love with me?"
"Trust me, I'm a guy. I know."
Hermione just shook her head in frustration and began collecting her things off her desk. Draco got up and strolled over to her desk and picked up a poster that was lying on it, "Why have you got all this rubbish lying around? I don't know about you but I don't like living in filth. You better clean this up."
Hermione snatched the poster from him, "For your information, I was going to clean it up and it's not rubbish, it's for my organisation. I've got so much to do before tomorrow's meeting!"
Draco paused for a moment before saying, "Do you need any help?"
Hermione gaped at him, "You want to help me?"
He shrugged, "Well it's a bit sad going to bed this early on a Friday night. So it's either that or I help you. Unless you don't want to me help?" he said threateningly.
"No! I need all the help I can get, thanks!"
Hermione gave him some flyers to fold and he got to work at his desk while she was on the floor in front of the fire, back against the sofa, drawing up a large poster. This is very strange of Draco to want to help me. He must be feeling really miserable and lonely to want to do this, thought Hermione. She felt awkward with the silence.
"Have you been getting much sleep? You know, because of your nightmares and everything," she said, trying to break the silence.
"Yeah, a bit better," he mumbled.
"So, are you going to talk to anyone about your issues?"
"I don't need to talk to anyone," he said with a strained voice.
"Well, I think you do. I can't be here for you to yell at every time you have an emotional breakdown."
Draco paused for a moment before saying, "Oh yeah, about that...I'm sorry I yelled at you the other night."
Hermione looked over to him in shock, Malfoy, apologising to me?! Well this is definitely a first. "Um...don't worry about it...its ok. We all have those days I suppose," she responded, taken aback from his apology.
They sat in silence for the next few minutes. Draco had just finished folding the flyers.
"Oh good, you're done! Can you pass them here?" said Hermione, still working on her poster.
Draco got out of his seat and made his way over to her, clutching the folded up flyers. He looked down at her poster, it was bright orange and had 'S.P.E.W.' written in big, black letters at the top. Under it was a picture of a hand drawn house elf looking sad and words under it saying, 'Stop the slavery!' Draco chuckled when he saw this.
"What?!" said Hermione, "What's wrong with it?"
"It's a little juvenile, don't you think?"
"It's not juvenile. I think it sends the right message."
Draco sat next to her on the rug, he was only sitting inches from her. He could smell Jasmine on her again, the same thing he smelt when he carried her to the hospital wing. Once again, the intoxicating smell put his mind at ease. He took one of the pens and started to fix the drawing of the house elf.
"Hey, what are you doing? You'll ruin it!" Hermione tried to grab the pen off him.
Draco just shrugged her off, "Wait, I'm fixing it."
Hermione frowned at him, but watched as he made changes to the elf. She didn't want to admit it, but it looked much better.
"Where did you learn to draw like that?" she asked, looking amazed.
Draco just smirked, "There are lots of things you don't know about me, Granger."
She looked up at Draco, staring into his grey eyes, him staring into her chocolate brown ones. Their bodies inches apart. They held their gaze for a moment before Hermione, suddenly aware of the situation snapped out of it, "Err...you know what? I think we made good progress tonight. I can finish the rest tomorrow morning. Thanks for your help." She quickly got up and started packing up her things furiously, blushing. Draco remained seated where he was and watched her as she gathered her things, looking at her in wonder.
Hermione lay in bed that night, head buzzing, thinking about Draco. She was picturing his grey eyes, his hand gliding across the paper, drawing those lines with ease. His brow creased slightly as he was concentrating, his silky hair falling forwards as he tilted his head down. Hermione furiously pulled her blanket over her face, trying to block these images out.
Meanwhile, Draco was tossing and turning in his bed, but not for the same reasons as usual. Instead of his usual nightmares, he was having a dream about Hermione. Her smell of Jasmine filling his head, the flames from the fireplace dancing in her dark brown eyes, making them sparkle. Sitting so close to her, he could see every freckle on her blushing face. Draco's eyes snapped open as he awoke from his dream. The images of her were still lingering in his head. He never realised it before, through all of that hate, just how beautiful she was.
A/N: Please review, It motivates me to keep writing!