-1A/N - Well, it certainly has been a while hasn't it. Ah, I'll forget the babbling for now and save it for the end. I know you want to read, so go! Be off with you! P
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The next day rose with the sun shining brightly, mocking Hermione's dismal mood. Eyes puffy from crying herself to sleep just hours before, she clambered out of bed as quietly as she could, avoiding the questioning rampage that Hermione knew would begin if Ginny awoke.
Slipping on her robes, she walked down stairs to the Common Room. As she rounded the corner at the end of the stairs, Hermione stopped dead. Harry was awake. Releasing a breath, she realized he hadn't noticed her coming down the stairs. She quickly made her way to the Portrait Hole.
Hermione glanced quickly behind her as she climbed out and noticed Harry staring at her.
Were those tears in his eyes?
Hermione froze. What did that mean? Why would Harry be crying?
He somberly shook his head and looked back to the fire. Hermione sat in the Portrait Hole for a moment, before she, sighing, crawled back into the Common Room.
I have to do something…
She slowly walked towards Harry and took her seat next to him. He looked up and caught her gaze. Green eyes met brown, and Hermione saw such an intense mixture of lust and betrayal, her heart ached.
Harry shook his head yet again, tears beginning to stream down his face, and he got up to leave.
Hermione blinked back her own tears and gazed into the fire, her eyes burning. Not from the heat of the fire, but from regret. She began to wonder if any of this was worth it.
I hate this. I hate not knowing who to choose.
Tears finally spilling from her eyes, Hermione took a shaky breath and closed her eyes.
I don't know if I can do this anymore.
Draco's voice broke into her thoughts.
Yes, you can. Just let your heart decide. Besides, if you do pick to stay friends with Harry, would it really be that different?
Hermione knew he was lying. The tone had been all wrong… he wouldn't want her to pick Harry no matter what the circumstances were.
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Days passed and Hermione spoke to neither to Draco nor Harry. Often during meals, she felt a soft prickle on the back of her neck, sensing Draco was looking at her across the Hall. She would stare pointedly at her plate until she was finished, after which she would grab her bag and leave the hall, fixating on her feet the entire way.
Any free time was spent sitting in her dormitory or in the library, where neither of the boys seemed to bother looking for her. Rumors were passed from Parvati and Lavender to beyond, and Hermione found them all to be the same.
Tedious, exaggerated lies.
On the fifth day of silence, Hermione was found eating a full plate of eggs, bacon, and potatoes, when she felt the urge to look to her left. She found herself staring at a fellow student's midsection. Looking up to identify this mysterious bystander, Hermione locked eyes with none other than Blaise Zambini.
Sighing, Hermione asked in an extremely sarcastic tone, "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
Blaise smirked, and Hermione was filled with an intense remembrance of Draco. She felt tears growing in her eyes, and the first emotion she'd felt in days ran through her like a wildfire. Longing.
Hermione longed to be with Draco again, to kiss him, to feel his arms around her… Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by Blaise, who simply stated, "Draco wants to talk. I think you owe him this."
"He can--"
'He can talk to me whenever he wants, whether I like it or not, as he very well knows,' she had been full and ready to say, but caught herself, realizing Blaise would have no idea about their telepathic connection.
Looking around for an answer that seemed to be out of reach, she settled on, "When?"
Blaise shrugged and looked back at Draco. "Soon, I'd say."
Hermione shifted the food on her plate subconsciously with her fork, and said, "Alright." She looked up at Blaise. "Soon."
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Classes finished regularly that afternoon and Hermione made her way towards the Portrait of the Fat Lady. Her feet carried her all the way there, while Hermione was caught up in thoughts of what on earth she was going to say to Draco.
"Password?"
Hermione frowned and looked around. She was nowhere near the Portrait, yet someone was asking for the password. It didn't seem like a female voice either, but Hermione had been too caught up in her thoughts to really be able to tell.
She spun around, but no one seemed to be there. She stopped, looked around one more time, and softly said, "Hello?"
There was no answer, and creases began to form across Hermione's forehead. She was sure she hadn't imagined it, yet there was no one here. She took a step and felt a tug on the back of her robes. Turning her head so quickly, she felt her neck crack. In the same moment, a soft, warm pair of hands covered her eyes.
"Who is this?" Hermione asked, hopes raising like mad.
"I miss you."
And before anything else could be said or seen, a pair of lips came crashing down on Hermione's.
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Ecstasy.
Pure, unfiltered bliss.
That's the only way she could describe it. It was like being home again.
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And just like, that, it was gone.
She opened her eyes, expecting to see Draco standing there, but no one was there. Now, there were times when people thought Hermione to be crazy; there were even times when she herself considered being crazy; but she knew, she knew, she hadn't imagined this.
Instantly, she reached out in front of her and latched onto something silky. Giving it a quick tug, Harry Potter came sliding into view.
Eyes wide, breath heavy, Hermione could only ask one thing.
"How did you kiss me through that?!"
"I- I- what?"
"Erm…" Hermione couldn't believe what she had said. Shouldn't she be smacking him? Or at least screaming?
"I…"
"I didn't cover my face while I was, uh, you know… erm… kissing you, if that's what you were wondering. Had you opened your eyes at any moment, you would have seen me."
A small, 'oh' formed around Hermione's lips.
"Can I have my cloak back?"
"Huh? Oh! Oh yeah, here…" she said, holding out his cloak.
"Erm, well…"
"I should be going."
"Yeah, I've got, uh, some… stuff to do. Yeah, stuff. I'll, uh, I'll see you around?" Harry managed to say, looking hopeful.
"Bloody hell, Harry."
And lips met lips once again.
Senses ran wild, and hands did too as Harry pushed Hermione towards the wall.
This was wrong. Hermione shouldn't be feeling this with Harry. She didn't even feel this good with Draco.
Harry's tongue ran along her lower lip, and Hermione instantly returned the gesture. One of Harry's hands found the small of her back and was holding her closely, while another was resting softly on her cheek.
Hermione put her arms around Harry's neck, and both were lost in the moment, when they jumped apart so fast, you would have thought Molly Weasley had walked in on them.
But it wasn't Molly Weasley.
"Well, I see you've made your choice…"
Hermione's eyes were as round as saucers and Harry mumbled something about Ron before taking off towards the Common Room, leaving Hermione with a very upset and confused Draco.
"I, uh… I."
Hermione felt like she was channeling Harry. Damnit! She was thinking about Harry again!
"Doesn't matter. You don't need to say anything. You know Granger… I really thought you were different. But I was wrong, wasn't I? You're just another mud blood."
And with that, he spun on his heel and left Hermione standing there, chest tight, eyes still bulging, only now they had tears growing in them, and Hermione felt like she would die, right there, right then.
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A/N - Okay guys, so this was pretty intense, eh? I know I said I wouldn't post until I got the whole thing written, but all your reviews are getting to me, and I just couldn't do that to you. I love you too much. XD
I'm pretty evil I suppose… with a cliffhanger like this and all… but oh well. D D D
Don'tcha wish your writing skills were as bad as mine? Don'tcha wish your evil plots were as …. Evil as mine? Don'tcha…. Don'tcha….
Don'tcha wish I would stop??? I do…
Then why can't I!?
Anywho… I love reviews, reviews love me. We're a great big family.
AHHH! JENI, STOP. STOP. OK. STOP. I'M STOPPING! Good job.
Woah.
Well that was odd. But now you see how much reviews DO influence updates, don't you?! Hmmm?!?!
Love you guys. A special chapter with shout-outs to all my readers is coming up. You'll be in it if you've reviewed!
Hehe. Like I always say:
Review and I give you cookies. Add me to your alerts and review, and I'll give you a tin of cookies.
Review, add me to your alerts, and add me to your favorites… Bloody hell, I'll buy you a cookie factory.
