Chapter 8 There's Hogsmeade This Weekend?

A/N:Sorry for long wait! Hey this chapter might be short, sorry! Just some quick little shout outs:
STORY DEDICATED TO XXBELXX! :)
I have a beta reader! Yay! Hey Chelsea! Sorry I couldnt wait I wanted to post this.
Last but not least...to Roseaboo: Hey I tried to write it in a little bit more paragraph form this time.

Hermione was sitting in Professor McGonagall's classroom, listening to the homework assignments and scribbling down notes. Like other days it was hard to focus; the memories of her haunting summer would mercilessly fog her mind, and all the issues with her friends and random events with Draco kept her occupied. Draco was sitting in the back of the class on the right hand side. He was only a couple of feet away from her, which, in Hermione's opinion, didn't help.

Although she really tried to listen and take notes, she couldn't focus on the lesson. She kept thinking about Draco. His scent, his body, his eyes...oh, Merlin his eyes were breath-taking. She had to fight the urge to turn around and look at him. Every time her head moved a fraction of an inch towards the right side of the room, she stabbed her palm with the sharp end of her quill. Yes, it hurt. But that was the point, and besides a simple charm would heal those ugly marks.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the back of the room, Draco was whispering to his fellow Slytherin mate, Blaise Zabini.

"Draco! Pay attention, or McGonagall will take house points."

Draco sighed before answering.

"I don't very much care about our ruddy house points. Just kiss up to Snape and all will be well again."

Draco was irritated. Every time he glanced at Gran-um...Hermione...McGonagall would look his way. Which bothered him. He didn't want anyone to know that- fine, yes- he cared about Hermione. He couldn't get her off her mind, no matter how hard he tried. His friends of course thought he fancied her. No way in hell did he fancy Hermione Granger.

To be honest, it was hard for him to allow himself to feel anything deep for her. and that blood status rubbish wasn't the issue this time. Even though his parents had tried to convince him purebloods were of greater importance, that they were so much better than everyone else, his friends taught him otherwise. Blaise and Theo showed him that it was the way you viewed and treated others that truly determined your worth. So even as Voldemort grew weaker in power, as Lucius pushed him to get the Dark Mark, and his mother began distancing herself, he tried to become a better person. He refused to become a Death Eater, refused to fight against a boy his age whom he knew was right. And after that final battle, he tried his very hardest to be who he wanted to be, a man who was honest and caring, but it was a difficult task.

The honesty came easier that he'd expected, but the caring was difficult to accomplish. He came from a home where both parents were very distant and unloving. And now, with his mother becoming more and more reserved, he was sure, deep down, that anyone he let in to his life would leave him and break his heart. And the amount of brainwashing his father had done to him left him slightly prejudiced against certain people- like Hermione- no matter how much he fought it.

His eyes flickered involuntarily to her seat, surprised to see that it was empty. Again he was snapped out of his trance.

"She's gone mate. Its lunch time."

Draco looked up at Blaise, who had his things all packed up and ready to go.

"I'm, um, not hungry."

"Well I don't remember bloody well asking. Get up, we're going to lunch." Blaise said with a grin.

Draco got up slowly and followed Blaise to the Great Hall. When he walked in all the students were animatedly buzzing about the latest in their own little worlds, but Draco could care less. Just then his only focus was finding Hermione. And he found her. Their eyes locked and she held his gaze. He gave her curt nod, which she returned, while he sat down next to Theo, with Blaise across from him. He watched as she faked merriment for her friends.

He shook his head. Anything to please those leeches.

"So Blaise," Theo chimed.

"What?" he said gruffly after swallowing a large spoon of mashed potatoes.

Draco just played around with his food. He was not really interested in what his friends were saying but he listened anyway.

"Hogsmeade this weekend." he said wagging his eyebrows suggestively at Draco.

"Theo I know we have been friends for a while, but I'm only interested in girls. I do not wish to do go to Hogsmeade with you."

"Ugh, please Draco. Never has such a thought appeared in my mind. So, Blaise, don't you think Draco should ask Hermione?"

"Why yes, yes I do." Blaise turned to Draco and waited for his response.

"I'm not going with her."

"Why not?"

"Because I am not interested in her Theo, that's why."

"Well, you sure seemed interested in her today." Blaise said as he turned to Theo, "He couldn't keep his eyes off her."

'What a repulsive traitorous bastard, that Blaise.' Draco thought to himself.

"I'm just going to sit this Hogsmeade trip out. I hope you two don't miss me too much."

"Oh, how will we live without the amazing Draco Malfoy?" Theo drawled out sarcastically.

"My thoughts exactly." Draco smiled.

"Hermione, Hogsmeade this weekend." Harry said looking hopeful.

Hermione cleared her throat and quickly searched her brain for an excuse.

"Um... I'm actually not going...sorry."

Ginny turned her head and suspiciously asked why. Even Ronald tore away from his precious meal to hear her answer.

'Because,' Hermione thought, 'I want to be alone...I want to talk to Draco. Oh god...what am I saying?'

"Um, actually, I think a day out would be good for me."

That seemed to please Ron, so he turned his attention back to his food, as did Ginny. Harry, on the other hand, wanted to make conversation.

"I don't think it will help. It's getting kind of snowy out there, and you're already so pale 'Mione." Harry added playfully.

She flinched when he called her by her nickname. It reminded her...of things. But Hermione forced a laugh out and chatted with him about nothing in particular for a while before excusing herself, having seen Draco exit five minutes before.

"Night," she muttered as she exited.

She hurried down the corridor, saying a quick 'hi' to any of the portraits that acknowledged her. When she reached the Heads' Room, she attempted to collect herself. She quickly fixed her hair and tried to get rid of the blush on her cheeks. She muttered the awful password and slowly walked inside.

She found Draco sitting on the couch just staring into the fireplace. He didn't look up when she entered, and Hermione thought he didn't hear her so she cleared her throat. He slowly turned his head her way and looked at her questioningly.

"Um, hi," she muttered.

"Hi," he said before turning his attention back to the fire.

'I told you he didn't care about you,' one part of her brain said.

'Shut up! He does...' the other side retaliated.

Hermione was going to say something else, ask him about Hogsmeade maybe, but her throat closed up. She silently made her way up to her room, muttered a silencing spell, and flung herself on the bed.

"What? I thought he-doesn't he-ugh," she sighed exasperatedly and whispered to herself.

Draco was actually trying to keep a safe distance from her. It would be okay if they were friends...but he didn't want to be so- what's the word? Oh yes- obsessed. He had been spending an unreasonable amount of time thinking about her and that wasn't good. The more he denied fancying her, the more his friends persisted, and the more it sank in. Maybe he did fancy her. But Draco, being the heartless person he was, just simply tried to ignore her. But it wasn't working, it only added to all his troubles with her. He sighed and made his way up to her bedroom and lightly knocked on the door.

She was wearing frumpy old sweat pants and a large white shirt, but somehow she still looked cute.

"Yes?" she said.

Her big brown eyes looked so entrancing in the dim light, making it hard for Draco to focus on what he was there for. He cleared his throat and took in a breath for confidence.

"As you know, there's a Hogsmeade trip this weekend. Are you going?"

Hermione's eyes brightened slightly but Draco didn't notice, he just stared intently at his feet.

"Um, yes actually I'm planning on it. Or… um… I might just stay here," she said, trying to read his expression. She spoke up before he had the chance to say anything.

"How about you?"'

"Um, I was, uh, I don't really know. Actually I was not planning on going,"' he said while shuffling his feet.

Hermione looked down in embarrassment.

"Oh… well is that all?" she asked.

Draco snapped his head up.

"Oh..yes. Sorry for bothering you."

Hermione nodded curtly before shutting the door. Sleep evaded them that night, and they both knew why. They decided to lie to themselves, refusing to admit to their emotions. But in the long run, denial was a game that could only be played for so long.

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