Chapter 11

Christmas is only a week away and the entire castle is bustling with excitement. Draco and I have officially called ourselves an item. The students and most of the staff were pretty shocked by the news. The night that Draco asked me to officially be his girlfriend I went back and told Ginny, she tore me away from school and to Hogsmead, against Draco's wishes of course, he wanted me to himself but ultimately he let me go. Good thing it was the weekend because Ginny kept me out all night.

Ron and Harry still weren't talking to me much. A hello here and there was all I got. I felt bad for Draco because I would constantly talk about it and I know he didn't really want to hear about it. But on the flip side Draco was telling me that Pansy was getting really unbearable. She started openly telling him that she hates me and then would rather see him dead than with me. Is that crazy or what?

Draco and I were sitting in the courtyard and pretending to ignore the whispers all around us. "I'm going to take a trip to the library." I told him.

"Are you really? That's very surprising." He smirked at me.

"Oh, shut up." I hit him playfully. I looked up at his winter hat, "must you wear that hat?"

"What's wrong with my hat?" he reached up and touched it. "I love this hat, it keeps my head nice and warm, isn't that point of wearing a hat?"

"You look like some kind of variation on Davey Crockett." I laughed.

"Who?"

"Never mind, I'm going to the library." I said and started to stand up.

"Wait," he grabbed my arm. "You want me to come with you?" he asked although his eyes said, 'no, please say no'.

"I'll manage." I said and smiled.

"Okay," He leaned in and gave me a quick kiss and my stomach jumped. I smiled again and made my way to the library all the while hoping not to slip on the way due to the snow and ice.

When I got to the library I pulled off my gloves and jacket. Madam Price nodded to me when I walked in, Merlin forbid she speak whilst she's here.

I started to make my way down the isles and isles of book all piled high when my cell phone rang at full volume. I quieted it quickly and ran further away from Madam Price and hoped that she hadn't heard it go off.

"Mom?" I answered quickly.

"Hi, sweetie." She sounded like she had been crying.

"Mom, what's wrong?" I asked her frantically. Thoughts of my father flooded my mind.

"It's your father…they did everything they could but," she didn't finish; she couldn't on account that she started to hysterically cry.

"Mom, when?" I asked her, I was also crying.

"I'm at the hospital, he told-he told me to tell you goodbye." I couldn't hold myself anymore and I slid down onto the floor.

"Hermione, listen to me," She was trying to calm herself down. "I need to make arrangements. I'll call you when I have more information about what we're going to do about the hospital. I love you." She said. It made me sick to my stomach to even think about the funeral. My mother was trying so hard to be strong for me and I needed to be strong for her, but how?

"I love you too." I whispered. I hung up the phone and I stayed sitting against the bookcase. It seemed as though the tears weren't going to stop so I let them come. I sat there for what seemed like hours, maybe it had been hours. I wouldn't have known I didn't the check time and I had no intention to. It wasn't until I heard Draco's voice that I knew I had been gone a while.

"See, there's her jacket, she's still here. I didn't do anything to her!" He hissed.

"If something happened to her I am going to hold you personally responsible for it." This time it was Ron's voice.

"You already know I don't trust you." That was Harry's voice.

"Will you guys stop fighting? This is not about you it's about Hermione!" Ginny's voice was strong but they ignored her because they kept fighting.

I heard Draco again, it was closer this time. "I would never let anything to her. I know that you may think that what we have is not real but it is! You two need to get you heads out of your asses and take into consideration what Hermione wants!"

I wanted to yell out to let them know where I was but I could hardly move. I'm over here! I screamed in my mind. Please, find me, please…

Not five minutes later Draco came around the corner. He spotted me and came running.

"Oh no, Hermione, what happened?" He knelt next to me. Ron, Harry and Ginny followed his actions.

"My dad," I said just above a whisper. And again my eyes watered up. Draco pulled me into his arms and held me tight as I cried all over his tweed jacket. The fur from his hat brushed my face and I quickly pushed it off.

"Damn hat…" I said.

"I'll get a new one." He said and I couldn't help but chuckle. Regardless of how I was feeling he managed to make me smile.