Hermione finally stopped speeding down the hallway, took a deep breath, and turned around. Draco was only a few feet behind her. They stared at each other for a few moments and then he moved in closer.
"What is it?" She asked quietly.
"I've been thinking…." He started and then paused, "I've been thinking about how you say this," he motioned between them, "is nothing. But it's not. I think it is something and I think that we really need to—" Draco was cut off by Pansy who had decided to stand right next to him and glare until he looked at her.
"I need my special ink back by dinner tonight." She seethed and walked away. Hermione didn't bother to ask. She just waited until Draco continued.
"I think we really need to keep it under control." He finally said. A pit of disappointment formed in her stomach but she nodded.
"Yeah. I already knew that and I agree." Her voice was soft.
Draco gave a small crooked smile and started to walk backwards, "I'll see you later then." And with that he turned and left her standing in the middle of the corridor. She shrugged it off and started walking with the flow of the hallway.
She was in a daze for the rest of her classes. Even at dinner she felt very out of it. Ginny waved a spoon right in front of Hermione's face and she didn't even blink. Harry chuckled and patted Hermione's shoulder.
"What's going on with you?" He asked.
"Nothing just tired."
"Are you sure?" Ginny asked.
"Yes." Hermione grabbed a corn muffin and started to butter it.
"Hermione there is something wrong and you must tell us." Ginny insisted.
Hermione thought quickly of an excuse and came up with, "I'm worried about Ron. Please tell me." She looked between Harry and Ginny.
"He knows how you feel about Draco…." Harry gave a weak smile.
"I don't feel anything…."
"It's okay Hermione; we know that you are falling in love with him. It's okay. " Ginny rubbed Hermione's shoulders encouragingly.
"Ron is just adjusting—" Harry was cut off by Hermione's fake laughter.
"There is nothing to adjust to. He doesn't like me! So what if I'm falling in love with him, it doesn't matter because he doesn't love me back. Tell Ron that. Why doesn't he know that? Why does he know what I'm feeling?" Hermione rubbed the bottoms are her eyes to keep from crying.
"It's that book he got from Luna. He can tell what almost all of us are feeling because he is close with us. He isn't close enough to Draco to be able to tell what he is feeling." Harry explained. Hermione was fed up with the discussion.
"Fine. I don't care. I have to tutor Blaise tonight so you two owl me later." She excused herself from the table, the same as she did at Breakfast and walked out, except this time she didn't cry. She simply sat outside the Great Hall hoping Draco wouldn't find her.
She still had time before tutoring Blaise so she decided to go to the library. She was the only person in there aside from the librarian. She sat at a table, took out her book, and put her head down. Every time she closed her eyes she saw Draco standing in front of her. She stopped closing her eyes. She got what she wanted; he wasn't going to go after her anymore. That's what she wanted.
Ten minutes went by and all she could feel was herself falling into depression. Find something positive, she thought. You're single…well you were always single but now you should look at the guys around you and…
"Oh hey Hermione." She looked up and saw Blaise smiling down at her. Bingo. "Hey. Oh please sit," She gestured to the seat across from her, "What are you doing here?" He put a huge book on the table and stared at it.
"I have to do a paper for Charms and I need to look up some kinda special gesture thingie—"
"The Jivogne wave." Hermione had done that paper a few weeks ago.
"Yes and I haven't done it so I figured I should just look it up now instead of putting it off. How are you? You looked a bit unhappy when I spotted you." Hermione didn't know whether she should just tell Blaise about Draco or avoid it.
"Well, I don't know just figuring out some friendship issue…. You know Blaise I can tutor you for other things too." Hermione tried to sound serious and not too flirty.
"Really that'd be great. You're so smart Hermione it would be wonderful if you would help me." He smiled at her. He had perfect teeth. In all he was very handsome. He had jet black hair, pale skin, light green eyes, and a full mouth He had never really said anything mean to her when they were younger, and she appreciated that.
"Is that Pansy?" Hermione noticed a skinny dark haired girl rushing towards a book case.
"Yeah…um, I'll be right back." He got up and rushed after her. Pansy always seemed to have some sort of drama, Hermione thought. She looked over the book Blaise had put on the table. She really didn't care for this book. It was mostly pictures of different spell and charm gestures. Then again it was mostly a picture book, very few words, that's probably why Hermione didn't like it.
"Sorry about that." Blaise sat down and she saw Pansy briskly walk out.
"Is she alright?"
"Oh she's fine, just stuff with Draco. The usual." Hermione's stomach twisted. Was Pansy with Draco now?
"It doesn't bother you?"
"Nope. It did when we were like fourteen but after a while you just get used to her complaining and getting upset over little things. You get tired of telling her that if she's not happy with him, than to move on. She never listens." Blaise took a piece of parchment out from his bag and opened up the book. Maybe he wasn't as thick as Hermione thought.
"I have to ask you something, I'm sorry if it's weird." Blaise just chuckled.
"Go ahead."
"You hooked up with Pansy on and off like for a while?" he nodded, "Do you enjoy fooling around with people with no emotional ties?"
"Oh yes." He grinned and began to skim the book. Hermione felt a moment of boldness.
"So do I."
(A/N I know he is actually black but I've been writing him as pale for my whole harry potter writey thing. But I do know! Next story he's in he'll look like how he's supposed too =]).
