Then Hermione collapsed into Harry's arms. Ginny screamed.
Draco came running when he heard her scream. He was acting on impulse. It sounded like Hermione.
You really care about her.
Hermione?
Yes.
Maybe.
Admit it.
Okay, I do.
Told you.
Whatever. Do you think she's hurt?
I dunno. Probably. She did scream.
What if she fainted again???
She left with Ginny and Harry, remember?
What does that have to do with anything?
Harry would have caught her if she did.
…
What, Draco?
So, who screamed?
It could have been Ginny.
Why would she scream?
Well, she is Hermione's best friend.
So?
You are so stupid.
What?Hermione is Ginny's best friend. Of course she's going to be scared when Hermione faints.
Oh. Do you think there's something wrong with her?
For screaming when you see your best friend pass out? No, there's nothing wrong with that.
No! Hermione!
What do you mean?
She's fainted like 3 times today.
Oh.
Yeah.
I dunno.
I hope not.
You care about her! You like her! You love her!
Okay, I like her. But I do NOT love her.
Okay. You don't love her. But, you just admitted that you like her.
I did. Where did that scream come from?
Around the corner, up there. I think it was by the Charm's classroom.
Oh. Okay. Thank you.
No problem.
Okay, now leave me alone.
Good luck with your girl!
That voice was annoying. But it could be helpful. He heard voices around the corner and he broke into a sprint. Harry was holding Hermione in his arms and Ginny was crying. "What happened?" Draco asked. Harry and Ginny turned to look at him. "She's fainted." Harry whispered. Draco ran to Hermione. "I thought you said that you didn't like her." Ginny accused. A dark look crossed his face.
"I do…I'm really worried about her. This is like the 3rd time she's fainted today." he muttered, looking at the girl in Harry's arms.
"She has?" Ginny asked, looking up. "Yes, she has…"
"I don't think that's normal…" Ginny muttered.
"No, fainting multiple times in one day is totally normal." Draco hissed.
"Hey, shut up! Let's just take care of Hermione." Harry said, standing up. "What do you think you're doing with her?" Draco asked."I'm taking her to the hospital wing." Harry muttered, glaring at Draco. Draco said nothing and followed Harry and Ginny. It was quiet, the only sound was their footsteps; the rest of the castle was at the feast. Draco felt he was worrying too much. After all, he wasn't very fond of this girl. She was impossible and very hard to live with. She was pretty; beautiful, even, but nevertheless, she was…a very angry witch. But, he couldn't deny the fact that he held a lot of respect for her. She was strong and independent, she had a back bone; that was much more than he could say for the girls he had dated. She was really the only girl he actually respected. She was very brave, yet very kind. Hermione proved him wrong with every move she made; every breath she took; every word she spoke. She was the smartest girl he had ever met, he had never encountered a girl that stood her ground, even if she knew she was wrong. He had never came across a girl that was so stubborn, a girl that could cook and sing and dance at the same time. He had never met a girl that didn't need constant attention, never met a girl that didn't have to pretend that she was something that she wasn't.
"Draco! She's awake!" Ginny said, pulling on his sleeve. Draco smiled and looked around him. They were standing in a white room illuminated by the sunlight pouring in through the wide windows. Hermione was on a bed near the door, her eyes wide and looking around. She smiled at Draco and reached her hand out towards Ginny. He sat on the foot of her bed. "Are you okay?" he asked. Hermione shrugged.
"I dunno." she muttered. "I feel better, though." she looked around again. "Draco, have I eaten anything today?" she asked. Draco thought back to the morning. She said she was to scared and nervous to eat. They had both skipped lunch, for neither could stomach anything. He hadn't seen her eat anything at the feast, she was talking to her friends. "I don't think you have." he said.
"That's why I've been fainting…this morning, it was because I was just nervous. At lunch it was because I hadn't eaten anything and now, it was because I haven't eaten." she said. Draco nodded, but he couldn't shake the worry away. He took her hand and entangled his hand with hers. She smiled at him and squeezed his fingers.
