DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER. IT BELONGS TO THE GREAT J.K. ROWLING. I only own this plot.
~xOxOx~
Author's Note: Hello guys! First I want to thank my readers and my dear reviewers of chapter 11. They are DracoMalfoy4Ever, XXCissyXX, Ms. Louis Cordice Zabini, PhysicWitch., Shyrazie, silver dragon and Lucifeeer. Thank you very much for the reviews. I also want to extend my gratitude to those who favorite my story and keep in on alert. I also want to thank Lucifeeer for pointing about my writing style. Thank you for it and I'll try to change it into past tense next chapter. I'm sorry if I wasn't able to heed your advice in this chapter. I'll also try to find time to really revise previous chapters and be consistent with my writing style. I'll use third person, past tense next chapter. Thanks for saying it. Anyway, here guys is chapter 12. Hope you enjoy it. :)
~xOxOx~
Chapter Twelve – Disastrous Practice
After the Halloween Ball, people started to talk of the upcoming Quidditch match between Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Tension began to pile up between Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Students were having problems which team to support. Draco was practicing harder than ever so as the team would win while he was the team captain. Blaise saw the stress that had build up within Draco that he decided to inspire him a little.
"Hey there Granger!" Blaise said spotting Hermione alone, walking towards Hagrid's hut where she would meet up with Harry and Ron there.
"Oh hi there! What is it?" Hermione asked.
"Can you come to our Quidditch practice tonight if you don't have anything to do?" Blaise said smiling. "Which I think you're available, since you don't have any head duties tonight and the teachers didn't give any homework for us."
"It's true that I'm free tonight, but why?" Hermione asked suspiciously.
"I just want to give Draco some inspiration for our last practice in this match." Blaise said truthfully. "Are you okay with it?"
"There's something fishy in here." Hermione exclaimed. "Don't you even think that maybe I'll be a spy?"
"Of course not!" Blaise said chuckling. "I know you won't do that, Granger. Anyway, I'll see you tonight, 6 pm in the Great Hall." Blaise then hurriedly went away. Hermione went to Hagrid's hut where she saw Harry and Ron waiting for her.
"Hey guys! Guess who I met while going here."
"Who is it?" Harry and Ron chorused.
"It's Blaise Zabini." Hermione said. "And do you know what he says?"
"He wants to go out with you?" Ron said suggestively.
"Of course not." Hermione said scowling. "He wants me to go and see the Slytherin team practicing Quidditch tonight."
"But why?" Harry asked curiously.
"Says that I should give Draco some inspiration." Hermione said blushing. Harry and Ron laughed at this. Hermione gave both of them death glares that the two stopped from laughing.
"I think you should go Hermione." Harry said finally.
"Yeah, go and become a spy for us." Ron said.
"Ron!" Hermione scowled. "Even if I have to go and watch, I won't be a spy."
"I know! I know! I was just joking!" Ron said defensively.
In the end, Hermione went to the Great Hall to meet with Blaise. Blaise had been waiting for her to come that he happily went towards her when he saw her coming.
"There you are! I knew you would come!" Blaise said smiling. "I've been waiting for you. Draco will be shock."
"You mean you didn't tell Draco about this?" Hermione asked.
"Hm, let's just say you're our surprise guest for tonight. Come on." Blaise said.
The two went together to the field and everyone was shocked especially Draco. The other Slytherins tried to protest about this but then decided against it. Hermione sat in the benches awkwardly. Blaise then went flying into the air meeting Draco and the others.
"Surprise?" Blaise said triumphantly.
"What is Hermione doing here?" Draco asked grimacing. "Is this one of your plans?"
"Relax, Draco." Blaise said assuring. "Think of it as an inspiration."
Draco didn't say anything about it and instead began the practice with Hermione their only spectator. The practice went well at first until a quarrel ensued among the two beaters and a chaser. The chaser, Casey Williams, had almost been hit by a bludger and blamed the beaters about this.
"It's your fault for not watching carefully for the bludger." Casey said angrily to Minett, one of the beaters.
"My fault? It's his fault! He was the one near you." Minett said pointing to Jones his co-beater.
"Excuse me! But I was still busy trying to beat the other bludger. You were the one." Jones said defending himself.
"Hey! What the bloody hell is wrong there?" Draco said coming towards them. "What were you quarreling about?"
The three then explained their side of the story. Hermione noticed that something was wrong that she decided to inquire about it and asked Draco.
"What's wrong Draco?" Hermione asked standing.
"It's nothing, just a silly fight." Draco said looking at Hermione. He started to turned away when he saw a bludger coming towards Hermione.
"Hermione, look out!" Draco screamed looking frantically at the bludger.
Hermione immediately saw that a bludger was coming towards her and tried to remember how to immobilize it, when suddenly Draco went in front of her and the bludger hit him hard. Draco fell 50 feet from the ground. Immediately everyone went towards him, Hermione especially. They found Draco barely conscious, wincing in pain.
"Draco! Draco! Are you okay? Are you alright?" Hermione asked frantically.
"A-a-are y-y-you o-o-okay?" Draco croaked slowly.
"Idiot! I should be the one saying that!" Hermione exclaimed. Draco smiled weakly. He heard Hermione and Blaise calling for Madam Pomfrey before passing out.
~xOxOx~
"Father, do we really have to support Dark Wizards?" Draco said sadly to his father in his study. Lucius looked up at Draco incredulously.
"Why are you asking that? Of course we have to." Lucius said looking suspiciously at his son.
"But then Dad, I don't see a reason why we have to." Draco said. Lucius stood up eyeing his son.
"Have you been brainwashed by that Potter, Draco?" Lucius asked raising his eyebrow.
"Of course not." Draco said hurriedly trying not to look at his father's eyes.
"Good. I don't want to see my son acting this way ever again."
"Yes, father."
-oOo-
Crabbe and Goyle were beating a Muggle kid in one of the deserted streets in London.
"Think that you're so superior eh, you filthy Muggle?" Crabbe said smirking.
"Have you ever heard of the word, magic?" Goyle said smirking widely at the Muggle's horrified state.
"Crabbe! Goyle! What the bloody hell are you doing? Stop that!" Draco said as he saw the two beating the kid. The two stopedp beating the kid and instead went towards Draco surprise evident in their faces.
"What's wrong with you today?" Crabbe asked.
"You've been acting differently all day." Goyle said complaining.
"Nothing." Draco said nonchalantly. "Let's go. I'm tired already. Just leave that Muggle in there."
-oOo-
"I can't do this anymore." Draco said confiding to Blaise and Pansy.
"Draco, you don't have to do it. You have a choice not to." Pansy said comforting Draco.
"I don't have a choice! I have to do it thought I don't want to anymore." Draco said.
"Well mate, it's up to you. Just make sure that you won't regret what you choose and know that we will always be behind you supporting." Blaise said patting Draco's back.
"Thanks." Draco said slowly.
Draco slowly woke up from his dream or rather scenes from his past. He found out that he's in the bed and it's dark. Must be in the hospital wing. Draco thought. He slowly tried to sit up when he saw that his left hand and his two legs had been plastered.
"Was it that painful?" Draco muttered and tried to sit up again using his right hand when he felt something in the air. He then heard a familiar voice moaning silently and sat there waiting to what will come out. He could hear someone rustling a cloak and after a few seconds, out emerged Hermione.
"Draco, you're awake." Hermione said smiling.
"What are you doing here?" Draco asked then smirks. "Are you worried?"
"Of course I am!" Hermione cried. "You shouldn't have tried to stop the bludger by coming towards it! I can just immobilize it! Why the hell did you have to meet the bludger?"
"Whoa! Ssh! Madam Pomfrey will wake up." Draco said hushing Hermione who was now scolding him.
"She's not here. Madam Pomfrey is in St. Mungo's right now and will be back tomorrow. We just put a cast on your left hand and legs." Hermione said. "And besides I put a silencing spell around us so we can talk anytime we want. I borrowed Harry's invisibility cloak and I'm here to watch over you."
"But why?"
"It's because, without meaning to, I am indebted to you." Hermione said. "Even though I didn't ask you to do it, but then you still save my neck in there. I then decide to repay you by watching over you."
"I'm not a child you know." Draco said smirking.
"I know that, but this is the only thing I can think of repaying you for saving me. I'll just watch over you while you're in the hospital wing. Deal?" Hermione asked. Draco thought it over.
"Deal!" Draco said. Hermione heaved a sigh of relief and started to talk about the practice.
"You know, judging by the practice that I saw, I don't think you'll make it to finals." Hermione said teasing Draco.
"We'll win. I'll kill those bastards if ever we're going to lose." Draco said jokingly.
Hermione laughed and they started talking about other things like predicting who would win in Quidditch this year and who would most likely lose. The night went by and the sky started to brighten up.
"Oh no! I have to go already. I have to prepare for class." Hermione said standing up.
"You can go already." Draco understood. "You'll come by tonight?"
"I will." Hermione said smiling.
She then went away and prepared for the day. Hermione thought that she would go and visit Draco tonight but it turned out that she couldn't. The teachers gave them much homework. Worse, she's being paired up with Neville in Transfiguration and Hermione had to teach Neville how to properly transfigure a cat into a dog. In the end, Hermione didn't visit Draco in that night. The next day, she heard that Draco was waiting for her.
"And not only that, he won't eat dinner." Pansy said to Hermione.
"He only ate when Madam Pomfrey finally forced him to." Blaise said.
"So, Draco is already recovering?" Hermione asked. Blaise and Pansy nodded. "I'm sorry. I was busy yesterday that I wasn't able to visit him."
"Go say your apologies to Draco tonight." Pansy said. "Mind you, he really was waiting for you."
"Oh no!" Hermione said worriedly. She skipped dinner as she went to where the house elves in the kitchen. Even though she hated it but then she asked for porridge to be made. The house elves willingly obeyed and even cooked her other food. Hermione went to the hospital wing to found Draco waiting for her.
"You weren't here last night." Draco said grimly.
"I'm sorry. I had many things to do last night that I wasn't able to come here." Hermione said apologetically.
"Then you need to compensate for it." Draco said smirking. "Go on a date with me."
Hermione tried to retort but then knew better not to. It was her fault in the beginning why she didn't visit him.
"Oh okay. Just name the day and I'll go with you." Hermione said surrendering. "Have you eaten already?"
"I haven't." Draco said. Hermione ended up feeding Draco porridge since he's still recovering.
"So, are you okay to play tomorrow afternoon?" Hermione asked worriedly.
"I'm going to be fine. I'm recovering already and Madam Pomfrey says that I can play tomorrow." Draco said. "Remember Hermione, you should cheer for Slytherin tomorrow."
"Alright already." Hermione said chuckling. "I'll support Slytherin tomorrow. Just be careful for tomorrow okay?"
"Of course I will and Slytherin will definitely win tomorrow's match."
"We'll see about that one." Hermione said finally as she finished feeding Draco. "I should go now Draco. You have a nice sleep." Hermione said getting up when Draco grabbed Hermione's wrist.
"Wait! Don't go!" Hermione turned around to face Draco.
"What?"
"There's an act that I want to try out." Draco said smirking. "There was a time when I was in London, and I happened to saw this rectangular box where inside it are people doing things. What I happened to saw at that time was a woman frantically holding and crying this man's hands who happened to have tubes in his nose and mouth."
"The rectangular box that you saw is called a television and what you saw was a movie." Hermione said correcting Draco.
"Whatever." Draco said rolling his eyes. He didn't care what that box was called. "So, will you do the crying and holding my hand thing?"
"Of course not!" Hermione said, blushing in the process. "You're not even dying."
"But don't you at least care for me?" Draco said teasing Hermione.
"I have to go. I don't have time for your pranks." Hermione said hastily walking away from him but then suddenly went back and kissed Draco in his forehead. Draco's shocked at Hermione.
"What was that?" Draco asked suddenly.
"Isn't it obvious? A kiss in the forehead." Hermione said in a matter-of-a-fact tone.
"Of course I know that, but then isn't there a certain meaning to any kiss? I should probably research what it is." Draco said to which Hermione blushed hard.
"You don't need to research about it. Go to sleep already. See you tomorrow." Hermione said flushing and went away. Draco chuckled at Hermione.
"I don't need to research about it Hermione. I already know the meaning of it." Draco said smiling happily
I love the ending. :) I researched about what a kiss in the forehead means and I learned that it means "I care for you". I don't know if that is the real meaning of it, but then I'll be using the care for you meaning in my story. :P I also want to tell my readers to read my other Dramione fic entitled Here Without You. It's only a one-shot so please be kind to read and review. Also, what do you think of this chapter? I hope that you like it. Please read and review! I love you guys! :)
