Chapter Twelve: Home
Hermione entered the astronomy tower. She climbed up the stairs to see Draco standing on the balcony. She wasn't even at the top of the stairs yet when he said, "My father has asked me to come home for the weekend."
"Are you going to?" Hermione asked as she approached the balcony.
"I don't think I have much of a choice."
"Do you think he knows?"
Hermione finally stood next to him, but Draco would not make eye contact. "I know he does," he said. "Pansy has been telling everyone about us."
"Please don't go," she pleaded with him. "I don't want him to hurt you."
"He won't hurt me."
"Draco, please…"
Draco turned his head to look at her. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I have to go."
"Just promise me you'll be careful."
"I will. I promise," he said as he took her hands in his. "Are you going to be all right here by yourself?"
"Luna will keep me out of trouble," Hermione smiled sadly.
"That's good."
"When do you leave?"
"Early tomorrow morning," Draco sighed.
"So I won't be able to see you again before you leave?"
"I don't think that's such a good idea… My father is coming to get me."
"I suppose you're right," Hermione said as she looked down at her black shoes.
"We should probably be getting back soon…"
"Can't we just stay here forever?"
Draco pulled her into his arms, embracing her. "I wish everything were that easy. How are they treating you back in Gryffindor?"
"No one talks to me anymore," Hermione replied sadly.
"And by 'no one' you mean Harry and Ron?"
"Ginny as well…"
"Don't worry," he said as he kissed her on the top of her head. "They'll learn to understand."
"How do you know?"
"Just trust me."
Hermione looked up into his silver grey eyes. "I do trust you."
Draco smiled. "And that's all that matters."
Draco had woken up early the next morning in order to meet his father in Hogsmeade. They were scheduled to meet at the Three Broomsticks at seven o'clock. Draco arrived with five minutes to spare.
He sat down at an empty booth and waited for his father to show up, not that he was looking forward to it. Five minutes past, then ten. There was still no sign of his father.
A woman wearing an emerald green cloak entered the inn. Draco stood up when he realized who she was. "There you are, Draco, darling!" The woman said.
"Mum?" He asked, confused. "What are you doing here? I thought father was picking me up?"
"Something came up at the ministry."
"Of course," Draco muttered under his breath.
"Are you ready to go, darling?" Narcissa asked her son.
"I suppose so… Why did father even want me to come home in the first place?"
"Because we missed you!"
"Mum, don't lie to me," he said fiercely. "He talked to Pansy, didn't he?"
"She paid us a visit," she said nervously, sensing Draco's anger.
"What did she say?"
"She wanted to speak to your father."
"About?"
"I don't know, Draco, but we really should be going now."
"Fine," he sighed. The two of them left the Three Broomsticks and disapparated.
Hermione had just returned to the Gryffindor common room after a rather lonely breakfast. She was planning on going up to her dormitory to start her Transfiguration essay, but then she saw Ron sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace. She walked over and sat down next to him. "Please talk to me," she begged.
"Why should I talk to you?" Ron snapped at her.
"Because you're one of my best friends."
Ron stood up. "Well, maybe you should have thought about that before you went around snogging Malfoy behind our backs!"
Hermione stood up as well, trying to stop him from walking away. "Ron, please! You don't understand!"
"No, you don't understand!" Ron shouted at her. "I loved you, Hermione! And then I found out that you were with him!"
"How do you think I felt when you were with Lavender?! I can't believe that you actually went back to her!" People were starting to file into the common room and the sound of Ron and Hermione's fighting.
"Well, at least she's a Gryffindor!"
"What do houses have to do with this? You can't hate someone just because they're in a different house than you!"
"It's not what house he's in," Ron said, "it's what he's done to us in the past. What he's done to you in the past."
"Well, at least I can learn to forgive," Hermione countered.
"Maybe I don't need your forgiveness!"
"Maybe I wasn't talking about you!"
"Shove off, Hermione," Ron said.
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
Hermione stormed off, pushing her way past the spectators so she could get up the stairs to her dormitory. She threw herself down on her bed, burying her face in her pillow, and began to cry herself to sleep.
It was a little after midnight when Hermione woke up. She remembered her date with Draco and made her way back down to the common room after climbing out of bed. The common room was empty, so she sat down on the couch and waited for Draco's image to form in the flames. She struggled to stay awake.
"Hey." Hermione opened her eyes to see Draco's face in the fireplace.
"Hey.'
"What's wrong now?" Draco smiled worriedly.
"I talked to Ron," Hermione said simply.
"What did he say?"
"We didn't talk so much as shout at each other…"
"I'm guessing that it didn't go very well."
"You guessed right," Hermione sighed. "How are thing at home?"
"Not too bad," Draco replied.
"Has he hurt you?"
"No, Hermione. I'm fine."
"I believe you. I'm just worried, that's all," she said.
"That's funny," he smiled at her. "I was worrying about you."
"Why would you be worrying about me?"
"Well, I can't exactly be there for you, to protect you, from here, can I?"
"I suppose not." Hermione smiled back at him.
Draco turned his head, as if listening to someone else. "I'm sorry, Hermione, but I have to go now. Mum's yelling at me."
"Okay," she replied downheartedly. "I love you."
"I love you too, Hermione. You are my forever." The fire went out and he was gone.