I Want to Know Her Name
Hermione casually walked towards the Great Hall, feeling relaxed since today is a Sunday, there are no classes. Surprisingly, Hermione was once glad that there were no classes that day. Well, she wouldn't be blamed. Christmas day yesterday was a very tiring day for her.
The brunette arrived at the Great Hall and strolled towards the Slytherin table. She sat down on her usual spot – between Draco and Pansy.
"Good morning," she greeted as she grabbed a toast of bread and spread some peanut butter. A yawn escaped from her mouth as she did this.
"'Morning," they murmured. It seems like Hermione's not the only one who was tired.
"Good morning, Henny!" Mika exclaimed, giving the brunette a hug. Well, it seems like Mika is the only one who isn't tired.
"How can you be so energetic when yesterday was a tiring one?" Hermione asked, slightly chuckling at the little blonde.
"I dunno!" Mika said, adorably shrugging her shoulders. She then ate her sandwich again.
Hermione chuckled again and looked at her friends. Crabbe and Goyle are the usual Slytherins who have their own world and just eats and eats. Blaise's hair was disheveled today and was lazily munching his bread. Pansy has dark circles under her eyes. 'Probably she didn't sleep well, yesterday,' Hermione thought. And then she looked at Draco. The blond's eyes were distant. He was only playing with his bacon and egg, not eating them. Often, Draco would smile and then frown and then smile again. She was about to ask him if he was all right but Pansy interrupted her.
"Henry, are you all right now?" she asked, rubbing her eyes while yawning. "Goodness, I'm still too tired."
"You're not the only one," Blaise said, yawning too.
"I'm fine now, Pansy," Hermione said. "And for heaven's sake! Stop yawning! Yawns are very contagious!"
"Really?" Blaise said, releasing a yawn. Hermione glared at him. "Sorry, I can't help it."
Hermione then looked at Draco again whose chin was on top of his right hand already. "Draco, are you all right? You're not touching your food."
No answer.
Hermione curiously looked at Blaise, Pansy, and Mika. They just shrugged.
"Draco?" she asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. Draco flinched and looked at Hermione.
"Merlin, Henry, you startled me!" the blond exclaimed.
Hermione frowned and then touched his forehead. "Hmm… you don't have any fever."
"Of course I don't have!" Draco said, gently removing Hermione's hand off his forehead. "I'm fine, Henry. No need to worry."
"Are you sure?" the brunette said, narrowing her eyes.
"Yeah," Draco said, vigorously nodding.
"Really, really sure?" Hermione said again.
"Yeah, yeah," Draco said, broking into a grin. Hermione smiled, too, though still not very convinced.
"Drakie, you didn't answer my question yesterday?" Mika said, looking at her big brother.
"What question?" Draco asked.
"Your song yesterday, to whom do you dedicate that?" Mika asked, innocently taking a bit from her sandwich. His friends all looked at him, eager to know his answer.
Draco groaned. 'She sure has a good memory,' he thought as he felt his cheeks burning. "Uh… err… do I really have to answer that question."
"Yes!" they all exclaimed in unison.
The Slytherin prefect sighed in defeat. "All right, I'll answer it."
Blaise, Pansy, and Hermione edged closer to him.
"Tell us now, Draco, tell us now," Blaise said, feeling giddy and all.
Draco sighed again. "Remember the mysterious girl who sang yesterday?" he asked. Everyone nodded their head. "It is dedicated for her."
Blaise gasped. "You already know her?"
"Err… yeah…," the blond said, nodding. "Though, I only met her once."
Hermione smiled in amusement. 'So his song was dedicated to me,' she said, a blush threatening to show on both of her cheeks. 'How sweet.'
"How does she look like, mate? I mean, without any masks," Blaise asked, leaning on the table to be nearer the blond. "And why did she wear a mask? Huh?"
"Woah, woah, Blaise," Draco said, raising both of his hands. "One question at a time."
"How does she look like, Draco?" Pansy asked, impassively spreading peanut butter on her sandwich.
"Beautiful," the blond said, with a smile. Beside him, Hermione turned into a deep shade of red. "Absolutely beautiful."
"And why did she wear a mask on the Yule Ball?" Blaise asked.
"That I do not know," Draco said. "Now, I've answered your question, please do leave me alone."
Blaise rolled his eyes. "All right, I will," he said and did kept quiet.
And then suddenly, Blaise shouted, attracting attention from those who were quite near him.
"Can you shout louder, Blaise? I honestly can't hear you," Pansy asked with an irritated tone on her voice.
Blaise ignored her. Instead, he stared at Draco with big, wide eyes. "Draco, sing the chorus of your song."
Draco suspiciously looked at Blaise but sang it anyway.
'Cause I love her with all that I am
And my voice shakes
Along with my hands
'Cause it's frightening to be
Swimming in this strange sea
But I'd rather be here that on land
Yes she's all that I see
And she's all that I need
And I'm out of my league once again
"There, Blaise, I sang it already," Draco said, sighing. "What are you on about anyway?"
Blaise slowly smirked, an evil smirk meaning 'I discovered something'. Draco looked at him weirdly. "What?"
The Slytherin young man looked at Pansy, Mika, and Hermione. "I caught him."
"Caught? Caught him? What do you mean, Blaise?" Hermione asked.
"And do make some sense, idiot," Pansy said.
Blaise then looked at Draco again. "Draco, you are really in love."
Draco choked while drinking his pumpkin juice. Confused, Hermione gently patted his back.
"Wh-what do you mean?" Draco asked, glaring at Blaise with a red face after the coughing sensation disappeared.
"Well, Draco, it all connects!" Blaise exclaimed, feeling proud of himself for discovering something. "You said your song is dedicated to the mysterious girl who sang yesterday, right?"
Draco nodded, not really anticipating as to where there conversation would lead to.
"And the first line of the chorus of your song is - ."
"'Cause I love her with all that I am," Pansy answered him. "All right, Blaise, what's the big – OH MY GOSH!" Pansy stared at Draco, dumbstruck. "You love the mysterious girl! Are we right, Draco?"
The blond bit his bottom lip, face really red. After a few minutes, he released a sigh. "I think there's no point in denying it anymore," he said in a low whisper.
Blaise and Pansy high-fived. "He's in love! He's in love! He's in love! He's in love!" they repeated again and again in a sing-song voice.
"All right, shut up," Draco muttered, still red. "I… I don't know if I love her already. I mean, I only met her once… err… twice. But…I already feel a great attraction towards her." His eyes became far-off again. "I… think I'm falling in love with her already."
"Oh, mate, I'm so proud of you," Blaise said, sounding like a father who was congratulating his son for being an honor student. "You're growing-up already."
Draco glared at him. "Shut up."
"But honestly, Draco," Pansy said. "You're falling in love with this girl… fast. I predict you'll love her already once you see her again."
"Yeah, I think so," Draco said softly. "Err… I don't really know."
And that's when a goblet filled with pumpkin juice fell on Hermione's lap. Draco and Pansy both stood up and looked at Hermione, startled.
"Merlin, Henry!" Draco exclaimed as he stared at her wet lap.
"I – I'm sorry!" Hermione exclaimed, standing up, too. She grabbed a tissue and wiped it. "I – I'm sorry I'm klutzy today." Her face is very red that even Ron would get envy with her. Her heart was hammering, Hermione can feel it. Her breathing started to get short and quick. "I'm sorry," she said again. She caught the little Malfoy staring at her with big, wide eyes.
"You better dry your lap now, Henry," Pansy said.
"N – no," Hermione stuttered. "I'll just change it. Besides, I still need to get something in my room. Goodbye," she all said it in one breath. She stood up and made a mad dash out of the Great Hall.
Once Hermione arrived outside, some students were eyeing her strangely but Hermione ignored them. His words echoed inside her head again and again. I… think I'm falling in love with her already. I… think I'm falling in love with her already. I… think I'm falling in love with her already. "Ugh," Hermione thought, clutching her head. She immediately ran to the Slytherin Common Room.
Once she arrived there, she closed the door of her room and sat down against it. 'He feels a great attraction towards me,' Hermione thought again, her cheeks burning hot. She bit her bottom lip, feeling very embarrassed and… flattered? She clutched her hammering heart and closed her eyes. "BLOODY HELL!" she exclaimed.
Now, Hermione hated that today is Sunday. Reason? Well, because she got to spend more time with Draco who just practically confessed a while ago that he's falling in love with her… when she's in her true form, actually. Thinking about this makes Hermione's cheeks red, her heartbeat quickens, and her breathing becomes quick, too. Just being around him makes Hermione dizzy.
'Ugh… I think I'm going to get sick,' Hermione thought as she was eating lunch in the Great Hall in her usual spot, of course – between Pansy and Draco. Draco. Hermione's cheeks started to burn again. Unconsciously, she started to poke one of her cheeks.
Her friends were staring at her, thinking that she's acting odd.
"He's getting weirder and weirder, Blaise," Pansy whispered to the dark-haired boy in front of her. "God, I think something's wrong with Henry. Talk to him."
Blaise shook his head. "No, sorry," he said, now looking at Draco.
The blond sighed and nodded. "All right, all right," he mouthed. Draco then faced the student beside him who kept poking and poking her cheek.
"Drakie?" the little Malfoy told him on his lap.
"What is it, Mika?"
"Is Henny all right?" she asked, looking from Hermione to Draco.
"I dunno, Mika, that's why I'll ask her," the blond said. Mika nodded her head and watched silently.
Draco placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Henry, are you all right?"
Hermione froze. She stopped poking her cheek. At first, Hermione was processing everything in her mind. 'His hands are on my shoulder and asking me if I'm all right,' Hermione thought. 'His hand on my shoulder… Hand on shoulder… Hand… My shoulder… His hand…' Hermione immediately stood up while releasing an inaudible squeak, thus, shrugging Draco's hand off her shoulder.
"Hen - ?"
"I'M ALL RIGHT!" Hermione exclaimed, momentarily forgetting that thousands of students were in the Great Hall (thankfully, the teachers were not there).
"We don't care, Gordon!" Harry shouted from the Gryffindor table. Some students laughed, some gave Hermione curious looks and some were just oblivious or indifferent. The brunette felt like fainting right on the spot she was standing. Her cheeks started to burn again.
"Henry?" Draco asked again, concern evident in his eyes.
Hermione gulped. "I – I'm sorry. My head is just full of things I can't think clearly. I – I'm sorry, I'll go back to the Slytherin Common Room," she said in a rush. Without waiting for anyone to talk, she sprinted out of the Great Hall towards the Common Room.
"I'll go follow him," Pansy said, making a move to stand up.
"No, Pansy, sit down," Draco gently ordered, staring at the door of the Great Hall. "Leave him alone first. He said that he has a lot of things in his mind. Let us leave him alone first to clear those things."
Pansy nodded.
Mika was pouting. She then looked at the Gryffindor table and caught Ginny looking at her worriedly. The little Malfoy just shrugged her little shoulders while Ginny nodded.
Hermione was buried under the covers of her blankets. Her friends had knocked on her door a number of times already but the brunette didn't answer them just once. She sighed. 'I know they're worried of me already,' the brunette thought.
Suddenly, there was a tapping sound on her window. Unwillingly, Hermione stood up. There was an owl (a school owl, she presumed) waiting for Hermione to open the window. The brunette opened it and the owl came swooping into the room. It landed on Hermione's bed and stuck out one of its feet. Hermione untied the letter, gave it some bread crumbs and the owl flew away.
Hermione opened the letter. It was from Ginny. The letter was just short and quick.
Your highness,
Meet me in the same place as soon as possible. If possible, meet me now.
Ginny
Hermione sighed. 'Well, I guess I could tell her my problem,' she thought as she stood up. She slightly opened her door and peeked outside. Fortunately, her friends weren't there ('Possibly practicing Quidditch,' she thought) so Hermione immediately went out of the Slytherin Common Room and went to the Room of Requirement.
When she finally arrived, Ginny was already in the Room of Requirement. The red-head looked at her worriedly as Hermione closed the door.
"Hermione, are you all right?" Ginny asked. "You've been acting so weird already. Are you all right?" She watched as Hermione turned to look at her, tears brimming at the corners of her eyes. Startled, Ginny immediately stood up and approached the Princess in disguise. "Hey, what's wrong?"
Hermione shook her head and slightly chuckled at herself. "I'm sorry, Gin, it's just that I'm so confused right now," she said, wiping her tears away. "Awkward, right? A person who looks like a guy crying… awkward."
"Your highness, I repeat, are you all right?" Ginny asked, really confused at Hermione's weird behavior right now.
Suddenly, Hermione burst into tears and hugged Ginny. The brunette started to say incoherent words like 'confused', 'Draco' and 'falling in love'.
"I don't understand, Hermione," Ginny said, rubbing her back. "And for Merlin's sake, why are you crying?"
"Draco said he's falling in love with me!" Hermione exclaimed, pushing herself away from Ginny's hug. "He… he said he's falling in love… with me."
Ginny's jaw dropped. "What do you mean? Are you… are you crying because you think Draco's… gay?"
Hermione stared at Ginny through her tears. "Gay? Who said he's gay?"
"You… you said he said he's falling in love with you," Ginny said, utterly confused. "I mean, you look like a guy now… so… so if a guy confesses to a person he thinks is a guy, too, wouldn't he be considered as gay?"
The brunette shook, Ginny noticed. But she didn't shake because of tears but because of laughter. Hermione burst into laughter, making Ginny more confused because a minute ago, she was crying; now she is laughing. She really doesn't understand. 'Goodness, I think I should bring her to St. Mungo's right now,' she thought. "Hermione, what - ."
"Ginny, Draco told my friends and me that he thinks he's falling in love with the mysterious girl who sang yesterday," Hermione said, explaining it clearly while wiping her tears with a handkerchief she conjured.
"The mysterious girl yesterday? Aren't you that mysterious girl?" Ginny asked, her eyebrows knitting together.
Hermione nodded.
"How… how can he fall in love with a person so quickly when he only saw her yesterday?" Ginny asked.
The brunette blushed. "I… well… um… err… one night I decided to take a night stroll here in Hogwarts but as my true self, as a girl, but Draco saw me and caught me and then he met me," Hermione said in one breath.
At first, Ginny just stared at Hermione in silence. And then suddenly, Ginny sighed while shaking her head. "So, it's your fault then."
"What?"
"It's your fault Draco thinks he's falling in love with you when you are in your true form," Ginny explained.
"My fault? Ginny, what - ?"
"Remember, there is a saying Hermione, 'Absence can make the heart grow fonder'," Ginny quoted, explaining it further. "It's your fault. He saw you once already, right? He became fascinated with you. Maybe, just maybe, he's thinking about you night and day. Whenever he is not doing anything, he's mind just drifted and started to think about you again. Since he couldn't see you at all, he wants to see you more and more."
Hermione stared at Ginny. "How did you know that?"
Ginny shrugged. "I'm quite an expert in that field."
"Seems like I'm talking to the girl version of Blaise," Hermione said, slightly chuckling.
The red-head frowned. "Don't compare me with that playboy because I'm not a playgirl," she said, rolling her eyes. "Wait, wait, wait, we slightly went off the topic. Let me summarize to you what I understood. So, you mean to say, Draco told you and your friends that he thinks he was already falling in love with the mysterious girl who sang in the Yule Ball yesterday, which is you in your true form, and then, you are acting weird around him because you feel uncomfortable. You cried just a while ago because, you are confused, am I right?"
Hermione bit her bottom lip. "You exactly said what bothers my mind right now. Voicing it out makes me feel more confused," she said, her eyebrows knitted together. She then looked at the red-head with hopeful eyes. "Ginny, do you have any idea why I feel confused now? Do you have any idea why every time I see Draco, I can't help but blush? Do you have any idea why my heart starts to beat so fast? Do you have any idea why I… I suddenly can't breathe whenever I'm near him? Do you, Ginny? Do you have any idea with my feelings right now?"
Ginny gave her a knowing smile. "I do, Hermione. I promise I do. But I won't tell you right now. I think it might make you more confused and then one day you'll get sick. I don't want the royal Princess to get sick."
"Ginny - ."
"I swear, your highness, if I tell you right now, you'll faint right in front of me," Ginny said, chuckling at the confused look Hermione was giving her. "I promise I'll tell you one day. I dunno, maybe tomorrow, next week, next month…"
Hermione frowned. "All right, fine, I won't persuade you to tell me anymore because I trust your words," she said. She then walked towards the door of the Room of Requirement. "I guess I'll go now, Ginny. Goodbye." And with that, Hermione disappeared from Ginny's sight.
Once the brunette was gone, Ginny giggled. "You're exactly feeling what Draco feels for you right now, your highness. I hope you'll discover that soon."
'What does Ginny mean that she knows what I'm feeling right now?' Hermione thought as she went inside the Slytherin Common Room. 'What does she exactly mean that if she tells me, I'll get sick or I'll faint right in front of her? Hmm… seems like her answer might give me a shock.'
Once Hermione went inside, the familiar little blonde came running towards her. "Oh, hey, Mika," Hermione said.
The little blonde gazed up at her. "Princess Hermy (there is no one inside the Slytherin Common Room), Mika wants to talk to you."
"All right, little girl, I'm listening," Hermione said. "What is it?"
"Mika just wants to tell Princess Hermy she's glad Drakie loves her," Mika said, giving the Princess a smile. Hermione's eyes widened and felt her cheeks burn.
"Mi – Mika," she stuttered. "Your brother just… just told us he thinks… you know…"
"But Drakie still likes Princess Hermy!" Mika exclaimed, hugging the brunette. This time, Hermione didn't answer her back because she thinks Mika does have a point.
"I want Princess Hermy to be my big sister!" the little blonde announced.
Suddenly, the entrance of the Slytherin Common Room opened and in came Draco, Pansy, Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle. Hermione's heart skipped a beat at the sight of him.
"Oh, good, you came out from your room already," Draco said, putting his broom down. "We thought you wouldn't go out from it, Henry."
Hermione nodded (she caught the smile of the little blonde) and then went to sit down on one of the couches. She knew that soon, her cheeks would be burning, her heart would go racing, and her breath would go short and quick. So, she closed her eyes. 'All right, Hermione, breathe in, breathe out,' she thought. Soon, she started to calm down. 'Very good, Hermione. Breathe in, breathe out.'
Draco then sat down beside her. "Hey, Henry, are you sure you are all right now?" he asked as he touched her forehead. "Seems like you aren't ill at all," he said.
Hermione stared at him, not knowing what to say. And then, her cheeks started to burn again.
"Oh Merlin, your temperatures rising, Henry, your temperatures rising!" Draco said, slightly getting worried.
"I – I'm fine," Hermione said, immediately grabbing a book on top of the coffee table to cover up her red face.
The blond looked at the others curiously who just shrugged their shoulders.
"Are you sure you are fine, Henry?" Pansy asked. "I mean, this lunch time - ."
"I'm fine, Pansy," Hermione muttered, cutting her from completing her sentence.
The Slytherin girl nodded her head. Soon, the common room became quite because everyone started to do something to make them busy.
"Psst… Princess Hermy," the little blonde whispered. Hermione looked up from her book (she really wasn't reading it) and looked at Mika.
"What is it?" she whispered back.
"The book," Mika said, pointing at her book, "It's upside down."
"Oh," Hermione said, feeling stupid as she correctly turned the book. "Thanks."
Mika just smiled for her answer.
"Draco, stop doing that," Blaise suddenly said. Everyone looked at him curiously.
"What?" the blond asked, snapping out of his reverie.
"That look… you're thinking of her again, aren't you?" Blaise asked. Pansy beside him sighed. Hermione covered her face more to prevent anyone from seeing her very red face.
Draco sighed. "It's hard not to think about her, Blaise, every time I'm not doing anything."
"Just stop having that look on your face if I'm with you, okay?" the Slytherin said. "Every time I see it, I can feel your feelings are pure. It makes me guilty."
Pansy snorted. Blaise glared at her and stuck out his tongue.
'Pure… his love,' Hermione thought as she secretly sneaked a glance at the blond. 'His feelings are pure.'
"You know what? I made another goal," Draco said, absentmindedly twirling a loose strand from his robe.
"What goal?" Pansy asked.
"Well, before the school-year ends," the blond said, smiling, "I will know her name. I want to know her name."
When said that, Hermione can't help but smile. "Hermione," she whispered.
"What was that, Henry?" Draco asked, curiously looking at the student beside him.
"What?" Hermione asked. "I… err… just said good luck in knowing her name."
Draco nodded. "Thanks." And then, there was silence again.
Hermione inaudibly sighed, sneaking another secret glance at the blond beside her. 'Hermione, Draco. Her name is Hermione,' the brunette told the blond in her thoughts.
A/N: For those who were asking what Draco sang in the Yule Ball, it's entitled "Out of my League" by Stephen Speaks. It's a very lovely song with a beautiful piano piece. Read and Review! xoxoxoxoxo 2booklover4