Author's Note: First things first, I AM DONE MY EXAMS! It's excellent. XD. I think the word excellent will be forever stuck in my head now, what with all the volunteering with little kids and encouraging them with words just like excellent. Oh, and also Buddy. Variations, too. Bud, Buddy same thing… I actually called my dad bud by mistake yesterday. XD.
Author's Note: I'm sick. Ugh. I feel like crap, coughing, sneezing, weezing and I sound super congested when I talk.
NOTE: 'Allure' I picked this word up from Veela fics, it's the power they can turn on and off to attract people to them.
Disclaimer: I swear to god, its getting REALLY annoying to write, every single chapter, that I don't own Harry Potter. Honestly, how stupid are people that they need to hear it every chapter? Does anyone even READ them anymore? Oh, and for the record I don't own ANYTHING from Pirates of the Caribbean either, because Hermione says something which you MIGHT catch that Elizabeth says.
"It still feels weird, going up to my new Common Room after classes are over and sleeping in my own room. I'm actually starting to miss Lavender and Parvati and their giggling over Witch Weekly magazines." Hermione said and sighed, falling into step with Ron.
"Yeah, but it isn't so bad I suppose. For me, anyway. Morag is a good guy… just…"
She nodded, "I know what you mean. It's not the same."
Draco and Hermione had been walking back to their dormitories at around 3:30 when she'd seen Ron and Morag walking as well. Seizing this opportunity to talk to her best friend, she'd called his name and hurried over to join him. Draco had looked rather annoyed and glared more heatedly at the red head then was usual before reluctantly walking beside Morag.
"How is Harry?"
"Honestly? Something is wrong." She hurried on when she saw the expression on his face, "Not anything with the Order. He and Blaise are fighting."
"Zabini? I never really liked him. Slytherin, dark and sends chilly glares, right?" He frowned and looked over at Morag, who was laughing at a Third Year girl who had fallen to the ground. "Great guy, really. Just laughs at everything."
"Hmm." She murmured and watched as he doubled over with laughter while the girl looked scandalized. "You're friends right? You get along?"
"Yeah, but he's not the same as Harry and you." He grinned at her and she nodded in agreement.
"Did you see that?" Morag was still laughing and poked Draco, who looked disgusted.
"Yes, yes I did. Now take your grubby hand off me and leave me alone." Draco said sourly. "It really wasn't that amusi-"
Hermione felt several feelings at once. She lost her vision and lost her sense of perception. She felt something slam into her mind and something detach at the same second, strong and yet barely detectable. Feelings rushed to fill her entire body and in the course of a millisecond she felt every emotion flash through her that she'd ever felt. It was so overwhelming that she fell the floor, the bodies of her friends fell around her. Then she lost consciousness.
"Granger! Hurry up and stand, before someone else comes along." Draco's voice said urgently, and she felt a thrill shoot through her as she heard it.
Relief filled her with energy and she sat up quickly, beaming. The sight of Draco standing in front of her made a cry of delight leave her lips and she leapt to her feet. He smiled at her, truly and genuinely smiled, and she threw her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. "Oh good! We're back!"
"We didn't go camping, Granger." He said dryly, returning the embrace loosely and feeling a slight blush don his cheeks.
"I know but I feel so-so whole." She let him go, trying not to feel sorry for this loss of contact, and turned to Ron. How wonderful it was to address him in his own body! "This is wonderful!"
He was grinning, though it looked rather strained as he thought over the exchange he'd just witnessed between his best friend and his enemy. "I'm glad to be myself again."
"Me too." Morag said, still chuckling.
"Hermione," Ron pulled her aside abruptly, it seemed he had been trying not to and failed. "What was that?"
"What was what?"
"That hug. With Malfoy." He said, glaring at Draco over her shoulder.
"It was just as you said. A hug. With Malfoy." She said smoothly. "Don't worry, Ron. I know what I'm doing."
He looked at her for a long moment and then shook his head. "Has Harry heard from the Order?"
"No, they don't seem to want us to be kept informed." She'd noticed that despite this mission, for lack of a better word, with Draco she was doing (although she was basically letting things happen on their own now) the Order had been keeping quiet about everything going on.
"How are we supposed to prepare for something-not that we know what He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's next move is- if we don't know a thing that is going on?" He grumbled, ruffling his hair. "Usually we know something's up because we get clues at school. It's been too silent."
"The Daily Prophet hasn't been reporting too much anymore, either. In fact," she said thoughtfully, "I haven't read about an attack in a long while. It's as though they're waiting for something."
Ron looked worried and glanced over at Draco, who was leaning casually against the wall and ignoring all of Morag's chattering. "In preparation for something? Or maybe they just want us to let our guards down."
"It seems to me that anyone in the outside world would merely become tenser, not assume the threat was over." She said and then realized what exactly she had said. Gasping, she began to speak again. "Oh no. You don't think- not here! They wouldn't dare attack Hogwarts, would they? Why would they attack when they know they would lose?"
Ron shrugged, "I think you should tell Harry what we talked about, he'll probably know more about it then we do. I should probably go," he looked sheepish. "I've got to start writing down what happened for this potion."
She smiled rather then admonish him. Ron's slacking habits were one of the things that caused her to miss Gryffindor Tower. Despite the fact that it annoyed her there was a sense of homeliness in it that she wished she had again.
"I made a point of writing several paragraphs at the end of each night so I can compile them and then rewrite a few copies." She said smartly and he rolled his eyes.
"Not everyone can be perfect."
She grinned at him and they shared a friendly laugh. "I am not perf-
"Granger," Draco interrupted them and sneered at Ron. "Let's go. Morag is seriously dragging on my patience."
She looked over at Morag, who was talking amiably with a portrait and then back at Draco, who was scowling so heatedly at Ron she wondered how the Hufflepuff had put him in such a bad mood. "I suppose…" She turned to Ron. "See you at dinner?"
"Yeah."
She parted with Ron and began walking to her dormitory with Draco. They began talking about things they found amusing as they stepped into the Common Room while thinking of how Morag seemed to be quite hysterical.
"Witty humor." She was saying. "It's so much better then a stupidly placed perverted joke and actually requires someone with some level of intelligence to make it good."
"I suppose you don't get any with the Gryffindors, then." Draco said and smirked.
"Oh shut up." She said, amused. "Oh, there you are Harry. Could I talk to you?"
The raven haired male looked up from his book. "Sure. Alone?" He shot a pointed look at Draco, who glowered and stalked to his room. "Easy to irritate, that one."
She smiled slightly and sat down across from him on a loveseat, quickly explaining the conversation she'd had with Ron. Harry looked immensely annoyed by the end of it.
"I don't know anything. It's so frustrating." He ran a hand through his jet black hair and let out a breath of hot air.
"Why don't we write Remus tomorrow? We could meet with Ron and spent all day together." She suggested, knowing that mentioning his favourite ex-professor often cheered him up.
Harry shot her a strange look. "Didn't your team win that trip to Hogsmeade?"
"Did we?" She didn't recall Draco telling her about it. "I don't know."
"Dumbledore announced it at the end of breakfast."
"Oh, I suppose I wasn't listening."
"Don't you always listen?" Harry grinned lopsidedly at her. "A lot of people are going, since there are people from different groups on your team."
"I thought we were separating this weekend…right?"
"Merlin Hermione, where were you this morning?" He sighed in mock exasperation. "Dumbledore also said he felt it wasn't necessary for us to be separated at all anymore because the groups were working well."
"Oh." She wondered if she should feel so delighted about being able—er, having to-- to spend the Hogsmeade day with Draco. "Are you disappointed?"
"Not really." He shrugged. "I was going to go with them anyway, we're meeting Blaise's friend at The Three Broomsticks. I promised to help him sneak out because he's in seventh year."
She was surprised, to say the least. At the beginning of this assignment Harry had acted like being stuck with the two Slytherins had been the worst thing imaginable. Now, however, he had planned on spending a day with them at Hogsmeade even though he'd been given the choice not to. Before the change of separation, anyway.
"It's sort of important." Harry continued, "Blaise really needs this. It's hard to explain right now, but it's important."
"That explains a lot." She said sarcastically, ignoring the raise in his eyebrows at the remark. "Where is Blaise?"
"Talking with Pansy."
She nodded in understanding and when she heard a door no the other side of the room open she looked that way quickly. Her heart sank as it was Blaise and Pansy who exited Pansy's room and then moved over to Draco's.
Something was different. She realized as she got over the strange disappointment of it not being Draco who'd left the room. Pansy looked over at Harry and a silent understanding passed between the two of them. She felt completely lost and really stupid.
"Let's sit down."
Something is wrong! She sat down on one of the couches, bracing herself for what was surely unpleasant news. Draco came out from his room and spoke briefly with Pansy, before taking a seat next to Hermione. Blaise sat in an armchair while Harry and Pansy took the loveseat.
There was an awkward silence.
"What's going on?" She asked and looked around. Draco and she seemed to be the only ones in the dark. Harry and Pansy both looked to Blaise, who was looking quite pale.
"Right." He cleared his throat and looked at the space on the couch between Hermione and Draco, which was remarkably small. "There's something I should tell you."
"It's okay." Pansy said in the gentlest voice Hermione had ever heard her use when Blaise didn't look physically able to continue.
"I decided to tell you, Hermione and Draco, that is, at once. You know, kill two banshees with one curse." He laughed nervously. "This is hard to say, I mean, I didn't know but I really did and it's really not something you confess to people everyday."
"Yes?" Hermione could have hit Draco for his tone; obviously this was causing Blaise great emotional distress.
"Er…I…think…well I am…"
"Go on." Harry said in a soothing voice.
"I'm…well…" He looked up suddenly, right into Hermione's eyes. "I like guys."
There was a sharp silence and she sat on the couch, struck dumb. Finally, when the tension was too thick to bear she spoke. "Really?"
"Yeah." Blaise said, looking over her head at the wall.
"What about at the beginning of the assignment? With Granger?" Draco asked, his tone held neutral.
"It was sort of a test." Blaise said, blushing and looking at Hermione apologetically. "I wanted to see if I would respond to a willing…well a willing girl. It sort of worked. I suppose that means I'm bi, then."
"How long have you known?" Draco spoke again in that unnervingly expressionless tone.
"I thought. For a long time, actually. It was sort of strange, for me, when I didn't notice or particularly care about some of the things you pointed out about girls. I knew last year." He spoke slowly.
"How did you know?" Draco asked, his voice deliberately even.
"I fancied someone." Blaise whispered, as though his entire life was weighed in those words. Hermione realized that it was quite possible that it did.
"You liked someone." From Draco's tone, everyone understood that everything was not okay with him. At all.
"What's wrong?" Hermione turned to him, shooting a quick glance at Blaise.
He ignored her. "You're gay."
"Basically." Blaise said nervously. "I'm bi. I told you. Is that…are you okay with it?"
"No." Obviously no one had expected such a blunt answer. Pansy gasped, Harry's jaw dropped, Blaise looked crushed and Hermione stared incredulously at Draco.
"No, I am not okay with the fact that my best friend--my roommate-- has been secretly gay for, what, at least a year? God, I've changed in the same room as you! We've had showers in the same place for Christ's sake! We've slept in the same dormitory for five years and you failed to mention, just once, that you were gay!"
"He only realized last year." Harry snapped. "He didn't even know!"
"He couldn't have said, even once, 'Oh, Draco mate, something funny is going on. I've been having these dreams about guys, do you think it's normal?'" Blaise's face flushed, though it was difficult to see due to his dark skin. "How am I supposed to feel about this?"
"Feel? I didn't know you were capable of feeling since you're a heartless bastard!" Harry shouted.
"Should I be happy my friend could have been checking me out for years?"
"Malfoy-" Hermione said quickly, getting to her feet as Draco stood.
"Shut up, Granger." He spat without even looking at her.
"Leave her alone." Blaise yelled, getting to his feet as well.
"Don't tell me what to do you–you repulsive thing!" Draco bellowed, his eyes blazing.
"Don't speak to him that way!" Harry snarled, standing up.
"Get your boyfriend to stay out of this!"
"We're not-"
"Piss off, Pott-"
"Draco shut up!" Pansy screamed, and they all turned to look at her. "What is your problem?"
"My problem? Him!" Draco pointed at Blaise.
"Get the hell away from here!" Harry had his wand pointed straight at Draco's heart and there was a heavy silence.
"Fine." He turned on his heel and stalked to his room.
"Wait." Blaise grabbed his arm to prevent him from leaving. "Draco-"
The blond wrenched his arm out of the dark skinned boy's arm. "Get the fuck away from me."
Hermione closed her eyes, she couldn't stand to see Draco treat Blaise like this. There was a loud slam and Draco was gone, leaving Blaise standing alone, staring at the door.
"Oh, Blaise." Pansy whispered, and the room had been so silent Hermione wondered if Draco could hear it. Hermione looked over and saw, to her intense surprise, Harry hug Blaise (albeit awkwardly) in an overt display of friendship. Pansy joined them, and they stayed that way for about a minute as she sat down in the couch and felt extremely out of place. "Oh, darling I'm sorry."
"I didn't know he would-" Blaise choked and he let out shuddering sobs. Hermione now felt like she was intruding on something really private and personal. When had it become okay for Harry to hug Blaise? Especially now he was crying? She thought about this and suddenly gasped, causing all three of them to look at her. "You two…Harry and Blaise?"
"No." Blaise said, wiping his eyes and angling his head behind Pansy and Harry's so she couldn't see his tears. "Harry really isn't attractive to me."
"Oh." She blushed and pretended not to notice the shake in his voice. "I'm sorry. I should just go, I'm intruding."
All three looked like they agreed and she couldn't help but feel hurt. Pansy looked at her and then said, "It's alright. We'll go into his room."
Harry looked at Hermione with a questioning expression, asking if she wanted to talk to him. She nodded and he sat down across from her as Blaise and Pansy walked to Blaise's room.
"Harry?" She asked cautiously, his expression was quite furious.
"What?" He snapped and then relaxed his shoulders, "Sorry. It's just you don't really understand how important Malfoy is in Blaise's life. He needed him to be okay with this."
"I can't believe he would be like that." She said, wondering if she'd gone insane. When had she ever thought she wouldn't believe Draco Malfoy was being nasty?
"I can." Harry said shortly.
"Is that, well this, what you and Blaise were fighting about during the potion?" She asked, preferring to avoid the topic of Draco because part of her wanted to sympathize with him. Some part which she didn't understand, or was scared to try.
"Yeah. I knew right after I woke up from the change. He's always thinking about him, looking for him in crowds, and while I could have lived without some of the thoughts it made me realize --" He stopped abruptly. "I forgot you don't know."
"Don't know what?"
"Well you know now but…that he fancies someone now." Harry mumbled, looking sheepish. "I suspected it before, I mean after being with someone for a month and a half you sort of get to know their habits and behavior, but I had no idea it was so strong."
"Is it?"
"He loves him." Harry said simply.
She felt incredibly stupid. How could she miss something this important, when these people were living with them? Not only that Blaise was at least part homosexual, but he had a crush on someone too! And she'd also missed on of her best friends drawing away from her and to Blaise. And Pansy. When did Harry and Pansy get on good terms?
"Harry…" She tried to make her question sound conversational, as though she hadn't been figuring out how to phrase it since Blaise's confession. "After feeling all Blaise's emotions for this person, do you still fancy them?"
He shook his head. "I'm actually 100 sure I'm straight now. All the things Blaise thought about or noticed I've never even thought about once. If Malfoy fancied some girl, would you still feel that now?"
The thought of Draco fancying another girl made her stomach clench uncomfortably. "I suppose not. He doesn't, though."
"Hmm?"
"He doesn't like another girl." She said and quickly added, "I would tease him if he did."
"Mmm." Harry made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat. "I am also quite sure that Blaise does not have any feelings for me other then platonic. That was your next question, right?"
"Yes." She said, blushing slightly. "It was."
"Blaise and I are friends, and there is absolutely no confusion with that. Same with Pansy."
"That's good then." She said, resisting the urge to say, 'what about Ron and I?'
He looked at her silently for a minute. "You and Ron are still my best friends, Hermione."
She ducked her head, embarrassed that he read her so easily. "Its difficult, not being near you two all the time. And especially Ron, I hardly talk to him."
"I know. I miss Gryffindor too, but I've been doing what you said. Trying to make the most of this." He said and she smiled weakly. There was something in sitting with Harry, talking about missing each other and Gryffindor that was so much more difficult then seeing her House Table during meals and knowing she was supposed to be there and wasn't. When they'd arrived at Hogwarts, they were told Hogwarts was their family. Right now, they were on their own. Hermione was lucky, because she lived in the same place as Harry. No one else had that luxury.
"I should go." She said, a lump forming in her throat and suddenly feeling depressed.
"Yeah, I should go talk to Blaise." Harry said quietly and she nodded, watching as he got up and walked away.
You're being stupid. She told herself, blinking rapidly. Standing up she leapt up the few stairs leading to her room and dug around through her trunk for something to occupy her time. She pocketed her iPod and lifted extra clothing items out and onto the bed so the bottom was clear, that was where she kept the muggle things she couldn't leave behind when she went to Hogwarts. There were her favourite books, photo albums of her family and about two of her muggle friends she actually saw in the summer. Under that was a notebook from when she was about 9, and was writing a story about magic and a magic school. That was the 'I'm going to be a writer' phase. It had been so funny, when she'd found it the summer preceding fourth year and read it, all her childish fantasies of wands, magical creatures and classes.
When her parents had begun to pack up the boxes at the end of the next summer to move, she'd put it in her trunk for fear they would accidentally throw it out, not realizing the emotional value it had for her. From then she'd just never removed it.
Beside that were framed photos that she'd never put up after coming into this room. Her parents (this one was stationary), her, Harry and Ron out by the lake in near the middle of September, smiling and laughing on one of the few days Harry was carefree and had slept without being plagued by nightmares. There was her and Ginny smiling together, a picture of when they'd all gotten their OWL results. She spent a moment longer looking at this, smiling. The picture was slightly blurred and was also stationary, because Mr Weasley hadn't quite perfected how to use Hermione's camera. She looked quite hysterical, her eyes wide, cheeks flushed and mouth opened as she unfolded the letter, no doubt screaming. Harry was covering one ear with his hand and looked slightly apprehensive and sad. She remembered him telling her he'd always thought Sirius would be there with him when he did that. Ron also had one hand clapped over his ear as he gave Hermione an exasperated look, holding his results.
She looked under those and picked up a book. It was her favourite and she always kept it wrapped up and secure under everything. It was the book her grandparents had given her on her eleventh birthday. Its cover was worn and slightly bent which suggested it had been read several times. On the front, in black letters, the title was written. 'Sense and Sensibility.'
Inside it was an inscription from her Grandfather, who had died two weeks after he'd given it to her. Her Grandmother had added to it three days after his death, when she'd found Hermione clutching the book tightly in her hands at the funeral. Some of the words were blurred from the tears Hermione had cried when she'd stared down at the flowing script and remembered her Grandfather.
Dear Hermione
On her eleventh birthday she becomes the director in her life. We love you so much, our flower, and are so proud of you. You are more beautiful then all of Shakespeare's works, where you got your name. We wish you all the traits the heroine in this book possesses.
'Every creator painfully experiences the chasm between her inner vision and its ultimate expression. The chasm is never completely bridged. We all have the conviction, perhaps illusory, that we have much more to say than appears on the paper.'
Love forever,
Grandma and Grandpa
And then below.
Hermione, my love, your Grandfather has left us in this world. However, you have many angels watching over you and he is now one of them. Mourn, but do not mourn for long. He would want you to understand what comes after having a long, prosperous life. He once told me that he only wanted to live long enough to hold his grandbaby in his arms, and that he did. We watched you grow for eleven years, and could not have asked for more.
Her Grandmother had died the next year, and that made the book even more special to her. She'd written the date of their birth and then the date of their death beside their names, and had then sat in her room and stared at the book without, surprisingly, crying.
She put everything back in her trunk neatly after she'd pulled the book wrapped in cloth out. Reading always calmed her down. She'd never understood why plunging yourself into another world, so carefully planned and exciting, didn't give everyone a thrill. Trying to puzzle things out was something she loved doing, and then reading things over and picking up all the details you missed and didn't consider, and even later reading the beautifully flowing script someone had written.
She settled on the couch downstairs and began to read. When she realized she was still on the first page five minutes later, she let out a frustrated groan. Why is this so difficult? She wondered what Draco was doing, and resisted the urge to get up and go talk to him. It didn't matter. He was being a prick, why did she want to go see him?
She heard a door on the other side of the room open and refused to look, despite the fact that her heart leapt and started beating faster. "Granger…" Draco spoke softly and she jumped. "It's time for dinner."
She stood up and glared as ferociously as she could at him. He looked startled and took a step back. "Granger?"
She didn't reply for a long time, only scowled at him. They both stood tensely and Draco searched her face for some hint as to why she looked like she wanted to kill him. Not that he didn't already suspect.
"You're despicable." Hermione said and slapped him as hard as she could manage. He stumbled to the side and looked at her, his hand over the red hand shaped mark on his left cheek and she saw real hurt in his eyes.
How dare he look at me like that after what he just did to his friend. Without speaking another word she turned and stalked to the Great Hall, her anger at him reawakening as she pictured Blaise's face.
Ron gave her a concerned look as she down at the table and jerked his head at Draco. She nodded, but shook her head as he clenched his fists. Draco turned his head slightly as he reached for some coffee and Ron grinned at her when he caught sight of the angry mark on his face.
Neither Harry, Blaise or Pansy came down for dinner and she tried not to slap Draco as hard as she could. Again. While she concentrated by looking down at her plate, she saw a yellow slip or parchment beneath it and took the paper out.
To: Winner of the Recent Quidditch Game
Congratulations. As a reward for your team's hard work, you have been given an extra trip to Hogsmeade this Saturday. Please meet in the Great Hall with your partner by 12:00 so you can be checked by Mr Filch. You must return by 5:30 PM the same day or we will come collect you.
Thank you.
She read it with interest and then looked over at Draco, her heart thudding painfully with guilt as she saw the contrast of deep red with his pale skin. Anger flooded through her again as she had the urge to use her wand to heal it. The git had practically destroyed his best friend and she was feeling sorry for him!
He looked at her and she reached a hand out to touch the mark. She was pretty sure that she heard his breath catch as she rested her fingertips on his temple and trailed them down to the spot where she'd slapped him. "I shouldn't have slapped you."
He didn't say anything, merely looked at her. "I'm not going to heal you, though. You can do it yourself, or have this as a reminder of how cruel you are for the next hour or so."
She dropped her hand and turned away before she could see his disappointed expression. Ron was gaping at her from across the table, but she didn't see. Seamus and Dean were smirking at her and she glared, before transfiguring her knife into a small carry sack and put some food for the other group in it.
-
-
"Are you hungry?" She knocked softly on the Blaise's door, because she assumed Pansy, at least, was still in there trying to coax Blaise's self esteem back up to a reasonable level.
"You just saved my life." Pansy beamed at her and opened the door wider so she could come inside and set the make shift bag onto a table near Blaise's bed. She then disappeared outside the door and it closed quietly behind her.
Harry grinned at her as he opened the bag and she looked to Blaise. He was lying on his bed, one arm over his eyes and the other thrown away from his body. Someone seemed to have thrown blankets over him, as he was sleeping. "Is he okay?"
"He's sleeping right now." He said as he bit into a roll. "We've been talking to him."
"How upset is he?"
"Extremely. The only reason he never said anything before was because of Malfoy and he knew Malfoy was exactly the most accepting person. The fact that that prick acted worse then he'd ever expected just threw salt in the wound." Harry said and watched Hermione carefully. "You've talked to him?"
"No." She blushed. "I only told him he was despicable and slapped him."
"Good." Harry said sharply as Pansy came back into the room, looking both annoyed and pleased.
"What did you do to him?" She looked at Hermione and grinned. "I was just in to give him a piece of my mind, but he looked like you'd killed everyone he knows and has this huge red mark on the side of his face."
"I slapped him." She said as Harry laughed, though she didn't find it very humorous. "Do you think Blaise will be up for Hogsmeade tomorrow?"
Pansy and Harry exchanged sly looks. "Yes. We're meeting someone very important there."
"Who?"
"The person he fancies." Harry said and Blaise rolled over on his bed. "You should meet us at the Three Broomsticks."
"Really?" She perked up, thinking it would be good to meet with other people, and not just stay with Draco. "Oh…But I'd have to bring Malfoy."
"I don't care, bring him." Blaise said, sitting up and stretching.
"Are you sure?" She asked, biting her lip.
"Yes. It's not like anything is going to happen." He said and rolled his eyes as Pansy made a noise of disagreement.
"From the signals I saw him sending you, he definitely wants something to happen." Pansy smiled and winked at Harry. "You two are worse then Harry and that Weasley girl."
"That's horrible." Blaise groaned into his pillow. "I didn't know you could get worse."
"Hey!" Harry cried good naturedly, if Blaise was joking around it was a good sign. "There really isn't anything between us."
"Yet." Hermione said as Pansy went, "pffff," and Blaise laughed disbelievingly.
"There isn't."
"You two practically undress each other when with your eyes." Pansy said devilishly and Harry flushed.
"We do not." He said and she smiled at their friendly banter.
"I should probably go do some homework." She said and they said goodbye, tanking her for the food.
She walked over to the couch to pick up her book and, to her horror, it wasn't there. She scanned the room frantically and was in the process of running upstairs to check her room when someone knocked on the door.
"Yes?" She opened it and her heart sank.
"May I come in?" Matt asked, stepping past her and deliberately brushed their bodies together. She followed him to the middle of the room, blushing, and they stood. "Seeing as you are my assistan-"
"I'm not your assistant." She said curtly, crossing her arms.
"Alright." He said and smiled seductively. "I was told you would provide assistance for me should the need arise. That is why I am here."
She suddenly felt a bit dizzy as she stared into his beautiful blue eyes. The ill will she'd carried for him had just disappeared. "Whatever for?" She said breathlessly and he stepped closer.
"I need to find the kitchens." He said, smiling.
"Oh." Why? What a strange request… "Why?"
"I was told there were two House Elves there that would be of great interest to meet. Winky and Dobby?" He was so close that their bodies were pretty much all touching length wise. She had to step back a bit to keep her balance. Dear God she wanted to kiss him so much. Kiss me, please. She thought desperately.
"Dobby?" She whispered, more to get him to speak more then anything.
"Yes," his breath sent goose bumps all over her skin. "I heard he was a Free Elf, and could say whatever he pleased."
"Yes, yes he is." She said, enraptured by the way his pink lips moved. He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to the corner of her lips.
"Where are they?"
"They're…" Her eyelids fluttered closed as he kissed her neck. "On the-"
"What are you doing?" Draco's voice broke through her thoughts and Matt stepped away. Damn. Stupid Malfoy. I wanted that.
Matt stepped away from her and she swayed, still none too concerned with Draco as she stared at the Veela. He didn't steady her and she took a step forward, towards him, and spoke. "You know I'm going to be the Headmistress of Hogwarts next year? I scored 200 percent on all my OWLS and-"
"Didn't Dumbledore tell you not to use your Allure on students?" Draco hissed and suddenly she was blinking and stumbling away from Matt.
"Do not insult me." Matt spat, losing his cool for a second. "I was asking where the kitchens were."
"Why not ask a teacher?" Draco's eyes were flashing dangerously and Hermione, who was still disoriented and confused as to why she had the strongest urge to kiss Mathew, was slightly frightened.
"I spoke to Professor Snape and he told me the teachers of Hogwarts do not divulge the school's secrets."
"I don't know where it is." Draco said sharply. "Goodbye."
He looked at her and she smiled, unsure, before nodding tensely and leaving. She turned to glare at Draco. "Why do you always ruin everything?"
"What?" He looked taken aback.
"Couldn't you tell that I wanted him to keep doing what he was doing? You're so rude." She said furiously, letting all her frustration about that confrontation out on him.
"Granger, think about what he did to you. He-"
"I can remember fine, thanks." She snapped. "Don't bore me with your stupid pity. If I wanted to talk to a pinhead I would've asked Mathew to stay."
"Don't compare to that arrogant bastard!" He yelled, losing control of his temper.
"I'll do what I want!" She shouted back and turned to go up to her room. Something in his hand caught her eye. Sense and Sensibility. "Give that back!"
"What?" He held up the book. "Is this yours?"
"Yes!" She growled and snatched it from his hand. "What the fuck is your problem! Don't touch me, or my property ever again you filthy git!"
He stared at her, his grey eyes worried. "What's wrong with you, Granger?"
There was a heavy silence.
"I hate this." She said suddenly, whispering and trying not to cry. "I hate being away from everyone. I hate being near you all the time, and not being able to leave you when I want to leave! I hate that every time I get into a fight with you I feel guilty and think about it for hours, analyzing every expression you make and every word you say. I hate that even after what you did to Blaise I still want to defend you. I hate that it's impossible to explain to my friends why you're not so bad after all! I hate you!"
Clearly he was not expecting this and frowned. "Just calm down, Granger."
"Stop telling me what to do!" She shouted and threw her treasured book as hard as she could at him. It landed at his feet and he slowly picked it up, the inscription catching his eye. He read it quickly and then looked up at her, his expression guarded.
"I'm sorry, Granger." He said softly.
"They died years ago." She said and tried to blink back tears.
"Not about that." He replied in the same tone and she actually started crying.
"You're such a git." She choked out, feeling hopeless as tears fell from her eyes onto the carpet.
And suddenly he was hugging her and she was hugging him back, her head buried in his neck. He was saying something soothing in her ear, but she wasn't sure exactly what it was. "I'm sorry too."
He held onto her until she stopped crying, which could have been awhile. When she was done he made to step back and she tightened her arms around him. He stepped closer and they stayed that way for awhile, holding each other tightly.
Author's Note: Yeah…sort of an abrupt ending. And the inscriptions kind of corny. XD. I'm going to pretend that since this chapter is long then usual it makes up for the amount of time if took me to update. XD.
Don't worry, Hermione isn't having a mental breakdown or anything. She's just confused about Draco. XD.
Blaise's secret is out… dun dun duuun. I would appreciate it if no one told me that Blaise being bi is disgusting. I get really irritated by people who flip out at writers because someone is homosexual (to whatever extent). This is NOT going to play any real part in this story, but I've been planning that he's bi since before the last summer. If you don't like slash, there is NO REASON you should continue reading this story. It will be exactly the same as if Blaise was not bisexual. It's just part of who he is right now, and he's my personality for his character so I can do whatever I want with him. XD. My mind is set.
Um… I did a Valentines Day one-shot…It's slash. XD. Don't worry, I'm not going off Dramiones, but if anyone is interested in reading it its there…yeah. H/D…
OH! Okay, I found this AMAZING Dramione that got me more excited then I've been in awhile. It is about Hermione being transported into this alternate universe with all the same people, but the good people are bad and the bad are good. It is amazing! Oh, and it's a Dramione too. You should REALLY check it out.
Reverse by Lady moonglow
Hm… I put up another poll. Please go vote!
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