Here's chapter 14 finally. I took my time with this one because the last week's been quite chaotic for me. I'm back to finish the story, however, because I really enjoy writing it and sharing it with you. The final chapter isn't far away - maybe two or three more chapters - so thanks to everyone who's stuck around, I hope you'll stay to read the end. Enough babbling from me, enjoy the story:)
Chapter 14
If she had thought all her tears had poured out last night, she was in for the worst surprise ever. The moment she walked into the dormitory Hermione ran to her bed and closed all curtains around it. She knew Susan was going to celebrate with Theo, Hannah was probably going too, they wouldn't leave her just like that, and Pansy... well, Hermione already knew where she was going to be – where she had been last night, too, probably. All in all, she had the dormitory to herself for a few hours so she let her tears fall. She let them fall freely, not even trying to wipe them away when they went down her chin and onto her robes, because it was pointless – she would wipe one and two more would roll down. The brunette just lay down and cried, cursing her stupid self. For now she knew what feeling had been burning in the pit of her stomach every time she saw Pansy and René together. She knew why she had been craving to be as beautiful as Pansy, why she had been so nervous when Pansy asked her out to Hogsmeade. She had come to terms with the fact that she liked girls, that was okay. She hadn't told anyone else but she understood herself and this was what mattered. But the realization she just made shocked her and it felt like a slap across the face.
"Of course that's what you'll do, Granger" she said to herself hoarsely after a couple of hours of crying. "You will catch feelings for the one girl that's never going to pay attention to you."
Pansy had been nice to her, she had really improved. But Hermione was not fooled. She knew that she should be glad for the friendship she had with Pansy – it was definitely better than what it had been before. But why, in Merlin's name, did she have to fall for the Slytherin? Because these are your favourite games, are they not? Complicating your life, risking being hurt, crying for people who don't deserve it. Deep down she knew her stupid inner voice was right but she decided to ignore it.
After another round of spilling tears, she heard a knock on the door. Hermione cleared her throat quietly.
"Who is it?" she called, hastily wiping away her tears.
"It's Draco. Can I come in?"
"Of course, just a second" Hermione said already jumping out of bed and going to the mirror. She looked at her reflection and winced: her whole face was red, her eyes were puffy, and she had tear tracks running down her cheeks and neck. The brunette quickly cast a Glamour over her face and checked again. This time she was happier with her appearance. She plastered a smile on her face.
"No wonder you girls say 'I'll be ready in five minutes' and take forever to get ready" Draco said from outside the dormitory. "One second by your standards is three minutes of the normal time."
"Oh shush" Hermione strode over to the door and opened it, reaching out to shove him playfully.
"Ouch" the blonde gasped dramatically. "So can I come inside the Realm of witches?" he bowed ridiculously.
"Please" Hermione curtsied, smiling sincerely. "How did you get up here, though?"
"This girls' dormitory is more welcoming to boys than the others" Draco answered. "Now why are you in here?"
"Where else should I be on a Sunday afternoon?"
"At the party" he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You said you'd come."
"Oh." Hermione had completely forgotten about the party, not that she would have gone even if she had remembered. "It jumped out of my mind sorry. I needed to be alone for a few hours" she added apologetically.
"Alone?" Draco raised an eyebrow.
"Yes" Hermione said slowly, not liking the way his eyes swept over her face.
"Doing girl things, I suppose?" he whispered mystically after a moment.
"Yes, very girlish" the brunette nodded vigorously and laughed, relieved her Glamour charm was working.
"Well, I'll leave you to that, then" the boy said, walking to the door. "I'll go check on the other moodkill who didn't come to celebrate with us. She hasn't come here?"
"Who are you talking about?" Hermione asked, already fearing the answer.
"Pansy, of course" Draco turned around, grinning. "She's gone off somewhere again instead of coming to celebrate with us. The audacity!"
"Oh, she was celebrating all right" Hermione gritted out.
"You know where she is?" Draco asked, oblivious to Hermione's change of tone.
"Probably in the Slytherin Common room with her new girlfriend" Hermione tried not to sound jealous or sad. Draco's grin disappeared from his face.
"Pardon?" he barked. "In the Slytherin Common room with whom?"
"Her new girlfriend" Hermione said, equally angry. "Haven't you heard? She's going out with René."
The boy's face went completely blank, free of all emotion. He took one last look at Hermione's face before leaving in a hurry, slamming the door behind him. The brunette sat back down on her bed, smiling sadistically at the thought of Draco walking in on Pansy and René. She then felt bad for acting so mean and promptly closed the curtains around her bed once more, lying under the comforting covers.
A couple of floors underneath her, Draco walked into the Slytherin Common room, barely containing his anger. There were only five people there – three third-year boys, and René sitting in an armchair with Pansy in her lap. He scowled at them and strode over angrily.
"A word, Pansy."
"What happened, Draco?" René teased. "Didn't you win a match? What's the sour face for?"
"A word in private, Pansy, before I forget what I promised myself and curse your girlfriend."
"Wow, news do travel fast here" René commented. Pansy shushed her and stood up.
"I'll be back in a minute" she said.
"Not if I can help it" Draco muttered and beckoned her out of the room. She followed him and he led her to a nearby broom shed, pushing her inside.
"Ow! Watch it!" Pansy hissed. "Lumos. What's all the drama about?"
"Have you gone completely mad?" Draco shot at her. "What is this farce with you and René Zelert back there?"
"She's my girlfriend like you demonstrated you already know" Pansy huffed. "Why all the fuss?"
"Because I know you would never date her, especially so recently after telling me you had feelings for Hermione!"
"Don't drag her into this!"
"She's already dragged into it! Don't think for a second that you'll fool me. When did you sink so low that you would try to make someone jealous like that? And Hermione, no less! Did you forget what we promised each other? Me, you, Theo, Blaise?"
"Making Granger jealous is certainly not what I'm doing" Pansy snapped. "She doesn't have feelings for me so it would be stupid. I'm trying to be better like I promised, and having someone with me is going to help."
Draco looked at his best friend and sighed.
"And just how do you know she doesn't have feelings for you?" he asked. "Because if she does, this is going to hurt her quite a lot. How does that go with your plans to be better?"
"I-she doesn't have-she won't" Pansy stumbled over her words.
"I hope you know what you're doing" Draco turned his back on her, opening the door of the shed. "Have a nice time with your girlfriend" he spat, walking away. Pansy stood rooted to the spot, thinking about her promise to the boys that she, like them, would try to be a better person, and about Draco's words. "And just how do you know she doesn't have feelings for you?"
Hermione's next few weeks were almost like a predefined program. She woke up, she had breakfast with Harry, Ron and Ginny, she went to classes, did her homework, and went to bed. Whenever she had free time she went to the library, mainly because she didn't want to see Pansy walking down the corridors hand in hand with René. The only thing she was sorry about was that she didn't speak to her friends from Slytherin as often as she would have liked to. She usually saw them with Pansy, or when they weren't with her and she decided to go sit down, the girl popped out of nowhere with René. Hermione usually excused herself then. She knew she shouldn't behave like that, that Pansy had actually done nothing wrong – how was she supposed to know Hermione liked her when even Hermione herself didn't – but she couldn't stand seeing the two of them so happy together when all she wanted was to be the one that held Pansy's hand and draped her arm around her while they ate in the Great Hall. The brunette suspected her friends knew what was happening, but she was very glad they decided not to question her.
She was pleasantly surprised to see the Slytherin boys all standing up from the Slytherin table and coming over when Pansy and René sat with them one morning. The three of them sat next opposite her and Harry, loading their plates with food.
"Morning" Draco said cheerfully.
"Morning" replied Hermione.
"Where are the Weasleys?" Theo asked.
"Sending a letter, I think" Harry replied. "What brings you three over?"
"Got a little tired of all the love around those two" Blaise pointed towards Pansy and René who were eating quickly but didn't seem to throw around much love.
"Sure" Theo rolled his eyes.
"Anyway" Draco interjected quickly. "Mother wrote yesterday, Mia. Since it's our last week at school, she told me to remind you you're welcome to spend the holidays with us. Black Manor is ready and Mother said she had some good news to share so it'll be great if you come too."
"Thanks, Draco" Hermione said, looking sideways at Harry. "I think I'll come, I don't have other plans..."
"Mrs Weasley wrote to invite me over two weeks ago" he said offhandedly. "The letter didn't say anything about you, though, and I refused."
"You what?" Hermione hissed, outraged. "Why would you refuse, are you going to spend Christmas alone?"
"No, I'm actually going to visit the Dursleys. Aunt Petunia called. She actually wrote a letter and sent it by owl, so."
"Oh. That's nice" Hermione said. "Thank Merlin you're not refusing Molly because of me."
"She didn't invite you?" Theo asked incredulously.
"I guess not" Hermione mumbled.
"Don't let that get to you. Me and Ginny will speak to her when we go home" Ron said, sitting down next to her and patting her on the back.
"Yeah, mum's just being ridiculous" his sister shook her head. "Where will you spend the holidays though?"
"Well, Draco has just invited me to his place."
"Malfoy Manor?" Ron coughed out, looking at Draco furiously.
"No, Weasley, regardless of what you think I'm not stupid" the blonde snapped. "Mother and I are moving to Black Manor, that's where we're inviting her. We've never made Mia come to Malfoy Manor."
"Oh" Ron said awkwardly. "That's good then."
"That's where your Mother grew up, right?" Harry spoke up. "With her sisters?"
Draco nodded, closing the subject.
"Well, it's going to be a happy time for all of us then" Ginny said cheerfully, then cleared her throat, stood up, and raised her glass of pumpkin juice. "To a very merry Christmas for all of us!"
"Ho ho ho" Blaise said in a deep voice. The seven of them laughed and clinked their glasses, ignoring the looks they were receiving from other people in the Hall.
Hermione's last week in school for the term was much better than the moth she had had. Draco, Blaise, and Theo seemed to be annoyed with Pansy, though for what reason Hermione couldn't fathom. They were spending much more time with her and her friends which was a pleasant surprise for the brunette. On Saturday when the train was supposed to leave, Hermione left the boys to go up and check her trunk for the last time before they made their way towards Hogsmeade station. When she opened the door to the dormitory, she found herself face to face with Pansy.
"Granger" the Slytherin said. Hermione didn't catch the emotion so she replied impassively.
"Parkinson."
"I was hoping to catch you before you left for the station."
"What for?" Hermione walked past her and opened her trunk.
"Well, it's been a while since we talked" Pansy muttered. "I just wanted to wish you Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas to you too" Hermione said curtly. "You might want to hurry up though, René wouldn't like to be left waiting."
She closed her trunk and exited the room before she had time to change her mind and cry in front of Pansy because of her awful behavior. She had seen the hurt in Pansy's face but she couldn't stop herself. Shaking her head, she jumped at the last step and looked at the boys gathered there, waiting for her.
"Let's go then."