"Hermione! For fuck sake. Wake up." Ginny yells into Hermione's ears as she frantically flings her on the bed. "We are going to be late!"
Hermione opened her eyes and cast a dark look on Ginny. "I'm sleeping, go away, you witch."
"Did you just called me a bitch?" Ginny said shocked, bringing her hand to her mouth.
"Perhaps." said Hermione, turning her back on her and clutching her warm and comfortable cushion. "Take Lavender, she never misses a day of shopping."
"You promised, and I'm not to blame if you'd come in so late last night, any hot dates in the library?"
Last night. Hermione sigh, for a few moments she forgot about last night's events, and a pang of pain filled her head. She remembered everything about last night. After finding Harry and Theo and returning, with the company of Harry, to her room, she pondered for a few minutes knocking on Malfoy's door, perhaps to speak, to make sure he was okay or to argue with him. She was not sure but her body wanted to open his door and find him on the other side, probably surprised and angry, but she wanted to see him one last time before that terrible night was over. Hermione did not want to be alone, the horrid sounds of that dying animal were still so fresh in her mind, and she felt emotionally exhausted. Though Harry tried to comfort her with a long hug and a cup of tea, he could not calm the agitation that was boiling in her body and that seemed to propel her into him. She felt pathetic, staring at Draco Malfoy's door. She was out of herself and she hated it. To avoid doing anything to regret later, Hermione decided to go to sleep in her old dormitory, in her old bed that still remained unoccupied. Far from a troublesome boy who was constantly in his head.
"It was a long night ... we needed the tears of a centaur for the assignment."
"They never invite me for anything fun. I'll pretend not to be hurt." Ginny said.
"It was not fun, it was awful. There was something in the forest and we had to shoot down the centaur, who was in agony." She sighed. "Malfoy took him out of his misery." Hermione said rising slowly and sitting on the bed.
"Malfoy? What was he doing there?" asked Ginny.
"He's my partner in Snape's work. He had to be there."
"I'm sorry about that, but you know what it would feel like after a night with Malfoy? Get up and wear something, hopefully, we can get there in time for breakfast."
"I want to sleep and I have a lot to study Ginny."
"Do not be a bitch." Ginny said taking out her sheets. "In five minutes, if I don't see you in the Great Hall, I'll drag you back there young lady. Do not test me. " Ginny said in a tone very similar to her mother, Mrs. Weasley.
"Fine, you vile women." said Hermione, half-laughing, half-serious. She needed her sleep.
Hermione wore an old levis wedgie jeans and a gray sweatshirt, her hair caught in a ponytail, letting a few strands hang out gently on the shape of her face. Five minutes later she found Ginny in the Great Hall, whose long tables were filled with smelling food and pleasing to the eye. It smelled of the house from the first moment Hermione crossed the great hall six years ago. Some of the students were already leaving the great hall after a long breakfast on that rainy Saturday morning. Others sat in the warm room, talking to their friends. Next to Ginny, there was Harry and Ron, who talked and ate at the same time. Sitting next to her friends, Hermione briefly stared down at the Slytherin table, looking for a little blond head in the middle of them. Draco did not show up at breakfast.
"Are you better Hermione?" asked Harry, in a worried tone.
"I can not believe you two went into the forbidden forest in the middle of the night without me." Ron said as he poured the scrambled eggs onto his plate. "You could have warned me."
"I say the same." Ginny agreed, drinking orange juice.
Hermione and Harry exchanged an apologetic glance. It had not been a fun adventure, nor a gathering of friends on a Friday night. Both still could smell the terrible smell of the animal at death's door.
"Next time." Hermione said. "Are you going to Hogsmeade with us too?"
"Eh, maybe." said Ron. "But we have training after lunch, right Harry?"
"Shit, I forgot." said Ginny. "Looks like we have to go now, Hermione. Are you boys coming or not?"
Hermione, who had barely touched her breakfast, looked pityingly at her delicious eggs and toast. She finished drinking the orange juice and took the rest of the toast in her hand.
"C'mon Ron." said Harry standing up. "You've had enough."
"What ...?" Ron replied with a mouthful of eggs.
The friends laughed and walked side by side through the doors of the great hall but unfortunately, the moment was interrupted with the arrival of Malfoy and Pansy who remained quite close to Draco's body, whispering something in his ear.
"Oh great, the Big Four, or whatever you guys call each other." sneered Pansy stepping in the middle of their path.
Honestly, Hermione wanted to slap that bitch, but her expression remained calm as she continued to eat the rest of her toast. Some things never get old.
"Careful, that makes you fat." Pansy said, turning directly to her. "Not that anyone wants to touch you in any way, filthy muddlebood."
"That's it." Hermione sent the rest of her toast to the floor and pulled out her wand, thrusting it into Pansy's forehead.
She noticed the small drops of sweat running down Pansy's forehead discreetly. The usual noise of the Great Hall became an uncomfortable silence, everyone expected Hermione to do something.
"Scared, Muddleblood?" Pansy answered back.
Hermione noticed that Malfoy had moved away from Pansy and was walking slowly toward her. Probably to withdraw her wand, in defense of his girlfriend. Fuck that. Hermione lowered her wand and smacked Pansy's face hard, and everyone in the Great Hall let out sounds of surprise. Ron whistled and Harry and Ginny laughed and clapped. Pansy was incredulous, her hand covering her red angry face.
"Draco, do something!" she screamed hysterically.
Hermione looked into Draco's eyes which were directly fixed on her, waiting for him to make a move. Scream at her or call her that foul name. His eyes were still the same whirlwind, intense and tempestuous as a summer storm, and Hermione was deeply attracted to them, for some reason. His scent was intoxicating and she remembered immediately how close they were the night before. A bloody mistake. Malfoy's lip twitched a little as if he was about to say something but quickly returned to his serene aristocratic expression. He merely shook Pansy's hand resting it on his arm and continued forward heading for his table ignoring Pansy's hysterical yells behind him.
"Whatever." He said in a low tone, barely noticed.
"What the hell was that about?" Ginny questioned Hermione for the last hour while they were shopping. The boys had long disappeared, immersed in Quidditch equipment, leaving the girls in the first shop Ginny spotted.
"What?" Hermione asked as she tries red a summer dress that resembles a cherry.
"First, you're the queen of slaps and we all are so very proud of you Hermione Granger. Pansy deserved that one long ago. It was bloody brilliant, Ron's words."
"You're welcome." said Hermione smiling proudly. "I really wanted to eat the rest of that toast though."
"But more importantly Malfoy's reaction. What is happening between you two?"
"Ginny, you're crazy, nothing's happening ever between us. He's Malfoy for fuck sake." Hermione said like it was the most realistic and obvious answer.
"He basically defended you Hermione." Ginny said entering her friend's dressing room. "Nice dress. It makes your butt look nice."
"You're delirious. He did not do that." Actually, Ginny was right my butt look really nice.
"You bummed into his girlfriend in front of him and he just looks at you and sits down, ignoring Pansy yells. That was some fucked up shit."
"Maybe he has come to the conclusion that his girlfriend is crazy and she deserved that bloody slap. Give him some credit."
"He's acting weird this year, have you noticed?"
"You look like Harry, Ginny. Not everyone is a bloody death eater, some people just are freaking weird and Malfoy was never a regular guy." Hermione said trying to convince herself.
She knew there was something wrong with Malfoy since this year began. It was enough to take one look at him to notice that he had lost his bully attitude or even his energy to laugh or speak with his friends. He seemed constantly tired, but the truth is that everyone was tired, some just hiding better than the others.
"Well, maybe he's right. Something is not right with him." Ginny said. "And you know that perfectly."
"What are you trying to say, Ginny?"
"I saw the way you looked at him Hermione." Ginny said in a friendly tone "You can not deny that something happened between you two."
"Okay, he saved my life last night. I tried to save the centaur and transferred his pain to me which was stupid and Malfoy took it out."
"Did Malfoy save your life? Voluntarily? No one had a wand pointed at his head?" Ginny asked incredulously. "Fuck, It's been a weird year."
"Nothing happened between me and Malfoy." said Hermione stripping off her dress and putting on her sweatshirt. "He remains the same self-centered and prejudiced as he always was. And I'm still just a muddleblood to him. That kind of stuff doesn't go away, ever."
"That he saved by choice." Ginny smiled at her. "Something's changing Hermione and you refuse to see it."
"Of course everything's changing, Ginny. We're at war." Hermione said in an aggressive tone as if Ginny were a naive child. She was immediately sorry for the sad expression on Ginny's face. "Sorry, it was just a terrible night and I do not want to talk about Malfoy, I already spend too much time with him doing that potion."
"No problem, Hermine, but I know things are changing every day. Just because you're always with Harry in all your Adventures against You-Know-Who, does not mean that those who stay behind are living in a sea of roses, ignorant of everything that is happening."Ginny answered back with a hint of envy and jealousy in her voice.
"Ginny ..." Hermione tried to comfort her friend but she slipped inside the dresser with a new pair of jeans.
"Forget it. This is silly."
Hermione respected her friend's privacy but could not leave things that way.
"You do not have to worry about me and Harry." she assured her. "And he cares more about you than you think." Hermione smiled knowing that this would arouse the confidence of her friend, who appeared seconds later, through the curtains of the dressing room.
"Yes?" Ginny asked, her eyes twinkling, a silly smile. "I mean, we're friends."
"Trust me, I saw the way he looks at you and gets all nervous around you. That's typical Harry."
"He's kinda nice I guess." Ginny said coming out of the dressing room, smiling.
The two friends continued to demand several shops until they found the perfect pieces that Ginny was looking for. Hermione ended up wearing the cherry-colored summer dress, just because. Far from the boys' conversation, they headed to the Three Broomsticks and each one drank two Butterbeers, unconcerned with their homework, boys, and the constant threat of attack or death. Typical problems. Hermione was grateful to have Ginny on her side, she was fierce, funny, and complete in ways Hermione never felt she was. Of course, she loved the boys deeply but there are certain aspects of her life that only Ginny could understand without judgment.
During those minutes, everything seemed peaceful and right, as it should be. But they both shared the feeling that this was the calm before the storm.