I sat in bed, unable to go to sleep. What was Ron
going to say? I knew what he had intended to say in the depths of my mind,
but I didn't want to actually believe it. I sighed and tried to close my
eyes again. I opened them. But what if both Ron and Draco liked me? I smiled
in spite of myself. I never thought I would have problems like this. Well,
back on the subject. . . what if they both liked me? How would I choose
which one I liked more? Ron, with his fiery, red hair, freckles that dotted
his face like stars, and wonderful sense of humor. But then there was Draco.
. Draco, frosted opal, flaxen waves, strong, and silent. How could I choose
if I had to?
"Maybe I won't choose at all," I murmured, rolled
over and fell asleep.
***
Breakfast was boring. Charms class was boring. Herbology
was boring. The day was boring and just so damn depressing. I didn't see
Hermione at all except at potions. She seemed so far away. She kept on
looking over at someone at the other end of the room and sighing. She made
me uncomfortable. I had the strongest urge to punch her in the face.
"Hermione?" I tugged at a strand of her hair, perhaps
too hard.
"Ow!" she turned around, snapping from her reverie,
"what? Oh, is the potion ready?"
***
"Oh, Harry!!" I wailed, putting down my books and
smashing both my glass ink viles. The dark purple ink seeped through the
carpet in the library. I sighed, and ran my hands through my hair. Harry
and I sat in the library, waiting for Ron to come back with some books
about famous hags for history of magic class. It was mostly empty, because
everyone was still down at lunch, laughing and eating. . . and eating.
. . and laughing. . and. . .
"Are you all right?" Harry asked me, looking at
the purple spot on the carpet, then back up at me. I looked around, making
sure that Ron hadn't come back from a shelf of books in the back of the
library.
"No. . . not really," I mumbled.
"Why not?"
"Ooooh, Harry. It's Ron!" I cried, putting both
my elbows on the table.
"What about him?" Harry began to fidget in his seat.
"Does he, you know, like me? I mean not just like
me, but, like LIKE me," I said. Everything sounded so stupid when it came
out of my mouth. Backwards and jumbled. What was wrong with me?
"Hermione. . . that was incredibly confusing. .
." Harry said.
"Oh, you know what I mean, Harry," I said.
"Yeah, I guess he does sorta like you," he responded,
concentrating very hard on the ink blot on the floor. I looked up at him,
into his bottle green eyes. They seemed to have every color of the forest
in them. They didn't search inside me like Ron's. Thank God.
"Well. . . well, that's just. . ." I was at a loss
for words, "bad, I guess. It's just bad."
"Why? Don't you like him, too?" Harry, glancing
at Ron at the other end of the room.
"No! Not at all! How could I?" I blurted. Wait.
. . that's not the way I wanted it to come out. That sounded just so stupid
and mean and so unlike me.
"No. . . I mean, I can't like him because he's my
friend and it would be a little strange if I liked him, don't you s'pose
so?" I desperately tried to pick up my broken thoughts and piece them together.
My mind was fumbling and hesitating. It kept dropping pieces.
"Is it Malfoy? Please tell me you and Malfoy don't
have anything going on," Harry pleaded, looking up at my face. This time
he did seem to be searching. . .but not quite as deeply as Ron had.
"Don't be silly," I sighed.
"Okay. . . good," he nodded.
"I've found the book!" Ron yelled, coming back.
"Er, Ron?" I raised an eye brow and took the book
in my hands, gazing at it.
"What?"
"This isn't in English," I said, flipping a couple
pages and laughing quietly.
"But. . . but. . ." he spluttered. His ears turned
very red.
"Oh, Ron!" I said, laughing harder.
***
I walked inside the owl house and looked around.
Thousands of white and brown owls were rested on perches, hooting peacefully.
A note to Hermione was clutched tightly in my hand. I had to use the school
owl so no body would know it was me who sent the letter to her. Like she
said. . . if anyone found out. . .
I held the piece of parchment lightly in my hands,
looking over at the veins of ink flowering across the paper. It was folded
neatly. I spotted a tiny, gray owl and tied the note onto its foot. It
hooted softly and flew out the window.
"I hope she gets it," I muttered to myself, turning
to walk out of the owlery. A silvery strand of hair fell into my eyes.
I felt to lazy to brush it away. . .
***
I sat at breakfast, watching white, gray, and chestnut
owls fly into the room, laden with packages and letters to give to the
other students. I never got owls. I watched Ron tear open a package from
his mum and sighed.
"Er, Hermione? Is that owl yours?" Harry asked,
pointing to my cup filled with orange juice. A small, fluttering owl had
landed it inside it, a juice sodden note attached to its tiny, red feet.
"Let me help you with that," Ron said, scooping
the owl out of my cup.
"Er, thanks, Ron. I won't be able to drink my juice
now, but oh well," I carefully tore the note off the owl's feet.
"Who's it from, Hermi?" Ron asked, putting down
his fork.
"Er, no one," I read it and blushed, stuffing it
hastily into my pocket. Even though the ink was runny I could still read
it. . . Draco! Draco, I wanted to scream. He had sent me a note telling
me to meet him in the North Tower at midnight! That would be breaking a
school rule-- but-- I couldn't-- there was no possible way-- I smiled.
. .
***
I sat down against a large, towering, marble pole and squinted. The darkness only feared the vanilla milkiness of the moon and the bright, jewel flashes of harsh snow flakes glittering against a sky of velvety purple and gray. I glanced up at the ceiling, then down at the floor. There was nothing more to look at. I sighed, stuffing my hands in the pocket of my baggy, flanelly, jet black pants. My ears strained for light footsteps, dancing across an icy, lonely, marble floor , but no sound came to me. I was just getting ready to stand up and leave when I heard quick breathing coming from the dark staircase.
***
I struggled up the dreary stair case, the own sound
of my feet making my heart dance in my chest. I took a deep breath and
stepped into the white haziness that was the light of a pregnant moon.
I tried to hold back a smile as I watched him sitting near a large, fancy
pole, stony vines twisting up the marble grandness, seeming to choke the
life out of it. His hair shone almost white in the harsh light. I hoped
that my messy ponytail didn't look to awful. . .
"Draco!" I whispered, going to him, and sitting
beside him almost silently. He looked up at me, his face giving way to
a wonderful smile. Almost relived. Almost out of breath.
"I didn't think you would show, you know," Draco
said, looking down at his hands. His body was bathed in alabaster, platinum,
almost liquidy light. It seemed like he was holding his breath. I couldn't
breathe, either.
"Oh, that's silly," I said, my voice trembling.
I fumbled helplessly to break the tense silence. He looked up from his
hands and into my eyes for the first time that night. I started to tremble
all over, unable to control my clattering knees. He leaned in on me, so
that his nose was almost touching mine. His eyes sparkled silver, gray,
and icy blue all at once. I held my breath.
"You're pretty," he finally said, backing away,
and resting his head in his hands. I sighed almost inaudibly. That's not
exactly what I was excpecting from him. A kiss perhaps, would have been
lovely.
"I think I forgot something," he said suddenly,
taking my face up in his hands and placing his lips to mine. His hands
traveled from my face to my back, making shivers travel up and dwn m spine.
I suddenly had forgotten how to breathe. . .
sorry this chapter was sooo short.. I have had no time for writing,
I've been so busy with parties and other good stuff.. yeah, well, review..
I'll get more written soon!! I promise!!! luv ya ;) ps: please please please
review!!! don't be slackers!!!