A/N: No one was waiting up for me *sniff* but it's here anyway... here's And I'm Torn PART SIX!!!!
-Thoughts-
***
A few weeks trudged by for Hermione, with Harry avoiding her and Ron and Ron avoiding her also. Hermione herself was avoiding Ron, but she did dearly wish to have one friend, and couldn't understand why Harry would leave every time she entered a room. It was on one cold winter's night that she decided to confront him in the Gryffindor Common Room. Harry was curled up in his favorite chair, reading, and for once he hadn't noticed Hermione come in and could not avoid her pointedly.
"Harry," she said, sitting down in the chair next to him, "we need to talk."
"Why?" he asked, snapping his book shut. "There's nothing to talk about, you've made everything clear enough."
"WHAT have I made clear?"
"Nothing, damnit," yelled Harry, standing up to leave. Hermione noted that he had a sexily graceful way about him. -Stop it- she told herself. "Absolutely nothing, I see. You made it clear that nothing about me was as interesting as whatever you see in Ron."
"What are you talking about, Harry?" Hermione whispered, staring into Harry's eyes, pools of green fire. Someone could fall into those eyes and never come out, and be content doing so... -That's not what I need to think about right now.- Hermion blinked, calming herself. "I never meant anything-"
Harry cut her off with his shouts. "Yes, I'm sure you never meant anything by telling me that you had no interest in me. I'll bet it was just a mistake."
"Whan did I ever say that?" Hermione shouted back. "I remember telling you that I had an interest in someone, but don't remember stating that I had no interest in you. Don't put words in my mouth!"
"Are you saying you do have an interest in me, then?" Harry asked, bringing his voice lower, much to Hermione's relief.
"I don't know what I'm trying to say, so why don't I just leave now? I don't think I'll have much fun chatting with you anyway, seeing the mood you're in," Hermione hissed before shakily striding away. "Get out of my way, Ron," she shouted when her other best friend appeared in her path. "Please, I don't need this right now!"
"'Mione," he whispered, "if I had known that you liked Harry that night, I never would have tried anything-"
"I DON'T _LIKE_ LIKE HARRY!" she shouted, the room falling silent. Ron stared at her, gaping. After a moment, Harry ran out of the Common Room up to his dorm. "Shit," Hermione whispered.
"You idiot!" yelled Ron. "Stupid git! HARRY'S YOUR BEST FRIEND, for god's sake! Did you have to go and do that? Now he'll... I have to go, 'Mione." Ron bolted off to follow Harry.
"Uh, Hermione?" Ginny asked, timidly aproaching the fifth year. "Are you okay? I'm sure Harry'll be alright after a bit, he's probably just a bit upset. He's liked you for ever so long, and... this is just a bit of a shock, I think."
"He likes me?" Hermione asked softly. Ginny nodded. "HE LIKES ME?" Hermione shouted. Ginny winced.
"Yes, but not so loud," Ginny requested. "Their ears are all open. So does Ron, just to tell you, though from what I heard, you already know that, seeing as he said he tried something on you one night, so the real question is which one, if either, of them you like. What's the answer?"
"Both," Hermione said, sighing.
"Both?" Hermione nodded. "Both. I see. Do you know which one you like better?"
"Er, Harry, I think, wait, nevermind, Ron, no, actually-"
"So you don't know. Great. Uh, I kinda want Harry, so could you have Ron? I mean, he's my brother, so I don't think he'd work as a second choice for me."
"Yeah, maybe, I dunno, I might like Harry better... and there are a few second and third choices. Look at them," Hermione said, gesturing to Collin Creevy, who was snapping photos of Ginny and Hermione, and Neville, who was watching them with something that might have been classified as yearning.
"Uh, no... but Ron has a good heart, and you saw how upset he was after what you did to Harry. That really was sort of mean by the way, but that's not the point, so, anyway, what I mean is, he only wants well for his friends, and he saw Harry in need of comfort, so he pushed aside the opportunity to pounce on available Hermione."
"You're right," Hermione said. -And he is cute. Really cute. And his red hair gives him a unique air about him, and he IS on the quiditch team this year, and he's not stupid.- "If you see him, tell him that I'd like to chat."
"Sure," Ginny said, grinning. "This'll be great, I might get my Harry!"
"Yeah," Hermione said, a bit unsure, before turning to leave. "See you, Ginny," she called over her shoulder as she ducked through the portrait. Off to the library, where she could get some peace and quiet to think in. -How can anybody get anything done in that Common Room? People are always having fights and breakups, it's never silent. You can never study effectively in a place like that.- She entered the library, pulled out a book at random, and sat down to read it.
"Granger?" asked a voice which Hermione knew all too well as that of Draco Malfoy. What could he want with her?
"Yes, Malfoy?" she said snappishly, whirling. "What have you come to torment me about today?"
"Oh, nothing in particular," he drawled. "I was just wondering if you could give me a bit of help on this Arithmancy problem. The Ravenclaws refuse to, and who would want help from a Hufflepuff?"
"I'd assume you'd be more against recieving help from a Gryffindor," chuckled Hermione nervously. "Er, couldn't you ask a Slytherin or something?"
Draco sighed. "I would, but there aren't any in the calss, in case you hadn't noticed," he said, a bit ashamed.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I suppose I could, so pull up a chair and show me the problem." Draco sat down.
"Well, it's not just one problem. I don't understand any of the questions that are asked."
Hermione sighed resignedly. It was going to be a long study session.
***
Hermione gasped for air, slapping her knee. "Yes... he actually..." she trailed off, falling into fits of laughter. She was surprising herself by having a great time with Malfoy. Wait, scratch that. She was having a great time with Draco.
"Believed you?" asked Draco, his face a bit red from lack of air.
"Yup!" They both began to laugh again.
"Could you please keep quiet?" asked Madame Pince firmly, who had somehow made her way over to their table. Draco and Hermione both immedeately pulled themselves together.
"Of course," Hermione said, smiling. "We're very sorry to be causing the disturbances."
"Well, I suppose it's alright, just don't be doing it again, alright?" she told them, softening up when she noticed Hermione. "I don't want to have to give you two detentions."
Hermione and Draco stifled laughter as she turned and left them.
"Anyway, back to the work, where were we?" Draco asked after regaining his composure.
"Oh, er, yes, the work, I think we were on problem one?"
"Ah. Yes. How long have we been working?"
"Uh, two hours," Hermione said, frowning. "Though I wouldn't call it working."
Draco smiled at her. "Yeah, well, we'd better work on it so that you can go back and patch things up with Potter and Weasley," he said.
Hermione froze, remembering why she'd stormed off to the library in the first place. "Why do you think things need to be patched up?" she asked, trying to sound casual.
"Hermione, I'm not stupid. Why would you stoop to the level of having fun with a Malfoy if you had two perfectly nice Potter and Weasely best friends?"
"Er, so you're a bit more perceptive than I thought," Hermione said, unable to hide being flustered. "Do you want to hear the whole story, or do you just want to work on the problems?"
"Whole story," Draco replied, smiling. "Then, homework."
"Okay. I don't remember when it began, but..." Hermione found herself telling Draco her whole story, the attractions that she felt towards Harry and Ron, what Ginny had said to her, and her indecision. "And, the worst part, that they are both horribly pissed at me."
Draco looked at Hermione with concern. "So, you can't decide between Harry and Ron, even though you seem to like Harry better? Even though he likes you, too? And you could have Ron also? Who is your second choice, and with Ginny in the running, you're willing to go for?" Hermione nodded. "Then isn't it obvious?" yelled Draco. "Go for RON!"
Hermione stared at Draco for a moment before getting up. "You're right," she yelled over her shoulder as she left the library. "Thanks for the advice, see you later!" She opened the library door and slipped through.
"Wait!" Draco yelled to the shut door. "What about my homework?" when Hermione didn't return, Draco squeaked indignantly, then looked down at his arithmancy book. "I am so screwed."
***
A/N: No, this is not going to become a Draco/Hermione romance, don't worry... I just thought that I'd give him a part in the story, seeing as I felt like it. And I didn't want him to be an asshole like he was in the beginning. Yeah.
-Thoughts-
***
A few weeks trudged by for Hermione, with Harry avoiding her and Ron and Ron avoiding her also. Hermione herself was avoiding Ron, but she did dearly wish to have one friend, and couldn't understand why Harry would leave every time she entered a room. It was on one cold winter's night that she decided to confront him in the Gryffindor Common Room. Harry was curled up in his favorite chair, reading, and for once he hadn't noticed Hermione come in and could not avoid her pointedly.
"Harry," she said, sitting down in the chair next to him, "we need to talk."
"Why?" he asked, snapping his book shut. "There's nothing to talk about, you've made everything clear enough."
"WHAT have I made clear?"
"Nothing, damnit," yelled Harry, standing up to leave. Hermione noted that he had a sexily graceful way about him. -Stop it- she told herself. "Absolutely nothing, I see. You made it clear that nothing about me was as interesting as whatever you see in Ron."
"What are you talking about, Harry?" Hermione whispered, staring into Harry's eyes, pools of green fire. Someone could fall into those eyes and never come out, and be content doing so... -That's not what I need to think about right now.- Hermion blinked, calming herself. "I never meant anything-"
Harry cut her off with his shouts. "Yes, I'm sure you never meant anything by telling me that you had no interest in me. I'll bet it was just a mistake."
"Whan did I ever say that?" Hermione shouted back. "I remember telling you that I had an interest in someone, but don't remember stating that I had no interest in you. Don't put words in my mouth!"
"Are you saying you do have an interest in me, then?" Harry asked, bringing his voice lower, much to Hermione's relief.
"I don't know what I'm trying to say, so why don't I just leave now? I don't think I'll have much fun chatting with you anyway, seeing the mood you're in," Hermione hissed before shakily striding away. "Get out of my way, Ron," she shouted when her other best friend appeared in her path. "Please, I don't need this right now!"
"'Mione," he whispered, "if I had known that you liked Harry that night, I never would have tried anything-"
"I DON'T _LIKE_ LIKE HARRY!" she shouted, the room falling silent. Ron stared at her, gaping. After a moment, Harry ran out of the Common Room up to his dorm. "Shit," Hermione whispered.
"You idiot!" yelled Ron. "Stupid git! HARRY'S YOUR BEST FRIEND, for god's sake! Did you have to go and do that? Now he'll... I have to go, 'Mione." Ron bolted off to follow Harry.
"Uh, Hermione?" Ginny asked, timidly aproaching the fifth year. "Are you okay? I'm sure Harry'll be alright after a bit, he's probably just a bit upset. He's liked you for ever so long, and... this is just a bit of a shock, I think."
"He likes me?" Hermione asked softly. Ginny nodded. "HE LIKES ME?" Hermione shouted. Ginny winced.
"Yes, but not so loud," Ginny requested. "Their ears are all open. So does Ron, just to tell you, though from what I heard, you already know that, seeing as he said he tried something on you one night, so the real question is which one, if either, of them you like. What's the answer?"
"Both," Hermione said, sighing.
"Both?" Hermione nodded. "Both. I see. Do you know which one you like better?"
"Er, Harry, I think, wait, nevermind, Ron, no, actually-"
"So you don't know. Great. Uh, I kinda want Harry, so could you have Ron? I mean, he's my brother, so I don't think he'd work as a second choice for me."
"Yeah, maybe, I dunno, I might like Harry better... and there are a few second and third choices. Look at them," Hermione said, gesturing to Collin Creevy, who was snapping photos of Ginny and Hermione, and Neville, who was watching them with something that might have been classified as yearning.
"Uh, no... but Ron has a good heart, and you saw how upset he was after what you did to Harry. That really was sort of mean by the way, but that's not the point, so, anyway, what I mean is, he only wants well for his friends, and he saw Harry in need of comfort, so he pushed aside the opportunity to pounce on available Hermione."
"You're right," Hermione said. -And he is cute. Really cute. And his red hair gives him a unique air about him, and he IS on the quiditch team this year, and he's not stupid.- "If you see him, tell him that I'd like to chat."
"Sure," Ginny said, grinning. "This'll be great, I might get my Harry!"
"Yeah," Hermione said, a bit unsure, before turning to leave. "See you, Ginny," she called over her shoulder as she ducked through the portrait. Off to the library, where she could get some peace and quiet to think in. -How can anybody get anything done in that Common Room? People are always having fights and breakups, it's never silent. You can never study effectively in a place like that.- She entered the library, pulled out a book at random, and sat down to read it.
"Granger?" asked a voice which Hermione knew all too well as that of Draco Malfoy. What could he want with her?
"Yes, Malfoy?" she said snappishly, whirling. "What have you come to torment me about today?"
"Oh, nothing in particular," he drawled. "I was just wondering if you could give me a bit of help on this Arithmancy problem. The Ravenclaws refuse to, and who would want help from a Hufflepuff?"
"I'd assume you'd be more against recieving help from a Gryffindor," chuckled Hermione nervously. "Er, couldn't you ask a Slytherin or something?"
Draco sighed. "I would, but there aren't any in the calss, in case you hadn't noticed," he said, a bit ashamed.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I suppose I could, so pull up a chair and show me the problem." Draco sat down.
"Well, it's not just one problem. I don't understand any of the questions that are asked."
Hermione sighed resignedly. It was going to be a long study session.
***
Hermione gasped for air, slapping her knee. "Yes... he actually..." she trailed off, falling into fits of laughter. She was surprising herself by having a great time with Malfoy. Wait, scratch that. She was having a great time with Draco.
"Believed you?" asked Draco, his face a bit red from lack of air.
"Yup!" They both began to laugh again.
"Could you please keep quiet?" asked Madame Pince firmly, who had somehow made her way over to their table. Draco and Hermione both immedeately pulled themselves together.
"Of course," Hermione said, smiling. "We're very sorry to be causing the disturbances."
"Well, I suppose it's alright, just don't be doing it again, alright?" she told them, softening up when she noticed Hermione. "I don't want to have to give you two detentions."
Hermione and Draco stifled laughter as she turned and left them.
"Anyway, back to the work, where were we?" Draco asked after regaining his composure.
"Oh, er, yes, the work, I think we were on problem one?"
"Ah. Yes. How long have we been working?"
"Uh, two hours," Hermione said, frowning. "Though I wouldn't call it working."
Draco smiled at her. "Yeah, well, we'd better work on it so that you can go back and patch things up with Potter and Weasley," he said.
Hermione froze, remembering why she'd stormed off to the library in the first place. "Why do you think things need to be patched up?" she asked, trying to sound casual.
"Hermione, I'm not stupid. Why would you stoop to the level of having fun with a Malfoy if you had two perfectly nice Potter and Weasely best friends?"
"Er, so you're a bit more perceptive than I thought," Hermione said, unable to hide being flustered. "Do you want to hear the whole story, or do you just want to work on the problems?"
"Whole story," Draco replied, smiling. "Then, homework."
"Okay. I don't remember when it began, but..." Hermione found herself telling Draco her whole story, the attractions that she felt towards Harry and Ron, what Ginny had said to her, and her indecision. "And, the worst part, that they are both horribly pissed at me."
Draco looked at Hermione with concern. "So, you can't decide between Harry and Ron, even though you seem to like Harry better? Even though he likes you, too? And you could have Ron also? Who is your second choice, and with Ginny in the running, you're willing to go for?" Hermione nodded. "Then isn't it obvious?" yelled Draco. "Go for RON!"
Hermione stared at Draco for a moment before getting up. "You're right," she yelled over her shoulder as she left the library. "Thanks for the advice, see you later!" She opened the library door and slipped through.
"Wait!" Draco yelled to the shut door. "What about my homework?" when Hermione didn't return, Draco squeaked indignantly, then looked down at his arithmancy book. "I am so screwed."
***
A/N: No, this is not going to become a Draco/Hermione romance, don't worry... I just thought that I'd give him a part in the story, seeing as I felt like it. And I didn't want him to be an asshole like he was in the beginning. Yeah.
