Author's Note: I know this chapter isn't really great but I hope it will
get better later on. Review Please!!
Once out of the Headmaster's office Draco and Hermione started upstairs. "Oh gosh I was just sure we were going to get in trouble! I can't believe that those girls saw us! I hope they don't tell anybody. I can only imagine how pissed Harry and Ron Would be, not to mention your friends…" she spit out in a single breath. Draco burst in, furious. "Enough!" They came to a screeching halt. "I just want to make one thing entirely clear. As far as I'm concerned, last night never happened so you might as well forget it too. It was a mistake, a one-time thing. It will never happen again. You never will see me act like a whimpering puppy ever again in your life! I will not tolerate my own weakness or anyone else's. So just leave me alone and FORGET ABOUT IT!!!!" he shouted. He stood there for a moment, trying desperately to ignore the tears running down her pretty face. Finally he turned and stormed away, leaving her there to cry.
Hermione sank to the floor and buried her head in her hands. She felt as if she hadn't a friend in the world. Just as she was beginning to loose faith in everything, a voice called from down the hall. "Hermione, what's wrong?" She lifted her head to see Ginny Weasley running towards her, suitcase in hand. Hermione stood up and rushed to greet her friend. "Gin what on earth are you doing here?" "Oh. Well I found out that everyone planned to spend the whole vacation on brooms so I begged and pleaded and my mother agreed to let me come back and keep you company." Hermione steered her towards the stairs. "I'm so glad you're here. It's been so terrible," she cried. Ginny looked down at her friend's nightclothes. "I can see that. Now why exactly are you crying in the middle of the halls in your pajamas?" She sighed. "Well, it's a long story…"
An hour later, Hermione was dressed in her normal clothes and the pair was settled on one of the comfy couches in the common room. Hermione had finished her story and Ginny just sat there wide-eyed. "He really said that to you?" she asked. "Yes, and I don't know why on earth I care so much." "Because he showed you last night that he's human. He opened up to you and showed you a side of himself that no one has ever seen before. And you may not want to admit it, but you care for him."
Hermione stared at Ginny like she had just told her she had been smoking something Snape had given her. "Why on earth would you say that? I mean… No! He's so blonde and his eyes are so blue. Not to mention that body, and that smirk that just makes me want to melt at the drop of a … Oh." Ginny gave her a smug smile. "Told you." For the second time that day Hermione began to cry. "Oh Ginny what am I going to do! He doesn't even care that I exist. He probably thinks I'm just a worthless mudblood!" "Oh Herm, you don't believe that. I know you don't. He'll come around, you'll see." She reassured her. "When did you get to thinking so profoundly?" Hermione asked. "I think it comes from hanging around you and Harry so much." She giggled and helped her up. "Come on, we'll go bug the House Elves 'til they give us some breakfast."
Unbeknownst to them, Draco had heard the entire conversation, and as he hurried away he couldn't help but wonder why he acted the way he did. For the first time in a long time, he had hurt someone emotionally and he wanted to make it better. He felt horrible for what he had done. He wanted to tell her that he was sorry, to let her know how much he regretted it, to just hold her in his arms until he made it better. But most of all he wanted her to know that he wasn't the same person he used to be. "What's wrong with me?" he asked himself. "Wouldn't it be bad to show weakness? Especially since she's my weakness." Then it occurred to him. What was so wrong with weakness? Sometimes it could be a vital component in helping a situation couldn't it? Certainly in this situation it could. With new determination he faced a mirror and looked at his reflection. "I'm not my father. I won't allow this trivial worry to get in the way of loving her." He began to pace across the hall. "But how can I make it up to her? There's got to be a way." He paused. "I'll talk to Ginny. Oh please let her help!" With that he ran off to the Great Hall.
Once out of the Headmaster's office Draco and Hermione started upstairs. "Oh gosh I was just sure we were going to get in trouble! I can't believe that those girls saw us! I hope they don't tell anybody. I can only imagine how pissed Harry and Ron Would be, not to mention your friends…" she spit out in a single breath. Draco burst in, furious. "Enough!" They came to a screeching halt. "I just want to make one thing entirely clear. As far as I'm concerned, last night never happened so you might as well forget it too. It was a mistake, a one-time thing. It will never happen again. You never will see me act like a whimpering puppy ever again in your life! I will not tolerate my own weakness or anyone else's. So just leave me alone and FORGET ABOUT IT!!!!" he shouted. He stood there for a moment, trying desperately to ignore the tears running down her pretty face. Finally he turned and stormed away, leaving her there to cry.
Hermione sank to the floor and buried her head in her hands. She felt as if she hadn't a friend in the world. Just as she was beginning to loose faith in everything, a voice called from down the hall. "Hermione, what's wrong?" She lifted her head to see Ginny Weasley running towards her, suitcase in hand. Hermione stood up and rushed to greet her friend. "Gin what on earth are you doing here?" "Oh. Well I found out that everyone planned to spend the whole vacation on brooms so I begged and pleaded and my mother agreed to let me come back and keep you company." Hermione steered her towards the stairs. "I'm so glad you're here. It's been so terrible," she cried. Ginny looked down at her friend's nightclothes. "I can see that. Now why exactly are you crying in the middle of the halls in your pajamas?" She sighed. "Well, it's a long story…"
An hour later, Hermione was dressed in her normal clothes and the pair was settled on one of the comfy couches in the common room. Hermione had finished her story and Ginny just sat there wide-eyed. "He really said that to you?" she asked. "Yes, and I don't know why on earth I care so much." "Because he showed you last night that he's human. He opened up to you and showed you a side of himself that no one has ever seen before. And you may not want to admit it, but you care for him."
Hermione stared at Ginny like she had just told her she had been smoking something Snape had given her. "Why on earth would you say that? I mean… No! He's so blonde and his eyes are so blue. Not to mention that body, and that smirk that just makes me want to melt at the drop of a … Oh." Ginny gave her a smug smile. "Told you." For the second time that day Hermione began to cry. "Oh Ginny what am I going to do! He doesn't even care that I exist. He probably thinks I'm just a worthless mudblood!" "Oh Herm, you don't believe that. I know you don't. He'll come around, you'll see." She reassured her. "When did you get to thinking so profoundly?" Hermione asked. "I think it comes from hanging around you and Harry so much." She giggled and helped her up. "Come on, we'll go bug the House Elves 'til they give us some breakfast."
Unbeknownst to them, Draco had heard the entire conversation, and as he hurried away he couldn't help but wonder why he acted the way he did. For the first time in a long time, he had hurt someone emotionally and he wanted to make it better. He felt horrible for what he had done. He wanted to tell her that he was sorry, to let her know how much he regretted it, to just hold her in his arms until he made it better. But most of all he wanted her to know that he wasn't the same person he used to be. "What's wrong with me?" he asked himself. "Wouldn't it be bad to show weakness? Especially since she's my weakness." Then it occurred to him. What was so wrong with weakness? Sometimes it could be a vital component in helping a situation couldn't it? Certainly in this situation it could. With new determination he faced a mirror and looked at his reflection. "I'm not my father. I won't allow this trivial worry to get in the way of loving her." He began to pace across the hall. "But how can I make it up to her? There's got to be a way." He paused. "I'll talk to Ginny. Oh please let her help!" With that he ran off to the Great Hall.