"Tell her. Just get it over with. So what if she doesn't fell the same.
At least you'll know." Hermione felt like the biggest hypocrite at that
point. She knew she should go talk to Draco about the journal but she
couldn't bring herself to do it. She was afraid of what might happen if
she did. Instead she stayed silent about it.
"I can't." He said with a pleading voice.
"You have to or I will."
"What?" He said doing a double take. "You can't!" Looking extremely terrified. "Hermione please don't. I don't want her to know, not yet. And I only told you because I thought you'd be the sensible one about this."
"Yes, but not telling her wouldn't be very sensible, now would it?"
Hermione looked at the boy. She looked at his face. She saw fear, anger and sadness in just one look. She felt pity for him. 'So maybe I won't tell her' She reasoned with herself. 'He needs her desperately though. So maybe I will, I just can't let him know. Yes that's it, I'll tell her.'
"Please Hermione. Don't. Not yet."
"Fine."
"You promise then?"
Hermione crossed her fingers behind her back before she promised anything to the boy. "Of course. Look I have to go to the library. So I'll catch up with you later."
As she walked to the library she devised a plan to tell Ginny. 'So I'll just tell her next time I see her, then. Good now that's settled.' She was so absorbed in thought that she didn't see that she was going to run into the blonde Slytherin. He knew that they were going to collide but for some reason unknown to him he didn't care. So he let her run into him.
"Hey now, you better watch where your going next time." He regained his composer as she was picking things up off of the floor. "Here, let me help you."
"I don't need your help."
"Yeah you're right, you need mental help." At this he laughed a little signaling that it was a joke. She looked at him in shock. She didn't know what to say, she was speechless. He was semi-nice to her. This surprised her so much that she dropped the things in her hands again. "Here you better let me, since you haven't any luck picking them up." He chuckled again.
She didn't respond she couldn't. She tried to give thanks or say anything but her mouth wouldn't work. He handed her the papers and books that she'd dropped. He got up off of the floor and walked away, leaving her alone. When she finally believed what had happened she went to the library, to get her work done.
When she arrived she spread her things out on the table. She saw it. The damned cursed book. He had slipped it into her things when he handed them to her. 'That means he knows it's mine.' She thought. 'Oh well.'
She flipped through the pages, until she reached the end of her poetry. There was writing on the page right after her last poem. It was Draco's handwriting. She wasn't sure of this but she knew it wasn't Ron's or Harry's so it had to be his.
'Hermione, I wasn't sure who had written in this book at first. But when I saw you at the library last night I knew it was you. I knew that you would never confront me about the journal ever again after last night. So I'm confronting you. I have no intention of telling anyone what I've read. So rest easily. I decided that since the journal wasn't mine to begin with, that it must return to its rightful owner. I'm sorry if my finding it caused you worry. And I'm also sorry I had to return it like I did, but I decided that it was the best way to avoid an uncomfortable situation.
Draco'
'Figures he'd find a way to worm out of an "uncomfortable" situation. I always knew he did.' She wasn't angry with him but she wouldn't tell herself that. Instead she busied herself with schoolwork unaware that the Christmas holidays would soon be there and that she could do it then.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Christmas came quickly; so quickly that it was highly suspicious. Like the twins had sped up time, without anyone knowing. But no one really cared. All that really mattered was that it was there and they got a break from school.
Christmas morning was a very eventful morning. Ron and Harry had gotten up unusually early and had ripped open every one of their presents before Hermione had gotten downstairs. They said their casual "hellos" with a "Happy Christmas" thrown in before Hermione opened her gifts.
She received a huge book on every spell imaginable from her parents. A bunch of candy from Ron and from Harry she received a watch that glowed purple when you lost track of time. She also received the traditional rock cakes from Hagrid, which she got every single year. But there was something else. Another gift. If she hadn't been daydreaming of how to get rid of the rock cakes while looking at the floor she would have missed its presence.
Before Harry and Ron noticed anything suspicious, she pocketed the tiny box and gathered her gifts, taking them to her room. She left the gifts including the box, in her room because the others were calling her, it seemed they were going down to breakfast. So she wanted to join them. She left the room, leaving it darkened and utterly alone. Not aware that her cat, Crookshanks, would be left to entertain himself the many hours she was gone until her return.
That night the Great Hall was completely decorated for the Yule Tides. A huge tree surrounded by twelve others, each decorated picture perfectly. The food was amazing as usual. There was everything a wizard could ever imagine. Turkey, mince pies, roast, peas, gravy, boiled potatoes, fried potatoes, pies of all types, the list could continue for hours. The house elves had really outdone themselves this year. They always did.
There were tiny explosions all around the Great Hall some of them from the wizard crackers, but mostly from Fred and George and their infinite supplies of goods that would send Filch to the mad house someday.
This Christmas would be one that Hermione would remember until the day she died.
When night came and the famous trio grew too tired to stay awake they parted their ways and went to their separate rooms. Each of them expecting to fall asleep almost as instantly as their heads touched their pillows.
Hermione wouldn't have noticed the little gift if it hadn't been for Crookshanks. He had ripped the paper covering the box slightly but hadn't damaged the contents inside of it. She picked it up tearing off the paper inside of the box was a card. It read:
' To: Hermione Granger
I was the one who sent you the rose and now here is another token of my affection. I will soon let you in on the big secret but until then wear this for me.
Always Yours'
She looked underneath the card and found a beautiful golden necklace. The chain was solid gold and on the chain was a simple diamond. She put the necklace on.
For some odd reason the common sense in Hermione had left completely. On normal days her first thought would be that it was cursed some how and that it should be left alone for the rest of eternity but today was different.
"I can't." He said with a pleading voice.
"You have to or I will."
"What?" He said doing a double take. "You can't!" Looking extremely terrified. "Hermione please don't. I don't want her to know, not yet. And I only told you because I thought you'd be the sensible one about this."
"Yes, but not telling her wouldn't be very sensible, now would it?"
Hermione looked at the boy. She looked at his face. She saw fear, anger and sadness in just one look. She felt pity for him. 'So maybe I won't tell her' She reasoned with herself. 'He needs her desperately though. So maybe I will, I just can't let him know. Yes that's it, I'll tell her.'
"Please Hermione. Don't. Not yet."
"Fine."
"You promise then?"
Hermione crossed her fingers behind her back before she promised anything to the boy. "Of course. Look I have to go to the library. So I'll catch up with you later."
As she walked to the library she devised a plan to tell Ginny. 'So I'll just tell her next time I see her, then. Good now that's settled.' She was so absorbed in thought that she didn't see that she was going to run into the blonde Slytherin. He knew that they were going to collide but for some reason unknown to him he didn't care. So he let her run into him.
"Hey now, you better watch where your going next time." He regained his composer as she was picking things up off of the floor. "Here, let me help you."
"I don't need your help."
"Yeah you're right, you need mental help." At this he laughed a little signaling that it was a joke. She looked at him in shock. She didn't know what to say, she was speechless. He was semi-nice to her. This surprised her so much that she dropped the things in her hands again. "Here you better let me, since you haven't any luck picking them up." He chuckled again.
She didn't respond she couldn't. She tried to give thanks or say anything but her mouth wouldn't work. He handed her the papers and books that she'd dropped. He got up off of the floor and walked away, leaving her alone. When she finally believed what had happened she went to the library, to get her work done.
When she arrived she spread her things out on the table. She saw it. The damned cursed book. He had slipped it into her things when he handed them to her. 'That means he knows it's mine.' She thought. 'Oh well.'
She flipped through the pages, until she reached the end of her poetry. There was writing on the page right after her last poem. It was Draco's handwriting. She wasn't sure of this but she knew it wasn't Ron's or Harry's so it had to be his.
'Hermione, I wasn't sure who had written in this book at first. But when I saw you at the library last night I knew it was you. I knew that you would never confront me about the journal ever again after last night. So I'm confronting you. I have no intention of telling anyone what I've read. So rest easily. I decided that since the journal wasn't mine to begin with, that it must return to its rightful owner. I'm sorry if my finding it caused you worry. And I'm also sorry I had to return it like I did, but I decided that it was the best way to avoid an uncomfortable situation.
Draco'
'Figures he'd find a way to worm out of an "uncomfortable" situation. I always knew he did.' She wasn't angry with him but she wouldn't tell herself that. Instead she busied herself with schoolwork unaware that the Christmas holidays would soon be there and that she could do it then.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Christmas came quickly; so quickly that it was highly suspicious. Like the twins had sped up time, without anyone knowing. But no one really cared. All that really mattered was that it was there and they got a break from school.
Christmas morning was a very eventful morning. Ron and Harry had gotten up unusually early and had ripped open every one of their presents before Hermione had gotten downstairs. They said their casual "hellos" with a "Happy Christmas" thrown in before Hermione opened her gifts.
She received a huge book on every spell imaginable from her parents. A bunch of candy from Ron and from Harry she received a watch that glowed purple when you lost track of time. She also received the traditional rock cakes from Hagrid, which she got every single year. But there was something else. Another gift. If she hadn't been daydreaming of how to get rid of the rock cakes while looking at the floor she would have missed its presence.
Before Harry and Ron noticed anything suspicious, she pocketed the tiny box and gathered her gifts, taking them to her room. She left the gifts including the box, in her room because the others were calling her, it seemed they were going down to breakfast. So she wanted to join them. She left the room, leaving it darkened and utterly alone. Not aware that her cat, Crookshanks, would be left to entertain himself the many hours she was gone until her return.
That night the Great Hall was completely decorated for the Yule Tides. A huge tree surrounded by twelve others, each decorated picture perfectly. The food was amazing as usual. There was everything a wizard could ever imagine. Turkey, mince pies, roast, peas, gravy, boiled potatoes, fried potatoes, pies of all types, the list could continue for hours. The house elves had really outdone themselves this year. They always did.
There were tiny explosions all around the Great Hall some of them from the wizard crackers, but mostly from Fred and George and their infinite supplies of goods that would send Filch to the mad house someday.
This Christmas would be one that Hermione would remember until the day she died.
When night came and the famous trio grew too tired to stay awake they parted their ways and went to their separate rooms. Each of them expecting to fall asleep almost as instantly as their heads touched their pillows.
Hermione wouldn't have noticed the little gift if it hadn't been for Crookshanks. He had ripped the paper covering the box slightly but hadn't damaged the contents inside of it. She picked it up tearing off the paper inside of the box was a card. It read:
' To: Hermione Granger
I was the one who sent you the rose and now here is another token of my affection. I will soon let you in on the big secret but until then wear this for me.
Always Yours'
She looked underneath the card and found a beautiful golden necklace. The chain was solid gold and on the chain was a simple diamond. She put the necklace on.
For some odd reason the common sense in Hermione had left completely. On normal days her first thought would be that it was cursed some how and that it should be left alone for the rest of eternity but today was different.