Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with JK Rowling.
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New chapter! (At last) I have no clue where this story is going to go after this chapter so expect a long wait for the next chapter! Please read and review. Thanks Orchid x
Broken Wings - Chapter 4.
Hermione leant lightly against Harry's shoulder he smiled and wrapped his arm around her. His other hand reached round to cup her cheek turning her face to his. Hermione gazed into his eyes as they tilted in, a fraction before their lips touched Harry pulled away angrily, "You can't carry on like this Hermione!" He snarled crossly. Hermione fell forward into air. A firm hand on her shoulder pulled her upright and twisting she found herself staring at Ron's smiling face. He ran his hands through her hair and closing his eyes leant forward. A second before Hermione closed her eyes; Ron's face turned into a scowling grimace, he pushed her away from him roughly and hissed, "What kind of a friend are you Hermione? Leading us both on? Justin was right, you know that!" his angry face transformed into Justin's glaring scarlet one, his arms shook her shoulders gruffly.
"You can't mess us about! Make your mind up! Grow up Hermione! You're so selfish!" Justin glowered at her as he yelled.
"ARE YOU LISTENING HERMIONE? .... Hermione? .... Hermione? ....Granger? ....GRANGER!"
Hermione jolted awake,
"Wha?" She gasped coughing out a mouthful of soapy bath water. She looked around her. Draco Malfoy had his hands on her shoulders and was shaking her. Hermione felt her face explode in a blush of embarrassment. She was naked in the bath, and Malfoy was now half covered in the various types of bubbles from the water. He withdrew his hands and turned away from the pool. Hermione scrambled out of the lukewarm water and grabbed a robe pulling it tightly around her. She cleared her throat. Draco turned around.
"What the hell were you playing at Granger? Falling asleep in the tub! You would have drowned if I hadn't have tried to wake you up!" Hermione gaped at his pale face, the dream flooding back to her.
"Uh..." She stammered not knowing what to say. Draco stared at her,
"What the hell were you dreaming about anyway? It took me ages to wake you." He tried to regard her in an aloof manner but his concern was obvious. Hermione gulped.
"Well.... umm..." She faltered trying to stall, "I can't remember." She finished lamely avoiding his crystal coloured eyes. Malfoy rolled his eyes,
"What the hell is up with you recently Granger? Not that I take notice in your mood swings regularly but you seem even more uptight than usual!" The insult carried no malice and Malfoy actually looked concerned. He refused to admit he missed her sharp, cutting comebacks to his taunts and her upbeat and hyperactive temper. Staring at her without hostility, he waited for a reply. Hermione gulped, and her feelings screamed at her to spill her troubles to her enemy, but the underlying mistrust still present made her hesitate.
"Uhhh..." She kept her eyes on the ground. Malfoy shrugged angrily,
"Fine. Just do yourself a favour and don't go falling asleep in fucking bath tubs anymore." He spat furiously and twisted to leave. Hermione felt her eyes fill with tears.
"Malfoy!" He turned.
"What?"
"...Thank you." She said quietly.
"Your welcome." He replied and glancing at the brimming coffee eyes, he turned and left.
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"Harry?" Lavender waved her hand in front of his face. Snapping out of his trance he looked up at her.
"Mmm?" Lavender sighed exasperatedly, pushing a handful of streaky blonde hair behind her shoulder she looked back at him.
"I was asking you if anything was going to happen between us?" She said her voice steady, but a rosy pink blush appearing on her cheeks. Harry exhaled, he groaned inwardly, here he was with one of the kindest, funniest, not to mention most good looking witches in the school and he just couldn't get another certain witch out of his head. Gulping he considered quickly and reached across to grab Lavender's hand.
"Lavender, you know you are one of my closest friends, and I think you are gorgeous, funny everything I'd want in a girlfriend but..." Lavender swallowed and looked across the table at him.
"But what?" Lavender asked quietly.
"Nothing can happen between us, because I have feelings for someone else." Harry sighed, he had said it. Lavender pulled her hands free from Harry's loose grip,
"Lavender!" Harry said, but instead of storming away from him Lavender smiled and pulled him into a hug. Harry smiled into her hair and whispered in her ear,
"Thanks for understanding." She drew away from him and smiled at him he noticed her eyes held a flicker of disappointment.
"No problem."
"Friends?" Harry asked. Lavender grinned at him.
"Of course, you can't get rid of me that easily, Harry." She laughed and turned to head out of the common room, "See you at dinner!" She called over her shoulder giving him a quick wave she ducked out of the portrait hole into the corridor.
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As the class of Slytherins and Gryffindors filed out of the dreary dungeon, Ron felt someone push past him and saw Hermione speed up the stairs ahead of everyone and out of sight. Frowning he turned to speak to Harry and found himself face to face with Draco Malfoy.
"What is up with Granger these days? She seems unstable." Draco sneered at Ron. Ron reached out to grab him, but someone was there before him and had Malfoy pinned against the hard stone wall. Harry's face was livid and stressed as he held a squirming Malfoy in front of him.
"Don't give Hermione any trouble Malfoy." Harry said quietly but his voice throbbed with threat and menace. Draco pushed Harry's now limp hand away from his throat,
"I'm not giving her trouble. It seems to be you two." Malfoy snapped angrily. Ron glared at him,
"What the fuck are you on about?" He growled. Malfoy didn't answer instead he turned his back on the duo and set off up the stairs. Emerging onto the landing, Malfoy saw a door click shut a few metres down the hall. Silently he sped to it and pushed himself into the room.
"Granger?" He said quietly, eyeing the girl curled up in the corner of the classroom. She didn't answer or stir so he moved across to her and knelt beside her.
"Granger, what's wrong?" Hermione stayed coiled up her head resting on her knees. So Draco reached out to touch her arm, instantly she jumped up as though she had been burnt.
"What!" She cried wildly staring at him through eyes streaming with tears. Draco stared back at her.
"What is going on with you?"
"Why should you care?" Hermione shot at him. Draco hesitated, searching for an arrogant retort.
"I just do." He said shrugging.
"You have no idea what's going on here, just leave me alone Malfoy." She said quietly before turning away from him, Draco watched as she went towards the door.
"Wait! I do have an idea. That night when you feel asleep in the bath. You were talking in your dreams..." He trailed off as Hermione whipped round her eyes blazing.
"If you dare tell anyone anything of what I might have said!" Draco gestured for her to sit and angrily she pulled out a chair.
"Granger I won't tell. But, you need to do something about it; I mean you can't go on like this."
"Like what?" Hermione tried to snap but it came out in a weary question.
"Like this, falling asleep in baths, running away from your best friends, shutting your self out from everyone, hiding in classrooms...." Hermione glared at him,
"Okay. I get it." Hermione rolled her eyes and went to leave.
"Don't you want to talk about it?" Draco asked in a quiet voice from behind her. She shook her head not turning.
"No. Not now anyway."
"Well, if you need to. I'm here." He couldn't believe what he had just said, and neither could Hermione, she managed to nod before heading out of the door.
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The Great Hall was seething with the students of the four houses all eating a huge dinner of chicken and mushroom pie and every side dish imaginable. Hermione was staring down at her plate picking at her food unenthusiastically, letting the usual babble wash over her.
"We'll be pulling through this year I'm telling you!" Ron was saying to Seamus. Seamus roared with laughter,
"No chance! The Cannons have had their day."
"Shut up! We've bought Krum and he's got a new killer move, update on the wronski! Goes like this...!" Ron said animatedly waving his arms about, one hand hit Hermione's goblet of orange juice tipping it into her lap. She jumped up and opened her mouth to yell at Ron, grabbing the goblet she slammed it onto the table and watched as Ron continued to mime the new Quidditch move heartily, not noticing the spreading stain on her tee shirt and skirt. She felt someone's hand on her shoulder and heard Harry whisper in her ear.
"C'mon, let's go. You can get cleaned up in my bathroom." Hermione tried to think of an excuse but felt herself being dragged away. As they walked up the stairs in tense silence Hermione realised she hadn't been alone with Harry since she was in the Hospital wing, desperately telling herself not to reveal any of her feelings she let Harry guide her through the portrait. Clearing her throat she smiled at him,
"Thanks Harry. I can go get cleaned up in the girls bathroom."
"No, come up to mine, the first years are dying each other's hair in your bathroom." He said giving her a lopsided grin and grabbing her hand and not waiting for the answer he steered Hermione up the spiral staircase to Head Boy's bathroom.
Hermione perched on the edge of the bath tub and rubbed at her skirt and tee shirt with a flannel. Harry looked at it,
"Take them off 'Mione and we can charm the stain away." Hermione's throat tightened, a few weeks ago she wouldn't have thought twice about removing the clothes in front of either Harry or Ron, being best friends with them meant that they had seen her in under wear, swimming costumes and pyjamas many times, but now so many thoughts pounded in her head.
"Uh..." She blushed deep red and looked at the tiled floor of the bathroom. "Could I borrow a shirt or something?" Harry looked at her puzzled but nodded,
"Sure." He went into his room and returned with a navy blue polo shirt, he tossed it to her. "You want me to leave while you put it on?" He said jokingly, Hermione blushed even deeper, and didn't answer. Harry's eyebrows knitted but shrugging he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. Hermione sighed in relief and pulled her damp clothes off flinging them into a heap, she pulled Harry's shirt on and in embarrassment realised it only fell to some inches above her knee.
"You ready?" She heard Harry call from his room. She opened the door.
"Yeah." Harry got up and walked over to the bathroom; he looked at Hermione and gulped. She looked gorgeous in his top, the miles of creamy legs stretched out from the hem and her hair was beautifully unruly falling down her back in a sheet of glistening curls. Harry could feel his cheeks colouring and clearing his throat he entered the room and looked at the heap of sodden clothes.
"You know any good cleaning charms?" He asked, Hermione nodded, and grabbing her wand from the side she directed it at the clothes and muttered,
"Persiliousis" She watched in satisfaction as her clothes rose and spun quickly in mid air before dropping, perfectly clean and folded into a neat pile. Harry grinned.
"Well, at least it didn't stain."
"Yeah. Well I guess I'll be going. I have to study." Hermione blurted. Harry looked at her.
"Please can we talk first?" Hermione opened her mouth to speak but Harry interrupted locking his eyes with hers, "Please Hermione." Pulling her eyes from the forest green pools, Hermione shrugged and nodded and followed Harry to sit on his bed.
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What do you think? Will Hermione tell Harry how she feels? What about Ron? Read & Review please! All comments and suggestions welcome...