Chapter 4- Moving On?
The first week after 'the incident' was spent mostly in bed and when she did get up it was to go to the bathroom. Parvati and Lavender brought her meals in bed every day along with her homework. They would not let her out of bed, insisting that she looked like a zombie. Hermione had gone pale in the face and her hair was a mess. Ron had come to visit her every day to try to cheer her up. She did not understand why this incident with Harry was affecting her so much. Hermione figured she must love him that much.
A week afterwards, Parvati had deemed her well enough to go to classes. Skipping breakfast to get some extra sleep, Hermione walked to her first class alone. She herd a cold voice behind her say, "Oh poor baby Hermione. What is she going to do without that precious dream team of hers? She has no one to hide behind now."
Hermione instantly whipped around to come almost nose to nose with Draco Malfoy. "Draco," she whispered through gritted teeth, "malreflectionous!"
There was a blinding flash of light and Draco shrieked and fell to the floor. She carefully stepped around him and went to her first class.
Hermione was early to transfiguration, and for once, made her way to the back of the classroom to grab a seat. As students began to file into the classroom, she noticed Harry looking like a zombie with a Ginny on his arm, still jabbering away. Hermione whipped out a handkerchief just as the tears began to weld up in her eyes. Ron winded his way through the crowd to take a seat next to Hermione but was stopped by Crabbe and Goyle, oddly enough. Malfoy was nowhere in sight, but the two picked Ron up by the arms and transported him to the front of the class. They then proceeded to situate themselves on either side of Hermione, leaving one space on her left side, probably for Malfoy. What luck, she thought, he's going to grill me.
Ten minutes into the class, while Hermione was contemplating whether anyone would notice if she dashed out the door, Draco walked in. "I was in the hospital wing," he said as he turned and glared at Hermione, who sat poised.
"Well, you've already missed enough class, please take a seat, Mr. Malfoy," Mc Gonagall replied.
As he took his seat beside Hermione, he whispered, "So you thought it would be funny if every time I looked into a mirror, it broke? Hilarious, Hermione." Well, atleast he was still calling her Hermione instead of mudblood. He paused. "Infact, I'd like to have a word with you after class."
How was she going to get out of this one? She was the smartest witch of her year, but at the moment fear was fogging her mind with terrible thoughts. The rest of the period seemed to go by in an instant, as Hermione blankly stared at the wall behind professor Mc Gonagall. As they were dismissed from class, Crabbe and Goyle stood on either side of Hermione, making it impossible for her to escape. Malfoy steered them into and empty classroom and told his two stooges to keep watch outside.
Hermione was so nervous she couldn't grip her wand inside her pocket. She was helpless and alone with Malfoy in an empty room. As Malfoy began to walk towards her, she began to whimper. He was so close she could feel the warmth of his breath on her face. Suddenly, he grabbed her shoulders and shoved her against the wall. Hermione shut her eyes, waiting for whatever was to come, when she felt his lips on her own. Malfoy began to passionately kiss her for what seemed like eternity, until Hermione couldn't help but give in.
What was she doing? She was still in love with Harry. But, she reminded herself, Harry seemed to have moved on. No, she couldn't. No matter how gorgeous and no matter how good a kisser Malfoy was.... Hermione regained consciousness, broke free for Malfoy's grasp, and bolted out the door, knocking Crabbe and Goyle over like bowling pins.
She didn't stop running until she had reached her room and slammed the door. Hermione then proceeded to collapse on her bed. She felt like breaking something. "WHY IS MY LIFE SO COMPLICATED!" she screamed.
The door creaked open and Ginny slowly walked in. "How on earth could your perfect life be complicated?" she asked with a sneer. "I mean I even overheard Draco Malfoy talking about how much he likes you. Didn't you know?" Ginny continued, sounding more bored by the minute.
Ginny had been acting strange this year, but lately Hermione suspected things were getting worse. She was receiving creepy and odd vibes from Ginny, yet she was still interested to know what Draco was saying.
"What was Draco saying about me? Not that I care," she added quickly.
"Oh, of course not!" Gunny said sheepishly. "He was telling someone what a prat Harry was for letting you go because...what was it? Oh yea, he would have never let something as delicate, beautiful, and caring out of his sight."
"Really," hermione said, pretending to be uninterested.
Just as Hermione expected, Ginny became upset and tried to convince her how great he was. "I think you should go for it, you know, a relationship with Draco," Ginny said finally.
"That's really sweet of you to try to help me get over Harry but, I believe I am over him," Hermione said without having to lie. Hermione said innocently, "I just really don't know if im ready for a new relationship so quickly." There was more truth to that statement than she had meant to say.
~~~~~~
Hermione needed to talk to someone—Ron. She went down to the common room to look for him, but only found Dean and Seamus playing a game of exploding snap. "Where's Ron?" she asked them.
"Oh, he's bringing us back some food from the kitchens" Dean replied.
With a groan, Hermione headed down to the kitchens where the house elves slaved over Hogwarts food. She tickled the pear, went in, and found Ron with his face in a pie he happened to be eating at the moment.
"Ron, I NEED to talk to you."
She grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him away from the pie he seemed to be glued to, sending bits and pieces of it everywhere. Ron must have suspected something was up because he made no objections and obediently followed her back to the common room.
They were nearing the portrait of the Fat Lady when Hermione felt something pinch her rear end. She whipped around and stood face-to-face with Draco who was slyly grinning and holding a deep red rose. She instinctively took it and he walked away.
"That," Ron said, "was weird."
"You don't know the half of it," Hermione replied to Ron, who now wore an overwhelmed look upon his face. "Nimbus," Hermione said to the Fat Lady.
The first week after 'the incident' was spent mostly in bed and when she did get up it was to go to the bathroom. Parvati and Lavender brought her meals in bed every day along with her homework. They would not let her out of bed, insisting that she looked like a zombie. Hermione had gone pale in the face and her hair was a mess. Ron had come to visit her every day to try to cheer her up. She did not understand why this incident with Harry was affecting her so much. Hermione figured she must love him that much.
A week afterwards, Parvati had deemed her well enough to go to classes. Skipping breakfast to get some extra sleep, Hermione walked to her first class alone. She herd a cold voice behind her say, "Oh poor baby Hermione. What is she going to do without that precious dream team of hers? She has no one to hide behind now."
Hermione instantly whipped around to come almost nose to nose with Draco Malfoy. "Draco," she whispered through gritted teeth, "malreflectionous!"
There was a blinding flash of light and Draco shrieked and fell to the floor. She carefully stepped around him and went to her first class.
Hermione was early to transfiguration, and for once, made her way to the back of the classroom to grab a seat. As students began to file into the classroom, she noticed Harry looking like a zombie with a Ginny on his arm, still jabbering away. Hermione whipped out a handkerchief just as the tears began to weld up in her eyes. Ron winded his way through the crowd to take a seat next to Hermione but was stopped by Crabbe and Goyle, oddly enough. Malfoy was nowhere in sight, but the two picked Ron up by the arms and transported him to the front of the class. They then proceeded to situate themselves on either side of Hermione, leaving one space on her left side, probably for Malfoy. What luck, she thought, he's going to grill me.
Ten minutes into the class, while Hermione was contemplating whether anyone would notice if she dashed out the door, Draco walked in. "I was in the hospital wing," he said as he turned and glared at Hermione, who sat poised.
"Well, you've already missed enough class, please take a seat, Mr. Malfoy," Mc Gonagall replied.
As he took his seat beside Hermione, he whispered, "So you thought it would be funny if every time I looked into a mirror, it broke? Hilarious, Hermione." Well, atleast he was still calling her Hermione instead of mudblood. He paused. "Infact, I'd like to have a word with you after class."
How was she going to get out of this one? She was the smartest witch of her year, but at the moment fear was fogging her mind with terrible thoughts. The rest of the period seemed to go by in an instant, as Hermione blankly stared at the wall behind professor Mc Gonagall. As they were dismissed from class, Crabbe and Goyle stood on either side of Hermione, making it impossible for her to escape. Malfoy steered them into and empty classroom and told his two stooges to keep watch outside.
Hermione was so nervous she couldn't grip her wand inside her pocket. She was helpless and alone with Malfoy in an empty room. As Malfoy began to walk towards her, she began to whimper. He was so close she could feel the warmth of his breath on her face. Suddenly, he grabbed her shoulders and shoved her against the wall. Hermione shut her eyes, waiting for whatever was to come, when she felt his lips on her own. Malfoy began to passionately kiss her for what seemed like eternity, until Hermione couldn't help but give in.
What was she doing? She was still in love with Harry. But, she reminded herself, Harry seemed to have moved on. No, she couldn't. No matter how gorgeous and no matter how good a kisser Malfoy was.... Hermione regained consciousness, broke free for Malfoy's grasp, and bolted out the door, knocking Crabbe and Goyle over like bowling pins.
She didn't stop running until she had reached her room and slammed the door. Hermione then proceeded to collapse on her bed. She felt like breaking something. "WHY IS MY LIFE SO COMPLICATED!" she screamed.
The door creaked open and Ginny slowly walked in. "How on earth could your perfect life be complicated?" she asked with a sneer. "I mean I even overheard Draco Malfoy talking about how much he likes you. Didn't you know?" Ginny continued, sounding more bored by the minute.
Ginny had been acting strange this year, but lately Hermione suspected things were getting worse. She was receiving creepy and odd vibes from Ginny, yet she was still interested to know what Draco was saying.
"What was Draco saying about me? Not that I care," she added quickly.
"Oh, of course not!" Gunny said sheepishly. "He was telling someone what a prat Harry was for letting you go because...what was it? Oh yea, he would have never let something as delicate, beautiful, and caring out of his sight."
"Really," hermione said, pretending to be uninterested.
Just as Hermione expected, Ginny became upset and tried to convince her how great he was. "I think you should go for it, you know, a relationship with Draco," Ginny said finally.
"That's really sweet of you to try to help me get over Harry but, I believe I am over him," Hermione said without having to lie. Hermione said innocently, "I just really don't know if im ready for a new relationship so quickly." There was more truth to that statement than she had meant to say.
~~~~~~
Hermione needed to talk to someone—Ron. She went down to the common room to look for him, but only found Dean and Seamus playing a game of exploding snap. "Where's Ron?" she asked them.
"Oh, he's bringing us back some food from the kitchens" Dean replied.
With a groan, Hermione headed down to the kitchens where the house elves slaved over Hogwarts food. She tickled the pear, went in, and found Ron with his face in a pie he happened to be eating at the moment.
"Ron, I NEED to talk to you."
She grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him away from the pie he seemed to be glued to, sending bits and pieces of it everywhere. Ron must have suspected something was up because he made no objections and obediently followed her back to the common room.
They were nearing the portrait of the Fat Lady when Hermione felt something pinch her rear end. She whipped around and stood face-to-face with Draco who was slyly grinning and holding a deep red rose. She instinctively took it and he walked away.
"That," Ron said, "was weird."
"You don't know the half of it," Hermione replied to Ron, who now wore an overwhelmed look upon his face. "Nimbus," Hermione said to the Fat Lady.