Note: Check out my 2 poems later.. Regret and Pieces


Chapter 5: Eavesdropped

"Ron's fine!" Harry said when he finally found Hermione. He was out of breath.

"He's ok?" Hermione said in disbelief.

It was a normal Wednesday afternoon. Classes were over and everyone was busy doing his or her own thing. Hermione had her prefect duties. She was busy monitoring the halls when Harry rushed after her. Madam Pomfrey had told him that Ron was conscious again.

"He'll be out tomorrow. Pomfrey said he needs more rest." Harry told her. "But we can go visit him right now."

"Let's go!" Hermione said elatedly. "I was getting tired of talking to an unconscious boyfriend for the past week."

Just when they turned the corner, Malfoy appeared.

"Granger, I need to talk to you." He looked at Harry. "Prefect business."

"You go on Harry. I'll catch up with you." Hermione said, irritated.

"Fine." Harry said eyeing Malfoy.

When Harry was out of earshot, Hermione spoke.

"What is it this time? Colin got locked up in the darkroom again?" Hermione said expressionlessly.

"No." Malfoy said blankly. "Wizards' Night is gonna be cancelled."

"What?!" Hermione cried. "That can't be! Why?"

"Apparently, no band was available."

"That's it?" Hermione said in disbelief. "It's gonna be cancelled because there's no band?" Hermione stared at Malfoy.

"Actually, no prefect knows if it's true. But since the head boy told me.."

"Wait!" She said raising her hand, interrupting Malfoy. "You came here to tell me something you weren't sure of?" Hermione said, annoyed. /I cannot believe him!/

"Why would I do that? I'm not stupid you know! I actually didn't want to speak to you! Jeremy told me to!" Draco became annoyed too. /I cannot believe her!/

"Oh come on! The great Draco Malfoy being pushed around by a Gryffindor?" Hermione said mockingly.

"Look, I don't want to get into any more trouble. It's enough punishment to have to spend an hour a week with you! I wouldn't want Jeremy to get all fuming with me." Malfoy answered back.

"Why the heck did Jeremy send you to tell me anyway?" Hermione said. /He's the head boy for crying out loud. He should have known better than to actually engage Malfoy and me in conversation./

"I do not know. I do not care. I am just Mr. Messenger right now and at this moment, his message is: You have to go talk to Dumbledore tonight and verify the rumors."

"Why not you? Or Jeremy?" Hermione sighed.

"Do you think I have nothing better to do than to talk to that.." He was searching for the right word, but to no avail, "man?"

Hermione stared at him. "No I don't."

"I have more important stuff to do. And Jeremy has to fix the Hogsmeade schedule or something." Malfoy said. Then he smirked, "Besides, Dumbledore like mudbloods."

"Would you just shut your freaking jaws?" Hermione said to Malfoy. Before he could reply, she walked away.

----------

Hermione walked hurriedly to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was, of course, there.

"Your boyfriend is almost recovered Ms. Granger."

"He gets out tomorrow, right?" Hermione said, concerned. "I mean, it's been more than a week. Was Malfoy's curse that serious?"

"I really don't know. You were the one who suggested the treatment. Honestly, it was the first time I ever encountered this." Pomfrey paused. "Where did Mr. Malfoy learn to curse that way? It might have caused serious damage."

Hermione remained silent. She remembered the black book she had. /That book happens to be the guide of the dark wizards during you-know-who's time./ She remembered Malfoy saying.

Madam Pomfrey interrupted Hermione's thoughts. "If he's well enough, he'll be out tomorrow. Well, you may go in; Mr. Potter is already in there."

"Thank you." Hermione said as she pushed the door open.

Ron was placed in the corner most part of the hospital wing. Hermione saw the curtains of his bed drawn and she saw the silhouettes of Harry and Ron. They were talking and they didn't hear her enter.

"What do you mean you can't take it anymore?" Harry said. "Pomfrey said you are almost fine."

"I wasn't talking about my health, I was talking about Hermione." Ron said in a groggy voice.

"What do you mean?" Harry said, perplexed.

"I think I have to break up with her."

"What?!" Harry shouted in disbelief. "Ron! What are you saying?"

"Harry, face it! We're not right for each other!" Ron said.

"Ron, maybe Malfoy's ice curse did more damage to your brain." Harry said, touching Ron's forehead. "Or maybe I've gone mad! I thought I heard you say you were gonna break up with the girl you had a crush on since your first year!"

"Harry, I'm serious! I want to break up with her." Ron said with a firmer voice.

"Ron I'm serious too! You cannot dump her! You just have some insignificant differences - that is all." Harry was frustrated.

"We are just too diverse. She's great and all. But I'm sure she's having a hard time with me too. This break up will be better for her, me, you and Hogwarts."

"You're crazy!" Harry said. "You don't know what she's going through right now. She has all those impossible classes, her prefect duties and her detention with Malfoy!"

"Harry.. Don't make it any tougher for me. I love her. I just don't think Hermione and I should be, you know, together. I mean, we cannot stand each other as friends, how much more as lovers.. and then as.." Ron didn't want to say it. "I just want to get out before anyone gets hurt, ok? We are better off as friends."

"Ron! You've been putting up with your petty arguments for a whole year! Heck, I'VE been putting up with your petty arguments for a whole year!" Harry said. "You cannot just let go of all of that!"

"The situation is different now."

"How is it different, huh? The same school, the same people, the same Hermione, the same me, the same everything.." Harry was overwhelmed. He cannot believe what he was hearing.

"Malfoy got involved." Ron said blankly.

"What does HE have to do with anything?" Harry roared.

Ron didn't answer.

Then, in the other side of the room, Hermione sat there. She heard everything. A tear trickled down Hermione's right eye. She didn't want to believe it. /Ron wants to dump me. After all that.. wasted time./ She left the hospital wing just as silently as she went in. /It's all my fault. If I hadn't thrown my books on the floor, Malfoy wouldn't have done the ice curse on him./

----------

"I CANNOT BELIEVE I have to study all this gibberish!" Malfoy told Crabbe and Goyle in the Slytherin common room. Books, parchment, quills were all scattered on top of the table that Malfoy deemed his own.

"You never cared about History. Why are you studying it?" Crabbe asked as he picked up one of the quills that fell.

Malfoy handed him a piece of paper, it was cut and pasted together in the middle. Crabbe read it aloud, Goyle listened intently.

"Draco,

As much as I want to admit that you did a great job on that pauper and his muggle girlfriend, I would also like to point out that you got caught! It is a miracle you and that schoolgirl are still in Hogwarts. I had to convince the board that you meant no harm, you were just hot-headed that day.. and all the usual trash. Naturally, they agreed with me but unfortunately, you were sentenced to detention with her. That was out of my hands. One cannot say anything once Dumbledore has spoken. He also told McGonagall about it, I believe."

Crabbe stopped when he noticed a part of the letter was missing. "Hey, why is the paper torn in the middle?"

"Just continue." Malfoy said, writing something on his parchment.

"And what is all the talk about the 'first ever Wizards' Night'? I was never informed of that. One more thing, I want you to study well. Your mother and I aren't paying that school for you to just sit around and fly on overpriced brooms."

The paper was signed by Malfoy's father.

"Your dad is on to you." Goyle said. "It's a good thing he didn't send you a howler."

"Yeah. Lucky me!" Malfoy said sarcastically.

"Well, we're gonna go, um, eat." Goyle said.

"Do whatever you want." Malfoy said without looking up. He was too busy scribbling notes on his parchment.

When they were gone, Malfoy reread the part of the letter he cut out.

'Let me just declare that the curse you did was UTTERLY foolish! (Although, I like your taste; that was one of my favorites.) Why are you using the spells from my black book? People will begin to wonder where you pick up those things. I was actually questioned about your spell by one of the board members. I should never have lent you that book. Didn't I tell you it was the guidebook of the dark wizards during you-know-who's time? NEVER use those spells on others unless you need to protect yourself.

Maybe I should tell you more about that book. 'Magic at its Darkest' was written by Vera Fiddle, a dark witch during the Middle Ages. It was cut off of publication because authorities were fearful that wizards might start cursing each other the way you did. Over 500 books were sold but most of them were traced and burned; so were Vera Fiddle's annotations about it. Right now, there are only 3 books like that in the world and most of the spells in it are unknown to the rest of wizardkind. You cannot fathom its worth, so take CARE of my book. Actually, now that I think about it, give it back to me.'

Malfoy crumpled the paper. /Hah! Fat chance, father. I'm keeping it./

Just then, Pansy Parkinson entered the common room.

"Hi Draco!" she said flirtatiously.

"Yeah, whatever." Malfoy said. /Great, just what I need./

She sat beside him. She looked keenly at his work. He looked at her, annoyed. She tried to smile sweetly. But what showed was a face similar to an ogre's. Malfoy, although irritated, showed no reaction.

"Can you take me to Hogsmeade on Saturday?" She asked intently.

"Uhh.. Let me think." Malfoy said sardonically as he raised his finger to his head. "No!" He answered.

Pansy gave him a tap on the back and giggled. "You kidder! Meet me there then. At three in front of Honeydukes."

She stood up and left. Malfoy, whose face was reddened with anger, shouted, "No I won't!"

/Simply marvelous. Who does she think we are?/


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