Chapter 14
Weeks passed and Hermione relaxed her guard. She avoided Malfoy at all costs, and he did the same to her. She began to believe that the events during the first few weeks of the term were nothing more than a dream, a reoccurring dream that still woke her up occasionally in the middle of the night. Life went on.
"You've been awful quiet lately, Hermione," Harry observed the night before Halloween. The three were sharing the couch in a very crowded and loud common room.
"Problems with your mysterious lover?" Ron asked her snidely.
She stared at the common room fire. "He wasn't a lover," she said shortly. There has to be love involved for that.
"Well, it's good to know that he is, in fact, a 'he.' We wouldn't want you to go running off with Parvati or Pansy, now would we?"
She stood up. "Fuck you." Hermione stalked off, leaving the common room. Having nowhere else to go, she went to the library, knowing it would be empty. It was. Madame Pince looked up briefly at her, and then went back to the book she was reading behind her desk. Hermione grabbed a random book off a shelf and sat down to sulk.
Stupid, stupid Ron. He's such an asshole. She opened the book to find it was a first year potions text. She slammed it shut, frustrated, and put her head in her arms. He's the only one who ever wanted me, she thought, letting the tears fall. And I was a toy. A doll. Nothing but fuck and go.
"Hermione?"
She looked up at her name. "Oh. Hi Neville." He stood across from the table looking very pale and unsure of himself.
"Ron is a jerk."
"I know." She wiped the tears off her face. "I'm okay. I'm not crying because of him."
"Whoever you're crying about, he's not worth it." She smiled a little. "I-I wanted to ask you.will you go out with me tomorrow?" He wrung his hands. "I know I'm not as smart as you, and you're so pretty, but I've wanted to ask you since forever ago-I mean, like last year, and I was hoping."
"Yes. I'll go out with you."
"Really?"
*****
Draco had taken to skulking around in the dungeons, thinking about Her. He thought about her face, her hair, her smile. He thought about the wonderful feelings that muggle device produced.
He also thought about what Pansy had said to him, about rape. He didn't think it was.was it? Isn't that what Mudblood girls were for? At least, that was what he used to think they were for. Somehow, he wanted to actually talk to her. Maybe kiss her the way he kissed his mother.
If such a thing were ever possible. He doubted it. The little spell she had put on him humbled him, and, even after he had finally restored his manhood to its proper glory, made him meek around her. He behaved; only sneaking glances when he was sure she wasn't looking. He didn't dare go near her. She didn't want him near her anyway.
He wanted to be so close to her. Draco had realized something. He was lonely.
*****
Hermione was glad to have an excuse to not wear her school uniform to Hogsmeade. She was getting tired of it, and was more than ready for normal clothes. She put on black pants and a dark green long-sleeved shirt that dipped low in the front, revealing cleavage instead of leg for a change. When she pulled the shirt over her head her hand grazed the skin where Malfoy's 'Dark Mark' had been. It had faded away long before, but she could still feel his touch.
Driving all thoughts of him from her mind she hurried down the stairs to Harry, and Ron (who had apologized). They were only hanging out a short while before she met Neville for lunch.
Neville? What had possessed her to agree on a date with him? She pondered this while Harry and Ron talked eagerly about the trip during the short carriage ride. He's a very sweet boy. Yes. Smart and talented? Not so much. Okay. So you were just flattered that he asked you at all. That's okay too. So he's not your dream man. Who is? If you're looking for tall, dark, and handsome, you aren't going to find it. The only guy you know that comes anywhere near that description is Harry! She giggled at the thought.
"What's funny?" Ron asked.
"Nothing." She went back to her own thoughts. Tall, fair, and handsome, on the other hand, you can do. But he's playing the sexy villain that the heroine must overcome. And Neville.Neville is the unfortunate clown. It was wrong to agree to go out with him. Too late now though, I suppose. I'll have to break it to him gently.
"I can't hang out with you guys today. I have a date."
Ron frowned. "With your mysterious lover?"
"No. With Neville."
Harry laughed. "Neville? Why?"
"He's a nice guy," Hermione said in defense.
"Well sure, we all like Neville," Ron said. "But he's not really your type, now, is he? What will you talk about?"
"Stuff. He asked me, he was sweet. No one has been like that towards me in a long time. I caved." And what she was saying was true. "Nothing's going to come of it."
*****
Draco had lost Crabbe and Goyle in the crowds at Honeydukes. The idea of getting excited over candy was child's play, but the fat lumps still went nuts in the store. Instead he took himself over to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer.
Inside, he noticed Potter and Weasley sitting alone, and without Hermione. Draco marched over to them, eager to make some trouble off of school grounds. But instead of an insult on Weasley's family.
"So where's your little friend?"
"Hermione? What do you care?" Potter scowled at him.
"It's just that it's so rare to find the three of you separated. It's not as much fun to only torture two of you."
Weasley was not in a good mood. "She's on a *date.* Over there, with Neville. And apparently half the school as well."
"Really?" Draco looked in the direction in which Weasley had pointed. Hermione was indeed with Neville Longbottom, chatting happily. A hint of jealousy crept into his brain.
"Neville and who knows who else," Weasley continued, more to himself than anyone else. "She's probably screwing some Slytherin or something." Draco's attention shot back to the other boy. "No.one would hope she has at least a sliver of taste."
Draco left the Gryffindors on their own, and started to approach Hermione.
****
"I'm just going to the bathroom," Hermione said, red in the face, after having droned on about the dangers of animagi transformation for almost an hour. Neville, she noticed, was half asleep.
"Okay. Have fun, er, that is."
"I'll be right back." She smiled thinly. This is not going well, this is not going well, this is-- "Oh!" She had bumped directly into Malfoy in her quest for escape. My what beautiful eyes you have. she thought vaguely as she failed to avoid eye contact. "Hello."
"On a date, are we?"
"Yes. And having a wonderful time."
"You'd never go on a date with me." Pitiful tones of jealousy rang in his voice.
"No, I wouldn't. Unlike you, Neville has a soul."
"Tarnished though it is, I have a soul."
"Screw you."
Hermione attempted to walk away, but the room was too crowded. He caught her by the wrist anyway. "I'm sorry."
Her eyes grew wide. "Excuse me?"
He looked at his feet. "For what I did-to you. It won't happen again."
She could hardly believe her ears. Finally, common sense found her mind again. "Is this just a cheap ploy to get into my pants?"
He paused before answering. "Only if it works."
She looked back at Neville through the crowd. He had spilled his mug of butter beer and was attempting to mop up the puddle dripping from the table into his lap. Hermione looked back at Malfoy. "Meet me in front of the Shrieking Shack in half an hour."
Weeks passed and Hermione relaxed her guard. She avoided Malfoy at all costs, and he did the same to her. She began to believe that the events during the first few weeks of the term were nothing more than a dream, a reoccurring dream that still woke her up occasionally in the middle of the night. Life went on.
"You've been awful quiet lately, Hermione," Harry observed the night before Halloween. The three were sharing the couch in a very crowded and loud common room.
"Problems with your mysterious lover?" Ron asked her snidely.
She stared at the common room fire. "He wasn't a lover," she said shortly. There has to be love involved for that.
"Well, it's good to know that he is, in fact, a 'he.' We wouldn't want you to go running off with Parvati or Pansy, now would we?"
She stood up. "Fuck you." Hermione stalked off, leaving the common room. Having nowhere else to go, she went to the library, knowing it would be empty. It was. Madame Pince looked up briefly at her, and then went back to the book she was reading behind her desk. Hermione grabbed a random book off a shelf and sat down to sulk.
Stupid, stupid Ron. He's such an asshole. She opened the book to find it was a first year potions text. She slammed it shut, frustrated, and put her head in her arms. He's the only one who ever wanted me, she thought, letting the tears fall. And I was a toy. A doll. Nothing but fuck and go.
"Hermione?"
She looked up at her name. "Oh. Hi Neville." He stood across from the table looking very pale and unsure of himself.
"Ron is a jerk."
"I know." She wiped the tears off her face. "I'm okay. I'm not crying because of him."
"Whoever you're crying about, he's not worth it." She smiled a little. "I-I wanted to ask you.will you go out with me tomorrow?" He wrung his hands. "I know I'm not as smart as you, and you're so pretty, but I've wanted to ask you since forever ago-I mean, like last year, and I was hoping."
"Yes. I'll go out with you."
"Really?"
*****
Draco had taken to skulking around in the dungeons, thinking about Her. He thought about her face, her hair, her smile. He thought about the wonderful feelings that muggle device produced.
He also thought about what Pansy had said to him, about rape. He didn't think it was.was it? Isn't that what Mudblood girls were for? At least, that was what he used to think they were for. Somehow, he wanted to actually talk to her. Maybe kiss her the way he kissed his mother.
If such a thing were ever possible. He doubted it. The little spell she had put on him humbled him, and, even after he had finally restored his manhood to its proper glory, made him meek around her. He behaved; only sneaking glances when he was sure she wasn't looking. He didn't dare go near her. She didn't want him near her anyway.
He wanted to be so close to her. Draco had realized something. He was lonely.
*****
Hermione was glad to have an excuse to not wear her school uniform to Hogsmeade. She was getting tired of it, and was more than ready for normal clothes. She put on black pants and a dark green long-sleeved shirt that dipped low in the front, revealing cleavage instead of leg for a change. When she pulled the shirt over her head her hand grazed the skin where Malfoy's 'Dark Mark' had been. It had faded away long before, but she could still feel his touch.
Driving all thoughts of him from her mind she hurried down the stairs to Harry, and Ron (who had apologized). They were only hanging out a short while before she met Neville for lunch.
Neville? What had possessed her to agree on a date with him? She pondered this while Harry and Ron talked eagerly about the trip during the short carriage ride. He's a very sweet boy. Yes. Smart and talented? Not so much. Okay. So you were just flattered that he asked you at all. That's okay too. So he's not your dream man. Who is? If you're looking for tall, dark, and handsome, you aren't going to find it. The only guy you know that comes anywhere near that description is Harry! She giggled at the thought.
"What's funny?" Ron asked.
"Nothing." She went back to her own thoughts. Tall, fair, and handsome, on the other hand, you can do. But he's playing the sexy villain that the heroine must overcome. And Neville.Neville is the unfortunate clown. It was wrong to agree to go out with him. Too late now though, I suppose. I'll have to break it to him gently.
"I can't hang out with you guys today. I have a date."
Ron frowned. "With your mysterious lover?"
"No. With Neville."
Harry laughed. "Neville? Why?"
"He's a nice guy," Hermione said in defense.
"Well sure, we all like Neville," Ron said. "But he's not really your type, now, is he? What will you talk about?"
"Stuff. He asked me, he was sweet. No one has been like that towards me in a long time. I caved." And what she was saying was true. "Nothing's going to come of it."
*****
Draco had lost Crabbe and Goyle in the crowds at Honeydukes. The idea of getting excited over candy was child's play, but the fat lumps still went nuts in the store. Instead he took himself over to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer.
Inside, he noticed Potter and Weasley sitting alone, and without Hermione. Draco marched over to them, eager to make some trouble off of school grounds. But instead of an insult on Weasley's family.
"So where's your little friend?"
"Hermione? What do you care?" Potter scowled at him.
"It's just that it's so rare to find the three of you separated. It's not as much fun to only torture two of you."
Weasley was not in a good mood. "She's on a *date.* Over there, with Neville. And apparently half the school as well."
"Really?" Draco looked in the direction in which Weasley had pointed. Hermione was indeed with Neville Longbottom, chatting happily. A hint of jealousy crept into his brain.
"Neville and who knows who else," Weasley continued, more to himself than anyone else. "She's probably screwing some Slytherin or something." Draco's attention shot back to the other boy. "No.one would hope she has at least a sliver of taste."
Draco left the Gryffindors on their own, and started to approach Hermione.
****
"I'm just going to the bathroom," Hermione said, red in the face, after having droned on about the dangers of animagi transformation for almost an hour. Neville, she noticed, was half asleep.
"Okay. Have fun, er, that is."
"I'll be right back." She smiled thinly. This is not going well, this is not going well, this is-- "Oh!" She had bumped directly into Malfoy in her quest for escape. My what beautiful eyes you have. she thought vaguely as she failed to avoid eye contact. "Hello."
"On a date, are we?"
"Yes. And having a wonderful time."
"You'd never go on a date with me." Pitiful tones of jealousy rang in his voice.
"No, I wouldn't. Unlike you, Neville has a soul."
"Tarnished though it is, I have a soul."
"Screw you."
Hermione attempted to walk away, but the room was too crowded. He caught her by the wrist anyway. "I'm sorry."
Her eyes grew wide. "Excuse me?"
He looked at his feet. "For what I did-to you. It won't happen again."
She could hardly believe her ears. Finally, common sense found her mind again. "Is this just a cheap ploy to get into my pants?"
He paused before answering. "Only if it works."
She looked back at Neville through the crowd. He had spilled his mug of butter beer and was attempting to mop up the puddle dripping from the table into his lap. Hermione looked back at Malfoy. "Meet me in front of the Shrieking Shack in half an hour."