Chapter 3 - In the Shadows
Hermione couldn't help but wonder what the hell Harry wanted to talk to her about that evening. As she waited silently in the Gryffindor Tower alone she pulled at her hair and imagined how great it would be to actually be called Harry Potter's girlfriend. Just once she wanted to go to a ball with him or look forward to taking long walks in the forbidden forest without having to chase evil beings or track down dead unicorns.
Hermione was so involved with what she was thinking that she didn't notice a very familiar person moving secretly in the shadows by the fireplace. Then she heard it, a door open and footsteps coming down the staircase. Her heart began to beat so hard that she could feel it in her throat. "Harry," she whispered hoarsely.
"It's me, 'Mione..." Harry's voice sounded mysterious and intriguing to Hermione.
She was so nervous that she felt the sweat form in her palms.
Harry stepped out from the staircase that lead up the boys' rooms and walked toward Hermione, making eye-contact with her the whole time.
"Maybe you should sit down for this." He said, in a low whisper.
Hermione did as he said, and felt her heart jump from her throat into what felt like her mouth.
"I've." Harry started, as he sat down next to her Hermione. He couldn't go on because Hermione interrupted him.
She moved closer to him, enough to where if either of them moved one centimeter, their lips would meet.
A surprised Harry tried to stand, but Hermione put her hand on his knee, causing him to sit back down.
"I've wanted." Hermione started to say something, but a grunt in the shadows made them both turn to look at where it came from.
Harry stood and started towards the fireplace.
"Is anyone there?" Harry asked, with a bewildered look on his face.
Surprisingly enough, Draco Malfoy stepped out from the right side of the fireplace, wand stretched out before him.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" Hermione almost yelled, trying not to wake anybody.
"I came to chaperone this little 'rendezvous' as they call it in the states," Draco smiled maliciously at Hermione, then turned to Harry. "And I see, I came in quite handy. or else things might have gotten out of hand."
"We were sitting on the couch?" Harry stated and looked at Hermione with a look of pure shock.
"How did you get in???" Hermione questioned looking at him coldly.
Just before Draco could answer, Professor McGonagall came through the portrait hole.
"Draco Malfoy! What on earth are you doing in the Gryffindor Tower!?"
"Um." Draco looked from side to side, then to Harry and Hermione.
"I let him in," Hermione sighed and looked up as she said this.
"You what?" Harry asked.
"I let him in." She stated again.
"Well, Ms. Granger, I'm sorry, but under no rules are Slytherin's allowed in any other tower, but their own and there is severe punishment for both of you. Tomorrow you both have detention. Now, out with you Malfoy, before I change my mind and expel you!"
~*~
Hermione dragged herself to the dungeons where detention was usually held. Unfortunately, for Hermione, she had never been to detention without Harry and Ron, and this was a new feeling for her.
'What have I gotten myself into. just for Draco?' Hermione questioned herself.
She opened the door to the dungeon to see that she was the last one to arrive. Professor Snape and Argus Filch looked up from Snape's desk.
'Oh, great. Snape and Filch. the detention people. this should be fun!'
Snape cleared his throat quite loudly, as Hermione took a seat closest to the door.
"As I see, all the detention-ee's are now here and detention can begin."
Hermione looked around to see who all was there. It seemed to be her, Draco, and a couple of 2nd year boys, who looked extremely nervous.
"Tonight, you will be helping Professor Snape clean the dungeons and for some," Filch looked at the 2nd year boys, "you will be cleaning out the trophy room with me."
The two boys gave out a long sigh.
'So this means, it's just me & Draco &, Snape working on cleaning out the dungeons? Great, just great. WHAT EXACTLY DID YOU GET YOURSELF INTO, HERMIONE!'
"Follow me, boys." Filch gave a disgusted look towards them and all three left the room.
"Well, I guess it's just the three of us," Snape grinned evilly looking from Draco and then to Hermione.
~*~
Harry was back in his room thinking about the events of the night before. Had Hermione really let Draco in? What was she going to tell him? What was really going on?
Harry stared up at the ceiling of his bed when he heard a knock at the dormitory door.
'Who could that be? The guys would just walk in.' Harry got up from his bed and walked over to the door.
"Hello?" Harry said as he cracked open the door.
It was Ginny Weasley.
"Ginn! Come in." Harry opened the door wide enough for her to slip in and shut it abruptly behind her.
"Harry." Ginny's eyes went downcast.
"Ginny, is something wrong?" Harry looked quizzically at Ginny.
"Well." Ginny looked up at Harry. "Do you like Hermione?"
"Of course I like Hermione. What is that supposed to mean?" Harry was confused, very confused.
"I mean. like LIKE Hermione." Ginny's face became a shade a little lighter than her flaming red hair.
"No, she's my best friend, Gin. I can't even look at her like that. Why would you think that?"
"I saw you two, last night, ya know? In the common room," Ginny stared at Harry.
"And?" Harry asked looking down at his best friend's sister. He hadn't realized how beautiful she looked when she was upset. How her almond brown eyes reflected the moon coming from the nearby window.
"Harry, I've got something to say."
"Okay."
"I."
Harry didn't know what the she was going to say, but anyone in their right mind could have guessed by now.
"I love you. There I said it." This time, Ginny turned the exact shade of her hair color and started for the door, quickly.
Before she could get two steps closer to the door, Harry grabbed her arm and turned her back around to face him.
"Ginny, I love you, too." Harry leaned down and gently pushed his lips against hers.
After the sweet, soft, and innocent kiss that lasted only a few seconds, Ginny looked up at Harry with large eyes.
"So, what does this mean?'
"Ginny Weasley, will you be my girlfriend?"
~*~
Hermione thought she was going to die. The silence was unbearable and what made it worse was the fact that she was working for Snape alongside Malfoy.
"Hermione! That jar is not half as shiny as I want it! Keep working on it." Snape demanded and turned back to working on papers at his desk.
Hermione was stuck polishing jars and things and dusting shelves while Draco only had to sweep the floor, and clean out the cauldrons.
"I don't like the fact that the two top seventh year students are both in here for detention with me. It's not very pleasing." Snape said, still looking down at the paperwork he was doing.
"Sir, I'm done." Draco stated and smiled sweetly at Snape from the middle of the room.
"Hermione, are you anywhere near finished?" Snape asked, and looked up at Hermione, who had been standing on a chair to finish dusting the top shelf.
"Yes, sir."
"I don't want either of you to go back to your dorm rooms alone this late at night, so Malfoy, you will wait until Ms. Granger has finished dusting and then you can both head back to your towers. TOGETHER."
Hermione heard Draco give a small sigh.
After she had finally finished the last jar (about twenty minutes later), she put the chair she had been standing on back where it came from.
"I'm done Professor Snape."
Snape didn't look up or even say anything he just brushed them away with a motion of his hand.
Once they were outside of the classroom, Hermione let out a loud sigh. "I can't believe I got detention."
"Hermione, why did you do that for me?" Draco had a look of all- seriousness on his face.
"I don't know. I guess I was just feeling generous yesterday. How DID you get into Gryffindor Tower?" Hermione looked at Draco inquiringly as they walked up the steps to the main hallway from the dungeons.
"That, I'm not supposed to tell. But, thanks a lot." Draco thought he'd never get it out.
'Did you just say THANK YOU?' Hermione wondered to herself, with a look of pure shock on her face. Obviously, Draco had seen it.
"Don't get used to it, tomorrow you're going back to being just a 'mud blood' to me."
~*~
A/N ~~
Not much of a cliffhanger, I know, but still, I thought this was a good way to end this chapter. I hope you like it! I REALLY WANT REVIEWS! If you like my story. tell your friends? Get THEM to review it, too. Thanks for the three people that have reviewed!
Some things to be expected in the next chapter:
Ginny's answer to Harry's question.
Hermione goes to Ron for "moral support"
Ron introduces his secret "love" to Harry and Hermione for the first time.
Draco lets his true emotions show.
Hermione makes a move on a very unsuspecting person.
Hermione couldn't help but wonder what the hell Harry wanted to talk to her about that evening. As she waited silently in the Gryffindor Tower alone she pulled at her hair and imagined how great it would be to actually be called Harry Potter's girlfriend. Just once she wanted to go to a ball with him or look forward to taking long walks in the forbidden forest without having to chase evil beings or track down dead unicorns.
Hermione was so involved with what she was thinking that she didn't notice a very familiar person moving secretly in the shadows by the fireplace. Then she heard it, a door open and footsteps coming down the staircase. Her heart began to beat so hard that she could feel it in her throat. "Harry," she whispered hoarsely.
"It's me, 'Mione..." Harry's voice sounded mysterious and intriguing to Hermione.
She was so nervous that she felt the sweat form in her palms.
Harry stepped out from the staircase that lead up the boys' rooms and walked toward Hermione, making eye-contact with her the whole time.
"Maybe you should sit down for this." He said, in a low whisper.
Hermione did as he said, and felt her heart jump from her throat into what felt like her mouth.
"I've." Harry started, as he sat down next to her Hermione. He couldn't go on because Hermione interrupted him.
She moved closer to him, enough to where if either of them moved one centimeter, their lips would meet.
A surprised Harry tried to stand, but Hermione put her hand on his knee, causing him to sit back down.
"I've wanted." Hermione started to say something, but a grunt in the shadows made them both turn to look at where it came from.
Harry stood and started towards the fireplace.
"Is anyone there?" Harry asked, with a bewildered look on his face.
Surprisingly enough, Draco Malfoy stepped out from the right side of the fireplace, wand stretched out before him.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" Hermione almost yelled, trying not to wake anybody.
"I came to chaperone this little 'rendezvous' as they call it in the states," Draco smiled maliciously at Hermione, then turned to Harry. "And I see, I came in quite handy. or else things might have gotten out of hand."
"We were sitting on the couch?" Harry stated and looked at Hermione with a look of pure shock.
"How did you get in???" Hermione questioned looking at him coldly.
Just before Draco could answer, Professor McGonagall came through the portrait hole.
"Draco Malfoy! What on earth are you doing in the Gryffindor Tower!?"
"Um." Draco looked from side to side, then to Harry and Hermione.
"I let him in," Hermione sighed and looked up as she said this.
"You what?" Harry asked.
"I let him in." She stated again.
"Well, Ms. Granger, I'm sorry, but under no rules are Slytherin's allowed in any other tower, but their own and there is severe punishment for both of you. Tomorrow you both have detention. Now, out with you Malfoy, before I change my mind and expel you!"
~*~
Hermione dragged herself to the dungeons where detention was usually held. Unfortunately, for Hermione, she had never been to detention without Harry and Ron, and this was a new feeling for her.
'What have I gotten myself into. just for Draco?' Hermione questioned herself.
She opened the door to the dungeon to see that she was the last one to arrive. Professor Snape and Argus Filch looked up from Snape's desk.
'Oh, great. Snape and Filch. the detention people. this should be fun!'
Snape cleared his throat quite loudly, as Hermione took a seat closest to the door.
"As I see, all the detention-ee's are now here and detention can begin."
Hermione looked around to see who all was there. It seemed to be her, Draco, and a couple of 2nd year boys, who looked extremely nervous.
"Tonight, you will be helping Professor Snape clean the dungeons and for some," Filch looked at the 2nd year boys, "you will be cleaning out the trophy room with me."
The two boys gave out a long sigh.
'So this means, it's just me & Draco &, Snape working on cleaning out the dungeons? Great, just great. WHAT EXACTLY DID YOU GET YOURSELF INTO, HERMIONE!'
"Follow me, boys." Filch gave a disgusted look towards them and all three left the room.
"Well, I guess it's just the three of us," Snape grinned evilly looking from Draco and then to Hermione.
~*~
Harry was back in his room thinking about the events of the night before. Had Hermione really let Draco in? What was she going to tell him? What was really going on?
Harry stared up at the ceiling of his bed when he heard a knock at the dormitory door.
'Who could that be? The guys would just walk in.' Harry got up from his bed and walked over to the door.
"Hello?" Harry said as he cracked open the door.
It was Ginny Weasley.
"Ginn! Come in." Harry opened the door wide enough for her to slip in and shut it abruptly behind her.
"Harry." Ginny's eyes went downcast.
"Ginny, is something wrong?" Harry looked quizzically at Ginny.
"Well." Ginny looked up at Harry. "Do you like Hermione?"
"Of course I like Hermione. What is that supposed to mean?" Harry was confused, very confused.
"I mean. like LIKE Hermione." Ginny's face became a shade a little lighter than her flaming red hair.
"No, she's my best friend, Gin. I can't even look at her like that. Why would you think that?"
"I saw you two, last night, ya know? In the common room," Ginny stared at Harry.
"And?" Harry asked looking down at his best friend's sister. He hadn't realized how beautiful she looked when she was upset. How her almond brown eyes reflected the moon coming from the nearby window.
"Harry, I've got something to say."
"Okay."
"I."
Harry didn't know what the she was going to say, but anyone in their right mind could have guessed by now.
"I love you. There I said it." This time, Ginny turned the exact shade of her hair color and started for the door, quickly.
Before she could get two steps closer to the door, Harry grabbed her arm and turned her back around to face him.
"Ginny, I love you, too." Harry leaned down and gently pushed his lips against hers.
After the sweet, soft, and innocent kiss that lasted only a few seconds, Ginny looked up at Harry with large eyes.
"So, what does this mean?'
"Ginny Weasley, will you be my girlfriend?"
~*~
Hermione thought she was going to die. The silence was unbearable and what made it worse was the fact that she was working for Snape alongside Malfoy.
"Hermione! That jar is not half as shiny as I want it! Keep working on it." Snape demanded and turned back to working on papers at his desk.
Hermione was stuck polishing jars and things and dusting shelves while Draco only had to sweep the floor, and clean out the cauldrons.
"I don't like the fact that the two top seventh year students are both in here for detention with me. It's not very pleasing." Snape said, still looking down at the paperwork he was doing.
"Sir, I'm done." Draco stated and smiled sweetly at Snape from the middle of the room.
"Hermione, are you anywhere near finished?" Snape asked, and looked up at Hermione, who had been standing on a chair to finish dusting the top shelf.
"Yes, sir."
"I don't want either of you to go back to your dorm rooms alone this late at night, so Malfoy, you will wait until Ms. Granger has finished dusting and then you can both head back to your towers. TOGETHER."
Hermione heard Draco give a small sigh.
After she had finally finished the last jar (about twenty minutes later), she put the chair she had been standing on back where it came from.
"I'm done Professor Snape."
Snape didn't look up or even say anything he just brushed them away with a motion of his hand.
Once they were outside of the classroom, Hermione let out a loud sigh. "I can't believe I got detention."
"Hermione, why did you do that for me?" Draco had a look of all- seriousness on his face.
"I don't know. I guess I was just feeling generous yesterday. How DID you get into Gryffindor Tower?" Hermione looked at Draco inquiringly as they walked up the steps to the main hallway from the dungeons.
"That, I'm not supposed to tell. But, thanks a lot." Draco thought he'd never get it out.
'Did you just say THANK YOU?' Hermione wondered to herself, with a look of pure shock on her face. Obviously, Draco had seen it.
"Don't get used to it, tomorrow you're going back to being just a 'mud blood' to me."
~*~
A/N ~~
Not much of a cliffhanger, I know, but still, I thought this was a good way to end this chapter. I hope you like it! I REALLY WANT REVIEWS! If you like my story. tell your friends? Get THEM to review it, too. Thanks for the three people that have reviewed!
Some things to be expected in the next chapter:
Ginny's answer to Harry's question.
Hermione goes to Ron for "moral support"
Ron introduces his secret "love" to Harry and Hermione for the first time.
Draco lets his true emotions show.
Hermione makes a move on a very unsuspecting person.