Chapter 3
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the story.
Hermione was sitting down in the middle of Ron and Harry, who were having a bit of an argument.
"All I'm saying is that maybe we should just rest for about a day or two then we can resume practice," Harry said.
"And all I'm saying is no, Harry. We are going to resume practice tonight and that's that," Ron said stubbornly.
"That's just ridiculous!" Harry said, his voice rising a little. "We're still all tired from that game! Everyone's still tired. You're weary, yourself."
"I'm not weary, Harry. That's why we're practicing tonight," Ron said. "We're going to carry out as planned."
"Well, I won't be there," Harry said persistently.
"Suit yourself. Besides, I think we'll be able to find a better seeker than you. Actually, Harry, I think you're losing your touch," Ron said angrily.
This time Hermione had to butt in. What Ron said was too much. "Ron!" she said. "That's too harsh."
"Yeah. Take his side," Ron told her. "Now that you're together, I assume you're going to take his side all the time so I don't bother talking to you about things."
"Ron, that's not true. I'm not taking sides when it comes to things like this. You know that," she said. "As a matter of fact, I think you both have a point."
"You do?" Ron and Harry said together.
"Of course," she said with a smile. "I understand that you're worried about the next games, Ron, and that's okay because you're the Quidditch captain. It's your job to be worried about your team's performance. And I also understand your side, Harry. You're still exhausted about the game yesterday that you think you won't do well in practice. You both have very valid points and I think the only way to solve this is to compromise." She looked at both of them with some sort of a smug look on her face as if it was the most brilliant idea.
"You'll have to explain more, Hermione," Ron said. "I don't grasp words like you do."
Her face fell a bit and rolled her eyes. "Whatever. What I meant was that you two will have to work it out so that you two are both satisfied with what will happen." She looked at Ron then at Harry, then back again. "What do you say?"
"I guess Hermione's right, Ron," Harry said. Ron nodded with a grin.
"Maybe we should just start practice next week," Ron said. "I was just really worried about losing again."
Harry felt relieved. "Don't worry, Ron. We'll flatten the Ravenclaws."
She felt pleased. Finally, they were okay again. These fights had happened more often ever since Ron had become Quidditch captain. It used to be her and Ron all the time with Harry as the mediator but now she was the mediator. She smiled inwardly at her accomplishment with Ron and Harry and went back to what she was writing in her notebook. She was only on the second word when she was distracted because she felt the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. It was usually the feeling she got when someone was staring at her. She flipped her hair and casually turned around to see if anyone was looking at her. And as soon as she did, she caught Malfoy's eyes on her as if he was trying to put her on fire. Malfoy looked away. She faced front again, feeling confused. Why was Malfoy looking at me? She shrugged. Probably because he felt upset about what I said to him earlier.
After their afternoon classes, Hermione said goodbye to Ron and Harry. She had a job before lunch because she had to keep an eye on some of the things by the second floor. Because just recently, some third years had been attacking each other, which caused them to be brought to the hospital wing. McGonagall didn't want any of that to happen anymore. She assigned two prefects at a time.
She first decided to go back to her dorm, which she shared with Padma, to drop her bag off. Then she went up the stairs to the second floor and watched as the students went out of their classrooms for lunch.
"Granger," said a voice she only knew too well.
She turned around and faced him. "Malfoy," she said with complete displeasure in her voice, "What are you doing here?"
"You're not the only prefect here, Granger," Malfoy replied coolly.
She rolled her eyes. Just her luck. Malfoy was the one assigned to be with her. Why do things always happen to me? I just hope he doesn't say anything mean about Harry anymore.
They separated. Hermione went to the other end of the hall, while Draco went to the other end. By doing this, they would cover more ground and easily spot if anything out of the ordinary happened again. Luckily, nothing happened and all the students trotted downstairs towards the great hall. Hermione and Draco watched the students go down from the balcony. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and scanned the hallway for any more students. There were none. She went to a nearby classroom, whose door was open, and closed it softly. She was about to go downstairs when Draco caught up with her.
"Hermione!" he called.
She turned around and took a deep breath. "What do you want?"
"What makes you think I want anything?" he asked, looking confused. Then he understood. That was the first time he ever called her by her first name.
"You just called me Hermione," she said, echoing his thoughts.
"I.well, no. I didn't want anything," he said.
This surprised her. Well, that's new, she thought. She looked expectantly at him and softened. "What is it then?"
"Well." Draco said, hesitating a bit. "I'm sorry about earlier. You know, about what I said in McGonagall's office." He looked down.
Well, well, well. Draco Malfoy is apologizing. She smiled slightly at him. "You know, I thought I'd never see the day when you'd apologize to anyone. Especially to me," she said.
"I never thought I'd see this day either," he said, reciprocating her smile. "So, um, do you forgive me?"
"Does it really matter to you?" she asked curiously. She just really wanted to know.
"Well, yeah. It does," he replied softly.
She smiled. Maybe there's more to Draco Malfoy than I thought. "I forgive you, Malfoy," she said. "Just promise me one thing."
"What is that?" he asked.
"Don't diss Harry in front of me again," she said.
Draco frowned at her. I wonder why, Hermione thought. But he nodded and said, "I promise. It won't happen again."
She smiled again. What's wrong with me? Suddenly, I'm being so smiley? "Thanks, Malfoy." She turned around and began to go down the stairs, when he caught up with her again.
"Is it okay if I ask a favor from you?" Draco asked her, getting into step beside her.
"Sure," she said. "Just as long it's not anything sexual." Hermione Ann Granger! Where did that come from? She turned a bit red. Draco smiled. At least he thinks it's a joke.
"Nothing like that," he said. "I just want you to know that it's okay to call me Draco and that I'd prefer if you call me by my first name."
That's not so hard. "Oh, is that all? No problem. Draco it is." This is getting really weird. First he calls me Hermione, then he says sorry and now he's asking me a favor to call him Draco.
** Ever since Draco said sorry to Hermione, his life had been noticeably better. Well, according to him. He was now friends with Hermione and that was all the mattered to him. At least now, he could talk to her during their prefect meetings without biting each other's heads off and he can see her smile, hear her beautiful voice and her melodic laughter.
Sheesh! What is happening to me? I'm going out of my mind.
He wasn't the only one who noticed. Blaise Zabini seemed to know what occupied Draco's mind every single time. And she was determined to get him out of his small case of craziness.
"Draco," Blaise said and massaged his shoulders, "you're so tense."
He tensed up immediately as soon as he felt Blaise's hands on her. He thought that nothing else could make him tenser than her hands on him. He brushed her hands off his shoulders and continued to read his book.
"What are you doing here, Blaise?" he asked coolly.
He was in the library, trying to get some study time. He hadn't been on his right mind ever since Hermione and him had become friends. His studies had been laid; somewhat, forgotten and he wanted to change that.
"I was looking for you," Blaise replied, sitting down beside him.
"And why were you looking for me?" he asked, not taking his eyes off his book.
"Well, I figured that you might need some help on your homework. I heard that you haven't been doing so well in your classes," she said, reaching out her hand to ruffle his hair.
He held her wrist, making her stop from touching his hair, which he won't let anyone touch. Except, maybe, Hermione. "Not the hair, Blaise," he said to her. Blaise dropped her hand. "I think you should go," he added. "I'm doing fine without you."
Blaise felt hurt at these words and huffily left the library. He smirked at her and put his book down. Finally! She left. I was wondering if I'd have to keep lying much longer. His heart raced when he saw a pretty sight entered the library and settle onto a table near his. He looked at her and watched the door to see if Potty or Weasel were anywhere nearby. A couple of minutes, Draco waited and they didn't come.
Should I go there? What if she's really busy and doesn't want to be disturbed? What if she still doesn't think of me as a friend? What if I'm not welcome to join her in the first place? What if she just glances at me without so much as a care and not answer? What if.
Oh you're going to give me a headache. Another part of his mind said.
But it's true. What if she says no? I don't think I could handle that.
You're a Malfoy remember? Didn't your father teach you how to handle rejection? Since when do you care when people rejected you?
Since I fell in love with her.
He looked over at Hermione's table. She was reading very intently and looked very concentrated. She twirled a strand of her hair. That decided it. I'm going to have to take a chance.
That's the spirit.
With this, he gathered his things, stood up and walked over to her. He put his books down on the table and smiled as she looked up.
"Do you mind if I join you?" he asked.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the story.
Hermione was sitting down in the middle of Ron and Harry, who were having a bit of an argument.
"All I'm saying is that maybe we should just rest for about a day or two then we can resume practice," Harry said.
"And all I'm saying is no, Harry. We are going to resume practice tonight and that's that," Ron said stubbornly.
"That's just ridiculous!" Harry said, his voice rising a little. "We're still all tired from that game! Everyone's still tired. You're weary, yourself."
"I'm not weary, Harry. That's why we're practicing tonight," Ron said. "We're going to carry out as planned."
"Well, I won't be there," Harry said persistently.
"Suit yourself. Besides, I think we'll be able to find a better seeker than you. Actually, Harry, I think you're losing your touch," Ron said angrily.
This time Hermione had to butt in. What Ron said was too much. "Ron!" she said. "That's too harsh."
"Yeah. Take his side," Ron told her. "Now that you're together, I assume you're going to take his side all the time so I don't bother talking to you about things."
"Ron, that's not true. I'm not taking sides when it comes to things like this. You know that," she said. "As a matter of fact, I think you both have a point."
"You do?" Ron and Harry said together.
"Of course," she said with a smile. "I understand that you're worried about the next games, Ron, and that's okay because you're the Quidditch captain. It's your job to be worried about your team's performance. And I also understand your side, Harry. You're still exhausted about the game yesterday that you think you won't do well in practice. You both have very valid points and I think the only way to solve this is to compromise." She looked at both of them with some sort of a smug look on her face as if it was the most brilliant idea.
"You'll have to explain more, Hermione," Ron said. "I don't grasp words like you do."
Her face fell a bit and rolled her eyes. "Whatever. What I meant was that you two will have to work it out so that you two are both satisfied with what will happen." She looked at Ron then at Harry, then back again. "What do you say?"
"I guess Hermione's right, Ron," Harry said. Ron nodded with a grin.
"Maybe we should just start practice next week," Ron said. "I was just really worried about losing again."
Harry felt relieved. "Don't worry, Ron. We'll flatten the Ravenclaws."
She felt pleased. Finally, they were okay again. These fights had happened more often ever since Ron had become Quidditch captain. It used to be her and Ron all the time with Harry as the mediator but now she was the mediator. She smiled inwardly at her accomplishment with Ron and Harry and went back to what she was writing in her notebook. She was only on the second word when she was distracted because she felt the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. It was usually the feeling she got when someone was staring at her. She flipped her hair and casually turned around to see if anyone was looking at her. And as soon as she did, she caught Malfoy's eyes on her as if he was trying to put her on fire. Malfoy looked away. She faced front again, feeling confused. Why was Malfoy looking at me? She shrugged. Probably because he felt upset about what I said to him earlier.
After their afternoon classes, Hermione said goodbye to Ron and Harry. She had a job before lunch because she had to keep an eye on some of the things by the second floor. Because just recently, some third years had been attacking each other, which caused them to be brought to the hospital wing. McGonagall didn't want any of that to happen anymore. She assigned two prefects at a time.
She first decided to go back to her dorm, which she shared with Padma, to drop her bag off. Then she went up the stairs to the second floor and watched as the students went out of their classrooms for lunch.
"Granger," said a voice she only knew too well.
She turned around and faced him. "Malfoy," she said with complete displeasure in her voice, "What are you doing here?"
"You're not the only prefect here, Granger," Malfoy replied coolly.
She rolled her eyes. Just her luck. Malfoy was the one assigned to be with her. Why do things always happen to me? I just hope he doesn't say anything mean about Harry anymore.
They separated. Hermione went to the other end of the hall, while Draco went to the other end. By doing this, they would cover more ground and easily spot if anything out of the ordinary happened again. Luckily, nothing happened and all the students trotted downstairs towards the great hall. Hermione and Draco watched the students go down from the balcony. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and scanned the hallway for any more students. There were none. She went to a nearby classroom, whose door was open, and closed it softly. She was about to go downstairs when Draco caught up with her.
"Hermione!" he called.
She turned around and took a deep breath. "What do you want?"
"What makes you think I want anything?" he asked, looking confused. Then he understood. That was the first time he ever called her by her first name.
"You just called me Hermione," she said, echoing his thoughts.
"I.well, no. I didn't want anything," he said.
This surprised her. Well, that's new, she thought. She looked expectantly at him and softened. "What is it then?"
"Well." Draco said, hesitating a bit. "I'm sorry about earlier. You know, about what I said in McGonagall's office." He looked down.
Well, well, well. Draco Malfoy is apologizing. She smiled slightly at him. "You know, I thought I'd never see the day when you'd apologize to anyone. Especially to me," she said.
"I never thought I'd see this day either," he said, reciprocating her smile. "So, um, do you forgive me?"
"Does it really matter to you?" she asked curiously. She just really wanted to know.
"Well, yeah. It does," he replied softly.
She smiled. Maybe there's more to Draco Malfoy than I thought. "I forgive you, Malfoy," she said. "Just promise me one thing."
"What is that?" he asked.
"Don't diss Harry in front of me again," she said.
Draco frowned at her. I wonder why, Hermione thought. But he nodded and said, "I promise. It won't happen again."
She smiled again. What's wrong with me? Suddenly, I'm being so smiley? "Thanks, Malfoy." She turned around and began to go down the stairs, when he caught up with her again.
"Is it okay if I ask a favor from you?" Draco asked her, getting into step beside her.
"Sure," she said. "Just as long it's not anything sexual." Hermione Ann Granger! Where did that come from? She turned a bit red. Draco smiled. At least he thinks it's a joke.
"Nothing like that," he said. "I just want you to know that it's okay to call me Draco and that I'd prefer if you call me by my first name."
That's not so hard. "Oh, is that all? No problem. Draco it is." This is getting really weird. First he calls me Hermione, then he says sorry and now he's asking me a favor to call him Draco.
** Ever since Draco said sorry to Hermione, his life had been noticeably better. Well, according to him. He was now friends with Hermione and that was all the mattered to him. At least now, he could talk to her during their prefect meetings without biting each other's heads off and he can see her smile, hear her beautiful voice and her melodic laughter.
Sheesh! What is happening to me? I'm going out of my mind.
He wasn't the only one who noticed. Blaise Zabini seemed to know what occupied Draco's mind every single time. And she was determined to get him out of his small case of craziness.
"Draco," Blaise said and massaged his shoulders, "you're so tense."
He tensed up immediately as soon as he felt Blaise's hands on her. He thought that nothing else could make him tenser than her hands on him. He brushed her hands off his shoulders and continued to read his book.
"What are you doing here, Blaise?" he asked coolly.
He was in the library, trying to get some study time. He hadn't been on his right mind ever since Hermione and him had become friends. His studies had been laid; somewhat, forgotten and he wanted to change that.
"I was looking for you," Blaise replied, sitting down beside him.
"And why were you looking for me?" he asked, not taking his eyes off his book.
"Well, I figured that you might need some help on your homework. I heard that you haven't been doing so well in your classes," she said, reaching out her hand to ruffle his hair.
He held her wrist, making her stop from touching his hair, which he won't let anyone touch. Except, maybe, Hermione. "Not the hair, Blaise," he said to her. Blaise dropped her hand. "I think you should go," he added. "I'm doing fine without you."
Blaise felt hurt at these words and huffily left the library. He smirked at her and put his book down. Finally! She left. I was wondering if I'd have to keep lying much longer. His heart raced when he saw a pretty sight entered the library and settle onto a table near his. He looked at her and watched the door to see if Potty or Weasel were anywhere nearby. A couple of minutes, Draco waited and they didn't come.
Should I go there? What if she's really busy and doesn't want to be disturbed? What if she still doesn't think of me as a friend? What if I'm not welcome to join her in the first place? What if she just glances at me without so much as a care and not answer? What if.
Oh you're going to give me a headache. Another part of his mind said.
But it's true. What if she says no? I don't think I could handle that.
You're a Malfoy remember? Didn't your father teach you how to handle rejection? Since when do you care when people rejected you?
Since I fell in love with her.
He looked over at Hermione's table. She was reading very intently and looked very concentrated. She twirled a strand of her hair. That decided it. I'm going to have to take a chance.
That's the spirit.
With this, he gathered his things, stood up and walked over to her. He put his books down on the table and smiled as she looked up.
"Do you mind if I join you?" he asked.