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Chapter 14
Hermione felt confused all the time ever since she saw Harry and Ginny kissing, ever since Harry told her that he wasn't over her, ever since Draco kissed her. And now, more than ever, she felt confused because Harry kissed her. She didn't know what to think anymore. She was just so, so...mystified.
And now she couldn't even talk to anyone about it. She and Ginny used to be close friends but now, she won't even talk to her because of what she 'supposedly' did to her boyfriend. And Ron...she just knew that he would only get mad and wouldn't even take the time to understand.
"Hermione!" someone called after her.
*Here we go.* She turned around and placed a smile on her face. "Ron."
"Hey. I've been trying to catch up with you for days now," Ron said.
"Well, I've been busy," Hermione replied.
"Yeah. I know," he said. Hermione heard the sadness in his voice. "So can we talk or are you busy?"
"I'm...I'm not busy," she said finally. "Um, what is it that you want to talk about?" She began to walk slowly and Ron walked with her.
"I just want you to know that I'm not mad at you or anything. I don't think you had anything to do with what happened to Harry and Ginny," Ron began. "It's all Harry's fault." He sighed. Hermione could tell that he was feeling frustrated. She knew how protective Ron was of Ginny.
"Did you and Harry talk?" Hermione asked quietly.
"Yes."
Hermione looked up at him. "And? What happened?"
He took a deep breath. "We talked. I'm angry at him. He's making the two of the most important girls in my life miserable."
"He's not making me miserable," she said defensively.
"Oh yeah? Then why do I get the feeling that you're not over him?"
**
Draco was walking down the hall when he turned around a corner and bumped into someone. He brushed himself off and smirked.
"I should've known," Harry said.
"You should've known what, Potter? Oh wait. You know something. How nice," Draco spat.
"Malfoy, I've only got one thing to say to you," Harry said.
"And what would the boy who lived want to tell me?" Draco asked with a big sneer.
"I know you're taking Hermione to the ball," Harry began.
"Yeah. So?" Draco said, almost bored.
"If you hurt her--."
"Stop being so protective over her. She's not yours."
"Just because you're taking her to the ball doesn't mean that would be your job now," Harry said angrily.
"I didn't say she was mine, Potter. Or are you jealous?" Draco asked, watching his reaction.
Harry cringed a little. Only a bit. But Draco noticed. And all of his suspicions became confirmed. He always knew that there was something between Hermione and him. By now, there was a small crowd gathered around, as Harry and Draco talked angrily at each other.
**
"What are you talking about, Ron?" Hermione asked, feigning innocence.
Ron chuckled. "Hermione, I've known you for six years. Even if we never became as close as you and Harry were, I've still come to know you well."
"Ron, I'm just confused," Hermione said, giving up. "I thought I was over him and there's another thing..."
"Malfoy?" Ron finished for her.
Hermione looked at him; feeling a bit scared of what he was going to do, and nodded slowly. "Yeah. How did you know?"
"Who else would be that guy whom you didn't get along with at first? He's the only guy I can think of whom you don't get along well with period," Ron explained.
Hermione sighed and they became quiet for a while.
Ron broke the silence. "So you really almost kissed him?"
"There's more than that now."
**
Draco did the biggest smirk that he can manage. He touched a soft spot in Harry and that always made him happy.
"It's over, Potter. You've had your chance with Hermione and you ruined it. Game over," Draco said.
"Oh yeah?" Harry replied angrily.
"Yeah!"
"Then why did she kiss me?"
There was a silence. A silence no one had ever experienced before. Draco didn't know what to say to that. He couldn't comprehend the words Harry had just blurted out. *They kissed? When? Where?*
*Why?*
Suddenly there was a gasp. Harry, Draco and everyone there turned around. They saw Hermione, with a stricken Ron. Her eyes were wide and a hand was over her mouth. Her eyes darted from Draco to Harry and back again. She didn't know what to think or do. Confusion was making her mind blank again.
Draco did his best to stay calm and cool. He couldn't bear to show emotion, especially one so strong as this. He felt...stabbed. Like betrayed, but not so. He couldn't believe that Hermione would kiss Harry, while they were, well sort of, together. He didn't know whether to believe Harry or not. But as Harry was always a man of his word, it was hard to not believe him. He gave one look at Hermione and then walked away.
As Draco walked away, whispers began to erupt. Students talked about what they just witnessed. Everyone was getting excited.
Hermione breathed deeply. She looked up at Ron. Ron looked warily back at her. He didn't know what to say. But he felt for her. He felt bad as to how his best friend is feeling. He put a hand on her shoulder, trying his best to comfort her.
"Hermione--."
Hermione put up a hand to stop him from speaking. Tears were threatening to pour down her eyes. She couldn't understand why Harry would do that. She thought about Draco and about how he must be feeling right now.
*He thinks I betrayed him. I let him down.*
She glanced up sadly at Harry. Harry. Her best friend since forever. The first guy she's ever loved. The first guy who hurt her. She was her many firsts. Then her thoughts drifted back to Draco. It was at this moment that Hermione realized.
*He's the one.*
Thanks a lot for the reviews! You guys make me smile all the time.
Chapter 14
Hermione felt confused all the time ever since she saw Harry and Ginny kissing, ever since Harry told her that he wasn't over her, ever since Draco kissed her. And now, more than ever, she felt confused because Harry kissed her. She didn't know what to think anymore. She was just so, so...mystified.
And now she couldn't even talk to anyone about it. She and Ginny used to be close friends but now, she won't even talk to her because of what she 'supposedly' did to her boyfriend. And Ron...she just knew that he would only get mad and wouldn't even take the time to understand.
"Hermione!" someone called after her.
*Here we go.* She turned around and placed a smile on her face. "Ron."
"Hey. I've been trying to catch up with you for days now," Ron said.
"Well, I've been busy," Hermione replied.
"Yeah. I know," he said. Hermione heard the sadness in his voice. "So can we talk or are you busy?"
"I'm...I'm not busy," she said finally. "Um, what is it that you want to talk about?" She began to walk slowly and Ron walked with her.
"I just want you to know that I'm not mad at you or anything. I don't think you had anything to do with what happened to Harry and Ginny," Ron began. "It's all Harry's fault." He sighed. Hermione could tell that he was feeling frustrated. She knew how protective Ron was of Ginny.
"Did you and Harry talk?" Hermione asked quietly.
"Yes."
Hermione looked up at him. "And? What happened?"
He took a deep breath. "We talked. I'm angry at him. He's making the two of the most important girls in my life miserable."
"He's not making me miserable," she said defensively.
"Oh yeah? Then why do I get the feeling that you're not over him?"
**
Draco was walking down the hall when he turned around a corner and bumped into someone. He brushed himself off and smirked.
"I should've known," Harry said.
"You should've known what, Potter? Oh wait. You know something. How nice," Draco spat.
"Malfoy, I've only got one thing to say to you," Harry said.
"And what would the boy who lived want to tell me?" Draco asked with a big sneer.
"I know you're taking Hermione to the ball," Harry began.
"Yeah. So?" Draco said, almost bored.
"If you hurt her--."
"Stop being so protective over her. She's not yours."
"Just because you're taking her to the ball doesn't mean that would be your job now," Harry said angrily.
"I didn't say she was mine, Potter. Or are you jealous?" Draco asked, watching his reaction.
Harry cringed a little. Only a bit. But Draco noticed. And all of his suspicions became confirmed. He always knew that there was something between Hermione and him. By now, there was a small crowd gathered around, as Harry and Draco talked angrily at each other.
**
"What are you talking about, Ron?" Hermione asked, feigning innocence.
Ron chuckled. "Hermione, I've known you for six years. Even if we never became as close as you and Harry were, I've still come to know you well."
"Ron, I'm just confused," Hermione said, giving up. "I thought I was over him and there's another thing..."
"Malfoy?" Ron finished for her.
Hermione looked at him; feeling a bit scared of what he was going to do, and nodded slowly. "Yeah. How did you know?"
"Who else would be that guy whom you didn't get along with at first? He's the only guy I can think of whom you don't get along well with period," Ron explained.
Hermione sighed and they became quiet for a while.
Ron broke the silence. "So you really almost kissed him?"
"There's more than that now."
**
Draco did the biggest smirk that he can manage. He touched a soft spot in Harry and that always made him happy.
"It's over, Potter. You've had your chance with Hermione and you ruined it. Game over," Draco said.
"Oh yeah?" Harry replied angrily.
"Yeah!"
"Then why did she kiss me?"
There was a silence. A silence no one had ever experienced before. Draco didn't know what to say to that. He couldn't comprehend the words Harry had just blurted out. *They kissed? When? Where?*
*Why?*
Suddenly there was a gasp. Harry, Draco and everyone there turned around. They saw Hermione, with a stricken Ron. Her eyes were wide and a hand was over her mouth. Her eyes darted from Draco to Harry and back again. She didn't know what to think or do. Confusion was making her mind blank again.
Draco did his best to stay calm and cool. He couldn't bear to show emotion, especially one so strong as this. He felt...stabbed. Like betrayed, but not so. He couldn't believe that Hermione would kiss Harry, while they were, well sort of, together. He didn't know whether to believe Harry or not. But as Harry was always a man of his word, it was hard to not believe him. He gave one look at Hermione and then walked away.
As Draco walked away, whispers began to erupt. Students talked about what they just witnessed. Everyone was getting excited.
Hermione breathed deeply. She looked up at Ron. Ron looked warily back at her. He didn't know what to say. But he felt for her. He felt bad as to how his best friend is feeling. He put a hand on her shoulder, trying his best to comfort her.
"Hermione--."
Hermione put up a hand to stop him from speaking. Tears were threatening to pour down her eyes. She couldn't understand why Harry would do that. She thought about Draco and about how he must be feeling right now.
*He thinks I betrayed him. I let him down.*
She glanced up sadly at Harry. Harry. Her best friend since forever. The first guy she's ever loved. The first guy who hurt her. She was her many firsts. Then her thoughts drifted back to Draco. It was at this moment that Hermione realized.
*He's the one.*