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Chapter 9
All through potions, Draco kept shooting worried glances at Hermione, who was clearly ignoring everyone except Harry. Finally, he made up his mind to convince her that he was sincere in his apologies.
He knew that he and Hermione had their duties that evening after dinner, and he would try talking to her then.
So, after dinner, when he saw Hermione leave the Great Hall, he excused himself, and left after her.
"Hermione! Where do you want to patrol first?" Called Draco, hurrying to catch up with her.
"Dungeons," she answered, not stopping, slowing down or turning back.
Draco caught up with her and did not say anything as they made their way down to the dungeons.
For a long while, neither made any attempt to converse with the other.
Finally, when they passed by the hospital wing, Draco decided to break the ice.
"How's.... Things between you and Ron?" He asked, staring straight ahead.
Hermione stopped and turned to look at him. "Do you think we kissed and made up? He's not talking to me, no thanks to you!" Snapped Hermione, and walked briskly ahead of Draco, who had stopped walking when she had.
Draco hurried along. "Hermione, I'm really sorry. Please, I really mean it," he said, stopping.
Hermione stopped again, turned to face him, and rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah? And prove it!" She said, narrowing her eyes.
"You asked for it," said Draco, walking up to her. He put his hands on her shoulders, closed his silvery-blue eyes and leant forward.
Hermione pushed him away. "Just what are you trying to do? You think everything will be resolved just because of a KISS? Grow up, Malfoy!" She snarled, and began to run.
Draco followed her blindly, running through dark empty classrooms, up dimly lit stairs and down corridors, which were dead quiet.
Finally, Hermione came to an oak door. She threw the door open, and ran in. Draco, panting behind her, realized that he was at the astronomy tower.
Quietly, he pushed the door open, and walked in. "Hermione?" He called out softly. Hermione was kneeling on a bench behind the window, her back to him. In the dim glow of the torches, he could see Hermione's shoulder's heaving with her quiet sobs.
"Go away. Just stay AWAY from me, Malfoy!" Said Hermione.
"Hermione, please! I -."
"No, Malfoy! You don't understand! Ron is my best friend. Even if we fight half the time, he's still someone special to me."
A hand clenched around Draco's heart when Hermione said that Ron was 'someone special'. Ignoring it, he walked up slowly to Hermione, and slowly put an arm around her. Although she shivered, she made no attempt to push him away.
"Cold?" He whispered, taking off his dark green cloak and throwing it around her shoulders. He put his arms around her, and pulled her closer to him.
Hermione inhaled the faint scent from his cloak. Somehow, it reassured her, and calmed her. However, when a cold wind blew in though the arched stone window, and Draco's warmth was there, warming her, she remembered why she was at the tower. Snapping back to reality, she pushed Draco away, the comforting warmth against her evaporating into the cold night.
"Hermione..." Draco said, holding her shoulders firmly, and looking into her teary eyes. "Please... Give me a chance to talk to you."
Hermione, half-wishing she had not pushed him away, gave in. Somehow, she couldn't bear to see his eyes full of hurt, pain and regret.
"Listen, I'm really sorry about what happened in the common room... I didn't mean to hurt you, or start a fight between you and Ron. I wasn't using my head."
Hermione sniffed. "You don't use it often, Malf- Draco."
"I know," said Draco, smiling sadly. "My father gives the orders, I take it. No questions asked."
Hermione softened a little. "Is your father... Well' really that...?"
"Yes," whispered Draco. "But he can be worst. He's harsh, cruel and domineering. He loves my mother, but he's got a strong hold over her."
Hermione's eyes were worried. "I'm sorry, Draco. I-I didn't know..."
"No one does," said Draco softly.
Then slowly, he leant down, towards Hermione. Just as he was about to place a kiss on her lips, Hermione turned away.
"I'm sorry, Draco. This is too fast. I know you're being nice to me and all, but it's not easy to forget what you've done to me and my friends those past 5 years," she said. "Sorry."
Then, she turned and ran, never stopping, till she reached her room. Locking herself in, she threw herself on the bed, and reflected on the day's events, silent tears flowing down her cheeks.
As she fell asleep, the last thoughts on her mind was Draco, and the way he had treated her earlier on.
Chapter 9
All through potions, Draco kept shooting worried glances at Hermione, who was clearly ignoring everyone except Harry. Finally, he made up his mind to convince her that he was sincere in his apologies.
He knew that he and Hermione had their duties that evening after dinner, and he would try talking to her then.
So, after dinner, when he saw Hermione leave the Great Hall, he excused himself, and left after her.
"Hermione! Where do you want to patrol first?" Called Draco, hurrying to catch up with her.
"Dungeons," she answered, not stopping, slowing down or turning back.
Draco caught up with her and did not say anything as they made their way down to the dungeons.
For a long while, neither made any attempt to converse with the other.
Finally, when they passed by the hospital wing, Draco decided to break the ice.
"How's.... Things between you and Ron?" He asked, staring straight ahead.
Hermione stopped and turned to look at him. "Do you think we kissed and made up? He's not talking to me, no thanks to you!" Snapped Hermione, and walked briskly ahead of Draco, who had stopped walking when she had.
Draco hurried along. "Hermione, I'm really sorry. Please, I really mean it," he said, stopping.
Hermione stopped again, turned to face him, and rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah? And prove it!" She said, narrowing her eyes.
"You asked for it," said Draco, walking up to her. He put his hands on her shoulders, closed his silvery-blue eyes and leant forward.
Hermione pushed him away. "Just what are you trying to do? You think everything will be resolved just because of a KISS? Grow up, Malfoy!" She snarled, and began to run.
Draco followed her blindly, running through dark empty classrooms, up dimly lit stairs and down corridors, which were dead quiet.
Finally, Hermione came to an oak door. She threw the door open, and ran in. Draco, panting behind her, realized that he was at the astronomy tower.
Quietly, he pushed the door open, and walked in. "Hermione?" He called out softly. Hermione was kneeling on a bench behind the window, her back to him. In the dim glow of the torches, he could see Hermione's shoulder's heaving with her quiet sobs.
"Go away. Just stay AWAY from me, Malfoy!" Said Hermione.
"Hermione, please! I -."
"No, Malfoy! You don't understand! Ron is my best friend. Even if we fight half the time, he's still someone special to me."
A hand clenched around Draco's heart when Hermione said that Ron was 'someone special'. Ignoring it, he walked up slowly to Hermione, and slowly put an arm around her. Although she shivered, she made no attempt to push him away.
"Cold?" He whispered, taking off his dark green cloak and throwing it around her shoulders. He put his arms around her, and pulled her closer to him.
Hermione inhaled the faint scent from his cloak. Somehow, it reassured her, and calmed her. However, when a cold wind blew in though the arched stone window, and Draco's warmth was there, warming her, she remembered why she was at the tower. Snapping back to reality, she pushed Draco away, the comforting warmth against her evaporating into the cold night.
"Hermione..." Draco said, holding her shoulders firmly, and looking into her teary eyes. "Please... Give me a chance to talk to you."
Hermione, half-wishing she had not pushed him away, gave in. Somehow, she couldn't bear to see his eyes full of hurt, pain and regret.
"Listen, I'm really sorry about what happened in the common room... I didn't mean to hurt you, or start a fight between you and Ron. I wasn't using my head."
Hermione sniffed. "You don't use it often, Malf- Draco."
"I know," said Draco, smiling sadly. "My father gives the orders, I take it. No questions asked."
Hermione softened a little. "Is your father... Well' really that...?"
"Yes," whispered Draco. "But he can be worst. He's harsh, cruel and domineering. He loves my mother, but he's got a strong hold over her."
Hermione's eyes were worried. "I'm sorry, Draco. I-I didn't know..."
"No one does," said Draco softly.
Then slowly, he leant down, towards Hermione. Just as he was about to place a kiss on her lips, Hermione turned away.
"I'm sorry, Draco. This is too fast. I know you're being nice to me and all, but it's not easy to forget what you've done to me and my friends those past 5 years," she said. "Sorry."
Then, she turned and ran, never stopping, till she reached her room. Locking herself in, she threw herself on the bed, and reflected on the day's events, silent tears flowing down her cheeks.
As she fell asleep, the last thoughts on her mind was Draco, and the way he had treated her earlier on.