Chapter 16
When Hermione got back to the room Ginny shared with three other girls, Daisy, Cheryl and Frankie, who barely spoke to Hermione, she noticed an envelope on Ginny's bed, addressed to her. Hermione recognized the writing right away. It was Draco's. Slowly, she sank down onto Ginny's bed, and opened the envelope. Inside was a small piece of parchment with four words, "Meet me, Astronomy Tower". Hermione's heart thudded wildly.
"Hey, Herm," said Ginny, coming into the room with Frankie and Daisy.
Hermione quickly pushed the parchment out of sight. "Hey, Ginny. Hi Frankie. Hi, Daisy."
"Hi," the two other girls said in unison.
"We're going to do each other's hair, Hermione. Want to join us?" Said Ginny, as Frankie and Daisy got out a bag in which Hermione assumed was their make up. She shuddered at the thought of wearing make up.
"Thanks, Ginny, but no thanks," said Hermione, thinking of Draco. "But I think I'd like to walk around the castle. I need to clear my mind. Care to come?" She asked, knowing Ginny would refuse.
"Oh, sorry, Hermione," said Ginny. "But I already made a date with Daisy and Frankie. Sorry. And you'll want to be alone if you want to 'clear your mind'."
"No problem," said Hermione quickly. "Well, I'd best be going now."
Hermione got up, and left the room. In the common room, Ron and Harry were playing muggle chess. Hermione forgot where she was going momentarily, and watched as Ron forgot and said "Knight to E4... Oops, sorry, Harry", then move the knight himself. Then, he looked up and saw Hermione.
"Hey, Hermione," he said. "Where are you going?"
"Oh," said Hermione as Harry looked up. "I'm going for a walk around the castle. I need to clear my mind, and get a breather... Just walk around."
"Be careful," said Ron, and he went back to the game.
Thankful that Ron didn't probe, Hermione turned, and left the Gryffindor common room.
In less than ten minutes, Hermione reached the Astronomy tower. No one was inside. Hermione went to a bench under a window, and sat on it, looking out at the deep velvet blue sky. She tried to spot some constellations, but gave up and began counting stars. When she got to her 106th star, a pair of strong, warm arms encircled her gently. Hermione tensed. Then she slowly relaxed. She didn't need to turn to see who it was. She recognized his light cologne.
"What did you call me here for?" She murmured, leaning her head back, onto Draco's shoulder.
"Nothing," he whispered. "I... I missed you."
Hermione's head jolted up, and she regained her senses. She was about to pull herself from Draco's warm hug, but stopped herself. It was a cold night, and his warmth was comforting, and she had to admit. It made her feel secure.
"Why?" She whispered back. "You missed taunting me?"
His arms tightened around her. "No. I just missed you."
Hermione's head found a comfortable spot on his shoulder again. She didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say, and there was nothing to be said. It just felt right.
"When are you coming back?" Draco wanted to know.
"Back? Back to where?" Said Hermione, beginning to count the stars again.
"To your room. I want you back," whispered Draco.
Hermione laughed softly, and she pulled out of Draco's hug to look at him. "What will I tell Ron and Harry and Ginny?"
"Nothing," said Draco, pulling Hermione into his arms. "Just say you think it's time you go back. I want you."
Hermione's arms found their way to Draco's neck, and they wrapped themselves there. "You don't understand. Ron and I... We -."
"Since when did you and Ron become 'we'?" Said Draco, caressing Hermione's back.
"Not that way," said Hermione. "It's just that Ron and I have grown considerably closer over the past few days, and it's not fair to push him away just because you want me back, Draco. And he was always there when I was down," Hermione stiffened a little. "He was really understanding, and he didn't take advantage of me when I was upset, and try anything I would regret."
Draco pulled away from Hermione, held her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "So you're saying that you want to be with Ron?"
Hermione broke their eye contact and looked down. "I don't know," she said in a voice softer than a whisper.
Draco pulled her back into his arms. "Don't worry," he said softly. "I'll find a way."
When Hermione got back to the room Ginny shared with three other girls, Daisy, Cheryl and Frankie, who barely spoke to Hermione, she noticed an envelope on Ginny's bed, addressed to her. Hermione recognized the writing right away. It was Draco's. Slowly, she sank down onto Ginny's bed, and opened the envelope. Inside was a small piece of parchment with four words, "Meet me, Astronomy Tower". Hermione's heart thudded wildly.
"Hey, Herm," said Ginny, coming into the room with Frankie and Daisy.
Hermione quickly pushed the parchment out of sight. "Hey, Ginny. Hi Frankie. Hi, Daisy."
"Hi," the two other girls said in unison.
"We're going to do each other's hair, Hermione. Want to join us?" Said Ginny, as Frankie and Daisy got out a bag in which Hermione assumed was their make up. She shuddered at the thought of wearing make up.
"Thanks, Ginny, but no thanks," said Hermione, thinking of Draco. "But I think I'd like to walk around the castle. I need to clear my mind. Care to come?" She asked, knowing Ginny would refuse.
"Oh, sorry, Hermione," said Ginny. "But I already made a date with Daisy and Frankie. Sorry. And you'll want to be alone if you want to 'clear your mind'."
"No problem," said Hermione quickly. "Well, I'd best be going now."
Hermione got up, and left the room. In the common room, Ron and Harry were playing muggle chess. Hermione forgot where she was going momentarily, and watched as Ron forgot and said "Knight to E4... Oops, sorry, Harry", then move the knight himself. Then, he looked up and saw Hermione.
"Hey, Hermione," he said. "Where are you going?"
"Oh," said Hermione as Harry looked up. "I'm going for a walk around the castle. I need to clear my mind, and get a breather... Just walk around."
"Be careful," said Ron, and he went back to the game.
Thankful that Ron didn't probe, Hermione turned, and left the Gryffindor common room.
In less than ten minutes, Hermione reached the Astronomy tower. No one was inside. Hermione went to a bench under a window, and sat on it, looking out at the deep velvet blue sky. She tried to spot some constellations, but gave up and began counting stars. When she got to her 106th star, a pair of strong, warm arms encircled her gently. Hermione tensed. Then she slowly relaxed. She didn't need to turn to see who it was. She recognized his light cologne.
"What did you call me here for?" She murmured, leaning her head back, onto Draco's shoulder.
"Nothing," he whispered. "I... I missed you."
Hermione's head jolted up, and she regained her senses. She was about to pull herself from Draco's warm hug, but stopped herself. It was a cold night, and his warmth was comforting, and she had to admit. It made her feel secure.
"Why?" She whispered back. "You missed taunting me?"
His arms tightened around her. "No. I just missed you."
Hermione's head found a comfortable spot on his shoulder again. She didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say, and there was nothing to be said. It just felt right.
"When are you coming back?" Draco wanted to know.
"Back? Back to where?" Said Hermione, beginning to count the stars again.
"To your room. I want you back," whispered Draco.
Hermione laughed softly, and she pulled out of Draco's hug to look at him. "What will I tell Ron and Harry and Ginny?"
"Nothing," said Draco, pulling Hermione into his arms. "Just say you think it's time you go back. I want you."
Hermione's arms found their way to Draco's neck, and they wrapped themselves there. "You don't understand. Ron and I... We -."
"Since when did you and Ron become 'we'?" Said Draco, caressing Hermione's back.
"Not that way," said Hermione. "It's just that Ron and I have grown considerably closer over the past few days, and it's not fair to push him away just because you want me back, Draco. And he was always there when I was down," Hermione stiffened a little. "He was really understanding, and he didn't take advantage of me when I was upset, and try anything I would regret."
Draco pulled away from Hermione, held her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "So you're saying that you want to be with Ron?"
Hermione broke their eye contact and looked down. "I don't know," she said in a voice softer than a whisper.
Draco pulled her back into his arms. "Don't worry," he said softly. "I'll find a way."