Chapter 17
Hermione stared at her Ancient Runes notes, and tried her best to concentrate. Draco's face, warmth and voice filled her head, and she could not focus on her revision. Hermione knew what was wrong. She was - she hated admitting it - in love. She put away her notes and quills and put her head on her hands on the table. She looked around at the Gryffindor common room, and imagined having to say goodbye a second time to the Gryffindors.
Then suddenly, Ron's face came into her mind. She could already hear his voice in her head. "You want to go back? Why?"
Hermione squirmed. Then she thought of Draco. 'How could I fall in love with him?' she wondered. 'Of all boys there is here, I had to fall for a Slytherin- and my best friends' archenemy, at that. Why can't I settle with Ron?'
'Ron isn't like Draco,' a voice in her head told her. 'He doesn't kiss you like you're the most important thing to him, and face it - he'll never make the first move to kiss you!'
Hermione sighed, and began to sing the first tune that came to her head.
"It's gonna be love
It's gonna be great
It's gonna be more then I can take
It's gonna be free
It's gonna be real
It's gonna change everything I feel
It's gonna be sad
It's gonna be true
It's gonna be me baby
It's gonna be you baby
It's gonna be..... Its gonna be love..."
Hermione's head snapped up. What did she just sing? Hermione shook her head, gathered up her books, and went up to Ginny's room.
"Time to pack," she told herself.
When all her things were put into her overnight bag, and she made sure she had left nothing behind, Hermione went down.
Daisy, Frankie, and Cheryl, who were on their way up, asked Hermione where she was going.
"Back to where I really belong," said Hermione, "Thanks for putting up with me!"
"It's nothing," said Daisy, running her hand through her long dirty-blond hair.
"We'll miss you," said Cheryl.
"Thanks for helping us with our Arithmancy, anyway," said Frankie. "We got full marks!"
Hermione smiled. "Anytime," she said, and went down.
"Hermione, where are you going?" Asked Ginny, jumping off the couch on which she was seated, watching her brother and Harry work their way through their Divination homework.
"Back," said Hermione simply, and Harry and Ron's head snapped up immediately.
"Back?" Repeated Ron. "Back to where?"
"The Prefects' tower," said Hermione, trying to sound like it didn't matter if she went or stayed, but it did matter, as her heart was aching to throw her arms around Ron, but the urge to see Draco was stronger.
"Why?" Said Harry, studying Hermione's nonchalant expression, and could tell right away she wasn't telling them something. However, he said nothing.
"I've stayed with you long enough, and I think Ginny should have her bed back. I mean, it's not fair. I have my own bed, in my own room, but I'm depriving Ginny of hers, just because of a silly little fight with Dra- Malfoy."
"Silly little fight?" Said Ron, lifting an eyebrow. "You didn't think it was a silly little fight when you came in here crying that day."
Hermione stared at him. What happened to the sweet, considerate Ron she'd known and loved the past week?
Ginny was more understanding, though. "Herm, you know you're not depriving me of my bed," laughed Ginny, "but if you want to go back, Harry and I will respect your decision," she continued, looking pointedly and Ron.
"Well, goodbye, then, Hermione," said Ron finally. "It was nice having you around."
"Just 'nice'?" Joked Hermione, trying to lighten the situation.
Ron winked at her and said, "You know what I mean."
Hermione blushed. The way Ron said it made it sound like they had -. Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron, waved to Harry and Ginny, and left.
All along the way to the Prefects' tower, Hermione hummed the song she had sung earlier on. She was going to see Draco... She was going to see Draco! That was the only thing on her mind.
However, she was disappointed when she got to the common room, as Draco was nowhere in sight. When she asked Ryan, a Ravenclaw, if Draco was in his room, he told her he had not seen Draco since breakfast.
Hermione's heart sank. Why had he asked her to come back if he was not going to be around in the first place? Slowly, she walked up to her room, wondering if she had made the right choice. She opened her room door, walked in, and shut it behind her, without bothering to turn to see if it was closed properly.
Suddenly, a familiar pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist. Hermione dropped her things, loosened the arms around her slightly and turned around.
"I missed you," she whispered, into Draco's chest, her voice muffled.
"You can't imagine, how I felt, said Draco, using a finger, and lifting Hermione's face to his.
As their lips were about to touch, the door flew open.
"Justin let me in, Hermione," said a boy's cheerful voice. "I wanted to -."
Hermione pulled away from Draco, but not quickly enough. She found herself staring at Ron, with a shocked expression on his face. He dropped the book he was holding.
"What the -? You traitor..." Whispered Ron. Then he turned and ran down the stairs.
Hermione pushed Draco away. "RON! WAIT! STOP! IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!"
It was too late. Ron had run out through the portrait hole.
"Not what you think?" Repeated Hannah Abbott, as six other prefects looked up at Hermione, who stood there, looking stunned.
Just then, Draco came down.
"Hermione, I think it's exactly what we all think," said Lavender.
Hermione stared at her Ancient Runes notes, and tried her best to concentrate. Draco's face, warmth and voice filled her head, and she could not focus on her revision. Hermione knew what was wrong. She was - she hated admitting it - in love. She put away her notes and quills and put her head on her hands on the table. She looked around at the Gryffindor common room, and imagined having to say goodbye a second time to the Gryffindors.
Then suddenly, Ron's face came into her mind. She could already hear his voice in her head. "You want to go back? Why?"
Hermione squirmed. Then she thought of Draco. 'How could I fall in love with him?' she wondered. 'Of all boys there is here, I had to fall for a Slytherin- and my best friends' archenemy, at that. Why can't I settle with Ron?'
'Ron isn't like Draco,' a voice in her head told her. 'He doesn't kiss you like you're the most important thing to him, and face it - he'll never make the first move to kiss you!'
Hermione sighed, and began to sing the first tune that came to her head.
"It's gonna be love
It's gonna be great
It's gonna be more then I can take
It's gonna be free
It's gonna be real
It's gonna change everything I feel
It's gonna be sad
It's gonna be true
It's gonna be me baby
It's gonna be you baby
It's gonna be..... Its gonna be love..."
Hermione's head snapped up. What did she just sing? Hermione shook her head, gathered up her books, and went up to Ginny's room.
"Time to pack," she told herself.
When all her things were put into her overnight bag, and she made sure she had left nothing behind, Hermione went down.
Daisy, Frankie, and Cheryl, who were on their way up, asked Hermione where she was going.
"Back to where I really belong," said Hermione, "Thanks for putting up with me!"
"It's nothing," said Daisy, running her hand through her long dirty-blond hair.
"We'll miss you," said Cheryl.
"Thanks for helping us with our Arithmancy, anyway," said Frankie. "We got full marks!"
Hermione smiled. "Anytime," she said, and went down.
"Hermione, where are you going?" Asked Ginny, jumping off the couch on which she was seated, watching her brother and Harry work their way through their Divination homework.
"Back," said Hermione simply, and Harry and Ron's head snapped up immediately.
"Back?" Repeated Ron. "Back to where?"
"The Prefects' tower," said Hermione, trying to sound like it didn't matter if she went or stayed, but it did matter, as her heart was aching to throw her arms around Ron, but the urge to see Draco was stronger.
"Why?" Said Harry, studying Hermione's nonchalant expression, and could tell right away she wasn't telling them something. However, he said nothing.
"I've stayed with you long enough, and I think Ginny should have her bed back. I mean, it's not fair. I have my own bed, in my own room, but I'm depriving Ginny of hers, just because of a silly little fight with Dra- Malfoy."
"Silly little fight?" Said Ron, lifting an eyebrow. "You didn't think it was a silly little fight when you came in here crying that day."
Hermione stared at him. What happened to the sweet, considerate Ron she'd known and loved the past week?
Ginny was more understanding, though. "Herm, you know you're not depriving me of my bed," laughed Ginny, "but if you want to go back, Harry and I will respect your decision," she continued, looking pointedly and Ron.
"Well, goodbye, then, Hermione," said Ron finally. "It was nice having you around."
"Just 'nice'?" Joked Hermione, trying to lighten the situation.
Ron winked at her and said, "You know what I mean."
Hermione blushed. The way Ron said it made it sound like they had -. Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron, waved to Harry and Ginny, and left.
All along the way to the Prefects' tower, Hermione hummed the song she had sung earlier on. She was going to see Draco... She was going to see Draco! That was the only thing on her mind.
However, she was disappointed when she got to the common room, as Draco was nowhere in sight. When she asked Ryan, a Ravenclaw, if Draco was in his room, he told her he had not seen Draco since breakfast.
Hermione's heart sank. Why had he asked her to come back if he was not going to be around in the first place? Slowly, she walked up to her room, wondering if she had made the right choice. She opened her room door, walked in, and shut it behind her, without bothering to turn to see if it was closed properly.
Suddenly, a familiar pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist. Hermione dropped her things, loosened the arms around her slightly and turned around.
"I missed you," she whispered, into Draco's chest, her voice muffled.
"You can't imagine, how I felt, said Draco, using a finger, and lifting Hermione's face to his.
As their lips were about to touch, the door flew open.
"Justin let me in, Hermione," said a boy's cheerful voice. "I wanted to -."
Hermione pulled away from Draco, but not quickly enough. She found herself staring at Ron, with a shocked expression on his face. He dropped the book he was holding.
"What the -? You traitor..." Whispered Ron. Then he turned and ran down the stairs.
Hermione pushed Draco away. "RON! WAIT! STOP! IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!"
It was too late. Ron had run out through the portrait hole.
"Not what you think?" Repeated Hannah Abbott, as six other prefects looked up at Hermione, who stood there, looking stunned.
Just then, Draco came down.
"Hermione, I think it's exactly what we all think," said Lavender.