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Chapter 4
"Hermione! Hermione!"
Hermione looked over her shoulder to see who was calling her. She saw Parvati approaching her hurriedly carrying books. She stopped and waited for her.
"What is it, Parvati?" Hermione asked.
"Nothing," Parvati said breathlessly. "I just haven't talked to you in a while. How have you been?"
"I've been okay," Hermione said. "You know, busy with school work and all." But that wasn't entirely true. Ever since she had begun to pretend to be Draco's girlfriend, she didn't have that much time to study anymore since Draco always wanted them to be together.
"Yeah?" Parvati said. "Well, where are you off to right now? Can you come with me to Professor McGonagall's office? I need to ask her something about that project that she gave us."
"Um, sure," Hermione said. "I'll--."
"Hermione!"
Hermione bit her lip and turned around reluctantly. "Draco."
"Hey baby," Draco said, putting an arm around her waist and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
Parvati looked away. Hermione smiled slightly at him.
"Hey," Hermione said. "Don't you have Quidditch practice?"
"I do," Draco said. "That's why I'm looking for you."
"Uh, why are you looking for me?"
"I thought you were going to watch me practice?" Draco asked.
"I... I... I am, actually," Hermione said.
"But I thought... I thought you were coming with me?" Parvati said.
Hermione smiled apologetically at her. "Sorry. I forgot that Draco has practice. I'll come with you next time."
Parvati shrugged. "Sure. Next time. Well, I'll see you." Draco was looking at Parvati as if he was telling her to leave already.
"Let's go?" Draco asked.
Hermione nodded. "Okay."
**
Slytherin practice was way different from the way Harry's team practiced. They didn't think of strategies but focused more on the offensive side of the game. Hermione watched Draco fly across the field. She had noticed, for the first time, that he was actually a good player. He could fly well and had good control of his broom. He also had that speed that was necessary for every team seeker.
Hermione hurried to her post. She was supposed to be patrolling the second floor corridor 30 minutes ago. But watching the Slytherin practice made her lose track of them. She turned the corner towards the corridor when she heard Professor McGonagall call her name.
"Ms. Granger, please come with me to my office," McGonagall said.
"But, Professor--the corridor," Hermione stammered. She knew she was in trouble. She had never been late before.
"Just follow me," McGonagall said.
Hermione followed her to the office. She stood in front of the desk, as McGonagall sat down, pursing her lips.
"Ms. Granger," the professor began. "In the past few weeks I've noticed a tremendous difference in your performance. Skipping classes, failing to submit requirements, not participating in class, not listening, lower exam marks, and now... forgetting prefect duties."
"Professor, I can explain," Hermione said.
"I'm listening."
Hermione opened her mouth, then closed it again. What could she say? She couldn't tell the professor her reasons. Or rather, reason. There was only one reason. Draco. She bowed down her head.
"I'll try to do better next time," Hermione said.
"I expected more from you, Ms. Granger. You used to be one of the top students," McGonagall continued. "Is there something wrong? Is there something holding you back?"
"More like someone," Hermione muttered softly. She shook her head. "No, Professor," she said much clearly. "I'm sorry, professor."
McGonagall studied her for a while then said, "I am, too."
**
Hermione tried to keep the tears at bay. They were threatening to fall down and she didn't want that. She didn't want to cry. She was walking back to her dorm when she saw Ron and Harry walking towards her direction, chatting with each other. Hermione quickly did an about face, hoping that they didn't see her. But they did. Ron went after her. Harry stayed behind.
"Hermione!" Ron called.
She didn't look back and only continued walking.
"Hermione," Ron said, grabbing her arm and making her stop.
"I have to go, Ron," Hermione said hoarsely.
"Where've you been lately?" Ron asked. "We don't get to see you anymore."
"I've been busy with school work," Hermione muttered.
"School work? Or Malfoy?" Ron snapped. He couldn't understand what Hermione was doing and why she was doing it.
"Ron," Hermione said pleadingly. "Please, not now."
"When, Hermione? If not now, when?" Ron said.
"I don't know. Just not right now."
"I don't understand you, Hermione! I don't understand any of this. What is going on with you? Why are you being like this?" Ron said angrily.
"Being like what?" Hermione snapped.
"Going with Malfoy, avoiding us... You don't even go to the library anymore!" Ron said. "What's happening to you? You never used to be like this."
"You never used to care, Ron! What's so different about now?"
"What's so different?! Everything's different, Hermione. It's like you changed just for Malfoy," Ron said. "Why are you letting him change you? What's his hold on you? It's like you're not thinking for yourself anymore!"
Hermione couldn't contain herself and slapped Ron hard on the face, tears in her eyes. Ron blinked, shock evident on his face.
"So that's it, huh?" Ron said, stepping backwards to Harry. He turned to Harry. "I thought she was our friend."
Harry, who was standing there the whole time, glanced at Hermione and said, "So did I."
Thank you for your marvelous reviews! Keep them coming!
Chapter 4
"Hermione! Hermione!"
Hermione looked over her shoulder to see who was calling her. She saw Parvati approaching her hurriedly carrying books. She stopped and waited for her.
"What is it, Parvati?" Hermione asked.
"Nothing," Parvati said breathlessly. "I just haven't talked to you in a while. How have you been?"
"I've been okay," Hermione said. "You know, busy with school work and all." But that wasn't entirely true. Ever since she had begun to pretend to be Draco's girlfriend, she didn't have that much time to study anymore since Draco always wanted them to be together.
"Yeah?" Parvati said. "Well, where are you off to right now? Can you come with me to Professor McGonagall's office? I need to ask her something about that project that she gave us."
"Um, sure," Hermione said. "I'll--."
"Hermione!"
Hermione bit her lip and turned around reluctantly. "Draco."
"Hey baby," Draco said, putting an arm around her waist and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
Parvati looked away. Hermione smiled slightly at him.
"Hey," Hermione said. "Don't you have Quidditch practice?"
"I do," Draco said. "That's why I'm looking for you."
"Uh, why are you looking for me?"
"I thought you were going to watch me practice?" Draco asked.
"I... I... I am, actually," Hermione said.
"But I thought... I thought you were coming with me?" Parvati said.
Hermione smiled apologetically at her. "Sorry. I forgot that Draco has practice. I'll come with you next time."
Parvati shrugged. "Sure. Next time. Well, I'll see you." Draco was looking at Parvati as if he was telling her to leave already.
"Let's go?" Draco asked.
Hermione nodded. "Okay."
**
Slytherin practice was way different from the way Harry's team practiced. They didn't think of strategies but focused more on the offensive side of the game. Hermione watched Draco fly across the field. She had noticed, for the first time, that he was actually a good player. He could fly well and had good control of his broom. He also had that speed that was necessary for every team seeker.
Hermione hurried to her post. She was supposed to be patrolling the second floor corridor 30 minutes ago. But watching the Slytherin practice made her lose track of them. She turned the corner towards the corridor when she heard Professor McGonagall call her name.
"Ms. Granger, please come with me to my office," McGonagall said.
"But, Professor--the corridor," Hermione stammered. She knew she was in trouble. She had never been late before.
"Just follow me," McGonagall said.
Hermione followed her to the office. She stood in front of the desk, as McGonagall sat down, pursing her lips.
"Ms. Granger," the professor began. "In the past few weeks I've noticed a tremendous difference in your performance. Skipping classes, failing to submit requirements, not participating in class, not listening, lower exam marks, and now... forgetting prefect duties."
"Professor, I can explain," Hermione said.
"I'm listening."
Hermione opened her mouth, then closed it again. What could she say? She couldn't tell the professor her reasons. Or rather, reason. There was only one reason. Draco. She bowed down her head.
"I'll try to do better next time," Hermione said.
"I expected more from you, Ms. Granger. You used to be one of the top students," McGonagall continued. "Is there something wrong? Is there something holding you back?"
"More like someone," Hermione muttered softly. She shook her head. "No, Professor," she said much clearly. "I'm sorry, professor."
McGonagall studied her for a while then said, "I am, too."
**
Hermione tried to keep the tears at bay. They were threatening to fall down and she didn't want that. She didn't want to cry. She was walking back to her dorm when she saw Ron and Harry walking towards her direction, chatting with each other. Hermione quickly did an about face, hoping that they didn't see her. But they did. Ron went after her. Harry stayed behind.
"Hermione!" Ron called.
She didn't look back and only continued walking.
"Hermione," Ron said, grabbing her arm and making her stop.
"I have to go, Ron," Hermione said hoarsely.
"Where've you been lately?" Ron asked. "We don't get to see you anymore."
"I've been busy with school work," Hermione muttered.
"School work? Or Malfoy?" Ron snapped. He couldn't understand what Hermione was doing and why she was doing it.
"Ron," Hermione said pleadingly. "Please, not now."
"When, Hermione? If not now, when?" Ron said.
"I don't know. Just not right now."
"I don't understand you, Hermione! I don't understand any of this. What is going on with you? Why are you being like this?" Ron said angrily.
"Being like what?" Hermione snapped.
"Going with Malfoy, avoiding us... You don't even go to the library anymore!" Ron said. "What's happening to you? You never used to be like this."
"You never used to care, Ron! What's so different about now?"
"What's so different?! Everything's different, Hermione. It's like you changed just for Malfoy," Ron said. "Why are you letting him change you? What's his hold on you? It's like you're not thinking for yourself anymore!"
Hermione couldn't contain herself and slapped Ron hard on the face, tears in her eyes. Ron blinked, shock evident on his face.
"So that's it, huh?" Ron said, stepping backwards to Harry. He turned to Harry. "I thought she was our friend."
Harry, who was standing there the whole time, glanced at Hermione and said, "So did I."
