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Chapter 5
Hermione had finally shed the tears she had been holding off for so long. This was the last straw. She had been miserable ever since she began to pretend to be Draco's girlfriend. Since then, everything had been spiraling downward. She thought doing this would make things easier. But it was the complete opposite. She'd never been into such a mess her whole life. Now she didn't know what to do.
She sat up and wiped the tears from her face. She had been crying all day. People had been knocking on her door, wanting to know how she was. But she didn't want people to see her like this. Everything had changed.
"Maybe Ron was right," Hermione whispered. "Maybe I've let Malfoy change me."
A knock echoed across her room. She groaned and laid back down on her bed again.
"Hermione? Hermione!"
It was Parvati. Hermione didn't answer. If she didn't say anything, maybe she'd just go away and leave her alone.
"Hermione, I know you're in there," Parvati said, knocking some more. "Please let me in."
"I'm not here," Hermione called.
"Hermione, please! You've been in here all day. You haven't eaten anything," Parvati said. "Everyone's worried about you."
"I bet," Hermione muttered to herself. But she stood up. She wanted to someone to talk to. She opened the door and let Parvati in.
Parvati walked in and surveyed the place. It was okay, except for the fact that her books were strewn on the floor. She looked at Hermione, sitting on the edge of her bed. Her long, straight hair was a mess and her eyes had dark circles around them. She sat beside her.
"Are you okay?" Parvati asked.
"Fine," Hermione mumbled.
"What happened?" Parvati asked.
Hermione only shrugged. She didn't feel like telling Parvati what happened.
"It's Ron and Harry, isn't it?" Parvati guessed. Hermione didn't answer. "Look, Hermione. Harry and Ron are just... afraid for you. They just don't want you to get hurt."
"More like not wanting me to experience things for myself," Hermione snapped. "They're too protective of me."
"But look at Malfoy's record. He's not exactly the nicest person in the world," Parvati said gently.
"You don't know what you're talking about, Parvati. Draco is a wonderful person. He's kind and gentle and... and he takes care of me," Hermione lied, bitting her lip.
Parvati looked at Hermione with disbelief on her face. "Malfoy? Kind and Gentle?"
"I wouldn't agree to be his girlfriend if he wasn't," Hermione added softly.
Parvati studied her for a while. She knew Hermione wasn't the type of person who would lie about her feelings. Especially about something as strong as this. She nodded.
"I know," Parvati said. "I didn't mean to question your relationship with him. I just thought that you should, you know, talk to Harry and Ron about it."
"No," Hermione said stubbornly.
**
Hermione decided to come down to dinner. Her stomach had been rumbling since she hadn't eaten anything all day. She entered the Great Hall and went straight to the Gryffindor table, forgetting completely that she ate at the Slytherin table now.
She was half-way towards her place when she felt a hand on her arm. She turned around and saw Draco.
"Draco," Hermione said warily. She remembered now that she wasn't supposed to be in this part of the hall.
"Where've you been?" Draco asked. People turned to look at them.
"I... I was in my room," Hermione answered.
"What are you doing here?" Draco said, whispering. "Have you forgotten...?"
Hermione shook her head immediately. "No. I haven't. I just..." She looked at where Harry, Ron and Parvati were. They were looking at them with some concern on their faces. "I just wanted to say something to Parvati."
"Well, you can't," Draco said, pulling her by the arm towards the Slytherin table.
"But--," Hermione began.
"No buts, Granger," Draco said, still holding on to her arm.
Hermione didn't move. Granger? "Is that the way to call your girlfriend? By her last name?" She felt angry. Just because she was trapped into this relationship, doesn't mean that he can do this to her.
"Are you talking back now?" Draco said angrily. People were watching them now, wondering what would happen. Ron had stood up. Even Dean, Seamus and the other Gryffindor guys were preparing just in case Draco decided to do something to Hermione.
Hermione shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She bit her lip to fight back the tears.
Draco let her arm go and his features softened. He put his arm around her waist. "Let's go."
But they didn't go to the Slytherin table. Instead, they left the Great Hall and went outside of the castle. It was cold and Hermione began to shiver.
"What are we doing here?" she asked.
He faced her. "Listen, Hermione. If we're going to make this work, you'll have to cooperate."
"What do you think I've been trying to do?" Hermione snapped. "I've been trying to be the best girlfriend to you, Draco. I've been trying so hard that I forgot my priorities. This is all I do and think of. I need to please you." Tears slid down her cheeks, but she hastily wiped them away.
"I'm not saying you haven't been trying. But you always make a scene out of the smallest things, like when I put my arm around you or kiss you," Draco said.
"What do you expect? I'm not used to this," Hermione said.
"Well, you should. This is going to go on for a while," Draco said.
"Can I ask why?" Hermione asked.
"No," Draco said simply.
Hermione nodded. "Well, we'd better get back inside."
Draco nodded in agreement. "We should." Draco held her hand and kissed it. "I'm sorry for acting the way I did in the Great Hall. I didn't mean to act possessively."
Hermione looked at him in surprise. Draco Malfoy, saying sorry? "You're saying sorry?"
"Yeah. I mean, I didn't mean to... to hurt you or anything," Draco said quietly.
"Does that mean that you care... about me?" Hermione asked carefully.
Draco turned red and became a bit uncomfortable. "What are you talking about? I care about what people would think of our relationship. Everything has to be believable." He looked around. "It's getting cold. We'd better go." He walked back to the castle.
Hermione stayed behind, watching Draco's retreating back. She couldn't help but smile.
She followed Draco back to the castle and into the Great Hall. Hermione wanted to get a bite. She walked towards the Slytherin table and found Draco. She sat beside him and began to eat. Hermione noticed that Draco wasn't eating much. She scooted closer to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"Yeah," Draco said, looking at her strangely. "Why?"
"Because you're not eating," she answered. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he replied.
"Then there's no reason for you not to eat," she said. She scooped some food from a nearby bowl and put it on Draco's plate. "Here. Try this. It's good." She smiled genuinely at him.
Draco felt weird at Hermione's change of attitude. "What are you doing?"
"Taking care of you," Hermione said. She leaned over to him and kissed him on the cheek. "Now, why don't you eat."
Draco shrugged. He figured that Hermione was feeling off today so he didn't make a big deal out of it.
**
Draco walked Hermione to her dorm. That possessive being inside him just couldn't be shaked. He had to walk her back.
"Thanks, Draco," Hermione said.
"Whatever," Draco replied.
They stood there for a while, not saying anything.
"Well, good night," Hermione said finally.
"Are you forgetting something?" Draco said.
Hermione hesitated for a second. Then she leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. Draco suddenly turned his head at the last minute, making Hermione kiss him on the lips. Hermione was surprised and began to take a step back, but Draco put his arms around her waist, kissing her intensely.
It was different from the other kisses that they've had. Maybe because that it was not forceful... or maybe because Hermione had kissed him back. When they let go, Hermione still had her eyes closed. Draco smirked.
"You can open your eyes now," he said.
She opened them and blushed. "See you tomorrow."
Thanks for the reviews!
Chapter 5
Hermione had finally shed the tears she had been holding off for so long. This was the last straw. She had been miserable ever since she began to pretend to be Draco's girlfriend. Since then, everything had been spiraling downward. She thought doing this would make things easier. But it was the complete opposite. She'd never been into such a mess her whole life. Now she didn't know what to do.
She sat up and wiped the tears from her face. She had been crying all day. People had been knocking on her door, wanting to know how she was. But she didn't want people to see her like this. Everything had changed.
"Maybe Ron was right," Hermione whispered. "Maybe I've let Malfoy change me."
A knock echoed across her room. She groaned and laid back down on her bed again.
"Hermione? Hermione!"
It was Parvati. Hermione didn't answer. If she didn't say anything, maybe she'd just go away and leave her alone.
"Hermione, I know you're in there," Parvati said, knocking some more. "Please let me in."
"I'm not here," Hermione called.
"Hermione, please! You've been in here all day. You haven't eaten anything," Parvati said. "Everyone's worried about you."
"I bet," Hermione muttered to herself. But she stood up. She wanted to someone to talk to. She opened the door and let Parvati in.
Parvati walked in and surveyed the place. It was okay, except for the fact that her books were strewn on the floor. She looked at Hermione, sitting on the edge of her bed. Her long, straight hair was a mess and her eyes had dark circles around them. She sat beside her.
"Are you okay?" Parvati asked.
"Fine," Hermione mumbled.
"What happened?" Parvati asked.
Hermione only shrugged. She didn't feel like telling Parvati what happened.
"It's Ron and Harry, isn't it?" Parvati guessed. Hermione didn't answer. "Look, Hermione. Harry and Ron are just... afraid for you. They just don't want you to get hurt."
"More like not wanting me to experience things for myself," Hermione snapped. "They're too protective of me."
"But look at Malfoy's record. He's not exactly the nicest person in the world," Parvati said gently.
"You don't know what you're talking about, Parvati. Draco is a wonderful person. He's kind and gentle and... and he takes care of me," Hermione lied, bitting her lip.
Parvati looked at Hermione with disbelief on her face. "Malfoy? Kind and Gentle?"
"I wouldn't agree to be his girlfriend if he wasn't," Hermione added softly.
Parvati studied her for a while. She knew Hermione wasn't the type of person who would lie about her feelings. Especially about something as strong as this. She nodded.
"I know," Parvati said. "I didn't mean to question your relationship with him. I just thought that you should, you know, talk to Harry and Ron about it."
"No," Hermione said stubbornly.
**
Hermione decided to come down to dinner. Her stomach had been rumbling since she hadn't eaten anything all day. She entered the Great Hall and went straight to the Gryffindor table, forgetting completely that she ate at the Slytherin table now.
She was half-way towards her place when she felt a hand on her arm. She turned around and saw Draco.
"Draco," Hermione said warily. She remembered now that she wasn't supposed to be in this part of the hall.
"Where've you been?" Draco asked. People turned to look at them.
"I... I was in my room," Hermione answered.
"What are you doing here?" Draco said, whispering. "Have you forgotten...?"
Hermione shook her head immediately. "No. I haven't. I just..." She looked at where Harry, Ron and Parvati were. They were looking at them with some concern on their faces. "I just wanted to say something to Parvati."
"Well, you can't," Draco said, pulling her by the arm towards the Slytherin table.
"But--," Hermione began.
"No buts, Granger," Draco said, still holding on to her arm.
Hermione didn't move. Granger? "Is that the way to call your girlfriend? By her last name?" She felt angry. Just because she was trapped into this relationship, doesn't mean that he can do this to her.
"Are you talking back now?" Draco said angrily. People were watching them now, wondering what would happen. Ron had stood up. Even Dean, Seamus and the other Gryffindor guys were preparing just in case Draco decided to do something to Hermione.
Hermione shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She bit her lip to fight back the tears.
Draco let her arm go and his features softened. He put his arm around her waist. "Let's go."
But they didn't go to the Slytherin table. Instead, they left the Great Hall and went outside of the castle. It was cold and Hermione began to shiver.
"What are we doing here?" she asked.
He faced her. "Listen, Hermione. If we're going to make this work, you'll have to cooperate."
"What do you think I've been trying to do?" Hermione snapped. "I've been trying to be the best girlfriend to you, Draco. I've been trying so hard that I forgot my priorities. This is all I do and think of. I need to please you." Tears slid down her cheeks, but she hastily wiped them away.
"I'm not saying you haven't been trying. But you always make a scene out of the smallest things, like when I put my arm around you or kiss you," Draco said.
"What do you expect? I'm not used to this," Hermione said.
"Well, you should. This is going to go on for a while," Draco said.
"Can I ask why?" Hermione asked.
"No," Draco said simply.
Hermione nodded. "Well, we'd better get back inside."
Draco nodded in agreement. "We should." Draco held her hand and kissed it. "I'm sorry for acting the way I did in the Great Hall. I didn't mean to act possessively."
Hermione looked at him in surprise. Draco Malfoy, saying sorry? "You're saying sorry?"
"Yeah. I mean, I didn't mean to... to hurt you or anything," Draco said quietly.
"Does that mean that you care... about me?" Hermione asked carefully.
Draco turned red and became a bit uncomfortable. "What are you talking about? I care about what people would think of our relationship. Everything has to be believable." He looked around. "It's getting cold. We'd better go." He walked back to the castle.
Hermione stayed behind, watching Draco's retreating back. She couldn't help but smile.
She followed Draco back to the castle and into the Great Hall. Hermione wanted to get a bite. She walked towards the Slytherin table and found Draco. She sat beside him and began to eat. Hermione noticed that Draco wasn't eating much. She scooted closer to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"Yeah," Draco said, looking at her strangely. "Why?"
"Because you're not eating," she answered. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he replied.
"Then there's no reason for you not to eat," she said. She scooped some food from a nearby bowl and put it on Draco's plate. "Here. Try this. It's good." She smiled genuinely at him.
Draco felt weird at Hermione's change of attitude. "What are you doing?"
"Taking care of you," Hermione said. She leaned over to him and kissed him on the cheek. "Now, why don't you eat."
Draco shrugged. He figured that Hermione was feeling off today so he didn't make a big deal out of it.
**
Draco walked Hermione to her dorm. That possessive being inside him just couldn't be shaked. He had to walk her back.
"Thanks, Draco," Hermione said.
"Whatever," Draco replied.
They stood there for a while, not saying anything.
"Well, good night," Hermione said finally.
"Are you forgetting something?" Draco said.
Hermione hesitated for a second. Then she leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. Draco suddenly turned his head at the last minute, making Hermione kiss him on the lips. Hermione was surprised and began to take a step back, but Draco put his arms around her waist, kissing her intensely.
It was different from the other kisses that they've had. Maybe because that it was not forceful... or maybe because Hermione had kissed him back. When they let go, Hermione still had her eyes closed. Draco smirked.
"You can open your eyes now," he said.
She opened them and blushed. "See you tomorrow."
