Disclaimer: Sadly... I still don't own anything except the plot.
The quote "If you know that your heart is in the right place, everything will be okay" is from the movie Robin of Lochley.
Enjoy anyway! And keep your reviews coming!
Chapter 6
Hermione closed the door behind her as she entered her dorm. She rested her back on the door and closed her eyes. She knew that she shouldn't be feeling this way, but she couldn't help it. The kiss that she had just shared with Draco was--there was no other word for it--amazing. She opened her eyes and shook her head.
"This is just a phase. I was just carried away," Hermione said to herself. "Everything will be back to normal tomorrow."
**
"Good morning, class," Professor Flitwick said as she walked in the classroom.
Hermione and Draco were seated side by side, as usual. But this time they weren't on the very back. Hermione had asked Draco if they could sit in the middle so that she could still pay attention to class. Draco had agreed, to which Hermione was shocked.
"Today we're going to study the Fidelius Charm."
Hermione gasped in excitement and turned to Draco. "Did you hear that? We're going to study a complex charm."
Draco only yawned. Hermione turned her attention back to the professor. Professor Flitwick turned to the class.
"Now, who can tell me what the Fidelius Charm does?" Professor Flitwick asked.
Hermione glanced at Ron and Harry before she raised her hand.
"Ms. Granger," the professor said. "it's been quite a while." Hermione's cheeks turned pink. "What does the Fidelius charm do?"
"It is a magical concealment of a... secret inside a person," Hermione answered, feeling pleased with herself and also surprised because Draco didn't stop her.
"Nice work," Draco commented, playing with her hair.
Hermione smiled pleasantly. "Thanks."
Ron glanced at Harry to see if he was seeing this. He was and he looked away. Ron and Harry both got upset with Hermione, but both regret what they had said to her that time in the hallway. They really just missed her.
Ron cleared his throat. "Uh, Harry, do you think maybe we should apologize to Hermione?"
"I don't know. You do what you want, Ron. I'm not going to apologize to her," Harry said.
Ron looked at Harry, disbelief on his face. Harry was usually the one who wanted to do talks to sort things out. But now... Ron figured that he was hurt by what had happened and wasn't ready to let it go.
**
"Draco, you seem different today," Hermione said as they walked across the grounds.
"You do, too," Draco replied simply.
Hermione grabbed Draco's arm, making him stop walking. "We need to talk."
"About what?" Draco asked.
"About us. Draco, I think--."
"There's nothing to talk about."
"Yes, there is. Look, I'm tired of this," Hermione said.
"You have no choice," Draco replied.
"You misunderstand me," Hermione said. "My whole life has changed ever since this... thing started. And I was thinking that... maybe we should just make it real."
Draco stared at her. "What are you saying?"
"Stop all this pretending, make everything serious... I'll be your girlfriend and you'll be my boyfriend," Hermione explained.
"In your dreams," Draco said, smirking. "Are you falling for me, Granger?"
"You wish I was," Hermione muttered. "All I'm saying is that if we make this real, your plan--whatever it is--might have a bigger chance of working."
"What do you know about my plan?" Draco snapped.
"Nothing! That's just it!" Hermione said. "I'm trying to help you with a plan that I know nothing about. Shouldn't you be, at least, grateful?"
"I have nothing to be grateful for," Draco sneered.
Hermione slapped him. Tears brimming in her eyes.
"How dare you!" Draco said.
"Shut up, Malfoy!" Hermione said. "Have nothing to be grateful for? After all I did? I know I didn't have a choice and all, but I sacrificed everything for you! For this stupid plan of yours! And now you act like this is something that I wanted?" Tears were now streaming down her face. "You have no right to say that!"
Draco couldn't say anything. He didn't know that he had practically ruined Hermione's life. There was something inside of him that made him feel guilty. And guilt was something he had never felt before. Hermione turned around and began to walk away.
"Where are you going?" Draco asked, finally finding his voice.
"To get my life back." Before she disappeared, she called to him, "Oh and Malfoy, remind me to thank you when all of this is over." Then she left.
**
Hermione ran back inside the castle. Her eyes were blinded by her tears. She turned a corner and bumped into...
"P-professor Dumbledore," Hermione gasped.
"Ms. Granger," Dumbledore said, feeling concerned at the sight of her tears, which she hastily wiped away. "What is wrong?"
"Nothing, professor," Hermione said, beginning to leave. "Sorry if I bumped into you."
"Ah, yes. As far as I know, humans shed tears because of joy or pain. But what I see in your eyes is pain," Dumbledore said, pausing. "Is there something you wish to tell me?"
Hermione opened her mouth, but couldn't bear herself to explain her situation. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he gazed at her through his half- moon spectacles.
"Yes, Ms. Granger. We can talk in my office."
**
Dumbledore sat on his chair, while Hermione stood in front of his desk. She was feeling extremely nervous. She began fidgeting with the hem of her robes.
"Do you know why people run away, Ms. Granger?"
"I... I think it's because they're afraid to face their problems," Hermione answered softly.
"How about your problems? Have you faced them?" Dumbledore asked.
"I don't have any problems, professor," Hermione lied.
"Ah, but everyone has problems," Dumbledore told her. "It is only a matter of how you will confront them and how you will try to resolve them."
Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She just couldn't bring herself to tell him.
"You are not alone, Ms. Granger. You have your friends to help you through."
"I'm not sure if I have friends right now, professor," Hermione said meekly.
"I've noticed that. I haven't seen you with Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley lately," Dumbledore commented. Hermione looked up at him, but didn't say anything. She was trying to analyze what he was trying to tell her. "People often underestimate the power of friendship. If it has lasted for a long time, it's hard to break."
"But, professor, not everything's meant to last," Hermione said.
"True. But some things are," Dumbledore said. "You just have to know which ones. Hear what your heart is trying to tell you. It's trying to tell you what is important to you."
"I don't know what I want anymore. I'm afraid I'll do something wrong and ruin everything again," Hermione said in a small voice. A tear slid down her cheek.
Professor Dumbledore stood up and approached Hermione. He wiped her tear gently away with his thumb.
"That's what you're afraid of, Ms. Granger. You fear to commit mistakes and take risks. But you forget that everyone commits mistakes and everyone has the chance to fix things. That is how we learn."
Hermione looked down. She knew Dumbledore was right. She had known this all along but the sudden change in her life made her forget the most sensible things in life.
"What is your heart trying to tell you, Ms. Granger?"
She looked at him and got her thinking. What is her heart trying to tell her? But she couldn't get any answers.
"If you know that your heart is in the right place, everything will be okay," Dumbledore said.
The quote "If you know that your heart is in the right place, everything will be okay" is from the movie Robin of Lochley.
Enjoy anyway! And keep your reviews coming!
Chapter 6
Hermione closed the door behind her as she entered her dorm. She rested her back on the door and closed her eyes. She knew that she shouldn't be feeling this way, but she couldn't help it. The kiss that she had just shared with Draco was--there was no other word for it--amazing. She opened her eyes and shook her head.
"This is just a phase. I was just carried away," Hermione said to herself. "Everything will be back to normal tomorrow."
**
"Good morning, class," Professor Flitwick said as she walked in the classroom.
Hermione and Draco were seated side by side, as usual. But this time they weren't on the very back. Hermione had asked Draco if they could sit in the middle so that she could still pay attention to class. Draco had agreed, to which Hermione was shocked.
"Today we're going to study the Fidelius Charm."
Hermione gasped in excitement and turned to Draco. "Did you hear that? We're going to study a complex charm."
Draco only yawned. Hermione turned her attention back to the professor. Professor Flitwick turned to the class.
"Now, who can tell me what the Fidelius Charm does?" Professor Flitwick asked.
Hermione glanced at Ron and Harry before she raised her hand.
"Ms. Granger," the professor said. "it's been quite a while." Hermione's cheeks turned pink. "What does the Fidelius charm do?"
"It is a magical concealment of a... secret inside a person," Hermione answered, feeling pleased with herself and also surprised because Draco didn't stop her.
"Nice work," Draco commented, playing with her hair.
Hermione smiled pleasantly. "Thanks."
Ron glanced at Harry to see if he was seeing this. He was and he looked away. Ron and Harry both got upset with Hermione, but both regret what they had said to her that time in the hallway. They really just missed her.
Ron cleared his throat. "Uh, Harry, do you think maybe we should apologize to Hermione?"
"I don't know. You do what you want, Ron. I'm not going to apologize to her," Harry said.
Ron looked at Harry, disbelief on his face. Harry was usually the one who wanted to do talks to sort things out. But now... Ron figured that he was hurt by what had happened and wasn't ready to let it go.
**
"Draco, you seem different today," Hermione said as they walked across the grounds.
"You do, too," Draco replied simply.
Hermione grabbed Draco's arm, making him stop walking. "We need to talk."
"About what?" Draco asked.
"About us. Draco, I think--."
"There's nothing to talk about."
"Yes, there is. Look, I'm tired of this," Hermione said.
"You have no choice," Draco replied.
"You misunderstand me," Hermione said. "My whole life has changed ever since this... thing started. And I was thinking that... maybe we should just make it real."
Draco stared at her. "What are you saying?"
"Stop all this pretending, make everything serious... I'll be your girlfriend and you'll be my boyfriend," Hermione explained.
"In your dreams," Draco said, smirking. "Are you falling for me, Granger?"
"You wish I was," Hermione muttered. "All I'm saying is that if we make this real, your plan--whatever it is--might have a bigger chance of working."
"What do you know about my plan?" Draco snapped.
"Nothing! That's just it!" Hermione said. "I'm trying to help you with a plan that I know nothing about. Shouldn't you be, at least, grateful?"
"I have nothing to be grateful for," Draco sneered.
Hermione slapped him. Tears brimming in her eyes.
"How dare you!" Draco said.
"Shut up, Malfoy!" Hermione said. "Have nothing to be grateful for? After all I did? I know I didn't have a choice and all, but I sacrificed everything for you! For this stupid plan of yours! And now you act like this is something that I wanted?" Tears were now streaming down her face. "You have no right to say that!"
Draco couldn't say anything. He didn't know that he had practically ruined Hermione's life. There was something inside of him that made him feel guilty. And guilt was something he had never felt before. Hermione turned around and began to walk away.
"Where are you going?" Draco asked, finally finding his voice.
"To get my life back." Before she disappeared, she called to him, "Oh and Malfoy, remind me to thank you when all of this is over." Then she left.
**
Hermione ran back inside the castle. Her eyes were blinded by her tears. She turned a corner and bumped into...
"P-professor Dumbledore," Hermione gasped.
"Ms. Granger," Dumbledore said, feeling concerned at the sight of her tears, which she hastily wiped away. "What is wrong?"
"Nothing, professor," Hermione said, beginning to leave. "Sorry if I bumped into you."
"Ah, yes. As far as I know, humans shed tears because of joy or pain. But what I see in your eyes is pain," Dumbledore said, pausing. "Is there something you wish to tell me?"
Hermione opened her mouth, but couldn't bear herself to explain her situation. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he gazed at her through his half- moon spectacles.
"Yes, Ms. Granger. We can talk in my office."
**
Dumbledore sat on his chair, while Hermione stood in front of his desk. She was feeling extremely nervous. She began fidgeting with the hem of her robes.
"Do you know why people run away, Ms. Granger?"
"I... I think it's because they're afraid to face their problems," Hermione answered softly.
"How about your problems? Have you faced them?" Dumbledore asked.
"I don't have any problems, professor," Hermione lied.
"Ah, but everyone has problems," Dumbledore told her. "It is only a matter of how you will confront them and how you will try to resolve them."
Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She just couldn't bring herself to tell him.
"You are not alone, Ms. Granger. You have your friends to help you through."
"I'm not sure if I have friends right now, professor," Hermione said meekly.
"I've noticed that. I haven't seen you with Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley lately," Dumbledore commented. Hermione looked up at him, but didn't say anything. She was trying to analyze what he was trying to tell her. "People often underestimate the power of friendship. If it has lasted for a long time, it's hard to break."
"But, professor, not everything's meant to last," Hermione said.
"True. But some things are," Dumbledore said. "You just have to know which ones. Hear what your heart is trying to tell you. It's trying to tell you what is important to you."
"I don't know what I want anymore. I'm afraid I'll do something wrong and ruin everything again," Hermione said in a small voice. A tear slid down her cheek.
Professor Dumbledore stood up and approached Hermione. He wiped her tear gently away with his thumb.
"That's what you're afraid of, Ms. Granger. You fear to commit mistakes and take risks. But you forget that everyone commits mistakes and everyone has the chance to fix things. That is how we learn."
Hermione looked down. She knew Dumbledore was right. She had known this all along but the sudden change in her life made her forget the most sensible things in life.
"What is your heart trying to tell you, Ms. Granger?"
She looked at him and got her thinking. What is her heart trying to tell her? But she couldn't get any answers.
"If you know that your heart is in the right place, everything will be okay," Dumbledore said.
