A/N: Hi! Here you go people: chapter 19, Confusion! Lol, nothing else this time…ohh, except that I posted two chappies this time!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own them.

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CHAPTER XIX – Confusion

A week passed. Harry and Ron had tried to make Hermione feel better but it was basically useless. They had tried everything to make Hermione happy. Harry had even asked Hermione to come and watch his Quidditch practice when he knew Hermione would be left alone.

"I pass", Hermione had just said.

She wasn't that interested in Quidditch.

Ron had tried to entertain Hermione with funny stories and she actually had laughed at them. Somehow she wasn't happy though. There was laughter but it wasn't warm and happy like it had been.

Hermione tried to do everything to forget how cruel Draco had been to her but it was hard. She had to see him every day and even share a common room with him. Draco wasn't good help either. He was very cold to Hermione every time they met. They didn't talk much. They didn't even look at each other.

Hermione felt so embarrassed and Draco… He was angry at her. But even though Draco was angry and disappointed, he knew he would forgive her anytime. He was tired of arguing with Hermione. He just wanted to tell her how he felt. He just didn't know what to do. She never said anything to him…mostly because Draco himself made it so hard. And had he gone too far with Pansy? Was there even any affect with his revenge? It was nothing like he wanted to be mean to Hermione. He just was hurt.

Hermione had grew cold inside. She was tired of crying after Draco. There was no worth of crying. She knew it was helpless to make Draco forget Pansy and make him fall in love with her. So why even care anymore? But every night she closed her eyes, the only thing she could think of, was Draco.

"hey Granger!" Hermione heard someone call when she was walking to library after History of Magic.

She turned around and saw Draco leaning against a wall.

"yeah?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Dumbledore said that I have to tell you we did great job…with the ball", Draco said.

He had a mean smirk on his face but it was just covering the pain inside of him. It was painful to see Hermione and he suffered even more when he saw Hermione with Ron.

"oh…" Hermione said.

She couldn't even look at him. Draco was so sexy. He was so handsome, tall and muscular. He was so perfect. Why couldn't she get this boy? It was so unfair! If she loved him then why did it have to be so impossible?! Hermione knew she could never have him. No matter what she did, she would never have him. Tears filled her eyes.

'no! I am not crying over him!' Hermione said to herself and looked down.

Draco saw a single tear fell down on her cheek. Why was she crying?

He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss all her tears away. He wanted to hold her like he had held when they danced. He wanted to tell Hermione he loved her.

'who cares about revenge or Weasley!? I freakin' love her!' He thought and stepped closer Hermione.

He couldn't care less about what everybody else would think. It wouldn't matter even if Lord Voldemort himself would see them kissing. He cared about her and couldn't keep it inside any longer.

Draco walked closer to Hermione. He leaned down a bit.

"what are you doing to her!?"

Hermione and Draco turned to look at Ron and Harry running towards them.

"great!" Hermione heard Draco say.

"let go of her!" Ron yelled.

"I'm not even touching her!" Draco exclaimed.

Now Hermione noticed how close Draco had got. Was he about to hug her? Or…kiss?

"just back off Malfoy", Harry ordered.

Ron stepped between Hermione and Draco. That made Draco angry. What was he doing?!

"you don't own her Weasley!" Draco yelled.

"and you do?" Ron asked.

Draco blushed a bit. It would be humiliating if Harry and Ron found out there and then that Draco was in love with Hermione! Especially when even Hermione herself didn't know.

"just go away Malfoy", Ron hissed.

Draco looked at Hermione who turned her eyes away from him. This was enough for Draco and he left.

How did this even happen? He had fallen in love with a girl who he had always hated despised? And now she had fooled him: flirted with him and given him wrong signals. At some point it had almost felt like Hermione liked him back…but how could she when she was with Ron?! …Or was she really with Ron? Every time Draco had mentioned about it, she denied it. There were so many questions that Draco's head almost exploded. Why was so simple thing as a boy loving a girl still so complicated?!

"what's wrong with her?" Lavender whispered to Harry when they were in the Gryffindor common room.

"I don't know. Ron and I have tried to do everything to make her lighten up but nothing works", Harry explained. "Maybe you should ask her."

Lavender nodded and Harry and Ron left her alone with Hermione.

"Hermione…what's wrong?" Lavender asked carefully.

"why should there be something wrong?"

"Hermione, please. Everyone are worried", Lavender said.

"uh, don't you start now too Lavender. Harry, Ron and Ginny have already said that to me", Hermione said rolling her eyes.

"but we have to know!" Lavender snapped. "You have acted so…so weird. I mean look at you! You're pale all the time and it seems to me that you don't even read books anymore!"

"I do read books Lavender", Hermione laughed.

"and your laugh!" Lavender continued ignoring Hermione's statement, "It's dry!"

"oh gee, thanks", Hermione said. "Was that all? Or do you want to continue?"

"you're basically always late for first classes!" Lavender exclaimed.

"so you're saying I'm pale, I don't read enough books, my laughter is dry and I'm late for classes?"

Lavender nodded.

"well I guess I have to get a tan, move to library, train my laughter and buy an alarm clock."

"don't make this a joke, Hermione. We – Ron, Ginny, Harry and I – are scared. We care about you too much!"

Hermione looked down. Lavender was such a good friend. She cared. Harry, Ron and Ginny cared. But Hermione couldn't help it that she had changed. She had become somewhat cold but it was all because of Draco. She really loved him! She could've handled it if he wasn't with Pansy… besides it added salt to her wounds that Draco was making out with Pansy every time Hermione was around. He did it just to show Hermione how much fun he had. It hurt so much! Hermione couldn't take it. Seeing Draco with Pansy…it hurt. Draco did it on purpose! Why? Because he wanted to show Hermione that she already had lost; that she was just a little pathetic wimp.

"I'm sorry", Hermione whispered still facing the floor.

"it's ok Mione… You know, you can tell me everything that's bothering you if you want to", Lavender said putting her hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"Lavender…?"

"yes?"

"am I ugly?" Hermione asked lifting up her head.

"no. You're beautiful Hermione", Lavender said.

"you say that 'cause you can't say bad things about me 'cause you're my friend", Hermione said sadly.

"no, it's not true. I don't think you're ugly", Lavender convinced, "Has someone said something like that?"

"no…" Hermione said quietly. "Lavender?"

"yeah?"

"have you ever been in love?"

"well…I dunno. I guess I haven't. I mean of course I had had crushes but it hasn't ever really been love", Lavender said.

"what would you do, Lavender, if you liked this guy who never probably would like you because you two are so different. Then one day he would start flirting with you and almost kisses you too. You assume that he likes you like the way you like him. When you finally fall in love with him he does something unexpected: he shares passionate kisses with this…other girl. Your world comes crashing down and feel like to cry all the time. I mean, this guy has made you a fool and now he's laughing behind your back. …Then suddenly he softens just a little bit…What would you do?"

"I don't know… But it seems to me that if he softens he might have real feelings for who ever you were talking about. …Has this happened to you Hermione?" Lavender asked.

Hermione looked down once again. Tears formed to her eyes but she tried to block them by closing her eyes. Lavender saw this and took Hermione into a deep hug.

"it's ok."

"I love Draco so much!" Hermione said through her tears.

Lavender was shocked but didn't stop hugging Hermione. This was her friend even though she had fell in love with the enemy. Only thing she now needed was a good friend.

"it's ok Hermione. Everything will be just fine", Lavender comforted smoothing her hair.

A/N: Like I said: I posted two chapters this time!! Lol.

Angel Innocent