First of all, I'm really sorry for not updating sooner!! It's not a writer's block... it's just that we had to study for some tests this week, plus all the homework we got x_x I have to fit this in my schedule, and sometimes it's barely impossible. So I beg your pardon!! If the next chapter doesn't get out soon, please note that we have two tests in the upcoming week, so I'll be busy!! But I still love writing, so you won't get rid of me so soon! MUHAHAHAHA!! Lol ^_^
Ok, someone asked what OOC means, so here it is: Out Of Character. I didn't know, either... I had to figure it out by myself, lol. Ack... I'll try to make as little OOC as possible!! . it's haaard, though!
Thanks to Blade Griffin, S-Star, Dragon-soul, Esperanza, Intuerimors, Kristi, Arafel, Crystalline Lily, DolceExpressivo, Calypso, Ciel Charmante, Suzanne, sb1, EclipseKlutz, crystal89, Jen, TriGemini, fb90, Vikkitoria, SVZ, Dark Vampire, Rachel, Hermione18, Silver Fawkes, Slytherin-cool, DracosGirlMakayla, gordo87, Calani, guettoliscious, Shivohnsongbreeze, XxSleepygirlxX, Jokester515, Me123, WaterDemon900, lil-spitfire, The Charmed One, eviltwin2634, and Dragons Kitten for reviewing!!
***
Hermione tried to concentrate on her homework, which was completely useless, since she kept on thinking about what had happened a few hours before.
"Do your homework later," Ron had suggested. "It's Christmas, Hermione! Come on!"
She had refused, though, and had stubbornly sat down to write... what was she supposed to write, anyway? Heck, she'd forgotten!
She looked down at her blank parchment, and then her eyes surveryed the books sprawled across the table.
Oh, yes. Transfiguring normal, boring tables into something alive.
She yawned, and put her quill on the table. It was useless to try and concentrate when she was so busy thinking about that afternoon.
She slumped in the couch next to the one Harry and Ron were sitting in.
"I can't concentrate," she moaned.
"Call the aurors, Harry!" Ron exclaimed. "Hermione's seriously injured!"
"Quiet, Ron," Hermione snapped. "Nothing's wrong with me,"
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Because I'm perfectly fine!" exclaimed Hermione, desperated.
"No, I mean," Harry tried again. "Why can't you concentrate?"
"Oh," she said, feeling stupid. "I don't know... I guess that, falling forty feet off a broomstick and almost hitting the ground is more exhausting than I thought," she looked at the fire. "Specially if Draco's there to catch you," she whispered so that no one would hear.
"You're still on about that?" Ron asked.
"Yes, I'm still 'on about that', Ron!"
"I remember when I fell fifty feet from my broomstick, in my second year," Harry said, grinning, as if the memories were good ones. "Then Lockhart came along," he frowned. "And de-boned my arm."
"Git," Ron said, with much feeling.
"I guess he was, wasn't he?" Hermione sigued.
"Well!" Ron exclaimed, grinning. "You finally admit it! Will someone clap? I need an applause here!"
Hermione glared at him.
"Aww, come on, you didn't even scratch yourself!" Ron went on. "I mean, Blond Boy was there to save you, wasn't he?"
She glared harder.
"Like this," Ron stood up to demonstrate. He licked his hand, and ran it through his hair. Then he looked at his nose, and threw his arms apart. "Come here, 'mione! I'll save you!" he started walking in a very duck-like fashion, but stopped when Hermione wacked him around the head.
"Ouch," he said, rubbing at the spot she'd hit. "That hurt!"
"It was meant to," she replied, looking cross.
"It's things like these," Ron muttered, sitting back down. "That take the fun out of life."
"Can I do anything to help you feel better?" Harry offered.
"Punch Ron,"
"Anything else?" Harry asked.
Hermione thought for a moment, but then sigued. "No, I guess you can't. I'm going to bed... it's late. Good night," she added, going up the stairs and disappearing from sight.
***
The next morning at breakfast, Hermione was still in a sour mood. Ron didn't talk to her at first, either, but Harry, who was more mature, urged him to.
"Ok!" Ron said, exasperated. He leaned back to look at Hermione, since she was sitting on the other side of Harry. "Hermione!"
She looked at him, still drinking from her goblet.
"I beg your forgiveness for making fun of Draco Malfoy, who probably didn't deserve it, as he was good yesterday... and as you're you angry with me, I solemnly promise not to..er... make fun of him again... today."
First, Hermione looked at him as if he'd just said that Professor McGonagall and Snape really were going out together, and then she laughed.
"I'm sorry, Ron," she said between heaps of laughter. "You just looked so funny when you said it!"
"Great," Ron muttered, looking at his breakfast. "I looked funny,"
"Come on, she's not mad at you anymore!" Harry tried to cheer him up.
"Yeah, I'm sorry, Ron," Hermione said, stretching out her arm and patting him on the back.
"That's all right, I guess," Ron sigued. "At least you're not grouchy anymore."
Hermione smiled, and looked across the Great Hall at Draco. Pansy was leaning over to him, trying to talk. Draco looked angry, and seemed to be trying not to get Pansy's neck and twist it around. He stood up and stormed out of the room, putting his cloak on.
Well, she thought. At least he didn't murder her in front of everyone.
Then she looked at Lavender, who was talking to Parvarti and glancing at Ron, and smiled. Yesterday, when she was lying in bed, Lavender started talking to her in the dark.
"I had fun today," she had said. "Well... except the part when you fell. I liked talking with Ron," she added. "We should go out again, if you don't mind,"
"Of course I don't mind," Hermione had replied. "I'll talk with Harry and Ron to see when we can go out again,"
And she was going to do just that.
"Why don't we go out and play in the snow this morning?" she asked. "It could be fun,"
"Yeah!" Ron piped up. "Let's go!"
"Alright," Harry said.
Hermione smiled at her success. "Let's go after breakfast," she suggested.
"Fine with me," Ron said, and ate faster.
When breakfast was over, everyone started going up the marble staircases.
"Come on, Hermione!" Harry called from the Entrance Hall, putting his cloak on.
"Hold on!" she called back, looking for Lavender over the mass of kids dressed in black.
It seemed that everyone had stayed in Hogwarts this year.
She finally found her just as she started to climb the stairs.
"Lavender," she said.
Lavender turned.
"We're going to play out in the snow... Ron's included. Want to come?"
"Yes!" Lavender exclaimed. "Let me get my cloak... it's in the common room!"
"Wait for you here," Hermione said.
She had brought her cloak to breakfast just in case they decided to go for a walk, or something. As she walked towards Harry and Ron, putting her gloves on, she passed a small group of muttering Slytherins.
She didn't catch every word, but what she heard as the Slytherins passed by made her stop in her tracks.
"-Draco Malfoy-"
"-A shame for the whole family-"
"-With a mudblood!"
Oh, no, she thought. Oh no, Oh no, Oh no!
But they won't dare get me into trouble. They know me, Draco's voice thundered in her head.
She hoped he was right.
"What are we waiting for?" Ron asked, looking wistfully outside.
"Lavender's getting her cloak," Hermine answered.
"Lavender's coming?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Hermione answered.
"Damn broomstick," Ron exclaimed, trying to punch it.
Harry looked at the flying broomstick Ron was fighting with suspiciously. "Lavender Brown," he said. "Is coming."
Hermione smiled nervously. "Yes,"
Just at that moment, Lavender came jumping down the stairs cheerfully. "Hi!" she called, and skipped right next to Ron. "Let's go have some fun!"
"Yeah!" Ron said, and stepped outside.
All throughout that night, it had snowed. Hogwarts was a real white wonderland. A white sheet of snow seemed to cover everything from the bare branches of the trees to the roof. And, of course, the ground was covered in snow as far as the eye could see.
They set off around the castle to find a good place to have a snow war. They found one just behind the enormous castle. There were some trees perfect to hide behind, and some rocks perfect to climb and throw snow to your oponent from.
"Teams?" Ron suggested.
"Nah, it wouldn't be fun with only two teams," Harry said. "Everyone's on their own."
"Ready, set..." Hermione stopped for suspense. "GO!"
Everyone started running in opposite directions.
Hermione ran and hid behind a tree. She crouched down and scooped up some snow. Then she stood up straight with her back against the tree. She carefully peeked around the tree... and her face was the unlucky target of a snowball thrown from Ron.
"Argh!" she cried, rubbing the snow away. "I'm going to get you, Ron!"
She started chasing him, and threw him the snowball she had in her hand.
It landed perfectly on Ron's head.
"No!" Ron cried.
Hermione laughed and ran off before Ron could turn around. She scooped up another snowball, and followed Lavender's footprints. She soon found her behind a tree, peeking at Ron.
"Bombs away!" Hermione yelled as she aimed the snowball at Lavender. She threw it, and it landed on her face.
She laughed as Lavender cursed, and went behind a rock. She got some snow, and climbed up the cold, smooth gray surface.
From there she could see the whole battlefield. There were Harry and Ron throwing snowballs at each other. There was Draco with his back turned to them a few distance away, looking off into the distance, and there was Lavender still hiding behind her tree.
Wait.
What was Draco doing there?
Her curiosity got hold of her and, before she knew it, she was climbing down the rock again. She made her way towards him hiding behind trees whenever Harry and Ron drew close.
Finally, she was only a few yards away from him. He had his hands in his pockets, and since he looked so calm, and everything was so quiet, and she still had the snowball in one hand, she did the only thing that seemed reasonable.
Hermione aimed carefully... and the snowball landed on the back of Draco's head.
He turned, furious.
When he saw who it was, though, his expression softened.
Hermione laughed. "Gotcha!" she smiled. "What are you doing here?"
If it had been anyone else, Draco would've told them off. He had gone out of the Great Hall because Parkinson wouldn't stop bothering him, and he wasn't very good at controlling his anger. He was in a very sour mood, but, somehow, Hermione always seemed to cheer him up.
"Thinking," he finally replied.
"About what?" Hermione wanted to know.
"Parkinson,"
That got Hermione started. "What happened in the Great Hall? What did Pansy want?"
"She's spreading rumors," he explained. "Well, actually, she's telling the truth. She's saying I'm spending time with you. And that we're going to the Ball together,"
Hermione gasped. "That's terrible!"
"I noticed,"
They were silent for a few minutes.
"Then we shouldn't go together!"
"Yes, we should!" he said angrily.
"Draco," Hermione said, trying to make him understand. "Those Slytherins are whispering about you! Don't you even care?"
That was a question he'd asked himself a thousand times. Lately, though, he found that he didn't care what other people thought as long as he could be with Hermione. And now she stood in front of him, asking the same question that had been tormenting him these last few days.
"They won't get me in trouble," he said. But Hermione could see that he didn't sound so sure, and he said it as if he were reassuring himself instead of her.
"I care," she said. "I don't want people whispering about you,"
"Whispering about both of us," he reminded her.
She waved it aside, and opened her mouth to say something, but Draco stopped her.
"I'm still going to spend time with you," he said, scooping up some snow. "Because I want to. Now hold still, I'm going to throw some snow at you,"
She laughed. "You won't find it so easy!" she said, running away.
He set off after her.
And he didn't find it easy. Hermione zig-zagged trees, went around Rocks, and once she even stopped and ran in the opposite direction, hitting him with a snowball as she passed by.
He was quick, though, and could follow Hermione's every move without trouble. He got snowballs whenever he could, and they always landed on Hermione's back.
Hermione turned around. "You'll never get me!" she yelled.
When she turned around again, though, she wasn't quick enough to notice that Harry was in her way, so she bumped into him, and they both fell to the ground.
Harry laughed. "Get off, Hermione!"
"I'm trying to," she replied, also laughing. She rolled off, and laid by him. "Well, I might as well make a snow angel now," she said, shrugging.
"Why was Draco chasing you?" Harry asked, sitting up straight and looking at Draco, who was staring at them a few yards away.
"We were playing," she answered innocently. "Why?"
He shrugged. "Just wanted to know."
When she was done with her snow angel, Hermione reached out her arms. "Someone help me to my feet, or I'll ruin it,"
Harry got up, got Hermione's arms, and pulled her up.
"Nice angel, 'mione," he said.
"Thanks," she replied, smiling.
Then she looked over at Draco, who was still watching.
"I'm going to go find Lavender and Ron," Harry said, walking away.
She skipped over to Draco. He was looking serious.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
He shook his head, as if shaking off some thought he'd just had, and looked at the floor. "Nothing,"
"Well..." Hermione bit her bottom lip. "If you say so." She wanted desperately to know why he was looking so serious all of a sudden, but she had known him for a few months now, and knew it was best to say something cheerful. "Want to keep on playing?"
He got some snow. "Play? This is war!"
She was so happy to see him cheerful again that she let him hit her with the snowball without difficulty. Then she ran away again.
Draco liked to chase her. She was like another beautiful thing added to the already beautiful, silent surroundings. She disappeared behind an oak and kept on running, either laughing or giggling, and vanished behind another tree. Then she'd appear in the least expected place, and hit Draco with a snowball. He'd then chase after her, and so on.
They kept on playing for a long while, until Hermione was distracted, and bumped into Ron.
"What," he asked, once he had pushed her off, and she was struggling to her feet. "Is Malfoy doing here?"
"We're playing," she answered.
"You're playing," he said in disbelief. "With Malfoy. Without having to. Without anyone making you. On a perfectly beautiful winter day."
"Yes, Ron!" she said in despair. How could Lavender possibly fancy him?
He got up from the floor, and stared at her. "Fine!" he said, clearly exasperated, too. "I just wanted to know if you were in trouble or something!"
Hermione sighed. "Ok, I'm sorry, Ron," she said. "I didn't... never mind,"
Just then Harry and Lavender stepped next to them. Lavender was very red, and Harry was looking satisfied with himself.
"It's cold," Lavender said suddenly, and looked at Hermione pleadingly. "How about if we go back into the castle?"
Hermione gave her friend a questioning look, but Lavender only shrugged.
"Alright, hold on," Hermione said. "I have to say good-bye to..." she turned around, but Draco wasn't there. She scanned the whole battlefield, but he was nowhere in sight. Where was he? Had he gone? Why did he go without saying anything?
Hermione didn't know why, but Draco always left whenever her friends were with her. Why? Was he embarrased? Ashamed? Did he feel out of place? She didn't know, but, sometimes, like now, it hurt her to see him so mysterious.
"Let's go," Harry said.
He and Ron started walking to the castle.
"What happened?" Hermione asked as soon as they were out of earshot.
Lavender sighed, and turned red again. "Harry," she said, covering her face with her hands. "Knows it was me who sent Ron the broomstick!" she breathed in. "I am so embarrased!"
"Harry knows?" Hermione asked. "But... how?"
Then she remembered that, as they waited in the Entrance Hall for Lavender to come, Harry had looked fixedly at the broomstick, and had pronounced her name slowly.
Lavender shrugged and let her arms drop. "I don't know. All I know is that you know, and he knows. Everyone knows except Ron!" she gave a small sob.
"Don't cry, Lavender," Hermione said in alarm, running to hug the sobbing girl. "It's ok... you can trust Harry,"
"Are you sure?" asked Lavender between sobs.
"Yes. You don't have to worry about that," Hermione said, smiling.
Lavender smiled crookedly. Three tears ran down her cheeks, and her nose was red, but otherwise she was fine. "I'm sorry," she said suddenly. "For... you know. Bursting into tears just like that, without an apparent reason,"
"It's ok, Lavender," Hermione said, patting her on the back, and never ceasing to smile. "Sometimes that happens. Besides, no one's watching us,"
But she was wrong about that, because someone was watching them. Draco stood behind a nearby tree, silently staring at them. He'd started to walk away, but had stopped just when Hermione had said she wanted to say good-bye to someone. Then he'd stopped, turned around, and stared at her from him hiding place. Her brown eyes had searched the whole battlefield, but he had been sneaky enough to pass unnoticed. She'd looked... sad, and disappointed.
And now, just as he had expected her to do, she was offering Lavender a shoulder to cry on. Just what Hermione would do. She really was good. She helped anyone, no matter how the person was, both on the outside, and on the inside... he hated to admit it, but she had helped him. Hermione just had a way of making you cheerful again.
"Come on," she told Lavender. "Let's go inside again. You can sit in front of the fire, and I'll make sure Harry doesn't say anything, ok?"
Lavender sniffed and nodded. "Ok. And... thanks for listening,"
Hermione shook her head. "Don't mention it,"
Both girls started walking towards the castle, and Draco silently walked away.
***
When they got to the common room, Harry and Ron were talking over a game of chess. Harry glanced at Lavender, and she gave a small whimper. Hermione squeezed her hand, and smiled. "I'll talk to him," she said.
Lavender nodded, reassured, and went to the girls' dormitories. Then Hermione turned to Harry and Ron, and walked towards them decidedly.
"Well, I never got around to telling you, but, you see, Lavender-"
He couldn't say anymore, because Hermione had put her hand over his mouth in a frantic attempt to make him quiet.
Ron stared.
Hermione laughed nervously. "Right," she said, getting Harry's sleeve. "I was just..." she gave Harry a big, fake smile. "Come here..."
He stood up and let her drag him towards a corner in the common room, while Ron continued to stare at them.
"Harry," she said, more seriously still. "I see you've found out,"
Harry grinned. "Yes! Finally!"
He stopped grinning, though, when Hermione didn't smile.
"What?" he asked innocently.
"Don't tell Ron," she said.
"Why?"
"Because Lavender wants him to find out on his own, without help. I could've told him ages ago, as I knew from the day the present was sent," she said proudly.
"But Ron has a right to know! He'll find out sooner or later, anyway!" Harry insisted.
"You sure?" Hermione asked, nodding towards Ron, who was innocently trying to smash the broomstick with Hermione's copy of Hogwarts: A History, which had been lying nearby.
"Ok, so maybe not. But he has a right to know!"
"Lavender sent it, and she wants it that way," Hermione said in a very final sort of way.
"Fine," Harry said, almost whining. "But it'll be so hard! I mean, he has the answer in front of his nose!"
"Just as you did," she reminded him.
He sighed.
"Lavender will be grateful," she assured him.
He nodded. "Alright," he said, turning away. "But I'm only doing it for Lavender!" he said. "Well... and because you asked me to."
She sighed in relief. Another problem solved.
***
In the Great Hall, Dumbledore stood up, and cleared his throat.
Everyone quieted down, and turned to him.
"I remind you," he said. "That the Christmas Ball, which will be held on the evening of 25th of December, is almost here. You have four days left, so I advise you to find a partner, if you haven't already done so," his eyes twinkled. "But, as almost everyone seems to have stayed at Hogwarts this year, you probably already have a partner."
He kept on giving school announcements, but Hermione wasn't listening. She was too busy looking at the Slytherin table, where most of the Slytherins were giving Draco nasty looks. With one glare from Draco, though, everyone turned away.
Everyone but Pansy. She only smiled sweetly.
It'll be worse when they see us dancing together, Hermione thought. If only I could do something!
Harry sighed. "I think my dress robes will be shut up in my trunk forever," he muttered. "As I'm not going with anyone,"
"Don't say that," Hermione said. "I'm sure you'll find someone to go with! Those dress robes won't be in your trunk much longer!"
He gave her a weak smile.
She looked at Draco again. He was still glaring at anyone who dared look at him. She was about to put some more potatoes on her plate, when she stopped.
Harry's trunk. Harry's trunk! Of course! Why hadn't she thought of it before? It would solve all their problems for the dance! It was a crazy idea, but it could work. They only had to be really careful and silent... why not? And as she stared more and more at Draco's proud face, and thought more and more about Harry's trunk, she was certain her plan would work.
******
Again, sorry for not updating for so long!! Anyway, hoped you liked the chapter! You can try to guess what Hermione's thinking about... it's not that mysterious, actually, if you think about it ;) please review!!