Chapter 5
Hermione awoke the next morning, to the sound of the alarm on her nightstand buzzing. Groaning, she turned it to see the time. 7:00AM. Time to get up. Lessons started in an hour. She flipped the covers off her, stood and stretched. Yawning, she wondered why she was in such a good mood. Vaguely, she remembered falling asleep happy. Clapping a hand to her mouth in horror, she remembered why. She spent the evening with Malfoy, and not only that, he kissed her. What made thing worse, she *enjoyed* it. She liked the evening they spent talking, and she also liked the way the night ended. 'Great,' she thought to herself, dressing quickly, 'I'm starting to like Draco Malfoy.' Somewhere deep down, she knew it wasn't a bad thing, but right now, her mind was telling her otherwise. It *was* a bad thing to fall for him. For goodness sake, this was Draco Malfoy! The mean, sarcastic arse that always used to pick on her and her best friends. A dream possibly? The entire evening was a dream, she thought. But no, she remembered pinching herself to make sure. Yes, it had happened, and there was no way too take it back. She was falling for Draco, and it didn't look like she could stop herself.
"Morning!" she chirped to Harry and Ron at the breakfast table.
"Morning," Harry and Ron replied. Hermione sat down and helped herself. After a few beats of silence, Ron spoke.
"Where were you last night Hermione?" She went stiff, forkful of breakfast mid-way to her mouth. Stalling, she took the bite and pondered an answer.
"What do you mean Ron?"
"I mean, last night, around midnight. I went upstairs to see if you were still up because I wanted to talk to you. Lavender came out, and I asked her if you were in, and she said you weren't." Panicking, Hermione chewed they inside of her cheek. She *really* didn't want to lie to Ron, but she also didn't want to tell him where she really was. She couldn't stall for anymore thinking time; Ron was waiting for an answer. Lying was her only way out. Great.
"Library Ron. I didn't think I did a great job on the Transfiguration Essay, so I went back to the library and redid some of it." Then she might as well top off a few details, "Madam Pince didn't mind me in there so late, as long as I was working." Ron raised a single brow at Hermione, studying her. Hermione forced a smile, trying not to make it look pleading, like she felt.
"But, I didn't see you leave. Harry and I stayed up late." 'Oh crap,' she thought. She didn't know how to get out of this one. It looked like there was no way out. She took another bite of toast, and she saw Draco come into the Hall. She gave him a quick glance. Hermione went back to her lying. Her story didn't add up right. Caught in a corner, no way to escape.
"I have Arithmancy, and you two have Divination." She said, changing the subject, and checking her watch.
"Yes, but the bell doesn't ring for another ten minutes," Said Ron, watching her get up from the table, and gather her bag.
"Well, I have to get to class early, I have some questions on the test we took last week. I didn't quiet understand question 17b. See you at break!" And she ran for it. Not literally of course, but she walked as fast as she could.
"Few," She said with a sigh of relief, leaning against a wall.
"Hey, Granger." She spun around. Malfoy's voice came from under the main staircase. She glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and then she bolted into the coolness and darkness of the shadows.
"My God Malfoy, I just *lied* to Ron." She put her face in her hands. He stepped out from behind her, and brought her in for a hug. She willingly wrapped her arms around him. A hug was the thing she needed, and she found it odd that he would know exactly what she needed at that time. She released herself from him and sighed.
"You lied to Ron?" He asked.
"Yes," She answered. "It was horrible. I was like a deer caught in headlights. I *hate* lying. And I'm not good at it." "I know," Even in the darkness, she could see his smirk.
"Oh yeah?" she said, crossing her arms, "How?"
"Just trust me I can tell," The gleam in his eyes made her smile.
"Listen, I have to run to Arithmancy, I'm going to be late." She said.
"Alright," He answered, "Can we meet back here again tonight?"
"No, not tonight. Not until I get better at this lying and sneaking out thing. You'd think I'd be good at it, considering who I hang around with, and what we've been through."
"Yeah," he chuckled. "See you," He kissed her on the forehead, gave her once last squeeze, and left. Hermione didn't understand it. He knew exactly what to do to make her feel better. It was an odd feeling. The quiver in her stomach that had started when he hugged her still lingered with the kiss. Shaking herself out of her daze, she ran off to Arithmancy, not being able to keep herself from smiling . . . again.
After lessons were finished Hermione decided to put her things away, and head outside. It was a lovely day, and she couldn't stand being inside on a day like that. Lying down under the cool shade of a large tree near the lake, she opened the book she brought with her. She sighed contently, opening to the page she left off at. After a few peaceful minutes of silence, she was torn away from the world of the book by a voice.
"Hey Hermione," said Harry, sitting next to her.
"Hi," she said, going back to her book. She hoped he'd take that as a signal to leave her alone with her book.
"Is everything okay Hermione?" Harry asked, sitting cross-legged next to her. She closed her book, defeated, knowing he wasn't going to leave anytime soon.
"Yes Harry," she answered, "Why?"
"You seem very alone lately, and jumpy."
"I am not jumpy," she denied.
"You were for a while. On the Hogwarts Express on the way here. It was after you came back from the prefects compartment." He knew too much for her telling him so little.
"It was nothing I'm fine now." Replied Hermione.
Hermione awoke the next morning, to the sound of the alarm on her nightstand buzzing. Groaning, she turned it to see the time. 7:00AM. Time to get up. Lessons started in an hour. She flipped the covers off her, stood and stretched. Yawning, she wondered why she was in such a good mood. Vaguely, she remembered falling asleep happy. Clapping a hand to her mouth in horror, she remembered why. She spent the evening with Malfoy, and not only that, he kissed her. What made thing worse, she *enjoyed* it. She liked the evening they spent talking, and she also liked the way the night ended. 'Great,' she thought to herself, dressing quickly, 'I'm starting to like Draco Malfoy.' Somewhere deep down, she knew it wasn't a bad thing, but right now, her mind was telling her otherwise. It *was* a bad thing to fall for him. For goodness sake, this was Draco Malfoy! The mean, sarcastic arse that always used to pick on her and her best friends. A dream possibly? The entire evening was a dream, she thought. But no, she remembered pinching herself to make sure. Yes, it had happened, and there was no way too take it back. She was falling for Draco, and it didn't look like she could stop herself.
"Morning!" she chirped to Harry and Ron at the breakfast table.
"Morning," Harry and Ron replied. Hermione sat down and helped herself. After a few beats of silence, Ron spoke.
"Where were you last night Hermione?" She went stiff, forkful of breakfast mid-way to her mouth. Stalling, she took the bite and pondered an answer.
"What do you mean Ron?"
"I mean, last night, around midnight. I went upstairs to see if you were still up because I wanted to talk to you. Lavender came out, and I asked her if you were in, and she said you weren't." Panicking, Hermione chewed they inside of her cheek. She *really* didn't want to lie to Ron, but she also didn't want to tell him where she really was. She couldn't stall for anymore thinking time; Ron was waiting for an answer. Lying was her only way out. Great.
"Library Ron. I didn't think I did a great job on the Transfiguration Essay, so I went back to the library and redid some of it." Then she might as well top off a few details, "Madam Pince didn't mind me in there so late, as long as I was working." Ron raised a single brow at Hermione, studying her. Hermione forced a smile, trying not to make it look pleading, like she felt.
"But, I didn't see you leave. Harry and I stayed up late." 'Oh crap,' she thought. She didn't know how to get out of this one. It looked like there was no way out. She took another bite of toast, and she saw Draco come into the Hall. She gave him a quick glance. Hermione went back to her lying. Her story didn't add up right. Caught in a corner, no way to escape.
"I have Arithmancy, and you two have Divination." She said, changing the subject, and checking her watch.
"Yes, but the bell doesn't ring for another ten minutes," Said Ron, watching her get up from the table, and gather her bag.
"Well, I have to get to class early, I have some questions on the test we took last week. I didn't quiet understand question 17b. See you at break!" And she ran for it. Not literally of course, but she walked as fast as she could.
"Few," She said with a sigh of relief, leaning against a wall.
"Hey, Granger." She spun around. Malfoy's voice came from under the main staircase. She glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and then she bolted into the coolness and darkness of the shadows.
"My God Malfoy, I just *lied* to Ron." She put her face in her hands. He stepped out from behind her, and brought her in for a hug. She willingly wrapped her arms around him. A hug was the thing she needed, and she found it odd that he would know exactly what she needed at that time. She released herself from him and sighed.
"You lied to Ron?" He asked.
"Yes," She answered. "It was horrible. I was like a deer caught in headlights. I *hate* lying. And I'm not good at it." "I know," Even in the darkness, she could see his smirk.
"Oh yeah?" she said, crossing her arms, "How?"
"Just trust me I can tell," The gleam in his eyes made her smile.
"Listen, I have to run to Arithmancy, I'm going to be late." She said.
"Alright," He answered, "Can we meet back here again tonight?"
"No, not tonight. Not until I get better at this lying and sneaking out thing. You'd think I'd be good at it, considering who I hang around with, and what we've been through."
"Yeah," he chuckled. "See you," He kissed her on the forehead, gave her once last squeeze, and left. Hermione didn't understand it. He knew exactly what to do to make her feel better. It was an odd feeling. The quiver in her stomach that had started when he hugged her still lingered with the kiss. Shaking herself out of her daze, she ran off to Arithmancy, not being able to keep herself from smiling . . . again.
After lessons were finished Hermione decided to put her things away, and head outside. It was a lovely day, and she couldn't stand being inside on a day like that. Lying down under the cool shade of a large tree near the lake, she opened the book she brought with her. She sighed contently, opening to the page she left off at. After a few peaceful minutes of silence, she was torn away from the world of the book by a voice.
"Hey Hermione," said Harry, sitting next to her.
"Hi," she said, going back to her book. She hoped he'd take that as a signal to leave her alone with her book.
"Is everything okay Hermione?" Harry asked, sitting cross-legged next to her. She closed her book, defeated, knowing he wasn't going to leave anytime soon.
"Yes Harry," she answered, "Why?"
"You seem very alone lately, and jumpy."
"I am not jumpy," she denied.
"You were for a while. On the Hogwarts Express on the way here. It was after you came back from the prefects compartment." He knew too much for her telling him so little.
"It was nothing I'm fine now." Replied Hermione.