Disclaimer: All characters and places in the Harry Potter series are owned
by J.K. Rowling. I have created a few characters and places of my own in
relation to this story. But everything else is owned by Rowling.
Chapter 3: "When Hermione Freaked Out"
When Draco woke up, it was almost lunchtime. Not only did he skip breakfast, he also missed three classes. But resorting to his usual stubborn self, Draco didn't care if he did. Going down the common room, he saw Crabbe and Goyle sitting by the fireplace, immersed in what he knew was meaningless conversation.
"Hey Draco? It's good you decided to wake up!" Goyle called out when he saw Draco sneak behind the couch.
"What do you care?" Draco answered, standing straight and brushing his hand over his hair.
"Because we've been waiting for you all morning!" Crabbe replied.
"And who told you to wait for me?" Draco shouted back.
"Geesh, look at your temper!" Goyle said.
"That's not the only thing you'll see if you won't stop annoying me!" Draco called back, moving his way towards the portrait hole.
"Where are you going?" Crabbe asked.
"Trying to get my life back."
After Draco had left, Crabbe turned to Goyle. "What the hell is the problem with him?"
"I have no idea."
"Maybe he's in love!"
"Nah!" they said together, recoiling in disgust.
***
Draco didn't want to go to the Great Hall because he would only see Hermione there - with Harry. He had actually thought of sneaking in the kitchen and ask the house elves for food, until he remembered that Dobby was there, and he wasn't very fond of the Malfoy family.
Entering the Great Hall, to his surprise, he saw Hermione seated alone, and Harry, nor Ron, were nowhere to be found. He knew this was his chance so he carefully approached the Gryffindor table.
"Hermione," he said, touching her shoulder from her back.
Hermione jumped in surprise as soon as he had touched her. Turning her head, she saw who it was. "Oh, Draco. You startled me!"
"Sorry, I didn't mean it," he said, unable to look her in the eye. His eyes then moved to the empty space beside her. "Um, can I?"
Understanding what he meant, Hermione gestured towards the chair. "Oh, sure," she said softly.
She quickly turned her head to her plate and began playing with her food using her fork.
"Er-Hermione," Draco began.
"Yes?" she said, not turning to look.
"I want to ask you something."
Hermione straightened her back when she heard this. She then moved her hand to her hair and began twirling a strand. "Um, if you're going to ask me again about going to Hogsmeade this weekend, I'm sorry but I still can't go."
"No! It's not about that!" he exclaimed, calling the attention of most of the Gryffindors around them.
"Calm down," she said, putting her finger over her mouth. "What is it then?"
"Um, I - er - just wanted to know if."
"If what?"
"Hermione do you trust me?" he said, placing his hand over hers.
"Why do you ask?" she said, moving her hand away as quickly as possible.
"I just need to know," he said, looking straight into her eyes.
Hermione, however, couldn't bear to maintain eye contact. Draco seemed nice, but there was something inside of her that still made her afraid of him. Maybe she was afraid he would hurt her.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he said, as if reading her mind.
"I didn't say you would," Hermione said, still barely looking at him.
"Then listen to me." Draco reached for her face and moved it to make her look at him. "Why are you treating me so coldly? Don't you believe I've changed?"
"I believe you've changed, Draco. But there are some things that take time for me to get over with," she said.
With that, she immediately stood up from the chair but Draco suddenly put a hand on her wrist, pulling her back. "Like what?" he said.
"Draco, what are you doing?" People have started to notice them and most of the Gryffindor boys have stood up from their places, clenching their closed fists. Draco knew about this but he didn't care.
"Just answer me."
"Are you sure you can handle it?" she asked, staring up at him.
"Try me."
"Like how you kept on hurting me before. Like what you're doing right now."
Draco released his grip right away. Her words struck him like a speeding bullet, but it was more painful that a real wound. Because he couldn't take it that he has hurt her again. That was the last thing he wanted to do. But it was too late.
Suddenly, all the commotion inside the room went down. Both Hermione and Draco began to look around. At first they thought it was a teacher, but as they glanced at the entrance of the Great Hall at the same time, they saw Harry standing there, with Ron.
"Uh, what the hell happened here? Why is it so quiet?" Ron asked.
But no one answered. Everyone was either looking down their plates, or staring at each other like bricks on a wall. Harry looked at the Gryffindor table and saw Draco and Hermione there. He quickly ran towards them and gave Hermione a kiss on the cheek. Seeing this, Draco turned his head towards the other direction.
"What happened here, 'Mione?" Harry asked, touching Hermione's wrist to make her sit down with him. But Hermione flinched and quickly recoiled. It was the arm Draco had taken a few minutes ago. Every head and shoulder in the room except for the four of them slowly bowed down, almost touching the plates. "What's the problem? Did I hurt you?" he said, a worried look on his face.
Hermione didn't answer. She just shook her head. To avoid anymore interrogation, she took her seat beside Harry.
"Hey Draco!" Ron said, slapping him on the back and taking a seat beside Harry. "Come take a seat."
Everyone then looked up at them. "No thanks, I think I better go back to the common room," Draco said.
"Oh, okay. You sure you don't wanna join us?" Harry said, turning to look at him. Draco saw behind Harry that the rest of the Gryffindor boys had their fists clenched once more.
"Positive," he said, nodding. "Maybe next time?" Then he turned to leave, his feet trying to overtake each other.
"Something's definitely wrong here," Ron said, turning his head to his plate and serving himself some food.
Harry, on the other hand, turned to Hermione. Both he and Ron didn't notice that the rest of the students had begun talking to one another again. "'Mione, you sure you don't know what happened here?"
"No, I just came in," she lied, reaching for her goblet and taking a sip, avoiding Harry's eyes.
"Maybe Draco knows," Ron said in between chews.
Hermione almost spit out the juice. Harry tapped her lightly on her back. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she said after she has recovered.
"I'm sure Draco wouldn't have left if nothing happened. Hermione, maybe you said something to him," Ron chimed in.
Turning from him to Hermione, Harry moved his hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "You can tell us," he whispered. Hermione was infuriated upon hearing this. She quickly stood up and grabbed her bag. "Where are you going?" Harry called out, turning to her.
Hermione was almost halfway down the hall when she turned around and went back. Then, to Harry's surprise, she gave him a heavy slap on the face, which made everyone else gasp in disbelief. "How dare you accuse me of doing something to upset him? Try asking him and you'll come to your senses! He's your friend, after all, isn't he?"
Hermione then turned to look at the rest of the students who were watching. "And you! All of you! Stop acting like you weren't watching me behind my back because I know you did! You don't care about what happens to my life, none of you cares!" she yelled at them. When she was about to exit the Great Hall, she turned around one last time and added to her remarks, "And stop treating me as Harry's girlfriend!" With that, she left.
Harry, who was surprised as the rest of the students, was just standing there. He heard everything she said, and he was more confused than ever. Coming to his senses, he didn't waste any more time and started to follow her.
Chapter 3: "When Hermione Freaked Out"
When Draco woke up, it was almost lunchtime. Not only did he skip breakfast, he also missed three classes. But resorting to his usual stubborn self, Draco didn't care if he did. Going down the common room, he saw Crabbe and Goyle sitting by the fireplace, immersed in what he knew was meaningless conversation.
"Hey Draco? It's good you decided to wake up!" Goyle called out when he saw Draco sneak behind the couch.
"What do you care?" Draco answered, standing straight and brushing his hand over his hair.
"Because we've been waiting for you all morning!" Crabbe replied.
"And who told you to wait for me?" Draco shouted back.
"Geesh, look at your temper!" Goyle said.
"That's not the only thing you'll see if you won't stop annoying me!" Draco called back, moving his way towards the portrait hole.
"Where are you going?" Crabbe asked.
"Trying to get my life back."
After Draco had left, Crabbe turned to Goyle. "What the hell is the problem with him?"
"I have no idea."
"Maybe he's in love!"
"Nah!" they said together, recoiling in disgust.
***
Draco didn't want to go to the Great Hall because he would only see Hermione there - with Harry. He had actually thought of sneaking in the kitchen and ask the house elves for food, until he remembered that Dobby was there, and he wasn't very fond of the Malfoy family.
Entering the Great Hall, to his surprise, he saw Hermione seated alone, and Harry, nor Ron, were nowhere to be found. He knew this was his chance so he carefully approached the Gryffindor table.
"Hermione," he said, touching her shoulder from her back.
Hermione jumped in surprise as soon as he had touched her. Turning her head, she saw who it was. "Oh, Draco. You startled me!"
"Sorry, I didn't mean it," he said, unable to look her in the eye. His eyes then moved to the empty space beside her. "Um, can I?"
Understanding what he meant, Hermione gestured towards the chair. "Oh, sure," she said softly.
She quickly turned her head to her plate and began playing with her food using her fork.
"Er-Hermione," Draco began.
"Yes?" she said, not turning to look.
"I want to ask you something."
Hermione straightened her back when she heard this. She then moved her hand to her hair and began twirling a strand. "Um, if you're going to ask me again about going to Hogsmeade this weekend, I'm sorry but I still can't go."
"No! It's not about that!" he exclaimed, calling the attention of most of the Gryffindors around them.
"Calm down," she said, putting her finger over her mouth. "What is it then?"
"Um, I - er - just wanted to know if."
"If what?"
"Hermione do you trust me?" he said, placing his hand over hers.
"Why do you ask?" she said, moving her hand away as quickly as possible.
"I just need to know," he said, looking straight into her eyes.
Hermione, however, couldn't bear to maintain eye contact. Draco seemed nice, but there was something inside of her that still made her afraid of him. Maybe she was afraid he would hurt her.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he said, as if reading her mind.
"I didn't say you would," Hermione said, still barely looking at him.
"Then listen to me." Draco reached for her face and moved it to make her look at him. "Why are you treating me so coldly? Don't you believe I've changed?"
"I believe you've changed, Draco. But there are some things that take time for me to get over with," she said.
With that, she immediately stood up from the chair but Draco suddenly put a hand on her wrist, pulling her back. "Like what?" he said.
"Draco, what are you doing?" People have started to notice them and most of the Gryffindor boys have stood up from their places, clenching their closed fists. Draco knew about this but he didn't care.
"Just answer me."
"Are you sure you can handle it?" she asked, staring up at him.
"Try me."
"Like how you kept on hurting me before. Like what you're doing right now."
Draco released his grip right away. Her words struck him like a speeding bullet, but it was more painful that a real wound. Because he couldn't take it that he has hurt her again. That was the last thing he wanted to do. But it was too late.
Suddenly, all the commotion inside the room went down. Both Hermione and Draco began to look around. At first they thought it was a teacher, but as they glanced at the entrance of the Great Hall at the same time, they saw Harry standing there, with Ron.
"Uh, what the hell happened here? Why is it so quiet?" Ron asked.
But no one answered. Everyone was either looking down their plates, or staring at each other like bricks on a wall. Harry looked at the Gryffindor table and saw Draco and Hermione there. He quickly ran towards them and gave Hermione a kiss on the cheek. Seeing this, Draco turned his head towards the other direction.
"What happened here, 'Mione?" Harry asked, touching Hermione's wrist to make her sit down with him. But Hermione flinched and quickly recoiled. It was the arm Draco had taken a few minutes ago. Every head and shoulder in the room except for the four of them slowly bowed down, almost touching the plates. "What's the problem? Did I hurt you?" he said, a worried look on his face.
Hermione didn't answer. She just shook her head. To avoid anymore interrogation, she took her seat beside Harry.
"Hey Draco!" Ron said, slapping him on the back and taking a seat beside Harry. "Come take a seat."
Everyone then looked up at them. "No thanks, I think I better go back to the common room," Draco said.
"Oh, okay. You sure you don't wanna join us?" Harry said, turning to look at him. Draco saw behind Harry that the rest of the Gryffindor boys had their fists clenched once more.
"Positive," he said, nodding. "Maybe next time?" Then he turned to leave, his feet trying to overtake each other.
"Something's definitely wrong here," Ron said, turning his head to his plate and serving himself some food.
Harry, on the other hand, turned to Hermione. Both he and Ron didn't notice that the rest of the students had begun talking to one another again. "'Mione, you sure you don't know what happened here?"
"No, I just came in," she lied, reaching for her goblet and taking a sip, avoiding Harry's eyes.
"Maybe Draco knows," Ron said in between chews.
Hermione almost spit out the juice. Harry tapped her lightly on her back. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she said after she has recovered.
"I'm sure Draco wouldn't have left if nothing happened. Hermione, maybe you said something to him," Ron chimed in.
Turning from him to Hermione, Harry moved his hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "You can tell us," he whispered. Hermione was infuriated upon hearing this. She quickly stood up and grabbed her bag. "Where are you going?" Harry called out, turning to her.
Hermione was almost halfway down the hall when she turned around and went back. Then, to Harry's surprise, she gave him a heavy slap on the face, which made everyone else gasp in disbelief. "How dare you accuse me of doing something to upset him? Try asking him and you'll come to your senses! He's your friend, after all, isn't he?"
Hermione then turned to look at the rest of the students who were watching. "And you! All of you! Stop acting like you weren't watching me behind my back because I know you did! You don't care about what happens to my life, none of you cares!" she yelled at them. When she was about to exit the Great Hall, she turned around one last time and added to her remarks, "And stop treating me as Harry's girlfriend!" With that, she left.
Harry, who was surprised as the rest of the students, was just standing there. He heard everything she said, and he was more confused than ever. Coming to his senses, he didn't waste any more time and started to follow her.