*~* Evanescent Enchantment *~*
*~*~* Chapter Six: No Regrets? Can This Be An Exception? *~*~*
During the few spare moments before Professor Snape entered the classroom, Hermione scribbled hastily on a piece of parchment. She examined it, and decided that it was satisfactory.
'To Professor Dumbledore, I would very much like to move back into the Gryffindor Tower. Thank you very much for allowing me to do this. Sincerely, Hermione Granger.'
When she had finished, Snape was demanding that the already quiet class made up of Gryffindors and Slytherins "Be seated and close your mouths".
Hermione couldn't concentrate at all during Potions, and it was evident to Harry and Ron that something was bothering her. She never failed to pay attention. Plus, she was twirling her note to Dumbledore idly between her fingers without noticing it.
"Miss Granger ought to know the answer, as usual, do why doesn't she enlighten us with her vast knowledge?" Snape said, but he received no answer from Hermione, who was deep in thought.
The class whispered all around her, but she took no notice. Ron, Harry, and Neville gaped at her, while Draco merely glanced at her momentarily, with pain in his eyes.
"Miss Granger, I ought to take ten points from Gryffindor for your lack of attention in my class," Snape said slyly with what appeared to be a grin forming on his face.
"Wh - what? I'm sorry, what was the question?" Hermione stammered.
"No matter. There was no question. I suggest you start paying attention as your friends Potter and Weasley are for a change."
She had noticed Draco look at her, and felt sickeningly empty at his expression of sadness.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Herm, what was up with you in Potions?" Ron said in lunch. "You always pay attention in class!"
"Yeah, well, there's a first time for everything," she said with a sigh in return, slightly annoyed.
"Mione, is something wrong?" Harry asked out of concern for his friend.
"Naw... I'm okay," she said, knowing that he knew that something was truly wrong.
"She's sad about HIM. You guys are so blonde! (No offense) Hermione, come with me," Ginny said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her out of the Great Hall.
After they walked for what seemed like forever, Ginny finally swung open a door and dragged Hermione inside the dimly lit room. She recognized this as the Room of Necessity, which they had used two years ago.
"Now," Ginny said quietly, "what is the matter?"
"Well... it's just... I really like Draco, but I don't want to share a tower with him. It's too awkward. But I really feel bad about moving out and hurting him like that," she relayed.
"Mione, if you really like him, you have to tell him," Ginny said.
"I know, but I don't want to hurt him. Can I change the subject? Good," she answered for herself without giving Ginny a second to speak. "So how are things with you and Harry?" she asked.
"We're okay. He's been so sweet to me," Ginny said. "Oh, who am I kidding? It's just not like it used to be, but we're not here to talk about me and Harry."
"Yeah, I know. I just don't want to talk about Draco. Not now, anyway. It's too depressing for me," Hermione confessed.
"Okay, Hermione. But whenever you're ready to talk I'm always here to listen," Ginny told her.
"I know. Thanks," Hermione said with a forced smile.
"I should go. See you later," Ginny said as she left the room.
'God, what am I doing? Draco was the best thing that ever happened to me and- No Hermione. Don't do this to yourself. You can do this. You can move out. No regrets. Okay... I'm ready,' she told herself, and set off to Transfiguration.
"Professor McGonagall? Can you give this to Professor Dumbledore for me? He asked me to give it to you," she informed her teacher.
"Yes, Miss Granger. I'd be glad to," the professor said sweetly. "Thank you, professor," she said and turned to take her seat.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After dinner, Hermione decided that she needed to talk to Draco, so instead of going to the Gryffindor Tower, she walked to the Head Tower.
The old password had been changed for Draco, and she did not know what the new one was, so she knocked.
"Who's there?" said a muffled voice from inside.
"It's me, Draco," she said.
"Hang on," he shouted to her, and a second later the portrait swung open. "Come on in."
"Thanks. Look, Draco, I really need to talk to you," she uttered.
"I was wondering when I was going to get an explanation," Draco said coolly.
"Look, do you want me to talk to you or not?" she asked him, getting mad. He nodded so she continued. "I'm only moving out because I don't feel comfortable sharing a tower with you. Don't get me wrong, I like you, but I just need to be with my friends," she explained.
"I get it, but Mione I really want you to stay here with me. I love you," he pleaded.
"I love you, too. But I can't live here," she stammered.
"Why? Why can't you stay here with me?" he asked her.
"Because... because..." her voice trailed.
"Hermione, you can tell me anything. Why won't you live here?" he asked calmly.
"Because, Draco. You confuse me!" she shouted.
"I what? I confuse you?" he questioned her in bewilderment. "I'm the one that's confused here."
"Draco, one month you hate me, and a couple months later you tell me that you love me, we make love and we live together? You don't think that can confuse me?" she screamed.
"I know what you mean. You do the same thing to me," he said.
"I- I do?" she asked.
"Yeah. Don't you think it's a little weird for me too? I mean, you couldn't stand me last year, but yesterday..." he said.
"I love you," she said. She walked out of the room slowly after she kissed him on the cheek.
"I love you, too," he whispered as the portrait swung shut.
'Well, I guess I don't have to worry about Lucius hurting her now,' Draco though as he threw his book against the wall. 'Why won't she just tell me the truth?'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lying in her bed, Hermione thought of what had happened earlier in Draco's tower, and what she and Ginny had talked about.
She had told Draco how she felt, but she didn't feel any better. If anything, she felt worse. 'Déjà vu?' she thought. She had recalled when she told Draco about Dan, but she felt worse after talking to him then too.
She remembered telling herself 'No regrets', but she wasn't so sure she meant it. Couldn't she make an exception just this once? She really, really liked Draco. But she didn't want to get involved with him because of his father. She didn't want to meddle in their business and turn them against each other.
Mulling the situation over in her head, she became drowsy and soon drifted off to sleep.
She would have another talk with Draco in the morning...
~ AN ~ Okay... sorry it took so long to update... a whole 4 days!!! I've been pretty busy lately. I'll have the next chap up within the next couple of days... hehehaha... you all have to suffer until I write the rest of the chapters!!! I know what's going to happen!
~ Dangles ~
*~*~* Chapter Six: No Regrets? Can This Be An Exception? *~*~*
During the few spare moments before Professor Snape entered the classroom, Hermione scribbled hastily on a piece of parchment. She examined it, and decided that it was satisfactory.
'To Professor Dumbledore, I would very much like to move back into the Gryffindor Tower. Thank you very much for allowing me to do this. Sincerely, Hermione Granger.'
When she had finished, Snape was demanding that the already quiet class made up of Gryffindors and Slytherins "Be seated and close your mouths".
Hermione couldn't concentrate at all during Potions, and it was evident to Harry and Ron that something was bothering her. She never failed to pay attention. Plus, she was twirling her note to Dumbledore idly between her fingers without noticing it.
"Miss Granger ought to know the answer, as usual, do why doesn't she enlighten us with her vast knowledge?" Snape said, but he received no answer from Hermione, who was deep in thought.
The class whispered all around her, but she took no notice. Ron, Harry, and Neville gaped at her, while Draco merely glanced at her momentarily, with pain in his eyes.
"Miss Granger, I ought to take ten points from Gryffindor for your lack of attention in my class," Snape said slyly with what appeared to be a grin forming on his face.
"Wh - what? I'm sorry, what was the question?" Hermione stammered.
"No matter. There was no question. I suggest you start paying attention as your friends Potter and Weasley are for a change."
She had noticed Draco look at her, and felt sickeningly empty at his expression of sadness.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Herm, what was up with you in Potions?" Ron said in lunch. "You always pay attention in class!"
"Yeah, well, there's a first time for everything," she said with a sigh in return, slightly annoyed.
"Mione, is something wrong?" Harry asked out of concern for his friend.
"Naw... I'm okay," she said, knowing that he knew that something was truly wrong.
"She's sad about HIM. You guys are so blonde! (No offense) Hermione, come with me," Ginny said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her out of the Great Hall.
After they walked for what seemed like forever, Ginny finally swung open a door and dragged Hermione inside the dimly lit room. She recognized this as the Room of Necessity, which they had used two years ago.
"Now," Ginny said quietly, "what is the matter?"
"Well... it's just... I really like Draco, but I don't want to share a tower with him. It's too awkward. But I really feel bad about moving out and hurting him like that," she relayed.
"Mione, if you really like him, you have to tell him," Ginny said.
"I know, but I don't want to hurt him. Can I change the subject? Good," she answered for herself without giving Ginny a second to speak. "So how are things with you and Harry?" she asked.
"We're okay. He's been so sweet to me," Ginny said. "Oh, who am I kidding? It's just not like it used to be, but we're not here to talk about me and Harry."
"Yeah, I know. I just don't want to talk about Draco. Not now, anyway. It's too depressing for me," Hermione confessed.
"Okay, Hermione. But whenever you're ready to talk I'm always here to listen," Ginny told her.
"I know. Thanks," Hermione said with a forced smile.
"I should go. See you later," Ginny said as she left the room.
'God, what am I doing? Draco was the best thing that ever happened to me and- No Hermione. Don't do this to yourself. You can do this. You can move out. No regrets. Okay... I'm ready,' she told herself, and set off to Transfiguration.
"Professor McGonagall? Can you give this to Professor Dumbledore for me? He asked me to give it to you," she informed her teacher.
"Yes, Miss Granger. I'd be glad to," the professor said sweetly. "Thank you, professor," she said and turned to take her seat.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After dinner, Hermione decided that she needed to talk to Draco, so instead of going to the Gryffindor Tower, she walked to the Head Tower.
The old password had been changed for Draco, and she did not know what the new one was, so she knocked.
"Who's there?" said a muffled voice from inside.
"It's me, Draco," she said.
"Hang on," he shouted to her, and a second later the portrait swung open. "Come on in."
"Thanks. Look, Draco, I really need to talk to you," she uttered.
"I was wondering when I was going to get an explanation," Draco said coolly.
"Look, do you want me to talk to you or not?" she asked him, getting mad. He nodded so she continued. "I'm only moving out because I don't feel comfortable sharing a tower with you. Don't get me wrong, I like you, but I just need to be with my friends," she explained.
"I get it, but Mione I really want you to stay here with me. I love you," he pleaded.
"I love you, too. But I can't live here," she stammered.
"Why? Why can't you stay here with me?" he asked her.
"Because... because..." her voice trailed.
"Hermione, you can tell me anything. Why won't you live here?" he asked calmly.
"Because, Draco. You confuse me!" she shouted.
"I what? I confuse you?" he questioned her in bewilderment. "I'm the one that's confused here."
"Draco, one month you hate me, and a couple months later you tell me that you love me, we make love and we live together? You don't think that can confuse me?" she screamed.
"I know what you mean. You do the same thing to me," he said.
"I- I do?" she asked.
"Yeah. Don't you think it's a little weird for me too? I mean, you couldn't stand me last year, but yesterday..." he said.
"I love you," she said. She walked out of the room slowly after she kissed him on the cheek.
"I love you, too," he whispered as the portrait swung shut.
'Well, I guess I don't have to worry about Lucius hurting her now,' Draco though as he threw his book against the wall. 'Why won't she just tell me the truth?'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lying in her bed, Hermione thought of what had happened earlier in Draco's tower, and what she and Ginny had talked about.
She had told Draco how she felt, but she didn't feel any better. If anything, she felt worse. 'Déjà vu?' she thought. She had recalled when she told Draco about Dan, but she felt worse after talking to him then too.
She remembered telling herself 'No regrets', but she wasn't so sure she meant it. Couldn't she make an exception just this once? She really, really liked Draco. But she didn't want to get involved with him because of his father. She didn't want to meddle in their business and turn them against each other.
Mulling the situation over in her head, she became drowsy and soon drifted off to sleep.
She would have another talk with Draco in the morning...
~ AN ~ Okay... sorry it took so long to update... a whole 4 days!!! I've been pretty busy lately. I'll have the next chap up within the next couple of days... hehehaha... you all have to suffer until I write the rest of the chapters!!! I know what's going to happen!
~ Dangles ~