Draco frowned, looking at himself in the mirror, or, actually, he was
gazing at the appearance of Gregory Wallace. Draco groaned at the thought
of the name, how he despised it. Why did it have to be GREGORY WALLACE?
Why couldn't it be.Drexel something? Drexel was an awesome name. Gregory
Wallace was none too appealing, Draco frowned as he ran his hand along the
ugly tweed suit he was forced to wear. Oh how he dreaded this job.
***
"Harry," Cho said, looking at him from across the small coffee table. She had no clue how to begin.
"Yes?" he asked, looking up from the frappucino he had ordered.
"Well, I don't know exactly how to say this, but." Cho looked nervously at her hands, which were holding the coffee cup in a death grip. She looked up at Harry to see if he showed any signs of impatience, but he didn't, for which Cho was extremely grateful. In a sudden burst of strength she hurriedly said what she had been meaning to, "I've always been so sorry for what I put you through in the fifth year," Cho looked at Harry, noticed that he looked on the verge of protesting, and plunged on. "I know that you want to say that I didn't put you through anything, but I know I did and I'd rather not hear you lie like that."
Harry's eyes bulged, surprised at the firmness in Cho's voice.
Cho continued, staring down at her coffee, "Since then I've been so ashamed that I haven't been able to speak to you. I've been so sorry, and I haven't been able to tell you. Pride is an awful thing, Harry, never ever let it get the best of you."
"Cho," Harry said softly, unsure what to say.
"Harry, please, I just wanted you to know that I never meant what I said when I said that you weren't the one for me. I was scared, scared for how I felt for you. I tried to tell myself there were no feelings there, but there were, and I'm so sorry for ruining them."
"Cho, I don't want to sound too blunt, but why are you telling me this now?"
Cho looked up at him, and he immediately regretted his words. Harry could see the water welling up in her eyes and was immediately reminded of what had frustrated him so much about Cho during his fifth year.
"Do you not understand?" she asked quietly, still gazing deeply into her cup of coffee.
Harry thought for a moment, and decided to word his next comment quite carefully. "Do.do you want to start dating again. Well, again might not be the right word..but, Cho, I'm so sorry but if that's what you want, then I can't help you."
"I.I." Cho stammered, unsure what to say. Harry had hit her hard in the heart; he had understood her and denied her one wish. How could she respond to that? "Harry," she said, looking up for the first time from her coffee. "That is what I want, and if you can't do that then it's fine. Can you at least tell me why?"
Now it was Harry's turn to stammer. He coughed a couple times to have an excuse to look away from Cho's imploring eyes. His eyes roamed to his coffee cup and he found himself following the edges of it. "I'm kind of seeing someone else," he finally said, in a voice just slightly louder than a whisper.
"Oh," Cho said, obviously not suspecting such an answer. "Oh," she said again. Harry could hear rustling sounds as she put her coat on. "Well, Harry," she said. Harry still did not look up at her. "I guess I must be going, and I hope you realize that my apology was earnest in everyway. Goodbye." Harry heard her footsteps retreat and leave the coffee cup. He let out a breath and finally looked up.
***
By the end of the day Hermione was completely tired. She had been, in lack of a better word to say, adopted as the new coffee-fetcher in the Daily Prophet office. Nervous to refuse to run these errands in case it would cost Hermione her job, she had wasted her whole job pouring cups of coffee for her superiors.
Hermione briefly thought about how embarrassing it would be if Harry or Ron could see her failing at something she excelled in. "Ron!" she whispered, instantly remembering he was in a coma and once again realizing the dilemma upon which she was now sitting. To go see Ron or not to go? That was the question.
"Night," Hermione muttered as she walked by her boss' chair on the way out.
"Hey," Mrs. Johnson, Hermione's boss, said. Hermione turned around. "Have you taken crap from people before?"
Hermione almost smiled, almost. "On occasion," she answered.
"Don't," Mrs. Johnson said bluntly before bending her head back over the piece of parchment she was working on.
Hermione nodded and kept walking, finding it unnecessary to respond to such a random order.
The outside air was cold, she pulled her cloak tighter around her body as she strode down the street; her apartment was only a block away. The night air was crisp. Her cloak whipped around her ankles as she walked forward quickly, wishing herself to her home quicker. Why didn't she apparate? She usually loved a good refreshing walk at night, but the air was too cold for her to enjoy it.
Finally she reached her apartment building, for a moment her heart dropped while she was searching for her keys. Where were they? After several minutes of shivering and trying to find them, she finally found them at the very bottom of her purse (purses were something she always loved, despite constant teasing from her friends).
The minute she got inside she dropped her purse on the ground and flicked on the light. She began to walk over to her bed, ready to drop in immediately, when she took in the appearance of her apartment.
Hermione was a clean freak, so on most occasions her apartment was immaculate. Today, however, was a different story. Clothes were strewn in every which direction, and her multiple books were thrown all over the floor. Hermione gasped as her eyes swept over the room that didn't resemble whatsoever the home she had left that morning.
"What?" she whispered as she began cleaning up unconsciously. "Who could have done this?" Hermione was confused, and had no clue what to do other than clean. So she did. She spent the rest of the night cleaning and rearranging her torpedoed apartment.
The phone rang at two-o-clock that morning. Hermione had been dozing on the coach, and she jolted awake. "Hello?" she said groggily after finding the phone underneath a heap of curtains.
"Hermione?" the voice at the other end was very familiar, and it sounded quite frantic.
"It's her."
The voice was all of the sudden angry. "Hermione, why haven't you come yet? It's been two days, or a day, I don't know. But Ron's in a coma and that's all that matters. Why don't you just put your pettiness aside and come visit your old best friend? He might die and never know you were sorry. That would be so horrific."
"Ginny?" Hermione said in a gasp of realization.
"Yes, who did you think it was? Santa Claus?"
"No." Hermione sat down onto her couch.
"Hello, it's Ginny."
"Hi."
"Come now. That's not a request, that's a demand. For all I know Ron is on his death bed and it seems like you don't care a bit."
"I do care," Hermione said in the most convincing voice she could summon. "It's just."
"It's just that you don't."
"Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed exasperatedly. "You're not even giving me a chance to explain!"
"Expain what? That you don't care at all? Yeah, I don't except that."
"No!" Hermione said forcefully. She could hear Ginny's quick intake of breath. "That is not it," she continued loudly. "I do want to come see Ron, no matter what we went through so many years ago, but it's not a good time."
"Right don't you tell Ron that? Oh, sorry, he's in a coma!"
Hermione sighed, unsure of how to say what she needed to say.
"I guess this was a bad idea, bye," Ginny hung up the phone.
***
A couple days later.
Hermione walked purposefully towards the lift in the Ministry of Magic. She had been sent here on none other than.an errand, although this errand was slightly more important than pouring coffee for her co-workers.
She got inside the lift and looked at the buttons, and she clicked the one with 'muggle' beside it. The lift clattered and began moving downwards. Hermione closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. She didn't allow herself to think, because when she did the first thing that entered her mind was Ron, and she didn't want that.
Hermione felt the lift stop and opened her eyes to see how come, it didn't seem like the lift had traveled long enough to reach the muggle level. A man nodded at her as he entered and pushed a button to a level lower than Hermione's.
She glanced over at him casually, and caught him pulling at his tweed as if it was extremely uncomfortable.
"You okay?" she asked as he continued to adjust his clothing. He glanced over at her, surprised to hear her talking.
"Umm." he glanced around the lift, as if looking for the person she was talking to. Hermione laughed for the first time in awhile.
"Oh, well, um," he coughed, bending his down. "These aren't the most comfortable clothes."
"Are you new? I haven't seen you around before," Hermione asked.
"Yes, I am," he said in a kind of relief that they had changed the subject.
"What's your name?"
"Well, um, it's Gregory Wallace."
"Rather common name."
"I get that a lot. What's your name?"
"Hermione Granger." She was watching Gregory Wallace's face, and she noticed it contort for a few seconds before returning to normal.
"Granger?" he coughed out.
"You have something wrong with me?" she asked, suddenly becoming defensive.
"No, no," he said quickly, putting his palms as a sign of defeat. "Not at all, it's just that name sounds familiar somehow."
"Did you go to Hogwarts?"
Draco (Gregory Wallace) was unsure how to respond. Luckily it was Hermione's level and they said their goodbyes before she stepped off.
"Hermione Granger," he whispered to himself as the door closed behind her. "You've become quite the picture haven't you? In our years at Hogwarts Pansy outshone you, now it's your time to shine isn't it?"
***
"Hey," Harry said, bending over and kissing a wearied Ginny's forehead. She looked up at him and smiled.
"Hey, I knew you'd come."
"Is Hermione here yet?" he asked, looking around although he already knew she wasn't.
Ginny shook her head.
"Is she going to come?"
"I don't know," Ginny said sadly. "I just don't know. I called her last night and she sounded like she wanted to come, but she kept making excuses."
Harry nodded. "Could I have a moment please?" he asked.
Ginny nodded and was about to leave when she turned back around to Harry. "Harry," she said, gazing into his bright green eyes, "I love you."
Harry smiled broadly. "I love you too, honey. Talk to you later?"
Ginny nodded and left the room.
Harry turned around and gazed at his best friend, or his former best friend.
"Ron," he began, but his voice cracked. "I've been meaning to tell you that I fancy your sister. Well, more than fancy actually. We've been dating for awhile now, but we've been going behind your back because we didn't want to upset you. Actually, I just didn't want to talk to you face to face. I've been so petty, and I can't believe we let our friendship fall through the cracks like we did. It wasn't good and I hate myself everyday for it. Please, Ron, don't die so I can at least apologize to the face I know and not this coma face."
Harry felt tears on the edge of his eyes, so he quickly said goodbye and left the room.
"You okay?" Ginny asked, rushing over to him.
Harry nodded, still fighting back the tears.
"He's sorry too," Ginny said.
"Did you." Harry asked angrily, turning towards her.
"No, but I know why you wanted to be alone."
Harry nodded.
"How do you know he was sorry?" he asked.
"He never really told me, but I could tell."
Harry accepted this and turned towards her.
"You're a girl in a million, Ginny. You know, Cho tried to get back together with me today."
A/N..SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG!!!!! I'm finally getting around to the plot, I'm so proud of myself! I know, it's the fourth chapter and I still haven't gotten around to it. I'm sorry. Please review, because if you do I'll love you eternally. I really and truly want to know what you guys think of my story thus far. Thanks.
***
"Harry," Cho said, looking at him from across the small coffee table. She had no clue how to begin.
"Yes?" he asked, looking up from the frappucino he had ordered.
"Well, I don't know exactly how to say this, but." Cho looked nervously at her hands, which were holding the coffee cup in a death grip. She looked up at Harry to see if he showed any signs of impatience, but he didn't, for which Cho was extremely grateful. In a sudden burst of strength she hurriedly said what she had been meaning to, "I've always been so sorry for what I put you through in the fifth year," Cho looked at Harry, noticed that he looked on the verge of protesting, and plunged on. "I know that you want to say that I didn't put you through anything, but I know I did and I'd rather not hear you lie like that."
Harry's eyes bulged, surprised at the firmness in Cho's voice.
Cho continued, staring down at her coffee, "Since then I've been so ashamed that I haven't been able to speak to you. I've been so sorry, and I haven't been able to tell you. Pride is an awful thing, Harry, never ever let it get the best of you."
"Cho," Harry said softly, unsure what to say.
"Harry, please, I just wanted you to know that I never meant what I said when I said that you weren't the one for me. I was scared, scared for how I felt for you. I tried to tell myself there were no feelings there, but there were, and I'm so sorry for ruining them."
"Cho, I don't want to sound too blunt, but why are you telling me this now?"
Cho looked up at him, and he immediately regretted his words. Harry could see the water welling up in her eyes and was immediately reminded of what had frustrated him so much about Cho during his fifth year.
"Do you not understand?" she asked quietly, still gazing deeply into her cup of coffee.
Harry thought for a moment, and decided to word his next comment quite carefully. "Do.do you want to start dating again. Well, again might not be the right word..but, Cho, I'm so sorry but if that's what you want, then I can't help you."
"I.I." Cho stammered, unsure what to say. Harry had hit her hard in the heart; he had understood her and denied her one wish. How could she respond to that? "Harry," she said, looking up for the first time from her coffee. "That is what I want, and if you can't do that then it's fine. Can you at least tell me why?"
Now it was Harry's turn to stammer. He coughed a couple times to have an excuse to look away from Cho's imploring eyes. His eyes roamed to his coffee cup and he found himself following the edges of it. "I'm kind of seeing someone else," he finally said, in a voice just slightly louder than a whisper.
"Oh," Cho said, obviously not suspecting such an answer. "Oh," she said again. Harry could hear rustling sounds as she put her coat on. "Well, Harry," she said. Harry still did not look up at her. "I guess I must be going, and I hope you realize that my apology was earnest in everyway. Goodbye." Harry heard her footsteps retreat and leave the coffee cup. He let out a breath and finally looked up.
***
By the end of the day Hermione was completely tired. She had been, in lack of a better word to say, adopted as the new coffee-fetcher in the Daily Prophet office. Nervous to refuse to run these errands in case it would cost Hermione her job, she had wasted her whole job pouring cups of coffee for her superiors.
Hermione briefly thought about how embarrassing it would be if Harry or Ron could see her failing at something she excelled in. "Ron!" she whispered, instantly remembering he was in a coma and once again realizing the dilemma upon which she was now sitting. To go see Ron or not to go? That was the question.
"Night," Hermione muttered as she walked by her boss' chair on the way out.
"Hey," Mrs. Johnson, Hermione's boss, said. Hermione turned around. "Have you taken crap from people before?"
Hermione almost smiled, almost. "On occasion," she answered.
"Don't," Mrs. Johnson said bluntly before bending her head back over the piece of parchment she was working on.
Hermione nodded and kept walking, finding it unnecessary to respond to such a random order.
The outside air was cold, she pulled her cloak tighter around her body as she strode down the street; her apartment was only a block away. The night air was crisp. Her cloak whipped around her ankles as she walked forward quickly, wishing herself to her home quicker. Why didn't she apparate? She usually loved a good refreshing walk at night, but the air was too cold for her to enjoy it.
Finally she reached her apartment building, for a moment her heart dropped while she was searching for her keys. Where were they? After several minutes of shivering and trying to find them, she finally found them at the very bottom of her purse (purses were something she always loved, despite constant teasing from her friends).
The minute she got inside she dropped her purse on the ground and flicked on the light. She began to walk over to her bed, ready to drop in immediately, when she took in the appearance of her apartment.
Hermione was a clean freak, so on most occasions her apartment was immaculate. Today, however, was a different story. Clothes were strewn in every which direction, and her multiple books were thrown all over the floor. Hermione gasped as her eyes swept over the room that didn't resemble whatsoever the home she had left that morning.
"What?" she whispered as she began cleaning up unconsciously. "Who could have done this?" Hermione was confused, and had no clue what to do other than clean. So she did. She spent the rest of the night cleaning and rearranging her torpedoed apartment.
The phone rang at two-o-clock that morning. Hermione had been dozing on the coach, and she jolted awake. "Hello?" she said groggily after finding the phone underneath a heap of curtains.
"Hermione?" the voice at the other end was very familiar, and it sounded quite frantic.
"It's her."
The voice was all of the sudden angry. "Hermione, why haven't you come yet? It's been two days, or a day, I don't know. But Ron's in a coma and that's all that matters. Why don't you just put your pettiness aside and come visit your old best friend? He might die and never know you were sorry. That would be so horrific."
"Ginny?" Hermione said in a gasp of realization.
"Yes, who did you think it was? Santa Claus?"
"No." Hermione sat down onto her couch.
"Hello, it's Ginny."
"Hi."
"Come now. That's not a request, that's a demand. For all I know Ron is on his death bed and it seems like you don't care a bit."
"I do care," Hermione said in the most convincing voice she could summon. "It's just."
"It's just that you don't."
"Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed exasperatedly. "You're not even giving me a chance to explain!"
"Expain what? That you don't care at all? Yeah, I don't except that."
"No!" Hermione said forcefully. She could hear Ginny's quick intake of breath. "That is not it," she continued loudly. "I do want to come see Ron, no matter what we went through so many years ago, but it's not a good time."
"Right don't you tell Ron that? Oh, sorry, he's in a coma!"
Hermione sighed, unsure of how to say what she needed to say.
"I guess this was a bad idea, bye," Ginny hung up the phone.
***
A couple days later.
Hermione walked purposefully towards the lift in the Ministry of Magic. She had been sent here on none other than.an errand, although this errand was slightly more important than pouring coffee for her co-workers.
She got inside the lift and looked at the buttons, and she clicked the one with 'muggle' beside it. The lift clattered and began moving downwards. Hermione closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. She didn't allow herself to think, because when she did the first thing that entered her mind was Ron, and she didn't want that.
Hermione felt the lift stop and opened her eyes to see how come, it didn't seem like the lift had traveled long enough to reach the muggle level. A man nodded at her as he entered and pushed a button to a level lower than Hermione's.
She glanced over at him casually, and caught him pulling at his tweed as if it was extremely uncomfortable.
"You okay?" she asked as he continued to adjust his clothing. He glanced over at her, surprised to hear her talking.
"Umm." he glanced around the lift, as if looking for the person she was talking to. Hermione laughed for the first time in awhile.
"Oh, well, um," he coughed, bending his down. "These aren't the most comfortable clothes."
"Are you new? I haven't seen you around before," Hermione asked.
"Yes, I am," he said in a kind of relief that they had changed the subject.
"What's your name?"
"Well, um, it's Gregory Wallace."
"Rather common name."
"I get that a lot. What's your name?"
"Hermione Granger." She was watching Gregory Wallace's face, and she noticed it contort for a few seconds before returning to normal.
"Granger?" he coughed out.
"You have something wrong with me?" she asked, suddenly becoming defensive.
"No, no," he said quickly, putting his palms as a sign of defeat. "Not at all, it's just that name sounds familiar somehow."
"Did you go to Hogwarts?"
Draco (Gregory Wallace) was unsure how to respond. Luckily it was Hermione's level and they said their goodbyes before she stepped off.
"Hermione Granger," he whispered to himself as the door closed behind her. "You've become quite the picture haven't you? In our years at Hogwarts Pansy outshone you, now it's your time to shine isn't it?"
***
"Hey," Harry said, bending over and kissing a wearied Ginny's forehead. She looked up at him and smiled.
"Hey, I knew you'd come."
"Is Hermione here yet?" he asked, looking around although he already knew she wasn't.
Ginny shook her head.
"Is she going to come?"
"I don't know," Ginny said sadly. "I just don't know. I called her last night and she sounded like she wanted to come, but she kept making excuses."
Harry nodded. "Could I have a moment please?" he asked.
Ginny nodded and was about to leave when she turned back around to Harry. "Harry," she said, gazing into his bright green eyes, "I love you."
Harry smiled broadly. "I love you too, honey. Talk to you later?"
Ginny nodded and left the room.
Harry turned around and gazed at his best friend, or his former best friend.
"Ron," he began, but his voice cracked. "I've been meaning to tell you that I fancy your sister. Well, more than fancy actually. We've been dating for awhile now, but we've been going behind your back because we didn't want to upset you. Actually, I just didn't want to talk to you face to face. I've been so petty, and I can't believe we let our friendship fall through the cracks like we did. It wasn't good and I hate myself everyday for it. Please, Ron, don't die so I can at least apologize to the face I know and not this coma face."
Harry felt tears on the edge of his eyes, so he quickly said goodbye and left the room.
"You okay?" Ginny asked, rushing over to him.
Harry nodded, still fighting back the tears.
"He's sorry too," Ginny said.
"Did you." Harry asked angrily, turning towards her.
"No, but I know why you wanted to be alone."
Harry nodded.
"How do you know he was sorry?" he asked.
"He never really told me, but I could tell."
Harry accepted this and turned towards her.
"You're a girl in a million, Ginny. You know, Cho tried to get back together with me today."
A/N..SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG!!!!! I'm finally getting around to the plot, I'm so proud of myself! I know, it's the fourth chapter and I still haven't gotten around to it. I'm sorry. Please review, because if you do I'll love you eternally. I really and truly want to know what you guys think of my story thus far. Thanks.