[after dinner]
Harry's POV
Harry burped and he reached up to cover his mouth, but remembered he still held Hermione's small hand in his own. Hermione smiled, amused at expression on his face when he realized that he couldn't cover his mouth.
"Just don't try to kiss me!" She ducked as he swooped down.
"Awww.." Harry laughed. *Hermione is so amazing, I must be the luckiest guy on earth. * Hermione tilted her head against his shoulder, and he kissed her forehead. *I can't believe she ever agreed to go out with me. *
"So? Any plans for the dance?" Harry asked, looking over at Hermione when she remained silent.
"Harry? I need to tell you something," Hermione said softly.
"Hmm?"
"About the ball. You should probably find someone else to go with."
"Why?" Harry questioned suddenly tightening his grip on her palm.
"I can't go with you. Just leave it at that ok?"
"Please tell me." Harry begged.
"You'll understand later ok?"
"I don't get you sometimes, Hermione." Harry released her hand and distanced himself away from her.
"Harry, don't do this."
"Then tell me why."
"Why can't you just trust me?"
"I do trust you, but I want you to tell me why! Don't I at least deserve an explanation?" His eyes had turned in to a slate of emerald green marble, betraying no emotions.
Hermione sighed, she couldn't stand Harry looking at her that way. "I have to go with Malfoy. It's traditional for the Head boy and girl to go together. I didn't want to tell you because I'm afraid of what you might say."
"No f-cking way am I going to let you go with Malfoy!" Harry raged, further tightening his grip on Hermione's fingers.
Hermione's POV
Hermione knew what would happen if she didn't try to calm him down.
"Harry! Stop! You see? That's why I didn't want to tell you!" Hermione threw herself in front of him, causing him to stop and glare her in the eye. "Harry, don't make such a big deal out of it. It's only a stupid dance! Harry! Are you listening to me?" When she realized he wasn't listening to her, she looked up and followed his stony gaze, which landed on Malfoy a few feet ahead.
"That good for nothing son of a bitch!" Harry muttered under his breath.
"Harry! It's not his fault. We have to! Neither of us want to go with each other. I am sure he would prefer going with Pansy or Blaise. Let's go!" Hermione whispered sharply, tugging him back.
"Malfoy!"
Malfoy turned around.
"What seems to be the problem, Potter?" smirked Malfoy.
"I am not letting you take my girlfriend to the ball without my word!" Harry roared.
"Girlfriend? I had rather thought she would have dumped you by the second day!" Malfoy shot, flashing a smile at Hermione.
Right then, Harry took Malfoy by surprise and punched him, knocking him off his feet and sending him sprawling over the cold stone floor. Malfoy looked stunned and wiped his bottom lip tenderly. He winced when he saw the blood on the back of his hand. Harry took this sudden break to his advantage and kicked him right in the stomach.
"Draco!" Hermione gasped.
"Oh so you guys are on first name terms now, huh?" Harry took out his wand and pointed it at Malfoy.
"No! Stop it Harry." Hermione threw herself in front of Draco and drew out her own wand. "You lay one more finger on him and I will jinx you so bad, you won't be able to walk for a week!"
"Hermione..." Harry started to say something but he stopped. He looked from Draco to Hermione, confused and betrayed tears stinging the back of his eyes. He couldn't stand it anymore. Harry ran out of the castle, and he kept on running until he couldn't see anymore because of the tears blurring his vision.
"Harry, I didn't...." was all he heard before the heavy oak doors creaked shut behind him.
Draco's POV
"Draco, I am so sorry," Hermione whispered kneeling down next to him. "I don't know what came over him." She shook her head and muttered a spell, healing the cut on his lip, leaving nothing but a shiny scar.
"Thanks, Gr-Hermione," Draco smiled genuinely for the first time.
"No problem, I couldn't stand having to watch my date getting beaten up. Come on, I'll take you to Madame Pomfrey." Hermione said, smiling back. She helped him get back on his feet.
With his arm draped over Hermoine, he leaned heavily against her as they both worked their way slowly to the infirmary.
"Oh goodness!" Madame Pomfrey sighed as she spotted the two struggling towards the infirmary and hurried over the help Hermione. Together, they placed Draco on a bed.
"Madame Pomfrey!" Hermione exclaimed, "Will he be alright?"
"Of course, he has only slightly bruised his ribcage. He might need to stay overnight, but otherwise, I don't see why he's not."
"I am so sorry, Draco," Hermione leaned in to kiss him lightly on the cheek, and as her hair fell like a curtain around his face, he could smell the sweet peach aroma which was distinctly her's.
"I got to go find Harry." Hermione gasped and ran out the castle.
"Yea, thanks." Draco sighed and leaned back on a pillow.
Hermione's POV
Hermione ran outside, the wind whipping her hair around wildly. She looked everywhere: the quidditch pitch, Hagrid's cottage, the lake, and the fountain. Finally she found him under a willow tree. His back was to her, but even in the dark, she could tell he was crying.
Harry's hair was sticking up in a million directions and his robe was all wrinkled up. He was twirling a leaf in his hands, with his head resting on his knees. Hermione couldn't bear watching him so sad like that. She walked to the tree and took a seat next to him.
"Harry..."
Harry looked up at her with tear-stained eyes.
"Hermione, how...why are you going to the ball with him? Why did you stand up for him? After all those things he did to you, calling you Mudblood, and constantly annoying you. You still chose his side over mine."
"Harry, we have too, didn't I explain to you before? It's my duty. Don't you want me to keep my position as head girl? Besides, I don't want you to get expelled over something silly like fighting with Dr-Malfoy."
Harry nodded, taking her hand. "You understand that I want you to be happy, more than anything else, don't you?"
Hermione sighed. "Come on, Harry. It's not like it's the end of world, I only have to show up with him, dance with him a couple of times. Then we can spend the rest of the time together, ok? Look, ask someone else to the ball, and have fun."
"No, I'll go by myself. I don't want to go with anyone else but you." Harry cupped her face in his calloused hands and looked straight into Hermione's eyes. "I love you, Hermione."
"I....I gotta go. I'm sorry Harry." Hermione ran back to the castle, leaving a remorseful looking Harry behind.
Harry's POV
Harry burped and he reached up to cover his mouth, but remembered he still held Hermione's small hand in his own. Hermione smiled, amused at expression on his face when he realized that he couldn't cover his mouth.
"Just don't try to kiss me!" She ducked as he swooped down.
"Awww.." Harry laughed. *Hermione is so amazing, I must be the luckiest guy on earth. * Hermione tilted her head against his shoulder, and he kissed her forehead. *I can't believe she ever agreed to go out with me. *
"So? Any plans for the dance?" Harry asked, looking over at Hermione when she remained silent.
"Harry? I need to tell you something," Hermione said softly.
"Hmm?"
"About the ball. You should probably find someone else to go with."
"Why?" Harry questioned suddenly tightening his grip on her palm.
"I can't go with you. Just leave it at that ok?"
"Please tell me." Harry begged.
"You'll understand later ok?"
"I don't get you sometimes, Hermione." Harry released her hand and distanced himself away from her.
"Harry, don't do this."
"Then tell me why."
"Why can't you just trust me?"
"I do trust you, but I want you to tell me why! Don't I at least deserve an explanation?" His eyes had turned in to a slate of emerald green marble, betraying no emotions.
Hermione sighed, she couldn't stand Harry looking at her that way. "I have to go with Malfoy. It's traditional for the Head boy and girl to go together. I didn't want to tell you because I'm afraid of what you might say."
"No f-cking way am I going to let you go with Malfoy!" Harry raged, further tightening his grip on Hermione's fingers.
Hermione's POV
Hermione knew what would happen if she didn't try to calm him down.
"Harry! Stop! You see? That's why I didn't want to tell you!" Hermione threw herself in front of him, causing him to stop and glare her in the eye. "Harry, don't make such a big deal out of it. It's only a stupid dance! Harry! Are you listening to me?" When she realized he wasn't listening to her, she looked up and followed his stony gaze, which landed on Malfoy a few feet ahead.
"That good for nothing son of a bitch!" Harry muttered under his breath.
"Harry! It's not his fault. We have to! Neither of us want to go with each other. I am sure he would prefer going with Pansy or Blaise. Let's go!" Hermione whispered sharply, tugging him back.
"Malfoy!"
Malfoy turned around.
"What seems to be the problem, Potter?" smirked Malfoy.
"I am not letting you take my girlfriend to the ball without my word!" Harry roared.
"Girlfriend? I had rather thought she would have dumped you by the second day!" Malfoy shot, flashing a smile at Hermione.
Right then, Harry took Malfoy by surprise and punched him, knocking him off his feet and sending him sprawling over the cold stone floor. Malfoy looked stunned and wiped his bottom lip tenderly. He winced when he saw the blood on the back of his hand. Harry took this sudden break to his advantage and kicked him right in the stomach.
"Draco!" Hermione gasped.
"Oh so you guys are on first name terms now, huh?" Harry took out his wand and pointed it at Malfoy.
"No! Stop it Harry." Hermione threw herself in front of Draco and drew out her own wand. "You lay one more finger on him and I will jinx you so bad, you won't be able to walk for a week!"
"Hermione..." Harry started to say something but he stopped. He looked from Draco to Hermione, confused and betrayed tears stinging the back of his eyes. He couldn't stand it anymore. Harry ran out of the castle, and he kept on running until he couldn't see anymore because of the tears blurring his vision.
"Harry, I didn't...." was all he heard before the heavy oak doors creaked shut behind him.
Draco's POV
"Draco, I am so sorry," Hermione whispered kneeling down next to him. "I don't know what came over him." She shook her head and muttered a spell, healing the cut on his lip, leaving nothing but a shiny scar.
"Thanks, Gr-Hermione," Draco smiled genuinely for the first time.
"No problem, I couldn't stand having to watch my date getting beaten up. Come on, I'll take you to Madame Pomfrey." Hermione said, smiling back. She helped him get back on his feet.
With his arm draped over Hermoine, he leaned heavily against her as they both worked their way slowly to the infirmary.
"Oh goodness!" Madame Pomfrey sighed as she spotted the two struggling towards the infirmary and hurried over the help Hermione. Together, they placed Draco on a bed.
"Madame Pomfrey!" Hermione exclaimed, "Will he be alright?"
"Of course, he has only slightly bruised his ribcage. He might need to stay overnight, but otherwise, I don't see why he's not."
"I am so sorry, Draco," Hermione leaned in to kiss him lightly on the cheek, and as her hair fell like a curtain around his face, he could smell the sweet peach aroma which was distinctly her's.
"I got to go find Harry." Hermione gasped and ran out the castle.
"Yea, thanks." Draco sighed and leaned back on a pillow.
Hermione's POV
Hermione ran outside, the wind whipping her hair around wildly. She looked everywhere: the quidditch pitch, Hagrid's cottage, the lake, and the fountain. Finally she found him under a willow tree. His back was to her, but even in the dark, she could tell he was crying.
Harry's hair was sticking up in a million directions and his robe was all wrinkled up. He was twirling a leaf in his hands, with his head resting on his knees. Hermione couldn't bear watching him so sad like that. She walked to the tree and took a seat next to him.
"Harry..."
Harry looked up at her with tear-stained eyes.
"Hermione, how...why are you going to the ball with him? Why did you stand up for him? After all those things he did to you, calling you Mudblood, and constantly annoying you. You still chose his side over mine."
"Harry, we have too, didn't I explain to you before? It's my duty. Don't you want me to keep my position as head girl? Besides, I don't want you to get expelled over something silly like fighting with Dr-Malfoy."
Harry nodded, taking her hand. "You understand that I want you to be happy, more than anything else, don't you?"
Hermione sighed. "Come on, Harry. It's not like it's the end of world, I only have to show up with him, dance with him a couple of times. Then we can spend the rest of the time together, ok? Look, ask someone else to the ball, and have fun."
"No, I'll go by myself. I don't want to go with anyone else but you." Harry cupped her face in his calloused hands and looked straight into Hermione's eyes. "I love you, Hermione."
"I....I gotta go. I'm sorry Harry." Hermione ran back to the castle, leaving a remorseful looking Harry behind.