Sorry for the lack in updating! My whole life's been turned upside down, and in the midst of it all I forgot about this little thing :-P lol, well, here you go, and once again I'm sorry! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed :)
Legalness - Not mine, not mine, they're hers!
*****************************
Draco waited for her at the portrait hole, anticipating the fun they'd have that night. He'd asked for extra sweets from home, grinning at the memory of his father's query as to who the special lady was. Damn, where was she? He must have been there at least an hour. A dull pain began in his feet, and sighing angrily, he sat down against the cold wall.
After what seemed like a millenia, the portrait swung open and he jumped to his feet. Her sobbing could be faintly heard, and he groped for her hand in the darkness, clutching it and running to the room. This time it seemed ages to get there, but when they sat down on the bed Hermione began sobbing so hard she shook violently.
"Hermione! What's wrong?!" he asked frantically, not wanting to hear another sob from this girl. Her enormous doe eyes stared at him, full of tears.
"Harry...Harry says he..." she choked up and began weeping harder.
"Shhh, calm down, it's okay. Don't have a heart attack." He gently tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.
"He says...he can't lie to Ron, and, and if I don't end this...this...thing with you, he refuses to..." she howled in anguish and he hugged her tightly. "He won't be my friend anymore!" she said it with another heaving sob and buried her head in his shoulder.
Well, here it comes. She'd have to choose. Draco had figured the bastard would come to his senses and refuse to keep Hermione's secret, but he didn't expect it to be so soon. He gently picked her up and cradled her in his arms. This sweet and mushy stuff was coming easier now, and he no longer thought twice about the little things.
"It's okay, Hermione. A person who'd make you choose like that is not a friend."
"But we've been so close, and just...how could he do this?"
Draco thought. "I think he's probably torn between loyalties to you and Ron. Generally males stick with males, and you know that of course they both utterly loathe me, so they find you alien now." He was surprised at his own insight.
"I..." Hermione sniffed. Then she pushed him away and stood up angrily. "I've got to go."
He felt as if he'd been stabbed. "Why?!"
"I'm...I don't know. I'm confused. I have to go." she repeated and at this a new wave of tears cascaded down her flushed face. She whirled around and disappeared through the wall.
Draco cursed and glared at the wall. WIth a seething heart, he threw the box of sweets crashing to the ground. The rose resting atop it fell too, and he crushed it with his heel on the way out.
**************
Three days passed. When Draco saw Hermione at breakfast, her face was bright red from fresh tears, and she sat slightly apart from the rest of the Gryffindors, eating fast and silently. Anytime anyone saw her, her eyes were blank, the spark gone, and her cheeks lost their cheerful flush. When questioned by other Gryffindors, she faked a smile and assured them she was fine.
Draco tried sending her letters, and calling to her in the halls, but all was in vain. She ignored him as she did everyone else, and soon he became upset too, going more blank than a sheet of paper. Gryffindors and Slytherins alike wondered what was up with their two smartest peers. Gossip ran from Hermione being upset over Harry's lecherousness to Draco's family issues, but no one (save for a bespectacled, green eyed wizard and his Slytherin lady of the week) guessed that it might be because of each other.
One night in the common room after everyone had come to bed, Harry noticed a figure out of the corner of his eye. It was Hermione, eyes slightly red, in her nightgown, staring at him determinedly.
"Care to tell me your decision?"
"You're a prick."
Harry ignored that comment. "Are you and Draco off?"
"No."
"Then Ron's going to have to know."
"Fine. I don't care any more. Every day goes by and I miss him. I miss him something terrible. I need him. If you guys can't get over this childish hatred, then I'm sorry. I trust Draco. I'm sorry you and Ron don't and I'm sorry Ron will be so hurt, but I can't help my own heart, you know. Harry, we've been friends for years. I know this is something that's going to be...er...a little hard to get used to..."
"Hah! That's the understatement of the century!"
Her eyes narrowed at him. "If you're going to end this friendship, then end it. I'm sorry and I wish you well. If you're that bull-headed, why would I want you as a friend anyway?"
"You are sleeping with one of my mortal enemies, Hermione!" Harry stood up, staring at her incredulously. "Don't you see what's FUCKED UP ABOUT THAT?!"
"Don't raise your voice at me, Harry, I got enough of that a few days ago."
"DON'T BOSS ME AROUND! YOU ARE EVERYTHING TO MY BEST FRIEND! WE COULD HAVE ALL BEEN A FAMILY! YOU'RE SCREWING THINGS UP!"
"So what, you're mad at me because I don't fit into YOUR plan? I'm sorry. That's completely and utterly insane." She started to head for the portrait hole.
"And where are you going?"
She turned, eyes sparking flames at him. "Where do you think?"
Harry kicked the chair as he watched her curls bounce out into the hallway.
******************************************
Draco lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. A sigh escaped him, and he reached for his wand to extinguish the chandelier. At that moment, a knock resounded on his door.
"I don't want to talk."
"I think you do." he heard a whisper. It was her. His heart leapt into his throat and he all but fell out of bed to get to the door.
Hermione stood there, in a short white nightie, her eyes swollen with tears.
"Hermione..." he breathed. She bit her lip against a sob and fell into his arms.
"I don't care anymore!" she cried into his chest. "I don't care, I don't. I want you, I want to hold you, I want to kiss you and-"
"Ssssh..." he stroked her hair. "I know." He brought her face up with his fingertips to look at him. He smiled tenderly at her. "I know."
***************************
Harry stood above Ron, who was half asleep.
"Ron."
"Ughnn..."
"Ron."
"Rrrr...what?" the redhead yawned groggily and sat up.
"We need to talk."
"About what?"
"I think there's something you should know."
Legalness - Not mine, not mine, they're hers!
*****************************
Draco waited for her at the portrait hole, anticipating the fun they'd have that night. He'd asked for extra sweets from home, grinning at the memory of his father's query as to who the special lady was. Damn, where was she? He must have been there at least an hour. A dull pain began in his feet, and sighing angrily, he sat down against the cold wall.
After what seemed like a millenia, the portrait swung open and he jumped to his feet. Her sobbing could be faintly heard, and he groped for her hand in the darkness, clutching it and running to the room. This time it seemed ages to get there, but when they sat down on the bed Hermione began sobbing so hard she shook violently.
"Hermione! What's wrong?!" he asked frantically, not wanting to hear another sob from this girl. Her enormous doe eyes stared at him, full of tears.
"Harry...Harry says he..." she choked up and began weeping harder.
"Shhh, calm down, it's okay. Don't have a heart attack." He gently tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.
"He says...he can't lie to Ron, and, and if I don't end this...this...thing with you, he refuses to..." she howled in anguish and he hugged her tightly. "He won't be my friend anymore!" she said it with another heaving sob and buried her head in his shoulder.
Well, here it comes. She'd have to choose. Draco had figured the bastard would come to his senses and refuse to keep Hermione's secret, but he didn't expect it to be so soon. He gently picked her up and cradled her in his arms. This sweet and mushy stuff was coming easier now, and he no longer thought twice about the little things.
"It's okay, Hermione. A person who'd make you choose like that is not a friend."
"But we've been so close, and just...how could he do this?"
Draco thought. "I think he's probably torn between loyalties to you and Ron. Generally males stick with males, and you know that of course they both utterly loathe me, so they find you alien now." He was surprised at his own insight.
"I..." Hermione sniffed. Then she pushed him away and stood up angrily. "I've got to go."
He felt as if he'd been stabbed. "Why?!"
"I'm...I don't know. I'm confused. I have to go." she repeated and at this a new wave of tears cascaded down her flushed face. She whirled around and disappeared through the wall.
Draco cursed and glared at the wall. WIth a seething heart, he threw the box of sweets crashing to the ground. The rose resting atop it fell too, and he crushed it with his heel on the way out.
**************
Three days passed. When Draco saw Hermione at breakfast, her face was bright red from fresh tears, and she sat slightly apart from the rest of the Gryffindors, eating fast and silently. Anytime anyone saw her, her eyes were blank, the spark gone, and her cheeks lost their cheerful flush. When questioned by other Gryffindors, she faked a smile and assured them she was fine.
Draco tried sending her letters, and calling to her in the halls, but all was in vain. She ignored him as she did everyone else, and soon he became upset too, going more blank than a sheet of paper. Gryffindors and Slytherins alike wondered what was up with their two smartest peers. Gossip ran from Hermione being upset over Harry's lecherousness to Draco's family issues, but no one (save for a bespectacled, green eyed wizard and his Slytherin lady of the week) guessed that it might be because of each other.
One night in the common room after everyone had come to bed, Harry noticed a figure out of the corner of his eye. It was Hermione, eyes slightly red, in her nightgown, staring at him determinedly.
"Care to tell me your decision?"
"You're a prick."
Harry ignored that comment. "Are you and Draco off?"
"No."
"Then Ron's going to have to know."
"Fine. I don't care any more. Every day goes by and I miss him. I miss him something terrible. I need him. If you guys can't get over this childish hatred, then I'm sorry. I trust Draco. I'm sorry you and Ron don't and I'm sorry Ron will be so hurt, but I can't help my own heart, you know. Harry, we've been friends for years. I know this is something that's going to be...er...a little hard to get used to..."
"Hah! That's the understatement of the century!"
Her eyes narrowed at him. "If you're going to end this friendship, then end it. I'm sorry and I wish you well. If you're that bull-headed, why would I want you as a friend anyway?"
"You are sleeping with one of my mortal enemies, Hermione!" Harry stood up, staring at her incredulously. "Don't you see what's FUCKED UP ABOUT THAT?!"
"Don't raise your voice at me, Harry, I got enough of that a few days ago."
"DON'T BOSS ME AROUND! YOU ARE EVERYTHING TO MY BEST FRIEND! WE COULD HAVE ALL BEEN A FAMILY! YOU'RE SCREWING THINGS UP!"
"So what, you're mad at me because I don't fit into YOUR plan? I'm sorry. That's completely and utterly insane." She started to head for the portrait hole.
"And where are you going?"
She turned, eyes sparking flames at him. "Where do you think?"
Harry kicked the chair as he watched her curls bounce out into the hallway.
******************************************
Draco lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. A sigh escaped him, and he reached for his wand to extinguish the chandelier. At that moment, a knock resounded on his door.
"I don't want to talk."
"I think you do." he heard a whisper. It was her. His heart leapt into his throat and he all but fell out of bed to get to the door.
Hermione stood there, in a short white nightie, her eyes swollen with tears.
"Hermione..." he breathed. She bit her lip against a sob and fell into his arms.
"I don't care anymore!" she cried into his chest. "I don't care, I don't. I want you, I want to hold you, I want to kiss you and-"
"Ssssh..." he stroked her hair. "I know." He brought her face up with his fingertips to look at him. He smiled tenderly at her. "I know."
***************************
Harry stood above Ron, who was half asleep.
"Ron."
"Ughnn..."
"Ron."
"Rrrr...what?" the redhead yawned groggily and sat up.
"We need to talk."
"About what?"
"I think there's something you should know."
