The Dragon's Heart: Chapter 7
By: Teenlaunch
Hermione stood outside the castle watching her fellow Gryffindors' snowball fight when she heard someone walking toward her. She turned around and saw Draco. "What are you doing out here?"
"Enjoying the scenery." Draco said.
"Uh-huh, right." Hermione said. "What are you really doing out here?"
"Fine, I came to ask you a question, all right? I think I know why you were crying the first day." Draco said with a triumphant smile.
"Oh really, enlighten me." Hermione crossed her arms over her chest.
"I think you have finally figured out that Potter is head over heels for someone else." Draco said. 'I hope this works.'
"Why are you so brain-dead?!" Hermione said as she grabbed two handfuls of snow and threw them at his head. One hit Draco in the face while the other hit his hair and flattened it.
"You are so gonna pay for that!" Draco said as he grabbed his own handful of snow. He threw it at Hermione but she ducked and ran. "Oh, so it's a fight you want, is it? Bring it on!" Draco ran after her, each hand loaded with ammunition. Soon Draco found himself on the Quidditch Pitch. "I know you're here somewhere! Come on out, you can't hide!" Hermione ran out from under her cover and threw more snowballs at him.
Five minutes later.
"When are you going to give up?" Draco panted as he tried to keep up with Hermione.
"Never, probably." Draco raced forward, grabbed her arm, and she tumbled to the ground with him. They tumbled down a small hill and landed on their backs with Hermione's head on Draco's chest. Hermione giggled.
"What's.so funny?" Draco panted
"You, I never thought I would have a snowball fight with Draco Malfoy."
"Right back at you. Anyway, we had better get back up tot the castle, I'm freezing." Draco said as Hermione got up, grabbed Draco's hand, and helped him up.
"Hermione!" Ron called. "Where are you?"
"Oh, pooh on you!" Hermione muttered.
"Well, see you later." Draco said and he ran up to the school and disappeared as the Gryffindors came around the corner of the Quidditch Pitch.
"There you are, Hermione. Where were you when I got Harry right in the face?" Ron asked.
"And why are you so wet?" Ginny asked.
"Let's just say I got ambushed, by one person." Hermione ran up to the school and headed to the kitchens. She opened the door and heard many unpleased squeaks.
"Oh, Miss!" Dobby said as he came up to Hermione with a fresh change of clothes for her. "Oh Miss! You is soaking! Change into this and gos up to yours dorm. I will bring you and Master Malfoy refreshments."
"How did you know to get me a fresh change of clothes?"
"I is not knowing, Miss. Please change befores you is getting sick and Mrs. Narcissa and Mrs. Granger is getting mad ats Dobby!" Hermione's brain processed this as she changed in a closet of the kitchen. She walked out of it to find Winky waiting for her.
"I is sorry about Dobby, Miss. He cans be a little snitch at times. I told him to leaves yous and Master Malfoy alone, but, oh no! He hads to watch yous! Humph!" Winky calmed down and pointed to a tray with various sweets and hot chocolate on it. "I will accompanys you to your dorm."
"Thanks, Winky. Let's go." A few minutes later Hermione and Winky reached Sir Cadogan. "Baheesheema." Sir Cadogan bowed and his portrait swung forward. Hermione walked in with Winky at her heels. Draco, who was sitting on the couch, looked up from his sketch, which he quickly hid in his bag and slid it out of sight.
"Hey, already dry, are you?" He said as he watched as Winky sat the try on the table in front of him.
"Yes, thanks to Dobby, I might add." Hermione said, sitting down beside him. "You sure got dry in a hurry yourself."
"That's because, like some people I know, I don't take all day drying my hair and stuff like that." He smiled.
"Hm, I don't think you should have any of this from the house elves, since you obviously are in no danger of catching cold." Hermione said sarcastically. Draco gave her a pouty look and she sighed. "Thank you, Winky."
"You is welcome, Miss!" Winky vanished from sight.
"Here." Hermione handed Draco a mug of hot chocolate.
"Thanks, and hey, just because I look all warm and toasty sitting here it doesn't mean I still wouldn't appreciate some sort of reward."
"Reward?"
"Yeah, I beat you in our little match. I deserve something." Draco took a big gulp of his hot chocolate. "Gah! Hot!"
"No kidding, Genius! And, wait, I thought I won that little snowball fight."
"No, I won."
"No, I did!"
"I did!"
"I did!" Draco and Hermione passed the night laughing and joking.
One week later.
Hermione was doing her Christmas shopping in Hogsmead. She had finally gotten everyone's gifts, except Draco's. She decided to go to the muggle shop, run by a young witch, named Tonks. When Hermione walked into the shop she saw that it had everything a muggle could ever want.
"Hermione, oh it's so nice to see you again!" Tonks said as she popped up behind the counter. Her hair was spiked and bubblegum pink as usual.
"It's nice to see you too Tonks. Hey, do you have anything that I could get for one of my guy friends?" Hermione said.
"Hm.a guy friend, huh? Have you thought about getting him something that has to do with his hobbies or his personality?" Tonks said.
"No, actually, I haven't. Do you have an art kit?" Hermione asked and Tonks bent down behind the counter. She came up with a briefcase in her hands.
"This is our art kit. It does look small, but that's one of the many benefits of being a witch or wizard." She undid the latch on the box and rack after rack of art supplies sprang up. As Hermione watched, the racks grew until they were four feet high. Hermione's jaw dropped. "Like I said. Anyway, it has everything a spectacular artist could need."
Half an hour later Hermione said goodbye to Tonks and took her purchases to the coaches to have them taken to her dorm. She was just thinking about dropping by The Three Broomsticks to rejuvenate her freezing body when she heard faint noises coming form the Shrieking Shack's hill. She climbed the hill and gasped into her scarf. Harry and Ron had Draco pinned to the cold, hard, snow laden ground. They were taking turns punching him. Finally, one of them spoke.
"What have you done to Hermione? Why is she always so sad? I know you have something to do with this! Tell me and no lies this time." Harry said.
"I already told you. *cough* I don't know what's wrong with her!" Draco said.
"You're lying again! I bet you cursed her!" Ron yelled, punching Draco.
"Ron! Harry!" Hermione shrieked.
"Hermione! I, um."Harry said as he left Draco shivering and bleeding in the snow. Ron reluctantly followed him.
"As you can see, I am perfectly fine. Which means that you beat him up for no reason, am I correct?" Hermione said as she strained herself to be calm.
"No reason? After everything he's done to us you say that we beat him up for no reason?" Ron asked, horrified.
"Be that as it may no, I repeat, NO violence is tolerable. Now, I'll meet you later in The Three Broomsticks." Harry and Ron walked down the hill slowly, conversing in low tones. Once Hermione was sure they were gone she rushed over to Draco. The snow around him was deeply tinted in red and his cloak lay in tatters a few feet away. "Oh, Draco, those two have held a horrible grudge against you. Can you sit up?"
"No idea." Draco muttered.
"There's only one place I can take you at the moment." She conjured a stretcher. Five minutes later, they were outside Tonks' shop. Hermione took Draco into the warmth and he relaxed.
"W-where are we?" Draco asked looking around at all the strange objects around him.
"A store that sells muggle things." Hermione said as she went over to the counter and rang a bell.
"I don't like how quiet it is."
"Well, hello!" Hermione popped up beside Draco, making him jump out of his skin.
"Hermione, but.I thought you were." He looked over at the counter and saw Hermione with her head in her hands. "If the real Hermione's over there then, who are you? Her twin?" Draco said as he looked back at Hermione's duplicate.
"Nope, I'm Tonks. Nice to meet you! Oh," Tonks said as she screwed up her face and the next second she was back to looking like, well, Tonks. "Much better. So, what can I do for you, Hermione? I only saw you.what.ten- " Hermione shook her head. "Oh." Tonks walked over to Hermione and Hermione whispered something to her. Tonks' eyes grew double in size. "They.I don't believe it! You need to go talk to them. Go on, go. We'll be fine here. Buh- bye!" Tonks said, ushering Hermione to the door. After she had left Tonks turned back to Draco. "Now, let's get you fixed up."
"Hermione!" Draco yelled.
When Hermione got to The Three Broomsticks she found Harry and Ron sitting in a corner of the pub. She sat down and they both gave her an odd look. "So, what do you have to say for yourselves?
"What do you want us to say?! That we're sorry for beating up Malfoy, after all he's done to everyone that's not in his house?!" Ron said, his voice rising with each syllable.
"You two have held that grudge long enough! I'm leaving. One more thing, I'm taking 10 points from Gryffindor." Hermione said s she walked up to the bar.
"What?!" Harry and Ron gasped. Hermione sighed.
"Hello dear, what can I get you?" Madame Rosemerta said from behind the bar.
"Three butterbeers to go, please." Hermione took out her purse to pay for them as she watched Madame Rosemerta put them into a case.
"Here they are, dear. This case will keep them piping hot for you. Thank you! Bye!" Madame Rosemerta waved to Hermione as she left.
"Thank you!" A few minutes later Hermione entered Tonks' shop for the third time that day. "Tonks?" Neither Tonks nor Draco were anywhere to be seen.
"Hermione!" Tonks popped up behind the counter, again.
"Ah! Don't.do that!" Hermione said with her hand over her heart.
"Sorry, anyway, I got him patched up, but I think he needs some company. He was really on edge with me." Tonks said fiddling with her hair. "Okay, here." Hermione opened the container in her hands and handed Tonks a butterbeer. She walked slowly to Tonks' office. "Draco?" Hermione asked tentatively through the crack in the door. "Hey, can I come in?"
"Huh.Oh, sure, why not?" Draco said cheerfully.
"That's the worst cover-up I've ever heard." Hermione said as she walked into the room. Draco was lying on the couch, his shirt open to reveal some sloppy bandage work. With a fire blazing to his right, Draco looked at her questioningly.
"What do you mean?" He said as he struggled to sit up. Hermione helped him and propped him against a pillow before she answered.
"I've tried hiding pain before, both physical and emotional. I can see straight through other people's cover-ups." Hermione sat down beside him and Draco shook his head.
"While we're on that-" Hermione glared at him and he changed the subject quickly. "Isn't that friend of yours a little clumsy?"
"No," Hermione acted shocked. "you think?!" Hermione pulled the last two butterbeers from their case and handed Draco his.
"Thanks." Draco accepted his butterbeer, took a drink, and stared into the fire for a few minutes before speaking again. "Why did you help me? I deserved it, you know, even if I haven't cursed you." Draco fell into silence again and Hermione sighed heavily.
"Friends forgive each other, no matter what." Draco looked at Hermione and saw her sad face.
"It looks like I'm not the only one in pain around here." He said quietly.
"I'm fine. Just worry about those wounds. Listen I've got to go back up to the castle. If you need help getting back to the castle tell Tonks." Hermione left before Draco could say anything.
In Gryffindor Tower.
"I can't believe this! Hermione took 10 points off her own house! Her own house!" Ron sat in a chair, fuming, his face as red as his hair.
"Why did she do it though? She wouldn't have done it if she didn't have a reason." Ginny asked from behind Ron.
"You still haven't told us." Lavender said, also behind Ron. She reached over his chair and started massaging his shoulders, relaxing him, she smiled.
"Why would she take points off her own house if there wasn't a reason?" Dean said from his chair.
"Let's put it this way. Why won't you tell us what you did to get Hermione to take the points away?" Parvati said from behind Dean. Ron and Harry looked at each other. They had agreed that they wouldn't tell anyone about their fight with Malfoy. "Their silence means it was something bad, bad enough to get Hermione mad, really mad." Seamus translated.
"It did get me mad, Seamus. Listen guys, I know he's insulted us in the past, but why should you hold a grudge this long?" Hermione had walked through the portrait hole and was standing behind Harry's chair.
"What's that, Hermione? These two won't tell us what happened." Ginny said.
"Well." Hermione was cut off by Ron as he started making noises. "Ron." She walked over to him and stomped down on his foot with her heel.
"Yowch!" Ron bolted upright and looked at Hermione furiously. "What was that for?!"
"Don't play with me, Ron. These two beat up Malfoy today." As she had expected, there were a few chuckles from the boys.
"Serves him right." Dean said.
"Oh, you think it's funny, do you? What do you think would have happened to you if Malfoy told Snape who had beat him up?" There was silence. "That's what I thought." Hermione turned to leave.
"Hermione, I think he's cursed you." Harry muttered.
"Yeah, right." Hermione laughed as she left. Hermione entered the Heads' dorm a few minutes later and found Draco asleep on the couch. She crept to her room and went to sleep. When she woke up the next morning she went into the common room to find Draco. "What's wrong?" Draco pointed to the notice board.
"It was put up in every common room today. It was the only event that we didn't have to authorize." Hermione read the notice quickly. It read:
A Christmas Ball will be taking place this year.
Date: Christmas Night
Time: 6 p.m.-12a.m.
Place: Great Hall
Performers needed! If you would like to perform at the ball please see Professor McGonagall.
Professor Dumbledore
Headmaster
"What's so bad about that?" Hermione said as Draco picked up a goblet of pumpkin juice and took a big gulp. "You can go with Pansy." Draco chocked on his pumpkin juice.
"Are you mad?!" Draco sputtered. "I'd rather go with the Giant Squid!"
"I don't know who to go with. I'll probably just go by myself."
"Why not go with Potter or Weasley?"
"Ginny and Lavender have those two in the bag, you watch. That's who they'll go with."
"I probably won't go with anyone either. It's better that way." Draco said as he got up and went to his room. He closed his door, took out his diary, and started scribbling.
Dear Diary,
Today our subject is Hermione. Why do I feel like this when I'm around her? I feel like I've known her for my whole life. I feel safe, content,.at home, when I'm with her. I've got to go. I'll write when I have more time.
~Dragon~
That's the end of this chapter. I'm getting there. Too much typing, my hand hurts. Anyway, I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can.
~Teenlaunch~
Hermione stood outside the castle watching her fellow Gryffindors' snowball fight when she heard someone walking toward her. She turned around and saw Draco. "What are you doing out here?"
"Enjoying the scenery." Draco said.
"Uh-huh, right." Hermione said. "What are you really doing out here?"
"Fine, I came to ask you a question, all right? I think I know why you were crying the first day." Draco said with a triumphant smile.
"Oh really, enlighten me." Hermione crossed her arms over her chest.
"I think you have finally figured out that Potter is head over heels for someone else." Draco said. 'I hope this works.'
"Why are you so brain-dead?!" Hermione said as she grabbed two handfuls of snow and threw them at his head. One hit Draco in the face while the other hit his hair and flattened it.
"You are so gonna pay for that!" Draco said as he grabbed his own handful of snow. He threw it at Hermione but she ducked and ran. "Oh, so it's a fight you want, is it? Bring it on!" Draco ran after her, each hand loaded with ammunition. Soon Draco found himself on the Quidditch Pitch. "I know you're here somewhere! Come on out, you can't hide!" Hermione ran out from under her cover and threw more snowballs at him.
Five minutes later.
"When are you going to give up?" Draco panted as he tried to keep up with Hermione.
"Never, probably." Draco raced forward, grabbed her arm, and she tumbled to the ground with him. They tumbled down a small hill and landed on their backs with Hermione's head on Draco's chest. Hermione giggled.
"What's.so funny?" Draco panted
"You, I never thought I would have a snowball fight with Draco Malfoy."
"Right back at you. Anyway, we had better get back up tot the castle, I'm freezing." Draco said as Hermione got up, grabbed Draco's hand, and helped him up.
"Hermione!" Ron called. "Where are you?"
"Oh, pooh on you!" Hermione muttered.
"Well, see you later." Draco said and he ran up to the school and disappeared as the Gryffindors came around the corner of the Quidditch Pitch.
"There you are, Hermione. Where were you when I got Harry right in the face?" Ron asked.
"And why are you so wet?" Ginny asked.
"Let's just say I got ambushed, by one person." Hermione ran up to the school and headed to the kitchens. She opened the door and heard many unpleased squeaks.
"Oh, Miss!" Dobby said as he came up to Hermione with a fresh change of clothes for her. "Oh Miss! You is soaking! Change into this and gos up to yours dorm. I will bring you and Master Malfoy refreshments."
"How did you know to get me a fresh change of clothes?"
"I is not knowing, Miss. Please change befores you is getting sick and Mrs. Narcissa and Mrs. Granger is getting mad ats Dobby!" Hermione's brain processed this as she changed in a closet of the kitchen. She walked out of it to find Winky waiting for her.
"I is sorry about Dobby, Miss. He cans be a little snitch at times. I told him to leaves yous and Master Malfoy alone, but, oh no! He hads to watch yous! Humph!" Winky calmed down and pointed to a tray with various sweets and hot chocolate on it. "I will accompanys you to your dorm."
"Thanks, Winky. Let's go." A few minutes later Hermione and Winky reached Sir Cadogan. "Baheesheema." Sir Cadogan bowed and his portrait swung forward. Hermione walked in with Winky at her heels. Draco, who was sitting on the couch, looked up from his sketch, which he quickly hid in his bag and slid it out of sight.
"Hey, already dry, are you?" He said as he watched as Winky sat the try on the table in front of him.
"Yes, thanks to Dobby, I might add." Hermione said, sitting down beside him. "You sure got dry in a hurry yourself."
"That's because, like some people I know, I don't take all day drying my hair and stuff like that." He smiled.
"Hm, I don't think you should have any of this from the house elves, since you obviously are in no danger of catching cold." Hermione said sarcastically. Draco gave her a pouty look and she sighed. "Thank you, Winky."
"You is welcome, Miss!" Winky vanished from sight.
"Here." Hermione handed Draco a mug of hot chocolate.
"Thanks, and hey, just because I look all warm and toasty sitting here it doesn't mean I still wouldn't appreciate some sort of reward."
"Reward?"
"Yeah, I beat you in our little match. I deserve something." Draco took a big gulp of his hot chocolate. "Gah! Hot!"
"No kidding, Genius! And, wait, I thought I won that little snowball fight."
"No, I won."
"No, I did!"
"I did!"
"I did!" Draco and Hermione passed the night laughing and joking.
One week later.
Hermione was doing her Christmas shopping in Hogsmead. She had finally gotten everyone's gifts, except Draco's. She decided to go to the muggle shop, run by a young witch, named Tonks. When Hermione walked into the shop she saw that it had everything a muggle could ever want.
"Hermione, oh it's so nice to see you again!" Tonks said as she popped up behind the counter. Her hair was spiked and bubblegum pink as usual.
"It's nice to see you too Tonks. Hey, do you have anything that I could get for one of my guy friends?" Hermione said.
"Hm.a guy friend, huh? Have you thought about getting him something that has to do with his hobbies or his personality?" Tonks said.
"No, actually, I haven't. Do you have an art kit?" Hermione asked and Tonks bent down behind the counter. She came up with a briefcase in her hands.
"This is our art kit. It does look small, but that's one of the many benefits of being a witch or wizard." She undid the latch on the box and rack after rack of art supplies sprang up. As Hermione watched, the racks grew until they were four feet high. Hermione's jaw dropped. "Like I said. Anyway, it has everything a spectacular artist could need."
Half an hour later Hermione said goodbye to Tonks and took her purchases to the coaches to have them taken to her dorm. She was just thinking about dropping by The Three Broomsticks to rejuvenate her freezing body when she heard faint noises coming form the Shrieking Shack's hill. She climbed the hill and gasped into her scarf. Harry and Ron had Draco pinned to the cold, hard, snow laden ground. They were taking turns punching him. Finally, one of them spoke.
"What have you done to Hermione? Why is she always so sad? I know you have something to do with this! Tell me and no lies this time." Harry said.
"I already told you. *cough* I don't know what's wrong with her!" Draco said.
"You're lying again! I bet you cursed her!" Ron yelled, punching Draco.
"Ron! Harry!" Hermione shrieked.
"Hermione! I, um."Harry said as he left Draco shivering and bleeding in the snow. Ron reluctantly followed him.
"As you can see, I am perfectly fine. Which means that you beat him up for no reason, am I correct?" Hermione said as she strained herself to be calm.
"No reason? After everything he's done to us you say that we beat him up for no reason?" Ron asked, horrified.
"Be that as it may no, I repeat, NO violence is tolerable. Now, I'll meet you later in The Three Broomsticks." Harry and Ron walked down the hill slowly, conversing in low tones. Once Hermione was sure they were gone she rushed over to Draco. The snow around him was deeply tinted in red and his cloak lay in tatters a few feet away. "Oh, Draco, those two have held a horrible grudge against you. Can you sit up?"
"No idea." Draco muttered.
"There's only one place I can take you at the moment." She conjured a stretcher. Five minutes later, they were outside Tonks' shop. Hermione took Draco into the warmth and he relaxed.
"W-where are we?" Draco asked looking around at all the strange objects around him.
"A store that sells muggle things." Hermione said as she went over to the counter and rang a bell.
"I don't like how quiet it is."
"Well, hello!" Hermione popped up beside Draco, making him jump out of his skin.
"Hermione, but.I thought you were." He looked over at the counter and saw Hermione with her head in her hands. "If the real Hermione's over there then, who are you? Her twin?" Draco said as he looked back at Hermione's duplicate.
"Nope, I'm Tonks. Nice to meet you! Oh," Tonks said as she screwed up her face and the next second she was back to looking like, well, Tonks. "Much better. So, what can I do for you, Hermione? I only saw you.what.ten- " Hermione shook her head. "Oh." Tonks walked over to Hermione and Hermione whispered something to her. Tonks' eyes grew double in size. "They.I don't believe it! You need to go talk to them. Go on, go. We'll be fine here. Buh- bye!" Tonks said, ushering Hermione to the door. After she had left Tonks turned back to Draco. "Now, let's get you fixed up."
"Hermione!" Draco yelled.
When Hermione got to The Three Broomsticks she found Harry and Ron sitting in a corner of the pub. She sat down and they both gave her an odd look. "So, what do you have to say for yourselves?
"What do you want us to say?! That we're sorry for beating up Malfoy, after all he's done to everyone that's not in his house?!" Ron said, his voice rising with each syllable.
"You two have held that grudge long enough! I'm leaving. One more thing, I'm taking 10 points from Gryffindor." Hermione said s she walked up to the bar.
"What?!" Harry and Ron gasped. Hermione sighed.
"Hello dear, what can I get you?" Madame Rosemerta said from behind the bar.
"Three butterbeers to go, please." Hermione took out her purse to pay for them as she watched Madame Rosemerta put them into a case.
"Here they are, dear. This case will keep them piping hot for you. Thank you! Bye!" Madame Rosemerta waved to Hermione as she left.
"Thank you!" A few minutes later Hermione entered Tonks' shop for the third time that day. "Tonks?" Neither Tonks nor Draco were anywhere to be seen.
"Hermione!" Tonks popped up behind the counter, again.
"Ah! Don't.do that!" Hermione said with her hand over her heart.
"Sorry, anyway, I got him patched up, but I think he needs some company. He was really on edge with me." Tonks said fiddling with her hair. "Okay, here." Hermione opened the container in her hands and handed Tonks a butterbeer. She walked slowly to Tonks' office. "Draco?" Hermione asked tentatively through the crack in the door. "Hey, can I come in?"
"Huh.Oh, sure, why not?" Draco said cheerfully.
"That's the worst cover-up I've ever heard." Hermione said as she walked into the room. Draco was lying on the couch, his shirt open to reveal some sloppy bandage work. With a fire blazing to his right, Draco looked at her questioningly.
"What do you mean?" He said as he struggled to sit up. Hermione helped him and propped him against a pillow before she answered.
"I've tried hiding pain before, both physical and emotional. I can see straight through other people's cover-ups." Hermione sat down beside him and Draco shook his head.
"While we're on that-" Hermione glared at him and he changed the subject quickly. "Isn't that friend of yours a little clumsy?"
"No," Hermione acted shocked. "you think?!" Hermione pulled the last two butterbeers from their case and handed Draco his.
"Thanks." Draco accepted his butterbeer, took a drink, and stared into the fire for a few minutes before speaking again. "Why did you help me? I deserved it, you know, even if I haven't cursed you." Draco fell into silence again and Hermione sighed heavily.
"Friends forgive each other, no matter what." Draco looked at Hermione and saw her sad face.
"It looks like I'm not the only one in pain around here." He said quietly.
"I'm fine. Just worry about those wounds. Listen I've got to go back up to the castle. If you need help getting back to the castle tell Tonks." Hermione left before Draco could say anything.
In Gryffindor Tower.
"I can't believe this! Hermione took 10 points off her own house! Her own house!" Ron sat in a chair, fuming, his face as red as his hair.
"Why did she do it though? She wouldn't have done it if she didn't have a reason." Ginny asked from behind Ron.
"You still haven't told us." Lavender said, also behind Ron. She reached over his chair and started massaging his shoulders, relaxing him, she smiled.
"Why would she take points off her own house if there wasn't a reason?" Dean said from his chair.
"Let's put it this way. Why won't you tell us what you did to get Hermione to take the points away?" Parvati said from behind Dean. Ron and Harry looked at each other. They had agreed that they wouldn't tell anyone about their fight with Malfoy. "Their silence means it was something bad, bad enough to get Hermione mad, really mad." Seamus translated.
"It did get me mad, Seamus. Listen guys, I know he's insulted us in the past, but why should you hold a grudge this long?" Hermione had walked through the portrait hole and was standing behind Harry's chair.
"What's that, Hermione? These two won't tell us what happened." Ginny said.
"Well." Hermione was cut off by Ron as he started making noises. "Ron." She walked over to him and stomped down on his foot with her heel.
"Yowch!" Ron bolted upright and looked at Hermione furiously. "What was that for?!"
"Don't play with me, Ron. These two beat up Malfoy today." As she had expected, there were a few chuckles from the boys.
"Serves him right." Dean said.
"Oh, you think it's funny, do you? What do you think would have happened to you if Malfoy told Snape who had beat him up?" There was silence. "That's what I thought." Hermione turned to leave.
"Hermione, I think he's cursed you." Harry muttered.
"Yeah, right." Hermione laughed as she left. Hermione entered the Heads' dorm a few minutes later and found Draco asleep on the couch. She crept to her room and went to sleep. When she woke up the next morning she went into the common room to find Draco. "What's wrong?" Draco pointed to the notice board.
"It was put up in every common room today. It was the only event that we didn't have to authorize." Hermione read the notice quickly. It read:
A Christmas Ball will be taking place this year.
Date: Christmas Night
Time: 6 p.m.-12a.m.
Place: Great Hall
Performers needed! If you would like to perform at the ball please see Professor McGonagall.
Professor Dumbledore
Headmaster
"What's so bad about that?" Hermione said as Draco picked up a goblet of pumpkin juice and took a big gulp. "You can go with Pansy." Draco chocked on his pumpkin juice.
"Are you mad?!" Draco sputtered. "I'd rather go with the Giant Squid!"
"I don't know who to go with. I'll probably just go by myself."
"Why not go with Potter or Weasley?"
"Ginny and Lavender have those two in the bag, you watch. That's who they'll go with."
"I probably won't go with anyone either. It's better that way." Draco said as he got up and went to his room. He closed his door, took out his diary, and started scribbling.
Dear Diary,
Today our subject is Hermione. Why do I feel like this when I'm around her? I feel like I've known her for my whole life. I feel safe, content,.at home, when I'm with her. I've got to go. I'll write when I have more time.
~Dragon~
That's the end of this chapter. I'm getting there. Too much typing, my hand hurts. Anyway, I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can.
~Teenlaunch~