Chapter 6: It's Not a Date!
Hermione and Draco sat in the Three Broomsticks, chatting over some butterbeers, shopping bags at their feet. Draco was just telling Hermione a joke, making Hermione laugh, when that little voice came back to annoy her.
'He looks nice today, doesn't he?' Before she could stop herself, she looked at Draco, who did look very nice. He wore some stonewashed jeans, a black T-shirt and some black sneakers. His hair was not slicked back, but messy: just as Hermione liked it. She took note of this and was about to ask him something when someone cleared his throat from behind Hermione. Judging by Draco's scowl, Hermione thought she knew whom it was. She closed her eyes and slowly turned around. When she opened them again, she was met with the disbelieving glares of Ron and Harry.
"Hermione! What are you doing with this git?" Ron screamed. Hermione closed her eyes and sighed wearily before answering.
"I'm sorry, Ron, but can you tell me what git you are referring to because I was under the impression that I was having a nice chat with Draco here." Ron's eyes narrowed as if Hermione had just confirmed his worst fears. Harry leaned down to whisper to Hermione.
"Can we talk to you for a second?" Hermione sighed again and turned to Draco.
"Would you please excuse me, Draco. It seems that Harry and Ron need to talk to me," Hermione said to Draco, apologizing with her eyes. Draco nodded and Harry and Ron pulled her up by her arms, steering her to an empty booth.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ron practically exploded.
"What do you mean? I already told you I was just sitting and talking to Draco," Hermione stated as calmly as she could.
"Draco? DRACO? Since when have you been on first name basis?" Ron continued interrogating.
"Since . . . " Hermione trailed off. She did not want to say, "since he was in the hospital" because she did not want to raise the suspicion that they were discussing more than just homework during the week that Malfoy was in the hospital. "For a while," she said instead. Ron's eyes narrowed.
"Is that about as long as you two have been dating?" Ron asked in a dangerous tone. Hermione's eyes widened.
"Dating? This isn't a date!" she said in an appalled tone. But somewhere in her heart, she truly wished that she were on a date with Draco. Harry finally looked up.
"It's not?" he asked quietly.
"No, Harry, it's not. We're just friends. Like you and I are just friends." Harry gave a relieved smile.
"Good. Just as long as it's not a date." Hermione nodded, her heart sinking a bit.
"Yeah," she said dully. They all stood up.
"We'll see you later, Hermione," Harry said, dragging Ron with him. Hermione smiled and waved as they left.
"Do you really believe her?" Ron said once they were both out of hearing range. Harry shrugged.
"Not really," Harry said in a dejected sort of tone. Ron looked at his friend.
"Hey, Harry, you're not jealous of Malfoy or anything, are you?" Harry stopped walking and spun around to face Ron.
"What?"
"I mean . . . you don't fancy Hermione or anything, right?" Harry shook his head violently.
"Of course not! I'm just worried about her." Ron put a hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Don't worry, mate. Hermione's a smart girl and she would never fall for Malfoy. We've all hated each other forever. It's impossible for two people who've hated each other that long to just suddenly fall in love." Harry shook his head.
"I guess you're right. But I still feel like there's something she's not telling us." Ron began to walk again.
"We're her best friends, Harry. She tells us everything. You need to loosen up a bit, mate. When you worry so much, it makes you a boring fellow." Harry finally smiled and put Ron into a headlock.
"So I'm boring, eh?"
After Harry and Ron left, Hermione went back to her seat, trying to hold back tears. There was so much she wasn't telling them . . .so much she didn't want to tell them. She loved both of them like brothers and she hated keeping stuff from them. But she just couldn't tell them. She wouldn't be able to stand their reactions and she feared that they would treat her like a traitor for falling for their greatest enemy. As she sat back down, Draco immediately noticed that something was not right.
"Are you ok?" he asked as he pulled his chair up next to hers. Hermione tried to say yes, but the words wouldn't come out. She finally just shook her head and the tears spilled down her cheeks. Draco put an arm around her and Hermione cried into his shoulder.
"Come on . . .let's go," Draco said, helping Hermione stand up. Draco shrank all their shopping bags and put them in his pockets. Then he put an arm around her shoulders again and they made their way back up towards Hogwarts.
Hermione and Draco sat in the Three Broomsticks, chatting over some butterbeers, shopping bags at their feet. Draco was just telling Hermione a joke, making Hermione laugh, when that little voice came back to annoy her.
'He looks nice today, doesn't he?' Before she could stop herself, she looked at Draco, who did look very nice. He wore some stonewashed jeans, a black T-shirt and some black sneakers. His hair was not slicked back, but messy: just as Hermione liked it. She took note of this and was about to ask him something when someone cleared his throat from behind Hermione. Judging by Draco's scowl, Hermione thought she knew whom it was. She closed her eyes and slowly turned around. When she opened them again, she was met with the disbelieving glares of Ron and Harry.
"Hermione! What are you doing with this git?" Ron screamed. Hermione closed her eyes and sighed wearily before answering.
"I'm sorry, Ron, but can you tell me what git you are referring to because I was under the impression that I was having a nice chat with Draco here." Ron's eyes narrowed as if Hermione had just confirmed his worst fears. Harry leaned down to whisper to Hermione.
"Can we talk to you for a second?" Hermione sighed again and turned to Draco.
"Would you please excuse me, Draco. It seems that Harry and Ron need to talk to me," Hermione said to Draco, apologizing with her eyes. Draco nodded and Harry and Ron pulled her up by her arms, steering her to an empty booth.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ron practically exploded.
"What do you mean? I already told you I was just sitting and talking to Draco," Hermione stated as calmly as she could.
"Draco? DRACO? Since when have you been on first name basis?" Ron continued interrogating.
"Since . . . " Hermione trailed off. She did not want to say, "since he was in the hospital" because she did not want to raise the suspicion that they were discussing more than just homework during the week that Malfoy was in the hospital. "For a while," she said instead. Ron's eyes narrowed.
"Is that about as long as you two have been dating?" Ron asked in a dangerous tone. Hermione's eyes widened.
"Dating? This isn't a date!" she said in an appalled tone. But somewhere in her heart, she truly wished that she were on a date with Draco. Harry finally looked up.
"It's not?" he asked quietly.
"No, Harry, it's not. We're just friends. Like you and I are just friends." Harry gave a relieved smile.
"Good. Just as long as it's not a date." Hermione nodded, her heart sinking a bit.
"Yeah," she said dully. They all stood up.
"We'll see you later, Hermione," Harry said, dragging Ron with him. Hermione smiled and waved as they left.
"Do you really believe her?" Ron said once they were both out of hearing range. Harry shrugged.
"Not really," Harry said in a dejected sort of tone. Ron looked at his friend.
"Hey, Harry, you're not jealous of Malfoy or anything, are you?" Harry stopped walking and spun around to face Ron.
"What?"
"I mean . . . you don't fancy Hermione or anything, right?" Harry shook his head violently.
"Of course not! I'm just worried about her." Ron put a hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Don't worry, mate. Hermione's a smart girl and she would never fall for Malfoy. We've all hated each other forever. It's impossible for two people who've hated each other that long to just suddenly fall in love." Harry shook his head.
"I guess you're right. But I still feel like there's something she's not telling us." Ron began to walk again.
"We're her best friends, Harry. She tells us everything. You need to loosen up a bit, mate. When you worry so much, it makes you a boring fellow." Harry finally smiled and put Ron into a headlock.
"So I'm boring, eh?"
After Harry and Ron left, Hermione went back to her seat, trying to hold back tears. There was so much she wasn't telling them . . .so much she didn't want to tell them. She loved both of them like brothers and she hated keeping stuff from them. But she just couldn't tell them. She wouldn't be able to stand their reactions and she feared that they would treat her like a traitor for falling for their greatest enemy. As she sat back down, Draco immediately noticed that something was not right.
"Are you ok?" he asked as he pulled his chair up next to hers. Hermione tried to say yes, but the words wouldn't come out. She finally just shook her head and the tears spilled down her cheeks. Draco put an arm around her and Hermione cried into his shoulder.
"Come on . . .let's go," Draco said, helping Hermione stand up. Draco shrank all their shopping bags and put them in his pockets. Then he put an arm around her shoulders again and they made their way back up towards Hogwarts.