Before I Fall Any Deeper

Chapter Three - You've Got Your Smile Back

"Let me get this straight," Ron said, putting down his utensils and staring across the table at Hermione. "Draco Malfoy asked you out!?"

"Once or twice!?" Harry asked, his voice high-pitched due to the shock.

Hermione gave them her best condescending look. "Honestly, you two. It's almost as if I'm dating a professor or something."

"You're dating Draco Malfoy?" Ron questioned, inhaling sharply and then patting his own back; Harry handed him some water, which he gratefully took.

She cringed. "Well, I don't know if dating is the correct term."

"Hermione, you're not--sleeping--with him are you?"

There was no answer; she sat there, blinking at them and then looking around for the waitress to see if she could get the bill and get the hell out of there.

"Dear GOD, tell me you're not," Ron begged. "He's on a rival Quidditch team!"

"Not to mention he's a complete arse who made our lives a living hell," Harry deadpanned.

"He's changed, if that makes any difference to you." She eyed Ron, who was looking at her in horror. "Even though I know it won't."

Ron shuddered. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Me, too," Harry stated, rubbing his stomach. "This is disgusting."

"Would you two just be happy for me, for once? I haven't dated anyone since Viktor and you KNOW how badly it hurt when we broke up! And that was years ago!"

Harry and Ron exchanged nervous glances; Hermione sat fuming in her seat, her arms crossed across her chest.

"I like him," she said quietly, looking down at her arms. "He's sweet, and caring, and funny, and sexy, and----"

"EW!" Ron waved his arms around frantically. "Too much information! STOP THERE!"

He glanced around because the restaurant got very quiet suddenly. He colored slightly and leaned towards Hermione, his voice low. "When did you start dating the spawn of Satan?"

"Ronald Weasley, I will not sit here and listen to you badmouth him any longer! So if you want information, you're going to have to be nice about it!" She huffed out a long breath, avoiding his gaze.

"She's right, Ron," Harry said, though it seemed it pained him to do so. "We should be supportive of her."

Ron sat opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish, with no sound coming out even when he tried to speak.

"How long have you been seeing him?" Harry asked, looking reserved to the fact now; he glanced at Ron, gave him a look that told him not to speak, and turned back to Hermione.

"A couple of weeks," she squeaked, closing her eyes.

"You've been lying to us all this time?" Ron questioned irritably; Harry hit him in the arm, and he recoiled, rubbing the place where Harry had hit.

"No, I've only been leaving out a small detail of the truth."

"How the hell did this START?" Harry wanted to know; he looked remarkably confused. "He's a Quidditch player, for God's sake. What's he doing at the Prophet?" He sighed heavily. "Never mind. Don't even tell me. I'm sure he was just there to get some publicity."

"He was, at first." Hermione admitted. "Then he started coming in to see me, and pestering me to go out with him. He asked and asked about a million times, for several weeks."

"What made you decide to go out with him?" Ron asked seriously. "And don't say it's because he's sexy, or I'll hurl."

"I don't know, to be honest." And she sounded like she meant it. "He's just so different now. He's really not that guy who called me names, or pestered you two so you'd curse him and get detention. He's just so lovely." She looked up at them, tears glistening in her eyes. "And I didn't mean to hurt you by lying about it, but I knew what your reaction would be. I want you to be happy for me, because I think…" She trailed off, shaking her head.

"You think what?" Harry asked quietly.

"I think he might be the one," she stated, swallowing and then reaching for her water.

"Oh, Jesus!" Ron hollered, slapping a hand to his face; he cringed when he realized how loud he was.

They soon vacated the restaurant.

"Would you just give him a chance?" Hermione asked, as they were getting ready to go their separate ways. "For me?"

"Of course we will," Harry said, giving her a quick hug. "You're important to us, and we won't let this get in the way of our friendship." He nudged Ron.

"Right. We still love you and all that crap, but I swear to God, if you tell him any Quidditch secrets, I'll never speak to you again."

Hermione squeezed Ron extremely tightly and then pressed a kiss to both their foreheads. She smiled at them, wiping tears from her eyes. Before she turned to leave, she whispered, "Thank you."

Once she was gone, Ron turned to Harry. "If he hurts her, I'll kick his arse."

"Yeah, good luck with that," Harry joked, starting to walk down the street.

"I'm serious," Ron said, catching up to him. "Okay, maybe I won't kick his arse. But I'll hire someone to do it for me."