You Don't Love Me
Chapter 12
By Autumn Took
A/N: Heya! Summer vacation, figure I'd write some more...I know you all probably hate me, or aren't going to read this because you're mad at me anyway. I can only say how terribly sorry I am! I haven't written anything but poetry for such a long time! I'm SO SORRY! I hope you enjoy this, and I hope I keep writing for you.
Hermione stared, transfixed at Draco, who looked serious enough, though he had just spoken nonsense. "My friend, Draco? That's what you want?"
Draco sighed, staring up at the ceiling. "Yes, Granger, that's what I want......I want companionship......I want to be happy......I want to wake up in the morning knowing that there's someone there that cares about me and knows me and likes me for who I am......I want what you have, what Weasley and Potter have. I want a friend."
Hermione was confused. "But......don't you have......what of Pansy? And Crabbe and Goyle?"
Draco waved his hand impatiently. "Pansy? She only likes me because of my name. All she wants is to marry me and become filthy rich. And, please, she doesn't know me. Crabbe and Goyle are too stupid to comprehend something as complex as feelings, and I could never confide in them, lest they tell their parents and my father found out." Draco bit his bottom lip here and looked down.
"My father wouldn't understand. He would kill me if he knew I was talking to you like this now. He doesn't want me to be happy. He wants me to be just like him." Draco looked up at Hermione, fresh tears in his eyes. "I don't want to be a Death Eater, Hermione! I don't want to work under the Dark Lord, and I don't want to kill innocent people. I'm sick and tired of trying to be like him, trying to please him, to make him happy. I won't work for Voldemort, and I won't be miserable for him. I just...I just want to be happy......and I don't think I ever will be."
With that, Draco got quickly up from the table, grabbed his bag, and ran out of the library. Madame Pince stared after him, overcome with abhorrence at him for having disturbed her library.
Hermione stared after him for a few seconds, trying to understand all of this. It just didn't make sense......Draco—horrible, nasty, evil Draco—didn't want to be that way? Didn't want to be like his father? Didn't want Mudbloods killed? It was all so confusing. Hermione sighed, picking up her book bag, and stumbled out of the library, trying to sort out her thoughts. Outside she found Professor McGonagall talking to Draco.
"Tonight, astronomy tower, scrubbing the floors." Hermione caught her say. It was then that she realized she hadn't told anyone that Draco was innocent. 'Better now than never', she thought, and ran up to Professor McGonagall.
"Professor McGonagall, I need to tell you something."
Professor McGonagall looked a bit annoyed at being interrupted while punishing Malfoy. "What is it, Miss Granger?"
"Well," she said, giving Draco a meaningful glance. Draco looked astonished. "I think it would interest you to know that Malfoy here is innocent. As I tried to tell you last night in the hospital wing, it was not him that hit me last night. It was Miss Brown. She's been spreading all kinds of horrible rumors about people lately and she really needs to be punished. Draco doesn't deserve the detention, or the points from Slytherin. If anything, I deserve them, for not speaking up sooner."
Professor McGonagall looked bewildered. "Is this true?" she asked Malfoy, who nodded. "I didn't say anything because I knew you wouldn't believe me."
Professor McGonagall nodded. "I see. Well, unfortunately I cannot cancel your detention tonight, Malfoy, but I can have Miss Granger join you. You'll understand, right Miss Granger?"
Hermione nodded. "I'd be more than happy to help." She winked at Draco and he smiled, a disbelieving smile.
"I shall, however, cancel your second detention and give you your points back. I am sorry to have blamed you in the first place."
"No worries, Professor, an honest mistake. I blame Lavender completely," said Draco.
Professor McGonagall turned to Hermione. "In that case, I'd like both of you to report to the astronomy tower at eight o'clock tonight, after dinner. I trust you both to stay out of trouble; I assume I don't need to watch over you if both of you are innocent." At this she smiled. "Thank you, Miss Granger, for standing up for your enemy. It shows true responsibility and courage." And with that she left them in the hallway, to look oddly upon one another in silence.
"Th-thank you," Draco managed, looking down at the floor. "I guess I'll see you at eight o'clock." And then he left as well.
Hermione shook her head, watching him leave, and then walked off to her dormitory to deposit her stuff on her bed.
Back in the Gryffindor common room, everything was pandemonium. Parvati and Seamus were in a corner, kissing themselves numb, Ron was busy yelling at Lavender some more, who was in tears, Harry and Ginny were fighting as well, though both seemed happy about it, and the rest of the common room was either listening to Ron and Lavender argue, or discussing the next Hogsmeade trip loudly in groups.
Hermione made her way as quiet as possible through the crowd and to the edge of the girl's dormitory stairs. She began ascending them, two at a time, and was nearly to her dormitory when a girl's voice behind her squeaked, "Hermione!"
She opened her door and dropped her stuff on the floor before turning around to talk to Ginny. "What is it, Ginny?" she asked in an inquiring tone.
"Ron and Lavender broke up, huh?" Ginny said, catching up to Hermione and walking past her into her dormitory. Hermione smiled and followed her in, falling back onto her bed.
"Yup, isn't it great? What's going on down there, anyway? What are Ron and Lavender yelling about?"
Ginny rolled her eyes, sitting down next to Hermione. "Well, Lavender is trying to convince Ron that she's innocent, that you really are going out with Draco. Ron's got the right idea, though, he knows that the thought of you and Draco is laughable! I mean, you can't even TALK to the guy without yelling, you know? How could you like, KISS him and stuff? Lavender seems to think that you've been covering up for the past year, that you've liked him for quite some time now......she's crazy, I'm telling you!"
Hermione sighed. "Good, she's only embarrassing herself more. No one's going to believe that......I hope."
Ginny laughed. "As if! Everyone knows that you and Malfoy hate each other! No one's going to believe that unless all of a sudden you started talking to each other and hanging out and stuff, and we all know THAT'S not going to happen anytime soon!"
Hermione pretended to laugh along with Ginny. Things just kept getting more and more complicated. Now what was she going to do? If she started hanging out with Draco and becoming his friend, everyone would think that Lavender was telling the truth and Ron would never speak to her again. On the other hand, she couldn't just let Draco suffer and think that she was a bad friend. She was, yet again, in a right fix. Nothing ever seemed to go her way.
"Well, we best be off for dinner, don't you think? I'm starving!" Hermione said, and Ginny agreed. The two of them made their way down the staircase and slinked slowly past the rest of the house.
Lavender was crying loudly. "Isn't there anyone here that can recognize the truth when they see it?!" she positively shrieked.
"I think that's why no one believes you, Lavender, is because we can all recognize the truth," Ron spat bitterly, and everyone burst out laughing. Hermione and Ginny stifled their giggles until they reached the portrait hole.
They laughed as they ran down staircase after staircase, until finally coming out into the entrance hall. The Great Hall was closed still; dinner was not yet ready, so they collapsed onto the wall and sank to the floor, laughing still.
Sighing, Hermione turned to Ginny and smiled. "I'm glad you guys believe me. I hate to think what might have happened if anyone believed Lavender."
Ginny looked at her as if she was crazy. "Are you kidding? It only takes a little bit of common sense to know that Lavender was lying! A Slytherin and a Gryffindor? She's nuts! She could have at least made it a bit more believable!"
At that moment Draco appeared across the entrance hall, emerging from his dungeon common room, flanked with Crabbe and Goyle on either side.
"Oh look," said Ginny tauntingly. "It's the devil himself."
Hermione sighed, staring across the hall to Draco, who stared back. He gave her a small smile he made sure no one could see, and then resumed his usual sneer.
"Well if it isn't little Miss Weasel and dear Miss Granger," he drawled, as usual.
The doors to the Great Hall burst open as he said this. He smiled and bowed deeply, as if he were a house elf. "Please, after you," he said, and Hermione couldn't tell whether he was trying to be mean or nice.
"No, no, no, ladies first," Ginny said, and stepped out of the way for Malfoy to enter.
Draco looked at her in disgust. "Damn, Weasel, no need to get all offended. Just trying to be courteous." And he pushed past them both, Crabbe and Goyle sniggering stupidly.
"What is his problem?" Ginny asked, looking at him in hatred. "I hope Harry kills him in the next Quidditch match." She, too, entered the hall. Hermione sighed, watching Draco seat himself at the Slytherin table, and followed Ginny in. Life was just too confusing for her.
A/N: Heya! Summer vacation, figure I'd write some more...I know you all probably hate me, or aren't going to read this because you're mad at me anyway. I can only say how terribly sorry I am! I haven't written anything but poetry for such a long time! I'm SO SORRY! I hope you enjoy this, and I hope I keep writing for you.
Hermione stared, transfixed at Draco, who looked serious enough, though he had just spoken nonsense. "My friend, Draco? That's what you want?"
Draco sighed, staring up at the ceiling. "Yes, Granger, that's what I want......I want companionship......I want to be happy......I want to wake up in the morning knowing that there's someone there that cares about me and knows me and likes me for who I am......I want what you have, what Weasley and Potter have. I want a friend."
Hermione was confused. "But......don't you have......what of Pansy? And Crabbe and Goyle?"
Draco waved his hand impatiently. "Pansy? She only likes me because of my name. All she wants is to marry me and become filthy rich. And, please, she doesn't know me. Crabbe and Goyle are too stupid to comprehend something as complex as feelings, and I could never confide in them, lest they tell their parents and my father found out." Draco bit his bottom lip here and looked down.
"My father wouldn't understand. He would kill me if he knew I was talking to you like this now. He doesn't want me to be happy. He wants me to be just like him." Draco looked up at Hermione, fresh tears in his eyes. "I don't want to be a Death Eater, Hermione! I don't want to work under the Dark Lord, and I don't want to kill innocent people. I'm sick and tired of trying to be like him, trying to please him, to make him happy. I won't work for Voldemort, and I won't be miserable for him. I just...I just want to be happy......and I don't think I ever will be."
With that, Draco got quickly up from the table, grabbed his bag, and ran out of the library. Madame Pince stared after him, overcome with abhorrence at him for having disturbed her library.
Hermione stared after him for a few seconds, trying to understand all of this. It just didn't make sense......Draco—horrible, nasty, evil Draco—didn't want to be that way? Didn't want to be like his father? Didn't want Mudbloods killed? It was all so confusing. Hermione sighed, picking up her book bag, and stumbled out of the library, trying to sort out her thoughts. Outside she found Professor McGonagall talking to Draco.
"Tonight, astronomy tower, scrubbing the floors." Hermione caught her say. It was then that she realized she hadn't told anyone that Draco was innocent. 'Better now than never', she thought, and ran up to Professor McGonagall.
"Professor McGonagall, I need to tell you something."
Professor McGonagall looked a bit annoyed at being interrupted while punishing Malfoy. "What is it, Miss Granger?"
"Well," she said, giving Draco a meaningful glance. Draco looked astonished. "I think it would interest you to know that Malfoy here is innocent. As I tried to tell you last night in the hospital wing, it was not him that hit me last night. It was Miss Brown. She's been spreading all kinds of horrible rumors about people lately and she really needs to be punished. Draco doesn't deserve the detention, or the points from Slytherin. If anything, I deserve them, for not speaking up sooner."
Professor McGonagall looked bewildered. "Is this true?" she asked Malfoy, who nodded. "I didn't say anything because I knew you wouldn't believe me."
Professor McGonagall nodded. "I see. Well, unfortunately I cannot cancel your detention tonight, Malfoy, but I can have Miss Granger join you. You'll understand, right Miss Granger?"
Hermione nodded. "I'd be more than happy to help." She winked at Draco and he smiled, a disbelieving smile.
"I shall, however, cancel your second detention and give you your points back. I am sorry to have blamed you in the first place."
"No worries, Professor, an honest mistake. I blame Lavender completely," said Draco.
Professor McGonagall turned to Hermione. "In that case, I'd like both of you to report to the astronomy tower at eight o'clock tonight, after dinner. I trust you both to stay out of trouble; I assume I don't need to watch over you if both of you are innocent." At this she smiled. "Thank you, Miss Granger, for standing up for your enemy. It shows true responsibility and courage." And with that she left them in the hallway, to look oddly upon one another in silence.
"Th-thank you," Draco managed, looking down at the floor. "I guess I'll see you at eight o'clock." And then he left as well.
Hermione shook her head, watching him leave, and then walked off to her dormitory to deposit her stuff on her bed.
Back in the Gryffindor common room, everything was pandemonium. Parvati and Seamus were in a corner, kissing themselves numb, Ron was busy yelling at Lavender some more, who was in tears, Harry and Ginny were fighting as well, though both seemed happy about it, and the rest of the common room was either listening to Ron and Lavender argue, or discussing the next Hogsmeade trip loudly in groups.
Hermione made her way as quiet as possible through the crowd and to the edge of the girl's dormitory stairs. She began ascending them, two at a time, and was nearly to her dormitory when a girl's voice behind her squeaked, "Hermione!"
She opened her door and dropped her stuff on the floor before turning around to talk to Ginny. "What is it, Ginny?" she asked in an inquiring tone.
"Ron and Lavender broke up, huh?" Ginny said, catching up to Hermione and walking past her into her dormitory. Hermione smiled and followed her in, falling back onto her bed.
"Yup, isn't it great? What's going on down there, anyway? What are Ron and Lavender yelling about?"
Ginny rolled her eyes, sitting down next to Hermione. "Well, Lavender is trying to convince Ron that she's innocent, that you really are going out with Draco. Ron's got the right idea, though, he knows that the thought of you and Draco is laughable! I mean, you can't even TALK to the guy without yelling, you know? How could you like, KISS him and stuff? Lavender seems to think that you've been covering up for the past year, that you've liked him for quite some time now......she's crazy, I'm telling you!"
Hermione sighed. "Good, she's only embarrassing herself more. No one's going to believe that......I hope."
Ginny laughed. "As if! Everyone knows that you and Malfoy hate each other! No one's going to believe that unless all of a sudden you started talking to each other and hanging out and stuff, and we all know THAT'S not going to happen anytime soon!"
Hermione pretended to laugh along with Ginny. Things just kept getting more and more complicated. Now what was she going to do? If she started hanging out with Draco and becoming his friend, everyone would think that Lavender was telling the truth and Ron would never speak to her again. On the other hand, she couldn't just let Draco suffer and think that she was a bad friend. She was, yet again, in a right fix. Nothing ever seemed to go her way.
"Well, we best be off for dinner, don't you think? I'm starving!" Hermione said, and Ginny agreed. The two of them made their way down the staircase and slinked slowly past the rest of the house.
Lavender was crying loudly. "Isn't there anyone here that can recognize the truth when they see it?!" she positively shrieked.
"I think that's why no one believes you, Lavender, is because we can all recognize the truth," Ron spat bitterly, and everyone burst out laughing. Hermione and Ginny stifled their giggles until they reached the portrait hole.
They laughed as they ran down staircase after staircase, until finally coming out into the entrance hall. The Great Hall was closed still; dinner was not yet ready, so they collapsed onto the wall and sank to the floor, laughing still.
Sighing, Hermione turned to Ginny and smiled. "I'm glad you guys believe me. I hate to think what might have happened if anyone believed Lavender."
Ginny looked at her as if she was crazy. "Are you kidding? It only takes a little bit of common sense to know that Lavender was lying! A Slytherin and a Gryffindor? She's nuts! She could have at least made it a bit more believable!"
At that moment Draco appeared across the entrance hall, emerging from his dungeon common room, flanked with Crabbe and Goyle on either side.
"Oh look," said Ginny tauntingly. "It's the devil himself."
Hermione sighed, staring across the hall to Draco, who stared back. He gave her a small smile he made sure no one could see, and then resumed his usual sneer.
"Well if it isn't little Miss Weasel and dear Miss Granger," he drawled, as usual.
The doors to the Great Hall burst open as he said this. He smiled and bowed deeply, as if he were a house elf. "Please, after you," he said, and Hermione couldn't tell whether he was trying to be mean or nice.
"No, no, no, ladies first," Ginny said, and stepped out of the way for Malfoy to enter.
Draco looked at her in disgust. "Damn, Weasel, no need to get all offended. Just trying to be courteous." And he pushed past them both, Crabbe and Goyle sniggering stupidly.
"What is his problem?" Ginny asked, looking at him in hatred. "I hope Harry kills him in the next Quidditch match." She, too, entered the hall. Hermione sighed, watching Draco seat himself at the Slytherin table, and followed Ginny in. Life was just too confusing for her.