I was ten minutes late getting to Care of Magical Creatures.
Normally I would have been ashamed of myself, but it was no joke getting all the way from the astronomy tower down to Hagrid's hut at speed. I was surprised I made it there before the lesson finished.
"Oh, there you are 'Mione. Thought you mighta been hurt or summat. You alright?"
I nodded, and was thankful that he didn't ask any more questions.
Harry and Ron exchanged meaningful glances, but looked away as soon as they saw me watching them. I frowned.
When the lesson ended, I hurried over to them to talk, but they ignored me.
"Harry? Ron? Oh, for heavens sake."
I walked in front of them and glared at them both.
"Care to tell me why you're both so mad at me?"
They both glared at me, but said nothing. I rolled my eyes and stormed off.
---
I flopped down on a lounge in the common room after last class. I hadn't spoken to Harry or Ron for the rest of the day, and had been desperate to escape the deafening silence at dinner.
Normally, I would have gone to the library, but I decided to stay by the fire and work on my Transfiguration assignment. After a while, Ginny came in and took a seat in the corner, reading a book.
"Hey, Ginny."
She looked up, turned scarlet, and looked away again. I frowned.
"Um, what's wrong?"
"Nothing" she said, without raising her head from her work.
"Ginny, I am sick to death of people saying that. Harry and Ron have been acting all weird too ... whats wrong?"
Resignedly, Ginny closed her book and looked at me.
"Well, I really thought they would've told you. Or that, you know, you would've figured it out."
"Figured what out?" I asked.
"Alright. You didn't hear this from me, okay? I just ... well I reckon you should know whats up" she swallowed. "Okay, well, in divination a couple of days ago, Harry saw something in the crystal ball. He said it was the first real image he's ever got."
I kept quiet my opinions of divination, and let Ginny continue.
"The image was ... well ... it was you, and Malfoy. In the astronomy tower. Kissing. Apparently it was pretty hot."
I sucked in my breath, and felt my cheeks begin to heat up.
"What, so he believed it, just because it was in a stupid crystal ball?"
Ginny shook her head, hurriedly, sending her red locks flying.
"No. He and Ron thought it was hilarious. They were laughing about it all through lunch."
"So? Why were they mad at me?"
"I'm getting to that, Hermione, just give me a minute. Basically, they wanted to ask you about some Charms stuff, so they were going to go and meet you outside McGonagall's office."
My heart did a horrible lurch, and I felt my mouth going dry.
"They waited and waited but when you didn't come out they asked McGonagall how much longer you were going to be. She said she didn't have an appointment with you or anything."
I closed my eyes. I had a bad feeling about what was coming.
"So, they were really weirded out. They were really curious because you told them you were with her and ... you weren't. As a joke, Harry thought they should check up at the astronomy tower."
I clutched at Ginny's arm, desperately.
"Did they? Did they check the tower?"
Ginny frowned at me.
"Yeah, they did. They met him halfway down the stairs, though."
I tried to hide my sigh of relief, though I was very aware that my reaction had probably alerted Ginny that there was more than met the eye.
"Anyway, so they had one of their usuals with Malfoy. I think Ron actually aimed a punch at him, or something. They got caught, by Professor Sinistra, and Ron got a detention."
"Is that why he's mad at me?"
Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Just wait, okay? I'm getting to that. So Ron was really mad at Malfoy because now he had a detention because of him, on top of everything else. Anyway, just out of curiosity, because it was a weird co-incidence that Malfoy was there, they went to the top of the tower and ... you were there, too. So it was kind of obvious that you'd met up with Malfoy."
I covered my face with my hands, feeling like just disappearing into the carpet. Ginny continued.
"They ran down to Care of Magical Creatures, so that they wouldn't be late for Hagrid, and then apparently you got there really late. They said you took your own sweet time getting back, actually."
I exhaled, gustily, and met Ginny's eye.
"Alright. I met Malfoy up at the astronomy tower. Just ... well, I'd rather tell Harry and Ron firsthand, okay?"
"You don't really need to tell them, they saw-"
"I know they did, and I'll have a talk to them later. They just didn't seem too keen on speaking to me before."
"Within reason."
"I guess so."
I frowned at the fire, waiting for Harry and Ron to get back from dinner, all the while wondering how my life had gotten so complicated.
---
When Harry and Ron finally decided to show themselves in the common room, I was ready for them.
With a cover story.
Alright, I felt horrible and guilty about it, but I really didn't know how to tell them the truth about me and Malfoy. Especially since I didn't really know what the truth between us was in the first place.
"Harry? Ron? Look, I need to apologize. About ... about Malfoy."
The boys glared at me, but I continued talking.
"You were right, I did meet him today. I lied. And I'm really sorry."
"Yeah, well, you should be!" Ron spat.
"Please, can you let me explain?"
Harry's glare did not faulter, but he nodded. I swallowed.
"Well, you know what happened a couple of days ago. The whole ... thing. With him nearly getting killed. Well, not many people know what really happened and I only knew bits of it. I wanted to get the story straight, once and for all."
"So you met him in the astronomy tower, all alone?!" Harry cried, incredulously. I stuck my chin out.
"Yeah. I did. Its kind of personal, the stuff that happened. So I just wanted to make sure that I had all my facts straight, for real. I didn't want people listening in or anything."
Ron snorted, disbelievingly.
"So that was why he was actually smiling when he came around the corner? I swear, I didn't even know the guy COULD smile."
I tried to stop my face going red with the power of my mind.
"I don't know" I said. "Maybe he saw somebody fall down the stairs or something."
Harry shook his head.
"Look, I want to believe you. I really do. But-"
"If you want to believe me then why is there a but? Harry, I'm not lying to you!"
I wanted the carpet to swallow me up. I was a horrible, lying, untrustworthy person.
There was a silence, during which Harry and Ron looked at each other, then me, and finally Ron spoke.
"Alright. We believe you. It's just, that crystal ball thing kind of freaked us out."
"Tell me about it" Harry said, shaking his head. "That was so vivid, it was really scary."
I smiled.
"I imagine it would be. Me, kissing Malfoy? Ugh. I think I'm going to go upstairs and brush my teeth, now ..."
They laughed, and I felt my guilt creeping up on me.
Normally I would have been ashamed of myself, but it was no joke getting all the way from the astronomy tower down to Hagrid's hut at speed. I was surprised I made it there before the lesson finished.
"Oh, there you are 'Mione. Thought you mighta been hurt or summat. You alright?"
I nodded, and was thankful that he didn't ask any more questions.
Harry and Ron exchanged meaningful glances, but looked away as soon as they saw me watching them. I frowned.
When the lesson ended, I hurried over to them to talk, but they ignored me.
"Harry? Ron? Oh, for heavens sake."
I walked in front of them and glared at them both.
"Care to tell me why you're both so mad at me?"
They both glared at me, but said nothing. I rolled my eyes and stormed off.
---
I flopped down on a lounge in the common room after last class. I hadn't spoken to Harry or Ron for the rest of the day, and had been desperate to escape the deafening silence at dinner.
Normally, I would have gone to the library, but I decided to stay by the fire and work on my Transfiguration assignment. After a while, Ginny came in and took a seat in the corner, reading a book.
"Hey, Ginny."
She looked up, turned scarlet, and looked away again. I frowned.
"Um, what's wrong?"
"Nothing" she said, without raising her head from her work.
"Ginny, I am sick to death of people saying that. Harry and Ron have been acting all weird too ... whats wrong?"
Resignedly, Ginny closed her book and looked at me.
"Well, I really thought they would've told you. Or that, you know, you would've figured it out."
"Figured what out?" I asked.
"Alright. You didn't hear this from me, okay? I just ... well I reckon you should know whats up" she swallowed. "Okay, well, in divination a couple of days ago, Harry saw something in the crystal ball. He said it was the first real image he's ever got."
I kept quiet my opinions of divination, and let Ginny continue.
"The image was ... well ... it was you, and Malfoy. In the astronomy tower. Kissing. Apparently it was pretty hot."
I sucked in my breath, and felt my cheeks begin to heat up.
"What, so he believed it, just because it was in a stupid crystal ball?"
Ginny shook her head, hurriedly, sending her red locks flying.
"No. He and Ron thought it was hilarious. They were laughing about it all through lunch."
"So? Why were they mad at me?"
"I'm getting to that, Hermione, just give me a minute. Basically, they wanted to ask you about some Charms stuff, so they were going to go and meet you outside McGonagall's office."
My heart did a horrible lurch, and I felt my mouth going dry.
"They waited and waited but when you didn't come out they asked McGonagall how much longer you were going to be. She said she didn't have an appointment with you or anything."
I closed my eyes. I had a bad feeling about what was coming.
"So, they were really weirded out. They were really curious because you told them you were with her and ... you weren't. As a joke, Harry thought they should check up at the astronomy tower."
I clutched at Ginny's arm, desperately.
"Did they? Did they check the tower?"
Ginny frowned at me.
"Yeah, they did. They met him halfway down the stairs, though."
I tried to hide my sigh of relief, though I was very aware that my reaction had probably alerted Ginny that there was more than met the eye.
"Anyway, so they had one of their usuals with Malfoy. I think Ron actually aimed a punch at him, or something. They got caught, by Professor Sinistra, and Ron got a detention."
"Is that why he's mad at me?"
Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Just wait, okay? I'm getting to that. So Ron was really mad at Malfoy because now he had a detention because of him, on top of everything else. Anyway, just out of curiosity, because it was a weird co-incidence that Malfoy was there, they went to the top of the tower and ... you were there, too. So it was kind of obvious that you'd met up with Malfoy."
I covered my face with my hands, feeling like just disappearing into the carpet. Ginny continued.
"They ran down to Care of Magical Creatures, so that they wouldn't be late for Hagrid, and then apparently you got there really late. They said you took your own sweet time getting back, actually."
I exhaled, gustily, and met Ginny's eye.
"Alright. I met Malfoy up at the astronomy tower. Just ... well, I'd rather tell Harry and Ron firsthand, okay?"
"You don't really need to tell them, they saw-"
"I know they did, and I'll have a talk to them later. They just didn't seem too keen on speaking to me before."
"Within reason."
"I guess so."
I frowned at the fire, waiting for Harry and Ron to get back from dinner, all the while wondering how my life had gotten so complicated.
---
When Harry and Ron finally decided to show themselves in the common room, I was ready for them.
With a cover story.
Alright, I felt horrible and guilty about it, but I really didn't know how to tell them the truth about me and Malfoy. Especially since I didn't really know what the truth between us was in the first place.
"Harry? Ron? Look, I need to apologize. About ... about Malfoy."
The boys glared at me, but I continued talking.
"You were right, I did meet him today. I lied. And I'm really sorry."
"Yeah, well, you should be!" Ron spat.
"Please, can you let me explain?"
Harry's glare did not faulter, but he nodded. I swallowed.
"Well, you know what happened a couple of days ago. The whole ... thing. With him nearly getting killed. Well, not many people know what really happened and I only knew bits of it. I wanted to get the story straight, once and for all."
"So you met him in the astronomy tower, all alone?!" Harry cried, incredulously. I stuck my chin out.
"Yeah. I did. Its kind of personal, the stuff that happened. So I just wanted to make sure that I had all my facts straight, for real. I didn't want people listening in or anything."
Ron snorted, disbelievingly.
"So that was why he was actually smiling when he came around the corner? I swear, I didn't even know the guy COULD smile."
I tried to stop my face going red with the power of my mind.
"I don't know" I said. "Maybe he saw somebody fall down the stairs or something."
Harry shook his head.
"Look, I want to believe you. I really do. But-"
"If you want to believe me then why is there a but? Harry, I'm not lying to you!"
I wanted the carpet to swallow me up. I was a horrible, lying, untrustworthy person.
There was a silence, during which Harry and Ron looked at each other, then me, and finally Ron spoke.
"Alright. We believe you. It's just, that crystal ball thing kind of freaked us out."
"Tell me about it" Harry said, shaking his head. "That was so vivid, it was really scary."
I smiled.
"I imagine it would be. Me, kissing Malfoy? Ugh. I think I'm going to go upstairs and brush my teeth, now ..."
They laughed, and I felt my guilt creeping up on me.