Falling for you
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley or any other character. The only thing that's mine is the plot.
- The last thing Hermione wants is to fall for someone... again. -
Chapter 6
Hermione was locking up her office, when she felt a hand clamp her mouth. She immediately turned around and saw her pretentious attacker. She grabbed his hand from her mouth.
"Malfoy! What do you think you're doing?" Hermione asked angrily.
"Still easily scared, I see," Draco said, ignoring her question.
"Well, anyone would get scared if someone just suddenly covered their mouth," Hermione retorted. Draco merely smirked. "What are you doing here this time of the night, anyway?"
"What are you doing here this time of the night?" Draco asked back.
"Working. What do you think?" Hermione snapped. She turned on her heels and proceeded to go down the stairs. Draco followed her.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" he asked.
"What do you care?" she asked back.
"Hey," Draco said, grabbing her arm gently and making her stop walking. "Sorry about scaring you earlier. Please don't get mad anymore."
Hermione's expression softened. She knew that Draco was just kidding around earlier. He had been nicer ever since their last year at Hogwarts and much nicer when they began to work together in the ministry.
"Just don't do that again," Hermione finally said.
"Promise," Draco said with a smile. Hermione smiled, too. And they proceeded to go downstairs. "So where are you headed now?"
"Home," Hermione said.
"Ah. Mind if I walk you? I know you could apparate and all, but you know, it's just a suggestion," Draco babbled.
Hermione smiled at him. "Sure. You can walk me." Draco also offered to carry the envelopes that Hermione had been carrying. "Thanks."
"So what's up?"
She shrugged. "Not much. Still the same old thing."
"I heard you and Harry are talking again."
"Where did you hear?"
"Around. So it's true?"
"Yeah," Hermione said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I mean, there's no point in avoiding each other. I shouldn't have done that in the first place. We are best friends, after all."
"That's good. Any chance of getting back together?" Draco asked as they stepped onto the sidewalk by the restaurants.
She shook her head wildly. "No. We're just friends. We'll always be friends."
"You sound defensive," Draco said, chuckling.
"I am not!" Hermione said. "I'm just trying to prove that it's really over and –." She suddenly stopped walking and looked through the window at one of the restaurants. Draco stopped, too, and followed her gaze. It was Harry with Parvati and they were having dinner. They looked like they were having fun with each other, too. Suddenly, Harry reached out to tuck a strand of Parvati's hair behind her ear. Draco returned his gaze back to Hermione. She was trying to breathe evenly and trying her best not to reveal anything in her face. But Draco saw everything clearly. She was hurt. He looked at Harry and Parvati again. They were smiling at each other. When he turned to look at Hermione again, she had walked ahead.
He had to jog a bit to catch up with her. "Hermione! Hermione, wait!" He reached her side and panted slightly. "Hey, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Hermione said, casually pretending to rub her eyes. But Draco saw the tear slide down her cheek.
Draco stopped her and made her face him. "Hey." But Hermione kept her face down. "Look at me," he said, tilting her face up to him. "You're not okay."
"Yes, I am," Hermione insisted. She raised her hand again to stop another tear from falling down. But Draco caught her wrist.
"Cry if you have to, Hermione."
"No. I shouldn't cry. I can't cry," she said, her voice already hoarse.
"Why not?"
"Because it won't be right. We're over. I can't cry over something that's already in the past."
"And bottle it all up inside? If it's over, then why is it still stirring up feelings inside you? It's okay to cry, Hermione. Rather than bottle it all up. It will consume you. Let it out," Draco said.
Hermione suddenly sobbed. She covered her face with her hands and cried. Draco dropped Hermione's things on the pavement and wrapped his arms around her.
"I feel so stupid, Draco. I feel so stupid," she sobbed.
**
"Thank you for such a wonderful night, Harry! I enjoyed immensely," Parvati said, smiling prettily.
"I enjoyed, too," Harry said, also smiling. "Maybe we should do it again some time."
Parvati smiled. "Sure."
"Great! I'll pick you up next week same time," Harry said.
"Will do," Parvati answered. "Well... good night." She leaned forward and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.
Harry turned a bit pink. "Yeah. Good night." Parvati went in her apartment and Harry apparated back to his own flat.
**
"Okay. Spill!" Ginny said to Harry, grabbing his sleeve impatiently.
"Er," Harry began, looking at Ron, who was waiting also for Harry's story. Hermione was also there, but she was reading the daily prophet. "Why are you guys so excited to know?"
"Because that's your first date in over a year," Ginny said knowingly. Hermione looked up at this. Then looked back down on the paper again.
"Are you going to tell us or what?" Ron asked.
"Okay. Okay. We just had dinner. Then I took her home and that was it," Harry said.
"That's it?" Ginny asked. "Nothing special?"
"Oh, it was special alright. Very special," Harry said, grinning. Suddenly, the scraping of Hermione's chair was heard. They all looked up at her and saw her standing up and preparing to leave.
"I'll just go outside for fresh air. I'm feeling a bit suffocated," Hermione said without expression and left. Ginny, Ron and Harry looked at each other.
"What's with her?" Ron asked.
"Oh. Nothing. She's just tired," Ginny said immediately, trying to defend Hermione. "She was pretty tired from last night."
"Why, where did she go?" Ron asked.
"She was with Draco," Ginny informed them.
"What?!" Harry exclaimed.
"Yeah. They're friends in case you didn't know," Ginny said.
"I know they're friends. But what was she doing with Draco last night?" Harry asked.
"Draco took Hermione home and they had a talk along the way," Ginny explained. "It was nothing intimate," she added.
Harry turned red at this comment. "I see. Well, that's good."
"Are you telling us that that means nothing to you?" Ron said, trying to mask his disbelief.
"Why would it mean anything to me? Besides, I'm seeing Parvati again next week," Harry said. "I can't wait."
**
"Hermione, are you alright?" Fred said.
Hermione looked up and managed a small smile. "I'm fine."
"You don't look fine to me," Fred said.
"Well, I am. Where's George?" she asked.
"Had some errands to do for mum," he answered. "What's on your mind? You've been very quiet ever since you arrived this morning?"
"Work," she answered. "I have a lot of deadlines to go after."
"Maybe you should take a break. Work seems like stress," he said.
"Well, I love my work. So it's not really stress to me," she said.
They became silent for a while. Hermione closed her eyes, trying to forget everything even just for a while. But all that she saw was Harry and Parvati in the restaurant. Harry and Parvati smiling at each other, Harry and Parvati having fun with each other's company, and Harry tucking a strand of Parvati's hair behind her ear. She closed her eyes tighter and gripped her skirt. Fred noticed this and touched her arm.
"Hermione, are you okay?" he asked. She opened her eyes and found that they were wet with tears. Fred noticed it, too. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, clearly concerned.
She merely shook her head and went back in the house. She found Ginny, Ron and Harry in the living room chatting with each other. She walked in and cleared her throat. They looked at her.
"Um, I'm leaving and –," Hermione began.
"You are? Already? Why?" Ginny asked.
"Well... I have some things to do," Hermione explained, "that cannot wait."
"What things?" Ron asked.
"Yeah. Is it that important that you have to leave now?" Harry added.
"Yes. It is important. And I have to talk to Cho," Hermione said.
"Why?" Ginny asked again.
"I need really good advice," Hermione said simply. "I'll see you guys next time." With this, she apparated.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley or any other character. The only thing that's mine is the plot.
- The last thing Hermione wants is to fall for someone... again. -
Chapter 6
Hermione was locking up her office, when she felt a hand clamp her mouth. She immediately turned around and saw her pretentious attacker. She grabbed his hand from her mouth.
"Malfoy! What do you think you're doing?" Hermione asked angrily.
"Still easily scared, I see," Draco said, ignoring her question.
"Well, anyone would get scared if someone just suddenly covered their mouth," Hermione retorted. Draco merely smirked. "What are you doing here this time of the night, anyway?"
"What are you doing here this time of the night?" Draco asked back.
"Working. What do you think?" Hermione snapped. She turned on her heels and proceeded to go down the stairs. Draco followed her.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" he asked.
"What do you care?" she asked back.
"Hey," Draco said, grabbing her arm gently and making her stop walking. "Sorry about scaring you earlier. Please don't get mad anymore."
Hermione's expression softened. She knew that Draco was just kidding around earlier. He had been nicer ever since their last year at Hogwarts and much nicer when they began to work together in the ministry.
"Just don't do that again," Hermione finally said.
"Promise," Draco said with a smile. Hermione smiled, too. And they proceeded to go downstairs. "So where are you headed now?"
"Home," Hermione said.
"Ah. Mind if I walk you? I know you could apparate and all, but you know, it's just a suggestion," Draco babbled.
Hermione smiled at him. "Sure. You can walk me." Draco also offered to carry the envelopes that Hermione had been carrying. "Thanks."
"So what's up?"
She shrugged. "Not much. Still the same old thing."
"I heard you and Harry are talking again."
"Where did you hear?"
"Around. So it's true?"
"Yeah," Hermione said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I mean, there's no point in avoiding each other. I shouldn't have done that in the first place. We are best friends, after all."
"That's good. Any chance of getting back together?" Draco asked as they stepped onto the sidewalk by the restaurants.
She shook her head wildly. "No. We're just friends. We'll always be friends."
"You sound defensive," Draco said, chuckling.
"I am not!" Hermione said. "I'm just trying to prove that it's really over and –." She suddenly stopped walking and looked through the window at one of the restaurants. Draco stopped, too, and followed her gaze. It was Harry with Parvati and they were having dinner. They looked like they were having fun with each other, too. Suddenly, Harry reached out to tuck a strand of Parvati's hair behind her ear. Draco returned his gaze back to Hermione. She was trying to breathe evenly and trying her best not to reveal anything in her face. But Draco saw everything clearly. She was hurt. He looked at Harry and Parvati again. They were smiling at each other. When he turned to look at Hermione again, she had walked ahead.
He had to jog a bit to catch up with her. "Hermione! Hermione, wait!" He reached her side and panted slightly. "Hey, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Hermione said, casually pretending to rub her eyes. But Draco saw the tear slide down her cheek.
Draco stopped her and made her face him. "Hey." But Hermione kept her face down. "Look at me," he said, tilting her face up to him. "You're not okay."
"Yes, I am," Hermione insisted. She raised her hand again to stop another tear from falling down. But Draco caught her wrist.
"Cry if you have to, Hermione."
"No. I shouldn't cry. I can't cry," she said, her voice already hoarse.
"Why not?"
"Because it won't be right. We're over. I can't cry over something that's already in the past."
"And bottle it all up inside? If it's over, then why is it still stirring up feelings inside you? It's okay to cry, Hermione. Rather than bottle it all up. It will consume you. Let it out," Draco said.
Hermione suddenly sobbed. She covered her face with her hands and cried. Draco dropped Hermione's things on the pavement and wrapped his arms around her.
"I feel so stupid, Draco. I feel so stupid," she sobbed.
**
"Thank you for such a wonderful night, Harry! I enjoyed immensely," Parvati said, smiling prettily.
"I enjoyed, too," Harry said, also smiling. "Maybe we should do it again some time."
Parvati smiled. "Sure."
"Great! I'll pick you up next week same time," Harry said.
"Will do," Parvati answered. "Well... good night." She leaned forward and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.
Harry turned a bit pink. "Yeah. Good night." Parvati went in her apartment and Harry apparated back to his own flat.
**
"Okay. Spill!" Ginny said to Harry, grabbing his sleeve impatiently.
"Er," Harry began, looking at Ron, who was waiting also for Harry's story. Hermione was also there, but she was reading the daily prophet. "Why are you guys so excited to know?"
"Because that's your first date in over a year," Ginny said knowingly. Hermione looked up at this. Then looked back down on the paper again.
"Are you going to tell us or what?" Ron asked.
"Okay. Okay. We just had dinner. Then I took her home and that was it," Harry said.
"That's it?" Ginny asked. "Nothing special?"
"Oh, it was special alright. Very special," Harry said, grinning. Suddenly, the scraping of Hermione's chair was heard. They all looked up at her and saw her standing up and preparing to leave.
"I'll just go outside for fresh air. I'm feeling a bit suffocated," Hermione said without expression and left. Ginny, Ron and Harry looked at each other.
"What's with her?" Ron asked.
"Oh. Nothing. She's just tired," Ginny said immediately, trying to defend Hermione. "She was pretty tired from last night."
"Why, where did she go?" Ron asked.
"She was with Draco," Ginny informed them.
"What?!" Harry exclaimed.
"Yeah. They're friends in case you didn't know," Ginny said.
"I know they're friends. But what was she doing with Draco last night?" Harry asked.
"Draco took Hermione home and they had a talk along the way," Ginny explained. "It was nothing intimate," she added.
Harry turned red at this comment. "I see. Well, that's good."
"Are you telling us that that means nothing to you?" Ron said, trying to mask his disbelief.
"Why would it mean anything to me? Besides, I'm seeing Parvati again next week," Harry said. "I can't wait."
**
"Hermione, are you alright?" Fred said.
Hermione looked up and managed a small smile. "I'm fine."
"You don't look fine to me," Fred said.
"Well, I am. Where's George?" she asked.
"Had some errands to do for mum," he answered. "What's on your mind? You've been very quiet ever since you arrived this morning?"
"Work," she answered. "I have a lot of deadlines to go after."
"Maybe you should take a break. Work seems like stress," he said.
"Well, I love my work. So it's not really stress to me," she said.
They became silent for a while. Hermione closed her eyes, trying to forget everything even just for a while. But all that she saw was Harry and Parvati in the restaurant. Harry and Parvati smiling at each other, Harry and Parvati having fun with each other's company, and Harry tucking a strand of Parvati's hair behind her ear. She closed her eyes tighter and gripped her skirt. Fred noticed this and touched her arm.
"Hermione, are you okay?" he asked. She opened her eyes and found that they were wet with tears. Fred noticed it, too. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, clearly concerned.
She merely shook her head and went back in the house. She found Ginny, Ron and Harry in the living room chatting with each other. She walked in and cleared her throat. They looked at her.
"Um, I'm leaving and –," Hermione began.
"You are? Already? Why?" Ginny asked.
"Well... I have some things to do," Hermione explained, "that cannot wait."
"What things?" Ron asked.
"Yeah. Is it that important that you have to leave now?" Harry added.
"Yes. It is important. And I have to talk to Cho," Hermione said.
"Why?" Ginny asked again.
"I need really good advice," Hermione said simply. "I'll see you guys next time." With this, she apparated.