Chapter XXXV
Because Ginny and Harry were dating or just because they were enjoying each other more than they used to, Ron and Hermione were always been seen together. If Hermione was at the library, Ron was too. If he was practicing quidditch, Hermione was watching him from the stalls. The other students were talking about that, and Draco was really jealous about it.
Saturday came and all third years' and above changed Hogwarts robes for normal ones, to take a walk at Hogsmeade. Hermione said nothing to Ron but she thought they were going together, because Ginny and Harry might want to stay by themselves. She went down, but Ron was not there. In fact, the common room was totally empty. "Guess they might be waiting for me at the gates" she thought. A lot of students were going up and down at the stairs. At the garden, Hermione saw Harry and Ginny. She went to them. "Hello!" she said smiling.
"Hi, Hermione" Ginny said.
Harry only gave her a slight smile.
Since Harry and Ron had that conversation, Harry was behaving really strange to her. He was not talking to her as much as he used to and every time he seemed to be worried about her, giving her quick looks and weird things like that. It seemed that Harry was watching her, no matter where or with whom she was. Hermione told nothing to Ginny or Harry about that, because she didn't want to have problems, now that she and Ron were alright again. "Where's Ron?"
"I don't know, Hermione" Ginny answered, looking around. "I thought he was coming with you".
"I didn't see him at the common room or at the way out. I thought he was with you". Hermione looked at Harry.
"He's not coming"
"Why not?" Hermione asked.
"He... he said he has many things to do, lessons".
"But Ron never missed a weekend at Hogsmeade!"
"Well, Hermione, this time he decided to stay at Hogwarts".
She looked at the castle. "I'll look for him. You can go. We'll meet you at... at the Three Broomsticks, ok?"
"Ok".
"But you're... you don't... have a date?" Harry asked, confused.
"A date?" Hermione laughed. "Are you crazy, Harry? A date with whom?"
Harry blushed. "I don't know. I and Ron... we just thought..."
"Harry, where did you get this story from? No, I don't have a date. And Ron's thinking... oh my God! Harry, who were you thinking I will meet?"
"Nobody" he said not looking at her.
"Oh, no! You'd better tell me what's that all about. Are you... somebody told you something?"
"No, Hermione!"
"Harry..."
"You said you were going to look for Ron. I think you should do that and, when you find him, ask him about it, cause it was him who told me you should be going with... someone to Hogsmeade" Harry said it quickly and grabbed Ginny's hand. "Let's go, Ginny. See you later, Hermione" and turned his back at her.
Hermione saw Ginny and Harry leaving Hogwarts. She didn't understand a word Harry had said. "Who he was thinking I was going to date?" she thought. She turned and went towards the castle. At the base of the stairs, somebody held her arm. She turned to see who it was. "Malfoy!"
"Hello, Hermione".
"I told you to not call me 'Hermione'". She took off her arm of his hand. "What do you want?"
"I want to talk to you"
"I think we already talked too much to each other, Malfoy, more than I think it's healthy for me".
"Hermione, please, you have to listen. That day Pansy perturbed us and..."
"You should say she saved me. Or, indeed, Harry saved me, but doesn't matter. You listen now, we have nothing to talk about and, if it's true that you... you are... I can't even say it..."
"I'm in love with you, if that's what you were trying to say" Draco said, sounding disappointed.
"Yeah... if it's true, I'm really sorry. There can be no chance for you and me, Malfoy"
"Because of Weasley, right?" now he sounded a little angry.
"No, it's not cause of him. If you want to know, you killed any chances we could have someday. You noticed too late what your feelings really were. If it's true..."
"Stop saying 'if it's true'! It IS true!" he almost yelled.
"You'd better forgive me. It would never work out after all. You're a Malfoy, a pure race of wizards, and I'm a muggle born. Do you really think your family would accept me?"
Draco's eyes shined. "It's that why you're worried about? I'll face my father cause of you! I don't care if..."
"No, you understood me wrong. It's your side of the story. Mine... I don't love you, Malfoy, and I never will".
He caught her hand. "Just give me a chance".
She took off her hand of his gently. "Sorry, but I do prefer the times when you called me 'mudblood' with disdain. We're not meant to be, Malfoy". She saw despair in his eyes. "You should choose a pure blood, just like you. You should choose Parkinson".
"I don't want her!" He said, angrily.
Hermione stepped to the stairs. "I'm sorry". She turned her back at him and ran till she no longer could hear Malfoy's voice repeating her name.
Because Ginny and Harry were dating or just because they were enjoying each other more than they used to, Ron and Hermione were always been seen together. If Hermione was at the library, Ron was too. If he was practicing quidditch, Hermione was watching him from the stalls. The other students were talking about that, and Draco was really jealous about it.
Saturday came and all third years' and above changed Hogwarts robes for normal ones, to take a walk at Hogsmeade. Hermione said nothing to Ron but she thought they were going together, because Ginny and Harry might want to stay by themselves. She went down, but Ron was not there. In fact, the common room was totally empty. "Guess they might be waiting for me at the gates" she thought. A lot of students were going up and down at the stairs. At the garden, Hermione saw Harry and Ginny. She went to them. "Hello!" she said smiling.
"Hi, Hermione" Ginny said.
Harry only gave her a slight smile.
Since Harry and Ron had that conversation, Harry was behaving really strange to her. He was not talking to her as much as he used to and every time he seemed to be worried about her, giving her quick looks and weird things like that. It seemed that Harry was watching her, no matter where or with whom she was. Hermione told nothing to Ginny or Harry about that, because she didn't want to have problems, now that she and Ron were alright again. "Where's Ron?"
"I don't know, Hermione" Ginny answered, looking around. "I thought he was coming with you".
"I didn't see him at the common room or at the way out. I thought he was with you". Hermione looked at Harry.
"He's not coming"
"Why not?" Hermione asked.
"He... he said he has many things to do, lessons".
"But Ron never missed a weekend at Hogsmeade!"
"Well, Hermione, this time he decided to stay at Hogwarts".
She looked at the castle. "I'll look for him. You can go. We'll meet you at... at the Three Broomsticks, ok?"
"Ok".
"But you're... you don't... have a date?" Harry asked, confused.
"A date?" Hermione laughed. "Are you crazy, Harry? A date with whom?"
Harry blushed. "I don't know. I and Ron... we just thought..."
"Harry, where did you get this story from? No, I don't have a date. And Ron's thinking... oh my God! Harry, who were you thinking I will meet?"
"Nobody" he said not looking at her.
"Oh, no! You'd better tell me what's that all about. Are you... somebody told you something?"
"No, Hermione!"
"Harry..."
"You said you were going to look for Ron. I think you should do that and, when you find him, ask him about it, cause it was him who told me you should be going with... someone to Hogsmeade" Harry said it quickly and grabbed Ginny's hand. "Let's go, Ginny. See you later, Hermione" and turned his back at her.
Hermione saw Ginny and Harry leaving Hogwarts. She didn't understand a word Harry had said. "Who he was thinking I was going to date?" she thought. She turned and went towards the castle. At the base of the stairs, somebody held her arm. She turned to see who it was. "Malfoy!"
"Hello, Hermione".
"I told you to not call me 'Hermione'". She took off her arm of his hand. "What do you want?"
"I want to talk to you"
"I think we already talked too much to each other, Malfoy, more than I think it's healthy for me".
"Hermione, please, you have to listen. That day Pansy perturbed us and..."
"You should say she saved me. Or, indeed, Harry saved me, but doesn't matter. You listen now, we have nothing to talk about and, if it's true that you... you are... I can't even say it..."
"I'm in love with you, if that's what you were trying to say" Draco said, sounding disappointed.
"Yeah... if it's true, I'm really sorry. There can be no chance for you and me, Malfoy"
"Because of Weasley, right?" now he sounded a little angry.
"No, it's not cause of him. If you want to know, you killed any chances we could have someday. You noticed too late what your feelings really were. If it's true..."
"Stop saying 'if it's true'! It IS true!" he almost yelled.
"You'd better forgive me. It would never work out after all. You're a Malfoy, a pure race of wizards, and I'm a muggle born. Do you really think your family would accept me?"
Draco's eyes shined. "It's that why you're worried about? I'll face my father cause of you! I don't care if..."
"No, you understood me wrong. It's your side of the story. Mine... I don't love you, Malfoy, and I never will".
He caught her hand. "Just give me a chance".
She took off her hand of his gently. "Sorry, but I do prefer the times when you called me 'mudblood' with disdain. We're not meant to be, Malfoy". She saw despair in his eyes. "You should choose a pure blood, just like you. You should choose Parkinson".
"I don't want her!" He said, angrily.
Hermione stepped to the stairs. "I'm sorry". She turned her back at him and ran till she no longer could hear Malfoy's voice repeating her name.