Chapter XLIV
The ball was planned to end at midnight. Ron and Hermione decided to seat for a moment, most because of Ron who seemed to be really tired.
"I never thought I could fancy you that much, Hermione".
"What do you mean?" She said, smiling.
"I'm dancing since I got here. I can't remember when I danced that much. I think I never did that".
Hermione laughed. "Thanks, Ron. That's a really romantic thing to say". She looked at the bar. "Do you want something?"
"What?"
She turned to him. "Do you want to drink something? I want some butter beer".
"Ok". Ron was getting up.
"No, Ron". She held his arm. "You're really tired, I know. I asked cause I'm going to ask for some. Do you want?"
"No, Hermione, leave it to me".
"Don't be so silly. Look, Harry and Ginny are coming to make you company". She smiled to them. "Hey, do you want some butter beer?"
Harry dropped him on the chair. "I'd love to, but I'm too tired".
"Men are so week. I'm going to catch them, you just have to say if you want some".
"Yeah".
"I'm going to help you, Hermione".
"Thanks, Ginny. You two wait here".
They nodded.
Hermione inclined herself and gave a little kiss on Ron's lips. "I won't take too long". She left followed by Ginny.
"Mate?"
"Yeah, Ron?"
"I don't have any feet now. They are hurting so bad that I can not feel them anymore".
"Be my guest. Thank God the ball will end in half an hour".
"Harry, we are two fools. Look what they did to us". Ron pointed to his clothes and his feet.
Harry laughed. "Well, it's the price we have to pay to have them by our side".
Ron smiled. "Yeah"
"We were too bad to Ron and Harry".
"What do you mean, Hermione?"
"Look at them".
Ginny turned. Harry and Ron were almost laid on the chairs. She laughed. "They are really tired, huh?" She turned to Hermione again.
Hermione smiled. "They really like us, otherwise..." Ginny's face went pale. "What's the matter, Ginny?"
"I didn't believe it till I have seen it".
Hermione knew that voice better than she wanted to. "And what did you see, Malfoy?" She said, still keeping his back at him.
"So you recognize my voice. May I be happy with that?"
"You should be with Milla".
"And I didn't think that you paid attention in me!"
Hermione finally turned to face him. She noticed that, although his expression was angry, his eyes were sadly shining. "I didn't pay attention in you. I just know who came with whom, it's not that difficult".
"I just know that you came with... Weasley". He looked at Ron. Draco could feel anger boiling in his veins.
"But you knew it. Look, Malfoy, I don't think it's necessary to keep this conversation. I don't think it's necessary to keep any conversation with you, indeed. So, if you excuse me..." She turned her back at him. "Let's go, Ginny".
"What do you want me to say or do so you can believe me?!" Draco said, almost yelling.
Hermione turned to him again. "Are you nuts? Stop that! I already told you that I love Ron, so what's the matter with you?"
"My problem is him, and you know that".
"Leave Ron out of it!"
"I can't cause he's all of it". He held Hermione by the shoulders. "You're mine, Granger, and just mine, and nobody will take you from me, understand? No one!" He released her. His eyes were shining dangerously. "You're mine" he said, almost whispering, and left.
Hermione didn't move for a few minutes then turned to Ginny. Her mouth was totally opened but the colors started to appear on her face. So she turned to see Harry and Ron. They were watching the last couples that were dancing. The Dark Owls had gone so now the music was coming from nowhere. It seemed that they didn't notice what happened. "Ginny, listen, I don't want Ron to know that, ok?"
No answer.
"Ginny!"
She shook as she had been wakened from a bad dream. "What?"
"I said I don't want Harry and Ron to know what happened, alright?"
"But, Hermione..."
"I don't want, please, Ginny. Ron will get worried and I don't think we should worry about Malfoy".
"You don't? Did you see his face? The guy is getting crazy cause of you. Now he thinks he's your owner. This is getting serious".
"Don't worry. Next week we'll be going home and he will have three long months to think about me and what he did and everything. Just a few days with his parents will remind him what I am".
"I don't think he cares anymore that you are a muggle born".
"He'll be back at his normal being after vacation, believe me". Hermione smiled.
"I don't like that, but ok, I'll do as you say".
They caught the butter beers and went back to the boys.
Harry and Ron were really tired but they didn't complain. The ball was fun and they survived. Hagrid greeted Ron and Hermione and lots of classmates and other students congratulated them, but nobody, except for Hagrid, could disguise its surprise. They said goodnight to each other and went to sleep. Although she had said to Ginny to not worry about Malfoy, Hermione herself was really worried and she couldn't sleep well.
The ball was planned to end at midnight. Ron and Hermione decided to seat for a moment, most because of Ron who seemed to be really tired.
"I never thought I could fancy you that much, Hermione".
"What do you mean?" She said, smiling.
"I'm dancing since I got here. I can't remember when I danced that much. I think I never did that".
Hermione laughed. "Thanks, Ron. That's a really romantic thing to say". She looked at the bar. "Do you want something?"
"What?"
She turned to him. "Do you want to drink something? I want some butter beer".
"Ok". Ron was getting up.
"No, Ron". She held his arm. "You're really tired, I know. I asked cause I'm going to ask for some. Do you want?"
"No, Hermione, leave it to me".
"Don't be so silly. Look, Harry and Ginny are coming to make you company". She smiled to them. "Hey, do you want some butter beer?"
Harry dropped him on the chair. "I'd love to, but I'm too tired".
"Men are so week. I'm going to catch them, you just have to say if you want some".
"Yeah".
"I'm going to help you, Hermione".
"Thanks, Ginny. You two wait here".
They nodded.
Hermione inclined herself and gave a little kiss on Ron's lips. "I won't take too long". She left followed by Ginny.
"Mate?"
"Yeah, Ron?"
"I don't have any feet now. They are hurting so bad that I can not feel them anymore".
"Be my guest. Thank God the ball will end in half an hour".
"Harry, we are two fools. Look what they did to us". Ron pointed to his clothes and his feet.
Harry laughed. "Well, it's the price we have to pay to have them by our side".
Ron smiled. "Yeah"
"We were too bad to Ron and Harry".
"What do you mean, Hermione?"
"Look at them".
Ginny turned. Harry and Ron were almost laid on the chairs. She laughed. "They are really tired, huh?" She turned to Hermione again.
Hermione smiled. "They really like us, otherwise..." Ginny's face went pale. "What's the matter, Ginny?"
"I didn't believe it till I have seen it".
Hermione knew that voice better than she wanted to. "And what did you see, Malfoy?" She said, still keeping his back at him.
"So you recognize my voice. May I be happy with that?"
"You should be with Milla".
"And I didn't think that you paid attention in me!"
Hermione finally turned to face him. She noticed that, although his expression was angry, his eyes were sadly shining. "I didn't pay attention in you. I just know who came with whom, it's not that difficult".
"I just know that you came with... Weasley". He looked at Ron. Draco could feel anger boiling in his veins.
"But you knew it. Look, Malfoy, I don't think it's necessary to keep this conversation. I don't think it's necessary to keep any conversation with you, indeed. So, if you excuse me..." She turned her back at him. "Let's go, Ginny".
"What do you want me to say or do so you can believe me?!" Draco said, almost yelling.
Hermione turned to him again. "Are you nuts? Stop that! I already told you that I love Ron, so what's the matter with you?"
"My problem is him, and you know that".
"Leave Ron out of it!"
"I can't cause he's all of it". He held Hermione by the shoulders. "You're mine, Granger, and just mine, and nobody will take you from me, understand? No one!" He released her. His eyes were shining dangerously. "You're mine" he said, almost whispering, and left.
Hermione didn't move for a few minutes then turned to Ginny. Her mouth was totally opened but the colors started to appear on her face. So she turned to see Harry and Ron. They were watching the last couples that were dancing. The Dark Owls had gone so now the music was coming from nowhere. It seemed that they didn't notice what happened. "Ginny, listen, I don't want Ron to know that, ok?"
No answer.
"Ginny!"
She shook as she had been wakened from a bad dream. "What?"
"I said I don't want Harry and Ron to know what happened, alright?"
"But, Hermione..."
"I don't want, please, Ginny. Ron will get worried and I don't think we should worry about Malfoy".
"You don't? Did you see his face? The guy is getting crazy cause of you. Now he thinks he's your owner. This is getting serious".
"Don't worry. Next week we'll be going home and he will have three long months to think about me and what he did and everything. Just a few days with his parents will remind him what I am".
"I don't think he cares anymore that you are a muggle born".
"He'll be back at his normal being after vacation, believe me". Hermione smiled.
"I don't like that, but ok, I'll do as you say".
They caught the butter beers and went back to the boys.
Harry and Ron were really tired but they didn't complain. The ball was fun and they survived. Hagrid greeted Ron and Hermione and lots of classmates and other students congratulated them, but nobody, except for Hagrid, could disguise its surprise. They said goodnight to each other and went to sleep. Although she had said to Ginny to not worry about Malfoy, Hermione herself was really worried and she couldn't sleep well.