Disclaimer: I swear I will stop doing these one day…maybe it'll be…The Day After Tomorrow…dun dun dun…but until then…I don't own Harry Potter…at all…leave me alone…
A/N: Ok, well, I'm trying to finish this story and I can honestly tell you that's not going to happen any time soon. I don't think I'm even like halfway through…sigh…this writing thing is exhausting. Or maybe I'm just tired. Whatever, here's another chapter, hope you like it, read and review, or just read, the choice is yours and yours alone.
Chapter 24-Nobody Understands
Much to Hermione and Draco's relief, Harry stayed true to his word and did not tell anyone about their relationship. However, he did decide to cut off any and all communication with Hermione, leaving quite a few awkward silences at mealtime between the trio.
"So…err Harry…" Ron ventured, trying to get Harry to say more than three words at a time, a habit he had taken up since breakfast that morning. "Why don't you tell Hermione about that new Quidditch move you taught us today?"
Harry's eyes stayed glued to his plate as he responded, "Hermione doesn't like Quidditch Ron, you know that."
"Oh…right." Ron replied going slightly red. "Um…Hermione, did you understand that new spell Professor McGonnagle taught us today, cause it was all gibberish to me."
"Yes, I understood Ronald. Try reading the text she assigned last week." Hermione replied hastily.
"Right." Ron said again. Another silence fell over the three of them as they continued to poke at their dinner. Hermione caught movement from the Slytherin table across the hall and looked up to see Draco approaching her.
"Granger…" He started; cringing slightly at the glare Harry was giving him.
"Right, Head business. Sorry, I forgot." She said collecting her things. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Right, bye Hermes." Ron replied, watching her and Malfoy exit the Great Hall. As soon as they had vanished through the big double doors he rounded on Harry.
"What in the bloody hell is the matter with you two?" He asked.
"Nothing." Harry grumbled.
"It is not bloody well nothing." Ron retorted.
"I can't tell you!" Harry said, almost shouting. A few people within hearing distance turned to watch the banter. Ron glanced around, glaring at the nosy eavesdroppers.
"Come with me." He said under his breath. He stood up and stalked out of the Great Hall with Harry a few feet behind. He led him out the front doors of the castle and around a corner, making sure they hadn't been followed.
"Correct me if I'm wrong," he started venomously, "but did you just say that you couldn't tell me?" Harry nodded silently. "Oh," Ron continued, "because I was under the impression that we were friends!"
"It's not as easy as that," Harry started.
"Yes it is Harry." Ron interrupted. "Friends tell each other things, friends don't keep secrets."
"Secrets…" Harry repeated. "So Ron, do you consider Hermione a friend?"
"Harry, don't go into this." He replied. "I thought we had both decided that we both had feelings for Hermione but that we would just stay friends for the sake of our 'so-called' friendship."
"That's not what I meant!" Harry snapped. "Do you consider Hermione a friend?"
"Yes I do, and do you want to know why?" Ron stated.
"Oh, please do enlighten me." Harry said maliciously.
"Because she tells me things, she doesn't keep secrets." Ron said. Harry laughed mockingly and put his hands on his hips staring up into the sky. If there had been anyone else there, they would have thought him a mad man.
"Ron, Ron, Ron…" He said shaking his head. "If our dear Hermione doesn't keep secrets…then why has she been dating Malfoy behind our backs?!" Ron narrowed his eyes, but then a smile smirk crossed his features.
"I thought that might be the case." He replied.
"Wh…what?" Harry started. "You mean…you knew?"
"Well I didn't know for sure, but I had been suspecting it for about a month now. Ever since that day we gave him a good beating really." He said mildly.
"You knew and you didn't tell me?" Harry asked, incredulously.
"I thought you knew mate. It was obvious enough." Ron replied, sticking his hands in his pockets.
"Well…why aren't you mad?" Harry asked, his temper rising again.
"Because I knew that's what Hermione was trying to avoid." He replied calmly. "Don't you see Harry? You're doing exactly what Hermione was afraid of. You're creating a rift between the three of us. I realized that I loved Hermione enough to not care who she was with, as long as she was happy. I thought you would have realized that too." Harry stared moodily at the ground, kicking up dust. He sighed heavily and looked up.
"You're right Ron. I've been a complete git. I just don't understand how you can be so calm about this whole thing." Harry said heavily.
"Well, I did have a little chat with Dumbledore." Ron replied, his ears turning slightly red. "I'd suggest you do the same."
"Right. I'll do that." Harry said, turning to go back up to the castle.
"And after that I think you owe someone, specifically someone named Hermione, an apology." Ron called after him.
"Right, thanks mate." He replied before entering the castle doors.
Ron shook his head, chuckling to himself and retraced Harry's steps, returning to the castle.
"You're awfully quiet." Draco said to Hermione as they made their way towards the library.
"I know." She replied, not looking up at him.
"To what do I owe this momentous occasion?" He said jokingly. When she didn't reply he stopped and gently grabbed her hands, turning her towards him.
"Mione, what's wrong?" He asked, his silver eyes glistening with concern. She looked up to his eyes but then looked away.
"Nothing, it's nothing." She responded. He turned her face back toward him.
"You're lying." He said, laughing softly.
"How do you know?" She asked furrowing her eyebrows.
"Because you can never look me in the eyes and lie." He replied, quietly. She sighed and looked away again.
"It's nothing." She turned and continued on towards the library with Draco following a few feet behind.
"Madame Pince, I've a note to be in the Restricted Section with Mr. Malfoy." Hermione told the librarian holding out a piece of paper.
"Yes, yes. Go right ahead Ms. Granger." She replied, waving her away without even looking at the note.
"Thank you." She said and started for the back of the library and the Restricted Section.
"Hang on." Draco said catching up to her. "Let me see that note." She handed him the note and laughed as he stared at it in disbelief. "Hermione, there's nothing on this piece of paper."
"I know. She stopped checking my notes last year. It made it a whole lot easier to get in here though." She said, stepping across the threshold into the Restricted Section. "All right, you start looking over there and I'll look over here." She said, motioning to him with her hands.
"What if I want to look over here with you?" He asked. She didn't respond. "Hermione, will you please tell me what's wrong?" He said, pleadingly. Again there was no answer. "Well, at least let me help you. Why won't you just let me help you?"
"Because you can't Draco!" She replied, tears glistening in her eyes. "There's nothing you can do to help me." She whispered. Draco stood dumbfounded, staring at her.
"How can you say that Hermione? After all we've been through?" He asked, disbelievingly.
"I just…I don't know what to do." She replied. "Nobody understands."
"Well maybe if you told me what was wrong I could understand." Draco murmured, taking her hands in his. "Please, let me try and help. It's tearing me apart knowing that something's hurting you and that I'm not able to stop it."
"Well unless you can make Harry understand and stop being upset, there's nothing you can do." She replied softly.
"So…this is all about Potter is it?" Draco asked, his body becoming slightly rigid.
"Draco, I'm sorry. I just…" But before she could finish he had gone. The door slamming shut behind him.
"Saint Potter." Draco mumbled under his breath as he exited the library. Just then he walked straight into the person he least wanted to see.
"Malfoy, I was looking for you."
"Why on earth would you be looking for me Potter?" He responded.
"Actually I was looking for Hermione and I figured she would be with you." Harry replied.
"Why were you looking for Hermione? Haven't you done enough already?" Draco asked, venomously.
"Look Malfoy I know you're mad but I need to tell Hermione that…that I'm sorry. Do you know where she is?" Harry said, fidgeting slightly. Draco's face brightened.
"Wait, you're not upset anymore?" He asked.
"No." Harry stated.
"And you understand now?"
"Yes."
"This is brilliant." Draco said, grinning broadly.
"Uh, Malfoy. You're frightening me." Harry said, obviously uncomfortable with Draco's drastic change in demeanor.
"Yes, well that doesn't matter. Just follow me." He said, roughly pulling Harry by the robes back to the Restricted Section. He ignored a glare from Madame Pince and burst through the door.
"Mione? Hermione?" He called. He saw her with her head buried in her arms leaning against a bookcase. She looked up when she heard him call her name.
"Draco? Harry?" She said when she saw them both. "Wha…" She started.
"Hush." Draco said, dragging Harry over to where she was. "All right Potter. Say what you're here to say." Harry swayed back on forth trying to think of exactly what he was there to say.
"Look Hermione, I've been a complete and royal git. I understand now and I'm not upset. I even had a chat with Dumbledore and he filled me in on something's I guess I ought to be knowing." Harry said heavily.
"About the spell?" She asked.
"Curse." Draco interjected.
"Yes, that among other things." He replied.
"So everything's all right?" She asked timidly.
"Yes. Everything's perfect." Harry said. She smiled and hugged him tightly. She heard Draco cough behind her.
"What is it?" She asked turning to him.
"You said I couldn't help." He said, flashing that charming smirk of his.
"Oh Draco," she said hugging him too. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." She pulled back and looked into his eyes. "I love you."
"I love you too." He said, before kissing her lightly on the lips. Now it was Harry's turn to cough. Hermione giggled and Draco, for once, blushed.
"Sorry Harry." She said.
"It's all right. So tell me about this spell." He started.
"Curse." Draco interjected again
"Right. What have you learned about it?" He asked.
"Well…" Hermione said, looking down.
"Absolutely nothing." Draco finished for her.
"Well now's as good a time as any to start looking." Harry said jovially. Draco and Hermione grinned and they all went to separate shelves to begin the search.
Harry pulled out a book titled Objects Cursed with Dark Magic, Hermione pulled out a very tattered looking version of Hogwarts a History First Edition, and Draco pulled out Slytherin: A History of the House and the Man Who Founded it. There was silence throughout the library for the next couple of minutes with the exception of the occasional page rustling. The peaceful quiet was suddenly broken by someone cursing loudly.
"Bloody Hell."
A/N: Oooh, cliffy. Ha, ha, ha. I love doing that to you guys; it just makes it so much more fun. Alrighty then, well review and yeah, go read more. It's supposed to be educational…or something. Oh, thanks to those of you who congratulated me on graduating. It's awesome to finally be done. And someone asked if I knew what college I was going to, yeah I'm going to Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, which is like…8 hours south of where I live. So if you know where that is, you know where I live! Don't you feel special? Lol, ok well review!
