fire-and-ice89 – A Second Chance
A/N: Most of my chapters either start with D or M. Have you noticed that? Oh well, I can't be bothered to change them, so you'll just have to put up with it.
Now, I'm VERY sorry for the slow update. I've had lots of work from school, and also I had some…issues…to sort out with this chapter. A huge thank you again to rainbow5889 for being so understanding!
THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed, we reached eleven! So, as promised, here is a personal reply from me to every one of you:
xoKaSsIeox: Wow, your name took me a while to figure out. My brain isn't made for those kind of things! Well, here's the update!
FlairVerona: Yes, the ball is well and truly rolling! Who thought up that expression anyway, it's kind of weird! An obstacle appears in this chapter…well actually, it's just Draco being stubborn, but we're getting there!
BelleLamour: A new reviewer? Yay! I'm so glad you like the story. I hope you keep reading!
Dark Yuke: Another new reviewer? Yay! That was a good chapter for collecting new reviewers. Sorry for the slow update, the rest should be quicker, I promise!
dmhg: Thanks for reviewing my other story, you were the first person ever. So, if by some crazy chance it becomes really popular, you can boast about it! Not likely though…but thanks anyway!
Filthy X Gorgeous: hahaha! Short, sweet, and to the point. Love it!
jods-luvs-Draco: Another new reviewer! Here's the update, I hope you come back to read it!
Mocha Dragon: Yep, that was the chapter when you fell in love (with the story, that is!). I remember! And I remember you loving that description of Malfoy, too. Thanks for the long review!
Emma-Lizzy-Black: Okay…that was very weird, and totally random…but hey, you added to the review count so who am I to complain?
Taurus Girl: Oh good, when you didn't come and review chapter five I was hoping I hadn't lost you…thanks for coming back. I'm glad you liked the chapter!
rainbow5889: Thanks again! After reading this chapter, you might be glad that I didn't put your name in anyway…as you'll find out, the 'black haired girl' is a bit of a biatch (spelt wrong on purpose!).
Now, without further ado, I present the update!
Last Time:
"Well," she said coyly, shifting so that she was looking straight into his eyes. "You want to know why I was staring at you?" Malfoy smiled.
Hermione paused for a while and pretended to be considering whether to tell him or not. He slapped her shoulder playfully and she gasped in mock horror.
"You dare to slap me? Well, I don't think I'll tell you after all."
"Oh, spit it out, Granger," Malfoy said, grabbing both her hands in his when she tried to slap him back.
It was then that the door burst open.
Chapter Seven – Mistaken
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER" Ron roared out as he leapt into the room with Harry.
Malfoy dropped Hermione's hands like she had stung him, and stepped forward, pulling his wand from his pocket as he did so.
"Careful, Weasley." he warned, calm as always.
Harry, beside Ron, had his wand trained at Malfoy's head.
"I think you're the one who should be careful here." He said between clenched teeth. Hermione ran to the middle of the room in a desperate effort to stop a duel beginning.
"Harry, Ron, you're making assumptions here. Malfoy, would you please put that wand away!" Malfoy glared at the two, and his wand remained raised, pointing first at Harry, then Ron, then back again.
"Has the world gone mad?" someone cried out from the back room, and Madam Pomfrey bustled out. "Whatever this racket is about, I think you can continue it outside."
All three boys slipped their wands back into their pockets sullenly. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.
"I meant that," said Pomfrey, glaring at them all. "Out."
The heat of the argument had passed by the time they had been ushered out into the hallway, and the door had been slammed shut behind them. Harry and Ron were still eyeing Malfoy with intense dislike, and for Hermione the whole situation was becoming a bit awkward.
"Look," she began, but Malfoy interrupted her.
"I'll just leave you three to sort out all your little jealousy problems," he said sarcastically, and stalked off down the hallway.
Hermione stared after him in dismay. Part of her wanted to run after him, but she knew that she owed Harry and Ron an explanation.
"I know that looked bad," she began, but once again she was interrupted.
"It sure did. Will you tell us what the hell was going on in there?" Ron yelled, his face growing redder by the minute.
Hermione felt frustration build up inside of her.
"That's what I was trying to do, and if you would just shut up for one moment, you would find out." Chagrined, Ron closed his mouth.
"Thank you. Now, as I was saying…" her gaze suddenly landed on Harry, and images came flashing back. Harry and Parvati. Parvati and Harry.
Harry had some explaining to do as well, but no one came bursting in on him during a private moment, did they?
She suddenly felt indignant about the whole situation.
"I…I don't think it's any of your business," she finished off lamely. Harry frowned.
"Come off it, Hermione." But Hermione had made her choice.
"No, I mean it. You two are always so concerned about what I'm doing, why can't you just leave me alone?" Hot tears began to rise in her eyes, and she turned away so that they couldn't see.
"Hermione…" said Harry pleadingly.
"Goodnight." She said coldly, and strode off down the hallway.
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The next morning, Harry and Ron tried to act normally, like nothing had happened the night before of any significance.
Hermione wasn't having any of it.
At breakfast, she sat beside Ginny, who she knew would support her. Ginny was used to Ron's temper, and knew how frustrating he could be.
"Don't worry about my brother," she whispered to Hermione, careful that Ron couldn't hear. Both the girls were well aware that he was trying to listen in. After all, he was practically leaning over the table towards them.
"Thanks, Ginny," Hermione said gratefully.
"No problem," Ginny smiled, squeezing Hermione's hand briefly.
But Ginny couldn't help her during class time.
Hermione was at a loss. She couldn't sit next to Harry and Ron, because she was avoiding them. She couldn't sit next to Lavender, because Lavender was with Parvati.
She ended up sitting with Neville.
By the last lesson of the day, she was feeling extremely frustrated. He was a nice person, she reasoned, but he just couldn't do anything right! Frankly, she was almost ready to forgive Harry and Ron just so she could sit with them.
Almost.
But at last it was the final lesson, Transfiguration, the only Gryffindor/Slytherin class she'd had all day.
She would finally see Malfoy.
How would he act around her? Would he act the same way he did last night? Somehow Hermione doubted it.
She was hoping for some form of acknowledgment, though. No, not hoping, expecting. He had confided in her last night. He couldn't just continue like he had before then. So she was expecting a conversation, or a hello in the very least.
He completely ignored her.
He walked gracefully into the room, straight past Hermione, over to his Slytherin friends. He didn't even look at her.
Hermione swallowed, feeling a lump start in her throat.
Don't cry! Don't cry! Harry and Ron are watching you!
It was true. They were watching with eagle sharp eyes, waiting to see if Malfoy would speak to her. Well, he'd made their day all right.
She was staring down at her books like they were the most interesting things she'd ever seen, thinking that her day couldn't possibly get any worse, when it suddenly did.
Lavender swept into the room, completely recovered from her little fainting episode last night. With amazement, Hermione watched as she sidled up to Malfoy, and put her books on the desk beside him.
"Do you mind if I sit here?" she simpered, in a way that Pansy might have last year.
For a fraction of a second, Malfoy looked over in Hermione's direction and they locked eyes. Then Hermione abruptly looked back down at her hands again, and Malfoy smirked.
"Sure."
Hermione couldn't believe it. Either Lavender was shallower than she thought, or her memory got damaged when she hit her head last night.
Just then, Professor McGonagall arrived, halting all further conversation.
"Right, class, open your books to page 128, and read all of chapter 9." There was an audible groan from the class as pages rustled, but Hermione was glad of the independent work.
But one hour later, when the class was dismissed, her book was still lying open at page 128.
"Hermione!" A voice broke into her thoughts. She wrenched her gaze away from the window to the speaker, who was…Harry.
"Go without me." She muttered, starting to pack up her books.
"You've got to start speaking to us, Hermione. This is ridiculous."
"I said, go without me." She glared at Harry, who sighed and motioned to Ron to go. They both knew how determined she could be.
When they had gone, she realized that Malfoy, Lavender, and some other Slytherins were still left.
By this stage, Lavender had made her way into Malfoy's lap, and was whispering something in his ear. That girl sure knew how to be seductive, Hermione thought wryly.
She was upset as she watched the scene in front of her, but she wasn't angry at Lavender. It was Malfoy who should know better. She felt her face heat up in anger as she remembered their conversation last night.
He had been talking about changing. He had wanted to start over. Well, this wasn't a good start.
With grim determination, she walked over to where the little group was huddled.
"What does goody-goody Granger want with the big Slytherins?" sneered a black haired girl.
Lavender frowned. "Shut up," she said to the girl. Inwardly, Hermione smiled. Lavender was still loyal. She hadn't lost her senses completely.
"Did you want to speak to me?" She asked Hermione.
"No, actually." Hermione said. "I wanted to speak to him." She pointed at Malfoy. The black haired girl raised an eyebrow dubiously, but Hermione knew that she couldn't back down now.
"You said you wanted a second chance, and I was willing to give it to you," she said softly. Malfoy stared at her, willing her to stop, but Hermione just looked him firmly in the eye.
"I can't believe how stupid I was."
Without another word, she gathered her books and left the classroom. She'd said enough to get her point across.
As soon as she was gone, Lavender disentangled herself from Malfoy's arms. Her friendship instincts had started to kick in.
"Um, I think I should…you know…go after her."
She hurried out of the room the same way Hermione had only seconds before, leaving Malfoy alone with his confused Slytherin friends.
"What the hell was that about?" demanded the black haired girl.
Pansy, who had been hanging back at the edge of the group, decided to take a stand. She stepped forward, and the whole group looked to her.
"Draco, we need to talk."
A/N: Now the plot is really starting to unravel!
Hmm, I've noticed that a lot of people have disclaimers in their stories…like, a lot. There's nothing in the rules I can see that says you have to have one though…I mean, it's fanfiction! Shouldn't it be kind of obvious that we're using someone else's ideas? Oh well I guess I should say this once (but only once!), so if for some random reason JK Rowling wants to sue me I'm covered: I do not own her characters.
Something I wanted to say: I have just posted a new story: A Haunting Lullaby. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take a look and review! It's my personal favourite out of the three stories I'm writing, and I'd really like feedback on it.
Thanks again to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Review again?