A Second Chance – fire-and-ice89
A/N: Another short chapter, I'm afraid.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed, once again we hit ten reviews!
The story's close to its end…(sniffs). It's so sad! I love posting this story...
Replies to reviews:
jods-luvs-draco: Thanks for reviewing! When you said that thing about cliff hangers in your story I was curious, so I started to read your story. I love cliff hangers! I'm only about halfway through right now. When I'm done I'll leave a review.
Dmwme09: Hmmm, there's no thunderstorm planned, but there's more rain to come! I agree, I think thunderstorms and rain are romantic…but only in the right places at the right times! Don't you hate it when you can't watch TV or use the computer because there's thunderstorm, and there's nothing else to do?
dmhg: Wow, what a compliment. Although I'd love for my fics to be the 'next big thing', I doubt it will happen. I love all the reviews I get, and all the people who come back to my story, but compared to other stories, I really don't have many reviews. Why, your story has already passed mine and you only have four chapters up!
Mocha Dragon: Well, you had good reason to be hopeful…as you will see, Pansy's talk with Draco is a good thing!
Last Time:
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."
Chapter Eight – Plans
"Hermione! Wait!" Lavender called out as she tried to catch up with Hermione, who was walking very briskly towards the dorms.
Hermione smiled when she saw Lavender behind her. So, she had decided not to forsake a friendship over someone like Draco Malfoy. Maybe she wasn't so shallow after all.
"Hi, Lavender." She said when the other girl had caught up.
"Hey," she said, wrapping an arm around Hermione's shoulders. "I think we need to talk."
Hermione shrugged. "What about?"
"You've been acting kind of strange today. I just wanted to check that everything is all right with you. I wasn't at the ball for long, but I kind of noticed the way you were staring at Harry and Parvati."
"Oh," said Hermione, relieved. "No, I'm fine with that. I decided that I've been chasing after Harry for way too long. If it hasn't happened already, then it never will."
"That's the way," Lavender said, smiling. She had worried about Hermione's obsession with Harry slightly. "But then…if that's not the matter, what is? Come on, you can't tell me nothing's wrong," she added, seeing the expression on Hermione's face.
What could she do? Lavender was one of her best friends, but she was so closely involved with Hermione's problem without even realizing it.
"Lavender, would you ever fight with a friend over a guy?" She asked.
Lavender grinned, misinterpreting the question. "Well, I don't think Harry's worth fighting with Parvati over. But if it was me…well, it depends on the guy. I mean generally my motto is there's always more fish in the sea. But if it was Draco Malfoy, well then."
She fluttered her eyelashes, and clasped her hands to her heart. Hermione could almost feel her own heart sinking.
"Okay. Okay, then. Well, thanks Lavender. It was great talking to you." They had reached the Gryffindor dorms, and as soon as they stepped inside Hermione hurried off to her Head Girl room.
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Pansy closed the door behind her and stepped out into the corridor where Malfoy was waiting.
"What's wrong with you?" She hissed. Malfoy stared at her arrogantly.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." He replied.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about. Why did you snub Hermione back there?"
"Why would I want to talk to Granger in the first place?" Malfoy asked, sounding like he really had no idea what the answer would be.
"Because of last night." Pansy replied. "I don't know exactly what happened, but I know it was something. And I know that Hermione expected better from you today."
"She has no right to expect anything from me." Malfoy snapped. He hated being ordered around. He got enough of that at home.
"Maybe she doesn't have a right to, but she did anyway. She sees something in you, Draco, something that not many people do. You should embrace that, not try and shun her."
Malfoy turned away from Pansy. She was right, like she always was. Dammit, why did girls have to be so right all the time?
It was true. He still wanted to change. He still wanted to be seen differently. If Hermione was the only person truly aware of this, and was willing to help him, he should embrace that.
Oh God. How could he make it up to her? She's probably given up on me already, he thought miserably.
Then he had an idea.
When he turned back to Pansy, nothing had changed on his face. But Pansy knew, and she smiled.
"Now, haven't you got someone to talk to?"
A/N: I know it was short, and I'm sorry! Everything is starting to wrap itself up though. Three more chapters to go.
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