Chapter Nine

Two Hours Later

Bill didn't like it when Ginny drank. That is why she stayed sober. I shook my head.

After I had taken Ginny back to the common room, Harry and I had decided that it was a bad idea to leave the two Weasleys alone so soon after their loss. So we all slept in the dormitory that Harry and Ron shared.

I was the only one awake. In fact, I didn't feel sleepy in the least. My eyes trailed across the faces of my three best friends, and I found myself analyzing them.

Ginny. Her hair was sprawled all over the place, and her tears were dried on her face, same as Ron. I sighed. I had always known that she was made of the strongest material. But inside, she still is a child, like all of us. She was the most innocent out of our whole lot. But a boy and a death of a brother had taken that away from her. How ironic. They're both men, and you know what they say.

My gaze shifted to Ron. With a pang of guilt, I knew that I had been neglecting him for the past months. I had pushed him aside for Draco, Harry, Ginny, schoolwork, and a bunch of other things. I didn't even know if we could still be called best friends anymore.

He gave a loud snore and drifted off peacefully once again, causing an unexpected wave of affection to wash over me. I smiled a bit and decided that I cared for him too much to give up the title. I also vowed that I would spend more time with him, and not let all our years together go to waste.

Slowly, tentatively, my eyes settled on Harry. I noticed that his glasses were still on. I reached over and took them off for him, and as I did, my hand brushed his face. I froze for a moment, thinking that I missed something.

No shivers. No tingles. Nothing.

I realized then, and only then, that I hadn't felt any more- then- friendly feelings for him for a while now. But I did for Draco.

I put his glasses on the table next to me and wondered to myself, when did that happen? Perhaps it just wore off without my noticing? My lips formed a smile, and I looked at him once again.

Yes, it was true. I could only be his friend, and nothing more then that.

Although his face was peaceful, his expression was tired and weary. My smile faded.

He lost a lot in his life. First his parents, then the closest thing to a parent he had ever had: Sirius, his godfather. Harry wasn't innocent anymore. It seemed to me that he had lost his innocence the day Voldemort took away his parents and replaced them with that scar on his forehead.

With one last sigh, I rested my head my borrowed pillow and pulled up my covers.

Monday

The whole weekend was spent in the common room. Ginny, Ron, and almost all of the Gryffindors sat in silence as we ate breakfast. When the mail came, an owl dropped a copy of the Daily Prophet onto my lap.

I was about to put it in my bag when the front page caught my eye.

I looked at the heading of the article.

"Shit."

DEATHEATERS AT GRINGOTTS

Four days ago, Thursday, February 6th, Gringotts Wizarding Bank had been attacked by what was estimated to be two hundred masked deatheaters. They're main goal did not seem to be murder, but thievery. Vault 1032 was blasted open and emptied, but mysteriously, the goblins seem to have no record whatsoever of what was in that particular vault.

Because there are very few wizards working at Gringotts, the ones who did were horribly injured. Thankfully, the death count was extremely low and had a small effect on the community and the upcoming war. However, though small, the wizards who sacrificed something should be thanked and praised for their…

I didn't read any further, hearing screaming. I looked up from the paper, still disgusted from what I read, and saw…

I widened my eyes and immediately got out of my seat.

Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy Parkinson, and a few other Slytherins were looking at the paper and laughing. They also seemed to be taunting the Gryffindors, making Ginny exceptionally angrier then I had ever seen her.

Harry, Ron, and Seamus were actually holding her back from the Slytherin table, but everyone could hear her screams.

Apparently, someone there had made a little comment that went, "What's the matter, mini- Weasley? Miss your dear brother?" That had definitely set her off the edge. Because while they were expecting her to quietly mourn, she actually…

"LET ME GO! I'LL HURT THEM SO BAD, THEIR FUCKING DEATHEATER PARENTS WILL START TO BLEED FROM THEIR DIRTY, MURDERING HANDS AND FEET! LET ME GO! GET YOUR BLOODY HANDS OFF ME! I AM GOING TO TEAR THOSE FILTHY, EVIL, UGLY, DISPICAPLE, VOLDEMORT- WORSHIPPING HEADS OFF THEIR HORRIBLE BODIES!"

Some people looked impressed. Some were appalled. Some were simply scared. Most of Gryffindor was part of the "scared" category, only because they knew that she would actually do it at this point. It was mostly Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw who were impressed.

It was the teachers who were appalled.

Harry, Ron, Seamus and I were too busy holding her back. To tell the truth, I think Ron would have done what she did too if he wasn't still about to burst into tears. Or, you know, kill somebody. Ginny, on the other hand, had been unnaturally calm and quiet.

Well, up until this point, of course.

We brought her outside the great hall and closed its doors, but people still heard her cursing and screaming; and when I say screaming, I don't mean those high- pitched screams that can shatter glass. I mean the kind of screams you scream when you're angry, and then you're bound to have a sore throat later kind of scream.

Finally, as we dragged her further and further away from the great hall- where people was surely talking about her little episode, mind you- she ran out of steam and quieted down. Instead, she broke down and began to cry silently.

Seamus had long gone back to his food. So now it was just me, Harry, Ron, and Ginny.

She took a deep, shaky breath.

"Ginny," Harry took a small, tentative step toward her.

I was about to mimic his action when she sniffed and snapped, "Forget it. I'm fine."

We all stayed silent for a few seconds, until Ron broke the silence by saying quietly, "I'll go after her."

That left me and Harry standing there. Until…

"What was that all about?" Draco came up to us, looking like he was right in the middle of eating; his napkin was still half- tucked into his shirt.

I smiled sadly at him. "I'll tell you later."

"Well, I'm going to the common room," Harry said and looked at me.

Was he expecting me to come with him?

"I think I'll take a walk." Draco looked at me as well.

Was Draco expecting me to go with him?

I looked between the two and saw them both looking at me expectantly.

Yes, this seemed to sum up my problem with these two. But I knew who I was going to choose.

"I think I should get some fresh air. I'll see you later in the common room, Harry." I shot him a slightly apologetic look.

He understood. "Yeah, okay, Herms. Later."

I looked up at my boyfriend and smiled.

Hogwarts Lake

We held hands as I explained the whole ordeal to him. It actually felt incredibly good to get it all out in the open and off my chest. Besides, Draco was a great listener.

We sat down by a tree and I plopped into his lap. He faked an expression that signified that I was heavy.

When I didn't stick out my tongue or even roll my eyes, he wrapped his arms around me. "Aw, 'Mione. I know it's all hard to take in. But it's gonna be okay."

I turned my head and said, in a sort of desperate manner, "But you can't promise me something like that, Draco. I mean, the deatheaters are taking over, and it's affecting my friends and me and you. How do you know its going to be alright in the end?"

He looked at me sadly, but smiled. "I don't, love. But right now, with you here safe with me, I just feel like it will be," he said softly as he stroked my hair.

I sighed and leaned against his chest. "Thanks, Draco."

And at that moment, I really felt safe. In his arms, the world just seemed like a better place, and deatheaters seemed a million years and miles away.

"Uh…" Draco cleared his throat. "Hermione… I don't think I've told you this…But…"

How peculiar. He seemed nervous, when he was fine just a second ago. I turned my head and looked at him once more.

He turned even redder when he saw that I was looking at him.

"Well… You might not… It might be a little abrupt… I would understand…"

This was too adorable. It was rare that my boy could be reduced to a blubbering mush like this.

Trying not to laugh, I said, "Draco, just spit it out."

"Iloveyou."

Silence. The corner of my lip stretched into a small smile.

"Would you like to repeat that for me?" I asked softly. My arms went around his neck.

He relaxed and repeated. "I love you, Hermione."

I don't know why, but I gave a little laugh. I took a breath and said, "I love you too, Draco."

Okay, snogging after that, so we don't need to get into details.