Hermione sighed. Only another hour, then I can leave this party. She was at Sabrina's bachelorette party, and was pretty bored. The other witches had decided to take Sabrina to a male strip club, and most were drooling over the brunette on stage. Sabrina, Ginny and herself were in a corner, watching the girls make fools of themselves. However, the brunette was clearly uninterested in any of the females gawking at him, for he kept looking over in the corner. Sabrina had made the suggestion that he was trying to catch Ginny's eye. Ginny disagreed. They had been arguing for the past fifteen minutes back and forth, and Hermione was getting a little tired of it. Suddenly, her name was being called.
"Hermione? C'mon, you tell us. Is he trying to catch Ginny's eye?"
"Well, I thought he was, but now he's gone, so we'll never know for sure." She turned to look at the two witches sitting beside her, looking shocked.
"Gone?!?! Impossible! We couldn't have been arguing that long!" Sabrina stated.
Hermione laughed. "Oh yes, you could have, and were."
Ginny sighed. "Public spectacle, were we?"
"Don't be ridiculous. In a place like this, how could you two be a public spectacle?" She gestured to the dark room around them.
"Good point, 'Mione." Then Ginny smiled. "But you two never asked me who I thought the stripper was looking at."
Hermione looked at her. What on earth is she talking about?
"What on earth are you talking about, Ginny?" Sabrina said.
"Well, if he wasn't looking at me, then he obviously was looking at someone else. Right?"
Hermione nodded. That is a good point… "Okay, Gin, we'll take the bait. Whom was he staring at?"
Ginny beamed as she uttered three words Hermione would never have expected in a million years. "You, of course."
Hermione turned red. Sabrina laughed. "I don't think Hermione liked that statement too much, Ginny."
"You're being ridiculous, Gin. Of course he was staring at you. There's no reason to stare at me." Hermione finally spit out. She's crazy… absolutely starkers.
Sabrina finally stopped laughing. "And why not? Oh, this is too good. Just wait until Draco hears about the stripper who couldn't take his eyes off you."
Hermione blushed again, but she couldn't figure out why. There's no reason for me to blush. Stop it right now, Hermione. But she couldn't stop the redness from rising in her cheeks. However, she could argue about Draco. "Why would Draco care? He's just a friend."
Sabrina and Ginny looked at her like she was crazy, then at each other. It was almost as if they were having an argument between the two of them, which didn't make any sense. Finally, they must have come to some agreement, because they turned back to her.
Ginny smiled – a bit too brightly. "It's nothing, 'Mione. Don't worry about it."
They're up to something… "Okay, guys… tell me what you're talking about. You're making me nervous here, and we all know how much I like being nervous…"
Sabrina smiled also. "Really, Hermione, it's nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about."
"I don't believe you…" She replied, still looking warily at them.
"Of course you don't, honey. We wouldn't expect anything less from you." Sabrina replied, reaching across and patting Hermione's hand lightly. "Now, what time is Draco stealing you away from us tonight?"
"He's not stealing me away." She said.
"Oh, I meant what time will he arrive to escort you home safely." Sabrina elaborated.
"He's not. That's what I meant before." She stated. They couldn't think… no… and if they DO think that, well, they are reading WAY too much into our friendship. "Draco and I have a strictly platonic relationship, in case you were wondering." She blushed. I hadn't meant for it to come out like THAT.
Ginny and Sabrina exchanged an amused glance. "Which is why you're attending the wedding together?" Ginny asked.
"We're not. I have a date, as does Draco, I assume." She said slowly.
"You have a date? Who? And why haven't I heard about this until now? Oh dear, I have to add another person to the seating chart, and tell the caterers that I need another serving of food…" Sabrina immediately began fretting.
Hermione cleared her throat to get Sabrina's attention. "You have no need, it's another person you invited – or rather, your mother invited."
Sabrina calmed down a bit. "Then who is it, dear?"
"Ron."
Ginny looked surprised at that statement. "My brother?" At Hermione's nod, she was quiet for a moment before continuing; "Why didn't you mention this before, Hermione?"
Hermione looked down at her hands. "It didn't seem… um… relevant?" She looked up hopefully at the girls. Why didn't I tell them? That seems silly now…
Ginny and Sabrina exchanged yet another look. I wish they'd stop doing that. It's like they have one mind or something. Hermione thought irratatedly.
"Have you… Did you… Does Draco know?" Ginny finally ventured.
"Of course he knows. He was there when I opened Ron's reply." Hermione said in an annoyed voice. Will the questions never end?
"And… was he… happy for you?" Asked Sabrina.
Hermione colored at that. STOP BLUSHING HERMIONE! THERE'S NO REASON TO BE BLUSHING! "Well… um… To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure."
"Not sure?" Questioned Ginny. "How can you be 'not sure'?"
But before Hermione could answer, the rest of the bachelorette party seemed to suddenly remember the bride-to-be and swarmed the table. Hermione quickly got up from the table, blew a kiss in the direction of Ginny and Sabrina, and left. But instead of the rest she had been looking forward to just a half-hour before, she tossed and turned all night, the words of Sabrina and Ginny ringing in her ears.
"Just wait until Draco hears about the stripper who couldn't take his eyes off you." …
"What time is Draco stealing you away from us tonight?" … "Does Draco know?" … "And… was he… happy for you?"
They're imagining things. They're imagining things. They're imagining things. She told herself. However, as she fell asleep, she recalled a memory…
*****
He pulled her close, hugging her carefully. "Good morning, 'Mione." He whispered in her ear.
She blushed. However much her inner mind lectured her, she couldn't control the redness in her cheek, or the tingle that ran up her spine.
She happened to glance in the mirror again right before Draco released her from his comforting closeness. There was something different but she couldn't place exactly what it was. So instead, she simply said, "Good morning to you too, Draco," kissed him on the cheek and left the bathroom to finish getting ready for a new day.
*****
She mumbled as she fell into a deeper sleep. "It was his eyes… and my eyes… That was what was different…"
From across the room, a sigh escaped the near-invisible man seated in a chair. He rose slowly, and crossed to the door. He opened it carefully, but turned before leaving the room. A shaft of moonlight crossed his face, so that if Hermione had been awake, she could have stared directly into his silver eyes and seen the love and the pain in them.
"Yes, 'Mione. It's always the eyes that give you away…" He said quietly, before turned and quietly exited the room, shutting the door just as quietly behind him.
Thanks section:
snwflakesweety: I forgive you for losing the story – at least you found it again! smile Yeah, Draco seems to be getting the short end of the stick right now, doesn't he? Poor him.
Siognee: Ron's explanation will be coming soon, never fear… I know you hate the suspense (most readers do) and I'll try not to keep you in TOO much of a suspense for very long. Let me know how I do.
Mistri: Well, thanks for the compliment. However, I will state that Hermione hasn't made a decision yet, although it may have seemed like she has… There's still some good controversy to come!
Laura-Grace and Kali: I know you thought it should have been my first draft, but never fear. Some of that WILL be put in later. I promise. Thank you for your support.
enoimreH: I used the "updated" version. Thanks, as always, for your critique. It never fails to make me stop and think about what I'm doing in the story. You've become a friend over the course of the past year or so, and I'm happy about that. smile I'm glad you offered to be my beta at the beginning of this story.
PLEASE REVIEW!!!