Disclaimer: I disclaim

Chapter 11: The Aftermath

Back at Gryffindor Tower, Hermione found Lavender and Pavarti still awake in the dormitory they shared together, talking to Ginny Weasley. When they saw Hermione standing in the doorway, they grew silent. Without a word, they rushed over to Hermione gave her a huge hug and helped with her things.

"Hermi—" Ginny started.

"Please," interrupted Hermione quietly, "I just want to lie down on my bed and sleep."

With that, the girls left her to it, said good bye to Ginny and got in bed themselves, they fell asleep within the first few minutes.

That night, listening to the deep breathing of the other girls in the room, Hermione lied awake, thinking about the night's events.

He's dead to me. I can't believe he fooled me, I thought he changed from his old ways. Obviously not, thought Hermione.

Draco, a tower away, lied awake thinking about the same thing.

Am I really dead to her? thought Draco.

No, of course not, answered a little voice inside his head.

Why else would she say it? he asked the little voice.

Because you said it, replied the voice.

I can't believe I am such an idiot, I lost the best thing that has ever happened to me. Over some lowsy secret! If only she knew…

Angry with himself, he fell into an uncomfortable sleep.

The next morning, Draco woke up late. He had Advanced Potions with Snape and by the time he arrived to the dungeons, he was pushing ten minutes late. When he entered, Snape just looked at him to acknowledge him then resumed teaching the class.

Due to his lateness, his seat in the Slytherin section was filled so he scanned the room, looking for an empty seat and found one.. next to Ernie McCellan and… Hermione.

He felt all eyes on him as he took his seat. Draco took out his things and started to catch up, or tried to at least, he had no idea what they were doing.

"Can you help me please, Hermione?" he said, taking the chance to speak to her.

"No."

"Please?" he said, a little annoyed. "You know I haven't been here in over a month."

"Hermione pretended to reconsider, then said no once more.

"Would you quit giving me the cold shoulder?" Draco said performing the Silencing Charm to the people around them.

"No."

"Hermione!"

"What the heck do you want from me Malfoy!" Hermione shouted, losing her cool.

It stung Draco a bit the way she just called him by Malfoy and not Draco.

"You said you do not want me in your life, and yet you keep talking to me!" she cried when he didn't answer, "What the heck do you WANT FROM ME!"

"… I told you, I didn't want you to leave the tower! Why'd you leave? You have a rightful place there, it's half yours after all. You can't leave on my account! I want you to move back."

"GO TO H."

"Hermione, you have to believe me, I—"

"I do not want to hear anymore of your lies! I've heard enough from you!"

Before he could say anything in reply, Hermione glued Draco's tongue to the roof of his mouth with the charm she learned from Harry, using it on Peeves whenever he annoyed him. Now Draco could not speak a word all through class. Draco was so behind but he couldn't ask for help.

At lunchtime, Hermione, Harry and Ron sat and ate by the lake. They were talking and laughing like the days before Draco and all the romance in their lives. Hermione told them about Potions and how she glued Draco's tongue. Harry and Ron was listening and rolling on the grass laughing.

When they finally finished laughing, they wiped the tears from their eyes and said, "I never would have thought you'd do that, Hermione! After all, he was very behind!"

"I can't believe you are siding with him, Harry! You hate him!"

"I'm not taking sides, what he said was true, half of that tower is rightfully yours!"

"I know, but I can't stand to look at him right now. And it's leaky!"

"Uh huh…"

Hermione suddenly glanced up toward the Quidditch pitch. Draco could be seen flying around it on his Nimbus 2001. She watched him from afar.

Ron and Harry watched Hermione as she watched Draco. They still saw the look in her eyes when she looks at Draco that they never understood. "Hermione, we look at you looking at Draco looking for the snitch, please do not tell us you still have feelings for that scum," said Ron.

"OF COURSE I DON'T!"

"Okay then, alright, if you say you don't then I'll believe you, we'll believe you. But please remember what he said to you. And what he did."

They gathered their books and their bookbags and headed back to the castle in time for their next lesson.

Okay, so I haven't updated in about a year, I'm SORRY! And now that I update, the chapter isn't very good! And I am planning to finish this up by the end of the summer, or at least this time interval that I'm still updating! Ooh well, please review. Good news! Next chapter already written so the more reviews I get, the sooner the next chapter will come so REVIEW PLEASE! 