Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters and stuff here, except for the ones I made up (obviously).
In places no one will find
All your feelings so deep inside
It was then that I realized that forever was in your eyes
The moment I saw you cry
Hermione stretched her arms as she yawned widely, feeling good inside. It was finally Saturday… her birthday.
The week had gone by surprisingly fast with Harry and Ron finally acting normal and not mentioning anything about Draco. And Draco was also being easy on her with their nightly common room talks and long, sweet kisses shared. As hard as it was for her to imagine it, she really had fun every time she was with him. She would never have guessed that Draco Malfoy could be sweet, funny and romantic if he wanted to.
"Life is good!" she remarked good-naturedly to herself as she recalled last night when she had come back to the common-room late after spending most of the night in the Gryffindor common room with her friends, playing different kinds of fun games and sharing many funny stories.
Lavender also privately shared with Hermione her days and nights spent with Blaise and it didn't take long for Hermione to grow on the idea about Lavender and Blaise dating, although Lavender had begged her to keep it a secret which Hermione readily promised to do. She had also told Lavender about her and Draco and as excited as Lavender was, she also promised to keep it a secret.
This formed a new and stronger bond between the two of them.
When she arrived at the head students' common room, she had found Draco sitting on the couch, waiting for her (which he first denied but later admitted) where they talked, drank hot chocolate and kissed…
Hermione smiled to herself as she hopped out of bed, humming good-naturedly as she grabbed her bathrobe and headed for the shower.
She took one quick shower and proceeded to inspect her closet, trying to decide what to wear.
Finally deciding on a pair of her favorite jeans and a red formfitting sweater, she proceeded to the bureau to fix herself up.
She brushed her hair until it shone and pinned two shiny cherry-shaped barrettes, pulling her hair back and letting the rest cascade freely over her shoulders. She then put on a little blush on her cheeks and shiny lip-gloss on her lips.
With one last look on her reflection, she smiled and gathered her things in her denim sling bag and ambled out of the room.
Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, she instinctively looked for Draco. He wasn't there so she just figured he was down at breakfast already. She was about to step out of the portrait hole when a piece of parchment with Draco's elegant scrawl caught her eye.
She picked it up and began to read.
Hermione
I'll meet you later at Hogsmeade after breakfast.
Happy Birthday.
Draco
With a slight frown, Hermione folded the note and slipped it in her bag. Why could have Draco not waited for them to go to Hogsmeade together? Maybe he still couldn't adjust to spending the day with her Gryffindor friends and was finding a way to spend as less time with them as possible.
c",)----------c",)----------------------------------------c",)
Harry looked at Hermione as she entered the Great Hall for breakfast. Amidst the bustling students who were excitedly planning their weekend, she stood out, practically radiating as she smiled broadly at students who stopped and talked to her, probably greeting her Happy Birthday, as she walked towards them
When she finally arrived at their place, she smiled broadly at Harry, whose heart skipped a beat as he handed her a beautiful bouquet of roses and a small beautifully wrapped box with silver paper and pink and lavender ribbons intricately entwined together.
"Happy Birthday, Hermione." He said and Hermione's smile brightened as she took his gifts and sat down beside him.
"Thanks, Harry! You shouldn't have!" She beamed, leaning over to give Harry a kiss on the cheek and Harry could smell her faint perfume.
"What is it?" she asked, staring at the shiny box and Harry smiled, looking at her.
"Open it." He urged and Hermione obliged, gingerly pulling off the tapes and careful not to tear the paper. He had forgotten how meticulous she was, even in opening presents. When she was finally done, she opened the box and her mouth opened in awe.
Lying on the velvet box was a beautiful silver bracelet with glowing heart pendants that softly changed colors as if they were fading into the next color.
"I've been working on that for two weeks now. Those glowing charms are not as easy as they seem." He confessed humbly as Hermione inspected the glowing bracelet.
c",)----------c",)----------------------------------------c",)
"It's really very beautiful, Harry." She whispered, feeling guilty for everything she had done to hurt him and especially for betraying him. She felt an odd flop in her stomach.
"It's nothing compared to you." Harry whispered hoarsely and Hermione turned to him, her eyes locked with his serious green ones and she managed a wobbly smile and looked away, pretending to be inspecting the bracelet.
She felt her face heat up as she looked at the bracelet closely.
"I really don't deserve this," she said, reading his thoughts.
"Yes you do." He said firmly as he leaned towards her for a kiss.
Hermione couldn't move as she just stared at his nearing lips. Her mind panicked as she felt Harry's breath on her face.
No, no, no! No! Stop! Her mind screamed but it was as if she's paralyzed. She couldn't bear to push Harry away but still, she shouldn't kiss him either. She couldn't!
"Hey guys!" Ron's voice interrupted the mood and Hermione was then able to breathe a sigh of relief as Harry quickly jerked away from her and turned to Ron.
"Happy Birthday, Hermione!" he beamed as he leaned in and kissed Hermione's cheek.
"Thanks Ron. So, where's Ginny and the others?" she asked, glancing around the table as Ron helped himself to a heap of pancakes.
"I think they're still in their dormitories preparing themselves. You know how girls are." Ron said through a mouthful of pancakes and shrugged, reaching for some bacon.
"Hmm, you're right. I would know that, wouldn't I?" Hermione smirked as she watched Ron, who apparently didn't hear her, gobble up his food and tried not to make a face.
"So anyway, Hermione," he said through his food, "Where's Malfoy?"
She knew he was trying to sound casual but Hermione couldn't ignore the bite in his voice. Harry seemed to stiffen in his seat, too. She suddenly felt guilty and miserable for upsetting her best friends this way.
"Um, I guess he'll be meeting us there," she shrugged, trying to sound casual. She stole a glance at the Slytherin table and found Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle but no Draco.
She felt her heart drop as Ginny, Lavender and Parvati joined them.
"Hey Hermione!" they chorused and Hermione smiled broadly as she studied her three friends. Ginny's red hair was pulled into an elaborate twist with a few strands loose, framing her face. She was wearing a deep blue turtleneck with a lighter shade cardigan draped over her shoulder and slim dark pants. Hermione thought she looked amazing.
"Hey girls!" she beamed as she looked at Lavender and Parvati who looked as hot as Ginny and she suddenly felt tacky with her sweater and jeans.
Lavender flipped her long dark hair as she adjusted her bright pink long sleeved, turtleneck, which she wore with her short checkered cheerleader skirt and white tights and tan boots. Parvati was wearing a more or less similar ensemble only with green shirt, white skirt and equally dark green tights but instead of boots, she wore her favorite flat mules and her dark hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail.
"Looking good, guys!" she commented and her three friends smiled.
"Thanks." They chorused
"You look amazing, too, Hermione." Lavender added meaningfully and Hermione smiled.
"Thanks, Lav." She smiled as the three girls at beside her.
"So, Ronnie," Parvati began, turning to Ron. "Where's your date?"
"She'll be meeting us at the Three Broomsticks." Ron said casually, a faint hint of blush on his ears.
"Oh? May I know who she is, at least?" Hermione asked and Ron chewed meaningfully at his pancakes and seemed like having trouble swallowing them. His face turned a deeper shade of red as he finally swallowed his pancakes.
"Phoebe," he said. "Phoebe Hayward of Ravenclaw," he said pointedly at Harry and Hermione could feel Harry rolling his eyes and shaking his head.
"Phoebe Hayward? Isn't she in fifth year or something?" Parvati scrunched up her nose as she glanced over to the Ravenclaw table in search for the girl.
"Sixth, actually," Ron corrected her and Ginny beamed, nodding vigorously.
"Yeah. I know her. We have herbology and charms with the Ravenclaws this year. She's really pretty and smart, too. She once got 126 percent on that tricky mid-air charm thingy exam we had last week. She got the highest mark on our class."
Hermione smiled at the look of pride and admiration in Ron's face and didn't dare to mention that last year she, Hermione, had gotten 187 percent on the same quiz. It was just a matter of levitating an object and performing the different charms on it while in mid-air. No big deal.
"Oh Ron! I'm so happy for you!" Hermione gushed excitedly as she pulled Ron into a quick hug. It took a lot for Ron to ask a girl out so it was a pretty big deal.
"Hey, don't get ahead of yourself. It's only a date." Ron said, but he was smiling broadly.
"I know! But still…" she insisted, beaming. "You finally have a girl." She announced and the group laughed.
"Yeah. Hard to believe, isn't it?" Ron said dryly, but his lips curled up to a smile. Hermione grinned as she took a big bite out of her muffin. It felt really good to see her friend happy. She snuck a glance at Harry, who was staring blankly into space, playing with his uneaten bacon and toast. Hermione felt torn. She knew what Harry was thinking and feeling right now and she would've loved to help him be happy but she knew that's one thing she couldn't do.
She loved Harry, but as a friend now. She had somehow gotten over him while she had been with Draco. It was amazing how her life had taken on this sudden twist of events. Who would've known that of all people that would cause her so much hurt and pain would be Harry? And who would've imagined in their wildest dreams that of all the people in the world, the person who could take her pain away would be the last person she would've thought of?
But Harry will eventually get over this. Maybe he's just lonely and he just believed that I could fill up his loneliness. He'll eventually realize that we're not made for each other and that he didn't really want me the way he does now.
Hermione let that semi-comforting thought repeat over and over inside her head but still she felt anything but comforted. She felt confused and uneasy.
"So! Ready to go?" Ginny cut off her train of thoughts with her over bright smile
"You bet we are!" Ron answered and suddenly their group burst into excited chatter as they made their way out of the castle.
Hermione cast one look at Harry, who was trying to smile and she grabbed his hand, squeezing it affectionately, hoping to send in her comforting, totally platonic, message there. Harry just looked at her and smiled, squeezing back her hand as they joined their friends.
c",)----------c",)----------------------------------------c",)
They were seated at a round table at Aunt Hilda's chattering noisily; Fred, George, Angelina, Parvati, Padma, Lavender, Ginny, Ron, Phoebe, Hermione and Harry.
"Isn't this fun? I wish we could just hang out like this anytime. Just like before, right Hermione?" Ginny gushed beside Hermione and Hermione nodded, smiling broadly as she looked into Ginny's wide grin.
"Yeah. I actually miss those times, you know?" she said just before a huge gray owl swooped above their table and dropped a silver envelope on Hermione's lap.
Still startled from the sudden interruption, she just stared at the envelope for a moment before she opened it.
Hermione,
Could we meet at the alley beside Matilda's Costume Shop?
DM
Hermione swallowed hard as she looked at her friends' expectant faces all directed at her. She felt a slight blush rise up her cheeks.
"Who's that from, Hermione?" Harry asked and Hermione could see Lavender shift uncomfortably beside him.
"Um, just an old friend from home." She shrugged, trying to look at them in the eyes. "Just a birthday greeting, that's all. My parents must have sent it for her."
The table was quiet for a moment and Hermione feared that they didn't believe. She always was a transparent liar.
"Of course!" Lavender said breezily and Parvati turned to her, raising an eyebrow as if asking 'what's the matter with this one?'
"Hey, remember that time Ron got the howler? Oh my gosh! I thought I would just die laughing!" Lavender continued, laughing.
"Hey! That wasn't funny! I was genuinely terrified!" Ron spoke up and Fred and George laughed.
Hermione sighed in relief as she mentally thanked Lavender.
"I have to go to the bathroom." She whispered to Ginny and before her friend could react, Hermione dashed out of the restaurant.
c",)----------c",)----------------------------------------c",)
Draco stared absently at the different muggle clothes displayed behind the glass windows of the costume shop and imagined him wearing those clothes. How ridiculous he must look like. He laughed at himself.
"I'd suggest you get that for our costume ball." A familiar voice behind him spoke and when Draco turned, he stifled a groan.
Pansy Parkinson and her snotty, slutty friends stood in front of him with identical seductive smiles.
"What are you doing here all alone, Draco?" Pansy purred huskily, stepping so close to him that her breasts brushed just below his chest. "Where are your friends?"
"Unlike you, Pansy, they're minding their own business and not bugging me." He said silkily but Pansy didn't seem affected.
"Oh but I miss you, Draco. How long has it been since we last… got together?" she finished meaningfully, tracing Draco's lower lip with her finger and Draco stared hard at her.
"Get off me, Pansy, if you don't want to be humiliated in front of your friends." He warned in a grave voice and Pansy's eyes darkened.
"What the hell has gotten into you, Draco?" she asked menacingly. "I know you're hiding something… a secret you don't want anyone to find out. But mark my words, I will find out what that secret of yours is and you'll be sorry you did this to me."
When Draco didn't react, Pansy sneered, still not moving away from him. "I have sources, you know. Connections." she then pressed her lips against his, and before he could push her, she pulled away and he fought the urge to wipe the remnants of the kiss with the back of his hand.
"See you around, Draco!" she called out as she and her friends walked away. "Move over you filthy mudblood!" she spat as she bumped Hermione with her shoulder.
Draco winced as he slowly turned to Hermione, who was standing in front of him, looking stunned.
"Hermione…" he began but then tears started to form in her eyes.
"You disgust me." She said, shaking her head in revulsion, before she ran away from him. He knew he should call her, run after her or do something, anything, to stop her but it was too risky. There were too many people around and they would be discovered. So he just watched her retreating back, unable to do something.
Author's Notes: How is it so far? It pretty much sucked, right? A pathetic excuse of a chapter… I know, I know, I shouldn't blame my being very busy for a short and sucky chappie but I do promise for a better one…Don't worry I'll try my very best to update and really put some work into it… c",)
