Chap18 - Awkward Times
Week 5
The following week was hard, long and dull. Hermione would notice Draco sitting at the Slytherin table, looking miserale as he didn't partake in any of the other students conversations or jokes. He would notice Hermione sitting with Harry and Ron not talking to either of them, she would just stare away with a depressed expression.
Hermione entered the common room with her books cluntched in his arms, her lips was frowned as she walked over to her room. A sudden noise stopped her from opening her door, another door was opened and a figure came out, Draco exited his room and came into the common room.
Hermione looked over and felt her heart being shread, he looked over at her and he too felt the same, he walked by and stopped as he forged a smile.
"You okay Hermione?" he asked her.
She nodded slowly as she looked at at her feet, he looked down awkwardly and exhaled. He wasn't sure on what to say to her, so he turned and slowly left the common room, she stared on in pain, she hated herself for not having a tiny bit of courage to confront him of her feelings.
Week 6
The following week was much worse, Harry and Ron had noticed her behaviour, she lacked her interest in classes and she hardly spoke anymore.
"Are you alright Hermione?" Ron asked her as they sat at the Gryffindor table.
She looked up from her book.
"Yes" she lied.
"You haven't spoken much lately, are you ill?" Harry asked her.
"I'm fine" she lied again.
"You same fourth in Professor Sprout's Herbology project though" Ron informed her.
"I do know Ronald!" she spat at him.
Harry stared at Ron in shock, they both knew something was wrong with her, but what exactly is what they did not know. Only she knew that she was in agony, heartache over Malfoy.
"Hermione... if you need to talk to anyone, well... we're here for you" Harry said softly.
Hermione slammed her book shut causing a scene.
"I said I was fine!" she almost shouted.
With that, she stood up and stormed out of the great hall, leaving Harry and Ron to stare on in confusion.
"Bloody women" Ron commented.
Hermione walked down the school halls as she felt her tears build up, but she told herself to be brave and hold them back. She walked further down the hall when she noticed a group of Slytherin's walking up, in front of the group was the blonde haired boy she was in pain over, Draco.
She put her head down as they got closer, but only a few metres away she slowly looked up again and saw Draco staring at her, their eyes connected as they approached each other, time stopped for them both, it seemed to be going in slow motion as the two passed each other.
The connection broke when Hermione put her head back down and hurried away, Draco looked over his shoulder and watched her walk away, he had never felt so strongly about a girl before, why was Hermione different?
As he continued to walk with his fellow household students, he thought of Hermione and why he was so tormented by her face, he knew it was because she was so innocent, really intelligent, pure at heart, extremely polite and so beautiful, she was one of a kind at Hogwarts.
"Come on Drake!" one of the students said as they walked outside.
"Yes Drakie" a girl's voice said as she slipped her hand into his.
Draco looked down at their hands which held together, he then looked up at the girl whose hand it belonged to, it was Pansy Parkinson. She smiled at him and flicked her black hair, he stared at her in disappointment, he wanted Hermione to be holding his hand, not Pansy, he could barely stand her as it is.
Draco pulled his hand free and walked away from the group, who looked on in wonder.
"Draco!" Pansy cried out in worry.
But he kept on walking without responding to Pansy's cry, he couldn't care less if Pansy ran to her room and cried, because he knew she wouldn't be crying out of heartache, she'd be crying out of rejection. Not like Hermione, she was being eaten away by the pain, her grades were slipping, she woke up with headaches due to all her crying and she barely spoke to anyone because she wanted to be alone.