Disclaimer: The characters and terms associated with Harry Potter belong
to J.K. Rowling, not me.
Draco's Destiny By: Eugenia
CHAPTER 3: You are not alone
Hours had passed since the fight between Draco and Ron. Now Draco came to his senses. When he opened his eyes, all he could see was red. His first thought was that he had died and gone to hell, but then the red flame-like thing began to speak his name in what seemed like a heavenly voice.
"Draco, wake up!" the voice was saying, "Draco!"
Suddenly, his eyes came to focus, and finally he could see that this was Ginny and he was not dead. He felt a rush of relief to be alive, yet as he remembered the fight that had taken place, a fury began to rise in him.
Draco tried desperately to get up on his feet, but his stomach's pain would not allow it.
"You shouldn't try to get up—it will only hurt worse." Ginny had this genuine look of concern on her face that was just revolting to him.
"Leave me alone, you pathetic mud-lover! And tell that git of a brother of yours that he's going to pay for this, believe me!" Screaming at her made him fell slightly better, but his body felt like it was aching everywhere.
"Oh, that's so nice of you Malfoy. Mud-lover is such a great complement! Did you come up with that all by yourself?" Ginny could feel his frustration growing by the second. "Or did your father get it for you, just like everything else?"
"Just shut up! Where the hell are we, anyway? Last time I checked, I was outdoors." Draco looked around to find himself in a small, dark room. He could smell the humidity seeping through the walls. There was a bed in the corner, and an old oak table in the middle of the room. The place was filthy and looked as if it had not been inhabited for years. "If it wasn't for the table, I would guess that this was your room at home."
He could see this last remark had thrown her off her pedestal for a split second. Strangely enough, he regretted having said it. This fight must have affected my brain as well as my body, he thought.
"Look, Malfoy, you could at least thank me for bringing you in here and saving your dignity!"
"What dignity? You've already taken care of that...where ARE we?"
Ginny smiled to herself. "We are inside the Shrieking Shack."
Draco looked at her in disbelief. He could feel his heart skip a beat. "The Shrieking Shack? How could we? I mean, I thought it was kind of occupied... "
Ginny could not help but giggle at Draco's reaction. "By what, ghosts? Do you really believe every little thing you are told? It's perfectly safe; no one has lived here for years. Plus, it is conveniently linked to Hogwarts. Do you think you can make it back to the infirmary?"
"Of course I can. How did you get me here in the first place?" asked Draco as he painfully tried to get up.
"Oh, that's my little secret. You just follow me."
She led him down a dark stairwell and into a tunnel that seemed never- ending. Draco wondered how much more of this he could take. The tunnel was filthy and each agonizing step he took became more and more unbearable. The pain was not the actual reason for his discomfort—he could deal with that, after all, he had practice in suppressing pain. He was a Malfoy. Malfoys learned to take pain at an early age.
However, something at the back of his mind was resurfacing, old memories he had preferred to keep forgotten. Ahead of him, he could see Ginny was unaware of his internal battle. She was moving steadily, her flaming-red hair swishing from side to side, even visible in the darkness surrounding them.
He tried to focus on her hair, but this image could not stop the thoughts from rushing into his mind. It was as if the fight with Weasley had weakened him, worn him down to survival mode, reminding him of real pain he had experienced.
Draco, now tired, stopped fighting the memories ...he could hear himself screaming, his face unrecognizable, his muscles contracting as the electricity of the curse rushed through his body. A man was standing over him, his shadow on the boy's figure, smirking and calling him a 'pathetic excuse for a son.' Draco would beg for him to stop, but the pain only worsened as a new curse was placed on him. He could still feel the despair, the confusion, and the desire to die. And then when he felt like he could no longer go on, the curses would stop, and the man would mutter 'still too soft' as he left Draco alone on the cold dungeon floor.
"Malfoy?"
Draco was snapped back into the present world, where he stumbled over something on the floor and fell crashing into the ground, his head shattering into a million pieces.
"Draco!" Ginny rushed to help him.
"Don't touch me! Why can't you understand that I just want to be left alone? Have you not humiliated me enough? You can't change me!" He screamed at the top of his lungs without looking at her, as if he had been talking to someone else. Blood was dripping from a new cut on his forehead. "I can't take it anymore," he pleaded.
Ginny lifted his face up towards hers so their eyes would meet. Her breath was warm and steady, comforting against his jagged gasps for air. Her gaze captivated him, as if willing him to take refuge in them and understanding the buried pain. Then the inevitable occurred: he crumbled into an uncontrollable and utterly humiliating sobbing. He did not protest to the arms that came to embrace him. Instead, he allowed them to hold him, and for the first time in his life, he did not feel alone.
******
Ron sat in the deserted common room watching the flames dance in the fireplace. He was thinking about the Hogsmeade visit...about Hermione's laughter as he chased her...the look of surprise on Malfoy's face as he lay on the ground. He smiled to himself. Not a bad day after all, he thought to himself. He had forgotten to buy the purchases for his big revenge prank on Malfoy, but that no longer mattered since the fight had proved much more effective than anything he could have ever imagined. Now that he looked back on it, he could not even remember much of the plan, anyway.
Suddenly, the entrance swung open and flashed light directly in his face. "Ahh! Who's there?"
"Ron?" asked a familiar voice.
"Ginny? What are you doing out so late? Get back to bed before you get in trouble and loose us house points," he ordered.
"You—you are just unbelievable! I have been out attempting to fix everything you've done today. You should be ashamed of yourself, Ron. I can't believe you are so blind! I'm so disappointed in your actions, but I'm even more sorry for the pain you've caused. You know, I can look past your stupid vendetta when it's name calling and innocent pranks, but now you've gone far enough. The worst part is that you're not even sorry or even remotely aware of the consequences." Ginny paused long enough to catch her breath. "Stay away from him. Find someone else to despise. Just leave him alone!"
"Who?"
"Draco," she responded as she turned her back on him and marched up the steps to her dormitory.
Ron was speechless at the outburst. What had gotten into her? This was not the Ginny he knew. Ginny was quiet and shy; she was the calm and collected one in the family. He had watched her grow up in a household where the twins had tested her endurance with an endless amount of pestering, and he had never witnessed a display like this. I can't believe it's over Malfoy that she exploded. I wonder what that git did. He slowly made his way up the stairs to his own room, now exhausted by this shocking ordeal. When he reached the last step, he almost lost his balance and fell back down as a new thought came to mind: she called Malfoy by his first name.
******
Ginny woke up on Monday morning, almost afraid to leave the protection from under the covers. Here she was warm and comfortable, where she did not have to face anyone, neither Ron nor Draco. It was a feeling she wanted to treasure and lock away in her mind, so that she could later revisit the precious moment. She had spent the previous day hidden in the library behind a huge stack of books, pretending to do her homework but not comprehending a single word of her reading. Now, she groaned silently as she realized what a nightmare the day would be.
Ginny got dressed and trudged down to the Great Hall for breakfast. She sat down without noticing her surroundings and began her meal, honestly hoping for an uneventful day.
"Good morning," Harry said as he sat down next to her.
"Hi," she mumbled.
"I heard you gave Ron a hard time last night. What's going on?
"Oh, you know, the usual—he was being a stupid git and didn't realize how his actions affect anyone else. How was the rest of your day yesterday?"
"It was fun. We ended up just hanging out and debating on whether the Chudley Cannons actually have a chance this year."
"Are you saying that Hermione participated in a quidditch discussion?" Ginny was a bit surprised.
"What about me and quidditch?" Hermione and Ron had just reached the Gryffindor table.
"I was just filling in Ginny about our evening."
"Oh." There was an awkward silence as Ron looked across the table at her.
"Well, I have to go finish my reading before my first class. See you later!" Ginny said as she rushed to get out of the Great Hall, practically running. However, on her way back to Gryffindor tower, suddenly, an arm reached out and dragged her into complete darkness.
As her eyes began to focus, she realized that she must be in a small, unoccupied closet. She could feel someone's heavy breathing in front of her.
"Ginny...I...um...you can't tell anyone about Saturday at the Shrieking Shack! If you do I'll—I'll..."
"Draco?"
"I won't have you ruining my life, Weasley."
Ginny paused for a moment, as all she could think about was how close their bodies were, almost as if they were inching together by the second. "I disagree. I think you would like me to ruin it, Draco."
"Really, what makes you say that?"
"Because," she whispered in his ear, "you don't want to live that life. I think you envy my freedom."
"And what freedom is that? Surely, not economic freedom? Ha?"
"No, freedom to live my life as I want. My life isn't all planned out. Where do I see myself in 10 years? I don't know...and it's not scary; it's wonderful not having the pressure to live up to anyone's expectations."
Their faces were awfully close by now, their hearts beating loudly, and both of them were breathless as if they had been running.
"And what would you know about that?"
"Effortless perfection is what we all strive for, Draco. In the end, it's draining because you can't please yourself or anyone else, and it leaves you empty and alone."
"Really?" Draco bent his face down towards her...
"Yes..." Ginny slowly reached up...their lips almost touching...
"So why are you alone?"
Ginny bolted backwards. "What?"
"I am just wondering why you're alone if you have such a perfect life. Explain that, Weasley!"
"I-I'm not alone!"
"Right, you just tag along the Great Harry Potter and his dream team because everyone wants to be your friend? What's your high-and-mighty response to that?"
"Ugggghhhh! You are just unbelievable! Turning this around on me! How dare you after what I've done for---"
Draco's hand quickly covered her face as he signaled her to be quiet so that they would not be discovered. "Look, just forget about it...and forget about Saturday as well, okay?"
Ginny nodded.
"Good."
With that, Draco left, and Ginny stood there frozen in space. Soon she recovered and rushed to her first class. As she sat down, she wished she could disappear as Professor Sprout took away house points for her lateness and all her classmates turned to give her an accusing look. She silently groaned and thought, what a bad day! Then Ginny reached into her bag and found what seemed to be a note.
She unfolded it and read:
Meet me Friday, midnight at the astronomy tower
I'll be waiting.
Who would want to meet with her? Had someone slipped this in her bag while she wasn't looking?
I guess I'll find out Friday, she thought.
******
Hermione ran upstairs to her bedroom during dinner. She was not very hungry; she just needed some privacy, which was almost impossible considering that she shared the room with all the other Gryffindor girls in her year. Sometimes Hermione wished she was back in her room at home, with her comfortable bed, her private bathroom, and with all those million details that made her room...hers. She crumbled into the bed and hugged her pillow as if her life depended on it.
She was so tired from having stayed up the previous night to finish her homework, and once she had finished, she had checked it for mistakes. Everyone thought that getting perfect marks was easy for her, but Hermione suffered silently from the constant exhaustion and the pressure she felt. She was worried that one day she would snap, and instantly regret her actions. It was if all these years of studying and worrying had finally caught up with her. I'm all burnt up, she thought. I need a break, desperately!
Sure, being with Harry and Ron helped relieve the stress, but even when she spent time with the guys she felt a constant guilt echoing in her conscience. Time was valuable, and as much as she hated to admit it, spending time with them was wasting time that could be spent on homework or sleeping.
And yet, time spent with them restored her 'sanity,' as she like to refer to it. But there was something lacking in her life...she felt so alone. She missed her parents and had a profound nostalgia for her lost friendships back at home...maybe they were not significant friendships but at least they had been with girls. As much as she liked hanging out with Ron and Harry, she had to admit that she missed all the girl-talks, the gossip, the silly giggling, and the gushing over cute boys. Everyone thought that just because she was studious and serious she could not be like that. But they're wrong! If only they could understand; if only someone cared! She felt a hot tear run down her cheek. Well, I'll show them!
She got up with a new determination as she made her way downstairs and practically tripped over the edge of a rug when she heard:
"Hi, Hermione."
She turned around to see Harry in the common room, sitting on a burgundy couch next to the windows.
"Hi. I thought you were in the Great Hall."
"I was, but I just needed some time out. I was getting a headache from all the noise in there. What were you up to?"
As Hermione stepped closer to answer him, he caught sight of her bloodshot eyes and felt immediate concern. "Hermione, what's wrong?"
She secretly smiled to herself. This was one of the things she loved about him—he would never ask a pointless question like 'are you okay' when this was clearly not the case. Even so, she did not feel like sharing.
"Oh, nothing important. Just, you know, a bit of a mood swing is all." She shrugged it off as casually as possible. No need to dwell on it.
"Well, come here. It looks like you could use a hug," he said as he stood up and embraced her. "Everything will be alright."
How perfect is this? Hermione thought, wrapped up all safe in his arms. She could smell that intoxicating scent from his aftershave, combined with the fabric softener of his clothes and the shampoo scent in his hair from his recent shower...it was that 'Harry smell'...so nice and alluring today that it made her melt at the knees.
He felt her knees weaken, and as he strengthened his hold on her, he looked down into her eyes, searching for an answer.
She smiled tentatively at him and simply whispered, "Thanks."
He grinned back, playfully. "Anytime, Miss Granger."
Hermione felt a sudden jolt of electricity run through her, something that she had never experienced before. However, she did not want to ruin the moment by wondering what it could mean. She just wanted to stay in his arms forever. What happens now? Will he let go? But she realized that he was not letting go...instead, he looked like he had no intention of doing so.
Harry looked down at her, mesmerized, in a sort of stare. He was looking at her face: those big brown eyes staring up at him, that cute tiny nose, and her rosy lips. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time, actually looking at her and memorizing her features. She had this classic beauty about her that he had always seemed to ignore; since they were constantly together he had always taken it for granted.
A strand of her hair had fallen onto her face. Slowly, he reached up to move it, never loosing eye contact with her.
Hermione was lost in the moment. When was the last time anyone had been this tender with her? She could see that the feeling was mutual, as Harry was not in a hurry to part. He had a certain look on his face, maybe a look of concentration; Hermione could not place it. He had this soft smile, and his green eyes were frozen in time, staring down at her.
Harry cupped her cheek with his right hand, and whispered, "God, you're beautiful."
Hermione thought quickly: What do I say? What cant I say? 'You're beautiful too' isn't the best choice...maybe 'you're handsome yourself' would be a smooth line...or anything else, for that matter. I have to respond something!
But she soon found that he did not need a response as he was slowly moving his face towards hers...their lips began to touch...it was a perfect kiss.
Maybe except for the fact that the door to the common room swung open and they were caught by Ginny, who turned bring red and ran right back out the door.
Hermione groaned silently and quickly ran after her, leaving Harry alone in shock.
******
Draco's Destiny By: Eugenia
CHAPTER 3: You are not alone
Hours had passed since the fight between Draco and Ron. Now Draco came to his senses. When he opened his eyes, all he could see was red. His first thought was that he had died and gone to hell, but then the red flame-like thing began to speak his name in what seemed like a heavenly voice.
"Draco, wake up!" the voice was saying, "Draco!"
Suddenly, his eyes came to focus, and finally he could see that this was Ginny and he was not dead. He felt a rush of relief to be alive, yet as he remembered the fight that had taken place, a fury began to rise in him.
Draco tried desperately to get up on his feet, but his stomach's pain would not allow it.
"You shouldn't try to get up—it will only hurt worse." Ginny had this genuine look of concern on her face that was just revolting to him.
"Leave me alone, you pathetic mud-lover! And tell that git of a brother of yours that he's going to pay for this, believe me!" Screaming at her made him fell slightly better, but his body felt like it was aching everywhere.
"Oh, that's so nice of you Malfoy. Mud-lover is such a great complement! Did you come up with that all by yourself?" Ginny could feel his frustration growing by the second. "Or did your father get it for you, just like everything else?"
"Just shut up! Where the hell are we, anyway? Last time I checked, I was outdoors." Draco looked around to find himself in a small, dark room. He could smell the humidity seeping through the walls. There was a bed in the corner, and an old oak table in the middle of the room. The place was filthy and looked as if it had not been inhabited for years. "If it wasn't for the table, I would guess that this was your room at home."
He could see this last remark had thrown her off her pedestal for a split second. Strangely enough, he regretted having said it. This fight must have affected my brain as well as my body, he thought.
"Look, Malfoy, you could at least thank me for bringing you in here and saving your dignity!"
"What dignity? You've already taken care of that...where ARE we?"
Ginny smiled to herself. "We are inside the Shrieking Shack."
Draco looked at her in disbelief. He could feel his heart skip a beat. "The Shrieking Shack? How could we? I mean, I thought it was kind of occupied... "
Ginny could not help but giggle at Draco's reaction. "By what, ghosts? Do you really believe every little thing you are told? It's perfectly safe; no one has lived here for years. Plus, it is conveniently linked to Hogwarts. Do you think you can make it back to the infirmary?"
"Of course I can. How did you get me here in the first place?" asked Draco as he painfully tried to get up.
"Oh, that's my little secret. You just follow me."
She led him down a dark stairwell and into a tunnel that seemed never- ending. Draco wondered how much more of this he could take. The tunnel was filthy and each agonizing step he took became more and more unbearable. The pain was not the actual reason for his discomfort—he could deal with that, after all, he had practice in suppressing pain. He was a Malfoy. Malfoys learned to take pain at an early age.
However, something at the back of his mind was resurfacing, old memories he had preferred to keep forgotten. Ahead of him, he could see Ginny was unaware of his internal battle. She was moving steadily, her flaming-red hair swishing from side to side, even visible in the darkness surrounding them.
He tried to focus on her hair, but this image could not stop the thoughts from rushing into his mind. It was as if the fight with Weasley had weakened him, worn him down to survival mode, reminding him of real pain he had experienced.
Draco, now tired, stopped fighting the memories ...he could hear himself screaming, his face unrecognizable, his muscles contracting as the electricity of the curse rushed through his body. A man was standing over him, his shadow on the boy's figure, smirking and calling him a 'pathetic excuse for a son.' Draco would beg for him to stop, but the pain only worsened as a new curse was placed on him. He could still feel the despair, the confusion, and the desire to die. And then when he felt like he could no longer go on, the curses would stop, and the man would mutter 'still too soft' as he left Draco alone on the cold dungeon floor.
"Malfoy?"
Draco was snapped back into the present world, where he stumbled over something on the floor and fell crashing into the ground, his head shattering into a million pieces.
"Draco!" Ginny rushed to help him.
"Don't touch me! Why can't you understand that I just want to be left alone? Have you not humiliated me enough? You can't change me!" He screamed at the top of his lungs without looking at her, as if he had been talking to someone else. Blood was dripping from a new cut on his forehead. "I can't take it anymore," he pleaded.
Ginny lifted his face up towards hers so their eyes would meet. Her breath was warm and steady, comforting against his jagged gasps for air. Her gaze captivated him, as if willing him to take refuge in them and understanding the buried pain. Then the inevitable occurred: he crumbled into an uncontrollable and utterly humiliating sobbing. He did not protest to the arms that came to embrace him. Instead, he allowed them to hold him, and for the first time in his life, he did not feel alone.
******
Ron sat in the deserted common room watching the flames dance in the fireplace. He was thinking about the Hogsmeade visit...about Hermione's laughter as he chased her...the look of surprise on Malfoy's face as he lay on the ground. He smiled to himself. Not a bad day after all, he thought to himself. He had forgotten to buy the purchases for his big revenge prank on Malfoy, but that no longer mattered since the fight had proved much more effective than anything he could have ever imagined. Now that he looked back on it, he could not even remember much of the plan, anyway.
Suddenly, the entrance swung open and flashed light directly in his face. "Ahh! Who's there?"
"Ron?" asked a familiar voice.
"Ginny? What are you doing out so late? Get back to bed before you get in trouble and loose us house points," he ordered.
"You—you are just unbelievable! I have been out attempting to fix everything you've done today. You should be ashamed of yourself, Ron. I can't believe you are so blind! I'm so disappointed in your actions, but I'm even more sorry for the pain you've caused. You know, I can look past your stupid vendetta when it's name calling and innocent pranks, but now you've gone far enough. The worst part is that you're not even sorry or even remotely aware of the consequences." Ginny paused long enough to catch her breath. "Stay away from him. Find someone else to despise. Just leave him alone!"
"Who?"
"Draco," she responded as she turned her back on him and marched up the steps to her dormitory.
Ron was speechless at the outburst. What had gotten into her? This was not the Ginny he knew. Ginny was quiet and shy; she was the calm and collected one in the family. He had watched her grow up in a household where the twins had tested her endurance with an endless amount of pestering, and he had never witnessed a display like this. I can't believe it's over Malfoy that she exploded. I wonder what that git did. He slowly made his way up the stairs to his own room, now exhausted by this shocking ordeal. When he reached the last step, he almost lost his balance and fell back down as a new thought came to mind: she called Malfoy by his first name.
******
Ginny woke up on Monday morning, almost afraid to leave the protection from under the covers. Here she was warm and comfortable, where she did not have to face anyone, neither Ron nor Draco. It was a feeling she wanted to treasure and lock away in her mind, so that she could later revisit the precious moment. She had spent the previous day hidden in the library behind a huge stack of books, pretending to do her homework but not comprehending a single word of her reading. Now, she groaned silently as she realized what a nightmare the day would be.
Ginny got dressed and trudged down to the Great Hall for breakfast. She sat down without noticing her surroundings and began her meal, honestly hoping for an uneventful day.
"Good morning," Harry said as he sat down next to her.
"Hi," she mumbled.
"I heard you gave Ron a hard time last night. What's going on?
"Oh, you know, the usual—he was being a stupid git and didn't realize how his actions affect anyone else. How was the rest of your day yesterday?"
"It was fun. We ended up just hanging out and debating on whether the Chudley Cannons actually have a chance this year."
"Are you saying that Hermione participated in a quidditch discussion?" Ginny was a bit surprised.
"What about me and quidditch?" Hermione and Ron had just reached the Gryffindor table.
"I was just filling in Ginny about our evening."
"Oh." There was an awkward silence as Ron looked across the table at her.
"Well, I have to go finish my reading before my first class. See you later!" Ginny said as she rushed to get out of the Great Hall, practically running. However, on her way back to Gryffindor tower, suddenly, an arm reached out and dragged her into complete darkness.
As her eyes began to focus, she realized that she must be in a small, unoccupied closet. She could feel someone's heavy breathing in front of her.
"Ginny...I...um...you can't tell anyone about Saturday at the Shrieking Shack! If you do I'll—I'll..."
"Draco?"
"I won't have you ruining my life, Weasley."
Ginny paused for a moment, as all she could think about was how close their bodies were, almost as if they were inching together by the second. "I disagree. I think you would like me to ruin it, Draco."
"Really, what makes you say that?"
"Because," she whispered in his ear, "you don't want to live that life. I think you envy my freedom."
"And what freedom is that? Surely, not economic freedom? Ha?"
"No, freedom to live my life as I want. My life isn't all planned out. Where do I see myself in 10 years? I don't know...and it's not scary; it's wonderful not having the pressure to live up to anyone's expectations."
Their faces were awfully close by now, their hearts beating loudly, and both of them were breathless as if they had been running.
"And what would you know about that?"
"Effortless perfection is what we all strive for, Draco. In the end, it's draining because you can't please yourself or anyone else, and it leaves you empty and alone."
"Really?" Draco bent his face down towards her...
"Yes..." Ginny slowly reached up...their lips almost touching...
"So why are you alone?"
Ginny bolted backwards. "What?"
"I am just wondering why you're alone if you have such a perfect life. Explain that, Weasley!"
"I-I'm not alone!"
"Right, you just tag along the Great Harry Potter and his dream team because everyone wants to be your friend? What's your high-and-mighty response to that?"
"Ugggghhhh! You are just unbelievable! Turning this around on me! How dare you after what I've done for---"
Draco's hand quickly covered her face as he signaled her to be quiet so that they would not be discovered. "Look, just forget about it...and forget about Saturday as well, okay?"
Ginny nodded.
"Good."
With that, Draco left, and Ginny stood there frozen in space. Soon she recovered and rushed to her first class. As she sat down, she wished she could disappear as Professor Sprout took away house points for her lateness and all her classmates turned to give her an accusing look. She silently groaned and thought, what a bad day! Then Ginny reached into her bag and found what seemed to be a note.
She unfolded it and read:
Meet me Friday, midnight at the astronomy tower
I'll be waiting.
Who would want to meet with her? Had someone slipped this in her bag while she wasn't looking?
I guess I'll find out Friday, she thought.
******
Hermione ran upstairs to her bedroom during dinner. She was not very hungry; she just needed some privacy, which was almost impossible considering that she shared the room with all the other Gryffindor girls in her year. Sometimes Hermione wished she was back in her room at home, with her comfortable bed, her private bathroom, and with all those million details that made her room...hers. She crumbled into the bed and hugged her pillow as if her life depended on it.
She was so tired from having stayed up the previous night to finish her homework, and once she had finished, she had checked it for mistakes. Everyone thought that getting perfect marks was easy for her, but Hermione suffered silently from the constant exhaustion and the pressure she felt. She was worried that one day she would snap, and instantly regret her actions. It was if all these years of studying and worrying had finally caught up with her. I'm all burnt up, she thought. I need a break, desperately!
Sure, being with Harry and Ron helped relieve the stress, but even when she spent time with the guys she felt a constant guilt echoing in her conscience. Time was valuable, and as much as she hated to admit it, spending time with them was wasting time that could be spent on homework or sleeping.
And yet, time spent with them restored her 'sanity,' as she like to refer to it. But there was something lacking in her life...she felt so alone. She missed her parents and had a profound nostalgia for her lost friendships back at home...maybe they were not significant friendships but at least they had been with girls. As much as she liked hanging out with Ron and Harry, she had to admit that she missed all the girl-talks, the gossip, the silly giggling, and the gushing over cute boys. Everyone thought that just because she was studious and serious she could not be like that. But they're wrong! If only they could understand; if only someone cared! She felt a hot tear run down her cheek. Well, I'll show them!
She got up with a new determination as she made her way downstairs and practically tripped over the edge of a rug when she heard:
"Hi, Hermione."
She turned around to see Harry in the common room, sitting on a burgundy couch next to the windows.
"Hi. I thought you were in the Great Hall."
"I was, but I just needed some time out. I was getting a headache from all the noise in there. What were you up to?"
As Hermione stepped closer to answer him, he caught sight of her bloodshot eyes and felt immediate concern. "Hermione, what's wrong?"
She secretly smiled to herself. This was one of the things she loved about him—he would never ask a pointless question like 'are you okay' when this was clearly not the case. Even so, she did not feel like sharing.
"Oh, nothing important. Just, you know, a bit of a mood swing is all." She shrugged it off as casually as possible. No need to dwell on it.
"Well, come here. It looks like you could use a hug," he said as he stood up and embraced her. "Everything will be alright."
How perfect is this? Hermione thought, wrapped up all safe in his arms. She could smell that intoxicating scent from his aftershave, combined with the fabric softener of his clothes and the shampoo scent in his hair from his recent shower...it was that 'Harry smell'...so nice and alluring today that it made her melt at the knees.
He felt her knees weaken, and as he strengthened his hold on her, he looked down into her eyes, searching for an answer.
She smiled tentatively at him and simply whispered, "Thanks."
He grinned back, playfully. "Anytime, Miss Granger."
Hermione felt a sudden jolt of electricity run through her, something that she had never experienced before. However, she did not want to ruin the moment by wondering what it could mean. She just wanted to stay in his arms forever. What happens now? Will he let go? But she realized that he was not letting go...instead, he looked like he had no intention of doing so.
Harry looked down at her, mesmerized, in a sort of stare. He was looking at her face: those big brown eyes staring up at him, that cute tiny nose, and her rosy lips. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time, actually looking at her and memorizing her features. She had this classic beauty about her that he had always seemed to ignore; since they were constantly together he had always taken it for granted.
A strand of her hair had fallen onto her face. Slowly, he reached up to move it, never loosing eye contact with her.
Hermione was lost in the moment. When was the last time anyone had been this tender with her? She could see that the feeling was mutual, as Harry was not in a hurry to part. He had a certain look on his face, maybe a look of concentration; Hermione could not place it. He had this soft smile, and his green eyes were frozen in time, staring down at her.
Harry cupped her cheek with his right hand, and whispered, "God, you're beautiful."
Hermione thought quickly: What do I say? What cant I say? 'You're beautiful too' isn't the best choice...maybe 'you're handsome yourself' would be a smooth line...or anything else, for that matter. I have to respond something!
But she soon found that he did not need a response as he was slowly moving his face towards hers...their lips began to touch...it was a perfect kiss.
Maybe except for the fact that the door to the common room swung open and they were caught by Ginny, who turned bring red and ran right back out the door.
Hermione groaned silently and quickly ran after her, leaving Harry alone in shock.
******