Harry trudged back to the common room after dinner, wondering where Hermione had gotten to. He knew she'd headed down at the same time he did, but he hadn't seen her in the Great Hall, and that worried him. It wasn't since before the S.P.E.W. incident that she'd skipped a meal. I can't believe I'm thinking about her this much... he thought.
Hermione was in the common room when Harry arrived, and if he knew anything about her at all, he knew she was upset. He was almost scared to approach her, but he sat next to her on the sofa anyway.
"Hermione? Are you ok?"
"Oh, yes. Yes, I'm fine," Hermione answered quickly. She was staring rather carefully at the fire, the flames reflecting defiantly in her eyes.
"Well... alright then. If you need to talk, I'll be over there," he indicated a table in the corner, "doing my essay for Snape. I could use your help, if you wouldn't mind."
Hermione finally looked at him, and said simply, "My essay's in my bag, you can use it as an outline if you want. It's really too long, so you might want to condense it a little."
"Hermione, tell me what's wrong," pressed Harry. "You would never let anyone copy your homework! You aren't in your right mind. D'you need to lie down?"
"Harry, please, don't do this. I'm fine, really. I'm just a little upset, that's all."
"About what? Hermione, we've been friends for five years, you can tell me anything. You know you can," Harry pleaded. This isn't how it used to be... thought Harry sadly.
"Promise not to say a word until I'm finished?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded seriously. "Promise you won't get angry and pull a Ron?" To this Harry hesitated, and then nodded.
Hermione told him everything, how she and Draco had been meeting in secret, how much she still hated him even though she cared about him, and reluctantly she told him about the kiss.
"Hermione!" gasped Harry. "I don't believe it!"
"You promised not to speak until I was finished!" Hermione scolded. "Promise you'll never tell Ron. Never. He'd kill Draco, and he'd be furious with me. I only told you because I knew you'd understand."
Harry held his tongue. What was he to say? 'I love you' didn't seem good enough anymore, but that had been his original plan. How could he compete with Malfoy, who had wealth and power and looks? He practically had a fan following of girls too stupid to see his real self.
"Promise, Harry?" Hermione asked again.
"Of course. I promise."
Hermione was in the common room when Harry arrived, and if he knew anything about her at all, he knew she was upset. He was almost scared to approach her, but he sat next to her on the sofa anyway.
"Hermione? Are you ok?"
"Oh, yes. Yes, I'm fine," Hermione answered quickly. She was staring rather carefully at the fire, the flames reflecting defiantly in her eyes.
"Well... alright then. If you need to talk, I'll be over there," he indicated a table in the corner, "doing my essay for Snape. I could use your help, if you wouldn't mind."
Hermione finally looked at him, and said simply, "My essay's in my bag, you can use it as an outline if you want. It's really too long, so you might want to condense it a little."
"Hermione, tell me what's wrong," pressed Harry. "You would never let anyone copy your homework! You aren't in your right mind. D'you need to lie down?"
"Harry, please, don't do this. I'm fine, really. I'm just a little upset, that's all."
"About what? Hermione, we've been friends for five years, you can tell me anything. You know you can," Harry pleaded. This isn't how it used to be... thought Harry sadly.
"Promise not to say a word until I'm finished?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded seriously. "Promise you won't get angry and pull a Ron?" To this Harry hesitated, and then nodded.
Hermione told him everything, how she and Draco had been meeting in secret, how much she still hated him even though she cared about him, and reluctantly she told him about the kiss.
"Hermione!" gasped Harry. "I don't believe it!"
"You promised not to speak until I was finished!" Hermione scolded. "Promise you'll never tell Ron. Never. He'd kill Draco, and he'd be furious with me. I only told you because I knew you'd understand."
Harry held his tongue. What was he to say? 'I love you' didn't seem good enough anymore, but that had been his original plan. How could he compete with Malfoy, who had wealth and power and looks? He practically had a fan following of girls too stupid to see his real self.
"Promise, Harry?" Hermione asked again.
"Of course. I promise."