Authors Note: Sorry this chapter took so long. I have been pretty busy since HBP came out. Had to read that, get everything ready for school, start highschool, get used to everything.. But anyway. I would like to thank Nicole aka Hogwarts for editing. This story would be full of all kinds of mistakes if it wasnt for her. Enjoy..
Chapter 3.
Hermione's stomach was in her throat; she felt like she could vomit at any moment. She looked down at the floor and walked quickly past Draco and Pansy.
Draco was just able to see Hermione walk by hurriedly and turn the corner. He threw Pansy off of him and she hit the wall on the other side of the corridor. She let out a whimper as Draco jammed his wand to her throat.
"You will never kiss me, speak to me, or look at me, ever again. Do you understand?" Draco said through gritted teeth. When she didn't answer he dug his wand deeper. She nodded her head. He took his wand away from her throat and watched with grim satisfaction as she ran away.
Hermione sat down across from Ginny and Harry in the Great Hall and slammed her head down on the Gryffindor table. Ginny jumped.
"Hermione, what's the matter?" asked Harry as he looked curiously at her.
"Nothing, absolutely nothing. Everything is just fine!" Hermione mumbled.
"Okay then." Ginny said slowly.
Who cares if I saw them kissing. Hermione thought to herself. It's just like him to think he can get anyone! Well he isn't going to have me. Hermione declared to herself.
"Harry, I'm going to go to the common room now. Hermione, get up." Ginny said as she rounded the table.
"What?" Hermione asked, taking her head away from the cool wood of the table to raise her eyebrows at Ginny.
"Get up. You're coming with me."
Hermione slowly got up. Ginny grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the Great Hall.
"Ginny, is there a problem?" Hermione looked at her friend in curiosity
"I don't have a problem, but you do."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked as she stumbled up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room.
"What do I mean? Hermione, you marched into the great hall and made an indent with your headon the table! What happened?" Ginny demanded as she gave the password to the Fat Lady.
"It's nothing," Hermione said as she sat down in her favorite armchair in front of the fire
"It is too something. Now tell me!"
"I thought you said Pansy and Draco broke up," Hermione said at last, tentative
"They did. Why?"
"I saw them kissing on my way to dinner," Hermione said quietly.
"Hermione, I thought you didn't like him," Ginny said, her own tone becoming softer.
"I don't! I was just surprised... that's all." Hermione stated.
Ginny rolled her eyes and sighed. "Hermione, why can't you just admit you like him?" She asked, frustrated.
"Because Ginny, I don't like him. I loath him and the ground he walks on," Hermione said as she bent down to pick up Crookshanks.
"I'm not going to argue with you about this, Hermione. So, if you want to get through this project, just give Malfoy the cold shoulder. It will probably go faster that way." Ginny said frowning, as Harry and Ron stepped into the common room.
"Who is going to give who the cold shoulder?" Harry asked as he made his way to the couch where Ginny was sitting.
"Hermione is going to attempt to give Malfoy the cold shoulder." Ginny said, her bushy-haired female counterpart glaring in her direction
"Oh, that. I hate this damned project. Crabbe is so stupid. I don't think he can tell the difference between a dog and a cat." Harry said as he pulled Ginny onto his lap.
"It must be horrible." Ginny said soothingly as she shifted on Harry's lap and pressed her mouth to his.
"Oh, you have no idea," Harry said quietly against her lips.
"Okay, I'm going up to bed," Ron said loudlyand darted up the stairs, desperate to get away from the sight of his sister snogging his best friend.
Yeah, I'm going to head up too," Hermione said, following Ron. Harry and Ginny were too occupied to notice.
The next morning Hermione walked down to the Potions room, bewildered at why Harry and Ron had not shown up for breakfast. There was a crowd of sixth years lingering around outside the classroom, waiting for double Potions session to start.
"Where were you two this morning?" Hermione inquired as she approached Harry and Ron.
"Throwing dung bombs down the Slytherin corridor," Ron said, obviously proud.
"What? Ron! You're a prefect!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Since when has that stopped me from doing anything?" Ron snickered.
"Don't worry Hermione, no one knows it was us. We told Filtch that Peeves did it," Harry reassured her.
"Very clever," Hermione said sarcastically.
Someone tapped Hermione on the shoulder; she turned around and narrowed her eyes in disgust when she realized it was Draco.
"What do you want Malfoy?" Hermione spat, still glaring at him.
"I need to talk you," Draco stated.
"Well, then start talking," she said as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"I was thinking perhaps somewhere more private."
Hermione's tone remained icy. "If you have something to say to me, could you please just say it here? Class is about to start."
"No, I can't say it here." Draco was beginning to look angry.
"Give it up Malfoy, she said she didn't want to go," Harry cut in.
"Potter, is that you? I didn't recognize you without Weaslette hanging from your face," Draco retorted
Hermione raised her fist and was about to strike but Draco caught her fist in his hand.
"You're going to have to be faster than that, Granger."
She raised her other fist but he caught that one too. The door chose that moment to swingopen and Professor Snape stepped outside.
"Well, well. What do we have here? Miss. Granger, were you just attempting to hit Mr. Malfoy?" Snape asked, his voice silkier than ever. Before Hermione had a chance to respond he was talking again. "Twenty points from Gryffindor. Now inside before I change my mind and give you a detention also."
All the students went inside and sat down next to their Slytherin partners. Once Hermione sat down next to Draco she leaned in and whispered harshly in his ear, "I will not be your toy Malfoy, I will not have my mind played with. Whatever interest you have in me, you better lose it because I'm done with this stupid game." As Hermione finished, Snape started the lesson, leaving a disgruntled Draco with no response.
The next two weeks went by incredibly smooth. Draco and Hermione attended all the required classes together and only spoke to each other when it regarded their project. Their Augury potion was well underway and all other required assignments that went along with it.
Hermione was shocked that Draco had not attempted to corner her or make a remark that sent her heart racing. These days she found her life dull. She tired of watching Harry and Ginny grow closer, it only sent waves of jealously through her system. She tried hanging out with Ron, but he had taken on a new obsession with Parvati and she found that she could not stand another minute of him rambling about her. Harry and Ron were still her best friends, they had just found other people that were important to them. Once again books were the best things in her life.
"Do you see the way he looks at her?" Crabbe asked Goyle.
"Yes. It's bloody disgusting!" Goyle replied flippantly, as he threw his wand towards the sky and caught it again.
"Where is he? He was supposed to be here by now," Crabbe whined.
"He isn't coming. We've been here for an hour," Goyle said as he threw his wand up again. And as it was coming back down to hit him in his eye, "Owe!"
"Come on you stupid pig. Let's go back to the Common Room," Crabbe growled.
Upon returning to the Common Room, Crabbe and Goyle found Draco sitting in an armchair drinking firewhiskey.
"Where the bloody hell were you?" Crabbe demanded, mouth opening and closing in anger
"What are you going on about now? I've been here the whole time," Draco said, not even looking up.
"You were suppose to meet us in front of the lake," Goyle said, still rubbing his eye.
"And why would I want to do that?" Draco asked, taking another swig of firewhiskey.
"Because we had plans to sabotage Potter and his gang! Remember?" Crabbe spat, getting more frustrated, a vein pumping about his left brow.
"Oh, that. I changed my mind," Draco said as he got up and put the firewhiskey away.
"What's with you lately, Draco" Crabbe asked. "Nothing," Draco said plainly. "I'm going to bed."
As Draco was climbing the stairs Crabbe spoke, "It's the Granger girl isn't it?"
Draco stopped and turned to look at Crabbe. "What?"
"Granger. You're moping around because of her. I heard what she said to you in Potions. I have seen the way you look at her during meals. Why are you falling for that Mudblood? You could have anyone in the school and you choose her?"
"You don't know what you're talking about. I didn't choose her," Draco retorted and stormed off to bed.
Everything Crabbe said was getting to him. Ever since Potions a couple weeks back, Draco was not feeling the same. He did not even know what it was. He refused to believe his mood was shot because of her, it just could not possible. Draco threw himself down on his bed and looked at his watch. It was only six in the evening. No matter how hard he tried, Draco could not get Hermione off of his mind. The way she smelled of fresh violets. The way her lips tasted of honey. The way her eyes reminded him of caramel. All of the things he used to hate about her were now drawing him to her. He thought she was something he would never figure out. But while he laid there in the dark trying his hardest not to think of her, he slowly drifted off into a deep sleep and dreamt about the girl with honey flavored lips and those caramel eyes.
"He's gone mad," Goyle said as he looked in the mirror at his swollen eye.
"I know! What we should do?" Crabbe mused, his face twisted into the unfamiliar expression of thought.
Goyle grunted and swiped at his eye.
"Let's frame him," Crabbe said as he walked over to Goyle.
Goyle stared. "Why... how?"
"If we dump out Granger's potion for the project and make it seem like Draco did it, then he'll be furious at her for even thinking he would destroy his own project. Then BAM! That's the end of the Mudblood and Malfoy." Crabbe said, thinking he was a genius.
Goyle shrugged and followed Crabbe out of the Common Room.
Crabbe and Goyle went into the empty classroom where all the students were allowed to store their potions.
"Here it is!" Crabbe whispered. He picked it up and walked out into the schoolyard. When he wassure no one was looking, and then he poured the potion's contents into the grass and ran back into the classroom. "Give me the gloves, Goyle."
Goyle took the gloves out of his pocket and handed them to Crabbe. Crabbe took out his quill and wrote Draco Malfoy on both gloves. He placed the cauldron back in its spot and put the gloves down inside.
"Let's get out of here," Crabbe said smarmily. Goyle shrugged once again and followed Crabbe out of the empty classroom.
Hermione shut her book and put it in her bag. She had been in the library for three hours and decided she should go work on the potion. Once she got to the empty classroom she searched through rows and rows of cauldrons to find hers.
"No," Hermione whispered as she bent down and studied the empty cauldron. She picked up the gloves and ran her fingers over the name Draco Malfoy. "This can't be right," Hermione mumbled to herself. Malfoy wouldn't do this. It's his project too. She thought to herself. She dropped the gloves back into the cauldron and jumped up. This could not be happening, they had worked to hard. She ran out of the classroom and down to the entrance of the Slytherin Common Room.
"I need to talk to Draco Malfoy," Hermione said as fast as she could to the snarky looking man in the dungeon door's portrait
"You need the password."
"But this is important!" Hermione pleaded.
"I cannot let you in with out the password madam." He sniffed.
Hermione spun around to see if there was any Slytherins coming down the corridor. A scrawny first year was approaching her. "Hey you, can you go in and get Draco Malfoy and tell him that Hermione Granger needs him. Tell him its urgent!" Hermione said frantically.
The boy nodded and whispered the password to the portrait and disappeared behind it. She started to pace back and forth. Who would do this? She asked herself over and over. Her pacing became so fast that she hardlyrealized Malfoy was standing there watching her.
"What is so urgent Granger, that you insisted on waking me up?" Draco growled.
Hermione stopped pacing long enough to cock an eyebrow his way. "It's hardly after six. Why were you sleeping?"
"I sleep when I get tired," Draco said haughtily "Now what do you want!"
"Å“Ienttoeckheptionnitasepty!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Slow down" Draco said as he held up his hand, motioning her to stop talking. "What was that?"
"I went to check the potion and it was empty!" Hermione yelled.
"Calm down, Granger! You're going to give yourself a heart attack!"
"I'm not in the mood for jokes Malfoy! The potion is gone! It's empty!" Hermione said urgently. "Come on!" She took Draco's hand and pulled him as fast as she could to the classroom. Malfoy had to run to keep up with Hermione's pace. Once they got there she showed him the empty cauldron. He knelt down and picked up the gloves. These aren't mine. Draco thought to himself. He turned around and saw Hermione up against the wall.
"Hermione, I-"
"I know you didn't do it." Hermione said quietly as she looked at the ground and folded her arms across her chest. "I'm not stupid."
"Of course not," Draco said as he dropped the gloves and stood up. He studied her while she looked at the ground. She was not frantic anymore at least. She looked drained of energy. She had dark purple rings around her eyes and her body looked frail, like she hadn't eaten for days. Her skin looked like she had not seen sun in her life. He had never seen her look so helpless in all the years he had known her. Not once had he seen her drop her defenses.
Hermione slid down the wall, buried her head in her knees and started to weep silently. All the frustration, anger, and fatigue that she had been holding in ever since school started rolledout in tears.
Draco heard her start to cry and he walked over to her, pulled her to her feet and held her. She wrapped her arms around him and gripped at his shirt. He kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair.
Hermione heard him murmur softly in her ear but she could not make out what he was saying. She did not care. All she needed was him to keep holding her, to comfort her and make things better again.
Her crying slowed down and eventually stopped. Draco heard her breathing take on a steady pattern. Then he felt her body go limp. He looked down at her. She had cried herself to sleep.
"Must have been bloody tired to fall asleep standing up," Draco whispered as he picked her up. "What am I suppose to do with you? I just can't leave you here," He said, more to himself than the sleeping girl in his grasp
Draco did not know the Gryffindor password; he also could not leave her in the classroom. Hours had gone by since they first arrived and everyone in the castle was probably sleeping by now. He could only think of one solution. Bring her back to his bed.
He gave the portrait the password and carried Hermione in. It looked like everyone had gone to bed. He thanked Merlin for that. Draco made his way to the room and quietly opening the door and slowly moved in. He laid Hermione down on his bed and took off her shoes. Draco bent down and kissed her softly on the lips. "Sleep well, Hermione," he whispered. Then he closed the hangings around the bed and went back into the Common Room.
"Damn birds," Hermione mumbled. She turned over and squinted at the clock. "Ten! I was suppose to be in class a half hour ago!" Hermione said as she sat straight up. Oh yeah, it's Saturday. She thought, relieved Hermione brought the covers over her face and snuggled back into bed. This doesn't smell like my blanket. Hermione thought to herself. She sat back up and looked down at the covers. "These are green," she stated aloud. Hermione looked around and saw green hangings. She rubbed her eyes to make sure she was not going color blind, but sure enough, everything was green. Hermione retraced her steps from last night. I showed Draco the empty cauldron, I cried, I… She stopped thinking, because she couldn't remember what had happened next. "I must have fallen asleep," Hermione whispered. "What if someone sees me?" She asked herself.
But without thinking she jumped out of the foreign bed, ran out of the room, past Draco sleeping on the couch, out of the Slytherin Common Room, and right into Harry and Ron throwing dung bombs down the Slytherin corridor.