Chapter Sixteen

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Be My Girlfriend?

Hermione had knots in her stomach all afternoon. She kept sliding her gaze toward Ginny, wondering how she felt. Ginny didn't seem any different. She paid attention to class work, and answered sweetly when she was called on to recite. She even seemed to read better than she had that first day. There were no indications that she was smarting from the hurt Hermione had inflicted.

Hermione, on the other hand, felt wounded. She wished she could relive those few moments with Ginny. She should never have said any of those things. If it hadn't been for her anger at the other girls and at Harry, she never would have said them. That was no excuse, she realised. What she had done, she had done. She had no one to blame but herself. And an apology would probably be useless. Ginny would never accept it. If she were Ginny, she wouldn't easily forgive and forget.

Harry kept trying to catch her eye, but Hermione avoided his glance. She knew it would be disapproving.

When the classes had finished for the day, Ginny turned to her.

Hermione lowered her eyes and busied herself getting her books together.

"Hermione?" Ginny said.

Hermione's heart pounded. Ginny had probably sat there quietly all afternoon gathering her ammunition. Now she was going to let Hermione have it.

Avoiding Ginny's eyes, Hermione said, "I gotta go," and hurried toward the door.

A smiling Nevile Longbottom appeared out of nowhere.

Hermione brushed past him and dashed down the hall. She ran all the way back to the common room as though something were chasing her.

o-o-o-o-o

At four o'clock when the portrait opened, Hermione was sitting on the couch, her book of obscure spells open before her. She was looking for a spell with a long name and no counter-charm. She'd decided never to leave the common room again.

She glanced behind her.

Harry was there, strolling into the common room.

Maybe if she kept her head down and didn't say anything, he'd think she wasn't there and go away.

She had to talk to him. He was a true friend to come and see her after the way she'd acted. She'd tell him how sorry she was. Maybe he could help her decide what to do about Ginny.

She put her book down and walked over to him.

He straightened up slightly, and smiled subtly.

"Hi," he said. His eyes were wary as though he didn't know what to expect.

"Hi," she responded. "Wanna come and study?"

"Why don't you come outside?"

Hermione looked out the window of Gryffindor tower. The sun's rays angled through the trees, bright with autumn colours. A lone sparrow perched on a turret. A small mouse sat on its haunches at the base of a tree, nibbling a scrap.

"Okay," she agreed and reached for her cloak.

o-o-o-o-o

She and Harry immediately fell into step as they ambled through the grounds.

"Where're we going?" Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged. "Nowhere particular."

That was fine with Hermione. They often just took off, walking side by side with no destination in mind. Sometimes, like today, they were quiet. Other times, they were so full of talk they hardly took notice of their surroundings. Either way, being two friends together was the important part.

Hermione was the first to speak. "I suppose you and Ginny talked about what happened," she said.

He looked at her briefly, his eyes coolly appraising. "She was really upset about it – about you being mad at her."

She's the one that should be mad, Hermione thought.

"The calming spell helped, though – it really works. My essay's going to be great. And I told her not to worry." He grinned. "That you were mad at everybody." The grin faded. "Why're you mad at her?"

"I'm not," Hermione said quickly. "I was. Sort of," she amended. "I mean, I thought I was, but I wasn't."

Harry chuckled. "That's about as clear as mud."

Hermione sighed deeply before she launched into the entire story. As she spoke, she felt better, less sad, less guilty, and she began to understand why she had lashed out at Ginny.

"I guess it's me I'm really mad at," she concluded, "because I don't know what's happening anymore, and I keep thinking if Ginny hadn't come along…" Her voice trailed off.

"It's not Ginny," Harry assured her.

"I know that." On one level she did know and understand that Ginny was not responsible for the change in the third year; on another, she wasn't so sure. "I mean, I guess I know that. You're saying it would have happened anyway."

"Sooner or later," he said.

"Without Ginny, it would have been later."

Harry ran his hand along a mulberry bush branch from base to tip, stripping it of leaves.

Hermione cringed. Every time she attempted that, she was stuck by a thorn.

"It might have been Ginny in the beginning," he said as he showered the air with the tiny green leaves. "Everybody wanted to be her friend. It made them seem more popular or something, but now…" he shrugged.

"Now everyone's gone crazy," Hermione completed his thought.

"I think it's kinda… good – what's happening."

"What's good about it?" Hermione pressed. "Look what it's already done to us."

He shot her an inquiring glance.

"About the notes," she explained. "I suspected you right away. Any other time, I would've just come out and asked, but I didn't. And it's because I'm all confused about everything."

Harry thought about that for a long time. Finally he took a deep breath. "I don't know about that – why you didn't come out and ask me. You should have."

"I know," Hermione agreed, "that's what I said. When I found out Seamus had written that stupid verse! Why'd he write it anyway?"

Harry shrugged. "He's trying to be as popular as Malfoy."

Hermione giggled. "Who say's Malfoy's popular?"

"Malfoy," Harry said.

"This whole thing is getting out of hand," Hermione said.

Harry waved that away. "You're taking it all too seriously, Hermione."

"I'm not the one taking it seriously," she objected. "It's everybody else!"

"It's nothing to get uptight about," Harry persisted. "Things change. If you like somebody - "

"Parvati says none of it has anything to do with whether you like a person or not," she interrupted. "She doesn't like Malfoy and just because he was nice to her – opened the door for her or some stupid thing – she thought she was" – she held her hands over her heart and rolled her eyes skyward – "in love."

"For a minute or two," Harry joked. "Besides, Malfoy doesn't like Parvati."

"I know that. That's the whole point. They don't like each other!"

"We like each other," Harry said, giving her a sidelong glance.

"That's because we're friends," Hermione said, following her own train of thought. "Before everybody understood that, but now, I don't know. Parvati is spreading it all over that you don't just like me, but that you… like me." She laughed. "I know you said that – if you said that - " She squinted at him. "Did you say that?" When he responded with a noncommittal murmur, she continued, "I know it was to keep Parvati from bothering you, but I didn't like it, Harry. I didn't like it at all."

"Why? You afraid Nevile Longbottom'll find out?" he asked.

"Nevile!" Hermione rolled her eyes. "He's never paid so much attention to me before and now he's everywhere! It's making me very nervous."

"Well, if you don't like him, why not me?"

Saying, "Har-­ry," Hermione swatted at him with an open hand. "Be serious."

"I am," he said, pausing to look at her. "It might be a good idea – you and me." There was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "At least it'd keep Nevile Longbottom from following you all over."

Hermione made a face.

"Be my girlfriend, and he'll leave you alone." He studied her for a reaction before adding, "Well? What do you think?"

A/N: Can you guess what I'm about to say? That's right… REVIEW! After all, I did update twice yesterday. Plot suggestions welcome.