Chapter 8
"I still don't understand how you're so calm about this," Ron said. It was Saturday morning, and they were sitting at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. Hermione was just telling them about her project with Draco while they ate, or in Ron's case, stuffed their face with bacon. "It really isn't that bad. We work most of the time, so it's not like it's awkward or anything." Except for one very awkward moment yesterday, but Hermione wasn't going to tell them about that. "Anyway, you excited for today?" It it was going to be the first Quidditch game of the year, Ravenclaw against Gryffindor. "You guys disappointed about not playing?" Although some of them were the best players Hogwarts had seen in years, the Eighth year students were not allowed to participate in the games this year. They would be taking the other student's places, and that wouldn't be fair. "A bit," Harry answered. "But I'm actually kind of excited to be in the crowd, I haven't watched a Hogwarts Quidditch game in years!"
"Watching a game is great, but playing is much better. I understand why they won't let us play, but it's disappointing."
"Don't worry Ronnie, I'm sure you'll be fine," Harry teased him, talking in a baby voice. Ron pushed him and they began a playfight that resulted in both of them on the floor, laughing hysterically. Hermione flushed with embarrassment but laughed as well. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Mcgonagall standing from her seat at the teacher's table, searching for the students responsible for the noise. "Sit down you idiots," She hissed, rolling her eyes at their grins. During the last year Hermione felt that they had all matured greatly. They had lost so much in a short period of time, had seen their friends fight for their lives, had given up so much to save this world. She sometimes forgot that they were still teenagers who teased each other and told inappropriate jokes. "Come on 'Mione, the game's starting soon," Ron said, interrupting her train of thoughts. Hermione stood up and followed them outside. The air was crisp and smelled like grass.
A cold breeze reminded them that winter was close and Hermione hugged herself for warmth. Someone jumped on her from behind. "Bloody hell!" she exclaimed as Ginny put her arm around her. "Scared you, didn't I?" Ginny gave an impish grin and leaned in to kiss her cheek. Hermione stuck her tongue out at her. "Did you talk to You Know Who yet?"
"Don't call him that, and no, I haven't." Hermione didn't want to tell her about that conversation, Ginny already thought badly of Draco as it is. "Don't you have a game to get ready for, Captain?"
"I do, I just came to laugh at Harry and Ron who aren't playing," Ginny replied and smirked at them. Ron made a face and Harry said: "But I get to watch your sexy arse on a broom for half an hour."
"I did not need to hear that," Ron whined and buried his head in Hermione's hair. "How do you know it will only be half an hour?" Ginny asked him, leaning in especially close. "Because you'll obviously take them down in twenty nine minutes, plus one minute of a victory dance," Harry murmured and closed the distance between them. It was Harry in the end who sent Ginny off to get ready and they continued on their way to the bleachers. "You and Ginny make such a cute couple," Hermione told Harry, as they went up the stairs to find seats. "Why, thank you," he replied. "You really love her, don't you?" Harry blushed and stared at the ground. Hermione chuckled and hugged him. It made her so happy to see Harry in love, especially when it was with someone she loved as well. He worried her though. Harry had lost the most in the war out of all three of them. He had had so much pressure put on him that she sometimes wondered how he hadn't lost his sanity. He rarely talked to her about it, and she was almost sure he and Ron didn't discuss the war either. Maybe he talked about it with Ginny. She hoped he did, but the thought made her kind of jealous. She used to be the girl that Harry had "emotional conversations" with. She felt that she was much less needed in Harry's life now that he had another girl in his life. They finally found three seats next to each other and sat down.
The game was just beginning and the new Quidditch Commentator, a Sixth year Hufflepuff boy, was welcoming the two teams onto the field. Hermione clapped her hands along with everyone surrounding her as the Gryffindor team rose into the air on their brooms, their robes bursts of scarlet and gold against the blue sky. The balls were released and the game began. Hermione had always been told she was the brightest witch of her age, that her marks were exceptionally high and was wise beyond her years, but, for some unfathomable reason, she could never keep up with a game of Quidditch. There were simply too many things happening at once, too many things to look at and Hermione felt that she couldn't make full sense of one thing before her mind was pulled to another. This was a flaw that was hard to deal with what with all her mates being Quidditch fans. She always felt daft when they discussed a certain game, speaking of things somehow only she had missed. She noticed Ron and Harry were leaning their heads in front of her from each side of her, excitedly chattering and pointing at the players. "Say Hermione, would you mind switching seats?" Ron had to speak the request right into her ear to be heard over the roaring crowd. "Me and Harry are trying to talk and my back hurts from leaning over." He smiled apologetically. Hermione bit her lip and shook her head. They both got up. Ron stretched his back dramatically, and they switched seats. In more common situations, Hermione would have corrected Ron on his poor speech, but she was pretty sure he wouldn't hear her in this chaos and she didn't have the heart to anyway. She knew she was being ridiculous, being offended by Ron's stupid request. Well, to be precise, it wasn't this particular request that bothered her. No, not at all. It was years of trailing behind Harry and Ron, hearing their plans after they'd been made, being left out of some of them. The request was only a poke in an already sore spot. She knew Harry and Ron were best friends, and she also knew they would both do anything for her. It wasn't them to blame that she sometimes felt left out of things. She felt the bench under her shift and realized everyone was standing and cheering loudly. "And another ten points to the Gryffindor team earned by the one and only, Ginny Weasley! That family really is taking over the Gryffindor team, every new Weasley that comes to Hogwarts snags a spot and here we even have a Weasley captain!" Hermione smiled to herself, feeling proud of her friend. It was one of the best feelings, watching someone you love do something they love, something they're good at. Her eyes fixed on the Slytherin stand. Draco's blonde head was not in sight, not that she was looking.
The game went on, ending in a Gryffindor win. As they were heading down the stairs Ron was excitedly relieving the best moments of the game. "That new Beater is bloody brilliant! He just sent the Quaffle through two of the chasers at the same time!" Hermione was eager to get back to the school; she had homework to catch up on and she wanted to find a good place in the library before everyone arrived to study as well. As they stepped into the Gryffindor common room they were greeted with screams and music and people running around and putting up red and gold decorations. Everyone was celebrating Gryffindor's first win of the year. Hermione was a bit reluctant to miss all the celebrations but she knew this was the only time she had to finish her many, many assignments. Their Professors were really out doing themselves this year. They piled on so much homework and projects that even Hermione was finding it difficult to finish everything on time. She grabbed her books and parchment from her dorm and quickly sneaked through the portrait hole and out to the hallway.
The Library was empty save two students lying, well, now sitting and blushing, together on the couches near the window and, how surprising, a blonde headed grey eyed student hunched over a book in the back corner near the shelves. Hermione settled near the far right window and got right to work. She was determined to finish her Arithmancy essay without letting herself be distracted by...certain distractions. She was searching for a book in one of the shelves when she let her eyes glance over to the back corner. Draco was staring right at her. Her heart gave a jump as he looked away. She kept looking at him as he lowered his head back to his book. She was reminded of his sudden disappearance the day before and her curiosity got the best of her. Before she could let her courage falter she forced herself towards Draco's table. She stopped in front of it. "Um, hi." Her voice was oddly raspy and her heart was pounding hard in her chest. Draco looked up and met her gaze. "Yeah?"
"What happened yesterday? You left to go to the bathroom and didn't come back." Even Hermione could hear the hint of annoyance in her voice. "Um...yeah, something came up." Hermione's eyebrows scrunched together. "Something came up? Something important?" she asked skeptically.
A slight blush was creeping up Draco's cheeks. "Yeah, something like that. What's it to you?"
"Oh, nothing. Just that I sat there half an hour waiting for you to come back from the bathroom." Hermione felt her face become hot. Draco broke their eye contact. "I'm sorry, okay?" He said angrily. "I didn't know you waited that long."
"Well, I did."
"I'm sorry," he repeated, quietly this time. She continued staring at him as his fingers played with the pages of the book. "It's alright, I guess. I was..." She stopped herself from saying the next words. Draco looked up at her expectedly. She held his gaze for a moment before saying "Nevermind." She walked back to her seat near the window. Merlin, did her heart have to beat so fast whenever she talked to him.
