Another week had passed, and Hermione still hadn't stopped thinking of Draco and his journal. Against her temptation, she hadn't returned to the room of requirement. There was the possibility he would be there, and she wasn't ready for him to have the private opportunity to ask her about reading the diary. She began paying a considerable amount of attention to him, trying to figure out who the staring girl was. There weren't any. Or at least, none that were noticeable. The more Hermione watched him, the more vulnerable and gentle he began to appear. Draco seemed somehow softer. After a few days of this, Hermione had forgotten about the girl Draco mentioned in bus journal. However, she was still watching him. She didn't realize how distracted she was. "Hermione, where are you?" Harry asking, giving his best friend a concerned look. "Where am I?" Hermione questioned, laughing nervously, "I'm right here, obviously, Harry." But Harry shook his head, "No. You're somewhere else. You have been for a few days." he told her.
The girl frowned, "It's just girl stuff. You don't wanna know." She said and laughed, Harry laughed too and agreed with her. Hermione pondered the fact that she told yet another white lie, and wondered why. Why didn't she just tell her friends the truth? But then, what even was the truth? Was she over thinking all of this?
"Actually, no, it's not." Hermione said. Harry arched his eyebrow and glanced up from his parchment, "Okay? What is it?" He asked, staring at her. She hasn't planned this far in the conversation. Hermione sat there wordlessly.
"I found Malfoys journal last week." she said, nodding. Harry and Ron both looked up abruptly and looked at her with wide eyes, "What? Why didn't you tell us?" Ron demanded, looking over at Draco. "What did it say?" Harry asked.
Hermione shrugged, "I only read the most recent entry and then I returned it. He has a right to privacy, I won't tell you what he wrote." She answered. When class ended, Hermione let took her time gathering her things, allowing Harry and Ron to go on and not interrogate her.
"I'll be right back. I forgot something." Harry told Ron, making his way back to the Potions classroom. Harry approached Hermione and tapped her shoulder, startling her a little bit and she turned to him. "You don't have to tell me what Malfoy wrote, I really don't care. But please do tell me why it has you so distracted." Harry said bluntly. Hermione looked everywhere but directly at him while she thought about her answer, and finally just shrugged. "I haven't got a clue. It just does." she answered, heading out the door. Harry stayed closed behind her.
"That's strange, Hermione. Why would anything related to Draco Malfoy concern you?"
Hermione stopped walking and thought of this question. It was a great question, indeed. Why did this concern her? It was there that she admitted to herself, that she found herself attracted to Draco. She'd read what he'd written in his journal, and she knew that he was hurting and broken. He was no longer the enemy she and her friends had spent so many years feuding with. However, Hermione knew she couldn't tell that to Harry. So she shrugged again and walked away from him, glad to have a class without him. At the end of the day, Hermione didn't return to the common room, but headed towards the room of requirement.
She stood outside the visible door for a few minutes, wondering why she was even here. What was there to say to Draco, who may not even be there? Hermione finally took a deep breath and entered, the room exactly the same as the last time she'd been here. She heard soft sobs and looked around the room, finding Draco stationed on the couch, head in his hands. This was the moment she should've turned around and left, but didn't. And instead, just stood there, suddenly feeling incredibly stupid and awkward. Hermione approached the couch, "...Are you okay?" She asked quietly. Draco looked up, and wiped his eyes quickly. "I'm fine. Why are you here?" Draco asked bitterly. Hermione frowned and looked at her feet. This was the closest she'd ever been to him, other than the time she punched him in the face. "I read your journal." She blurted out, her face full of warmth. "Well, just the last entry." Hermione tried to reason, and knew how ignorant she sound. "Just the last entry." Draco repeated, his facial expression unreadable. It wasn't anger, he just looked depressed and tired. "I'm sorry." She said. Draco nodded his head but said nothing. After a couple of minutes, Hermione broke the silence, "Please say something."
"So, I trust you've figured out who the girl is that I mentioned, or you wouldn't be here." he spoke softly. Hermione hesitated. "No." she finally replied, and Draco stared at her. "Okay. So then why are you here?" He questioned. "I.. I don't know. You just seemed like you needed someone. I wanted to see you." The words just spilled out uncontrollably. Hermione stepped away from the couch, unsure of the reaction she would receive. "As if you care, Hermione." was also Draco said. There was a moment of silence, "Did you just call me Hermione?" she asked. "That is your name, isn't it?" He responded. "Yes, but I wasn't sure you knew that." She rolled her eyes. Hermione sat on the opposite end of the couch, neither of them speaking for a while. "I do need someone." Draco admitted quietly.