Chapter 3: Hurt
"No, Malfoy. Why?"
Hermione replied. "Uh, you want to---"
"OH, DRACO!" Draco sighed heavily.
"Yes?" Pansy kept hugging him.
"Wow, looking good." Pansy sighed. "
Don't I always?" he asked, irritated.
"Of course!" Pansy chirped.
"Look, you wait there. I have to ask Granger something."
"Ooh… the mudblood?" Pansy asked, shocked.
"Yes, the 'mudblood'."
Pansy threw Hermione a cold stare and left.
"So, meet me at the Astronomy tower." Draco smiled again.
"Isn't it rather awkward?" Hermione asked.
"What's awkward?"
"Gryffindor and Slytherin don't match, you know that." Hermione replied. "Uh, never mind."
"What?"
"Let's not go out." Draco left, slumping his shoulders.
"Mal—" Hermione called but it was too late.
"You hurt him! Mudblood!" Pansy shrieked at Hermione.
"I didn't mean to, you fool!" she fought back.
"Don't talk to me. You aren't worthy." Pansy sneered as she left with Draco.
Hermione's eyes filled with tears.
"I didn't even mean to hurt 'im!" Hermione confessed to Harry and Ron.
"We knew that he'd be a rat! Why didn't you listen to us?" Ron snapped.
Hermione glared at Ron. "Whoops. That slipped. Sorry."
"It's okay. Maybe he wasn't the love of your life." Harry suggested.
"Maybe." Hermione said.
But, she just couldn't accept it.
"Well, thanks a lot, guys. It meant a whole lot to me that you were there."
"Well, I've got to go." Hermione said.
When she went outside, she bumped into a certain someone. "Ernie? Is that you?"