Your Joking, Right?
Chapter: Facing a challenge
As Hermione realizes her feelings for Draco are still there, one of them has to step up first. But with these two stubborn people, who knows how long that will be!
'This isn't right!'
That was the only thing on Hermione's mind as Seamus kissed her goodnight after the big dance. She pulled away rather quickly and smiled,
"Thanks for an excellent time tonight"
Seamus gave a small bow and kissed her hand, which made her giggle.
"And you are an excellent dancer" He then turned and walked back down the hall towards Gryffindor Tower,
"Thanks" she called before saying the password and entering the Head Tower. She lifted the hem of her skirt and took the stairs two-at-a-time, up to the room she shared with Ginny. She shut the door behind her and leaned back on it,
"That so did not feel right"
"What didn't feel right?" Ginny Weasley's red head popped up from under her bed.
"What in bloody hell are you doing down there?" Hermione asked, bewildered.
"Looking for a charm" she dangled her wrist where a silver charm bracelet was fastened, "Now, must I repeat myself?"
Hermione blushed, "No, Seamus kissed me and I said it didn't feel right"
"Oh, do tell" Ginny grinned, flouncing onto her bed.
"I dunno, its just... Ugh" Hermione sighed, "Just let me change out of this uncomfortable dress and I will tell you in a moment.
Hermione grabbed a pair of pajama bottoms and a tank top to change into then dashed into the bathroom. She hurriedly shimmied out of her dress then ran a comb through her hair, muttering a spell to remove all make-up from her face. She could hear Ginny humming a song, probably saying something along the lines of 'What takes her so long'
She stepped out of the bathroom and shut the door, Ginny looked up at her,
"Wanna go in the kitchen and grab a bite, im famished"
Hermione smiled and made a mad dash for the door, just as Ginny jumped off the bed,
"God your slow" Hermione rolled her eyes as she shoved open the door,
"Ow!" it struck something heavy.
Hermione raised both hands to her mouth and gave out a tiny gasp,
"Oh my god I am so... Oh its you"
Draco rubbed his arm and glared at her,
"Yeah, its me Granger, you imbecile"
Hermione ignored him and conjured up a quart of mint-chocolate chip ice cream, a second later Ginny entered and got a pint of ice cream also. She shot a look at Hermione which was to say 'We need to finish our conversation.'
Hermione looked over at Draco, he caught her eye immediately and gave a tiny smirk,
"Draco, can you leave" she asked, as polite as possible.
"Whatever" He muttered, stomping out of the room, but stopping to grab Hermione's pint of ice cream, right out of her mouth. With an arrogant smirk he exited the room, a muffled 'Thanks' could be heard as the door shut behind him. He leaned against it and sighed, boy did he hate acting like he didn't care anymore.
"Ugh You know, he really gets to me sometimes" Hermione glared at the closed door that led to the boys dormitory.
"In a good way or bad way?" Ginny raised an eyebrow, the popped a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth, attempting to look innocent.
Hermione grinned , then raised a finger to signal 'One moment' then she grabbed her wand out of her pocket and pointed it at the boy's dormitory door. 'Reductor' she smiled at Ginny as the boy's door fell right off its hinges, and tumbling forward were Blaise and Draco.
"What do we have here?" she grinned evilly.
"Oh.. Well... um" Blaise stuttered, Hermione pointed her wand at him,
"Silencio"
Blaise mouthed wordlessly.
Ginny laughed, and as Draco began to laugh also, Ginny rolled her eyes and did the same to him, except Draco gave evil glares instead of trying to talk. The girls shoved the two blubbering idiots back into there room, repaired the door, then sealed it.
"That was awesome" They clapped hands then sat back down. Hermione yawned then stretched like a cat,
"Im getting tired" she muttered, "I think im gonna go hit the bed"
"Fine" Ginny gave a casual wave of her hand, "But were finishing this conversation in the morning"
"Yes, Yes, if we must"
"Ohhh we must"
"Night"
As Hermione shut the door from the kitchen, she leaned back on it and sighed,
"Both" she answered Ginny's question, silently.
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"Goodnight" Ginny muttered, waving her spoon. 'She's hiding something!' she thought, then went over to the boy's dormitrory door and banged on it until Draco opened it with an annoyed look. She shoved past him and found Blaise, she grabbed his hand and led him down to the common room. Draco followed them to the door and watched the two descend the steps, he raised a questioning eyebrow and Blaise turned back to him.
"Be back later" he smirked.
XoXoXoXoXo
"I swear they may be getting worse by the moment" Blaise sighed as he threw his head back against the couch and continued to run his finger's through Ginny's fiery locks, which matched the common room fire he was glaring at, at that particular moment.
"I dunno, Mione's not as bad as she used to be"
"Well Malfoy is getting worse then, all I ever hear is Hermione this, Hermione that, I mean she's my cousin for heaven's sake." Blaise threw up his arms in frustration.
"I no" Ginny whispered and kissed him, which she knew would calm him. He kissed her back, but Ginny pulled away,
"Not now" she smiled. "We have to think of a way to help our two friends"
Blaise looked resentful, but nodded none the less,
"Anything"
XoXoXoXoXoXoXo
Hermione sat in the Gryffindor Common Room, she hadn't been able to sleep and had gotten bored so now she was sitting with her sister Dakota, Gabriel Delacour, Harry, Ron, and Seamus. The boys were playing a game of wizards chess and Dakota and Gabriel were gossiping about one thing or another. Hermione laughed, her own sister was going to be the next Parvati Patil. Hermione began to read again when Harry interrupted her,
"So what do you say Mione? Just for old times sake?"
"What are you talking about?" she replied.
"Why don't we sneak into Hogsmeade? Like we always used to"
Hermione let the idea cross her mind, "Didn't they block that passage off last year?" she whispered, suddenly aware of her sister's closeness.
"The map?" Harry replied, just as quietly, but with a mischievous look on his face.
Hermione smiled, she could never pass up an adventure with her best guy friends, she looked from Harry to Ron and winked,
"Next Friday Night" she muttered out of the corner of her mouth.
Harry and Ron shared a devious look.
'What did I just agree to?' Hermione asked herself.
The boys went back to their game and Hermione back to her book just as the Gryffindor Port Hole opened and in walked Ginny Weasley, hair askew, but looking pretty none-the-less. Ginny's eyes took in the scene of Hermione sitting on the couch, Seamus next to her, arm around her shoulder watching the game of chess. She couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't pushed him away. Hermione raised her eyebrows at the girl,
'What have you been doing?' she thought silently.
'Later' Ginny gave her an equally quiet message. "I have something for you" she said aloud, thrusting an envelope with the Damenzla seal on it, at Hermione.
Hermione took the envelope and placed it in her pocket, then stood up
"Well I think I'll be off, Night all"
"No way!" Dakota cried, "I saw mom's seal on that letter, its as much my business as yours" she replied.
"If it was your business, you would have got one, or it would say your name on it to" Hermione snapped, snatching the envelope out of her pocket and holding it up to her little sister."Her-Mi-O-Ne, not Da-Ko-Ta" she shoved it back in her pocket and glared at Dakota, but her face fell as she saw the tear form in the corner of her baby sister's eye. It was easy to forget Dakota Damenzla was only 11 sometimes.
"Fine" Dakota snapped, jumping up from the couch and storming up the girl's dormitory steps, slamming the door shut.
'Just like me' Hermione thought, before she ran up the stairs, "Come on Dakota open up" she banged on the door.
"Go Away!"
"Don't you wanna see what mother wrote?"
"No"
Hermione sighed, never mind it. She walked back down the spiraling staircase and headed for the port hole, she gave a weak "Good Night" before she exited the room. She wandered down the hall to her room when she changed her mind, she knew Ginny was probably following her, wanting some answers for her mood swings, but Hermione didn't have them. As she heard the footsteps behind her she dashed into one of the many secret passageways she, Harry, and Ron had discovered then rushed down the fifth floor corridor to the Astronomy Tower stairs.
"Please let it be empty today"
As she shoved open the doors to the tower and the cool wind struck her face, Hermione smiled, nobody in sight. She walked over to the very end of the tower and peered over the ledge at the vast emptiness that was Hogwart's Grounds at night. She climbed onto the ledge and sat sideways, half facing the grounds, half the tower.
As she sat she thought about all the things that were going wrong, her break-up with Draco, Fight with Dakota, Mood Swings, it was all bugging her. She felt the tears start to come as she thought about Draco. She had to admit it, she wanted him back..bad! Even now she knew that he was the cause of everything that was going wrong in her life. She had fallen for Draco Malfoy, then he had let her fall flat on her face. She buried her head in her arms and cried silently, mad at herself for thinking Draco had changed.
She wiped the tears from her face as she heard the door to the Astronomy Tower fly open, then she backed up against the wall, hopefully the person wouldn't see...,
"Planning to Jump?"
..Too Late! She grimaced to herself as the object of her thoughts stepped out of the dark and into the moonlight.
"Planning to jump, Granger?"
"Oh so were back to that now" she snapped, 'great, another mood swing.'
Draco was ready to retort with the perfect comeback, until he saw her face.
"Have you been crying?" he asked, softer, but still with a hint of ice to his voice.
"No" Hermione snapped, wiping her eyes once more.
"Don't lie to me Granger, I know you too well"
"No you don't, you have no idea about me" she shouted before crossing to the other side of the tower, she knew him well enough to know that he would not pursue her, after all, he appreciated his space also. She sat on the ledge once more and pulled out the envelope from her mother, she tore it open and let the paper fly over the edge of the tower, her brown eyes following it as the wind carried it down to the ground. When she could not see it any longer she focused her attention back on the letter, unfolding it she opened it to find it was indeed from her mother. She skimmed it and her mouth silently fell open,
"Oh My God" she shrieked, jumping down from the ledge, she ran to the door, and flew down the stairs.
"Wonder what that was about" Draco Malfoy muttered, pulling his robes tighter to his body and staring at the stars in the sky.
"I have to admit, she's one big mystery that I am never going to figure out"
Draco sighed, and turned to leave, he needed to get back to the common room and figure out what all the commotion was about.