A/N: I am so sorry it took me so long to update! Here's another chapter, and my apologies!
Chapter 6
I whipped around, turning to find the haughty profile of Draco Malfoy as he was turning to leave.
"Excuse me? What did you just say to me, Malfoy?" I gasped, my voice lowering as I spoke, each word becoming more and more threatening. He took a step back, surprised, but then regained his composure and repeated the offending statement. I said nothing, and he stared down at me condescendingly.
"I saw Diggory skulking around the school today…see, I would have guessed you would at least have moved on to bigger and better things, but no, I see you've sunken back down to his level again. That's too bad…" he paused, before adding with a sickening wink "You really could have gone places, Granger.." He trailed off suggestively, eyeing my figure, before moving to return to his table. I would have none of it however.
"How dare you speak to me like that! Not only do you have no clue what you are talking about, you have no right to talk down to me like that you bloody-"
"Hermione! Calm down! Snape is coming over now, bloody hell…" Harry interjected, cutting me off before I could say something detention worthy. Glad that Harry had stopped me before I got up and made I scene, I took a deep breath and calmed down before Snape reached the table.
"Ms. Granger, Mr. Malfoy, what is the meaning of this disruption?" Snape asked from behind me. I turned out, facing the two men, and spoke up before Draco could.
"Well you see, Professor, I was sitting here with Harry, eating dinner, when Draco decided to come over…" I trailed off, not really looking for a confrontation and allowing Malfoy a way out if he could think of one fast enough.
"Yeah, um, I just had a question about a um... Charms project that we are working on." He finished, slightly lamely, but nonetheless, Snape seemed to accept the response. He stalked off, and Draco turned to look at me again. There was a softer, different look in his eyes. It was different, unusual, and quasi-human. And it freaked the hell out of me. Why on earth was Draco Malfoy looking at me like that? He hesitated, then leaned in towards me.
"Hermione," he whispered. "Come on. You can do so much better…" he trailed off, a look of pure desperation on his face.
"Draco Malfoy, you have no right to tell me who I should or shouldn't be with. Not only do you have NO claim on me, I am certainly doing better than you!" I hissed at him. He looked taken aback, and his customary stone-cold, haughty face returned. He stalked off without replying, and left me to deal with the strange looks from my classmates. They all looked at me questioningly, and I sighed in irritation, stood up, grabbed my books, and stormed out of the Great Hall. I am not in the mood to deal with any of my classmates, and luckily for them, they chose not to follow me. There was only one person I think I could talk to without wanting to stab them with the nearest sharp object, and I'm pretty sure talking to him right now would not be a good idea, mostly for my sanity. I walked up the stairs, planning on heading back to my room for a little while, but instead, I simply wandered. I lost myself in my thoughts, and let my feet carry me wherever they damn well wanted to. I had no idea where I was going, but I had enough to think about already, without worrying about that too. It wasn't until I slammed into something very hard, that I returned from the clouds.
I looked up, and found myself staring into the one face I know I shouldn't be thinking about. Shit. His deep. Green-brown eyes were smoldering down at me, full of ineffable emotions that seemed close to the surface. His hands were on my shoulders, keeping me steady, and I could feel him in every pore of my body. His scent was sweet, like the smell you get when you walk outside, in the spring, and smell the dirt, and leaves, and blooming flowers. It wasn't the scent you would think to be the epitome of masculinity, but it was the manliest, and most comforting think I had ever smelled in my life. Shit. No, no, no, no, NO! I really can't be thinking these thoughts about him.
I looked up at him again, and he quickly ley go of me. I took a stumbling step back, and he looked down at me hesitantly.
"Hermione…look. I've been thinking a lot about what you said, and I've decided…I really can't be friends with you."