Author's Note: ^_^ ooooh! I have *finally* reached THE chapter thirteen! I don't know why but I always liked the number thirteen. That's why this chapter is *extremely* special. Basically, it's the *turning point* of the story. ^_^ So PLEASE enjoy!
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Oh yeah, due to exams and all. In two days, and I'm still updating!!! God, I'm an idiot. I can't answer everybody's sweet comments and questions! I'm so sorry, I promise to do it in the next chapter!
I'm dedicating this chapter to:
Pampers, Girl-named-Belle, Doobie, Chocolat Elf, CrackHead, Dawniky, gothendergirl666, Katina Wellson, kriss, SoshilaDove, PotterzGirl, roswellwbfan, Alexiel Tabitha Granger, Hikki, H20, JMS, FairyFloss, Rei-Chan, Snowbear, pookyber, Ezmerelda, Gandella Raye, In Silent Lucidity, Crimson, Wyrm, Jaded, sunshyne, Fire Soul, Maori, Shiny Person w/o Name, sakura-08, Indil Elondili, hobbs-devil69, HHGGDDMM and Guardian Devil!
Thank you guys SO SO SO SO MUCH! ^_^
*drums roll please*
Chapter Thirteen: Oooh… Sweet Sweet love
"Hermione!"
Oh yeah. Back to reality.
"What?"
"Chocolates! Hello!" Draco waved the box of chocolates furiously in front of me.
"Seriously, I know I don't offer you things often. But when I do, must you make such a big deal out of it?" Draco frowned.
"I don't like chocolate." I said, turning away from the box of chocolate.
"I thought you said it was sweet."
"Well, I changed my mind."
Draco rolled his eyes. "Woman."
"Oh Mr Sensitive, has something to say here." I said, just dripping with sarcasm.
"You are really baring your fangs out, aren't you?" Draco shook his head as he kept the chocolate.
"I don't know what's gotten into you, today! Just now, you were normal and whoosh… here is Ms. About to Erupt Volcano." Draco said.
"Well, I don't know……," I shrugged. "I don't know why, but somehow you can make me so mad."
"Seriously, this time I'm truly innocent." Draco said indignantly. "It's a crime to do something nice? Too out of character for me?"
"No." I sighed. "Ok, Draco. I'm sorry. Can we move on? You are going to ask chocolate girl to the dance -good, I'm going to go to the dance with Harry. There! Resolution! Let's move on… so how is the weather today?"
Draco paused for a moment. "You are going to the dance with Wonder Boy?"
I frowned. "He is not Wonder Boy!"
Ok, so I haven't asked Harry yet. But Harry would go.
Well if he didn't, I would kill him.
So you see, the answer is already a non-given!
"Well, how nice. Wonder Girl and Wonder Boy." Draco said, frowning. "So are you guys going to wear matching outfits?"
"I can just picture it now, you and Wonder Boy in this beautiful clean white house, big garden, five children. Oooh… what a nice wholesome family." Draco said in a sickeningly sweet voice.
"Oh yeah? How about you and chocolate girl?" I retorted.
"You and chocolate girl in those dark creepy castles drinking each other's blood, the vampire way. And then you guys will have white Adams Family type children. With a gigantic butler to boot and…"
"You are being childish." Draco rolled his eyes.
WHY HE!
"Me childish?" I said in a cool voice.
"Oh yeah. For example, chocolate girl? She has a name, you know." Draco smirked.
I smirked back. "Oh yeah, let's hear it!"
Draco paused. He scowled.
He scummaged in his bag and read the card on top of the box of chocolate.
"The name is Caramel. Coco Caramel."
"Well give her my best wishes. She will need it."
"Thank you. I will."
Pig-headed Draco and I refused to talk to each other the rest of the afternoon.
And I guessed our bad moods kind of scared people away from us.
So it was as if we had radiation or something, everybody stayed away from us.
"Er… Hermione?" Ron asked timidly.
I grunted.
"Are you ok? You have been really pissed…"
Harry gave Ron a look. "Off colour today."
"Well after lunch anyway. So we are curiou… "
Harry butted in. "Concerned for you."
I gave a small smile. "I'm sorry. I really am, if I scared any of you guys."
"But…"
Angry thoughts of Draco filled my head…
"I think I'm having some problems which I can't handle right now. So I'm sort of taking it out on myself…"
"Oooh… problems?" Ron smiled and patted his chest. "Come to Uncle Ron, dispenser of handy advice ranging from plucking eyebrows to killing cockroaches."
"Well…" I sighed, slightly sheepish. "The problem is I don't even know what's my problem."
"I'm just so pissed. It's like I can't handle my emotions anymore. I'm no longer calm and rational. I'm just some kind of angst up human being." I said exasperatedly. "And I hate that. Like crazy."
"See? Another bad emotion." I sighed and took it up on my steak.
"It's alright. It's all part of growing up." Harry said, with a dignified air.
"Oh yeah, says the jerk who uses his best friend to dump girls." I smiled.
"Come on. That was so yesterday news. We should move on!!!" Harry fumed.
Ron closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"What the hell are you doing?" I asked Ron.
"I'm remembering this moment exactly."
"I don't see what's so special about this." I said, confused.
"Are you kidding me? This is the very first moment, I'm the totally normal, rational and happy one! I have a girlfriend, I'm problem free and for the first time my perfect friends are unperfect! Oooh… yeah… I rule, right this moment." Ron yelled.
I laughed.
Who cares about Draco anyway?
Smiling, I attacked my steak once more.
By dessert, my mood was way up cloud nine.
"Oh yeah." I told Harry, half way through my ice sherbet. "You are my date for the dance."
"What?" Harry dropped his spoon.
"Maybe I'm stupid." Ron said. "But aren't you suppose to ask Harry first?"
"Hey, I'm a genius. I get to skip steps." I winked.
"I don't know. It would be like dancing with my sister." Harry said doubtfully.
"Well, we won't be dancing."
"Forgive me, but I thought the point of a dance was to dance." Harry smiled.
"Yeah. But people with three left foot, ME, are banned from dancing." I chirped. "So live with it."
Harry sighed. "I guess I would have to hang up my suede dancing shoes."
Harry gave me one of his warm, friendly smiles.
The ones that remind me that Harry was truly quite a Wonder Boy, though we would never tell him that. Not to his face of course.
"But of course, how can I say no to my best friend?" He grinned.
"Good." I faked a sigh of relief. "I was scared you were going to use Ron to dump me."
Harry groaned.
And Ron yipped happily again.
The silence was unbearable.
Draco and I were walking back to our rooms, and it just felt so weird…
Not to be talking, arguing, insulting…
Strangely, I missed all that.
I was truly getting senile.
I sighed. "Draco, I'm sorry. I should have never said what I said about you and choco… I mean Coco."
Draco was silent.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" I cried.
"What do you want me to say?" Draco said icily.
"I don't know. Maybe, oh it doesn't matter, Hermione. I never put it to heart. Let's forget all about it and MOVE ON!"
Today, I have said moved on so many times… I think if I had to say it again, I would rather lose a friend.
"Well, it mattered, Hermione. And you can't just sweep everything away with an apology every time, ok!" Draco looked at me right in my eyes.
"Well, you hurt me too." I said, looking right back at Draco.
"Ahhhhhhhh." Draco cried angrily, turning away. "Don't do that."
"Do what?" I cried, exasperated.
"Innocent eyes. Like it's all my fault. Like how I'm always the bad guy." Draco said, shaking his head. "It sucks."
"Well, I'm sorry." I said, agitated. "I can't control what my eyes are ok!"
"Stop it." Draco clenched his fist. "We are only making the whole thing worse. Let's face it, we were never meant to be cordial with each other. We were never meant to…"
"No. You STOP it." I cried. "YOU are the one blowing this way out of proportion. We both said things we don't mean, we can apologise and forgive it each other. I thought and still think we had a friendship Draco, and I don't want you to just throw it away like it meant nothing more than an old shoe to you."
Draco fell silent. His eyes seemed a little sad.
"Well, I did mean what I say. And I'm sorry."
"What do you mean by that?" I frowned.
"Well, I do think Harry and you make the perfect couple."
I didn't know how to react to that.
Insults yes…
But a statement like that?
"Well, Harry and I are just best friends. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Just like us, I guess."
"Nothing more than friends, nothing less than enemies."
Draco turned away.
It was like he was trying to tell me something, but I was too stupid to understand.
"I don't understand."
"You don't need to."
I realized then I was crying from the wetness of my cheeks.
"Oh my god, don't tell me you are crying." Draco said.
I was behind him.
"Don't turn around. I'm not crying. Don't be foolish."
"Well don't cry then!"
"Draco, so have you forgiven me?"
"No. And I never will."
Professor McGonagall sighed exasperatedly. "Albus, Filch has come to me to complain about the state of the Goddess Venus again. He said it's a most unhealthy spot where students gather. He wants the statue to be removed immediately."
"And also, till now you wouldn't explain to me about the new punishment you implemented this year. The one Draco and Hermione are going through now. It seems a little bit… I don't know too much don't you think? Extravagant?"
Professor Dumbledore was whistling and didn't seem to be listening.
"Albus, please. Please answer me." Professor McGonagall cried earnestly.
"Minerva, I'm sure you will agree with me that young blossoming love is such a joy to watch." Professor Dumbledore smiled in that wistful way of his.
"Ahhhh… to be young again."
"Draco, you have always been a jerk! But this time, you have really shown your true jerkiness!" I fumed.
"You are a blundering idiot, Granger!" Draco turned around, his face trembling with fury.
"Oh yeah? You arrogant pompous git!"
"Well, you are! You maybe the smartest girl in Hogwarts, but you are an absolute idiot when it comes to love." Draco cried furiously.
"Huh?"
HUH? HUH? HUH?
"Don't you see?" Draco put his hands on my head and shook it furiously.
"I have fallen for you, stupid mudblood!"
Ok. I will say it again. HUH????????????
