The Broom cupboard on the fourth floor…

A/N: Guys, this story is getting WAY off track! So sorry, I just never stopped to smell the roses I guess! Anyways this train is going on a U-bend and straight back to the track it was on. I apologise in advance if I rush this chapter slightly, I want to get right back on track and this chapter is the U-bend! Still, some revelations are made!! Hope you like it!

Read On. . . Read On. . .

When you go
Don't ever think I'll make you try to stay

Hermione thought a lot about Harry and Draco over the next five days. Just as double charms was ending for last class of the term before Christmas holidays, it finally clicked with her,

"I'm not in love with either of them", she murmured quietly to herself.

And I don't think either of them loves me. So . . . who are they in love with?

The question puzzled Hermione all the way into the Great Hall. She didn't even notice Ron waving his hand infront of her face for a minute.

"Hello Hermione? Earth to 'Mione? Are you in there?"

"Yes Ron, I'm here!" Hermione said as she snapped out of her thoughts.

"Are you okay? You seem a bit-" Ron was unable to finish his sentence as Lavender had just sat on his lap and the duo were now like two squids on top of one another, squirming away.

Okay, there goes my appetite…

Hermione pushed her plate in to the centre of the table, got up out of her seat and went and sat cautiously next to Ginny who was a bit further down the table and was trying to look interested in her fellow classmate's stories.

"Ginny?"

"Hermione?"

"How are you?"

"How do I look?" Ginny looked great, her hair was shiny and her skin glowing but it was her eyes that were showing the truth. Inside Ginny must've felt awful.

And maybe when you get back
I'll be off to find another way

"You look good Gin-"

"'Mione I'm so confused. I don't know if what I'm doing is wrong or if I should be doing it but I am and…"

"Ginny, hold up, what is confusing you?"

"I still really really really like Seamus. But…"

"But what?"

"But nothing, what are you doing here anyway? Don't you hate me for acting like a spoilt little bitch last week and for attacking you?"

"No, I don't. I would've done the same if I thought my boyfriend was dating my best friend. But what made you think we were together?"

"Seamus constantly talks about you and when he's not talking about you I could tell he was thinking about you. When he wasn't with me he was with you and then the whole pie thing. . .I'm just really sorry" Hermione's heart did a few back flips at Ginny's words but she didn't know why.

"Apology accepted. Are you hungry Gin?"

"Nope"

"Do you want to go outside for a walk around the lake?"

"Sure" Hermione and Ginny got out of their seats. On their way out of the Great Hall Hermione felt a pair of eyes on her back, turning around she saw it was Draco. First they went and got their cloaks on and then they headed outside. Once out by the lake they started to walk around its perimeter.

When after all this time that you still owe
You're still, the good-for-nothing I don't know

"Hermione, do you like Seamus?"

"Of course I do, he's my friend, and don't I have to like him for him to be my friend?"

"Not that like. You know, do you like like him?"

Hermione stopped dead in her tracks the blood throughout her body froze. Her mind went into overdrive and it took an enormous amount of effort for her to reply.

"No I don't"

Why am I acting like this? I don't like Seamus. I mean, he's Seamus, goofy and scrawny Seamus.

Ginny looked at her sceptically. She raised her right eyebrow.

"Virginia Weasley, don't you give me that look!" Hermione put her hands on her hips and Ginny guffawed.

"What?" Hermione was wondering what was wrong, her glare slightly faultering.

"Ron was so right; you are exactly like my mom when you do that!" Hermione despite herself laughed, it felt so good to laugh. The two girls laughed and talked and got to know each other all over again as they hadn't really been that close since the start of the year. At nine o clock Hermione and Ginny were making their way back to the castle. Hermione suddenly felt very light-headed and she fell onto her knees.

"'Mione, are you alright?" Ginny had turned back to Hermione.

"I'm not my best actually!" Hermione managed with a wry grin.

So take your gloves and get out
Better get out, while you can.

She tried to stand up but her legs felt like lead. Ginny pulled her up and took Hermione's weight and helped her to the hospital wing.

After Madame Pomfrey had inspected her she came to a decision.

"Ms. Granger you are over-tired, you're not getting enough food into you and you've lost seven pounds from the last time I weighed you at Halloween. Are you on some extreme diet?"

"No, I've just had a lot to think about over the past few weeks. Something Professor Dumbledore said actually-"

"I'm constantly telling Albus he tells you lot too much. But does he listen? No! You're young minds can't cope"

"My mind can too cope, it can cope very well infact" Hermione said indignantly.

"I'm sure it can. Now I'm going to keep you in overnight-"

"No! I'll be fine, I just, Oh fine" Ginny chuckled at Hermiones weak fighting spirit.

"I'll see you tomorrow 'Mione!"

"Bye Gin!" Ginny left the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey showed Hermione to bed number two. She put on pyjamas and climbed under the covers.

"How's Mr. Finnegan doing?"

"He's – uh – good actually" Madame Pomfrey looked like she was bursting to ask Hermione a question.

"Are you okay Madame Pomf-"

"So, are you two together yet?" Hermione was shocked at the nurse's outburst.

"Are we what?"

"Are you two dating yet?"

When you go,
Would you even turn to say,

"No. Why should we be?"

"Ms. Granger, Hermione, I know from experience, love when I see it-"

"LOVE?"

Somebody come and take her to St Mungo's! Love? As if!

"Yes, that night when Mr. Malfoy retold what'd happened to me I just knew it. Love, at least on Mr. Finnegan's part. He took a beating from three boys his age and didn't fight back, then when you-"

"I know the story, I was there!"

"- fell down and he faught back for you and then he withstood three draughts of Dreamless sleep potion just to make sure you woke up and were okay," Madame Pompfrey continued as if Hermione hadn't interuppted, " And then when you did wake up and he whispered something to you and then dropped off to sleep – love again. But when you stared at him for almost an hour with this goofy smile on you're face. I knew you were in love too."

"I'm not in love with Seamus! I wish people would stop thinking we're together or whatever. I don't like him. I just. . .he's my friend and that's it. And as for the goofy smile, I was just silently thinking of a joke I'd heard!" Madame Pomfrey smiled knowingly at Hermione. She closed the hangings around her bed and headed into her office leaving Hermione with her thoughts.

I don't like him. He's just…there…as a friend…

The next morning Hermione was practically force fed by Madame Pomfrey and she kept her in until after dinner aswell to make sure Hermione had gotten a full day's amount of food, she was almost as bad as Mrs. Weasley. It was around nine o clock when Hermione was finally released from the Hospital Wing. Hermione decided she'd go tell Dumbledore what she'd understood, finally, in charms yesterday. Hermione bumped into Seamus on the second floor.

"I don't love you
like I did, yesterday"

"Hey! Are you okay? I was going to come visit you in the Hospital wing but Ginny needed help with a transfiguration essay. We, uh, we're kinda friends now and who knows where it might lead?" Hermione was stunned.

Seamus? And Ginny? Together again?

"But I thought you didn't want to get back with her?"

"I don't-I mean I didn't but, well, there's this girl I like and she's totally oblivious to the fact that I practically follow her everywhere. But I still like Ginny"

"That's no reason to go back to Ginny! Maybe you need to be straight out with this girl and then you'll know her feelings at least."

"Thanks 'Mione! Like I hadn't thought of that already, that's great advice!"

"Your sarcasm is noted!"

I can't believe I'm helping Seamus with his love life, well, trying to help him! But it's not like I care that he's practically in love with a mysterious girl…I wonder who???

The two of them were soon walking along the fourth floor on which Dumbledore's office is situated. They were walking in a comfortable silence until Hermione heard a bang come form a broom cupboard they'd just walked past. Signalling to Seamus to stop and to stay quiet, Hermione crept towards the broom cupboard. She heard a moan come form inside the cupboard. She doubled over in silent laughter, Seamus had a wide grin on his face and was shaking with silent laughter too. It was a minute or two before Hermione regained her composure. She tip-toed to the cupboard and yanked it open. Hermione's mouth fell open and she instantly paled.

"'Mione? What is it?"

Sometimes I cry so hard from pleading,
So sick and tired of all the needless beating

Hermione tried to block Seamus. But it was too late he'd seen it. His face went red in anger but then it sort of paled, because inside the cupboard were none other than Ginny and Draco, both in very compromising positions. A panting Draco pulled himself into a standing position and looked embarrassingly at Seamus. He tried to flatten his now very unruly hair.

"Look, sorry mate, we were just . . . er-"

"I don't want to hear your sorry excuse for what you were doing in there. I know full well what you were doing." Seamus looked at Ginny and she was too ashamed to make eye contact with him and took off down the corridor. Draco ran the opposite way and it was just Hermione and Seamus in the fourth floor hallway.

Hermione had no idea what to say to Seamus, all thoughts of visiting Dumbledore left her head, instead of saying anything she slipped her hand inside his and tugged him down a lot of stairs. When they were in the Entrance hall, Hermione opened the large oak front doors and led Seamus out into the night.

It was freezing outside, Hermione felt it but Seamus didn't. She led him up a big hill towards the back of the grounds and when they reached the top Hermione sat down she still had her hand in Seamus' and he sat down too. To keep out the cold Hermione pulled her knees up to her chest. Seamus after staring blankly out to space for nearly an hour put an arm around Hermione and pulled her close. She was relieved to feel his warmth, and kept a hold of his hand for most of the night. Seamus fell asleep and this time, Hermione kept watch over him.

But baby when they knock you
Down and out, It's where you oughta stay.

Eventually her brain managed to begin working and she silently, wandlessly conjured up a thick blanket for the two of them. Seamus' head was on Hermione's stomach and she absentmindedly played with his brown hair. Hermione noticed that he had a tiny scar above his left eye, more than likley from his Halloween fight. Watching him as he slept, Hermione noticed other things too, like the fact that he was not scrawny but toned and muscular, well his arms were.

He looks like Chad Michael Murray in a Cinderella Story! Hermione thought with a smile.

A Cinderella Story was her favourite muggle movie. She just loved the harmlessness of it and how cute Chad and Hilary were together.

That's the kind of girl Seamus should be with, a cute, tiny blond with blue/green eyes.

Hermione started a mental check of the school's girls but every single one of them had one or more faults. They didn't know him, some were "Crimson ladies" as Ron would say, and others were just people like Pansy Parkinson who Hermione despised. Hermione decided that Seamus's dream girl would be found outside Hogwarts, maybe in a night club in Dublin or something. Hermione decided that for some reason or other she and Seamus would always be friends and she should get used to that fact.

I'm definitely not his dream girl, I mean for one thing I might've lost weight due to not eating but I'm nowhere near teeny Hilary Duff-ish girls. I'm a brunette, I can't make him laugh, I can't even make him smile, sure he makes me smile but it should work both ways. I like rock kind of muggle music and he likes The Weird Sisters who are total rubbish!

And after all the blood that you still owe,
Another dollar's just another blow,

Hermione slowly realised that they were practically opposites and how they became great friends was beyond her. She drifted off to sleep and pulled the blanket up to her chin. Hermione might of convinced herself she was not Seamus dream girl but that's exactly who he was dreaming about.

Hours later it was ten o clock in the morning, Seamus woke up. He was stunned for a minute or two.

Why am I asleep on a hill, with Hermione's hand in mine and a big blanket over us?

Seamus quickly lifted up the blanket to see if he was wearing pants. He was fully clothed, so too was Hermione. He couldn't help it but he felt a bit disappointed about that fact. Seamus got out from under the blanket and looked around and found it had snowed, really heavily during the night. He picked Hermione up, the way a prince would carry a princess and walked through the Entrance hall, a few people who noticed he was carrying a body gave him freaked out looks, their eyes wide. He had covered Hermione's face with the blanket so as not to start rumours and walked up past the library, down the side corridor and realised he didn't know the password, Merlin chuckled at him. So he carried Hermione up to Gryffindor tower and noticed all the chairs were occupied so he brought her up to his bed and place her gently under the covers, no-one but Dean was in the dorm, and Dean was sound asleep. He closed the hangings and went in for a hot shower.

So fix your eyes and get up,
Better get up, while you can.

When he came out he had a towel wrapped around his waist and was towel drying his hair it was then he noticed Dean was half way through jumping from his bed onto Seamus' to wake his best friend up as he hadn't known Seamus was taking a shower.

"Dean – NO!!!" Seamus screamed at his best friend, but it was too late.

Dean looked around and saw Seamus but couldn't stop falling. He crashed onto Seamus' bed and very loud "OW" could be heard beneath all the hangings. Dean, now realising who was in the bed turned to look at Seamus with his brow raised and a very amused expression on his face. Seamus couldn't help but chuckle.

"And what happened here?" dean asked with a smirk on his face as though, he thought he knew what'd happened.

"Nothing, now Dean Thomas if you don't get off me I will kill you!" Hermione's voice was slightly muffled, on account of being smothered by Dean.

"Well, hello fair Hermione, where are thou manners gone? A fair lady like you should not be speaking such things"

"I'll give you fair lady, when I get out of these sheets. Why are you in my room anyway?"

"Oh, this is not your room m'lady, this is infact Gryffindors boy's dormitory and you were having a sweet slumber in my dear friends, Seamus' bed!"

"I was what? Hermione poked her head out from behind Dean when she saw Seamus in his towel, a bemused expression on his face, she felt her own face redden.

Merlin, Seamus is definitley not scrawny, far from it!

When you go,
Would you even turn to say

"What happened to the hill?" Hermione couldn't remember being moved and ignored the fact that Dean was practically choking on oxygen on top of her.

"What HILL?" Dean butted in but Seamus ignored him.

"I, uh, carried you back to your dorm but I didn't know the password, so then I brought you here" Seamus answered with a slight smile on his face

"Oh, thanks"

"WHAT HILL?" Hermione looked sternly at Dean.

"It's none of your business. Now if you be as kind as to get off my stomach I would be quiet content to leave and go get some sleep"

"What? You didn't get much last night, eh?" Hermione slapped Dean across the face, not hard but enough to stop him taunting her.

I've been hitting people alot recently...maybe that's not so much of a good thing!

"You are so…FRUSTRATING, you know that?" Dean clambered off Hermione and she got up out of the bed, she threw the blanket over her head, so she wouldn't be seen. She had to walk past Seamus to get out of the dorm. As she was walking by, she muttered "thanks" and quickly squeezed his hand before leaving the dorm. Seamus turned to Dean and saw look of understanding dawning on his face.

"You want to hug her, you want to kiss her, you want to date her, you want to bed her, you want to marry her and you want to grow old with her!" Dean sang in a childish voice. Seamus threw a pillow at his friend, but Dean noticed that he didn't deny what he was singing.

"I don't love you
like I did, yesterday"

My matchmaking skills must be reborn to bring those two together! I have to get over my failures with Ron and Lavender, Luna and Neville and Paravati and myself! I can do this; I mean it's going to be hard what with Hermione and Ginny being best friends and the fact that Hermione is really stubborn and not easily fooled. But I CAN do this! They won't even see it coming. . .

"By the way, Seamus?"

"Yeah, what do you want?!"

"WHAT hill?" Seamus just turned away with a smile on his face. He hadn't realise it until now but, he was over Ginny. Yesterday was just a bit of a shock as he was trying, unsuccessfully to convince himself to get back with Ginny; he just hadn't expected to see what he saw in the broom cupboard on the fourth floor.

A/N: Hey-o everybody!! The song is I don't love you – My Chemical Romance! I hope this floats everybody's boat! I think I said this already but sorry if it's rushed but the story was not meant to head in the whole, mystery direction. It was just supposed to be Hermione, Draco and Seamus, even though my first intentions were to incluide Blaise, who has not been present much! So next chapter it'll be right back on track…well…kinda, with Hermione and Blasise doing their Head duties and FINALLY, an end to the Harry/Draco problem!! Anyhow, thanks to my reviewers: b-ballgurl2, Ellemay and MiKaYGiRl…thank you gals so MUCH!!! Oh-yeah, check out my new fic, Unexpected Changes!

Love,

FireboltPheonix

xxxxx—xxxxx

Review

REVIEW

Review

REVIEW

Review

REVIEW

Review