AN- Hmm, I don't have much to say, but like I promised, the Populars are coming back! Enjoy! Oh, don't own Juno, don't own Harry Potter. As the sad and honest truth, I basically don't own anything.
Draco and Hermione walked through the halls to their second class, Transfiguration, which they also shared. Once in, curious glances ran among the students. Professor McGonagall, however, had been informed already. Draco and Hermione handed her the notes from Dumbledore, and she briefly looked over them. Hermione took her seat to the right of Pansy, and Draco took his seat behind Pansy. Harry, who was across the room sitting next to Ron, caught Hermione's eye, and was trying to ask her what had happened. Hermione waved him off, signaling for him to ask later, and turned her attention to the professor at the front.
Hermione's attention was short-lived since she started receiving repetitive pokes on her left shoulder. Hermione turned, surprised to see Pansy looking at her innocently enough. The Gryffindor girl's gaze flickered between McGonagall and Pansy.
"What?" Hermione asked hurriedly, worried that she might get in trouble for the second time in one day. Diagonally back, she heard a boy scoff. She glanced back to see Malfoy smirking. Pansy replied back in her normal, sounds-like-she's-plugging-her-nose voice, "We need to talk, Hermione." Hermione was confused to say the least. "About…?"
"Me, you, Cho, and Lav." Hermione involuntarily twitched. 'Ughh, I thought this was over,' she thought with a helpless sigh.
"What about us?"
"We are like, destined to be BFFs."
Hermione looked skeptical, so Pansy added, "Honest to blog," as if that should cure any and all of Hermione's doubts.
"Why are you deciding this now?"
Professor McGonagall just directed the class to start practicing turning regular plates into animals of your choice. Pansy forced herself as Hermione's partner. Behind them, another scoff. Hermione turned again an narrowed her eyes. Draco held his hands up in a way that said 'I didn't do anything'. Hermione subconsciously attempted to turn her plate into a ferret.
"Because the girls and I all agree that we just aren't whole without you. You're already practically one of us."
Now Malfoy chimed in, "Hey Pans, how's it going."
The girl in question visibly gulped. "Great!" She answered a bit too enthusiastically. Then she simpered, "Draco dear, please help to persuade Hermione to join me, Cho, and Lav. I totally know she'll love it!"
Draco gave an evil smirk to Hermione, before he could speak, Hermione resigned, not wanting to hear whatever Draco had to say. "Fine, I'll join or whatever." Really Hermione just felt she needed to try harder to make Ginny's plan work.
"Squeeee!" shouted Pansy, making a fuss, and attracting attention to herself and Hermione, the latter not wanting any. Pansy flipped her hair and waved her wand with enthusiasm at the plate, which turned into a bright blue, burnt smelling rat, missing a tail, ear, and 3 feet. Hermione rushed to fix the poor rat, while Pansy just happily bounced in her seat, humming an out-of-tune Weird Sisters song.
Hermione walked to lunch with Pansy, who was engrossed with gushing details to Hermione about the color of her new eye shadow. She led Hermione to Lavender who was delicately pulling small amounts of food onto her plate. Pansy leaned down and whispered something into Lavender's ear, and Lavender giggled. Hermione stood by the two girls while spotting Ginny.
Mentally, Hermione sent, 'Hey Gin, I don't think I'll be eating lunch with you guys today.'
The redhead looked over to Hermione and shrugged, 'That's cool. Have fun!' Ginny teased, then informed Harry and Ron about Hermione.
Hermione gave her attention to the Populars to see Cho saunter towards them. "Hey girls!" she greeted cheerfully, too cheerfully for Pansy and Lavender. Lavender asked suspiciously, "What have you been up to, Cho?"
"Well," said Cho, trying to stall, "I have news. Big news. But here is not the place to tell you." she looked around with narrowed eyes suspiciously, as if everyone wanted to hear what she had to say.
"Okay," decided Pansy, "Let's go to the Head dorms."
Hermione interjected, "How about we stay here and eat?"
"No. Hermione, Cho had BIG news. We need to leave."
"I don't want to got to my dorm."
"Fine. Let's go to the Slytherin chambers."
"No, I wasn't really planning on ever setting foot there." In truth, Hermione was mildly creeped out by the Slytherin chambers, and most of the Slytherin students.
Lavender sighed dramatically, "It's Slytherin or Head dorms, Hermione. Take your pick."
"Fine, let's go to the Slytherin House." Hermione finalized. There was no way the Populars were going to her dorm again. It was a mistake to let them the first time. To repeat that would just be foolish. Plus, she would have had to say her password out loud in front of them.
On their way out, Hermione looked back longingly at first the food, then her friends. Once they reached a blank stretch of stone wall, Pansy said in a clearly confident voice, "Putus cruor," the wall slid open to reveal a dark room of silver, green, and black. Hermione instantly got the chills. The four girls plopped on the long green couch, and Pansy and Lavender demanded at the same time, "Tell us, Cho!"
Cho paused, and Lavender and Pansy shook with excitement. "Well, it's about Roger Davies." Pansy looked confused, and Lavender had her nose crinkled in disgust. Cho clarified, "The Ravenclaw Quidditch captain? The one who taught us that spell for the perfect nail care?" Pansy looked enlightened, her mouth forming an O shape, and Lavender looked ashamed that she had wrinkled her nose. "Well, he just got me," Cho leaned in as if it were confidential, "A ring. It's gorgeous!" to prove it, Cho dug into her pocket and pulled out a sparkling diamond ring that changed color according to Cho's demand.
"Roger was so thoughtful that he got me this ring so I can change it's colors to match my outfits! I'm glad he spends so much money on me." Hermione's eyebrows furrowed, it wasn't the sweetest thing you could say about your boyfriend. Lavender chimed in, "Too bad it won't last, but then again, that boy would rather go broke before denying you anything." Cho, Pansy, and Lavender laughed, and Hermione joined in weakly.
At that moment, the common room's wall slid open to reveal Malfoy, Zabini, Nott, Crabbe, and Goyle. The girls immediately stopped chuckling, and Pansy stood up. "Hey guys, we were just about to go for a walk, want to come with?"
"Sure we will, ladies," Blaise answered quickly, he had a crush on Pansy for the longest time. Cho and Lavender hurriedly stood, slowly followed by Hermione. All the Head girl wanted to do was get something to eat. The group of nine left the Slytherin common room and headed toward the outside grounds, they still had a while before lunch ended. While passing the Great Hall, Hermione saw Ginny, Harry, and Ron laughing and finishing their lunch.
Hermione hadn't been listening to the conversation around her, but she interrupted Theodore's story, "Uhh, I'm going to eat a bit, maybe I'll catch up to you guys later. Hermione headed to the Gryffindor table, feeling free, at least that's how she felt until being jerked back by Pansy. She had her mouth in a pout and looked as if she would throw a child tantrum if she didn't get her way. "Hermione, you need to go walking with us."
"No, Pansy. I'm really hungry."
By now, the whole group looked on interested.
"You just want to hang out with your loser friends."
"They're not losers."
Nott, Zabini, Cho, and Lavender laughed. Apparently, they didn't agree with Hermione.
"Hermione, come on, we're going for a walk."
"No. I'm going to the Great Hall to eat with my friends."
"Hermione. You don't need any more food, okay?"
Hermione got insanely angry. How dare Pansy insinuate that I'm fat?! If she wants to see fat, she should look in the mirror! Well, Hermione, you know that isn't true. She's actually so thin, I wouldn't be surprised if she were anorexic. Hermione tried to calm down before she ripped Pansy's pretty little head off. Pansy saw this, and tried to alleviate the problem.
"I mean, I'm just being truthful."
The group watching the girls were eerily silent.
Pansy linked her arm to Hermione's and started pulling her toward the open doors. Once outside, Malfoy broke the tension, "Uh oh. I see some stupid Hufflepuffs breaking the rules. Come on, Granger."
Hermione tried to see the rule-breakers, but failed. When she hadn't moved, Draco pulled her arm from Pansy's grasp, and led her in the direction he was looking. Pansy made to follow, but Draco whipped around to face her, letting go of Hermione's arm. "No, Pans. Head duty. Just stay here, and I'll see you all later."
"Draco, are you making an excuse to be with her?" she scoffed, "What, Draco? Are you like, in love with her or something?" One of the boys wolf-whistled, and Cho gasped.
"Are you kidding, Pansy?" Seeing how Pansy's face was quite serious, he continued, "I'm not. There's just some rule-breakers, and I may need backup."
Theodore Nott teased, "Ooh, Draco's in love with Granger!" Blaise made kissing sounds, and Lavender giggled. Nott put his arm around Lavender's waist, and rested his head on her shoulder while Lavender twirled her fingers through his hair.
Draco motioned to Hermione, and the Head students walked off, leaving the group whistling and taunting them, loud enough to attract attention from other students. Draco and Hermione walked into the castle in silence. Draco swooped into the Great Hall, and nicked a sandwich from the closest House table. He handed it to Hermione, who just stood at the doors of the Great Hall. Ginny caught Hermione's eye from the Gryffindor table, and silently asked her what was going on. Hermione shrugged, and Malfoy and her left the Great Hall.
Before she knew it, and the sandwich long gone, Draco was saying "Love fest" to the portrait. Draco dropped onto the Slytherin couch, and Hermione sat neatly on the Gryffindor colored couch. Draco sighed and put his head in his hands. When Hermione could no longer take the silence, she asked quietly, "Draco? You okay?"
The boy in question slowly raised his head, and said, "No. This won't work."
Hermione looked confused, "What are you talking about?"
"This," Draco gestured between them, "friendship. It's already raising questions, and we've barely been civil in public."
"If you're talking about what happened on the lawn, then why should we care? Dumbledore's probably happy that we're promoting the House Unity, and we have to be civil because of our Head duties."
"We can't, Granger." Hermione cringed at her last name's use. On the lawn, the use of her last name was fine, because they had been in the presence of other people.
"I just…I like how we are friends, Draco," Hermione said, honestly.
"I-I do too, but you're Gryffindor, and I'm Slytherin. Look, I'm not doing this because I want to, it's because I have to. When the Populars are mad, or jealous, they get even. And they're nasty about it. This relationship is getting up Pansy's ass, and we can't let that go on."
"Pansy is a brat, and you know it. Why should we be scared about the "Populars," they're just people who are so pumped up by everyone's worshipping that they feel they can do anything. And that's wrong. We can stop that, you know."
"No. Granger. You don't get it. I've been on the receiving side of their bad wishes, and it's not very fun."
"So you've joined them."
Draco sighed. "Basically, yeah."
"So this is it?" the words stung Hermione to say them.
Malfoy took a deep breath, "Yes."
"You." Hermione paused to collect herself. "You sound so sure."
"I am."
Since I'm breaking this off, I have to be clean about it. No left over feelings that makes her think that we could still be friends. The Populars have too much power. I would hate to see her get hurt because of the friendship that I wouldn't care enough to stop. I just don't want her hurt. I hope that one day, she'll forgive me.
"Okay then," Hermione said in a small voice that could barely pass as whispering.
My voice cracked, there was no way I was going to cry. It had just been friendship after all, right? Just a load of malarkey. He's right anyways. It wouldn't have worked out, and this break will just let me focus on getting the Populars back. For Ginny, and for myself. I can't believe how bad this is making me feel. He shouldn't have this effect on me. Who knew how attached I had gotten?
"Hermione?" Draco's voice brought her out of her reverie. "I hope that you'll forgive me one day." Hermione didn't bother saying anything, for fear of tears, then headed up to her room. Draco stayed on the couch, mentally kicking himself.
Way to cleanly cut off this relationship, Draco. With that ending, I may as well have just told her that what I said was a joke and that I love being friends with her. Well, the latter part of that sentence is true, but I wish it was all true. Damn Pansy and her little minions! Damn my friends! Damn me! Draco sighed. It's time to pay a visit to my Godfather.
AN- Hope you enjoyed! Sorry for the kind of long wait. I had this bet with my brother to see if we could go a week without tv, computers, and music. We both did it, but I think no music was the worst thing for me. So, now I'm back. : Please review! Peace.