A/N: I do not own anything involving with Harry Potter.
I'm pretty sure this is the longest chapter I have written for this story!
Chapter Fifteen: Here.. Forever.
Hermione rushed to the grounds to Herbology. The cool air pushed against her pink cheeks, making her shiver.
"Ah, Ms. Granger, you are late." said Professor Sprout, her face in disappointment.
"I know, professor. I'm very sorry. I just had a few complications this morning."
"I'm sorry dear, I'll have to take five points away from Gryffindor for tardiness." Hermione stared to the ground. It could have been worse deduction. She frowned, she couldn't believe she was late. Worse, having points taken away. "please take your seat." she rushed to the empty chair beside Harry, who stared at her with confusion. Hermione was never late, so her recent behavior Harry wasn't coming to understand.
"Why were you late?" asked Harry quietly. Hermione glanced over to Draco who was staring at the Mandrake in the corner, his thoughts of how in their second year at Hogwarts one of them bit his fingers, leaving a disgusting cut that oozed green slime for days.
"I had to talk to Ginny about something. Then write a letter to my mum about something important." she snapped. Harry nodded, looked to Ron, who was sitting beside him, then continued with his work.
"Can anyone tell me about Shrivelfig?" asked Professor Sprout, who stood over a large pot that was placed on her desk. Hermione's hand immediately went up. "Yes, Ms. Granger?"
"Shrivelfig comes from Abyssinia. When the plant is skinned, it is one of the ingredients for a Shrinking Solution. Which is how it got it's name."
"Very good, m'dear. Ten points to Gryffindor."
Draco looked over to Hermione and rolled his eyes. She shot him a playful look before looking away. A look that the jet black hair boy, with the lightening bolt scar noticed.
When Hermione walked alone back to the castle after Herbology, Draco walked past with Blaise, and Harry came up from behind Hermione, grabbing her by the upper arm. Ron followed close behind her, with a confused look written on his face.
"Get off of me, you're hurting my arm!" said Hermione trying to budge from his grip. "What?!" she finally shouted in his face, after he pushed her further away from the crowd against a tree.
"What the bloody hell is going on with you?" asked Harry, his facial expressions filled with anger.
"I don't know what you are talking about, Harry." said Hermione, as she finally pulled away from his tight grip.
"I saw that during Herbology. I could see it the way the two of you looked at each other. I want to know what is going on between that ferret and you." Ron finally stepped up closer.
"There is something going on with the two of you?!" spat Ron. "Is that the reason why you don't bother giving Harry and I the time of day anymore? We aren't good enough for you anymore?! When we were the ones that defending you when the prat called you mudblood?!" his face was turning blood red, the fury building up, Hermione glanced away for a split second. The word hurting her feelings.
"It's none of your business! Neither one of you have the proper respect for girls! Especially you Ronald!" she said furiously, punching him in the chest. "You clearly well knew how I felt in the beginning for you! But you turn around and hurt me the way you did and you still think I would consider you my best friend?! You hardly talk to me because of the daft girl. You are insane, she is no different then Lavender. You two will end the same way. "
"Don't you dare talk-" said Ron, the tip of his ears bright red.
"Hermione, you clearly know better-"
"No, Harry-" she began, pointing her wand out to both of them. "If you ever touch me the way you just did again... I will personally make sure you regret that for the rest of your life."
Hermione picked up her school bag that had falling onto the ground beside her feet. Quickly running back up to the castle, she finally let the tears stream down her face. Friendships for over six years, how quickly it could be destroyed. She didn't want to go to Muggle Studies, she only wanted to cry. Rushing to Moaning Myrtle bathroom, she ran to the first stall and sat there to cry.
"Malfoy." said Ginny, her voice rushed as she tried to catch her breath. Draco turned around to face Ginny and Blaise. He had been in the library for the past hour, hoping that Hermione would have been in there studying. He hadn't seen her throughout the rest of the day which was odd to him and his letter he had sent to her after Herbology still had no response.
"Yeah?" he said after putting the potions book back on the shelve.
"Have you seen Hermione at all today?" she asked when he didn't say anything else to her.
"No, not since after Herbology..I sent her a letter this morning but she hasn't answered me. I was hoping that she would be in here." he said, glancing around one last time in hopes that Hermione would appear. Ginny glanced at Blaise, before he spoke.
"Ginny, just tell him." said Blaise, quietly. Ginny stared at him for a moment; when she didn't respond he spoke again. "Mate, No one can-"
"I've been trying to find Hermione all afternoon. No one can find her.. During lunch I over heard Ron and Harry talking about her. Lavender Brown told me that she skipped all of her afternoon classes."
"What happened?" asked Draco at once.
"Apparently the three of them got in a a huge argument after Herbology and she ran off after threatening both of them."
As soon as Ginny finished her sentence, he ran out of the library. He knew three places Hermione would be at. The first one he tried was their classroom. When he entered the room, it was pitch black. He lit the candles to make sure that Hermione wasn't sitting in the dark. When he noticed the room was empty, he went to check Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. He knew most people went there when they were upset because no one usually went into the bathroom since Myrtle was there.
"Oh hello, you are not supposed to be in here... No, No." said Myrtle from her stall, looking down to Draco. "Aren't you the one that got in a fight with Harr-"
"That doesn't matter right now.. I'm wondering if you have seen Hermione Granger?"
"Oh, yes! She was very upset. She was in here all afternoon. You just missed her!"he was becoming agitated with the way she smiled as if Hermione being upset was a pleasant thing.
"Do you have any idea where she may have went?"
"No.." she grabbed on her chin. "She didn't mention having to go see a boy.. She didn't say who though." he left the bathroom, hoping he knew who the boy she mentioned was. He rushed to the seventh floor. Trying to catch his breath when he reached the top of the stairs. He stopped before he turned the corner that switched off to the corridor where his room was. Taking a deep breath, he began to walk around. His heart sinking to his stomach.
Hermione sat on the ground to where his portrait was. Her head between her legs. He walked slowly to her, afraid to say anything to her.
"Hermione?" he said quietly. She didn't look up, but reminded still. "Come on, lets get you inside." she looked up to him. He could see the tear stains that went down her cheeks. Her hair was messier then usual from the heat her body made from being upset and her eyes were red from the past tears.
"Draco.." she said, so faintly.
"Come on, Hermione." he hated to see her this way. She looked awful and he wanted to know what had really happened with her and the two gits. "Let's go." he said tilting his hand toward the entrance of his room. He looked so innocent when he did that to her. With a moment of hesitation, she took Draco's hand and he pulled her up.
"Red rose." he said to the portrait. Still holding his hand Hermione followed Draco into his dark room.
"Draco, I can't see anything." she said quietly, her hand gripping tighter against his. "Hush." a light was turned on and Hermione was able to see the bedroom. Most of everything in there was black or green. His bedsheets were a jade green, with black outline. Bookshelves filled around the room with random books from throughout time. A small couch was in a corner, with more books spread across, some of them opened and the rest closed. Hermione immediately went the bed and sat at the end of it.
"Are you hungry?" she nodded, hearing her stomach growl. "Right. Well, It's dinner time now.. I'll go get us some dinner.. I'll be back. Will you be okay here for a little bit alone?"
"Yeah." she mumbled. Taking another glance toward her, he left the room and went the the Great Hall to the Slytherin table. Ginny sat beside Seamus and Dean, doing everything in her power to not have anything to do with Harry and Ron. Ginny watched as Draco stood behind Blaise, mumbling a few words to him before taking a plate full of food and leaving the Great Hall. Blaise looked to Ginny, giving her a shrug before turning away.
When Draco came back to his room from the Great Hall, he took the plate of food to his bedroom to find Hermione in the center of the bed asleep. She looked peaceful as she had the night before. As if nothing mattered to her at the time. Her cheeks were a rosy pink, and her lips were a faint pink. Draco just had the sudden urge to kiss her in her sleep, wake her up to know that she would okay.. No matter what had happened earlier that morning.
He placed the food at the bed side table, getting into bed and tucking Hermione in. "I'm here.. Always." he whispered in her ear.
So I stayed up to finish writing this chapter because I like to update at least one chapter a day. So its now 2 in the morning. I'm positive I'm never going to fall asleep now because its currently storming like mad now.. thundering and lightening and raining! Hard! :( I'll be up forever now.
