Never the Twain Shall Meet
They arrived at the gates and both took a moment to view the terrain to the large wooden doors.
"I need to ask a question." Draco told her his brows furrowing in thought.
She waited and when he didn't speak right away she spoke, "okay." She said hoping it was enough of a prompt to not leave her hanging in curiosity for much longer.
"You have feelings for Marcus." He stated looking straight ahead. He didn't wait for her to answer, "You had feelings for Blaise."
"mmm hmmm" she said not sure if she was liking where he was going.
"Tell me you aren't just gravitating towards Flint because Blaise is now unavailable." He said stopping her with his hand on her shoulder.
When she turned he flinched slightly, probably in expectation of being hexed, but she smiled instead.
She knew how meaningful his friendships were to him and could understand his concern.
"I genuinely like Marcus, but we are just friends. He made that very clear to me and I respect that. We didn't fool around in bed, only slept. I do think about him and I do find myself attracted to him, but, again, he wants to be friends." She told him in a no nonsense manner, then continued, "Besides, what could I offer him? Nothing, I'm just some silly little school girl with a crush." She said self deprecatingly.
He frowned, but decided not to argue with her; though he was pretty sure Marcus liked the little witch as much more than just friends.
He'd never seen Marcus being so obvious in his attraction to anyone. This morning, Marcus had devoured Hermione with his eyes and the little witch, as per the usual, was oblivious.
Draco wondered what Marcus said to make her believe he wasn't interested in more than friendship. He shook his head and nodded curtly, they had more pressing issues at the moment.
King Draco sneered at the two heads, "Password." He requested.
"Iunctus Nos Sto." Hermione called and the Kings gray eyes shot to hers. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Queen Hermione's scepter crashing on the floor.
King Draco stood to pick it up and Queen Hermione winked at the two opening the portrait. As Draco and Hermione shared a confused look and walked through the entry, the last thing they heard was the King and Queen bickering.
Blaise rose quickly and practically ran to gather Hermione up in his arms. She gasped in surprise at his emotion. She hugged him back and patted his shoulder in an attempt to soothe the distraught wizard.
She also, guiltily, took a moment to breathe in the familiar Bergamot that was permanently associated with Blaise.
Draco cleared his throat and Blaise reluctantly let her go, setting her back down on her feet.
"Alright, Blaise?" she asked.
He nodded, "Better now that you're here." He said quietly dropping his forehead on her forehead softly. It was a bit uncomfortable since she was much smaller than he and he had to hunch over to achieve that position so he stood straight after a second.
She kissed Greg and Harry hello and sat on the couch in between Astoria and Pansy, "So what do we know?" she asked.
Pansy spoke, "Lavender said she was upset at Blaise's …lack of attention." She said clearing her throat.
"She didn't really think they would be living in bliss one day after they married, did she?" Harry asked incredulously.
Blaise shook his head and Pansy shrugged, "Maybe." She said.
Astoria furrowed her brows and Draco, who watches her constantly, caught the expression, "What's wrong, Asti?" he asked (pronounced: ass-tee)
"Padma Patil and I are friends. She told me that Lavender told Parvati that she …ummm." She paused; this next sentence would not go over well.
"Astoria?" Hermione prompted tilting her head in curiosity.
"…that she wasn't ready to give up Quidditch and she didn't want to sacrifice her body, so thought it would be a good idea to… I got the impression that she didn't think there would be any side-effects to her person. Lavender said as much to Madam Pomphrey." She finished.
Blaise's mouth was agape and the rest of them were fuming, disgusted at the very idea.
They spent the remainder of the day hanging out, finishing homework, playing chess and just talking about anything else.
The next morning at breakfast Hermione and Harry sat at the Gryffindor table next to Seamus and Dean, "Oi! Potter, thought you'd abandoned us for the snakes." Seamus teased.
Harry laughed and Dean snorted.
Lavender slid closer to Ron when Hermione sat down and he watched her out of the corner of his eyes, "Won Won!" she cackled making him wince.
He returned his focus to his food and shrugged off Lavenders death grip.
The hall went silent when Ginny walked in making a show of touching her stomach and walking gingerly down the aisle.
Hermione cast a quick glance at Slytherin and saw Blaise grimace in agitation.
Ginny sat down and was immediately surrounded by Gryffindor girls –sans one Hermione Granger- wanting to know how she was, what happened, how did Blaise react, etc…
Ginny loved the attention and starting talking.
Hermione focused her attention on the red head and started murmuring, not breaking eye contact; Harry realized after a moment what his friend was doing. Her concentration reminded him briefly of first year when she set Professor Snapes robes on fire to break his concentration. Harry doubted that fire would be necessary, besides he was pretty sure she would hex him into oblivion if he did that.
She was quiet and focused.
Harry glanced at Slytherin and nodded to the rest of the gang who were also watching Hermione. The girls' eyes were bouncing between Hermione and Ginny.
After a minute Lavender and some other girls surrounding Ginny wrinkled their faces in distaste, then the boys on that side of the table coughed or sputtered sliding farther away.
Harry looked back at Hermione and found her eating quietly not making a sound, her eyes focused on the open book in front of her.
Harry looked back at Ginny; she had a confused look on her face and was looking around at her friends.
Ron wrinkled his face and leaned closer to his sister; she flushed scarlet and swiftly got up from the table to leave the hall without eating.
As she approached the door, Hermione raised her head and started chanting again. Ginny didn't make it two more steps before she emptied the contents of her stomach on her shoes.
The Slytherin table and their head of house all turned hastily to see what Hermione was doing, she was again reading and eating, but Harry knew.
She cast two spells, one was an odor spell and the other made you sick. He wondered what Hermione had up her sleeve next.
The next few weeks, Ginny was monitored constantly. Madam Pomphrey had a standing appointment with her daily.
Blaise had taken to spending every spare minute with Hermione and Draco preparing for NEWTS. Most of the time they (Harry, Greg, Daphne, Pansy, Hermione, Draco and Blaise) were all in the library, studying.
Ginny was removed at prefect, at Hermione's behest, and replaced by Ron. It seems they were interchangeable.
Hermione recast the odor spell numerous times and coupled that with a Confundus or Coprolalia (Tourette 's) spell. The latter usually had the hall cracking up in laughter and an embarrassed Ginny running out of the hall humiliated.
It got so bad that Ginny had erupted into crazed laughter in Potions calling Professor Snape melancholy toad looking for a princess to kiss. That resulted in 40 points taken from Gryffindor and Ginny receiving detention.
Everyone knew who was doing it, even the professors, but no one said anything, until Ginny cornered Hermione one day in the library.
She approached their table much in the same manner she did the day she told Blaise about the pregnancy, "ahem." She cleared her throat.
Hermione … and everyone else at the table knew she was near, they could smell her.
Draco was so deep into writing his essay that he didn't realize it was Ginny and started gagging, "What is that Gods awful smell?" he complained and looked up, "Oh." He said flatly.
"Hermione, could I talk to you… alone?" she asked.
The table was silent, watching Hermione's reaction, "sure." She said and stood, looking around at her friends, "what? It's not like she's going to tell me she's pregnant!"
Blaise snorted and chuckled in spite of himself and Harry, Draco and Pansy boo'd her. Greg and the Greengrass sisters just shook their heads at the tasteless joke.
They reached the farthest row of books and ducked inside. Ginny turned to face her tormentor, "Stop hexing me."
"Why should I?" Hermione asked her face serious.
Ginny tried redirecting; she should have known better than to argue a point with Hermione, "You're only angry because you liked him." Ginny said somewhat smugly.
Hermione surprised Ginny by admitting the accusation, "Yes and there are other reasons; Blaise is my friend above all and this just isn't fair to him."
"I could hex you back." Ginny countered.
"No, you won't. You're magic is off." Hermione stated matter-of-factly
Ginny paled, "How did you know?"
Hermione looked at the taller girl as if she were nutters, "common knowledge. Pregnant witches often experience faulty magic during their first trimester, especially in pregnant witches under the age of 20. Didn't you do your research?" Hermione asked.
Ginny shrugged ashamed.
Hermione harrumphed, "…that was always my primary issue with you and Ron, you'd go off half cocked, without knowing or understanding the consequences."
Hermione seemed to have come to a decision as she watched the younger witch slump her shoulders in defeat, "I won't hex you anymore, but if you so much as cause that baby or Blaise one ounce of stress, you'll answer to me."
Ginny's eyes filled with tears, "thank you. You're the only person I've spoken to in weeks. No one is talking to me. Even Lavender." She said.
Hermione didn't want to be the shoulder she cried on, but her heart squeezed painfully at the idea of feeling isolated during a time of need, so she sighed and chose a neutral, but not so neutral topic, "Have you chosen a house yet?"
Ginny wiped the tears, "No, I was thinking the one in France looked nice. It's smaller than the rest, but pretty. It wouldn't matter where I lived if I was recruited and I've always wanted to see France. My mother wouldn't travel, so I could see her when I chose to." She said.
Hermione nodded, "I have to go."
Ginny nodded and walked away.
Hermione sat down with a forlorn expression, "you caved." Daphne stated.
They all looked at her and she nodded, "I couldn't' help it. I've been hexing her for weeks and she had no one to turn to…. tears, shame… I couldn't take it." Hermione complained.
Harry nodded, "It's ok Mya. There is no shame in compassion."
Blaise squeezed her shoulder and she smiled. Ginny forgotten; they focused on NEWTS.
***() ()***
Flint,
Granger has a crush on you and believes you don't want to have anything to do with her… what gives?
Malfoy
***() ()***
Malfoy,
What?
Flint
***() ()***
Dialing.
Ringing.
"Malfoy."
"She thinks you aren't interested." Draco said.
"Why would she think that?" Marcus asked.
Silence.
"Maybe because that's what you told her?"
"I never told her I only wanted to be friends." Marcus countered.
"Ah ha, what did you tell her?" Draco asked.
Marcus looked across the table at Adrian who was watching the phone conversation with interested.
Marcus sighed, "Hold on I'm putting you on speaker so Pucey can hear as well. Ok where do I start." He asked more to himself now that everyone was listening.
"Just tell us what you said, word for word." Draco said.
"Ok, she was all weirded out about us … uh…"
"Having phone sex." Adrian supplied with a smile.
"right. she was honest with me telling me how she felt like a harlot and didn't want me thinking badly of her; that she liked me and was attracted to me.
So I told her that I liked her too, but that I knew Blaise had feelings for her and that I wouldn't step on his toes. I told her we should take this one day at a time, but if nothing else
I would be honored to call her my friend." He finished.
Adrian was laughing mid way through, "what?" Marcus shouted.
Draco cleared his throat, "I guess you didn't realize that all she heard was the last sentence."
After a very enlightening conversation Marcus walked away with a new perspective. Before he could call or owl her his phone rang, "Hey princess." He said and lay down on his bed.
"Hi. Ummm, are you busy?" she asked in a small voice. One that made Marcus wonder why she called. Not that he minded; he was glad she did.
"Not at all. Are you alright?" he asked.
"Yeah, we have one more day until NEWTs and I just needed a break from studying, since I couldn't' sleep, I was thinking you and I could … you know… talk." She said, but he heard something else in her voice… and thought, no, hoped he knew what she was hedging at.
He decided to play dumb, "talk about what princess?" he asked quietly, his voice deepening.
She sighed frustrated and just came out with it, "What's your favorite position?"
He barked out laughing at her blunt question and when he calmed, "love that Gryffindor subtlety!" he said and laughed some more.
"I should go. I'm sorry… I …"
He stopped laughing, "No princess, I'm sorry; don't go." He said wanting to stay on the phone with her, "You know I learned something new today." He said breaking the icy tension.
There was a pause on the other end, "What?" she asked softly.
"I learned that you think I only want to be friends with you." he said gently hoping she wouldn't just hang up.
Silence.
"Princess?"
"I'm here. Isn't that what you said, you wanted to be friends?"
"Yes, but only if you and Blaise worked out."
"Oh."
She smiled knowing he couldn't see it.
"Marcus?"
"Hmmm?"
"let's play 20 questions…"
His voice dropped even more into a raspy whisper, "yes, let's…" he responded and licked his lips in anticipation…
