Disclaimer: Look at previous chapters, please.
A/N: Here's chapter twenty-one! I have no time to dilly-dally. I have two tests tomorrow. Well, good luck to me. Do read and review afterwards. Enjoy!
Chapter Twenty-One: Green Slytherins
It had been a week ever since the initiation day. It took exactly a week for all the new recruits to revert back to their usual selves. Despite their normal routines (classes, breaks, free periods, etc…), at the back of their minds, they still couldn't help but relieve the day when they were branded with the Dark Mark.
Hermione had been withdrawn a few days after the initiation day. Sure, she still tagged along with her other roommates, but her… down demeanor had attracted attention, especially to those female Slytherins who secretly took a liking to the disguised brunette.
Teddy… everybody was extremely surprised with the adorable Slytherin's sudden behavior. He rarely smiled; rarely cracked a joke. Noticeable dark bags were present under his eyes and once in a while, he would glare at those who tried to approach him. Even Mina, his ever faithful 'servant', knew her lord was not in his right spirits and chose to give him some space.
Blaise had also attracted attention from some of his schoolmates. Gone was the charming and sweet Italian, replaced by a cranky, foul-mouthed Slytherin, who glared at anything and everything that caught his eyes. His usual fans were found weeping silently in a corner, muttering to themselves that 'The reason for their living has finally changed' and the likes.
Oh, and the blond – his moodiness increased ten-fold. He had abused his power, being a Prefect, and deducted points or gave detention to those who were merely looking at him. Even if he had been a Death Eater for a year now, he was mad at himself for not stopping his best friends from becoming one. Teddy was right. He, of all people, should know how being a Death Eater ruins oneself.
And so, imagine the surprise of the whole school when the disguised Hermione Granger, Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, and Draco Malfoy came into the Great Hall a week after the initiation day, huge smiles on their faces (although, Draco tried). They even greeted most of their Housemates, who almost cried themselves in relief upon seeing that their 'Silver Quartet' (as what they had coined) was finally back to their normal selves.
"Did we miss something?" Blaise asked, amusement on his face as he looked at sniveling Slytherins. "Everyone's acting weird." He sat himself on the bench. Teddy claimed the seat beside him. Not having any other choices, Hermione and Draco sat down opposite from the other two.
"If you must know," Hermione said, laughing, "we've been… strange a couple of days ago. I heard one female Ravenclaw three days ago saying that the 'Almighty Silver Quartet finally lost it'."
"'Silver Quartet'?" the carefree Slytherin asked. His face was comical with eyes wide like saucers and a loaf of bread hanging from his mouth. "HA! Beat that, you bloody Gryffindors! You think you only have your 'Golden Trio', eh? We have a 'Silver Quartet', too. And I'm damn part of it!"
Teddy chuckled for a while. But then he realized his slip and furtively looked at Draco. "Err… well, 'Golden Duo', I think."
Hermione stiffened on her seat, eyes wide as she shared a look with Malfoy. Draco seemed furious, she reckoned, but the angry spark that ignited in his eyes immediately diminished and he looked back at Teddy, nonchalant.
"Erm… oh, right," childish Teddy said, nervously chuckling. "Tomorrow's the start of our new practice tests, yeah?"
The brunette, grateful for the sudden change of topic, nodded her head a bit too vigorously. "Oh, right, yes," she hastily said. "It's… surprising. I distinctively remembered that our practice tests will be surprised. I can't believe the teachers had told us the date." She shrugged, absentmindedly toying with her bacon. "Probably because Christmas is fast approach" –
BANG!
Draco sighed and rolled his eyes. "Here we go again," he said, glaring at Hermione and then looking pointedly at Blaise.
"Christmas!" Teddy gushed out like an enthusiastic five-year-old. He banged his fist once again on the table; he was able to topple a bowl of porridge onto a poor fifth year's lap. "Oh Merlin, Christmas!" He stood up, planning to do a happy jig, when an ashamed Blaise Zabini pulled him back on the bench.
"Seriously, Theo," the Italian tiredly said. "You should stop acting like a bloody five-year-old every time you hear the word 'Christmas'."
The carefree Slytherin seemed unfazed. Instead, he eagerly clapped his hands in joy. "Christmas! Oh Merlin, I've totally forgotten." He released a merry laugh and Hermione looked at Draco in confusion, worried for her roommate. Malfoy, once again, merely rolled his eyes and glared at his immature best friend. "Christmas means break time! I'm going to see Annie! I'm going to see Annie! I'm going to see Annie!" The last part of his speech was said in a sing-song voice, his claps serving as beats for his made-up song.
"That's how much you love Christmas, huh?" Hermione said, the corner of her lips lifting up. She couldn't help it. Teddy's laughter was infectious.
"Love it?" Teddy asked, eyes growing wide. "Merlin, 'love' is the biggest understatement I've ever heard. Christmas… Christmas is the best thing that had ever happened to me."
Blaise leaned a little closer to Hermione and whispered, "He still believed Father Christmas is real… that mad bloke. Nott will sob hysterically if you reasoned out that Father Christmas is merely a fictional character."
"Shut up, Blaise!" Teddy cried, hurtling a hotdog from his plate. It had hit him squarely on his forehead and Hermione burst into cheerful laughter. "Just because I believe that Father Christmas is real doesn't mean I'm mad."
"Well… technically, Father Christmas is real," Hermione logically stated, ignoring the scowl that appeared on Draco's face. "I mean, St. Nicholas, ever heard of him? They coined him as Santa Claus or Father Christmas… whatever."
After her little speech, the carefree Slytherin was staring at her, undoubtedly dumbfounded. "Did you just…" he muttered breathlessly. He looked at Blaise for confirmation, who only rolled his eyes, and returned his attention back to his breakfast. "You just defended me, Hermes." His heart fluttered madly inside his ribcage and he swore that mutant bats were wrecking havoc inside his stomach. "You just defended me… and I feel so happy that I can die happy now." Two pink patches formed on his cheeks and he grinned goofily on his food, avoiding Hermione's eyes.
The brunette, having no idea how much her words meant to Teddy, merely laughed. "Anyway, speaking of Christmas, will all of you go home for the break?"
"Obviously," Teddy answered. The goofy grin was still on his face. "Annie's gonna kill me if I did not visit her for breaks. My little sister's a bit… touchy, you know."
Blaise, on the other hand, shrugged his shoulders. "I have no choice, I guess," he answered back. "I mean, my being a… you-know-what is worthy of a grand celebration. My mother had been sending me letters for days now, threatening me that she'll disown me if I did not come home."
Hermione then looked at Draco expectantly, waiting for his answer. Upon feeling her eyes on him, he swiveled around and glared. "What?" he asked.
"Will you stay for the Christmas break here in Hogwarts?" she repeated once again, unfazed.
His glare darkened and he looked away from her, back to his breakfast plate. He channeled his bad mood on his hotdog and stabbed it mercilessly. Hermione felt bad for the breakfast food. "I can't, Austen," he said, followed by a tired sigh. "My father's - ."
"Draco!" Teddy exclaimed, stopping him. Hermione looked at him in surprise, discovering that his eyes had widened. He looked panicked. When she looked at Blaise, she was astonished to see that he was sporting the same look Teddy had on his face.
The blond sighed and waved a dismissive hand. "It's all right," he whispered for only his three roommates to hear. "He knows."
Blaise looked fairly surprised as Teddy ecstatic. "Seriously?" he asked, eyes widening. "It took you years to confide some of your secrets to us, Draco. I mean, wow. I can't believe you told him when he asked."
Draco snorted and threw Hermione a mocking glare. "Who said he asked?" he snarled, making Hermione glare back at him.
"What?" Teddy asked, confused.
Once again, Draco waved a dismissive hand. "Anyway," he said with emphasis, "as I was saying, my father still hasn't forgiven me for, you know…" He leaned closer just for sure. "He's enraged I still haven't told him about my mother's welfare. He's starting to get suspicious. So, Dumbledore thinks it'll be better if I just stay here in Hogwarts. Not exactly a good option but the nutcase said it's better for me to stay here and heighten Lucius' suspicion than spend the rest of my Christmas break with him alone."
The blond snorted then went back to his previous position and rolled his eyes. "What a worrywart, that nutcase," he continued, throwing a dirty look at the teacher's table. "Think I won't be able to come back to Hogwarts in one piece as soon as the new semester starts."
Blaise rolled his eyes. Teddy, on the other hand, pouted.
"It's for your safety, you know," Teddy whispered, looking around to make sure there were no eavesdroppers. "I mean, we all know that you're position is dangerous."
"And do remember, mate," Blaise added, his gaze piercing, "that the last time you spent your Christmas break with Lucius Malfoy, you almost got sent to St. Mungo's."
Hermione gasped and stared at Malfoy. "I-is that true?" she asked.
"No big deal, nuisance," Draco said, glaring at Blaise. "And who told you to just tell that to anyone anytime you want, Zabini?"
Blaise merely frowned and looked back at his breakfast.
"All right, all right, children, no need to fight," Teddy said, humored.
"And those words came from an immature jerk," Draco murmured, which his roommate ignored.
"Anyway," Teddy continued, swiveling his head to stare directly at Hermione, "will you be staying here in Hogwarts for Christmas, Austen?"
Now that she was being asked, Hermione realized she had no idea. Of course, she couldn't go back home. It was burned from roof to floor. Before all of these catastrophe started, Hermione had planned in going to the Weasleys' Burrow to spend her Christmas. But now that she was Hermes Austen, she knew that it was impossible.
And so, she answered the only logical idea that came into her mind. "I guess…" she said, still uncertain, "I'm having problems at home, right? I'm sure my p-parents" – she swallowed a lump in her throat – "will think it's best for me to stay in Hogwarts."
"Therefore," Draco butted in, "you're staying with me."
Hermione's eyes widened in horror. "Darn," she grumbled and glared at the blond. She scowled upon seeing him smirk at her in return. What happened to the brooding Draco Malfoy a while ago? 'The audacity of this guy,' she thought and silently huffed. "I bet my Meteorite 1997 that you're jumping for joy now, huh, Malfoy? Since your sole entertainment will be accompanying you for Christmas."
Draco's smirk widened. "You have no idea, Austen," he answered.
The brunette scowled and playfully punched his shoulder (earning an eyebrow raise from Teddy and Blaise). "I'll make it a point to make this Christmas your worst, Malfoy. You just wait."
"Empty threats will bring you nowhere," Draco sneered. "And you call that a punch? I can perfectly demonstrate it to you how to throw a real one."
"Ooh, I'm quacking on my boots," she retorted mockingly. "Maybe this slipped off your mind but some people can actually throw a perfect punch if they put their mind into it."
She was hinting about the punch she gave him during their third year and he knew it. A victorious grin grew on her face when she noticed that Draco Malfoy, the Draco Malfoy, bristled on his seat.
"Touché," he spat, glaring. "Wipe that stupid smile off your face, will you? There's no need to be triumphant now."
Merry laughter bubbled at her throat, which soon escaped from her lips as she stared at her other two roommates. Her laughter was then put into a halt upon noticing the strange looks on Blaise's and Teddy's faces. "What?" she asked, conscious. "Is there something on my face?"
Blaise was the first one to shake his head. "No, no, nothing. Just…" His eyes landed on his best mate for years and noticed the changes in him. He could see a smile fighting its way through his face but Draco hid it with his infamous Malfoy smirk. Blaise also noticed that the stress lines on his forehead lessened. His mercurial eyes seemed lighter now; it used to be dark and antsy once the school-year began.
His frown further deepened when Draco released a soft chuckle because of something Hermione had said.
Underneath the Slytherin table, his hands turned into fists.
It was undoubted.
Draco Malfoy already knew that Hermes Austen was none other than Hermione Granger…
… or maybe he was just turning into a possessive and imaginative git. But then again, he had known Draco for years. Goodness, they were even raised up together! And so, he knew him like his favorite book.
He knew how Draco always acted every time Hermione Granger was around. And he was acting exactly one right now.
'Or maybe Draco's turning gay,' Blaise brooded darkly. 'Or maybe I should shut up my mind now.'
Damn Hermione Granger for unconsciously starting to make him crazy about her, too.
Theodore Nott, immature Slytherin extraordinaire.
That was how people described Teddy every time they were questioned. Sure, there were times when people would sugarcoat their words, but once you peeled off the disgusting sweetness, you'd realize that they were all saying the same thing – Teddy Nott is immature.
It was undeniable. Teddy, himself, even knew that he was not acting like his age. And he did not care. He loved to act freely like a child. He loved acting so carefree and problem-free. Sometimes, he did wonder why people placed themselves under stress and then complain at the end.
"If you hate working, then don't!" would have been his typical answer.
Because of his nonchalant nature, girls find him adorable. With his easy smile, tousled dark hair, and handsome blue eyes, he could easily melt the hearts of cold-hearted females. And so far, he was successful with this simple task. Admirers and fans accumulated as the years gone by and Draco Malfoy's fans were already feeling threatened because they were almost overpowered. But then again, nobody beats their gorgeous Slytherin Prince.
Affairs had come and gone in Teddy's life. There were a few flings. Others were actually serious ones. But before Teddy Nott's eyes, they all ended. 'Fall out of love', the girls would reason out when in actuality, it was Teddy who ended everything. They just wanted to protect their egos through lying.
But then… but then, he came along. Hermes Austen came along. At first, he was just a new Slytherin roommate… another person he could befriend. When Hermes vomited all over his best friend, Draco, and enraged the said blond, he thought that all thoughts of friendship with him would not happen at all. But on that blessed day when he offered him sweets and an adorable smile of his own, he knew his world had just turned upside down.
Everything about Hermes Austen was contradictory to his life. He was studious; Teddy hated studying. He loved reading; books made him feel dumb. Quidditch was just another pastime for Hermes; Quidditch was everything to Teddy. Hermes detested sweet things; damn it, he was in love with any kind of sweets.
He was so… different from him it was a wonder how he came to like, as in like like Hermes Austen.
Teddy still couldn't come into terms with the fact that he liked someone of the same sex. But he already accepted the fact that he has feelings for his wimpy roommate. It was unnerving, yeah. But denying it was starting to exhaust the carefree Slytherin. And he hated getting tired.
Theodore Nott was well-known for being childish. And being childish meant being possessive, too. What was his, was his. If you want it, back off because he would kill you. And yes, he was being serious.
That was why he was having conflicting feelings on Thursday that week, sitting across from his best friend and his roommate. Blaise was nowhere to be found, excusing himself to stay in the library for some research Teddy never planned of doing.
He was actually happy about this. One roommate meant that there would be a bigger probability he would be able to sit beside Hermes. Imagine how his mood dampened when he strolled inside the room and saw that Draco Malfoy claimed the glorious seat beside Hermes. In the end, he was stuck sitting in between Crappy Crabbe and Gross Goyle.
Teddy was tolerating the first few minutes. Despite the zooming food to and fro between Crabbe and Goyle, he was able to stay optimistic and happy. Just looking at Hermes Austen, who was again peaceful and endearing whilst reading 'Hogwarts: A History',already made his day.
And then Draco… he could not believe his best friend's 'betrayal'. He loved him all right (in a platonic way). For goodness' sake, he was the first person he had notice on their first year in Hogwarts! He had sworn on the day that Draco accepted his friendship that he would stick up with him. Blaise even knew that his friendship with Draco was stronger than theirs.
But now, all he wanted to do was wring Draco Malfoy's neck.
"Teddy, can you please pass the marmalade?" Hermes politely asked, a smile that only him could flash visible on his face.
The carefree Slytherin lightened up. He long discovered about Hermes' obsession with marmalade and he found it extremely adorable. It was like him, having a huge obsession with sweets.
'Hmm… we have something in common, after all,' he pondered, making him smile widely.
Teddy was about to grasp the jar of marmalade when Malfoy had beat him into it.
"Don't bother, Theo," Draco said. "I'll do it instead."
His eyes widened and watched in horror as Draco victoriously offered the jar of marmalade to Hermes, who thanked him grateful with a huge smile on his face…
… the nerve of Draco Malfoy.
It could have been a shining glory for Teddy. It was the perfect time to make Hermes smile and direct it to him. Him! But no, Draco had to steal his spotlight and be the receiving end of Teddy's most coveted facial expression from Hermes.
Having enough, he stood up, banging his empty goblet of pumpkin juice in the process. Hermes and Draco looked at him, surprised. Crabbe and Goyle stopped their intolerable 'food fight' and stared dumbly at the carefree Slytherin. Teddy merely glared at Draco and silently seethed.
"You…" he pointed an accusing finger at Draco. "I… he…" Teddy fell silent and bristled. One thing he hated about himself was the fact that he always spout incoherent words when he was furiously mad.
And so, he did the only thing he could think of that time– he turned around and stomped away, the metamorphic sunshine on top of his head now hidden behind huge, dark clouds.
Once he was gone, Draco blinked thrice before looking at his roommate. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked, genuinely confused.
The disguised Slytherin shrugged. "I have no idea," she answered. "I just hope that he's okay."
Teddy and Blaise found their current situation hilarious and disheartening at the same time.
Blaise never showed any interests with other girls in the past. For him, they were too predictable. He wanted someone that could surprise him, like a new book he had just purchased from Flourish and Blotts. And then, Hermione Granger came along.
He had seen her in years. After all, they were in the same year level. He was able to know a few things about Hermione and truthfully, he never really cared about her back then.
When he discovered that his new roommate was actually Hermione Granger in disguise, he knew this year would be an interesting one. And so, he swore to keep his discovery to himself and watch the Gryffindor-turned-Slytherin struggle to adapt to her new environment.
At first, he was merely watching her for sheer amusement. He was seriously laughing his head off when she vomited all over Draco, drunk. But on the day when she bruised her wrist after fighting off the Knockturn Alley hags, he knew, being the only one who knew about her true identity, that he should look after her like a big brother.
And looked after her he did. He tried his best to help her adjustment to her new House, new identity, new gender… Looking after her grew big and big up until the point when he surrendered to the fact that he fancied her.
She was a puzzle. And he liked her for that. Detective and mystery books always had a special place in Blaise's heart. Watching her made him think about her next move, what she was currently thinking, and what she was actually feeling.
Yes, he does like her already. A lot, maybe. He still did not know.
And so, on their next Hogsmeade Day, he planned to make it one of the happiest days of her life. He was silently thanking Merlin because Teddy and Draco had other rendezvous to attend, leaving him all alone with Hermione.
He made up a cover-up story, telling her that he wanted her to occupy him while he waited for a make-believe girl. It was just an excuse so that he would be able to spend the whole Hogsmeade Day with the real girl he truly liked.
The Italian was so furious when Hermione sent him a letter, stating that Draco was not feeling well, therefore, she couldn't come so that someone would take care of his best friend. His awful mood was evident when he returned once he saw Hermione perched near Draco's bed. Thus, he gave her an uncharacteristic cold stare in return.
As days passed by, he had an inkling feeling that his feelings for her grew big and big… he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to stop falling.
Both Teddy and Blaise are hopelessly in love with the color 'green'. It was, without any doubt, their most favorite color.
But seeing Hermione Granger (for Blaise) or Hermes Austen (for Teddy) acting like that with, of all people, their best friend, Draco Malfoy, they turned instantly into green monsters; and they must say that because of this observation they were making, their love for the color green was starting to decrease.
Harry watched in confusion as a young lady emerged inside the Room of Requirement, an uncertain smile on her face. There was something eerily familiar with her smile. The Gryffindor racked his brain for any memory but it ended futile.
She seemed familiar, he reckoned. Her simple white blouse and blue skirt were feminine and he swore he had seen those article of clothes somewhere before. Her head was adorned with gorgeous curls that tumbled down her slim shoulders. It would slightly bounce when she moved.
And her face… Harry squinted his eyes to scrutinize the mysterious girl properly. Her lips and button nose rang a bell in his mind. But once his eyes landed on her chocolate brown eyes hidden behind thin-framed glasses, his mind would instantly blank out.
"Umm…" he stupidly started, scratching his head. He felt a bit apprehensive, thinking that Hermione might walk inside and the mysterious girl would misinterpret his relationship with 'Hermes Austen'. "May I help you?"
The smile on her face changed into a full one. A bubble of merry laughter escaped from her lips. Harry scrunched up his forehead. Her laugh was familiar, too!
"Harry," she said. "It's me."
The Gryffindor blinked.
The mysterious girl removed her thin-framed glasses. Once her eyes connected with his emerald ones, Harry's jaw dropped.
"What the - ? HERMIONE?" he exclaimed. He sprang out from his seat and took quick strides towards the brunette, still dumbfounded. "How…? What…? Are you…?" He paused, took a deep breath, and stared back once again at his triumphant best friend. "What the hell was that?"
If possible, Hermione's smile grew bigger. "It worked!" she cried. "This worked." She gave her glasses to Harry and he stared at it with unadulterated awe. "I've bewitched that spectacles so that no one will be able to recognize me. Dumbledore actually gave me a permission to do this advanced magic, seeing that Christmas is fast approaching and I'm staying here in Hogwarts. Said that during this merry season, I should be able to at least quickly experience what I had once been."
The Slytherin grabbed back her glasses and wore it. When Harry stared back at her, his confusion grew when he realized he was able to recognize her now. "The good thing about this spell is that once you know who the wearer is, which is me, then you will be able to recognize me even if I'm wearing this bewitched glasses."
Harry blinked thrice and released a disbelieving sigh. "Ingenious!" he exclaimed, gingerly touching the frame of her magical classes. "This is bloody brilliant! A wonderful work-of-art, I tell you! Wow, this thing can probably help me in the future. You know, all those nosy media people and such…"
Hermione merely chuckled. She led him back to the comfortable couches and once they were both settled down, Harry's right arm found its way around her shoulders.
"I've missed you," he honestly stated, burying his nose inside her tresses. Oh, he had truly missed her beautiful, long hair.
"Harry," she said, humored, "we always see each other. What's there to miss?"
"No, no, not like that," he protested. He retracted back his arm, held both of her shoulders, and gently forced her to look intently back into his eyes. "Look at you. You're actually Hermione Granger now." A cheeky grin settled on his handsome face. "Now, I won't feel disgusted every time I tell you that I absolutely love you."
Hermione playfully punched his arm, a warm smile on her face. "Oh, really, Potter," she said, mock irritation at the tone of her voice.
Harry made a low whistle. "Wow, after uttering my last name, I honestly swore you sounded like a true Slytherin back there. You've been spending an awful lot of time with the Slytherins already. It's unhealthy, I tell you!"
The brunette rolled her eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop mocking my new House?" she asked. "Harry, they are not bad at all once you really know them. Well, if you are actually on their good side, they'll act like Gryffindors." She leaned slightly, eyes wide in alarm. "But do not tell them that, okay? Especially Teddy. He'll have my head."
The Gryffindor roared in laughter and pulled Hermione into a hug. "Hermione, Hermione, Hermione," he said in sing-song voice. "What will happen to me if you are not in my life?"
Hermione grinned, although he was not able to see. "You're probably stuck with idiotic Ron and melodramatic Ginny for the rest of your life. Wow, don't you feel grateful that I'm here to keep you sane?"
Harry chuckled, his mood sobering a bit. "Speaking of those two Weasleys, Mrs. Weasley invited me to celebrate Christmas with them."
She felt a slight pang of pain her heart. "Oh yeah?" she asked. Her mood already dampened. "That's nice."
Her best friend released a resigned sigh before pulling away from her and staring back at her chocolate orbs. "You do realize that this is their first Christmas without you, Hermione, right?" he asked.
The pain in her heart intensified ten-fold. "I… know," she answered, her voice cracking. "I just wish I'll be able to spend my Christmas in the Burrow and taste Mrs. Weasley's food. But you do realize that this is also my first Christmas without my parents at home, right?"
A wry smile flashed on Harry's face. "Apparently so," he said.
Silence settled in the room. Hermione's head had magnetized down on Harry's shoulder and she stayed there for a while. "Tell them I love all of them, okay? Every single one of them," she murmured. "Tell them they had been like a second family. Tell them I want them to be happy without… me." A small chuckle escaped from her lips. "Just don't reveal that I'm actually alive. Just tell them that someday, we will all be reunited and once everything is over, I'll give each and every one of them a big, big hug and a loving kiss on their cheeks."
Harry heaved a small breath and patted her back. "I-I will," he stuttered, voice cracking.
Hermione smiled. Harry was trying his hardest not to cry.
She allowed him to compose himself before pulling back away from him. "I think it's best that we go back to our respective dormitories now. I have this gut feeling that you haven't packed your trunk yet," she said teasingly.
The Gryffindor laughed and stood up from the couch, Hermione following suit.
Just before he could completely walk out from the Room of Requirement, Harry spun around and surprised Hermione by pulling her into a tight hug. "Just remember that I love you, yeah?" he murmured against her ear. "And I'll be one of the happiest men in the world once this dangerous mission of yours ended. You understand that?"
Hermione patted his back and smiled. "Of course, I know that, Harry," she answered back. "And I truly love you, too, okay? Now be a man and go back to the Gryffindor common room. I don't want you to breakdown right here and right now."
He scowled and glared. "Who said I'm going to breakdown?" he asked with pride.
The brunette pointedly stared at his glossy, emerald eyes but chose not to say anything. "Fine, I'll see you once the new semester begins, okay?"
"Okay. Just don't forget to send me a gift," he answered before finally bidding her a goodbye and returning back to the Gryffindor Tower.
A/N: Well, that's it for now. Do tell your opinions! The next two chapters will be pure Dramione goodness. I swear :D So, please wait for next Thursday!
Oh, I am panicky now because I have to two tests tomorrow but, good god, after that is summer here so I'm a free person! Do expect frequent updates (well, I'll really try… author's honor XD)
Anyway, that's it for now. Again, reviews please!
With love,
WickedlyAwesomeMe :p