Chapter Four
"So what you are saying is you forgive me?" Hermione asked the following morning in the Great Hall. Celebrations had ended late last night so all Gryffindors were very exhausted.
"Yes. I had some time to think last night, and I have realised that being mad at you was a stupid mistake," Ron answered with his mouth full of bacon.
Hermione sighed. Harry looked at her in wonder. He had thought she would have responded positively to Ron's apology. He, Ron, had been talking about how stupid he had been all night.
"What's wrong?" Ron asked as he realised Hermione did not smile at him as he had expected her to do.
"You forgive me? Ron, that is not how it is supposed to be! I am the one to forgive! You shall apologize, Ronald!" Hermione yelled. Harry could understand it now. Hermione felt like the situation had been twisted, and Ron thought he was the one to forgive.
"What? Are you really serious?" Ron had spit out all of his bacon.
"Yes, I am really serious, Ronald! You started this, so you apologize!" Hermione only called Ron by his full name when she was angry with him. Which was a lot.
An unwelcome silence appeared among them. Harry had nearly not been speaking at all during breakfast. He was, too, exhausted over yesterdays celebrations, and not looking forward to an entire day of studying, because he was already behind in school work.
"Fine! I am sorry, okay?" said Ron, finally breaking the silence after a few minutes.
"Yes! Thank you, I forgive you." Harry saw how much Hermione tried to hide her overwhelming happiness. She had won the battle.
Both Ron and Hermione seemed to have forgotten about their rows with Harry, which he only appreciated. He liked that the three of them were talking again. They spent the entire Sunday studying and doing homework. Ron did not fancy it much, but he did not want to get in another row with Hermione. He seemed very happy that they were friends again.
As December arrived, so did an invitation to Professor Slughorn's Christmas Party. For the Slug Club members only, of course. Which meant Ron was once again left out, and having a row with Hermione.
"I do not care about who he runs around and snog! Yes, I had counted on him to be my date to the Christmas party, but now I have made other arrangements," Hermione said in the last week of school before Christmas.
"Really, who?" Harry asked in curiosity. Ron had all of a sudden thrown himself all over Lavender Brown, and their lips were now glued together. Literally.. They had spent a day in the Hospital Wing last week. Harry suspected Hermione for doing it, but she had denied, with a glimpse in her eye though.
"Cormac McLaggen," she sighed. Harry could tell that she was not satisfied with so at all.
"Cormac? You hate Cormac!" Cormac had tried out for the Quidditch team, but had not made it. He had not been very good at all.
"Harry, I do not hate anyone. Some people just annoy me enough for me to dislike them very strongly."
"Really? You don't even hate Voldemort?" asked Harry. Hermione widened her eyes, and hushed at Harry. "What? Do not tell me you are afraid of his name now, Hermione!"
"No, not at all, but we are at the library, Harry! Have some respect!" Harry had never understood Hermione's respect for old books. Sure they had been very useful in their past years and battles at Hogwarts, but it was not like they could hear what they were talking about.
"Anyway, who have you invited?" asked Hermione after a while of silence. It was late so the library was nearly empty. Only Romilda Vane was studying a Potion book in a nearby corner.
Harry picked up a copy of an old Defence Against the Dark Arts book. He remembered it from his fourth year at Hogwarts.
"Luna," he whispered, replying Hermione's question a bit later than expected.
He could hear Hermione choke.
"You are bringing Luna Lovegood to a formal party?" she asked in disbelief.
"Yes! What is so wrong with that? She is actually a really sweet girl, and she knows I am only bringing her as a friend," Harry assured. Luna had been so pleased when Harry had asked her, even though he had asked her as a friend. Ginny had also told Harry how happy Luna had been.
"I had hoped you would be bringing Ginny."
"Ginny? She is probably bringing Dean, anyway, so why bother ask her." Harry was still very bothered by the fact of their relationship.
"They fight all the time, you know, it is just a matter of time," Hermione sighed. Harry knew that she knew about his feelings for Ginny. Hermione always knew such things. Maybe that was just a thing about girls?
At the night of the Christmas Party, while Harry was getting prepared, Ron and Lavender had placed themselves in one of the common-room's most comfortable chairs, and continued their snogging. Harry walked by them as he went to meet Luna, and wrinkled his nose. He thought the look very disgusting. It was in no way love, it was meaningless snogging.
"Harry," a cinnamon sweet voice called Harry's name, as he was walking towards the Ravenclaw Tower.
"Hello, Luna. Are you ready?" he asked. Luna looked quite ravishing in light pink and silver robes. Harry could not tell what it was supposed to be, but it suited Luna very well, especially with her very long, curly, blonde hair. Harry had never noticed the beauty of it.
"Yes, indeed," Luna said with a smile. Harry and her started to walk towards the room where Slughorn always held his parties. They were all alone in the corridors, because everybody else were having dinner in the Great Hall, or packing for leaving Hogwarts in the morning. Harry was leaving too. He was going home with Ron to visit the Weaslys. He was not sure if Hermione was coming with them, though.
"I have never been to this part of the castle before," Luna admitted. They had turned down a corridor full of candle lights, but still no people. They were beginning to hear voices of the people attending the party. They were not far away.
Cormac was trying to take Hermione's hand -again. She gently pushed it away -again.
She was sickened by his need of intimacy. She was really not into him at all. She had only invited him because she knew Ron did not like him at all. Not that Ron would ever know. He never left Lavender's lips.
But as Cormac tried once again, Hermione lost her temper.
"Don't you understand a 'no' or are you used to always getting what you want?" she yelled at Cormac. They were still a great way from the party.
"Well, I honestly thought you wanted me. I mean, otherwise why invite me?" He smirked at her.
The party was full of people, music and food that gave you bad breath. Hermione ate plenty of that so that Cormac would feel disgusted by her. It did not help, though. He was still walking very closely by her, hoping to get a kiss. She would not give him any. Maybe if Ron decided to gate crash.. No, probably not even then.
"I need air," Hermione said to Cormac, and left the party room in such a hurry. She was getting headache from all the noise and all her thoughts.
Hermione walked down a deserted corridor. She could still hear the voices and music in the background. She sat down with her back towards the wall. She placed her head on her knees, and started to cry. She was so tired of everything. Tired of Ron, Cormac, Quidditch.. It all hit her like a light stroking, and her tears were the rain. They floated down her red cheeks. She did not have enough control to stop them from falling from her chocolate brown eyes.
After what seemed like a few hours to Hermione she finally got up, and wanted to walk back. But truth to be told, she was lost. She could not remember whether it was the left or right side she had appeared from. With her head spinning in confusion she started to walk to the right.
A little further down the corridor a tall silhouette was standing, leaning against the wall.
Hermione stopped. She did not know if she should walk any closer. If the person had not seen her, it might was the best for her just to disappear. She probably looked all puffy and red after crying, and she did not want anybody to see her like that.
But she could not tell if the person had seen her. It was hard to see the face.
"I know you are there," the persons, a male, said when Hermione did not move. Hermione froze. She recognized the voice very well. How could she not? That exact voice had been calling her nasty words ever since she had started at Hogwarts.
"Why are you here?" asked Hermione with a fragile voice. She took a few steps closer.
"Oh, it's you, Granger. What are you doing away from the fine party? Don't want to miss out on the fun, do you?"
"Really it is not any fun," spoke Hermione, her voice still fragile. She was not all comfortable in the situation.
"Really? It sounds like it, though." He was right. You could still hear the party, and it did seem like a lot of fun.
"I do not understand why you are here. Should you not be in the Dungeons, packing or something?" she asked. She walked even closer, so now the face of the silhouette was clear. He looked beautiful in the moon light.
"I did not bring a big suitcase," was all Draco Malfoy answered. His pale blonde hair was really shining under the moon.
"Oh."
"Yes, oh." Draco and Hermione where face to face now, not far apart.
"Draco, what are you doing here?" she asked again. She felt like there was something he did not tell her.
"Granger, Granger, Granger," Draco started with a chuckle, "since when have you called me Draco?"
Hermione chuckled. She found it very entertaining that Draco caught such small details.
"Since when did you start hiding in the corridors late night?" she asked in return.
"I do not see why that is any of your business."
Hermione sat down next to Draco who was still standing up. His face looked ice cold, but he did not seem to be freezing.
"What is it about a huge, fabulous party full of smart people that pushes you away?" Draco asked after a while of silence. Hermione chuckled.
"Smart is not exactly a word that describes those people," said she with a smile. "They are more a collection of people with good connections, who loves to brag about it."
"I thought your friend Potter was a member."
"Oh yeah, he is. And so is Ginny. But everybody else are just.."
"Fake," Draco finished her sentence. Hermione looked up and met Draco's eyes.
".. Exactly." Hermione was surprised how exact Draco's word had been. As had he been reading her mind. But Hermione was almost sure that Draco did not know Legilimency.
"I know the types," spoke Draco. He spoke with a voice that Hermione had never heard before. And then she realised that she was actually having a conversation with Draco Malfoy, and she enjoyed it. Hermione got up from the floor in a rush.
"It was, er, nice to talk to you, but I have to go," she said and started to run down the corridor. She stopped and turned around, facing Draco again. "There's a room full of fake people waiting for me," added she.
She saw Draco form a smile. He was smiling at her. That was something she had never seen coming. She wondered if he had forgotten about her face punching him a few years back.