Chapter 8
Midnight Stroll
Classes began on a very exciting note to say the least. Rumours were spreading, flitting rapidly through the air to slowly consume the school. The fight between Pansy and Ron that had resulted in both receiving two months worth of detentions and Hogsmeade visits temporarily revoked, the possibility that there is a picture floating about of Draco and Blaise snogging under the mistletoe, and, the most exciting of all, the notion that Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy had snogged on New Year's and were now an 'item.'
These thoughts consumed the minds of the students to the point where several were no longer paying attention in class. Fights were breaking out between Slytherins and Gryffindors, shouting in defence of their Housemate, claiming that they would never become involved in the other. Even Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were arguing loudly over whether the rumours were correct or not. Somebody had manipulated the rumour to say that Hermione had been snogging Blaise, or that Draco had not been snogging Hermione, but another girl who resembled her. Needless to say, the entire school was playing the game of telephone and with each passing hour, the rumours were more and more intricate, detailed, and nonsensical than the last.
Hermione had taken to darting throughout the hallways, avoiding the probing students and Ron's constant questioning. She hid in the Head's Common Room, listening as Draco ranted and raved about the constant rumours that were slowly ruining their year.
The blond man, on the other hand, was, on the outside, taking things in stride. He denied everything with Blaise and Goyle at his side, supporting his every word. He managed to divert the attention of the curious students by pointing out other things, particularly the fight that amused him so much. A part of him wished that Pansy had hexed off one of Weasley's limbs, but another part didn't want Pansy getting all of the credit for such an awesome feat. Instead, he was stuck with dealing with every little rumour there was in the world.
There were several delicious little rumours that Draco sometimes found amusing, so silly, so unbelievable that it made him smile while Hermione would bury her reddened face into a book as embarrassment overwhelmed her. On other times, she was the one ranting loudly while he watched with a smile on his lips, unable to contain his amusement at the way she fretted loudly.
Needless to say, the first week and a half back were absolute turmoil, with detentions being tossed out daily to students of all ages and from all Houses, shouting matches found in every corner of the school, and the two caught in the center of the gossip were finding the stress slowly mounting to an almost exploding point.
Draco paced in front of the fireplace, running his hands through his hair, cursing under his breath as Hermione sat curled on the couch, book forgotten as she listened to Draco rant and rave about the latest development of the rumours. Apparently someone said that they had 'caught' him and Hermione shagging in a tower, which was completely untrue, for all shagging took place in their safe Heads' Room. However, it didn't stop the rumours from spreading even faster.
"Fucking twats," he growled, throwing his hands up in exasperated fury. "Honestly, you'd think they'd have something better to do with their time! And those bloody arseholes who do nothing but insult us! Fucking bloody hell! 'Draco would rather cut off his own balls than sleep with that stupid chit! 'Hermione would rather sleep with a House Elf than the bastard!' It goes on and on!"
Hermione, having been on the receiving end of rumours for years, had thought that she would be able to take this with ease, was finding her nerves growing more and more frayed with each passing minute. "I know, Draco!" she snapped. "I hear it all the time, too!"
"Fucking hell," he cursed, spinning to give her a hard glare. "You know, if we could just be open about it, if we could just let everyone know that yes, we are together, these damn rumours would stop!"
"This is exactly the reason why we have to keep it quiet! The school is growing more chaotic with each day!" she cried, throwing out an arm for emphasis. "All everyone does is argue! If we came out and told everyone the truth, what do you think would happen?"
"They would stop insulting you!" Draco snapped back, eyes flashing. "I can't stand the way they talk about you! My own bloody House! And I have to listen to it every day at meals, in every class, every hour. I can't go around taking off House points because then they'll know and hell, I'm bloody tired of yelling at them!"
Hermione unfolded herself from the couch, standing slowly in front of her lover. "You think I'm not tired of listening to my House? At least you have Blaise and Goyle; Luna's in a completely different House. All Harry does is grumble and whine, and hell, don't even get me started on Ron. Seamus and Dean are all right, but even they're getting involved in the bloody rumours and starting to ask me damn annoying questions."
"So why can't we just come out and be honest?" Draco cried, spreading his arms wide, moving around animatedly. "Why can't we just tell everyone that we're together and they can fucking sod off for all I care?"
"Because Ron and Harry will try to kill you, and you'd probably end up killing Ron and you and Harry would be in the Hospital Wing!" Hermione shouted back, fists clenched at her sides. "Do you honestly expect to accept this relationship with ease? Do you think that they'll suddenly be great and happy, ready to accept you with open arms? Hell, they're at likely to accept you as Pansy is as likely to accept me!"
"I don't care; I just want this bullshit to stop!"
"You think telling everyone will make it stop? It'll just make things worse! We just have to deal with this for a little bit longer."
"How much longer, Hermione? Because my patience is wearing thinner with each day."
She chewed frantically on her lower lip, fidgeting with the hem of her blouse. "I don't know…"
He ran a hand over his face in impatience. "Avoiding Weasel isn't helping, you know. You're supposed to be calming him down, not ignoring him to the point that he starts screaming and raving."
"I know that!" she snapped. "But I just can't deal with his insane ideas! I've denied it time and time again and all he does is try to pressure me! How do you expect me to deal with him?"
"He's your friend, you're responsibility."
"He's as much my responsibility as Pansy is yours! Don't start talking to me like I'm supposed to be responsible for everyone Ron says or does! I'm not his bloody mother."
He continued to pace, cursing loudly with every step. "Fucking hell…I never thought things would be this bad."
"That's because you're never been on the receiving end of rumours before," she retorted sharply, reminding him of all those years of torture he put her through, his taunting of her, his exploiting and abusing of any rumours that had begun surrounding her and her friends. "You've always helped start them and never had to deal with the consequences."
"Yes, well, I was a right prat back then," he returned without hesitation in his steps. "But honestly, I think this is worse than any bloody rumour I've ever started."
"How come? Because it involves you?" she responded snappishly.
"Because no rumour ever really had people fighting like this. Because everyone is reacting worse than when we said you were dating Potter or that Potter was the Prince of Slytherin. You'd expect people to be more mature after the war, not worse than before!"
"Well maybe you shouldn't have gotten stuck under the mistletoe with me!"
"Me? So you're trying to make it my fault? Don't be so bloody stupid! You moved under the mistletoe after me."
"Ha! I clearly remember going to get something to drink and you 'materializing' beside me. You knew the damn stuff was there, you probably overheard Seamus and Dean talking about it! I know that you wanted to kiss at the countdown, but hell, the least you could've have done was waited until we were alone."
"You initiated the damn thing," he replied, voice shaking with annoyance. "You moved towards me!"
"Oh sod off," she snapped, grabbing her robe from the back of the couch, making her way to the door.
"Where are you going?"
"Away from you!" she shouted, yanking on the black robe. "I'm sick and tired of arguing, I want so peace and bloody quiet!" She toed on her shoes, made sure her wand was in her pocket, and sent him one last glare before slipping out of the door, slamming it behind her.
Draco groaned loudly, moving to collapse onto the couch, burying his face into his hands. Only a week and a half in and things were getting out of control…
How were they going to survive?
She marched through the corridors with unmet determination, frustration making every footstep a loud slap against the cold floors, annoyance giving her face a brilliant red glow as a constant flow of words and curses bubbled from her lips. She damned every little thing that sneaked into her mind, damning the students and their idiocy, damning Ron and his fat mouth, Pansy and her incessant reveries, and Draco and his silly expectancy for everything to go away with a few well chosen words.
Resisting the urge to knock over a suit of armour, Hermione took in several deep breaths and rounded the corner, leaning against the stone wall for support as she tried to calm her overflowing frustration. She had dealt with rumours her entire life, had been on the receiving end of bullies since she had first been integrated into the education system, and had become a permanent fixture of the rumour mill since befriending Harry. She should have been used to them by now, should be able to ignore the rumours, but she had never seen such chaos caused by a few words.
What bothered her the most was that, in the end, the initial, unexaggerated rumours were true and, in denying them, she was not only lying to every person she spoke with, but to her friends as well. In the past, she had always been able to confide in Harry or Ginny, had always been able to laugh at the rumours with them, to push them away with the confidence and strength of her friends standing beside her. Now, she had to rely on help from Draco, Blaise and, surprisingly enough, Goyle. Luna did her best, but she saw the threesome more often than the blonde.
Damn it all…she hated lying to her friends. She hated being unable to tell them the truth, and hated knowing that, if they knew the truth, they might refuse to remain her friends. She tried, time and time again, to watch their reactions whenever they heard the rumours, and she watched, time and time again, as they spent most of their time restraining Ron. Ginny was surprisingly quiet about it all, only growing vocal whenever insults were flung in Hermione's direction, while Harry spent most of his energy trying to calm down Ron.
She was already growing tired, she realized as she slid down the wall to sit on the floor. It was the beginning of semester and already she was exhausted. She was fed up of dealing with the treatment of the other students, tired of the stress, and unable to find any true relief from the stress that plagued her body. She had no idea how she was supposed to survive the remainder of the year, dodging insults, avoiding Harry's questioning gaze and Ron's unwanted affections.
At the sound of approaching footsteps, she scrambled to her feet and was in the process of turning back in the direction of the tower when her named was called. Wincing, she slowly turned back around to face Professor McGonagall.
"Yes, Headmistress?" she replied, adjusting her skirt.
The older woman moved closer to Hermione, long robes rustling against the stone floor. "What are you doing out of bed so late, Miss Granger?"
Her fingers fiddled with the hem of her blouse, swallowing thickly as she tried to think up of a believable excuse. "I…well…"
She swore she saw understanding flit into McGonagall's eyes, saw the woman's lips curl into a smile of sympathy, and was rather surprised at the woman's words. "The students have become rather…distracted lately, don't you think? All of these rumours." She sighed heavily, moving to stare out of a window, gazing down on the pristine school grounds. "You would think that the Houses would grow more united after the war, but now we spend every day splitting them apart."
Hermione blinked at the woman, unable to truly comprehend what this woman was saying. Well…she understood what McGonagall was saying, but why was she saying it? Did she know the truth? Well…she had to; she had caught Hermione and Draco snogging rather passionately in their Tower. The question was, however, why she was saying this. Was she just looking for someone to talk to? Why Hermione? Was this some ploy to get the truth out of Hermione?
She had no clue…
"To be honest," Hermione heaved quietly, crossing her arms under her chest, more hugging her body than anything, "I wanted some time alone."
McGonagall simply glanced her way, that strange smile on her lips, a cross between sympathy and understanding, and Hermione couldn't help but wonder if, for the first time in her life, the older woman was utilising her maternal instincts.
"It's just…so frustrating," she continued without thought, glad to have finally found someone she might be able to vent every single one of her problems to. She knew that the Headmistress would take no sides and she could only offer advice. She would not tell Hermione what to do, but instead give her an idea of what path to take. She was, Hermione realized much later on, a substitute for her own currently absent mother. "Everyone is talking about that New Year's kiss and they are manipulating it so that it's not even the truth anymore. I can't tell the truth because…you know Harry and Ron…" Again, that smile. "Draco is just as frustrated, and now he wants to come clean, to tell the truth, but I know I can't…not until I try to make Harry and Ron calm down and understand…and…it's only been two weeks – two weeks! – and I'm exhausted." Letting out a sound of frustration, Hermione said the words she had rarely ever needed to say her entire life. "I don't know what to do."
Turning slightly, so she was half facing the window, McGonagall sent Hermione a more soothing, gentle smile. "Miss Granger, I would admit that I am a little surprised that you chosen me to divulge this information to, but at the same time, I am also feeling glad that you feel I am trustworthy enough. Now, concerning your problems, well, I suppose that the answer is quite obvious. You must find a way to tell Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley. I understand that this is a rather…volatile situation, particularly concerning your relationship with Mr. Malfoy and your friends' relationship with him, and you must be very careful when choosing your words. Would you like my advice on how to go about this?"
Hermione couldn't understand why McGonagall was being so open about this; she expected the Professor to tell her to stop worrying about such trivial subjects and to get back to the Tower, not have the woman offer her advice on the matter.
It was all very weird and made her feel slightly uncomfortable to see her Professor in such an odd state. It was peculiar to see McGonagall as a woman and not a Professor, even queerer to see her so…unlike herself.
"I…I suppose…"
The woman sent her another knowing smile and it made her face appear younger, softer…less stern and serious than it typically appeared. It was a lovely change from her typical demeanour and expressions.
"You will have to tell Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, that is quite obvious, but I must advise you that they must not be told suddenly. I highly suggest that you divulge the information to Mr. Potter first, so that he may have more time to consider the situation and aid you in explaining it to Mr. Weasley due to his rather…volatile nature. Mr. Malfoy will just have to wait, and, unfortunately for you, you must make him see why. Now," she smiled one final time, turning to fully face Hermione, "I suggest you stop thinking about these silly, trivial matters and start focusing on your schoolwork. It is difficult enough to teach with half of the student population distracted, I do not need my best students just as unfocused as the rest. Now, Miss Granger, I think that you should hurry back to the Heads' Dormitory before I take off points."
Hermione couldn't help but grin at the Professor; feeling strangely better in spite of the confusing fog that constantly dwelled within her mind. "Yes, Headmistress. Have a good night." She spun around, intending to hurry back to the tower, and paused, turning slightly to face the woman. "And…thank you, Headmistress…"
"Good night, Miss Granger."
Moving back down the hall, Hermione smiled in spite of herself, in spite of the chaotic world around her. She knew what she had to do; she had known it all along. It was silly yet fitting that it took a woman aged with wisdom and experience to tell her what to do. It was silly, yes, but she couldn't help but feel that at times, everyone needed someone resembling a mother figure to help them realize the obvious.
Although, she couldn't help but smile at the image of the severe McGonagall as a motherly figure but…times had changed; people were different, they saw different sides, heard different words, and felt a myriad of different emotions. Why restrict it to just the young? Why can't the older population change or have different sides as well?
"But it's just peculiar," she chuckled to herself, rounding another corridor.
"What's peculiar is seeing the Head Girl out after curfew."
Her head snapped up, expecting to see another Professor standing before her, and her eyes slowly widened when they met the freckled face of Ron.
Harry sat in the Common Room, sighing heavily as he stretched out on the couch, trying his hardest to focus on his homework and not everything else. Of course, that everything else always seemed to include the rumours spreading throughout the school, particularly the one where Hermione seemed to have snogged Draco Malfoy senseless.
He just couldn't believe it; Hermione and Draco…such an…unusual pairing, to say the very least. It was unthinkable, the idea that they had snogged, even if forced to because of the enchanted mistletoe. It made his head spin and his blood churn, frustration levels rising to an exploding point each time she denied the rumours.
Something was up…he just couldn't put his finger on it. The way she denied the rumours with such fervour, how Draco and his cronies acted like nothing had happened…something was adding up properly.
And Ron…that was a completely different story. Ron was ready to blow every second of the day, constantly causing a ruckus and drawing a bit too much attention whenever someone dared suggest that Draco was too good for Hermione.
Damn his friend and his volatile personality; Ron just couldn't keep his trap shut for more than five seconds, could he? Not only that, but he was begging to really…well, there was no other way to describe it…weird Harry out. His longing sighs when he looked at Hermione, the way he spoke about how they were meant for each other…all of it was growing creepier with each passing day.
Ron was getting really weird; all of this talk about how Hermione would see the light, how she promised that she would let him know how she felt, how he knew that it was only a matter of time before she went running to him with open arms, calling her love for him. He knew that his friend loved her but damn…lately, it was getting too strange and Harry had no idea how to snap his friend out of it.
And Hermione…she wasn't making things better. Avoiding Ron at all costs, which resulted in Ron's whining and bitching for hours on end, shouting that always involved insulting Hermione, and yet, the hypocrite would turn around and snap at anyone who dared insulted his 'precious Hermione.' With Hermione dodging them and Ron's emotions out in the open, Harry was strung out and exhausted. He was tired of listening to Ron's ranting, exhausted from having to practically chase after Hermione to ask her for a few notes from class…he was fed up.
Ron, the rumours, Hermione…things were so muddled up, all because of one damn New Year's party. Damn Seamus and Dean for having the brilliant idea to hold a party, damn Zabini and Malfoy for deciding to befriend the Gryffindors, and damn everyone else for manipulating and twisting the rumours.
Damn it all to hell…
"Harry?"
Blinking, he focused on the form of Ginny, curled comfortably on the chair beside him, Potions text in hand. "Hm?"
"Are you okay?"
He saw the genuine concern in her eyes, saw the way her lip curled in a way that said she was apprehensive, and couldn't help it when his heart fluttered. In these times, he couldn't depend on many people…but at least he could depend on Ginny.
"Yeah," he muttered, "I'm fine. Just…tired."
She nodded in response, scribbling a note down on the parchment she had laid out on her knee. "I know how you feel; everything is just so…"
"Mental?" he offered.
"Exactly." She shut her book, no longer able to concentrate on the course that she had hated her entire life, no matter who happened to be teaching it. "Hermione's avoiding us, you realize that?"
He nodded, "Yeah."
"I can understand why," she continued, ignoring his look of disbelief. "I mean, I would try to avoid Ron at all costs right now, too. His whole 'I'm going to get the truth, she really didn't snog that ferret, she is my fated lover,' and all of that nonsense is rather irritating, isn't it?"
"At the very least," Harry chuckled when she used a rather false, prophetic voice when imitating Ron. "But she doesn't realize that it's not helping the situation," he pointed out, gesturing to her with his quill.
Idly scratching the parchment with her quill, Ginny shrugged in response. "Can you blame her, though? All he does is shout at her, try to corner her and get the truth out of her. Her life has got to be stressful enough, what with classes and the bloody rumours, so it's easier if she just avoids another stress factor."
"Yes, but…"
"Harry, look," Ginny sighed, "Hermione is a big girl. Yes, it is quite…unthinkable that she would snog Draco Malfoy, and I would be right pissed and want to know why if she had, but we have to let her deal with things her way, even if they don't always seem to be the best."
He tore off the edge of his parchment, tearing it to small pieces. "But don't you think that someone should tell her…?"
"Let her learn on her own; for all we know, she has a plan and this is only part of it."
"The plan involves avoiding me, too?" he said, unable to keep the snapping tone out of his voice. "You know that she avoids me just as much as Ron."
"Because where you go, Ron goes," Ginny pointed out, twirling her quill between her fingers. "And honestly, you can be just as annoying as Ron, so, again, I can't blame her."
He narrowed his eyes. "I'm annoying?"
Rolling her eyes heavenward in a mocking expression, she heaved a false sigh and pressed a hand to her breast. "Very much so…no one understands how I can put up with you and your irritating behaviour. You are just so needy and whiny, it's almost as though you couldn't live without me."
"I can't live without you?" He was shifting on the couch, curling up, ready to pounce.
"It's almost as though you can't stand being away from me; you are practically glued to my side!"
"Well, then, I suppose I ought to be right beside you," he grinned, leaping off of the couch to move swiftly over to her, squeezing his body in beside hers on the couch. She let out a loud squeal, trying in vain to push him off.
They wrestled for a few minutes over who got the majority of the chair, with Harry winning when he plopped Ginny on his lap in a rather unceremonious fashion, earning several looks from nearby students, ranging from glares to jealousy or contentment. Once Ginny gave him a rather thorough kiss, followed by a rather severe talking to, she reopened her book, snuggling on his lap, and resumed her paper.
Harry sighed softly, pleased that at least things were normal between him and Ginny, enjoying this quiet moment amidst the chaos that consumed the school. Soon enough, night would end, morning would come, and with its illuminating rays, the chaos would resume again.
For now…he sat back and enjoyed his moment of peace, taking pleasure in the little things until the larger, more unnecessary subjects became the focus of his life once more.
Draco paced the Head's Common Room, debating whether or not he should chase after Hermione or leave her be. She deserved this moment of quiet thought, he knew that much; he needed one just as much as her, but he didn't want to risk her running into someone and causing more trouble than necessary.
Who was doing the rounds tonight? He couldn't remember for the life of him; the last meeting, he had been too preoccupied with trying to get a glance up Hermione's skirt to pay any attention. This, he realized now, had been futile given that he had not been low enough to see and it only resulted in his worrying now that she was out galivanting and prowling the castle after curfew, with Merlin-knows-who doing the rounds.
Muttering to himself, he threw his body back on the couch, rubbing his face in exhaustion. He was tired of this…tired of all of the fighting, tired of breaking up the fights…just tired. Damn it all, barely two weeks in and already, he was ready to give up and tell the whole world the truth just to shut their yapping mouths. But he knew what it would do to Hermione…sometimes, he wanted to forget that, sometimes he literally did – for example, what had occurred mere moments ago – and it only caused more pain.
He wished that life were simpler; that people could be more trusting, kinder, and less keen on getting the newest gossip and passing on the recent tales. He wished that the damn students could focus on school work, open their minds, and be a bit more accepting of people. He was a changed man; he wasn't the same snivelling snit he had been years ago. He had grown, he had aged, time had ensured that, and he was getting tired of listening to the incessant insults that were only relatively truthful a few years back.
He was tired…and he knew that Hermione was just as exhausted, if not more. He, at least, had a few friends who he could confide in, people who were open, who were able to accept things and not prejudice or insult. Their minds were not closed due to past rivalries.
He supposed it meant all the more than he support her in her decisions, he sighed. She was fighting the same battle and they went nowhere fighting with each other. They had to stand strong, had to unite – even though it sounded silly in his mind – and help each other out, supporting one another instead of denying and defying.
Looking at the fire, watching as the flames crackled merrily on the hearth, he couldn't help but remember the time she had caused the damn fire to be blue for a good week, give or take a few days. It had annoyed the hell out of him, but hell…her little quirks, the way she fought back, it was endearing and he wouldn't like her without those.
Hermione was Hermione…she had her own plans, she followed her own rules – as well as those of the school and Ministry, give or take a few exceptions – and she damn well knew how to kiss and fight. If she knew that this was the right thing, keeping it hidden from Potter and Weasel then, hell, he shouldn't fight her on it. He knew just as well as her that it was right; Potter would hex him and Weasel would detonate on the spot.
Getting to his feet, he wiped his hands on his pants, smoothing the slacks as he dried his palms, and moved towards the door, sliding his feet into a pair of shoes. He knew that she hadn't gone far; she would stay within the school, probably close enough to the Tower so that, if anyone came chasing, she would be able to make a quick exit and avoid confrontation.
He would find her…he would apologize for being a right git, and he would tell her that she was right. He hated admitting it, hated it with a bloody passion, but it made sense to tell the truth. She was right. She did make sense.
It still didn't mean he liked it…but, he had no choice. Making amends was the best thing to do, especially since he loved the hell out of that girl, and it would make living far easier so that they didn't spend their time dancing around each other.
Slipping out of the Tower, he looked left and right before making his choice on the direction she would have chosen, following her invisible footsteps.
"Ron…"
The red-haired man crossed his arms as he stared at Hermione, looking her up and down, eyeing the legs bared by the open robe and shortened skirt, looking over her appreciatively.
"R…Ron?" she stammered, feeling more naked than ever under his scrutinizing, criticizing gaze. She felt his eyes roving over her body and she tugged the robe shut, feeling cold and bare before the man. She wished that a crowd of students would bustle by so that she could sneak into the group and slip away, but in the shadows of night, in the barren halls void of life, she could not hide.
"You've been avoiding me."
She didn't like the tone of his voice; it scared and annoyed her at the same time. A combination of accusation and chastising that made her want to reply with heavy sarcasm. Of course, she couldn't do that now; McGonagall was nearby, she would hear the commotion if Ron started getting out of hand, but Hermione was not in the mood to listen to Ron's condemning shouts.
She wanted to tell him to sod off and have a good night before making her way back to the Tower. Honestly; it was two corridors away, so close, and yet, with Ron standing before her, it felt terrifyingly far.
"I've been busy," she replied curtly, crossing her arms under her breasts, effectively tugging the robe further shut with the movement. "I have a lot of homework to do right now."
"You don't visit me anymore."
She noted his use of me, as opposed to us or Harry and I, something that irked her even more. She wasn't required to visit him, it wasn't mandatory, and she was allowed to have her own life. It wasn't as though her life revolved solely around him.
"As I said; I've been very busy. I want to get my homework finished before the tests start, and I have a lot of Head duties, as well," she explained, wishing that she could tell him that she didn't have to explain anything to him. But, as she reminded herself, it would only cause a ruckus, which would signal McGonagall and would cause the two of them to get in trouble. She really didn't want to get stuck in detention with Ron for even one week.
"I've missed you; it feels like it's been forever since we last saw each other." He took a step forward; wand-tip alit, reminding her that, while his education was not as advanced as hers, he was still rather adept at duelling.
Taking an uncertain step back, grateful that it led her in the direction of the Tower, she retained her strong stance, shoulders stiff, back straight and eyes unwavering. "We saw each other over the holidays."
"That was three weeks ago."
That annoying, whining lilt to his voice jarred her nerves and made her want to smack him. Instead, she heaved a sigh and tightened the grip of her arms around her chest. "Ron, we don't need to see each other every day. You see me in class, anyway, so, technically, we saw each other just a few hours ago."
"But it's not the same. In class, we can't be together…and we have to listen to those atrocious rumours," he added, eyes glowing in wand-light. "Those aren't true, are they? Those disgusting stories about how you snogged Malfoy…because…if they were true…"
She watched as his hand began to quaver as rage slowly surfaced, his admiration and lust for her slipping, twisting and forming into the jealous rage she had seen too often of late. It disturbed her, irked her, and made her wish that she could kill whoever had started the bloody rumour. Even though it was, in part, the truth.
"They're not true," she blurted out quickly, trying her hardest to ease his anger before it burst forth. "Whatever you hear, don't listen to it; just a bunch of idiots trying to stir things up."
He took another step forward and she took one back, adjusting her stance, sliding her hands to her hips so it would be easier to slide her hand into her pocket and retrieve her wand without drawing his attention. She didn't want it to come down to that, but with his rather peculiar nature of late, she didn't know what to expect.
"Hermione…" He took one more step and her hand inched into her pocket; "are you telling me the truth? Because…if I find out that the sick bastard has been forcing himself on you…I'll fucking kill him." His voice rose, hackles rising as his mouth contorted into an unattractive grimace of rage. He spat out the last words, teeth snapping, reminding her of a dog on the attack.
Her fingers twined around her wand and she took a deep breath, willing her body to calm, easing herself into that dead, quiet calm place she had always gone before performing any attack on an individual. In the war, she had learnt how to do it quickly, with a quick breath or two, and she found her place where no emotion could touch her, where nothing could affect her actions.
Survival…it was the only thing in her mind right now. Defend and survive…it was, after all, a world of the survival of the fittest.
"Ron," she tried using her placating voice, removing any sarcasm from her words, becoming more matronly, "they are just rumours. Lies that the students spread to make life seem a bit more interesting, nothing more, nothing less. Just lies. I would never snog Draco Malfoy."
"Really?"
He was like a mood ring or a chameleon of sorts, constantly changing his colours and emotions at the snap of her fingers. One minute, hackles were raised and aggression made his face red and the next, he paled and his voice held this hopeful lilt that sent frissons of uncertainty and disgust down her spine.
Another exhalation of breath was followed by her answer, one of the biggest lies she had ever told; "Yes. He and I…we may get along, but we're nothing but acquaintances who talk about school work." Swallowing her pride along with her intelligence, she took a step forward and, using all of her matronly wiles, she cupped his face with her hands. "Don't worry Ron, there is nothing going on between Draco and I."
His eyes slowly shuttered, heavy lids lowering as he looked down at her through his pale lashes. He swallowed thickly, hands clenching involuntarily at her sides. This was it…this was perfect…she was right in front of him, practically begging for him to kiss her.
He would do it, he told himself, ignoring his rapid heartbeat, he would lower his mouth and conquer hers, show her that Malfoy was nothing but a useless git.
Hermione, all the while, was kicking herself in the back of the head for her idiotic actions. What in the world gave her the stupid courage to stand up and cup his face? She wanted to avoid contact with him, not touch him. He disgusted her, she despised his guts right now, and yet, she was trying to placate him, just because he was, no matter what, one of her best friends.
What in the world was wrong with her? In love with the man she swore to hate, avoiding her friends, realizing that they were nothing but prats and yet still defending and caring about them.
Her brain was not functioning properly…but it was working well enough that she took several steps back, drawing her hands away and wiping them on her robe, as though afraid that the infectious disease of Ron's volatile nature might be spread to her.
"Hermione…why did you move away?"
Staring up at him from her relatively safe distance, she shrugged her shoulders. "I wanted to calm you down," she explained, "you were getting too worked up. Once I saw you were calm enough, I moved away."
He chuckled and it disturbed her more than anything he had done or said so far. "Predictable, intelligent Hermione, always trying to explain everything. Why don't you just feel for once? Ignore the science; forget trying to get the facts, and just feel?"
Draco had said words like that once, but they had made her feel far happier than she felt right now.
"I don't understand, Ron," she admitted, slipping her wand into the sleeve of her robe, crossing her arms to hide any indication that it was in her grasp.
"Don't play games, Hermione," he said, voice lowering with threat. "Don't act like you don't know what you just did."
She did know…she had just been the biggest idiot she had ever known and was now suffering the consequences.
"I wanted to calm you down, Ron, you were getting too worked up, I just…"
"Don't lie to me," he snapped, hackles back up, on the offense once more. "You came to me, you were practically begging to be snogged, and you fucking back off. You're such a tease."
"Oh, get real," she retorted sharply, more annoyed than anything now. "Ron, it's late, we're both tired; I'm going back to the Tower before I do something I regret."
"Like what," he said as she slowly turned her back to him. "Snog me? I know you won't regret it; you'll love it, Hermione, because we were made for each other."
She spun around, ready to give it to him, when a drawling voice rose and the words died on her lips. "Weasel, what the hell is wrong with you? Have you been reading some sick Muggle romance novels or something?"
Hermione wanted to jump into his arms; she was never gladder to see Draco standing a few feet behind her, looking pleasantly dishevelled with his shirt one quarter unbuttoned, tie loose, and hair mussed.
"What are you doing here?" Ron snapped, turning his attention to the blond.
Draco shrugged and decided to go with the age old lie. "I was shagging this delicious little Ravenclaw senseless in a nearby classroom and was on my way back when I heard shouting. Of course, it is too good to find a certain red-headed git pointing his wand at the Head Girl. I say twenty points from Gryffindor for threatening a fellow student."
"I was not threatening her," Ron shouted back, waving his wand around erratically. "She was being a fucking tease."
Draco sent her a pointed stare and she knew that he would grill her later on what Ron would consider to be teasing. "Miss Granger, were you 'teasing' this red-headed Weasel?"
Hermione wanted to snort at the tone he used and instead tapped her foot impatiently on the ground. "No, I was not, I was merely on my way back from the Tower after having conversed with Professor McGonagall on student matters when I bumped into Ronald."
This time a blond brow arched at the mention of the Headmistress and he wondered curiously whether she had really met up with the woman in question or this was just an excuse to be out of bed at this hour without earning any repercussions; not that Ron seemed to be considering anything but killing someone at this moment. However, in the case that the red-headed prat had any sensibility or any form of intelligence within his brain, Draco knew that Hermione might not take the chance.
It also did not go unnoticed that Hermione did not use the Weasel's nickname, which perked Draco's ears and made him want to smile with smug joy. She really didn't like that dunderhead very much anymore, did she?
"Well, then," Draco said calmly, reaching out to tug Hermione back, "I suppose that we must be heading back to the Tower, don't want to get into any trouble now, do we?"
Rolling her eyes, Hermione jerked her arm from his grasp, even though the feel of his hands on her body made her blood boil with lust. "Let go of me, Malfoy," she retorted, "I can walk myself back to the Tower." She turned and nodded to Ron, who seemed rather flabbergasted and unable to speak for the past few minutes. Either it was the shock that Draco would touch Hermione, or that he just could not find any excuse to keep them there any longer. "Good night, Ronald."
Draco couldn't help it; when Hermione had her back turned and was rounding the corner, he flashed a smirk in the redhead's direction, saluted him, and spun around, leaving Ron to stand alone in the hallway, feeling an overwhelming mix of anger and hope. He stood there for some time, hand now at his side, debating over what had just occurred and what it meant, until finally sleep became a necessity and dragged his body to bed, only to be plagued by nightmares of Hermione and Draco kissing.
The next morning, when daylight only increased his headache, he swore to find out the truth once and for all; she had dodged him, had teased him, and then had had the gall to back off and just leave, like that, once Draco arrived. There was something fishy, and he intended to get to the bottom of it.
There we go.
I wanna write more, but I know that if I do, I won't be able to stop and, to be honest, I'll save the rest for a later chapter.
Now, firstly, I know that some of you are thinking "WTF? McGonagall gave Hermione advice? Holy crap, how did this happen?!!?!?!"
My explanation: Hermione is a top student, and has probably spent the most time with McGonagall on various projects and so forth, so they most likely have a relationship similar to the one Harry had had with Dumbledore. Besides, while McGonagall is a very severe woman, she does have a kind heart and I think that, if called for, she would be willing to give advice, even on matters of love.
Any issues with it, go ahead and say them, I don't expect everyone to go "OMG, I LOVED how McGonagall helped Hermione," but please refrain from using insults, thanks. Which means: no flames or…Draco will burn down your house with said flames.
Major LOLzzzzzz, right?
Okay, no.
Now, onto quick apologies. I've been very busy with school work and have not been able to spend as much time writing as I wanted to, add on the fact that I also work every day I'm not at school, and I also have soccer, so I've been very, very, very busy. So I'm sorry for the delay.
Another sad note: on Monday, I will be sending in my laptop to get it repaired. Apparently it no longer readers my adapter, meaning that my battery will not charge. Yes, I called tech support, we tried various things, and my father even took a look, but, alas, I must send it to get it fixed. That will take roughly 9 – 11 business days. So I will not be able to write for some time and must spend the next few days backing every single damn thing on my laptop.
So yeah, this is something that I cannot control and I am sorry in advance for those wishing for a quick update. I feel that it just won't be possible.
Finally, recipe time!
I was looking up various chocolate recipes, because Valentine's Day is a couple weeks away, and found this chocolate recipe involving Chow Mein noodles. I think it would be nice, since the Chinese New Year is quickly approaching, and apparently this got really good reviews.
So, here it is:
Chocolate Chow Mein Clusters
Ingredients
½ cup of semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup butterscotch chips
½ cup Chow Mein noodles
½ cup salted peanuts
In a microwave or heavy saucepan (I suggest you use a metal bowl over a pot that has some slightly boiling water in it), melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips; stir until smooth. Stir in Chow Mein noodles and peanuts until well coated. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. (My own corrections: drop a tablespoonful onto a wax-paper lined baking sheet, sounds a bit…easier to read, doesn't it?) Refrigerates for 2 hours or until set.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Serving: 8
Variations/suggestions: many people doubled the recipe, and there have been mentions that it is a bit rich. Some reviewers used roasted instead of salted peanuts, whereas others suggested that you chop the nuts (and mix with walnuts or cashews is desired) in order to minimize the salty flavour of the peanuts. Another reviewer suggested that you spread the entire mixture onto the sheet and break it into bark.
Here is the site from which I got the recipe:
Take care everyone!!!