Chapter 7: Hermione's Point of View
Hermione enters the Gryffindor Common Room to see everyone in a large circle, cheering and whooping around one particular someone.
She pushes through the large crowd and finally reaches the center to find Ron, standing in the middle, a wide grin across his face as he holds the glistening gold trophy.
She mutters to Harry, "When were the finals?"
"Just finished half an hour ago. Werent you there?"
She shakes her head. "Missed it. Ron won!"
He smiles. "Yep."
She notices him blushing as he casts continuous glances over at Ginny, who is standing in the corner with her friends, talking and giggling.
Hermione gives him a small punch in the arm. "Harry. Ginny's still with Dean, you know."
Harry tries to put on a puzzled expression at first, but he gives up anyway. "Nope. Broke up before the match."
"What happened?"
He shrugs."Dunno."
Hermione tries to hide her smile. "Why don't you tell her?"
"What? And get kicked in the arse? No way!"
She laughs and a sudden motion of pink dashes to Ron in the center. She throws her hands around his neck and crushes his mouth against hers, and he responds quite enthusiastically.
Hermione just stands there in shock for a few moments, her eyes wide open in surprise to take in what just happened.
Ginny jumps up from her seat in the corner, alert of Hermione. Hermione turns to look at her, and she finally understands what she had meant.
Don't want me to give away your little secret, do you? Draco had taunted Ron back on the train.
He's up to something, Ginny had warned her.
Lavender's so annoying, Ron had said in their fifth year.
Annoying? She thinks angrily.
She almost bursts into tears at the sight of them.
Harry is up in the front, clapping with everyone else. He probably had known before, too.
Leaving Hermione alone.
She shoves her way out of the crowd and collapses into an empty classroom. She instantly breaks down, sliding down the wall, covering her face with her knees. She cries to her heart content, her face getting sticky with tears.
"Granger?"
Hermione peeks up from her knees to see a tall, blonde boy standing at the doorway.
She stuffs her face back into her knees, not wanting to fight with him right now.
"Granger, are you all right?"
"Sure."
"No kidding. What's wrong?"
"Nothing. "
"Granger, tell me."
She brings her head up to see Draco Malfoy's pale face looking down at her,,scanning her tear-soaked face.
"You've found out , already, haven't you?"
Hermione looks at him. "What?"
He smirks. "About Weasel, of course."
She narrows her eyes and gets up to her feet. "You knew!"
"Duh."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because, I forgot."
"What do you mean you forgot? That's not something you can easily forget,"she says angrily.
"I just did,okay? I saw Weasel with the little pig Brown in Diagon Alley, in an empty tea shop. They were practically eating each other's faces off."
Hermione bites her lip. "I hate him. That stupid, arrogant, cheater!"
Malfoy shrugs. "I thought you wouldn't take it that harshly if I told you, and you already liked somebody else, so-"
What did that mean? She thinks . She doesn't really have time to process what he is saying.
She bursts into tears again, her voice cracking with sobs. "I wish-I wish-I wish I never even existed! This whole thing, this chaos, none of it would've happened if I wasn't even a witch. If I was a regular, dirty Muggle…" She slides back down the wall.
Malfoy blinks and sits beside her. "Well, you've got to think about others, too, you know. Imagine what Potter and Weasley would do without you. They'd probably kill themselves after they fail in their lives. Imagine what the Weaslette would do without you. She'll be lonely forever without you to be friends with her. Imagine what…"
His voice falters and Hermione looks sideways at him. She realizes that his eyes were never really black. His eyes are like little pools of bright silver, twinking every time the moon reflects upon them. Simply amazing.
Then he does something she would never think he would do.
He slides his arm around her shoulders, her head resting against his arm. She places her head on his shoulder, and he rocks them back and forth.
"You know, every time your boyfriends leave you, you can always come to me for comfort."
She laughs weakly. "I sure will."
They sit there for a bit, just staring at the wall in front of them.
Finally, Hermione breaks the silence. "That time on the train," she says thoughtfully.
"Someone helped me up after a guy knocked me down. That someone was you, wasn't it?"
He smiles. "I don't know. If you say so."
"Malfoy?"
"You can call me Draco."
"Draco," she tastes the words. "Wow, feels weird when I say your first name."
"Rewind and try again."
She laughs. "Okay. Draco?"
"Yes, Hermione?"
"I like you better this way."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I like your nice, warm, happy face better than your annoying, mean, taunting face."
He tries to look hurt. "Annoying?"
"At times."
"Well. I think I like being like this more often."
"Just hearing that makes me feel better."
"Good."
Draco gets up and extends a hand. "Come on. It's really dark. You need some sleep."
"As do you," she takes it and he pulls her up, bringing her only inches from his face. She can feel him breathing on her face.
He puts a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Goodnight, Hermione."
She squeezes his hand. "Thank you, Draco. Goodnight."
She lets go of his hand and leaves the classroom reluctantly, already missing having his arms around her.