Chapter 11: Hermione's Point of View
"In the name of Merlin, Hermione! Next time you decide to sneak off like that,please notify me! Do you not know how worried I was?" Ginny exclaims as Hermione enters the common room.
"Yes,yes, I'm sorry, it was urgent-"
"What was so urgent you couldn't tell me before?" She demands.
Hermione looks at her best friend. Should she tell her? Should she confess?
After all, Ginny is the only person left to confess to.
Hermione sighs. "Fine. I'll tell you everything once you calm down."
She plops down beside her. "So," she starts nervously.
"Go on."
"I-I was at the breakfast hall this morning."
"No. I want it from the beginning."
"Beginning of what?" Hermione asks, confused.
"Of whatever it is you are hiding."
"Oh."
She takes a deep breath. "I had snuck into the Room of Requirement for some late-night reading. I thought I was alone, but surprisingly, I wasn't. He thought I was an intruder, so he stunned me just before I was about to stun him."
Ginny raises her eyebrows.
"I fell unconscious until the next morning. I found myself in Slytherin robes on a couch in the Room."
Ginny's expression changes. "Malfoy," she says, with threatening malice.
"Wait. I figured the same and after I came back, I decided to return his robes, or it'd be pretty awkward if you or the others find Slytherin robes in my dormitory. I was on my way to the Slytherin common room when some bully Slytherin blocked my way and was about to hurt me when Draco stopped him and told him to leave. I thanked him and gave his robes back."
"And then?"
Hermione sighs. "That scene was over. Next day during Potions, Draco and I were paired together. He taunted me, and he taunted me back, the usual. Until I shoved the worms into his face and he fell,with the worms on him. I helped him after I'd finished laughing. He laughed too, and suddenly he started acting all nice and happy. I was surprised."
But Ginny is already doubling over and laughing. "He fell? You should've taken pictures-"
"Ask Ronald for a memoir," she snaps irritably.
Ginny falls silent and clears her throat. "Continue."
"After that I started wondering if Draco was always mean,or if he just did it to show people he could keep his cool. Couldn't stop thinking about it. We had abrupt random meetings afterward; all of them turned out to be really awkward. I had come to the feeling that we could become friends."
"Did you? Become friends?"
"Well, I dunno, really. This morning at the Breakfast hall he just randomly sprinted out go the hall, so I followed him. It turned out he was going to the Room of Requirement. I found him there, cr-"
Hermione's voice falters.
"What? What was he doing in there?"
"He was crying."
"Crying? You've go to be kidding me. Draco Malfoy doesn't know how to cry."
"He was. A lot. I asked him what was wrong and he wouldn't tell me. I told him I could help him, but he kept saying it was too dangerous. I tried to comfort him,but he kept sobbing. I couldn't really do anything."
Ginny looks at her thoughtfully. "Why was he crying? There must be some reason."
Hermione shrugs. "At first I kept arguing until he finally gave in. I was horrified when he told me about it, but I told him I would help him."
"So you're helping him? Draco Malfoy? The one you hate?"
"Oh, Ginny! Don't you see? I have to. I can't just leave him to deal with it himself. He's helpless."
"It's his problem, not yours."
"If it's his problem, it's my problem, too."
"Why?"
"Ginny, these past few days, we've been more than just I found out about Ron and Lavender, he found me and comforted me. I talked to him that night I found him lurking in the library. We're friends."
"What if he's using you? What if he's just being nice to you so he can get to Harry through you for Yo-Know-Who? You don't know anything about him! Nobody does!" Ginny exclaims.
"I know enough about him to be able to tell if he's lying or not. I him enough to ow that Draco Malfoy has a heart."
Ginny snorts aggressively. "A fake heart."
"I bet you wouldn't say that after I've finished."
"Shoot then," Ginny folds her arms.
"He kissed me."
Ginny nearly screams."WHAT DID YOU SAY?"
"He kissed me on the lips. And I kissed him back," Hermione says, smirking.
"I can't believe you, Hermione. You of all people ought to understand-"
"Oh, shut up. Wouldn't you have kissed Harry if you had the chance."
"A matter of fact, I already have."
"You have?" Hermione says, astonished. How much had she missed these past days?
"Yes. Yesterday. Nevertheless, you wouldn't know, since you're too busy thinking about snogging the Slytherin pureblood Prince to talk to your best friend."
Hermione stares at her, shocked. "How could you say that?"
"I can say that because it's true," Ginny says angrily.
"Ginny! We both know that you and Harry and Ron-well maybe not Ron at this moment-are way more important to me than Draco! You guys are everything to me, and now that I've already lost Ronald to a pig, you leaving will just make it worse."
"Hermione, you've been lost in your own little world these days. Everytime I talk to you, you're daydreaming. You sneak off in the middle of the night to meet a Slytherin. How worse can I feel? I try to talk to you about Harry, but you don't seem to give a crap. Now that I know, you're always thinking about him."
"By the name of Merlin, I thought you would understand. I thought you would help me if I told you. I thought you were my best friend. But clearly you're not. I have nobody. Ron's left me, Harry doesn't even talk to me anymore , and you don't understand me. Nothing."
"Didn't you think they ignore you for a reason? They know something is wrong with you. You've been keeping your distance from them, so they will too."
She gets up abruptly and storms away, leaving Hermione horrified.