27Chapter Five: Hermione Speaks
"I'm surprised, Draco. I'm real interested in how you went from not knowing anything to knowing descriptive details about Harry Potter's life. That's not natural. I hope you weren't faking your condition just to get out of your schoolwork. I'd be very disappointed in you." Madame Pomfrey gave him a stern look before giving him permission to change and leave.
Draco whistled happily when Madame Pomfrey left the room. 'Finally, out of this room. I'll never look at the color white the same again.' He pulled put his school clothes on and pulled his robe over his head. Madame Pomfrey walked back in just as he finished fixing his hair. He turned and noticed Hermione standing by the door.
"Mister Malfoy, you are good to leave the Hospital Wing. But Miss Granger will escort you down to the Great Hall for dinner just to be safe. But after dinner, you don't have to come back. If you find any more problems with memory, remember to come see me immediately." Madame Pomfrey turned on her heel and walked back to her office.
"Come on, Draco. Ron and I have been anxious to see you, but Madame Pomfrey absolutely refused any visitors that came. Ron started formulating plans on steeling Potter's invisibility cloak just to come see you. He thought that you might look different." She smiled and began walking with him to dinner.
"Forget what I look like, huh? It's only been a few days!" Draco laughed as they walked side-by-side down the corridors.
"Yeah. That's what I told him. It was the only thing keeping him from breaking the rules to see you. But if you think about it, we really don't spend that much time apart. The one thing that I agree with Potter is that we're inseparable." She grinned at him and ruffled his hair.
Draco took this as a reminder that they had been best friends since first year. 'Odd. Although I know this isn't my life, I feel as though it is. I feel as though I really was best friends with Hermione Granger since first year.' He grinned and pinched her side, causing her to squeal.
"Nope, you haven't changed one bit, Draco." She laughed and punched him playfully in the arm. He placed his arm over her in a friendly gesture as they began chatting.
When they reached the Great Hall, Draco pushed open the doors and walked over to the unoccupied chairs near their friends and sat down. Everyone greeted Draco eagerly, glad he was finally out of the Hospital Wing. Ron had entered the Hall and immediately was at Draco's side, commenting on how he looked unlike his usual self. Draco simply laughed and patted Ron's shoulder in amusement. The Gryffindors were having so much fun, they didn't notice the annoyed looks of the Slytherins, and especially of Harry Potter, who had never been treated like Draco was being treated. Well, at least not in this life.
Dinner had come and gone in a flash, leaving everyone with no other choice than to go to their common room's. Draco, being the prefect, stood next to Hermione as they escorted the Gryffindor house back to their common room.
"Draco?" Hermione looked up at him and waited for a response. He looked at her and waited for her to reply.
"I need to talk to you about something" She said, speaking loudly so he could hear her over the bustling conversations behind them.
"What about?" He smirked and raised his eyebrows. She shook her head in amusement but went on.
"Well, I don't have too many girl friends to tell this too, so I thought maybe I'd talk to you. After all, we are best friends, right?"
"Of course. Now spit it out already!" He tickled stopped and tickled her sides affectionately, causing her to giggle loudly. Of course, there were several grumbles heard when the rest of the Gryffindors ran into them. Hermione began to respond once they had started to walk again.
"Okay. I wanted to talk to you about...boys." She turned crimson and tried to hide behind her hands, but Draco pulled them away from her face.
"Sure. If you want. Do you want to talk somewhere private. Like the boys showers? They're almost never occupied." He winked at her, making her laugh for the unknown time that day. It was odd; Draco had never made Hermione laugh that much in the past. Maybe the a couple days in the Hospital Wing had been for the better. If she only knew.
"Yeah. But somewhere else. Maybe outside later. We could go for a walk. No offense, but I'm slightly embarrassed to talk about boys in front of Ron. Not since fourth year." She shook her head at the memory of Ron being bitter because of Viktor.
As if by chance, Ron had pushed his way through the crowd and had caught up with the two.
"What were you saying about me? All I heard was 'Ron.' " He asked curiously.
"Oh, it's nothing, Ron. Just how I think you should double check your potions essay before you turn it in. I think you've got quite a bit of false information in it." She lied. Maybe it's for the better. If he had known what they had really been discussing, he would start interrogating until he found out who it was about.
"Really? Hmm... I copied off of Parvati's, so it's her fault." He accused, not taking notice that copying was just as bad. Ron turned towards a yelling seventh year.
"Ronald! Walk with me?" Ron turned towards his two friends and gave them an apologetic look before scurrying off to the winking girl. Hermione, for once, was grateful to be out of the close watch of one of her friends.
Once Hermione and Draco had led all the Gryffindors to the tower, double checking the corridors for sneaking first years, they headed off towards the Entrance Hall. Not that they would get into trouble; they were prefects after all, and patrolling the grounds was perfectly normal.
Hermione had a small smile on her lips as they both walked towards the gardens together. Draco could only imagine what she was thinking. 'She likes me. Hermione Granger likes me. I can't believe I'm saying this, but this is fantastic!' He thought to himself.
Draco took notice of her ivory face, lightly sprinkled with freckles here and there. He admired her brown hair, unsullied by products and dyes. He also admired her full, pink lips. Draco's heart beat wildly as he become conscious of his feelings towards this true Gryffindor. 'She's beautiful. Absolutely breath taking!' He notice his half open mouth.
Hermione lead Draco to a nearby bench and sat down. She began talking but stopped, taking notice that Draco was off in La-La Land.
"Draco? Are you all right? Perhaps you should go back to the infirmary." Her voice shook out of his reverie and caused him to jump.
"No! I'm just fine." He yelled out, leaving Hermione with slight suspicions.
"Well, if you insist. But back to what I was telling you on boys. I know you'll be able to keep my secrets, Draco. You have in the past." Draco looked at her with a bemused face. 'Why would she want me to keep it a secret. Haven't we dated before?' He shrugged it off and waited for her to spill her soul to him.
"I like this boy, you see. He calls me names and taunts me in front of people-" Draco frowned slightly, remembering all the things he had said to her in the past. He tried to apologize, but she continued.
"But when we're together, he's a sweetheart. I've been on a couple dates with him, but they were always kept secret. I mean, he'll even cuddle with me when everyone's out at Hogsmeade. But I don't think it's right to see him. Actually, I feel it's especially wrong. I don't know what to do, Draco! I think I'm in love with him, but does he feel the same way?" He looked deeply into her eyes when she finished. 'Why was she speaking about me in a different point of view. I'm standing right here. What if she wasn't speaking about me at all?' Draco knitted his brows together and breathed deeply.
"Hermione, who is he?" 'I am now convinced that she's talking about another guy. But who is it. Who was she talking about?' Hermione hesitated before finally answering.
"Harry." Draco gasped and would have fallen off the bench, if it were not for the back board of the bench supporting him.
"...Potter?" Draco felt as though he had swallowed a snake because of the constant pains in his stomach. 'Potter? How could she? I thought Potter was supposed to have my life? How'd he get Hermione as we? I don't understand it; Potter always wins, evil or not.'
Draco pushed the loose hair out of his face to take a good look at Hermione. Her face was streaked with red hot tears. Draco pulled Hermione into a hug and held her as she sobbed into his chest.
"I'm-s-s-sorry, Draco. I didn't mean to get you angry. I just felt sorry for him. He had so little. Before I knew it, I was head over heels for him. I'll understand it if you never speak to me again!" She broke down harder, soaking even Draco's school clothes under his robe.
Draco smoothed her hair down and whispered into her ear. "Hermione, it's you decide who you want to see, not me. Of course I want to talk to you. You're my best friend, after all. I couldn't just abandon you that way. But take some advice from me: don't tell Ron until the wedding. That we, he won't have a choice in what you do." He heard a muffled laugh come from her and he laughed as well.
'It's odd really.' Draco thought to himself. 'I've been so much like a Gryffindor lately. How will the Slytherins act when I return? Oh to hell with them all.' Draco smiled into Hermione's hair and ignored all thoughts of returning to his old life.
Draco pulled Hermione up off the bench and started walking with her back to the common room. He told her about the pro's and con's of dating a Slytherin, causing her to laugh at every one of them. Ironically enough, they passed Blaise Zabini, patrolling the grounds like they had supposedly doing.
Blaise winked at Draco as she passed them and Draco returned it. Hermione laughed and nudged Draco gently, raising her eyebrows to him.
"Oh quiet now, Hermione. I'm not dating a Slytherin." He laughed when she rolled her eyes at him.
"There's nothing wrong with that. Remember what you said Draco. You decide who you want to see, not me. I'm not stopping you. Do as you wish." Hermione winked at him and he smiled. It was a genuine smile. He had thoughts of revenge on Potter. 'You'll pay, Potter. Hermione should be with me. I had that feeling, and that feeling never lies. She'll be with me in the end. Even if I've got to push Potter in a lake.' Draco smiled, thinking un-Gryffindor things about Harry Potter, the boy Hermione loved.
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Weee! I finished the chapter, and I had finals and everything! It's my longest chapter, too! They're getting longer. Well, I want to thank everyone who reviews and such; Continue! Although it takes me a long time to get chapter up and on , it doesn't mean I've stopped writing for the story. Never give up on me, the chapter will be out eventually. I'm loving the reviews, and I want more. You know what they say, give a person money, they won't be satisfied until they get more and more every time.
Oh, before I forget, everyone needs to visit Angel's Harry Potter ezboard and tell her Alanna recommended you. Ravenclaw needs more points, and hopefully I'll be the one to earn them. I'll be back to find the link...Found bhogwarts84035~Remember to register with ezboard first. And remember again, ALANNA recommended you. Come on peeps, I don't think I'd be able to handle having Hufflepuff in the lead. Ravenclaw must at least get in the running... Hopefully..
~Lana
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