Mr maybe

Chapter 17

HERMIONE P.O.V

"Remind me why you invited them, again," I murmur to Harry, my eyes on Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson and Ron who are seated on the couch before the fireplace, the latter two chattering away. A slight shiver of disgust runs down my spine. I don't care how close Ron claims the two of them got during 'The Month', I still haven't gotten used to it. Harry shrugs.

"We all sorta became friends during-"

I hold up a hand, quickly.

"Right," I interrupt, turning away to push the cabinet doors aside to reveal the enchanted wide-screen TV. I don't really want to be reminded of that time, thank you very much. I just want to move on with my life.

I insert our chosen DVD (and by 'our', I really mean 'my'), Pirates Of The Caribbean 2, into the player, set it up and hit pause, before turning back to the group on the couch. Dear Lord, could Ron make it any more obvious that he likes her? Using any excuse to touch her, hanging on her every word... but she does seem to be returning the favour. Giggling away, blushing... well, I have my doubts, but, it seems to make him happy, so...

"Should I start the movie?" I ask, the remote in my hand. At my words, Blaise frowns, slightly, while his fellow Slytherin doesn't even glance up from her companion.

"Movie?" he asks, handsome features screwed up in confusion. "What's that?" Uh, OK. I forget that Slytherins aren't exactly likely to know about muggle contraptions.

"A recording of people acting things out using really realistic props," I explain, succinctly. He nods in acceptance, the wheels turning. Harry enters from the kitchen with bowls of sweets and crisps and places them on the glass table before the couch. As one filled with jelly beans lands on the glass top, Ron looks up from his flirtation with Pansy.

"Where's Ginny?" he asks, nose screwed up, adorably. "Wasn't she supposed to be here by now?"

"She's coming," I reply and, almost instantly, the portrait door swings open revealing my beautiful friend and - Malfoy? Not that I'm surprised to see him, it is his Common Room, as well, of course. But why on Earth are they holding hands?

Around me, the others' jaws drop and it is so silent you could hear an ants dying screams. I watch the smiling two with a slight feeling of dread.

It couldn't be... could it?

I raise an eyebrow, demanding an explanation. Malfoy and Ginny look at each for a moment, seeming to decide whether to say something important and my heart starts to speed up. As he puts an arm around her, my jaw falls to the floor.

"Ginny and I," he begins slowly, his eyes on mine for whatever reason. "Well, we've started going out."

Before me, Pansy gasps as Ron leaps up in expected outrage.

WHAT?

Ginny and Malfoy?

NO WAY!

The two of them can't stand each other. Why in Heaven's name would they go out?

There must be some kind of reasonable explanation for this. Maybe it's a joke. A really bad, unfunny, joke, but a joke nonetheless.

Hope filling me, I walk hurriedly past the still shell-shocked posse on the sofa and, blatantly, ignoring the Spawn Of The Devil, grab hold of Ginny and tug her into the kitchen, shutting the door firmly behind us.

Right, first things first. I open up the cupboard, grab a sachet of microwaveable popcorn and place it on the marble countertop as she stands there, an eyebrow raised. The kitchen is large and well decorated in pine and chrome with a stand-alone central section.