Masked

Chapter 3

The next day at breakfast I skipped again, but this time Malfoy did not follow me, instead it was Fred. While Harry eyed Ginny and Ron dealt with stupid Lavender Brown, Fred laced his hand in mine and lead me out onto the grounds. He took me on a walk on the edge of the forbidden forest.

Casually I say, “George, I thought this stupid rivalry was over.” I take my hand out of his and put them on my hips.

The pretend Fred starts cracking up, “I swear ‘Mione, you should have been our mother. You seem to be the only one able to tell us apart the quickest.”

I roll my eyes, but I smile at this stupid trickery. “Well last night was definitely Fred, so does he know you’re here George?” I kick a few pebbles into the forest as our strides seem to lessen and we walk slower as though hanging onto all the time we could.

“He doesn’t need to know. You know you only chose him because you didn’t want to break Fred and I apart. He was the only one not willing to share you.” He gestures as though this is the only reason I ended it with Fred this summer.

“Me dating both of you would never work George and anyways I’m with Fred now so drop it.”

“It’s ok to be in love with two people Hermione.” He turns around and stands in front of me. I stop walking and think, ‘But am I allowed to be in love with three?’ I look away from George and stare at the castle.

“No George it’s not ok when the person you’re dating will be hurt from it,” I look back at him, and I can see the old hurt from this summer begin to show up in his eyes. “If you cared for your brother, you would leave it be.” I begin to walk away, the grass blurring together with the tears growing in my eyes.

“If you cared about yourself you wouldn’t have leashed yourself to my brother while you were trying to get over Malfoy.” I keep walking trying to hide the small hesitate step I had when he said Draco’s name. George was the only one I ever purposely told about Malfoy. Once I was in the castle I ran to the girls lavatory and screamed and kicked the wall. When did I become so pathetic, able to be reduced to tears so easily. I used to be the unbreakable one out of everyone, but here I am pathetically crying in a girls lavatory. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I hadn’t heard the door open and close, and I felt a hand touch my shoulder.

I spun around pulling my wand out of my pocket and pointing it threateningly at this unwanted guest. It’s Ginny, she raises her hands in a surrender style and backs up a few steps. I lower my wand, “Sorry Ginny you startled me…”

“Obviously…” She lowers her hands when I pocketed my wand again. “So…” She begins awkwardly, “Why are you crying… this time?” I know she’s only trying to be nice and not really acting out of friendship, since she hasn’t really talked to me since last year and it just got worse over the summer.

“It’s complicated..” I struggle so much to continue, that I end up being silent for a few minutes as I stare at the marble floor.

“Not willing to talk to me still? I see how it is.” She turns away in anger and begins to storm out of the lavatory.

“Wait!?” I yell desperately trying to stop her, and she did. She turned back with a hopeful glimmer in her eyes.

“If you sit with me somewhere, I swear I’ll tell you everything, you just need to give me time.” She seems to think about this for a second. She nods her head and gives a hand gestured as to say 'follow me'.

We walk in silence down very empty corridors, it is a Sunday with wonderful weather. Obviously everyone will be outside by the lake for some lounging around on the grounds. She enters the staircase leading up to the astronomy tower, I hesitate at the bottom step but in the end I follow Ginny up. Once I reach the top of the tower I found Ginny sitting in one of the windows and I go to join her. She stares at me at first as I retell my secrets from the last two years, some she already knew. About halfway through she started staring out the window almost like she was so disturbed she couldn’t look at me.