Things Change

Chapter 37

She knew that Malfoy had never meant to do anything wrong, he needed another chance, and Hermione would give that to him.

***

Harry, and Ginny became a little worried when Hermione didn't show up at classes or lunch. And they found it awfully odd that Draco seemed to be missing too.

At dinner, when they really started to worry, Hermione moped into the Great Hall. Her hair was a complete mess, abnormally bushy, her eyes were a little red but not much. She almost looked like she'd been asleep. Which would be the story she would tell. She had done a good job hiding all of it, she couldn't ruin it now. But all of this pain was hard to hide. She just didn't understand.

When Hermione sat across from the couple, Harry noticed something was wrong, but he was gullible, when it comes to Hermione, that is. Everyone believed Hermione because she was never supposed to lie. He believed her story that she had been reading, and then fell asleep.

Ginny saw right through her little white lie. She recognized the redness around the eyes. She knew she'd been crying because Ginny looked the same way whenever she cried over Dean. Hermione never missed class, was never late, so there must be a reason. A boy. Ginny planned on questioning her the moment Harry left.

***

Hermione was the last to sit at the table and the first to leave. As she was walking away, Ginny Weasley gave her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek and dashed after her.

Hermione was nearing the stair case when someone roughly grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.

She didn't expect to see Ginny, but when she did, she figured it was fine. It was okay to cry. The longer she held it in, the better it felt letting it go. As tears started to roll down her cheeks, and she began breathing heavy, Ginny pulled her into a hug.

Hermione experienced all the pain over again. Like someone has just pured salt into the fresh wound.

"It's okay, Hermione," she whispered into her hair, "Let it out," she added, patting her back.

After a few long minutes of crying, Ginny led Hermione into an empty classroom. She sat Hermione down on a tabletop and stared at her expectantly.

Hermione wiped her eyes, and looked up at her. "What is it, Gin?"

"What is it?" Ginny repeated. "What it is that you're hiding something from me! Aren't I not you're best friend, your sister? It hurts that you would lie to me Hermione."

Hermione thought for a minute, feeling terrible. Ginny had been there for her through everything after the War. How could she lie to her? "I'm sorry, Ginny," she said finally. "I, it's just that I can't. I can't tell you."

Ginny looked at her in disbelief. Hermione should know by know that Ginny Weasley doesn't take no for an answer. "You can't tell me," she almost yelled. "I've told you everything, from the beginning. About Dean, about Harry, and I even tried to help with Ron, but you can't tell me this one thing!"

Hermione shook her head, letting a tear fall free. "You wouldn't understand," she said quietly. "He's different, I know that, but you wouldn't."

"I was right," Ginny said excitedly, "it was a boy!"

Hermione nodded slightly. She was ashamed. She was so afraid to tell her best friend that she had loved a Malfoy.

"Who was it, Hermione," she asked closing in. Hermione looked out the window, contemplating what to do. "Tell me," she asked, standing in front of Hermione.

"Promise me," Hermione asked, "that you won't get mad,"

"Of course-" Ginny started to say.

"-that you won't yell, that you'll let me explain."