healed (dramione)

37 : Hermione

Song for the Chapter: Moral of the Story ~ Ashe

Hermione's POV

Everybody was talking about it. The whole school was talking about it. And it was all because of Lavender bloody Brown.

Apparently mine and Draco's not-so-secret secret kiss had been seen by somebody coming up towards the castle late after Herbology. And that somebody was Lavender, who had no trouble in telling every student in the castle what she'd found out.

I felt awful. Everybody was bound to take things the wrong way. It would be easy for Draco to brush it off, say that it was my fault - but somehow, I didn't think he would. At least I wouldn't be suffering alone, right?

Instead of questioning me angrily as he usually did, Ron was staying oddly silent. Once or twice that morning Harry had come up to me, opened his mouth to speak, and then shut it again. Ginny wasn't speaking to me. She seemed to be trying to calm Harry and Ron down, but she was looking furious herself. That hurt.

It felt like I'd betrayed my house - no Gryffindor was even looking at me. It took all my willpower not to burst into tears during Charms, and to avoid Draco in Potions. He was obviously trying to talk to me, but I couldn't face it. The lump in my throat was so painful I was afraid I would dissolve into tears if he came close.

There was a painfully empty feeling in my stomach as I traipsed back towards the common room, late that evening. I'd spent as much time as I could in the library, away from everyone, and now I was ready to curl up in bed and never come back out again. That was, until I spotted him.

"Hermione, I --" He began quietly.

I didn't even let him finish. I made as though to smack him across the face, I was so full of rage, but as soon as I saw him it all seemed to collapse pathetically into a wave of uncontrollable sadness. I threw myself on him and wrapped my arms around his neck, sobbing into his shirt. 

He stood rigid for a moment, then slowly, cautiously, enveloped his arms around my back and gently pulled me closer, leaning against the wall. He tentatively rested his head against mine so all I could smell was him, and all I could feel was him. I shut my eyes tight, hoping that when I opened them it would all turn out to be a nightmare.

I was wrong.

"I don't want to go in there," I murmured into him, rubbing my eyes like a child. 

Draco put his hand to my chin and lifted my head to face him, studying me carefully. He sighed. "You don't have to," he replied.

END OF PART 1

Author's Note: Hi! I know this chapter was SUPER short, but I just want to explain about the whole "part 1" thing.

Basically, this story is going to be split into two parts. The first part is this one, and the second will begin next week. It's supposed to represent the transition of Draco and Hermione's relationship, or maybe it represents my laziness as an author. We'll never know.

Anyway! Remember to vote and comment, and if you want, check out my first Dramione book, Loving Him :)