We'll Never Know

We'll Never Know

By: potter_punkette

Chapter Four

Hermione tore through the castle, wiping tears from her eyes. She heard footsteps scurrying behind her. She came to a sudden halt and turned around.

"Hermione? Are you alright?" came a warm voice.

Her eyes met those of Draco Malfoy. His eyes had softened to a velvety grey. You'd have never guessed that the same eyes had once been filled with malice and coldness.

"I-I don't know..." Hermione looked away as she bit her lip. Should I tell him? He does care about me...

"You certainly seem distraught over something..." His eyes were searching hers for something indicating what was wrong...

"Draco, I think...I think I've ruined my friendship with Harry,"

"Oh?" Draco tried his best not to sound amused. Even though he cared for Hermione, his hate for Harry had still remained.

"Well, he has acting all silly, being very dramatic, like on a muggle show called a 'soap opera', then one thing led to the next and we kissed," With that Hermione broke down into sobs. She sat down on the conveniently placed staircase.

Draco, as if being pulled by an unknown force, sat down beside her. Her put his arm around her and said,

"You shouldn't blame yourself, it's not your fault Harry (at the sound of Potter's first name, Draco had flinched, unnoticed by Hermione) likes you."

By now, she'd rested her head on his shoulder and had summoned tissues from (as it seemed) thin air. After a comforting silence, Hermione sighed,

"I guess you're right..."

"Why don't we share some Butterbeers in the kitchens?" he asked coaxingly.

Hermione's face lit up,

"That sounds perfect."

When they'd reached the kitchens Malfoy asked the elves for the Butterbeer. Dobby had hidden himself well behind a pile of dirty tea-cosies. Another house elf had directed them to a table in a far corner of the kitchen near the fireplace. They sat quietly sipping their Butterbeers. The silence was unbearable. Draco finally broke the silence,

"I remember in second year, when you'd been Petrified... My father was making me think horrid things... I felt so bad about calling you a Mudblood, so one night, I'd crept into your hospital stall when I'd gotten detention in the Hospital Wing and I saw you frozen and I..."

"I remember..." said Hermione with a sly smile.

"W-what? But you were frozen...I thought..." Draco's face had (if possible) gotten paler.

"I could hear everything around me, but I couldn't bear any response to anything..."

Draco was stunned, All this time, she'd known?

"I told you I..."

"Yes, I know, but I knew you were babbling..." She smiled at him her brown eyes twinkling in the firelight.

"I was only twelve, but now I think I'm falling for you"

Draco blushed to a shade of deep scarlet and the tone of his skin to the colour of his golden hair made him look like a Gryffindor flag.

"Oh, Draco," Hermione was taken by surprise. She had feelings for him as well, all of a sudden. As if his revelation had unearthed a hidden emotion.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have...I'll go now, it's getting late,"

Draco headed for the portrait hole.

"No, Draco, I think...I think I feel the same way..."

Draco turned toward her. Hermione had read an article in "Witch Weekly" that if you notice someone's pupil's growing when they see you, it means they like you. Draco's pupils had definitely enlarged at the sight of her.

Draco looked into Hermione's eyes, as the firelight played on the brown of her eyes, for the longest time until Draco finally leaned in for a deep, passionate kiss.

Knew there was somebody somewhere...

They held each other until they'd fallen asleep on the rug in front of a beautiful crackling fire.

***

Harry ran up to the Gryffindor Common Room. Ron was waiting in a comfortable armchair in a dark corner.

"Didn't you set off for Malfoy?" asked Harry trying to mask his devastation.

"Nope, headed straight here. You and Hermione are right about..." Ron paused, "Where is she?"

Harry sighed heavily and told Ron the whole story.

"And she just left...Like that?" asked Ron, bewildered.

"Like that," Harry was on the verge of tears, he didn't need Ron driving him over the edge.

"Then she's not worth it, mate,"

"Guess not. I'm such a stupid prat! Kissing Hermione?! Our best friend!"

"We'll patch it up in the morning, let's go to bed. I'm beat!"

Wonder where she is though...Harry dreaded the thought of her possibly being with Malfoy... No, she wouldn't. He put away those thoughts and followed Ron into the boys' dormitories.

The boys wearily trudged up the staircase, passing Nearly Headless Nick who had been muttering to himself about the Headless Hunt ever since term started.

***

Hermione woke happily, remembering last night's events. In the back of her mind, Harry was lurking, waiting to be acknowledged. She pushed him out of her mind and decided to wake Draco.

The house elves that covered them in a warm blanket and had, weirdly enough, changed their socks...

"Draco," she whispered softly.

Draco opened his eyes reluctantly.

"Hermione? Where are we?"

"The kitchens, we fell asleep..."

"Oh..."

"I've just remembered...Happy Christmas!"

Draco was completely awake at this precise moment.

He leapt to his feet and pulled Hermione up with him, he was holding her tightly around the waist,

"Merry Christmas," he kissed the side of her head.

"We should really get back to our Common Rooms," she said suddenly.

Draco looked a bit taken off guard, "Can we meet...in the library...at midnight tonight?" he stammered cutely.

She smiled,

"Sure thing!" She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and hurried off to the Gryffindor Tower.

Once in the Transfiguration hallway, she checked her wristwatch,

Five o'clock...plenty of time to join Harry and Ron to open our presents.

She sneaked through the portrait hole and climbed towards the boys' dormitories. Seamus, Dean and Neville had gone home for the holidays.

Hermione wanted to pretend as if the kiss she'd shared with Harry hadn't happened.

Harry and Ron were already awake.

"Hermione?" they both asked, surprised.

"You're not allowed in here!" exclaimed Ron nervously.

Harry must've told him.

"Did you open the gift I've gotten you?" she asked changing the subject.

"Yea, thanks I really needed the refill." Ron was downing a fifth chocolate frog.

"Ron! It's five o'clock in the morning!"

Ron just shrugged and popped another in his mouth.

Harry was being rather quiet, avoiding Hermione's eyes.

Hermione traced the seam of her robes thinking of what to say next.

"Why don't we finish up with our gifts, have an early breakfast and have a *she sighed thoroughly* snowball fight?" She was making an effort to erase yesterday's events.

"Yea!" The two boys leapt off their beds and picked up their gifts and viciously tore at the wrappings of their gifts.

"Happy Christmas!" they all greeted each other simultaneously.

They'd spent their day busying themselves with various activities. ("One more game of chess, two out of three?" said a hopeful Harry.) They seemed to have forgotten all about the incident that occurred the day before.

After the Christmas feast, and many shared looks between Draco and Hermione; Ron, Harry and Hermione set off for Gryffindor Tower.

Just as they'd exited the Great Hall, Draco passed and dropped a note, unnoticed by Harry or Ron, into Hermione's palm.

When they'd finally settled into the Common Room, tired and full, an argument erupted between Ron and Ginny. It was probably useless babble, but since it was really late and everybody had eaten way too much, but it caused quite a stir.

Hermione found this the perfect distraction for her escape. She'd been wondering about the Draco's note ever since he'd handed it to her. She crept into the dormitory and closed the door; she was alone at long last. She sat on her bed and read the note;

Dear Hermione,

Don't forget about tonight. Midnight...Library. I absolutely cannot wait. Slytherin Common Room is so dreary without you. Ever thought of changing house? Just kidding! See you tonight,

Love,

Draco

Just then someone appeared in the doorway.

"Harry?" she fumbled with the note and stuffed it in her robe.

"I-I came here to talk to you...about last night. On the grounds, remember?"

"Yes,"

"Well it was a foolish thing I did...but, I only did it because my feelings for you have changed."

"Harry, I don't know what to say..." Hermione was searching her brain for something to tell him, "I had feelings for you all year, but now, there's someone else...I'm sorry, Harry,"

"Who?"

Harry looked pained. His eyes seemed to have moistened up. Hermione's heart felt as though it was being squeezed.

"Nobody,"

"Please, it can't be 'nobody'. As long as it's not Malfoy..." he said trying to conceal his disappointment.

There was a long treacherous silence.

"It is him...isn't it?"

Harry, realizing that it was, in fact, Malfoy, collapsed on Lavender's bed. He buried his face in his hands.

"Harry? Please understand..." Hermione was trying to soften the harsh blow, "Harry, I love you. Believe me, but not in that way. It hurts me so much to see you in pain."

"I know, but, I just feel this way...I understand," he said after the long pause, "But why did it have to be Malfoy?"

"Everybody has a good side. I'm not asking you to be his best friend, far from that. I want you to still be my best friend. You can go on hating Malfoy, just say you'll always be my best friend, please?"

"Hermione, I can't put away these feelings for you..." Harry got up and was closing in on her.

Hermione was torn between the two gentlemen... What about Malfoy?

"Please reconsider, Hermione, please, for me?" Harry was now so close to her that the Holy Spirit could not fit between them.

"Harry, I'm truly sorry but..."

Hermione raised her arm and checked her wristwatch.

Ten to midnight...

"I have to go,"

FIN