The Project

The Project

Chapter II: Crushed Roses

* * *

"Is there a problem?" asked the professor.

"There must be a mistake!"

"I'm not working anywhere near that mudblood!"

"MALFOY?!"

"Ms. Granger, I've double-checked this list last night so I don't think I have made a mistake. Mr. Malfoy, I don't permit you to use that word in our class and you will work with your partner whether you like it or not. And Mr. Weasley? You have no relation whatsoever in this partnership so I advice you to sit down," said Professor McGonagall sealing off the conversation.

The three of them sat down glaring at each other.

"I don't believe this," Hermione muttered under her breath as Professor McGonagall continued to call out pairs, "this is the last project of the year and I'm doing it with Malfoy,"

"Don't worry Herm, if that yellow-face git did anything to you, just call me and I'll cream him good, he'd wish he never heard of the name 'Weasley'," said Ron pretending that his left hand was Malfoy and punched it with his right.

"Mr. Weasley, you are disrupting the class," said the professor who then called out, "Potter and Munday"

"Hey guys," Harry whispered to Ron and Hermione, "do you know who Munday is?"

"Harry where are you these days? She has been our classmate for like seven years," Hermione whispered back sarcastically. "She's the one with the dark hair and brilliant eyes, she's smart too, I always see her in the library when I go there but she's a loner, I heard."

"Oh, so that's why I haven't heard of her either," said Ron

"You are totally clueless," said Hermione rolling her eyes.

"Weasley, Zabini."

Ron groaned, "Not a Slytherin..."

"Now," said the professor as she finished calling out the pairs, "You will do an Investigatory Project in any topics you wish as long as it is related to Transfiguration. You will spend ten hours per week, not including our class, doing it."

Some students groaned.

"In the first week of June, there will be a presentation of your results," continued Professor McGonagall. "It will be attended by all students and teachers including Professor Dumbledore himself. The pair with the most outstanding and highly appealing presentation will have the highest point and will earn a recommendation from me to the Ministry of Magic after Graduation. Submit to me your project plan next week, good luck and class dismissed."

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione walked out of the classroom and started for the Gryffindor dormitory.

"Harry! Harry Potter!" shouted a voice that echoed along the hallway.

Harry turned around and saw a pretty-looking girl, in pigtails, running after him. He figured that must be Munday. He stopped walking and let the girl catch up to him.

"You must be my Transfiguration partner," he said.

"I'm Elyse Munday," she said at the same time showing superiority, she held out her hand for a handshake.

Harry took it and noticed how her eyes show different shades of blue and green. It was brilliant indeed, almost hypnotic.

"About our project, we must meet everyday in the library where we can discuss..." she continued but Harry couldn't concentrate, he couldn't take his eyes off her brilliant blue-green orbs that serve as her sight, and he followed her to the library.

* * *

"Ron, have you seen Harry?" asked Hermione while they were about to go in the Portrait.

"No, I thought he was following us," Ron answered looking behind him. "I guess he went to the library again."

"Oh well, we'll have to go to dinner without him," she said. "Eleemosynary."

They hurriedly went inside, put their things down and went to the Great Hall.

* * *

In the library, 6:19 PM...

"So... Mutap Prinisa was the first one to transfigure herself into a bumble bee and back into her original state; she was the first animagus but she has no registration so she was arrested and..." Elyse said buried under half a dozen thick, leather-bound books they picked from about a hundred bookshelves.

"Uh-huh," Harry said absent-mindedly. He didn't hear a word that she says because he is still caught in the spell that bound him to her amazing eyes that seemed to glow... Wait a minute I'm supposed to be staring at the book not her eyes!... but those eyes which are now turning blue then green... get a grip Harry! He then forced his head to look at the script written on a book named, The 2^nd Wizarding Firsts, but it seemed like an alien language and couldn't read a single word. All he could think of are 'eyes' and 'brilliant'.

"Maybe we should take a break," Elyse said thirty minutes later, taking her eyes off the calculations she were making, "besides, it's dinner time already," and she began to pack her things up.

"Uh-huh," said Harry nodding, not really paying attention.

"Hello?" she said waving her hand across Harry's eyes "Is anybody home?"

"Yeah... right. Uh-huh," he said.

Elyse grabbed the book Harry was reading and looked at him straight in the eye.

"Are you listening to me?" she said exasperatedly. "I said, I'm going to the Great Hall now and I think you need to eat, Maybe you're just too hungry that you're hearing's conked out"

"Hasanyonetoldyouyou'vegotbeautifuleyes?" he said out of the blue.

"What? And now you're tongue's been disfigured too? You really need food," she said half dragged, half carried Harry out of the library.

Did I just said that to her? Harry thought after he stepped out of somewhat like a trance considering how straight Elyse looked at himI must be really losing my mind!, Then he noticed how Elyse's arm was wrapped in his own and felt the same butterflies the day he saw Cho Chang...

* * *

In the Great Hall, 6:42 PM...

"Where was Harry?" asked Ron impatiently chewing his last traces of fettuccini. (the elves are specializing in Italian Cuisine this week)

"Be patient Ron, maybe he's still in the library with Elyse," said Hermione still halfway through her carbonara..

"Who?"

"You know, Harry's transfiguration partner."

At that point in time, Malfoy's well-known eagle owl (it was the only eagle owl in school) swooped down carrying an envelope that has a visible seal, "M", on it. It dropped the envelope in Hermione's lap.

"It's from Malfoy," she said dully. "Probably about our project"

She read:

Granger,

Due to our last project in Transfiguration, I am forced to collaborate with you. I'm doing this for my grades Granger, and I'm sure you don't want a low score so if you want this project to be successful, go to the library tonight, seven o'clock, sharp. I'll be waiting.

Draco Malfoy

"Who does he think he is?" said Hermione angrily putting her fork too hard on the table. "He think he can boss me around? I'll show him..."

* * *

Library, 7:03 PM...

"There you are," said Draco haughtily as he saw Hermione walking towards the library, "thought you would never come,"

"I wouldn't miss this for the world," answered Hermione sarcastically.

"Okay, let's get started," he said leading the way.

Who am I? Your servant? Hermione thought bitterly and reluctantly followed him towards one of the darkest corners of the library, Okay Master Malfoy, lead me! Hail Master Malfoy! As if! I know more about the library than he does about Quidditch!

"Darn!" he yelled, "Darn, Darn, Darn, DARN!"

"What do you think you're doing? Don't you know anything about the rules in the library?" Hermione hissed, "The Keep Quiet rule?"

"The book that I'm supposed to be borrowing isn't here," said Malfoy shaking his head, "Now, where are we supposed to find our reference?"

"Why don't we ask Madam Pince?"

Together, they went to the desk where they found pointed-faced Madam Pince scanning through a book named Great Guardians of Books and how to become One.

"Ahem," Draco coughed.

"May I help you?" said the librarian eyeing Draco cautiously.

"Can you tell me who borrowed the book entitled Implausible Wonders of Transfiguration by Ethel Wickerworth?"

"Let me see..." she then rummaged through her notes, "Ah, yes, it was borrowed by Mr. Potter, just this evening, six-thirty-four to be exact,"

"Darn that Potter!" Malfoy exclaimed.

"Shhhh! May I remind you Mr. Malfoy that you are still in the library," said Madam Pince glaring at him, then turned her attention to the book she was reading.

"Sorry Ma'am,"

"Maybe it's better if we discuss our project first before we find any reference so that it'll be more easier," Hermione suggested.

"Okay, Ms. Granger, where do you want to discuss? Because obviously, we couldn't speak loud enough to hear each other in the library."

"I suggest we go to an empty classroom to discuss, Mr. Malfoy, would you care to join me?"

"Anything's better than waste time babbling, let's go."

Hermione just rolled her eyes and followed him (again) to a vacant classroom. They then, found seats and began their discussion...

* * *

"No, no, no, no!" said Hermione exhaustedly, "I've told you a hundred times! It doesn't work that way!"

"Well, then how does it work, Ms. know-it-all?" said Draco with the same exhausted voice.

"Oh, great! That's like so mature!"

"And you're thirty years old!"

"Oh, really? I'll tell you something; if it weren't for my grades you wouldn't see me having a conversation with you! If you could call this a conversation!"

"Look, this is definitely not working!"

"Hey! That's the first time this evening that I agree with you! This is simply not working," said Hermione slumping to her seat and crossed her arms across her chest. Malfoy did the same.

"Okay, to solve this problem of ours, we must cooperate with each other. This is getting us nowhere," Hermione said.

"Funny, that's what I've been doing the whole evening and you just go on and do what you want to do," said Draco, "You call that cooperation?"

"You're accusing me of being uncooperative? You're the one who goes on bossing me around," she defended.

Silence...

"Look, Granger..."

"Look, Malfoy..."

They both said the same time.

"Why don't you write your ideas in a piece of parchment, while I write mine," Hermione started. "Then we could exchange it and see if we could agree on anything,"

"Then we would meet tomorrow and we could get started right away," said Malfoy.

"Right."

"Okay."

Minutes passed, Hermione and Draco are still busy writing his and her ideas in a parchment.

Twenty-pass-nine...

"I think this is it," said Malfoy.

"I'm finished with mine too," said Hermione.

They exchanged parchments, packed up their things and went out of the classroom.

"Have a pleasant night, Malfoy," this time, without any sarcasm.

"You too, Granger,"

* * *

At the Gryffindor common room, 9:31 PM...

"Hermie, you're back!" said Ron jumping from the chair he was sitting on and hugged Hermione like he haven't seen her for years.

"Ronnie? What's the matter with you?" puzzled Hermione.

"I miss you," he ogled.

"I-I miss you too," she said taking Ron's arms away from her body. "Why did you stay up so late? Don't tell me you've been waiting for me,"

"Okay, I won't tell you."

"Ron!"

"Okay, okay, I'm just worried about you, you never know what goes on a Slytherin Mind."

"I can take care of myself, and besides nothing happened, we just argued and argued," Hermione said. "Wait a minute, that reminds me I have to read something." She then hurriedly went to their dormitory, but before that, Ron got hold of her wrist.

"Wait! Don't I get a goodnight kiss?" said Ron pleadingly.

"Ron, please, I have enough headache to last me till my deathbed," Hermione said releasing her wrist against Ron's grasp.

"Okay, then I'll do it," he said leaning down and giving her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Goodnight, Ronnie," she smiled.

* * *

(A/N: the red ink is Hermione's and the green one's Draco's)

Draco's Parchment:

My Incredible Ideas:

• Mutilate Potter to a hideous troll XXXX
• Demonstrate the steps to a very complex transformation what kind of transformation?
• Conclude the steps on how to be an animagus without registration that is illegal!
• Transfigure the constellation "Draco" into a more popular one, like "Orion" huh?
• Create a distinguishing star made up of scratch ...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hermione's Parchment:

Ideas:

• Research about the History and Origin of Transfiguration Boring!
• Demonstrate the proper angle of wands in transfiguring an object in any distance Boring 100000x
• Exemplify the state of a matter when transfigured into something else the what?
• Point out the Dueling Animagi; it's rules, persons involved, etc. ____
• Illustrate how to transfigure an object from space (like a star?) ...

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

"Would you believe that Blaise Zabini?" said Ron to Harry who was desperately reading everything about Herbology at their dormitory.

"Why?" Harry said, looking up.

"All she did all night was wave her hair and pout and complain all night," said Ron doing an imitation of Blaise Zabini pouting and waving his flaming red hair, "Oh, Ronald! I don't like that, I don't like this, let's do this one, let's do that one; can you believe she called me Ronald?!"

Harry tried with all his might not to laugh, but his stomach was aching so hard that he has to roll onto his bed and roared with laughter, Ron joined him moments on, Neville had to shout out loud for them to be quiet.

"What about you?" Ron asked after he regained his composure.

"What about what?"

"You know, your partner?" Ron asked again, "Honestly Harry, I wonder where your mind is wandering lately."

"Oh, Elyse?" Harry answered dreamily, "She's great, and she's got the most amazing blue-green eyes in the whole world."

"Excuse me?" said Ron bewildered for a moment, "Are we talking about a Slytherin here?"

"She's not like any Slytherin, Ron," Harry defended and then returned to his dreamlike state. "She's smart, and her eyes, those lovely, beautiful eyes..."

"You'd better get your eyes checked because I don't think you know what you are seeing," interrupted Ron. "She's a Slytherin Harry! Don't tell me that you fancy her, do you?"

"I'm not saying I like her, I was just intrigued by her eyes, that's all," Harry said snapping out of his trance.

"Hoo-kaay, if you say so," said Ron, he then yawned loudly. "I'm going to bed now, 'Night Harry"

"'Night Ron,"

* * *

Next day, Charms Classroom...

"Hey, what about this Blaise?" asked Ron to his partner which is clearly not listening to him. "Transfigure microscopic organisms, explain how, and how it could help the wizarding and muggle world alike."

It was their second meeting for this week.

"Boring," she answered with a fake yawn.

"You always said my ideas are boring," Ron said exasperatedly.

"Because they ARE boring."

"Great, why don't we just change Snape's hair color?" said Ron sarcastically.

"Yeah, right, that would give us the highest score!" Blaise snorted.

"Sure! Why not? We could make it purple, if you want," Ron said laughing at the sight of the ugly-looking professor in purple hair.

"I like lime green, Yeah, lime green would fit him well," Blaise added then laughed too.

"We could make it a combination, The Purple-Lime green-Greasy-haired Professor."

"Yeah, or Neon-Haired Ninny."

"That's a good one, wait, wait I've got a better one, Greenish-Purplish Snapish!"

Both of them laughed but suddenly remembered whom they are laughing with, they then stopped abruptly, giving their surroundings unlikely attention. Silence entered the room.

* * *

"Well, at least we've got one thing in common regarding our lists," Hermione said after she and Draco went inside the empty Transfiguration classroom.

"Yeah," Draco agreed.

"So?"

"So."

Hermione rolled her eyes and started for the door, "Are you coming with me to the library or not?" said her impatient voice.This time, I'm going to lead, she thought.

Draco followed.

They went to the library and (fortunately) got the books they wanted and went back to the Transfiguration classroom.

"Okay," read Hermione from the book entitled, Transfiguring the Space and Beyond: a step-to-step guide to transfiguring everything from 20,000 miles away. "According to this book, to create a star, without any of the natural processes, we must combine our powers together so that the star will have a life span of ordinary stars. We must also locate its exact location in space, we don't want our star to collide with other stars and planets and produce a catastrophe that may even affect the earth, that means a lot of calculations."

Hermione saw Draco listening intently to every word she said; Well at least he's not like Ron who would be asleep by now if I would talk to him like this.

"Well, I guess we get started then," Draco said. "We've got a lot of work to do,"

They continued to work for a few hours and the room is silent but for the scribbling of quills.

"Maybe we should take a break," said Hermione after calculating the distance from each star to avoid collision.

"Yeah, maybe we should," Draco agreed.

Hermione cast a spell and a kettle with teacups and a plate filled with small cakes appeared out of nowhere.

"Not bad, Granger."

"I'm not a Head Girl for nothing, Malfoy."

Hermione served herself with the tea and cakes she brought. Draco just looked at her with a malevolent look in his eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Hermione asked.

"I'm just wondering about the Potion Test the other day," he answered coolly.

"What about it?" Hermione asked, her voice suspicious

"I'm just wondering how in the world did your boyfriend got that high score," he said smirking. "I mean, he couldn't even get the brewing right,"

"He just studied hard, that's all," Hermione answered.

"Studied hard?" Draco said in astonishment. "Don't lie to me Granger, I know there's something more than meets the eye, and I'm going to prove it,"

"What's there to prove? Ron is smart. You're just jealous because there is someone who can beat you in potions," Hermione answered back.

"Jealous am I? You'll see Granger, I'm going to prove to everyone especially to Professor Snape that there is something fishy going around."

"Do whatever you want," said Hermione suppressing her anger, "I think I had enough of this break."

And with the flick of her wand, the kettle, teacups and the plate with cakes disappeared into thin air.

And both continued to do their work.

* * *

And so, weeks passed and almost every Seventh Year is working their butts off. Pressure and Stress are everywhere, lurking behind every classroom filled with pairs but mostly in the library. Arguments break out as well as agreements. The occupants of Astronomy Tower were decreased dramatically and so are the "Snogging Sessions". But when "Hogsmeade Weekend" came, everyone perked up and got excited.

"Hogsmeade, here we come!" bellowed Ron as he and Harry burst inside the Gryffindor common room, "C'mon Hermie, we're going to the Three Broomsticks!"

"I'm dying for a butterbeer," piped in Harry.

"I'm not going," said Hermione, her voice flat. She was writing something down in a piece of parchment.

Both of them almost fell off the stairs on their way to their dormitory, "What?" they said in horror.

"I'm not going, I've got loads of work to do," she replied. "You go on without me,"

"Without you? But Hermie, Hogsmeade isn't complete without you!" Ron said.

Harry just stood there with his mouth opening and closing, very much resembling a fish.

"Oh Ronnie, I've got work to do and tonight's the perfect night for our project," she replied.

"Come on Hermie, give yourself a break, the next Hogsmeade Weekend is ages away," Ron urged.

"But Hermione, why?" gaped Harry for the first time after Hermione's reply.

"Ronnie, you understand, don't you?" said Hermione in a pleading voice ignoring Harry. She stood up and grabbed both Ron's hands. "Something will happen tonight that hasn't happened for half a thousand years. And it will be the perfect opportunity for our project."

Ron breathed a sigh of defeat and kissed Hermione lightly on the lips. "You'll take care right?"

"I will," she said then turned her attention to Harry. "Bye Harry, say hello to Madam Rosmerta for me will you?"

"C'mon Harry, we'll hit Honeyduke's first," he said dragging Harry who finally managed to say "Bye".

"Oh, before I forgot." Both heads turned. "I'll be at the Astronomy Tower with Draco tonight, I might be late. Don't stay up and wait for me okay?" Hermione then gathered her things and went to her dormitory.

"Draco? Since when did she start to call Malfoy 'Draco'?" asked Harry, "and the Astronomy Tower? Isn't that where they sno— "

"Oh, shut up, Harry,"

* * *

"Oh God, I can't believe I lived to see this event," breathed Hermione after they came to set their things up and gazed at the magically magnified ceiling where millions of stars and planets and other cosmic mysteries are seen. (In the Astronomy classroom, it is always night so you could always observe the stars without the use of very powerful telescopes)

"Yeah, the earth only faces the Murbik's Spot every five-hundred years," agreed Draco.

(The Murbik's Spot is another cosmic mystery, which the muggles haven't discovered yet; it is a circular place where there is absolutely nothing in it and no one can tell what it is made of and seemed like a great spot of nothingness; it was first discovered by Wizard Astronomer Remor Murbik ;Order of Merlin Second Class; and it only happened twice not including the one that is about to happen. Its radius is nine hundred thousand kilometers and three hundred thousand million light-years away from earth)

"It is a perfect location for our star," said Hermione. "Oh, by the way, we must point our wands at exactly fifteen degrees to the right away from the constellation Canis Minor and sixty-five point two degrees left from Orion,"

"Uh huh, in here?" Draco pointed his wand after he spotted the familiar groupings of stars.

"Yup," agreed Hermione pointing her own wand, It's a great relief that Draco knows a lot about Astronomy, Hermione thought while watching Draco furrow his brows to his own parchment of calculations, at least we don't fight the way we used to, he is very determined and I'd never thought that he also sacrificed not going to Hogsmeade just for this.

Draco took his eyes off the numbers on his parchment and saw Hermione examining the night and sky rereading the books in case there is something she missed, She is so responsible and meticulous, and she makes everything less boring, maybe that's why I skipped the chance to have a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks just for this.

"Hermione..."

"Yes?"

"...Uh,"

"Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing."

"Okay," she said, "I think everything's ready."

* * *

"Uh, Ron? The Three broomsticks is that way," said Harry pointing to the opposite road where Ron is going.

"I know, Harry," said Ron with a determined glint in his eyes. "I'm just going to Mrs. Freida's Magical Herbs and Flowers,"

"What are you gonna do there?" Harry said running up to his best friend.

"I'm going to buy Hermione flowers," Ron answered, "not just ordinary ones, I'm going to buy her flowers that will never wilt or die,"

"Oh, you mean the plastic ones?"

"What's 'Plas-tik'?"

"Never mind, it's a muggle thing."

They reached Mrs. Freida's and already they smelled the lovely fragrance of flowers of different kinds. Exotic Pansies, Tropical Sunflowers, Frozen Lilacs from Antarctica, Carnations, Daisies, even an occasional Bonsai in every corner. There are also herbs of different sizes and uses. Harry decided to stay outside and check out the Quality Quidditch Supplies next door.

But Ron has his eye set for a bunch of Blue Roses in a flower pot that is marked, "New Arrival from the Mediterranean Islands, Guaranteed never to die," in the farthest part of the store. He laid a hand on his moneybag and went to the counter where he found a scraggly old lady in a horrible pair of glasses, reading yesterday's copy of the Daily Prophet, Ron could clearly see the date from the back side. That must be Mrs. Freida.

"Excuse me," Ron said.

Mrs. Freida continued to read.

"Ahem," Ron coughed. "Excuse me!"

And then the old woman snapped and put her newspaper away, "You don't have to shout, young man. I'm not deaf you know," she said in a rough voice.

Ron just rolled his eyes and said, "I want to buy the bunch of blue roses back there."

"Oh, the 'Blue Everlast', that's fifteen galleons per dozen," she said, her voice monotonous.

Ron gaped at her, "Fifteen Galleons?!" He didn't think it would cost that much.

"If you want it gift wrapped, that is an extra ten sickles, if you want it in a pot, that is an additional fifteen sickles, If you want to enhance its fragrance and color, that's an additional seventeen sickles and two knuts, if you want to have it arranged, that's an extra twenty-two sickles and twelve knuts," she all said this in one breath. "So, what will it be?"

"Um," said Ron glancing nervously at his moneybag, he couldn't even afford to buy half a dozen. "Can I have three?"

"Three?" she said narrowing her eyes through her ugly spectacles.

"Please?" pleaded Ron.

Mrs. Freida's face softened, she smiled and said, "Okay, and since you look like my grandson, Riley, I will give them to you for free."

"Really?" said Ron brightening.

"In one condition," Mrs. Freida said.

Ron's brightness flickered.

"Can I squeeze you? You know, I really love to squeeze my grandson but I never could because he hates it," said the old woman.

Ron almost doubled in laughter but kept his composure, he imagined that Mrs. Freida would let him work here until he earned his payment for the roses. But as the older woman advanced on him and began to pinch his cheeks and saying, "Oh, you cute, cute thing," and"You little cuddly, wuddly" and "My wittle baby boy." He began to laugh.

After that "Mother-Baby cuddling," Ron finally got his roses, scented as a perfumed field of roses like it, after promising that he will be back next Hogsmeade Weekend. He met Harry outside and went to the Three Broomsticks feeling extremely happy that he had done something that will make Hermione really proud of him as her boyfriend.

* * *

Astronomy Tower, 12:27 A.M.

"That should do it," said Hermione smiling and still pointing her wand to the magical sky inside the Astronomy classroom. They already did the first part of the spell; they only have to do it again next week.

"Finally!" said Draco in an exhausted voice.

Then they looked at each other; both have contented smiles on their faces and their eyes, filled with accomplishment, locked.

Hermione could clearly see Draco's features by the moonlight, his pale skin, his blonde hair, and his gray eyes, but there's a difference. Somehow, it was neither cold nor malicious. The expression was different from the Draco she knew six years ago.

Draco managed to notice Hermione's bushy, brown hair, her chestnut eyes, her finely chiseled nose, and her lips... it was all visible under the twinkling light of the stars. She is quite attractive, Draco thought.

Suddenly, Draco's hand stroked Hermione's face. Then Draco's own face bent down and then it happened, both lips met in a soft, gentle, kiss. There was no rush, they were like doing a slow dance under the stars, everything was done in slow motion and everything felt natural...

* * *

As I watched their lips met, I immediately feel blood rushing through my veins and unknowingly balling my fist until my knuckles turned white and automatically feeling the pain from the thorns that I brought for her. But the physical pain from these thorns doesn't mean anything to the pain I felt inside. I stood there dumbfounded, thinking that there was something wrong with my eyes. I never knew what happened next because before I knew it, I was running towards our common room to the dormitory and punched the wall to release my anger...

* * *

What am I doing? Hermione thought, she then pushed Draco away, breaking their kiss, "I-I ha-ave to g-go," she stammered packing her charts and books as fast as she could.

"Uh... yeah, I must be going too," Draco said, he then packed his things too.

"Have a pleasant night, Hermione," he said as they went outside and set off to their separate ways.

"Good night, Draco," Hermione said as she rushed down towards their common room, to her dormitory, to contemplate on what happened. Not looking back at Draco and not noticing the crushed roses that lies on the floor...

* * *