Silence

She stood erect and ready, but she didn't move like one would expect someone in her position to do. Her eyes were closed in what seemed like great concentration, but it was really pain. What can she play now? She used to be able to play anything just right. With him as an accompaniment, of course. He took up piano for her. The combination was delightful and sweet. Now she stood alone. She sighed. There was nothing that appealed to her. The baroque pieces were too lively and complex, the romantic too sappy, the modern too crass, the classical too old.

She then drew the bow across the strings, sounding the first chord.

Only the piano is left over to talk with me for a day

The sleeping cello

The old silence

She swung along with the beat of the music, and her heart filled with emotion. Music flowed from her violin and she remembered...

@~'~,~

"Why do you have to keep bothering me?!" She complained. He had encountered her in the hall at twilight, with the shadows pouring in through the windows. "Go away; I know you hate me." Her voice shook slightly as she turned away. His hand grabbed hers, and his eyes sought hers.

"What makes you think I hate you?" he asked quietly.

"I hear you. Laughing at me for being a Mudblood bookworm, making fun of how I look." She flicked her hair with a hand, as if to show an example.

"I haven't said any of those things for a long time. Don't you know how beautiful you are?" She was speechless, shocked. She would never have thought those words would come out of his mouth. His hand reached up and brushed some strands of hair from her face. "I care about you, I really really do."

@~'~,~

"Hang on to me!" he called out behind himself.

"Don't let me go!" she squealed. She held onto his waist a little tighter, loving the warmth of his body. He flashed a smile at her as she squeezed her eyes shut, and they flew high in the sky.

"Trust me." They flew for a couple of minutes. "Come on, open your eyes." She opened them, surprised that he knew she had her eyes shut. They were riding the broomstick like a Muggle motorcycle, with his back to her face.

"How did you -- ?"

"I know. What kind of guy would I be if I didn't know the girl I loved inside and out?" Her heart swelled as they flew higher. He loved her....

@~'~,~

"Come on, let's go," she said eagerly. She gently tugged on his arm, while he solidly sat at the table, not intending to get up.

He hesitated. "I don't really feel like going. I have a lot of homework to do.

"Oh..." she said, disappointed. "Then I'll stay here with you."

"No," he said quickly. "Go to Hogsmeade. Don't get me stop you."

She looked at him, not sure what to make of the situation. "Okay....I'll be back as soon as possible." She leaned in to kiss him, and he turned his head so her lips touched his cheek.

@~'~,~

"Hey babe, can I talk to you?" He motioned for her to come.

"Sure hon." She bounded over and smiled happily. He took her hands and sat her down on the bed, looking very serious. Her smile faded.

"I think it's time we started to see other people."

"See other...people?" He nodded, his eyes pleading with hers in vain. Her hands slid out of his, and she nodded slowly. She walked away with a glazed look in her eyes.

@~'~,~

"Hi, babe." She sat down next to him at the Slytherin table.

"Hi..." he said hesitantly.

"So what are we doing after classes today?"

"Um...I kinda have something to do already." He quickly glanced at her. Her expression did not reveal anything she was feeling.

"Oh? What?" she asked innocently.

"I'm meeting Cho." Her brown eyes widened. "You agreed," he said quickly, hoping to placate the girl next to him. "We're seeing other people."

"But it doesn't mean we can't see each other," she said wistfully, almost in a childish voice. She didn't want to let go so suddenly of someone who had been a part of her life for so long.

"Look, I know it's hard for you, but this is the way it is. It's over between us. Try and understand that." He was starting to lose his patience.

"I do understand that," she snapped. "I just thought we could be friends, not just drop everything overnight."

"I think it would be best," he said slowly, "If we just chill for a while. We'll see what happens." He stood up from the table and left.

I think that you have already showed to understand very much

I understand and I know

You will not miss

@~'~,~

"Hey." He walked over to the comfortable armchair in which she was reclining in the library.

"Hi." She glanced up and then went back to her reading.

"Whatcha reading?" She lifted her book so he could read the title. "Is it interesting?"

"I don't know; I just started." She didn't bother to look up this time.

"Oh....Well, I'll see you around then."

"See ya." When he was out of hearing range, she buried her face into her arms and sobs could be heard from beneath the shaking shoulders.

@~'~,~

She passed by him in the hall. She was about to say hi, but then she saw the girl on his arm and immediately tried to shrink into the crowd. It wasn't necessary, for his eyes were glued on the pretty girl next to him. She was perfect, she thought jealously. Beautiful, thin, tall, fun...everything she wasn't. Her heart ached.

@~'~,~

"Hey." He stopped her before she entered the common room.

"Hi!" She smiled, a happy warm feeling spreading through her.

"Can I ask you something?" She nodded, waiting. "There's this girl I really like. I haven't known her for very long, and I think...." Her heart broke. He wanted love advice. He paused to take a breath. "So you think you can help me?" She snapped to attention.

"Yea, of course." She faked a smile. He sighed in relief. "I knew you would. I know it's hard for you and I to be friends, and there's some feelings left --" Her heart skipped a beat. "-- But I'm glad you could put that aside. You're really a good friend."

You say you will feel sad, I don't believe

Holding you being with me

It is only in the past

Hope that he really needs to love you more compared to me

Only then will I force myself to leave

@~'~,~

"Wanna head over to Honeydukes?"

"Sure!" she said excitedly. They set up a time to meet outside. She saw the signs for the couples only invite for Valentine's Day only. She spent hours getting ready, finally deciding on a red simple, long dress. All the girls in the dorms wondered who was the lucky guy. They hadn't seen her so happy in so long. When she reached Honeydukes, she saw him and waved. Then she stopped. There was she was, the same girl he was walking down the hall with before. She was as perfect as ever in her green party dress, looking more sophisticated then she could ever in her red dress. To top it off, the girl in green was wearing the necklace that he asked her to pick out for him to give to her. It struck her suddenly. She was the girl he wanted advice on.

"Hey, where's your date?" he asked after introductions were made.

"Oh, I don't know." She tried to look aloof and pretended to scan the crowd for her imaginary date. "Why don't you guys go inside and I'll find you later?" They agreed. She watched them enter, and then made her way back, alone.

You want me to say it is very embarrassing

I basically do not want to part

Why do I still have to use subtle smile to carry across?

I do not have this kind of talent to

Tolerate you and accept him

Don't need to worry too much

I will constantly live well

@~'~,~

"No! It's over! I know what you did!" The shriek echoed through the Great Hall.

"I didn't do anything," he protested. Their fight was vicious and it ended with each going in opposite directions. Her heart fluttered when she saw the couple fight. Maybe now was the chance for her and him to get back together again, now that he sees that girl wasn't right for him. She looked at him and her heart broke at the depressed look on his face. The next day, the couple was seen together again.

"Hi..." he approached her quietly. "I know what you did, and I wanna say thanks for talking to her. She means a lot to me."

@~'~,~

She stood still, as she did before she started playing, absorbing the silence of the room. She carefully put the violin back into the case, and her fingers traced the inscription on the side. To Hermione. From Draco, with Love.

@~'~,~

"As long as you keep playing this, I'll always be with you." He had given her the violin soon after he found out she played. "Like an angel," he said. The day he gave it to her was also the day before summer break. She cried all night at the thought of being separated from him for so long.

You have already left far away

I will also slowly get out

Why must I be yielding to you even for separation?

I really do not have a talent

The silence is not this fast

I will learn to give you up

@~'~,~

She looked longingly at the beautiful instrument and closed the case. Click. Click. She walked over to the window, with the case cradled in her arms. She leaned out, looking at the navy blue velvet sky. And she let go. Finally.

It is because I love you too much.