Baby Girl

"Baby Girl"

He haunts me in a way no one will ever be able to match. I don't understand it. I am supposed to hate him. I am supposed to loathe him. No. Maybe I never could hate him.

"Hermione, what did you get for number three?" asked Ron's voice.

"Twenty-four," I answered without so much as glancing at my homework.

"Twenty-four? Are you sure? That seems like an awful lot of boomslang skin."

I tried to look annoyed but I couldn't. I couldn't even concentrate on my homework. All I could do was think about HIM. (A/N: Ron and Hermione are dating)

"You shouldn't ask me for answers anyway, Ronald. How will you learn?"

Ron gave me a furious look. I hadn't refused him help since our first year. I knew he could tell something was wrong with me. I decided to ignore him. I needed to see HIM. I pretended to stretch and as I did, I "dropped" my quill. When I turned to pick it up, HE was gone. I was disappointed.

"I'm going back to the common room. I can't concentrate," I announced.

Ron and Harry nodded and helped me gather my books. I put everything in my bag and hurried out of the library. I didn't pay attention to where I was going. I trusted my feet to guide me on the familiar route to the common room. Suddenly, I crashed into someone.

"Watch where you're going, Granger!"

I looked up at the person in my way and was surprised to see HIM. My books crashed to the floor. I dropped down to the floor desperately trying to gather my things. His foot lay on one of my papers. I tried to remove the paper from under his weight. He wouldn't move.

"Do you mind?" I asked impatiently.

"In a hurry, are we?" he asked maliciously.

I yanked the paper from under him and returned to my feet.

"Get out of my way," I said simply.

"What's your hurry?"

"Get the fuck out of my way!" I yelled.

"Language, beaver, language!"

I stepped forward and tried to push him out of my way. He grabbed me by the arms and held me tightly. At the moment I didn't want him to let go, I wanted him to hold me forever. I didn't let him know that I loved his touch.

"Let go of me!" I yelled.

"You can't seriously think that I enjoy touching you," he whispered in my ear.

I felt my heart break. I struggled with him wanting him to let go. I didn't want him to touch me any longer. I just wanted to break free and run away.

He let go of me and pushed me back. I wiped my tears and smacked him with all of my might. I ran as fast as I could feel everything around me die. I reached the common room and gave the Fat Lady the password through tears.

"My dear, what's wrong?" she asked me concerned.

I waved away her question with a glare. She gave me a look of reproach and swung forward allowing me to pass to the common room. I ignored her and ran all the way up to the dormitory and slammed the door behind me. All I wanted to do was cry. Burying my head inside my pillow, I started to sob. A few minutes later, I heard someone open the door of the dormitory followed by Parvati and Lavender's giggles invading the room like a plague.

"Draco is so dreamy!" giggled Lavender uncontrollably.

"I know. I could just eat him alive!" Parvati agreed.

I tried to ignore them. I wiped my tears and buried myself deeper into my pillow. I pretended to be asleep. The hurt was so strong I couldn't overcome the brand-new wave of tears. I desperately tried to turn my tears into a hacking cough.

"Ew," I heard Parvati say silently.

Soon the sound of their stupid giggles made me incredibly tired. My eyelids felt extremely heavy and I surrendered to the sleep that was so desperately trying to take control of my body.

***Next day***

"What happened to you last night, 'Mione?" Harry asked with concern in his voice.

"Nothing, I was just really tired is all. Don't worry about me, Harry," I assured him.

"Maybe you should get some air, you look awfully pale, hun," Ron said.

He was trying to hug me but I kept pulling away. I felt awful. I felt like I had cheated on Ron without actually doing it. The mere thought of kissing someone else felt like someone had slapped the Scarlet Letter upon me. How could I do such a thing? Ron had been so good to me. I couldn't hurt him.

"Okay, I'll walk around the lake," I agreed, again pushing him away.

"Want me to come with you?" he offered.

I shook my head. Before he could say another word, I jumped from the table and walked as quickly as I could to the Entrance Hall. I stepped outside and as soon as I did, I felt alive. I could breathe. I took a moment to feel the wind licking my face.

I started toward the lake, pacing myself while I took in the beautiful scenery. The lake calmed me, everything that was torturing me was temporarily forgotten.

After a few minutes I felt someone's eyes on me. I decided not to pay any mind to the feeling. Soon, it wasn't just the feeling that someone was staring; I could actually feel them behind me. Without looking back, I drew my breath and began to speak.

"Ron, I said you didn't have to come with me. I would rather be alone," I said to him.

He put his hands on my shoulders. The touch sent bolts of electricity through my body. I felt strange; Ron's touch had never had that effect on me. Before I could say another word, he turned me around to face him. I didn't get a chance to look at his face. He placed his lips on mine and I was engulfed in his tantalizing kiss. I returned the kiss, not wanting it to end. His kiss was full of hunger, as if he had been waiting to kiss me for too long. His lips were incredibly soft and sweet. Time no longer existed. I was lost in the kiss. He ran his fingers down my back and the electric bolts returned. When the kiss ended, I kept my eyes closed trying to keep the feeling of the kiss on my lips.

The magic had ended, I had opened my eyes. Ron had not kissed me. Speechless, I looked into his steel gray eyes and for a moment I couldn't find my voice. He wasn't smirking; he was simply looking at me as though waiting for an answer. My eyes filled with tears again and I channeled every ounce of my energy to my hands. I drew my hand back and made to slap him. He caught my hand midair.

"Tell me you liked it . . . please," he said in a pleading voice.

I stared at him as he held my arm suspended in its airborne position. I could no longer hold the tears. My face grew warm and I felt the sting of the fresh tears following their familiar trail down my face. I wrenched my arm from his grasp and ran without looking back toward the castle. My feet guided me because I couldn't see where I was going and simply didn't care. My vision was blurred. My mind was spinning.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Ron's voice said.

I wiped the tears from my eyes as Harry and Ron came into focus. They were just leaving the Great Hall, books in hand. Ron tried to hold me but I pushed him away once more. As the tears started flowing down my face again, I ran up the stairs, knowing my destination; another night of crying into my ever comforting pillow.

***Dinner***

I couldn't bear to look at Ron during dinner. I felt bad about pushing him away when he sincerely wanted to comfort me. I caught him looking at me once in a while but he looked away before I could even try to smile at him.

"Cheer up, mate," I heard Harry whisper to Ron.

I couldn't take it anymore. In a desperate attempt to quiet my conscience and get that horrid look off Ron's face, I called him.

"Ron, lean over. You have something on your face," I called him.

He looked at me and looking very depressed, leaned over to me. I grabbed him by the back of the neck and kissed him before he could speak. He didn't hesitate to return the kiss. I tried to make myself feel even the tiniest spark from his kiss but to no avail. I pulled away and looked into his eyes.

"Wow," he whispered.

I smiled for his sake, but inside I felt horrible. Why was I leading Ron to believe that I loved him, when inside I knew that I didn't love him that way?

"Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, please leave your displays of affection for your own private time," said McGonagall's stern voice from behind us.

"Sorry, Professor," we said at the same time.

With one last flare of her nostrils, McGonagall returned to the staff table. I followed her with my eyes and caught Draco looking at me with a disgusted look. I looked away before that haunting feeling could resurface itself.

**That night***

I waited for Lavender, Parvati, and Jaylene to go to sleep before I reached under my pillow for my diary. The yellow glitter sparkled in the moonlight. I took my wand and pointed it at the lock.

"Hermione," I whispered.

The lock sprung open to reveal the pages within. The picture of Ron, Harry, and me smiled at me from the first page. I turned to the first blank page and picked up the pen I had brought from home.

Dear Diary,

I don't know what to say. I feel ashamed. I feel like a liar. Leading Ron on just isn't right because I know he does love me. What am I to do? When I kissed him today, I felt absolutely nothing, not even a twinge. Yet when Draco kissed me, my world spun, everything seemed right. I didn't want to stop kissing him. It was ecstacy. What I wouldn't give for him to kiss me once again. I am so confused.

Love,

Hermione

I closed the diary and gently placed it back under my pillow. It was no use, writing in the diary didn't calm me like it usually did, instead I just felt desperate for an answer. Feeling a bit nauseous, I stood from my bed and walked out of the dormitory.

"Calm the hell down, Hermione!" I yelled at myself.

I jumped into my favorite armchair by the burnt out fire. Everything around me felt peaceful and I could finally begin to feel my nerves calming. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. The calm was so amazing that I didn't hear the footsteps of someone coming downstairs.

"Hermione?" I heard Harry's voice whisper.

I turned around in mild surprise. Wondering what he was doing in the common room and pleading that he would leave so I could be alone, I gave him a faint smile to acknowledge that I had heard him.

"Are you okay? You've been a little off lately," he asked softly.

"I'm fine, Harry. I'm just going through something at the moment," I assured him, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

I was grateful that he didn't ask me to elaborate. I couldn't tell Harry that I didn't love Ron, that I was fantasizing about his worst enemy. He'd hate me. I couldn't risk hurting Ron and Harry; I couldn't hurt them. No matter how much it hurt, I could never tell them the truth.

***Breakfast***

I skipped breakfast that morning simply because I didn't want to look Ron in the face. I decided to take a walk around the lake. The cold morning air woke me up like no amount of coffee or orange juice ever could.

Thoughts about Draco's kiss drowned me as I reached the spot where it had happened. I could feel his lips on mine once more. How I longed to kiss him once more. The mere thought of his lips on my lips, his eyes watching me, his hands exploring every inch of my body almost drove me insane.

"Hermione," someone whispered.

At first I didn't recognize the voice, I was still clinging to the memory of Draco's kiss. I turned around to meet the voice's owner. Draco's steely eyes met mine.

"Hello," he said simply, but there was no hate in his words.

"You said my name," I said rather stupidly.

I tried to contain the smile forming on my lips. He had said my name. MY name. He hadn't called me mudblood, or Granger, not beaver, but Hermione. How beautiful he made it sound.

"Say it again," I pleaded.

He didn't smile. He simply stepped closer to me, looked me in the eyes, and took a breath.

"Hermione," he whispered again, emphasizing every syllable.

I couldn't hold back the smile that was threatening to take over my mouth. His eyes twinkled but he still didn't smile. He leaned in closer. I could feel his breath on my face. I wanted him to kiss me, to simply kiss me. He placed his lips on mine and gave me a small peck.

"Kiss me, please," I said as I felt the tears forming.

He placed his arms around me and pulled me close to him so that no space existed between us. His hand raced down my spine sending tinily but satisfying sparks through my body. He lowered his face to mine and gently pressed his lips on mine once more. He looked into my eyes and then slowly closed them. The ecstacy I had so longed for returned as our lips locked. His hands automatically went to the small of my back and I kissed him more passionately still. I could feel his tongue exploring every inch of my mouth and I was so lost in his kiss that I refused to acknowledge that it was broad daylight and that anyone could see us and tell Ron.

He pulled away and left me longing for more. He gave me another short peck and looked into my eyes.

"Why are you haunting me?" he whispered into my ear.

I looked into his gray eyes, and for the first time I didn't see a cold, malicious bastard. I saw a vulnerable angel. I saw the smile in his eyes that he dared not show outwardly.

He placed another small kiss on my lips and began to walk away. I stood in place watching him go.

"Did that just happen? Damn, he has a nice ass! Whoa! Where did that come from?

"But what about Ron? What are you going to do about Ron? You can't hurt him that way," whispered my conscience desperately.

***A week later***

A week had passed since my encounter with Draco by the lake. All week we agreed to meet in certain secluded places in the castle. I felt horrible sneaking around but that was the only way I could be with Draco. I knew Harry would never approve, after all, he hated Draco. Ron would be crushed if he found out.

"Come on, Hermione, we're going to be late for Potions!" Harry shouted frantically.

I picked up my books and placed them in my bag along with my quill. Ron grabbed my hand and gave me a sweet smile. I returned the smile feeling very bad about myself. Harry led the way to Potions and we reached the dungeons with time to spare.

The class was waiting for Snape outside the room as usual. A minute after we arrived, I heard Draco's voice approaching. I tensed up knowing that this would be yet another excruciatingly long lesson of pretending to hate each other.

Draco finally came into view and as soon as he caught sight of my hand in Ron's, his smile faded. He looked straight into my eyes and I tried to tell him through my eyes that I loved him.

"What are you looking at Malfoy?" Ron said through gritted teeth.

"The scum of the Earth," Draco said coldly as he glanced at my hand locked in Ron's.

"Ron, don't bother," I said while giving Draco a "disgusted" look.

"No one was talking to you," he said while "glaring" at me.

I smiled inwardly.

"Quiet down," said Snape's greasy voice.

We stepped into the dungeon and took our regular seats. I was prepared to steal glances at Draco and to admire how every hair on his head fell into the right place. Another lesson of wondering how on earth anyone's skin could be so perfect, so perfect that it seemed to be carved right out of marble. The perfect way he tapped his quill when was bored. I couldn't get enough of him.

***After dinner***

Draco ran his fingers through my hair. There was no greater feeling than lying in his arms. He kissed my forehead and looked down at his watch. I grabbed him by the back of the neck and planted a kiss on his soft lips. He returned the kiss and ran his hands all over my body. I did the same. I placed my hands under his shirt and felt his body. I pulled him closer to me and he continued to kiss me. We lost track of the time. Finally, I pulled away and grabbed his hand. I looked into his watch.

"Shit! I told Harry and Ron I'd be in the common room by 8:30! Shit!"

"Don't want to keep Pottie and Weasel waiting," he said sarcastically.

"While we're on the subject: I've decided to tell Ron the truth. I can't take this anymore, Draco! I hate sneaking around!"

Draco gave me that hypnotizing smile and kissed me one last time.

***Gryffindor common room***

"Sorry, I lost track off time!" I said as I ran into the common room to find Harry and Ron sitting by the fire.

"Hermione! We were starting to get worried!" Ron said excitedly as he approached me.

He made to kiss me but I stopped him.

"Ron, wait. There's something I have to tell you and Harry."

Ron looked at me with a scared look on his freckled face. He looked over at Harry and sat next to him.

"What is it, Hermione?" Harry said with concern in his voice.

"Why must they always be so melodramatic?" I thought.

I took a deep breath and took a seat on the floor by them. Carefully, I told them about how I had been feeling confused since Ron and I had started to date. I noticed Ron's expression become solemn. I confessed that I had been having daydreams about someone they loathed a few weeks back. Then, apprehensively I told them about the kiss Draco and I had shared by the lake.

"What! That jackass kissed you? I'll kill him!" Ron said while starting to stand up.

I grabbed his arm and pulled him back down to his seat. After a couple of seconds, I decided to just come out and say it; so I told them that I was in love with Draco and that we'd been seeing each other for a week and a half.

"I'm sorry, Ron! I never meant to hurt you! I was so confused when you asked me out that my automatic response was 'yes'. I thought that if I accepted, I would make you happy, that you wouldn't suffer at my expense. But now I've hurt you in a more horrible way and I'm sorry. I love you, Ron, I'm just not in love with you. I'm sorry," I said while trying to not look at him.

Ron was quiet for a few minutes. He then stood and looked me in the eyes. I could see the hurt in his eyes.

"I will always love you, Hermione. I'll never, no matter how hard I try, understand how you can love Malfoy, but because I love you, I'm not going to hold you back. Besides, you'll always be one of my best friends in the whole world and that's better than not having you in my life at all," he said with tears in his eyes.

He gave me one final kiss on the forehead and walked upstairs. I thought about calling him back but I had nothing to say. I simply turned and watched him go knowing that I had hurt him in the worst possible way.

"I hope you can be happy with Malfoy, 'Mione, but I'll never understand it," Harry's voice said from in front of me.

He was on his feet as well and was well on his way to the dorm. Before I turned around ready to break down in tears, he walked back to me and hugged me.

"Friend or lover, he'll always love you and so will I. So long as you're happy, 'Mione, I'm happy," he whispered into my hair.

I broke down in tears and ran to my dorm as he walked up to his.

***The next morning***

"How did Weasley take it?"

"He was heartbroken of course, but he said he's not resentful. He said that I'm always going to be one of his best friends and nothing will ever change that. It's going to take some time for them to get used to it, but in time I know they will be okay," I answered, thinking back to the night before.

Draco embraced me and kissed my neck.

"Hermione, love is timeless, love will endure all that life has to offer. I love you with all of the strength I possess. I love you, baby girl."

Baby, come close, let me tell you this,

In a whisper my heart says you know it too,

Maybe we both share a secret wish,

And you're feeling my love reaching out to you.

Timeless, don't let it end, no

Now that you're right here in my arms where you should stay,

Hold tight baby,

Timeless, don't let it fade out of sight,

Just let the moment sweep us both away,

Lifting us to where we both agree,

This is timeless love

I see it all baby in your eyes,

When you look at me, you know I feel it too, yes I do,

So let's sail away and meet forever baby,

Where the crystal ocean melts into the sky.

We shouldn't let the moment pass,

Making me shiver, let's make it last,

Why should we lose it?

Don't ever let me go.

Timeless, don't let it end, no,

Now that you're right here in my arms where you should stay,

Hold tight baby,

Timeless, don't let it fade out of sight,

Just let the moment sweep us both away,

Lifting us to where, we both agree,

This is timeless love.

The End