They All Love You

part seventeen

"Yeah thanks again for ditching us, Granger" Malfoy spat. 

All of the eighth years had somehow managed to complete the assignment and were all back in the comfort of an eggshell infested common room. People were worried to speak to anyone at all and had to make sure nobody mentioned the War or even the recent assignment.

"Let it go Draco," Pansy sighed from Draco's bed, pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers. 

Pansy was laying down on her stomach, sprawled across Draco's bed, attempting to shakily paint her nails black, threatening she'd drop paint on the bedspread if Malfoy didn't shut up. Hermione and Harry were overlooking some notes Hermione had completed weeks ago regarding Professor Sprout's murder.

It made her blood boil that people all over the Wizarding World dismissed it as a charm that backfired on her. How the hell does someone backfire a spell like that Hermione internally grumbled as Harry was lowly muttering her notes to himself.

Hermione tried to focus on the notes, but the memory of her in Erised haunted her. Palms sweaty, mind alert and eyes stealing quick worried glances at Harry as he read the notes. She wanted to tell him what she saw, but she didn't want to make anything odd for her and Dean. She didn't like Harry in that way and always saw him like a best friend or practically a brother.

But something knawned at her chest, like she was trying to cover up her feelings. Was she?

"What are you too muttering about over there?" Draco asked, clearly bored.

Hermione nor Harry looked up at him and kept scanning the notes and crazily drawn mind map of Hermione's theories of the incident. "Just some notes," Harry mumbled to dismiss him.

"Hey Hermione, don't you have something to tell Harry?" Pansy egged on, receiving a venomous glare from Hermione.

Harry looked up, his attention caught, "Tell me what?"

"Ahem, well," Hermione chuckled nervously, "It's not a big deal at all but Pansy's making it out to be that way."

Pansy laughed at the stare she was getting from Hermione, What a chicken Pansy thought to herself. Malfoy was quiet the whole time, interested in this newfound gossip.

"So, if it's not a big deal...what is it?" Harry asked, looking at Hermione.

Hermione sighed and stood up, "Let's go talk out in the halls."

Harry raised an eyebrow but nevertheless stood up, following her out of his own dormitory and outside into one of the many halls in Hogwarts Castle. Hermione didn't say anything for a while, awkwardly walking next to Harry, pretending to be interested in the paintings on the wall.

"'Mione, come on you can tell me, when have I ever judged you?" Harry pleaded, breaking the silence.

"Harry you don't suppose you remember the incident you had with the Mirror of Erised? In your first year?"

Harry seemed shocked, "'Suppose I remember' Hermione I think about that all the time, why the sudden question?"

Hermione looked at her feet uncomfortably, "Well, the portkey reward thing? Well, it took me to it."

Harry stopped in the hall, looking like he just saw a Dementor wearing a bubblegum blouse. 

"It took you to the mirror?"

Hermione shook her head, "No, not exactly. It was like- like I was inside of the mirror. I cold physically see what I desired. More tangible, really."

"Mione-"

"Well I might've saw the two of us together, married with children. Happy?" Hermione groaned, obviously frustrated with Harry's tone stressing her out.