I was standing in the great hall, reading while waiting, when Draco snuck up behind me.
“Boo!” he shouted, making me jump. “Scared you, didn't I, hermione!”
“Yes, you did!” I laughed. We went outside and started the long walk to hogsmeade. “so, anything special you want to do when we get there?” I asked him.
“nah, I say we just take it as it comes. if we want to go to honeydukes, we go to honeydukes. If we want to go to Zonko's joke shop, we go there. Just do whatever we want. After all, we are free today!” we both started laughing like maniacs.
When I was with Draco, I felt free. Untethered. Like nothing really mattered except the here and now. I laughed easier, I smiled easier, and I managed to stop thinking about Ron. He made me feel free. But there was still something nagging at the back of my thoughts.
We had arrived at hogsmeade. “Let's go in there!” I shouted, pointing at one of the shops. We walked in and started talking again.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ron and Harry were walking around hogsmeade chewing on some sweets from honeydukes and just pretty much being angry.
“I can't believe Hermione ditched us,” Ron exclaimed. “And for that prat, too!”
“well, Ron, you can blame yourself,” Harry answered. “you're the one who made her mad in the first place!”
“i need a butterbeer. Let's go in,” Ron said, pointing at The Three Broomsticks. They entered, and sat down in the booth next to the one in the corner. They ordered their butterbeers and sat in silence. They could soon hear laughter and two cheery voices coming from the corner booth. They recognized one of the voices as Hermione's.
“Let's go to honeydukes now!” hermione said in a light voice. “get some sweets, have fun!”
“Okay,” the other voice answered with a laugh. Two people walked past them and out the door.
“was that?” Ron asked, dumbdtruck.
“hermione and draco. Yes.” harry answered him, sounding worried for his friend.
“isn't it weird how easily hearts can be broken?” ron asked in a voice devoid of hope.
