Tutoring A Malfoy - Dramione

Chapter Sixteen - 'Long term or short term?'

'Hermione, just stop for a second, alright?'

Hermione just bit her lip a little and continued walking with her head down the corridor. She clutched her book to her chest and avoided the gazes of many people that were wondering why Harry Potter was trying to capture her attention. She could already hear the speculations that Hermione and Harry were no longer friends but no one knew why.

Hermione couldn't help but wish that Harry would just leave her alone even though she had wanted him to talk to her all that time. She hated fighting with him and lying to him but right now she just wanted to be left alone but that wasn't what Harry wanted.

'Hermione! You weren't at dinner last night or breakfast today or lunch!' Harry said, grabbing her arm to turn her around. Hermione frowned at him as she glanced at his hand gripping her arm. She raised an eyebrow, slinking out of his grip and when she was free she glanced around at the people who were looking at them curiously. Some where even whispering something about how Hermione and Harry were in some sort of fight over Ron. Ridiculous, thought Hermione, they were in a fight over Draco!

Harry took in her red eyes and her scraped back hair that must have taken her less than twenty seconds to tie up. She was dressed well enough but Harry could tell clearly that she wasn't in the mood for talking; which is exactly why he had to talk to her. She had been like that all day and had barely said a word, not even to answer in class which was quite rare in her case.

'We're going to be late for potions,' Hermione muttered and turned back around, walking down the corridor as the student capacity was lessening by the second since they were all going to the last class of the day. They were being ushered away by passing teachers who also told Harry and Hermione to go to class before taking off down the corridor again.

'Can we talk? Please?' Harry asked, walking beside her and not taking his emerald coloured eyes off of his female best friend. Hermione gulped, trying to find the voice that she hadn't used all day today.

'I thought we weren't friends anymore?' Hermione asked, glancing at him, 'I thought you didn't want anything to do with me because of... because of Malfoy?'

'Half the class noticed the looks you and Malfoy were giving each other. They weren't flirty looks at all or... what I'm trying to say is that,' he sighed and stopped her in the corridor by taking her arm and turning her around so that they were facing each other. Hermione glanced down at the empty corridor, thinking they were going to be late to class, and then she looked back at Harry who was staring at her, 'I'm sorry for thinking that you and Malfoy had feelings for each other. I get it, you were just tutoring him and that's all. I shouldn't have shouted or jumped to conclusions. I'm sorry, Hermione.'

'Harry, stop...' Hermione said, getting uncomfortable. Her best friend was apologizing without knowing that he had jumped to the right conclusions. She hadn't just been tutoring Draco and she did have feelings for him! Guilt gnawed at her chest like a hungry animal.

'No, Hermione. I should have believed you,' he sighed and then glanced down the corridor before looking back to her. Harry smiled a little, showing his friendly side once more that Hermione loved to see and had, surprisingly, missed, 'can you just forgive me so we can go to class? Slughorn wouldn't be too happy if we got late and I really need to impress him to get that memory from him.'

Hermione bit her lip as Harry waited for her to answer. Was she going to forgive him for something he thought he was wrong about? In actual fact, he was right. Spot on about Hermione and Draco. But wasn't it easier to have Harry as a friend rather than someone talking about her behind her back? He raised his eyebrows and then Hermione sighed and muttered, 'I forgive you, Harry.'