The War Over Hermione

Chapter 8: The Boy Who Was Suspicious

Weeks passed, and soon it was October. The summer sun and heat gave into fall's breeze and coolness causing an indifference in the students. Some wanted to stay indoors and some wanted to stay out.

Quidditch trials were coming up and Harry, Ginny, and Ron found themselves busy with the practices that Ginny would hold. She had turned out to be a great captain. She consulted the team on decisions  (not just Harry),  she would listen to all sides to come up with the best solution, and she made sure that the pitch was booked for them when needed.

Harry had at first questioned why he and Ginny's roles weren't reversed. After all, he was the 7th year. He was the one who at 11 became the youngest seeker in a century. He had been on the team his whole school career minus the Tri-Wizard tournament and that nasty episode with Umbridge 5th year that he'd rather forget. His skills were impeccable and he was always great at coming up with some of the best plays.

So why was he simply the co-captain? He couldn't understand.

Another thing he couldn't understand was his girlfriend. She had been acting a bit standoffish lately. Sure she would snog him and hold his hand and talk, but for some reason, he felt as if sometimes she would be around Ron more than she would him.

Sure, lots of the time the three best friends were always together, but there have been some times where it like as if the two of them would walk ahead in mid conversation leaving Harry a foot or so behind. Ron had dropped Divination and picked up Care Of Magical Creatures so he and Hermione shared that class without him, and they would have homework assignments that they would do with just the two of them. It just seemed like something was off.

And what about that time in the Burrow where he had arrived and he and Ron had both plopped down on Ron's bed after chores and he caught the strong scent of Hermione's lotion? He hadn't planned on bringing that up. He didn't even know where they were right now as he was by himself in the Room Of Requirement.

Harry soon shrugged the thought away. What did he have to worry about? He was, after all, Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived. The Chosen One. The one who defeated the Dark Lord before his 17th birthday. He could and should have whatever and whoever he wanted. If he really thought about it, Hermione was very much expendable even though she didn't know it.

And Ron's sister Ginny had been getting pretty hot these days.

Ginny had just finished showering after a fly that she had by herself. She liked to come out on the weekend or after dinner and fly alone. It cleared her head when she needed it to, and also made her think more clearly when needed as well.

This time it was to think clearer. Since the encounter in Flourish And Blotts, Draco had confronted her two more times. Once when she was on the way to Potions (he had helped her pick up her books that had mysteriously fell out of a hole in her brand new messenger bag) and another at dinner one night ( he had walked passed her and pulled gently on her hair again). Why in the world was he all of a sudden trying to be around her? Why was him touching her hair making her feel nervous rather than annoyed? Something was going on with that boy, and she was determined to find out about it.

She knew that he had prefects rounds tonight, so she decided to take a Gryffindor chance and see if she could get caught breaking curfew by him. Sure she knew she would be giving Draco the opportunity to give her an unnecessary detention, as well as to take away a huge unnecessary amount of points from her house, but she had to get to the bottom of this.

Curfew was at 11 on Fridays and Saturdays, so she flew around until about 10:50. She walked around the second floor where she knew that most of the prefects would start their rounds and simply wandered.