Hear Me Out

Chapter 8: He Shoots, He Scores

           Hermione stared, all eyes wide open at Harry, clearly thinking of second thoughts. "On second thought, what in the name of Merlin's beard just happened?" She asked, as they made their way into a peaceful room with green couches decorated around the room. There were couples laughing, kissing, talking, and drinking butterbeer and punch. They seemed a bit out of place, like they didn't belong. Because of the whole couple reason.
  
          Harry stared at Hermione while she smiled at the nearest couple laughing and talking with punch in their hands. She was so gorgeous. God, how could somebody possibly be this breathtaking? He wasn't sure. All he was sure about is maybe he did feel a good decent amount of attraction to Hermione. After all, what's not to like? 

          When Hermione gained sense, she snapped out of a daze, and then turned to look a Harry. She rubbed her arm awkwardly, and Harry ran his fingers through his hair. "So, do we talk?" she asked uncertainly. Tension filled the air, and nobody seemed to know what to say. "Um--no---I mean yeah--- I guess," Harry stammered. Slow music played again, but they both looked the opposite from each other. Hermione had her right leg crossed over her left, and her hands folded over them. Harry was tapping his foot, uncertain of the next move. The couple who had once been laughing and talking, jumped up, and into the dancing room, to groove to the slow beat. The room cleared out fast, and soon enough they were the last two left. Not for long. They both weren't expecting the next event. 

         Suddenly, Ginny and whoever she was with, walked into the room. Ginny was laughing so hard, she was clutching his chest. "That is so funny, Zake!" Apparently, the guy's name was Zake. Zake just then cleared his throat, and Ginny turned to meet his gaze directly at Harry. Ginny stopped laughing. Zake stopped smiling. Hermione stopped zoning out, and then she scooted a little closer to Harry to prevent any sudden outburts that were sure to happen. She put her hand on his thigh, to make sure he didn't get up and attack anybody, especially Zake. Ginny looked into Harry's eyes with zero pity. "Harry." He looked back with a cold stare. "Ginny." "Um babe, who is this guy?" Zake asked, pointing at Harry. "You seem to know each other alright." Before Ginny even had the chance to respond, Harry cut in. "Oh, but we do." Ginny then began to get extremely shifty, and the mean look in her eyes told Harry to shut up. But he didn't. After all, who was she to tell him what to do? 

       "Your little girlfriend here, is my ex-girlfriend. She decided to break up with me, the night of a Quidditch game. Be careful, she might break your heart too," he said, with his hands in his pockets. Zake didn't look the least bit bothered. "Listen pal, I don't know what history you guys have together, but don't talk crap about my girlfriend, k?" Zake asked demanding. Harry clenched his fist , but tried to hide it. Just then Zake's eyes flickered up to Harry's scar, and grew wide. "Let's go," he said, grabbing her hand. Ginny gave Harry a deadly glare, and then the both of them turned and left the room without a look back.  

     "Harry, you've really got to learn how to control that anger of yours!" Hermione said, jerking her hand from his thigh and scooting back to her spot. "I'm sorry Hermione. I just can't handle being around her. And for her to come here with that-----thing, that just makes it ten times worse," he explained. He then sighed. "Where's Remus when you need him?" Hermione rubbed his arm. "It's all going to be ok. We are both not having a good night, we already summed that up. But it doesn't mean we can't make it better," Hermione said wisely. Harry nodded, but wasn't one percent definite. Also, where was the Penseive when he needed it? He could sure use it to empty his thoughts as of right now. Where was Dumbledore when he needed him? Heck, where was all of his loved ones when he needed them? 

       "Soooooo, wanna dance?" Harry expanded the words in a dramatic way, but still extremely nerve racking to ask her. "Uh-sure!" she explained. He grabbed her by the hand, and she stood up. He guided her through the crowd of people, and onto the dance floor. The same slow song changed into another slow one, and they got into dancing position. Harry put his hand on Hermione's waist, and her arms around his shoulders. She rested her head on his shoulder. "Hey Harry?" she asked, her head still nice and relaxed on his shoulder. "Yes, Hermione?" he answered. "Are we ever going to find joy or contentment?" she asked. He honestly didn't know the answer to that question. "I really don't know, Hermione. I really don't know," he responded truthfully. She sighed, and he rested his head on hers. 

      *                                                                      *                                                                                        * 

    After the gala ended, the two of them thankfully drove home. Or at least, that's where Hermione thought they were going. When Harry took a different turn then the way to his house, Hermione grew extremely suspicious. "Where are we going?" she asked. "A place where I like to think," he answered. That was her cue to be quiet and not ask anymore questions.

     When Harry pulled into a pathway that was unknown, they both got out. Harry walked out of sight, and Hermione brushed off her dress, drawing a deep breath. "Where'd you go?" she called into the dark sky. She went through a bush, and drew it back. There in the dark grass, illuminated by the very little amount of light from the moon, laid Harry. He was looking up into the stars glistening in the distance. Acknowledging her existence, his response made her jump from a sudden shock of conversation. "Come here," he answered, not bothering to even turn his head to look at her. She just held up her dress, and stomped through the piles and layers of grass. She looked at him one more time and paused. When he didn't respond, she laid down right beside him.

      "Beautiful, ain't it?" Harry asked, looking into a specific star. "Yeah, very. How do you know this place?" "I stumbled upon it one day Ginny and I got into a fight. Now, whenever I have too many thoughts, I come here and just look up into the sky. The Pensieve is obviously off-limits, so that's out of the question," he explained. Hermione smiled. He was too good of a human to be hanging out with somebody like her. A Mudblood, she could've used to describe it. 

      He wrapped his arm around her, and the cold breeze drifted across the vacant river. They just laid there, in complete silence. 

       When time went by quickly, they both were already in the car, and on the way home. Yet again, nobody said anything. Not like there was anything to really be said anyways. He turned a sharp right, and Hermione fiddled with her thumbs. "Thanks," she finally said. "For what?" he asked, turning the wheel. "This. Everything! You've been there for me, especially when I needed you the most. You didn't push me away like anyone else," she replied. He was speechless. "It's my pleasure Hermione. You're my best friend in the entire world, I'm always going to be there for you whenever you need it." Sensing the air, he answered her question. "Of course you can stay again, if you would like," he answered. "Thank you, that'd be awesome." She rubbed her forehead. "That music gave me a splitting headache. Thank god that thing is over." He chuckled. 

       He pulled into the driveway, taking the keys out of the ignition. The house was undisturbed, no sign of any attempt of a break-in, not that there would be one. The lights were on though, but Harry could've just accidentally kept them on. They were now deep in conversation, laughing. Harry unlocked the door, and swung it open. Silence. They paused. Nobody spoke. Nobody made a sound. There, in the middle of the living room, stood Draco Malfoy. "We need to talk, Potter."