Queen of Gorgeousness

An Idea Kept, Festers

As always: rights go to J.K. Rowling

Chapter Sixteen - An Idea Kept, Festers

Hermione shouldn't have left the matter of Marcus Boyle to fester for so long. Leaving it to fester was like not seeing a healer when you obviously needed one or refusing to remove a muggle plaster because you thought it would hurt. Hermione had let things fester, good old trusting, intelligent, researching, bossy Hermione had done the one thing she would never normally do. You should never let anything fester for too long as it only ends up becoming worse.

[Oh don't fret dear reader it isn't as bad as it seems you see Marcus Boyle hadn't even heard of Hermione Zabini nor who she used to be called. He didn't know of her involvement with the book clerk or anything. As far as Marcus Boyle was concerned Hermione Zabini didn't exist at all.]

Hermione had gotten over her fight with Draco and as much as she wanted to remain angry with him it just wasn't in her nature. The more she found herself trying to hate him the more she found herself secretly liking him instead. Oh it was a vicious circle to be sure and one that would no doubt become more annoying before it got any better. For whatever her faults may be, Hermione was indeed a romantic girl. She wanted the knight in shining armour, someone who would come in and sweep her off her feet. It was childish and silly but her idea of men was based off old romantic love stories – and really don't you think those sorts of stories ruined us all realistically? It's like Disney but worse.

The dance that Hermione and Draco were doing was being observed by their friends who were annoyed by their lack of progress. The girls, being girls, had come up with several plans to get their two friends together but each one kept blowing up in their faces. Either from Draco's temper or Hermione's defensiveness. Pansy was beside herself, she could see the way her dear friend looked at Draco when she thought no one was looking and likewise she could see the way Draco looked at Hermione when he thought no one was looking. This game they were both playing was maddening and Pansy wished they would just give up and give in as it would save a lot of hassle and drama plus give both Draco and Hermione some well-deserved happiness.

Pansy had approached Hermione (after all these failed attempts) and just come out with it instead of beating around the bush with haphazard plans.

"Hermione what is this thing between you and Draco?"

Hermione stiffened immediately, "what do you mean?"

"I mean what everyone else means, it's clear you both like each other so what's holding you back?"

"I don't know what you're talking about,"

"Yes you do so stop being evasive and talk to me."

"Draco doesn't want me Pansy."

"He does. I've see it, we all have."

"No," she huffed, "well even if he does he'll never act on his feelings. He doesn't want me Pansy, he doesn't even want to be my friend yet he's willing to shout at me for some jumped up rumour. He can't have it both ways."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he can't tell me he doesn't want me one minute and then act all betrayed and caring the next. You saw how attentive he was at the ball and then the next day he was back to his normal brooding self."

"Why don't you do something about it?"

"I've tried."

"That's it? You've tried and now you're giving up?"

Pansy couldn't believe it for it didn't sound like Hermione at all. She wasn't someone to give up so easily and yet she had.

"Pansy even if he did feel something for me and actually managed to let go of everything else to pursue it—"