Things Change

Chapter 41

| "Your intellect may be confused, but your emotions will never lie to you."

-Roger Ebert |

"Wow," Ella breathed. "That's one good story..."

"Yes," Hermione sighed. "Yes it is."

Ella squeezed Hermione's hand. "Hey, it's okay. Don't you feel better now? Now that it's off your chest?

Hermione nodded slightly. "Could you do me a favor and not tell anyone? No one knows, and I'd like it to stay that way."

"Yeah, of course," Elizabeth reassured her. "I won't say a thing. It's just between me and you."

They sat in silence for a little while as Hermione looked out over the grounds.

"Do I get to know who this mysterious boy is?" Ella asked after a while.

Hermione looked over at her and shook her head. "I'm sorry, it's, I just-"

"I get it," Ella said, patting her hand. "Well, I'll leave you to think then."

Hermione nodded. She had told Ginny and that was enough. "I'll see you around?"

"Definitely! I can really sit wherever I want, since I'm not really in a house and all..."

"That's great! How about lunch tomorrow?" Hermione asked.

"Sure! See you then!" Ella waved, and happily walked away.

Had Hermione made a new friend? She finally had another person she could trust. Maybe she'd even help take her mind off Draco.

Hermione didn't even question her why she was out so late after curfew or what she was doing in the library in the first place. She was just glad to have someone.

Draco's POV

I waited and waited in the common room for Hermione to show up. I could explain. Well, only some things, but still. I hated to have to lie to her. Again. But she never came back. And I didn't see her at all the next day. Hermione was different this year. Before, she would have never missed classed, but now she seemed to be doing it quite frequently. Who knows where she's hiding out during classes. She only showed up at meals, and she sat with Elizabeth? That's was weird...

***

I saw her the day after though. It was already almost March. Spring was coming into bloom. I was getting out of the shower, getting ready for classes today. I walked into the common room to grab the tie I had left on the table the previous night. As I turned around after grabbing it," I heard a squeal.

It still made me smile how Hermione screamed like a little school girl at seeing my half naked body.

"Granger!" I almost shouted. I reached out to try and grab her arm. "Let me explain!"

But she dodged my grab and ran out of the common room. I was following shortly behind.

A few steps outside of the common room, someone called my name.

"Mister Malfoy," Snape coughed, "I'm afraid I cannot let you leave the common room like that. I looked down.

"Oh, um, sorry, Professor." I jogged back inside, threw on my clothes and put on my untied shoes, and started to jog to the only place I thought she'd be.

I guess a girl that you just recently broke up with didn't appreciate having things explained. Or at least explained by me.

I thought she'd be in the library, but when I got in there, she wasn't there. Which was odd. Where else could she be?

I sighed and ran a hand through my still-damp hair. I plopped down on the nearest chair and rested my head on my hands. I rubbed my eyes, trying to push away the tiredness. It had been so hard to sleep lately. With so many things to think about, one didn't really want to sleep.

I hadn't heard anything about the upcoming events since the other night, and I began to wonder if anything was discussed after I was unconscious. I'd have to talk to Blaise or Pansy. Yippee, I thought.

Someone sat down across from me and neatly folded their hands in their lap.

"So...?"

Hermione's POV

I knew I couldn't go to the library because that would be the first place he'd check. Instead, I ducked into an empty classroom by the library. I heard him walk past, and I sighed in relief. I don't love him. I kept telling myself that, I had to. It was the only way I could stay together. If I let myself think about him, I'd just fall apart. Because seeing him made it all hit me, no matter how hard I tried.

But back in the common room, for just a moment, as I looked into his eyes, I felt something. And maybe a flutter of hope flashed on my face because for that moment, he didn't look okay.

OxMrsFeltonxO