Always You

CHAPTER 9

I was decided to go to the Gryffindor common room and go to bed, I didn't want the situation to get worse. 

While I went through the passage, I started hearing some voices and I recognized Hermione's and Ginny's voices talking to someone. I stayed hidden and I tried to hear something, but they were whispering.

"Are you sure they were laughing?" I thought Hermione was talking, but I didn't hear the answer.

"It's impossible, she has always said that she couldn't work well with him" Hermione continued, and I understood they were talking about me.

"She made her choice, she is better with him, apparently" it was Dean, I sighed, probably he went to the common room, he saw Hermione and Ginny and he told them what happened.

I took off Draco's jumper and I started walking to the centre of the common room trying to go to the dormitory without talking with anyone, but I knew that I had to talk to Hermione and Ginny. They were in the same dormitory as me.

"Hannah..." it was Ginny with a preoccupied expression on her face.

I looked at Hermione, then to Ginny and finally I looked in the eyes at Dean, but he looked down.

"Goodnight you all" and I went upstairs, trying to avoid every question they could ask to me.

After 5 minutes, my friends entered to the room and all I could do was looking in the other direction and trying to wear my robe and go to bed, but I couldn't: they were looking at me with crossed arms.

"What?" I tried to avoid their looks doing something else

"Why didn't you tell us that you like Malfoy?" ask Hermione, she didn't seem angry, but more disappointed

"What?" I almost scream "Is that Dean told you?" they nodded "I can't believe it. I don't like Draco. It was late and we went to eat something after having done our homework. It is not anything so special" Hermione started to speak, but then she stopped herself

"If it is nothing special, why do you call him by his name and have his jumper on your bed?" this time was Ginny who spoke. I didn't answer immediately. It was true: I started calling him by his real name and not his last name, I didn't even notice that.

"I was just cold in the corridors and he gave me that. I forgot to give it back before running to Dean. But I think it is none of your business, don't you think?" I was starting to be angry.

I could spend time with whoever I want, couldn't I? I continued talking without even thinking first, and I really regretted that.

"I can go around with whoever I want. If I'm your friend, this doesn't mean that I can't be his friend too. He didn't do anything bad to me and to you all, why do you have to hate him so much?" I was almost screaming, and I didn't care other people could hear me. I was already tired of that situation.

"Maybe because he put us through hell, Hannah! You can't know it, you weren't there! He is trying to be your friend just because he wants us to fight, you are just a pawn to him, he doesn't care about you, can't you understand that? My god" Hermione let it out everything screaming. I didn't say anything, I turned myself and I went to bed.

They exited the room and I heard Ginny telling something to her friend

"maybe you exaggerated, you don't know if he actually cares about her" but she was uncertain about what she was saying.

"I don't care Ginny. Draco Malfoy is bad for her"

Then I heard another voice, a male voice "Hermione, Ginny what happened? I heard yelling"

It was Harry, I was sure about that.

"Nothing, let's go, we will explain everything". And then I didn't hear nothing more.

I started crying while I was in my bed. That words hurt a lot. What if Hermione was right? What if Draco want me to be his friend only to separate me from my friends? I didn't know him so much, in fact I didn't know him at all. But what Hermione said made me feel strange, like I cared about Draco, even though I didn't know him so much. Did I have a crush on Draco? No, it was impossible. Impossible. 

Maybe, I didn't know.

I started crying, without knowing why, I was laying in my bed with tears running on my cheeks holding the blanket tight to my chest. I fell asleep in that way, knowing I probably would have a headache the next morning.

The next morning, I woke up before Hermione and Ginny. I dressed up trying to make as little noise as possible. I collected my books for the day, I exited the common room and I went to the Great Hall to have breakfast. I didn't want to talk to anyone.

The Great hall was almost empty, there were just few students who, like me, woke up earlier than usual. I was eating some cereal when I saw Draco enter the room, I tried to hide myself without looking at him, but it didn't seem he saw me, because he went to the Slytherin table with his friends.

When I finished eating, I went to the Slytherin table and I cleared my throat.

"Draco, thank you for the jumper. Have a good day" I didn't even wait for his answer, I turned, and I exited the Great Hall.

I was nervous, the past night I decided to stay away from him as much as possible. Maybe Hermione was right about him, and I didn't want to spend another night crying, I wanted to enjoy this year fully.

During the day I tried to avoid everyone, I just wanted to stay by myself for a bit, but this showed to be very difficult.

There were Hermione, Ginny, Harry and Ron who were looking at me every time I was near them. I had to avoid every glare Dean was throwing me in every class we had together, and there was Draco who was trying to talk to me.

At the end of the day, I went to the owlery. I wrote a letter to my parents. I didn't do it many times since I was at Hogwarts and owls couldn't fly for such a great distance, but two weeks earlier I found a special one and I could write to them. After sending it, I decided to stay there for a bit. I just wanted to clear my mind.

"that's where you have been hiding all day" I recognized the voice and I smiled for what he said.

"I just wanted to be alone for a bit" he nodded and sat in front of me

"I understand, but you are stealing my place" I looked at him confused, but then I remembered the first time I was there, and we laughed.

"what happened yesterday night? What did they say about me this time?"

I shrugged "They said that you are pretending to be my friend just because you want us to fight"

He smiled "at least they are original" but then he saw my preoccupied expression and his smile vanished. "you think they are right, don't you?"

I looked down "I don't know what to think, to be honest".

He came closer and put his hands on my knees

"Hannah, it is not true. I haven't been nice to them in those past years, it's true. But with you it is different. You are not them, and I want to know you better. That's all. You are interesting, you intrigue me, and I want to discover everything about you" I looked at him and he seemed honest. 

I nodded embarrassed. I didn't know what to say. Was he interested in me? impossible.

"uhm, I think I have to go now. Bye, Draco, see you tomorrow" and I started leaving.

"bye Hannah" I smiled, but he didn't see that.

I went to the common room wanting to clear everything with my friends, trying to make them understand I can be friends both to them and to Draco. But I was nervous.