Mr maybe

Chapter 14

DRACO P.O.V

As soon as Blaise, Pansy and I walk into the packed tavern, the level of noise hits us like a backhand across the face. Waitresses are practically racing around the tavern taking down orders, customers almost screaming them in order to be heard above the sounds of other, loudly chatting customers and Madame Rosmerta is sitting in pride of place at the bar, talking and laughing.

It's almost impossible to look for any one person and, as Hermione isn't exactly the largest of people, my job is a lot harder. As Blaise and Pansy wait patiently behind me, I scan the room for the honey-haired witch. Sweeping my eyes over the crowd, nodding occasionally at some customers who greet me, I move forward slowly for a better view. Ah ha! There she is, right in the back with Potter, Weasley and the Weaslette. As if sensing my eyes on her, she glances up, still laughing at something Potter just said and, seeing me, smiles brightly (causing my heart to skip several beats), eyes twinkling and beckons us over. Much as I'm glad that she remembered that we're supposed to meet up, the process of walking over to her and her friends is a lot easier said than done. The tavern, as I've already mentioned, is packed, tables are pushed together so friends can sit together, other students walking through with hands full of butterbeers. I'm starting to wish that I'd insisted Crabbe and Goyle come with us, rather than allowing them to stay in Honeydukes. This would have been a lot easier with them to force people out of the way.

HERMIONE P.O.V

I'm so glad Draco showed up, I was beginning to fear that he'd forgotten. As I watch his platinum head make its way through the crowd along with Blaise and Pansy, my heart thumps hard in my chest. The Silver Trio finally reach our table and their grey eyed leader smiles down at me from his great height. His intense gaze seems to sear into me as he sits in the chair directly across from mine.

Our eyes remain on each other as we all order drinks from a smiling waitress.

DRACO P.O.V

God, she has beautiful eyes. Warm amber when she's happy and a dark chocolate, reflective as mirrors, when she's sad... I instantly look away from her for the first time in over five minutes, as shame fills me at the memory of the last time she cried. The last time she cried because of something I said to her. How could I have said such things? My heart can't help but break as I remember those beautiful eyes swimming in tears, that incredibly soft bottom lip of hers trembling in misery...

I feel a soft kick and glance back up at her to see those same eyes filled with concern, supposedly at my sudden mood change. I shake my head at her and smile a bit to show I'm OK. She smiles back instantly and a warm, tingly feeling spreads through me. How can someone do that? One smile and immediately the world seems a lot brighter?

"Glad you could join us, Pansy," Weasley's surprising words startle me from my daze. My eyebrows shoot up at my only female best friend and the auburn haired boy across from her. Smiles are on both their faces. Well, this is interesting. What's going on here?

"Well, I knew how disappointed you would be if I didn't show up, so..." Pansy's tone is teasing, and, if I didn't know any better, I'd say it's also flirtatious. But, I do know better. There's no way in Hell that Pansy Parkinson is flirting with Ron Weasley.

"And you were right," Weasley's voice is deeper than I've ever heard it," I would have been very, very disappointed if I hadn't gotten to see that gorgeous smile of yours." Hold the phone (yeah, Hermione taught me this phrase). They are flirting. An eyebrow raised, I turn to the giggling raven haired witch beside me. She smiles at me in a very naughty fashion.

Still surprised at what I just witnessed, I turn to watch the chocolate haired girl who is a permanent resident at the front of my mind. She is positively glowing, talking and laughing with my other best friend. I watch as he says something, making her giggle loudly and slap his shoulder lightly. He sits there, smirking in satisfaction. As I continue to watch them, unfamiliar feelings begin to simmer within me as they laugh together. All right, I admit it; they're not that unfamiliar. They're very much like how I felt when I saw Hermione being chatted up by those buffoons I call close friends at the Quidditch Practice and also how I feel sometimes (OK, most of the time) when Potter wins at the damned game. Jealous-that's how I feel right now. And I don't know why because, after all, Blaise is one of my most trusted friends and Hermione and I are just friends. Do not look at me like that. We are just friends. It's OK to feel like you want to be alone with your friends, right? 'Cause right now that's how I feel. I really want to be alone with her and I know just the place to take her. But how am I going to ask her without anyone else knowing?