Closer to Love | Draco Malfoy [4]

Chapter 9 ~ The Real Reason

The rest of the day went by fast. Before I knew it, I was already in the Gryffindor Common Room, starting on my homework. I expected Professor Snape to give us homework on the first day. It was an essay on the first chapter we just learned today. I didn't even know what I was supposed to be writing about. I even considered asking Hermione, but I decided not to. When we came back from classes, she barely made eye contact with me. Was being on top of everyone else that important to her? She was still the brightest witch in our year. So why was she still mad at me? Was she not talking to Harry as well?

"Max?" I looked up from my essay and to my surprise saw Hermione standing there with a sympathetic look on her face.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure this first essay is crappy. I don't want to make a higher mark than you if it'll make you get upset again," I snapped, looking back at my essay.

"I came to apologize for earlier today. I didn't mean to snap at you like that," she explained. "Really, it was stupid of me to overreact. You're right. There are other ways to do things."

"It was only one assignment," I pointed out.

I sighed, putting my stuff back in my bag and standing up. "Whatever." With that, I walked past her with my stuff and up the steps to the dorms.

"Hey, Max," Harry called out from behind me. "Come back down here. I have to show you something."

"If it's more notes you found in that Potions book, I don't want to know," I told him.

"No, it's something else," he said as I approached him. "It's a note from Dumbledore. He wants us to meet him after dinner."

I looked at the note and nodded. "Okay. I'll see you, then."

"You're not coming to dinner?"

"I really don't want to deal with Hermione and her crap right now."

"You two are still not speaking to each other?"

I scoffed, crossing my arms. "We did speak just now. But I may have been a bitch about it."

Harry huffed a sigh and gave me a serious look. "Max, I'm sure she meant her apology. She is one of your best friends, after all."

"That still doesn't change the fact that what she said hurt me."

"You and I both know that you can't stay mad at her forever." With that, Harry went back to the Gryffindor Common Room. I went up to my room and threw myself on my bed, thinking about what my brother just told me.

I wasn't going to lie, Hermione was the smartest witch in our year. Without her, Harry, Ron, and I wouldn't last two days without her and that brain she carried around. And like Harry said before, she was one of my best friends. I couldn't let her go.

Ugh, why was Harry right for once? I hated it when he was right. It made me look stupid. And we were twins. That made me look even more pathetic and sad, as if I was the dumb twin.

"I swear, I'm going to kill Harry before Voldemort does," I said to myself. Groaning to myself, I headed back down to the Gryffindor Common Room and went up to Harry and Hermione.

Both of them turned around and stared at me. "Yes, Max?"

"I'm sorry for being a bitch earlier, and I accept your apology," I replied.

Hermione smiled at me and stood up, giving me a hug. "I'm sorry as well."

At the corner of my eye, Harry gave me a smile as well. I rolled my eyes at him as I pulled away from Hermione. She gave me a smile and I returned the favor.