Slow Grenade

Chapter Twenty-Five

Hermione awoke early to fetch some toast from the Great Hall before heading back to the common room to wait for Harry. As she neared the portrait hole, she came face to face with him hurriedly stepping out.

"Hello," she said, holding up her breakfast offering. "I brought you this... want to go for a walk?"

"Yes, please," he replied gratefully.

They went downstairs, crossed the Entrance Hall, and were soon striding across the lawn towards the lake. It was a cold morning but they kept moving, munching their toast, as Harry told Hermione exactly what had happened after he had left the Gryffindor table the night before.

"Well, of course I knew you hadn't entered yourself," she said, when he'd finished telling her about the scene in the portrait room, off the Hall. "As I told Ron, the look on your face when Dumbledore read out your name! But the question is, who did put it in? Moody's right, Harry... I don't think any student could have done it, they'd never be able to fool the Goblet, or get over Dumbledore's age line."

"Have you seen Ron this morning?" Harry asked, abruptly.

Hermione hesitated. "Um... yes, he was at breakfast."

"Does he still think I entered myself?"

"Well, no, I don't think so," she said awkwardly. "Not really."

"What's that supposed to mean, not really?"

"Oh, Harry, isn't it obvious? He's jealous."

"Jealous?" Harry cried. "Jealous of what? He wants to make a prat of himself in front of the whole school, does he?"

"Look," said Hermione patiently, "it's always you who gets all the attention, you know it is. I know it's not your fault," she added quickly, seeing Harry open his mouth furiously, "I know you don't ask for it, but, well... you know, Ron's got all those brothers to compete against at home, and you're his best friend, and you're really famous. He's always shunted to one side whenever people see you, and he puts up with it, and he never mentions it, but I suppose this is just one time too many."

"Great," said Harry bitterly. "Really great. Tell him from me I'll swap any time he wants. Tell him he's welcome to it; people gawping at my forehead everywhere I go..."

"I'm not telling him anything. Tell him yourself, it's the only way to sort it."

"No, I'm not running around after him trying to make him grow up!"

Hermione sighed, she understood where Harry was coming from. It really wasn't fair for Ron to blame him but she knew, from first-hand experience, how stubborn they both could be.

As time went on, Hermione became even more keenly aware of how difficult things were for Harry since the announcement. The Hufflepuffs, who were usually on excellent terms with the Gryffindors, had turned remarkably cold towards the whole lot of them.

Under normal circumstances, she (and Harry) would be looking forward to seeing Hagrid in Care of Magical Creatures but, unfortunately, they still had this class with the Slytherins. Hermione knew that Draco would have been devising ways to taunt Harry and she was too tired to deal with it.

Since Harry had been named a Champion, she had had to sit between him and Ron in every lesson. Although they both answered her normally, they avoided making eye contact with each other and the conversation was very forced.

Predictably, Draco sauntered over to the three of them, Hermione noticed his carefully positioned sneer.

"Ah, look boys, it's the Champion," he said to Crabbe and Goyle, the moment he got within earshot of Harry. "Are you scared you might lose the prestigious title of 'Boy-Who-Lived' if you don't continually fling yourself into life-threatening situations, Potter?"

Fortunately, Draco had to stop there because Hagrid emerged from the back of his cabin.

Hermione sighed with relief.

Hermione sat herself in their nook a few evenings later. She was trying not to feel hurt, but it wasn't really working.

Harry had confided in her that the past few days had been his worst at Hogwarts. He was feeling lonely and ostracised. From her own past experiences, Hermione understood this. What she found difficult was Harry's insistence that Ron had to be by his side in order to cope.

Throughout the whole ordeal, she had tried her best to support and distract him, but apparently that wasn't enough.

"You alright, Granger?" said Draco, strolling over.

She shrugged, no one had asked her this question for quite some time; it caused tears to begin welling up behind her eyes.

"Hermione?" he said, more gently this time, sitting next to her.

Everything spilled out quickly, "They've ignored me for weeks at a time before, but I don't think they ever felt lonely because of it. So, Harry feels lonely without Ron, but doesn't care when I'm not there? Or actually, still feels lonely when I am there?"

"I'm sorry," Draco said, reaching out for her. "You know I don't like them, but there's no excuse for the way they treat you sometimes."

Hermione laced her fingers through his and gazed down at their entwined hands, surprised at how normal it felt. "Do you feel the same as Harry and Ron? Does it matter to you whether I'm around or not?" she asked.

The butterflies in Draco's stomach began to waltz. "Of course it does. There's nothing I want more, than to be with you."

Her heart leaped into her throat, they'd never spoken like this before. "Really?"

"Yes, Hermione. Sometimes I wonder whether they just see you as a constant, they always assume you're going to be there. For me, well, I don't take you for granted. Every moment I spend with you... it's important."

They looked at each other. For the second time, she wished for the strength to lean in closer. Their lips were just centimetres apart, but it felt like miles. Instead, she changed the subject.

Putting her hands on her hips in mock annoyance she said, "So, what happened to my badges, Malfoy?"

"Oh yeah, 'POTTER STINKS'," he chuckled. "He deserves it!"

She rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Impressive charm-work though, right?" Draco said, smiling proudly.

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "Five points to Slytherin."