Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Passing Notes ❯ A Goblet vs. A Sword ( Chapter 7 )

It had been a week since I had spoken to Draco. Not a word had come from him, not a note, an owl, nothing. It was as if I had never existed to him, if everything we had done never happened. We reverted to the status we were in our first year, opposite sides of a spectrum, bickering with one another and wishing it would go away. To say I was heartbroken would be a statement that in no way could capture the extent of all the emotions I held within my heart.  

To the world nothing was wrong. I still helped Ron and Harry with their work, even though since Harry had the Half-Blood Prince to help him he didn't need me. I went to meals but didn't eat much. I still got perfect scores, did my duty and looked completely normal. But inside I felt as hollow and empty as the cup we were transfiguring into a sword.  

I looked next to me to see Ron had managed to make his cup into a butter knife and Harry a steak knife. Both looked troubled by their inability to complete the project. I returned my gaze to my cup, which I had yet to attempt to change. I didn't wish to change it, it seemed fitting to me. An empty goblet had the ability to be filled but without the help of another it just sat there, empty.  

Who was I to change it from its original form? Sure it would be of better use, as a sword if I were to meet a gaggle of death eaters in a dark alleyway but it was still useful as a goblet. But even if I were behind the reason of its change in essence it is still an empty, hollow, loathsome little goblet. Maybe if I were the reason the goblet changed it didn't really change, it just took on the form that best suited me. Maybe it had changed because it knew to get closer to me it needed to change so it transfigured itself into a sword and let me use it for a bit then when I had forgotten it was a goblet it reverted back and I am just at a loss because I became so used to the sword.  

“Hermione?” I looked up at Harry who had a very worried expression on his face. I then noticed how quiet the class had become and slowly my eyes drifted from my friends face over to my peers who seemed to all be staring at me. That's when I looked down and saw that my goblet was no longer on my desk but rather fallen to the floor.  

“Mrs. Granger, is there a reason behind you interrupting my class?” I looked at Professor McGonagall and then back at my goblet.  

I didn't know what had happened but apparently it was something loud and disruptive. “No Professor. I'm sorry.”  

She seemed to be just as confused as I was about the situation as she shook her head and sighed. “Ten points from Gryffindor. Next time keep your remarks about the assignment to yourself.”  

That caught my ear as I looked at her. What had I said? As the class went back to its busy work I had no need to ask as Ron informed me of my actions.  

“What the bloody hell is wrong with you Hermione? Hitting the cup goblet off the table and yelling at it? Have you lost your marbles?”  

I could feel my cheeks warming as I looked down at my hands. My frustration must have exploded while lost in thoughts of Draco. I looked up and saw Harry giving me his most concerned look. It was embarrassing, especially since he was seated but two rows behind me. And Merlin only knew what I said.  

“What's wrong Hermione?” It was Harry again. I didn't want to talk about it. The last thing I needed was to feel guilt for hiding things from my friends. But I already felt guilt for that didn't I? I had kept something from the two people I swore to be honest with. I had left them behind to live an alternate life. And I had looked forward to seeing what that life could bring with it. I had waited to venture into that alternate world and leave the two most important people behind. It was for the best, our silence was for the best.  

I shook my head and saw that McGonagall had placed another goblet on my desk. With a flick of my wrist it became a sword and my resolve was set. I would never know the sword again, all that was left was the goblet I had grown to know and it was for the best. Though the sword was intriguing and wonderful while it lasted, it couldn't continue. Because a goblet is always a goblet, no matter how you transfigure it.  

Class ended fairly quickly after I had completed the assignment. Harry had managed to create a dagger and Ron; well his butter knife was the best butter knife I had seen in some time. When the bell had sounded signaling the end I had packed my things rather quickly. It was the last class before the weekend and I just wanted to go to my room, gather myself in my blankets and read a good book. I did not, however, get that.

As I was trying to swim through the mass of people a hand gripped my wrist. I turned to yell at the Harry and tell him I was fine when grey eyes meet me. My words caught on my tongue and all I could do was turn and hope that he would leave me be. That hope came true but with a price. As his hand slid past mine I felt a small piece of paper drop into my palm. A note, something I had been craving from him since we parted after our kiss but now wished would evaporate.  

As he walked past me I heard him turn and snarl, “Watch where your going mudblood.” I preferred the week of silence for I was not prepared for the wave of emotions that exploded in my chest. Beyond what the note said he had called me the name in which I dreaded. Sticks and stones were nothing compared to the hurtful words throw at you by one you hold feelings for.  

And that's what I had, feelings. I wouldn't call it love. Lust most assuredly, but love was too large of an emotion to feel for someone who you only truly spoke to in written word. And that's what I held in my hand, the written words of the boy I had a strong liking to. Yes liking. Though it sounded juvenile it was the best way to describe my level of emotion. Or at least the level of emotion I was trying to make myself feel. Like, a simple schoolyard crush that came and went as quickly as a summer breeze on a humid day. Something that would not affect me and allow me to move on with my days. But it was not that, no matter how much I wished it so. I had allowed him into my heart just a bit and once there he dug deeper, gouge himself in and not allowing me to release him without more pain and time.  

I shook my head. I was too lost in thought and I had things to do. Like escaping Harry and Ron before they could question me more about my outburst. I had stood there, in the middle of the hallway, ignoring everyone around me; until I took a step forward and had stepped in a pile of mud, peeves laughing whole heartedly.

I weaved around people, trying to ignore the constant squish that met my ears as my mud laden shoes hit the floor in my rush to make it to my room. I could hear Harry and Ron trying to catch up but I was too quick for them. I wanted my room, I need my room, and I didn't need my boys delaying that. People would point and laugh at the trail of mud I left behind but I didn't care, I had my goal and I would plow forward no matter the obstacle presented before me. So it was no surprise that when I approached the fat lady she all but swing off the hinges to get out of my way. She had no idea how wise that move was, even if she was opening for someone that was coming through on the other side. I like to believe she would have opened for me even without the patil twins exiting.   

With a few quick hellos, a sprint up some stairs and a quick kick to get my shoes off and I was there, safe and sound on my bed. I pulled my sticky socks off and threw them onto the ground near my shoes. I would have to wash up but at the moment I just wanted to lay down and enjoy my peace. I sighed and moved my hands to my face to rub it when I noticed the note. In my rush to get away from everyone I must have forgotten he had given it to me.  

I stared at the note, twisting it in my fingers. I shouldn't even read it. After the way he has been treating me this past week, the sneers I get from him and his little pets, I should just throw it away. I crushed the note in my hand and threw it toward my discarded shoes.  

Since the day we had our, snog, he had been nothing but the old, obnoxious, horrible goblet I had dealt with since entering this school. That night at dinner I had noticed a change. Pansy seemed to be on him more than usual and staring at me quite a bit. I had heard that a few people saw us leaving together but no one suspected that we had done anything. Some people were surprised that Draco had actually gotten me for the nasty Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher but no one thought that Draco and I had done what we actually did.  

And someone else seemed to be around Draco more. I had only heard of him when Harry had told us about what had happened at the beginning of the year and had yet to really hear him speak myself. A very quiet boy named Blaise Zabini. Though I didn't know much about him I knew he was a Slytherin and a friend of the goblet formally known as sword Draco. Wherever Draco went he seemed to be right behind him.  

That thought made me look at the note. Maybe something had happened that night that he never had a chance to tell me because of his newly acquired watchdog. I sat up quickly on my bed. MAYBE THEY FOUND OUT! I turned, practically falling off the bed and snatched up the note on the floor when Lavender walked in the room.  

“Hello Hermione,” she looked at me, on my hands and knees, hovering over my muddy shoes and socks, “Everything alright?”  

I flushed as I noticed my weird posture. “Yes, everything is fine. Just dropped something.” I waved the note and stood, dusting myself off.  

Lavender, thankfully, must not have been in a prying mood as she shrugged, gave me a final weird glance and moved over to her side of the room. “Are you excited to go to hogsmead tomorrow?”  

I looked at her and stopped patting the non-existent dust from my legs. I had forgotten about the hogsmead weekend. I shook my head and started for my bed. “Yeah, very.”  

Lavender turned away from me and pulled her school blouse off.  “Ron sure looks good.”  

I rolled my eyes. Once upon a time I had liked Ron. During fourth year I would have given anything for Ron to notice me but now that affection had turned to one of simple brotherly love. Maybe after the war if we don't find anyone to our liking we may get together but I am not going to actively pursue a relationship with him. But apparently his growing over the summer had caught the eye of Lavender.  

I sat on my bed and relaxed, toying with the note again. “I guess. He seems the same to me.”  

Lavender looked over her shoulder at me as she pulled on her house pants. “Do you like Ron?”  

I shook my head. “Not in the way you are thinking. He is just a friend.”  

Lavender seemed to perk up at that thought. “Really? So he is up for grabs. I mean, everyone thinks you two are, you know, and I don't want to make a move if you're, you know.”  

I stopped twirling my note and just stared at her. Sometimes I was surprised that someone so smart could sound so dumb. “He is all yours, feel free.”  

With my approval she smiled, slipped on a tight little top and walked out of the room, probably off to find her new prey. Poor Ron, he had no idea what was after him. With the room vacant once again I unfolded the note.  

At first the page was blank but when I brushed my fingers across the page letters rose upon the paper. His elegant script was more comforting than I wished to admit.  

`I wish to keep our promise, meet me at the lake.'  

I ran my fingers all over the page to see if anything else would come up, an explanation, an apology, ANYTHING, but that was it. I sighed, my curiosity beginning to take over as I decided to change into different clothes. I didn't know how long I had been in my room but from the rise in noise dinner must be close to over. I didn't know what time I was supposed to meet Mr. talkative at the lake but I figured it to be around this time, since all of his wardens would be distracted with other things.  

I pulled a jacket on and quickly ran down the steps. I stopped at the bottom and leaned over to see who was in the common room. Cormac sat in the large chair by the fire talking to Lavender. Lavender continued to send looks across the room where I found Harry reading his potions book, more like what the Half-Blood Prince had to say, and Ron playing a game of wizard chess with Ginny.  

I didn't know how I was supposed to get out without anyone noticing me. I leaned back against the stair wall and tried to think of a way to get by. When I heard Lavender go over a greet Ron I knew that was my queue. As quick as my legs would take me I ran out of the room, down the stairs and was outside of Hogwarts grand entrance before you could say lemon drops.  

The sun was setting and I knew curfew would start soon. Though I was curious to see what Draco wanted I didn't want to get in trouble. I walked around the lake, not really knowing where to go. This was so dumb, why did I even bother. I had no idea where I was supposed to go, at what time, and why after a week of treating me like a lowly mudblood was he seeking me out no…  

“I'm glad you came.” I screamed and turned toward the voice. Draco threw his hands up, trying to show he meant no harm to me. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.”  

“Sure you didn't.” I turned from him and began walking again. Seeing him, the Draco I had come to know again, was harder than I thought it would be. “Why did you ask me to come here?” I wanted to get this over with. I didn't want to take the chance of him turning his charm on and me losing my anger.  

He sighed; probably sensing I was not pleased with this meeting. “I'm sorry we haven't spoken in a while. I've had a lot to do.” His voice seemed a bit nervous. I stopped walking and turned my head to look at him over my shoulder.  

He wasn't looking at me but out at the lake. The setting sun had cast a red and orange hue across the water making seem as if there were two setting skies. He looked pensive and far away, as if he wasn't here at the moment. I turned to face the lake as well and folded my arms. “We have spoken, just not in this way.”  

I could tell by the straightening of his spine that he understood what I meant. “I am sorry about that too. I've had my actions come under question.”  

I felt my heart skip a beat. “Does someone know, about us?” I was so scared for the answer. What if Harry and Ron found out? What if the school found out? Everything could come falling apart in an instance. My world could tumble down and everything would be ruined.  

He nodded his head and still refused to look at me. “Pansy found our notes, I forgot to get rid of them when we were done. I think she may have told Blaise too. He has been watching me more, never leaving me alone. But I told them I am just using you….” He cut himself off and became pensive again.  

I looked at him, trying to figure out everything. “Using me for what?”  

He became stiffer as he took a deep breath. “That's not important.”  

I could feel my brows gather as I looked at him. “What are you using me for Draco?” He shifted his weight, whatever he had told them he didn't want me to know. He kicked a rock as he focused on the ground before him. I had never seen him like this, so nervous and anxious. Now that I had a chance to look at him more he seemed different all together. His skin was paler, he had horribly dark circles under his eyes and he looked thinner than I last remember. “Draco what's wrong?”  

He just shook his head. “It's nothing. Don't worry about it I have it under control. I just wanted to see you again.” He finally looked at me. His eyes gave everything away. They looked glossy, as if he hadn't gotten sleep in the last week. His cheekbones seemed more predominant and he looked so sad.        

“Draco, please, tell me what's wrong.” My anger forgotten I walked up to him and cupped his face. He seemed to grow a little livelier from my touch as he just looked at me.  

He moved his hands to grasp mine and pulled them from his face. “I just have a lot on my mind is all. I'm sorry.” He leaned down and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. As he began to pull back I pushed up on my toes and forced his mouth to meet mine again. I titled my head so I could become closer to him. Our lips slowly moved against one another just enjoying the soft feel of the contact. The last kiss we had shared was fiery and lustful. This one was different. It was slow, methodical, and more passionate than any kiss we had shared before.  

After a bit we pulled back and looked at each other. A smile slowly grew on my face as a smirk moved to grace his. We decided to sit by the lake and just talk. It was nice, speaking about Slugghorn parties that Draco admitted to being jealous about not receiving an invitation to. We talked about class, and how we had been since we last spoke. When I brought up Lavender and her comment about the upcoming hogsmead weekend his entire demeanor changed. He tightened his hold around my waist and became stiff once again.  

“Would you not go to hogsmead if I asked you too?”  

I looked over at him and tilted my head. “Why would you ask me not to go to hogsmead?”  

He didn't look at me instead he looked back out onto the lake once again. “Would you?”  

I sighed as I turned away from him and followed his gaze to the now dark lake. “No. I probably wouldn't, unless you had a very good reason. Is there something you want to ask me?”  

He didn't respond for a moment, didn't even blink. He just starred forward and until he took a deep breath. “No, I guess there isn't.”  

I leaned against his chest and looked up at his face. I had been trying to forget about the way he had been acting earlier but with this new wave of vagueness I couldn't ignore it anymore. “Draco, what's going on? What is it that you think you can't tell me?”  

He looked down at me and again I was hit with how strained he looked. It seemed that the goblet had faded and instead of the shiny sword I had at the beginning it was replaced with a beaten and rusted one. He moved a hand to my cheek and gave me a kiss on my forehead. “What are you to me Hermione?”  

His tactic to change subjects annoyed me yet he moved it to a topic I also had many questions about. “I don't know Draco, what am I to you?”  

He gave me a smirk and kissed my cheek. “I don't know, but I think you are becoming someone very important.”  

I closed my eyes at his kiss and smiled at his response. When I felt his lips once again touch mine I forgot about all the questions I had for him, all the things I wanted to know. All I needed to know was that I was becoming someone special to him as he was becoming to me. We sat by the lake a bit longer until I felt we could not stay any longer. We walked back into entrance room and before we parted ways he leaned in and kissed my cheek, whispering. “Be careful.” And with that he was off toward his dungeons leaving me as confused as before.  

Author Note: I'M SORRY IT TOOK ME SO LONG!! PLEASE DON'T HATE ME!!! So I have been having a pretty rough week but I thought I should get this out to you. I will try and be more speedy about my updating but it is hard when you have a stressful life. OH and to spice up my motivation to write I am having a vote. What would you like to see in the next chapter, which will be a Draco POV. A) A fight with Hermione. B) A meeting between father and son C) a hot and steamy lemon or D) all of the above. PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW!! I have ideas for all of them but it is up to you to see which one makes it in the next chapter!! Love to you all and my OUTRAGIOUSLY AWESOME betas. Till next time!!!   

My beta Ted's Vote: I think they should have a fight WHILE they do it, and then AS they climax, Lucious should burst in on them!!!!