The Secret Riddle {Wattys2017}

10: Hogsmeade pt.2

~ Hermione ~

Somehow Neville, Ginny, Harry, Ron, and I squeezed into a booth at The Three Broomsticks. I was seated inbetween Neville and Ginny, across the table from Harry and Ron.

All of us had a glass of butterbeer and we're waiting for our meals to arrive. I ordered a Caesar salad, boring but I already ate some candy that Ginny bought at Honeydukes.

Not five minutes after we had sat down and ordered, Draco walked in to the establishment. He isn't along however, he's with Blaise Zabini.

They sit at a table across the restaurant from us, Draco facing us and Zabini facing away. Draco and I make brief eye contact and he quickly winks. What the actual hell.

"Uh, Hermione, did Malfoy just wink at you?" Ginny says quietly so only the people at our table can hear.

To say the least, everyone looked completely shocked. Ron most of all, his mouth opened and he looked at me with complete shock on his face. But anger quickly replaced his shock. Goddamnit Ginny, thanks for starting unnecessary drama. Leave it to her to bring up the fact that Draco winked at me.

He must be doing this to piss me off, that little...arsehole. He's going to need protecting if he's going to keep this up.

"Why did he do that, 'Mione? Are you two...together?" Ron said the last word through clenched teeth.

Everyone at the table looked at her with expressions mixed with shock and...dissapointment? It's no secret that Draco and I hate each other and have for years. And probably will for years to come. So it would be a suprise that him and I were to be..in a relationship. And dissapointing seeing as how he made my life a living hell for five bloody years.

"No!" I said way too loudly, drawing the attention of nearly everyone in the restaurant.

Including Draco. I forced myself to not look at him but I could feel him staring at me. He's lucky I haven't hexed him to oblivion...yet.

"We are not together. He's just being his normal arsehole self, alright?" I said, sounding as if I was convincing myself.

"You don't sound too sure of that, 'Mione" Harry pointed out.

"Whatever, were not together and nor will we ever be together" I said with a sense of finality.

"Well by the way he's looking at you, he's telling a different story" Ginny says, nudging my elbow.

I turned and looked in Draco's direction. He was staring at our table and almost instantly locked his eyes with mine. He smiled and pretended to blow me a kiss.

I felt myself start to blush so I quickly turn away. I look at the table, suddenly becoming interested in the little lines in the wood.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Ron asked, sounding extremely pissed off.

"Nothing! He's just being a douche, like he always is" I say, trying to get them to believe me.

"Whatever, 'Mione. It's not really our business if you're shagging the snake or not" Ron muttered.

My jaw actually dropped when he said that. How could he think that ME, of all people, would have sex with Draco bloody Malfoy.

"How could you think that?!" I pretty much yell.

"Because it seems like you two are!" Ron yells back.

"Whatever, Ronald. I need to go" I said.

Ginny scoots out of the booth so I could  leave. I leave enough money to pay for my meal before I storm out of the restaurant.

I find a bench and plop myself down on it. The village visit doesn't end for another hour so I guess I'll just sit here for an hour.

How could Ron say that? I would never have sex with Draco and if he thinks I would he's stupid! And why would Draco play along with their ideas of us being in a..relationship. The next time I see him I'm going to snack him across the face, just like I did in Third Year.

After a few minutes of staring blankly at the ground, I feel someone sit down next to me. I look up and see the last person I wanted to see.

"Go away" I say with as much force as I could.

"Sorry, Maddy, did you not like the show? Your friends sure got a kick out of it" He chuckled.

I simply glare at him until he starts to speak again. He's such an arrogant arsehole he seriously makes me want to strangle him.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your ginormous crush on me" Draco said.

That's when I slapped him.

My hand starts to stink as I pull it away. He left hand flys up to his left cheek, shock present in his eyes.

"I do not and will never have a crush on you, Malfoy. Your an arrogant, privileged, arsehole" I said.

I stand up from the bench and look down at him.

"Tell me how you really feel, Maddy. And let's stick with first names" He said, as if he was talking to an old friend.

"My name is not Maddy or Madeline, it's Hermione!" I yell at him.

"Keep it down unless you want lover boy to get a sense you're hiding something from him" Draco said, looking behind me.

I spin around to see Ron, Harry, Ginny, and Neville walking towards us. As soon as they see that Draco's with me their expressions turn sour.

"How about you leave her alone, Malfoy. It's clear she doesn't like you that way, or any way" Ron said, practically seething.

"Just as much as she doesn't like you. So I guess we're both stuck in the FriendZone" Draco said, standing up from the bench.

"You're not friends with her, she despises you" Ron spat.

"If she did why did we have a delightful conversation earlier?" Draco asks, cocking his head slightly to the side.

"W-what?" Ron says, looking back and forth between Draco and I.

"N-nothing happened, Ron. It's no big deal" I say quickly.

"We're you with him when you weren't at Honeydukes earlier?" Ron asks, looking as if he hoped it wasn't true.

"Yes, she was" Draco answered his question for me.

"Fine. Enjoy time with your boyfriend. Let's go guys" Ron says.

He walks away from us but keeps looking at me with a disappointed look in his eyes. Harry, Ginny, and Neville all follow him and look at me with the same disappointed look.

Sighing, I sit back down on the bench. Draco sits down quietly next to me.

"Why did you do that?" I ask, not looking at him.

"To protect you" He replied simply.

I look at him with a confused look. He looks at me and realizes why I'm confused.

"Your father knows you can protect yourself against enemies. He was worried about you getting hurt by Potter and his other friends. And your father will do anything to protect you so that's where I come in. He ordered me to make sure that they don't hurt you. So I thought if you weren't friends with them anymore they couldn't hurt you" Draco explains.

"Harry and Ron would never hurt me" I  mumble.

"Are you sure about that? They wouldn't hurt Hermione Granger but they don't know Madeline Riddle"