The next morning at breakfast, Hermione was embarrassed and confused beyond belief. Never before had Draco Malfoy, Slytherin, who had tormented she, Harry, and the traitor Ron Weasley even shown a bit of kindness to anyone but fellow Slytherins, much less let her cry over his shoulder by a lake. She never would have believed it possible had not it truly happened and she experienced it.
Hermione was eating alone at the Gryffindor table. Ron was with Lavender at who knew where, and Harry had early morning Quidditch practice. She watched the back of Draco's head wonderingly, until he felt her gaze and turned those grey eyes toward her. She refocused her gaze on her book, Advanced Potion Making Grade 7, which she had been rereading in a mad attempt to win back her reputation as best student in the classroom, which Harry had stole with the cursed book of the so-called "Half-Blood Prince". But she was having trouble focusing.
"Hey, Mione!"
Ginny sat down beside Hermione with an orange juice jug and a plate on bacon, eggs, and toast. "What are you thinking about? Are you still brooding that snitch Ron Weasley and his Lav-Lav? Don't, if he's into her, then he doesn't deserve you."
"It's not that." Hermione snapped her book shut. "Look, Ginny, I'm going to tell you something, but you can't tell anyone else. And I mean no one."
Ginny crossed her arms over her chest to signal she agreed. "Spill it."
"So yesterday I was sort of upset about everything, and then I went to the lake. Then Draco Malfoy came."
Ginny listened wide-eyed to Hermione's story. When she finished, Ginny giggled awkwardly.
"So do you like him?"
"Don't be stupid. I was just sad. It isn't like that at all," Hermione said.
She felt the stare of those grey eyes again on her back.