Dramione: An Impossible Fantasy [Being Edited]

Chapter 29: The Last Detention

HERMIONE

1 MONTH LATER: DECEMBER 3rd

I wave goodbye to Harry, Ron, Ginny, and - I grimace - Angela as I walk towards the common room. There's a spring in my step. Today is the last day that I'll be having detention.

That also means you won't be seeing Dr - Malfoy - as much, I think. For the past month, we've barely spoken more than two sentences to each other. The only two classes we have we spend with our friends. This realization makes me happy. That means less hours of tense silence and uneasy movements. But for some reason, it also makes me... almost regretful. Sad.

Because something in me broke a long time ago, and seeing him seems to somehow mend the gap in my soul just a little. But when we stopped even talking... The gap opened up again. The nightmares of Malfoy Manor came back at the same time, too. And neither Ron nor Harry is around to comfort me.

I spent hours with my pillow on my face, trying to muffle the screams and sobs that shook my body. It helped when I thought of Ron, but not a lot. Nothing was ever enough.

I say the password. It's been the same for the past months. I don't think we'll ever talk to each other long enough to change it to a new one. I walk to one of the couches and set my books and parchment down.

I make sure I set everything I have down, before closing my eyes. What did I miss, what did I forget...?

I open my eyes to see Dra - Malfoy standing there, face a dead mask. My mouth is dry and I try to wet my lips. His eyes go us to where my tongue darts and I swear he blushes a pale pink for a second. That makes me turn red, too. My lips burn briefly for a moment when I remembered our kiss from so long ago... A real one.

I hadn't been able to remember my emotions at that time. But now, it comes rushing back to me: the way his soft mouth pressed onto mine, and how I wrapped my arms around his, eyes closed. How I opened them to stare into his silver gray eyes... How they locket passionately and we stared at each other like we'd die in another instant. How it seemed that time slowed and everything stopped, how a second seemed an hour and half a minute seemed forever. How I wished we'd never let go. How I knew, even then, that what we had was doomed to end.

Then Ron's clear blue eyes appear in my mind, and I avoid his gaze. My mouth can't seem to form words. I try to say, "Hello," but it comes out as, "E-low."

His eyebrows crease in confusion. I smile without any real warmth as I repeat, "Hello." He gives a single nod. We stand there.

"Are you going to the detention?"

This time I nod. In unison, we both walk out, him behind me. So silent I forget he's there multiple times.

When we enter the Potion's room, Prof. Slughorn stands there smiling placidly. "Your last detention, Ms. Granger, Mr. Malfoy. Are you - "

He's interrupted. "Why did you say her name first?" He snaps. My eyes widen and my mouth opens angrily.

Prof. Slughorn says nothing. He merely waits as I breathe in heavily until we're both silent.

"Seeing that you received a detention when you were attempting to make a love potion, I will give you the last detention to attempt to make it again. I hope these detentions have taught you to work together and respect each other."