Good Girls

Chapter 28

Draco eventually had to return to Malfoy Manor, with the excuse that he knew a hiding spot of Potter's. As he apparated away, Hermione waved and smiled.

She returned to the cottage to be met with cold stares. "Hermione. Why him?" Fleur said sadly.

"You love Bill even with his injury yes?" She asked. Fleur nodded. "Well I love Draco even with his dark past. He's a better man than people think."

Fleur smiled and hugged her. "I understand. I'm happy for you."

Hermione grinned back and returned to her room. She stepped inside and was met by an angry Ron. "Ron I can't handle being yelled at by you right now,"

"I wasn't going to yell. I just wanted to talk," he said, patting the spot next to him. Hermione looked at him with a smile and sat down. "Ok I need an explanation,"

"Well Draco and I started dating towards the end of 4th year. He genuinely became a better person the longer I knew him. And I realized I loved him, like really loved him, over the summer before 5th year. He came to visit my family and he met my parents and he was just perfect. And then I met his mother the summer before 6th year and she was so accepting, which to me was not expected. And then all of 6th year I had been trying to keep him from losing himself. Especially with the whole Dumbledore thing."

Ron looked at her like she had 3 heads. "He's met your parents?"

"Yes Ronald. He spent time with us over the summer and also over Christmas break."

"I cannot believe you hid this for so long."

"Well if it was common knowledge, Draco would be disowned and I would probably be dead."

"Why didn't you tell us Mione. We're your best friends."

"Ron I wanted to. But you would never accept him. And you'd think I went insane. And then you'd go fight him. And then it would end up known by everyone and where would we be then?"

Ron looked at her with a grin. "Yeah I would have punched his face in if I had found out at school. I just don't want anyone taking advantage of you," he said, hugging her. Hermione smiled and hugged him back.

"He would never. Unlike the Malfoy everyone knows, he's different with me."

"So how serious are the two of you exactly?" Ron asked, pulling away from her. She blushed and looked down.

"He gave me a promise ring."

"Mione you can't seriously be thinking of marrying him?"

"Not now obviously. When this is all over and we're older and in a more stable financial position, I can see it though. He just makes me feel like I'm perfect, like I don't need to be anything but myself." As she spoke, she smiled softly, playing with the ring around her finger. Ron looked at her blankly, before reaching for her hand.

"Well I'm glad you found your person Mione." She smiled at him as he stood up and began to walk out of the door. "Wait. 3 years? That's not possible,"

"Why?"

"Because he was dating a blonde the summer before 5th year. And then he was dating that slytherin in 5th year."

"No he wasn't. Those were just my disguises," she said. Ron's eyes widened as he began to laugh.

"I cannot believe that. You had everyone fooled. I though Malfoy was juggling girls but it was just you."

Hermione nodded, putting her head in her hands. "Draco was not happy to hear you thought both of them were pretty."

"Mi, I've always thought you were beautiful. I wish we had a chance. But it's clear you love him, as much as it disgusts me to say. I mean he's a ferret Hermione."

Hermione shook her head, a blush creeping up on her cheek. "He's nothing like the twat he was in 3rd and 4th year. He's someone I'm proud to be with. I'm thankful that you understand. You're a good friend." Ron grinned and closed her door, leaving her alone to her thoughts.

A few minutes later Luna walked into the room. Hermione looked at her with a smile. "How are you doing Luna?"

"I'm doing well Hermione. Sorry I exposed you and Draco. I didn't know you two were dating,"

"What did you know Luna?" Hermione asked.

"I'd just seen the way he looked at you. It was like nothing else existed other than you."

Hermione smiled softly, lightly biting her lip. "He looks at me like that?" She asked.

"It's as if you were the sun." Luna said before standing up and walking out of the room. Hermione smiled as she laid down and thought about how she had gotten to this point. Somehow all was right in the world for a brief moment. It was like the first sunny day in London after weeks of rain. But just like London, the gloom had to come back at some point.