Dedicated to GryffGirl7, for writing the most amusing comment I've recieved so far :)
Wow. Did not expect 104 votes in twenty-four hours. To say that I am shocked would be a serious understatement. I'd like to thank each and every single one of you for voting. I thought I was delusional from lack of sleep when I saw my vote count this morning.
The picture is pretty.
The video kind of fits a part of this story, much to my surprise.
Now that I have explained the stuff on the side (whew!)...
Enjoy!
*********************************************************************
“Life is a Rose; beware of the thorns”
-Unknown
“I didn’t know you could cook,” Hermione commented the next morning, quite surprised at seeing Draco in the kitchen.
“I can’t,” Draco replied as he finished the last of his scrambled egg. “But Pokey can. The food is in the kitchen, by the way.”
“Who’s Pokey?” Hermione asked curiously as she munched on a slice of green apple.
“She is my house elf,” Draco replied. “I’m usually never home, so she cooks and cleans then goes back to the manor.”
“So where are you usually, if you are never at home? It doesn’t seem like you work much.”
“I’m usually always at conferences around the world. This month just has been less hectic than usual. But I’m suppose to be at a conference in Switzerland, in an hour,” replied Draco glancing at his watch.
“When are you coming back?” asked Hermione.
“Tomorrow night. Would you care to accompany me?” Draco asked suddenly, shocking himself.
“Me?! No! What would I do at your conference?”
“The conference is just for a few hours in the morning. After that you could explore Switzerland.”
“Thank you for the kind offer. But I have to work,” Hermione replied apologetically.
“On a Saturday?” Draco asked skeptically.
“The Law Enforcement department has to do extra hours. And as the head of the department, I can’t skip it.”
“Well, if you change your mind, the address is on my desk,” Draco added rising to leave.
“Are you leaving already?” Hermione asked.
“Yes. See you tomorrow.”
“Bye.”
____________________________________
When Hermione walked into her office a few hours later, she was too shocked by the sight in front of her to step forward. She hoped with all her heart that Parvati wasn’t here yet. For if she was here, gossip would spread like wildfire throughout the Ministry as well as the Wizarding World courtesy of one Lavender Brown.
“What are you trying to do?” asked Blaise, walking in the room after Hermione. “Turn your office into a botanical garden?”
“No, not me. But your best mate sure is,” Hermione replied as she fingered the soft petals of a white rose. The entire room was filled with dozens of bouquets of different types and kinds of flowers. Hermione walked over to the biggest bouquet that was sitting on her desk and extracted the card from it.
I never asked you what kind of flowers you liked. So I asked the florist to send a bouquet of each kind.
--The Beautiful and Uber Talented Seeker
Hermione shook her head with a smile on her face. She quickly scribbled a note.
For future reference, it’s lilies.
--The Brightest Witch of the Decade
After she finished the note and sent it, she directed her attention to her work with a smile still lingering on her face.
________________________________________
Just as she was about to go home, quite a few hours later, a large owl came swishing in through her open window with a single red rose and a letter.
Dear Hermione,
It gets quite lonely in the Alps all by myself. How about you join me at eight-o-clock in the lobby? I’ll be waiting.
Love,
Draco Malfoy
Hermione looked quizzically at the note. It was printed on fancy stationary instead of Draco’s usual handwriting on regular paper. But what was even more puzzling was the way the letter was addressed. Draco’s usual letters usually always began with ‘Dear Insufferable Know-It-All’ or ‘Dear Beaver,’ never before did they start with ‘Dear Hermione.’ And never had he ever signed a letter with ‘Love Draco Malfoy.’
“The loneliness must be getting to his head,” Hermione told herself as she disapparated home before heading to Switzerland.
________________________________________
As the grandfather clock chimed eight, Hermione cast one last look at her reflection before apparating to Ritz Hotel in Switzerland.
When she opened her eyes, she was awed by her surroundings. She was standing in front of a magnificent hotel, more like a castle, surrounded by snow. She entered the hotel and walked up to the lobby.
“Can you please tell me if Draco Malfoy is in right now?” Hermione asked the clerk at the front desk.
“He isn’t in right now, but if you want to wait for him in the l--. Oh, he just walked in,” replied the clerk.
“Thank you,” Hermione replied politely, before turning around to meet Draco. She began walking towards Draco but slowed down when she saw Astoria somehow materialize next to him (no magic involved, Hermione just didn’t realize that Astoria was there). But what happened next made her stop in shock and she felt as if the wind was knocked out of her. Draco and Astoria, who had been talking until now, were locked in lip lock in the middle of the lobby.
As they broke apart, Draco’s eyes immediately met Hermione’s and a pained look appeared in them. Hermione immediately began walking rapidly toward the exit.
Draco roughly pushed Astoria aside with a disgusted look on his face and began following Hermione.
“Hermione!” he called out as he ran after her.
Hermione effectively ignored Draco and marched towards the exit. She was out the door, into the path of the falling snow and about to disapparate when Draco’s hand caught her wrist.
“Hermione, listen to me. That was not what it looked like. Ple--,”
“Let go of my hand,” Hermione commanded in an eerily calm voice. “I don’t care about what happened back there and frankly, I don’t want to know.”
“Please let me expl--,” began Draco, as the falling snow swirled around them.
“I said I DON’T WANT TO KNOW,” yelled Hermione. “Why don’t you go and tell someone who cares! Like your girlfriend back there.”
“She is NOT my girlfriend! Why do you not listen to me?” Draco exclaimed, frustratedly brushing his hand though his hair and dislodging the snow in it.
“I have my reasons, you know I have” spat Hermione, casting one last disgusted glance at Draco before disapparating and leaving Draco in the sidewalk with a defeated look on his face.
__________________________________
As soon as Hermione left, Draco went inside to hunt down Astoria. Unfortuantely for him, and fortunately for her, she was no where to be found.
Mentally cursing himself for getting stuck in such a situation and even more for actually caring, Draco immediately began packing. Within ten minutes, he disapparated to his apartment praying that Hermione didn’t call off the deal and leave.
The minute he walked in his apartment, he dropped everything and ran to Hermione’s bedroom. Fortunately, she did not move out, as indicated by her belongings that were still in the room. Unfortunately, while her belongings were there, Hermione was nowhere to be found.
After staring at her empty room for what seemed like an eternity, Draco walked to the living room, dropped defeatedly in the armchair by the fire, and stared unwaveringly at the door.
_________________________________________
When Hermione walked in, a few hours later, she saw Draco’s tall form slumped in the armchair by the fireplace. As she shut the door to the apartment, Draco stirred.
“Hermione? Is that you?” he called out drowsily.
“The deal is still on,” she replied, disregarding what Draco said.
“Where were you? I thought you left.”
“I went for a walk to think things through. And I have decided that the deal is still on. Even though you clearly didn’t hold up your side of the bargain, I shall hold up mine,” she stated. “And before you begin again, let me make it clear that I don’t want to know whatever it is that you’re trying to tell me about what happened. I. don’t. care. So don’t bother wasting your breath on it.”
As soon as she finished, she walked to her room and slammed the door shut. Leaving Draco in the armchair with an exasperated look on his face.
*********************************************************************
While coming up with a title for this chapter, I realized how roses are mentioned in basically every tragedy or sad part of a story (i.e. Romeo & Juliet, Beauty & the Beast, Beastly, as well as some versions of Sleeping Beauty).
Anyhow.....
What do you guys think of this chapter? I'd love to hear your opinions (as usual).....
I'm kind of running behind on writing, due to all the early updates. So the next upload will be on Saturday. But feel free to vote anyways ;)