Draco's POV
I didn't go to my next class and Hermione probably didn't either. I just wish she knew that I wasn't doing this to hurt her. I had to do it to protect her. The letter had said some crap about them finding a way in through the forest, who the hell knows how they managed that, but they planned to kill as many non-Slytherins as they possibly could. At the bottom a little note was scrawled especially to scare me into keeping quiet.
That witch is at the top of our list.
They didn't know who the girl from the restaurant was, but if they did find out, they would kill her. And if they recognized Hermione, they would probably torture her until she begged for death. Then they'd torture me until I couldn't move, that'd be my punishment.
I sat in the Slytherin common room. Just sat there. I hadn't been here since that day with Pansy. Once or twice I would check my cheek to discover they were wet. I was upset of course. I had just had to give up the only person I've ever really loved. I thought of something then. A story Hermione had told me a while back, before we were together.
It was about a dog she had had. She was telling me about how traumatic it was to have her Grandmother die. The last thing her Grandma had given to her, she had told me, was a little golden puppy. Hermione said it was like a link to her Grandma, how she could stay connected to her. The dog went with her everywhere. They grew up together. After a happy six years with the dog, they found out that Lulu - the dog - had cancer. Hermione, at ten years old, a common muggle, was devastated. They had the choice of keeping Lulu alive, but the dog would suffer some consequences. Even back then, Hermione wasn't stupid. She didn't want to have the dog suffer, so they put her down. When I had asked Hermione how she had done it, if she truly loved the dog, why didn't she keep it? She shook her head. "I couldn't do it," were her words. "That'd be like me being able to keep my Grandma alive, but she would always be in pain. Seeing her in pain wouldn't make me happy, so I had to say goodbye. Sometimes, when you love something, the best thing to do is let it go."
So that's what I did. Seeing Hermione in pain, or even worse - dead - wouldn't do me any good. It would kill me inside. So I set her free. Why can't she see that? Only if I could tell her...
Hermione's POV
How can he do this to me? I think I always knew this would end badly, from the moment it started. But that's why I had him promise. He promised he wouldn't hurt me. Did all of those nights together mean nothing to him? It's not like we did anything like that but still. Don't I mean anything to him?
I'm thinking that he was just fooling with me but at the same time, I'm thinking it's because of something else. How can some fake that look, the look in his eyes that was only there when we were together, all the passion. You can't fake that. But maybe he can. I just don't know anymore. My insides feel like they've been ripped out and put through a shredder. I never thought it would hurt so much; losing an arrogant, selfish, ex-death eater. But I loved that arrogant, selfish, ex-death eater.
Just thinking about it made things worse. How could I let my guard down that easily? How could I let myself fall for him that easily? I knew the answers to those questions, but that wasn't enough. I let my guard down because he changed. I could trust him, or at least that's what I thought. And who doesn't fall for Malfoy? He's this good-looking, selfish, bad boy. No one can deny that. Every good girl wants a bad boy
But now I know I was wrong. Wrong about everything.
No POV
McGonagall sat in her office that day, unaware of what just happened. She had known all along. Since that first day, when she heard him talking. She could tell he had some sort of attraction towards her, but he tried to cover it up by treating her awfully. It must have worked all those years, so when McGonagall decided that Hermione and Draco were the perfect people for Head Prefects, she wondered what would happen behind the closed doors. And didn't they know she knew about everything that went on inside of her castle?
She knew that Malfoy had never meant to do anything wrong, he needed another chance, and Hermione would give that to him.
***
Harry, and Ginny became a little worried when Hermione didn't show up at classes or lunch. And they found it awfully odd that Draco seemed to be missing too.
At dinner, when they really started to worry, Hermione moped into the Great Hall. Her hair was a complete mess, abnormally bushy, her eyes were a little red but not much. She almost looked like she'd been asleep. Which would be the story she would tell. She had done a good job hiding all of it, she couldn't ruin it now. But all of this pain was hard to hide. She just didn't understand.
When Hermione sat across from the couple, Harry noticed something was wrong, but he was gullible, when it comes to Hermione, that is. Everyone believed Hermione because she was never supposed to lie. He believed her story that she had been reading, and then fell asleep.
Ginny saw right through her little white lie. She recognized the redness around the eyes. She knew she'd been crying because Ginny looked the same way whenever she cried over Dean. Hermione never missed class, was never late, so there must be a reason. A boy. Ginny planned on questioning her the moment Harry left.
***
Hermione was the last to sit at the table and the first to leave. As she was walking away, Ginny Weasley gave her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek and dashed after her.
Hermione was nearing the stair case when someone roughly grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.
She didn't expect to see Ginny, but when she did, she figured it was fine. It was okay to cry. The longer she held it in, the better it felt letting it go. As tears started to roll down her cheeks, and she began breathing heavy, Ginny pulled her into a hug.
Hermione experienced all the pain over again. Like someone has just pured salt into the fresh wound.
"It's okay, Hermione," she whispered into her hair, "Let it out," she added, patting her back.
After a few long minutes of crying, Ginny led Hermione into an empty classroom. She sat Hermione down on a tabletop and stared at her expectantly.
Hermione wiped her eyes, and looked up at her. "What is it, Gin?"
"What is it?" Ginny repeated. "What it is that you're hiding something from me! Aren't I not you're best friend, your sister? It hurts that you would lie to me Hermione."
Hermione thought for a minute, feeling terrible. Ginny had been there for her through everything after the War. How could she lie to her? "I'm sorry, Ginny," she said finally. "I, it's just that I can't. I can't tell you."
Ginny looked at her in disbelief. Hermione should know by know that Ginny Weasley doesn't take no for an answer. "You can't tell me," she almost yelled. "I've told you everything, from the beginning. About Dean, about Harry, and I even tried to help with Ron, but you can't tell me this one thing!"
Hermione shook her head, letting a tear fall free. "You wouldn't understand," she said quietly. "He's different, I know that, but you wouldn't."
"I was right," Ginny said excitedly, "it was a boy!"
Hermione nodded slightly. She was ashamed. She was so afraid to tell her best friend that she had loved a Malfoy.
"Who was it, Hermione," she asked closing in. Hermione looked out the window, contemplating what to do. "Tell me," she asked, standing in front of Hermione.
"Promise me," Hermione asked, "that you won't get mad,"
"Of course-" Ginny started to say.
"-that you won't yell, that you'll let me explain."
"Of course, Hermione," she said smiling. "I promise." Ginny Weasley had succeeded again.
Hermione was a little nervous, could she trust anyone again? She took a deep breath. "Well, as you know, I've had to share a room this year. And...things...have happened. One thing led to another, and he kissed me. And it went from there." Hermione looked up at Ginny, nervously biting her lip.
"What do you-" Ginny started to ask, but then it hit her. Realization struck her face. "Hermione Jean Granger!" She yelled. Ginny was furious. How could Hermione betray Harry like that. But she managed to calm herself. "How in the world did you end up with Malfoy? Malfoy, of all people?"
Hermione smiled a bit. "It's a bit of a long story..."
***
"Hermione..." Ginny said, shaking her head. Ginny was furious at Hermione but she understood. Malfoy was charming, he could easily trick little, innocent Hermione. So, at the same time she felt bad for her. And a little happy because she had moved on. Temporarily, anyway.
"I know," Hermione whispered, sniffling and wiping her eyes.
Ginny walked over to Hermione and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry, but how did you let that happen? You knew it was Malfoy."
"You should've seen him, Gin. He was so sweet, and nice, and gentle. It was like he was a different person. And what girl wouldn't take the opportunity to go out with Malfoy. He's hot, even you can't deny that," she said laughing a little.
"Yeah, I wouldn't mind taking that for a spin," Ginny told Hermione smiling.
"Ginny! You have a boyfriend!"
"It was just a thought," she said, smiling goofily.
"Oh, Ginny..." Hermione felt better, a lot better actually. It's amazing how much one person can hurt you, and how one person can make you feel that much better. She had came to a conclusion.
People are bitches sometimes, but that's life.
Draco's POV
I couldn't bare to face Hermione. She didn't need to see my face. I didn't need to see her face, either. It's weird that, even though I'm the one who broke up with her, it's causing me so much pain. Because I've known almost since the beginning that this couldn't last, so why did I put her through this? I think it was for me, I was selfish, and now Hermione hates me. I hate me. I hate all of this.
Why does all of this shit happen to me?
Hermione didn't come back to the common room for three days. I was on the couch, working on my Potions, when I noticed I wasn't alone.
I looked over toward the hallway and there she was. She was looking at me with those big, chocolate brown eyes. From the few seconds I was watching her, her eyes seemed to become sad and watery. I looked up, to try and meet her eyes, but the moment I did, she looked away and speed-walked into her room.
I looked down at the essay I was writing about Amortentia, and I couldn't seem to concentrate. I stared at the paper, and I thought of Hermione. I knew I still wanted to love her, but I also knew that I couldn't love her.
I started to cry, yeah I know, weird, but things haven't been normal for a while now. Things started changing the moment she came around.
Luckily, they were just silent tears. Hermione came out a little while later. She had a bag, and was carrying her school books. I knew what that meant. She was leaving.
I kind of expected that. I mean, who would want to sit hear and look at what could've been, but what wasn't meant to be.
I knew I didn't.
Just then, as I wiped my eyes, the fire went out. There was a screeching sound, and suddenly an owl came out of the now un-lit fireplace.
It was a big, brown barn owl. It had big, yellow eyes that were staring at me. It landed on the coffee table and stuck it's leg out. I knew I'd never seen this owl before so that brought chills to my spine.
I untied the letter, and scrawled messily on the front was my name.
My hands started to sweat. Without even opening it, I knew what it was. This letter could only mean one thing.
Nervously, I opened it and began to read.
Forbidden Forest at midnight on Sunday. You know where. Bring Blaise and Pansy.
*A/N
From now on, my Author's Notes are going to be short and sweet. Hope you liked it! Comment and vote!
"I didn't want to be royalty. And I didn't want to be a One. I didn't even want to try."
-The Selection, Kiera Cass
Mrs Malfoy/Felton <3