Hurt
She stood there in front of a full length mirror, brown orbs staring critically at the long flowing white gown which hugged every curve of her body, her brown tresses in a loose knot, a few strands framing her face.
Perfect, she deemed, so bloody perfect.
She looked around absorbing, memorizing every little detail of that small dainty room in which she had resided for 2 years now. She was going to leave that place, never to return again only to remember.
She looked at the walls, the bright yellow walls and her mind flashed back to him.
"I am thinking of painting this room. The dull grey paint is wearing away" , she told him, her hand under her chin and her eyes trained on the wall, looking at it thoughtfully. He grabbed her other hand and spun her towards making them both fall unceremoniously on the floor, leaving him grimacing and her irate.
"What was that for?" She asked, her eyes narrowed and her hands crossed in a dominating stance.
He looked at her in a amused wonder, his lips turning upwards, just a little. She stomped her feet, gave him a murderous glance and stormed out of the room.
When after half an hour, she opened the door balancing 2 cups of coffee in her hand, she was greeted with a sight of a gold lit room, walls bright yellow and amidst them, a silver haired man with brows knit together looking at the walls, with concentrated puzzlement.
When he heard the door open, he turned back with a smile gracing his lips.
"Ah, that was amiss! See Granger, every time you enter a room, it livens up."
She looked at him, her eyes teasing and a large smile which she just could not curb.
"Such flattery my dear Malfoy does not do you well!"
"Why my dear Granger, only you can mange to degrade a Malfoy to such juvenile tactic. But I know a way you can make it up for this", he answered, smirking suggestively.
Even before Hermione could manage a word, Draco's lips had landed firmly yet delicately on hers….
She shook her head vigorously, she didn't want to think about him, not today, not ever if she could help it.
She turned her head towards the dark and soft linen on her bed and her mind reverted back to him, the way he had pushed her against the bed and showed her everyday what true passion was, and then the big chair, where he sat with her on his lap intently reading a Muggle story book which she had introduced to him.
A small smile grazed her lips when she remembered how annoyed he had looked with his brows all drawn together and his lips pressed tightly at the sight of Harry and a pregnant Ginny. She decided that it was the bags in their hands rather than them, at least she hoped.
She smiled and she hated herself for that because she was she and he was he and he could still make her smile and that just wasn't fucking fair.
He was a man, of sorts, with his blond weighing on silver locks and his cold grey eyes. He could make women fall in love with him with one single fleeting glance and he could make people squirm under that narrowed gaze of him. He was not charming as one would expect with that Greek God looks of his, but he emanated a kind of dominant radiance which just got people's attention.
They were supposed to arch bloody enemies and why not, she was a Muggle born while he loathed them.
She was a Gryffindor and he a Slytherin.
She was fighting with Dumbledore against Voldemort and he was doing exactly the opposite.
She was a know-it-all bookish nerd and he an annoying, irritating, infuriating prat.
She was light and he was darkness.
The bloody nature made them in such a way that they would be arch enemies and they had managed to do what was expected off them for 7 long years but then low behold, they went ahead falling in love or at least she went ahead falling in love with him.
A solitary tear stained her cheek and she quickly brushed it away, not for him, not today. She had already wasted too many tears on him and he wasn't worth that, he wasn't worth her.
She still remembered that day as if it was yesterday. The memory still fresh in her mind and the wound that he had inflicted in her mind that day still bled, still pained.
She was happy, well more than happy ecstatic, if you may. Draco Malfoy finally had the guts to ask her to marry him and today they were going to be married, each others forever and always.
She felt the glow of being a bride, no his bride. All her logic, her mind telling her that marriage with a Malfoy wasn't a good idea and he was Draco and he would hurt her were smothered and from those flames she had risen like a phoenix with that rapturous smile of hers that just wouldn't go off her face.
The day felt beautiful, the sun was shining only for her and the flowers scented even better and then it had all come crashing down, when she stood alone at the altar, her eyes trained at thedoor, the white roses wilting in her grip. Harry had tried coming closer and she had awarded him with a dangerous glower, her tiny chin tightened with determination.
"He will come" she had said loudly when people looked at her with pity on there face and uncertainty in their eyes.
Half an hour turned to one and one to two. She saw the people getting more and more tired and annoyed. She heard the people whispering, hushed whispers directed at her and her gaze flew once more towards the door.
She heaved a deep pained sigh and Harry came towards her, his arms encircling her in indignant comfort. She slumped against him, resting her head on his shoulder, a barely audible groan had torn out of her lungs and then she stood back up, slowly tearing herself away from Harry, the slight pride that was left in her made her look up in stubborn wake and her eyes looked ahead emotionless, impassive. She walked with the determination that she possessed ignoring the hundreds of eyes trained on her. She walked and walked and walked until she was out of sight and then she ran fast and away far away. The images of places and people passing away in a haze but she didn't care. Right then all she could think of was running and him, everywhere him.
Finally after what seemed like hours she stopped. Her shoulders slumping down jerkily and her hand violently trying to take the veil off. She threw it down with harsh force and then she walked forward, seating herself in the green grass, tears running down uncontrollably.
At night when she lay in her warm cold bed her tears finally over, and her eyes red and puffed she stared at the ceiling.
'He didn't even come and explain'
She knew sleep wouldn't come and so she didn't bother trying, just lay there and stared into oblivion.
Few days later she found out that he was with another girl on their wedding day. She found out and she cried because he was he and he broke her heart and didn't even bother explaining.
She hated him with such growing intensity that it was daunting and yet she loved him, if you get the jest of it. (She didn't)
So here she was in another white white gown marrying another man who wouldn't leave her because he truly loved her and she loved him. ( Maybe not in the same way, maybe not enough)
"'Mione, you ready?" Ginny opened the door and entered, her blue dress not doing her justice.
Hermione gave a slight nod and took a deep deep breathe and turned to look at her, smiling as hard as she could.
"Hermione" Ginny looked hesitant " umm he is here, he wants to talk to you"
Her eyes widened and the smile faltered.
"I don't want to meet him, ever"
"That's what I told him, he insists"
Hermione looked at her in helpless defeat because she knew she would go, for facing her fears was one of her traits, but she wasn't scared of him.( Not much anyway)
She entered the park and her breath kind of sort of stopped and her heart kind of sort of sped up at the sight of him. He still looked the same with his arrogant impudence and handsome as ever. She walked towards him with determination and stood in front of him. He still smelled the same, maybe better than ever.
There took placed a silent battle of will when grey orbs transfixed on brown ones. They stood there not saying just looking for something.
He was the first to admit defeat and his shoulders slumped just a little bit.
"You don't love him", he said and was that pain she was hearing in his deep voice.
He looked at her and was it guilt that was staring at her. She dismissed the absurd notion away.
"I do, Malfoy" ,she said his name with so much contempt that it made him grimace.
"No Granger you love me" and she expected him to say that with a sneer like it was an insult but the sincerity in his voice made something inside her crumble.
"I do", she said in conformation and his eyes lightened up just a little bit, maybe a lot.
"I love you too", he returned earnestly.
"Don't please Draco don't say that. You don't love me, you can't, you left me alone and humiliated and you didn't even explain. So please just do not say you love because it just is not fair"
"Hermione, I am sorry"
"No Draco, you are too late, I am moving on", she answered a tear trickling down her cheek. ( Maybe she wasn't moving on just yet, but she would, one day)
He tried to hold her hand and kiss her and tell her it was a mistake and he wants to take it all back, and he would do anything to take it all back, but she pushed his away with passionate forcefulness.
"Go away, Draco"
"Please don't leave" he was begging and she knew Malfoy didn't beg but there he was begging her, pleading from her.
She took a deep long pained sigh, her eyes closed.
"But Malfoy you left remember, not me"
"So is that what this is, revenge. You are taking revenge from me ", his eyes flared with sudden anger and his jaw tightened.
"No, Malfoy this is for me, not for you. Don't you dare insult my marriage by calling it revenge" she answered dangerously livid. (And maybe she was lying, maybe it was a little bit revenge, a little bit proving on her part but she could dwell on that later.
She turned around while his fingers laced in hers.
"Please"
"Good bye Draco", her voice gentle, having lost all its anger.
And maybe she would remember the feel of his hands on hers forever but right then she had to walk away.
Because she was she and he was he and they just weren't meant to be.