Disclaimer: I do not own HP.
A/N: I tinkered with the epilogue a bit. ;-) hope you all enjoy. x
A/N: beautifly92 I fixed the age now, thank you! :-) and for all the readers out there, this will remain a one-shot. :-) This story is an example of a "keep-you-guessing" piece. It's up to you to make the ending. :-) x
A/N: LibbyMalfoy HIMYM IS AWESOME
Despite That
"And what's wrong with Ron now?" Hermione snapped as she cornered the thirty-six year old blond man who was leaning on the brick wall of the ticket office in King's Cross. Little Rose was crying at the side as Albus Severus sneakily stole her favorite notebook. Nineteen years have passed since The Chosen Harry Potter conquered Lord Voldemort and all was well.
Or so they thought.
"Stop assuming," Draco replied coldly. "Why do you always think that every little thing I bring up is all about your prat of a husband?"
"It's been nineteen years, Malfoy," Hermione replied. "Get over that feud. Voldemort's dead and we're not in Hogwarts anymore."
"Are you some kind of hypocrite?" Draco replied. "You're telling me to get over our feud and yet you're assuming that my greeting towards you both was cold and insulting? You get over yourself."
"It was a sneer, Malfoy!" Hermione stomped her foot madly on the ground, her heel digging into the pavement. "You looked at us as if we were some kind of vermin."
Draco sighed exasperatedly as he looked around. A number of passers-by were slowing their paces just to listen to the already heated argument the two were having.
Hermione narrowed her eyes and stared hard at her archenemy.
"Tell me," Hermione hissed, lowering her voice due to consciousness of the people around her. "What is so wrong with Ron?"
"Oh, Merlin," Draco sighed. "There are a number of things wrong with Weasley."
"Name them," Hermione growled. "I'd like to hear what you have to say."
"Are you sure, Granger?" Draco replied, snickering. "I wouldn't want to hurt your feelings."
"Try me."
Draco ran his fingers through his hair and cleared his throat.
"Are you still trying to put on a brave front?"
"I'm not putting up a brave front. I was always brave since- why am I even explaining this to you? Just get on with whatever flaws Ron has so I can leave you be."
"I've been looking for the right motivation and your leaving me was some kind of stimulus. Okay, where do I begin? Oh, the name Weasley."
"What's so wrong with the name Weasley?"
"First of all, why have a last name that stems from a kind of rat? Well, they kind of are like scavengers, based on their financial status."
Hermione kept quiet and listened intently to the insults spewing out of his mouth.
"He's clumsy, stupid, and… well…. unappealing."
"Oh, so you think you're appealing?"
"I didn't say that. Why, do you think I'm appealing?"
"Stop flirting, Malfoy, and get on with the insults."
"Oh, your mental wiring's gone off again, Granger," Draco clucked. "Stop trying to interpret things and just take sentences the way they are."
"Oh, and you think that your mental wiring's all right? You yourself are awry as it is!"
"Make up your mind, Granger! Who are we insulting now, Weasley or me?"
"You think that you're so perfect, walking around like you're the boss of everyone! I cannot think of anyone more arrogant than you!"
"We're not done with Weasley yet, Granger." Draco gritted his teeth.
"And do you think I'll allow you to continue trying to spew flaws like spit when you yourself have flaws?"
"Pardon me, Granger! You were the one telling me to spew insults! Stop trying to twist your own words."
But Hermione didn't stop. Anger was boiling in her veins and she spewed insult after insult towards her archnemesis.
"So what if you're pureblood? In this era, no one cares. You've been insulting me from the day I arrived in Hogwarts! Why can't you just put that word to a stop?"
"I have."
Hermione ignored him.
"And so what if you're financially stable? I don't need money!"
"We weren't talking about money, Granger, honestly." Draco rolled his eyes.
"And do you think father issues are something that should be appreciated in society? It's funny how you've been insulting people's fathers when you should be insulting your own!"
"AND WHY DO YOU CARE?"
"What do you mean by 'why do I care?'"
"Smartest witch of our age, my arse," Draco snapped. "Why do you mind my father issues? It's not like you're my mother or something."
"Oh, I hardly want to be your mother, Malfoy," Hermione hissed. "Let alone your friend. Or companion. Or anything filial-related! I do not even see how we're ever going to be benevolent with each other."
"Are you done?" Draco replied angrily.
"And I think the reason why you're always running around, insulting others and chasing after girls is because you're trying to fill that hole in that stone you call a heart."
"Are you done, Granger?"
"And I guess, in totality, you are insecure and lonely. Not even Astoria Greengrass can fill that hole."
"Are you done now?" Draco gritted his teeth again.
"Yes. I am."
"Where do I start with Hermione Granger?"
"Oh now, we're going onto me-"
"You're whiny, you're annoying, and you're such a know-it-all, it kills my insides."
"And why do you bother?"
"Well, Granger, the reason why you're such a stickler for rules is because you feel that you have to be different. Everyone in Hogwarts broke some once in a while while you go around and boss everyone around. If you think I was bossy, I think you could be prison guard, always watching around like a hawk."
"What do you think I'm trying to prove, Malfoy?"
"That you are worth more than a measly Muggleborn."
"Why does it always boil down to blood, Malfoy? Is that the only argument you can present to this conversation?"
"And what is with your hair? It's straightened to a tee. What happened to your curly mane? Sick of looking like a lion?"
"Why are you insulting-"
"And what is with your eyes? They always seem so dull and brown. How droll does your appearance have to be?"
"What-"
"And don't even get me started on your skin. You're so white, you look like some kind of snow angel."
"Snow angel?"
"Poor Weasley has to put up with your intelligence. That slow git. Can't keep up with your pace of learning. Never will."
"Oh, so now we're back to Weasley?"
"YES WE ARE! Because it's always been about him from the start!"
"What is so wrong with Ron, Malfoy?" Hermione asserted, her voice growing weary and vexed. "You have never answered my question."
"It's more like what is so right with Weasley."
"Make up your mind, Malfoy! Are you going to praise him now?"
"With all the money in the world, he still has everything!"
"What are you talking about? He's practically pauperized!"
"HE IS NOT!"
"Don't raise your voice with me, Malfoy! I've had a rough day today and you're only making it worse."
"HE HAS EVERYTHING!"
"LIKE WHAT, MALFOY?"
"He has a family! He has brothers and a sister who loves him as well as two parents who care for him even if he's so imperfect!"
"I never knew you thought that-"
"And he had a successful run in the game of Quidditch back when we were students! Unlike I, who only got into the team because of the Nimbus 2001's that my father bought for the players!"
Draco's voice was rising as he spoke. And Hermione could tell that he was on the verge of a breaking point, probably from holding onto those feelings of resentment but decided to speak, knowing she also had her own resentments and bitterness.
"Stop trying to argue that you don't have everything, Malfoy! Even that type of insult is much too low, even for Ron."
"Do you think I'm lying about all this?"
"Yes, I do!"
"Well I'm not!"
"Why do you think you don't have everything yet?"
"Because he already got what I wanted!"
"If this is about another broom-"
"YOU CANNOT BUY THIS ONE WITH MONEY, GRANGER!"
"Then what does he have? I doubt that this thing can't be bought by money-"
"IT'S YOU!"
Hermione gasped.
"What?"
"It's always been you."
Hermione stuffed her hands in her pockets sheepishly as she looked at the change in emotion Draco displayed.
"What are you trying to-"
"Stop trying to think that I can stay content with Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts! I have my needs too!"
"I didn't-"
"And unfortunately, I needed you, wanted you, since the start."
Hermione was caught off guard by the fervent sentiment that Draco's voice contained. And for once, she had kept silent.
"Funny how he Weasley can never match up to me, flaws and all, but despite that he has something that I will never be able to have. And for that, I congratulate him."
Hermione did not respond, unmissably still recovering from Draco's confession.
"But it's too late, isn't it?"
"No, I-"
"Weasley got me beat for once."
"Wait, Malfoy-"
Draco held his right hand up to signal silence. Hermione's eyes welled up with tears as she watched rejection fill the pale, apathetic face of her nemesis. She knew he had gone through so much in his life and she knew that he would soon get used to it.
"Wait, where are you going?"
"I'm returning back to my family," Draco motioned towards a frantically waving Astoria and Scorpius. "I can't just linger on something that I cannot do anything about it anymore."
"Don't leave-"
"Just forget about everything I said. It was a trivial confession and I would like very much to be done with it."
Draco turned on his heel and walked away.
"Good luck with Weasley. I wish you all the best in your marriage." He called as he walked over to his wife and son.
Hermione's jaw hung open and tears rolled down her vermilion-tinged cheeks as she watched the blond head of hair disappear into the multitude of people at the train station. Her right hand still stuffed in her pocket, she fished for the golden band Ron had handed back to her this morning. She gripped tightly on it as she remembered the fight they had before leaving to take Rose to the train station. How she had fought for her love for someone else. And she now knew that he would move on with his life while she would not.
"I wish you all the best in your marriage."
Hermione let out a ragged sigh as she gazed at the wedding band of her ex-husband.
"Not anymore, Malfoy, not anymore."