This is my first oneshot, and forgive me if it has several grammatical errors because it hasn't been beta'd. I think this is mainly a result of sleep deprivation on my part, but it's something I just came up with randomly. Reviews will be much appreciated :D
Disclaimer: Don't own any of the characters in the Harry Potter world :(
The music was charmed to play in every room of the building, and it drove Hermione mad. There was no place where she could sit in peace without the reverberating base making her heart jump. She settled on going upstairs to her small desk, where the music was slightly muffled.
She sat on her desk, her thighs touching the cool glass as her dress rode up ever so slightly, and faced the office behind; the office that belonged to the man she had been assistant to for as long as she could remember.
"Ditching your own party?"
She didn't have to turn around to know who that voice belonged to. Her stomach flip-flopped, and she couldn't blame the music. She looked down and put all her attention to making her voice seem indifferent.
"It's not my party." She said simply.
"They threw it for you. The invites said 'Hermione's farewell party'."
"Please," she scoffed. "It's just an excuse for them to dance and get plastered one night. It has nothing to do with me."
She heard his footsteps get closer to her back and she self-consciously pulled down the hem of her dress, trying to cover up her exposed leg more. He was now facing her, eyeing her up and down, but not in an offensive way. Thin straps held up her plain black dress which hugged her curves and made her fair skin glow. Her strappy heels clung to her feet and her toenails were painted blood red.
But his gaze lingered on her face; she had barely touched the make-up that Ginny had dumped in front of her and only used the bare essentials. Hermione felt heat rush to her cheeks from the intensity of his eyes and she awkwardly tucked a curl behind her ear. Her hair fell gracefully down her back, looking glossy after years of finally taming it.
"Why are you doing this?" he suddenly asked her. She frowned a little so he continued. "Why are you leaving?"
Hermione looked down as he leaned against the glass walls of his office, his eyes never leaving her. "I can't be an assistant forever." she mumbled quietly.
He laughed mirthlessly. "You know damn well you were never just an assistant." There was a bit of anger laced within the words. "I paid you more than the bloody minister of magic–"
"When are you going to learn it's not all about money, Draco?" Thunder roared outside the building as clouds gathered in the sky. Hermione tried not to think of its appropriateness with the situation.
Draco looked out the large windows towards the darkening sky which thundered again. "It's not just the money," he said quietly. "Everything I did, you had a say in it. Every decision that was made was always run by you. You weren't my assistant, you were my partner!"
Hermione couldn't deny all of this; she knew it for a fact that he valued every opinion of hers and always referred to her. "I guess I just need a change." she said softly. It was a weak argument.
He definitely thought so too because he gave her a look that said 'Seriously?'
Hermione shrugged at him, her excuses getting more pathetic. A shrug? She scolded herself for lack of originality.
"Five years, Hermione," Her heart fluttered uncomfortably when he used her name. "You worked here for five years and all that time, people were coming to you practically begging on their knees for you to join them; but you never did."
Hermione remained silent, thinking it was better to do that instead of thinking up any more stupid defenses.
"One man comes along for the first time, offers you a mediocre job and you simply agree?" His tone dripped with sarcasm. "You don't just snap your fingers and decide to change everything in your life one night, Hermione." The thunder crackled again, a flash of light blinking across the sky with it.
Hermione currently felt like she was a child being told off for doing something wrong (which had never happened in her early years). But she couldn't say anything back that wouldn't give away everything she'd been working to hide for so long.
"Sometimes, Draco," She felt like slapping herself for speaking, but now that she had started, she had to finish it. "You can't carefully think everything through. Sometimes, you just have to do what feels right to you!" She raised her voice.
He gave her the same incredulous look as before. "Are you listening to yourself?" His voice rose a bit too. "Hermione Granger is not thinking everything through. Since when have you just gone with your gut feeling about things like this? Don't give me that bullshit." The rain pattered against the windows as the bolts of lightning continued to blaze across the sky.
She looked down into her lap and he continued. "Hermione," He stepped forward to where she was sitting and put one hand on the desk next to her leg. He bent slightly so that he could look her in the eyes. "You are the smartest witch of our generation and I don't doubt that for a second." His tone was suddenly softer but she still couldn't look him in the eye. Her gaze remained on her hands folded in her lap. "But you are an incompetent liar. Don't take it as an insult!" he added quickly when she looked at him with irritation flashing in her eyes. "I think it's endearing that innocence still remains in you."
He moved his hand from the desk and was now cupping her cheek gently, his fingers lightly brushing against her; as if afraid he might break her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again and his hand still lingered, the touch electric. Her heart stopped for a moment before thudding so loudly in her ears she was surprised he didn't rush her to the emergency room. They were both quiet, afraid to disturb the beautiful moment.
He spoke first, his voice low and husky. "Why are you lying to me? Why can't you just tell me the truth?" There was an emotion behind his words that she couldn't place. Was it pain?
Just tell him; just say it! There was one part of her screaming to let it out.
But her other half put up a wall, blocking and guarding her emotions from taking over. "It doesn't matter now, Draco." Her voice betrayed otherwise as it trembled faintly. He put his hand back down on the desk with a sigh. She concentrated on the sound of the rain hitting the glass and her eyes glistened for a moment before she pushed the tears back.
"So now what?" he said in a defeated manner. "And don't give me the 'we can still be friends' shit because we never met outside the building." Hermione looked at him with a grimace. "It's true, Hermione. Our friendship started and was confined within the boundaries of this office." The corners of his lips turned upwards but the smile seemed more like a forced movement of his mouth; it didn't reach his eyes.
Hermione felt herself clench at the word; friendship. "You were my boss." She emphasized.
The hint of a smile fell and was replaced with a cold stare. "So I was just your boss, then?" His eyes bored into hers and Hermione suddenly felt suffocated. She wanted to push him aside and run; out the office, out of the building and into the open air where she could breathe. Her breaths were shaky now as she felt him close in on her.
"What was I when you were crying to me about your cheating boyfriend?" he was practically whispering in her ear. "When the Weasleys turned away from you? Just your boss?"
Hermione's jaw tensed at the memory.
"Ms. Granger, please pass this file to Mr. Malfoy and notify him the board wishes to meet with him at five o'clock." The plump man placed the folder on her desk and promptly walked away as she absently nodded.
Her eyes were vacant as she stared at the moving photo of them; Harry, Ron and her. Her arms were slung around their shoulders and they were laughing into the camera and stumbling forward slightly. She lifted her wavering hand and turned the frame down, hiding the photograph from her view.
With three quick raps on the door, she opened it and walked in slowly, relaying the message monotonously.
"Thank you," he took the file from her hand, frowning. She nodded once and turned around to make her way back to the desk. "Hang on," he called out to her as she reached the door.
She spun back around with the same expressionless face.
"What's wrong?" he asked her.
She shook her head, trying desperately to dismiss it. "Nothing; I'm fine." She took a step backwards to the door. Draco simply lifted his wand and with a flick, it flew shut.
"What's wrong?" he asked again. She could tell he wouldn't take 'I'm fine' as an answer but did she really want to pour her heart out to him?
Draco stood up from behind the desk and walked towards her frail figure. Her hair was up in a messy bun with a few strands falling out; it was obvious it hadn't been brushed. There were dark circles under her eyes and her shirt had a few wrinkles in it. Hermione Granger never wore anything unless it was impeccably ironed.
"Sit down," he told her, holding her elbow and leading her to the couch. He pushed her down and she immediately looked down at her fidgeting fingers. He sat next to her, but turned towards her.
"I–I just," she stuttered, her voice cracking. "It's n–not r–r–really a big deal." She formed the sentence slowly. She could feel the wall blocking her emotions slowly breaking. A few tears escaped her eyes and she felt the room closing in on her. A few sobs shook her small frame and Draco didn't leave her side.
She tried to get up; he wouldn't let her. She tried to push him away, but he only held her closer. It choked and smothered her and her breathing quickened. She wanted to run; run far away from him but she could only fight him for so long. Tired and miserable, she fell into his embrace, and let him hold her while she cried.
They hadn't spoken a word in nearly fifteen minutes and Hermione felt comfortable with the muscular arms enveloping her. She fit into him perfectly, like a puzzle piece. But reality was waiting, outside the door of the office, away from Draco Malfoy.
Draco Malfoy's arms were around her. Draco Malfoy was holding her. She just cried in front of Draco Malfoy.
Hermione pushed against his chest and jumped off the couch in lightning speed. She stood looking at his confused and upset expression for a second, before she bolted out the door.
They hadn't moved an inch; he still had one hand placed on the desk while he faced her and she sat with both hands folded in her lap. The music still played but was now barely audible due to the steady drumming from the rain hitting the windows. A loud roar of thunder echoed across the sky and Hermione jumped.
"I don't want you to go, Hermione." he spoke softly in her ear. "Don't go."
Anger built up within her abruptly. She looked up at his insistent eyes with rage. "I got this offer weeks ago! You had plenty of opportunities to tell me to stay but you just decided that you'd try it in the last minute? Are you merely being courteous so it doesn't seem as though you're kicking me out?" The words poured out of her with malice. She saw him wince at the harshness of her words.
"Is that really what you think of me, then?" The hurt was very noticeable in his voice. "After all these years, I'm glad to know what you honestly perceive me as; some kind of heartless bastard."
She immediately regretted her outburst and her eyes softened. "Draco–"
"Don't bother." He cut her off. They were both silent again. Hermione desperately wanted to get out of this place. Her head felt light and her stomach was nauseated from the lack of oxygen. Her legs screamed at her, run! Run!
"I know why you're doing this, Hermione."
She froze. Her stomach was no somersaulting and the beating in her chest was loud enough for her to want to shut her ears. Her palms broke out in a sweat but at the same time felt like ice.
"I just want to hear it from you." He continued, oblivious to her nervous breakdown.
She finally worked up the courage to lift herself off the desk and push him aside to walk forward.
"There's nothing to hear, Draco." Their backs were turned to each other; she faced his office, he faced her desk. Her heels clicked against the ground as she took a few steps. Draco spun around and pushed her against the glass wall of the office. He trapped her between his hands which lay on either side of her head and Hermione's eyes went wide.
"That's enough," It came out almost as a growl. "Every single time you're forced to face something, you run away from me and every single time, I let you; but not this time."
Hermione's was nearly gasping for breath as she felt threatened and terrified of Draco's intensity. Her eyes glanced to the left where the stairs were located; something that didn't go by unnoticed by him.
"Stop it!" he said. "For once, Hermione; just let yourself feel." He watched her passionately, his eyes smoldering. They stayed like that for what felt like years, but were really minutes, before Draco's eyes darkened.
He pushed himself off the glass, and Hermione let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Without a word, Draco turned away from her and began walking down the hallway, his heavy steps echoing off the walls. His head was low and his hands were buried in his pockets; Hermione stood watching him walk. She watched him walk, the dim lights gleaming off his golden hair, making him seem angelic. Her chest tightened more with every step he took away from her.
Suddenly, the clench in her chest released, making her stumble slightly, and she felt lighter. Her legs were now moving on their own as they ran. They ran, finally feeling free as they sprinted across the floor, the heels clicking loudly. He turned around just in time as she flung herself into his arms and crushed her lips against his.
Her hands wrapped around his neck and moved up to entangle in his soft hair she felt Draco grip her tighter, his hands sliding under her hair, grasping the back of her neck. Their lips moved apart, but their hands stayed around each other. Hermione nestled her head into the crook of his neck and he smiled into her hair.
"No quitting this job." Draco said softly.
"No."
"No more lousy attempts at lying."
She chuckled softly. "No."
He grinned wider and was silent for a moment. "No more running."
She paused. "No."