Title: Leaving you in silence

Author: Mirabiledictu21

Disclaimer: J.K.Rowling owns all that is Harry Potter.

Rating: PG

Genre: Romance

Pairing: Hermione and Draco

Time Written: Before release of Half Blood Prince

Summary: End of seventh year. Things can never be left unsaid for it brings a form of restlessness within. Could it be true for Hermione? Will confessing finally bring closure?

Seventh year is finally over. It's been a year since the war took place but it seems much longer. After fighting for the light side, I was offered to become one of the new head aurors to fill the space of those who have passed away during the war. I accepted and will be working immediately for the Ministry of Magic right after the conclusion of the graduation.

At the moment, however, I am packing my books in the head common room. I am about to throw in the last book when I hear the door opening. I turn around to see her walk in. I contemplate whether I should greet her or leave things be. Just when I am about to say something she beat me to it.

"Silencio," her eyes are glaring. I could see that she have something up her sleeve.

My eyes grow wide at what she has done. I couldn't believe she would attempt anything against me considering that we have started seventh year with an unspoken truce. Not only that, but I have proven myself for the light side when I fought with them side by side against dark. I was going to work as an auror together with her beloved best friends Harry and Ron, aren't I? Surely, I am entitled to benefit of the doubt. Besides, isn't now a little too late for any violent reactions to my changing sides?

Finally able to bring myself back to what is happening at the moment, I attempt to reach for my wand to remove the charm- I truly want to reprimand her for putting me in such an annoying position. A Malfoy, despite that I have abandoned everything that it stands for, wouldn't take anything like this sitting. Unfortunately, it seems she had everything planned.

"Petrificus Totalus," she said walking towards me with an unwavering glare. I watch her take my wand from my pocket and place it inside hers. I gave her a scowl as she pulls a chair in front of me. She takes a sit and we stare at each other for what feels like an eternity. Minutes passed and we still stare at each other.

Surely, there is a bloody point to all the madness that she is exhibiting.

"Malfoy…"

Finally.

I roll my eyes.

"Draco," she acknowledge again. I am shock at her use of my name. She never uses my name. Even after my joining the light side unlike how easily she warmed up to Blaise, Pansy and a few other Slytherins. I find that I like how the R in my name rolls off her tongue.

" You're probably thinking what this is all about." she laughs nervously. "You probably want to Avada me to my next life."

Damn well, I do!

Well, maybe not to that extent- but somewhere along the lines of that.

"I couldn't think of any other way but this. I want, no… more like need to talk to you about something. And knowing you, you would refuse or worse, retaliate before I even start. And knowing myself, I'd probably be irritated. And all that I came here for won't be solved and it would just start all over again. For me, at least."

I stare at her face and remember just how beautiful she is whenever she is serious. I haven't really looked at her ever since the start of seventh year when I decided to stop caring. I hated her during the first 3 and half years of Hogwarts for being such a know-it-all and getting all the glory that I thought were rightfully mine.

"It's just that ever since our first year you have hated me beyond anyone's wildest dreams." Every word that came from her mouth is tainted with fear, embarrassment and worry but nevertheless mixed with mockery on herself. "You have tormented me to extremes only nightmares could conjure."

The Yule Ball however changed all that. Seeing her arm around Viktor's made my blood boil. I really didn't know why at first until I heard people talking about them kissing. I realized then that all the hatred I've been harboring was because she was way out of my reach.

At first, she was friends with the boy-who-lived. Then, she became the official third member of the Golden Trio. Then, the teacher's pet, the smartest witch of their time, righteous DA founder and a prefect. She is goody-two-shoes extraordinaire. She never fails to impress and to make other people hate her yet still like her because she is just too good. Of course, there is also the fact that she is head girl.

Sure, I am always close behind. It is safe to say that I am her counterpart when it comes to achievements. But what made me below her is her purity of heart and innocence.

"Although I've never shown much pain, I have felt it and still feel it now with our current behavior towards each other. I'm getting tired and worn out with these feelings bottled up inside me. The war has consumed everything that is left in me to even see if it could still head anywhere but where it is now. You're probably wondering what all that has got to do with what is happening now- which brings me to why I am doing this," she took a deep breath while I hold mine.

Somewhere in between, she started to grow. From the bushy haired, buck-toothed, nerd of a girl she became this stunning woman. From the wild bush, her hair transformed into soft curls, her buckteeth were replaced with perfect whites and she no longer sported a boy-frame, curves started to fill in all the right places. But what made her really beautiful is the glow she emanates whenever she's doing something she loves- studying, unconsciously pissing off Snape with her constant raising of hand, helping others… the list goes on.

Boys started to line up for dates. Although she never accepted a real date, it made me itch to have a swing at every male who attempts. Then there is also that Viktor who still manages to write to her despite the demands of playing pro quidditch.

I don't have the right, of course. I am the mortal enemy- no less and every bit of all that is more.

Then the war broke just before sixth year started. I saw how she loved both Harry and Ron to the extent that she would die for them. I truly believed she'd be betrothed to one of them if not after the war anytime soon. I couldn't take it, so I decided to be apathetic to everything that concerned her.

"I like you Draco. Hell, I think I have fallen hopelessly in love with you. It hurts me so much that you and I is just impossible that as much as I hate to give up on my fantasies- for the lack of any other more exact word to describe what it is that I feel towards you- I have to give up. I need closure. I need to move on. Huh.." She laughs, quietly raising an eyebrow and her lips twitching. "You probably think I'm the stupidest witch in the world considering the fact that we never really bonded and that I, as well as the whole world, knows clearly how you feel about me- indifference, apathy, unconcern… Hell, there's probably a whole book of how much you don't feel about, isn't there?"

No, there isn't Hermione.

She bit her upper lip.

"Believe me, I tried suppressing it. I didn't know it at first. Honestly, I don't think I cared before because you never failed to torment me. You hated me, yes. But at least, you noticed. You cared enough to hate."

She stood up from the chair, took out my wand and placed it on the table beside us. "But you became indifferent and I found myself growing anxious as to why the sudden change. I couldn't take it. It opened up a lot of thoughts and feelings in me I never thought I even had." She raised a hand and pushed back the hairs that have fallen on my face. She leans down and places a kiss on my lips.

Although I was numb all over because of the petrificus spell, I feel electricity shot through me. Her lips are soft and have the taste of strawberries. I want so bad to make it last as long as I could make it. After a few seconds, she pulls away and looks behind me. Then, she turns around and walks away. When she got to the doorway, she halts and turns sideways just enough to see me in the corner of her eye.

"The Petrificus will wear off in exactly 55 seconds. You know how to remove the silencio… goodbye Draco"

The moment the Petrificus wears off, I dash out to follow her. No one is around for me to ask where she headed. And even if there are, the fact that I forgot to remove the silencio and left my wand in the common room, left me no choice but to run around and look for her. Half an hour into my search I saw the youngest Weasley sobbing into Potter's arms.

"She's gone Harry and she won't be coming back. She wants to forget everything about the wizarding world. How could she Harry? How could she?"

"I don't know Ginny, I don't know…."

I didn't wait for their conversation to finish. As much as I still hate her friends, I feel guilty that I have robbed them of her presence. I am the reason for her departure. Before, I would have had millions of derogatory remarks, at present however, I am stunned, left with only my silence as companion.