Where is the truth?
Anyone can lie to a lover, but no one can love a liar.
Hermione paced the floor nervously, her hair bouncing wildly. She was wringing the incriminating object in her hands; a green, lacy bra. It most definitely wasn't hers that much she was sure of. Well then, why had she found it on the couch? She groaned and felt a tear escape from under her clenched eyelid.
He wouldn't do this to her, would he? If so, did that mean he'd been lying to her for the past year? She couldn't bear that thought. He loved her, right? You don't do things like this to people you love. She looked in the mirror to see her face tearstained and streaked with the makeup that smeared around her chocolate colored eyes.
She knew he would be back soon, so she mentally prepared for the confrontation. She breathed in shakily. For once, Hermione Granger was at a loss of what to do and what to say. She heard the door open and she didn't turn around yet, her shoulder shuddering from her unreleased sobs.
"Love? Where are you?" She heard him call and her heart felt like it was cracking from the pain his caring voice brought. She looked at the lacy green fabric in her hand, firmly reminding herself why she was upset.
"Oh hey. How are you?" His voice was deep and sultry. She took a deep breath and turned around. He frowned as he saw the look on her face.
"Oh Hermione, what's wrong?" He took a step forward, stopping when his eyes the color of a sky in the fall, landed on what was in her hands.
"What's that? Did you buy it in the wrong size? Oh don't worry babe, I'll go exchange it for you." He murmured. Hermione laughed mockingly, her voice breaking.
"Oh no. Draco, this isn't mine." She whispered, a torrent of tears falling from her eyes. She tasted the salt on her lips, felt the tears fall off her chin.
"Well then whose is it?" Draco asked warily. He tried to put his hand on her shoulder, but she hastily shrugged it away.
"Draco don't lie to me! You know who it belongs to!" She shrilled. She secretly hoped that he would tell her that he had bought it for her, and left it on the couch as a surprise. However, he disappointed her.
"Pansy. She left it. I knew it." He growled. She gasped.
"I was right. You… You… You were supposed to love me!" She gasped through her sobs. She raised her hand, bringing it sharply across his cheek. The white skin was marred and he winced. He grabbed her wrists, bringing his face close.
"I do love you. I would never, ever do what you think I've done." He murmured, his lips grazing against hers. She pushed away the urge to throw her arms around his slim waist.
"Explain then, why this was on our couch? Have you been sleeping with her Draco? In our apartment?" She sobbed. He growled deeper.
"Hermione, I love you with the passion of a thousand burning suns, I want to be at your side until all the stars have faded. I would never lie to you." He said his voice strained. She shook her head, her view blocked by the tears.
"Draco please. Just tell me. You promised you would never lie to me. I… I… I sacrificed everything for you! I risk being hunted by your father or the Death Eaters and my… My best friends think I'm insane and they only started to talk to me last week!" She pleaded.
"Hermione, believe me, I know. I realize how much you've sacrificed to be with me. That only makes me love you more. I know that Pansy sent this. She's never forgiven me for calling our engagement off. She wants you to leave me, because then she thinks I'll take her back. I swear you're the only woman in my life." He said earnestly, his eyes growing misty. His hands were on her wrists, clenching them desperately.
"Draco I want to believe you. I really do. But you have no idea how hard that is after what you did in sixth year. I know you were threatened by Voldemort, but it's still a part of your past."
"I know. You have every right to hold that against me. But Merlin Hermione, I love you so much; I would never cheat on you."
"Draco. I don't know if I can do this. But if I remember one thing, when we first got together, we promised each other we would never lie to each other. Don't you remember?"
Hermione and Draco had been Head Girl and Boy for months. The shared a common room and a bathroom. This in itself caused many uncomfortable scenes and it irritated both of them incredibly. Draco did not want to be near a bookworm, let alone a mudblood, and Hermione did not want to be near an arrogant prick who had nearly killed their Headmaster the year before.
In fact, Hermione did not understand why Professor McGonagall had allowed him back at school. That was, until she explained it. Draco had long suffered the ill treatments of his father. Then, he was threatened by Voldemort; if he did not do his task, his mother would be killed.
But that wasn't all. After his failure, Voldemort gave Lucius two choices; either kill Narcissa, as she was meddling in his affairs too much, or to be killed by Voldemort. Lucius chose to kill his wife.
Hermione now understood Draco's silences and she decided to reach out to him. She knew it wouldn't be easy to help him, as he kept pushing her away and her friends thought she was mad, but Hermione was determined. They ended up relying on each other tremendously through their hardships of the year. Hermione told him of her stress because of the war and he talked of the pain he suffered by losing his mother. There was a night when Hermione found Draco sobbing by the fire, right after Christmas.
"Draco? What's wrong?" She called. He looked up and then put his head down, hiding his tears.
"Nothing. It's just that… Well today is my mother's birthday. And then I told Pansy that just because Father wants me to marry her, it doesn't mean I will. So that's it. No more engagement." He sighed.
Hermione sat beside him and patted his hand awkwardly.
"Draco it's ok that you're upset over your mum. I would never be able to get over that. I just want you to know, I admire you for calling the engagement off." She whispered. He looked up at her, his blond hair glinting in the firelight. He caught a piece of her thick hair, twirling it around his fingers.
"Really? You think it was a good thing?" He whispered.
"Of course. You shouldn't marry someone you don't love." She whispered back, unconsciously leaning forward.
"Especially not when I love someone else, right?" Hermione nodded in response. Suddenly their lips touched. Hermione brought her hands onto Draco's shoulders, his hand tangling in her thick hair.
Their lips moved together; when suddenly Draco opened his mouth, nibbling Hermione's lips. She moaned and he smiled, slipping his tongue in. Their tongues danced together, their breathing frantic. Hermione felt Draco's muscles rippling under his skin, she loved his hands on her back but all too soon they parted.
"I'm sorry. That was uncalled for." Draco murmured, his face turning red.
"Well this time it is." She whispered back, then blushed, shocked by her forwardness. Their lips met again, Hermione tracing Draco's lip with her tongue. He groaned and his lips moved to her jaw, reaching that sensitive spot near her ear. His breath hit her ear, making her shiver. His lips came back to hers, lightly pressed against them. He pulled back and pulled her into her arms. She put her arms around his waist, breathing him in.
"Draco. I wanted you to say, that I admire you for your honesty. These past months, you've just been… Well real." She said, smiling. He grinned.
"You too, you have no idea what it was like to have someone who wasn't lying to me." He sighed, brushing her hair with his fingers.
"Well then from now on, we'll promise each other that no matter what, we can't lie to one another." Hermione breathed. Draco nodded and she drifted off to sleep in his arms.
Soon enough, word of their relationship had spread through the school. Her friends weren't talking to her; they told her she couldn't trust Draco, that he would just hurt her. Hermione was glad that Ron was currently seeing Luna, so he wasn't jealous in that way. Then the threats started coming. Mostly from Slytherins, but also a few Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. No one wanted Hermione and Draco together. But they learned to live with that, and when they graduated, they got an apartment together.
Hermione started training as a Healer and Draco wanted to join the Wizengamot.
"Draco. I don't want to think that you lied, but how can I believe otherwise?" Hermione sobbed. Draco angrily brushed a tear from his eyes.
"I'm sorry but anyone can lie to a lover, but no one can love a liar. If this is what you did, I can't be with you…"
"I understand. But I want you to know that I love you and I didn't do this. If you want to leave, I won't force you to stay. I just want to know, is there a chance that someday, you could find it in your heart to love me?" He whispered.
"Only time will tell Draco. If you're a liar, than no. Only time will tell my love." Hermione kissed his cheek and walked out. She was afraid she was making the biggest mistake of her life. But Hermione didn't want to live in a lie.
3 months later.
Hermione walked through the hallways in St. Mungo's, her shift was just over. She had just treated a man who had sprouted a third eye on his forehead.
She sighed and couldn't wait to get home. Today had been a long day. She suddenly bumped into someone who was also in an apparent hurry.
"Oh I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there," Hermione apologized, helping the girl back up. The girl opened her mouth but shut it as soon as their eyes met.
"Mudblood. Fancy meeting you here. Are you in a ward for the impure? I'm glad they've finally created it," Pansy smirked. Hermione glared at her. Pansy had been a thorn in her side in school and that certainly hadn't changed since then. Hermione still didn't forget her relationship with Draco.
"I happen to be an employee of the Poisonous Bites and Injuries ward. Of course I'd be surprised if you knew what that entitled. You see Parkinson, people who have been bitten or hurt by animals that are poisonous or magical go there to seek treatment," Hermione spat. Pansy glared at her; receiving an equally cold look from Hermione.
"Now why are you here, I mean apart from being a bitch, you don't seem to be suffering from any ailment." Hermione's voice was contemptuous and Pansy looked about ready to slap her.
"Well mudblood my fiancé is here because his mother is ill. And of course, being so gracious, I accompanied him," Pansy sneered. Hermione gasped. Parkison couldn't be engaged to, God and Merlin forbid, Draco? That thought was so irritating to Hermione that she just couldn't stand it any longer.
"Who would marry you?" Hermione's voice was shaky and she hated herself for it.
"Oh well Theodore Nott of course." Hermione sighed in relief.
"I thought you were with Malfoy," Hermione stated quickly. Pansy made a grimace and clenched her fists.
"Of course not. After you left him, that stupid prick wouldn't take me back. Of course, I wasn't going to beg so that was that. Although he hasn't realized what he lost," Pansy snarled. Hermione frowned.
"So you weren't seeing him before that?"
"Now why would I have to tell you that? You're nothing but a mudblood anyways," Pansy smirked. Hermione pinned her to the wall, her wand under her chin.
"You will tell me now Parkinson. Did you or did you not sleep with Draco while we were together? Did you plant a bra in our apartment so I would break up with him?" Hermione's voice was fierce and Pansy flinched.
"Alright. No need to get so cruel. I did not sleep with him and yes I did put a bra on your couch ok!" Pansy said past clenched teeth. Hermione smiled before letting Pansy go. Hermione turned around, determinedly making her way to the exit.
"Where the hell are you going Granger?" Pansy called.
"I believe I have a few lies to sort out," She answered happily. Draco hadn't cheated on her. Draco hadn't lied.
She quickly raced to an apartment that she knew Draco was living in. She walked up to the door, briskly knocking. The door opened and she saw Draco standing there, in sweats and oh dear, no shirt. Her eyes roamed over his nicely defined abs and to his sculpted shoulders and arms.
"Hermione? What are you doing here?" His deep voice was laced with confusion. Suddenly Hermione felt self-conscious and very nervous. She shuffled her feet and then heard some noise from another room. Her heart sank.
"Oh. You're not alone are you? Well in that case… I'll just go," She murmured, turning around. A pale arm suddenly snaked around her waist pulling her to his warm chest.
"No one's here. It's just the dishes washing themselves. Why are you here? Why now?" he murmured softly and Hermione took a deep breath before looking into his eyes. He took a step back, bringing her inside and closing the door behind them.
"I just saw Parkinson. She… Well she told me that you were right Draco. You… Never cheated on me. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I didn't believe you and that I ever doubted you," Hermione whispered, tears falling from her eyes. Draco wrapped his arms around her tightly pulling her body to his. She put her head on his chest, softly shaking.
"I'm glad you found out. These past months have been a living hell without you. I mean… Er… The thing is, I think that we should give this, us, another shot," Draco murmured, pulling Hermione's chin up. His eyes searched hers and Hermione felt her heart thud loudly. She smiled.
"Of course. After all how can I not love you? You're not a liar," She whispered. He smiled broadly, pinning a piece of her hair behind her ear. His hand moved behind her head and he lowered his lips to hers. Hermione sighed as her hands roamed over the shoulders of the man she had missed all these months. Her teeth grazed his lip and Draco groaned, his hand pressing her closer to him. They pulled apart and gazed at each other intensely. Hermione lifted her hand, rubbing her thumb over his cheekbone.
"Draco, from now on, no lies and please no more doubts. I mean that on my part too," she murmured. He smiled warmly.
"Of course not love. From now on, it's just you and me babe," he growled, lowering his lips back down to hers.
(A/N: Here we go! At first I was going to make this end with them breaking up, but let's face it, I'm a Dramoine fan and I didn't have the heart to do that. This was a response to maraudersmap's challenge; I had to use the quote that is at the top of the fic. I hope you all liked this and I hope you think that I did well with the quote. I really liked writing this! Reviews make me happy! hint, hint; nudge, nudge)