AN: The characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and the lyrics belong to Taylor Swift, i just borrowed them.
You Belong With Me
It had been a long shift and Hermione was ready to go home and sleep. She loved her job and couldn't wait to be a qualified healer, but being a trainee healer meant long hours and hard work. But sleep and her bed would have to wait, she had notes and assessments to finish writing.
Hermione headed into the staff room for trainee healers. It was a home away from home for all of them as they spent more time there than at home. As she entered Hermione realised that as usual she would not be alone, so she settled herself at the small table in the corner hoping to not be disturbed.
A few hours had passed and the room had got a little quieter. There was only Hermione and Draco Malfoy left. Draco had also decided to become a healer upon leaving school, and was in the same training group as Hermione, and tonight they were both the trainee healers on the night shift.
Draco was sitting on one of the couches by the fire when an owl appeared at the window. Draco stood to get the letter as he recognised Astoria's owl. He had been dating Astoria Greengrass for a little over a year. She was everything a pure blood wife should be. While he didn't totally agree with everything his parents had told him during his childhood, he knew the marriage they had arranged for him was his only option, and at least they had chosen Astoria rather than Pansy. He actually liked Astoria and he was sure he would grow to love her. It was only once he opened the window to let the owl in that he realised that it was carrying a howler.
Reluctantly he took the howler from the owl, who turned around and flew straight back out of the window, and waited for it to erupt.
"Draco Abraxas Malfoy I can not believe that you thought I would find this amusing. How dare you, how DARE you tell the wedding planner that they should hire your mother. We agreed to keep our parents out of the planning, why are you letting her interfere now. This is MY wedding, and I will make the decisions".
There was a puff of red smoke and the howler was gone. "It was just a joke" he mumbled.
You're on the phone with your girlfriend, She's upset
She's going off about something that you said
She doesn't get your humour like I do
Draco had left the room after the howler, saying something about rounds. Hermione followed him and said she'd take the first 2 floors, realising that he would need some time. She finished before he did and returned to the staff room with some food, surprised to find it still empty. Draco obviously needed more time.
Hermione settled herself at the table with her food to write up the notes from the rounds she had just done. Finding the room a little too quiet this late at night, Hermione found her i-pod and charmed it to play quietly in the background.
Draco entered the staff room to see Hermione working at the table. He could hear music and realised she must have her i-pod on again. He'd come to quite like having the music in the staff room, and was amazed by the muggle invention. It sounded like Kings of Leon, which made him smile. He made his way to the table and sat down, taking the sandwich left on the plate and smiling at Hermione as she looked at him.
I'm in the room, its a typical Tuesday night
I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like
And she'll never know your story like I do
Draco and Hermione had finally finished their night shift and were ready to head home. They walked together down to the foyer to floo home, having handed over to the day shift. They had 6 hours before they were due back again.
As they entered the foyer Hermione saw Astoria. She looked amazing, even at 7am in the morning. Her clothes and hair were perfect and she just screamed class. Hermione looked at her work robes realising she probably looked like a complete scruff in comparison. Draco stopped at Astoria, while Hermione said a quick hello before leaving, hearing Astoria apologise to Draco as she left.
But she wears short skirts, I wear t-shirts
She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers
Dreaming bout the day when you wake up and find
That what you're lookin for has been here the whole time
If you could see that I'm the one who understands you
Been here all along so why can't you see?
You belong with me
You belong with me
Hermione and Draco had completed another 3 nights of night shift and were about to start a day off before being back on day shift.
"Do you want some breakfast?" Draco asked as they were about to leave.
"Breakfast sounds good" Hermione answered.
Together they walked to a local muggle cafe that Hermione knew about just around the corner, sharing updates on patients and work gossip that they had heard.
Walkin the streets with you in your worn out jeans
I cant help thinking this is how it ought to be
Laughing on the park bench thinkin to myself
Hey isn't this easy?
They sat down and ordered breakfast, and the conversation continued to flow. They had become friends during their training. Something everyone had taken a bit of getting used to. Hermione asked about wedding plans and Draco asked about her friends.
She watched him smile as she told him about the latest trick played on Ron by the Weasley twins. She loved his smile. It seemed so genuine. He didn't use it much, maybe that was why she loved it, especially when it was directed at her. She knew her feelings for Draco were more than friendship but she also knew that nothing could ever happen, so she settled for friendship. She just wished that he would smile a bit more, be happier at bit more.
And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town
I haven't seen it in awhile, since she brought you down
You say you find I know you better than that
Hey, Whatcha doing with a girl like that?
Day shift was busier than night shift. Night shift was when most of the trainee healers caught up on paperwork, sleep and study. Day shift was seeing patients, practicing spells, and trying to learn as much as possible.
They had both been due to finish a few hours earlier, but had been tied up assisting with patients in the misuse of spells ward. Astoria was again waiting in the foyer when they finished, she was wearing beautiful dark blue dress robes.
"Draco we are going to be late for the Annual Society Dinner" she said, handing him his dress robes. Draco took them and headed off to change.
Hermione was just saying a polite hello to Astoria, when a healer came running up to her, "you or Draco are needed to stay". Hermione sighed and nodded, "I'll do it" she said before turning away feeling completely inadequate and ugly in her lime green robes, with her hair in a messy bun, looking like she hadn't slept in days.
She wears high heels, I wear sneakers
She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers
Dreaming bout the day when you wake up and find
That what you're looking for has been here the whole time
Draco found Hermione asleep in the staff room when he arrived at work the next day. She looked so peaceful he didn't want to wake her, but he knew she was needed for rounds.
"Hermione" he said, shaking her gently. She stirred and looked at him.
"How was the ball?" she asked, sitting up trying to look presentable.
"Boring" he answered, "have you been home?"
She shook her head, "they needed someone to stay and you were busy" she smiled.
"I'd have rather been here" he answered.
"I know" she smiled, while standing and stretching.
If you could see that I'm the one who understands you
Been here all along so why can't you see?
You belong with me
Hermione was waiting at the apparition point outside the Manor. She and Draco had a seminar on permanent spell damage injuries to attend in Dublin and had agreed to go together. She hated being this close to the Manor, she remembered the last time she was there. She still had nightmares about it occasionally. Yet she was excited at the same time. Excited to see Draco and to spend the day with him, even if it was just another work day.
Standing by, waiting at your back door
All this time how could you not know that?
You belong with me
You belong with me
It wasn't just another work day though. The seminar had been incredibly interesting, and they had gone on a tour of St Patrick's Place for the Permanently Damaged, and were both amazed at the facilities available. Without realising the time they had stopped at a local pub in the Temple Bar area for some dinner and spent the entire night chatting. It was only when the barman told them he was closing up that they realised how late it was. Together they apparated to Hermione's cottage, with Draco insisting that he saw that she got home safely.
Oh I remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night
I'm the one who makes you laugh when you know you're about to cry
I know your favorite songs and you tell me about your dreams
I think I know where you belong. I think I know it's with me.
It was a few hours later when Hermione thought she heard a knock at her door. She listened and heard it again and got up to investigate. She found Draco outside her door.
"Sorry" he mumbled "I didn't know where else to go".
Hermione opened the door wider to let him in. He made his way towards the living room and sat down on the sofa. Hermione sat down too, pointed her wand at the kitchen and muttered a spell to turn the kettle on.
"What happened?"
"Apparently I missed an important dinner and don't care about the wedding" he answered "and unfortunately I lost my temper and told my mother I didn't want to get married, and well lets just say she wasn't happy. She called me ungrateful".
"You are allowed to say no Draco, you'll allowed to live the life you want. Isn't that what we all fought for?" Hermione replied.
Draco looked at her with a shocked look on his face. Hermione was suddenly scared that she had spoken out of turn, that she might just have ruined their friendship. "Um sorry, I was out of line" she mumbled as she ran out of the room.
Draco sat stunned for a while. Hermione had just voiced what was in his head. He wanted to live the life he wanted. He'd hoped his father being send to Askabane would allow him to do that but he was still not being given total freedom. He should have realised when his parents allowed him to become a healer, to choose his own career, that there would be a catch. That catch had been his marriage to Astoria.
Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you?
Been here all along so why can't you see?
You belong with me
The more he sat there and thought the more he realised the Hermione was the one who saw his point of view, she was the one he ran to, he trusted her, he knew she'd tell the truth and see his point of view. She got him. Then the realisation dawned on him that being with her was the best part of his day. It wasn't being at work, it was her.
He knew what he had to do and he apparated away. Hermione heard the pop from her bedroom, where she was sitting against the wall, with her knees pulled to her chest. Hearing that pop broke her heart, and she allowed herself to cry.
Draco turned up to work the next morning, desperately looking for Hermione. He needed to see her, he needed to tell her what he'd done. He arrived in the staff room to find out Hermione had owled in sick. The day dragged, despite being busier than normal. At the end of it, he left as soon as he could and apparated straight to Hermione's.
He stood at in her back garden, watching her through the window. She looked broken, he could tell she had been crying. All he wanted to do was comfort her. How could he not have seen it before, she was the one for him, she was who he belonged with.
Standing by or waiting at your back door
All this time how could you not know that
You belong with me
You belong with me
He walked up to the back door and knocked. Hermione opened it and looked stunned to see him there. "What do you want?" she asked. He could hear the hurt in her voice.
"Can I come in?"
"I'm not really in the mood for company Malfoy, and I don't really have the patience to listen to your problems."
"My name's Draco" he smirked, "and there is just two things I need to tell you. Firstly, I am not getting married, I am going to live the life I want. Secondly, you belong with me" he stepped forward, taking her face in his hands and gently kissing her.
Have you ever thought just maybe
You belong with me
You belong with me
"And you belong with me" Hermione whispered as Draco pulled away with a smile on his face.
AN: So what do you think? Hit the magic review button and let me know :)