Written for Quotes Challenge - 26. "Why don't you drop the lamp?"
My first - ugh - romance fic. Enjoy!
It was about seven past midnight, yet Hermione Granger lay awake in bed.
She had no intention of sleeping.
Maybe, she thought, maybe if she stayed awake, it wouldn't be true.
Maybe, just maybe, if she prayed all night, everything would be all right.
Maybe Draco would walk in if she just waited, just waited; walk into her open arms, and not into hers.
It really didn't matter who it was, only that Draco was supposed to be hers and hers only, and not anyone else's.
But she knew that she was lying to herself, for every time she shut her dry, red eyes she saw it. Draco and her. Their lips molded together perfectly, as if they were star-crossed lovers destined to be with each other. Destined to be with anyone but her.
What had she done wrong? It took them so long to finally get together, years and years just to see the obvious love in their love/hate relationship. Everyone was delighted when they got together, when his soft lips finally met hers and fireworks erupted anywhere and everywhere. Well, not everyone, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was that they were finally together.
Or so she thought.
For it had took them five years to get together, and five seconds to break apart.
He was probably with her now, she thought. With that blonde-haired, blue-eyed bimbo, fooling around on his soft, plush bed, where they'd spent hours and hours just lying and talking, getting to know each other. Those were the best days of Hermione Granger's life, but they were to be her worst.
Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she pushed herself further into the soft, comforting pillow, her eyelids heavy with sleep. She had to stay awake. Only then would he be here, here with her, at last, at long last—
Creak.
She jerked awake.
Could it be?
No. Get over him. He's just a huge waste of your time. You're a grown woman now, Hermione Granger. Focus on your work and get on with your life. After all, he's just a boy.
Creak.
She started to get up from the comforts of her bed. Only one word was prominent in her mind.
Intruder.
As quietly as she could, she crept out of the room and into the pitch-dark hall.
Creak. Creak.
The intruder was getting closer, closer, and closer still.
Grabbing the nearest object she could find, she edged towards the light switch, even as the rickety wooden floorboards creaked and groaned under his (she was assuming it was a he) weight, flicked it on, and—
"'Mione?"
"Gah!" She swung the lamp at the man in front of her—
"Dr—Draco?" Her heart leapt with joy. It really was him!
"Uh…Yeah. Look, I'm sorry, so, uh, why don't you drop the lamp?"
"Oh. Yeah." She blushed and gingerly placed the lamp on a nearby table. Turning back to him, she fully noticed how bad a shape he was in.
His eye was swollen and bruised, and his entire face was red, partly because of the scratches, and partly because of how drunk he was.
"Merlin, Draco. What happened? Oh gosh, this is not good, this is not g—"
"I'm fine. Really. Just got into a fight. Look, I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I know you probably hate me, and really, it was my fault, but I just want you to know that I love you. I really do. And if I had the chance to, I'd go back in time and make it all right. I—I really blew it, didn't I?" His voice was hoarse and scratchy, probably from all the Firewhiskey he downed, and the look on his face was of nothing but remorse. He'd never felt this way in his entire life, but it felt bad. Really bad. He'd loved Hermione for so long, and he blew it.
"I—I think I'll just leave now." He turned to leave, but before he could eve mutter a guilt-ridden goodbye, Hermione's lips were already on his. And Merlin, it felt so indescribably good to be kissing her again. He didn't understand why he'd cheated in the first place. Must've been the Chocolate Cauldrons she slipped him. That stupid sweet tooth of his was going to be his downfall.
And for a long, long, time, the couple stayed that way.
