Don't you love me anymore?

CHAPTER ONE

"Well, what about Malfoy Manor?" Draco asked, shrugging and running a hand through his silky blonde hair. He was paying close attention to her face and he wasn't surprised to see flickers of emotion cross it.

"Are you being serious right now? Are you suggesting we move into that horrid place, where your crazy aunt tortured me? Gosh, no! I don't want to relive my nightmares every day!" Hermione retorted, throwing him a dark look and proceeding to fold her arms across her chest.

She was still having nightmares about Bellatrix? Yet, she had confided to him that she no longer had them just a little over a year ago…

"It's really not that horrid, I assure you. Besides, you told me that you don't have that particular nightmare anymore…"

"Well, I lied."

"Why?"

"I don't know, I didn't want you to worry," she sighed, looking exhausted. She uncrossed her arms and leaned against the kitchen table, and began to massage her temples with her right hand. Perhaps, he had picked a bad time to bring up this topic of conversation for she was seldom in a good mood after work. Being a Healer in the emergency department at St. Mungo's was no easy walk in the park. Of course, she didn't have to work. He could very well support the both of them, but no, she would hate him if he even suggested the idea. Sometimes, he despised her for being so stubborn. They could be sipping Piña coladas on a secluded Caribbean beach right now…

"Why are you bringing it up now?" he asked.

Hermione gave him a startled look and appeared to have lost track of the conversation. He wouldn't bet on it though, she always seemed to be on top of things.

"I'm not, you are! I don't want to move into the wretched manor, okay? You can go live there yourself!"

"Aren't I already doing that?" Draco asked, letting out a frustrated sigh. It wasn't supposed to be this hard. He decided he needed to approach it a different way. "Listen Hermione, if you don't want to…"

"Shut up! Don't you start on me!"

"What?"

"I know exactly what you're trying to do, Draco Malfoy! Trying to guilt-trip me into moving in with you at the sodding Manor! I'll have you know that there's no way in hell I'm going to agree, so kindly shut up," Hermione shouted. She had moved away now and was walking towards the front of her apartment.

"Hermione…"

"Draco…", she replied mockingly, raising an eyebrow.

"Look, you agree that we practically live together already, right? I mean, I'm here almost everyday and night."

"Yes, go ahead and move in to my apartment. Half your wardrobe's here anyway," Hermione replied, smiling as she bent over to pick up one of his discarded socks and promptly throw it at him.

"Here? This apartment is revolting, Hermione, and you know it." She narrowed her eyes. "Well, no one asked your opinion, thanks, and if you hate it so much, the door's right there," she retorted, gesturing towards the entranceway. He wasn't exaggerating though, her apartment was very revolting. It was obvious the only reason Hermione put up with it was because it was a mere block away from the entrance to St. Mungo's.

"You could floo to work, you know," he said, rolling his eyes. "Maybe I enjoy the walk!" she said, half-halfheartedly, glancing out the window at the torrential downpour.

"Shut up, you don't have to live at the Manor, you know very well that I have a perfectly great apartment in London." It had been his first suggestion, as he liked his apartment more than the Manor, but she had denied his offer, saying that "she didn't like apartments."

"I don't know, Draco. I just feel that we are moving too fast."

Finally they had got down to the heart of the problem. Her insecurities with making their relationship more committed.

They had been dating for three years, and had kept it secret for two of those years. It was especially hard for Hermione to confess her relationship with the notorious Draco Malfoy to her friends, who had been shocked, to say the least. It hadn't been that difficult for Draco. He loved Hermione, and didn't give a damn what anyone thought of their relationship.

"Okay," he sighed. He supposed he could give her time. He was in no rush. But lately, it felt completely stupid for them to be living in two different residences when he knew they wanted to be together always. He felt depressed when he left the office every night and had to come home to his empty apartment. And he hated, absolutely hated the nights she wouldn't stay. He had resorted to coming to her apartment instead in the last few months.

"Can we talk about it later?" Hermione asked and Draco nodded in reply.

He'll let her win this time. It wasn't fair though that he was admitting easy defeat. She had said that she wanted to move in with him too, but when pressed about the issue, she just didn't seem that into it. He knew she loved him. And he also knew that his love for her was greater than her love for him. However, now he was beginning to wonder exactly how big the gap was. And whether their relationship was going anywhere…

TO BE CONTINUED…

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