Alone Together: Part Two of Unwanted

By Celebrytie Aris Channas

Disclaimer: My life would be complete if I was a famous author. But, seeing as you don't recognize my name…I'm obviously NOT famous.

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Draco Malfoy sat on a bench that was placed along the sidewalk of the somewhat busy city. His head was buried in his hands, a long sigh drawing his breath from him. How could he stand this? Granger hadn't passed by this way for weeks. He missed her.

He could remember the first day they had re-met. Her head was down, and he was surprised at the loneliness, the depression, and sadness on her face. Hermione Granger, the world's brightest witch, sad? Impossible. He had been sitting in this exact bench, in the exact same position when he had looked down the street and saw Granger looking positively low.

Somehow, he had just known exactly what she was feeling. The look she had was similar to the one he saw in the mirror, when he even bothered to look in one of those reflecting glasses.

He had stood quickly as she approached, expecting her to look up and react somehow. She had crossed the last street before coming onto the one he was on, and her head was still bent towards the ground.

Bump into me, he had thought, and surprisingly enough, she had. She was going a lot faster than he had expected and he reached out to catch her as she keeled backwards. He expected her to gasp out his name in an accusing way, but she had calmed herself, prepared to put her head down again, and had said, "Pardon me, Sir."

That was not what he had been expecting. Not even close. She pulled away from him, and had gotten three steps away from him, when he caught her arm, anger coursing through him.

"Are you all right, Granger?" he asked, searching her eyes as they came up to meet his gaze. Her face was one of shock, but a thin mask was spread over her true emotions. She shook her head, as though realizing what she was doing and with whom she was with. She pulled her arm, tugged hard, but he wouldn't let go. Not until she answered him. He needed to know.

Granger looked up, but didn't meet his eyes. "What do you want, Malfoy?" her voice held a touch of anger, but otherwise her tone was soft, as though afraid.

Someone was coming towards them, he wanted to wait until they passed, but he knew if he did she would try to leave again.

"Hang it, Granger. I want to know what's wrong with you," he whispered harshly, although that hadn't been his intent.

"Wrong with me?" She hissed angrily. "Wrong? Well, tell me how it feels when every friend you've ever had hates you now because of what you decided to dedicate your life to. No matter how much I tried to help them at school, they didn't listen, and now they hate me for it!" She wiped her eyes, although he saw no tears. "Tell me how it feels to be unwanted."

He felt as though he had been slapped in the face. How dare she not realize what he had been through? How could she not know?

"Like I don't already, Granger!" He spat. "I know how it feels to have a father that hated me when I messed something up. I know how it feels to have all my friends abandon me because I was a traitor to their beliefs. I know, Granger. You don't need to tell me. I know what it feels like to be unwanted."

Granger's mouth dropped open in something similar to shock. She stared at him for several minutes before dropping her head.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I bothered you." She shrugged her arm out of his hand and began to walk away. She was walking away? Just like that? No, she couldn't. Hadn't they just…connected in some way more common than most? He knew they had. She couldn't, he wouldn't, let her walk away from him.

He ran, hurrying to catch up with her. He kept pace with her before he saw her look up, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. He smiled slightly. It felt good to know someone like him.

"Where are you going on this glum day?" He asked, finding it hard to keep the smile off his face. She had put her head down again, and he barely caught her next word.

"Home." She said it so quietly, as though hoping he wouldn't hear. But he had, and he was glad of that fact.

He had gone home with her, and they had played games until late that night. He remembered the happy smile she had worn the rest of that day after he had explained to her why he was so happy.

Life had seemed so perfect after that. Every day after that he had been sitting on the bench waiting for her. They would go to her house most days, and he would help her finish up the last of her work, and then they would eat dinner and talk.

But it had been exactly three weeks, two days, ten hours, fourteen minutes, and thirty-four seconds since he had last seen her. And he wasn't sure what was wrong with his heart. It would beat fast whenever someone came close to his bench, and then it would slow, barely beating as they passed by.

He had began walking to her house four times, each in an attempt to see if she was home, but he had always stopped, to scared to continue. The only reason they had ever even talked to each other was because she had looked so sad, and because her friends had hated her.

What if they weren't mad at her anymore? What if they were all best friends again, and Potter and Weasley had convinced her Draco was actually a horrible person, as he once had been?

It was too much to take in. He couldn't live with it. She hated him. He could feel it.

He stood, not once looking back at the bench, or at the person who had sat there several minutes ago, waiting for him to notice her.

He would go to her house, tell her sorry for bothering her, and go on his way. He shoved his hands into his pockets, looking down at the ground. He began to study the cracks and wondered how his life had gone from horrible to perfect to horrible again. Something skimmed past his eye, touching the side of his face, leaving it to itch. He removed his left hand to rub it. When he lowered it, he left it by his side.

Something soft, warm, familiar slipped into his hand not two seconds after he had left it by his side. It wasn't possible. She couldn't be there, by his side. He tilted his head to the right, turned it slightly, and there she was, her hair being lifted by the wind. She was looking forward, a smile on her face, as though nothing was wrong, nothing had happened, and he couldn't help it. He squeezed her hand. Hard. The smile left her face, and as she began to look over, he moved his head and looked forward.

"What was that for, Malfoy?" Her voice was like a breath of fresh air, soft and gentle.

"Where have you been?" He asked, not caring if he sounded like he had sandpaper in his throat.

"Business trip to America. It came up unexpectedly. No one else could make it on such short notice." She sounded apologetic. "I was going to call you, but I remembered you don't have a phone, and there wasn't time for anything else."

"And you couldn't let me know while you were there?" He asked sarcastically. "You were only there for three weeks." He made to pull his hand away, but her grip tightened and she tugged it closer to her side.

"It's kind of hard when you're locked up," A giggle escaped her lips. Draco stopped, turned, and faced her.

"Locked up? Granger, I thought you said 'business trip'?" He scowled at her.

"Well, it's a long story," she whispered and looked away from his face. He stared at her in amazement. Hermione Granger, ever the brave, had gone on a business trip and somehow ended up locked up? That was something that didn't happen to everyone.

He was about to tell her to tell him about it, but all he could do was stare at her. Oh, how he had missed her. He hadn't realized how much it meant to him that there was someone like him, someone who had been hurt by people. And now they had gotten through so much after hating each other for so long. It didn't seem possible. He realized, as she moved closer to him so someone could walk around them, that he was glad he knew her. Glad he had stood in front of her to make her bump into him. They had both bumped into more than they thought they would.

"Malfoy, we should move out of the way," Granger whispered.

"Why?" What was she talking about? He was too involved with staring at her.

"We're in the way." She smiled at him and the glaze over his eyes disappeared.

"Of course, but would you answer me a question?" He asked as they continued on down the street.

"What?"

"Will you tell me that long story of yours?" He glanced at her, and reveled in her smile.

"Of course."

And they walked, hand in hand, down street after street. Sometimes laughter would come from both of them. People passing them smiled at their happiness. A little girl walking with her mother wondered why she didn't see any wedding rings on the fingers of such a happy couple. She even stopped them to ask them her question.

"Don't worry, honey. It'll happen soon," Draco said, kneeling next to the girl, just out of Hermione's hearing range.

The girl smiled. "Good." And then she and her mother walked on, the mother apologizing twice for her daughter's outspokenness.

They had both once walked alone. Now they walked alone together.

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And that is the end of the Unwanted series. As far I know, anyways. I hope you liked it, and please review!

Bryt