Just Friends

A light breeze whipped through her hair, causing Hermione to pull her cloak tighter around her. It was only autumn, yet winter was already beginning to make its mark on the sky. The clouds above were beginning to close in; great swirling masses of grey. Several times already she had had to tuck in stray strands of her brown hair back into its bushy ponytail to keep it from catching on her lightly glossed lips.

Shivering as the wind picked up, she hopped from one foot to the other, resisting the temptation to check her watch again. Where was he? He had promised to be there an hour ago. Did he not realise how much she was risking by being out here? Did he not care that the guilt was eating her up from the inside, making her question if their friendship was really worth it? Her father was already suspicious of this 'work' she apparently had to do, let alone the frequent questions Ron and Harry posed when she said she was busy. Deep down she knew it was completely innocent, but that didn't stop the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Sighing impatiently, she tried to focus on other things, but before she could so much as squint at the hills through the wind, a pair of hands covered her eyes and a familiar, silky voice spoke from behind her.

"Guess who?"

Hermione's heart skipped a beat as two cold hands covered her eyes, encasing her in darkness. She had been too busy trying to push out the memory of Ron's hurt face as she had told him their dinner plans had to be cancelled, yet again, that she had missed the tell-tale 'pop' of Apparition. Now, her heart beating faster, she tried to pry off the hands.

The person behind her laughed, releasing their grip. Hermione spun around and, meeting familiar grey-blue eyes, gritted her teeth.

"Prat!" she said, throwing a gentle punch at Draco's shoulder. Then, watching as he rubbed the spot and scowled, she allowed a small smile to play upon her lips. "You're late."

"Well, I'm here now, aren't I?" Draco replied self-importantly.

"I suppose," she conceded with the roll of her eyes, then quickly looked around. They weren't doing anything wrong, yet guilt nibbled at her conscience.

"No one followed me."

"Just checking," Hermione sighed, before smiling at him. "So, what are we going to be doing this evening?"

Draco's trade-mark smirk graced his face and he winked at her. Holding up his hands, he gestured for her to wait as he backed towards the line of trees nearby.

Hermione watched as he retreated further into the forest, following his platinum-blond head with her eyes. Her curiosity burned within her as she wondered what he could possibly be doing in there. Was today's plan camping? Was he fetching some supplies? Immediately, she dismissed this notion as the very thought of Draco Malfoy and camping caused her to giggle. No, Draco might have been trying his hardest to prove that he was a changed man since the war, but even he had his limits to what Muggle activities he would do. He had already refused to go skiing with her when winter came, claiming that no one in their right mind would attach two sticks to their feet and launch themselves off a mountain. Friendship, he claimed, was no good when one of them had a broken neck.

"Alright, don't make a sound. They startle easily," Draco called, causing Hermione to subconsciously step back. Yes, camping definitely did not seem to be the plan.

"Draco, what-"

"Shh."

Feet crunching on fallen leaves, Draco backed out of the trees and into her line of sight once more. He was holding on to a long, twisted rope, and making gentle clicks with his tongue. His eyes were focused straight ahead, yet somehow he managed to avoid tripping on any rocks lying in his path. Hermione gasped as he came closer to her and she could see what was on the end of the rope.

"A thestral? Draco, where did- how- what?"

"You can see them, then?" Draco spared a glance in her direction.

Hermione nodded, meeting his eyes. She could see the turmoil behind his grey eyes, knowing only too well he could probably see the sadness in her own brown eyes. Even after several years, the effects of war never truly left a person.

"Well, I figured that you wanted to do something Muggle again, and I realised we haven't experienced the delights of riding horses, yet," Draco grimaced, clutching at the rope tightly. "But I came across this beauty and her family a few months ago and luckily, they still nest in this forest. I reckoned they're close enough to a horse – and I wasn't about to get one of those bloody hippogriffs out here. Besides," Draco's smirk returned, "I also think it's your turn to challenge yourself again."

Her hand had extended towards the creature's bony frame, intent on stroking it, but at Draco's words, she drew back. Shaking her head roughly, she backed away.

"No, no, no and no! You know I hate flying and would do anything possible to avoid it." Hermione held her hands up, still walking backwards.

Draco chuckled, walking the thestral closer to her. "Come along, now. You agreed, a year of improving ourselves for the better." Draco reached out with his free hand and grabbed onto her wrist. Then, struggling slightly, he pulled her towards the beast, nodding his head for her to get on. "I won't let you fall. I'm not that careless," he promised.

Hermione trembled and shook her head again. However, when Draco simply rolled his eyes and muttered something about "and you call yourself a Gryffindor," something sparked within her. Narrowing her eyes at him and huffing, she allowed him to gently push her up onto the beast.

She gripped onto the midnight black mane, holding on for dear life. The thestral moved impatiently beneath her, stomping the ground. When Draco asked if she was alright, she could only grit her teeth and reply with a quick nod.

Draco, for his part, seemed smug as he clambered on behind her, still grasping tightly onto the rope. She could feel his breath on her neck, and though he didn't invade her space or grasp her around the waist, his proximity was enough to make her feel slightly safer.

"Ready?" he asked, fixing the rope so that he could control the thestral.

Before Hermione could even shake her head 'no,' however, Draco pressed his heels into the beast's sides.

She let out a high-pitched squeal as the thestral jolted and galloped forward. Her heart was now in her throat, and as the creature picked up speed and thundered towards the edge of the hill they were on, she could do nothing but wrap her arms tightly around its neck.

"Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah…"

Her stomach plummeted as the thestral launched itself into the air and Draco urged it forward. The cold air bit at her exposed ears, turning the tips red. The wind was stinging her eyes, and as the thestral tried to adjust its height to accommodate their added weight, she resisted the temptation to squeeze them shut. If she was going to die, she wanted to at least know where she was.

Draco was, to her surprise, laughing behind her, waving one free arm out and spreading his fingers.

"Have you ever felt so free?" he called to her over the sound of the thestral's great, black wings slicing the air.

Hermione could only shake her head, knuckles turning white as she gripped onto its mane tighter. They were heading towards a thick cloud, the dark colour looking all the more ominous as they drew closer.

"Draco, I don't think we should-"

"Nonsense! Trust me, you'll be thanking me in a minute."

Draco continued to laugh, letting out yells of delight as the thestral dipped and swayed. Hermione breathed in deeply, trying to relax. Draco sounded genuinely happy and she did not want to destroy his fun, nor did she want to appear to be the wet blanket she was often accused of being. Concentrating on his joy instead of her anxiety, she closed her eyes.

Within seconds, they were enveloped by icy air. Hermione felt a light sprinkling of rain soak into her cloak, before the air became crisp once more. She could see red beneath her eyelids, as though the world had changed.

"You can open your eyes now," Draco whispered in her ear.

Slowly, Hermione opened one eye and peeked out, before opening both eyes wide. She was assaulted by a brilliant burst of sunshine and had to blink before her eyes could adjust to the bright light. When they did, however, her breath hitched; she had never before seen such a majestic scene.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Draco asked before letting out another woop of excitement. "I told you it was worth it, didn't I? Merlin, not even time can touch us now," he sighed.

"You did," Hermione breathed, turning her head from side to side to capture the view.

They had reached the perfect moment in time, where they had managed to become a part of the sunset. Hermione, still clutching the thestral's mane, looked down below her. The sun was casting golden bands and pools of burnt orange over rolling jewel-green hills, highlighting the jagged edges of large boulders as they flew by. Small streams glistened down below, the deep cobalt and brilliant turquoise of the streams shimmering as they reflected the light from the setting sun. It was magnificent, stunning, exhilarating; she didn't even think a camera would be able to catch such beauty.

Her heart fluttered wildly as Draco pushed the thestral to go faster, directing the creature to arc around to give them a better view. For once, she didn't mind the adrenaline rush that came with it.

'There, beat that, Granger,' Draco thought as he smirked to himself, walking with a slight spring in his step. He had never had so much fun; never felt so free. Better yet, judging by the giggles he had heard from her earlier today, he knew Hermione would have a hard time topping the experience with whatever she had planned for tomorrow.

It was funny, but with her, time never seemed to be an issue. He didn't seem to feel the pressure of conformity that had been inflicted on him for the past twenty years when he was with her. Not for the first time, he wondered if that was what friendship was supposed to be like. At Hogwarts, his friendships with his fellow Slytherins always seemed to revolve around getting others into trouble, and though he enjoyed that immensely, especially when the gits deserved it (and they did), this new friendship was… different. Not even Goyle or Crabbe had seemed to understand him the way she did.

Shaking his head, Draco pushed out any thoughts about the two boys. There was no need to ruin a perfectly good evening.

Gripping the brass door handle of his flat, he was surprised to find that the door was already unlocked. Odd… he always remembered to lock it; years of sharing a dorm with classmates who liked to trade in secrets had taught him to do so. Slowly drawing his wand out of his pocket, breath caught in his throat, Draco pressed his ear against the door and listened. Someone was there and, by the familiar, elegant tones, he could guess who it was.

Straightening up, Draco pushed open the door and stormed in.

His mother blinked up in surprise from where she sat on the sofa. Then, realising it was her son, an unusual smile alighted her graceful features; the one she usually reserved for company; as her grey eyes sparkled with delight.

"Ah, you're here," Narcissa stood up, still smiling.

"Mother," Draco muttered under his breath, cautiously walking further into the room and closing the door behind him. Then, even quieter, asked, "what do you want from me?"

Alarm bells were ringing in his head. Normally, he didn't mind a visit from his mother, especially when he hadn't seen her for months at a time. She usually respected his need for independence, owling first before each visit. Now, however, he sensed that something was wrong, and tried to school his face into a more neutral expression.

"I hope you haven't forgotten our guests?" His mother asked, gesturing to the three women sitting on the other sofas.

Draco's heart plummeted as he turned to the women who were looking up at him with matching expressions of excitement. How could he have?

The guilt was back, causing her stomach to churn, but Hermione pushed it aside. She was always spending her time with Ron and Harry, and if she could have trusted them to push past their differences, then she would have gladly invited them along today. Deep down, though, she knew they would never even try to be friends with Draco, especially Ron; they would never understand why she was giving the blond a second chance.

It was different with him; she was different, and yesterday was no different. Draco had shown her a new side to life. She always had adventures with Ron and Harry, but never for the fun of it. Yesterday, there was danger, but only because they sought it. With Draco, there was no pressure of time, no need to run from the bad guys.

Sighing, Hermione pressed the doorbell to Draco's flat, again. She had been standing in the extravagant hallway for a good ten minutes now, and as usual, he was keeping her waiting. Ordinarily, she would have stormed off by now, leaving the git to miss out on the plans she had made. Today, however, she found herself unable to walk away; she had simply put too much thought into their outing to leave now.

Hermione stood straighter as she heard the door finally click open, sucking in her breath as Draco's blond head appeared.

"Took you long enough," she huffed, before a reluctant smile took over.

"Hi."

Hermione's smile faltered.

Draco's face was marred by dark, grey circles underneath his eyes and his hair was tousled. His grey eyes were not sparkling as they had yesterday, nor did his lips appear as though they had ever so much as smiled.

Shuffling on the spot uncertainly, she tried to keep the worry out of her voice. "Are you alright? You're not sick, are you?"

Draco quickly shook his head before swallowing thickly. Not quite meeting her eyes, he inched the door closed a little more. "Maybe you should go."

Her heart sank as disappointment welled within. She had been looking forward to today, but if Draco was sick, then it only mattered that she made him feel better.

"Oh, that's alright," she nodded, trying to put a smile back on her face. "We can reschedule. Do you want me to come in, maybe I can-"

Hermione didn't finish her sentence as Draco roughly shook his head again.

"No, I mean, maybe you should go, and not come back. This… friendship… of ours just isn't working."

"Pardon?"

She knew what he had said, yet the words sounded different, foreign. A low buzzing sounded in her ears, and she shook her head to clear it. Her cheeks felt warm and her throat was constricted. Shaking her head to clear it, she tried to not let her shock show through.

Draco sighed heavily, closing his eyes. It looked like he was struggling to come up with the words, but when he did; they didn't seem to sting any less. "Please, it's best if you just leave, now."

Hermione's eyelids suddenly felt heavy and her legs felt numb. The corners of her eyes felt hot, itchy, as did her throat. She couldn't explain why his rejection hurt so much; it was only a day out, nothing more. Still, part of her could not seem to let it go.

"Draco, just tell-"

"Who is it, Draco?"

Draco's eyes snapped opened and he swivelled his head around. He quickly turned back to Hermione with a fleeting look of apology, his eyes wide with worry. A moment later, the door creaked open wider and out came a younger girl, no more than eighteen-years-old.

Sweeping her smooth, dark plait over her shoulder, the girl looked up at Hermione, smiling.

"Hello, I'm Astoria. I suppose you heard the good news? I can't believe it's finally happening! Anyway, I'm sorry, I'd love to stay and chat but I have to go meet my mother and Daphne before they pick my dress for me! I'll see you later, Draco," Astoria stood on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek before smiling brightly and waltzing down the hallway.

Hermione stared after her, watching the girl's left hand as it swayed by her side. Upon it, a large emerald sparkled on her ring finger. Feeling moisture swell in her eyes, she blinked rapidly before turning to Draco. She wasn't sure why, but she suddenly felt the need to listen to Draco and leave.

"Hermione, I-"

"No, no, congratulations!" she cut in, trying to grin and wincing only as her voice sounded falsely, high-pitched. "I suppose I really better go, so much you have to do."

"It was pre-arranged. I was going to tell you-"

"Oh, don't be silly! She's beautiful, really, I wish you all the best."

Then, not sure how long she could hold the smile for, she slowly turned around and made her way down the hallway. Her head was pounding and her eyes were now becoming harder to see out of as they blurred with moisture. Somehow, she managed to hold it together enough to press the down arrow button on the wall. Stepping into the open elevator and silently begging for its polished silver doors to close quickly, she turned and watched as Draco's door closed. As soon as the elevator doors closed, she leaned against the wall breathing heavily.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid."

Hermione swiped at her eyes roughly with the sleeve of her robe. She knew was being stupid and frankly, her reaction had been embarrassing. Why had it been so hard to smile and congratulate him properly? She knew it was only a matter of time before he would be married, so what was the big deal? Astoria seemed lovely, she should be happy for him.

Closing her eyes against the tears that threatened to fall, Hermione sucked in deep breaths to calm herself. Ignoring the pain in her heart that felt like a thousand needles were stabbing at it, she focused on the positives. It would be alright; she could spend her time with Ron and Harry, and when Draco wasn't so busy anymore, they would resume their friendship.

So, why did it feel like her world had just come crashing down?

A/N: I don't own anything you recognise.

This is my second attempt for round ten of the Quidditch League. With the theme of forbidden relationships, Chaser 1's had to write about the relationship between two characters of different blood statuses. Now, I must say that I absolutely detest Dramione with a passion (which my beta (thanks Arty!) The Lady Arturia thinks may show through- oops), but they were a natural fit for this task. I hope you like it, and if anyone here has ever lost a male friend to a relationship before realising too late that you may actually like them, you may probably relate more to this (maybe?).

Also, sorry if the characters seem a little too OOC, but in my defense, in canon they both hated each other so a Dramione wouldn't even exist, not to mention Hermione, though logical and a brainiac, is still a girl, and would still be prone to ridiculous, confused emotions (like with Ron and Lavender- do we really know when she actually realised she loved him?). Also, if I wasn't clear enough, the three women were Mrs Greengrass, Daphne and Astoria, whom (though archaic sounding) came to uh, how should I put it, remind Draco of their engagement?

My prompts for this round:

(word) careless

(dialogue) 'What do you want from me?'

(song) 'Thousand Needles' by Lea Michele (a fantastic song, but horrific prompt for me after trying to write several even more unsuccessful fics for this round).

Please feel free to review, any comments at all would be helpful on whether I pick this story to enter or no. A poll will be put up later today voting for this story or the Umbridge one... please take time to vote if you can! Also, this is slightly over the word limit so any suggestions as to what I should cut out will also be valued. Nevertheless, thank you for reading! -Tigress x