Hermione found herself standing in front of Harry and Ginny's home. She hesitated for a second and then knocked. She didn't know what compelled her to go to their house, just that she didn't want to be alone. She felt her eyes begin to water again and cursed herself for her lack of control before rubbing her eyes.
Her breath was coming out in quiet short gasps and it was becoming harder for her to breathe properly. That was how Ginny found her when she opened the door.
"Hermione? What's wrong?" Ginny ushered her in quickly and shut the door with a loud slam. She looked at Hermione and felt her concern grow as she saw Hermione's red eyes. She hasn't seen her like this since her and Ron broke up.
She brought Hermione to her couch and sat her down. She levitated some tea and set it on the coffee table in front of them.
Soft broken sobs escaped Hermione as she explained to Ginny what happened. She stayed quiet through the whole explanation and pursed her lips in disapproval.
Ginny feared this would happen. Hermione was a strong person, but when it came to the matters of the heart she was as soft as any other woman. At first when she heard she was dating Malfoy, she disapproved but when she saw how happy he made her, well, how could she ruin her happiness? After everything that happened between Ron and her and how broken Hermione was, she deserved some happiness in her life.
"What's wrong with me, Ginny? Am I really that horrible to stay with?" Hermione cried.
"No, of course not," Ginny said softly while rubbing Hermione's hair as she cried onto her shoulder. She wrapped her arms tighter around her. Hermione cried for a good while in her arms before finally falling asleep.
She heard a noise and turned her head around. She let out a grim smile when she saw who it was. Harry was sitting on the ground with his head resting on the wall. He had his eyes closed and slowly opened them when he heard his wife's voice.
"So I'm guessing you heard," Ginny said while gently unwrapping her arms from Hermione's form.
He nodded and let out a sigh. He ran a hand down his tired face and got up. Harry began to pace until ending up hovering over Hermione's sleeping form. A pair of arms wrapped around his waist and he covered his hands with Ginny's on his stomach.
"After everything that happened, I always thought I was the one who ended with the short stick. Growing up with an Aunt and Uncle who hated me, having Voldemort trying to kill me, and dealing with rumors because of who I am. It was tiring, but I think it was Hermione who had ended up with it. I always took her for granted and no matter what I never thought about how she felt, no one did."
Ginny's arms tightened around his waist. "No one could have thought any of this was going to happen."
"But I was supposed to be there for her. In the end, we all left her alone."
Silence filled the room until there was a loud pop in the kitchen. "Oh god, I forgot." Ginny released her hold on her husband. Her face filled with panic. "Ron and Lavender are supposed to be coming today."
"I'll try to get rid of them." Ginny watched Harry walk to the kitchen. A sudden noise coming from the couch brought her attention on the once sleeping woman.
"I need some water," Hermione groaned rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She stood up from the couch and stretched her arms. "Sorry Ginny for bothering you. I'll just get a quick drink and get out of your way."
"Nonsense, I'll get it for you," Ginny said nervously.
"No, you shouldn't be doing so much while you're pregnant. You go sit down," Hermione insisted.
"It's okay. I need to keep my legs moving anyways. You know how restless I get," Hermione watched Ginny suspiciously as she saw her wring her hands.
"I guess you—," a small boy ran out of the kitchen and into the living room.
"Aunt Ginny I missed you," he hugged Ginny. Hermione stared at the boy and then paled. No, it couldn't be. Ginny stared back apologetically.
"Hermione, I'm so sorry," Hermione stood up quickly and was about to apparate when Ron and Lavender walked in the room.
All three of them stared at each other before her eyes strayed down to Lavender's swollen stomach.
Harry rushed into the living room and stood on the side-line with his wife. Like Ginny, he was nervous at what would happen. This is the first time she seen them since the wedding, Hermione didn't even know that they had a child let alone another one on the way. She remembered bitterly that in her rush to get out of the wedding, she failed to acknowledge the small bundle of infant in Mrs. Weasely's arms. Her head began to pound. This was not her day.
"Mommy, who's that?" the little boy asked pulling Lavender's pants to get her attention. She shushed him before looking at Ron helplessly. Ron ignored her and continued to stare at Hermione quietly.
Hermione's attention was on the boy and figured that he was around three years old. She and Ron broke up three years ago. She didn't have to be a genius to do the math. It took nine months just to carry to term after all. How long did he cheat on her?
She was beyond humiliated today. If it was one thing Ron was always good at it was making her look foolish. That would have been her if he stayed with her. Maybe she was never meant to have the family she always wanted. The wedding would have been depressing anyways, her family was dead and was not going to be there, so yeah, who wanted one anyways?
I do.
"I'm just a very old friend," she swallowed. She ran a hand through her hair before slumping her shoulders in defeat. A heavy sigh escaped her before she said, "I'm going to go."
"Hermione, wait," Ginny said. "Don't go, not yet."
"I think I should," she eyed at the silent couple awkwardly shuffling their feet.
"Here," the little boy went up to her and gave her a piece of candy from his pocket. "Daddy said that when pretty girls look sad we have to give them candy to make them feel better."
A small sad smile stretched onto her face. It seemed like Ron wasn't completely hopeless. She shook her head and placed the candy back on his palm. "Thank you, but I think you should save that for some other girl that's more special."
Hermione gave a short nod before whispering a short farewell followed by a soft pop. The little boy looked up at his dad and said, "I think we should do something to make her happy."
"I think he's right, dear," Lavender said rubbing her stomach. "It's the least we can do after what we did."
Ron nodded before sighing and rubbing his head at his upcoming headache. Well, this wasn't what he was expecting when he decided to visit his sister.
Hermione laid on her couch staring at the ceiling in silence. The heartache she felt days ago from Draco's betrayal passed and now there was a sort of numbness taking over. She half resorted to raid her cabinet for any alcohol, but she remembered that she hasn't bought anymore since she started dating Draco. If it was one good thing that came out of dating him was her stop in drinking. Maybe she had some Firewhiskey lying around her apartment somewhere.
A soft knock was heard from her front door and she picked up her head at the sound. For a long moment she stared at it and hoped that the person on the other side will give up and leave her alone. She still didn't want to deal with anybody.
For a fleeting moment she remembered that she hasn't been at work for a couple of days and no word from anybody was sent to her. She mentally shrugged, it's not like anybody was going to miss her, except maybe for Blaise.
Another knock was heard and she sighed before getting up. She figured that they weren't going to give up. It probably was Ginny again trying to get her out of the apartment. When will that woman learn that she just didn't want to be a part of the functionals at the moment? Couldn't she just rot in her home for a while longer?
Hermione ran her hand through her hair and headed towards the door. She closed her eyes in mild irritation as she swung the door open.
"Look, Ginny, I told you before I—," she paused in mid-sentence when she saw who was standing in front of her. Draco scuffled his feet nervously and had his hands shoved in his pockets. His eyes caught with hers and she drew in a breath at how haggard looking he was.
His hair was disheveled and he had bags under his eyes. He looked paler than he usually did and his grey eyes looked dull.
"Hermione, I-I…," he stuttered before pleading with her breathlessly. "Look, I don't know what happened that day. I wasn't myself. Sharon, she did something to me. Slipped me with some kind of potion, I tell you. I know this sounds…"
He trailed off seeing Hermione shake her head. He clenched his hands in his pockets.
"I just can't right now, Draco. I need some more time, alright?" She swallowed down her hatred at the woman's name. She just needed time to think with this new information. It wouldn't be impossible, after all she studied her fair share of lust potions during her days at Hogwarts, but it didn't lessen the pain in her chest.
He nodded his head sullenly. With a sad dejected look, he watched as she slowly closed the door with a soft click.
With a sigh he leaned his back on her door and slid down onto the ground, his legs stretched out in front of him. On the other side, Hermione leaned against her door. At the end of the day, it was Hermione who removed herself from her spot first.
Sharon gasped sharply as a hand pulled her hair making her chin lift towards the figure towering over her.
"Do you know what your stupidity has done?" Blaise hissed. His eyes narrowed as the red head stayed silent. At least the bitch knew when to stay quiet.
His grip on her hair tightened and he relished at the sight of her wincing in pain. "I should report you for using a potion so carelessly and selfishly. What will the Ministry say when they hear about this?"
"You can't do that. I wasn't doing anything illegal," she gasped out.
"You must have forgotten who I am," he whispered harshly in her ear. "I have just as much connections as Draco does, maybe more. Hermione is a dear friend of mine and you made a dear mistake in messing with her."
She flinched as her back made contact against her wall. This wasn't what she was expecting when she invited him in. She should have known better than to let him step one foot into her home with that smile of his. She truly was foolish for believing that he didn't have a problem with what she did four days ago when he made a show with Draco.
A single finger slid down her cheek and she stared fearfully at the evil glint in his eyes. How could she also forget that he was also a Slytherin through and through?
"Let's see how you feel having no control over your body," with his other hand, Blaise squeezed her cheeks and tipped the vial into her mouth.
He took a step back as he watched her splutter for a second at the horrible taste. Her eyes glazed over and she stood up straight. Blaise let out a smirk of his own that could very well rival with the Malfoys' themselves.
Hermione pulled her blankets over her head as she tried to ignore the incessant knocking on her front door. Didn't people have other things to do than to bother her?
After her confrontation with Draco, Hermione decided that it was high time to close all of her blinds and sulk in her bed. She tried watching her criminal shoes on her television, but after realizing that she watched all of the episodes she missed and rewatched them at least twice, she decided that going to bed was the next best option.
"Hermione, I know you're in there!" Hermione raised her in surprise at the voice. That definitely was not Draco.
Hermione slowly pulled her blankets away and got out of bed. Walking through her french doors, and her living room, she stood standing in front of her door. She bit her lip as the knocking continued.
"What are you doing here?" She finally said.
The pounding stopped and it stayed silent for a few moments. Hermione hoped that he finally left.
"Hermione, will you please open the door?" He said quietly.
Finally accepting the fact that he wasn't going to leave, Hermione shuffled to the door and unlocked the door only to stare into a pair of blue eyes and shocking red hair.
"Can I come in?" Ron said. Hermione nodded and stepped back to allow him in and closed the door after him.
She watched him look at all the mess in her apartment and avoid eye contact with her. She knew her apartment was a mess, but she couldn't give a fuck about that right now.
"Would like some tea?" Hermione said as she pushed past him and headed to her kitchen. At least that was clean. Well, sort of. There was pile of dishes sitting in the sink, but she figured it could be worse.
She moved around the room and placed a teapot filled with water on her stove. She could have done it with magic, but she wanted to do something with her hands so she could avoid the awkward conversation they were bound to have.
Ron followed quietly and sat down at her kitchen table. Hermione sighed and sat down in front of him. She played with her nails and they both stayed silent.
Ron was the first to break the silence.
"You know I'm sorry, right?" Hermione looked up from her hands and tilted her head at his comment.
She hummed at this and turned her head to stare at a random spot on a wall. "Why are you here?"
"Hermione," Ron started. "I heard what happened with Malfoy."
She turned back to stare at him and narrowed her eyes at the mention of Draco's name. "Is that why you're here? So you can gloat?"
Ron looked alarmed at her tone. "No! I would never do that!" He exclaimed.
"There's a lot I don't know what you would do anymore," Hermione responded.
"Hermione, you can trust me-"
"No, Ron. I don't trust you!" She snapped. Ron pulled back in surprise and then turned sad, but she didn't care. The frustration, the humiliation, the anger, it started to become too much for her. "You have some nerve coming here, Ron. Especially after all you did! I left you and your family alone so why can't you do the same?"
He flinched when she mentioned that and she felt more anger bubbling inside of her, ready to combust and burn the one who started it all.
"You are all the same! You take and take and take and when you're done, you just throw it away. Everyone wants to be selfish and expects things to be the same. But that's not how it works!"
She started to feel herself become hysterical, but she couldn't stop. Ron placed his hand over hers and she pulled back quickly.
"Hermione, please," he said. "I know what I did was wrong -"
"I don't want you here anymore. Get out!" She said as she stood up quickly.
Ron got up too, but instead of listening to her, he went around the table and started heading towards her.
"I said get out," she said. Her once firm voice getting weaker as she started to back away from him until she hit a wall. A pair of warm arms wrapped around her and he hugged her tightly. She tried to push him away from her, but he tightened his hold on her even further.
"I said get out," she repeated, her voice finally cracking.
"I'm sorry for everything, Hermione. You never deserved any of this," he whispered into her hair.
And that is when she broke. Sliding down onto the ground, with Ron still wrapped around her, she finally let herself cry.
He whispered apology after apology into her hair for that hour until she finally calmed down.
"Please don't give up on Malfoy because of my actions," he said after a couple of moments of silence. All he got in response was a sniff and a tightened hold around his torso.
In the distance they ignored the sound of the teapot blowing.
