A/N: Sorry for the uberlong delay, everyone. Since I got back from retreat, life has been catching up to me, and I got sick, and yadda yadda yadda. And then came midterms. THE CRUELTY OF CHEMISTRY D; I know this is a really short chapter, but I've just been so caught up with my health and academics, so yeah. SORRY! I promise you the next one will be super long. :) Anyways, you don't want to read my excuses, so without further ado, I present to you the next chapter to this supposed-to-be-one-shot.
"Stop."
"I'm not good enough for you, either, am I?" She seemed so calm, but her eyes gave her away. The brown eyes were darkened with rage, self-pity, regret… her brown eyes showed the storm collecting in her heart.
"You're never not good enough. You're too good. I'm not good enough for you, Granger. Weasley was definitely not good enough either."
"Granger, again? Well, Malfoy, don't mind if I point out that you were the one who bloody stole my virginity in the first place! Because of you, I am no longer good enough for Ron. I LOVE RON. I BLOODY LOVE RON, AND YOU TOOK HIM AWAY FROM ME."
"I didn't take him away from you, and you know it. You're an unfair, foolish bint without any sensible thought about you this bloody moment, and I refuse to argue!"
"BLOODY HELL, MALFOY, CALL THE GIRL A BINT. You might as well call me a daft idiot! You were the one who took everything away from me, and you dare call me a bloody bint?" She was hurting inside. He could tell. But he couldn't let her do this to herself. It wouldn't be right to take advantage of this situation. It wouldn't be right for him to take her kisses while she was halfway insane. Tears were streaking down her freckle speckled porcelain skin. He wondered if she even noticed. Draco grimaced inside. It hurt to see her like this, and he knew that this entire atrocious mess was partly his fault.
"Weasley took himself away. He couldn't handle the fact that I saved your life. He would have rather you died than to have had intercourse with me. You can do better than that. You can do better than a hormone raging ginger with no respect for you. You can do better than the rapist that caused Weasley to punch you. Hermione, you can do so, so much better." Hermione completely collapsed into his arms at those words. How could I have done this to her?
"What's the difference between being too good for everyone, and not being good enough for anyone? In the end… there's still nobody," Hermione whispered, "I just want to have someone here. If only for tonight. No strings attached."
Draco closed his eyes, and gulped. He couldn't do this, "That's why I can't. I'm already too attached," his voice was hoarse, as though he were the one who was crying. Truth be told, his throat was dry; his entire mouth seemed to have dried. Is she really asking for what I think she's asking for?
"Pretend it's that night again. Pretend you're saving me. Bloody hell, you will be saving me. Draco, make my first time right." Malfoy barely registered her words when again, those soft, supple lips of hers attacked his.
She was like a drug. The first time, it was hard to pull away, but he could. The second time? He'd lost all inhibition. Maybe he should make it up to her. After all, neither of their first times were that great.
"You don't understand, Harry! She was all over the bloke!" Not really, but what I heard sounded like she was…
"Ron, I doubt that. Hermione wouldn't. Maybe it was all a misunderstanding?"
"ARE YOU CALLING ME A LIAR, BLOODY HARRY POTTER? I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE OUR ONLY HOPE, HOW DA-"
"Shh! Ron, that's not what I meant. I meant maybe… his robe was torn, and Hermione was kind enough to help him fix it?"
"Why would she? It's Malfoy!"
"And she's Hermione."
"He raped her!"
"To save her."
"You're right, mate. Maybe I'm fabricating doubt in my mind."
"Fabricating?"
"It means tha-"
"I know what it means. You know that word?"
Ron smirked. He wasn't dating the smartest witch of their time for nothing, right? Wait! That wasn't even the story! She said Malfoy was her boyfriend! "WAIT! Harry, 'Mione also said that Malfoy was her boyfriend!"
"She what?"
"She said something about him being her boyfriend, and if she had sex with me… I cut her off then. She's been PLAYING me, mate! She's been playing me for the bloody bloke that has called her 'Mudblood' half her life! I can't believe it!" Again, his rage had built up, and Harry sensed the danger approaching. "Nobody plays with a Weasley!"
"Calm down, mate! Explain the entire situation to me!"
Draco stared intently at her. They'd been lying there for hours. He'd gotten used to the night, being able to see silhouettes of everything in the dark. She was so beautiful. Her hair was sprawled out next to him. He decided she had really pretty hair. He noticed when he first used the glamour charm on her, of course. He felt a bit disappointed when her hair had changed. Perhaps, he'd always liked her hair, but never really realized how attached to it he'd grown over the years. It was a staple in his life, and Merlin knew he hardly had any sort of stability. Is she asleep? He wanted to reach over and touch her, but if she was asleep, it might wake her. He didn't want that. Not when she looked so peaceful. "I think I love you," he whispered.
"No." Draco was surprised he got an answer at all, but he'd rather she never spoke at all. Her response broke him.
"No?"
"No."
"Oh." Awkward silence enveloped the two stark figures. It was a few minutes before Hermione spoke again.
"I didn't mean it that way."
"What way?"
"I told you. I wanted no strings attached."
"Are there strings attached?"
"That's a loaded question," Hermione said. She was evading the question, and they both knew it. One possible answer would infinitely complicate everything, and the other just might break his heart.
"You already know there are strings attached from my end."
"I don't think I can handle the answer." Draco's heart leaped into his throat hearing that. There were strings attached. She was hesitant, confused, and afraid, but they were there. She acknowledged them, though she couldn't say them out loud, but knowing was half the battle. He was almost there…
