Chapter Eleven
"What are you still doing here, Draco?" The softness of her voice had managed to surprise and soothe him just like it always did. Astoria entered room nine hundred and nineteen after he had allowed her access. She slipped through the door, not bothering to see it close all the way. If she had her way then this conversation would be quick and they would leave the hotel together.
Astoria had come back to Paris one more time to try and change his mind. "It's been six weeks now. You are obsessing over this and it's driving you into madness."
She was right, well partially right anyway. Draco had managed to let another week go by without doing anything. This time he had no excuse for wasting time because he had seen Hermione just yesterday and comforted her about her godfather's passing. He had hugged her and kissed her and caressed the top of her head in an effort to console her. From the outside it looked as though they were a legitimate couple, and for all intent and purposes, they were. It was so bad that Draco himself was beginning to think more and more about her and what he was about to do to her.
"Do you think that if you prolong your stay that it will become easier to rob her?" Astoria asked calmly. "Things are only going to get harder from here on out, and let me tell you why. You are involved with her much more than you'd like to be. Isn't that right? She's in your head, she's under your skin... You should have done it at the first chance you had. Do you know why?" Astoria scoffed and walked over to him. "Because you've unintentionally let her in and she has broken down that wall around your heart that prevented you from feeling anything but lust for a woman. There's no use in denying it. You've grown to care for her and that's why you are still here in Paris."
Draco remained silent and still throughout her little speech. She was spot on. Astoria was always spot on when it came to him. When they were together, there wasn't a time when she didn't know what he was up to or how he really felt despite what came out of his mouth. She was like his conscience.
"I find it fascinating that, after being paid to do something you do on a regular basis in England for free, you can't execute here on this one girl. You break hearts at home like it's your job, and yet you come here and after six weeks you're a different person. I wish I could say that I was the one who changed you. I wish that I had been the girl you fell for."
"Are you done?" Draco was growing weary of hearing her guilt trip him. "I know all that. It would have been easier for me to give her the love potion and get it over with from the start. Well, it's too late now."
"So you are ready to admit...?"
"I'm not admitting anything. It isn't in my nature to... love... anyone. But that's fine. I'm sure I'll get over it soon enough. I was sent here because I have a job to do. I can't stop now that I'm so close."
"Close to what?" she uttered out quickly. "Close to admitting how you really feel about her? Close to falling in love? Or are you still telling yourself that this is about a few Galleons? You can't go through with this, Draco! Love doesn't work that way!"
"And just how do you know how I feel? What makes you believe that I'm in love with anyone?"
"You would have done this weeks ago if that wasn't the case! Stop making excuses for yourself and just be honest. Look me in the eye and tell me that you don't love her, that you don't care about her..."
He stood and made a point to look in the opposite direction. "I don't have to tell you anything. Stop making this into something it's not. Right there on the window sill is a love potion. Right here in my pocket is a vial of liquid luck. I'm going to drink one, give her the other one and be done with all of this! I have not forgotten why I came here. I'm just waiting for the most opportune of moments. Fifty thousand Galleons is no laughing matter. I only get one chance to do this and I would rather not screw it up because of something like 'love.' I don't love her. Why do I have to keep telling you that?"
A set of footsteps took his attention away from his anger and Astoria. He knew they weren't hers because she was still standing next to him and her feet weren't moving at all. Someone else had joined their little party and by the sound if their footsteps it was a woman; a sniffling and slow moving woman. He had been terrified that if he turned around to reveal his new visitor, he would be shocked and sad and ruined all at once.
"So my brother was right about you," she said as a fast stream of hot tears travelled down her cheeks. "I came here to surprise you... as an apology for not being able to have dinner with you last week. The door was open so I figured you were expecting me in the back if your mind." Hermione stepped back and let out a deep breath. Stefan had been right all along. What a fool she had been to let a complete stranger in her life and take her heart.
Draco turned around slowly and saw just how much damage his last few words had caused her. He wanted to take her in his arms and rectify everything but he feared that it was too late. If he made any sudden movements now then she would slap him for sure, or worse.
"You really were using me. God, I can't believe how stupid I actually was." She wiped her face with the palm of her hand and let her arm swing back to her side when her eyes replenished the tears. "I really believed that you loved me but you were really only after my father's art. It's been like this the whole time, hasn't it?"
He couldn't bring himself to say anything to her.
"Won't you even try to deny it?" She was really hoping that she'd heard wrong but his silence confirmed everything.
Astoria stood awkwardly by Draco's side, too afraid to speak in Draco's defense. He had done something terrible to this girl, there was no denying that. She watched as the expression on his face remained unchanged and sighed internally as the girl's tears continued to fall.
"Am I really supposed to believe that all of this was an act? You feel nothing for me after all the time we've spent together? I can't accept that Draco!" Hermione was desperate for him to say something, anything really.
It was painful, but he was just as silent as ever and it was breaking her heart further.
