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The Proposal
Hermione walked out of the classroom, blood pounding in her ears, and her heart racing. She only had to do this once before, with Viktor Krum. She heard the door shut behind her and then the footsteps of Ron. She felt him next to her as he slipped his hand into one of hers. They began walking in silence. She could feel him glancing at her in curiosity, but he stayed silent. She wondered what was going through his head, wondering if he knew what was about to happen.
They continued on, her nervousness was growing as well as the butterflies that were flapping their wings against her stomach lining. What was she doing? She hadn't seen Ron all summer, which of course was her choice. They hadn't been back together for a full month and now she was breaking up with him. Guilt flooded her body which increased her nervousness ten fold. This is what Malfoy wanted, and she wanted Malfoy. It wasn't even that, she knew that she was going to be happy with Malfoy. Yes, Ron was an amazing boyfriend, but she knew that she didn't deserve his happiness. She couldn't string him along any longer.
She stopped dead in the middle of the corridor. Her heart was pounding, her hands were sweaty, and she felt extremely hot in the chilly corridor.
"Ron," She said softly.
"Yes Hermione," He replied turning to her. His blue eyes were gazing into her hazel ones.
There was a pregnant pause as she tried to find the right words.
"Whatever it is, you know you can always talk to me." He said softly moving closer to her.
Hermione felt him grab her other hand, and she looked away from his penetrating gaze. She could feel the lump growing in her throat, constricting her voice. She could also feel the tears collecting in her ducts.
"You're too good for me," She choked out. "I truly do not deserve you."
"No, it's the other way around," He said smiling. He brought one of her hands to his lips and kissed it softly.
She could feel a tear snake its way down her cheek.
"No Ron," She said in a stronger voice. "I can't do this anymore."
He stared down at her, smile slowly vanishing from his face. He let go of her hands and took a step back.
"What exactly are you saying?" He asked his gaze hardening.
"I don't want to be with you anymore." She replied.
Anger and confusion crossed his face. His mouth was moving but no words were coming out. She wiped the tears that were now pouring freely down her face.
"I'm sorry Ron," She said turning away from him. She began walking away when his hand enclosed around her wrist. She turned around afraid of what she might see.
"You're just going to walk away from us and not give a reason why?" He questioned. Hurt replaced the anger and confusion that had crossed his face. "I thought you loved me."
"I do love you," She interjected.
"THEN WHAT THE HELL IS THE BLOODY PROBLEM!" He shouted.
Hermione was silent. He had every right to be mad at her. She didn't know whether or not she should tell him. He wanted a reason, and she was afraid to give him one.
"There isn't a problem," She replied.
"Then what is it then?" He questioned loudly. "Is it me, did I do anything to you?"
"No Ronald, you didn't." She replied quietly.
"Did I hurt you? Did I give you a reason to break up with me?" He asked again.
"No Ronald…"
"Did I…"
"I've found someone else," She heard herself blurt out.
Silence ranged through the empty corridor. He stood there speechless and let go of her arm. Hermione couldn't help but sigh in relief, it was there, out in the open, and there was no reason for her to lie to him anymore. She knew she couldn't breathe that easy, she knew he was going to question her.
"How," He asked angrily, pacing the corridor.
"Over the summer," She replied without hesitation.
"The muggle bloke…"
"He wasn't a muggle," She said softly.
"You lied to me," He said, disbelief filling his eyes.
"Yes, because it was only supposed to be a one time thing. I was drunk that night and I truly, honestly, never meant to cheat on you." She replied.
"It was only SUPPOSED to be a one time thing!?!" He called out. "You slept with him more than one time!"
"Yes," She said quietly. She was going to take her verbal beating, as long as he knew that they weren't going to be together anymore.
He looked to her, and she could see that his eyes were swimming with tears.
"Does he go to this school?" He choked out. "Does he go to Hogwarts?"
Hermione couldn't speak. Her own eyes left his watery gaze. He let out a forced chuckle, as if he didn't believe any of this. He took a step closer to her.
"Do you love him?" He asked softly.
Hermione couldn't help but feel a bit shocked. She never thought of Malfoy in that way. She liked him, yes, but she knew that it was too early to tell.
"I honestly don't know Ron." She replied.
Silence filled the corridor one more time.
"Who is he?" He asked in the same soft tone.
"Do you honestly think I am going to tell you?" She asked.
"And do you honestly think I am going to let you go that easy without a fight Hermione Granger?"
"Ron don't…"
"No, you're going to listen." He said moving closer to her. "It took me a long time to realize that you were right here, right here in front of me. It took me months to get up the courage to tell you how I really felt about you, and I still feel the same way. I still love you. I need you in my life Hermione Granger."
He reached into his pocket.
"Ron…"
"Do you know what this is?" He said holding up something. It shimmered in the torch light. She held out her hand and he placed it on top of her open palm.
She looked down at the item. It felt warm in her hand. The tears began pouring down her face. The silver band shimmered softly in the torch light which held a lone princess cut diamond.
"I want to marry you Hermione. I've always known that since the first time you placed your lips on top of mine, the first time we made love, and the first time we both exchanged 'I love you's."
Hermione looked down at the ring. She couldn't believe it, it was so beautiful, everything she wanted in a ring. He took the ring out of her hand and placed it on her ring finger on her left hand.
"A perfect fit," He said smiling. "We're made for each other Hermione Granger, don't throw it away."
She looked down at the ring on her finger. It was a perfect fit. She then returned his gaze to his, and the looked silently back down at the ring. It burned deep into her skin. She couldn't do this, not to him. She took the ring off slowly.
"I'm sorry Ron." She said. She kissed him softly on the lips and left him standing in the middle of the long empty corridor.
Malfoy was waiting for her outside her portrait, waiting for her to come. He knew he was going to have her all to himself. He also knew that he was going to have to comfort her. He watched as she ambled slowly up to the portrait. He face was streaked with tears and her hair was even bushier because it looked as though she ran her fingers through it multiple times.
He took a step near her, but she held up her hand to stop him.
"No Malfoy, I need to be alone," She said in a tired voice.
"That is the worse thing right now," He replied after a pause.
"No Malfoy," She said again.
"Listen Hermione," He said a little bit louder. "Go upstairs and change, we're going to dance."
"But…" She said exasperatedly.
"No," He said smiling. "I promise I won't bite, unless you want me to. Now go up and get changed."
Blaise was sitting in the corner of Slytherin common room, finishing a letter off to Cheryl. He was surprised that he stayed in contact with her for so long. This had been the longest he had gone without sex, let alone sex with a muggle girl. He was admiring his large signature he placed at the bottom when the chair across from him was filled by no other but Pansy Parkinson.
"Where's Draco?" She asked impatiently.
"I have no clue," He said folding up the letter. "He's been busy with Flitwick's project."
"If he has been as busy as he says, he would have been finished by now," She replied angrily.
"Well maybe he is with Granger working on that talent showcase thing he told me about earlier." He said picking up his bag.
He knew when he looked up that he had said the wrong thing.
"He told you about that?"
"Of course he did," He said smiling. "Of course, his distaste was naturally apparent. He said he wanted to get started because he knows his parents are big contributors to St. Mungo's. So naturally, he wants to be able to raise the most money because of the family name."
"Yes," Pansy said smiling. "The last name I hope to share some day."
Blaise he couldn't take it. He was about to let out a loud chuckle, but knew that would be bad. He looked to the dreamy expression on Pansy's face and realized that he will no longer be able to cover up for Malfoy any longer. Pansy was smart she would soon find out, but he didn't want to be part of this charade any longer.
She snapped out of her day dream and fixed her eyes onto his.
"Do you think there is something going on between him and Granger?"
Blaise let out a loud chuckle. "Pansy you can't be serious?" He opened the bag and placed his letter in it. He was going to mail it off first thing tomorrow.
"Well," She started. "He's been spending a lot more time with her. Plus, he hasn't touched me in days."
"Have you ever considered that he might have found a new piece of ass to satisfy him?" Blaise questioned.
"Yes, I've considered it, but even then he would still come to me for some gratification."
"Feeling a little left out?" Blaise said poking out his bottom lip. "C'mon Pansy, who really knows how Malfoy really acts, maybe he is practicing the art of celibacy."
She let out a shriek of laughter. "You honestly don't believe that, Malfoy…without sex that will be the day."
"Look Pansy, you have nothing to worry about, he even told me himself that he was going to pay a little visit to you sometime soon. It's just the mudblood has been working him hard."
He couldn't help but laugh at his own little pun. He looked to her to see that she was partially convinced.
"Which brings me to another question," She said smiling. She got up out of the chair and sat down on the sea of wood that separated the both of them. "Tell me why you haven't touched me. You don't have a girlfriend do you?"
She spread her legs wide open to see that she didn't have any underwear on. He looked from her freshly shaved mound to his bag which contained his newly written letter to Cheryl.
"Actually," He said thoughtfully. "I do. Thanks Pansy, but no thanks."
He got up from the table and left, carrying his bag up the stairs to his room.
"Has the whole world gone mad?" She said to no one in particular.
Malfoy watched as she danced. He didn't want to interrupt her, so he stretched on the barre. He hadn't asked her how it went with the Weasel, he didn't even know if they were broken up, but the look on her face when she came up to the portrait explained it all. However, his own curiosity wasn't satisfied with assumptions, he wanted facts.
He moved away from the barre and began watching her. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. The way she was dancing it was as though he had never seen her dance before. Hermione always danced well, she had always done an exceptional job, but tonight it was extraordinary. You could see the emotion fill her face and leave every pore of her body. She danced with passion, with the passion he had only experienced with her in the bedroom.
The music slowly died down and she walked over to him, passion, anger, guilt, and hurt in her eyes. She grabbed a hold of his tank and brought his hips down on hers. The warmth of her lips spread throughout his body. He couldn't help but deepen the kiss to feel her tongue intertwined with his own.
He grabbed her hand and broke the kiss. They swayed gently on the spot.
"So are you going to tell me what happened," He said softly in her ear.
The music started to play.
"It's over," She whispered. "It's over."
"How much did you tell him?" He asked turning her slightly.
She tensed up in his arms. He kissed her exposed neck which relaxed her instantly.
"Everything," She replied.
"Then what happened?" He asked curiously.
He loved the warmth of their bodies pressed together.
"I didn't tell him it was you, but he was angry nonetheless." She said placing her head on his shoulder. "Then he proposed to me."
Malfoy stopped. He was in a state of shock. The Weasel actually proposed? He was definitely in love with her. Malfoy couldn't help but feel satisfied.
"He had a ring and everything," She said softly. "And I told him that I couldn't do it."
He was silent; he didn't know what to say. She gave up everything because he said so. He had her all to himself. He couldn't help but be pleased.
Hermione stood with him in the middle of the dance floor. Her limbs were tired, her eyes were heavy, and she was now boyfriend-less. She sighed deeply.
"This should be proof enough that I want to give us a shot," She said removing her head and capturing his gray eyes with her own. "Tell me you are willing to give up Pansy for me. I don't care how brutal she is to me, and I want her gone from your life. I gave up something and you should to."
"I of course expected this, and now that we are together for the talent showcase, it will be a lot easier to do." He said smirking at her.
"Promise me," She said.
"Alright," He replied. "I Draco Malfoy, solemnly swear to Hermione Granger that I will be hers and only hers."
She kissed him softly on the lips, and then moved up to his ear.
"The password is Ginger Snaps." She whispered.
A/n: So… That is the very short, but to the point chapter. I really wanted to get this out and posted ASAP… a lot more stuff was supposed to happen, but I decided to split this chapter up. I have exactly 3 weeks until I start my senior year. This chapter was extremely hard to write especially the beginning… I don't know it was hard for me to break Hermione and Ron up especially when Hermione still doesn't know what's right and Ron being stubbornly in love with her. I did over half a dozen rewrites, and I hope the final product is satisfactory. As for something not pertaining to this fic at all… all of you Forbidden lovers I decided to write a sequel! If you want details check out my website.
