IT HAD TO BE YOU
By Kate Dessi
Chapter 29
Three weeks after that fateful weekend, Draco hunched over his knees, his hands cradling his head, his fingers rubbing his temples one morning. Hermione was having one of her bad days and Stefan wasn't exactly being helpful as Draco woke up to Stefan crying his head off. At almost two months, he was starting to have an attitude, or something.
It was Saturday noon. Draco had come home late last night after having drinks with his co-workers over at E.M.L., James Liebeck, his boss, included. Actually... that wasn't all. It had been an impromptu unofficial stag do for Liebeck because he just proposed to Deirdre Bronagh and she accepted. So, to say the least, it had been a rather eventful night not just for him, but for everyone.
Perhaps Draco had a little too much to drink and he had a little too much fun.
They ate large thick steaks like kings, drank like there was no tomorrow, puffed on cigars and allowed themselves to be catered by half-naked women, and then some.
"Cheers!" Six healthy, virile men chorused as they clanked their tiny shot glasses together, laughing as some liquid went over the rim. "Here's to James Liebeck who's about to get himself shackled!" The director of sales, Carter Grimmnitz, hollered. Immediately, they all tipped the shot glass to their lips.
"Hey," Draco slurred with a goofy grin plastered on his face, "he's not the only one! My girlfriend has agreed to marry me - someday!"
The other five men shouted with laughter as they called for another round of shots. "Firewhiskey!" James Liebeck insisted.
"Celebratin' anythin' loves?" A buxom redhead stopped by their table, her Cockney accent eliciting a few interests from the occupants of the table.
"These two," Nick Padmore of advertising piped in, pointing to Draco and James, "are going to get married!"
The redhead grinned, her full red lips stretched across, showing her slightly crooked, but white teeth before she came around the table and flopped herself down on Draco's lap. "Now, why would you go do something stupid like that?"
"S'not stupid. I'm with the most amazing witch ever," Draco whined. "She's the smartest witch of our age, you know, not that I'd admit that to her."
"He's dating the Hermione Granger!" John Porpington of accounting revealed. "Lucky bastard if you asked me."
The redhead pouted. "I don't know who she is."
"She's like- the best healer ever!" James laughed, "besides my darling Deirdre of course."
"Don't know why you two are so excited to get yourself married off," grumbled Michael Dodderidge from logistics. "I rather like being a bachelor."
The other men snorted with more laughter. Really, what was so funny? It seemed that they can't seem to stop laughing.
The redhead was still pouting because the blond was the one that caught her eye. He was somewhat handsome even though he was on the lanky side but he held an air around him that screamed 'I'm rich'. She stood up from Draco's lap, deliberately brushing her bum against his groin, slowly, and turned to see his reaction. She was disappointed, for he was too busy laughing at something one man was saying to notice.
Three more women appeared from what seemed to be out of nowhere on the table. "Hey loves," they chorused, two were brunettes and one was a blonde. The redhead grinned for they were her friends.
There were a series of hellos from the men.
"Mind if we join you?" The blonde asked boldly, draping an arm over Michael Dodderidge.
"Not at all," Michael replied. "In fact, why don't you make yourselves comfortable," he said as he wrapped an arm around the blonde's waist and dragged her down on his lap, making the girl squeal and giggle at the same time.
The other women took this as an invitation and squeezed themselves between the men. The redhead, of course, took to Draco's side.
From then on, the night continued over more drinks, more laughs and a little show from the women. Draco was appalled at their behavior, conservative man that he was, as he turned away from the image of his co-worker grinding against the blonde with clothes on. He shuddered in disgust and did his best to ignore them. It was just as well, as he kept prying off the redhead's hand that always seemed to find itself on his thigh.
James called for more drinks.
Draco came home staggering drunk around four or five in the morning and Hermione, had no means of communication with him so she had worried herself to death. She was furious when he came home in that state. What made her more even furious was the fact that he tried to have sex with her. Oh, the nerve of that man! She kicked him - literally - off the bed and pushed him, with all her might out of the door, and then locked it. He wasn't even sober enough to fight her. She came to bed, seething with anger. She fell asleep, a frown on her face, deeply disappointed in him.
She didn't tolerate such actions on Harry and Ron, why on earth would she start with him now? Especially him.
As it was, he was seated on his reclining lounge chair in the living room and whenever he tried to say something, she would shout at him. When he tried to come near her, she would back swiftly away. When he came to get Stefan, she would shot him a venomous gaze that made him back off.
He still had a hangover and Hermione shut herself and Stefan in Stefan's room with a bunch of books so Draco assumed she would be reading to the kid.
What the hell did I do? he thought to himself as he straightened on his seat. He stood up suddenly, ignoring the dizziness, barged down on Stefan's door. It was locked. Typical.
"Hermione Granger, you open this door right now," he said loudly, twisting the doorknob.
"Go away," her muffled voice through the door replied.
He rolled his eyes. "Stop being so bloody immature, face me like an adult."
She didn't reply.
He pursed his lips before he banged on the door loudly twice with his open palm. He growled in frustration. "I am not in the mood for this - talk to me when you decide to grow up!" He yelled, banging on the door one last time for good measure. As soon as he turned around he heard some shuffling inside the room. He paused.
A second later, the door opened long enough for her to yell, "Go to hell!" And then the door was slammed again, shaking the paintings that hung on the wall near the door.
He growled again and fought the urge to break down the damn door and do something to her that might be considered as domestic violence. He was just so angry and he hadn't even done a thing to her!
WOMEN!
He stalked back to the living room and collapsed back on his chair. So what if he came home drunk one night? It was probably the only third time he had ever done that ever since they got together - certainly he wasn't making a habit of it, but he had been invited to a celebration and celebrate he did!
Now he remembered why he didn't get himself into long-term relationships. Suddenly there were rules!
It wasn't like he cheated on her. He was sure that he didn't - even though he wasn't voted Mr. Congeniality, it went against his morals to cheat on someone you were on an exclusive relationship with, especially to someone you're almost engaged to and not to mention the fact that they have an adopted child together. He did flirt with some women, yes, but he didn't touch any one of them, he couldn't bear even the thought of touching someone else. So what the hell was her problem?
Was there any way for a man to figure out women?
He snorted out loud. "That is probably the question that science could never answer."
Deciding to nurse his hangover on his own, because she refused to consult him, he decided it was best to sleep again so he dragged himself back to his bedroom, stripped off his shirt and pants and furrowed under the covers. Almost immediately, he fell asleep.
Hermione growled as she flooed over to 12 Grimmauld Place, carrying Stefan. Ginny was right there to greet her, with an eyebrow raised. "Take him," she said as she held out Stefan. Ginny took him from her immediately, seeing the anger radiate from her friend. The brunette paced back and forth, her fists clenched on her side. "Draco Malfoy is a stupid man."
Ginny sighed. "What did he do this time?"
"He came home inebriated and then tried to have sex with me!" Hermione seethed, waving her hands in the air for emphasis. "Is there no justice for women in this world anymore? Damn it all to bloody hell. That stupid man! When I pushed him away, he said, 'why the hell did you do that? I want you now'. So I kicked him off the bed and out of the room. Outside he shouted, 'I didn't touch the girl who kept going for me at the Three Kings and this is how you thank me, you ungrateful woman?' Really, Ginny, can you imagine the nerve of that smug bastard?"
Her friend sighed again as Hermione continued to rant. For at least twice a month she did this, every time she and Malfoy had a fight. Well, so far, Ginny guessed, that this was one of the worst fights.
Suddenly aware that the brunette wasn't talking anymore, Ginny said the first thing that came to her mind. "What do you expect, Hermione? He's Draco Malfoy. He's a purebred smug bastard through and through."
Ginny was quite unprepared for Hermione's onslaught. "He is not!" Hermione screeched. "You know he's changed, but he can be very stupid sometimes and it drives me crazy most of the time."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Geez, Hermione, make up your mind. Do we hate or do we not hate him?"
The anger seemed to drain out of her as she faced Ginny. "I hate him. I really hate him right now," she said softly.
"But...?"
"But I love him. I really love him too."
"Oh, Hermione," Ginny sighed. "Come here. Let me give you a hug, you poor thing, you're confused aren't you?"
Hermione slowly came to rest beside Ginny, her head resting on her petite shoulder, careful not to lean too heavily as Stefan was in her arms. "Yes," she sighed as well. "He drives me up the wall sometimes, you know? He's so egotistic, overly-dominant and impossibly moody. He throws his clothes about the room, he leaves the toilet seat up and he never cleans up after himself because he has two house elves - do you know how painful it is for me to live with that fact? He threatens them, you know! He threatens to give them clothes for fun."
"He sounds like he's your worst nightmare," the younger woman commented as she rubbed one hand on Hermione's head.
"He is! And then he does this... the thing that he did last night. I had never been so angry at him and that's saying something. Sometimes h-he insist that I wear his old Slytherin uniform when w-we- " she groaned as her companion laughed hysterically. "Never mind."
"Th-that is the funniest thing ever," Ginny shrieked with laughter, startling Stefan on her chest. "You're the most loyal Gryffindor I've ever known, you take the Houses way too seriously than anyone else I know."
Hermione flushed.
"I would love to see you in a Slytherin uniform!" She burst into another fit of laughter.
"Shut up, Ginevra," Hermione murmured as she straightened away from her shoulder. An unwilling smile creased her face because Ginny's laughter was so happy and infectious, she couldn't help but laugh a bit as well. The Weasleys really knew how to lift her mood, Ron, however, was the champion. She had thought of coming to him first, but she had to stop being dependent on Ron too much now that Dawn Winspear was there to take her place... she let her laughter trail off.
"I'm sorry, Hermione, but... you have to admit it's a bit of a crack. Anyway, where is your boyfriend?"
"He's sleeping." She rolled her eyes. "He's having the mother of hangovers I'm sure, and I locked off my potions stash. He deserves it."
Ginny was silent for a moment. "Hermione, Harry mentioned something to me by the way. Did Malfoy really propose to you?"
The corners of her lips twitched. "In a way," she said. "We were fighting about whose last name Stefan was going to use and then he said that we should use his because when he and I... you know, decide to get married, we wouldn't have to change it again." She was smiling now. "He said that he doesn't see himself with anyone else but me in the future."
"Well, I'll be," Ginny muttered incredulously.
"I know," Hermione gushed. "You know that I'm not one for mushy romantic stuff, Gin. To me, that's probably the best proposal in the history of proposals!"
"I'm awestruck, Hermione. And you said yes?"
"Of course!"
"Blimey. Miss Independent has just agreed to marry someone?"
Hermione frowned. "Miss Independent?"
"Yes," Ginny laughed. "You kind of give that impression. You keep saying you're not in any hurry to tie yourself down to any man because you're already married to your work. Now you're mother and you're engaged!"
"I'm not really engaged - it's more of an agreement. There's not even a ring, see?" Hermione held up her ringless left hand wriggled her fingers. "Anyway, we're not in a hurry. It's been only been a few months."
"So? You've known each other for eighteen years!"
"Half of which consisted the two of us hating each other beyond recognition."
The two women continued to converse about Hermione and Draco's relationship. The good, the bad, and the in-between. For what it was worth, they both concluded that the kind of jerk Draco was being wasn't exactly uncommon for men in general. So when Stefan started fussing from the lack of attention, hunger and sleepiness, Hermione took him home, feeling extremely better from since last night.
The sight that greeted her at home later, definitely had her staggering in shock. Draco was there to greet her, a sheepish expression on his face, looking better than when she had left him, leaning against a wall. "Hi," he said softly.
"Hi, yourself," she replied coolly, straightening Stefan in her arms. She raised an eyebrow at him expectantly. When he didn't say anything, just simply stared at her, she rolled her eyes and walked past him, to the hallway and then Stefan's room. She shrugged when he followed her, she wasn't even angry anymore.
Stefan started crying loudly. His cries seeming to bounce off around the room, echoing loudly around them. Hermione reached for a ready bottle on the table and bounced him carefully in her arms as she put the bottle to his mouth. However, Stefan avoided it, crying louder now. She winced.
"Let me," Draco said softly from behind her.
She shrugged again, surrendered Stefan to him. When Draco got hold of him, she turned to leave the room. But before she passed through the open doorway she heard him sigh. She paused, glancing at him briefly before turning around again and leaving the room. When she was out on the hallway, she echoed his sigh.
