Having Fun With The Devil
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Cruel Intentions Style
The next few days were brutal. Hermione spent them, thinking about what she would do after she had completed her seventh year. Harry will be a Qudditch player of course, she said to herself. I'll be part of the Ministry, and Ron...perhaps he'd follow in his father's footsteps.
The future seemed to be nearing closely. After about five months would she be seventeen, and after seven more, seventh year would be...finished. Done with. Of course, Hermione still would be in contact with her two best friends, that was a given. No matter what happened, romance, lies, or even Crookshanks, they would still be best friends. Six years of near death together had proven that.
But she knew that a pang in her chest was forming ever so slowly, and she knew it wasn't because for Hogwarts. She loved the studies, had been top student for very long, and was planning on becoming a very successful young woman. And she adored the teachers, and would be extremely missing Dumbledore and Hagrid and the other students, but she knew it wasn't that either.
All she wanted was to plan the future, study it, and make it come true as perfectly as writing an essay. But Hermione knew she couldn't. For sixteen years of life, she had learned that whenever you planned something accurately, it easily became messed up, or sometimes became something better.
She wanted something better. But she didn't know what it was.
---
"Hi. I am coming here for a friend. Sarah H., under current birth? She left some of her bags here yesterday."
"I am sorry, but can you hold on? Clare usually does these things. Be right back, I'll get her. Be sure to know the room number."
Haden tapped his fingers impatiently against the desk, waiting for the assistant. Footsteps arrived, then silence. He looked up from the nearly vacant room and saw a gleaming name tag imprinting: C.H.
He looked up, his eyes widening.
"Clarissa? What're - what're you doing here?"
"What are you doing here? Jen told me that you wanted to see Sarah's belongings that was left here. Who's Sarah, another girlfriend?" Clarissa raised an eyebrow.
Haden's face flushed. "Certainly not. She's a friend."
"Don't bother telling me the room - I saw you a few days ago with her while she was in labor, but I thought it was someone else -"
She reached in her pocket and carried out one of the keys to unlock the door. They stepped in, and she turned on the light.
"Check around. This room hasn't been used after her birth."
Haden nodded, and quickly spotted a black purse in one of the chairs by the bed. He picked it up, and looked awkwardly on the floor.
"So, what have you been up to?" Clarissa prompted.
He looked up, startled. "Oh, nothing much. You?"
She shrugged. "This is my summer job. Being a candy stripper isn't that bad, really."
"Hmm," Haden said intelligently.
"Listen...Haden...I think I made a mistake of going out with that older guy. I mean, you're so much more mature...if you want, we could get coffee..."
Haden smiled at her. "I'd like that."
She grinned, her cheeks blushing. "Okay, great. Well, check if there's anything else here, then I'll lock up, okay?"
She exited the room. Haden looked around the deserted area and found black duffel bag full of Sarah's clothing, toothbrush and pillows in it. Zipping it up, he carried it on his shoulder, along with the purse.
Turning off the light, he bumped into something in the darkness and the contents of the purse fell out. Groaning, he turned on the light again and began putting things back into the purse.
There was a lipstick, a small sample bottle of perfume, and an envelope.
Curiously, he looked at the cover. In elegant cursive, it read, 'For Draco'.
He raised an eyebrow, putting the lipstick and perfume back in the bag.
Then, he realized something. The brand of perfume was called Jasmine Apples, and he had never smelled Sarah wearing something like that. She wore flavors, like cherry, vanilla...peach...
Apples. Something in his mind hurriedly clicked. It wasn't Sarah who smelled like that. It was... He picked up the envelope again, and breathing again, he began to unfold the letter with reluctance.
---
"Draco! I am waiting for full expectations this year."
"Yes, father."
"You must have top marks."
"Yes, father."
"Now go through the barrier. And behave yourself...or else," his father barked at him. Draco turned around, rolling his eyes as he casually leaned against the barrier and went inside.
He was a bit early, because the train had just arrived, waiting there with it's shiny, red embers.
"Hi," said a soft, female voice behind him. Startled, he turned his head, and widened his eyes. It was Gra- Hermione.
"Hi," he said, staring at his shoes. For some reason, his throat seemed to have been caught into something, and his mind was strangely blank. He could think of no insults to throw at her.
"So...you still going out with Potter?" he blurted out without thinking.
She gave him a raise of her eyebrow, that made his stomach lurch slightly. Why was his stomach lurching? What the hell was wrong with him?
"No." The answer seemed to be so sudden that Draco restrained a gasp from his throat.
"Why not?" he asked bluntly.
"He mailed me and said things wouldn't work out. We were always the friend material anyway. I mean, it was just fatal attraction and all," Hermione noted, shrugging carelessly.
"Oh." Draco had an odd urge to leap with happiness, but knew under no circumstances would a Malfoy do that.
"So..."
Before she could say anything else, a male voice, which belonged to Potter's, bellowed behing them.
Hermione looked behing her, and looked back at Draco, her eyes flashing. "I have to go."
"Oh, ok."
She started to leave, but he grabbed her arm, and she turned her head sideways, and he was shocked to find liquid in her eyes.
"I..." Draco croaked.
"I can't," Hermione whispered.
They shared one last, small smile before she turned away.
---
Dear Draco (I am only calling you this, because well...Malfoy sounds so informal after all that has happened...also, I am in the bathroom right now. I lied, I am not getting water. I want to spend this time writing this letter.)
I used to think that when I grew up, I would have a husband and a couple of kids and that would be it. It used to be so simple as a teenager, thinking that you were to only fall in love with the one you were meant to be with. But what if you fall in love with someone that you're not sure if you're supposed to be with him? What if this person could make you do bad things, and control you and occupy your thoughts all the time? What if he was an enemy, and he was my complete opposite, but it made me feel great? Is that wrong? To love someone you can't have? Because I can't have you Draco, no matter how hard I try.
Well, you'll probably never get to read this letter because...I'll never give it to you. It's more easier if you raise your child with your beloved Sarah without me trapping you in your life. That kiss that we shared in the room - I wanted to tell you all this, but I couldn't. Is it possible to be unselfish for someone you love? I think it is...I'd never want to make things hard again for you. You're going to raise a kid. You're going to have a wife.
I don't want to barge in. I guess this letter is no use, since it will never get into your hands again, nor will you ever sight your eyes on it.
But I guess the message is pretty clear.
Don't worry, you'll figure it out *wink*. You stupid dumbass, you're making me cry.
I have to go before I become Georgia Nicholson. You probably don't know who that is, do you?
Love...
and Hate...
-Hermione Granger.
---
Song Recommended for listening to while reading this chapter:
Ode to Harry Potter by ~ Switchblade Kittens
Yay! That didn't suck THAT much, did it? The letter was a bit weird, but I guess if you think nobody will read it, you'll put all your true feelings down. Epilogue next; of all the things that happened to EVERYONE.
Also: I am going to get my novel published everyone! I got the acceptance letter two days ago from the publisher! Congrats emails are WELCOME very WELCOME (HINT HINT!).
