Chapter 22
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.
After her talk with Harry, Hermione decided to finally tell Draco what she was feeling. She knew there was something going on between the two of them, but she still wasn't sure. Before leaving, Hermione decided to tell her parents once and for all.
"Dad, I hope you understand," Hermione began, as she sat on the stool by the kitchen sink.
"I still don't trust that guy, what if he hurts you?" his father said, shaking his head.
"Draco will never hurt me. Look, we've talked about this."
"Fine. If you managed to stay with him for one week, then maybe he's not as dangerous as I think he is," he said, standing up and giving her a kiss on the forehead. "You go tell your mom."
"Goodluck to me," she told herself.
***
Hermione went up to her mother and to her great relief, she was awake.
"Mom, I'm just going out for a while," she said, kissing on mother on the cheek.
"What are you up to, honey?" she answered, surveying her daughter.
"Mom, I'm just going out, that's all."
"With whom?"
Hermione straightened up and sighed. "Actually I'm going to back to Draco's apartment," she said. Her mother pretending to choke, but Hermione just stood there, staring down at her. "Mom, that's not going to work."
Her mother stopped the acting. "How long would you keep on disobeying us?"
"As long as my heart tells me what I'm supposed to do," she answered.
Her mother heaved a sigh. "I guess you really have grown up. We can't even tell you what to do."
"Mom, you can't tell anyone what to do when they're in love."
"So, you do love him."
"More than you know."
***
Hermione knocked on Draco's door. She didn't feel like using the doorbell. Upon opening the door, Draco let out a sigh of relief. He quickly embraced her and held her tightly. "I thought you'd never come back," he said. "I missed you."
Hermione was glad he missed her. But she came here to tell him how she felt and to know what he felt about her. "Draco, I have to tell you something."
"Let's go inside," Draco suggested.
Upon seeing the couch, Hermione right away sat down. She had missed it a lot. It was where Draco and her had talked about a lot of important things. But this time, she would tell her the most important thing of all. And she even wasn't sure where to start.
Draco sat beside her and took her hand. "I have to tell you something too." Hermione breathed heavily. She was beginning to feel nervous. *Could it be? Could Draco be also in love with her?*
Not knowing how to tell him, Hermione merely smiled. "You go first."
Draco flashed a grin. "You won't believe it, Hermione," he said. "Father's gone for the weekend, which means, I can sneak into the manor and find a way to rescue mother!"
Hermione's eyes narrowed into slits as she pondered on what he had said. "That's. that's wonderful, Draco," she said, forcing a smile.
"I know. what did you want to tell me?"
Hermione felt her heart race. It was time for her to say it. *Here goes nothing.*
"Um, Draco, I talked to Harry and-"
"You got back together?" Draco said, looking disappointed.
"Actually, no," she answered. "We decided to remain friends."
"That's. that's nice, Hermione." She didn't know what he meant by that, if he was just trying to be a good friend, or if he was actually happy that Harry and she were now just friends.
"Draco," she said. "I realized something important when I talked to Harry."
"What is it," he asked, reaching to tuck a strand of hair behind her ears.
Hermione stood up and turned her back on him. "Would you still accept me if I told you that. that I love you?"
Draco didn't say anything. He just stared at her, wondering if he heard the right thing.
Hermione turned around. "Draco, I asked you."
"Hermione, I never thought you felt his way about me. I. I don't know what to say," he said, getting to his feet and approaching her.
"Tell me how you feel, how you really feel," she said, looking up at him.
Draco ran a hand through his hair and sat down the couch. "Hermione, you know I care about you. but. I'm not ready for this," he said. Tears immediately rolled down Hermione's cheeks. It was worse than she expected. She had never handled rejection before. But what's worse was that it came from Draco. Knowing that he doesn't love her hurts a lot. Draco stood up and wiped the tears off her face. "Please don't cry. It's just not the right time for me to do this. I have a lot of things to settle in my life and I might not be able to take care of you."
Hermione moved away from him. It was too much for her to take. "Do you know how stupid I am?" she said, tears streaming down her face. "For a minute I actually thought you felt the same way about me. The gestures, the eye contacts, all those things you said, they meant nothing?"
"Please don't do this. You're making it hard for the both of us."
"I'm sorry, Draco. Forgive me for being in love with you. You know what? Why don't you just forget what I said. I know I'll get over you somehow," she started ranting, wiping off her tears.
"Hermione," Draco said, approaching her. But at that same moment, Hermione disappeared. Looking down, Draco saw the droplets of tears Hermione had shed over him. "If you only knew."
***
Hermione emerged in her bedroom and threw herself on her bed. She buried her face on the pillow and continued sobbing. *I'm so stupid! How could I have let myself been fooled like that. He just considers me as his friend. He doesn't love me!*
She poured out all her emotions and didn't stop until she was sure there were no more tears left to cry. Turning her head, she saw an envelope on top of her side table. She sat up straight and reached for it. It was sealed. Turning the envelope, Hermione gasped as he read the sender's address: Harvard University.
Hermione quickly ripped the side and pulled out three sheets of paper. Unfolding the paper and taking a deep breath, Hermione read the first few paragraphs:
"Ms. Hermione Granger,
We, at Harvard University, are pleased to inform you that you have been granted a five-year scholarship under the degree program of Philosophy.
Please confirm your registration a week after you receive this letter."
Hermione saw the letter was dated six days ago. "Owl mail!" she said. "I have to give them an answer by tomorrow!"
But Hermione knew there was only one thing holding her back. "Draco," she whispered.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.
After her talk with Harry, Hermione decided to finally tell Draco what she was feeling. She knew there was something going on between the two of them, but she still wasn't sure. Before leaving, Hermione decided to tell her parents once and for all.
"Dad, I hope you understand," Hermione began, as she sat on the stool by the kitchen sink.
"I still don't trust that guy, what if he hurts you?" his father said, shaking his head.
"Draco will never hurt me. Look, we've talked about this."
"Fine. If you managed to stay with him for one week, then maybe he's not as dangerous as I think he is," he said, standing up and giving her a kiss on the forehead. "You go tell your mom."
"Goodluck to me," she told herself.
***
Hermione went up to her mother and to her great relief, she was awake.
"Mom, I'm just going out for a while," she said, kissing on mother on the cheek.
"What are you up to, honey?" she answered, surveying her daughter.
"Mom, I'm just going out, that's all."
"With whom?"
Hermione straightened up and sighed. "Actually I'm going to back to Draco's apartment," she said. Her mother pretending to choke, but Hermione just stood there, staring down at her. "Mom, that's not going to work."
Her mother stopped the acting. "How long would you keep on disobeying us?"
"As long as my heart tells me what I'm supposed to do," she answered.
Her mother heaved a sigh. "I guess you really have grown up. We can't even tell you what to do."
"Mom, you can't tell anyone what to do when they're in love."
"So, you do love him."
"More than you know."
***
Hermione knocked on Draco's door. She didn't feel like using the doorbell. Upon opening the door, Draco let out a sigh of relief. He quickly embraced her and held her tightly. "I thought you'd never come back," he said. "I missed you."
Hermione was glad he missed her. But she came here to tell him how she felt and to know what he felt about her. "Draco, I have to tell you something."
"Let's go inside," Draco suggested.
Upon seeing the couch, Hermione right away sat down. She had missed it a lot. It was where Draco and her had talked about a lot of important things. But this time, she would tell her the most important thing of all. And she even wasn't sure where to start.
Draco sat beside her and took her hand. "I have to tell you something too." Hermione breathed heavily. She was beginning to feel nervous. *Could it be? Could Draco be also in love with her?*
Not knowing how to tell him, Hermione merely smiled. "You go first."
Draco flashed a grin. "You won't believe it, Hermione," he said. "Father's gone for the weekend, which means, I can sneak into the manor and find a way to rescue mother!"
Hermione's eyes narrowed into slits as she pondered on what he had said. "That's. that's wonderful, Draco," she said, forcing a smile.
"I know. what did you want to tell me?"
Hermione felt her heart race. It was time for her to say it. *Here goes nothing.*
"Um, Draco, I talked to Harry and-"
"You got back together?" Draco said, looking disappointed.
"Actually, no," she answered. "We decided to remain friends."
"That's. that's nice, Hermione." She didn't know what he meant by that, if he was just trying to be a good friend, or if he was actually happy that Harry and she were now just friends.
"Draco," she said. "I realized something important when I talked to Harry."
"What is it," he asked, reaching to tuck a strand of hair behind her ears.
Hermione stood up and turned her back on him. "Would you still accept me if I told you that. that I love you?"
Draco didn't say anything. He just stared at her, wondering if he heard the right thing.
Hermione turned around. "Draco, I asked you."
"Hermione, I never thought you felt his way about me. I. I don't know what to say," he said, getting to his feet and approaching her.
"Tell me how you feel, how you really feel," she said, looking up at him.
Draco ran a hand through his hair and sat down the couch. "Hermione, you know I care about you. but. I'm not ready for this," he said. Tears immediately rolled down Hermione's cheeks. It was worse than she expected. She had never handled rejection before. But what's worse was that it came from Draco. Knowing that he doesn't love her hurts a lot. Draco stood up and wiped the tears off her face. "Please don't cry. It's just not the right time for me to do this. I have a lot of things to settle in my life and I might not be able to take care of you."
Hermione moved away from him. It was too much for her to take. "Do you know how stupid I am?" she said, tears streaming down her face. "For a minute I actually thought you felt the same way about me. The gestures, the eye contacts, all those things you said, they meant nothing?"
"Please don't do this. You're making it hard for the both of us."
"I'm sorry, Draco. Forgive me for being in love with you. You know what? Why don't you just forget what I said. I know I'll get over you somehow," she started ranting, wiping off her tears.
"Hermione," Draco said, approaching her. But at that same moment, Hermione disappeared. Looking down, Draco saw the droplets of tears Hermione had shed over him. "If you only knew."
***
Hermione emerged in her bedroom and threw herself on her bed. She buried her face on the pillow and continued sobbing. *I'm so stupid! How could I have let myself been fooled like that. He just considers me as his friend. He doesn't love me!*
She poured out all her emotions and didn't stop until she was sure there were no more tears left to cry. Turning her head, she saw an envelope on top of her side table. She sat up straight and reached for it. It was sealed. Turning the envelope, Hermione gasped as he read the sender's address: Harvard University.
Hermione quickly ripped the side and pulled out three sheets of paper. Unfolding the paper and taking a deep breath, Hermione read the first few paragraphs:
"Ms. Hermione Granger,
We, at Harvard University, are pleased to inform you that you have been granted a five-year scholarship under the degree program of Philosophy.
Please confirm your registration a week after you receive this letter."
Hermione saw the letter was dated six days ago. "Owl mail!" she said. "I have to give them an answer by tomorrow!"
But Hermione knew there was only one thing holding her back. "Draco," she whispered.