CHAPTER 7~ Valentine's Day
Hermione broke away from him gently. "You told me you forgot about Valentine's Day." She narrowed her eyes a little bit.
Draco shrugged and led her into the dining room, where there was a table for two, set up with a candle in the middle. "It was convincing though. And I didn't want to ruin my surprise." He smiled down at her as he pulled her chair out. "How could you think I could forget about Valentine's Day? I've been planning this for a while now."
Hermione sat down and watched Draco take his seat across from her. Happiness poured from her eyes. Never in her life had she felt like someone truly cared for her until now. She had always thought that she'd be alone forever; always wishing she had something more; always wanting what everyone else had. Now she had more. She had found her true love, the only person she could love. Her love for him went deeper than most high school relationships.
They ate steak and lobster tails for dinner. Draco had spent a lot of money on everything for that night. Of course Anna cooked it while they were at school, but Draco had paid for everything.
Hermione was more than surprised. She wanted something special for Valentine's Day, but she never thought he'd go all out just for her. After all, she was just Hermione. Draco helped her cut up her steak and open her lobster tail, since she only had one arm.
After dinner, Draco said he wanted to take a walk. It was still light out, so Anna didn't have a problem with it.
Hermione felt like she was walking on clouds. She was soaring. It was amazing that everything she never thought she would feel Draco made her feel. She couldn't even remember the last time someone had told her that they loved her, or the last time someone had wrapped their arms around her and held her close. No one had ever tried to steal her pain away. It almost felt unreal.
Draco wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head as they walked through London. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have Hermione. She was now the most important person in his life. He secretly vowed never to hurt her. Nothing would be worse that to have her mad at him.
"Draco?" Hermione said softly.
"Yeah?"
"What am I supposed to wear tomorrow night? I don't exactly have anything that could be considered even semi-decent. I don't own one skirt or one pair of khakis, nor do I have a nice shirt."
Draco smiled a little. "If you want, we can go to the mall and I'll buy you something. Maybe I'll get you this lovely, tight red dress with spaghetti straps and will show some skin."
She slapped him upside the head with her good arm. "The day you get me to dress in something like that will be the day the world ends. No way in hell am I wearing a dress."
Draco pouted a little. "You won't even where one to our wedding?"
Hermione's eyes opened wide. She didn't think she had heard him right. "And when is that gunna be?"
He laughed. "I don't know. Whenever we feel that we're mature and we have money and when I buy you a ring and then build up the courage to ask you. Then, of course, you'd actually have to say yes, which you probably wouldn't do anyway, just so you could see the look on my face. So I guess all that won't happen for a least a until we're out of high school."
Hermione laughed as well. "And how much thought have you actually given to this subject?"
"Um well none until like three seconds ago."
Hermione shook her head as they walked into the mall. They didn't even bother to search for anything in their favorite stores. Instead they went into a store the normally stayed away from. Hermione chose a pair of khaki colored cargoes and a tight, black shirt.
"Think they'd be mad if I wore a mesh shirt over it?" she asked Draco curiously as they headed back toward the Malfoy Manor.
"I would hope not. 'Cause I think that would look pretty cool."
Anna gave them a stern look as they walked in. Draco immediately apologized for being out late, but he added that she never complains when they come home late from work. She argued that that was a different situation, but Draco shrugged and led Hermione up to his room.
Hermione laid down on the bed, looking up at the seemingly interesting ceiling. A faint smile graced her thin lips. She was immediately disrupted as Draco climbed on top of her and covered her lips with his own. They're tongues fought for control.
Hermione left her broken arm on his back and ran her right hand through his silky hair. Draco's hands ran under her shirt and he trailed them over her bare skin.
A loud knock on the door broke them apart quickly. "What?" Draco snapped in an agitated voice.
"Draco, I need to talk to you," Lucius said.
"About what? Can't we talk tomorrow? I'm tired."
"No, this is a matter we must discuss now."
Draco sighed and looked longingly at Hermione. "I'm sorry. I'll be back in a little while." She nodded understandingly and watched him head out the door, looking back at her the whole time.
Draco followed Lucius into his study and sat down in the leather seat across from his father. "What is it that must be discussed at this very second?" Draco asked with a hint of malice in his voice."
"It is a manner of where you are headed in the future. I want you to start the meetings soon, Draco."
Draco took a sharp intake of breath and glared at his father. "I've told you a hundred times, father, I will not join you and your gang of Death Eaters to kill innocent people for fun. That may be you, but it's definitely not me."
"You will do as I tell you to do. I'm already not overly thrilled with your choice of a girlfriend. Sure she's a nice girl, but look at her parents. You should be with someone of class, who holds a high position in society."
"We're not going through this again. Pansy and I aren't meant for each other. I don't even really like her. How can you expect me to like a girl like that? It's not happening. And as far as Hermione's parents, I don't give a damn who they are or were. She's not like them. I love her, and there's nothing anyone can say or do to make that feeling change." Draco's eyes were filled with anger, and it only seemed to get worse with every word he spoke.
Lucius' stormy grey eyes looked right into Draco's. He could see himself mirrored in his son's eyes. He used to have many of the same thoughts as Draco. He used to believe in love; that was until his father arranged his marriage with Narcissa Black. That's when he became like his father. He began to hate the world and wanted his son to be just like him. The Malfoys were all the same. They were all cruel, cold-hearted bastards. It had always been that way.
"You will do as I tell you, Draco, or you will suffer the consequences."
"I choose to suffer the consequences. There is nothing that you can say or do to make things differently." Lucius stood and circled his desk so that he was standing directly in front of his only son. Draco looked up at his father with an unwavering glare. When Lucius' hand struck Draco's face, he still didn't look away. He couldn't feel the pain. He was used to it.
Since that didn't seem to work, Lucius grabbed onto Draco's shirt and pulled him to his feet then kicked his legs out from under him. Once Draco was on the floor, Lucius began kicking him in the head and in the abdominal region. Draco took the beating without whimpering a cry.
Once Lucius was satisfied with what he had done, he strode out of the study and into his bedroom.
Hermione was pacing Draco's bedroom. It had been an hour since Lucius took Draco away. She was starting to get nervous. Suddenly the door opened and Draco came in. His head was bowed, and he looked utterly defeated.
She hurried over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She didn't care that she was getting his blood all over her clothes.
"What happened, Draco? Are you all right?"
Draco held onto her tightly. "Yeah, I'm all right. Don't worry about me. I can take care of it. Just sit on the bed. I'll be right out, okay? I'll tell you when I clean myself up." She nodded slowly and moved over to the bed while Draco headed into the bathroom.
He pulled his shirt over his head and examined the new bruises that his father left on his toned chest as well as old scars. He turned on the water and pulled a towel out from under the sink. He wiped all the blood from his face and out of his eyes and hair.
Once he had cleaned up his face and tossed his shirt in the hamper, he went back into his room and found Hermione sitting on the edge of his bed. He sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her.
"See? I'm fine," he said with a shrug.
Hermione nodded. "But you don't look fine. You've got bruises all over you. How often does that happen?"
"Only when I openly disagree with him."
"Is it my fault?" she asked softly. "Is it because of me? I can leave if you want me to. I'm sure I can stay with the Weasleys or Lana or Kelly or someone."
"No, no, it's not that. It has nothing to do with you." He kissed her reassuringly.
"What is it then?" she asked.
Draco looked down at the floor. "He wants me to be like him; to follow in his footsteps; to be a mirror image of him; to live the life he does."
"What do you mean, Draco?"
"He wants me to be a Death Eater, Hermione. He's been one since before I could remember. The only thing stopping him in the past was my mother. Lately it seems like he wants this more than anything. I keep telling him no, but he won't hear it. He doesn't care about what I want. He wants me to be a Malfoy. He wants from me what I cannot give him. My heart isn't black like most people think it is." He still didn't look up, but rather lied down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling.
Hermione placed her hand on his chest. "I don't think you have a black heart, Draco. If that was true, you wouldn't have gone through all that trouble for me earlier."
"But what if I can't escape this? What if this is inevitable? What if I my fate is to follow my father?"
Hermione rested her head on his shoulder. "Draco, you're stronger than that. We both know you are. Do not let your father make you believe any different. I love you, Draco. Please don't give up on your life. Don't let him influence you."
Draco turned his melancholy eyes to his girlfriend; the one person who made him feel alive. She truly believed in him. He wouldn't give up on her, on their relationship. He took his hand in hers and pressed it to his lips.
"I'm sorry love. I didn't mean to get upset with you."
"It's quite all right. I understand where you are coming from."
Draco smiled down at her and kissed her. Of course she was right. He could do anything he set his mind to. He wouldn't let his father get to him. Nothing was going to ruin the relationship with the woman he loved. There was nothing that could bring them apart.
Hermione fell asleep with her head rested on Draco's chest and his arms wrapped protectively around her.
~
The next evening was the Valentine's Day Dance. Hermione was still a little nervous since she had never been to a dance in her life. She preferred to stay away from social functions. Draco kept reassuring her that she'd be fine; it was, after all, just a dance.
"Draco," Hermione said softly as they walked toward the school. "I can't dance. I never could. I'm gunna make you look stupid."
Draco smiled a little and squeezed her hand lightly. "Don't worry about it, I can't dance either. We can just do the slow dance if you want and we can just hang out the rest of the time."
That was fine by Hermione, so she nodded in agreement. Her arm was still feeling sore, but she refused to complain. Whenever someone asked her how she was, she said she was fine and left it at that. Draco understood and stopped asking her if she needed anything.
The gym was decorated with red, pink, and white hearts. Soft music was already playing. The D.J. was set up in the front. The place looked so different than it usually did. It was nice to see a change for once.
As it drew nearer to seven, more and more people began arriving, some with dates and some without. No matter whom they were with, however, everyone seemed pretty happy.
Harry, Ron, Lana, and Kelly all showed up together. They all said their hellos and shared hugs all around. Hermione was glad that her friends finally knew the truth about what happened and that they would be there for her when she needed them most.
Draco practically dragged Hermione out into the center of the gym to dance with her. Never before had he actually wanted to dance with someone, but he had a sudden urge to hold her close as their bodies moved together to the slow steady beat of the music. Hermione was a bit nervous as she wrapped her arms around his neck and his arms went to her waist.
The world felt like it melted away. It was just the two of them. At that moment nothing else mattered; not the fact that Hermione no longer had a family; not all the times they had fought in the past; not how it seemed as if they could never be accepted. The only thing that mattered was that they were together.
After a while, they decided to take a break. Hermione sat down at a small table by the door to cool down a bit while Draco went to get them some water.
Blaise Zabini sat down next to Hermione and smiled up at her. "Well, you do look stunning tonight," he said pleasantly.
Hermione raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Are you talking to me?" she questioned.
"Do you see anyone else around? Of course I'm talking to you." Hermione just nodded, but said nothing in return. "So how is everything going? How's your arm?"
"Fine. Everything is just fine. And just so you know, I do not want or need your sympathy. I could really care less if you felt bad about what happened to me."
Blaise smirked a little bit. "That's nice because I'm not here to give you my sympathy. I'm here to make sure Draco's treating you okay. I don't want you to get hurt."
"Draco is treating me just fine. As your best friend, I would expect that he tells you about what's going on, so don't give me any bullshit. Why don't you tell me what you really want and be on your way?"
"Well, since you put it that way.I heard that Draco and Pansy have been talking a lot lately. This is what she tells me anyway. I think she's gunna break up with me and have him break up with you so that they can go out again."
Hermione didn't believe him. Draco loved her and disliked Pansy greatly. "That's ridiculous! He wouldn't do that."
Blaise shook his head with a sad look. "I hate to tell you this way, but look over at the table with all the drinks."
Sure enough Pansy had her arm slung over Draco's shoulder, but she couldn't see his face. It appeared that he was trying to shrug her off, but Hermione's heart stopped when Pansy pressed her lips to his. Draco immediately pulled away, but Hermione didn't see. She looked down at the table and let a few tears roll down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, Hermione," Blaise said with sympathy in his voice. After that, he walked off to find Pansy.
Pansy smiled as she saw Blaise approaching her. "Well this should be interesting," she said. "Maybe this will sway Drakey's mind into finally becoming a Death Eater."
Draco sat down next to Hermione at the small table. "Go away!" she said loudly. "I don't even want to see you."
"Hermione, I don't know what you saw, but I did not do anything to make Pansy kiss me. I didn't even kiss her back. I pulled away from her." He tried to put his hand on her shoulder, but she pulled away from him.
"Blaise said that you and her have been talking a lot lately. Is that true?"
"No! Hermione, I hate her! Why the hell would I want to talk to someone like her when I have someone like you? I love you. You have to believe me."
Hermione finally looked up into his eyes. "Why should I? Draco, give me one good reason why I should believe you. You seemed nice and friendly with her over there."
Draco could feel his temper rising although he tried to keep himself controlled. "I don't know what I have to do to make you see that you are the only woman I love. I want nothing to do with whatever Blaise and Pansy have planned. They are obviously trying to break us up, and if you believe them over me they'll get their wish."
Hermione dried her eyes with the back of her sleeve. "So you mean to tell me that Pansy means absolutely nothing to you?"
"Yes."
"And you love me more than anything else in this world?"
"Yes, Hermione. I don't know how you could think any different."
Hermione rested her head on Draco's shoulder and let him hold her. "I'm sorry, Draco. I love you so much. I just couldn't stand the thought of losing you. I don't know what I'd do without you."
He rubbed her back gently in a soothing manner and kissed the top of her head. "It's all right. I probably would have reacted the same way you did. Just know that I would never hurt you. No matter what, I will be there for you, and nothing and no one will change that."
Hermione nodded. She looked up at him once again and kissed him passionately.
Blaise and Pansy scowled at the scene that unfolded before them. It wasn't supposed to turn out that way. They'd have to come up with a new idea to get their friend to join them. No matter what, they would find a way. They had a deal with Lucius, and they would not let him down.
Hermione broke away from him gently. "You told me you forgot about Valentine's Day." She narrowed her eyes a little bit.
Draco shrugged and led her into the dining room, where there was a table for two, set up with a candle in the middle. "It was convincing though. And I didn't want to ruin my surprise." He smiled down at her as he pulled her chair out. "How could you think I could forget about Valentine's Day? I've been planning this for a while now."
Hermione sat down and watched Draco take his seat across from her. Happiness poured from her eyes. Never in her life had she felt like someone truly cared for her until now. She had always thought that she'd be alone forever; always wishing she had something more; always wanting what everyone else had. Now she had more. She had found her true love, the only person she could love. Her love for him went deeper than most high school relationships.
They ate steak and lobster tails for dinner. Draco had spent a lot of money on everything for that night. Of course Anna cooked it while they were at school, but Draco had paid for everything.
Hermione was more than surprised. She wanted something special for Valentine's Day, but she never thought he'd go all out just for her. After all, she was just Hermione. Draco helped her cut up her steak and open her lobster tail, since she only had one arm.
After dinner, Draco said he wanted to take a walk. It was still light out, so Anna didn't have a problem with it.
Hermione felt like she was walking on clouds. She was soaring. It was amazing that everything she never thought she would feel Draco made her feel. She couldn't even remember the last time someone had told her that they loved her, or the last time someone had wrapped their arms around her and held her close. No one had ever tried to steal her pain away. It almost felt unreal.
Draco wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head as they walked through London. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have Hermione. She was now the most important person in his life. He secretly vowed never to hurt her. Nothing would be worse that to have her mad at him.
"Draco?" Hermione said softly.
"Yeah?"
"What am I supposed to wear tomorrow night? I don't exactly have anything that could be considered even semi-decent. I don't own one skirt or one pair of khakis, nor do I have a nice shirt."
Draco smiled a little. "If you want, we can go to the mall and I'll buy you something. Maybe I'll get you this lovely, tight red dress with spaghetti straps and will show some skin."
She slapped him upside the head with her good arm. "The day you get me to dress in something like that will be the day the world ends. No way in hell am I wearing a dress."
Draco pouted a little. "You won't even where one to our wedding?"
Hermione's eyes opened wide. She didn't think she had heard him right. "And when is that gunna be?"
He laughed. "I don't know. Whenever we feel that we're mature and we have money and when I buy you a ring and then build up the courage to ask you. Then, of course, you'd actually have to say yes, which you probably wouldn't do anyway, just so you could see the look on my face. So I guess all that won't happen for a least a until we're out of high school."
Hermione laughed as well. "And how much thought have you actually given to this subject?"
"Um well none until like three seconds ago."
Hermione shook her head as they walked into the mall. They didn't even bother to search for anything in their favorite stores. Instead they went into a store the normally stayed away from. Hermione chose a pair of khaki colored cargoes and a tight, black shirt.
"Think they'd be mad if I wore a mesh shirt over it?" she asked Draco curiously as they headed back toward the Malfoy Manor.
"I would hope not. 'Cause I think that would look pretty cool."
Anna gave them a stern look as they walked in. Draco immediately apologized for being out late, but he added that she never complains when they come home late from work. She argued that that was a different situation, but Draco shrugged and led Hermione up to his room.
Hermione laid down on the bed, looking up at the seemingly interesting ceiling. A faint smile graced her thin lips. She was immediately disrupted as Draco climbed on top of her and covered her lips with his own. They're tongues fought for control.
Hermione left her broken arm on his back and ran her right hand through his silky hair. Draco's hands ran under her shirt and he trailed them over her bare skin.
A loud knock on the door broke them apart quickly. "What?" Draco snapped in an agitated voice.
"Draco, I need to talk to you," Lucius said.
"About what? Can't we talk tomorrow? I'm tired."
"No, this is a matter we must discuss now."
Draco sighed and looked longingly at Hermione. "I'm sorry. I'll be back in a little while." She nodded understandingly and watched him head out the door, looking back at her the whole time.
Draco followed Lucius into his study and sat down in the leather seat across from his father. "What is it that must be discussed at this very second?" Draco asked with a hint of malice in his voice."
"It is a manner of where you are headed in the future. I want you to start the meetings soon, Draco."
Draco took a sharp intake of breath and glared at his father. "I've told you a hundred times, father, I will not join you and your gang of Death Eaters to kill innocent people for fun. That may be you, but it's definitely not me."
"You will do as I tell you to do. I'm already not overly thrilled with your choice of a girlfriend. Sure she's a nice girl, but look at her parents. You should be with someone of class, who holds a high position in society."
"We're not going through this again. Pansy and I aren't meant for each other. I don't even really like her. How can you expect me to like a girl like that? It's not happening. And as far as Hermione's parents, I don't give a damn who they are or were. She's not like them. I love her, and there's nothing anyone can say or do to make that feeling change." Draco's eyes were filled with anger, and it only seemed to get worse with every word he spoke.
Lucius' stormy grey eyes looked right into Draco's. He could see himself mirrored in his son's eyes. He used to have many of the same thoughts as Draco. He used to believe in love; that was until his father arranged his marriage with Narcissa Black. That's when he became like his father. He began to hate the world and wanted his son to be just like him. The Malfoys were all the same. They were all cruel, cold-hearted bastards. It had always been that way.
"You will do as I tell you, Draco, or you will suffer the consequences."
"I choose to suffer the consequences. There is nothing that you can say or do to make things differently." Lucius stood and circled his desk so that he was standing directly in front of his only son. Draco looked up at his father with an unwavering glare. When Lucius' hand struck Draco's face, he still didn't look away. He couldn't feel the pain. He was used to it.
Since that didn't seem to work, Lucius grabbed onto Draco's shirt and pulled him to his feet then kicked his legs out from under him. Once Draco was on the floor, Lucius began kicking him in the head and in the abdominal region. Draco took the beating without whimpering a cry.
Once Lucius was satisfied with what he had done, he strode out of the study and into his bedroom.
Hermione was pacing Draco's bedroom. It had been an hour since Lucius took Draco away. She was starting to get nervous. Suddenly the door opened and Draco came in. His head was bowed, and he looked utterly defeated.
She hurried over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She didn't care that she was getting his blood all over her clothes.
"What happened, Draco? Are you all right?"
Draco held onto her tightly. "Yeah, I'm all right. Don't worry about me. I can take care of it. Just sit on the bed. I'll be right out, okay? I'll tell you when I clean myself up." She nodded slowly and moved over to the bed while Draco headed into the bathroom.
He pulled his shirt over his head and examined the new bruises that his father left on his toned chest as well as old scars. He turned on the water and pulled a towel out from under the sink. He wiped all the blood from his face and out of his eyes and hair.
Once he had cleaned up his face and tossed his shirt in the hamper, he went back into his room and found Hermione sitting on the edge of his bed. He sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her.
"See? I'm fine," he said with a shrug.
Hermione nodded. "But you don't look fine. You've got bruises all over you. How often does that happen?"
"Only when I openly disagree with him."
"Is it my fault?" she asked softly. "Is it because of me? I can leave if you want me to. I'm sure I can stay with the Weasleys or Lana or Kelly or someone."
"No, no, it's not that. It has nothing to do with you." He kissed her reassuringly.
"What is it then?" she asked.
Draco looked down at the floor. "He wants me to be like him; to follow in his footsteps; to be a mirror image of him; to live the life he does."
"What do you mean, Draco?"
"He wants me to be a Death Eater, Hermione. He's been one since before I could remember. The only thing stopping him in the past was my mother. Lately it seems like he wants this more than anything. I keep telling him no, but he won't hear it. He doesn't care about what I want. He wants me to be a Malfoy. He wants from me what I cannot give him. My heart isn't black like most people think it is." He still didn't look up, but rather lied down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling.
Hermione placed her hand on his chest. "I don't think you have a black heart, Draco. If that was true, you wouldn't have gone through all that trouble for me earlier."
"But what if I can't escape this? What if this is inevitable? What if I my fate is to follow my father?"
Hermione rested her head on his shoulder. "Draco, you're stronger than that. We both know you are. Do not let your father make you believe any different. I love you, Draco. Please don't give up on your life. Don't let him influence you."
Draco turned his melancholy eyes to his girlfriend; the one person who made him feel alive. She truly believed in him. He wouldn't give up on her, on their relationship. He took his hand in hers and pressed it to his lips.
"I'm sorry love. I didn't mean to get upset with you."
"It's quite all right. I understand where you are coming from."
Draco smiled down at her and kissed her. Of course she was right. He could do anything he set his mind to. He wouldn't let his father get to him. Nothing was going to ruin the relationship with the woman he loved. There was nothing that could bring them apart.
Hermione fell asleep with her head rested on Draco's chest and his arms wrapped protectively around her.
~
The next evening was the Valentine's Day Dance. Hermione was still a little nervous since she had never been to a dance in her life. She preferred to stay away from social functions. Draco kept reassuring her that she'd be fine; it was, after all, just a dance.
"Draco," Hermione said softly as they walked toward the school. "I can't dance. I never could. I'm gunna make you look stupid."
Draco smiled a little and squeezed her hand lightly. "Don't worry about it, I can't dance either. We can just do the slow dance if you want and we can just hang out the rest of the time."
That was fine by Hermione, so she nodded in agreement. Her arm was still feeling sore, but she refused to complain. Whenever someone asked her how she was, she said she was fine and left it at that. Draco understood and stopped asking her if she needed anything.
The gym was decorated with red, pink, and white hearts. Soft music was already playing. The D.J. was set up in the front. The place looked so different than it usually did. It was nice to see a change for once.
As it drew nearer to seven, more and more people began arriving, some with dates and some without. No matter whom they were with, however, everyone seemed pretty happy.
Harry, Ron, Lana, and Kelly all showed up together. They all said their hellos and shared hugs all around. Hermione was glad that her friends finally knew the truth about what happened and that they would be there for her when she needed them most.
Draco practically dragged Hermione out into the center of the gym to dance with her. Never before had he actually wanted to dance with someone, but he had a sudden urge to hold her close as their bodies moved together to the slow steady beat of the music. Hermione was a bit nervous as she wrapped her arms around his neck and his arms went to her waist.
The world felt like it melted away. It was just the two of them. At that moment nothing else mattered; not the fact that Hermione no longer had a family; not all the times they had fought in the past; not how it seemed as if they could never be accepted. The only thing that mattered was that they were together.
After a while, they decided to take a break. Hermione sat down at a small table by the door to cool down a bit while Draco went to get them some water.
Blaise Zabini sat down next to Hermione and smiled up at her. "Well, you do look stunning tonight," he said pleasantly.
Hermione raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Are you talking to me?" she questioned.
"Do you see anyone else around? Of course I'm talking to you." Hermione just nodded, but said nothing in return. "So how is everything going? How's your arm?"
"Fine. Everything is just fine. And just so you know, I do not want or need your sympathy. I could really care less if you felt bad about what happened to me."
Blaise smirked a little bit. "That's nice because I'm not here to give you my sympathy. I'm here to make sure Draco's treating you okay. I don't want you to get hurt."
"Draco is treating me just fine. As your best friend, I would expect that he tells you about what's going on, so don't give me any bullshit. Why don't you tell me what you really want and be on your way?"
"Well, since you put it that way.I heard that Draco and Pansy have been talking a lot lately. This is what she tells me anyway. I think she's gunna break up with me and have him break up with you so that they can go out again."
Hermione didn't believe him. Draco loved her and disliked Pansy greatly. "That's ridiculous! He wouldn't do that."
Blaise shook his head with a sad look. "I hate to tell you this way, but look over at the table with all the drinks."
Sure enough Pansy had her arm slung over Draco's shoulder, but she couldn't see his face. It appeared that he was trying to shrug her off, but Hermione's heart stopped when Pansy pressed her lips to his. Draco immediately pulled away, but Hermione didn't see. She looked down at the table and let a few tears roll down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, Hermione," Blaise said with sympathy in his voice. After that, he walked off to find Pansy.
Pansy smiled as she saw Blaise approaching her. "Well this should be interesting," she said. "Maybe this will sway Drakey's mind into finally becoming a Death Eater."
Draco sat down next to Hermione at the small table. "Go away!" she said loudly. "I don't even want to see you."
"Hermione, I don't know what you saw, but I did not do anything to make Pansy kiss me. I didn't even kiss her back. I pulled away from her." He tried to put his hand on her shoulder, but she pulled away from him.
"Blaise said that you and her have been talking a lot lately. Is that true?"
"No! Hermione, I hate her! Why the hell would I want to talk to someone like her when I have someone like you? I love you. You have to believe me."
Hermione finally looked up into his eyes. "Why should I? Draco, give me one good reason why I should believe you. You seemed nice and friendly with her over there."
Draco could feel his temper rising although he tried to keep himself controlled. "I don't know what I have to do to make you see that you are the only woman I love. I want nothing to do with whatever Blaise and Pansy have planned. They are obviously trying to break us up, and if you believe them over me they'll get their wish."
Hermione dried her eyes with the back of her sleeve. "So you mean to tell me that Pansy means absolutely nothing to you?"
"Yes."
"And you love me more than anything else in this world?"
"Yes, Hermione. I don't know how you could think any different."
Hermione rested her head on Draco's shoulder and let him hold her. "I'm sorry, Draco. I love you so much. I just couldn't stand the thought of losing you. I don't know what I'd do without you."
He rubbed her back gently in a soothing manner and kissed the top of her head. "It's all right. I probably would have reacted the same way you did. Just know that I would never hurt you. No matter what, I will be there for you, and nothing and no one will change that."
Hermione nodded. She looked up at him once again and kissed him passionately.
Blaise and Pansy scowled at the scene that unfolded before them. It wasn't supposed to turn out that way. They'd have to come up with a new idea to get their friend to join them. No matter what, they would find a way. They had a deal with Lucius, and they would not let him down.