Chapter 9
Ginny hesitated from ringing the doorbell. She was not sure if she got the address and the instructions right. The apartment looked just like the typical Muggle homes that she had seen in her Muggle Studies classes at Hogwarts. There was no way that a witch lives in this place. There's not enough magic here. Maybe I took a wrong turn somewhere.
She fished the piece of paper that contained the address and instructions from her pocket, intending to confirm if she was in the right place, when a voice behind her said "Lost, Weasley?"
She could recognise that cold baritone anywhere. There was the only person who could pronounce "Weasley" in that way: well ennunciated, half-amused, half-mocking. She turned to face Draco Malfoy. He looked like he had just been running. He was wearing a pair of gray jogging pants and a form- fitting red t-shirt that made his flushed and sweaty face redder.
To her surprise, he was smiling at her. "If you're thinking you've got the wrong place, you're wrong. Hermione's been waiting for you all day."
As she breathed a sigh of relief and thanked him, Draco headed for the door and opened it for her. He followed her into the small hallway and relieved her overcoat and bag from her to place it in the hallway closet. "Hey, Granger, get your butt down here. Weasley's here."
Ginny heard the sound of running feet above her before seeing a smiling Hermione emerge from the top of the staircase at the end of the hallway. Hermione continued rushing down, her unfettered, curly hair flying in all directions, to give Ginny a warm hug. "You're here! Thank you for coming."
"Thank you for inviting me, Hermione." Ginny replied, glad to see her friend again.
"She has a name, you know." Hermione smirked at Draco upon releasing Ginny.
"I know", he smirked back. He appreciatively noticed that she was dressed extra-nice today in a red summer dress that showed off her creamy skin.
"So use it." She commanded before turning her attention to Ginny again. "Come into the living room, Ginny. I've prepared afternoon tea and sandwiches."
"Are you staying, Malfoy?" Hermione said as the three of them reached the living area.
"Are you going to make me leave again, Granger?" Draco stood with his legs braced slightly apart and his arms folded across his chest. She was not going to send him away as easily as she did at the Gala.
"Not yet. Later after tea. But sooner if you don't behave yourself, Malfoy." She flashed him an overly-sweet fake smile before addressing Ginny again. "Will you be alright if I leave you with him for a bit while I get tea?"
Ginny smiled and nodded at Hermione. "Of course. If he does anything offensive, I can always use a the Bat-Bogey Hex on him again."
"I can hear you two, you know." Draco said.
Hermione ignored him. "Have a seat and make yourself at home, Ginny. Malfoy, play nice."
Ginny sat down on the blue and green chintz couch and looked around Hermione's living area, admiring its tasteful and well-coordinated decor. Hermione had always liked the colour blue and it was apparent in the way she had decorated her apartment. The chintz couch and armchairs were accompanied by darkwood coffee and side tables. The long, narrow windows were covered with translucent blue curtains that matched the couch and contrasted well with the light yellow walls. Dark green and deep blue vases were placed all over the room.
Draco sat in on the armchair across Ginny. "You're not here as Potter's messenger, right?"
Ginny stiffened up and responded, "No, I'm here as Hermione's friend."
"Good. Just making sure." He said.
"Making sure of what?"
"That you're not here on some mission from Potter to cause Hermione anymore grief."
Ginny chuckled. "If anyone told me seven years ago that I would be sitting in a Muggle apartment with Draco Malfoy telling me that he didn't want anyone to hurt Hermione Granger, I would have laughed my head off."
"Seven years ago, I would have laughed right along with you." Draco smiled. "Or not. Seven years ago, I would have killed myself before laughing with a Weasley."
Ginny smiled at him. Draco had unknowingly given her the final proof she needed to believe that she had made the right decision to connect with Hermione again. If Draco Malfoy, the meanest, cruelest, more prejudiced wizard she had ever encountered next to Snape, could turn out to be a charming, well-intentioned and good man, then there was no need to fret. Everything can and will work out for the best.
"So what have you been up to, Draco?" Ginny asked, finally allowing the last of the ice between them to break.
"In which life, Ginny? The wizarding one or the Muggle one?
"Well, I know a bit about what you've been doing as a wizard. I've read the book you and Hermione co-authored. It was impressive, by the way."
"Thanks. It's hard not to do an excellent job with Hermione as a task- master."
"I know, she used to bug all of us about homework and being responsible and doing things the right way." Ginny grinned at the memory of the overacheiving Hermione Granger and her colour-coded charts. "But what I'm really curious about is your Muggle life, Draco. How did you manage to adjust here?"
"Well... it wasn't easy. It took me a while to get the hang of it. Not to mention about a hundred burned pots, a thousand broken plates, and a million calls to the police for assistance." He said.
"I can only imagine. But what do you do for a living here, Draco?"
"I work part-time for the Tate Gallery here in London. Mostly in assessing and spotting new artists and organising exhibits for them."
"How did you manage to do that?"
"With a Muggle degree in Art History."
"Is he already bragging to you about how he breezed through college, leaving lesser mortals behind?" Hermione smirked at Draco as she re-entered the living room, bearing a tray of tea and sandwiches.
"Spare me, Granger. You know damn well that I never state the obvious." He said with a bored tone, watching her as she placed the tray on the table.
"Oh, really... Then why have I heard you tell countless girlfriends that they deserved better than a prat like you?" She replied, standing right next to him with her a smirk.
"You know, Granger, you really should stop listening in on other people's conversations. It's considered rude in most cultures."
"And you really should stop breaking up with your girlfriends in front of me, Malfoy." Hermione said exasperatedly.
"True, that." He stood up and tucked a curl behind her ear, his hand remaining on the side of her face. "Well, I'm off for now. It was good to see you again, Ginny. Do come by more often." He had turned his gaze back to Ginny, who was watching their exchange with rapt eyes.
"I thought you were staying for tea?" Hermione said, frowning slightly.
"Nah, I'd better go so you two can have more time catching up. I'm sure you ladies have things to talk about that would offend my poor, innocent ears. Besides, I need a shower." He smiled at her then moved his hand to her nape to pull her face closer as he leaned down to drop a quick, soft kiss on her forehead. "See you later, Granger."
He gave a final nod to Ginny before leaving the room.
Hermione took the chair he had just vacated and began serving tea. When she saw Ginny's amused expression, she asked "What, Ginny?"
"Oh, nothing, Hermione. It's just fun to watch you and Draco together." Ginny smiled. It was true, Ginny enjoyed the exchange she had witnessed thoroughly. While she believed Hermione's claim that there was nothing but friendship between her and Draco, Ginny was not as sure about what the future held for the two "friends".
"Well, I'm glad we've managed to provide ample entertainment for you, Ginny Weasley." Hermione rolled her eyes as she handed Ginny a cup of tea. "Help yourself to the sandwiches."
The two old friends shared a few minutes of comfortable silence as they enjoyed their first meal together in seven years.
It had been two weeks since the Gala and Hermione's re-appearance. It took a Ginny several days to fully comprehend and accept Hermione's confessions. It took two more days for her to ponder about seeing her old friend and renewing their ties. Ginny was genuinely curious about Hermione's current life, and sincerely concerned enough to want to see how her old friend was faring. When Dumbledore sent her, Harry and Ron a message containing details on how to reach Hermione, saying that Hermione had requested him to provide her old friends the information, Ginny took that as a sign that it was time to let the past rest and re-connect with Hermione. So she sent Hermione a letter to express her interest in seeing Hermione, who had immediately responded with an invitation and directions to her Muggle home.
"You look happy, Hermione." Ginny finally said.
"I guess it's because I am, Ginny." Hermione smiled for a few seconds before turning serious. "How is everyone recovering from that scene at the Gala?"
"Honestly? I don't know. When you left the room, we all sat there in stunned silence for a long time. Then Harry walked out, followed by Ron. I haven't seen them since. They're currently on a mission in Spain, helping out the Spanish Ministry of Magic on some case involving a series of strange murders."
"I see. I can only imagine what a shock it had been for all of you. I'm really sorry, Ginny. Do you think I should just have kept quiet and remained gone?"
"No, Hermione! I can't speak for those two and I don't want to, but as far as I'm concerned, I am so very happy that you had finally decided to see us and talk to us again. I've missed my good and brilliant friend, you know." Ginny's eyes were beginning to water. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to come to your defense when my idiot brother started attacking you--"
"Say no more, Ginny." Hermione interrupted her. "You don't owe me any apologies for that night. Scratch that. You don't owe me any apologies. Period. I was the one who left without explanation. I was the one who couldn't see past my broken heart and my identity crisis. And in a way, Ron was right. I did belittle our friendship -- but not in the way that he accused me of. But for the past seven years, I have not valued our friendship enough to see beyond myself and my needs. And I am truly sorry for that."
"But not completely, right, Hermione?" Ginny said without judgment. "You said that a part of you was not sorry and that you wouldn't be what you are now, you wouldn't have this life now, if you had stayed."
"Yes, Ginny. A part of me does feel that way. A part of me, that intelligent and calculating part of me that I've always resented, feels that leaving our world seven years ago was necessary for me to finally learn to accept and love who I really am. I needed to have a life outside of what we all had together. I needed to have a life that did not include Harry Potter. Because my unreciprocated feelings for him would have eventually ruined me."
"I understand that, Hermione. I really do. More than anyone else... But, did you have to leave all of us behind?"
"At that time, I felt I had to, Ginny. Because all of us were wrapped around him, Ginny. We had no choice and I certainly don't blame anyone for it. It was simply a fact of our old lives, that all we were as wizards and witches were focused on supporting Harry and lightening the heavy burden that had been placed on his young shoulders. That was what defined all of us in our world. That was what defined me."
Ginny didn't respond for a moment, needing to wipe the tears from her cheeks. She knew exactly what Hermione meant as she herself had continued to live in Harry's shadow, hoping that he would one day see her in the light.
"Would you have stayed if he loved you back, Hermione?"
"Oh yes, Ginny. That night before I decided to leave for good, I was so sure that my happily ever after was finally going to happen and I wanted nothing more. I was so sure he felt the same way. Then... well then we talked and as we talked, I realised that the happily ever after I wanted was not meant for me, and it was devastating. Do you know how it feels to dream of something for so long and then realise that it would never happen?"
Ginny nodded. "But how can you be sure, Hermione? How can you be sure that the dream was never meant to be yours? Have you ever wondered what would have happened if you had decided to stay?"
"For the first two years, I had wondered and obsessed about the possibilities that I've left behind. Believe me, I had almost convinced myself so many times that during my absence, Harry had eventually realised that he loved me, and I had often found myself with my bags packed and ready to head back to our world... but then whenever I would reach that point, I would remember how it felt to be in the sidelines of his life, how it felt whenever he would look at another girl with interest, how it felt to have had to put on a brave smile and pretend everything was ok as he continued to fail to see the love I had for him... The thought of that, the possibility that I would feel like that again when I returned, always snapped me back to my senses."
"He missed you, you know. For the past seven years, he never got rid of that lost look in his eyes that been there since you left. He never talked about it, of course, but I could see it as clear as day. No one could ever replace you in his life and in his heart, Hermione. Everyone knew that."
Hermione looked Ginny in the eye for a few seconds before saying "And how do you feel about that, Ginny?"
Ginny gasped, her eyes widening. "You know?"
"Now I do, but I've always suspected it, Ginny. Takes one to know one and all that." Hermione said gently. "It must have hurt you tremendously."
"Yes" Ginny sobbed and began pouring out all her pent up and secreted emotions, all her insecurities about Hermione, all her self-doubts, all her love for Harry Potter, and all her pain for knowing that he would never return her love. By the time she had finished speaking and her tears had fully taken over her, Hermione had left her chair to engulf Ginny in a long, comforting embrace.
They stayed like that for a long time, locked in each other's arms, crying for their common pain.
"Oh, Ginny. You need to get over him -- for him and more importantly, for yourself." Hermione said as their tears had finally abated. She grabbed the table napkins from the coffee table and handed some to Ginny while she wiped her own face.
"I know, Hermione. But I'm not strong like you."
"Ginny Weasley! Don't you dare say that about yourself. You are just as strong, even stronger than I am. You have been able to sustain your love for Harry for all these years, you have been able to bear all that pain. That is something that I was never brave or strong enough to do, Ginny. I might have brute force and strength, but you have an enduring kind of strength. The kind that lasts."
"Yes, but you had the strength to get over him, Hermione. I've never had that."
"Out of fear and selfishness, Ginny, and at the expense of my friends' feelings. I got over him out of fear. Out of desperation."
They remained quiet after that again. Hermione, out of concern for Ginny, who clearly needed a few minutes to compose herself and gather herself.
"What now, Hermione?" Ginny finally spoke up.
"Harry asked me that question, too, Ginny."
"Yes, I know, but that time, I was still reeling from your confession to fully understand what you were saying."
"I am no longer the eighteen-year old girl who was blindly in love with her bestfriend, Ginny. And nor do I want to be that person again. That Hermione Granger was too caught up in how others defined her. That Hermione Granger allowed her entire identity to be wrapped up in Harry Potter. I'm not like that anymore. As for my feelings about him, to be honest, I wasn't sure if I was really over him until the Gala. That uncertainty almost made me miss that event, but Draco kind of forced the issue on me and made me realise that I was being cowardly and unfair to all of you these past seven years. So I had to go. I had to face up to what I had done. And I had to face Harry Potter. And you know what? I realised then that I don't know him anymore, and while a part of me will always mourn the fact that I never had my happily ever after with him, a bigger part of me has outgrown that."
"Even if he has finally come to his senses and realises that he loves you?"
"How can he love me when he doesn't know me, Ginny? If Harry harbours any love for me, it's for the eighteen year old girl he knew, not for who I am now. As for myself, the Harry Potter I know is the eighteen-year old hero I left behind so cruelly all these years. I don't know Harry Potter anymore, how I can love him?"
"He hasn't changed all that much, Hermione. He's still the same Harry Potter that defeated You Know Who."
"I'm glad if that's the case, Ginny, because the Harry Potter I knew was an exemplary man and wizard, but the fact still remains that I am no longer the same Hermione Granger."
"Are you sure?" Ginny had to confirm one last time.
"Are you trying to pair me up with Harry or are you making sure that I'm no longer competition, Weasley?" Hermione teased, smiling at Ginny.
Ginny had to laugh at that. "Obviously, that hunky, blond Slytherin has rubbed off on you way too much, Granger."
Hermione laughed. "Yes, indeed he has."
"Although, you've always had a wicked wit yourself, Hermione. I remember you telling my idiot brother that he had the emotional depth of a teaspoon when you were fifteen." Ginny and Hermione laughed at the reminder of Hermione and Ron's legendary antagonistic relationship.
"Are you feeling better now, Ginny?" Hermione asked once their laughter had died down.
"Yes, Hermione. Thank you." Ginny gave Hermione another brief hug and a smile. "I've really missed you, Hermione. And even though you tell me that you're not the same Hermione Granger I knew, I can still see glimpses of her now. The best parts of her... and if you'd allow me, I'd like to get to know the new and improved Hermione Granger, and call her my friend."
Hermione smiled back as her eyes watered with happy tears. "I would like to get to know the new and improved Ginny Weasley as well -- and I would be honoured to be your friend."
~~~~
"I gather things went well with Ginny today. You look positively radiant, Granger." Draco when he saw her enter his kitchen. He was in the middle of preparing his dinner.
"It went very well, Malfoy. Better than I had hoped for." She had gone straight to his place after Ginny left, wanting to share her good vibes with him.
"Are you staying for dinner?"
"Got a better idea, Malfoy. Go put on your pretty frock and let's go out for dinner. My treat."
"Hmm. If this is what I get everytime one of your old friends shows up at your place, I'm going to have to send a few owls tomorrow to get them to come -- in droves and often."
It took less than ten minutes for Draco to get ready for dinner. He had already showered and was wearing a clean pair of denims so all he needed to change was his ratty old t-shirt. When he re-appeared in the kitchen, ready to go, Hermione had to look away for a second to control the warm and ticklish feeling that had run up her spine at the sight of him. He was wearing the crisp, white long-sleeved button-down shirt that she had given him for his birthday last year. She had always liked Draco in white as it accentuated his angelic features and made his grey eyes more silver-y.
Sometimes, he's just too beautiful for words. Those eyes... and that jawline you could cut things with... and those shoulders... that chest...Oh stop it, Granger. He's your friend. Only your friend. Stop salivating.
"I was thinking we could go to Traffalgar Square for dinner. There's a new Mediterranean restaurant that's supposed to be good there. I read it in the newspaper the other day." Hermione said loudly to cover up her guilty thoughts.
Over dinner, she told Draco about her afternoon with Ginny, and how they made plans to meet up at Diagon Alley next week for lunch. The familiar trepidation that almost always stopped his heart grew as he realised what her renewed friendship with Ginny might mean. How long until Ginny Weasley was able to convince her stupid brother to see Hermione again and re- connect with her? How long until Weasley convinced Potter to do the same thing? And how long after they were all back together will it take for Hermione to move fully back into the Wizarding World? And then after that, how long until she gets her happily ever after with Potter?
Draco figured he had at most one more year with Hermione, and his trepidation continued to grow.
"Malfoy? You ok? You've been awfully quiet. Are you not happy about Ginny?"
"Of course, I'm happy for you, Granger. Don't be silly. I'm a bit distracted tonight, I guess. Must be the exhibition I have to organise in two weeks." Draco said, smiling apologetically at her for his behaviour.
As Hermione assured him that he had nothing to worry about and that the exhibit would as brilliant as all the other exhibits he had organised in the past, Draco admitted to himself that he was indeed happy for her renewed friendship with Ginny Weasley. A part of him was genuinely happy that she had re-connected with her old friends. He knew that she needed to do that in order to make her life a little bit more perfect. She needed to face her old friends in order to finally complete her transformation as a brilliant and wonderful woman and witch. She would never shine fully if she kept herself hidden from the people she cared about. So, really, a huge part of him was very happy for the latest developments in her life. It was just that sometimes that part of him was overshadowed by the hollow feeling in his heart and the cold, shooting pain in his heart at the thought of losing her.
He vowed to not ruin her happy mood tonight and silence whatever fears he had for now.
"You will be there for the opening of the exhibit, right? I need a date." He said.
"Sheesh, Malfoy, if that's the way you ask all women out on a date, it's a wonder you get laid as much as you do." She rolled her eyes at him.
"What do you want, Granger? A formal invitation? Or me on bended knees?"
"Hmm. I wouldn't mind seeing you on bended knees in front of me, Malfoy" she countered.
"Why, Granger, I didn't know you thought of me that way, you brazen hussy." He raised an eyebrow at her and fought a huge grin as he watched as she realised the double entendre of her words. Her eyes widened and a major blush spread from the base of her neck to the tips of her ears. She could be so adorable sometimes, Draco thought.
"That's not what I meant, Malfoy!" she sputtered, blushing deeper when a very graphic picture of Draco on bended knees in front of her doing wicked things flashed through her mind and excited her. Oh, Merlin!
Draco decided to take pity on her by not commenting on her sputtered response and her blush. "So, will you be at the opening or not?"
"August 15, right?" She confirmed, grateful that he didn't tease her further and that the image was temporarily gone from her mind.
"Yes. Seven-thirty in the evening. Formal. Oh and tell your mum and dad that I'll reserve invitations for them. I'm pretty sure Katherine would be delighted with this new artist." Hermione's parents were avid art collectors and patrons, and Draco was always happy to invite them to Tate Gallery exhibitions and events, knowing that they derived so much pleasure from discovering new artists. A pleasure that Draco shared with the Granger couple, who had accepted him into the Granger family as a trusted friend.
"OK, I'll be there. But next time, Malfoy, do try to ask me nicely."
"Next time, I'll be on bended knees in front of you, Granger." He said with a teasing grin and waggling eyebrows.
She threatened to pour water on his head if he didn't quit it to cover up her mortification and excitement. The graphic image was back and this time, it was stuck in her mind.
Ginny hesitated from ringing the doorbell. She was not sure if she got the address and the instructions right. The apartment looked just like the typical Muggle homes that she had seen in her Muggle Studies classes at Hogwarts. There was no way that a witch lives in this place. There's not enough magic here. Maybe I took a wrong turn somewhere.
She fished the piece of paper that contained the address and instructions from her pocket, intending to confirm if she was in the right place, when a voice behind her said "Lost, Weasley?"
She could recognise that cold baritone anywhere. There was the only person who could pronounce "Weasley" in that way: well ennunciated, half-amused, half-mocking. She turned to face Draco Malfoy. He looked like he had just been running. He was wearing a pair of gray jogging pants and a form- fitting red t-shirt that made his flushed and sweaty face redder.
To her surprise, he was smiling at her. "If you're thinking you've got the wrong place, you're wrong. Hermione's been waiting for you all day."
As she breathed a sigh of relief and thanked him, Draco headed for the door and opened it for her. He followed her into the small hallway and relieved her overcoat and bag from her to place it in the hallway closet. "Hey, Granger, get your butt down here. Weasley's here."
Ginny heard the sound of running feet above her before seeing a smiling Hermione emerge from the top of the staircase at the end of the hallway. Hermione continued rushing down, her unfettered, curly hair flying in all directions, to give Ginny a warm hug. "You're here! Thank you for coming."
"Thank you for inviting me, Hermione." Ginny replied, glad to see her friend again.
"She has a name, you know." Hermione smirked at Draco upon releasing Ginny.
"I know", he smirked back. He appreciatively noticed that she was dressed extra-nice today in a red summer dress that showed off her creamy skin.
"So use it." She commanded before turning her attention to Ginny again. "Come into the living room, Ginny. I've prepared afternoon tea and sandwiches."
"Are you staying, Malfoy?" Hermione said as the three of them reached the living area.
"Are you going to make me leave again, Granger?" Draco stood with his legs braced slightly apart and his arms folded across his chest. She was not going to send him away as easily as she did at the Gala.
"Not yet. Later after tea. But sooner if you don't behave yourself, Malfoy." She flashed him an overly-sweet fake smile before addressing Ginny again. "Will you be alright if I leave you with him for a bit while I get tea?"
Ginny smiled and nodded at Hermione. "Of course. If he does anything offensive, I can always use a the Bat-Bogey Hex on him again."
"I can hear you two, you know." Draco said.
Hermione ignored him. "Have a seat and make yourself at home, Ginny. Malfoy, play nice."
Ginny sat down on the blue and green chintz couch and looked around Hermione's living area, admiring its tasteful and well-coordinated decor. Hermione had always liked the colour blue and it was apparent in the way she had decorated her apartment. The chintz couch and armchairs were accompanied by darkwood coffee and side tables. The long, narrow windows were covered with translucent blue curtains that matched the couch and contrasted well with the light yellow walls. Dark green and deep blue vases were placed all over the room.
Draco sat in on the armchair across Ginny. "You're not here as Potter's messenger, right?"
Ginny stiffened up and responded, "No, I'm here as Hermione's friend."
"Good. Just making sure." He said.
"Making sure of what?"
"That you're not here on some mission from Potter to cause Hermione anymore grief."
Ginny chuckled. "If anyone told me seven years ago that I would be sitting in a Muggle apartment with Draco Malfoy telling me that he didn't want anyone to hurt Hermione Granger, I would have laughed my head off."
"Seven years ago, I would have laughed right along with you." Draco smiled. "Or not. Seven years ago, I would have killed myself before laughing with a Weasley."
Ginny smiled at him. Draco had unknowingly given her the final proof she needed to believe that she had made the right decision to connect with Hermione again. If Draco Malfoy, the meanest, cruelest, more prejudiced wizard she had ever encountered next to Snape, could turn out to be a charming, well-intentioned and good man, then there was no need to fret. Everything can and will work out for the best.
"So what have you been up to, Draco?" Ginny asked, finally allowing the last of the ice between them to break.
"In which life, Ginny? The wizarding one or the Muggle one?
"Well, I know a bit about what you've been doing as a wizard. I've read the book you and Hermione co-authored. It was impressive, by the way."
"Thanks. It's hard not to do an excellent job with Hermione as a task- master."
"I know, she used to bug all of us about homework and being responsible and doing things the right way." Ginny grinned at the memory of the overacheiving Hermione Granger and her colour-coded charts. "But what I'm really curious about is your Muggle life, Draco. How did you manage to adjust here?"
"Well... it wasn't easy. It took me a while to get the hang of it. Not to mention about a hundred burned pots, a thousand broken plates, and a million calls to the police for assistance." He said.
"I can only imagine. But what do you do for a living here, Draco?"
"I work part-time for the Tate Gallery here in London. Mostly in assessing and spotting new artists and organising exhibits for them."
"How did you manage to do that?"
"With a Muggle degree in Art History."
"Is he already bragging to you about how he breezed through college, leaving lesser mortals behind?" Hermione smirked at Draco as she re-entered the living room, bearing a tray of tea and sandwiches.
"Spare me, Granger. You know damn well that I never state the obvious." He said with a bored tone, watching her as she placed the tray on the table.
"Oh, really... Then why have I heard you tell countless girlfriends that they deserved better than a prat like you?" She replied, standing right next to him with her a smirk.
"You know, Granger, you really should stop listening in on other people's conversations. It's considered rude in most cultures."
"And you really should stop breaking up with your girlfriends in front of me, Malfoy." Hermione said exasperatedly.
"True, that." He stood up and tucked a curl behind her ear, his hand remaining on the side of her face. "Well, I'm off for now. It was good to see you again, Ginny. Do come by more often." He had turned his gaze back to Ginny, who was watching their exchange with rapt eyes.
"I thought you were staying for tea?" Hermione said, frowning slightly.
"Nah, I'd better go so you two can have more time catching up. I'm sure you ladies have things to talk about that would offend my poor, innocent ears. Besides, I need a shower." He smiled at her then moved his hand to her nape to pull her face closer as he leaned down to drop a quick, soft kiss on her forehead. "See you later, Granger."
He gave a final nod to Ginny before leaving the room.
Hermione took the chair he had just vacated and began serving tea. When she saw Ginny's amused expression, she asked "What, Ginny?"
"Oh, nothing, Hermione. It's just fun to watch you and Draco together." Ginny smiled. It was true, Ginny enjoyed the exchange she had witnessed thoroughly. While she believed Hermione's claim that there was nothing but friendship between her and Draco, Ginny was not as sure about what the future held for the two "friends".
"Well, I'm glad we've managed to provide ample entertainment for you, Ginny Weasley." Hermione rolled her eyes as she handed Ginny a cup of tea. "Help yourself to the sandwiches."
The two old friends shared a few minutes of comfortable silence as they enjoyed their first meal together in seven years.
It had been two weeks since the Gala and Hermione's re-appearance. It took a Ginny several days to fully comprehend and accept Hermione's confessions. It took two more days for her to ponder about seeing her old friend and renewing their ties. Ginny was genuinely curious about Hermione's current life, and sincerely concerned enough to want to see how her old friend was faring. When Dumbledore sent her, Harry and Ron a message containing details on how to reach Hermione, saying that Hermione had requested him to provide her old friends the information, Ginny took that as a sign that it was time to let the past rest and re-connect with Hermione. So she sent Hermione a letter to express her interest in seeing Hermione, who had immediately responded with an invitation and directions to her Muggle home.
"You look happy, Hermione." Ginny finally said.
"I guess it's because I am, Ginny." Hermione smiled for a few seconds before turning serious. "How is everyone recovering from that scene at the Gala?"
"Honestly? I don't know. When you left the room, we all sat there in stunned silence for a long time. Then Harry walked out, followed by Ron. I haven't seen them since. They're currently on a mission in Spain, helping out the Spanish Ministry of Magic on some case involving a series of strange murders."
"I see. I can only imagine what a shock it had been for all of you. I'm really sorry, Ginny. Do you think I should just have kept quiet and remained gone?"
"No, Hermione! I can't speak for those two and I don't want to, but as far as I'm concerned, I am so very happy that you had finally decided to see us and talk to us again. I've missed my good and brilliant friend, you know." Ginny's eyes were beginning to water. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to come to your defense when my idiot brother started attacking you--"
"Say no more, Ginny." Hermione interrupted her. "You don't owe me any apologies for that night. Scratch that. You don't owe me any apologies. Period. I was the one who left without explanation. I was the one who couldn't see past my broken heart and my identity crisis. And in a way, Ron was right. I did belittle our friendship -- but not in the way that he accused me of. But for the past seven years, I have not valued our friendship enough to see beyond myself and my needs. And I am truly sorry for that."
"But not completely, right, Hermione?" Ginny said without judgment. "You said that a part of you was not sorry and that you wouldn't be what you are now, you wouldn't have this life now, if you had stayed."
"Yes, Ginny. A part of me does feel that way. A part of me, that intelligent and calculating part of me that I've always resented, feels that leaving our world seven years ago was necessary for me to finally learn to accept and love who I really am. I needed to have a life outside of what we all had together. I needed to have a life that did not include Harry Potter. Because my unreciprocated feelings for him would have eventually ruined me."
"I understand that, Hermione. I really do. More than anyone else... But, did you have to leave all of us behind?"
"At that time, I felt I had to, Ginny. Because all of us were wrapped around him, Ginny. We had no choice and I certainly don't blame anyone for it. It was simply a fact of our old lives, that all we were as wizards and witches were focused on supporting Harry and lightening the heavy burden that had been placed on his young shoulders. That was what defined all of us in our world. That was what defined me."
Ginny didn't respond for a moment, needing to wipe the tears from her cheeks. She knew exactly what Hermione meant as she herself had continued to live in Harry's shadow, hoping that he would one day see her in the light.
"Would you have stayed if he loved you back, Hermione?"
"Oh yes, Ginny. That night before I decided to leave for good, I was so sure that my happily ever after was finally going to happen and I wanted nothing more. I was so sure he felt the same way. Then... well then we talked and as we talked, I realised that the happily ever after I wanted was not meant for me, and it was devastating. Do you know how it feels to dream of something for so long and then realise that it would never happen?"
Ginny nodded. "But how can you be sure, Hermione? How can you be sure that the dream was never meant to be yours? Have you ever wondered what would have happened if you had decided to stay?"
"For the first two years, I had wondered and obsessed about the possibilities that I've left behind. Believe me, I had almost convinced myself so many times that during my absence, Harry had eventually realised that he loved me, and I had often found myself with my bags packed and ready to head back to our world... but then whenever I would reach that point, I would remember how it felt to be in the sidelines of his life, how it felt whenever he would look at another girl with interest, how it felt to have had to put on a brave smile and pretend everything was ok as he continued to fail to see the love I had for him... The thought of that, the possibility that I would feel like that again when I returned, always snapped me back to my senses."
"He missed you, you know. For the past seven years, he never got rid of that lost look in his eyes that been there since you left. He never talked about it, of course, but I could see it as clear as day. No one could ever replace you in his life and in his heart, Hermione. Everyone knew that."
Hermione looked Ginny in the eye for a few seconds before saying "And how do you feel about that, Ginny?"
Ginny gasped, her eyes widening. "You know?"
"Now I do, but I've always suspected it, Ginny. Takes one to know one and all that." Hermione said gently. "It must have hurt you tremendously."
"Yes" Ginny sobbed and began pouring out all her pent up and secreted emotions, all her insecurities about Hermione, all her self-doubts, all her love for Harry Potter, and all her pain for knowing that he would never return her love. By the time she had finished speaking and her tears had fully taken over her, Hermione had left her chair to engulf Ginny in a long, comforting embrace.
They stayed like that for a long time, locked in each other's arms, crying for their common pain.
"Oh, Ginny. You need to get over him -- for him and more importantly, for yourself." Hermione said as their tears had finally abated. She grabbed the table napkins from the coffee table and handed some to Ginny while she wiped her own face.
"I know, Hermione. But I'm not strong like you."
"Ginny Weasley! Don't you dare say that about yourself. You are just as strong, even stronger than I am. You have been able to sustain your love for Harry for all these years, you have been able to bear all that pain. That is something that I was never brave or strong enough to do, Ginny. I might have brute force and strength, but you have an enduring kind of strength. The kind that lasts."
"Yes, but you had the strength to get over him, Hermione. I've never had that."
"Out of fear and selfishness, Ginny, and at the expense of my friends' feelings. I got over him out of fear. Out of desperation."
They remained quiet after that again. Hermione, out of concern for Ginny, who clearly needed a few minutes to compose herself and gather herself.
"What now, Hermione?" Ginny finally spoke up.
"Harry asked me that question, too, Ginny."
"Yes, I know, but that time, I was still reeling from your confession to fully understand what you were saying."
"I am no longer the eighteen-year old girl who was blindly in love with her bestfriend, Ginny. And nor do I want to be that person again. That Hermione Granger was too caught up in how others defined her. That Hermione Granger allowed her entire identity to be wrapped up in Harry Potter. I'm not like that anymore. As for my feelings about him, to be honest, I wasn't sure if I was really over him until the Gala. That uncertainty almost made me miss that event, but Draco kind of forced the issue on me and made me realise that I was being cowardly and unfair to all of you these past seven years. So I had to go. I had to face up to what I had done. And I had to face Harry Potter. And you know what? I realised then that I don't know him anymore, and while a part of me will always mourn the fact that I never had my happily ever after with him, a bigger part of me has outgrown that."
"Even if he has finally come to his senses and realises that he loves you?"
"How can he love me when he doesn't know me, Ginny? If Harry harbours any love for me, it's for the eighteen year old girl he knew, not for who I am now. As for myself, the Harry Potter I know is the eighteen-year old hero I left behind so cruelly all these years. I don't know Harry Potter anymore, how I can love him?"
"He hasn't changed all that much, Hermione. He's still the same Harry Potter that defeated You Know Who."
"I'm glad if that's the case, Ginny, because the Harry Potter I knew was an exemplary man and wizard, but the fact still remains that I am no longer the same Hermione Granger."
"Are you sure?" Ginny had to confirm one last time.
"Are you trying to pair me up with Harry or are you making sure that I'm no longer competition, Weasley?" Hermione teased, smiling at Ginny.
Ginny had to laugh at that. "Obviously, that hunky, blond Slytherin has rubbed off on you way too much, Granger."
Hermione laughed. "Yes, indeed he has."
"Although, you've always had a wicked wit yourself, Hermione. I remember you telling my idiot brother that he had the emotional depth of a teaspoon when you were fifteen." Ginny and Hermione laughed at the reminder of Hermione and Ron's legendary antagonistic relationship.
"Are you feeling better now, Ginny?" Hermione asked once their laughter had died down.
"Yes, Hermione. Thank you." Ginny gave Hermione another brief hug and a smile. "I've really missed you, Hermione. And even though you tell me that you're not the same Hermione Granger I knew, I can still see glimpses of her now. The best parts of her... and if you'd allow me, I'd like to get to know the new and improved Hermione Granger, and call her my friend."
Hermione smiled back as her eyes watered with happy tears. "I would like to get to know the new and improved Ginny Weasley as well -- and I would be honoured to be your friend."
~~~~
"I gather things went well with Ginny today. You look positively radiant, Granger." Draco when he saw her enter his kitchen. He was in the middle of preparing his dinner.
"It went very well, Malfoy. Better than I had hoped for." She had gone straight to his place after Ginny left, wanting to share her good vibes with him.
"Are you staying for dinner?"
"Got a better idea, Malfoy. Go put on your pretty frock and let's go out for dinner. My treat."
"Hmm. If this is what I get everytime one of your old friends shows up at your place, I'm going to have to send a few owls tomorrow to get them to come -- in droves and often."
It took less than ten minutes for Draco to get ready for dinner. He had already showered and was wearing a clean pair of denims so all he needed to change was his ratty old t-shirt. When he re-appeared in the kitchen, ready to go, Hermione had to look away for a second to control the warm and ticklish feeling that had run up her spine at the sight of him. He was wearing the crisp, white long-sleeved button-down shirt that she had given him for his birthday last year. She had always liked Draco in white as it accentuated his angelic features and made his grey eyes more silver-y.
Sometimes, he's just too beautiful for words. Those eyes... and that jawline you could cut things with... and those shoulders... that chest...Oh stop it, Granger. He's your friend. Only your friend. Stop salivating.
"I was thinking we could go to Traffalgar Square for dinner. There's a new Mediterranean restaurant that's supposed to be good there. I read it in the newspaper the other day." Hermione said loudly to cover up her guilty thoughts.
Over dinner, she told Draco about her afternoon with Ginny, and how they made plans to meet up at Diagon Alley next week for lunch. The familiar trepidation that almost always stopped his heart grew as he realised what her renewed friendship with Ginny might mean. How long until Ginny Weasley was able to convince her stupid brother to see Hermione again and re- connect with her? How long until Weasley convinced Potter to do the same thing? And how long after they were all back together will it take for Hermione to move fully back into the Wizarding World? And then after that, how long until she gets her happily ever after with Potter?
Draco figured he had at most one more year with Hermione, and his trepidation continued to grow.
"Malfoy? You ok? You've been awfully quiet. Are you not happy about Ginny?"
"Of course, I'm happy for you, Granger. Don't be silly. I'm a bit distracted tonight, I guess. Must be the exhibition I have to organise in two weeks." Draco said, smiling apologetically at her for his behaviour.
As Hermione assured him that he had nothing to worry about and that the exhibit would as brilliant as all the other exhibits he had organised in the past, Draco admitted to himself that he was indeed happy for her renewed friendship with Ginny Weasley. A part of him was genuinely happy that she had re-connected with her old friends. He knew that she needed to do that in order to make her life a little bit more perfect. She needed to face her old friends in order to finally complete her transformation as a brilliant and wonderful woman and witch. She would never shine fully if she kept herself hidden from the people she cared about. So, really, a huge part of him was very happy for the latest developments in her life. It was just that sometimes that part of him was overshadowed by the hollow feeling in his heart and the cold, shooting pain in his heart at the thought of losing her.
He vowed to not ruin her happy mood tonight and silence whatever fears he had for now.
"You will be there for the opening of the exhibit, right? I need a date." He said.
"Sheesh, Malfoy, if that's the way you ask all women out on a date, it's a wonder you get laid as much as you do." She rolled her eyes at him.
"What do you want, Granger? A formal invitation? Or me on bended knees?"
"Hmm. I wouldn't mind seeing you on bended knees in front of me, Malfoy" she countered.
"Why, Granger, I didn't know you thought of me that way, you brazen hussy." He raised an eyebrow at her and fought a huge grin as he watched as she realised the double entendre of her words. Her eyes widened and a major blush spread from the base of her neck to the tips of her ears. She could be so adorable sometimes, Draco thought.
"That's not what I meant, Malfoy!" she sputtered, blushing deeper when a very graphic picture of Draco on bended knees in front of her doing wicked things flashed through her mind and excited her. Oh, Merlin!
Draco decided to take pity on her by not commenting on her sputtered response and her blush. "So, will you be at the opening or not?"
"August 15, right?" She confirmed, grateful that he didn't tease her further and that the image was temporarily gone from her mind.
"Yes. Seven-thirty in the evening. Formal. Oh and tell your mum and dad that I'll reserve invitations for them. I'm pretty sure Katherine would be delighted with this new artist." Hermione's parents were avid art collectors and patrons, and Draco was always happy to invite them to Tate Gallery exhibitions and events, knowing that they derived so much pleasure from discovering new artists. A pleasure that Draco shared with the Granger couple, who had accepted him into the Granger family as a trusted friend.
"OK, I'll be there. But next time, Malfoy, do try to ask me nicely."
"Next time, I'll be on bended knees in front of you, Granger." He said with a teasing grin and waggling eyebrows.
She threatened to pour water on his head if he didn't quit it to cover up her mortification and excitement. The graphic image was back and this time, it was stuck in her mind.
