The Best Of Me
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in affiliation with Harry Potter or JKR. Nor do I own the song The Best Of Me by The Starting Line.
** lyrics **
Hey everyone! Sorry everything is taking me so long, I spent a week in Arizona and then came back to have, and I quote, "Drama, Drama, Drama..." all around me going on. And as I'm sure you know how that goes, I hope you can understand how I was sidetracked. Anyway, Enjoy and Review!
I want to give a special shout out to **Winter Fae** for being the best Beta-reader a girl could have. :)
THE SONG IN THIS CHAPTER IS Trouble by COLDPLAY! WOOHOO!
** An extremely HUGE thank you goes out to Relena333 for telling me about the song, it was PERFECT and I LOVE you! **
Thanks you's are at the bottom! Please REVIEW! I love you all!!
Chapter 13: Tears
"I have found," Hermione Granger said in an interview years later, "That all the heartbreak I've been through, all the tears I've shed have ultimately been worth it. They have, in effect, cleared the path for me. And though I can assure you I didn't know it at the time, I am proud of myself for making it through them. It is a great accomplishment for me, probably for Draco too. But you know I really shouldn't talk for him, although I always try to..."
"Was I a shoulder to cry on? Well, I don't know about that," said Draco Malfoy in Witch Weekly, "I would have to say that half the time I was the cause for the tears, so I wasn't really the one she'd have wanted to cry on. But there were times, definitely, extreme times I can remember, when I would be the one there for her. Because it's hard you know, growing up, owning up to what and who you are. It's just like I always..."
Tears have always held a rain like effect on people. They give the idea that if you can cry something out, let the tears fall, it will wash it effectively out of your system. Yet tears fall for many different reasons. Some fall for love, others heartbreak. Some fall for death, others for new life. The worst tears fall because of betrayal and anger, and they take longer to find their way out. The most defeating fall for loneliness, right at the moment when you feel so weak and fragile and alone. And the most enlightening fall right at the opposite moment, when you're surrounded by family and friends and everything seems to have fallen in place.
But when tears are falling, from many people and for many reasons, they can make everything a little blurry. They can hinder how you see people, or what you say to them. Eventually, as we all know, they will stop falling and dry up. But when they just keep falling, sometimes it's as if the river they form will take us away forever...
--
--
Oh no, I see,
A spider web is tangled up with me,
And I lost my head,
The thought of all the stupid things I said,
Tension. That's what she could feel all around her. It was seeping in, everywhere, into every nook and cranny of her body. She couldn't see anything, her eyes were buried somewhere deep in Draco's shoulder, but she knew what would be there when she looked. It was like a rubber band, pulled so tight for so long that one movement, one word, could send it all flying into the air. Tension.
"'Mione," She heard from behind her. It was Harry's voice this time, and it wasn't as loud and scary as she thought it would be, it was a controlled anger. It was, in her mind, worse. "What are you talking about? What was a lie?"
"Didn't you hear her?" Draco's voice vibrated through her hair, he stood a little straighter, "EVERYTHING was a lie."
"What the hell, Hermione, what is going on?" It was Ron's voice now, and it was tight and strained.
She knew she had to look at them. She turned around to face them, as brave as she could get at the moment, but she couldn't speak. Sobs escaped her mouth, but no words.
"'Mione, 'Mione, it's okay. Don't worry. I'm getting you out of here." Draco's strong arms slid around her body until they had a tight hold on her. "If you'll excuse us gentlemen, we need to be leaving."
Just as they were about to turn and leave, three people came through the doors from the Great Hall.
"Actually Mr. Malfoy, I think we'll all be leaving, together." He sent one look Draco's way and moments later received a quiet "Yes Sir" before he finished with, "Now, if you will all follow me. I think there is a lot of explaining to do."
--
--
Oh no what's this?
A spider web, and I'm caught in the middle,
So I turned to run,
The thought of all the stupid things I've done,
It was surreal. Really, that was the only word Draco could come up with for the exact moment he was living in. Surreal. He was walking down the hallway, one he had traveled many times in his life, and he was in shock. Behind him, were five other people. Two extremely hurt teenage boys, two extremely confused Professors, and one extremely saddened Head Master. Everything was to an extreme. It was surreal.
He felt Hermione squeeze his hand, but he didn't find himself squeezing back. If he did, it would mean that he thought it was going to be okay, and he didn't. He just didn't know anymore.
"In here please." Said Dumbledore, but to Draco his voice seemed miles away.
Moments later he found himself in a very precarious situation. There he sat, in the empty Charms room (a touch of irony, he thought, that Dumbledore put there) in a situation he never could have imagined. Surrounded by Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Harry, Ron, and Hermione he was about ready to forfeit his fight.
"Now," Dumbledore said, looking around at the hardened, sad face around him, "There is much to be talked about, of that I am sure. But please, if I may, I would like to tell everyone what I know of what's going on. I'm sorry to say that it will probably be more than you might have thought."
A various degree of murmurs met his request, as if to give him permission to tell his story. Bodies shifted during the awkward pause, eyes darted everywhere. Draco interlocked his fingers with Hermione's.
"First, just to clear things up, and to make sure everything's out in the air, as I am not sure our Professors here know what exactly is going on, I would like to state what the reason for our meeting is. Our Head Boy and Girl, Mr. Draco Malfoy and Ms. Hermione Granger, have been, well, one could say, seeing each other for most of this year."
Snape and McGonagall sent horrible disappointing glares towards the two Heads. Ron and Harry's anger only grew. The room quietly making it's way ever closer to the boiling point.
"If I would have known how this would end up, I hope you will believe me when I say I would have done something more. Yet as it is, I did not do anything, although I fear I knew all long."
Harry's eyes darted up to his Head Master and idol's eyes, "Sir?" He said with doubt and disbelief in his words.
"Please Mr. Potter, I would like to finish. Anyway, I guess it could be said that it started out as an attraction of sorts. Although not what I would call conventional, our two top students soon found themselves drawn to each other."
"You see, at that point I was sure it was just a friendship. Maybe it was a way for them to build a bride between each other after all the years of hatred. So, I am sure all of you can understand the surprise I felt, when I found out they were, uh, more intimate than I had imagined."
Ron jumped out of his seat like he was on fire. Harry followed suit not one second later.
"Headmaster, Professors, if you'll excuse us, we have to leave. This is just too, too disgusting for even us to handle."
They made a run for it towards the door, hate in every step.
"Please, boys, if you would only stay and listen."
Ron stopped in the door and turned around, "What? Listen to them? To that? I couldn't bear it."
Silence engulfed the room, one... two... maybe three seconds. Then came the sobs. Bone wrenching sobs coming from a place Hermione hadn't known existed.
Surreal.
--
--
Oh no I see,
A spider web and it's me in the middle,
So I twist and turn,
Here I am in my little bubble,
They walked down the hallway as fast as they could, anger spurring them on.
"What in the world is she thinking? Seriously? What is this?"
"I know man. I mean, Draco Malfoy. That little prat. Who does he think he is?"
"He's just trying to get at us and you know it. And he's using Hermione. How is this possible?"
"I know, that sounds like a good reason. But, did you see them? Man, she was kissing him, she feels something."
"She doesn't know what she feels. She's obviously confused."
"I don't know. I just don't know."
This time they were in even louder voices, they'd made it to their dorm, both of the boys were basically screaming.
"But in the end, it just comes down to one thing. How could she do this to us? How?"
"How could she do this?!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, and then, defeated, he flung himself onto his bed. Tears of betrayal and heartbreak making their way out of his eyes, "How?" --
--
I never meant to cause you trouble,
And I never meant to do you wrong,
And I, well if I ever caused you trouble,
Oh no, I never meant to do you harm.
After about five minutes of all of them listening to Hermione's sobs, the three adults made their way quietly out of the room.
"'Mione," Draco said, trying to get her to look up at him, "Come on, look up."
"Dr...Drac...what's going to happen?" She asked as she slowly put herself in his lap and laid her head against his chest.
"I don't know. But 'Mione, if you only knew, I would do anything to make this better for you. But I just don't know what to do, I don't know what's going to happen." He whispered to her while running his hands through her hair.
For a while they just sat there and then Hermione started the last little conversation that they would have until they went to bed. She snuggled as close as she could and whispered it right in his ear. "Am I going to have to choose?"
"Choose what, Hermione?"
She thought about it for a second, and then worked up all her courage to ask, in her shaky, tear-filled voice, "Between you and them?"
"I...uh...well." He couldn't think of anything to say. Instead, he just softly laid his head on her shoulder and felt one and then two tears fall from the corner of his eyes.
"I'm scared Draco."
"Me too."
I never meant to cause you trouble,
I never meant to do you wrong,
And I, well if I ever caused you trouble,
Oh no, I never meant to do you harm.
They spun a web for me,
They spun a web for me,
They spun a web for me.
THANK YOU!!!!
PinkTribeChick – Thanks for the review, I hope you liked this next chapter!
LadySuchita - Hi Carly! *waves* Thanks for reviewing. I can definitely feel the love, even through all the fighting and yelling!
Sleeping Dragons Die – You cried?!?! OMG! I love you! I'm so glad you like all the fluff. And we'll probably get to more physical stuff, but first we need to get out of the drama!
Chrissy – I'm with you about Hermione and admitting a lie. I mean, I was the one writing it and yet when I typed it I was like 'Yeah, good job Hermione, you rock!'.
Lover Del Dragon – Thank you so much for reviewing! Please keep reading.
Priah – Wow. I loved your reviews. Seriously, I felt like the coolest person in the world. Thanks SO much. And, about how it's gonna end and with the whole talking-from-the-past-in-the-beginning thing that I have going on, well I'm not exactly sure how that's gonna work out. A couple ideas are floating about in my head, and if you have any please just tell me! Also, you're right about my beta, isn't she great!??!! Thanks again!
X-files-lily – I'm so glad that you liked the whole thing when you read it all together! Plus, I'm really glad you're a romantic, it just makes everything more fun!
Relena333 – A million thanks go to you for the song suggestion. I LOVED YOUR REVIEW! It made my day. Please keep reading, and tell me what you think of what's going on!
Tay – Thanks for reviewing. You have no idea how much it means to me!
And FINALLY, to je-m'adore – YOU ROCK MY SOCKS! Seriously, it means SO much to me that you're reading my story now, like you have no idea! ( kisses!
AGAIN, THANK YOUS GO OUT TO EVERYONE WHO READS AND REVIEWS, I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!!! PLEASE, KEEP IT UP!!!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in affiliation with Harry Potter or JKR. Nor do I own the song The Best Of Me by The Starting Line.
** lyrics **
Hey everyone! Sorry everything is taking me so long, I spent a week in Arizona and then came back to have, and I quote, "Drama, Drama, Drama..." all around me going on. And as I'm sure you know how that goes, I hope you can understand how I was sidetracked. Anyway, Enjoy and Review!
I want to give a special shout out to **Winter Fae** for being the best Beta-reader a girl could have. :)
THE SONG IN THIS CHAPTER IS Trouble by COLDPLAY! WOOHOO!
** An extremely HUGE thank you goes out to Relena333 for telling me about the song, it was PERFECT and I LOVE you! **
Thanks you's are at the bottom! Please REVIEW! I love you all!!
Chapter 13: Tears
"I have found," Hermione Granger said in an interview years later, "That all the heartbreak I've been through, all the tears I've shed have ultimately been worth it. They have, in effect, cleared the path for me. And though I can assure you I didn't know it at the time, I am proud of myself for making it through them. It is a great accomplishment for me, probably for Draco too. But you know I really shouldn't talk for him, although I always try to..."
"Was I a shoulder to cry on? Well, I don't know about that," said Draco Malfoy in Witch Weekly, "I would have to say that half the time I was the cause for the tears, so I wasn't really the one she'd have wanted to cry on. But there were times, definitely, extreme times I can remember, when I would be the one there for her. Because it's hard you know, growing up, owning up to what and who you are. It's just like I always..."
Tears have always held a rain like effect on people. They give the idea that if you can cry something out, let the tears fall, it will wash it effectively out of your system. Yet tears fall for many different reasons. Some fall for love, others heartbreak. Some fall for death, others for new life. The worst tears fall because of betrayal and anger, and they take longer to find their way out. The most defeating fall for loneliness, right at the moment when you feel so weak and fragile and alone. And the most enlightening fall right at the opposite moment, when you're surrounded by family and friends and everything seems to have fallen in place.
But when tears are falling, from many people and for many reasons, they can make everything a little blurry. They can hinder how you see people, or what you say to them. Eventually, as we all know, they will stop falling and dry up. But when they just keep falling, sometimes it's as if the river they form will take us away forever...
--
--
Oh no, I see,
A spider web is tangled up with me,
And I lost my head,
The thought of all the stupid things I said,
Tension. That's what she could feel all around her. It was seeping in, everywhere, into every nook and cranny of her body. She couldn't see anything, her eyes were buried somewhere deep in Draco's shoulder, but she knew what would be there when she looked. It was like a rubber band, pulled so tight for so long that one movement, one word, could send it all flying into the air. Tension.
"'Mione," She heard from behind her. It was Harry's voice this time, and it wasn't as loud and scary as she thought it would be, it was a controlled anger. It was, in her mind, worse. "What are you talking about? What was a lie?"
"Didn't you hear her?" Draco's voice vibrated through her hair, he stood a little straighter, "EVERYTHING was a lie."
"What the hell, Hermione, what is going on?" It was Ron's voice now, and it was tight and strained.
She knew she had to look at them. She turned around to face them, as brave as she could get at the moment, but she couldn't speak. Sobs escaped her mouth, but no words.
"'Mione, 'Mione, it's okay. Don't worry. I'm getting you out of here." Draco's strong arms slid around her body until they had a tight hold on her. "If you'll excuse us gentlemen, we need to be leaving."
Just as they were about to turn and leave, three people came through the doors from the Great Hall.
"Actually Mr. Malfoy, I think we'll all be leaving, together." He sent one look Draco's way and moments later received a quiet "Yes Sir" before he finished with, "Now, if you will all follow me. I think there is a lot of explaining to do."
--
--
Oh no what's this?
A spider web, and I'm caught in the middle,
So I turned to run,
The thought of all the stupid things I've done,
It was surreal. Really, that was the only word Draco could come up with for the exact moment he was living in. Surreal. He was walking down the hallway, one he had traveled many times in his life, and he was in shock. Behind him, were five other people. Two extremely hurt teenage boys, two extremely confused Professors, and one extremely saddened Head Master. Everything was to an extreme. It was surreal.
He felt Hermione squeeze his hand, but he didn't find himself squeezing back. If he did, it would mean that he thought it was going to be okay, and he didn't. He just didn't know anymore.
"In here please." Said Dumbledore, but to Draco his voice seemed miles away.
Moments later he found himself in a very precarious situation. There he sat, in the empty Charms room (a touch of irony, he thought, that Dumbledore put there) in a situation he never could have imagined. Surrounded by Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Harry, Ron, and Hermione he was about ready to forfeit his fight.
"Now," Dumbledore said, looking around at the hardened, sad face around him, "There is much to be talked about, of that I am sure. But please, if I may, I would like to tell everyone what I know of what's going on. I'm sorry to say that it will probably be more than you might have thought."
A various degree of murmurs met his request, as if to give him permission to tell his story. Bodies shifted during the awkward pause, eyes darted everywhere. Draco interlocked his fingers with Hermione's.
"First, just to clear things up, and to make sure everything's out in the air, as I am not sure our Professors here know what exactly is going on, I would like to state what the reason for our meeting is. Our Head Boy and Girl, Mr. Draco Malfoy and Ms. Hermione Granger, have been, well, one could say, seeing each other for most of this year."
Snape and McGonagall sent horrible disappointing glares towards the two Heads. Ron and Harry's anger only grew. The room quietly making it's way ever closer to the boiling point.
"If I would have known how this would end up, I hope you will believe me when I say I would have done something more. Yet as it is, I did not do anything, although I fear I knew all long."
Harry's eyes darted up to his Head Master and idol's eyes, "Sir?" He said with doubt and disbelief in his words.
"Please Mr. Potter, I would like to finish. Anyway, I guess it could be said that it started out as an attraction of sorts. Although not what I would call conventional, our two top students soon found themselves drawn to each other."
"You see, at that point I was sure it was just a friendship. Maybe it was a way for them to build a bride between each other after all the years of hatred. So, I am sure all of you can understand the surprise I felt, when I found out they were, uh, more intimate than I had imagined."
Ron jumped out of his seat like he was on fire. Harry followed suit not one second later.
"Headmaster, Professors, if you'll excuse us, we have to leave. This is just too, too disgusting for even us to handle."
They made a run for it towards the door, hate in every step.
"Please, boys, if you would only stay and listen."
Ron stopped in the door and turned around, "What? Listen to them? To that? I couldn't bear it."
Silence engulfed the room, one... two... maybe three seconds. Then came the sobs. Bone wrenching sobs coming from a place Hermione hadn't known existed.
Surreal.
--
--
Oh no I see,
A spider web and it's me in the middle,
So I twist and turn,
Here I am in my little bubble,
They walked down the hallway as fast as they could, anger spurring them on.
"What in the world is she thinking? Seriously? What is this?"
"I know man. I mean, Draco Malfoy. That little prat. Who does he think he is?"
"He's just trying to get at us and you know it. And he's using Hermione. How is this possible?"
"I know, that sounds like a good reason. But, did you see them? Man, she was kissing him, she feels something."
"She doesn't know what she feels. She's obviously confused."
"I don't know. I just don't know."
This time they were in even louder voices, they'd made it to their dorm, both of the boys were basically screaming.
"But in the end, it just comes down to one thing. How could she do this to us? How?"
"How could she do this?!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, and then, defeated, he flung himself onto his bed. Tears of betrayal and heartbreak making their way out of his eyes, "How?" --
--
I never meant to cause you trouble,
And I never meant to do you wrong,
And I, well if I ever caused you trouble,
Oh no, I never meant to do you harm.
After about five minutes of all of them listening to Hermione's sobs, the three adults made their way quietly out of the room.
"'Mione," Draco said, trying to get her to look up at him, "Come on, look up."
"Dr...Drac...what's going to happen?" She asked as she slowly put herself in his lap and laid her head against his chest.
"I don't know. But 'Mione, if you only knew, I would do anything to make this better for you. But I just don't know what to do, I don't know what's going to happen." He whispered to her while running his hands through her hair.
For a while they just sat there and then Hermione started the last little conversation that they would have until they went to bed. She snuggled as close as she could and whispered it right in his ear. "Am I going to have to choose?"
"Choose what, Hermione?"
She thought about it for a second, and then worked up all her courage to ask, in her shaky, tear-filled voice, "Between you and them?"
"I...uh...well." He couldn't think of anything to say. Instead, he just softly laid his head on her shoulder and felt one and then two tears fall from the corner of his eyes.
"I'm scared Draco."
"Me too."
I never meant to cause you trouble,
I never meant to do you wrong,
And I, well if I ever caused you trouble,
Oh no, I never meant to do you harm.
They spun a web for me,
They spun a web for me,
They spun a web for me.
THANK YOU!!!!
PinkTribeChick – Thanks for the review, I hope you liked this next chapter!
LadySuchita - Hi Carly! *waves* Thanks for reviewing. I can definitely feel the love, even through all the fighting and yelling!
Sleeping Dragons Die – You cried?!?! OMG! I love you! I'm so glad you like all the fluff. And we'll probably get to more physical stuff, but first we need to get out of the drama!
Chrissy – I'm with you about Hermione and admitting a lie. I mean, I was the one writing it and yet when I typed it I was like 'Yeah, good job Hermione, you rock!'.
Lover Del Dragon – Thank you so much for reviewing! Please keep reading.
Priah – Wow. I loved your reviews. Seriously, I felt like the coolest person in the world. Thanks SO much. And, about how it's gonna end and with the whole talking-from-the-past-in-the-beginning thing that I have going on, well I'm not exactly sure how that's gonna work out. A couple ideas are floating about in my head, and if you have any please just tell me! Also, you're right about my beta, isn't she great!??!! Thanks again!
X-files-lily – I'm so glad that you liked the whole thing when you read it all together! Plus, I'm really glad you're a romantic, it just makes everything more fun!
Relena333 – A million thanks go to you for the song suggestion. I LOVED YOUR REVIEW! It made my day. Please keep reading, and tell me what you think of what's going on!
Tay – Thanks for reviewing. You have no idea how much it means to me!
And FINALLY, to je-m'adore – YOU ROCK MY SOCKS! Seriously, it means SO much to me that you're reading my story now, like you have no idea! ( kisses!
AGAIN, THANK YOUS GO OUT TO EVERYONE WHO READS AND REVIEWS, I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!!! PLEASE, KEEP IT UP!!!