Man, what a weekend. I am so sorry it has taken so long to get this done.
Looks like a lot of you were really looking forward to this. So with our
further adieu, Chapter 23!!
Chapter 23
When Hermione reached the castle, her heart was beating so fast. She was out of breath and stopped for a moment to catch her breath. She ran as fast as she could. When she caught her breath, she went towards the dungeons. She reached his room to not find anyone there. She screamed in frustration and ran back to the halls. She questioned anyone she saw if they had seen Draco. No one had seen him since breakfast, which for Hermione, that meant before she slapped him in the courtyard.
She was so close to just giving up when she turned a corner and ran smack into someone, "Miss Granger, gladly slow down. You are hardly setting a good example for the students."
"I'm so sorry Severus but have you seen Draco?"
He sneered a bit at Hermione, "Well, yes at breakfast."
She huffed, "Damn it, thanks anyways," she began to turn away when he grabbed her by the arm.
"I also saw him briefly near doors, he had his broom. Said he needed to get some fresh air," he noticed her eyes rise up, "Miss Granger, this may not be any of my business but, he has been quite melancholy this past week. You wouldn't know any reason for that would you?"
She looked at Snape. He seemed to have a hint of concern on his face. She smiled, "Hopefully I will be able to help that once I find him."
He nodded and Hermione could have sworn and thought she saw a sort of smile. Not a usually Snape sneer, but a smile. She turned and walked quickly to the entrance doors.
-----
He spun into a quick dive and moved his broom up a few feet before he reached the ground. He sped back up and circled the pitch. At first going around the goals then started to do laps. He missed flying. He hadn't flown since his last match as a Slytherin. He never really had time since. He was trying to clear his head. This was always the best way for him to do so. He decided he wanted to challenge himself a bit, so he started towards the ground to release the snitch. As he did so, he noticed someone walking onto the field.
----
She walked onto the field and noticed he was heading towards the ground. His hair was a mess and looked to be sweating a bit. She wanted to jump him the moment he touched down but restrained herself, 'I will do this with dignity,' she told herself. She walked towards him when he reached the ground.
"Come to slap the other cheek," he shouted to her.
"Only if you ask nicely."
She reached him, "Well, I am still feeling a bit of sting from the last so, give me some more time."
She frowned. He was not happy, not at all. She didn't blame him, "Look, I-"
"Shouldn't you be enjoying some butterbeer with Finnegan right now?"
She stopped, he knew how. How did he know? "How did you-"
"I overheard his sister and her gaggle discussing it in the halls."
She lowered her head, "Oh well, it wasn't anything romantic or anything. Just catching up."
He laughed, "You may want to let Miss Finnegan know that. She was speaking of her teacher becoming an in-law. She may be a bit disappointed."
Hermione shrugged, "Maybe I gave them the wrong impression accepting the invitation, but Draco I really only met with him because I was trying to forget about you. I was so upset, I thought if I had my mind distracted, it would be easier."
He crossed his arms, "Was it?"
Hermione sighed and lowered her head and shook it, "No, not at all," tears formed in her eyes and she walked over to him, "Draco, I am so sorry. I am sorry didn't listen to you, to your explanation. I should've listened to you."
He breathed hard, "What brings on the apology, and you calling me by my first name again?"
She looked up into his eyes, "I saw Cho, at the Three Broomstick. She was with Roger Davies. Their engaged. She told me..." she stopped and began to cry.
He stood there for a moment. He was upset with her. She would listen to Cho but not him? But she was angry with him. Would he have listened if it was him? He put his hands on her shoulders, "I need to go inside. Hermione, I don't know. It seems you can't trust me."
She looked up at him, tears in her eyes, "But-"
He gently put a finger to her mouth, "Shh, I just need to be away from you right now. I will see you later."
She watched him gather his things. He walked right passed her with out saying another word.
---
He sat in his chambers, drink in hand. He didn't go to dinner. He couldn't eat. Hermione's tear-filled eyes were flashing in his mind. Why didn't he sweep her into his arms? Why didn't he kiss her with all the passion that he had? He should have, he knew that. But he wanted to make her sweat a bit. He deserved to say his side, even if she wasn't going to believe it.
He was suddenly startled by his doors slamming open. She stormed inside, "Damn you Draco Malfoy, damn you!"
"Why hello to you to," he didn't move from his seat. He contained his smile. She was adorable when she was angry. Her eyes glistened in the candle light.
"Don't look at me like that. You have some nerve, you know that?" she walked over to him, "I apologized. I was wrong. And then you just walk away? That was very childish, I hope-"
He stood up and began to walk past her. She grabbed his arm and pulled him in, they were face to face. Their eyes looking into the others. He reached up and placed his hand around the back of her neck. She shivered a bit at his touch, they didn't loosed eye contact, "Hermione, I love you."
----
Well, I know that I said this would be the last chapter. But you know, I don't think I can end this story there. I know a lot of you would hate it if I ended it there. So, there will be more, I promise.
Chapter 23
When Hermione reached the castle, her heart was beating so fast. She was out of breath and stopped for a moment to catch her breath. She ran as fast as she could. When she caught her breath, she went towards the dungeons. She reached his room to not find anyone there. She screamed in frustration and ran back to the halls. She questioned anyone she saw if they had seen Draco. No one had seen him since breakfast, which for Hermione, that meant before she slapped him in the courtyard.
She was so close to just giving up when she turned a corner and ran smack into someone, "Miss Granger, gladly slow down. You are hardly setting a good example for the students."
"I'm so sorry Severus but have you seen Draco?"
He sneered a bit at Hermione, "Well, yes at breakfast."
She huffed, "Damn it, thanks anyways," she began to turn away when he grabbed her by the arm.
"I also saw him briefly near doors, he had his broom. Said he needed to get some fresh air," he noticed her eyes rise up, "Miss Granger, this may not be any of my business but, he has been quite melancholy this past week. You wouldn't know any reason for that would you?"
She looked at Snape. He seemed to have a hint of concern on his face. She smiled, "Hopefully I will be able to help that once I find him."
He nodded and Hermione could have sworn and thought she saw a sort of smile. Not a usually Snape sneer, but a smile. She turned and walked quickly to the entrance doors.
-----
He spun into a quick dive and moved his broom up a few feet before he reached the ground. He sped back up and circled the pitch. At first going around the goals then started to do laps. He missed flying. He hadn't flown since his last match as a Slytherin. He never really had time since. He was trying to clear his head. This was always the best way for him to do so. He decided he wanted to challenge himself a bit, so he started towards the ground to release the snitch. As he did so, he noticed someone walking onto the field.
----
She walked onto the field and noticed he was heading towards the ground. His hair was a mess and looked to be sweating a bit. She wanted to jump him the moment he touched down but restrained herself, 'I will do this with dignity,' she told herself. She walked towards him when he reached the ground.
"Come to slap the other cheek," he shouted to her.
"Only if you ask nicely."
She reached him, "Well, I am still feeling a bit of sting from the last so, give me some more time."
She frowned. He was not happy, not at all. She didn't blame him, "Look, I-"
"Shouldn't you be enjoying some butterbeer with Finnegan right now?"
She stopped, he knew how. How did he know? "How did you-"
"I overheard his sister and her gaggle discussing it in the halls."
She lowered her head, "Oh well, it wasn't anything romantic or anything. Just catching up."
He laughed, "You may want to let Miss Finnegan know that. She was speaking of her teacher becoming an in-law. She may be a bit disappointed."
Hermione shrugged, "Maybe I gave them the wrong impression accepting the invitation, but Draco I really only met with him because I was trying to forget about you. I was so upset, I thought if I had my mind distracted, it would be easier."
He crossed his arms, "Was it?"
Hermione sighed and lowered her head and shook it, "No, not at all," tears formed in her eyes and she walked over to him, "Draco, I am so sorry. I am sorry didn't listen to you, to your explanation. I should've listened to you."
He breathed hard, "What brings on the apology, and you calling me by my first name again?"
She looked up into his eyes, "I saw Cho, at the Three Broomstick. She was with Roger Davies. Their engaged. She told me..." she stopped and began to cry.
He stood there for a moment. He was upset with her. She would listen to Cho but not him? But she was angry with him. Would he have listened if it was him? He put his hands on her shoulders, "I need to go inside. Hermione, I don't know. It seems you can't trust me."
She looked up at him, tears in her eyes, "But-"
He gently put a finger to her mouth, "Shh, I just need to be away from you right now. I will see you later."
She watched him gather his things. He walked right passed her with out saying another word.
---
He sat in his chambers, drink in hand. He didn't go to dinner. He couldn't eat. Hermione's tear-filled eyes were flashing in his mind. Why didn't he sweep her into his arms? Why didn't he kiss her with all the passion that he had? He should have, he knew that. But he wanted to make her sweat a bit. He deserved to say his side, even if she wasn't going to believe it.
He was suddenly startled by his doors slamming open. She stormed inside, "Damn you Draco Malfoy, damn you!"
"Why hello to you to," he didn't move from his seat. He contained his smile. She was adorable when she was angry. Her eyes glistened in the candle light.
"Don't look at me like that. You have some nerve, you know that?" she walked over to him, "I apologized. I was wrong. And then you just walk away? That was very childish, I hope-"
He stood up and began to walk past her. She grabbed his arm and pulled him in, they were face to face. Their eyes looking into the others. He reached up and placed his hand around the back of her neck. She shivered a bit at his touch, they didn't loosed eye contact, "Hermione, I love you."
----
Well, I know that I said this would be the last chapter. But you know, I don't think I can end this story there. I know a lot of you would hate it if I ended it there. So, there will be more, I promise.