AN: I know it took awhile, but I had prom and had to catch up on sleep. I need to update my other stories, also, but will NOT neglect this story. I need REVIEWS, people!!! This chapter is kinda short, but it's a flashback, so it doesn't really matter.

A Friend Is Gone

7th Year: May 29
.

"Why do things happen the way they do?" I asked Hermione. We were lying on the grass next to the Quidditch field.

Hermione wanted to come here. N.E.W.T's were coming up next month and she had been studying so much that she landed in Madam Pomfrey's office. She suggested she take a few days off from studying. And who could help her stop studying more than me? So we lay in the middle of the field, looking up at the sky. It was still light outside; not a cloud in the sky. I wish there were, though. We like to look at clouds and make out the shapes.
"Are you saying this in general or in particular?" she asked me, trying to answer my question. I shrugged.
"Both, I guess."

Hermione turned her head to me, propped up by her hand.
"I honesty don't know why certain things happen, Draco," she replied. "I'd like to think it's sort of a fate thing, but my views on anything that's part of Deviation's is kinda fuzzy. Why do you ask."
"Oh nothing," I replied. "I just always wondered how 'us' came to be."
"And you don't remember?"
"Oh I remember...I just always wondered the change of heart from both of us."
"Well, after you stop being a pompous asshole-"
"Pompous asshole?" I raised my eyebrows, sitting up. "If you would've been Miss know-it-all..."
"Jealous, Draco?" grinned Hermione.
"Of you? Never..." "Aww..." whined Hermione as she laid back into the grass. There were a few moments of silence when Hermione spoke up again. "I'm glad it happened."
"What happened?"
"Us," she explained. She turned back to me. "I'm happy that it happened to us," she then laughed. "Even if it DID take 7 years."

I looked into Hermione's eyes. They were twinkling with happiness. She scooted over closer to Draco and laid her head on his chest.
"I love you, Draco. You know that, right?"
"Of course I do," I said. "I said it first, remember?"

Hermione smiled
"Yeah, I remember. I just wanted to make sure..."

We continued of lay on the grass, Hermione falling asleep on my chest. I had my eyes closed for a few moments when a dark shadow was over us. I opened my eyes to see a tall, skinny, redhead hovering above us.
"What do you want, Weasley?" I asked, sounding bored. Hermione, however, shot open her when she heard 'Weasley'. She looked up.
"Hi Ron," said Hermione, taking her head off my chest. And got into a sitting position. I followed suit.

I got a good look at Ron's face. He was angry. Well, that was an understatement. I tried to hide my evil smirk. Everyone, including Hermione and me, knew that Ron was in love with Hermione. But since Weasley is prude, he didn't have enough guts to ask her out. And since she's been dating for a while, he hasn't been happy. But as far as I knew, they never mentioned me in front of eachother.

Until now.
"So it true..." sneered Ron glaring at the both of us. "I didn't want to believe it, but Dean Thomas said to go to the Quidditch field and find out for myself."
"Ron-"
"And this is what I find," said Ron, cutting off Hermione. "You and MALFOY!!! You and fucking MALFOY!!!"

Hermione got up then, as did I. She was getting tears in her eyes. My eye narrowed towards Weasley: I didn't like it when she cried.
"Yeah, Weasley. Me and Hermione. What's your point?"

I knew this would piss him off and I saw his face go redder.
"My POINT, Malfoy, is that you took her away from me!!!" screamed Ron. At this sentence, Hermione began to cry harder.
"She had a CHOICE, Weasley. And she choose me."
"You KNEW I was in love with her!!! And you always have to get what I want!!! ALWAYS!!! Is that it, Malfoy?!?! You're with Hermione because I love her."
"Ron, it's not like that-"
"SHUT UP, HERMIONE!!!" bellowed Ron. Hermione jumped slightly back, now sobbing uncontrollably. He turned back to me. "Right, Malfoy? Good thing you're noting fucking her yet. Playing with her emotions like that would be bad."

There was an eerie silence following that sentence. Even Hermione stopped crying for a moment. Ron, on the otherhand, blew up.
"SO YOU ARE FUCKING HER, MALFOY?!?! I NEVER THOUGHT YOU WOULD MAKE HERMIONE A FUCKIN WHORE!!!"

I lost all control I managed to keep inside me. In an instant, I had Ron pushed up against a tree, vastly choking him. He attempted to reach for his want, but I banged his head on the tree.
"Never...call...Hermione...a whore," I said thought gritted teeth. Still choking her. "And any chance you thought you had with Hermione has now vanished. Now this may come as a shock to you, but I love her. And I won't...have...her...cry...over YOU!!!" I contemned to bang his head on the tree.

Suddenly there was a hand on my shoulder. I turned my head to see Hermione behind me. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying. She looked from me to Ron. I took the hint and suddenly let him go. He fell to the ground, gasping for air.

Hermione had other ideas, though. Before he could fully recover, she had her wand pointing at him. Ron looked up and suddenly all the color drained from his face. And I could see why: Hermione looked livid.
"Ronald," she began in a calm voice. "I have NEVER felt more hatred for you than I do now. You say you're in love with me, but call me a whore? You're my best friend!!! How could you?!?! I love Draco. And in all the months we've been dating, he has not ONCE made me cry as much as you have right now. This is why I choose Draco over you. Now you can accept that or not, at this point I don't care. But I will never love you as much as I love him."

I looked at Hermione, astounded. This was her best friend and she basically told her that she hated him and loved me? What a weird universe...

Hermione looked back at me.
"Let go, Draco."

I put my hand over her shoulder and she began to cry once more. We walked towards the school, past all the onlookers who witnessed the 'spat'. I turned my head to see Weasley from behind. He sat where Hermione left him, crying.

And I felt no regret whatsoever.