AN: Sorry for the delay, enjoy the reading :)

14.

Hermione was watching herself in the mirror, she was trying out a few outfits before lunchtime. She wanted to be pretty for Draco.

She got a bit scared when from the bedroom's door she heard Ron saying, "Hello Hermione. Why are you trying all these clothes?"

She watched him from the mirror and blushed, "Well, I'm going out for lunch with Dr- Malfoy and I just wanted to look good, for the audience. I mean… it's not like I would want to look good for him …"

He was watching her carefully and then said, "You like him. You bloody like Draco Malfoy!"

She turned to watch him and tried to calm him down. One thing was to tell Harry that she had a crush on Draco and another was to admit it to Ron.

"Ron, I have to pretend to like him." She whispered.

"You have never been good at lying Hermione. Tell me just one thing. Why him? What has he got …?" he looked at her in desperation.

The question would have been complete if he had added what has he got that I haven't.

She sighed, "Ron. It's just that love can't be controlled. You can't choose who you like or not."

He looked at her incredulously, "Love? I said like and now you say love? You could not love me back but it's ok if it's Malfoy?"

She bit her lips, "Ron, please I meant like. I'm not in love with Draco. I like him quite a lot though. And about us … we really are better off as best friends. I can leave without boyfriends but not without you and Harry."

He was angry and hurt, "I repeat my question, why him?"

She sat uncomfortably on the bed, "Oh Ron! What can I say? He is smart, he makes me laugh, he is handsome and when he looks at me in certain moments he makes me feel like I'm the most beautiful witch in the world."

He snorted again, "Don't I do the same thing? Hermione I adore you. I kiss the ground where you walk! I have always been there for you!"

She sighed, "Ron worshipping is not what I want. I like him because he treats me like an equal and if I do something that he doesn't like he points it out. When me and you fight, well, at the end it's you who comes and offer to make peace."

His eyes became colder, "So you are basically saying that you want a bastard. That you want to be the one begging to be 'forgiven'?"

She stood up and got closer to him, "No Ron. I don't want a 'bastard', I want someone who can sometimes be strong enough to keep up with my mood."

He looked at her, "And I don't. I'm just nice and plain Ron. The friend to cry with, but not the man to spend the rest of your life with."

She sighed again, "Ron I thought that we got over this. I believed that you didn't want me anymore. We were fine until now, what's happened? Why are you saying these things again now?"

He seemed hurt, "You got over it, I never did! I loved you since second year and I always hoped that you would one-day love me back. But to answer your question, it happened now because your dear friend Harry and Malfoy have been meeting and became buddies!"

Hermione looked at him shocked, "What are you talking about Ron? Harry and Draco?" and then it clicked! The muggle night!

Why didn't she see it? Someone had helped Draco and now she knew whom! And today Harry had done his nice speech in favour of Draco.

Ron saw the emotions and understanding flickering in her eyes and then he was shocked to see her smiling.

He had lost. She really loved Draco Malfoy.

Hermione saw Ron's anguish. She couldn't help him, he had to understand that they were friends and nothing more.

He took a last look at her and whispered, "I need time Hermione. Don't try to contact me when I will be ready I'll be back." And quickly apparated away.

She was heartbroken. She fell on the floor of her bedroom and cried. She was hoping that Ron would come back and be her friend again but somehow she knew that she had lost him.

And that hurt. She had chosen Malfoy over him, he would never forgive her.

When Draco didn't see her coming, he apparated in her flat. He was worried that something happened to her.

He found Hermione on the floor crying. He rushed at her side and took her in his arms, "Hermione? What happened? Are you hurt?"

Her brown eyes met his grey ones and he saw pain, deep and raw.

She looked at him and hugged him tight, "Draco! I lost Ron. I lost Ron. I lost…" and then she burst out crying again.

Draco started to caress her hair, "Hermione, calm down. Why don't we go and sit on the sofa? And then you can tell me what happened." But he already knew.

The Weasel had come straight here after their meeting and had basically broken her heart.

He felt fear running down in his body. What if she rather has the Weasel in her life and shut him out?

Finally, he managed to take her on the sofa. She was sitting in his lap with her arms around his neck and her face in the nook of his neck.

"He said that he can't be my friend" she said, "And that he loves me and wants to marry me."

Draco was scared now, "And what did you tell him?"

Hermione looked at him, "I told him that I love him as a friend and that we couldn't be more."

Draco sighed but hope rose again in his heart, "And then what's happened?"

"He said that he needed time but I know that he won't come back." And then she snuggled closer to him. "He said that you and Harry had been conspiring against me."

Draco stiffened 'that bloody Weasel!'. Trust Harry to be right, 'he will come around, trust me'. Well Harry was wrong and now he was scared about her reaction, "Are you mad at us? I mean at me and Harry?"

She shook her head but didn't look him in the eyes, "At first I was surprised but then I'm sure now that it was Harry that suggested you the muggle evening and … and I had fun. I really loved it so I can't really complain, can I?"

He looked down at her and now she was smiling a bit, her eyes were red and she looked like a Quidditch team has used her as the snitch but at least she was smiling.

He laughed, "Well, you are right. I asked Harry's help. But I'm sure that if I had more time I would have come up with it myself."

She grinned, "I doubt it. But I'm happy that you and Harry are getting along." Then she became sad again, "Ron is another story. He loves me differently. I guess I will have to wait and see."

Draco smiled at her, "I'm sure he needs time. Nobody that has Hermione Granger in his life would be able to walk away and never return."

She beamed at him, "Really? Are you including yourself?"

He blushed a bit, "Well, yeah. I mean how could I live without an annoying know-it-all. Who would bossy me around?"

She smacked his arm but she was laughing. The mood had been lightened enough, Draco knew that it wasn't the right moment to tell her that he liked her.

He looked serious now, "Ok Hermione I took the afternoon off to help you get ready for tonight. We better start now, I want you to be perfect tonight. And don't worry if they care for their lives they had better not mess with you."

Hermione saw his look and decided that she never wanted to cross Draco Malfoy, she was happy to be the one protected by him.

She stood up from her comfortable place on Draco's lap and braced herself for the worst night of her life.

Tonight she would meet the purebloods and they would try to lessen her, but she would show them who she was!