AN: Sorry for the delay, I thanks everyone who reviewed and a special thanks to my beta Jolene. Enjoy the reading…

16. Saturday

Hermione woke up refreshed and happy. She was going to spend the weekend at Malfoy Manor and she would try to tell Draco that she wanted their relationship to be real.

She was surprised when she walked out of her bedroom and didn't find someone in her living room. She smiled when she found an owl waiting for her.

The letter was from her parents. They had moved to America when Hermione had graduated from Hogwarts, and they were asking her to visit them.

Inside she found a plane ticket with Sunday's date on it. She shook her head; her parents were always the same, never asking and always commanding.

She loved them a lot but she couldn't leave tomorrow night. She decided to phone the plane company and change the date, but before she arrived at the phone she heard the bell ring.

Distractedly, she put down the ticket near the phone and went to open the door. A guy with a big bunch of orchids was smiling at her.

"Good morning, are you Miss Hermione Granger?"

She nodded and he handed her the flowers. She gave him a tip and then she closed the door. There was a card in it.

Dear Hermione,

Thanks for the fantastic evening. I'm waiting for you at the Manor.

Yours,

Draco

She smiled, and after preparing a bag with clothes she apparatedaway; forgetting for the time being a certain plane ticket lying next to the phone.

When she arrived, she thanked Draco for the flowers and then she was escorted to her room where she could rest a bit.

Narcissa entered the room and quickly closed the door behind her. Hermione smiled at the sight of her. Narcissa ran and hugged her. "Hello, my dear. I must admit that yesterday night I had fun. And did you see Draco's face when we met?"

Hermione laughed and Narcissa went on, "I managed to avoid him since our dinner on Wednesday. I think he was terrified that I would embarrass you." Hermione giggled.

"You were very mean, Narcissa. Poor Draco doesn't really know his mother at all."

Unfortunately, Draco had seen his mother entering the room and was behind it spying on them. He was enraged to think that the two witches had been laughing behind his back. Draco was upset because it was obvious that his mother knew about their false engagement and she had fooled him. And Hermione had gone behind his back.

Maybe she still hated him for Hogwarts! How much fun must she have had fooling him into thinking that she liked him!

Draco was a very proud man, he knew now that all his dreams of having Hermione in his life were destroyed. He decided to play the part until tonight and then after the party he will get rid off Hermione.

The day went on well, Hermione was a bit surprised that Draco was acting a bit coldish but she decided that maybe he was tired. She had decided to tell him tonight that she liked him.

After the party, Draco took Hermione to her room. He hadn't said a word during the night and Hermione was starting to worry. Something was wrong.

When they arrived to her door she turned to look at him and said. "The party was wonderful Draco. Would you like to have a chat in my room?"

He looked at her, he was heartbroken and angry. "No, thank you. I just wanted to say that your presence in my life is not required anymore."

Hermione was shocked. "Draco? What are you saying? I thought you wanted to be my friend?"

He laughed. A cold and unfeeling laugh. "Well you were wrong Granger. I just needed you to think that I liked you. Why would I really want to be friend with a Mudblood?"

Hermione raised her hand and slapped him. After that she entered her room and slammed the door behind. She was heartbroken. How could she have been so stupid to think that he really cared?

She didn't want to stay a minute longer in this house. She took her little bag and apparatedto her flat. She didn't know what to think or feel.

She looked at her phone and the ticket for America got her attention. She looked at the time and she saw that the plane would leave Heathrow noon.

She wrote a letter to Harry explaining why she was leaving and then one to Ron, apologising for her stupidity and begging him to reconsider being her friend.

She packed everything she could think of and then she decided to sleep a few hours before taking the plane that would carry her away from Draco Malfoy.

She arrived at the airport at ten and checked in. Now she was waiting to see which gate was hers.

She was reading a newspaper when she heard someone clearing his throat in front of her. She looked up and saw Ron.

He smiled at her and then asked, "Is this seat taken?" she shook her head and he sat near her. He smiled at her and said, "You know Hermione. I should be very angry with you but I love you too much to hold a grudge. I wanted to say goodbye and come back soon."

She tried to hold back her tears but she failed miserably. He wiped away her tears and said, "Hermione, I know that it hurts and I can't really say that it will go away soon but I want you to know that I'm here and that if you will have me I will try to make you forget him."

Hermione's eyes showed a deeper sadness. "Ron, I'm sorry. I can't do this to you. I really love you like a brother and my feelings for you will never change. Please accept my friendship." He looked very disappointed and stood up.

"I'm sorry, too, Hermione. I can't be your friend anymore. Take care." And then he apparated away.

In the Manor, Draco was awakened by Harry and Narcissa's shouts.

"Draco, what did you do to her?" He looked at them coldly.

"What did I do to whom?"

Harry threw the letter Hermione wrote him in his face. "I'm talking about this, Malfoy. Care to explain why Hermione thinks that you hate her and she is now leaving for America?"

He took the letter and read it. And then he re-read it. He had a surprised but hopeful look in his eyes. "Does she really love me? Does she really want me?"

Narcissa and Harry looked at him surprised, and the Narcissa said, "I think it is quite obvious. I tried to help her find the courage to tell you how she felt but something must have gone wrong."

Draco looked at his mother. "I heard you and Hermione laughing at me yesterday and I thought that she had just tricked me. So after the party I told her that I didn't want her in my life."

Narcissa glared at him. "You fool! I was just trying to help you out! Now out on some clothes, go to Hermione and ask for forgiveness."

Harry smiled, "I would say beg for forgiveness."

Draco groaned. "What if she doesn't want me anymore?"

The other two looked at each other and smiled, then Narcissa sat near her son and she put an arm around his shoulder.

"I'm pretty sure that she loves you and she will take you back if you are sincere in your apology."

He nodded, put on some clothes and apparated to her flat. He called her name and when he realised that she had already left, he apparated to the airport. He ran to the gate but the plane had left ten minutes before.

He then apparatedhome and took his broom. Harry and Narcissa saw him striding out of the Manor with the broom and a determined look in his face and they grinned at each other.

Draco mounted his broom and started to fly. He had with him a magic map that would show him the direction to America. He now had to find the right plane.

After three wrong planes he was sure that he had the right one and when he saw Hermione looking out with a surprised expression he apparated into the plane.

AN: Soon the final chapter!