I Just Don't Know What to Make of You

Hermione Granger

Stella was angry that Malfoy wouldn't allow the sewing lessons to continue. She looked like she was going to cry when I told her. I told her that I would make her gown for her, though, and maybe one day in the future, her father would have a change of heart. (Yeah, right.)

Heart. I'd been thinking a lot about hearts lately. My heart ached whenever Malfoy insulted me. My heart jumped whenever he made eye contact with me. I didn't get it… I didn't even want it.

Why was I feeling different around Malfoy lately? He was doing something to me... to my heart. I thought about what Harry said. You love him, don't you? It was absurd. Ridiculous. Crazy. It was… was… wrong. Love wasn't something I associated with Malfoy. For god's sakes—we weren't even on first name basis!

I went into my nightstand drawer. I pulled out a leather photo album and leafed through it. I stopped on the picture of Malfoy taken at the photo shoot. He was sitting on that stool, looking directly into the camera. It was a haunting picture… his grey-blue eyes looked so intense. He didn't have much emotion in his face… his blank expression was alluring.

I slammed the book closed angrily. I shouldn't think like that. I didn't need to get any ideas in my head. Malfoy didn't love me. He didn't even tolerate me! I wasn't going to get to marry him. I wasn't going to get to kiss him again.

To be honest, though, I wasn't sure why that meant anything to me. I wasn't supposed to care that he was getting married to someone else in a week. I wasn't supposed to fell anything towards him other than dislike. I wasn't supposed to want to be alone with him on a cruise ship. I wasn't supposed to even think about these things.

I thought about what Harry said. You can't help who you love. I didn't love Malfoy… did I? Yes, you dolt. Just admit it. Once you do that, you can get over him. My subconscious mind said.

"I love him." I said out loud. "I love Draco Malfoy." The words rolled off my tongue effortlessly.

I thought about this feeling. It was so sudden and unexpected! I mean, no one falls in love over night! When did I start to feel something towards him, anyway? I guessed it was just overall being near him for so many hours of the day. I guess I fell in love with him a long time ago… but I wouldn't admit it.

And I still couldn't. Admit it, I mean. I couldn't tell him how I felt or anything! He was about to be married… in a week! And so, I knew I needed to come up with a plan to rid myself of him.

----

"What?" He asked me, jumping out of his chair. "Granger, no! I can't let you do this!"

I looked down, trying not to cry. There was no other choice. "I have to quit, Malfoy. I need to pursue my fashion career." I lied miserably.

"Granger, you're lying." He said plainly. "I can see right through you, you know. You walk around with your heart on your sleeve."

"Malfoy, look;" I began. "It doesn't matter my reasoning… I need to quit this job." My heart hurt when I said it. I would miss Stella and Luna so much.

"The girls will miss you too much! Stella actually likes you… loves you, maybe. I can't let you leave, Granger." He pleaded.

"I can't stay. It's not good for me." Oops. That wasn't a wise thing to say.

He looked at me with confusion. "What do you mean?" He asked slowly.

"I don't know!" I exclaimed, not holding back the tears this time. "I just… just… can't stay here any longer!"

I ran from the room, leaving a baffled Malfoy behind me.

----

Tears spilled out of my eyes as I ran blindly out of the manor. I wondered if Malfoy would follow me.

"Granger, stop!" He was chasing me as I ran out the door. Malfoy Manor was nestled in the midst of a wide, open field. I had no where to run, but all I wanted to do was run faster and faster away.

I managed to get a good distance from the house, actually. I was blinded by my tears and I was so distraught that it's a bit amazing that I didn't fall.

Again, he was too fast for me. He grabbed my waist and pulled me close to him. It was driving me crazy, being so near him but knowing I couldn't have him. Tears slid down my cheeks as he wrapped his arms around me.

"Granger… what in the bloody hell is wrong with you?"

I shook my head. "I don't know…" I whimpered.

"You have to stop doing this." He said with seriousness. "I hate seeing you upset." He wiped a tear from my face. We were standing in the middle of an open field as rain began to pour from the sky. I just slid to the ground and sat in the mud, crying. Heart-wrenching sobs escaped my body as I felt more despair than I ever had before in my life.

Malfoy sat next to me, looking at me with an unreadable expression. "Sometimes I just don't know what to make of you," he muttered under his breath.

I couldn't speak. I didn't care that my make-up was running all over my face. I didn't care that my hair was a drenched mess. I didn't care that my white dress was stained with mud. I didn't care that my face was blotchy, or that my eyes were red, or that my nose was stuffy.

And apparently, Malfoy didn't care either, because he leaned in and kissed me.

We both got lost in that moment. I pulled back eventually, but it wasn't right away. As the rain soaked me, I never felt more heartbroken in my life. The man I loved was the man I was supposed to hate. The man I loved was getting married in a week.

I decided that it took to much energy to sit upright. I fell to the ground on my back with a soft thud. I cried silently as the rain flowed over my body.

Malfoy got up, looked at me and started to walk away. "I'm sorry, Granger." He said over his back. "I'm so sorry."

Author's Note: I'm evil, aren't I? Oh well… I still love that chapter. ANNOUNCEMENT: I can't update until July 4th! I'm really SORRY! I'm going on a well-deserved vacation and won't be back until Independence Day. I PROMISE I will post as SOON as I get back! I have the next chapter done… and it's about 3 pages long. I hoped you liked this chapter. And please review! It'll make me really happy to come home to an over-stuffed mailbox! And because I feel so bad to leave you so long without an update, here's a really long and much less vague chapter spoiler than I usually write! WARNING: It's really long and a bit detailed, so if you want to wait for the chapter, don't read it!

NEXT CHAPTER SPOILER: The next one's in Draco's POV. It starts with a letter from Narcissa… where she writes about how much she loves Hermione. It makes Draco upset, of course, so he does a lot of thinking about Hermione. Then it's the next day and five days until the wedding. Draco surprises Hermione by telling her some of the guests coming to the wedding. Then Elizabeth is ordering servants around, preparing for the wedding. To escape the hectic mansion, Draco finds peace in the garden. Well, until he sees that Hermione's there. They have a heart-to-heart and then Narcissa interrupts. Then Draco has a realization about the wedding…. and end of chapter!

REVIEW RESPONSES:

KyootNShort: (chapter 22) Well, I didn't specify, but yes, Stella doesn't remember the plotting she overheard. All of that was erased from her memory. I was going to add that in later, but it's not spoiling anything if I tell you.

Jinenji: Yeah, I know they're part vela, but that wasn't part of my plan. I was going to not really mention their vela-ness (lol).

Sayaku-chan: No, you're not completely wrong! The finale deals with the wedding, in everyone's point of view. You get to see if he figures out her plan and if he gets married to her.

To all those who asked how much longer it'll be: Sorry, but probably 5-10 more chapters! I hope you'll keep reading until the end, because the finale is defiantly worth-while.

To all those who loved it: THANKS! Please review!