A/N - Sorry I took so long to update, but I hope you like the chapter. Next chapter will also take a while, so enjoy and review in the mean time.

dramaqueen72, yeah, it was mean of Draco to lead her on and give her false hope, but he didn't do it intentionally. He just kinda lost control and I'm sure that's happened to all of us sometime or the other. And anyway he's not perfect! But I would also think it was really wrong for a guy to do that. Still, Draco will suffer for his and so I guess we can all forgive him! Scarlett O'Hara (you wish!), thank you. I thought the title was pretty good myself. (Winks) Ilenya the Fair, we miss you, too! E-mail! I replied, you should do the same!

Thanks for the detailed reviews, everyone. I really appreciated them.

Chapter 16 – The Aftermath

"I think it's him."

"Sshh."

"What's he doing here?"

"Sshh!"

"I don't know. This is very strange."

"Sshh! Keep quiet! We'll never be able to find out if you two keep talking!"

"Sorry."

Harry, Ron and Hermione were at the T.J. Memorial Stadium, a quidditch stadium dedicated to a very eccentric, but very talented quidditch player, Taurus Jeaphordy, who had died of a very violent incident during the Quidditch World Cup, which, incidentally, had been started by him.

The trio had arrived by a portkey in Diagon Alley and were seated waiting for the match to begin. It was quite a big affair, since the Chudley Canons were playing the Notorious Knocks. Mr Weasley had managed to get pretty good seats and there were only seven rows ahead of Ron, Harry and Hermione, out of a total of eighty-seven rows. The person who had caught their attention was a meek-looking man sitting three rows ahead of them. He looked sober and very embarrassed, as if he didn't want anyone to lift a finger for him. There was a very large woman sitting next to him, chattering constantly, and he appeared to be agreeing with everything she said.

"But he's supposed to be in hiding!" exclaimed Ron.

"Yeah, this is very strange," agreed Harry.

"Oh, will you two keep quiet? The only way to find out is to go up to him as soon as that woman leaves and ask," informed Hermione. "There's probably a reasonable explanation for this."

"Yes, maybe Dumbledore had some work for him," suggested Harry.

"But why?" asked Ron, perplexed. "Why in such a public place? And why weren't we informed?"

"Oh, shut up, Ron!" snapped Hermione, tired of his pointless questioning.

Ron looked sulky and folded his arms. Harry sighed. They were at it again. Just a little while earlier he'd thought they were getting along great. He did wonder, though, why Tubble MacNoughthy was at the quidditch game. He'd helped Dumbledore a lot before and during the Great Battle. Members of the Order of Phoenix had doubted his capability at first, since he was such a tiny, frightened-looking man, but they were soon amazed by his incredible telepathy skills. His perception of the thoughts and feelings of the Death Eaters and Voldemort had proved a great boon to them and they soon found he was not as cowardly or docile as he seemed, as his duelling skills were also highly commendable. No one knew where he had come from; Dumbledore had just announced his presence one day.

During the Battle, Voldemort had found out about Tubble and he had been kidnapped. He had spent only four hours in Voldemort's capture, but he refused to ever speak of them. The members were sure awful things had happened to him and he gained an awe and respect he was not aware of. After the Battle, he had gone back into hiding, as that, apparently, was what he was usually doing, and Dumbledore had advised him to remain so, because he feared the Death Eater's wrath, who knew Tubble had played a vital role in the downfall of their Lord.

Harry supposed it fit if Tubble had come out of hiding on Dumbledore's request to help fight the Death Eaters again. But did Dumbledore think things were so serious? Harry was confused and he wanted answers, but he knew he would have to wait for them.

"Look, it's starting!" cried Ron, his entire face lighting up.

------------

Harry smiled and settled down to watch the game.

At half time, the large woman finally left Tubble's side. Ron got very excited and started toward him, but Hermione pulled him back.

"Wait, Ron," she said. "I don't know if we should do this."

"What?" asked Ron, dumbfounded. "But you said that when the woman left his side, we could go and ask him what he was doing here!"

"Yes, I know," said Hermione, exasperated. Ron was really such a stubborn baby at times. "But now I don't know if it's such a good idea. I mean, if Professor Dumbledore wanted us to know about Tubble, he would have told us. Maybe he doesn't want us to be involved in this..."

"But that's insane! Of course he'd want us to be involved! We're the Terrific Trio!" exclaimed Ron.

"Don't use that name! It sounds so conceited!" said Hermione, irritated at the nickname the three had been jokingly given by Nymphadora Tonks, a member of the Order. "I just mean that maybe we should wait and see if he comes to us or if anyone owls us. If they don't, they probably don't want us to know."

"Maybe you're right," said Harry quietly. "Maybe they don't want us to know."

"Harry, not you, too!" cried Ron. "This is all a load of rubbish! That's Tubble there; we have to at least greet him!"

"Ron, we don't always have to know everything," replied Harry. "If we needed to know, Dumbledore would tell us."

"Dumbledore doesn't tell us anything!" exclaimed Ron, getting angry. "We deserve to know every little detail!"

"Nobody knows every little detail except for Dumbledore himself," contradicted Harry. "I know that it seems unfair, but have patience. I'm sure we'll find out sooner or later."

Ron looked angry and sulky. The game resumed and an agitated silence reigned between the three.

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The Chudley Canons won with 210 points after a gruelling game of four hours. Ron's mood had improved significantly, since he was an avid fan of theirs, and he even managed to smile at Hermione. Harry was relieved.

Tubble left quickly when the game ended and if he saw the three he didn't give it away. Ron, Harry and Hermione walked over to the cafeteria area, where Harry and Ron indulged in many unhealthy snacks, with Hermione watching disapprovingly. They finished and were just about to leave when a familiar blonde approached them. Hermione saw Harry's muscles flex and Ron stare in a curious manner at Draco, who said, "Hi, Hermione. Hello, Harry. Ron."

Hermione started feeling giddy. Her head was hurting and so was her heart. How could he be so normal after what he had done to her?

None of them replied, Hermione out of pain, Harry out of anger and Ron out of perplexity.

"Hermione, can I talk to you for a minute?" asked Draco in an anxious voice.

She was just considering this when another blonde approached them. It was Marissa, her hair shining like gold and her eyes piercing like ice. She looked even more arrogant than the first time Hermione had met her.

"Draco, where did you go to? I have been searching for you everywhere," she said, emphasizing 'everywhere' in a voice concerned enough to assure the listener she was exaggerating.

Draco's face turned stiff and expressionless. The voice he spoke in was flat. "I'm sorry, Marissa, I just came over to say hi to my friends."

"Oh," she replied, surveying the three coldly and in a hostile manner. "Shall we go now?" She took Draco's arm and looked up at him, smiling in a fake way, obviously trying to impress Hermione.

"Uh...all right," he responded, uncertainly. "I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked, addressing first Hermione only, then looking at the other two.

Hermione wasn't sure about it, but Harry took her arm and replied, "Yeah, we'll be there."

"Great," said Draco and, with one last pleading look at Hermione, left.

As soon as the couple were out of sight, Ron said, "Bloody beautiful!"

"Ron!" snapped Harry. "She's Draco's fiancée."

"Oh," said Ron. "Oh! I see..."

Hermione felt terrible. Seeing Draco had once again evoked those painful emotions she was trying so hard not to feel and Ron's saying Marissa was beautiful just made things worse. Though she would never have admitted it, Hermione was very jealous of Marissa. Whatever the reasons were, she was marrying Draco and in Hermione's eyes that was the best thing that could possibly happen. She was pretty and she was obviously rich and comfortable. Though Hermione didn't envy her beauty or her wealth, she envied her Draco. And for that reason she hated everything about her. She knew her hate was unreasonable and unjustified, but she couldn't help it. So she looked daggers at Ron and he turned red and looked away.

"Let's go," said Harry, taking Hermione's arm gently and lead her towards the exit. Ron followed with a shameful face and they went quietly to Harry's place.

---------------

Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting around Harry's dining table with jugs of butterbeer in front of them. Harry and Ron were doing their best to cheer Hermione up, but big fat tears kept rolling down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," she constantly said. "I know I'm being stupid. He's just a guy. I shouldn't get so worked up about him."

Harry and Ron would assure her she was entitled to be upset and she would burst into tears again. Finally, after three hours and many tears, she resolved to stop crying and talk about something else.

---------------

Draco was a mix of untamed emotions. He couldn't understand what had happened that day. In the morning everything had been all right (as much as it could be), and by the evening Draco's world had turned upside-down and everything was going wrong. He had told Hermione about his feelings for her, which had been his first and most fatal mistake, and then he had let go physically. He didn't know how he could have been so stupid! He might have put her life in danger! And he had hurt her. He knew that. He had given her false hope and then she had had to face the harsh reality that it was not possible for them to be together. Draco hated himself.

Once he had mustered enough sense to get out of the alley and go home, he had found Marissa waiting for him. She expected him to take her to the quidditch game that evening and though he would rather have done anything, he knew it was most prudent for him to take her. The better he behaved towards her, the less anyone would suspect he was in love with Hermione.

The game had been tiresome. He had fidgeted and thought of Hermione all through Marissa's incessant chatter. He hadn't enjoyed the game and by the time it was over he longed for his bed, where he could think clearly and without constant interruptions. But Marissa had wanted to go into the ladies' room to check her make-up, so he had had to wait. It was then that he had spotted Hermione and the abovementioned scene had followed. He could see how upset she was and he wanted to talk to her, but it was not possible. He decided to talk to her at the engagement. He didn't care about all the people that were going to be there or his father or mother watching; he couldn't leave her to be hurt without explaining himself.

Of course, if he hadn't told her in the first place, she wouldn't be upset and he wouldn't have to explain everything to her. Yes, Draco truly and completely hated himself.