Alcohol
Summary: Draco had never been very honest, but how she wished he would come home. :Theme 41:
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned.
AN: People, I know you like reading short little things, but honestly, all of my stories are one shots, so if you read one, please just look at the others.
For everyone's information, I'm aiming to put up 50 or so one shots before Oct 9th. I'll try and update everyday instead of one big bulk, so stick around.
Just so you know, the actual story is 1,427 words.
It had been raining since 3pm. Ongoing pounding above her head, seeming to reflect her mood. Later the thunder and lightning had joined in, making it near impossible for her to feel what she now wanted to forget. But he wasn't there yet.
She was sitting in a corner, surrounded by empty beer bottles, tear streaks partially obscured by her curly brown hair, visible only in the half light of the single candle by the door.
Guilt swamped over him as he walked through the door, well past midnight, to see her there. He wondered what had caused this bout of temporary insanity from his usually calm lover.
She slowly raised her head and stared at him like a deer caught in headlights. She had expected him to stay the night with that whore. 11 ½ months of obviously meant nothing him. She really should have expected it earlier. She was stupid to have fallen for him so easily.
False promises, little gifts every now and again, lovely sex. All of that had her practically eating out of his hand. Although, as his actions had proved, he hadn't really understood when she said that she didn't want someone who would wander. Her previous boyfriend had done that as well. And the one before that.
What was it about her that made men want other women? Was it the fact that she loved reading? How her cooking wouldn't even make a cockroach turn its head? She just wanted to know why she was not looked at as she wished to be?
Slowly standing, she glared in his direction, not caring if he didn't understand why, and headed for the fridge, needing something to wash it all down. More beer sounded like a really good idea.
He should know why anyway. The whore's friends had said she'd been dating him for the past 4 months. God, he probably thought she was angry at him for something else. And that had some truth to it as well.
But then the worst had happened. Picture this, it's her 21st birthday, she was really happy and excited, so she went to her favourite café, hoping to find someone there who she knew. She turned up around noon, a good time for anything really. She got to sleep in, and now she was going to have a great lunch. So anyway, she noticed her favourite booth was occupied by a bunch of giggling twits staring at what she supposed was their friend across the room. She snorted, who cares about a bimbo with dyed blonde hair?
Now that she looked again, the guy had the same kind of hair. What a coincidence. Dumb and Dumber. Then she took a double take. There was her boyfriend, leaning over for a snog with some blonde bitch. Nice birthday present.
Lurching towards the kitchen she scowled at him. Stupid arse. She wondered how many girls he'd already had. Why he'd bothered to stay with her at all.
He'd forgotten her birthday, come home at 2 am, and now didn't know why she would be upset. Why did she bother to stay with him!
Because she loved him, that's why.
Following her, he wondered at her sudden drinking tendencies. She couldn't know he was cheating, he'd been really careful about everything. He'd never made her think something might be wrong.
Seeing her heading straight for the fridge, and knowing that there was more alcohol in there, he quickly blocked her way.
"Move Draco."
"I think you've had enough. You should go to-"
"Don't you dare try to tell me what to do!"
He lurched back, disturbed by her show of rage. Maybe she had found out, after all, Courtney had picked out the café today, so she could parade him in front of her friends. She was the type that enjoyed showing off what she had.
He looked at her with concern.
"What's the matter?"
She looked back at him with a crazed look in her eyes.
"What's the matter with me! I'll tell you what's the matter," He hair frizzed out around her and she stalked towards him, tear streaks now clearly visible. "You, the hair-brained jerk that lives and shares a bed with me, has been a cheating lying bastard!"
He sighed. So she had found out. He's just assure her that he didn't actually care for Courtney, and that he would break up with her. He'd done it before with others.
"Look, I know you might not be happy about it, but I don't care-"
"Don't care! You are contradicting what all her little friends claim. And before you tell me to clam down, just get it through you thick little skull that 21 years ago to this day I was born!"
He paled. Long years of being a womaniser had helped him to realise that birthdays and valentines were the best way to a girls heart. To forget was a mortal sin, but to be discovered cheating on either of those days… He felt guilt wash over him as he realised that he'd been home late as well. A sharp pain in his chest reminded him of what he was meant to be doing. Trying to get his girl back.
"I'm sorry-"
She turned to him, completely disbelieving.
"Draco Malfoy, in all the years I've known you, you've never apologised unless your father would kill you for losing the thing your apologising to."
The sarcasm in the sentence cut him deep. His heart started to pang and throb, but he willed it away. He had never felt emotion and didn't want to start now.
"It's not what you think, I swear."
She moved straight past him, heading for her bedroom. He followed.
"I swear it was just one date."
She ripped a suitcase out from under the bed and turned to stare at him, her previous outrage turning into coll condescension.
"I know you've been with her for four months, and honestly I don't care anymore." Tears started afresh down her cheeks as she turned and started piling some clothes and essentials into her bag, "You're just trying to get me to stay, so you can say to your friend, 'I got to date gullible Hermione Granger for a year.' And I don't want to stay. Not with you lying to me at every turn."
He looked at her then shut her suitcase before sitting on it.
"Your not leaving, not now. And… I think you do care."
She returned from their ensuite, her arms full of toiletries.
"Get off."
He stared up at her, challenging.
"No, your not going."
"Move Draco."
He shook his head and she slapped him.
"Get off and stop trying to tell me what to do! You don't control me, and I'll leave anyway, even without that stuff!"
He shook his head and gulped as she raised her hand to slap him again. His heart started it's own marathon run, not willing to let go, but of what, he didn't know.
"You can't go. Not until I've explained."
She stared at him, further enraged that he would try and dictate what she did. How dare he!
"You've explained enough. I don't need to know about your sexual affairs anymore."
She dumped the remains of her stuff on the floor and headed for the door. Serious about stopping her, he sped after her.
"Will you just-"
"Get off me-"
"Listen-"
"Let go-"
"Herm-"
She slapped him.
"You have no reason to call me that. Never again will you refer to me a such."
He stared at her, a red handprint appearing on his cheek.
Glaring she walked past him, grabbing her key's off the hallstand. He followed her again.
"Wait, please?"
She turned to him in the doorway and gave him a withering glare. His heart throbbed painfully. She stepped out into the rain and he followed.
"Please, Herm…"
She didn't turn around, her hips swaying as she strolled through the rain, her shirt sticking to her back.
"I'm sorry…"
He stood there, his heart pounding, praying she would return. He knew he didn't deserve her, but he needed her, and he knew that now. His heart stared to throb harder and tears started to flow down his cheeks. He knew she wouldn't return. But he could still live in hope that one day she would realise that he loved her in his own way.
It was a pity it had taken him so long to realise it.
Everything in the world seems to come that bit too late.