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II. Ditch

"You're not going anywhere until I get a goodbye kiss," Harry said as his wife got ready to apparate to her destination.

"Harry, I have to go, I'm going to be late," Hermione complained, grabbing up her luggage. "I'll floo you tonight when I get settled in," she said as Harry gave her a kiss. Hermione dropped her luggage and brought her arms about Harry's neck, making him pull her in closer by the waist.

Suddenly, Hermione pulled away from their sweet goodbye. "I really have to go, Harry," she said, lifting her bags once again and apparating to the appropriate place. The first thing she saw was a head of shock-blond hair and a confused face looking down on her.

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked.

"Working. What are you doing here?"

"Working," Draco replied.

They stared at each other in complete silence until a short man walked up to Hermione and offered to take her bags. She sent him away with her luggage and a silver sickle before turning back to the blonde.

"Shall we?" Draco asked, gesticulating to a room beyond the lobby that they had apparated to.

Hermione gave a small nod and followed him into the room with the rest of the guests that would be here these three weeks.

Hermione tried to avoid Draco as they entered the crowded room, but he seemed to follow her everywhere she went. She received her room key from an elderly witch wearing an odd hat with a stuffed vulture on top. Hermione had the feeling that she knew her from somewhere, but she put the thought out of mind as she tried to ditch Draco as he was preoccupied with his own room key. In her hurried movement to the other side of the room, she noticed that she knew nobody.

"Hermione?"

Hermione spun around and look up at a man about her age with dark brown hair and brown eyes. Apparently, he knew her, but she couldn't recognize him.

"Hermione Granger?" he asked again.

Hermione nodded, ignoring the use of her maiden name.

"Don't you recognize me?" he asked in an amused voice. She was about to shake her head when he gave himself away with a big grin.

"Neville?" she asked. "What happened? You're so different!"

"Thanks, I guess," he laughed. "Gran guesses I was a late, late bloomer."

Hermione struck her forehead with an open palm. "The room-key lady! That was your Gran!" Then, in a lowered voice. "She still wears that hat?"

Neville smiled but then his grin faded and Hermione turned to see Draco looming over her once again.

"Malfoy," Neville said curtly.

"Longbottom." Then to Hermione. "Hermione."

"It's Potter, Malfoy."

"Well, Hermione, may I talk to you alone for a moment?"

"I'm quite comfortable here, thank you," she said.

"I can leave," suggested Neville, but he stopped when Hermione grabbed his sleeve.

"You're fine here," she said forcefully.

Neville smiled weakly and turned away from Hermione but remained near.

"I would really like to talk to you alone," explained Draco.

"Whatever you have to say can be said here."

Draco smirked. "I still love you, Hermione."

Neville spun around. "What?" he demanded.

"You can't say that!" Hermione hissed as she pulled him out to the door by his sleeve.

After they had made it out of the crowded room, Hermione slapped Draco across his face. He jolted back and rubbed the sore spot.

"Should I bother to ask what that was for?"

"For blurting something like that out in there!" she yelled.

Draco was about to defend himself when Neville suddenly broke through the door. Hermione looked away and bit her lip.

"Are you okay?" Neville asked Hermione.

"Just embarrassed," she admitted.

"So…what Malfoy said…?" Neville prompted, ignoring the third party for the time being.

Hermione turned and glared at Draco. "What Malfoy said was his idea of a joke."

"What I said was the truth," Draco insisted. "I meant it five years ago and I mean it now."

"I love Harry," Hermione stated firmly.

"Yeah, and I love Pansy," Draco mocked.

Hermione shifted her eyes away.

Neville, feeling like he was intruding, silently left the duo to fight it out themselves.

Draco took a step closer and gently brushed some of Hermione's hair back over her shoulder. He then cupped her face in his hand. Hermione's eyes fluttered at the familiar touch.

"Don't deny it, Hermione," Draco said softly. "You feel something for me. Admit it."

Hermione opened her eyes and slapped his hand away. She turned around and marched back into the crowded room, leaving Draco alone in the hall. When he came back in, Hermione's wavy brown hair was lost to him.

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