Chapter Four: Let Her Go

Theo paced around the library. His hands were fidgeting behind his back as he walked the length of the room and back. For the past half hour he had been replaying his discussion before.

Why was he so easily willing to let her go? He knew how sensitive she was, and how easily she scared. She was a very protective and secretive person. Maybe they should just have gone slower.

Knock Knock

Theo whipped his head around and looked into the opening doorway. She was beautiful. He loved the way her hair gently flowed over her shoulders, the way her hips swayed slightly when she walked slowly into a room, but above all, he loved how her eyes would give away everything. He could just look at them for a quick moment and instantly know exactly what she was thinking, what she was feeling, and now she was feeling scared.

"Theo," Hermione looked straight up into his eyes. They were almost empty from emotion. Almost.

"No, Thera, please let me go first." He had to say what he had to say.

"I think we should break up." That wasn't exactly what he had in mind. "Theo?" She put her hand to his paralyzed cheeks.

He snapped back into reality. "What? I'm sorry. Did you just break up with me?"

"I am so sorry," tears began to flow freely from her eyes. "Please understand that I love to be with you. I want nothing more than that, but if you're so willing to throw it all away because you can't understand that I'm afr-"

"But what are you afraid of?" His voice was rising, unable to be controlled. "What could possibly be so terrifying that has you afraid to love? How could you possibly use fear as an excuse not to-"

"I'M AFRAID BECAUSE OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF I SAY IT!" Hermione didn't even hear what she was saying. It was all just coming out. "I'M AFRAID BECAUSE LOVE IS EXACTLY WHAT KILLED HARRY'S PARENTS! LOVE IS WHAT DESTROYED THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE ENTIRE WIZARDING COMMUNITY FOR-"

"What?" Hermione realized what she had just said. She had accidentally let her emotions let out one of her biggest secrets. "Wizarding community?"

"Dizzying. The dizzying community of society that, er…" Hermione bit her lip, trying to think of what to say next when thankfully the squeak of the door opening. The two turned to see who it was.

Draco walked into the room, hoping to find a quiet room to read a book Zelia had told him would help him find a spell to find his mother. He looked around, instantly realizing that he had interrupted something important.

"Is he a wizard too?" Theo yelled, motioning at Draco.

Hermione pleaded at him with her eyes, trying to apologize for letting their secret slip, but also hoping for help.

"What are you talking about?" Draco asked. "Thera, what is this nonsense your little boyfriend is speaking? If I were you I might want to trade him in for a saner model."

Hermione motioned for him to shut up, which he did.

"See, Theo? This is nonsense." Hermione turned to him. "Are you looking for an excuse to be the one to end this?" She threw her arms in the air.

"GREAT! NOW THE ENTIRE HOUSE KNOWS!" He was becoming more and more frustrated.

"OH COME ON! You were so ready to dump my ass this morning! You nearly did it last night! What's to say that had I not gotten to it first, you would have broken up with me five seconds later?" Hermione's face was red. Her tears felt hot as they ran down her cheeks. She didn't even care, or remember, that Draco was in the room. Her face was already turned back at Theo.

"I was ready to tell you to take all the time in the world and that you didn't have to say it, but I know that you love me and that I was sorry for pushing you to say something you weren't ready to," Theo hissed. Before anything more could be said, he stormed out of the room.

Hermione stood, frozen in place, trying to understand what had just happened. Had she just destroyed the best thing she had ever had?

Draco saw from where he was standing, beside the first desk in the room, Hermione shake. She grabbed her arms and he heard her cry. He did not know what to do, but walk over and try to comfort her. It was against all he had ever stood for, all he had hoped to set his image apart from.

He walked slowly over to her, slowly (hoping someone would come before he reached her), and put his arm around her. Hermione turned into his chest at his slightest touch and cried until she had no tears left.

It wasn't until a half hour had passed that Hermione realized it was Draco who she was crying on and that it was his arm that was patting her shoulder.

"Oh," she jumped back and wiped the tears from her face, "I'm sorry."

"N-no, it's okay." He looked down at her petite figure. She looked so vulnerable. Wait, she almost let out their secret. "Granger, you know that you're lucky I was here to cover your mistake. Don't let it happen again." He swished air, not realizing that he wasn't wearing a robe, and stormed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Hermione walked over to the desk and sat down in the chair. She looked at the book in front of her, opened it up, and just read. What she didn't know was that on the other side of the door, down a flight of stairs and in the backyard Draco Malfoy was reading the second part.

"What the hell did you do?"

"I let her go."