Chapter Eight

Hermione walked out into the garden hoping to find Draco and ask him about the kiss before. She had finally changed out of the oversized shirt and threw on a black, collared T-shirt and denim mini skirt. Her hair was in a low ponytail with a few of her shorter strands behind her ears. She hurried down the stone path she had walked down a hundred times before.

"It was only a kiss," she assured herself once again. "It was a moment thing, that's it. We were caught up in a moment and why the hell are my best friend, ex-boyfriend and, er, Draco together?"

Hermione ran up to the sight ahead of her. It looked like Harry was threatening Theo, who was leaning against a tree casually while Draco stood in the back trying to control himself, but from what?

"I've known her nearly her entire life she heard," Theo argued, "you've only known her for a few years. You didn't even know she had a boyfriend."

"'Had'. As in past tense. As in not anymore." Draco was being so cold to him and it was getting to Theo.

"Well what about you?" Theo turned from Harry to Draco. "I've heard you stop yourself from calling her Granger quite a few times. Not as close back at school?" He was taunting the boy with a sneer on a face and a glint in his eye.

Draco opened his mouth to argue, but held his tongue. Harry stepped up between the two boys, bother towering a few threatening inches above him and looked Theo in the eye.

"You didn't even know her birth name was Hermione." With that he turned around and took Draco by the arm, leading him in Hermione's direction. "Hermione!" Harry noticed Hermione after a few steps.

"Harry, Draco, Theo," Hermione addressed them all. She refused to look at Theo as she felt hot tears come to her eyes.

"Thera," Theo replied. He focused on her left earlobe. It hurt him too much to look at her big brown eyes. "I mean, Hermione." He walked past her and back to the house.

Hermione let out the chest full of air she had been holding and looked up at the two boys looking unsure of what to do.

"So what did I walk into?" Hermione asked, putting her hands in her pockets.

"He didn't deserve you," Harry began.

"Harry, please don't," Hermione couldn't bear it. This was the most confusing day of her life. She walked over and sat on the swinging chair.

"Hermione-"

"Just go find M-Draco's mom," Hermione told him. She just wanted to be alone. "The bond between you too is more important than me right now."

Harry tried to say something but Hermione gave him a look that shut him up. Before turning to leave he put a hand on her shoulder and told her; "if you need anything I will be in the library." He tapped her chin and smiled and turned to leave.

Hermione put her feet up on the swing and looked out into the distance.

"Mourning the death of a relationship you should never have been in?"

Hermione looked up. Draco walked around and lifted her feet to sit down on the swing. He gently placed her feet on his lap and looked at her.

"What do you mean?" She demanded, taking her feet back.

"The outfit? Well you are wearing black."

Hermione made a face at him.

"I mean you never loved him and he couldn't appreciate you for who you are."

Hermione was stunned that he would say that. "What do you mean he couldn't appreciate me for who I am?"

"You're a very special girl."

"Malfoy-"

"Hermione."

"I can't do this," Hermione jumped up. "I have-had a boyfriend! I was happy before you came here!"

"Not according to what I've been seeing and hearing," Draco put his hands behind his head and leant back, looking up at Hermione with an all-knowing smirk-smile on his face. "And I'm sure that if I can call you by your first name you can call me by mine."

"Listen, Draco, I don't know what you're up to and I don't think I want to know, so the next time you see me coming your way just turn around or shove the closest edible thing and shove it in your mouth. In fact, I don't care if it's edible or not or even toxic, just pick it up, put it in your mouth and swallow!" Hermione was angry, and just let it out. She wasn't really even that angry at Draco, but was just so glad to find an excuse to let it out.

"I know you don't mean that," Draco said calmly, standing up. He put his hands on her arms and looked into her eyes. "You just want to vent."

He had caught her and Hermione looked at him, stunned. "S-so what if I am?"

Draco smirked. "So what if I want a turn?"

Hermione crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"Well when my father became a death eater my grandparents thought that it would be perfect for my mother, who was already in love with him. The two got married and had me. My mother would take care of me in a way my father never did and actually cared about me. I loved her and she left me to go seek help from her best friend's son, who just happens to be the person who hates me most in this school." Hermione didn't say anything. She just looked away from him, refusing to let his words affect her again. "The person whose best friend just happens to be the most intriguing person I've ever met."

Hermione took a peek out of the corner of her eye. Did she just hear him right? "W-what?" she whispered.

Without saying a word Draco took her chin in his hand once again and planted his lips on hers.

Hermione felt herself being swept into eternal bliss. She forgot about the pain he had brought her and that she had been caused the past two days. She parted her lips and let his tongue sweep inside her mouth. It was a small, simple gesture that only lasted two seconds, but it sent more shivers through her body that even her first five-minute first kiss with Theo.

When Theo's name popped into her head, though, she pushed it back. Nothing would ruin this moment.

"Could she say it?"

"No, but she did. And it meant everything."