A/N: Hello, hello. Chapter two is complete, but not betad. My email is having some horrible problems, so it may be a bit before the chapters are relplaced with the betad copies. So sorry. All complaints can be filed to AoL! I know mine have. I hope you have enjoyed this story so far. I have NO reviews. This makes me sad. My first attempt at slash can't be all too bad. Not worth comments? Granted, it isn't really slash yet, but rest assured it will be. It is still in the pre-slash stage. Bare with me people. Love you! (evne though i get no reviews) Damn it, if i suck just tell me. I will pull it. Give me something. Happy reading munchkins.

Chapter 2

Hermione was seated at her desk when an owl flew through her window. She pulled the blue envelope from its beak, gave it a treat and let it fly away. 'Ah, Draco.' she thought. 'He never did give up easily.' She opened the letter and went to read near the fire.

Hermione,

Would you like to meet me at the three broomsticks at 3 on Saturday for a drink? You can invite Ron if you want, but I think it is time we talked about your situation with Harry. It isn't healthy to keep things like that locked up. Fire call if you need me.

With love,

Draco

She turned the parchment over and wrote a quick response and gave the envelope to her owl, Emily. "Take that to Draco, Em. Thank you." the owl went out her window and drifted into the evening sky.

Draco was sitting in his flat. He had just got home from work. He hated Wednesdays, stupid people run abound in the middle of the week. He wasn't quite sure why. Just as he was about to change, Emily flew through his bedroom window. 'Well, that was quick.'

"Thank you, my darling." he petted Emily's head and she hoo-ed in response. He opened the letter that he had written. 'That isn't very nice. She could have just said no.' he soon noticed the text on the back and turned it over. 'Now that is tacky. I though Hermione had better taste. Although she is the type to save a tree or two.'

Draco,

Bring Harry up and I will leave.

Hermione

'So much for my plan. Should have known she would see through it. She is way too smart for her own good.'

Draco was sitting at a table in the three brooms sticks. He had just seen Hermione walk in, but then she disappeared. It made him nervous, knowing she was there, but he wasn't sure exactly where. She might still be mad at him.

"Hello Draco." Someone said from behind him. He turned and saw the bushy, brown hair.

"Hello Hermione. Are we still feeling frosty or is this going to be a pleasant meeting?"

"I felt I had no more choice. It really isn't any of your business, but I appreciate you trying to help."

"I try." he blushed slightly. If only she knew.

"Why the hell are you here Draco?" he looked up quickly and saw her looking confused.

"What do you mean? I invited you here. I wanted to talk. We used to talk without needing a particular reason. Do I need motives to speak to my best friend?" he looked hurt and slightly concerned.

"No, you don't, but I don't understand why you are trying so hard to get Harry and me back together. It is over and I know for a fact you liked him. I don't know if that is still the case, but either way I am confused." she did look quite perplexed and expecting. 'Oh shit, I actually have to answer. I never could lie to her. I have to work on that!'

"Hermione, I never knew how to tell him, or you, or anyone. You two seemed so happy and then all of a sudden it was over. I want to try, but he still loves you so much and I would rather him be happy than settle for me. He should never have to settle for less than he deserves or wants. All he wants is you 'Mione. As much as it hurts me to admit it. He loves you and if you don't grab him back soon my resistance may break. I don't want to ruin my friendship with him. He is one of my best friends, first and foremost. All of my other feelings fall after that. You are what is best for him." he had a few tears rolling down his cheek. 'God, that hurt more than I expected.'

"Draco, look at me." he slowly raised his face and she was smiling weakly. "I still love him." his chest constricted in an unfamiliar way. Maybe he just wouldn't be able to breathe again. "I will always love him, but there are so many issues that we have to resolve, so many things we don't agree on anymore, and so many things that we haven't addressed. If you love him the way I think you do, you should tell him. I don't know if he is bi, yet another thing that we never talked about. We changed so much after they war. We knew everything about each other before and I think we were afraid of how much we may have changed afterward. We just stopped. We were happy assuming that we were the same and it wasn't healthy. I just think that you should try. You never know." she started to get up, but he grabbed her hand.

"Did you not hear me? He LOVES YOU. Why would he consider me if he is in love with someone else. I know there are issues, but love like that just doesn't go away. If you have changed, maybe you changed together. You went through the same general experiences. I will speak to him about it and maybe you can still work it out. As much as I would love it, Harry and I were not meant to be." he got up, brushed past her, and left the café.

None of them saw the object of their conversation in the corner, nursing a butterbeer. He wanted to stay low key since it seemed that they were talking about him, but then he heard the very last sentence of their conversation. 'Draco wanted more than friendship?' He wasn't gay. He had thought about it, of course, but he loved Hermione. It didn't seem that any one else, male or female, existed in a romantic light. He would pretend that he never heard it. 'Draco was right, we aren't meant to be.' he finished his butterbeer, paid, and left shortly after Hermione did. He followed her at a distance until they reached the town square of Hogsmeade. "Hermione, wait, please." she stopped and turned her head, but briskly walked towards Flourish and Blotts. "Hermione!" she stopped again, but this time stayed put while he inched closer. It seemed he was almost afraid that any sudden movements would scare her away. "Can we talk?" he said as he stood directly in front of her.

"And what the hell would we have to talk about, Harry? We are over, unless you forgot."

"Why? Give me one good reason to give up and I will walk away." he looked at his feet, waiting for his fate.

She had given up on the cheating theory after her dinner with Draco. Harry would never lie to him, for anything. "We are not the same people we were. After the war, we never spoke. We just squeezed right back into our old roles as though nothing had happened. Well, I refuse to live like that. If that war taught us anything, it is that life is far too short to pretend to be something you are not. Eventually, something happens anyway and the truth comes out. It happened to each of us: Remus, Molly, Ginny, Ron…"she counted them out on her fingers, but stopped as she was about to say Draco. "Their secrets devastated people! Their life caught up with them and some did not last long enough to apologize. Remus died and Tonks will have to live forever knowing her husband had a child with another woman, but then that attack- well you know the story. The point is none of those people have closure." she was about to keep walking, but something held her at that spot, in front of Harry. He noticed and smiled slightly.

"I'm not saying that we have to stay those people, but can't we try? Is my love not enough to justify the effort?" he looked so sad at that statement. She wanted to stroke his cheek. No, this is why she had been avoiding him. No matter how much she tried, she had to touch him. She stopped herself halfway from his hair. Her fingers longed to stroke his raven locks and yet, her heart said she should pull away. So, she retracted her out stretched hand and Harry's heart fell.

"I'm sorry Harry, I can't." and she walked into the store without another word. Harry stood there for a few more moments before walking back to the three broomsticks. He would have something a bit stronger than butterbeer this go around.

Draco walked into the pub around seven. He was supposed to meet Ron at eight, but decided to get a bit sloshed before hand. As he walked in he noticed that Harry had beaten him to it. He was seated at the bar, slightly hunched over and trying desperately to keep his balance. He walked over to his friend and lightly touched his shoulder. He tensed and turned to face him.

"Oh, hi Draco." he looked uncomfortable and that's pretty damn hard when you're as drunk as he was.

"Harry, you could have left some for the rest of us. I don't fancy a trip to the hog's head." he laughed lightly, but frowned at the look on Harry's face. "What's wrong, mate?" Harry loosened up a bit and stuck a fake, but drunk grin on his face.

"Nothing Draco." his voice was forced and shaky.

"You can't lie to me Harry." he grabbed Harry's face in his hands without thinking and looked in his eyes. "What is wrong?" his green eyes were filled with fear and sadness. "Damn it, Harry. Just tell me!"

Harry spoke timidly. "Nothing is going to be the same now. My girl doesn't want me, but my best mate does. I can't take this." he slurred his words a bit, but they had they same affect.

"What did you just say?" Draco was panicking. 'What does he know and who told him?' he thought as Harry inched away from his touch. Draco was lurched back into reality by the movement. "Harry, I don't know what to say. It isn't Ron is it?" he was praying, praying that this was a misunderstanding.

"Draco, I know you aren't stupid. You know exactly-" he started to slide off his chair, but Draco caught him. As he was placed back on his chair he continued. "What I am talking about. I heard you and Hermione talking in here earlier. Why- why? Nothing is going to be the same now. Hermione will never take me back and our friendship is pretty much dust. I don't know of many friendships that survive rejection." you have to hand it to Harry; even drunk he was subtle. Not subtle enough though. Draco slowly returned to his seat and his head sunk to the counter.

"Harry, you are s- sure that there is no way, we could ever" he stopped and cried for the second time that day. He never cried, but Harry was everything he wanted. He wiped his cheeks and turned to Harry. He was staring at Draco intently.

"I-I never meant to hurt you. I don't want this to affect our friendship, but I would be a f-fool to think it w-won't." he had just downed his 8th fire whiskey as Draco started to cry and his speech was getting harder to comprehend. Draco slowly got up and apperated to his flat. Ron showed up at 10. He had waited at the pub for 2 hours. He got a bit worried so he went to his apartment. He didn't like what he found.

A/N: I know I bitched plenty in my opening, but : LITTLE PURPLE BUTTON: (don't worry be happy!)