Chapter Three- Without You

"Your two little friends may have been right, that we shouldn't be together."

Those painful words rung through Hermione's head as she walked away from Draco. She really wanted him to run after her, to take her back into his arms. But she heard no footsteps behind her. Once she knew she was out of his sight, she ran up the staircase to the Gryffindor common room. Seated in front of the fireplace was Josh. When he heard footsteps, he looked up with a smile on his face, but when he saw that Hermione wasn't in the mood for smiles he kept a stern face and stood up slowly.

"Hermione..." started Josh. "I'm sorry." He walked towards her and she fell into his arms.

"No. I can't do this right now," Hermione withdrew from his arms when she felt no comfort or end to her misery. "Sorry." She rushed to her dormitory before Josh could say anything.

She collapsed onto her bed with different thoughts swarming around her mind. Her infatuation with Josh felt nice, yet her love for Draco seemed much more natural and real. It felt so good being with Josh, his stories seemed so bizarre yet so believable. Still, Draco was always there, to make her laugh, to keep her safe and warm. Yet now, he was no longer there. She felt as if she had blown everything with the one she loved. She regretted saying those hurtful words to Draco. They did not mean anything because Hermione knew that Draco was different now. She had just wanted to refute his insults. If only there was a way she could take them back. That was why she felt she deserved Draco's harsh words.


"I was wrong to think that you've changed. You know what, maybe it wasn't you after all."

Draco stood for a few minutes after Hermione left, astonished at their sudden breakup. He wanted to call after her, to say he was sorry and he loved her, but he couldn't. He moved slowly to his dormitory. Hermione was wrong. Draco knew that he had changed. Draco was no longer influenced by his family's prejudice against muggles. He also did not let his status of power through money and bloodline to make him feel like a superior. He no longer bullied other students and he did not fight with Hermione's friends. Draco knew that all these factors meant a lot to Hermione. Draco also believed that he hadn't changed back to his old self. However, he felt that his jealousy had led him to lose Hermione. He started to regret not waiting for her.

The next morning, Draco dragged himself out of bed and looked in the mirror. The eyes in his pale face were filled with sadness. When he got changed and arrived in the Great Hall, he sat next to Crabbe and Goyle.

"Still upset about that mudblood?" asked Crabbe, punching him lightly on the arm.

"Don't call her that," snapped Draco.

"Sorry, we'll let you be," said Goyle unapologetically.

There was a thud behind Draco's seat. He turned around to help up Luna Lovegood who had dropped her pile of books. On top of the stack was an open edition of The Quibbler. There was a recipe for a love potion. Love Potions were of course banned at Hogwarts, but he was felt that he had no choice. He was finished with politeness for the time being and snatched up the magazine. He raced to his empty dormitory and sat down to read it.

The ingredients he needed were rose petals, a red apple, purified water and a long incantation. The trouble was how to get Hermione to drink the potion. Hermione no longer seemed to want to be around him, but instead with Josh. So if Draco went up to her, she would move away. His opportunity came one morning when Hermione rose from the table at breakfast. He sneaked over and poured the concoction into her orange juice. When he finished he walked a few steps as Hermione returned to her table. They gave each other furtive glances as they passed each other. Hermione sat down and drank her juice without any hesitation.

However, for the next few days, Draco saw no resolution to his troubles. Hermione was still attached to Josh and completely ignored Draco. He never saw them kiss again, but he wondered if they ever did when they were alone. He suspected that the potion he used was just another phony one from an overrated magazine. He decided not to let himself get too disappointed. Draco felt there was no point in being nice anymore without Hermione. For a few days, he started to mock wizards and witches from other houses again. However, he stopped when he decided that bullying would only prove to Hermione that he had not changed. He resolved to pushing around Crabbe and Goyle as usual as he knew that Hermione didn't care how he treated them. Draco had nothing to do but try to focus on his studies or wish for an end to his troubles.

One evening, ten minutes toward the end of dinner, Professor McGonagall stood in front of the Great Hall and called for Draco's year to wait behind for ten minutes.

Almost immediately the Great Hall resonated with anticipation and the sounds of students trying to guess what their headmistress was about to tell them. When dinner ended, and once the younger years were shuffled to their dormitories, McGonagall began talking again.

"The most prestigious school of magic in America, The Merlin Academy of Magic, has presented Hogwarts with a most exceptional offer. One girl and one boy from each house will travel to The Merlin Academy to remain for two weeks and undertake various courses. The panel will include your Heads of House, myself and various teachers. Students who wish to take part will need to fill in applications and submit them within a month. You are now dismissed. Any questions, please see me at my office."

Amidst the chatter, Draco was deep in thought. He would enter, and then maybe Hermione would notice him.


Of course Hermione would enter, but she wouldn't let herself get disappointed if she wasn't accept. She had other things to worry about. Deep down, Hermione knew that one day she and Draco would be together again, but she didn't know how. Then again, maybe she had Josh. She decided to get to know him a bit better. However, she did not let their intimacy go beyond conversation and friendly gestures. She wasn't ready for a relationship with him.

"Hermione, you know I think you were much happier with Draco," Harry told Hermione a week after her breakup with Draco.

"Don't you see me smile with Josh?" Hermione answered his question with a question.

"Yeah I guess, but sometimes I see you looking really down," admitted Harry. "You miss Draco don't you."

"Yeah I miss him so much," replied Hermione, rolling her eyes.

The truth was she missed Draco a lot, but her infatuation for Josh often stopped her from becoming too depressed. She knew that she didn't love Josh, yet couldn't stop thinking about him. It was as if she was not the one in control, as if something was controlling her mind, or was it her heart?

One morning a mass of owls swept through the Great Hall as usual. At the Slytherin table, Draco saw a snowy owl come and drop an elegantly addressed envelope on his table.

"It's Father," Draco thought to himself.

Dear Draco,

It has come to my attention as articulated by certain acquaintances that you have been involved intimately with a muggle by the name of Hermione Granger. This is not to be tolerated as it goes against all the family's wishes. You will end any relations or feelings you have in the pursuit of honouring your family and winning back our respect.

Father

"You're a little late, Father," Draco thought to himself with a sad thought. If he was still with Hermione he would probably disregard his father's wishes. He only thought of Hermione. Still, there was not much point in thinking about it, as they were no longer together.

Meanwhile, at the Gryffindor table a tawny owl dropped a red envelope on Hermione's French Toast.

Ron gasped and said hurriedly, "maybe you should get it over and done with," as the foreboding envelope began to smoke. Hermione grabbed it and opened it, wondering who would be sending her such a letter.

"Let my son be!" boomed a masculine voice with a sinister tone, which resounded through The Great Hall. Hermione could not quite register the owner of the voice, nor who it was speaking of. She looked at Josh.

"Trust me Hermione, that was not my father, that's not his voice," Josh spoke up knowingly. "Besides, he's too busy taming wild Thestrals overseas."

Practically everyone in the Great Hall was gawking at her and whispering to each other, but none of that seemed to matter. It was as if only one person was looking at her, and that was Draco. He was frozen in his seat; he appeared extremely shocked and speechless at what he had just heard. She noticed that his hands were shaking, whilst holding a short letter. He looked as if he may as well have gotten a howler too.