Happy Christmas Eve! Look who's back! About the angst in the last chapter... It was needed, and I can't believe that I wrote that piece of angst. i didn't like to make Theo call Hermione like that, but it was needed. I hope you can forgive him, and let's see what Hermione is thinking. This is the last chapter before the epilogue, and I really hope you all enjoy what I had in store for this story.
"Are you sure you don't want me to kill him? I can make it look like an accident," Ginny said, sitting next to Hermione on her bed. "No one will suspect me, I can do an innocent face; I learnt from Fred and George."
Hermione opened a small smile to her friend, but she just wanted to be left alone. It had been five days since the date from hell, and Hermione wasn't feeling like she wanted to do much. She went to work and got back home, not feeling like getting out much, and her friends were starting to get worried.
"Thanks Gin, but you don't need to do that. I'll be alright, I just need some more time." Hermione sighed and sat down on her bed. "You know that you don't need to babysit me, right? I'm fine."
"I know that you don't need a babysitter, I like to spend some time with you," Ginny said with a smile on her face that actually made Hermione smile. "There you go, you finally smiled! Thank God, I thought that I was going to have to tell some jokes and I didn't know if I had it in me."
"Shut up, you weirdo," Hermione said, pushing Ginny and smiling at her. "The way you say, it's like I was dying."
Hermione knew that she had withdrawn from her friends, but she was feeling hurt and she didn't want to explain everything to them about what happened. It was bad enough that Ginny had come to see her that night and found her crying her eyes out.
"You weren't dying, but the way you were acting was a little worrisome." Ginny didn't know all the details, but she knew the gist of it. "I promised that I wouldn't ask about it, not until you were ready, and I'm going to honour my word."
"But you still want to ask me something, don't you?" Hermione asked, hearing the unasked question in Ginny's voice. "Go ahead, I'm not going to break over hearing a question from you."
Ginny bit her lip before she said something. "I know that you hated all of your dates, but I'm curious… You said that you were going to your family Christmas party with someone, so what are you going to do?"
Hermione laughed without humour, before feeling the tears prickling on her eyes. "That's the question worth one million pounds, isn't it? I decided to go stag. I'm not in the mood to find someone and the dates kinda scared me for life."
"But about Theo? You never told what happened with you two, just that you don't want to ever hear his voice ever again," Ginny asked softly, seeing Hermione's eyes welling with tears. "I thought you two had something great going on."
"I had thought so too," Hermione said with a sarcastic voice. "But I don't think that he thought the same, because he was at the restaurant with a gorgeous blonde by his side."
Ginny gaped, not believing in what she was hearing. "Are you sure that he was there with a date? It could be just a misunderstanding."
"It doesn't matter, Gin, I don't think that Theo and I would ever work out," Hermione said, wiping away some tears that had escaped. "It's fine, I'll be alright. Why don't I get changed and we go eat some scones from Coffeetopia? What do you say?"
"Sure, if that's what you want," GInny said, unsure of how Hermione was going to react to leaving her flat.
"That's what I want to do," Hermione nodded and smiled a little forcefully to her friend. "Sometimes, all you need is some good chocolate scone."
Hermione stood up and walked towards the bathroom, missing the way that Ginny was looking at her. Hermione knew that she was heartbroken, but she couldn't stop living; she needed to find a dress to the party and it's like they say: there's no time like the present.
"While we're going out, how about you help me find a dress for the party?" Hermione's voice came from the bathroom.
"Sure, I'll be happy to help it," Ginny said, getting a little worried over her friend, but she wasn't going to say anything. "Do you have something in mind?"
"I think I'll know it when I see it," Hermione said, leaving the bathroom in fresh clothes. "Let's go."
Hermione tried not to think much about being at her favourite coffee shop, one that she had shared with Theo. She still couldn't think of him without feeling a pang in her chest; he didn't even let her explain! Hermione didn't know what to do with all these feelings that she still felt for him, besides burying them inside her.
"I think we should grab some coffee to go and see if we can find your dress," Ginny said when they arrived at the coffee shop. "You know how you're to find clothes, especially one that is so important."
"I resent that, but I guess that you're right," Hermione said, smiling at the way Ginny was acting. "Fine, let's go get some coffees to go and we can go to the shopping centre."
Ginny squealed and clapped her hands, motioning for Hermione to enter the coffee shop. The brunette entered without thinking much, but stopped dead in her tracks: sitting at one of the tables was Theo, and she wasn't ready to face him.
"I'll wait for you outside, Gin, you know what I want," Hermione said quickly, before bolting from the shop, not giving time for Theo to see her. "What did I do to deserve this?"
Hermione didn't have to wait longer before Ginny was leaving the coffee shop with their orders and they walked towards Hermione's car; she thought that she had heard someone calling her name, but she didn't think much about it and just entered her car, decided to forget that she had seen Theo today.
"Do you have an idea of the type of dress you wanted?" Ginny asked, seeing how Hermione seemed to be retreating to herself. "You didn't choose the colour, did you?"
"No, I don't know what I want yet, I think I'll know it when I see it," Hermione said, seeming a little out of sorts. "I trust your taste when it comes to fashion, Gin, you know that."
Ginny made a noise of agreement, but Hermione didn't seem to hear it. She couldn't believe that when she finally decided to leave her house, she was going to run straight into Theo. She resented him for a moment for having introduced him into her favourite coffee shop, but Hermione didn't want to feel that way, no matter how they had ended things.
"I'm thinking about either red or green, since it's Christmas," Ginny said when they arrived at the shopping centre. "I think you would be amazing in a red dress."
Hermione tried to smile at her friend, but she wasn't feeling in the spirit of shopping, even though she knew that she needed to find something stunning to wear, since her cousins were probably going to make fun of her for appearing alone. She had a dress in her mind, but she didn't know if they would be able to find it, seeing how Christmas was practically knocking on their door.
"How about we look into that store that you love? I think that they would have the perfect dress for the party," Ginny was saying excitedly, and Hermione started to feel some of her excitement.
"If a store is going to have the dress to shut up my cousins, it's going to be there," Hermione said, smiling a little. "Let's go find something for me to wear."
Hermione and Ginny didn't take long in the store, finding the perfect dress for her to use at the Christmas party, and when they were leaving it, Hermione's eyes found a dress on the vitrin and Hermione decided to buy it, thinking that she could use it somewhere.
"Thank you for coming with me today, Gin, I don't know what I would do without you," Hermione said, hugging Ginny. "I'll see you at Blaise's for us to exchange our presents, right?"
"Yes, I wouldn't miss it for nothing!" Ginny said with a big smile. "Try not to get yourself holed up in your flat, or the next person who'll try to get you out may not be so nice."
"You're going to send Blaise in, aren't you?" Hermione said, glaring at her friend who only smiled angelically at her. "Fine, I won't be holed up—not that I was doing it."
"Of course you weren't, but don't do it again." Ginny hugged Hermione again. "I'll meet Draco here. Are you all right to go back home all by yourself?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, before chuckling. "Yes, you weirdo. I'll be fine. Don't need to be so worried about me."
"Take one to recognise the other," Ginny sing-songed, before waving Hermione goodbye. "See you in a few days, don't even try to hide or I'll unleash Blaise on you."
"Such a threat, bye Ginny!" Hermione said, while she looked at her friend walking away. Sighing to herself, she decided to go back to her flat and try to lay low for a few more days, until Blaise would come looking for her.
Sadly for Hermione, Blaise didn't give her days to hide herself in her flat. Sometimes she wondered why she was friends with him, but she couldn't argue that he had his moments, just like in that moment.
"What do you want?" Hermione asked, when she opened her door and found Blaise smiling wickedly at her. "Don't you have some party to go or other friends to bother?"
"Of course I do have other people to bother—I mean other friends—but I like bothering you the most," Blaise said with an angelic smile that didn't fool Hermione for a second. "I know that you don't have anything to do later this evening, so how about you change whatever you're wearing to a nice and pretty dress and come out with me? I know that you have one of these."
Hermione groaned, not wanting to deal with whatever Blaise was dealing with. She just wanted to stuff her face with ice cream and wine, and not think about changing from her pajamas.
"I'm wearing pajamas and I don't want to go with you to whatever you're going," Hermione said, leaving her door open, knowing that Blaise was going to enter her flat, whether she wanted to or not. "Why don't you invite another person? Someone who actually wants to go?"
Blaise entered and closed the door behind him. "My other friends are all busy tonight and I know for a fact that you didn't leave your flat for the last five days."
"Excuse me, but I left my flat today. I went to the shopping centre," Hermione said in a haughty tone that made Blaise smile at her. "You already knew that, didn't you?"
"Ginny may have mentioned something, and that's how I know that you bought a new dress and that's what you're going to change into, and go with me." Blaise started to steer Hermione towards her bedroom. "Go put it on and do your makeup, so I can be seen with you."
"Are you really going to make me get all dolled up?" Hermione whined, trying to find a way to not go out with Blaise. "Don't you love me?"
"I do love you, and that's the reason why you're going with me, now stop complaining and just go get ready. I have plans!" Blaise said, swatting Hermione's arse. "Hurry!"
"You're lucky that you're cute," Hermione said, glaring at Blaise, while she went to change her clothing. "I don't know why you're doing this, but it's better to be worth it."
"Oh, it's going to be worth it, you just wait for it," Blaise said before letting out an evil laugh. "Now hurry, sorellina, we need to go!"
Hermione complained the whole time that she had to change it, but she put it on the second dress that she had bought early. She didn't know if the black dress was appropriate to use, but since Blaise didn't say where they were going, she thought that she was dressed properly.
"Ma che donna più bella!" Hermione knew that whenever Blaise praised her in Italian, she was smoking hot. "If you dress up like this when you don't want to, imagine how it is when you do want to."
"You think you're funny, don't you?" Hermione glared at him, while she adjusted the strap on her sandals. "Can we just go? I'm tired and I'm not in the mood for anything that you may be planning."
Blaise smirked and Hermione didn't like it. "Don't worry, you'll be in the mood in no time at all."
Hermione tried not to read between the lines in what Blaise was saying, but for now, she wasn't going to think about it, just following him out of her flat and hoping for the best.
"Why are we at Coffeetopia when it looks like it's closed for the night?" Hermione asked, after Blaise had reached their destiny. "What are you playing at?"
"Nothing, you crazy woman. Stop looking at me like you're planning my murder," Blaise shrived while Hermione glared at him. "It isn't just me, Draco wanted you to go here too."
"Why are Draco and you planning to get me out of the house?" Hermione was getting suspicious. "I'm not entering this coffee shop until you tell me why."
Blaise sighed, "Hermione, I know that you don't want to enter without knowing everything, but just trust me in this? Please?"
Hermione closed her eyes, just to open them a second later and looked at Blaise and seeing that he was pleading with his eyes, and decided to trust him on this.
"Fine, I'm trusting you. But if I regret going in, you're getting an earful from me later." Hermione left Blaise's car and walked towards the coffee shop. "It's better not be a trick."
Hermione decided to walk slowly towards the coffee shop, cursing Blaise and Draco on her head, not wanting to encounter what was waiting for her on the other side. She stopped at the door, taking another deep breath before opening the door and entering; she let the door close behind her and stopped to adjust her dress.
Hermione reached her arms back to adjust the two thin straps that criss crossed behind her, leaving the rest of her back bare, before patting down the frills on the sides of her knee-length black dress. The thick belt-like elastic around her waist was a little tight, and she grimaced, wondering if she should have selected this dress for the evening—was perfectly snug and complimented her body shape, for which she was grateful for as she hadn't wanted to look like a poofy marshmallow.
She heard a sharp intake of breath from behind her, and turning around, she was surprised to see Theo, looking too good in a suit that hugged all his muscles.
"Theodore? What are you doing here?" Hermione asked, seeing how the coffee shop was empty and they were the only ones there. It was like a sudden realisation dropped on her head. "You planned this with Draco and Blaise! How could they do this with me?"
"I didn't know that you were friends with them, I just asked them for help," Theo said, holding his hands towards her. "I was hoping that you would appear here, but I never imagined that you were actually going to appear."
Hermione couldn't believe in her luck; it was like someone wanted her to suffer through all this.
"I wanted a way to say sorry for what I said and did the last time that we saw," Theo said, trying to get near her, but Hermione wasn't buying it.
"Sorry? You want to say sorry? After what you said to me? I don't think I can forgive you," Hermione said, taking a step back from him, seeing him flinch at it.
"Please, Hermione, I just need another, please!" Theo was almost kneeling in front of her, and although Hermione felt that he needed to do this, she wasn't ready for it.
"I'm sorry, but I can't do this," Hermione whispered before bolting to the door and walking away. She stopped the first cab that passed and gave her address. Unbeknownst to her, Theo was following her in his car.
It didn't take long for her to arrive at her place; Hermione tried to let go of the anger that she was feeling, and the murdering thoughts running through her mind, but she knew that she couldn't hold it against Draco and Blaise… not for long, at least. She was ready to enter her flat and left it all behind her, but before she could do it, Theo had come behind her and grabbed her arm.
"What do you think you're doing? You made your thoughts very clear of what you think of me," Hermione said, trying not to look at Theo. "And you said that you didn't want to see me ever again."
"You said the same thing, but you were at the coffee shop! It looks like we both took what we said back," Theo said, coming near her and Hermione felt him looming over her. "Why are you running from me, Hermione?"
"I'm not running from you, you hurt me and I didn't want to see you anymore!" Hermione almost yelled, before she felt tears prickling in her eyes. She looked at Theo's eyes before continuing, "You hurt my feelings and I don't think I could do this anymore."
"I wanted to say I'm sorry at what I said the moment it left my mouth, but you ran off and didn't let me apologise," Theo said angrily, getting near her and Hermione could feel her door at her back.
"This doesn't mean anything, since you were there with that gorgeous blonde!" Hermione shouted, looking at Theo's mouth instead of his eyes, but this was a mistake.
"I just wanted to explain things but you didn't hear it! Why are you so stubborn?" Theo asked and before Hermione realised what was happening, Theo had slammed his lips into hers.
Their kiss wasn't soft, it was demanding and rough and everything that Hermione didn't know that she wanted until that moment. They were yanking each other's hair to get them closer. Hermione's mind was blank and she was getting herself lost in Theo's kiss.
"We shouldn't be doing this," Hermione managed to say when the air was necessary. "I don't think this is a wise thing to do."
Either Theo didn't hear here or he didn't care, because he kept kissing her and Hermione was melting on the spot. She could feel the doorknob hitting her back, but she couldn't care much about it when she could feel Theo's thigh pressing against he center, and felt his hands kneading her breasts.
"Can we move this inside your flat?" Theo managed to say, while he kissed her neck and Hermione whimpered. "Please, Mi?"
Hermione faltered at the nickname, seeing how Theo never claled her like this and before she realised what she was doing, Hermione opened the door to her flat and brought Theo with her.
They never stopped kissing, but the anger that Hermione felt before was gone. Theo's kisses now were resembling the one that they shared at the cinema, which made Hermione stop and push Theo's shoulder.
"I think we should talk before we continue what we're doing," Hermione said and blushed bright red after what she had said. "I mean, yeah, you—"
Theo's rough chuckle interrupted her ramblings. "I agree that we should talk before we continue anything. For starters, I'm deeply sorry for what I said that day. I should have never called you that and I'm truly sorry."
Hermione grabbed Theo's hand and brought him to sit on the couch. "I accept your apologies, and I'm sorry for slapping you."
"I don't need an apology, I deserved it." Theo said, looking at her hands instead of her eyes. "And the gorgeous blonde that you mentioned was there with me? She's my cousin, Rebecca, who had just broken up with her girlfriend and wanted to go out to forget."
Hermione felt her blush return, feeling like someone had just hit her with a ton of bricks.
"I think we were both quick to jump to conclusions, huh?" Hermione said, not knowing what to say, and almost thinking that Theo was going to leave it, but he surprised her.
"I think that we need to work on it," Theo said before grabbing her hands and giving it a kiss. "Now that we put all the cards on the table, can we go back from where we stopped? And after that, maybe I can take you on a date?"
Hermione smiled and kissed Theo lightly on the lips. "Yes, you can take me on a date later. How do you feel about going with me to my family's Christmas party?"
"I would love nothing more," Theo said, kissing her more forcefully and Hermione didn't say anything else. "Can you show me your bedroom now?"
"I thought that you were never going to ask." Hermione stood up and grabbed Theo's hand, before bringing him to her room.
Hermione tried not to think much about what she was going to do, she just let herself feel. She pushed Theo on her bed and turned to him, showing her back and silently asking him to open her dress. Theo didn't need another invitation and Hermione could feel his breath on her neck, and Hermione shivered.
"If you aren't certain, I can leave." Theo's rough voice reached her ears and she felt her heart melting. "We don't need to do anything that you don't want, Hermione."
"I want to do it, Theo," Hermione said in a breathless whisper. "I want you, Theo."
It was like Hermione had said the magical words, because she felt Theo's hands opening the straps of her dress and soon, she was standing in just her knickers and her heels.
"You look like a vision," Theo said in her ear, before grabbing one of her earlobes with his mouth. "I could keep looking at you all night, but I don't think that this is what you want."
Theo pushed Hermione softly into the bed before taking off his jacket and his shoes; Hermione bit her lip seeing him strip to her. Theo winked at her, while he took off her heels, and Hermione bit her lip harder.
Before they continued, Hermione grabbed something on her nightstand. "Just so we don't forget later," she said, showing Theo the condom in her hand.
"Good thinking," Theo said, taking off his shirt and showing her his muscles. "I may get too busy later to remember."
Hermione almost whimpered when she felt Theo's weight on top of her, kissing her with a care that she didn't expect, but moaning at the loss of contact. She was starting to move her body under him, showing Theo where she wanted him to touch her.
Theo trailed kisses down her stomach and finally reached where Hermione wanted him most; he wasted no time, and was soon kissing Hermione's clit, making her see stars.
She could feel that Theo actually knew what he was doing, putting one and then two fingers on her, making her moan more than she thought possible. Hermione felt that she was almost reaching her orgasm, but before she could finally come, Theo stopped his movements, which caused a groan from Hermione.
"Don't worry, Mi, I'll get you there," Theo said, grabbing his pants and picking up a condom to put on. Hermione couldn't help but be impressed by the size of Theo's cock, and she couldn't help biting her lip.
When she least expected it, Theo was already between her legs, moving his cock into her entrance, and then Theo was inside her and Hermione saw stars. Theo was already hitting spots inside her that she didn't even know existed; each thrust of him brought her closer to ecstasy and he seemed to know exactly that. Hermione knew she was leaving marks on Theo's back, but he didn't seem to mind.
It didn't take long for both of them to come, and Theo got out of Hermione, heading to the bathroom to toss the condom in the trash. When he returned, he saw that Hermione was still lying down as he had left her, and that put a smile on his face.
"Do you mind if I stay here?" Theo asked, laying down next to her and throwing a blanket on top of them both.
"I would mind if you leave," Hermione said, snuggling closer to Theo. "I'm glad you're here now."
"I'm glad too," Theo said, kissing Hermione's forehead. "I still want to take you out on a date, you know?"
"I know… maybe we can start with my family's Christmas party?" Hermione said in a sleepy whisper, but she knew that Theo heard.
"Anything you want, Mi," Theo replied in the same sleepy tone. "I don't intend to let you go anymore."
With Theo's words playing in her head, Hermione drifted to sleep with a smile on her face.
Hermione smoothed her dress nervously. It wasn't the first Christmas party that she was participating in, but she was so nervous to attend this one. It's been eight days since she and Theo had resolved their differences, and Hermione was waiting for Theo to arrive at the party.
"Sweetie, are you going to stand by the door all night? Everyone is already at the ballroom," Emma said, coming near Hermione and kissing her forehead. "Who are you waiting for?"
"Her invisible boyfriend, the same that she said was going to accompany her, but like always, Hermione wasn't telling the truth," Esme said, coming near Hermione with a glass of champagne in her hand. "Why don't you admit that you were lying?"
"Because I wasn't, Esme, and you'll bite your tongue when you realise it," Hermione said with gritted teeth, before smiling sweetly at her cousin. "I just hope that you don't die with your venom. "
Before Hermione's cousin could reply, the doorbell rang and Emma opened the door, to find Theo looking very dash in a suit.
"Theodore! How nice to see you today!" Emma said, before motioning for him to enter.
"Hello, Emma, how are you?" Theo asked, smiling at Hermione's mum. "Hermione invited me. I hope that I'm not overstepping."
"Nonsense, I'm so glad that you're here!" Emma said with a glint in her eyes. "This means that you and Hermione are dating? I need to call Anastasia!"
Emma practically skipped the room, and Hermione giggled at her mum. Ignoring her cousin gaping at her, Hermione grabbed Theo's hand and dragged him to the ballroom.
"Oh, and Esme?" Hermione said, stopping next to her cousin who was glaring daggers at her. "Isn't your boyfriend under the mistletoe with Eloise? I don't think I'm the one having trouble with my boyfriend."
Hermione giggled and heard Theo's chuckles while her cousin ran away screaming at her sister for kissing her boyfriend.
"You look dashing in red, love," Theo whispered in her ear, before leaving a kiss on her neck. "Ready to dazzle your family with your boyfriend?"
Hermione looked at Theo, remembering all of the dates that she went trying to find someone that was perfect for her and she would never have imagined that it would be someone who wasn't even trying.
"I'm ready. Thank you for being here today," Hermione said before kissing Theo lightly on the lips. "You're all I want for Christmas."
Theo beamed at her and bent down to kiss her properly. Hermione knew that she was lucky to have found Theo. He was the one that she was looking for.