It was well past noon when Draco had landed on the paved path leading to the giant wrought iron gates of the manor. The excitement within him was akin to a relentless ball of energy refusing to cease it's energetic motions within him.

While he was away, he thought long and hard about his feelings towards Hermione. He thought right into the night and throughout the day. He thought while he worked. And he had come to the conclusion that he would entertain his feelings towards her in the hopes that it would blossom into something more.

He made his entrance into the silent manor, walking with a fierce determination in his heart. He began to peruse each room in search of Hermione but five rooms in, it was apparent that neither her, nor his son, were home.

He walked towards the library's large mahogany door, twisting the doorknob before pushing it open. It's okay. He would just find a fine piece of literature to entertain himself with. And when she made her return, they would talk about it, the discussion diverting into a full blown debate.

He stopped in his tracks. His heart stilled as well.

Hermione sat huddled up by the stained glass window, her eyes focused on the words of the piece of literature. Her plump lips moved as she mouthed the words she read. Her frizzy hair had been tied into a messy bun, a few errant hairs falling in front of her eyes. Her cheeks were flushed crimson.

His heart jumped into his throat. Not this soon…

He had envisioned the moment he would confess his growing love and admiration for her, time and time again, everything forming from the time, to the place, to the manner it would be done.

It would start out as an argument, the exchange of words between them ugly. Judging by the nature of their relationship it would be over something petty. As she stormed out of the room he would grab her, and grace her with a surprise kiss.

And he would let fate take over from there.

He knew that it was a terribly cliche scenario. He knew there was a likelihood that it wouldn't go the way he was intending. It didn't matter, as long as he got to kiss her again.

This is too soon. He thought again, but his mind was too slow for his mouth, for he called out to her: "Hermione!"

"What do you want?" He froze, taken aback by her icy tone.

"I just wanted to say hi." He shuffled awkwardly, biting the inside of his cheek.

"You said hi. Now leave." Draco bit his lip, growing frustrated by her tone. Where was the Hermione that had kissed him before his departure?

Draco sighed. "Are you okay?" Hermione huffed, dropping her book. "Oh? Suddenly you're concerned about my well-being? What changed Malfoy?"

His heart skipped a beat, and not in a pleasant way.

She had called him Malfoy.

"Okay, why the fuck are you acting like this? I thought we were cool." Hermione got to her feet, ire evident on her face. "Oh you thought we were cool?"

"You kissed me so I assumed so!" He said, his voice rising by a few octaves. This isn't how any of it is supposed to go.

"Oh just cut the crap Draco, I know the truth!" She yelled, as she marched towards him. Draco stumbled backwards, startled by the genuine rage she exuded. What did he do to warrant such an aggressive response?

"What truth?"

She gave a hollow chuckle, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. "So are you going to continue leading me on, like I'm some stupid slag?!" She cried, jabbing an accusatory finger into his chest.

Draco felt overwhelmed by confusion and frustration. What was she going on about, what had he done?

"Hermione, what is this about?" She glared at him, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"I spoke to your ex, Draco." The world stilled, and at that moment it was like everybody else in the world stopped breathing with him.

Celeste.

He couldn't say he was shocked by his past lover's actions. But him being used to her erratic behaviour didn't spare him from the anger that gripped him.

"Y-You spoke to Celeste?" He asked quietly.

Hermione's anger quelled, her tone growing sad. "Do you even care about me at all?"

"Hermione I—" He couldn't give a concise answer, considering that his feelings for her were just budding, barely grown enough for him to understand them. He abhorred how he felt like a fucking teenager.

He left his sentence incomplete.

She shook her head. "Merlin, I'm so stupid. And to think I allowed myself to feel something for you."

"What do you feel for me, Hermione?" He asked bravely. She shook her head vehemently. "It doesn't matter does it? Why would you feel anything for a lowly mudblood like me?"

Draco winced at the usage of the slur.

"Hermione let me explain." He said, reaching for her. She ripped her arms away from him, a look of disgust on her face. With that, she stormed out of the library.

The world had begun to move again, the pain of the interaction just beginning to settle in his heart. He clenched his fists.

Out of all the worst possible outcomes for him professing his love for her, this had not been on the list at all.


With the stench of alcohol heavy in his breath, he apparated to Celeste's apartment in the dead of the night, absolute ire possessing him.

He banged against the door like a madman. He heard her voice on the other side, a sickly sweet poison that could ensnare even men with the strongest will. Draco was once one of those men.

She opened the door. Her raven hair had been put into a bun, and she adorned a black silk robe. "Draco? What brings you to my place at this hour?"

He ignored her words and shoved her into the house, storming in afterwards. Celeste's apartment was something out of those interior design magazines muggles often read. The decoration and colour scheme was very chic and modern, a house fit for an aspiring fashion designer/model such as Celeste. The colour schemes were black and white, with a touch of oak wood here and there. Her furniture taste bordered on the fancy side, extravagant side.

She stumbled back into the arm of her black leather couch. Her blue eyes made contact with Draco's grey, the colour draining from her face as she searched it and found only an inhumane look within them.

"Draco—"

"Shut up." He hissed.

"D-Draco you have to understand, I love you, I couldn't bear the thought some slag—"

"DON'T YOU DARE CALL HER A SLAG!" He yelled. She shrunk back. "Hermione is ten times the woman you could ever be!"

Celeste somehow regained her prideful and cynical disposition that Draco had scared out of her momentarily. "Is that so? Does that pathetic excuse of a woman really surpass me? Does her messy bird's nest of hair really entice you? Does she possess the feminine wiles that could knock any man off his feet? Does she ooze sex appeal like I do?" She was now inches from him, voluptuous chest pushed out towards him.

"Celeste." He said, his tone warning.

"Come on Draco, what could that Mudblood give you that I can't?" Her arms wrapped around his neck. Draco was still, his jaw clenched. She had done it once again: like a snake charmer, she had caught him in a trance. She pressed a kiss on his jawline, then another on his Adam's Apple that bobbed as he gulped. She ran her fingers through his blonde curls.

She then left Draco, moving backwards as she untied her gown, the fluid garnet falling to the ground, pooling at her feet like a puddle of water.

She had on a black lace lingerie set consisting of a black lace bra, a thong and lace stockings. She then released her hair from the bun, her silky tresses framing her slim face.

"Can Hermione give you this?" She asked, gesturing to herself. "Because I can. I can give you this and more." Celeste walked forward again. She cupped Draco's face, before bringing her lips to his.

The kiss had reawakened all the lost passions that he had successfully buried. His inhibitions simmered to almost nothing.

He found himself kissing her back ardently. He cupped her backside, pressing her body forward. His tongue danced an intense dance with hers.

He opened his eyes and Celeste had completely vanished. In her place, was Hermione. She wore her outfit from the day she had kissed him. Her frizzy mane fanned her face, her eyes were shut and her face was flushed. He deepened the kiss, his large hands running over fantasy Hermione's body.

The mirage lasted momentarily before it began to waver, Hermione's form beginning to vanish, replaced by Celeste.

Draco snapped out of his trance, pushing Celeste off of him. She stared, mouth opened in shock. "I don't care if Hermione can't give me what you have, because I don't need it anyway." And with that, he left a fuming Celeste behind.

Celeste dropped to the couch and wailed, her keening similar to the one of a person mourning the death of their loved one. But yes, she was mourning! She was mourning the loss of her love, but not to the cold grasp of death. She had lost him to another woman. She cried till her mascara was a messy black smudge that ran down her pale face.

And then she stopped crying, an evil smile suddenly gracing her tear streaked face as she was hit with an epiphany.

He didn't want her? It was fine, totally fine. If she couldn't have Draco, then she guessed no one could, not even the stupid Mudblood.


"Blimey, I had no idea she could sink to that level." Blaise said, sipping from his glass of whiskey. Draco sat across him, glass clutched in his hand although he didn't take a single sip of his drink. This had been the first time in a long time since Draco looked so troubled, the previous times being because of Astoria's death and Celeste's lies and cynicism.

"Well, I unfortunately can't say I'm surprised." Draco sighed. "She's never going to let me be happy Blaise." Blaise huffed. "And Hermione?"

"I walked past her room. Heard her screaming and breaking stuff." Draco heaved an additional sigh. Never would he guess that she would react in such a manner.

The progress that he had been making with Hermione had been halted by Celeste and her deviousness. It felt as though she had lifted him and dropped him back to square one.

Draco stood up, placing his glass on the desk. "Where are you going mate?" Blaise asked, sipping at his drink again. "I'm going to see if I can fix things." He then began to make his leave, movements halted by Blaise's words.

"I don't think this is something that can be fixed at the snap of a finger, mate." Blaise advised. Completely ignoring his friend and confidante's words, Draco left the room, the door closing behind him with a bang.

He walked in a steady march, his mind set like a GPS to one set location: Hermione's bedroom.

Once he got there he began to knock on the door, the sound echoing through the empty hall. He didn't know whether it was the influence of the alcohol he had taken but he felt quite bold. He was adamant on righting the wrongs that Celeste had caused.

He knocked for the second time, and still, he received no answer. His frustration flew through the roof. He knocked for a third time, this time coupling it with him calling out to her. "Hermione!"

Unbeknownst to him, Hermione had apparated to a familiar lopsided, falling apart, countryside home in nothing but her pyjama bottoms, a parent of slippers and a hoodie. She was quite aware of how late it was, and judging by how dark the Burrow was, she was sure most of its occupants were asleep. Despite that she knocked on the door, shivering as the nightly breeze blew softly, her hair dancing along with it. After what felt like hours, Ron opened the door, wearing his pyjamas, his tattooed arm revealed and his hair up into a disheveled ponytail. "Hermione, what brings you here at this time?" Ron asked, eyebrows knitting together.

"I'll explain once we're inside. Is anyone else awake?" She asked. To that, Ron shook his head. "It's just me. Come inside."

Ron led her through the dark house, and up the stairs to his bedroom. He opened the door, allowing her in. She caught a glimpse of Luna's sleeping form, her silvery hair covering the sheets as she slept. "Sit down." Ron said, as he sat next to sleeping Luna. Hermione sat on a chair near the bed.

"So you wanted to talk?" Hermione gave a sigh, before nodding.

"I know that you're going to be quite enraged, and disgusted by me when I tell you this, and you'll probably want to disown me."

Ron shook his head. "Now you're overreacting. Why would I do any of those things? Unless you ate a live flobberworm I have no reason to be disgusted by you or have the desire to disown you." To that Hermione gave a weak smile. "You'd be surprised by how fast the opinion changes once presented with the information."

"Come on Hermione, it can't be that bad. Tell me."

Hermione took a deep breath. "I…"

"Yes?"

"I… think I'm in love with Draco Malfoy."

"You see, it's good to- wait, WHAT?!" Hermione cringed, before nodding in confirmation. "Yes. I think I may have a thing for him."

Ron looked at her incredulously. "You have to be joking? Draco MALFOY? OF ALL PEOPLE!" He said, his voice rising slightly.

"Shh!" She hissed. "Yes, yes, I think I may be in love with him. You wanted me to spill, well there! I've given you the information you were looking for."

"I wasn't looking to hear this kind of information!" He groaned, face palming.

Hermione shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips at his antics.

It was quite clear that he wanted to divulge more into her newfound interest in the blonde Slytherin. "So… how did this entire thing start?"

A soft groan left her lips. "It just developed. But wow does it feel sudden! One moment I'm clawing at his throat, the next I'm kissing him—"

"YOU KISSED HIM?!"

"Merlin's Beard Ron, yes, I did." Ron made retching/gagging sounds. Hermione couldn't help but chuckle.

"Ugh, I can't believe I'm actually saying this but… you disgust me." Hermione chuckled, her raucous laugh letting loose. It was only after her stomach absolutely ached from what felt like hours of mirth, she became conscious of the noise she was making so she reduced her chuckles to giggles. Merlin, did it feel good to laugh!

"Why are you laughing, this is serious. I'm very disappointed in you young lady." Ron tsked. Luna stirred in bed. He ran his fingers through her beach blonde hair.

"But on a serious note, even though Malfoy isn't exacting the ideal man for you, I'm happy that there's someone in your life that can finally steer your affection away from Harry. I just hope for your sake he feels the exact same way."

At that, Hermione's smile almost instantly dropped, as the memory of the events of the past twenty four hours came washing over her. "I don't think he might feel the same thing for me as I do for him." She said, crestfallen. Ron frowned. "What makes you say that?"

Hermione took a deep breath, before she started telling Ron everything, from her encounter with Celeste to her confrontation with Draco, and by the end of it, he looked annoyed, and slightly irate.

"Alright, I take back everything I said about him. He's a git." He growled.

"But we can't just jump to conclusions, she might be lying." But could she have been lying? She saw that desperate look in Draco's eyes as she confronted him, like a person regretful of the truth coming out.

Perhaps you're looking too much into it.

Hermione pushed the thought aside.

Ron raised an eyebrow. "And if she isn't Hermione? Please, the last thing I need is for you to be hurt again."

Hermione took her breath, unable to respond. She closed her eyes, envisioning Draco's smirking face and neatly combed platinum curls she had the urge to run her fingers through.

If what Celeste was saying was indeed the truth, and she allowed herself to be hurt by Draco, then she would not only have been fooled once, but twice. And you know what they say:

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.


Author's Note

I hope you're happy about the early update! please do enjoy this chapter and add those comments! I like to hear from my readers!