Hello lovely readers.
So this is the last chapter of our story. I can't believe how quick the time passed and now I'm posting this.
Hopefully you would enjoy how this ends, personally I'm happy with the result but I know that probably not all of you would be satisfied.
But for now please read and thank you :)
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. Just this fanfiction.
FINAL CHAPTER
Hermione decided to walk to her bedroom wishing that those meters of distance would help her put in order the mess that was her head. Only, as she discovered when she finally arrived to her building, the exercise hadn't been of much use.
Fortunately however, Alicia was already in the room even though it was barely 7 am.
"Happy birthday Hermione!"
The small figure of her roommate hugged her tightly as she entered the place.
"Ali, thank you so much," she replied hoarsely, probably for all the cry of the last night.
"Wait, are you just getting home?"
"Yes, I uh... I went out yesterday with Susan, Luna and Tracey. You know we had dinner and then we went for a few drinks"
Hermione pulled away from the hug and turned her back to Alicia while placing her purse on the bed and taking away her shoes. She didn't feel like discussing with her friend everything that had happened since meeting Draco at that bar.
"It was a good night then," Alicia's comment seemed more like a question and she was looking at Hermione with suspicious eyes when the brunette finally faced her. Still, she just smiled and nodded.
"And I drank too much. So I think I'll go to bed for a couple of hours"
"Sure, sure," Alicia smiled, "Anyway I have to go. There was a mistake with the materials we brought for the art show of yesterday and Professor Adams is waiting for us to help him sort everything out".
"Uhum"
"I don't think it will take me too long but if it does, we'll go to dinner tonight, okay? That of course, if you and Harry don't have other plans"
Alicia giggled and gave her one last hug before rushing out of the room.
Hermione sighed when she was left alone and crawled under the covers of her bed, ready to put everything aside for a few hours and sleep, as she had told her friend she would.
Exhausted as she was it didn't take long for her to succumb to sleep, but in her mind it seemed only a few minutes had passed when a knock on the door woke her up.
For a moment she was tempted not to answer but finally she stood up, rubbing her eyes and cursing as she noticed the remnants of the mascara on her knuckles.
"What?" She asked as she opened the door
"Mione!"
It was Harry.
The boy wrapped her in a tight hug before she could react, and he whispered a "happy birthday" near her ear.
Hearing the obvious affection in the words and feeling the familiar proximity of Harry, Hermione lost what little control she had left and began to cry. Burying her face into the boy's chest she let out everything she had held since she left Draco's apartment.
"Hey what is it? What happened?"
Hermione broke the hug and opened her mouth to try to explain everything that had happened the night before but another sob interrupted her.
Without saying anything, Harry took her hand and led her back to the bed. They lay down together, hugging each other, and she snuggled into his side again until she was completely calm. When he was sure that she was no longer sobbing he stood up and went for a box of tissues.
"Come here," he asked softly pointing to the side next to his
Hermione shifted on the bed to sit close to Harry and let him gently wipe the mess that was surely her face, "I must look horrible," she said in a nasal voice once he finished with his work
"Are you going to tell me what happened for you to be this upset?" He asked
She bit down hard on her lower lip as she knotted her hair into a bun. In the end she sighed and faced him
"I think I should first apologize. You were right the last time when you said I was trying to pick up a fight. I was very... I had a lot of things stored in here," she pointed to her chest, "And I decided to just release all that anger towards you. I'm sorry Harry, you didn't deserve to be treated that way".
Harry smiled sadly and sighed too, "And as I also said, I owed you an apology. I didn't consider your feelings and just followed my... my instincts"
Hermione nodded and took Harry's hands.
Looking at his beautiful emerald green eyes, she felt that familiarity and trust that had brought her closer to the boy, to her best friend. This was Harry, her confidant, her great support, someone with whom she could be herself without having to pretend, he was the boy who made her laugh and with whom she had so much in common.
But that was it.
Besides a deep friendship and enormous affection, there was nothing else.
"Why can't I love you the way I'm supposed to?" She asked in a low voice, still looking into his eyes.
"What you mean?"
"That we make sense," she explained, her voice faltering again, "That it should be easy, simple, and natural to have fallen for you. And Harry, I love you but I'm not in love with you"
A couple more tears rolled down her cheek and she wasn't the only one. Harry's eyes were blurred with tears too. Still he smiled and hugged her again, "I love you too Mione. A lot. But I think you were right in saying that we have no future as a couple".
"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry"
"It's not your fault, not mine. That's just the way things are," he pulled away from the hug, "But Hermione, as much as we don't function as a couple, I couldn't bear to lose you. I can't lose my best friend".
"You're never going to lose me," she assured him, taking his face in her hands and caressing his cheeks with her thumbs, "Because I couldn't imagine my life without you either".
They both smiled, relief running through their bodies now that their feelings had finally cleared up.
"I have something for you," Harry said looking in the pocket of his pants, from which he took out a long box that turned out to be a very elegant and feminine silver watch
"Harry I love it!" She gave him a big smile, "It's perfect. And I wasn't really expecting a gift"
"I know, but I couldn't forget my best friend's birthday," he shrugged and smiled too, "Despite our fight I had to come to see you. The girls told me you went out to dinner yesterday and well… I thought maybe we could do something together today. Maybe that will distract you a bit from whatever it is that put you in that state."
Hermione nodded and set the box on her nightstand. Then she took a deep breath and decided to tell her the truth
"I spent the night with Draco"
"What?!" Harry gasped
"No, no, not that way," she shook her head, realizing how her comment had sounded
Hermione started to tell him about the chain of events that happened after leaving the bar.
"And I just... couldn't stay there," she said, "Not after everything we said to each other and having heard him say that he still loves me and..."
Her voice broke and she cocked her head
"And do you think it's true?" Harry wanted to know
"What?" Hermione looked at him again
"Draco, do you think he's being honest?"
"I don't know," she shrugged, answering honestly, "I don't know Harry and I honestly don't want to think about it. It was just… it was horrible to see him so defeated. I uh... I needed to get out of there," she said again.
Harry was silent not really knowing what to say. A part of him wanted to tell his friend that, in the same way that she had accused him of still having feelings for Ginny, she was clearly in the same situation. But it didn't seem like the ideal time. Not when Hermione was clearly anguished because of her encounter with Draco.
"I wish you didn't go through any of this, Mione," he said sincerely
"Me too Harry, me too"
After that Hermione decided to take a shower and Harry waited for her until she came back in comfortable pajamas.
They both went back to the girl's bed and spent the morning talking about anything but Draco and Ginny, until it was lunchtime and Harry forced Hermione to change her clothes because, despite everything, it was her birthday and she had to celebrate.
"I should be very angry with you but considering how you look right now, I've decide to save the scolding for myself this time"
Ginny's voice seemed to come from far away even though they were sitting across from each other in the common room of the rehab center.
"Come on Ginevra, I prefer to listen to your claims"
"Instead of…"
"Instead of telling you about my night," he sighed
The redhead sighed looking at Draco's dejected face. Surely something very harsh had happened for him to be that miserable, and Ginny was willing to bet her remaining sanity that the matter had to do with Hermione
"Very well then," she said. "You told Harry that I was in this place even though I explicitly asked you not to tell anyone about my addiction. You let Harry come talk to me, you didn't visit me that weekend and you didn't even call to explain your reasons. And now you show up here this afternoon, a week later, looking… like this and making me feel so worried. So speak, Draco. Right now you need that more than I do".
Draco lifted his face to her. Ginny looked a bit pale but that was perhaps because concern was clearly painted on her face as she looked back at him.
"You were drinking," she said
"Believe me I needed it"
Ginny raised her eyebrows in a clear sign that she was waiting for an explanation. Draco then told her about his meeting with Hermione at the bar and everything that followed once they were in his apartment.
"And I woke up this morning to realize that she was gone," he finished, "And I just... I just needed a drink. Besides, it's not like I overdid with the alcohol Ginevra, I had to come here and I wasn't going to drink too much"
"I'm so sorry Draco," she took his hand in hers and placed her hazel eyes on his gray, "I'm so sorry that you and Hermione couldn't..."
"There was no way it would have been different Gin," he accepted, "She is too hurt, and has the right to be. I was a son of a bitch and I deserve all those things she said. It's not like I'm surprised, I'm just"
He didn't finish the sentence but he didn't have to. Ginny knew the feeling very well.
"How was your talk with Harry?" Draco wanted to know
"Eh? Ah… fine, I guess," she smiled sadly, "He came here being the perfect gentleman that he always was, worried about me, thinking that maybe he pushed me to start using drugs"
"And he was right"
"Of course not," she shook her head, "No, Draco, it was my decision to start using drugs. Harry is not to blame".
"Well believe me; I blamed him a little for that".
Ginny snorted but didn't say more about it, just continued with her story
"Anyway I managed to apologize for everything I did when we were together," she sighed, "And it was... it was very good to finally be able to get a closer, you know?"
"So it worked." Draco smirked at her and added, "Irene was the one who asked me to talk to Harry. She said it would be productive for you and him to meet again and get everything off your chest or something."
"I think I'll have a word with Irene too," Ginny rolled her eyes but finally smiled. "Thanks Draco. I know I've told you that many times already but thanks for being here."
Draco just nodded and buried his face in his hands, so she stood up and sat next to him, wrapping her arms around him. Frankly it felt good to be able to do something for his friend, even if it was something as small as a hug.
Ginny waited for him to cut off the caress before facing him.
"Are you going to try something else? With Hermione, I mean"
"I think... I think I'll go see to her at her office one of these days," he nodded and then admitted, "I bought something for her, a gift for her birthday and I want her to have it"
"Today is her birthday," Ginny smiled sadly, "I think it's a good idea. Go and try talking to her again. Maybe you can close that cycle too, don't you think?"
Draco nodded but internally he didn't believe it. He had fallen in love with Hermione in an intense way that consumed him since he accepted his feelings, so he didn't think it was something he would ever stop doing.
"Look, in a little over a month I'll be out of this place," said Ginny, "And then I'll go back to the University and we can do other things together. There will be new things that will be worthwhile. Things that will make you feel happy and optimistic again."
"You think that?" He asked
"I'm sure. And you know what? I'll be there for you. One day at a time, as we say here."
Draco giggled and Ginny held him for a long time until their breaths matched and it was time to say goodbye.
"One day at a time," she reminded him when she said goodbye to him in his car
The blonde nodded and smiled at her once more before getting in the vehicle and driving away.
It was Tuesday. And Tuesdays were supposed to be her quietest days of the week. She had just one class in the morning and then she could dedicate fully to her work at the NGO, leaving everything ready for the next conference that her boss would hold in California. So when Hermione saw Draco's tall blond figure appear in the lobby of her building and start making his way to her cubicle, she knew this would definitely be a different Tuesday.
"What are you doing here?" She asked when he was close and able to hear her
"Hermione, can we talk?"
"I think we have already told each other everything we had to say, don't you think?"
Hermione refused to meet his eyes. So she turned her attention back to her computer and ignored him, waiting for him to leave.
"You left that morning," he continued, clearly without getting the hint, "I hoped we could talk now that we're calmer".
"Draco, please, I'm working"
"Come on Hermione, please. It's almost night; give me at least a few minutes of your time."
When she was about to answer her boss appeared with a folder of papers in her hand.
"Hermione I need you to review this speech because… am I interrupting something?" Asked the woman, noticing the evident tension, "Who is your friend, Hermione?"
"Oh this is..."
"Draco Malfoy," the blonde interrupted her and turned to her boss giving her one of his ravishing smiles.
"Malfoy? Related to Narcissa Malfoy?"
"I am her son," he smiled again
"Her son, of course" Her boss smiled and shook Draco's hand with more enthusiasm than Hermione had ever seen. "We weren't expecting your visit. Mrs. Malfoy did mention that she would be present at our next gala but we didn't expect for her to send you here"
"I was not aware that the Malfoy family collaborated with the NGO," Hermione intervened
"My mother does," Draco turned to her, "Through her family company, Black Corporation."
Black Corporation. Hermione bit her tongue; of course Draco also had excellent connections from his mother's side.
As Hermione thought about her bad luck, she realized that they were both looking at her expectantly.
"Well, grab you things Hermione," said her boss
"My things?"
The woman looked at her like she was stupid.
"I just invited Mr. Malfoy to dinner to discuss the details of the gala and the conference and you will go with me," she turned to Draco, "Hermione is our intern but she is one of the best employees and knows every detail of our work"
"I'm sure of that," Draco smiled and added, "But a dinner might not be necessary Mrs. Delaney, after all Hermione must have other plans and..."
"Nonsense! I'm sure Hermione will be more than happy to have dinner with us."
Her boss gave her a look that left no room for a refusal, so she had no choice but to take her purse and accompany them.
Cora Delaney chose one of the best restaurants in town, one that Hermione would have been very excited to visit under other circumstances, yet it was the most tense dinner she had ever participated in. Not that her boss noticed, because after making her explain everything related to the work they had been doing the last couple of months, she dedicated herself to praising Draco's mother.
"I would love to continue with our conversation but I have another commitment," sighed, "It was a pleasure meeting you Draco Malfoy; please send my best regards to your mother."
"Thank you Mrs. Delaney, I will"
The woman said goodbye to both and left them alone.
"I'm sorry about that," Draco said, "I wanted to talk to you but I wasn't expecting your boss to be so…"
"You have a talent for always meddling in my life, right?" Hermione cut him off before sighing
"Do you think we could continue our conversation?"
She was going to ask him exactly what conversation he was referring to but preferred not to say anything.
"I understand that you are uncomfortable Hermione, so I think I better ask for the bill so we can go. I've pushed you enough for today."
She didn't know what prompted her to do it but found herself responding before she even considered it
"I'll stay; I would hate to leave this place without trying a dessert"
Draco gave her a tentative half smile as he called the waiter and ordered her favorite dessert. Hermione cursed internally; of course he had to remember those details.
"Speak, then," she said
"First I wanted to start by apologizing for ruining your birthday. I'm sure that's what I did," he rushed to say without giving her time to interrupt, "And I also wanted to give you this"
The blond pulled out a velvet box from his jacket and spread it across the table. Hermione gasped, "You're not going to propose, are you?" She asked looking around
"What? No," Draco couldn't help but laugh, "Why would you think that?"
"Because you are crazy!" She hissed, "You followed me to a bar and then to my work and now this"
"I already told you that us meeting at that bar was a coincidence," he pointed out, "And this," he pointed to the box, "I bought it on my last day in Bali. A little memory of the island"
The girl bit her lip hard. Part of her wanted to return the box to him but the other, the one who was full of curiosity, wanted to know what was inside. And that last part was stronger. So she took the small package and opened it, discovering a beautiful and delicate ring of a red stone with a gold ring.
The waiter arrived with their orders and Hermione was saved from having to say something. Not that Draco expected her to say anything.
"Thank you," she said finally, closing the box and putting it in her bag
"And about what I said in my apartment," he continued, "I want you to know that I was honest about everything. I'm so sorry that I hurt you but believe it or not, I'm still in love with you Hermione. I still love you."
Hermione looked him in the eye and knew instantly that it had been a mistake. Her heart raced when she ran into Draco's so she preferred to refuse contact and focus on her passion fruit mousse.
Draco was already expecting a similar reaction so he didn't push her and just continued eating in silence, even though he would have liked to keep telling her a thousand times how sorry he was and begging her to take him back.
"Can we go now?" Hermione asked a minute later.
"Sure"
The boy paid the bill and they walked out of the restaurant side by side without adding anything else.
"Do you want a lift?" He asked when they were in front of his car
Hermione simply nodded. She felt suddenly very tired and besides, Draco had been well behaved most of the night. She could take a lift, couldn't she?
"Fearing this is pushing my luck," Draco said, "Could we go somewhere before I take you to campus?"
"Where?" She asked suspiciously
He didn't answer and she sighed, but said nothing. Draco took it as a sign of acceptance and led to the...
"The Planetarium? What are we doing here?"
"Do you remember this place?" He asked, "Here we were supposed to have our first date"
"I remember waiting for you alone for about two hours," she commented
Draco smiled sadly and turned to Hermione, "If only I could go back in time Hermione, I would do everything right"
"Well…" She massaged her neck, "To be fair it's not like it was your fault that you missed that date, right? I mean your car broke down and..."
"Yes, it was my fault," he said with a firm voice, "I should have told my father that I had something important to do and that I couldn't meet him, so I wouldn't have missed our date"
Hermione was silent for a few minutes, breathing in the night breeze that came through the open car window.
"Maybe it was a sign that it started that way. Maybe we should have realized that nothing would work between us"
"But we did work," he dared to take the girl's hand in his, "We really had something good"
"It is useless to remember these kinds of things now, don't you think?" She replied removing his hand from Draco's
But still Hermione closed her eyes and dared to ask the question that had consumed her for so long.
"Why did you sleep with that girl?"
He didn't respond immediately although he knew very well the answer to that question.
"Because I was a coward," he said finally, "I was afraid of how fast everything was happening between us. You probably don't know but there came a point where all our friends were telling me about how formal our relationship was and that there were rumors that I would ask you to marry me and... I panicked," he admitted, "I know it's silly but at that moment I was immature and stupid, and all my brothers seemed to have such a good time without having to take on so many responsibilities and… well, I made the biggest mistake of my life"
"But why?" She opened her eyes and faced him, anger again bubbling in her chest, "It was you who gave me your initials, and insisted to meet my parents and you were talking about me meeting your mother. I never asked you for any of that."
"I know, Hermione. It was all my fault, I was the one who ruined everything."
Draco sighed.
"That's why now I'm glad you have someone better than me by your side."
"Oh stop it," she replied
"What?"
"Harry and I are no longer together"
"But I thought you two..."
"We don't work as a couple," she said and then added, "Draco, drive."
"Back to campus?"
"No, to your apartment."
"To my apartment? But…"
"Stop repeating what I say and just drive," she demanded
He started the car and they made their way to the apartment in absolute silence. She didn't even say anything when he parked the car and they entered the elevator. In fact she spoke to him once they were in the privacy of his home.
"I need a drink"
"I didn't know you were drinking now"
"Can I have one please?" She ignored his comment
Draco poured her a glass of his favorite whiskey and watched her gulp it down, clearly asking what she was doing with his eyes.
"I need courage," she thought, "Liquid courage for what I am about to do."
"It's ridiculous, really," she began, "Or rather, pathetic, that no matter how kind, noble and loving Harry is, I can't reciprocate properly."
"Why?"
"Because he's not you," she admitted with a tear rolling her cheek, "Because I..."
But she didn't continue, she preferred to cut the distance between them and standing on tiptoe, kissed him.
Draco rushed to wrap his arms around her waist as he pulled her closer to his body. Their tongues met in a frenzied sway that expressed how much they had longed for this moment.
Hermione took Draco's lower lip between her teeth and heard him moan, causing the fire of passion to raise in her chest and to warmth her more than the whiskey he had given to her.
"Hermione, wait, wait," he said suddenly between whispers, "What are we doing?"
"Don't say anything Draco," she replied, silencing him with another short kiss. "Not now."
He didn't say more, especially when the girl's hands left their spot in his blond hair to slip under the shirt he was wearing.
Hermione left Draco's lips to outline his jaw with her kisses and down his neck. He broke away to take off his shirt and her hands took advantage of moving towards the buckle of his pants, which soon disappeared as well.
Draco lifted Hermione by the waist and she wrapped her legs around his body, allowing him to guide her into the bedroom. They entered hastily and he placed her on the bed and without wasting time he brought their lips back together, his hands now roaming the girl's legs and thighs.
Hermione moaned at the feel of his long fingers so close to her most intimate area and whispered his name close to his ear. Hearing her, Draco brought his caresses towards her entrance, touching her as she liked, with just the pressure that managed to make her lose control.
Draco's fingers dug inside her again and again, slowly at first and faster towards the end, when she came breathing out his name.
Draco continued kissing her until she calmed down, but when her breathing returned to a normal rhythm, she pushed him away by placing her hands on his chest and making him lie down on the bed.
Without taking her eyes off him, Hermione stood up to remove the dress she was wearing and then the underwear, exposing herself to him. His visible erection grew even more pronounced as he watched her and Hermione removed his last garment that separated them, before straddling him.
"Hermione"
He said her name fervently at the feel of her so close and she closed her eyes as she descended on him.
There was something almost magical about the simple way the two fit together, how good it felt to be like this with Draco, how easy it was to get carried away by his hands on her hips encouraging her to move.
Draco's lips gripped her breasts, kissing each one as he thrust into her from below. Hermione kept whispering his name, and the well-known dance that their bodies were now dancing again didn't take long to push them to the limit.
He finished as he kissed her and she tangled her hands in his blond hair as they pulled themselves together from what had just experienced.
After several seconds Draco was afraid to speak. He didn't want to say something that would make her leave or get her upset, so he just looked at her, asking her with his eyes what to do. Hermione caressed his face with her small hand before separating from his body and flopping to the side of the bed.
The boy lay down close to her, still looking at her chocolate eyes, even though she was staring at the ceiling of his room.
"This was madness," she finally said, turning to look at him
"Did it mean something?" He asked softly
Hermione moved closer to his body and ran her hands down his strong arms to reach his shoulders and neck. She hadn't realized in the heat of the moment, but a lump formed in her throat as she noticed that he was still wearing the necklace she had given him once at Christmas.
"I don't know Draco," she answered honestly
It was a horrible answer, she knew it, but she didn't have a better one.
"Please don't run away again," he asked
"I won't," she said. "But I won't stay here either. I cannot stay."
Her voice was permeated with devastating certainty, so Draco didn't even try to convince her otherwise.
Hermione was silent, gently stroking his chest with her fingertips until the silence became unbearable. She had to go. She sat up, thinking that maybe Draco had fallen asleep, but he was still looking at her, his gray eyes more sad than happy despite what they had just shared.
"I'm leaving now," she said
"Can I… can I call you? Or see you one of these days?"
"I need to think Draco," she answered getting out of bed and starting to dress, "I need time and space to think. Please don't look for me."
He just nodded, sitting on the edge of his bed, his heart breaking again at her words.
"I'll be here, though. This time I'm not going anywhere. I will be here waiting for your answer."
It was her turn to nod. Hermione gave him a sad smile before leaving the room.
A MONTH AND A HALF LATER
Nervous couldn't quite cover the way Ginny was feeling.
After getting out of rehab and settling into Draco's apartment, it was time to continue her recovery. And that included making amends with a person to whom she owed a huge apology.
So there she was, standing in front of the building where her former best friend lived, with a tin of gingerbread cookies in her hand and almost shaking as she took a deep breath and entered the place.
She knew, thanks to Draco, the number of the room, so she gently knocked on the door and waited for her to open it.
"Hello Hermione," she greeted when the figure of the brunette appeared at the door
"Ginny?"
The girl's voice was a mixture of disbelief and annoyance, something that also reflected her gaze.
"Excuse me for coming like this without announcing me but I was hoping we could talk," the redhead hurried to say, "Do you think I can come in?"
Hermione stared at her for a few long seconds before letting her in.
Ginny quickly surveyed the place with her eyes before turning to her, "I brought you a present," she said extending the cookie tin, "Gingerbread, your favorites"
"A tin of cookies?" Hermione crossed her arms over her chest without taking the gift
"It's a peace offering. I know it's not enough to cover everything I did to you, but it seemed right to bring something. Please," she leaned a little closer towards the girl
Hermione snorted as she took the can and set it on her bed.
"What do you want Ginny?"
"To apologize," replied the redhead, "After everything that happened we no longer had the opportunity to speak and I needed to see you, to apologize for the horrible way I treated you when..."
"When you supposed to be my best friend?"
"Exactly," the blush flooded Ginny's cheeks but the redhead held her gaze, "First of all I want you to know that I am very grateful for you to give me these moments to be able to talk to you. I don't even deserve to be welcomed here in your bedroom."
"We think the same about that," agreed Hermione
"I uh… I'm so sorry Hermione," Ginny's voice cracked, "I'm so sorry for all the comments, attitudes and things I did that hurt you. Like you said we were supposed to be best friends but I never lived up to the title. I was cruel and manipulated you about Harry, lied to you about Draco, and damaged my relationship with you. I'm not fool enough to ask you to accept me as a friend one more time but I needed to come here and ask for your forgiveness."
Hermione didn't say anything; she just looked at her with her arms still crossed and not sure what to feel. It was good to finally receive an apology after so much mistreatment but at the same time it made her very sad to have Ginny like this in front of her.
Sadness and anger, that she was feeling.
"I envied you, you know?" The redhead continued, "You were so smart, so sweet and innocent. You had a family that loved you, I remember all those calls from your parents and your siblings. And the other girls in the sorority, they liked you. They liked spending time with you not because of what you could offer them but because of who you were. You... you had things that I didn't have and that bothered me, and I ended up releasing my frustration on you. Those feelings brought out the worst in me. I'm sorry Hermione."
She didn't know when she started crying, she only noticed a tear roll down her face and she hurried to wipe it away.
"It doesn't make sense to remember any of that now Ginny," she finally said, "You hurt me a lot and..."
"I know, I know, I didn't come here expecting us to magically become best friends again or something like that," she agreed, also crying, "I just needed you to know that I'm really sorry for what I did."
Hermione nodded and turned her back on her for a few seconds so she could collect herself.
"There is something else you should know," Ginny continued speaking, "Something that you accused me of the night of the homecoming party."
"What is it?"
"It was about me sleeping with Draco. I admit I lied when I said that that threesome was the first time that he and I were together, our… intimacy actually started a while before but never, and please believe me when I tell you this, I never slept with him again when the relationship of you two started. I loved Harry too much at that point to have continued my encounters with Draco and I know he felt the same about you. Except for once after that threesome, we were no longer together in that sense."
Hermione sighed as she rubbed her forehead, a headache beginning to form.
"Okay, I believe you Ginny. Not that it matters though"
"I just wanted you to know," Ginny said, "And there's something else"
"There's more?"
"The night Draco cheated on you." Hermione rested her chocolate eyes on hers. "He wasn't being himself. His father had put him in a terrible situation a few days before asking him, no, demanding for him to end his relationship with you and he was simply feeling too much pressure."
"His father ask him to end his relationship with me?" She asked in a gasp
"Lucius Malfoy is not a good man," Ginny assured, "He's been dedicated to control Draco since he was a little boy and had a plan for his life in which you didn't fit. He told him that either he would end the relationship with you or he would forget about his inheritance."
Hermione didn't know what to say, why had Draco never told her about this in the last few times they'd seen each other?
"Draco was still an immature child; he was drunk and made a bad decision. But he really loved you. He really loves you, Hermione."
The brunette giggled without grace.
"That doesn't change anything, Ginny. Nobody forced him to take that girl to his room."
"That was not what I wanted..."
"Thanks for coming," she cut her off, "I admit it was good to hear your apologies Ginny. But please, I need to be alone."
Ginny didn't answer for a few seconds but finally nodded and walked to the door.
"Thanks for listening to me Hermione. I hope you can find a way to forgive me"
Hermione fell silent as he watched her leave the room and close the door.
That night Ginny's words were still haunting her mind.
She had told the redhead that her explanation didn't change anything, but was that true? As much as Hermione thought over and over, she didn't seem to have a correct answer.
"Maybe there is no correct answer", she thought as she rolled over on her bed and looked at Alicia. Her friend had reconciled with Julian and now she seemed even happier than before. Could it be that Hermione could do that too? Would she be able to forgive Draco?
If there was one thing she couldn't do, it was deny the feelings she still had for the boy. In spite of everything she still loved him, but her mind and her heart didn't agree on how to proceed.
Still she owed him an answer. She'd told him, that time in his apartment when she got carried away and ended up sleeping with him, that she needed to think. And she knew he was waiting for some communication from her.
She woke up the next morning with deep circles of exhaustion. She still didn't have a concrete answer but still had sent an e-mail to Draco quite late asking to see him this afternoon. And he had responded and accepting.
So Hermione headed towards the cafeteria where they had agreed to meet several minutes late due to her class being extended. The place, which had a lovely terrace, allowed her to see Draco instantly. There he was, sitting with a steamy cup in front of him, clad in a dark coat, and beside him was a pretty dark-haired girl who seemed to be explaining something to him.
There was nothing at the scene that was suspicious. Draco wasn't paying too much attention to her, he wasn't even too close to her, he wasn't smiling and their hands weren't intertwined or anything like that, yet something in Hermione's heart stirred.
"Hermione!"
Draco had seen her and a smile immediately settled on his face as he stood up. She cleared her throat and walked over to their table trying to smile at him but only managing to wince.
"Hi Draco, sorry I'm late"
"No problem Hermione, I was here with..."
"Astoria Greengrass," the girl stood up too and clasped Hermione's hand while offering her a kind smile
"Astoria is Daphne's younger sister and is my new classmate"
"Oh," Hermione nodded
She remembered Daphne from the sorority, although they were never very close.
"Well I better go," Astoria said, "I have a class in a few minutes. Draco, I'll send you the notes you asked for. It was nice to meet you Hermione."
She nodded and watched her go before sitting down at the table with him.
"Hermione is everything alright?" He asked when she hadn't said anything even when they were alone
"All good," she smiled sideways
"Are you sure? When I read your email I was hoping that..."
"I know what you expected Draco," she cut him off, nodding, "And a part of me wants to be able to tell you that everything will be as before, that we can resume our relationship and we will be happy again, together"
"But?"
"But I can't." Her voice cracked but she refused to cry. She had already cried too much for Draco Malfoy, "I'm not going to deny that I still love you, I couldn't do that. But Draco," she took his hand without looking at him, "I saw you with that girl and you know what the first thing I thought was? I thought: "Is Draco hitting on that girl? Are they already sleeping together? Could it be that they are starting something more?"
"No, no, no, Hermione I hardly know Astoria, I swear," he hastened to say, "She is younger than us and I only asked her for help because I changed my major and we have several classes together. But there is nothing between the two of us, absolutely nothing"
"But Astoria is not the problem," she shook her head, "The problem is that I no longer trust you. I don't know how to trust you and I can't… I couldn't bear to be in a relationship feeling these kinds of doubts."
Hermione was sure of her decision now. And even though it was breaking her heart to say this to Draco, there was nothing else she could do. She couldn't accept him back.
"But I love you Hermione," he almost begged in a whisper.
"I know," she nodded and caressed his face with her hand. He closed his eyes and when he opened them, an instant later, they were also full of tears, "But we can't be together anymore Draco. Not anymore. And it's time for you to accept it, for both of us to accept it."
"I don't know if ... I don't know if I'll be able to move on without you," he admitted
"Of course you can," she smiled sweetly, "You have your whole life ahead of you, and you are going to meet someone else".
"I don't think so Hermione," he shook his head. "Falling for you wasn't something I planned and it's certainly not something I can escape from. I will always love you."
"Please don't make this harder than it already is," Hermione asked
Draco closed his eyes and pulled away from Hermione's touch. She took a deep breath of air before standing up.
"Bye Draco. I uh…," she didn't know what else to add. Have a happy life? Find someone else to love? So she just said, "Goodbye"
If he responded, she didn't listen. She was only aware that she left part of her heart as she left that cafeteria without looking back.
Harry found Hermione in his apartment. He had given her a spare key after hearing her birthday story, but was still surprised to find her there, sitting on the couch and staring at the TV even though it was off.
"Mione didn't know you would be here"
"Sorry Harry, is this a bad time?"
"No, of course not," he rushed to sit next to her, "Are you okay?"
She gave him a sad smile, "I made a decision regarding Draco"
"So that's it," he sighed, "You told him that..."
"That I couldn't be with him anymore"
Harry was aware of what had happened between them. And while he had been very surprised when his friend told him that she had slept with her ex-boyfriend, he had decided to keep his judgments aside and give her time to decide what she wanted to do
"You don't seem happy with your decision," he commented
"I'm not," she nodded, "But I can't start something new with him Harry. Not now and maybe never. I don't trust him like I used to."
Hermione hugged Harry and let him comfort her by gently stroking her back. After a while she faced him
"Do you trust Ginny?"
"What?"
Harry looked at her without understanding.
"You heard me, do you trust Ginny? Do you trust that she has changed? You trust she was honest with you that time you guys talked?"
"Yes, I trust her"
"Then go get her," Hermione continued before he could say anything. "I know you Harry James Potter. All this time, since you saw her again, you have done nothing but think about her. And that may have been the case even since your relationship ended. You never stopped loving her"
"Hermione I..."
"It's fine," she took his hands in hers, "I mean, it's not that you need my permission to go back to her but I want you to be happy. And for whatever reason, she makes you happy."
Harry considered her words. He was beyond denying his feelings for Ginny but to act on it? It was something else entirely.
"I say it because you have the opportunity to start something new with her. Right from the start. Putting everything that happened aside, because you do trust Ginny"
"She hurt you, though"
"Yes, and she apologized. And that doesn't mean we'll be close again, but I think she's genuinely matured. And you have a chance to be happy together. I want you to be happy," she repeated
"Mione"
The girl said something like "think about it" before hugging him again.
"Do you want to stay here tonight? Have dinner and watch a film?"
"Some comfort food and a hug from my best friend would do me a lot of good"
"I thought so"
Harry tried to distract her as best he could. They watched old black and white movies before she fell asleep in his bed.
Only when he was certain that she was already resting deeply did Harry allow himself to think about his conversation with Hermione.
Of course he had thought about Ginny all this time. More than once he had had to do his best not to go look for her again at the rehab center. He wanted to know how she was, how she was dealing with adjusting to this new life now that he knew she was no longer hospitalized but...
What was really holding him back? His wounded pride? The pain of everything she did during their relationship? Harry didn't know anymore. At some point in the past he had forgiven her and had even discarded the idea of going back together but seeing her again had caused things in his heart that he didn't count on dealing with again.
Harry sat on the window ledge and lit a cigarette. He had almost completely stopped smoking but could use one right now. The boy took a deep breath and closed his eyes, thinking of Ginny.
Ginny and her red hair, her infectious laugh, her cheerful temper, and her warm kisses. Ginny and everything she had meant in his life. She, who had already changed everything in his life once and threatened to do it again, It was she, Ginny, who nevertheless made him feel alive.
Harry took a few more puffs on his cigarette and stubbed it out before returning to Hermione.
He found her a couple of days later at the clothing store where he knew she worked.
"Harry? What are you doing here?" Ginny asked, her eyes widening when she saw him enter the boutique
"Hi Ginny, are you too busy?" He asked looking around
"I'll actually finish my shift in a few minutes"
"Can I wait for you?"
"Of course, of course"
Ginny wasn't able to focus on continuing to fix the clothes being aware of the green-eyed gaze on her. So she did the best she could before saying goodbye to her boss.
"Hi again," she said when she joined him outside the store
"Hey, can we walk together?"
The girl nodded and they walked for a few minutes in silence. Harry was the one who spoke.
"How is everything at work?"
"I'm doing very well, thank you," she seemed surprised by still smiled, "It's quite simple and helps me pay the student loan I took."
"I thought your father helped you with the university"
"Well when he found out about my addiction he went crazy, as I already knew he would," she sighed, "But contrary to what I thought, he wanted to help me. He offered to pay Draco all the money he spent while I was in the hospital and in the center but Draco didn't accept, of course. And although my dad wanted to continue paying my college fees, I think he was driven more by guilt than by another feeling. Not that I hadn't disappointed him enough, because I did," she added, "But still it didn't seem right to continue using his money."
"So you took a loan"
"Yup"
They were at a small park now so they sat on one of the benches. Ginny brought her gloved hands to her mouth trying to keep warm and Harry smiled sweetly as he saw her snowy face turn pink from the cold afternoon.
"I'm living with Draco now," continued the girl, "Well we live in another apartment in the same building, one with an extra room. But this arrangement saves me the sorority fee and is more comfortable than being in a dorm on campus. And that way he's calmer too, you know, keeping an eye on me and my recovery."
Harry couldn't help feeling a stab of jealousy.
"And how has it been to leave the center?"
"It's... challenging," she nodded, "There are days easier than others but I try to stay focused. I want to finish university although now I want a major in psychology; it is a subject that began to interest me at the center. And I like it"
"I'm very happy for your Ginny"
"Thanks Harry"
They fell into a comfortable silence before he dared to speak again.
"You know? I thought about visiting you again in the center"
"Why didn't you do it?" She wanted to know
He sighed, not sure what to answer.
"I would have loved to see you again. Your visit did me a lot of good," Ginny continued, "I uh... I also wanted to keep in touch with you but I wasn't sure if it would have bothered you so..."
"It wouldn't have bothered me," he said looking into her hazel eyes
"No?" She asked in a low voice
"Actually I came here hoping that we could go back to...," he trailed off, smiling sideways and gathering the courage he had, "I came because I miss you Ginny. Because I liked seeing you again and because I wish we could try to have a relationship again."
Ginny was sure she had misheard because there was no way Harry could have told her that he wanted to have her by his side again, right?
"Ginny I uh... I thought you wanted the same," Harry said alarmed by her lack of response, "I thought..."
"Of course I want that," she replied when she noticed the panic in the boy's voice, "Harry, I haven't stopped loving you for a single minute but..."
"What is it?"
"Are you sure of this?" She asked, her lips trembling from more than just the cold. "Because I'm still a mess, I'm working hard and fighting my addictions but I'm still a mess Harry and I would hate to be a burden to you"
"You would not be a burden Ginny," he assured her, "And believe me I know it will not be easy but I love you. And I want to be there for you, to support you, to be your partner."
Ginny didn't let him finish but hugged Harry's body, and he returned the caress with the same intensity.
"I've missed you so much," she said close to his ear, "And I was so stupid Harry, so stupid".
"Hey, calm down, calm down," he stroked her hair before cutting off the hug and taking her face in his hand, "It's okay. Now everything is fine, we will be fine."
"I love you Harry".
"I love you Ginny"
She gave him a brief kiss before bringing their foreheads together and gazing into each other's eyes for a few long seconds, finally feeling fully happy.
Finally finding her shelter once again.
A/N: Epilogue coming next ~~