Out The Door
Chapter 4 - Away For a Bit
by reallifesucks

Sighing, the young man unconsciously rubbed his left shoulder absently as he looked up at the sky. It had been so long since he had been to this place, but it felt like he belonged here. Like nothing would ever change. Like he was still…with her. The only one who had ever managed to make his heart beat a thousands times too fast. The only one who he would let rub him the wrong way and have nothing done to her. The only one he really loved.

But the facts stood as they did. It was almost five years to the date. He needed to move on. After all, he had to continue the life his father had planned out for him. No more playing around with that girl he grew up with. He had to marry to better his family, even if that family had ceased to exist. It was the way it was supposed to be.

So there he was in the middle of the street, standing outside the dress shop uncomfortably as he watched the dark haired girl he was with inside. The girl was actually part Veela, but she preferred to keep her hair dark. It helped keep some of the gazes off of her. Over all, she should have been more than enough to please them. She was pleasurable in every way he could imagine. But she didn't have the touch that would send tingles up his spine and cause him to go into withdrawals. The withdrawals he had been suffering ever since he left…but he had too.

It was dangerous enough being back here, back where she could show up any instant and see him. He knew he wouldn't live long if that happened. Yet he was drawn here – it didn't take his fiancé much pleading to get him to come. She wanted to come for the world known dress shop. Deep down, he wanted to come in hope of glancing her, if even just for a second. Looking down at the watch on his wrist, he sighed as he realized it would be forever before she finished trying on every single dress.

Walking to the door, he leaned his head in and caught her eye. "I'll be back. I want to visit some places." She nodded absently at him as the worker brought her another dress, one that gleamed in the light. And he couldn't help but imagine what it would look like on the girl of his past…

Lost in thought, he aimlessly strolled the streets of the busy little shopping center, avoiding anyone who he knew would recognize him. He may have changed a little physically, but he was still easy to recognize. Hopefully, most people would have forgotten about him. If he was caught by the wrong people, they would want to know why he did what he did.

Finding himself in front of a familiar bookstore, he stole a glance around before entering cautiously, every sight inside bringing back familiar memories. The time they had spent cuddled on the chair after hours. The time spent helping her keep up with the place. The time spent with her. That was all he could remember. The moments he held special, even the blasted moment from his second year when his father was there. He may not have loved her at the time, but it was all in the coming. Everything happened gradually.

After coming to a point where he could see the desk, he peeked around only to be disappointed by the fact that she wasn't there working. Perhaps she didn't work there anymore? But that seemed foolish. She loved the place so much. But maybe she had ceased to exist….but he was fairly sure his spells would have warned him of that. They warned him anytime she was in danger.

Coming out, he wondered once again down the familiar streets that seemed like best friends from a younger age. A happier age when nothing mattered. But then he got what he wanted – and what he feared. A glimpse of that bushy brown hair turning a corner. Unable to resist, he quickly hurried that way. He needed to see her, be sure that she was safe and okay. He needed to see that she had moved on more than anything. It would give him the closure needed to move on himself.

But rounding the corner, he had no such luck. She was with the boy who lived and his little wife, a small boy trailing behind them, placing his hands on everything only to have them slapped away. She herself seemed to be half empty, wandering around in a daze that was obscuring half of her day.

Resisting the urge to run and wrap his arms around her, he stayed in the shadows, following the group as they walked along, the purpose of his intent gaze lagging behind every moment, her eyebrows furrowed as she looked around her slowly. Eventually she came to a dead stop, and he knew that she knew. She knew that he was there, watching her.

Turning a complete 360 degrees, she froze slightly when she saw him partially behind a doorway, and quickly set off at a run to where he was. But with a flash, he disappeared around the corner, thanking whoever was listening that he had always been a faster runner.

Halting, she gasped desperately as she looked around the corner. She knew she had seen that flash of hair. She knew she had seen that face before it disappeared. She knew that she had seen and felt those eyes boring into her back. But he was gone. Like he never existed. But she just knew…

Pinching the bridge of her nose between two fingers, she quickly hurried back to her friends. The gangly man looked at her questionably, but shrugged it off as he saw the look of concentration on her face, knowing he would never get through her. Taking his sons hand, he hurried him into the Quidditch shop leaving his wife with their friend.

Jumping as a hand was placed on her arm, the brown haired girl smiled weakly at her friend. "I promise Gin, I'm okay." Standing up straighter, she gestured to everyone around her. "The fresh air really is helping."

"I'm not convinced Hermione. I know you. That look. If it affects you that much, you don't have to tell me. I don't want you going into your own world again. Not that again. I can't stand to see you in the pain." Ginny pleaded with Hermione with her eyes, trying to get her friend to look at her. But she wouldn't. It was a lost cause already. Sighing, she followed her husband and child into the shop, knowing it was useless to talk to her friend already. She'd find out the memories that plagued her soon enough. She didn't need to push her.

But her friend was already thinking back. She knew she had seen it. She had seen those sea foam eyes that could pierce her soul. The skin that could not be that pale and be human. The platinum hair mused by the hair flicking in sight as he rounded the bend.

She knew she had seen Draco Malfoy.

Author's Note: So I hope you like this. I'm not really sure...but I felt a need to show part of it from his view then her life a tad outside the writing. Just how empty she really is. And I've noticed my chapters are quite short, so I'm giving you an option. Update more often with short chapters or longer wait with longer chapters that are two combined ) just let me know in reviews and as always, R&R!!