A/N- I am so sorry for disappearing like that! Seriously, I have not abandoned this fic, its just that life has been so chaotic the last few months with college apps and all and then waiting for an acceptance. I am back now and this story is almost finished. Just a few more chapters. I hope you like this chapter and I can promise frequent updates. Enjoy!
Disclaimer- I do not won Harry Potter.
Hermione sighed. What the heck, she thought. It couldn't do much harm to endure his mindless chattering for a few hours. Also she needed distraction. Even if it was in the form of Draco Malfoy.
She ushered him in and took the flowers that he held out to her. White roses. She loved white roses. She looked up at Draco to find him peering at her curiously. Hermione knew what he was thinking of course.
"Do you remem- "
She cut him off sharply. "I remember, Draco."
The room was an explosion of colors. Roses of every imaginable color draped the walls, twined across the floor, their sweet fragrance wafting through the air enticingly. The fire pushed the darkness into shadows as Hermione sat curled up before it. A fairy tale romance. That was all she had ever wanted. She had been a fool to think Draco Malfoy could give her a fairy tale. Sure he made her feel like a princess at times but that didn't mean he was prince charming. She had no right to think that way about him. She was an idiot to expect romance.
Then why did it hurt so much? How had she, in such a short time, given him the power to break her heart with a look only? She still could not get the image out of her head. Earlier that morning, when she had passed him while going to Potions, he had thrown his old insults at her backed by sniggers from his faithful cronies Crabbe and Goyle. He had sent her that look of pure disgust which screamed that she was not worthy of being alive. How could he? After everything that had happened between them the last few weeks? How dare he?
So she had avoided him all day and upon returning to the common room, Hermione found herself unable to stop the tears of disappointment. Unconsciously, she kept on conjuring up roses until they filled the entire room. She could give herself a bit of romance, couldn't she? She might be unattractive, prudish, a bloody mudblood but Merlin, she deserved love, she deserved the fairy tale.
She heard the front door slide open. She felt the warm hands bundle her up to a strong chest. She heard the soft murmurs of apology whisper in her ear. She felt the kisses on her forehead.
"You have made me feel low all throughout these years, Draco," Her voice was hoarse from sobbing and she could not find the strength to pull away from him even though his touch made her skin crawl. "You made me feel inferior, like I did not deserve to be in this world. I always pretended to no care but there were times when you broke me. I spent my entire time at Hogwarts proving myself to people like you. I don't know if I have been able to but know this, Malfoy, you can't take away my dream. I deserved to be loved too I belong in here too."
Gently, he lifted her chin up to make her look into his eyes. All she saw in the grey depths were pure sincerity and regret. How could she stay mad at him when he looked at her this way? Why did his mercurial mood swings hurt so much?
"Don't you know that people who hate themselves tend to take it out on others?" he asked. He settled her between his legs tucking her face under his neck and rubbed her cold arms. "I hate myself, Hermione. I hate what I have become. The only way I know how to live with this is by putting down the ones who are so special."
She shook her head. "I don't understand, Draco. I mean nothing to you. You used to hate me. Then suddenly you decide that you want something more from me. A few days into you start insulting me in front of your friends again. I can't take it anymore, Draco. How can you hold me like this in one second and then be disgusted by me in the next?"
"Hermione, please let me explain" he pleaded urgently, "I have to put up a façade in front of my friends. You don't know the danger you could be in if they get even a whiff of our relationship!"
"I don't believe you, Malfoy!" she cried, anger giving her the strength to break away from him. "
Hurt flashed in his eyes but Hermione refused to acknowledge it. It was all a part of his pretence.
He dragged his hands over his face tiredly. "Hermione, don't do this to me. I need you, Hermione. You are warm and kind and generous and such a wonderful person. Don't leave me right now. Please."
"I am nothing, Draco. You told me yourself many times." She said tightly.
It was fury that took over him now. In one quick movement, he got to his feet. "Damn you, Hermione. Why is it so easy for you to believe my lies?" His face became a stone mask, his eyes becoming the familiar chips of ice as he said, "it's a good thing my father taught me to lie. People like lies. And people like you can't handle the truth. Because right now believing the truth would mean dealing with things you just don't want to see. You just want to hold on to the Draco who made you cry when you were twelve but you just can't deal with the fact that I do still posses a heart and there's a small patch left in it that isn't numbed.. When I am with you, I can bloody feel. You are the only thing that keeps me sane in the midst of all the madness in my life."
"You never tell me anything! You don't talk to me about what's bothering you!"
His laughter was as cold as his voice when he said, "We have chosen very different sides, Granger. There is nothing I can tell you that won't have you running to your friend Potter or Dumbledore."
Hermione gasped. "Harry was right. You are doing something for Voldemort."
"If I am doing anything, Granger, I am only doing it to ensure the survival of my family and not for some psychopathic killer and his insane cause."
"Is it worth the consequence, Draco? The death of thousands?" she asked softly.
"I have to do what's best for my family, Hermione," came his quiet answer.
She could help him, thought Hermione. In time she could make him see that the best thing he could do for his family was to change sides. He was at crossroad now and she could help him see the right path. "How can you expect me to quietly accept you and betray my own side knowing you are aiding Voldemort? What's in it for me?" she asked touching his shoulder lightly and pleaded with her eyes to make the bitterness in his face and words disappear.
He gazed at her, the ice chips beginning to melt once again, the hard lines of his face softening," There doesn't have to be anything in it for you. You aren't a selfish creature like me, Hermione. It's in your nature to be compassionate."
Form the sea of flowers surrounding them, he picked out a rose bud, a white one, and tucked it into her hair. She had to surrender then. He conjured up a mirror, turning her to face it. She watched herself shyly as he made the rose bud bloom. He put his arms around her from behind, "You are beautiful just the way you are Hermione. Like a fresh blooming rose. Never change. Stay like this for ever. Don't ever let the flower die."
After all these years, as Hermione allowed herself to glance back into that memory, she realized one thing that had surprisingly escaped her notice throughout the years. Draco Malfoy had been just plain scared back then. He wasn't being a self sacrificing hero or a manipulative death eater. He had been a scared boy who just didn't know right form wrong because he had ever been allowed the privilege to distinguish between them. And so he had reached out to her hoping that she could force him to change his ways. And she had. That was why he had fought with the good side at the last moment. Hermione was glad that she had been able to save a soul from being scarred further.
But this definitely did not mean that she appreciated him intruding on her life like this now.
Draco' train of thoughts was similar to Hermione's. He had grown up with wrong priorities and morals. Hermione had been the contradiction to the very basic structure of his principals. She was pure when she was supposed to be stained. And so he had reached out to her like a sinking man hoping she could save him.
"So, Malfoy, does your visit have a purpose or this just a social call only?" Hermione asked sharply, her annoyance with his presence evident clearly. Draco smirked. Didn't he know that she only egged him more with this attitude of hers? But he decided to be nice this once.
"Do you want to go out for lunch with me?" he asked tentatively, wary of her refusal. "I will behave. Promise"
"Malfoy please-"
"Hermione, you keep asking me what I want from you. I just want to be friends. For now. I could really use one."
Hurt flashed in her eyes, which he caught a glimpse of before she turned her back to him.
Anger laced her voice as she said, "I suppose you think I am at your disposal to be used as you please? Well let me tell you something, I don't work that way anymore. I won't be used and then tossed aside at your whim like you have so many times."
"Don't do that, Hermione. What we had was wonderful!"
She rounded on him fiercely now. "What we had was a bloody lie. You were never honest with me about a single thing!"
He let out an exasperated breath. That again, Draco thought sarcastically. "Will you come with me or not?"
"No!" she spat.
Well it seemed that the time for niceness had passed. Before Hermione could say another word, he grabbed her hand, summoned a robe of hers and raised his wand. "I am through trying to be gentle with you, Granger. You are going with me whether you like it or not. Now try not to make a scene once we get there."
He apparated.
They landed on what looked like the lobby of a restaurant. Place looked fancy, thought Hermione. Simple yet elegant. It was brilliantly lit and mostly empty. Glass stairs spiraled up to the actual dinning area.
"I am seriously underdressed for this." She commented dryly.
"Don't worry. It's a wizard restaurant. You are allowed to keep your robes on." He replied. She caught him staring at her queerly. "How come you haven't started kicking and screaming at me for bringing you here like this?"
"Well Malfoy, this kind of immature and thoughtless display is so typically you that I am just not surprised." Hermione smiled despite herself. "And as you did not let me bring my wand, it would be completely useless to make a fuss. I might as well enjoy this place."
"Very sensible of you Granger. Now come. There is a table already reserved for us." He took her hands and started to lead her towards the stairs. Suddenly, he turned and placed a hand tenderly on her cheek. "Just when I expect you to be furious with me, you give me smiles. How can I stay away from you Hermione?"
He could draw her like a magnet. His eyes, his vice, his touch. She was helpless to this side of him. Always had been.
"Thank you for giving me this chance." He said softly." I promise we will have a good time, Hermione."
She nodded, unable to speak.
He had meant to show her a good time. Merlin knew he had. What he had not bargained for was the biggest pain in the bloody butt, Weasel, to show up and ruin a near perfect evening, albeit not quite an authentic one, for the him and Hermione.
He and Hermione had been halfway through a scrumptious meal and keeping to safe topics like work and new ministry policies.
"I do think it was a good decision on Hogwarts part to admit that vampire child this year. He is magical too after all," said Hermione.
"Well, Hogwarts has been known to house werewolves and giants before. So allowing vampires as well was just a matter of time really." He could feel her scrutinizing gaze on him as he sipped at his wine. She was looking for a trace of his old prejudices against those who were not pure blood wizards. As far as Draco was concerned, he had bled himself out of most of his prejudices once he had understood Voldemort to be the madman that he was, hell bent on destroying the whole wizarding community.
Precisely at that moment, Ron Weasly made his entrance.
"Hermione! What are you doing here?"
Hermione looked up, a bit startled and then smiled. Weasly, finally realizing Draco's presence turned to him and addressed him with a cool, "Malfoy. Long time."
"Weasly. Didn't know you were counting." He sneered. Honestly, he couldn't help it. Just as Weasly could not help the twitch in his nose as if he had something particularly unpleasant under his nose. It had to be a guy thing.
"I am waiting for a few people actually. A business meeting," Weasly said to Hermione. "By the way Hermione, thanks for having me over for dinner the other night and for…" he glance meaningfully at Draco, "well…you know… afterwards."
That made Draco sit up straight. What the hell? Weasly had spent the night with Hermione? And he was getting implications about more than just a dinner affair here.
By the time Weasly had left, Draco was on the point of bursting with insane jealousy.
"You want any dessert, Hermione? Didn't think so." Without waiting for her reply, he signaled the waiter for the bill.
Minutes later they were back in Hermione's living room. A fuming Draco rounded on confused Hermione.
A/N- Thank you for reading. Please review.