Chapter 8

"Thanks for lunch, Cormac." Hermione said as she hugged him.

"You don't have to thank me every time I bring you lunch." Cormac laughed.

"Of course I have to! It wouldn't be right."

"Alright, alright, I need to get going now. Bye Hermione." He said and hugged her once more before leaving.

Lately, Cormac had been bringing Hermione lunch everyday when she worked at the book shop. And today was no different. Pansy would shoot death glares to his back and Hermione caught it sometimes, but of course, knowing Pansy, she always denied it.

Things between Hermione and Cormac had grown ever since their first date and continued to grow throughout their next six dates. It was very surprising how much Cormac's personality had changed over the years. Hermione would've never thought that she would actually enjoy his company. Hermione was very happy with Cormac. She felt whole again, having someone around her who wasn't just a friend or acquaintance. She loved how every time he hugged her he would plant a kiss right on her forehead and she would always find herself grinning widely from it.

"He never brings me anything. He didn't even say goodbye to me when he left." Pansy said from behind the front desk, leaning on the wall as she examined her nails.

"That's because you hate him and always give him the cold shoulder." Hermione said to Pansy, walking over to stand next to her.

"I don't hate him..."

"And if he did bring you lunch, you would probably throw it on the ground and stomp on it."

"No, I wouldn't." But Pansy couldn't help the sly smile creeping onto her face as that image processed in her mind.

"Whatever you say, Pans."

"But I do admit that I don't like him."

"You haven't even gotten to know him."

"I don't want to."

Hermione sighed. She had noticed that, for some odd reason, Pansy really did not like Cormac and doesn't even want to try to give him a chance. She would always come up with an excuse every time Hermione would try to get her to have dinner with her and Cormac. She would even invite Blaise along, but Pansy always rejected the idea. She was so stubborn. Hermione didn't understand why Pansy hated…or disliked Cormac so much. She had asked Pansy many times why she didn't like him, but her reasons were always the same, so Hermione finally just gave up and stopped asking.

"You're still having dinner with me, Blaise, and Draco tonight, right? Or are you busy with Cormac, again?" Pansy asked.

"No, I'm not busy with Cormac, again. I promised you I would have dinner with you three tonight and I am one who keeps their promises. Besides, I miss having dinner with just the four of us. I haven't seen Blaise or Draco in a long time."

And that was the truth. She'd seen Blaise maybe once or twice, only for a few seconds, but she hadn't seen Draco since that night of his mother's party. It was like he disappeared off the face of the universe. She just assumed that he was busy with work and probably went on a business trip of some sort. She never considered that he was maybe avoiding her due to a little thing called jealousy.

"Well, good, because I'm sure Blaise and Draco miss you too, Draco more than you'll ever know." Pansy mumbled the last part of her sentence low enough so that Hermione couldn't hear.

"Mmhmm…" Hermione was busying herself with some paperwork so she didn't really hear what Pansy said, anyway.

After a full day of nonstop working, Hermione and Pansy were happy that it was finally closing time. They made sure everything was neatly put away and locked up the shop before heading over to their usual dinner spot. When they arrived, Draco and Blaise were already there in the front waiting for them. The two men turned around to greet Hermione and Pansy. Blaise and Pansy hugged, while Draco just turned to Hermione and gave her a nod before turning back around to look away.

"Hermione, it's good to see that you've made some time out of your busy schedule to have dinner with us." Blaise said to her jokingly.

"Oh, but of course. Why would I pass up the chance to go out to dinner with you all?" Hermione replied.

Blaise chuckled and turned back to Pansy as she started talking to him about some of their wedding plans.

"So, Draco, how was your business trip?" Hermione asked him, stepping over to stand next to him.

"What business trip?" He asked, a little confused.

"You weren't on a business trip?"

"No...Where in the hell did you get that idea?"

"Oh, I just thought that you were away since I haven't seen you in weeks."

"Well, maybe if you weren't always with McLaggen you would have noticed that I have been around. But, of course, you're too wrapped up in your own stupid little world to notice anybody else, but yourself." Draco said and walked away from her so that she couldn't respond to his rude comment. He felt bad for saying it, but he was just so angry that she didn't even remember him ever since she started going out with Cormac.

Hermione gasped and hung her mouth. She was shocked! Yes, maybe she had neglected her friends a little, but she would always make time for them if they had ask. She was always one to put her friends before herself. How dare he say something like that! Funny thing was that she was actually looking forward to talking with Draco since she hadn't spoken to him in so long, but if he was going to act like this than she wasn't going to have any of it.

Hermione walked back over to where Pansy and Blaise stood, now in an awful mood and her face did not display otherwise. The waiter came a few minutes later to escort them to their table. But something caught Hermione's attention as they followed the waiter. She stopped cold when she spotted someone she recognized sitting at a table a few feet away from where she was standing. Draco, who had been walking behind her, walked right into her when he didn't notice that she had stopped.

"What the hell, Granger?" Draco said, as he rubbed his chest, but Hermione did not budge. Draco walked around her and started walking away when he realized that Hermione wasn't following. He turned back around and waved his hand in front of her face. "Uh, Hermione? Hello, anyone in there?"

Draco was starting to get worried when he saw Hermione's face suddenly turn from normal into anger. He followed her stare to see what in the world she was looking at and was shocked to see Cormac McLaggen sitting at a table with another woman. They looked like they were getting really comfortable next to one another. Draco turned his attention back to Hermione to see her expression, instead of angry, was now replaced by sorrow.

"Hermione…" Draco began, but was interrupted by her.

"Move." Hermione said to him and pushed his body out of the way as she walked over to Cormac's table. "Who the hell is that?" Hermione practically yelled at him when she arrived at the table.

Surprised was an understatement of what Cormac felt when he saw Hermione standing in front of him. He couldn't even move and just continued to stare at Hermione like he was witnessing a ghost in front of him. He was brought back into reality when the woman next to him started tapping him on the shoulder.

"Do you know her, babe?" The woman asked.

"Hermione, um, what are you doing here?" Cormac asked.

"The question is what are you doing here with her?" Hermione asked.

"Well, I'm on a date…"

That was definitely the wrong thing say.

"A date? A date?!" Hermione was fuming now. "How can you be on a date when you're dating me?!"

"Wait a minute, you're dating this crazy lady?" The other woman said.

"Stay out of this, bitch." Hermione snapped at her and the woman quickly shut her mouth. "Answer me, damn it!" Hermione said to Cormac.

"What do you want me to say?"

"Why are you here with her when I…I thought we were supposed to be together."

"Hermione, I'm sorry if you got the wrong idea, but we're not dating." Cormac said.

"What are you talking about? You definitely make it seem like we're together."

"Look, Hermione, I like you a lot and I want to get to know you more. That's why I ask you on dates, but I'm not ready to be in a committed relationship. I still need to date around so I can see if you're the right one for me."

"When did you plan on telling me this? After our one hundredth date?" Hermione asked, sarcastically.

"I actually wasn't planning on telling you. I knew you would go ballistic on me."

Hermione wanted to hop over the table and strangle him at the moment. Draco, who had been standing behind her the whole time, could sense that she wanted to do something irrational, so he decided to grab her arm just in case she did decide to go ahead and kill the guy.

"What's going on here?" Pansy asked, walking over to them.

She had noticed that Hermione and Draco were missing when she and Blaise sat down at the table, and then she heard yelling, recognizing instantly that it was Hermione. Pansy looked to Hermione then to the person who she was yelling at and the person sitting next to him. That was all she needed to see before she knew exactly what was going on.

"What are you doing?! And with her? I thought you and Hermione were together? Hermione?" Pansy said all at once without stopping.

"Don't make me explain it again." Cormac sighed, obviously not affected by this encounter, which made Hermione that much angrier.

"Hermione, tell me." Pansy asked, but Hermione just stood there.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, but I don't think we'll be able to see each other after this."

"You think?!" Pansy shouted at him.

Just then the waiter came over and told them to calm down or he would call security to take them out of the restaurant.

"I've had enough of this. I'm done." Hermione said and turned to walk away.

"That's good because I'm done with you too." Cormac said to her, not thinking that she actually heard it.

Hermione did hear it and, once again, stopped dead in her tracks. She was using all the strength inside of her to not kill him. Instead, she calmly walked back over to him. She didn't say anything, but she didn't have to. All she did was grab the glass of wine that was sitting on the table and she dumped it on him. With that she left. He gasped and stood up suddenly as the wine dripped along his white button up shirt.

"What the fu…" He yelled, but stopped himself before saying the whole word, as there were little kids sitting at the tables around him. At least he still had some morals.

"You deserved that. What a load of scum." Pansy said and left, following behind Hermione.

"That little whor…"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, McLaggen." Blaise said. If looks could kill, Cormac would have been dead before he could even realize who had said that.

"Stay out of this, Zabini. It's none of your business what goes on between me and Hermione."

"It is my business when you talk about my fiancé that way."

"Just leave already." Cormac said as he dabbed his napkin on his shirt, trying to wipe away the wine. Of course that's not going to work. Idiot.

Blaise wanted to say something more, but decided it was better not to. Draco, who had been silent the whole time, had other plans.

"You're lucky we're in public, McLaggen, because if we weren't, you would be praying to Merlin that I don't hex you into oblivion right now." Draco said.

"I'm scared, Malfoy." Cormac snorted and sat back down.

"You should be because if I ever catch you around Hermione again or if I hear that you're talking shit about her, I won't even consider that there are people around."

And with that Draco followed Blaise out of the restaurant. They found Pansy standing outside searching around for, they assumed, Hermione.

"Pansy!" Blaise called out to her.

"I can't find Hermione!" Pansy said out of breath.

"She probably went back home. Let's go there first and if she's not there we'll search elsewhere." Blaise suggested.

The three of them apparated back to Pansy's home. The entire house was dark. The living room was empty, the kitchen was empty, and the dining room was empty. Pansy turned on all the lights and walked up stairs. She heard faint crying coming from Hermione's room and was relived to know that Hermione was home, but she was still heart broken for her friend. She knew how much Hermione liked Cormac and although she, herself, hated the guy, anyone who made Hermione happy, she had to accept.

Pansy knocked on the door before opening it a little and stepping inside. It was dark and cold in the bedroom. Hermione was lying face down on her bed; her body was shaking as she cried.

"Go away, Pansy. I'm not in the mood to talk." Hermione said between sobs.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry." Pansy said walking closer to her.

"Pans, please, just leave me be." Hermione whispered softly.

Pansy sighed and walked back out into the hallway to face Blaise and Draco.

"She doesn't want to talk to me." Pansy said; her head hung down. Blaise pulled her into a hug.

"Let me try." Draco said suddenly.

Pansy and Blaise nodded and headed downstairs to make tea and dinner since they hadn't eaten anything yet. Draco hesitated outside Hermione's bedroom door for awhile, not quite sure of what to say to the distraught girl inside. He sighed and decided that if he didn't go in now he would change his mind. So he slowly creaked open the door. Hermione was still crying but she did calm down a little and this time she was sitting cross-legged on her bed with her head in her hands.

"Pansy, I don't want…"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not Pansy. I'm not annoying and nosy enough." Draco said trying to make her laugh as he walked towards her. It didn't work.

Hermione's head shot up when she heard Draco's voice. She was surprised to see him in her room. Wasn't he the one who was saying she was wrapped up in her own stupid world and then proceeded to ignore her a few hours ago?

"What are you doing here, Draco?" Hermione asked.

"I…I wanted to make sure that you're alright." Draco said, nervously. He wasn't use to showing this side of him to anyone.

"Why? So you can tell me that I'm an idiot?" Hermione snorted. "Well, don't waste your breath. I already know I am one."

"You're not an idiot." Draco sighed and sat down on the corner of her bed. When he heard nothing but sniffles from Hermione he took that as a sign that he could continue. "McLaggen is the one who should be called an idiot."

"Why do you say that? I was the one who was made a fool by him, remember."

"He's an idiot for doing this to you. He was so lucky to have you and then he just threw it all away. He doesn't even know." He mumbled his last sentence. Hermione didn't hear it because she was blowing her nose on a tissue at the same moment. "He'll probably regret it once he figures out how great of a person you really are and how he let you go for some other bimbo."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better. I know how you really feel about me. I remember what you said clearly."

"I'm sorry I said that about you, Hermione. I was just angry and I shouldn't have put it on you. You didn't deserve any of it."

"Why were you angry?"

"Something that's irrelevant. I don't want talk about it."

"Tell me." Hermione said softly to him as she crawled over and sat right next to him. He looked into her tear stained eyes and felt his heart melt for her. Draco silently cursed McLaggen for saddening such a beautiful face. He lightly brushed the tears away from her soft face.

"Only if you promise me you'll stop crying over that arse, McLaggen." Draco said just as softly back to her. Hermione smiled and nodded at him. Draco sighed before continuing. "I was angry, because this girl that I sort of have feelings for doesn't even notice me. And it's hard for me to express my feelings to her. It just really frustrates me that everyone around me knows how I feel except for her."

"I think you should just tell her how you feel. It'll be better for the both of you."

"If only it was that easy for me to tell her. I've never felt this way towards anyone before and I don't really know how to go about it. I don't want to mess anything up."

"You won't mess anything up by telling her how you feel. It's better to let it out than to have it locked up inside of you. If she's the only one who doesn't know how you feel towards her then there's a loss of communication between you and her. If you really want to be with her just let her know."

"I…"

"Just tell her."

"I'll think about it."

"Not good enough." Hermione said. Draco just chuckled and shook his head. "Who is it anyway? Have I met her before?"

"Oh, um, no you haven't. I met her about a month ago." Draco lied.

"And you already have strong feelings for her?" Hermione asked with raised eyes.

"Yes…"

"Well, promise me you'll introduce me to her, later on?"

"I promise."

"Good." Hermione smiled.

Just then, there was a knock on the door followed by Pansy's head peaking through the opened door.

"Dinner's ready." Pansy said, with a sly smile on her face.

Draco got up and offered his hand to Hermione to help her up. He let her out of the room first as Pansy stepped back away from the door.

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better, Hermione." Pansy said as they walked down the stairs, towards the kitchen.

"Thanks to Draco." Hermione said looking at him.

"Anytime." He replied with a smile.

They walked into the dining room to find Blaise setting the table. Hermione walked over to him and they talked a little about hexing Cormac as Pansy stayed in the kitchen finishing up her last dish. Draco stood in the kitchen and watched her.

"What?" Pansy asked after a couple of minutes.

"How long had you been standing outside Hermione's bedroom door?" Draco asked, looking at her with narrowed eyes.

"I wasn't eavesdropping if that's you're thinking, Draco Malfoy. I just came up to inform you both that dinner was ready. It's not my fault that door just happened to be slightly opened and you were talking rather loudly."

"So you did hear me."

"Maybe."

"Don't tell Hermione, anything, Pansy."

"Tell Hermione about what?" Hermione asked as she stepped into the kitchen to grab more plates.

"Nothing! Here let me help you with that." Draco said as he took the plates from Hermione and began walking into the dining room.

"Oh, Draco?" Hermione called to him before he fully disappeared into the other room.

"Yes?" He asked, walking back into the kitchen with plates still in hand.

"Thanks, again, for talking with me and for what you said before, in my room. It really did make me feel a lot better."

"No problem." He said before leaving.

Hermione watched him leave and then walked over to Pansy, who was smiling like a crazy woman. She leaned on the counter, watching Pansy finish up making the tea.

"Hey Pans, has Draco talk to you about this girl he fancies?" Hermione asked after a moment of silence.

"Yes, quite a few times actually." Pansy replied, trying hard not to crack up.

"Well, do you know her? What's her name?"

"I've met her a couple of times actually, but Draco doesn't want me to tell anyone who it is. So I guess you'll just have to wait until he tells you."

"Oh…well, alright." Hermione said, disappointed.

She was hoping that Pansy could tell her who the girl was so that she could do something to help Draco out since he was kind enough to talk to her when she was feeling down a few minutes ago. But she knew that Pansy respected Draco's privacy and didn't want her to know who it was.

Although, she couldn't help but think about how he said that everyone around him knew of his feelings towards this girl, but she didn't. In fact, this was the first time she even heard about this. Maybe she had been too busy in her own little world to notice anyone else. Draco was right, Hermione thought and sighed as she walked back into the dining room, not even realizing for one second that the mystery girl was her.

A/N: I was going to have Cormac hang around for another chapter or two, but I had a little change of plans after reading the reviews, haha.
I promise a lot more Dramione will be coming up, so keep reading!

Thank you to all my reviewers!

-CHIBZ