Happy Friday! The week long meeeting has ended finally! Today I online shopped during it. Bought pretty pretty shoes and clothes, and I'm much happier for it.
Chapter 7
Ron Weasley entered his family home in a rage. Harry and Hermione sat at the kitchen table, talking quietly, as he approached. "What the hell is this?" he demanded, slamming the paper down in front of her.
Startled, Hermione jumped and placed a hand over her heart. "Ronald!" she admonished him. He ignored her disdain, and once again asked for an explanation. "Not that I owe you one, but it's a photo of Draco and me. We had breakfast together yesterday."
"So, what? You're dating him now?" Ron wondered. "Harry's his best friend, you're his girlfriend, and I'm out?"
"By your own doing," Harry pointed out.
"And I'm not his girlfriend," Hermione added.
He let it be known that he didn't believe her, but said nothing when Ginny walked in with Draco behind her. His anger worsened when the blond sat down beside his former fiancee. When his arm wound around the back of her chair, Ron left.
"What's that about?" Draco wondered. Silently, Hermione slid the newspaper closer to him. "Breaking news - people eat. What's the big deal?"
Rolling her eyes, Hermione smacked him with the paper. "You're you," she exclaimed angrily, leaving the table. Stepping outside, she spotted Ron by the pond and made her way to him. "Nothing is going on with Draco. Harry asked me to give him a chance, and that's what I'm doing. We're friends, but it's nothing more than that."
"It's hard seeing you here," he confessed, sitting in the grass. "You're the first, the only, girl I ever loved. Ending our relationship, all I could do was distance myself. Seeing Malfoy with you makes me jealous."
Never had she known him to be so self-aware, and it impressed her. "Couldn't we still be friends?" she asked. "I've missed you, and I wish you were still a part of my life. We've been friends for too long to forget all that."
"You're really not dating Malfoy?" he replied. Laughing, she shook her head. "Well, at least we know your sanity is still in tact. I'd be willing to give being friends a chance. We did it pretty well once, right?"
"I'd say so," she agreed. "Come back inside and have lunch with us. I promise you won't have to talk to Draco."
Ron hesitated, remaining seated as she urged him to follow her lead. "Maybe another time," he decided. "I'm not sure I'm wanted today. We'll talk soon though."
Hermione frowned, but nodded and let him go. Returning to the house, she sat down beside Draco once again. He maintained distance, and a small part of her was grateful for that. He and Harry exchanged a small glance, and soon they were alone. "I'm sorry," Draco told her. "It was never my intention to upset you, and I really am sorry that I did."
"I know you are, and I shouldn't have overreacted," she replied, offering her own apologies. "We talked about giving our friendship another go, but I want you to know that that doesn't mean you're out of my life. I like that you're my friend, and I don't want to lose that because of Ron."
Smiling, he put his arm around her, pulling her close. "I don't want to lose you either," he murmured. "And hey, I wore down you and Harry. Maybe I can do the same with Ron. Stranger things have happened."
"Sure, and now that he knows you're not my boyfriend, he might come around," she added optimistically. Draco stiffened. Unsure why he suddenly tensed, Hermione pulled away. "Did...did I say something wrong?"
He shook his head but withdrew his arm. "Do you think you'll get back together?" he wondered, focusing on the table.
"No, I don't," she replied, resting a hand on his arm. "We broke up for good reasons, and I don't see either of us changing our minds."
He wondered if she regretted the break up, but was too afraid to ask. Harry's comments weighed heavily on his mind. While Hermione had been outside with Ron, Harry had remarked that Draco looked like a lost puppy when she wasn't near. Though he tried to deny it, Harry didn't believe it. It was then he asked his friend if he had feelings for Hermione. Draco hadn't answered, but wondered what he would have said if he had.
His thoughts were interrupted by a gentle hand on his wrist. There was a look of concern in the brown eyes that settled on him, but he assured her that everything was fine. "Do you want to get out of here?" he asked, getting to his feet. When she asked what he had in mind, Draco shrugged. Holding her hand, he led her to the front yard and Apparated. When Hermione opened her eyes, they were atop the Eiffel Tower. She clung to him for dear life, and it was then he remembered her fear of heights. Tightening his hold on her, he Apparated them to the ground. "Sorry, forgot."
"We're in Paris," she said, pulling away. "Paris, Draco."
"I thought you wouldn't mind being with me if we weren't photographed," he reasoned. "No one knows us here."
She frowned as they began to walk. "I'm not ashamed to be seen with you," she replied. "I'm proud to call you my friend. What I said earlier about you being you, it was anger and frustration talking. It wasn't even directed towards you. For so long, every move I've made has been a headline. I'm just tired of it. I'm sorry I made you doubt my feelings for you."
Taking her hand in his, Draco watched as their fingers intertwined. "What feelings are those?" he wondered softly.
"The confusing kind," she admitted. Stopping, they sat on a nearby bench, and she watched the people who walked by. "You've been good to me. None of my friends have ever stopped by when it's late and I'm still in the office, or sent me flowers just because. And it's not just the food or the flowers. I don't mean to sound materialistic. It's...it's the way you're self-deprecating and funny. You make me smile. You make me look forward to being back at the Burrow. You weren't supposed to make that easier for me, but you did. I like being with you, Draco, and I don't want to lose what we have."
"Friendship," he said flatly.
His tone surprised her. Though they had grown close over the last month, Draco had never let on that he felt anything but friendly toward her. "You sound disappointed," she noted.
He shrugged and sighed. "What if I want more?"
