Hermione's heart raced as fast as her mind as she walked quickly back to Hogwarts, and it wasn't because of her pace. At 19, she had never expected to see Draco again, and definitely not so close to their old school, which held so many memories. She didn't know what surprised her more: seeing him again, or seeing him with another girl. About to be married.
But why did she care? He could never stay in one place too long on account of his profession, and she couldn't move because of hers. Their breakup was for the best; they had both said that. It was she who suggested it in the first place. Then why did she feel so hurt? She decided she was just not prepared to see him.
"Walkin' a little fast, aren't you?" came a familiar voice from behind her. She stopped and turned.
"Harry!" She couldn't help it. She flung herself into his arms, overjoyed.
"I'm so happy to see you! It's been seven years! I can't believe you're back! How've you been? What's been going on? You never write, me, Harry, I---"
"Whoa, slow down. I'll be here a while; you don't have to ask me things so fast," he laughed. She smiled and breathed out a sigh of relief. She linked her arm in his and they started towards Hogwarts. For now, she thought, I won't worry about Draco. I'll catch up with my best friend.
"I stopped at Hogsmeade and then started towards Hogwarts. It was pure luck when I saw you, practically running, towards the castle. What's the hurry? It's Saturday. Don't tell me you're still obsessed with school," he teased. Hermione laughed.
"No, I just...I was just trying to get back so I could relax the rest of the day."
"Did I spoil your plans?" Harry joked.
"No, you just replaced them with better ones," she answered happily.
"Brings back alot of memories," he remarked as they entered the castle.
"Yes, it does," she agreed. And I'm here everyday, she thought.
"Harry! It's wonderful to see you here, finally," Professor Dumbledore chuckled. Despite his age, he was still headmaster and he still had his remarkable mind.
"Thanks, professor. It's good to be back," Harry replied.
Hermione led Harry to the Great Hall, just in time for lunch. They ate, each listening to the other account the events in their lives since the last time they spoke. Nothing big had happened, besides Hermione running into Draco that day. She decided she'd rather not mention it.
"So, any new girlfriends lately?" she asked him, smiling impishly. He laughed, shaking his head.
"No, I really don't like being tied down right now. I'm not saying I'm a sleaze," he added quickly. "I just can't settle until at least quidditch season is over." She nodded.
"Yeah, I understand."
"So..." Harry squirmed in his seat. "Have you...run into anyone from the old days lately?" he asked. She squinted and looked at him warily. He seemed like he was fishing for something.
"Why are you back?" she asked instead of answering.
"Oh, um...our team is staying here for a while. We're playing against the local team in a month," he answered, somewhat uncomfortably.
"That's why he's here," Hermione mumbled, mostly to herself. Harry looked at her with a knowing look.
"I saw Draco in the Three Broomsticks today," she admitted. Harry looked sad for her.
"I thought you might see him, since we're back here," Harry told her.
"Do you know much about his fiance?" she asked, casually. He shook his head.
"No, not really. Her name is Alyssa Flores. She's a bit of an airhead. Why he chose her over you, I'll never know," he said almost angrily. Hermoine laughed.
"Harry, it's okay. I obviously just wasn't what he wanted," she said, trying to shrug it off.
"You were," he said firmly. "I had to sit there, night after night in every hotel we stayed at, listening to how much he couldn't wait to see you again. Then, after you split up, I had to hear how much he missed you and how he wasn't sure he made the right decision." Hermione had tears in her eyes.
"He said all that?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah. Then I think he tried making himself forget about you by finding Alyssa. She's completely wrong for him," Harry assured her. She smiled.
"Thanks." Hermione now had a whole new reel of thoughts going through her head. They decided to take a walk outside to just enjoy the day. They talked about more general things this time. Talking about their personal problems just brought the mood down. Suddenly, a large owl flew down from the sky and began attacking Harry. It landed on his shoulder and began pecking at his head and arms.
"Hey, get off me!" Harry yelled, waving his arms about, violently. Hermione giggled furiously until finally, Harry took the scroll from the owl and it flew away.
"Geez. Ruddy bird," Harry mumbled. He opened the letter and read it. He smirked and dropped the paper carelessly.
"Who was that from?" Hermione asked.
"Ron. It seems he's coming back here to visit family, and you," Harry said.
"Well, that's wonderful! Why aren't you happy about it?" she asked.
"Because it's been how many years, and now he's writing? We were best friends and it hasn't been important to him to keep contact," Harry said.
"Well, neither of you kept contact with me. I'm still happy to see the both of you," Hermione pointed out.
Harry shrugged. "I'm just not happy with the way things turned out. I knew it would be different, but not this different," he explained.
"Yeah," Hermione agreed. She smiled, remembering. "Graduation was such a happy day. Who knew it would be the last?"
"It shouldn't have been," Harry stated firmly. "I don't understand what went wrong. And I want things to change." She nodded in agreement.
"Me, too." But what if enough damage has already been done? she wondered.
A/N: Well, that's it. I know it's moving a bit slowly, but I'm going to bring out more of the plot in the next few chapters. Please don't give up on me! Keep reading and reviewing!
Love, Amber
