DISCLAMIER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER. I OWN THE STORY AND THE PLOT.
Twelve
By the time the bell had rung, Hermione already knew the rumors would be spreading about what had happened in class. There would be things like "Oh she's just jealous that the child isn't hers," or "She's probably still in love with that Weasley. That was what Hermione didn't want to hear. Every one still thought she loved Ron but the truth was she didn't love him, at all. There had probably been a time when she had had a small school girl crush in her but the older she had gotten she had realized that her and Ron would never work out. He was too immature and he had always had a wandering eye, but it looked like Lavender had solved that problem. Ron didn't look at any girl with love in his eyes except for Lavender. This was completely fine with Hermione because she didn't care anymore.
"Miss Granger, I don't know what has been going on with you but do you realize that the class has already left?" a deep voice drawled. Hermione shook away her morbid thoughts and focused on the man in front of her. If she was honest with herself Hermione had to admit that he was a superb human. Apart from the harsh lines and chisels of his handsome face and full lips his, his very presence was a cause for her admiration too. His built, his body, the way he held himself Hermione was in awe. Not many men could still face the world after a tragic where they had chosen the wrong side and killed so many people. But here was Lucius Malfoy strong and solid like a tree. He kept his back straight, and his head held high daring anyone to say something to him or look him in the eye with disrespect. If Hermione could describe him in one word she would call him powerful.
Not powerful because he had killed several people and lived to tell the tale of how the Light side had saved his ungrateful arse but because he had the ability to make people shiver and bow down with respect. People looked up to him and wanted to be like him. When he entered a room the whole room would stop their conversations just to look at him. A large room would feel like a cramped box if he stood inside of the room.
Yet even with the power he excluded, he was cold, heartless and emotionless. What drew people to him was his wealth and power and they respected him out of fear not out of love. Love. Hermione mentally scoffed.
"Granger!" he hollered. Hermione looked at him her eyes boring deep into his eyes. She wanted to figure him out. She knew what he had been and yet he had saved her that night and he had kissed her until she couldn't think straight. Something about him wasn't right. He kept himself excluded on purpose. The question was why? Why did he keep himself so aloof?
"Why?" she said of her own accord. Hermione blushed furiously when Lucius gave her a glare. Sometimes I wish I could keep my mouth shut.
"Excuse me?" he asked. Why was she looking at him like that? Lucius didn't want those huge brown eyes looking into him as though she could see into his soul. There was a reason he kept himself apart and it wasn't because he had been a death eater. He didn't need some know it all girl to look at him with those big warm eyes and figure him out. There had only been one woman who he had loved and she was dead.
"Why what Granger?" he sneered. Hermione didn't even know what she wanted to ask him. She just shrugged and slung her bag over her shoulder.
"I don't know Malfoy. I just don't know any more." Lucius watched her shoulders slump in defeat and just when he wanted to comfort her she breathed in deeply and stood taller and squared her shoulders. When she left and the heavy doors shut, Lucius felt as though he had just lost something very important and he was once again filled with pain, sorrow and darkness just like he had felt as a child.
"Hermione! Please vait!" a voice called. Hermione ignored it speeding up. She wasn't in the mood to put up with this nonsense. Spinning around she pulled out her wand. Kurum stopped short and smiled a little bit.
"What is it? I don't want to talk to you."
"Just listen to me for once! I know you are upset and you have every right my dearest." Hermione rolled her eyes. She wanted to hex the idiot just as easily as Lucius would but she found the strength not to.
"My name is HERMIONE! Don't call me anything else and I am not your anything!" she yelled her voice filled with anger and desperation for him to leave her alone.
"But I love you! How can I leave you? I made a mistake but please don't stop loving me!" Was it really that hard for men to understand that sometimes they have to move on? Apparently that was the case with Kurum. She just needed time alone to herself. That dream had not left her alone and she kept on wondering about Lucius.