Monday mornings were definitely not Hermione's favorite. Especially the Monday after her biggest fight with Draco. She forced herself to remain stationary at her cubicle (save for occasional bathroom breaks and one two-minute coffee break) in fear of running into Draco. She didn't want to see his face because she thought that if she did, she might cry, or scream, or punch him herself, or all of the above.
At around 11:15am, she went to the kitchen to refill her coffee mug. She walked quickly to shorten her trip, but she didn't want to make it look like she was running. As swiftly and smoothly as she could, she poured coffee into the mug, added cream and sugar, and walked back to her cubicle.
While placing the coffee mug down, she noticed a pink sticky note on her keyboard: "Reminder: 12:00" written in blue highlighter ink.
Noon was her bi-weekly lunch date with Lewis. Though she really didn't feel like going, she had made a commitment and she needed something to get her mind off Draco. It was almost 11:20, so she told herself that she could go after she finished sending out a bunch of emails.
She signed out of her computer at 11:45 and took her purse with her to the elevator. When she stepped outside, she found the sun hidden by clouds but it rays still shone through them and illuminated the street. It wasn't cold; the right temperature for the knit sweater she was wearing. She crossed her arms across her chest and made her way down the street to Suzy's.
To her surprise, Lewis was already there when she walked in. He was sitting at the table they sat at last time near the window. He was facing the window and had his back to Hermione. She walked over and sat in front of him at the table to see him with his hands clasped in his lap. He looked up at her and smiled when she sat down and they began small talk about their weekend.
"I actually just got here," Lewis said. "Not here, as in Suzy's; here as in London. I went to Birmingham over the weekend to see some distant relatives. Family reunion, big turnout. What about you?"
Had a fight with my boyfriend, that's something. Not even really sure if he's my boyfriend anymore, she thought. Then, aloud she said, "Oh, just stayed home, watched some movies and ordered a pizza. Nothing exciting really."
With a chuckle and a smile, Lewis said, "Well, how about I get us some food and then make this day more exciting?"
She nodded and watched him go off to wait in line. He looked confused, then walked back to Hermione.
"Sorry," he said, "What did you want to eat?"
She laughed and told him that she will have a turkey and cheese sandwich and a bottle of water. He nodded and went back into the line.
While she was waiting for Lewis, she watched the baristas behind the bar who were rapidly walking around trying to make food for the customers. Hermione thought it was entrancing, how they hustled and bustled about. Sort of like bees in a hive, flying around and doing their job.
Lewis was definitely the perfect distraction from the events of the weekend. They hardly ever talked about anything serious, so for most of the lunch hour they were laughing their heads off. Even during the walk back, Lewis seemed to brighten the mood when the sky looked a bit gloomy.
Five minutes away from the building, Hermione had her head down and was looking at her feet walk on the pavement. Lewis was to her left, but in the corner of her eye, she saw him raise his hand and walk forward to meet someone he was calling. When she looked up, it was Draco.
Lewis had stretched his arm out to shake his hand, a gesture which Draco returned, not wanting to look Hermione in the eye. Good, she thought, I don't want you looking at me anyway.
"How are you, sir?" Lewis asked. Hermione snorted inwardly at this. She knew he was in a high position in the company, but the idea of anyone calling him "sir" was not at all something she could get used to.
"I'm well," he responded. "How was your lunch?"
Lewis glanced over at Hermione. "We had a good time. Suzy's is a good place for a quick bite, since you're headed in that direction anyway."
"I'm actually headed somewhere else but I'll be sure to go there next time. Speaking of which, I must be going," said Draco.
Lewis nodded and said good-bye while Hermione remained silent. She was the first to leave in the direction of the building when she heard Draco's voice calling her from behind.
"Oh, and, Ms. Granger," he called. She turned around and faced him, trying hard not to look annoyed in front of Lewis. "There are things I need to discuss with you. Come to my office at two-thirty." He didn't wait for an answer before he turned around and crossed the street.
She sighed in annoyance and closed her eyes so she could gather herself. When she opened her eyes, Lewis was waiting for her, and he smiled in reassurance. She forced a smile back and together they went back to the building.
They rode the elevator in silence and when they got off, hugged before they parted ways. Hermione went over to her desk to turn on her computer, but sighed once more and sulked in her chair.
The lunch was fantastic and had put her in a light-hearted mood. But after seeing Draco, all happiness was gone and right now she felt the same as she did all weekend after he left her house. He didn't even call to apologize or explain. Not that she wanted him to, but it would have been nice.
She figured she could get all her answers and feelings out when she went to see him in his office. If she was even going to go.
It wasn't until five minutes after two o'clock that she decided she should go to at least hear him out. So she made his way over to his office, which was open.
She stood in the hallway so that he wouldn't see her, but she peered inside to look at him. He was at his desk writing on something, briefly checking his computer screen, and then back to the paper. She watched him write for a few minutes; he looked so relaxed and content. When he put the pen down, he crossed his arms on the desk and put his head in his arms.
Slowly and quietly, Hermione knocked three times on the door. He jerked his head up, and there was something in his eyes that made it look like he was happy to see her there, although the rest of his face and body did not convey that message.
Draco stood up and gestured to one of the chairs in front of his desk and walked over to close the door behind her. Hermione sat in the chair closest to the wall without an expression on her face.
She looked at him and was waiting for him to say something. He sat down in the chair beside Hermione and took one of her hands in both of his. She was breathing heavily, and she couldn't tell if it was anger or if she wanted to hold him.
He was looking into their hands when he sighed deeply. Then he closed his eyes and said, "Hermione. If there is anything I can say to you now that I will take to the grave, it is that I love you, and I will always love you, and I will always try to make you happy."
He then looked up at her like he was waiting for her to say something, but she just shook her head.
"What do you mean, 'no'?" he asked.
"You can't expect me to believe that when you kissed another girl just a few days ago, lied to me about it, and then didn't even give me an explanation." She could feel her voice start to crack, and she felt a stinging sensation in her eyes.
She was completely furious. How could he say those things? Now she was breathing even harder, and although she willed every part of her not to, a tear rolled down her cheek.
Hermione looked away so that he wouldn't see her, but he pulled his chair closer to her and enclosed her legs in his, the insides of his knees touching hers. HE kissed her hand, and rubbed small circles with both of his hands to calm her down.
Then he spoke up. "I know that what happened was shocking for you, but if you let me explain I promise I will make it up to you."
She looked back into his eyes and saw that they were filled with sympathy. So she gave him a slight nod and allowed him to explain himself, but she took her hand back and crossed her arms while she listened.
And then he started.
"I won't deny that I was with Cecelia on Saturday. She had just moved into a new apartment and we were looking at flowers that she could put in her house to liven the place up-"
"Hold on," Hermione interrupted, "Why were you going shopping with her? Why couldn't she drag someone else to do it?"
He paused for a moment and said, "We're cousins."
"HA," she laughed sarcastically, "As if you expect me to believe that you two are cousins! You act way too intimate to be just 'cousins'. And if she was related to you, why didn't you introduce me to her the first time I met her? Why wait until now?"
"Okay, we're not actually cousins. We're technically family friends but we've known each other so long that I treat her as my cousin. Also, we do not act 'intimate'. We just spend a lot of time together."
"Why?" she asked. "What's so important that you spend a lot of time together? And of course you act intimate, Harry told me that you kissed her when you were leaving."
"Yes, on the side of the head. You've seen how short she is, it was just a peck and it was very quick. It also did not mean anything. That's just how we act."
"Okay, let's say that were true. You still haven't told me why you spend so much time with her."
Despite how difficult Hermione was being, Draco still seemed to have patience for her, which she admired even though she was furious. "Her fiancé lives in France but it moving here at the end of the month. I'm trying to keep her entertained until then."
"Oh yeah," she snorted, "I bet you are keeping her entertained."
He looked drained from all the back-and-forth action. "Hermione, I promise you that NOTHING is going on between Cecelia and me. What will it take for you to believe me?"
"I don't know if I can believe you," she said quietly.
"Why not?" he asked.
"This whole story seems so far-fetched. You suddenly are spending time with this family friend you haven't introduced me to, you kissed her, and you want me to believe that it's all platonic? I don't know."
He didn't say anything, so after a little bit of silence, Hermione stood up and walked out without a word.