A/N: I'm baaaaacccccckkkkkk!! Exams are finally over and I'm bouncing back into fanfiction. Though I must say, I lost touch a bit so I'm going to need a lot of practice to get back to where I used to be! Right! Here's another chapter, in the mind of Derek Whitefield... not as twisted as it sounds.

18th March 2005

Derek Whitefield

I stepped inside the Malfoy Manor, away from the wedding ceremony and the pain. I sighed slightly and leaned against a wall. I heard the clicking of a high heels echoing against the cold floors. For a second, my heart soared – thinking it was Lynette. But it was only Hermione.

"What are you doing here, Derek?" she asked. "And no more games, I want the truth."

"I'm here to watch a wedding, Hermione," I replied as calmly as possible. "Just like you are."

Then, almost miraculously, she leaned against the wall next to me and sighed. We didn't exchange any words at all. We simply lean against a wall, sighing for our lost love. But of course, Hermione didn't know about me and Lynette, but it doesn't change the fact that we were both grieving.

"It's funny how things turn out, huh?" she sighed.

"What do you mean?"

"Funny how one second we were loving them so much and then the next second, you hate them."

"I don't hate Lynette," I blurted, without realising what I said.

"WHAT?! So that's why you're here, Derek? All the crap about being hurt by someone, that person is Lynette?!" Hermione yelped.

I didn't know what to say so I just kept quiet.

"She's in love with you, but she's marrying Draco? My Draco?!" she grabbed my collar and tugged it in despair. "You have to do something!"

"What?! What am I supposed to do? What can I do, Hermione? I'm not the one with a wand and a genius's brain!" I snapped at her.

Suddenly, she stopped tugging at my collar and stared into my eyes. She sobbed – a little – and then she whispered, "Please…"

I hugged her tightly, stroking her hair gently, "I know, I know, Hermione. I know what it feels like. I know it hurts."

She mumbled something but it was muffled. I felt sorry for her. Something had to be right for her. Suddenly, the wooden doors were thrown apart and thousands of guest started entering the house for the reception – yeah, the mansion was that huge.

All of the sudden, I felt Hermione kicking me real hard and the next moment, she was walking away in a huff. Geez, women could be really unpredictable. Shaking my head slightly, I joined the sea of people waiting to enter the reception hall.

XXX

I drummed my fingers impatiently on the table. It was a bad habit of mine… well, at least it wasn't as disgusting as chewing fingernails. Then, something grabbed my attention. Hermione was standing up and looking really nervous.

"And now, the speech from the best woman… Hermione Granger," the emcee was saying. There was a polite applause and then… the crowd silenced to listen to what Draco Malfoy's mistress had to say about him getting married to another woman. Okay, maybe I should lay off the sarcasm, but well, explains why I'm still single. Hermione cleared her throat, and it was obvious she didn't know what to say.

"Um… I didn't really prepare anything to say. Draco just told me that I'm supposed to give a speech like… lets see, five minutes ago. And besides, if anyone ever told me I had to prepare a speech as Draco's best woman for his wedding with someone else, I probably would've laughed at the idea of it. But here I am…" she trailed off, looking extremely awkward. Suddenly, she took a deep breath and said, "All our life, we ponder about love. We ask ourselves, what is love? A mother nourishes and cares for her child; is that love? A father holding his arms wide to hug his child; is that love?"

"The truth is, no word in this world could define love in its exact meaning. Why isn't there a word to explain love, we ask. It is because love itself has no definite meaning. Ask a mother about a mother's love, her answer would be seeing her child laugh or hear the laughter or her child; that is love in a mother's point of view. Ask me about love, and I will say that love is the ability for someone to make me happy, to make me laugh, to open my eyes and let me see the world, to make me feel appreciated, to give me the feeling no else could ever give, and in return, I will give back the exact same thing."

"Love is love. There is no short-cuts, no definite meaning. Love is weird, love is bittersweet, love is strange, love is unpredictable. And you see, that's the thing about it. No one is untouchable. But I guess, that's not really the point. And whoever cares about what the best man – I'm sorry, best woman – has to say? I guess this is the part where we all raise our glasses and wish the newlyweds the best of luck," she turned to Draco and Lynette. Raising her glass she said, "You're gonna need a lot of it."

With one go, Hermione emptied the cup and dashed out of the hall just as soon as the music started. Sometimes, you just gotta love the girl. Raising my glass, I downed the whole content too. I watched Draco excused himself and ran out of the hall… he must've gone to chase Hermione. And soon, Lynette herself was leaving the table and running after Draco. Not wanting to miss the possible catfight or whatever, I followed them too.

I panted and wiped the sweat off my forehead. Damn the mansion was huge. And I lost them like… twenty minutes ago. Come on, all I did was glance at the couple making out at the corner of the hallway. And the next second, poof, they were all gone. I heard footsteps and followed the trail. It was Lynette, it had to be her. Hermione walks really fast, but she doesn't run… so the footsteps would sound different. Plus, Hermione wouldn't be caught dead in platforms, while Lynette wore it all the time.

"Lynette?" I called. The next moment, someone banged me and I fell to the floor. And – surprise, surprise – Lynette was on top of me.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she hissed.

"I dunno… I saw Hermione running out of the room, then Draco, and then you… I couldn't miss the scene," I replied with a smirk. Lynette's hands flew across my cheeks and she whispered into my ear, "If you're here to ruin my wedding –"

"Relax… I was at the reception, and the nuptials. Things went well, didn't it?"

Lynette fell silent as she strained to listen to some buzzing sound. "Can you hear that?"

I shook my head. She got off my and stared out at the courtyard where two figures were having an argument. The fight just got louder and louder until I could hear what they said.

"Leave me alone!" a woman's voice screamed.

"Don't be silly!" came a man's voice.

"I'm not a homewrecker!"

"Listen –"

"NO! I won't listen to you anymore! I don't trust you!"

"But –"

"Please, if you love me so much, please, please, I beg you. Let me go…"

"I can't."

"I've moved on Draco! I don't love you anymore!"

"You're lying!"

Hermione walked away and Draco chased after her. He grabbed her and kissed her while I smirked slightly.

"Lynette, it's obvious he loves her, not you. Now can you please just come home with me?" I pleaded to Lynette. She didn't reply, instead she just ran into the courtyard, spilt the pair and slapped Hermione. I ran quickly to Lynette, just to make sure she doesn't kill anyone.

"He's mine, you hear me?! HE'S MINE!" Lynette was yelling.

"I'm not yours, Lynette. I don't belong to ANYONE! I'm not some property that you can claim!" Draco shouted at her.

"Hey, you shut up!" I yelled angrily at Draco.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Hermione screamed, covering her hands over her ears. "Will all of you please stop it? Can't we all for once act like adults?!"

Everyone bit their tongues because Hermione looked so mad it freaked me out. And it looked as if Draco was freaked out too.

"Draco, don't you get it? I said, I want to break-up. You're a married man now. So please, just go back to your wife and put me our of my misery. Lynette, I'm not trying to wreck your marriage or whatever, I just want out."

"Hermione… look me in the eye and tell me you don't love me," Draco challenged. And when Hermione did as he told, he was defeated.

"Draco, don't you get it? This would never end. We're always going to be like this. Your family will never accept me. She's not going to let you go, so I will. I bail, Lynette. You hear that? You win," Hermione said with a mixture of sadness and bitterness.

Lynette looked at me sadly. "I'm sorry, Derek. But you're just not –"

"A wizard?" I raised my hands in defeat.

"It's not like that –"

"Really? No, really, I get it. Sometimes you freak me out too."

A/N: I know it's another short one. But I hope this will do for now. We're almost finishing now, ladies and gentlemen!