Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own anything regarding Harry Potter, just my interpretation of Dramione and other characters.

Thank you for the reviews and reading the story, appreciate it! I just had to throw some drama in, Draco still has the Slytherin in him!

Draco POV

Draco returned to London in a quite simply put, shitty mood. Was it that difficult to put all of his trust in Hermione? He was going to let things cool down for the next few weeks. Maybe the luster of the new relationship was wearing off. Who was he kidding, the sex was still spectacular even if they were upset with each other. It wasn't only about sex like the women he was with before, he did not care if those women shagged the entire Royal Army. It was different with Hermione, he truly cared and was madly in love with her. He hoped he didn't screw things up to where it could not be fixed. He could not believe how he reacted. Maybe Harry or his mother could give him advice on how to go about this.

Hermione POV

Hermione woke up the next morning and pulled herself together. She was not going to let herself mope around and dwell on where her relationship with Draco was going. She decided to take it one day at a time. She had been through much worse with Harry and Ron when they faced Voldemort. Uncle Jacob had a saying from when he served in the U.S. Marine Corps, "ain't nothing but a thing." She was a strong woman and she loved Draco, but damn it if he thought he could control her life and make senseless accusations. She gave the man her virginity, couldn't he see that he was the only one for her? No other man makes her feel the way he does. She could face anything, but it scared her that she still wasn't sure what would happen if he was no longer in her life.

She returned to her routine of work and cheerleading practice the following week. She was grateful to stay busy and only thought about Draco when she retired for the evening. He didn't call or email and she resolved that she would not contact him. Before she knew it, she had only a few days left before her trip to London. A part of her was dreading seeing Draco, but she could not wait to see her old friends. She was determined to make the most of her trip and be the best Maid of Honor ever for her best friend, Ginny.

It was the night before she left for London. Bunny invited her over for dinner. It was a pleasant evening, but Bunny sensed that something was bothering Hermione. Hermione spilled the whole story to her. She was truly disappointed because she saw the way Draco looked at Hermione. He had serious trust issues. Bunny comforted her and tried to say all the right things. Hermione cried a little, but wiped away the tears and resolved to have a fabulous time on her trip. Bunny asked if she had enough clothes for the trip. Bunny felt that you could never have too many clothes and you had to be prepared for any occasion! Hermione laughed and they checked out Bunny's huge walk-in closet that was probably the size of a small home. She could not get over all of the clothes that still had tags on them. She found herself drawn to a little black dress. It had a unique design to it and she could not put her finger on where she had seen it before. Bunny smiled and said, "Oh, the Indecent Proposal dress!" Hermione slapped her forehead and said, "That's it, I remember seeing this dress on Demi Moore in the movie!" Bunny asked if she wanted to try it on. She decided it wouldn't hurt to have one more outfit for the trip, because there was no telling what Ginny had planned. Hermione put on the dress and of course, it fit like a glove. She imagined what Draco would think of her in it, but pushed that thought out of her head. Bunny urged her to borrow more clothes, but she had enough with the dress. She told Bunny and Jacob goodbye and they told her to make sure she called to let them know she made it safely. She was like their own child and it hurt Bunny that Hermione was hurting so much, but she knew Hermione was strong. Still, Bunny would have liked to kick Draco's ass. Mother bear defending her cub!

Finally, she was on the plane to London. It was a long, uneventful flight and she napped for most of it. She felt so elated when the plane finally touched down at Heathrow. She did not realize how much she missed her homeland. She exited the plane and was met by Ginny, Luna, Lavender, and Pavarti! The women all looked great and she was so happy to see them. Passersby smiled because they were all hugging each other and laughing. It was obvious that they had not seen each other in a while. Ginny linked arms with her and said, "Hope you are ready to PARTY, because it is on!" Hermione felt like a burden had been lifted off of her shoulders by being around her old friends. Her heart still ached, but she was starting to feel better.

Terrifying for lack of a better word was what awaited Hermione when they left the airport. Harry had purchase an SUV for Ginny and she was still learning to "muggle" drive. After a few miles, Hermione took the wheel for fear of having her trip cut short! They drove to Ginny and Harry's home in a very ritzy section of muggle London. Hermione was glad that Ginny and Harry were doing well. If two people deserved a charmed life, it was them.

It was going to be a week of "girl time." Harry graciously moved out for the time being so Ginny could have an extended hen party, as he liked to call it. Hermione arrived late in the afternoon, so the girls decided to stay in and have a slumber party. They were going to be up early the next day to shop for bridesmaid dresses. As the evening came, their conversation started centering about the men in their lives. Hermione told them what was going on with her and Draco. He was called self-centered prick, asshole, prat, git, etc. Ginny took up for him and said she was not happy what he accused Hermione of, but he really did change from when they were at Hogwarts. They bid each other goodnight and went to their respective rooms. Although Hermione was still sad about Draco, she fell into a restful sleep knowing she was surrounded by good friends.

Draco POV

It was another day at the Auror's office and Draco was still in a foul mood, but attempted to keep it under control. Harry was aware of what was going on with him and Hermione compliments of Ginny. Draco walked into his office and put files on Harry's desk. He sat in a chair across from Harry and asked, "How's it going living at Ron's apartment? I supposed the "hen party" is underway. Harry smiled and said, "Indeed it is. No way was I staying in that house with all of that estrogen and wedding talk!" Harry knew Draco was fishing to find out if Hermione was in London, but he wanted to make him squirm. Draco said, "So, I guess they are going to be shopping for dresses. I am sure Ginny will need all of her bridesmaids there with her." Harry bit his lip to keep from laughing and asked, "Since when are you interested in bridesmaids' dresses, is there one in particular you are interested in, like the Maid of Honor, perhaps?" Draco threw a pencil at him and said, "You arsehole, you know exactly who I am asking about. Did she make it in okay from the States?" Harry answered, "Yes she did and she is fine. I love 'Mione and do not want to see her hurt. Only thing I can tell you is that she is the most loyal person I know. I don't believe for a second that she cheated on you. She loves you." Draco said, "I love her too, I am just stupid. How am I going to fix this?" Harry told him, "If you really love her like you say you do, you will figure it out. She is only a few miles away from you. Maybe a little bird told me that the "hen party" will be going to the hottest nightclub in London tonight." Draco laughed and said, "Up for a guy's night out?" Harry said, "Sure, you know I am curious to see what those gals are up to. I will see if we can round up a few blokes. Should be an interesting evening."

Will Draco and Hermione meet up at the nightclub? Hope it wasn't too tedious or boring, I am trying to set up their next meeting! Chapter 10 will tell, I see fireworks!