Chapter 9

Draco Malfoy drummed his fingers repeatedly into the bench beside him as he waited impatiently for Ginny and Hermione to arrive. It was ten to five and he and Blaise were not the most patient of men. In their pureblood society, being on time meant arriving ten minutes early, but clearly in the Gryffindor circles things ran differently. He let out an elaborate sigh, which drew Blaise out of his semi-coma, as he napped with his head lolled back and drool pooling down his jaw.

"What did I miss?" he asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes. He surveyed the area and then he too let out a sigh. "Still not here then? What's the time?"

Draco looked at his left wrist, before replying lazily, "It is two minutes to five. You think they would arrive on time since they were the ones who scheduled this little trip in the first place. There is only so much Hogsmeade I can take."

Draco shuddered. This place was too cosy for his tastes. He preferred grand designs and architecture that reflected affluence. Blaise lifted the corner of his mouth, lethargically smiling at his closest friend. "Do you think she told Weasley, about you know what?"

Draco shrugged. "Hermione is great and all, but I'm not quite ready to put all my eggs in one basket. Plus we never actually talked about it. Maybe she just wanted companionship 'cause she missed the weasel, but then maybe she kissed me because she thinks I'm incredibly irresistible, which lets face it, I can't blame her for."

He smirked widely and Blaise pushed him side ways. "Now there's my Draco."

"He did get lost somewhere along the way, didn't he?" Draco mused. There was mirth in his eyes that brought a new light to his face, and it was at this moment that Hermione, Ginny, Harry and Ron decided to stroll down the street.

Hermione took in the two men before her (and men they were indeed). Draco was smiling with a true joy, and it brought a jabbing pain into her heart. He was joking around with the man who clearly understood him most. Reclining on the bench with his long legs extended out in front of him, loosely crossed at the ankle he joked with Blaise who sat with his elbows resting on his knees, his head angled towards the blonde. They were the perfect pictures of what life should have been for them. No troubles or worries, with no impending doom following them around in their wake. Hermione smiled briefly at the men who were taking roots in her heart.

Ron squeezed Hermione's waist, hugging her against him so he could plant a soundly kiss on her cheek. Her body responded with the appropriate flush of her cheeks, but it was due to her embarrassment at the publicity of such a romantic gesture. He whispered sweet nothings of excitement in her ear as he clung to her while they walked, but she wasn't really listening. She was processing and calculating her next move. Hadn't she left things up to fate? Was she then therefore fated to be with Ron?

Her trail of thoughts ceased when Harry interrupted them, pulling them into an enormous group hug while cheering loudly and shouting with glee. He was genuinely unaware of his surroundings, which Hermione attributed to the three fire whiskeys he had had in celebration for the announcement of their engagement during lunch. "I am so happy for you both. This is terrific news!"

Blaise and Draco had stood up during the kerfuffle and were standing away a bit, hands in pockets, looking casual but giving off the feeling of being uncomfortable. Blaise, who shared incredible confusion as to what was this supposedly great news, asked, "Err, what exactly is good news? Have we graduated early or something?"

Harry turned around and smiled very openly at the Slytherin. "My best mates here just got engaged, that's what!"

Draco took an internal step back, feeling as though someone had just thrown a javelin into the pit of his stomach. He was wounded with surprise, and everything around him slowed down. He could hear mumbling in the background; could hear Blaise politely congratulate the couple and ask the usual questions one does after hearing such news. How did it happen? How long were you planning this? What kind of ring is it? But it was all a blur to Draco, as he stood there numb to his surroundings, unsure as to why such news effected him so painfully. It was just a silly kiss, wasn't it? Maybe not, his conscience whispered.

Hermione ignored Blaise's line of questioning, letting her fiancé answer on her behalf. She was scrutinising Draco's reaction, but he showed nothing on his face. It was cold and formal, the typical expression he covered himself with when his guard was up. Without warning his eyes leapt up and peered into hers; their gazes probing into one another's, searching for an understanding but neither could find answers.

Draco stepped forward into the circle, and reached for Hermione's left hand. He pulled her hand up close and examined her ring, ignoring the electricity as it ran up through his fingers and caused his hair to stand on end. Confirming for himself the truth in what was said, he let her hand drop and stepped back, slipping off to the side.

The group was loud as they pulled Hermione's hand around and looked for themselves at the heirloom sparkling prettily on her slim finger, but she was oblivious to their groping fingers as her attention was directed to the blonde who tried to look as discrete as possible. Becoming frazzled from being the centre of attention, she pulled her hand away from the curious hands of her friends. "I think we should be heading back to the castle now. I have rounds tonight and I wanted to get some study done before hand."

The group broke up slowly, each member trying to bask in the happiness surrounding them, however Hermione and Draco were becoming more uncomfortable as time wore on. Ron pulled Hermione in for a kiss before he and Harry bid farewell and disapparated.

It was in this uncomfortable atmosphere that the four students headed back up the path towards the grounds, walking in pairs. Draco fell into step beside Hermione, being careful to avoid her touch. Ginny and Blaise slipped into easy conversation, but the other pair was as silent as the night. Grabbing at what was left of her courage, Hermione opened her mouth, ready to finally tell Draco the truth: that she was trusting in fate to take charge, and that she loved Ron as family and she knew it could grow deeper, and that she wasn't sure what she wanted. But before she had the opportunity, Draco spoke.

"I suppose I should offer a congratulations to the bride-to-be," he said evenly. His eyes were like steel as he looked straight ahead, not daring to look at the Lioness he was so drawn to protecting.

"I just- thanks," she stuttered, tucking a piece of her newly trimmed hair behind her ear. "Draco, I-"

"Hermione I have no expectations from you. You don't need to apologise. I'm glad we're… friends. Getting to know the woman behind the hero has been a great privilege, and I hope we can continue as we were before you gave that speech," he interrupted.

Hermione held her breath as she turned to peer at him. He was not the Draco she thought she knew; she had witnessed the man behind the wealthy darkness. He had not been sorted into a noble house such as Slytherin, simply because he was a Malfoy. Instead he was ambitious in his studies and did a great job at taking care of his school. He was resourceful, and capable of taking care of others. He was not lazy, but cunning. He was a strong leader, like many others in his house, and Hermione admired that in him.

"I don't know if saying yes was the right decision," Hermione confessed, her eyes wide with fear. She slowed her walking, allowing a bigger gap to fall between the two walking ahead. She could think of none other to confess her fears to. "I don't know if I am just doing what is expected of me, or whether I said yes because I love him. I mean I do… love him. I just don't know if that is enough. I don't think I am ready to get married."

Draco sighed, and looked up into the pinking skies as he thought about Hermione's confession. "If hypothetically, you were in the future ten years from now, do you think you could marry him then?"

He looked over at her properly, the first time he had since the morning. He let his eyes roam over her whole face. He so wanted to know the answer, because if it were a yes, if she could do this, he would move on. He would cut her and her brown eyes out of his life and move forward, into the arms of some dim-witted pureblood that liked him for his money. But if she said no, he would let himself hope like he had never hoped before.

They were drawing close to the gates as the pine trees lining the road were thinning, as Hermione stopped walking forward and rested her hand on his arm, stopping him from walking on. Her eyes were swimming in water, fear and timidity written upon her face; she felt nothing like herself. She blinked, and tears fell slowly down her cheeks as she shook her head slowly in answer, no.

He reached out and caught a stray tear from the tip of her nose, before he pulled her into him for a hug. They stood holding onto one another, as Hermione's breathing slowed, and her hiccoughs died down. Her head was nested beneath his chin, as he rubbed warm reassuring hands over her back.

"I can't marry him," she whispered. "I want to, but I can't. He's a beautiful man, and I admire him so much, but he's just… not the one. What am I going to do, Draco?"

He squeezed her tightly, trying to mush all the Hermione pieces that were falling apart back together. Thankfully they were late to dinner, and no one else was on the path; Ginny and Blaise had continued on, oblivious to the blonde and brunette.

"You give this a few days, okay?" Draco murmured, he would be ashamed of himself if he didn't make sure this was what she truly wanted. He wanted to be a noble man, a person he would be proud of, or more importantly a person she could be proud of. He continued, "And then, in three days time, if you still feel the same, you sneak out and you tell him how it is. But you make sure, Granger. Because if you throw this away and lose it, and then realise it was what you wanted, I would never forgive myself."

She nodded against his tear soaked shirt.

He let go and stepped away from his counterpart, and instead laid his arm over her shoulders, guiding her up towards the candle-lit castle. She slipped her arm around his waist, and leaned her weight into his strong frame. The sun was setting quickly, and by the time they reached the doors the sky was dark.

Letting go of one another they entered the castle. Evading the great hall and instead heading towards their dorms, both were quiet until they entered the empty eighth year common room.

The room had begun to bear signs of living, with books strewn around and unfinished essays lying in waiting on tables. Fires were burning in their grates, and as they set to work on their studies, with Hermione finishing her Charms essay swiftly before beginning her neglected pile of other duties, time dragged on awaiting the beginning of curfew and their rounds.

Hermione hoped she would determine how she really felt for Draco by the time she crawled into bed tomorrow morning. It would be her first rounds with Draco since she had kissed him and she wasn't sure how she would maintain her carefully guarded actions.

A/N: Okay so please please don't hate me! It IS a dramione, and will all turn out in the end. Thank you for the reviews, and hello to my new followers!