Hiya! Here's a brand new chapter. There's less Ron in this one, promise. ;) This chapter is also heavily influenced/based off/shares words with the song "Stay" by a group called Hurts. Enjoy and review! Thanks! 3 -Lily's Fireflies
Hermione's hand reached for the door, but she pulled her hand back to her side. Emotions flooded her body. Fear, doubt, uncertainty swelled Hermione's heart and she could hardly breathe. This talk needed to happen and Hermione had been waiting so long for it to happen, but she didn't know if she could do it. Scenarios were running through her head as she tried to figure out what was going to happen. The more she thought about it, the harder it was to breathe and the number her legs became. Finally her legs gave out and she ended up on the ground outside the door crying. Raindrops began to blend with her tears as a storm moved in.
The rain began to pour, but Hermione remained still. It brought peace and comfort to let her emotions free into the rain that was soaking her. She cried to the sky for help. Deep down Hermione had nothing to worry about, but she was afraid. After everything she and Draco had been through, she didn't want him to tell her that he didn't want her anymore. She didn't want to lose him again. As she placed her head on her knees, she heard the door open behind her.
"Hermione? What are you doing on the ground? In the rain no less… come in, please," said Draco with a concerned tone.
Hermione allowed Draco to help her up and bring her inside. As Hermione sat down on the couch, still looking at her feet, she heard Draco say, "I'm glad you came…"
Sitting in silence, neither Hermione nor Draco knew what to say. How does one start a conversation about this? After fifteen minutes of silence Hermione abruptly stood up and headed for the door. She didn't come to Draco's apartment just to sit in silence and not resolve anything so she figured she'd take things into her own hands and leave. She ran outside into the pouring rain and instead of apparating immediately, she simply continued to run. Draco chased Hermione outside and half way down the street before she finally spoke out loud.
"Goodbye, Draco," said Hermione with a slight edge to her voice, "I can't keep doing this. I just can't."
The rain began to fall harder than before and the visibility diminished. Hermione was about to apparate away when she heard a *thump* from behind. She paused for a moment, still refusing to face Draco.
A single word escapes Draco's lips, "Stay."
Hermione's heart dropped to her stomach. Slowly, she turned to face Draco, still not walking any closer to him. Both knees on the ground, Draco pleaded with Hermione. His tear-swelled eyes gazed back into hers as the rain continued to pour on them. Hermione stood still.
"My whole life I've been waiting for the right time to tell you how I feel, Hermione. And though I try to tell you that I need you… I've been here without you and I just feel lost. What we have… it seems real. I think I might even love you. I don't really know how I feel right now if I'm completely honest," said Draco.
Hermione's fists were clenched as tears began to flood her eyes. Why was he saying all of this? Why now? All those years in Hogwarts when he mercilessly teased her could have been different if he had been honest from the start. Hermione was having a hard time believing a word Draco was saying.
"Draco… if any of this was true then you should've said something ages ago. I just… I don't even know anymore. Do you realize how much you hurt me? How alone I felt? Do you realize that I cried myself to sleep every night because I thought you hated me again? Honestly, you're so bloody stupid sometimes. How can you even ask me to stay? I came over like you asked and all we did was sit in silence. That's not solving anything. I'm leaving," cried Hermione.
Draco had to think quick or else he would lose her forever. He tried to make sense of his thoughts until he finally blurted out, "All my life I've felt this way, but I could just never find the words to say! I worried too much about what everyone else would think. My father. My mother. I just didn't know. What I know now though is that everything is okay now. Since you came into my life, everything feels right. Before you, I had nowhere to run to. Nothing to hold on to…"
Hermione shook her head, "You had Pansy. You had those daft boys that followed you around everywhere. Mommy and daddy too."
Draco retorted, "No, I really didn't. It seemed like it at the time… but I was never happy. I came so close to giving up. All those years ago when Potter found me in the bathroom… when he had the stupid potions book that he practically humped every night… I was about to give up. Voldemort was destroying my family. I felt alone at school because everyone was afraid of me. When Potter hit me with that spell, I was hoping that it would kill me… but it didn't. It didn't kill me, and because I lived I got to find you, Hermione. Do you know how it feels to let you go? Even though I didn't talk to you for those months… it was a living Hell. I thought space would change how I felt, but it didn't. It just hurt more. That's why I finally asked you to come out here."
"What do you want from me, Draco?"
Draco immediately replied, "Change your mind! Say you're mine and don't leave tonight. Stay with me. We'll talk late into the night. We'll fix this. We'll figure this out. Just please, Hermione, I beg you… don't leave me yet."
"But I promised Ronald I'd be back…"
"Oh, you're with him again?" asked Draco.
Hermione nodded, "Sort of. I mean we never officially said it. He stopped drinking though… and he's been getting help."
"So… I guess this really is goodbye then," said Draco.
Hermione was confused. After all of Draco's pleas for her to stay, why would he say it's goodbye?
"Draco, I'm not sure I understand. Why would it be goodbye just because I can't stay with you tonight?"
Draco shook his head and locked eyes with Hermione, "Really, Granger? You're back with the Weasel… in case you forgot I'm pretty sure he wanted to flatten my face into the sidewalk the last he saw me. He's not too fond of you being around me. We'll never be able to see each other if you're with him."
Reality struck Hermione with these words and her mouth dropped slightly. It was true. Ron was never keen on Hermione associating with Draco Malfoy and so long as she was with Ron she would never get to talk to Draco again. Her heart was breaking all over again.
"See, now you understand…,"said Draco.
Hermione nodded. She couldn't let him go so easily though.
"Ronald can go one night without seeing me. I'll stay with you tonight. Then we can talk. That's all we'll be doing is talking. He can't get upset about that," said Hermione, partially trying to convince herself just as much as Draco.
Draco finally stood and embraced Hermione in the biggest hug he had given in awhile. He gave her half a smile then mentioned that they were still standing in the rain and would catch cold if they didn't hurry inside soon. They walked back to Draco's flat, pinky fingers entwined.
Meanwhile, Ron was back at his house beginning to simmer with anger. Hermione promised him she would be home, but there had been no sign from her. He knew it had something to do with Draco Malfoy and if Hermione didn't show up before morning then Ron would have no choice but to go get her himself.