6. Mishaps, Break-Ups and Stolen Kisses

He was being avoided. For two weeks, she avoided him when he wasn't the one who had kissed her. When he was the one that actually held back and didn't take advantage of her when he could have so easily. No, he was a gentleman. He treated her with respect. So why was he being punished for it? She was his only friend. And he could be content with just being friends with her. He could cope with nothing more happening. Originally he didn't want anything to happen. He just wanted to get payback for one snide remark she had made… and then it turned into a battle to bed her… and then it was just an obsession. He groaned as he dismissed his class for the day. He hadn't been able to concentrate lately. His thoughts weren't even on the lesson.

"Malfoy?" He heard her voice.

"What do you want?" he grumbled behind his desk, not even bothering to look at her.

He could hear her walking closer to him. "I wanted to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about, Granger. You had two weeks to say something and you didn't. There's nothing more to say."

"Yes, there is."

"No," he snapped, finally looking at her. "No there's not."

Hermione pursed her lips. "You don't get to decide what matters and what doesn't." He stood up and went to put a potion back into the supply closet, trying to ignore her. She sighed. "Talk to me."

He didn't respond. Just finished putting things away.

"Malfoy…" She was getting desperate.

He still wouldn't answer her. He couldn't. He didn't trust his emotions and his own voice.

"Stop being such a prick and talk to me!"

Hermione felt herself up against the wall. It seemed to be the natural place for their confrontations. His head was nuzzled in her neck, his breath tickling the hairs on her skin. She grabbed his shoulders, not pushing him away and threw her head back, trying not to get such pleasure from this.

"I can't talk to you when you make me feel…" He was reveling in her warmth and how amazing she felt underneath him. Her breath was short and fast as she held his shoulders, not knowing her touch did to him. He could smell her. Mangos. He licked his lips a little as he sighed.

"Feel what?" she croaked out. And then his weight was off her and she was separated by ten feet of space as he leaned up against a desk.

He opened his mouth to speak when McGonagall popped her head into the classroom. "Oh good, you're here. Hermione, I'm afraid there's been an accident. Ron's at St. Mungo's with severe lacerations and burns. His group was ambushed just outside Munich, Germany by a band of Death Eaters."

Hermione gasped. "What?"

"Come quickly."

"I'm going with you," Malfoy stated and took her hand, walking behind McGonagall in a hasty manner.

Once off Hogwarts grounds, Hermione and Malfoy apparated to the hospital where they were greeted by Ginny and Harry. Ginny's eyes were swollen from crying and Harry looked like a nervous wreck.

"What happened?" Hermione exclaimed.

Harry shook his head. "We were ambushed. There was nothing we could do and Ron just jumped in front of me… I couldn't stop him… I'm so sorry, Hermione."

"Can I see him?" Hermione asked, still in shock.

"You can," a nurse answered as she came out of his room. "He's heavily sedated and still in a lot of pain. We've healed as many wounds as we could… but this was very dark magic, mind you. We'll monitor him through the night and hopefully…"

"Hopefully what?" Hermione interjected.

"…he makes it." The nurse looked solemn and apologetic.

Hermione's eyes stung with tears. He had to make it. Her was her fiancé! These things just don't happen! People she loves just don't die… well, not since the war, that is. She slipped into his room and gasped at the sight of him. He was covered in bandages and most of his exposed skin was burnt.

"Herminny…" Ron slurred as she walked in.

"Oh Ron," Hermione breathed and gently took his hand. "Are you ok?" Stupid question, Hermione thought.

Ron coughed a little and winced. "I'm 'kay."

Hermione smiled a little. "I love you, Ronald."

"Luhyateh," Ron mumbled out.

---

"What're you doing here?" Ginny asked, with a bit of an edge.

Malfoy gazed at her. "I…I was there when McGonagall told her… I thought she'd need someone."

"She has us," Ginny snapped.

"Ginny," Harry warned and stepped in front of her. "She's just upset. How are you?"

Malfoy was speechless for a moment, forgetting that he had also saved Potter's life as well and that he could tolerate him. "Oh, I'm…er…Well, how are you is really the more appropriate question."

Harry smiled weakly. "We definitely could have you used out there today…"

"I wouldn't have been much help. I had no clue anymore Death Eaters existed."

"Yea, we just needed someone who thought like one…"

Malfoy's heart skipped a beat.

"Oh wow, I'm sorry. That came out wrong…" Harry back pedaled.

"No, it's alright. Don't worry about it. I'm going to go find something to eat. Do you two want anything?"

"I could use something to drink. Anything, really. Gin?" Harry asked as he eyed her with her arms crossed, glaring at the both of them. "Do you want anything?"

She squinted her eyes at Malfoy. "Water."

Malfoy tried to force a smile. "Got it." He then turned to Harry. "I know why she hates me," he murmured. "What what the fuck did you do?"

Harry sighed. "Long story."

---

Hermione walked out of Ron's room after he fell asleep. "Where is he?"

"Who?" Ginny asked.

"He's getting us something to drink."

Hermione nodded and sat next to Ginny. "I can't believe this happened. It makes you realize how risky being an Auror really is. I'm just… in shock."

"I'm going to go home, I think." Ginny stood up suddenly.

Hermione frowned. "Are you sure?"

Ginny nodded. "I've been here for hours… I need to do something else." And then she stalked off.

"What's with her?" Hermione asked.

Harry sighed. "She wants me to quit."

"Being an Auror?"

"Yes."

"That's ridiculous."

"She's just concerned. She'll get over it, I hope. Plus, she still hates this place because she can't get a job."

Hermione nodded and let the silence linger for a bit before she spoke again. "Harry… I need to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"I kissed Draco Malfoy."

"What?"

"I was hungover and vulnerable."

"Hermione… what?"

Hermione got up to sit by him and took his hand. "I was wierded out about being engaged. I don't even know why I did it, but it made me realize how much I loved Ron and how he's the only one I wanted."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I can't tell Gin… and I can trust you. You're my best friend, Harry."

Harry's eyes softened and he wrapped his arm around her. "It's ok. Secret's safe with me." He kissed her forehead and smoother her hair back, leaning his head on hers. "Want to go on a walk?"

"Sure," Hermione replied and stood up, taking Harry's hand. "Let's not go too far, just in case he gets better or… worse." Hermione murmured the last word.

"Works for me, 'Mione."

After a few moments of silence, Harry began speaking. "So, the kiss really meant nothing?"

"Right. It meant nothing… He was just there and I was… experimenting. You know?"

Harry chuckled. "You know I know."

Hermione blushed. "Oh, right."

"So did our kiss really mean nothing?" Harry asked.

"Well… I s'pose it really didn't. I mean, you and I kissed because you were vulnerable too. You had just proposed to Ginny and then you doubted yourself… and I was just there to help you… experiment."

Harry laughed softly. "So if I were to kiss you again, would that mean nothing?"

"Right, because we're engaged… to other people." Hermione smiled and looked up at him just as he began leaning down to kiss her. And then they were kissing. Right there in the middle of the hall. Hermione didn't fight it. She didn't want to. Soon her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck and he was pulling her into a vacant room. She jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist as he leaned her against a wall to keep her in place. He didn't dare take his lips off hers just in case she began telling him how wrong this was… because this felt right… its felt perfectly fine having his best friend pressed against a wall as he fondled her and kissed her… while his other best friend was lying in intensive care a few rooms down the hall. Mood killer, Harry thought. He pulled away as Hermione began kissing his neck.

"Hermione," he croaked, not trusting his voice.

Hermione moaned a little and nibbled on his neck. Oh god, Harry thought.

"We should…hem," Harry coughed, trying to get the right words out.

Hermione sighed in his neck. "I know." She let her legs fall to the ground as she untangled her arms from around his neck. She straightened out her clothes and walked away, back out into the real world. The logical world… This isn't fair, Hermione thought. Shame on you, Hermione.

"Granger, you alright?" Malfoy asked, holding two cups of water.

Hermione grabbed a cup and downed the contents of it. "No." Hermione checked the time. She had been at the hospital for just an hour. It seemed like longer. She grabbed the arm of Ron's nurse that was walking by. "Excuse me… I was going to head home… is there any way that you could contact me if there's any change in his condition?"

The nurse nodded. "Of course, Mrs. Weasley." And then she walked off, into Ron's room… completely oblivious to the fact that Hermione was not married to him.

"Nice ring to it, huh?" Malfoy joked.

Hermione wheeled around and shot him a glare. "It's not funny, Asshole."

Malfoy frowned. "Lighten up."

Hermione scoffed, "I can't! My fiancé is in there and he's really hurting. What a stupid thing to say… 'lighten up'… no, you just stay out of this."

Malfoy took a step closer to her. "Hey…" he breathed, not really knowing what he was doing himself.

"He could die," Hermione whispered, tears brimming in her eyes. "And then I would really be alone and live a sad, tragic little life. I wouldn't even be able to say that I once had a life… because, I obviously don't."

"Shut up."

"Fuck you."

"You have a life, idiot."

"Prove it."

He pinched her.

"Ow, Fucker!"

"People who don't have lives… are dead. You just felt that… therefore, you have a life."

"Merlin, I hate you."

"Sure."

"What? I really do."

"Yea, ok."

"It's true."

"Is that why you kissed me?"

"I was drunk."

"No, you were drunk the night before."

"Toe-may-toe, Toe-mah-toe."

"Whatever, Granger."

She rolled her eyes. "I kissed you because I was scared."

"And you kissed Potter because?"

She gasped. "You saw that?"

"You were in the middle of the hall." He shrugged.

Hermione bit her lower lip. "We were just… experimenting."

"Hormones."

"Excuse me?"

"You're horny, Granger. Just admit it."

"Like you aren't?"

"Never said I wasn't."

"Neither did I."

"So, it's agreed."

"What? That we're both horny?"

He nodded.

She smirked.

"What?"

"Nothing… I just can't believe I'm having this conversation with Draco Malfoy."

"You? I can't believe that I'm having this conversation with Hermione Granger."

"Still taste like poison on your tongue? Using my name?"

He looked her dead in the eye. "Never."

Hermione took in a breath. "Good."

"Did you still want to leave?"

"Yea."

"Hogwarts?"

"No," Hermione replied and shook her head. "I'm going back to my flat."

"Oh…" Malfoy breathed.

She glanced at him quickly and looked away. "I just need to spend a little time with him. I need to stay close."

Malfoy nodded and looked down at her, stepping a tad closer. "Take all the time you need. I'll let McGonagall know."

She smiled weakly. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," he cooed and smoothed back her hair that was messily thrown up in a ponytail. He leaned down as if he were about to whisper something to her, but instead he kissed on the cheek. It was a soft sweet kiss. It was different from her and Harry's kiss in two ways. First off, this wasn't a mout to mouth kiss… it was the cheek. And secondly, this kiss meant something to someone. Hermione pulled away.

"Right… Well, I'll be seeing you," Hermione croaked.

Malfoy took a few steps back and gave her a look that sent chills through her spine. He looks pained and like he was actually longing after her. She couldn't let out the breath she was holding in. That look was so smoldering. Her legs were even trembling. So, maybe it meant something to the both of them. And then he turned around and walked away.

"Hermione." She heard Harry behind her.

Hermione wheeled around. "Harry…"

"What the hell was that?" he asked, trying to stay calm.

"Oh that? That was just… oh, it was nothing." She began walking towards the exit of the hospital.

"Don't you lie to me." Harry was keeping in step with her, following her.

Hermione shook her head and walked out the big double doors into the evening air. She then turned around and shoved Harry backwards a bit. "Why did you kiss me, Harry? Why do you think that you kissing me is ok, but when I am kissed… and on the cheek, mind you… by someone else it is not ok?"

"I just don't think you know what you're getting yourself into with him."

"Kissing you was far worse of an idea, Harry. You are engaged to my friend."

"And you're engaged to mine!"

"Exactly my point."

"I just can't believe you told me that nothing was going on between you two when there clearly is."

"No, Harry, listen to me… I do not like Draco Malfoy in any way, shape or form other than just as friends… if you could even call us that. But you and I? What is this? It's twisted and toxic and we're only going to hurt the people we love in the end. Just think about what Ginny would have said if she would have caught us in that compromising condition… She would hate the both of us."

Harry ran a hand through his unkempt hair and took a large step closer to Hermione, still not knowing what to say. He took her face in his hands and stared at her for a long hard moment, and then his lips crashed onto hers. He was cautious this time… taking his time to feel and to see what it was really like. It wasn't long until Hermione complied and loosened up under his touch. Harry stopped kissing her, but stayed where he was, not pulling away.

"I am in love with Ginny. I love her with everything that I have, Hermione… but she left me."

"Harry, she just went home. She's stressed out."

Harry groaned and shook his head. "No, Hermione… she took the job."

"Oh, Harry..." Hermione had forgotten about the job that Ginny had been offered before she had left for Hogwarts… Ginny had chosen to become a Healer, instead of inheriting a job at the Ministry and after her schooling, she had a rough time finding a job, until recently a wizarding hospital in Italy had offered her an amazing opportunity to work with Dr. Edward Traveeny. Supposedly, you could get any job after interning with him for a year. It was a dream… for her.

"I'm happy for her, but she said we had to call off the wedding because she didn't want to be a newlywed starting a new career."

"That doesn't mean you're over though, right?"

Harry bowed his head and stared at his feet. "Well… I got mad, Hermione. In my head, I figured she just didn't want to be tied down to someone and other stupid, jealous stuff like that…"

"Ok? And?"

"And she got mad at me for accusing her of that… and she called off the engagement and she moved out."

Hermione bit her lip. "You're not telling me something. I mean, you've been together for three years… I know Ginny and she's a hot head, but she's not that big of a hot head."

Harry looked at her sadly. "I was in bed with someone else when she came back the next morning to apologize."

"Oh Harry…" Hermione groaned. "Who?"

"Just a girl from the Ministry."

"Harry… who?"

"Alice Shacklebolt."

"Ohmygod, Harry! As in the Minister of Magic's daughter?"

Harry hung his head. "Yes, the very one."

Hermione shook her head. "Well, it makes sense then."

"Well she admitted to shagging Dean Thomas, who… just to let you know… is married and has two children."

Hermione rolled her eyed. "You both are fucked up."

"So are you," Harry breathed, a weak smile on his face.

Hermione took his hand and apparated them back to her and Ron's apartment building. She put the key in the lock, swung the door open and barged in. She started ransacking the kitchen and looking for the liquor. "Where the fuck does he keep it?" Hermione said more to herself than anyone.

"He doesn't drink, Hermione."

Hermione frowned. She had forgotten that. "Oh, right. Shit."

"I don't want a drink anyway."

"It wasn't for you."

"Oh…" Harry sighed and sat down on the couch. "Things are getting way too complicated, Hermione."

"No, no they aren't." Hermione sat down next to him. "Tomorrow you are going to go up to Ginny and you are going to tell her that you pulled your head out of your ass. She's stubborn and won't say it first. Just tell her how much you love her. Remember that! Then we are going to tell her that you want to be with her even though you know that she has to go away for a year and explore a career opportunity."

Harry shook his head. "I'm not so sure."

"Shh, I'm not finished…. Then, after you are done wooing her, I am going to so see Ron. And by then he will be better, hopefully… and I'm just going to tell him that I want to be married straight away. That I love him and why wait. That's what I should have done from the very beginning."

"And what about Malfoy…?"

"What about him?"

"Hermione, the guy is into you."

"Balderdash."

"I'm serious. I've never seen anyone look at you the way he was looking at you tonight after he kissed you. Not even Ron."

"Oh…"

"So, what are you going to do about him?"

"I'm not going to do anything. We're just friends. He can deal with that."

"Yea, alright…"

"I'm serious."

"And what about us?"

"Merlin, Harry… what about us?"

"What are we going to do?"

"Nothing."

"Hermione…"

"Fuck, Harry, I'm serious! I don't want to do anything! We're both vulnerable right now. But it will pass."

Harry leaned closer to her. "Will it?"

"Yes," she murmured, eyeing his lips.

Harry kissed her lightly. "Just let us have tonight then," he whispered against her lips.

"Mmm, we can't, Harry."

"Why?"

"I've only slept with Ron. I want to keep it that way."

Harry sighed and laughed a little bit. "I wasn't talking about that, necessarily."

"Oh." Hermione blushed. "Even still, you should probably just sleep on the couch here."

"If you insist…?" Harry trailed.

"I do."

"Alright, 'Mione."

She kissed him, softly and slowly. "Last kiss."

"If you say so."

Hermione punched his arm. "It is! I don't want to be you and Ginny's Alice… the girl that drives you apart."

Harry nodded, a small smile on his face. "Me either…"

"Night."

"Goodnight."

---

Two and a half weeks passed and Ron was getting progressively better each day. By the time the end of the week came near, he was being told that he would get to go home. Hermione was thrilled, because then she and Harry could finally execute their plans of committing to the people they loved. Hermione had tried to talk to Ginny and tell her that she was over reacting and that harry thought that they were broken up, and slowly Ginny's disbelief was being chipped away bit by bit.

"Aren't you just excited to be going home?" Hermione asked, pushing his wheelchair down the hall.

Ron shrugged. "I s'pose."

Hermione frowned. "You just suppose?"

"I'm still on leave from work for another month," Ron grumbled and got up out of the chair once they were outside. He then took Hermione's hand and pulled her into an embrace, kissing her forehead. "I'm going to be so lonely."

Hermione giggled and kissed him. "You could always come stay with me for a while."

Ron beamed. "I would love that."

"Ron, there's something else I wanted to talk to you about."

"Ok, what is it?"

"I want to get married after Christmas. Straight away. I don't want to wait and I definitely don't want to lose you before we're married."

Ron kissed her deeply, making Hermione's head spin. "Babe, I love you."

Babe? Hermione thought. He only uses that when he's happy or horny… or both.

Hermione grinned. "I love you too. So much."

Ron slung his arm around her shoulders as he apparated them back to their flat.