A/N: This was meant to be a two chapter ordeal… but I merged it into one… I'm just a tad impatient. So sue me.
9. Baby Fever
She bit her lower lip and cocked her head to the side, her hair being twiddled about between her fingers. Her eyes were squinted determinedly and her nose kept wrinkling in concentration. If a complete outsider was watching her, they would have thought she was delusional… staring at a plain, stone wall. She was concentrating hard on her thoughts and what she needed. Her feet shuffled slowly back and forth in front of the wall until a small door slowly appeared. Hermione stopped and gave the wall a half smile as if to thank it for its appearance. She was satisfied. She reached her hand out and let her fingers grasp the cool handle, feeling a sense of accomplishment… she was getting ready to turn it…
"Hermione?"
And just like that, the door was gone and she was left, staring at the dull, stone wall once more. She sighed sadly and let her shoulders droop in her disappointment. She was sure what was behind that door was going to help her and now her conquest was stalled because of… whom?
Hermione turned around. Luna. "Oh, hello Luna. What are you doing up here?"
"Looking for Neville." She sighed airily. "He's been avoiding me ever since he proposed that we have sex the night that all of us went out for drinks."
Hermione smiled slightly. Leave it to Luna to just put all her thoughts out there for anyone to hear. That was something that she admired about her. "Neville is just shy, Luna. I'm sure he feels awkward because you turned him down."
Luna blinked a few times. "I didn't turn him down."
"Oh." Hermione had a sudden urge to burst out laughing. Not that the Neville/Luna pairing was odd… Ok, of course it was odd… they were two odd people… but they were sort of so perfect for each other that she thought it funny that she had never thought of it herself.
"I suppose I should have known he was a one night kind of man," Luna continued when Hermione didn't comment further. "When you see him, tell him I would much rather have our friendship than whatever it is we have now."
Hermione actually did laugh now which elicited a few blinks and stares from Luna. "Neville is most definitely not a one night kind of guy!"
Luna shrugged. "Just the same. He acts like we're not friends and doesn't talk to me for a whole week… safe to say that there's something wrong."
Hermione's stomach dropped. "Look, Luna… I'm sorry I haven't come up to see you so far this year…"
"It's ok. Ron told me you've been busy and that you would make time now that he's not in the hospital." Luna smiled. "I understand."
Hermione smiled. "I love that man…" she murmured to herself.
"Yes, well you two certainly are made for each other on paper," Luna commented and began walking away. "I'm going to get some dinner now."
"Wait… what do you mean on paper?" Hermione called out after a few moments. Luna didn't respond, she just looked over her shoulder and shrugged and kept walking. "I knew there was a reason I didn't talk to you, Luna Lovegood… you make me think too much."
---
"No, I'll be back for Christmas though, Mum."
"You be sure you are, Ronald Weasley. You worry me. Are you feeling alright? Is Hermione taking care of you properly? I know she's smart but that doesn't mean she has the tendencies of a mother."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"I didn't mean for it to mean anything."
"Stop acting oblivious. You know Hermione and I were going to try and have a kid…"
"Yes, before marriage… hmph, I remember now."
"Knock it off, Mum. We didn't want to rush into a marriage… but she wanted a kid."
"As I recall, you weren't quite thrilled with that decision."
"I didn't know if I wanted kids… and I still don't know… but she's taking that contraception potion…"
"Merlin's beard! You two are having sex now?"
"Yes…"
"Since when?"
"What does it matter? Before Hermione decided she didn't want to have sex, we were going to have to have sex to make a baby."
"You know how I feel about this… Is Ginny really going to be my only daughter who saved herself? I really thought Hermione was going to be smarter than this."
"Ha! You really think Ginny and Harry haven't had sex? …Oh shit. You really did think that. Ok, I gotta go, Mum."
Ron ended his connection trough the fireplace and quickly made a connection to Harry and Ginny's place.
"What do you want, Ron?" Ginny asked irritably.
"I… erm… I made a mistake," Ron stuttered as he heard a loud popping noise come from Ginny's end.
"Mum?" Ginny asked.
"I… er… sorta told mum that you two were having sex. Bye!" Ron quickly ended the connection and sighed. Harry was going to kill him for this.
"Ron? Why are you sitting on the floor?" Hermione asked.
"Oh, I was Flooing my mum and Ginny."
Hermione sat down on the couch. She looked exhausted. "How is Ginny?"
"I don't really know. I didn't talk to her that long." Ron started laughing to himself. It was sure to be a laughing matter once all the dust settled.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing." Ron got up to sit by her. He slung his arm around her shoulders. "Oh, by the way… er, I'm not sure how to go about this… but my mum knows we're having sex."
"I thought she knew when we said we were going to try and have a kid…"
"No, I just told her that you decided you didn't want to have sex then."
"You didn't tell her the truth?"
"What? That you went to the doctor and found out that you couldn't have kids? That she wasn't ever going to get a grandchild out of us? Be real, Hermione… Of course I didn't tell her that."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well what are we going to tell her a few years down the road when we aren't having children?"
"We can tell her the truth eventually… I don't see what the big deal is… you can't have kids, it's not the end of the world." Hermione got up to leave. "Where are you going?"
Hermione couldn't help that she had tears in her eyes. "Sometimes you are just so inconsiderate."
His eyes softened. "Hermione… you know I didn't mean it like that."
"What if it is important to me? What if sometimes having a child is all I can think about?" Hermione was sobbing by now. He had struck a nerve. "I want to be a mother and that is never going to happen. Never."
Ron stood up and enveloped her in his arms. "Shh, Hermione. Don't cry… we can adopt…?"
Hermione looked up at him, anger filling her eyes. "That is not the point, Ronald."
Ron let go of her and threw his hand in the air. "Then what is the point, Hermione? Enlighten me!"
"I want my own children!"
"Well you can't!"
"Isn't that obvious, asshole!"
"I'm an asshole because you are barren?"
"No! You're an asshole because you don't care! You never wanted kids!"
"So what? Kids are annoying and too much responsibility. I'm always away with work and you are gone most of the year… here. So who cares if I don't want children? It's not like it's the responsible thing to do. I've never wanted kids and never will…"
"But I want children…" Hermione whispered, tears still in her eyes. "I've always wanted children and I always will, Ron."
Ron stepped closer to her. "And I told you that I would have children with you… because I am in love with you and I want to see you happy… but you can't have children… so you have to stop punishing me for not wanting them. I didn't do anything to you to make you not able to have kids…"
"I know," Hermione breathed. Her jaw tensed and she let out a long sigh. "I'm just disappointed."
Ron tried to give her a hug but she warded him off. "What is it, Hermione?"
"I don't blame you…" Hermione looked up at him. "But that doesn't mean I'm not angry with you." She turned to walk out.
"Where are you going, Hermione?" Ron called out.
She turned to look at him. "I have to go… somewhere."
"Okay," he replied, not even trying to stop her.
Hermione rolled her eyes and walked out of her dormitory. She was so angry with him. She wanted to badly to just punch him in the face in hopes of him waking up and suddenly wanting children. She couldn't understand someone's total and utter lack of desire to have children. To her, that was what made being in love seem more worth it. It was an act of love to have a child with the person you love… and the fact that Ron didn't even want that, made her wonder if there was something wrong with her. Something that he just didn't love enough for her to carry his child. Hermione shook her head and got even angrier. If that is the case, then all this guilt she's been feeling for kissing someone else seemed pointless. Why what she put through hell when he was the one who had doubts? And then Hermione stopped in the middle of the hall and began crying, falling down to her knees just a little too dramatically. Of course he doesn't have doubts about us, Hermione thought. He loves me and would never intentionally hurt me. Unlike me… shame on me!
"What are you doing, Granger?"
Hermione looked up to see a pair of khaki trousers in front of her. "Just leave me alone."
"Can't," he replied and sat cross legged in front of her.
Hermione lifted her face from her face up and looked at him. "Why can't you?"
"Well, if I'm not mistaken… we're friends now. I'm a little knew on the friend front… but, correct me if I'm wrong, I am supposed to stay here and console you, aren't I?"
Hermione sniffed.
"I'll take that as a yes…" Malfoy smirked. "So what's up?"
"Ron…"
"And?"
"Well, he's being inconsiderate and throwing things back in my face about things that hurt me and… and… and I can't be mad at him because of what I've already done to him…"
"Of course you can," Malfoy replied with a shrug.
Hermione rolled her eyes for the millionth time that night. "Oh yea? And how is that? You're the one who told me not to lose my integrity… how much integrity could I possibly have if I get mad at him for not wanting kids when I'm the one who kissed two other people… one of them being you."
"For one," Malfoy started. "We should probably not sit in the middle of the hall for our students to find us and think it weird… and for two… the Weasel doesn't want kids?"
"No, he doesn't."
Malfoy stood up and stretched out his hand towards her. She took it and was hoisted up off the cold ground. Her knees were bleeding slightly from falling over so dramatically. She was embarrassed and also in pain. She had no idea they hurt so bad.
"How did you manage that?" he asked, eyeing her legs as they began walking … to where, none of them knew.
Hermione groaned. "Doesn't matter… and Ron's not a Weasel."
"Okaaaay," Malfoy droned. "Note to self, use more endearing terms towards my friend's friends."
"You're the one who said you respected him," Hermione pointed out. "Shouldn't be that hard."
"This is true," Malfoy noted. "But that doesn't mean that I like him. By the way, saw you and Ron in the Daily Prophet about a month ago… did you see the article written about you two?"
"You're lying! There's no article… is there? Oh, how embarrassing…" Hermione groaned.
Malfoy laughed. "No, there's not an article. Just wanted to see your reaction." He was punched rather hard in the arm. "You hit like a man, you know?"
Hermione glared. "And still you never learn."
"Touché," Malfoy muttered and rubbed his arm. "You picture was in the paper though… announcing your engagement."
"I figured as much. Molly has a thing for announcing our every move to the world," Hermione replied… annoyed.
"The Golden Trio." Malfoy laughed. "Yes, you three are quite famous… it must be so awful having all those awards and privileges."
"Oh, sod off…" Hermione grumbled. "I hate not having my privacy."
Malfoy shrugged. "At least you are famous and not infamous… like you said the first day of term… I was most likely offered this job out of pity."
Hermione shook her head. "I was out of line then and I didn't really mean it."
"I know, but I wonder sometimes why McGonagall even bothered with me."
"Do you not know? Honestly?"
"I really don't."
"Because, Malfoy… you are completely different. You have a moral high ground. You don't judge…" Malfoy raised and eyebrow. "…as harshly. You are more mature. You are a good person and you are an amazing Potions teacher… Honest… all my students rave about your class and about how much fun it is… and another reason is… you are friends with me. I mean, if all those other things don't make you comprehend why she chose you, that should. If you hadn't been different, we couldn't have been friends."
Malfoy was smiling. "Thank you."
"For what?" Hermione chuckled.
He stepped closer to her, his expression suddenly serious. "For saying that."
"It was nothing," Hermione replied, shaking her head. "Just telling the truth."
He sighed. "Right." He looked back at her, stepping back a little as to not over step his bounds. "So tell me why Weasley doesn't want to have children with you."
Hermione blushed. She didn't mean to… but the reason as rather embarrassing. "I… uhm… I can't have kids."
"What?"
"I can't have kids. I am unable to even if Ron wanted to… which he doesn't… I mean, he would but even if I could have kids… I wouldn't do it knowing how he feels about it now. It wouldn't be fair to my child."
Malfoy nodded. "Kids are great."
Hermione glanced sideways at him. "Right?" She was smiling. "I love playing with my little cousins… and I know being a mother isn't always going to be blissful… but I want to be able to have a chance to experience it at least… and I can't." Hermione's face fell.
"So that's what's really bothering you?"
"I guess."
"Ah, kids aren't so great anyway… they eat all your food and make you wipe their arses…"
"Okay, Mr. Double Standards… what happened to 'kids are great'?"
Malfoy sighed. "Just trying to make you feel better about not having any, but the truth is…" Malfoy smiled to himself. "They are just… wonderful and they fulfill your needs as a person…"
Hermione eyed him suspiciously. "Okay. If you get any more sentimental on me, I may not know who you are anymore…"
Malfoy shook his head out of his thoughts. "Yea, well… I was just assuming."
And just like clockwork and as if it had all been planned around their conversation… "Draco?"
Malfoy closed his eyes and clenched his jaw shut. Hermione furrowed her eyebrows as she saw a familiar person sashaying her way towards them, a little girl with tight blonde curls in tow. Realization hit Hermione and her jaw dropped slightly.
"Draco." The girl with beautiful dark brown hair said his name again. He had magnificent green eyes, just like Harry's and her skin was pale, but in the most gorgeous way possible. Hermione looked down at the little girl and she looked completely different. She had those adorable little curls and big, bright blue eyes. She looked up at Hermione and gave her a toothy grin. Hermione couldn't help but smile back.
"Astoria."
Of course! Hermione thought. That's where I knew her from! Astoria Greengrass was two years behind Malfoy and herself. A Slytherin. A pureblood. His wife? Hermione eyed Malfoy's hand. There was not ring, or ring indent to be found.
"You never replied to my letters," Astoria spoke…angelically, Hermione noted in her head.
"I didn't feel the need to. You seemed to have made up your mind about everything… without consoling me whatsoever."
"What I do is not your business anymore, Draco."
"Yes, but she is my concern."
"She'll be just fine here."
"She would be just fine with her mother as well…"
"You know I can't bring a child with me."
"Right, 'a child' because she doesn't have a name, Astoria."
"Just take her."
"Gladly," Malfoy hissed and reached out to the little girl, crouching down to her level. She seemed more than pleased to jump into his arms. "Hey there, Princess."
"I'm not a princess, Daddy," she replied.
"Yea? Then what are you?"
"She thinks she's a menial teacher like her father," Astoria replied as if she had just told a humorous joke.
"It's better than being a gold digguuuur," the little girl said. Malfoy beamed at his little girl.
Astoria seemed less than pleased. "Where did you hear that word, Adrianna?"
"Daddy." Adrianna smiled at her father.
Hermione giggled and suddenly Astoria's gaze snapped onto Hermione. "What are you doing here?"
"I…I've been here the whole time."
Astoria squinted her eyes at her. "You're… you're Hermione Granger?"
"You know that's who she is, Astoria." Malfoy stood up, Adrianna in his arms.
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know who she is… but what she's doing here is something I actually don't know."
"No," Malfoy cut in. "What you're doing here is something that I don't know. I was going to come and get her over my holiday break. You know this."
"Well, it looks as if Jean wants to leave a little bit early for Finland and I wasn't about to put my life on hold until you were able to leave this place and come get her. That is too odd of an assumption for me to even fathom."
Malfoy looked angry. Hermione had seen him angry quite a bit… and he looked angry. "I will never understand why you ever got custody you stupid little…"
"Shh!" Astoria smirked and pressed her finger up against Malfoy's lips. "Not in front of our child, Draco." She forced a fake grin and turned to saunter off. "Have fun with Granger," she called from over her shoulder and descended down a flight of stairs. Her sarcastic laughter could still be heard.
Hermione was in shock. It seemed to odd that Malfoy could marry someone that awful… it seemed even weirder to think that he used to be that awful. "So," Hermione started. "You have a child."
"I have a child." Malfoy nodded and sat down on the nearest bench, Adrianna on his lap.
"She's gorgeous."
"Thanks!" Adrianna grinned and made to climb over onto Hermione's lap.
Hermione welcomed her. "I love your hair."
"My mommy says I got my dad's hair."
"You did," Hermione replied with a smile, thumbing a bright blond curl in her hand.
Adrianna looked at her dad then back at Hermione. "Who are you?"
"My name's Hermione."
"Her-my-nee?"
"Her-my-oh-nee."
"Ohhh," Adrianna nodded, losing interest. "I'm hungry, Dad."
"It's eight at night, you should have already eaten." Adrianna just gave him a look. Malfoy sighed. "you'll be the death of me, little girl." He got up. "So you really don't want to be a princess? You want to be a teacher like your old man?"
"Yup!" Adrianna giggled "I love you, Daddy."
"Love you too, Adrianna." They were walking off as Hermione watched from the bench, jealously. She wanted that so bad. Suddenly, Malfoy turned around. "You coming?"
Hermione opened her mouth to say yes… but something held her back. "No, you two go ahead. I'll see you tomorrow."
Malfoy nodded and continued talking with his beautiful daughter. The jealousy growing even more in her. She couldn't have that. Ever.
---
"Where did you go?" Ron asked as she walked back into the dormitory.
Hermione sighed. "Talked with a friend."
"You went to see Luna then?" Ron asked again. Hermione remember what Ron had done for her earlier regarding Luna and smiled.
"No, I didn't. I ran into Malfoy actually…"
Ron tensed up. She could tell. They may respect each other, but they weren't friends. "And?"
"And he talked me out of being upset with you." Lies, Hermione thought… but she really didn't want to argue with him anymore. She needed to be distracted from the emptiness she felt in the pit of her stomach that was the inability to carry her own children.
Ron smiled. "Oh yea?"
Hermione nodded. "Yea." She walked over to where he was sitting and straddled his waist. "That doesn't mean that it's not a touchy subject… but I can deal for now. We're not even married. We can focus on that first."
Ron nodded and let his hands roam freely over her body. "Sounds good to me. I don't like when we fight."
"Me either," Hermione murmured as she pressed her lips up against his.
"Mhmmm," Ron replied, wanting nothing more than to just take her right there. To be honest… the whole fighting bit was tedious to him. At the end of the day, they both ended up loving each other no matter what. Who cares if they have some issues? She loved him and that's all that he really cared about.
---
A few weeks past and soon enough it was the day before break and the whole school was buzzing with excitement. Hermione loved this time of year and she loved the fact that she was going to be able to go home and see her parents and friends. It had been a long while it seemed. She was sitting on a bench in a gazebo during her free period, watching the snow fall down when something cold and wet collided with her face.
"What the…" Hermione was about to get angry until she saw the perpetrator. "Adrianna? Did you do that?"
The last couple of weeks, Hermione had been spending a lot of time hanging out with Malfoy's daughter. She was the cutest little thing and she couldn't help but fall a little bit in love with her. She usually watched her on her free periods so Malfoy could actually teach… and sometimes she offered to babysit afterhours so Malfoy could get caught up on school work… which irritated Ron to no end. But, Hermione didn't care. She was helping a friend out… He was spending less and less time with her anyway, even though he was living with her in such small corridors. He would go spend his time with Neville rather than her. She didn't know what to think. Maybe he was just stir crazy from not being at work…
"Yes!" Adrianna giggled and ran up to her, hugging her knees.
Hermione picked her up and sat her on her lap. "That wasn't very nice!" Hermione took the end of her scarf with her free hand and wiped off the slush that was sliding down her face. "But that was quite a throw. Where's your father? I thought he didn't have class today."
"I'm three."
"I know."
"I'm not supposed to know where he is all the time."
Hermione laughed. "I guess not."
"Adrianna!"
Hermione looked up to see Malfoy, frantically walking down the outside walk. "She's over here!" Hermione called out.
Malfoy's head snapped to look over at Hermione and his gaze softened. "Thank god," he breathed as he ran up to them. "Why would you leave me when I told you not to?"
Adrianna shrugged and buried her face in Hermione's neck. "I was booooored."
Hermione looked up at Malfoy. He couldn't help but look back at her too because she had a red mark on the side of your face. "What happened to you?"
Her eyes widened. "Oh… just a little snow fight."
Malfoy's face fell. "My daughter did this?"
Hermione nodded. "It's ok though."
"No it's not," Malfoy pried Adrianna off Hermione's lap. "Apologize, little miss."
"Why?"
"Because I said so."
"Hmph."
"Adrianna…"
"Whaaaat?"
"Apologize."
"I'm sorry, Herms." She called her Herms because she couldn't pronounce Hermione's name right.
Hermione laughed. "It's ok, Adrianna."
Adrianna insisted that she be held by Hermione again as she was traded off. Malfoy watched them as he sat next to Hermione on the bench. He rather enjoyed the bond that his daughter and she had… he also quite enjoyed the bond that he and Hermione had. He wasn't going to lie about that.
"Hermione?"
Hermione looked over at Ron who, for some reason, look hurt and wounded.
"What? What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Ron replied, turning around to leave.
"Ron!" Hermione called out after him. She handed Adrianna back to Malfoy, much to her protest and ran after him. "Ronald, what is wrong?"
"You," he replied darkly as he turned around.
Hermione stopped a few feet from him. "Me? What… what did I do?"
"You're over there with him and you are falling for his kid… do you understand how that makes me feel?"
Hermione sighed. "Oh, Ron. I'm sorry… I didn't know you were… upset."
"How could you know? You were too consumed with that little girl to even notice me these past two weeks. I swear… you say you are okay with not having kids for now… but really? Really, Hermione? Because it seems to me that you're only okay with it because you've found yourself your own child! And Malfoy doesn't even care, because he's fucking in love with you!"
Hermione gasped. "Ron! Knock it off! He is not in love with me… and I know that Adrianna is not my child… but I love children… why can't I bond with a child?"
"Because she's not ours," Ron blurted out.
Hermione was taken aback. "What are you talking about? You don't want kids."
"Well maybe I do now."
"Because you're jealous?"
"No because I see the way you are around them and it makes me happy."
Hermione blinked several times and then shook her head. "Well, I can't have kids and even if I could… I would not procreate just because you are jealous… don't feed me that bull shit of me being around kids making you happy."
"Ok, you're right. I still can't stand kids… but I am jealous, Hermione. You have to understand how I feel when I see you sitting next to him holding his child and looking happier than I've seen you in months."
"I do understand, Ron."
"So you understand that I don't want you hanging around them anymore…?"
"No," Hermione scoffed.
"What do you mean no?"
"I mean that he's my friend and there is nothing to be jealous about. I am in love with you, Ron! Only you. I only want you!"
"Hermione, don't think that I don't see the way you look at him… the way you look at his daughter… the way you laugh when you're with him or, god, even the way he looks at you. He's in love with you and I'm pretty sure you're in love with him. So, I'm sorry… but I'm done. I will always love you… but we should have stayed broken up!" Ron shouted and then realized what he said. His eyes instantly softened.
Hermione's chest constricted and she gasped for breath. "What are you saying?"
Ron took a step forward, and Hermione took a large step backward. "Hermione…"
"Don't."
"I didn't mean it… I don't think that."
"Stop."
"Hermione?"
"You're right. I mean, who are we kidding? We can't be together. I only just told you that I am in love with you and only want you and then you say that we should have stayed broken up!"
"No, that's not what I said… Well, sort of… but I didn't mean it."
"Ron, you did. You mean it. Just fucking admit it! You don't want to spend the rest of your life with me!"
"I…I…I thought I did, Hermione."
She let out a sob. "Oh my god."
"Hermione I'm sorry… Listen to me… I'm sorry!"
"No, it's fine! It's totally fine because, you know what?" Hermione sobbed. "I want kids. I want the ability to maybe adopt and not feel guilty about putting someone into a situation that they don't want to be in. Like you, I don't want to put you in a situation where you don't want kids, but have them anyway because you love me. And I don't want to put my issues on the back burner because you don't care… I want to solve my problems when they happen. I want to work things out and become a better couple. I don't want to be stuck in limbo and have to just forget about everything that makes me upset. I can't and I won't be that girl. So thank you… thank you for putting me out of my misery…" She started talking past him and as she bumped into his shoulder, she muttered. "Asshole." And stalked off.
Ron was breathing unsteadily. He was hurt and angry and confused. "Fuck," he breathed.
---
Hermione paced her dormitory. She didn't want to lose Ron. She was fucking in love with him… but there were so many things that she wanted to work on that he didn't want to… Hermione gazed down at her engagement ring. She smiled miserably and collapsed onto her couch. He could come after her. She knew it.
Ten minutes passed.
Hermione sat there, anxiously trying to get a grip of herself.
Finally, the portrait door opened and she shot up. "Ronald, I'm sorry I…"
"I just needs to get Mr. Weasley's stuffs, Ma'am," a tiny little house elf declared timidly.
Hermione nodded and wiped her eyes, sitting back down. He didn't come. Nor was he coming after her… she felt that same constricting in her chest. Heart break.
---
Malfoy watched Hermione leave, holding onto Adrianna. He watched the read head and her argue furiously and point in his direction. He watched her begin to cry. He watched her leave… and he watched him not go after her.
"Follow her, you prick. Go get her…" Malfoy murmured under his breath. "Come on, Weasley..."
He watched Ron turn in the opposite direction and walk away… He set Adrianna down and grabbed her hand, having her walk towards Ron with him.
"Oi, Weasley…" Malfoy called after him. He stopped and turned around.
His face was paler than usual. "What?" His voice was even and cold.
"What's going on?"
"We're done."
"Excuse me?"
Ron shook his head angrily. "Can you fucking hear? I said we're done."
Malfoy's jaw dropped slightly. "You can't…" Ron rolled his eyes and began walking away. "Oi, mate! She loves you!"
Ron stopped yet again and turned around. "You think I don't know that? I know I just made a huge mistake…"
"Then go after her," Malfoy tried to reason with him.
"I…I can't. We're just… over," Ron breathed and walked away, not saying another word.
Malfoy didn't know what to do. He couldn't believe that Ron could just not go after her… If he really loved her. He scooped Adrianna up in his arms and weaved through the crowds of people, nearly running. He wasn't sure what he was doing, but he knew one thing was for sure. He was in love with Hermione Granger and wasn't about to watch her fall to pieces over that jerk.
---
Hermione was still sitting there, staring at where Ron's luggage used to be. She wiped another year and curled up in a ball on the couch. She was just about to fall into another fit of tears when the portrait door opened again.
"Ron?" She shot up, and ran to the doorway. "What are you doing?"