I got quite a few reviews yesterday asking me for the next chapter. It always surprises me when people like my writing. I was kind of surprised by some people's theory that Astoria isn't engaged to Ron.

Chapter 16
Draco wasn't expecting company, but he got it anyway. He stared at the fireplace as the orange fire turned green, and waited for someone to step out. His wand sat uselessly atop the mantle, and he planned to leave it there. He didn't much see a need for it. Through bleary eyes, he finally focused on the woman who emerged from his hearth.

"What are you doing here?" he asked bitterly.

"Ron proposed," Hermione said softly.

Draco quirked an eyebrow. "To you?"

"I found out from Harry earlier today," she told him. "Did you know he proposed to Astoria?"

He gave a nod and shifted on the sofa so he could reach the drink he'd placed on the end table. After a long drink, the glass now empty, he put it down and resettled himself in the center. "Jealous, Granger?" he wondered, a sneer settling on his alcohol-numbed lips. "Honestly, I'd say you really dodged a bullet. Although, maybe he's so important to you that you're upset by this grave loss."

It was his expression, not his words, that stung the most. She was sure he felt she deserved it - the cruel twisting of his lips, the cold, unreadable gray eyes. Perhaps she did deserve it. She had come to apologize and expected to be met by hostility, but she had hoped that her nerves would hold out a little while longer.

When she said nothing, he reached over and grabbed his glass. "Well, if you're not going to speak or leave, the least you can do is refill this," he said, bored with her.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she remained on the other side of the coffee table. "I'd prefer you be a bit more lucid," she commented. "Do you even remember what that feels like? How long have you been lying around? When was the last time you ate something, or showered for that matter?" She recognized the clothing he wore. He'd worn the same gray pants and green button down shirt to her flat a week ago.

"What could it possibly matter to you, Granger?" he wondered, sighing as he put the glass down. "Did you really come here to tell me that my betrothed is marrying your ex-boyfriend? Did you honestly think I would care? Or are you here to remind me that I'll never be enough for you? Because it won't be necessary. You made yourself perfectly clear."

The hard defense she had attempted to build up came crashing down in that moment. With small, hesitant steps, as if approaching a wild animal, Hermione neared the sofa. When he didn't protest her closeness, she took a seat, careful to keep enough space between them. "I might be a little bit jealous," she murmured. A mirthless laugh was his only reply. "Not because I wanted to marry Ron though. I'm jealous that he has a family. He's got his parents and siblings who'll be there for him whenever he needs them. He loves Astoria, and I'm okay with that because I'm sure she makes him happy. And if that went away tomorrow, he'd still have a family.

"I'm afraid, Draco," she continued. "It scares me to think that I could fall in love with you. I worry that being in a relationship is so unfamiliar to you that you won't be able to do it. There will always be a divide between you and them, and I'm not strong enough to close it. I need them because they're the only family I have left. But I need you too. You have no idea how much I need you too."

He had begun to sit up straighter as she spoke. He took in everything she said, but couldn't help but wonder why she needed him too. Never before had she spoken of her family. After all, it had been against the rules. She was so desperate to hang onto some semblance of a family that she was willing to sacrifice her relationship with him.

"Why?" he finally asked. Hermione furrowed her brows in confusion. "Why do you need me?"

She released a shaky breath as she reached for his hand. Their fingers instinctively wove together, and she smiled. "You're not like Ron or Marcus," she said. "I always knew Ron would be stubborn and hotheaded at times, but he was protective. I knew he would always love me in some way, even if we weren't together. Marcus was...something of an attempt to get back at you. I did care for him, but it never felt right."

"What's your point?" he wondered.

"The way I feel about you, I never felt that way for either of them," she responded. "With Ron, after the break up, I knew I could still talk to him. I've been okay with not talking to Marcus. But you...I couldn't stop myself from thinking about you. Every time someone walked past my door at work, I hoped it was you. Every floo call I wanted it to be yours. I even thought about coming by a few times, but I didn't think you'd want to see me."

"Right, but you came to tell me about your ex's engagement," he interrupted. "That really helps your case."

She tightened her grip on his hand to show she wasn't happy with his comment. "I realized something when Harry told me about the engagement," she said. "Harry's found someone who makes him happy, and now Ron has that too. I want to be with someone who makes me happy, Draco. Sure, you annoy the hell out of me at times, and other times I've wanted to hex you. But I'm happy when I'm with you. I'm happier with you than I've been with anyone else."

He continued to examine their hands. "What about the Weasleys and Potter?" he asked. "Stay with me, you lose them. That's what you said."

"Harry promised I'd still have him," she said. "That'll be enough if it means I can have you too."

Draco sighed uncertainly. For the first time in years, he wanted a relationship. After Daphne, he was sure he would live the rest of his life flitting from woman to woman with the thought of commitment far from his mind. And then he propositioned Hermione Granger, and he knew life would never be the same again. He hadn't expected to fall in love with her, but her nonchalance seemed to have been his undoing. She had occupied his every thought since their first conversation, and he nearly regretted his no strings attached rule.

"Can you stay?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. The dark circles beneath his eyes suggested a week of sleepless nights.

She shifted closer until her lips reached his cheek. "I'm not going anywhere, Draco."