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CHAPTER 50.

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"What the hell Hermione?" Ginny bellowed as she slammed the kitchen door shut after her. "How could you? We were worried sick."

Hermione stopped chopping her onions and smiled. "You got here rather quickly. Molly hasn't lost her touch I see."

"You could have stayed hidden Hermione. Why the change in heart?" Ginny quizzed, narrowing her eyes.

Hermione wiped her hands against the dish towel and leaned her back against the counter. "I'm tired of running Ginny. This is my home. I had to come back some time. I thought you wanted me to come back home."

Ginny circled and pulled a chair to sit. Hermione conjured a glass and poured her some water. "Of course I want you here love. I couldn't be happier. But the circumstances were less than savoury. You ran away again. Harry was beside himself. You know how he gets."

Hermione sat next to Ginny and hugged her. "I'm sorry. I really am. I promise I didn't want you and Harry to go through this especially since you were my guests."

"And Draco?" Ginny asked. "What about him? He's been distraught since the day you left. You really do owe him an explanation Hermione."

Hermione stiffened slightly at the mention of Draco's name. "Has he.. Has he come too?"

"Yes of course he has. What did you expect? We'd leave him there?" Ginny chided Hermione. "He went mad looking for you Hermione. He's blaming himself ever since he woke up alone in that bed of his."

Hermione's face turned pink. "So you .. Umm.. Know." She said.

"It wasn't difficult to guess after we searched his flat for you." Ginny said dryly.

Hermione dragged her hands over her face. She looked a mixture of embarrassed and guilty. "Gin.." She said without even opening her eyes. "Ginny I ... Don't know how it happened. I mean.. "

"It's ok Hermione." Ginny stood up and placed her hands on the brunette's shoulders. "You don't have to be ashamed or you don't owe anyone an explanation over your actions. You're an adult and a very responsible one at that. What you do shouldn't be anyone's business."

Hermione opened her eyes finally. They were full of gratitude and semi relief. "Thanks Ginny. It means a lot coming from you. I know I'm not supposed to feel like I did anything wrong but it's just that internally I feel so damn guilty. Like it's so wrong. So bloody wrong."

Ginny entwined her fingers with Hermione's. "You're an extremely thoughtful person Hermione. And I know you hold morals in very high regard. But it really doesn't apply here." Ginny explained. "You aren't answerable to anyone except yourself. And maybe Draco. You did leave him after all. The least you could do is to answer his questions. Godric knows he deserves to know."

Hermione sighed loudly. She released her hand from Ginny's comforting touch and got up to stand. She started chopping the onions again. "It's partly morals. But Ginny ... I don't know... I really don't. It was for the best you know. It wasn't right on my part."

"I think that's a decision that you can't make alone Mione." Ginny said seriously.

"That's just it Ginny. He won't agree with me. I know it." Hermione retaliated.

"Only because he would disagree, you ran away?" Ginny asked with betrayal in her voice.

Hermione placed the onions in a saucepan and the loud hiss of sauté could be heard as she added the spices. "I'm sorry Ginny. I didn't mean to leave you alone. You know that. I wouldn't have called you in the first place if it were that way."

"We could have spoken about it Hermione. Draco looks broken. He's been punishing himself. He thinks you hate him and don't want to meet him ever." Ginny said.

Hermione's face contorted painfully as Ginny went on. "He didn't even want to come home after he knew where you were hiding."

Hermione turned sharply. "But you said he came."

Ginny smirked. "So you wanted him to?"

Hermione reddened a bit. "I mean... I assumed he would come to know..."

"I had to yell at him to come off it." Ginny replied. "Of course he's come. He's staying with Harry and me till his flat's liveable."

"I have to talk to him, don't I?" Hermione stated as she added the potatoes to the pan.

"What do you think Hermione?" Ginny countered.

"I know. I know I have to tie ends with him. I don't want to run anymore." Hermione said to herself more than Ginny. "But will he want to see me? After everything I've done?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Merlin. You're pathetic. And so is the Malfoy boy. You both deserve each other."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at Ginny.

"Of course he wants to see you. He's bloody in purgatory." Ginny told her.

"Fine. You don't have to be nasty or I'll add garlic to this." Hermione said, pointing to the buttered potatoes.

Ginny wrinkled her nose. "I love garlic but my hormones apparently don't. Just leave it that way. My mouth is watering already."

Hermione laughed. "It's a good thing I cooked extra."

"Oh please." Ginny scoffed as she helped herself and Hermione a plate each. "I know you spoke to my mum. You knew very well I was coming over today."

"Maybe." Hermione said naughtily.

Ginny just shook her head and continued to dig into her potatoes as Hermione placed a slice of bread fresh from the oven next to her.

"So you're meeting him then?" Ginny asked between mouthfuls.

Hermione nodded. "I have to. It's time I said something and it's time he said some things too."

Ginny looked at Hermione, who seemed to be lost with a fork midair. She wondered how Hermione could be so blind about Draco's feelings. Well, Draco wasn't very bright about her feelings either. She sighed as she chewed away. At least they were going to have a talk. And if they did anything stupid, she and Harry would make sure that if a nudge came to a shove; they'd do it!

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Draco was pacing. An activity he never considered himself capable of. Ever since Ginny had told him that Hermione wanted to meet him and talk to him, he had been a nervous mess.

This wasn't him. He was Draco Malfoy. Smooth. Sophisticated. And suave. Ever the charmer. Playboy and never serious. And nervousness? Was a wasted trait he felt. That is why, when he was actually feeling nervous today it was a totally foreign feeling. The last he could ever remember feeling this way was when he had to face his father or his aunt. But that too bordered on worry and fear. Not so much nervousness.

Ginny had basically told him that Hermione was open to meeting him. In fact, she did want to talk to him. But Ginny had flat out refused to be a messenger of sorts to mediate any meetings.

She had told Hermione and Draco both that each knew where the other was. So if they wanted to meet, they had to take the initiative. She wasn't going to be playing go between. At least not for now.
Draco wanted nothing more than to storm over at Hermione's and demand answers. But then again, he was afraid of getting them. He only wanted to postpone the inevitable. He knew what decision Hermione would take and he was certain that it would be one that would definitely not make either of them happy.

He angrily sat down on his bed. Fisting his palms he thought deeply. Either way, some time or the other, they would have to face each other. They were best friends. Had been that since a long time. Even when he had tried to create distance between them, there was never such awkwardness between them. So why now? Had things changed so much after one act?

He prided on knowing her needs inside out. She had even said that he always came to her when she needed him the most. He made up his mind. He wasn't going to dilly dally anymore. He was going to her this instant. Besides, he had avoided replying to her declaration in the diary all those years ago leaving her emotionally vulnerable. Of many things he regretted, that one topped his list.

Whether she reciprocated or not, he was going to bare his soul to her. Say everything that was unsaid till now and put everything out in the open. He didn't care what she thought of the night they had spent together. He was going to consider it as an act of love and nothing less. And if she regretted it, so be it.

But no guessing now. He loved her with everything he had. He always had. And letting her know was the best thing to do. It was long overdue.

...

It felt strange to ring a doorbell. Especially when the house belonged to a witch. He was mainly accustomed to apparating or flooing in. Therefore, when Draco stood outside Hermione's house, right hand raised to press the doorbell he felt quite out of sorts.

Not the most confident feeling when one was going to tell the woman he loved ever since he could remember that he wanted to be with them forever.

Most wizarding homes didn't even have a doorbell. But this was Hermione. Of course she had wanted a bloody doorbell. Trust her to add small touches of her muggle life in her present life. It was endearing actually, Draco thought with a smile. But right now when he was nervous as hell, the merits of a doorbell hardly interested him.

He could have easily apparated in or even flooed in. He knew that the wards would allow him. But he didn't want to surprise her by his sudden presence. He hadn't owled or informed her that he was coming. He thought that if he did that, he would lose his nerve and chicken out.

But he still didn't want to startle her. He wanted her to know that she had a visitor. Although eventually she may be surprised to see him so soon but he still didn't want to invade her privacy. He almost laughed at the irony. There was a time not too long ago that he wouldn't have ever cared about her privacy. He would have popped in and out as he pleased. And now, look at him. Being all noble and courteous.

He hated this. Hated this feeling of formality with her. He just wanted to get it over with, clear their systems and go back to being what they were. Even if she didn't love him the way he did, it was okay. All he wanted was his best friend to come back. The normalcy of their relationship. The ease of it. And he was going to get it back. He wouldn't leave without it.

So he took a final deep breath and raised his hand higher to ring the bell.

It rang, its awful tune filling the air for 5 seconds before it died down to make way for silence. But he hardly heard the silence over his pounding heartbeat and the sound of Hermione's shuffling footsteps as she came closer to the door.

He held his breath as the door opened to reveal her, looking as breathtaking as she always did even if she was only in old jeans and a very worn out t-shirt, her hair all over her head and absolutely no makeup on.

Her amber coloured eyes turned wide as she saw him and her hands clutched at the door frame. "Draco!" She breathed, barely moving away from the door.

"May I come in?"

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