A/n: Hi Guys!
Finally an update!ü
I hope you enjoy this...
Anyway... I apologize again...
As always...
By: Aningme
Chapter 23
Dilemma: The Sequel
It took them a while to finish the coffee cake, having the oven set on high, causing it to burn into flames. It was Relina who witnessed the fire, crying her guts out and freaking Hermione and Ginny out of their wits. They were too late though, having the cake covered in burns. Fortunately, there was more mixture of the cake set aside, having their cake pan a little smaller than expected. It only took them half an hour to make a newly "baked" cake, with a few magic here and there, and all was set.
"Gin, are you sure about this?" Hermione frowned at the perfectly done coffee cake before her, feeling a little remorse over it. It was a very big deal, the low profile thing going on, even if it was just a small spell of transformation. It wasn't that hard to transform the mixture to a cake since it's merely an uncooked cake, unlike having an object to transform and make it into something else. But even so, a small magic trick is still magic.
"It's just a little magic trick, Herm. No one would notice." Ginny winked, tucking her wand out of sight. "Besides, it was a critical moment, wasn't it cutie pie?"
Relina nodded at her mom innocently and licked her black cake covered hands. "What about this cake, mommy? It tastes icky."
"Icky indeed." Ginny cringed, carrying Relina away from the mess. "We better clean this up before anybody sees this mess."
"I'll get it." Hermione offered and sighed over the black cake. It sure smelled of smoke, and it wasn't a good sight. "Such a waste."
"Don't fret over that little thing and just look at our newly baked cake." Ginny cheered, glancing at the cake settled on the table, its coffee colored sponge covered in chocolate icing and brown sprinkles. "It surely looks better than that."
Dumping the ruined cake into the bin, Hermione gave Ginny a sidelong glance. "Well, I would still prefer a cake prepared by my own hands and skills." She smirked and grabbed a towel to wipe the counters. "But anyway, thanks for the help."
"Nah. It was nothing." Ginny giggled and grabbed the clean plates, handing them over to Relina. "We better get these set up before the boys recoil in hunger. Honey, why don't you put those plates on the table? We'll just carry these there with you."
Hermione smiled at Relina as she carefully carry the plates outside, her small fingers carefully steadying them. She watched her pleasingly until she was out of sight. "She's really special, huh?"
Ginny sighed in content. "Yeah. She's my angel." She mumbled and chuckled again, grabbing up some serving spoons and adding the last of the garnish on the other plates. "I never thought of myself being a mother before… But look at me now…"
Jerking up in surprise, Hermione glanced at her, startled with the sudden clang of the silverwares on the table.
"I'm so sorry." Ginny sniffed, holding back the tears suddenly forming behind her eyes, but laughing at the same time. "It's just that I'm so happy… I mean, I have a great family. Seamus is great. Relina's just ever so lovely and…" She sniffled again. "And… now… I'm going to have my first godchild…"
Hermione smiled and walked over to her. "C'mon Gin, don't cry on me now." She handed her a tissue. "You should be laughing, not crying. C'mon now, calm down… Ginny." It took only a moment before she rolled her eyes. "C'mon, Gin. You're freaking me out already."
"Okay… Okay. I'll stop." She managed to say, breathing in deep and exhaling slowly. "Sorry. I just tend to get so emotional about these things."
Hermione chuckled. "Yeah, I can see that."
She grinned sheepishly at her. "Hermy…"
"Hm?"
"You take care, alright?" She turned to her and wrapped her in a bear hug, forcing herself not to cry again. "I'm really going to miss you both..."
Bewildered, Hermione smiled, patting Ginny's back for comfort. "We won't be gone for long." She mumbled, feeling awkward. She couldn't bring herself to comfort, thinking about her lost memories of them, and not actually knowing what her friends are after all those years she seemed to skip in her life… She knew them, their faces, their names… But of course, people have to change after a series of years…
But as she heard herself think those words, she felt herself saying it and meaning it. "But, I'll miss you guys too."
After another of the briefest of pauses, Ginny pulled her back and gave her a good look. "Well, shall we feed the hungry beasts then?"
"Finally. I thought you ladies would never get out of that kitchen." Seamus grumbled, glancing over the prettily plated food in front of him. "Is that…"
"Chicken casserole." Ginny smiled. "The best in the house."
Hermione smiled at the compliment. "Well, why don't we all dig in and you'll be the judge of that."
"I can eat anything you serve, even a whole cow. What took you so long?" Ron grumbled, almost drooling over the food.
"Just a little fuss, that's all." Ginny chuckled and carried Relina to her seat.
As they all began to settle in their seats, Hermione just stared at them, suddenly frowning. "Where's Draco?"
"He's upstairs." Seamus answered, glancing at Ron. "He's up there the whole time."
"He said he'll be in a while. Don't know what's taking him so long." Ron added, opening up a new bottle of wine.
"Oh." Hermione mumbled, her brows knitted together. "Is he alright?"
"Don't know." Ron innocently shrugged. "You better check him out."
Hermione just looked at him, nodding. "Why don't you guys eat up. I'll be back in a while."
"You better." Seamus mumbled softly enough not to be heard by anyone.
Ginny frowned at the boys and shook her head, hearing Hermione's footsteps fading through the corridor. "What did you do to him?"
"What?" Seamus asked, mildly jerking up on his seat.
Ginny cocked a brow and stared at both of them. "Did you two do something to him?"
"What are you talking about?" Ron said, casually chewing his chicken casserole, silencing his grumbling stomach for the past thirty minutes. "We just talked. Is that a crime?"
"Oh really?" She turned to Seamus, her hot eyes almost melting him.
"Honey. Sweetheart. It's boy talk." Seamus pointed out, looking away from her. "It's nothing serious."
Huffing out a breath, she shrugged and forked some salad. "You know what, munchkin honey? You're such a bad liar." She sighed, smiling sweetly at him.
Climbing up the stairs, she walked directly to her room, assuming he was there. He looked worn out just moments ago. But he always acted as if he's all right.
He's always all right. She thought, frowning again. Never let his guard down every single time. She sighed exhaustedly at the thought and knocked by the door.
"Draco?" She called out, listening intently for an answer. "Draco, dinner's ready."
When nothing came, she just shrugged and turned the knob, opening the door.
And switching on the lights, she found him sleeping soundly by the bed.
His body was face down sprawled over the bed, his arms languidly hanging by the side. He must have been sleeping the whole time, she thought, and knelt before him, staring at him.
And just watching him, she suddenly felt her heart beat just a millisecond faster.
His hair was adorably tousled, being run through a lot by his restless hands. His skin was sheet white, flawless and smooth. His arms were long and muscled, toned and strong.
But as she looked at his face, she could see the paleness in it and the shadows that were lingering under his eyes. He must have felt tired after what he went through. And knowing he was just running dependently on Sober Up pills and caffeine, she knew he must have felt the weight of his fatigue, the meds and caffeine wearing off.
Feeling the sudden worry, she reached out a hand to touch his face. Just touch him.
And finding it cold, she slowly leaned over and kissed him lightly on his cheek.
"Where am I?"
Startled, she quickly leaned back away from him, her heart suddenly jumping and skipping. "Uh…" Oh Merlin, she was choking, just kneeling there before him, staring at him struggle with his eyes. She was panicking. What will she say? What will she… "Hey."
He rubbed at his eyes and struggled to see her face. When his irises settled, he just lay there, and stared back at her. "Hey." He greeted back, his voice sounding deep and quiet, and looked around. "Oh, yeah. I'm at your house." He mumbled and managed to sit up, ignoring the throbbing pain in his head.
Hermione just watched him and smiled at him, adoring him with his adorableness. "You okay?"
"Hm?"
"You look kinda pale. You want to sleep it off a while?"
"I'm alright. I just needed a short nap." He explained, sighing heavily. "Where's everybody?"
"They're downstairs having dinner." She muttered, nodding at him. "You want me to bring you up some?"
"No. You go ahead. I'll catch up with you guys in a moment."
"All right. What's wrong, Draco?"
"What?"
"It's a headache isn't it?"
"No. I'm fine."
"Harvey told me you were under Sober Up and caffeine. You know you'll break down after they wear off."
"I just needed a nap."
She just nodded again, weary to argue with him, and just shifted to sit beside him. "You always say that." She muttered, almost impossible to hear. "Like you're always alright. Everybody needs to break sometimes, you know." She continued, staring down at her feet. "It's alright if you just admit you're tired."
Draco just turned to her, smiled at her, studying her apron and her hair tied back in a messy ponytail. "People keep on scolding me today." He laughed, remembering Ron and Seamus just a while ago. "I'm alright. I am, really. And if you're asking me if I'm tired of you… Well, sorry to break it to you. But I'll never grow tired of you."
She smiled at that, suddenly feeling drawn to him. "That's very frank of you. As always."
"So they say." He muttered, running both his hands through his face, and then stood up. "C'mon. They might be wondering where you've gone to."
She stood up too and instead of walk to the door with him, held his hand, stopping him.
With the sudden contact, he felt the overwhelming pause of his heart from beating, startling him. He halted for a moment, glanced from her face to their joined hands.
She smiled again, amused with his reaction. "I think you'll want a pain blocker for that." She said, poking his brow.
"You know I don't like meds, Herm."
"Well, it's bad enough that you considered Sober Up pills." She pointed out, pulling him towards the bathroom. "C'mon. It won't be that bad."
He cringed at that, defeated, and followed her.
Watching him in the corners of her eyes, she opened up a medicine cabinet and grabbed a green pill for him. "Here." She offered, handing it over to him. "You know you need it."
Draco merely stared at it, partly considering it. "That's not a tranq, is it?"
"It's a pain blocker. Trust me." She assured him, waiting for him to take it.
Shrugging, he took it and swallowed it. She took a glass of water and offered it to him. "See? It wasn't that bad."
Emptying the glass, he sighed contentedly at her and smiled. "Well, thank you."
"You're welcome." She answered, smiling back.
An awkward silence wrapped at them suddenly, awkwardly leaving them staring at each other, smiling at each other.
How long has it been since she woke up at the hospital? She thought, her eyes just lingering over his face. It was his face that she saw right after she opened her eyes that day. He was the one who always watched over her… Always…
"You were insulting me so I did that. You should not insult a lady like me you know."
He glared at her. "I was telling the truth. You're not a woman. A woman never punches anybody like this and leaves a bruise on him."
"Well, it's your fault anyway!" She answered back. "I warned you a lot of times not to insult me."
Draco sighed tiredly, still checking up on his bruise on the bathroom mirror. "It's painful, you know."
She frowned at him. He was making her feel guilty.
"A doctor is not supposed to hurt their patients." He added and made a pained face.
"Well, you asked for it, didn't you?" She grumbled. But then, she felt sympathy for him. She sighed, defeated. "Let me see."
"Does it hurt?" She suddenly mumbled, startling him.
"What?"
"You shouldn't have insulted me."
He furrowed his brows. "I… didn't insult you."
"Well, you deserve that." She laughed, scaring him. "Let me see."
"See what" He just stared back at her, disoriented.
"There." She pointed just nearly to his jaw. "It doesn't look that bad."
"What does?"
"Your bruise."
His eyes narrowed at her, studying her. And as realization dawned at him, his heart abruptly skipped a beat. He didn't immediately notice her eyes blurred and paled a different shade of hazel that threatened him just ever so vulnerably…
"Hermione… I don't have a bruise." He pointed out, his hands slowly reaching for her shoulders. "Hermione… look at me."
"Look, it will be better soon. Just don't insult me again." She smiled, not primarily at him but through him. "Well, you better rest now. You're the one who's going to drive us all the way there."
His heart suddenly halted. He remembered exactly what she was talking about. "Drive where, Hermione?"
"To the cottage. I'm excited to see the lake." She giggled, her eyes twinkling in delight.
He just stared at her, horrified, and not knowing what to say. "Hermione…" He mumbled, words seemingly draining out of him.
But then, at that very second, she suddenly looked at him and stared at him. "You alright, Draco?"
He was merely gazing at her, bewildered.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." He pointed out, quickly pulling his hands away from her, stepping away from her. "Nothing." He repeated, just watching her.
She furrowed her brows and frowned at him. "You sure? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"I…" He couldn't help it but stare at her. "I…"
"What are you saying?" She frowned, confused.
"You… you…"
"Me?"
"You…"
"You're stuttering. You don't stutter." She pointed out, moving a little towards him. But as he suddenly jerked away from her, that did it. "Draco, you're scaring me."
"You said… You said… I…"
"I said what?"
"But you…" He didn't notice his heavy breathing suddenly becoming heavier. "You said…"
"Okay, just stay calm." She muttered, just walking towards him ever so slowly. But when he stepped backward again, she halted, breathing slowly to calm herself too. "Just calm down. I'm… I'll walk to you."
"But you're… You…"
"Shh. It's okay. I'll walk to you." She whispered, taking every step cautiously. And as he just stood still, she smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "There. It wasn't that bad." She closed her eyes and breathed him in, held him tighter. "Feel better?"
"I…" He closed his eyes too, and sighed. "Yeah… Yeah."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I'm okay…"
She laughed, just holding him. But then, she felt the painful ripple of her heart as worry took over her. "What was that all about?"
"I… I don't know." He muttered, confused, his head buried on the crook of her neck. "Don't you remember?"
"Remember what?" She asked, pulling him back to look at his face.
"You said something about a bruise…"
"A bruise?"
He just watched her for a minute, pondering over it. "Never mind. It was nothing." He tried to smile, willing to forget her face in his head, staring at him… Staring through him.
"Okay." She muttered, studying him. He looked really shaken. It wasn't easy to shake a man like Draco Malfoy. Whatever happened back there, she swore to figure it out. "Well, since that's never minded, shall we go down with the others?" She smiled too, trying to cheer him up. "Don't you want to know what I cooked?"
He smiled at her and chuckled. "That would be nice." He mumbled, forgetting what just happened a moment ago.
She nodded at him and ran her hands through his hair. "You worried me." She laughed it off, touching his hair and fixing up his lapels. "You'll be all right?"
She didn't know the simple things she does to make him feel better at all. But then, what happened just a moment ago shook him as easily. "Yeah. I'm fine." He smiled and absent-mindedly pecked her lips. "Don't worry about me."
Just staring at him, she merely stood there, thinking about particularly nothing, doing particularly nothing. She didn't notice her hand slowly reaching her lips, touching it.
"You kissed me." She whispered, overly startled.
"I… I did." He mumbled, surprised that he did.
She smiled. "Well, I guess I owe you this." She muttered as she tiptoed her feet and kissed him back.
He laughed at that and took her hand. "C'mon. They're waiting for us."
"Let them wait." She laughed too and pulled him to the stairs.
A/n: Yey!ü Well, that was weird..
But anyways, I just hope you guys enjoyed that...
Hopefully...