Draco.
Draco was aware that Hermione was extremely depressed over the following days, stuck in her thoughts of that ginger idiot. It was stupid. He understood that they had grown up together and they were close. But wasn't she slightly overreacting? She didn't love him for god's sake. Draco simply couldn't understand it.
His mind suddenly flickered to his own best friend, or who he classed as his best friend. Blaise Zabini was the closest thing he had, he was even the best man at his almost wedding and they had grown up alongside each other. Slytherins till the end. But since leaving Hogwarts, they were not very close. He had chosen Blaise as best man merely because there was no one else. He didn't have friends, only acquaintances. That was until Hermione came into his life and he was determined to cheer up her.
"Wanna go to Diagon Alley again? Get some more books maybe, I know you've probably read them all by now." he chuckled, desperate to lighten her mood.
She glanced up at him from the armchair she was slumped in and gave him a stern look.
"No…" She grumbled moodily.
He was startled, not even the idea of books could cheer her up. She must be seriously depressed, this was not good. Draco had never really cared about anyone the way he cared about her, so he had no idea how the female mind and emotions worked.
"Well, err… what do you want to do?" He said awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.
She sighed loudly, rubbing her forehead with her fingers.
"Nothing Draco, I'm fine here…" she replied calmly, however looking extremely frustrated. But then he saw her shoulders sag.
"I'm sorry I'm being so miserable, I just… can't stop thinking about Ron… the look on his face…" Hermione muttered.
Draco was getting annoyed, he wanted to tell her how stupid she was being and that she shouldn't let a moron like Ronald Weasley play with her feelings. But he remembered how his bluntness had turned out before. It involved a shouting match and Hermione being hit by a car.
Those events seem such a long time ago, he realised how much his relationship with Hermione had blossomed since then. He soon became aware that now she had been found, she no longer had to stay with him.
She could run back to Weasley, patch things up and they could live happily ever after. He knew this was unlikely, but still.
He didn't want her to go. He had become accustomed to her being in his house.
"Are you going to leave now then?" he asked, not realising how rude his question must have sounded.
"Oh… I see how it is!" she chirped angrily. Draco knew that this wasn't going to go well. He had just upset an already angered woman and this wasn't helping.
"Can't wait to get rid me of, eh Malfoy?" Been dying for the day that I can pack my bags and leave?" Her voice was menacing and raged.
He wanted shout at her to stop being so fucking annoying and get a grip, but that definitely would make matters worse. So he stayed calm.
"No Granger. That's not want I meant" he said through gritted teeth, doing his best to remain at peace.
"Well what did you mean then?!" She shouted, anger glinting in her brown eyes.
Oh, she was being such a bitch, Draco was finding difficult to even stay in the room.
"Well maybe if you shut up, we could have a civilised conversation!" he snarled.
She was obviously taken aback, but complied and wriggled in her seat, crossing her arms tightly.
"What I meant was, now that you are not hiding from Weasley, you might be able to sort things out and move back with him… I'm sure you don't want to stay here with me any longer" He huffed, calming his annoyance towards her.
Anger vanished from her eyes and her forehead creased slightly,
"Who says I don't want to stay here?"
Hermione.
She had not realised completely what she had actually said. It implied had she wanted to stay with Draco forever. Which of course, wasn't the case, or was it?
She had certainly hinted at it, leaving Draco looking surprised.
"Well, you aren't gonna live here forever… are you?" he queried, giving her a puzzled look.
Hermione wasn't sure how to reply to this. No, she couldn't live with him forever, but it didn't mean she didn't want to.
Wait, did she really just think that?
It wasn't like they were dating, Hermione shivered at this thought. But she certainly wasn't going to move back in with Ron. He had accused her of leaving him for Draco, such a ridiculous idea, beyond anything she could fathom.
Her and Malfoy? Together? Her mind shot back to five days previous when they had returned from the dreadful trip to Diagon Alley. She had leant on him, allowed him to comfort her and had thought about kissing him?
She obviously wasn't herself at that moment, she had been overwhelmed with so many emotions, her mind was everywhere. But even so, she had thought it.
Hermione couldn't deny that Draco was attractive with his dirty blonde hair and piercing grey eyes, but to have those kind of feelings about him. It was crazy.
So what would she do?
She would have to find herself a flat, where she would live completely alone, which had never done before. The idea of it scared her. Although Hermione loved being independent, being lonely was a different story.
She surveyed her options. Ron, Draco or by herself?
For the first time, she didn't know what to do. She didn't know the answer. This wasn't something she could learn from a book. This was her life and Hermione didn't know where it was turning.
She refused to back to Ron, then she would be back at square one. Or maybe Ron would change and treat her the way she deserved? But she couldn't risk it. Besides, she didn't love him anymore, it was pointless. And she simply couldn't live alone. So that meant she had to stay with Draco. Draco Malfoy.
"I would like to stay…" Hermione simpered, staring softly into Draco's eyes which widened considerably after she had said it.
"You want to stay here… forever?" he asked, bewildered.
"Not forever…" she corrected, "Just until I find a boyfriend or someone else to move in with…" She replied, blushing a bit at the mention of a boyfriend.
Hermione soon comprehended how she was simply thrusting herself upon him. Maybe he didn't want her living there? But he had offered in the first place…
"If you will allow me stay, of course…" She mumbled.
She was scared of his reply. If he disagreed, it would mean living alone which would basically be sending her into a life of depression and loneliness. She did think of Harry, but he had just moved in with Ginny and she didn't want to ruin their romantic times together, that would be plain awkward.
She also thought of her parents, but they now lived in Australia. They said they wanted a change of scenery and thought that Australia was a calmer and more peaceful atmosphere. She certainly did not like the idea of moving there with them.
But to her utter relief, Draco's reply was a good one.
"Err… Sure you can stay" he affirmed, after several minutes of thinking about it, "But we're just house mates, nothing more" He said warningly, giving her an uncertain look.
Of course they were house mates, what would he think they were?!
"Don't worry Draco, we're not going in that direction" Hermione exclaimed, smiling broadly. And with that she lifted herself up and strolled into her room. Her room that would be hers for quite a long time…
A/N: Aww, so they have officially moved in together. Wonder what will happen between them now?