NOTE: So I found the bullet points where I'd summed this story up, and suddenly had a burst of inspiration to continue this, despite all of the racist crap I'd received on this platform. So. I won't say "I'm back," because I'm not even sure if I'm gonna write the next chapter, but let's just say that I'll try to not let the negativity get to me. It's a new year, after all.

And, to all my beautiful readers who actually made me happy and inspired me to keep going: yayy, guys, I'm back!

Oops! I said it! Lmao.

Can you guys believe that I'd last updated this in March, last year? Omg, I've really been keeping away from this story...

Fun fact: This story was published on Shawn Mendes' 17th birthday! I mean. "Mercy" was released 10 days after this. He used to be a cute dork during Mercy/TYB days. And now he's a 19 years old man candy that everyone wants to lick. All the Mendes Army in the house yell: "SAY SWEAR TO GOD!" Lmao, if you get the reference, I love you.

So. Read on, and tell me if I've lost my touch. This chapter's extra tiny and might suck, tho, so... You've been warned.

HMU on Tumblr: i-heart-hogwarts.

9: You've Gotta Be in My Life

"I tell you to clear the mess you've created, and you come back to tell me that the situation has worsened?" Lucius hollers, his voice echoing around the enormous sitting room, and Draco flinches from the wrath shining in his eyes.

He twiddles with his thumbs, aware that Lucius isn't going to like what he's about to say. "She's in danger, father. Because of your assistant."

"Oh, no, son. Certainly not. She's in danger because of you; because of your mistrust. All that has happened, has been because you let your insecurities get the better of you. You never trusted her love, Draco, fooling yourself with all that I'll never deserve her crap," Lucius sneers at him, and Draco can only watch, rendered speechless by his father's outburst. "Did you ever try to talk to her about it? No, you didn't. Because you've always been too busy making assumptions – making stupid, reckless decisions that have finally landed you where you are. You were so afraid of her rejection, that you didn't give the girl the chance to love you."

Draco's shoulders slump. His father has hit the nail on the head. His insecurities – his freaking fear of rejection; fear that Hermione would one day realize that he was no good for her, that she could do better, and leave him. He really never did give her a real chance.

"You were always waiting for things to go south, Draco," Lucius continues in a slightly softer tone. "You were waiting, like a coward, for one miniscule sign that could give you an excuse to blame her for having played you―which, she never did. I honestly don't know what that girl saw in you, but she never shut her eyes to whatever it was. You, on the other hand," he snaps, suddenly, his voice turning icy again, "grabbed on to the partial bits of the single side of a conversation that you eavesdropped on, and very grandly misinterpreted it. And then went on to exploit her worst weakness to cover your own."

Draco's takes in a stuttered breath. Merlin, what has he done? "I was… I was going to propose―"

"Oh, yes, you were. I'm aware. But did you?"

"What have I done, father?" He lets go of the filter between his head and heart, looking up at Lucius, cluelessly. He feels like he's sixteen again, standing before his raging father after having almost killed Potter―not too long after he'd indirectly landed Katie Bell and Ron Weasley in the Infirmary―taking out his frustration on the wrong person after having missed his target, again.

"You really need to ask me that, Draco?" Lucius scoffs. "You've destroyed the single, most beautiful thing that life had rewarded you with – someone's unconditional love. Which you clearly didn't deserve."

With a flourish of his robes, Lucius walks out of the sitting room, leaving Draco with a cold fireplace and an even colder heart.

"I had a really good time, Hermione," Cormac McLaggen said to her, flashing her a brilliant smile. "And I mean that in the friendliest way possible."

Hermione chuckled.

They'd just excited a Muggle, Italian restaurant after a friendly dinner, over which Hermione told him about her conversation with Angelina where she had revealed to Hermione that Ron's name among the list of applicants had been a mistake. Cormac was going to be appointed in the Ministry, pretty soon and despite their rocky past, Hermione was actually looking forward to having him around, in the same building.

Currently, they were strolling down the street, that Cormac's Muggle-born girlfriend lived at, just a street down the restaurant they'd been to. He was going to drop by her place, and Hermione would continue on to the Apparition point.

In response to his statement, she flashed him a teasing smirk. "You mean you've left your flirting days behind?"

Cormac shrugged, looking straight ahead. "I mean, I could always bring them back if you'd prefer. But I must warn you that my girlfriend won't be too pleased about it."

She laughed aloud, shaking her head. "Oh, no, please don't bring them back. I like this fun, friendly side of you so much better."

Cormac gave her a single nod, although he was clearly repressing a smile.

"I haven't really been in this part of the city, much," she confessed, looking around with interest. "The houses here are beautiful, and… I don't know. Unlike any other part of Muggle London."

Cormac nodded. "That would be because this particular street houses more wizards and witches than any other part of Muggle London."

Hermione's brows shot up with interest. "Oh? And your girlfriend…?"

"Her father is a wizard, but mother a Muggle. She lives with her parents." Cormac pointed at a house across the street. "That's Maria's. Would you like to step in and meet her?"

Hermione regretfully shook her head. "I'm already running late, Cormac, and I still have work tomorrow. Maybe some other day?"

"Alright, I'll see around, then," he said, leaning in to give her a side hug. "Good night, Hermione."

Hermione patted his shoulder, returning the hug, and pulled back with a smile. "Come to see me, first thing, when you join. Good night, Cormac."

Cormac smiled with a nod, before walking across the road.

With a sigh, Hermione proceeded to wrap her arms around herself and walk down the street.

"This cannot be a simple coincident."

Hermione jumped, looking to her left for the source of the voice that she―regrettably―recognized too well.

Draco Malfoy was exiting a house, almost directly across the street to Maria's, which looked slightly more grand than other houses around it.

"Malfoy," Hermione said in greeting. Her good mood had made her feel courteous enough that she stopped, waiting for him to walk down the entryway and join her.

"So. What are you doing here?" Malfoy questioned her when he came to stand next to her, his tone carrying an air of absolute normalcy – as if he they were two normal co-workers that had bumped into each other.

She wasn't feeling so courteous, anymore…

Draco quickly walked down the entryway to Theo's apartment, in a rush to get to the brunette witch, who had―for some miraculous reason―not run off after greeting him.

"So. What are you doing here?" he asked her, feeling all sorts of self-conscious and stupid about that question.

Salazar. What business did he have knowing why she was here? This wasn't Pansy. This was Hermione Granger.

She looked at him with almost as much discomfort as he felt. He wasn't sure whether to be relieved about it or get even more nervous.

He was slightly relieved when she proceeded to walk with him, without any protests.

"I was… having dinner with a friend, just a street up."

He was surprised that she answered, albeit with slight hesitance. "That's great. So…"

She released a sigh, and he knew a lecture was coming his way. "Look, Malfoy," she began, but she sounded, surprisingly, a lot calmer than what he'd expected, "I might have gotten over what you did during our Hogwarts days, after the various apologies, but… looking at the kinds of interactions we've had in the recent past, I can pretty surely confirm that I don't like you, either."

Draco clicked his tongue, feeling like a complete arse. Well, he had been one, too. Just when he'd genuinely begun to appreciate the prospect of Hermione Granger, he found out that she hated him.

Although she didn't exactly say that, Draco was smart enough to understand the implication.

"Oh. I, um," Draco fumbled with his speech, not really sure whether the next set of words he said would have any positive effects or just worsen the situation. "I was actually thinking that we could grab dinner together sometime and talk all our issues out."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise, and Draco looked straight ahead. Luckily, the Apparition point was upon them so they wouldn't have to make any more of this awkward conversation.

"Uh… I'll owl you?"

Was she asking him?

Holy hell, he should be thankful she hasn't straight away flipped him off!

He nodded, reluctantly. "Sure, yeah. I'll be looking forward to it."

Even though he knew that that owl wasn't going to come. Not in this life.

He felt like he should kiss her hand, or something, in farewell when they reached the Apparition point at the end of the street. But he knew not to push his luck.

Flashing him a tight, close lipped smile, Hermione Granger gripped her warm and held it before herself. And in seconds, she was gone.

Draco released a breath. He shouldn't have been feeling so freaking downtrodden over this! What the hell was wrong with him?

He hadn't even really expected Granger to clear his schedule for him, the moment he put the proposal forth.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath, hating the depressive nature of his chain of thoughts, and gripped his own wand to Apparate out of there.

Drop a Review to indicate your interest in this. It might inspire me to finish this faster.

Happy New Year, fam! ❤

xoxo,

A!