Chapter Fourteen: Australia
"Uncover" -Zara Larsson
Hermione woke early. It was still dark outside and she knew she had a bit of time before she needed to get going. She dressed quietly, trying not to wake Ginny, before padding down to the kitchen to fix a large thermos of coffee.
If she timed her apparition right, she should be in Australia around one o'clock in the afternoon. She was nervous, excited, anxious. In hindsight, perhaps coffee was a bad idea. But it was already made, and there was no reason to waste perfectly good coffee, Hermione thought as she took a swig, the liquid burning deliciously on the way down.
She was the only one awake, and with it being Saturday, she didn't expect any one to be up for a while. After bouncing in her seat a few more times, she stood, deciding leaving a little earlier wasn't a big deal. She was up any way.
She trudged across the garden, the morning dew wetting her trainers as she crossed the still damp grass. The moon was fading and she could barely make out a faint pink line on the horizon. It was beautiful, in the dim light that was not quite night and not quite day. The trek up the large hill left her breathless. She crested it, and stopped, clutching the stitch in her side. She was out of shape.
She was just about to apparate, when a large hand clamped down over her mouth and she was disarmed. She dropped the thermos, and it hit the ground with a dull thud. She had begun to panic, throwing back her elbows and kicking her feet when a familiar scent filled her nostrils and she stopped.
"And that is exactly how badly things could have gone, Granger. You really should listen to me."
Hermione spun around as soon as he'd released her and swung her hand up to slap him. He caught her wrist in his hand, just before it made contact with his cheek.
"It's impolite to slap people. Didn't these muggles we're tracking down teach you manners?"
She huffed, relaxing her tense body and steadying her breathing. She waited patiently until he dropped her hand and then smacked him hard in the chest. She got in a few good slaps before his hands clamped around her wrists again. He lowered his face so that his grey eyes stared evenly into hers. "Are you quite done?"
"You scared the life out of me, Malfoy! That. Was. Not. Funny." She enunciated each syllable as if he were a toddler that she was having to scold for being naughty.
"Oh, I'm Malfoy again, am I?" He smirked down at her, his hands still tightly clamped around her wrists.
"What are you doing here?" She demanded.
"I thought that would be obvious, princess. I'm going with you."
Hermione shook her head slowly, "You can't."
"I asked Kingsley, he thought it was an excellent idea." Draco said, arching a smooth eyebrow and releasing her now sore wrists.
"I thought you were joking about that!" Hermione exclaimed, slightly annoyed, but mostly flattered. "What if I don't want you to go?"
He stared at her evenly, not bothering to awknowledge the question.
"So, you're my detail, then?"
"So it would seem." Draco smirked.
"And it doesn't bother you that my parents are muggles?" She asked, a twinge of anxiety in her stomach that his pureblood idealologies might make themselves known at the most inopportune moment.
"Well, I've gotten used to you, haven't I?" He rolled his eyes.
"Okay..." She said, finally. She held her arm out to him.
"So, where are we going?" He asked taking her proffered arm.
"Australia," she frowned, "I've already told you." She stooped to pick the thermos up from the ground, tucking it inside her robes.
"Do we have to search the whole bloody continent or did you have an actual destination in mind?" Draco snapped, narrowing his eyes. She flushed and narrowed her eyes. It was much too early for his snarkiness.
"Um, well, I know the town they're staying in, but their exact location is unknown. They were going to open up their practice there, so I figure they should be easy enough to locate..."
Draco arched an eyebrow, but stayed silent. She continued to stare at him until he turned and said, "Well, can we get on with it?"
"Oh," she laughed, her stomach knotting with her nervousness again. "Right."
With a pop, they were sucked into the vaccum like blackness that was appartition. After a few moments, they popped into existence in an alleyway. There were a few rubbish bins overflowing beside them, and at their appearance, several feral cats emerged, scrambling to get away from the sudden intruders.
Hermione eased over to the opening of the alleyway, peering out cautiously as if her parents might pop out from behind a bush and accuse her of being a terrible daughter. She leaned back against the wall, collecting her thoughts. Draco appeared at her side. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, steeling herself.
A warm hand moved against her throat, resting there for a moment, before moving up and brushing away a tear that she hadn't realised had fallen.
She opened her eyes and found his hard as steel, roving over her. "None of that, Granger. We have a job to do."
She nodded, and took a sure step out onto the sidewalk. She looked both ways and decided that right was as good a direction as left to start with. She walked slowly, Draco following closely behind her as she scoured the shop fronts, looking for a dentist's office.
Draco had hoped that her plan had been a bit more thought out. She was Hermione Granger, after all. He had expected spread sheets, several books and a strict schedule at the very least. But, no. They were just walking aimlessly up the bloody sidewalk, looking for a building in which muggles tug on other muggles lateral incisors. He gagged.
"You've been here before," he noted. He didn't need to ask. It was obvious by the way she walked, confident in her steps.
She turned to look back at him and gave a sharp nod. "Once. I needed to see where I was sending them," she bit her lip as her eyes caught on something over his shoulder that made her frown. He turned to look and found a family of four strolling down the sidewalk eyeing him curiously.
She grabbed his hand, forcing them off of the sidewalk and down a shaded alleyway. "What the hell are you doing?" He demanded.
"Your robes. Take them off." She said, hands on her hips.
He looked at her as if she had grown a second head. "Why the fu-? No."
"Yes, Draco! People are staring. Muggles aren't used to people wearing robes like these," she said, tugging on his sleeve. "It's nearly July for Godric's sake."
"Hermione, I'm not removing these robes." Draco glared at her, crossing his arms stubbornly.
"Why?" She demanded, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "It's not that big of a deal!"
"To you." He said icily. "I won't do it. Now, are we going to go find your parents or are you going to stand there squawking at me some more?" His hand drifted unconsciously to clasp around his left forearm and he noticed her eyes follow the movement, widening infitesimally.
"Are you worried about people seeing your mark?" She asked softly.
"No," he snapped, meeting her gaze evenly.
"Because no one knows what it signifies here... Muggles have tattoos like that, you know. Not exactly like it, but similar. No one will give it a second glance. But your robes are drawing unwanted attention. So, unless you want me to go it alone, please."
He studied her for a moment, eyes still hard and uncertain. Finally he huffed a great sigh and slid the robes off, handing them to her. He was left in a dark green t-shirt and jeans. He looked quite handsome, if she was being particularly honest with herself. She flushed a bit, hurriedly tranfigured his robes into a pen and handed them back. "Just put it in your pocket and I'll change them back when we're ready to leave."
He rolled her eyes, but obliged. "Now that I'm disrobed, can we continue?"
She nodded and he started out of the alley way back to the sunny sidewalk.
"Has any one ever told you that you are immensely annoying?" He muttered as they picked up their search where they left off.
She chuckled. "Once or twice..."
He scoffed. "Right. And you're stubborn. Pig-headed, might even be a more accurate description. Do you always get your way?"
"Me? You just described yourself." Hermione snapped.
He snorted a laugh and they walked along in silence for a while.
Hermione suddenly stopped short and Draco nearly plowed her over. "Dammit, Hermione. A little warning before you turn into a stationary wall would be nice."
She didn't answer, choosing instead to stare at the small building a little farther up on her right. Granger and Granger DDS, the sign proclaimed it. When Hermione made no move to approach or speak, Draco grabbed her elbow, forcing her around to look at him. "What now, Granger?"
She looked frightened and for a moment, he thought it was of him. He dropped her arm quickly, stepping back, only to bump into a man trying to move around them on the sidewalk. He murmured an apology and Draco did the same. Hermione's eyes followed him as he approached the building and unlocked the door, stepping inside.
"Was that-?"
"Yes," she breathed.
"Oh."
He was only inside for a moment, quickly hurrying back outside and locking the door behind him. He passed back by them, giving them a wide berth this time around. Hermione paused momentarily, a strange look on her face before quickly following. Draco hurried to catch up to her.
"What's the plan?" He whispered.
"I don't know," Hermione hissed back anxiously.
"What?" He asked incredulous.
"I didn't know what to expect!" She hissed, offended.
"You could Imperius him to follow you into an alley so you can restore his mem-"
"Draco Malfoy, I am not using an Unforgivable and landing myself in Azkaban! We'll just follow him and I'll try to convince him to go with me without using magic."
He rolled his eyes at this plan. It would be so much easier if she would awknowledge the fact that she was a bloody witch and use that fact to her advantage.
Her father turned a corner and they found themselves at the entrance to a large park. They followed a good distance behind him, not wanting to seem suspicious and waited to see where he was leading them. Hermione gasped quietly as he approached a bench. A woman sat with her back to them, her curls the same shade of brown as Hermione's tumbled down her back, though in a much neater fashion. "Where in Merlin's name did you get your hair? Their's looks perfectly normal-"
She shot him a glare that immediately quieted him, though his smirk remained fixed.
The woman stood, turning to hug the man and giving them a good view of her frame. Draco was confused for a moment, turning, intending to question Hermione but her face was frozen in shock. She turned and ran, pushing through the crowd and earning several dirty looks and indignant shouts.
Draco turned, giving one last glance to the couple, the man now rubbing his hands over the woman's protruding stomach, before following after Hermione. He called after her, barely keeping track of her bushy head bobbing through the crowd, but either she couldn't hear him or she was ignoring him.
She disappeared into the nearest alley, and by the time he'd reached it, she was gone.
The tears were falling hot and fast when she arrived just over the hill from the Burrow. She sank into the tall grass, letting her emotions have free reign as she curled into a ball, hugging her knees. She hadn't expected that at all. How could she return their memories to them now, knowingingly throwing such a wrench into their obviously happy lives. The thought made her feel sick.
A loud pop sounded near her, but she steadfastly ignored it, hoping that if she didn't awknowledge his presence, he would go away. It was a fruitless thought.
He sank into the grass beside her and pulled her into his lap, cradling her against his chest. He didn't say anything, just held her as the sobs wracked her body, until the tears dried and she shuddered herself quiet. His hand smoothed her hair out of her face.
"You didn't know," he said quietly. She didn't think it was a question. If it was, it was a stupid, unecessary one and she knew he wasn't the kind of person to ask those. So, she didn't answer, sniffling into his shirt.
"Bloody hell! Hermione, are you okay? What did you do to her?"
Hermione's head snapped up and Ron's eyes hardened at the sight of her splotchy, swollen face. Harry was just behind him, his face alarmed, but he was more tactful than Ron, always had been. Ron never thought much before speaking.
He had his wand out in a matter of seconds, aiming at Draco.
"Why do you always assume everything is my fault?" Draco rolled his eyes, ignoring the weapon directed at him. He didn't think the Weasel would risk hitting Hermione just to get a quick hex in on him.
Ron scoffed. "I won't even dignify that with an answer."
"Hermione," Harry asked softly, "What happened?" He sank down onto the grass beside them, his eyes flicking to Draco's and they shared a brief look before Hermione's eyes began watering again. She had soon disolved into uncontrollable tears and clung to Draco's neck, oblivious to Ron's disgusted expression.
Harry waited for Draco to say something and finally, after deciding that Hermione probably wouldn't be able to speak for a while, he relented. "It's her parents-"
He had barely started when Ron interupted, dropping his wand immediately. "Oh, no. They're not...?"
"No," Draco assured quickly. "Her mother is pregnant. Very pregnant. She looked as though she might pop at any moment."
Hermione let out a loud sob and Draco cringed, rubbing her back. He wasn't good at comforting people. He was only trying because it was her.
After several moments of silence, Harry said, "Wow... That's... Wow."
Ron seemed unable to form a coherent thought and soon he had joined them on the grass. Draco was distinctly uncomfortable as he and the Golden Trio sat there. Silence enveloped them, other than Hermione's sniffling, which was slowly quieting again.
She pushed herself off of his chest suddenly, and he dropped his arms in suprise. She clambered to her feet, dragged her hands over her face, wiping away the salty tears and started off in the opposite direction of the Burrow.
"Oi!" Ron called after her, "Where are you go-"
She didn't stop, apparating before they had a chance to stop her.
She stood in the middle of childhood home, trying unsucessfully to keep her tears at bay. She wondered how much one person could cry before they completely dried up. She walked between the rooms, trailing her fingers along the walls and picking up trinkets as she went.
It wasn't the worst thing in the world. Part of her was extremely happy. Happy for her parents, and their happiness and happy that she would have a little brother or sister brought into the world soon. But there was an integrally selfish part of her that was ridiculously upset. Her parents were alive and well, but she still felt as if she had lost them. She couldn't bring herself to return their memories now that they had started a new life so completely without her. She almost regretted ever Obliviating them in the first place, but she pushed those thoughts from her mind. It had been a necessary precaution.
In essence, she no longer had parents. Or at least that was the way she felt about the matter. They had no idea that she existed. They were living blissfully unaware in Australia, with a sucessful practice and a baby on the way. Returning their memories of her would only be a burden to them. They deserved to live a long happy life away from all the complications she would add to it.
She padded up to her room and collapsed onto the bed, pulling her pillows to her and burying her face in them, inhaling the familiar smell. The tears tracking continuously down over her cheeks, leaving damp spots on the pillowcases as she silently cried herself to sleep.
Draco was ready to throttle any one who looked at him wrong. "What do you mean you don't fucking know?" He growled, ignoring the way Weasley's hand clamped down harder around his wand.
"It never came up! We never visited her there!" Ron bellowed.
"The only bloody place you can think of that she would go and you don't fucking know how to get there!" Draco exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
"Oi! Don't try to make this my fault! You were with her! You should have done something!"
"Oh, honestly! What would you have had me do? I don't have a bloody time turner! It's not like I could change the fact that her mudbl- That her muggle mother went and got herself knocked up!"
"ENOUGH!" Harry shouted. "Enough! You two arguing isn't helping a damn thing. All we can do at this point is wait. She'll come back when she's ready..."
"WHAT?" Ron and Draco exclaimed together, suprising themselves more than any one. "That's the most ignorant plan I think you've ever had, Potter." Draco growled.
"As much as this disgusts me to say, Malfoy's right," Ron gagged as the words left his mouth. "I'm not going to just sit here and wait!"
"Okay," Ginny grimaced, "Go back to arguing. I prefer it over this madness."
"You're all supposed to be her friend's!" Draco snapped, growing increasingly more frustrated.
"We are her friend's, Malfoy, and don't you ever insinuate that we don't care about her," Harry said coldly. "We don't know where she is! Waiting is our only option."
Draco made a disgusted noise and walked over to flop down on the couch. Molly was frantically throwing together food in the kitchen and Draco could sense that she was just as worried as he and Weasley. Her lack of commentary on their swearing the largest indicator of her duress.
Ron stomped across the living room, shooting daggers at Harry as he did, flopping down beside Draco on the couch. They didn't say anything, both of them glared straight ahead, arms crossed over their chests.
When Molly tried to call them to the table to eat, they had both refused. Draco wasn't sure how long they sat that way, the only indicator of time slowly changing was the progressive darkening of the sky visible through the window.
The floo roared to life and they both sat up hopeful and expectant, but they relaxed back with a groan when they realised it was only Arthur Weasley returning from Bill's.
The front door opened and their heads snapped around, relief pouring through them at the sight of her bushy head. They were on their feet in seconds, swarming her as her puffy eyes widened comically.
"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?"
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WERE YOU THINKING?"
"DO YOU REALISE HOW FUCKING WORRIED WE'VE BEEN?"
Her bloodshot eyes looked back and forth between them in poorly concealed shock.
"I-"
"You both get away from her before I perform a bat-bogey hex so spectaularly that neither of you can show your faces in public for a week!" Ginny shrieked, elbowing them both out of the way as she grabbed Hermione's hand and led her up the stairs. She threw a curious glance over her shoulder before following the red head up the stairs.
Harry stared after his girlfriend and his best friend for a moment before turning his glare to Ron and Draco. There was a glimmer of what Draco thought might be amusement in his green eyes that he was doing his best to hide.
"What, in Merlin's name, is wrong with you two? She's just been through an emotional upheaval and you start screaming at her as soon as she makes it through the bloody doorway. You have about as much tact as a blast ended skrewt!"
Draco and Ron exchanged guilty glances, scowling when their eyes met, they looked away quickly.
"Well, he started it!" Ron muttered, gesturing to Draco, who scoffed loudly and rolled his grey eyes.
"You're a right childish bastard, aren't you?" He spat back.
Molly grabbed them each by an ear and they cried out. "Enough of this mess. I'll put you both to work degnoming the garden if you don't stop the bickering this minute. Harry's right, of course," she said, shooting a fond look his way, "Hermione needs her friends to be supportive of her during this time. Take her some tea and apologize." She snapped, releasing them to rub their smarting ears.
Draco glared in no particular direction. "It would be a lot easier to be supportive if the swot wouldn't run off to Merlin know's where without a word."
"Right," Ron agreed, his face still red from his mother's scolding.
"What was that?" Molly called innocently.
"Nothing!" They said in unison, scrambling to grab up the tea tray she'd prepared.
Arthur stood in the middle of the kitchen looking thoroughly confused. "I take it I've missed something."
"I'll tell you about it while you eat, dear." Molly said, kissing him on the cheek and patting his shoulder.
Hermione was sprawled across Ginny's bed, her head in her friend's lap as she gently brushed her fingers through her hair. Tears trickled down her cheek every few moments. She was almost cried out. Almost.
"Don't you think they should still know, 'Mione? You're their daughter. They love you."
"They don't. They don't know I exist, therefore it's impossible for them to love me."
Ginny rolled her eyes and swatted her gently. "Don't be so bloody logical. They did love you, they do love you and they will love you."
Hermione sighed and closed her brown eyes against the newly refreshed wave of tears she felt approaching. "It's easier this way, Ginny. I just need to move on. They have."
Ginny bit her lip, but she knew better than to argue with Hermione once she had made up her mind. Not that it usually stopped her, but this was a sensitive situation.
There was a knock at the door and Ginny glared at it. "Come in, if you must."
Draco burst through the door, fixing Ginny with his steel glower before his eyes turned to Hermione and softened slightly. Only slightly, though. He was still seething at her.
Ron and Harry followed him through the doorway, a tea tray balanced in front of them. Harry waved his wand and it settled on the dresser. "Want some tea, 'Mione?" He asked gently.
She shook her head and stared at the ceiling. She really didn't want to see any of them right now, nor Ginny, but she couldn't very well send her out of her own room.
"Well, go ahead," Harry snapped, turning to glower at Ron and Draco. Hermione's attention was peaked by the fact that he was lumping them together. They both looked uncomfortable, and Draco shot a glare that made Hermione flinch away back at Harry.
"I'm sorry for starting in on you like that 'Mione," Ron said, looking perfectly contrite as he rubbed the back of his head. "I was just worried about you. We didn't know where you'd gone and we were in a panic. I didn't mean to upset you, you know, after everything."
Hermione nodded, "It's okay. I know I should have told you all where I was going but I was afraid you'd follow me. I know it was stupid and reckless." Draco scoffed and rolled his eyes.
"Well?" Harry snapped turning to him. Draco flipped him off and turned to face Hermione, still glowering.
"I'm sorry," He said. Hermione started to accept his apology, but was swiftly cut off by the rest of his words.
"I'm sorry that you acted to ridiculously unintelligent."
"Oi!" Harry snapped, and Hermione's temper flared.
"How dare you, Draco Malfoy! You don't get to talk to me about making rash, stupid decisions! You are the king of that! I think I'm entitled to making one!" Her face was heated, but from anger instead of the usual embarassment.
If he was cool before, he became downright cold after that. "The decisions that I chose to make, I made to protect my family. You should be entitled to a few stupid decisions! But make them for good reasons. Not because you want to pout over your parents having a life after you wiped their memories! And for Salazar's sake, try not to get your self re-captured! Every one here was worried fucking sick." And with that, he strode from the room, slamming the door behind him.
Hermione found her eyes particularly dry as she swallowed back the lump in her throat. Is that what she was doing? Pouting? She supposed she might be... A little. She hadn't expected her parent's to sit around pining over a child that they no longer knew existed, but she also hadn't expected them to go out and make another! She was shocked. And maybe she hadn't reacted in the best way possible, but that was her right. She was hurting and she should be able to grieve as she saw fit! And that moody, arrogant, Slytherin twat wasn't going to make her feel bad about it.
She jumped up from the bed, swiping the remaining tears from her face. She straightened her jumper, pushed her hair back and headed for the door. Her way was immediately blocked by Harry and he eyed the wand clenched in her fist warily. "Hermione..." He started, but she pointed the wand at him threateningly.
"Harry, you have 3 seconds to move out of my way, or the hex meant for him is going to be gifted to you."
He held his hands up and moved out of her path quickly. She was out the door and hurrying down the hallway, and barely caught Ginny's whisper of, "Who wants a wager?"
She returned Molly's watery hug briefly before excusing herself and damn near running to the floo. She wanted to give him a piece of her mind while her anger was still fresh.
She stepped out into Andromeda's sitting room, dusting the soot from her jumper as Andromeda appeared from the kitchen. "Hermione? I wasn't expecting you, love. Would you like a cup of tea? I've just put a pot on."
"Actually, 'Dromeda, I need to speak with Draco," She didn't say anything more but her face must have betrayed her emotions because Andromeda's eyes narrowed and worry lines popped up on her forehead.
"He's not here. I thought he was at the Burrow, actually."
Theo appeared at her shoulder. "Oi! Alright, Granger?"
"Hello, Theo." Hermione said politely.
"What did he do?" He raised a mischevious eyebrow.
"Nothing of countenance. May I wait for him in his room, please, 'Dromeda?" If he did arrive back, she didn't want him to see her and disappear again before she had a chance to give him a piece of her mind.
The elder lady studied her for a few moments before she nodded. "Of course. Theo, show Hermione to Draco's room."
"Oh, with pleasure," he smirked and offered up his arm. Hermione snorted and shoved his arm away. He laughed and started up the stairs.
"Just tell me, how bad is he in for it?" Theo smirked over his shoulder.
She rolled her eyes. "Let it go, Theo."
"Can I at least watch when you hand his arse to him? It's basically abuse if you deny me that simple pleasure..."
"Who's getting abused?" Pansy asked, stepping out of an open doorway farther up the hallway.
"Granger and Draco are having a row," Theo announced with glee.
Hermione scowled at him. Honestly. Nosy Slytherins.
"Can we watch?" Blaise asked, stepping out behind her, smirking.
Hermione let out an exasperated groan as she tugged at her hair. This was more trouble than it was worth. She could feel the momentum of anger she had built up quickly waning. "I should just go..."
"What? No! We haven't even gotten to the good part yet! Stick around and stew a bit. If it will help, I can list off all of the times I recall that Draco has made fun of your hair... or your teeth... or your blood..."
"Theo, shut up." Pansy snapped, catching the deflated look on Hermione's face. "Come on, I have a cream to make the swelling around your eyes go down."
Hermione looked up at her in guarded suprise.
"I'm not going to bite you and you don't have to talk about it. I need to be around another female before I grow a prostate and Blaise dumps me."
"Never. Prostate or no prostate." Blaise winked.
"Aw, thanks babe. Come on, Granger. The testosterone is getting to me, really."
"O-kay..." Hermione said, still unsure. She allowed the other girl to lead her into her room anyway, wishing that she had gotten a better reign on her temper and never left the Burrow.
Draco stepped through the floo, considerably calmer than he had been an hour ago. He was still angry, but he had gotten himself under control. As long as he steered clear from Granger for a while, he should be fine. He stomped up the stairs heading for his room, not bothering to stop into the kitchen and say hello to his aunt and cousin. He wanted to be alone, where he couldn't inflict his sour mood onto others.
He was passing Blaise and Pansy's room, almost to his destination, when he heard an eruption of girlish giggles coming from their cracked doorway. Morbid curiosity got the better of him and he quietly pushed the door open.
His foul mood instantly plummeted to new depths as he took in the sight before him. Blaise and Theo sat on the bed, eyes closed as Pansy, and Granger herself, sat in front of them, caking more makeup onto their already clownish faces.
"Where did the green glitter go?" Hermione asked, searching around in a little box that sat between her and Pansy. Draco repressed a growl. She was damn near in Nott's lap! He was grinning from ear to ear, completely oblivious to how fucking ridiculous he looked.
"I told you this would make you feel better," Pansy grinned, handing the tube over to Hermione.
"What the fuck is going on in here?" Draco snapped, leaning back against the door frame. His position indicated that he was relaxed, but he was far from it. Every muscle in his body was tensed.
Four sets of eyes snapped to him, Theo and Blaise looked immediately sheepish. Pansy smirked at him, obviously enjoying herself. And Granger, she looked like she wanted to strangle him. Well, the feeling is mutual, he thought.
"Just having a bit of a makeover while we waited for you, Draco. Would you like a turn?" Pansy batted her eyelashes, innocently.
"No. Get out Granger. I don't want to see you." Draco said coolly.
Theo bit back a smirk as Hermione's face reddened and she stood from her postion kneeling in front of Theo. "Then go to your room," she snapped. "My new friends and I were getting along just fine without you."
He growled indignantly, crossing the room and towering over her. "They are MY friends!" He insisted. "Now, go home to yours!"
"Make me!" She hissed, crossing her arms over her chest indignantly.
They were nearly nose to nose now, each of them glowering at the other. Theo's hand reached out, swiping at the nearly non-existent space between them.
"What the fuck are you doing now?" Draco roared, snatching around to look at his friend. Theo held his hands up in immediate surrender.
"Just trying to cut the sexual tension between the two of you. It's making the rest of us uncomfortable." His smirk was so big that it almost instantly pulled into a full fledged grin. Hermione's face was blood red, though from anger or embarassment at Theo's comment, he couldn't be sure.
"You three, out!" He snapped, pointed at the open door. "I need to discuss some things with Granger."
"This is my room!" Pansy reminded him. "Go to yours if you want privacy, though we really wouldn't mind watching her put you in your place."
Draco let out an outraged roar and grabbed Hermione's wrist propelling her forward.
He jerked her down the hallway and pulled her into the last door on the right, his room.
"You're hurting me!" She said, trying to pull her wrist away. He immediately let go, flicking his wand at the door, causing it to slam shut.
"What do you want?" He demanded.
She scoffed. "You're the one who dragged me in here!"
"Oh, don't pretend you were just here for a nice visit with MY friends! I know better. So, what do you want?"
She bit her lip. "I came to yell at you."
He cocked an eyebrow and a ghost of his usual smirk appeared momentarily on his face before a scowl wiped it away again. "Well? What are you waiting for?"
She scowled back, still chewing on her lip. An action that he was avidly trying to ignore, but his body was finding that task immensely difficult. "I don't very much want to yell at you any more."
He narrowed his eyes at her and waited. When she didn't elaborate, he said, "What made you change your mind then?"
"I- I realised you were right. I was pouting. And I was rude to say what I said to you. So, I'm sorry. But, I'm not sorry for how I reacted in Australia! That was a shock and I can deal with said shock however I see fit, Draco..."
"Dressing my prat friends up like clowns is helping?" He smirked and he watched her let out the breath she had been holding.
"Well, it did make me feel a bit better. Theo makes a rather pretty girl, don't you think?" She arched an eyebrow and a wave of anger washed over him, quickly doused by her small grin. She was teasing him.
"Don't run off like that again," he said, ominously serious as he closed the small distance between them. She looked momentarily frightened when she tried to take a step back and was met with the wall.
She swallowed, watching him closely. "I didn't intend to do it again. I wasn't thinking-"
"We were. We were fucking thinking. Of everything that could have gone wrong. We felt helpless sitting there, waiting for you to show up, or not, and then we would know that they had gotten to you, again, Hermione. Do you know how that felt? To know that you might be in danger and not be able to do a thing about it?"
"You were worried about me?" She whispered.
"Fucking obviously," he snapped.
"Why?" She breathed, and he inhaled. Her breath smelled of coffee and lavender.
"Because you have this bloody hold on me and I can't get rid of it." He groaned, reaching up to cup her neck as he stepped even closer, pressing their bodies together, her back firmly against the wall.
Her brown eyes widened and he smirked down at her. "I don't think I can be your friend. It's going to be the death of me." He murmured, dropping his forehead so that it rested against hers, their noses brushing slightly.
"Tell me you don't want to be my friend, Hermione..."
She remained silent, her eyes flickered down to his lips and back up. It was all the invitation he needed, and his need was becoming far too great to ignore. He covered her mouth with his, their lips pressing together firmly as his fingers laced through her curls.
She threw her arms around his neck, pulling him in as her lips parted, allowing him access. He groaned into her mouth as his tongue slipped between her teeth to meet hers. His hands slowly slid down her body, brushing over her shoulders and down her sides. He grasped her hips firmly, rolling himself into her and she gasped against his lips as she felt the hard bulge beneath his jeans.
It was a quiet sound, but it was enough to pull him back into reality. He released her then, stepping back and leaving her panting. What the hell was he doing? "Go home, Granger."
"What?" Hermione asked, breathlessly, unable to hide her wounded expression.
"You need to go home..." He said, reaching up to brush a curl out of her face.
She jerked away from his touch. "You can't just kiss me like that and then tell me to leave."
When he gave no answer, she scoffed, gazing at him through half lidded eyes and turned for the door.
He wanted to stop her. To pull her back and kiss her again, and again. But something wouldn't let him. It wasn't fair to her, for him to feel the way he felt about her. It was better this way.
She wrenched the door open and Theo, Blaise and Pansy nearly fell across the threshold. Hermione barely paused, before shouldering her way through them and disappearing down the hallway.
"Nice, Draco," Pansy snapped, shooting him a disappointed glower, before turning and stalking down the hallway.
He threw his hands up. "Can't I get five fucking minutes without you all?"
"Should have put up a silencing charm, mate," Blaise said, arching a perfectly filled and shaped eyebrow, inviting him to argue.
Theo was watching him intently, for once, his face devoid of mirth, though Draco was having a hard time looking at him while his face was still covered in makeup. "Well?"
"Well, what, Theo?" Draco groaned, running his hands through his hair. He thought he might vomit. His stomach was definitely swirling uncomfortably.
"Are you going to go after her and apologize, or what?" Theo snapped, shooting him a look of incredulity.
"No."
"You're gonna let her go?"
"Yes."
Theo scoffed and disappeared down the hallway. Blaise stayed, eyeing him evenly for a moment before following. Draco groaned again, throwing himself down on the bed and burying his face in his pillow. When had his life become so complicated? He tried to pinpoint the moment it had started to go downhill, thinking back over the years as he felt unconsiousness pulling him down into an unrestful sleep.
Hermione had brushed off her friends' questions when she had returned to the Burrow, secluding herself in Ginny's room immediately. She'd pretended to be asleep anytime they had checked on her, and they had checked in often. Hermione had thought that her tears had dried up, but she'd been disappointed to realise her supply of salt water had been replenished during her brief respite with the three Slytherins.
Her day had gone from terrible to complete shite, and she wouldn't have even thought that possible. She was embarassed, to put it lightly. She had been warring with herself over her feelings for Draco, not knowing how he thought of her. And then he had kissed her, and her hopes had risen, only for him to crush them and send her on her way, like she was worth nothing to him, not even an explanation for Godric's sake! And so finally, as her tears eventually subsided again, she decided that she wasn't going to let herself feel anything for Draco Malfoy. She would be grateful for the fact that he had saved her from the Death Eaters and that would be all. He had said it himself, it was better for them to not be friends... or anything more than that. No matter what she had let herself think for a few blissful moments. She meant nothing to him.