Shit. I completely lose my balance and I crash into the table in front of me. Glasses smash and drinks spill, the table turns over.
"What the fuck?" A male voice filters through my drink addled mind. "Did he just come out of the fireplace?"
"Draco Malfoy, What the fuck?" I smile, there's the voice I wanted to hear.
"C'mon Granger," I slur. "Don't be angry."
"You know this guy?" I turn my gaze to the guy who spoke. The only thing that registers is the fact he has no shirt on. Shit.
"Yes." An angry Hermione answers.
"Listen I must be more drunk than I thought, because I could swear he came out of that fireplace." His hands run through his hair. "Tell me I'm wrong."
"Sorry dude. I came out the fireplace." I laugh to myself.
"This shit is messed up I'm out."
"No wait." Hermione's voice pleads.
"Just let the muggle go Granger." I lift my hand up and notice blood pouring from my hand. "Fuck."
"What the fucks a muggle?" The guy is dressed now and grabbing his coat.
"He's just drunk let me get him to leave and then we can talk." Hermione begs.
"No way." He turns and leaves slamming the door behind him.
I return my attention to my hand. It's bleeding pretty badly. I reach for my wand and point at the cut. Squinting at my hand I can't concentrate on the cut its blurring too much.
"What are you doing?" Hermione asks.
"I'm bleeding." I look at her.
"For fuck sake." She moves to a set of draws by her couch and removes her wand. "You'll make it worse the state your in."
She takes my hand in hers and silently casts a healing charm. A warm feeling spread across my palm. I don't look though I'm concentrating on her face. That beautiful face I've missed so much. I take my other hand and cup her face. She's startled and looks at me shocked. Her eyes wide.
"I missed you." It falls out if my mouth before I can stop it.
"Draco, I…" She begins but I stop her moving my hand to her lips.
"It's ok."
"Draco, why are you here?"
I look at her for a moment then the tears fall. It's so undignified. I'm actually sobbing. I grab her head and bring her head to me so her forehead is touching mine. I see the worry in her eyes. Her hand moves to my hair, trying to sooth.
"My father." I manage to say. I close my eyes. Grabbing on to her tighter. "He died."
"Draco. I'm so sorry." She scoots closer wrapping her arms around me. It feels so good.
"I don't even like him." I cry harder. What the fuck is wrong with me?
"But you love him anyway." She whispers. My arms wrap around her too.
We stay like this for a while. Her hands stoking my hair comforting me. I'm not sure how long it is but eventually my eyes start to drift close.
I jump awake. My eyes feel gritty, my head pounding and my mouth is like cotton wool. Where am I? I take in my surroundings. I don't recognise where I am for a moment, then it hits me. I'm at Hermione's. Everything starts to come back to me slowly. I put my head in my hands and groan. I'm on her couch, she managed to repair the damage I did last night.
I hear her in, what I presume is the kitchen. I pull out my wand and perform a quick scourgify before I make my way towards her.
I stand in the doorway, her back is facing me and I realise she's washing the dishes the muggle way. For some reason this makes me smile. She's wearing a tank top and shorts, her hair up in a messy bun on top of her head. When she turns around she jumps and puts her hand to her chest.
"I didn't hear you." I mutter an apology. "Do you want a coffee?"
"Yes please." My voice sounds gravely and I cringe.
"Black one sugar, right?" I grin at her and nod. She remembered.
I wonder over to the kitchen table and take a seat. Seconds later she's handing me my coffee and taking a seat next to me.
"I'm sorry about last night. I don't know what came over me."
"It's ok. I understand." She makes herself comfortable bringing her knees to her chest and wrapping her hands around her tea. "People do strange things when they are grieving."
"I don't find it strange I came to you for comfort. I'm just embarrassed I came drunk and made a fool of myself." I clear my throat. "And I obviously interrupted something."
I watch the blush rise on her face as she stares into her coffee. "It's ok. I didn't really know him." She shrugs her shoulders.
"Are you telling me Hermione Granger was about to have a one night stand?" Jealousy stabs me and I try to hide it behind a smile.
She shifts uncomfortably. Now I feel bad. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry."
It's quiet for a moment before she speaks again. "I really am sorry about your father."
"I have mixed emotions about it at the moment. I'm not sure it's sunk in properly." I shrug.
She reaches over and grabs my hand, her touch instantly comforting. I grab on tight and run my thumb over the back of her hand.
I should tell her how I feel. I should tell her what I want. I should tell her everything that is going on in my head, my heart.
"Hermione." I begin, but before I can carry on she's out of her seat, freeing my hand.
"I'm going to see Harry and Ginny soon if you want to join me." She's at the sink rinsing out the cups.
I sigh and I know that the moment has gone I can't talk to her now. "No. I should be getting back to my mother. She locked herself away in a spare bedroom last night and I should make sure she's ok."
"I understand. Do you want me to tell them? About your father?"
"Please. Tell Harry I'll get in touch later." I stand up. I suddenly feel awkward. "Maybe I'll see you soon."
"Of course." She turns and smiles. I can tell it's a nervous smile though.
We say our goodbyes and then I floo back to The Manor.
HERMIONE
I fall back onto the couch and sigh when Draco leaves. The attraction was still there. I could feel it thrum through me even as he crashed drunk into my front room. The moment I saw him my skin tingled.
He was right I was about to have a one night stand. I'd decided I would move on. That would I have been the first step and just as it's about to happen, Draco appears. I mean what are the odds?
I didn't really have any plans to go see Harry and Ginny but now I should. They need to know about Draco and his father. We will all need to be there for him.
I knew what he was about to do. It vibrated off him. I was completely torn between wanting him and wanting to protect myself and him.
I climbed into the shower and thought about the fact Draco was suddenly back in my life even if it was for a short while. I was happy. I had missed him too. Sometimes I regretted the decision to send him away, then sometimes I was sure it had saved my sanity.
An hour later I'm with Harry and Ginny. After telling them about Draco's father they were torn between waiting for Draco to get in touch and going to him for support. I didn't relish the idea of going to The Manor but I would, for Draco.
In the end we decided to owl Draco and tell him we were here for him if he needed us. We didn't want to interrupt the time with his mother.
Ginny and I were in the kitchen drinking tea and talking about last night.
"So he just crashed into the front room pissed as you were getting it on with a muggle?" Ginny tried to bite back the smile that was forming on her lips.
I put my head in my hands with a groan. "He was so freaked out. He just ran." I look up at Ginny through my hands.
"Hardly surprising, is it?" I shook my head.
"Poor Draco." I said warming my hands on my mug. "He's so conflicted."
"Again, hardly surprising. I just hope he doesn't bottle it all up." Ginny looked at me over her coffee. "How do you feel about him being back?"
"I'm glad he's back. I just wish this wasn't the reason, for his sake." If he wasn't Draco's father I couldn't have cared less. "It's just going to be hard seeing him I think."
"Well if you need to talk I'm here." She smiled at me. "I think you two would be good for each other."
"Ginny..." I started but she cut me off.
"I understand you have reasons." Ginny took a breath. "I'm just going to say this. Draco isn't the person we knew in school far from it. You both have issues to work through I just think you should work through them together. You could make each other stronger, happier"
I smiled a weak smile at her. I don't know what to say to that.
"I'll make sandwiches." She said jumping to her feet.
I sit and watch her at the counter, thinking over what she said. Could we really work out? Could I really push away my insecurities and make things work?
Just when all these things are running through my head. Draco appears in the doorway. My breath hitches when I see him. Somehow he looks worse than he did this morning.
"Is that food I see?" He smiles at Ginny.
"Draco." She rushes up and hugs him. "I'm so sorry."
I watch him hug her back and irrationally I feel jealous. I shake myself this is Ginny. I need serious help.
"You want food?" She asks pulling away.
"Yes please." He laughs. "There's nothing at The Manor."
She runs back to the counter and his eyes finally fall on me. I smile weakly at him pulling on my sleeves. He takes a seat next to me and I relish the feel of that small amount of closeness. I reach out and run my hand over his arm as much for me as for him.
The rest of the day went by with Draco coming and going. He took a sandwich for his mother. He said she wouldn't think she would eat it but he might as well try.
As much as I wanted to stay by Draco's side over the next few days I had work to do. It was enough to keep me busy and stop me fretting over Draco. That was until I was in line at the canteen.
"So have you heard from Padma?" It was Romilda Vane talking to Lavender Brown.
"Oh I've heard from Padma all right." Lavender laughed.
"Oh there's gossip is there? Will I be reading it in the column or are you going to spill the beans?"
Lavender wrote for the Daily Prophet gossip column. She was really good at digging up all kinds of things. You never wanted to be on the end of one of her crusades.
"She made me promise not to put it in." I heard the sulkiness in her voice. "But I'm going to tell you."
"Ok so spill it." I could see the excitement in Romlida's eyes.
"Well we all know she's in Bulgaria, poor thing, and we all know who with." At that point my ears pricked up.
"Draco Malfoy, right?" My heart rate quickened.
"Yup." Lavender had a quick look around trying to make sure no one was listening I turned my attention to the sandwiches to my right. "Well she said they've been sleeping together almost since the day he got there."
My heart plummeted. Suddenly my appetite had disappeared.
Sorry for the late update. Had a bit of writers block with this story. :s Hopefully i can update again soon.