AN: Okay guys' time for another chapter. As I suspected a lot of you were upset by the last chapter, but even more of you understood the chapter as I wanted. Someone wanted to know how old they are in the story; twenty-four (depending on their birthdays.) I know you are getting frustrated with Harry, which is the point of the story ;-) I love angst in fanfiction, and I don't believe life is a perfect fairytale - things generally don't go smoothly. I love all your reviews; keep `em coming. Thanks again to my Beta Chelsea, any errors are due to my last minute changes!
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Chapter 8
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Hermione stirred, she was having the dream she had dreamt so many times. She was back in that house during the war. They were with the Order, hiding, waiting for the battle that would come tomorrow.
She was sitting alone by the window, looking out at the storm outside. She lazily wiped away a few tears from her face. She hardly noticed them, she had been crying for more than an hour. She jerked back to reality as she felt a hot hand on her naked shoulder.
Harry sat down on the floor next to her.
"Are you ok? He spoke silently, not to wake the others.
"I guess I'm just worried. You know, the usual."
He nodded sadly.
He put his hand on her back and stroke back and forward.
"Everything could change tomorrow, couldn't it?" She asked.
"But everything can change at any moment," he answered.
She leaned against his shoulder, taking comfort in the warmth of his arms.
"Why can't I just stay here? With you?" she whispered.
"Believe me, I'd love that."
Something about the way he said it made Hermione look up into his green eyes. He looked very serious. They kept the gaze for a few moments. Harry licked his lips and placed one of his hands on the back of Hermione's head, carefully pulling her towards him. As their lips met it was pure fireworks in her body. Every part of her tingled ached and desired. She had wanted to kiss, touch, hold him for so long. Long before it had ended with Ron, but she had always thought it was impossible, but here they were.
Harry lowered her on the cold floor and she winced slightly from the cold feeling against her body.
"I'm sorry, I don't have anything to put under you," he said.
"I don't care." She pulled him down with her, and he kissed her again. His hands carefully touched her naked arms and shoulders. She had one hand in his hair, the other one on his back. Almost holding him there, as if she was afraid he would pull away.
They had stayed like that for hours. Kissing, holding and just touching each other. Many moments were spent just gazing in to the green emerald eyes that she loved. And she could have sworn that what she felt from Harry that night was love.
It hadn't been desire, because they had done nothing beyond kissing, even though she could very well feel his desire.
He had leaned on his elbows, slowly kissing her lips again and again. Hermione doubted she would ever feel anything as wonderful as those hours, in that old house.
The next morning Harry had thrown her loving, warm and tender glances. He had even blushed slightly when she smiled at him. But after the final battle, he kept far from her. He refused to talk about what had happened, and nothing was ever like that between them again.
--
The morning sun heated Hermione's face. She had slept well, something that didn't happen too often these days. She stretched out in the bed, and her arm hit something, or someone. She smiled to herself as she moved her body closer to the warm shape that she shared the bed with.
She turned slowly and saw Draco fast asleep next to her. She felt slightly shocked, her dream had lingered in her mind, and she had thought for a second that Harry was there, in this warm bed with her.
She looked at his face and marvelled in how handsome he really was. She wondered if he had some Veela blood in him. He looked different like this, asleep.
It's quite unfair. Here I am in bed with my old archenemy, while the one I've loved for as long as I can remember is waking up with someone else. But I did the right thing, I have to move on!
His eyes suddenly shot open and for a moment he just stared at her before he spoke,
"Granger, you gave me quite the scare."
"Didn't think you scared that easily."
"Well seeing your hair that bushy this early in the morning, I thought Hagrid was lying next to me."
Hermione quickly sat up and started patting her hair. Draco let out a laugh and pulled her back down.
"It was a joke, just relax."
He put his arm around her and Hermione tensed up slightly.
"So, have we decided that you are coming with me to the ball."
"I guess…"
"Good, now I'll order us some breakfast!"
Draco grabbed the telephone and then turned and looked at Hermione in the bed. This was kind of nice, waking up with someone you actually liked. And he loved the way Hermione looked at him, like he wasn't the worst thing on earth. He thought that last night had been wonderful. Even though he sometimes felt like Hermione's mind sometimes was somewhere else, or - with someone else. The thought made him both angry and jealous.
He ordered their breakfast and then turned and blurted out what he had been thinking:
"I've been accepted in to Auror training…"
"Oh Draco that's…"
He interrupted her before he would loose his nerve.
"I can do it here in London or in Paris, and I'm thinking about going abroad. I mean nothing is really keeping me here. And I was just thinking, maybe you should go with me."
Hermione looked shocked. Draco sat down on the bed next to her.
"Just listen for a second, you've told me that you love France. You could easily get job there, and besides, nothing is keeping you here right?"
"But my friends…"
"Fuck `em. Look at how nice they've been to you these weeks. I don't want to convince you if you don't want to, but you should just think about it. Imagine, we could just start fresh. Where no one knows us, you won't be Harry Potter's sidekick, and I won't be a monster."
"Oh Draco, you're not a monster." She caressed his cheek and he turned his face into her small hand.
"Just think about it."
--
Hermione and Ginny were shopping for a new dress for the Daily Prophet ball. The streets were busy; everyone in London seemed to want a new wardrobe for spring.
They entered a fancy muggle shop and Hermione felt slightly out of place.
"I can't afford these dresses," she whispered to Ginny.
"Oh stop it, you need to spend a bit on yourself. You're going to be on Draco Malfoy's arm, you can't look like your old self."
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"
Ginny laughed loudly and handed Hermione a lot of different gowns.
They entered two dressing rooms next to each other.
"So who are you taking?" Hermione asked.
"I am actually going with Neville," Ginny answered.
This didn't surprise Hermione at all, she had always thought the two had something special. Neville had surely fancied Ginny for a very long time, but Ginny just saw him as a friend.
They exited the dressing rooms and Hermione was floored by Ginny.
"Ginny, you are so unbelievingly beautiful," she gasped.
Ginny laughed at waved at her. Her body was toned and trained from all the Quidditch. Her hair was longer than ever and her face had started breaking out with the spring freckles.
Ginny had on a bright yellow gown that went beautifully with her colours.
"You have to take that dress," Hermione exclaimed.
"Yeah, I guess this will do. But we need to find you something to."
"Nothing will look as good as yours…" Hermione sighed.
--
"What? He asked you to go to Paris with him?" Ginny almost choked on her chicken salad.
Hermione nodded and took a sip of her water.
"Well what did you say?"
"Please Ginny, don't talk so loud."
They were having lunch in a very popular restaurant in Diagon Alley.
"I told him that I would think about it."
Ginny looked like she couldn't believe a word of what she was hearing.
"I don't understand Hermione."
"What don't you understand?" Hermione snapped. "I'm sick of explaining myself to everyone. Why can't I just have an adventure for once?"
"But a month ago you were telling me that you had been in love with Harry forever…"
"So…? I'm not with Harry am I? I never have been, and never will! He is just some damned man-whore,
even though he is currently spending his time with Cho Chang."
"He's no more a man-whore than Draco Malfoy," Ginny mumbled.
Hermione slammed her glass into the table.
"Shut it Ginny. Draco isn't like that anymore."
"How do you know?"
"What, don't you want me to be happy? Is that it?"
Ginny put her hand on Hermione's but she jerked it back.
"I want you to be happy more than anything. But this seems so rash. You have been seeing him so short. What do you think Harry would…"
"I don't care what Harry would say. I need a Harry-free life!"
"You don't mean that."
"Maybe I do. Can we just stop talking about this?"
"Did I hear my boyfriends' name?" Cho was walking towards them with Lavender Brown.
Ginny looked at Hermione, not knowing what to say. Hermione on the other hand glared at Lavender. Lavender still hadn't talked to Hermione since she had leaked the story to the Daily Prophet about finding Hermione and Draco.
"We were just talking about who will be at the ball tomorrow," Ginny finally said.
"I trust it you both will be there?" Cho asked.
Ginny nodded.
Cho was getting annoyed with Hermione, who didn't seem to bate on the fight Cho was waiting for.
"So Hermione, I saw that article about you. Nasty stuff huh?"
Hermione forced a smile to Cho.
"Well you shouldn't mind, they made it official that you and Harry are happy in love," she spat."
"Oh Hermione, everyone already knows that. In fact, last night as I was in bed, with Harry, I was just thinking about how things have worked out the way it was supposed. I am with Harry, you and Draco… I just have to ask you… Is Draco as good in bed as I've heard?"
Hermione's cheeks turned bright red and flashes from the night with Draco shot before her.
"I don't kiss and tell," Hermione answered.
"Such a shame, I can tell you that Harry sure lives up to the rumours about him." Cho added.
"Yes he is great," Lavender suddenly said. Cho shot her a deadly glare, obviously not happy with Lavender reminding them she had also been in Harry's bed.
"Well, you better get a table while there's still one left," Ginny said and they walked away.
Hermione leaned forward and whispered:
"You see, that is exactly why I want to get out of London!"
--
As Ginny and Hermione said goodbye Ginny headed straight for Ron and Harry's apartment. She had to tell them. They were after all Hermione's very best friends, her heart and soul.
She let herself in and waited patiently on their sofa.
Ron and Harry entered the apartment together, laughing loudly about something. They both looked startled to find her
in their living room.
"What's up Gin, everything all right?" Ron asked.
"I need to talk to you," she stated.
"I don't have much time. I'm meeting Cho in an hour," Harry answered uninterested in what she wanted to talk about.
"It's about Hermione."
They both looked up, concerned. At once they took a seat.
"Is she ok?" Ron asked.
"I don't know?" Ginny answered softly.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Harry spat annoyed at her.
"To tell you the truth, no she's not okay. Harry you have been a wanker lately."
Harry started to get up when Ginny continued:
"Draco has asked her to move to France with him."
Harry turned on his heel, looking bewildered.
"Sorry?" Ron asked and ran a hand though his hair. Harry slowly sat back down.
"What?" he finally said.
"Yes she told me today. He has asked her go, and she is thinking about it."
Harry looked at Ron, and then back to Ginny.
"Well what do you want us to do about it? If she wants to go and be with that git, it's her bloody choice isn't it?" he barked.
Ron rubbed his hands together.
"I really don't want her to go," Ron spoke softly.
"Me neither," Ginny agreed.
Harry put his head in his hands.
"It's just too late", he said quietly, "we just have to let her go."
"Well it isn't really helping that your horrible girlfriend is talking to Hermione about your sex life," Ginny said, almost accusing Harry.
"She did what?" Harry asked surprised.
"Yeah that's right. Cho is walking around bragging about you two to everyone who will listen." Ginny looked at Harry's fists, they were clenched tight and they were turning white.
"Well… that has nothing to do with Hermione." Harry said unconvincingly and Ginny rolled her eyes.
"You need to do something about it!" Ginny barked at him.
"What the hell am I supposed to do? I can't stop her!"
He stood up and left the room. They heard a loud bang as the front door slammed shut. Ginny turned to Ron, looking completely bewildered.
"What is going on with him?" she asked.
"I don't know. He has been acting so strange lately."
"Well I hope we can all enjoy ourselves at the ball tomorrow."
Ron rolled her eyes and looked like he didn't believe that was possible.
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