Okay, I lied.

I have abandoned this story.

Because I hated where I was taking it

I mean, it was all good and stuff and the idea was nice and it was my best doing story so far, and then BAM! I don't know what to do with it and I messed it up.

But for my loyal readers, here is where I bid you good news.

I have un-abandoned this story.

I mean, abandonment is rather harsh, don't you think? Instead, I'm on my knees praying for your forgiveness for the long update and the really bad one too.

Sigh.

Well, here goes.

p.s. I've just finished writing the story, and I have to add before you guys read this… this chapter is sort of rated R (M) for some sexual implications.

OOO

It was John Smiths' lucky day.

He had awoken with a rather uncomfortable pain in his back but he soon forgot it all when he saw the lovely, lovely (lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely) face of Madame Rosmerta staring over him with a flask of a bubbling potion that Hermione sometimes (sometimes) made him when he came home drunk.

"Are you all right?" She asked.

"I am now." He said, sitting up, straightening up his hair.

"I was going to tell that girl, Granger, to take you along with the other man, but she refused and just put this book here. So I just left you here on this bench. It's uncomfortable, isn't it? I asked the ruddy ministry and they sent nobody to replace them." She said, scowling.

"Oh, dear. Well, I happen to work at the ministry… I can send a personal request myself if you would like, dear Rosmerta."

There was hope in her lovely, lovely (lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely) eyes.

"Really? You would do that?"

"Anything for m'lady."

She smirked and slid his book across the table. "It's very well written. It has much potential and I enjoyed it, and I'm not much of a reader."

He beamed, feeling that Three Broomsticks had never been warmer.

Rosmerta's store was closed for the rest of the day.

Wink. Wink. Wink. Wink. Wink.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

On the other hand, Draco was not having such a wonderful start.

It would help to mention that he had a splitting headache and that he had no idea where he was.

"Whuu…" he moaned stupidly.

He whipped the clean white sheets away from his dirty body and groggily sat up, finding a neat note on the bedside table.

Malfoy-

There's hangover potion on the stove. I'll be at work if you need me. You know where.

-Hermione

Bolting straight up, he realized that this was the place he used to call home about two years ago. He recognized the cream colored walls and the scribbles on the wall behind the bed where Hermione had busily and subconsciously written and crossed out numbers and names.

Some things never change.

XXX

Hermione panted. "He's back."

"Voldemort?"

"No, no, Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. He's back. And he's IN MY HOUSE."

"Ouch. Even worse." Penelope, the ministress of magic, shivered.

"YES! PENNYYYYY. WHAT DO I DO?"

"Have you tried kicking him out?"

"No. well, I couldn't. He was sleeping you see… and you know Draco… he's the cutest when he's sleeping because he doesn't talk. His nose was all bunched up like this," Hermione scrunched up her nose slightly, like a rabbit that had smelled its prey. "And his mouth… it was slightly open and I couldn't dare wake him up and…" Hermione sighed.

"Sounds like you're addicted."

"Addicted? Me? To him? How? We've been separated for an year and a half now.

"You missed him."

"I did not."

"Yes you did." Penelope said, reaching out into her files. She fished around, her fingers brushing past dozens of folders until she grabbed one.

"In fact, just 3 weeks ago… let's see. Oh, here:" Penelope pushed a slim piece of glass over to Hermione as a scene appeared slowly and voices were heard.

"What's wrong, Hermione?"

"It's my ruddy roommate. This morning, I saw another one of his girls making egg fries as if this was her house. She nearly blew me up when she saw me. Didn't know it was MY house and thought it was John's the whole time. He did it AGAIN! Even Draco didn't sleep with this many women." Hermione's hair was a complete mess, locks of hair going astray in the atmosphere around her. She was still in her pajamas, with a mere blue robe around her. Her eyes were blazing, but also helpless and depressed. Sleepy bags hung under her eyelashes

Penelope looked questioningly at her.

"Really…"

"Damn it, Penny, you're too damn clever for your own good."

"Why, thank you."

"Every time I catch John, I think about Malfoy. What he would have been doing instead… where he is… what a great person he was…"

"Really…"

"I expected, when I first found out he was my roommate, that I would never forgive him and that he was still a horrible evil villain. But as weeks progressed… I never forgave him, but I forgot everything he'd done. He makes me forget. I'd forgotten that he'd called me a mudblood, made my life hell, done every possible thing that a brat can do, and once even joined the death eaters. But I don't know Penny… I don't know if I can forget everything this time. If he ever comes back…" Hermione stopped in her tracks, tears forming in her eyes.

"If he ever comes back, what would you do?" Penelope pushed.

"Forget everything."

"Really? You just said that…"

"I know what I just said. I just miss him."

The scene faded and Hermione pushed the glass back to Penny angrily. "You keep all our conversations?"

"To prove that I'm always right."

"You and Malfoy would get along well. Your egos put together can probably blow up the entire universe."

"I have that right, though. I'm the ministress of magic AND your boss."

"Well, that's the past. He's here and I still haven't forgotten everything. Things are different, Penny. I won't ever fall for him."

"So you're kicking him out?"

"Yes." Hermione tried her hardest to sound like her usual confident self.

All Penelope (Clearwater- a/n; thanks guys) Weasley had to do was stare at her.

"No." Hermione whimpered, sinking in her seat and her head in her hands.

"Think, Hermione… This isn't like you. You're strong. You're smart. You know that. There's only one thing you can do, Hermione…"

A revelation came down upon her and Hermione smiled cheerfully.

"You're right!"

Penny smiled. "See? I knew you can do it. No reason to thank me, dear. When you're with Draco, you need therapy."

"I have to kill Draco Malfoy!" Hermione said. "That's the best idea I've ever thought of since… well… since forever!" She got up, laughing maniacally.

"NO! NO! HERMIONE, THAT'S NOT WHAT I ME-"

It was too late. Hermione was out of the door, hunting for a blond headed boy, ready to kill.

OOOO

At Hogsmeade, the sun shined brightly, contrasting to the gloomy weather that had hit London a few days ago. The light gray clouds, however, predicted rain. Still, Draco walked down a quiet stone road whistling on his way to Three Broomsticks. He guessed that the man he met the day before, John Smith, was still there.

CLOSED FOR THE MOMENT

BE BACK AT: …………

Draco stood in front of the store forever, curious. Three Broomsticks was almost NEVER closed. In fact, this was the first time that he had seen this sign at the door. Three Broomsticks was almost the most popular store and closing it was horrible for business.

'Even if she really IS busy, she'll forgive me. We're good friends.' Draco thought as he turned the doorknob anyway and walked in.

That was the biggest mistake in his life.

There, on one of the center tables that Draco and his friends usually sat around at during his Hogwarts years, there was Madame Rosmerta and John Smith going at it furiously and passionately. There were bottles of firewhiskey and clothes scattered all over the ground. John Smith moaned hungrily.

Draco quickly closed the door, not caring about the fairly loud sound he had just made when he slammed the door shut.

He was scarred for life.

There was no turning back. His life was over. He had to kill himself now. Or gouge his eyes out and ram his head into the wall repeatedly until the memory was gone.

He had no trouble HAVING the sex but it always troubled him to WATCH sex. Especially when the two people were friends of his and in their mid 30's and 40's.

A train of shivers ran through Draco painfully. He shuddered over and over again, his feet planted there, right in front of the door where inside, there were two people…

HE DRANK BUTTERBEER ON THAT GODDAMN TABLE EVERY YEAR.

He wanted to cry very badly.

"HAH!" A loud uproar came closer to him and forced him to turn his head sideways.

There she came, her hair freshly curled in the morning and her crisp red shirt and khakis casually grabbing onto her slender figure as she walked quickly against the mild wind.

Hermione Granger came, pounding upon him with a wand raised eye level.

"DRACO MALFOY"

"Hullo, Hermione. I'm sorry, but this isn't the greatest ti-"

She had reached him and her wand was jabbing directly at his neck, her eyes blazing with triumph.

"I just had a talk with Penelope. Remember her? She gave me some advice about you. So I've decided, Draco Malfoy, that I'm going to have to kill you."

"What?" Draco was only half listening. He was mostly absorbed in the scene that he knew took place behind the wooden door and a disturbance at his throat.

"You see, I didn't know what to do with you. I didn't know whether I should just let you be and forgive you or if I should kick you out for my own sake. But I can't kick you out because you're too cute. I can't keep you because I know I'll drive myself mad. You see, there's only one thing I can do. If I can't keep you and if I can't leave you, what else can there be? At first, I thought 'maybe I ca…"

"When a girl's been talking for over a minute non stop, tune out, nod, say okay once in a while, and think about sex."

Blaise's wise words crept up to the surface of Draco's memories.

So Draco nodded, saying okay once in a while and he thought about the couple inside Three Broomsticks, making love at the moment.

How long had they known each other? Draco nodded at Hermione for she was still talking to him.

Did they always have sex? Is that why Hermione hadn't taken him back with me to her house? Did Madame Rosmerta demand on keeping him overnight? Draco nodded some more, looking intently into Hermione deep chocolate eyes, totally oblivious to everything she was telling him and the feelings that she was pouring out to him.

Or if they didn't know each other, did Madame Rosmerta have sex often? On that table? Did she do it when they were in Hogwarts? How did she clean the tables? Just water and soap or did she scrub it? Or did she not even wash them at all? "Yeah, Hermione. I agree." He said, patting her shoulder.

"…I don't care if I have to use any force on you, I'm stron- wait, what?"

Draco suddenly tuned out of his thoughts and his mind focused on Hermione now. "What? What did you say?"

"I just told you that I was going to kill you."

"Wait… WHAT? WHY?"

Hermione looked beat. "Didn't you… weren't you listening to me?"

Draco was crestfallen. "Of… of course."

"You're lying! What were you looking at? What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing. I wasn't thinking about sex." Draco blurted, clasping his hands over his mouth. "I mean, shit. It's not like that! It's just that… come on, Hermione. Let's talk about this somewhere else."

"No, DRACO." She purred. "I want to talk about this NOW." Hermione ignored the sign on Three Broomsticks and pushed the door open widely, only to find herself screaming very loudly.

Soon, the two naked bodies that she had just witnessed screamed as well.

John Smith and Madame Rosmerta.

Hermione could find no words to scream or vent and she ran out like a speeding mongoose.

"DAMN! John! You told me you locked the door!"

"Well, you were doing the sign so I thought you had locked it while you did it!"

"I thought you'd done it already!"

"Well, I thought we were supposed to go upstairs and… 'do it' THERE."

"Well, I'm sorry, SIR, that I was too anxious. Won't happen again."

"Aw come on dear. Come back. Here, I'll lock it." John Smith walked to the door to close it when he spied Draco Malfoy still standing there shocked. "Wasn't that Hermione who just ran away?"

"Y-yes."

"Well, what are you doing, you dimwit? Run after her! It's obvious you can't get enough of her and she is obsessed about you or she would have taken me back with her to her house also, wouldn't she? Instead of leaving me here? Seriously, do men know anything about love these days? Girls like Hermione… you don't find them often, you hear?"

Draco stared at the naked John Smith lecturing him at the doorway and turned sideways to catch a glimpse of a mass of brown hair bobbing up and down, retreating back toward the sun.

He was right.

That goddamn naked Smith pervert was right.

"Thanks" Draco murmured as he suddenly sped away after Hermione top speed.

"Young love." John Smith muttered, closing the door, locking it and returning to his future.

OOOO

Was that why Draco was staring numbly at that door? Is that why Draco wasn't listening to anything she was saying? Or did he truly change? Had he become some sort of a perverted git who was so thoughtless and cruel?

Or was it the opposite? Had he always really been like that but she'd been blind and seen him in a new light before? Were they really not meant to be? Had she stupidly thought that he had changed from his old days?

The sun grew dimmer as gray clouds began to smother it. She knew it would rain soon. Because she'd had such a bad experience with rain before, she took the forecasted rain as a sign that it was going to be the same and that nothing had changed.

Had they?

XXX

"Hurry, I need as many aurors off duty right now as possible" Penelope ordered.

"What's the problem now?"

"Hermione Granger."

Nymphadora Tonks looked at her wide eyed. "Hermione? What'd she do? Nothing bad? Or what happened to her? She was always so nice…"

"Later. I think she's going to kill."

"Kill? Hermione? No… those two words don't mix."

"Hermione's killed before and she'll do it again. You have no idea how powerful she is. She fought beside Harry Potter during the war. So when she says she will, she means it. She's a damn stubborn witch. Please Tonks, this is urgent. Call Kingsley for me."

"Okay." Tonks

Moments later, a large shadow followed Tonks closely toward Penelope.

"What's the problem? Tonks mentioned Hermione Granger."

"She's out to kill. She's going to kill Draco Malfoy."

"Why?"

"It's personal matter, it's really nothing you need to worry about. But she told me she was going to and left. Just about 30 minutes ago. She's not back, which means that she's really going to do it. Hurry, we need to find them so that we can take Hermione back."

"Yes, ministress."

"I'll call up the others." Tonks said, scurrying toward a few other compartments on the floor for some free aurors.

"Hurry… Do I have to mention that Hermione runs as fast as an ostrich?"

OOOOO

Draco could feel his shirt beginning to dampen. It wasn't pouring down rain; it was just sprinkling. None of it mattered much, mostly because he was wearing a simple white undershirt that he could just throw away anyway. His breath hardened and his legs were soaring from his sudden exercise.

He knew that Hermione could run as with the wind but he had never actually experienced it.

'Focus…'

A few villagers began to shuffle back to their homes and store keepers closed their doors to keep the sudden gust from coming in.

'First it's 80 degree weather and now it's a hurricane. Do weathers really reflect my moods now?'

He had just passed Madame Puddifoot's when he thought he saw a spark of red and messy and wet curly hair slowing to a walk just a few meters ahead of him.

Draco quickened his steps, making sure not to make any noise.

She was closer than ever now. He could just reach out…

Suddenly, a roar of thunder cried out and water began to come down from the sky in larger and heavier droplets. Hermione began to run.

Groaning, Draco took one large step and his fingers found her sleeve. He froze for a moment before turning her around, only to come face to face with Hermione's soaked face and her wand pointing straight at him.

"Don't. touch. Me."

Draco held on tighter.

"Let go."

"Hermione… listen."

"No. let go. Now. I'll have to hex you. Or maybe kill you. It'll make my job faster."

"Hermione. Look. Look at me." She glared hatefully into his nervous, yet slightly confident eyes.

"I've let you go once. But things have changed. I've changed. It won't happen again." Draco said, pulling her toward him, only letting her wand get closer to his nose.

"No, Malfoy. Nothing has changed. You're still the brutal, disgusting and heartless brute you always were."

"Sure, think whatever about me, but look. Something HAS changed. See? I'm here this time. I'm holding onto you."

Hermione's death glare loosened completely for a second. "Well, and this time, we're in Hogsmeade." She said out of the blue, totally calmly as if she was just mentioning something that he had foolishly left out, right before here eyes squinted into a goosebump worthy look of hatred

Still, Draco smiled. "Yeah, that too."

XXXX

"Hogsmeade. They're at Hogsmeade, near to the Quidditch store and the fountain." Kingsley told Penelope.

"Good. Ready? Let's go."

5 cracks later, Penelope found herself with 4 other aurors, their wands at the ready watching the scene in front of them. Hermione had her wand raised high and Draco was clenching onto her arms sleeve. They were soaked now.

But, she had just caught Draco smile and there was a small flicker in the corner of Hermione's eyes that only she seemed to have noticed. And only she seemed to have noticed Hermione's wand being lowered by half a millimeter and her grip loosening slightly.

"Wait. Don't make a sound." Penelope told the rest of them as they hid behind a nearby fountain. Five grown adults tip-toed about a meter to crouch down, not wanting to miss this sight.

"This time, it's different." Penelope whispered.

XXX

"I'm going to have to kill you now." Hermione said.

"I doubt it."

"Oh? You don't think I can do it? Try me. I can blast off every part of your body before you can blink."

"Tell me… why are you so desperate to kill me?"

"There's no other way."

"Why can't we just forget everything… why can't you just forgive me?"

"BECAUSE! It just doesn't work. I've been doing too much forgiving… whether it was with Penny or you. My body can't take this anymore."

"What had Penny done?"

"She told me to forgive you. She told me to forget everything you've done and start over. She's an evil, too smart bitch who needs to stop tricking me."

"Really? Well, she'd been telling me the same as well."

"You've been meeting her? You mean she's been meeting my enemy behind my back?"

"Suddenly, I'm your enemy? What happened to being in 'like' with me? What happened to liking me more than just a secretary or a roommate?"

She flushed. "It's over. I've forgotten that."

"Really…"

"Well, compared to the five hours it took you, I'd have to say that I have actual feelings… Real feelings that take me time to build and mend."

"well, what if I told you that maybe I was never over you?"

"I won't believe you and I'll ask you what you've been talking to Penny about."

"Well, I never got over you, Hermione."

"Well, I don't believe you and I want to know what you talk to Penny about."

"Oh, this and that. You, mostly."

"That backstabber."

"Hermione, just wake up and look at me. Take a nice good look… I know you like it. Whoa whoa, okay…" He said, backing away slightly as she shoved her wand closer to him. "Hermione, just get over your stubbornness and smell the coffee. It's obvious that I want you and that you want me. Why can't you just accept that?"

"I won't accept that because it's not true."

"So you don't want me."

"Neither do you."

"Merlin, Hermione, I told you! Take a damn good look at me." He sighed. He let go of her arm, leaving both of them standing in a pregnant trance for a split second, and then he cupped his hands around her cold drenched face. He leaned her head back slightly so that she was looking at him in the eye.

"Hermione, look what you've done to me. I've become this fucked up git living with his best friend and his mother. I haven't had sex in ages. No, look at me. Look at me."

"I'm looking, I'm looking! Jesus Christ… you're so bloody redundant." She said stubbornly, focusing her view only to his eyes.

They were indescribable. The only word that came to mind was: Un-Malfoy-like.

Draco watched her, a smirk slowly growing on his face. He had seen the unmistakable flicker in her eyes and the wand dropping another centimeter. He couldn't help smiling. A real smile, with his gleaming white teeth taunting her.

He brought her face to his, every bead of rain flickering on his eyelashes. He was tantalizingly close, just a breath away. Hermione felt her eyes begin to waver.

"But first, Hermione, I need you to get your wand out of our way so I can kiss you."

She blushed, and quickly shoved her wand into her pocket when the gap between them shattered and they quickly found their lips tingling. They pulled back, her bottom lip tugging slightly and they stood there hesitantly for a moment. Then, Draco wrapped his arms around her waist right as she flung her wandless arms around his neck and he brought her closer to him, feeling the warmth of her body against his runaway heart. His soft breath against her and his electric lips caressing her own numb ones made her forget… forget everything in their past. And as she forgot one tearful day after another, she forgave him. Their depressing pasts, angry tantrums and lonesome days left her completely, leaving only this blissful passion to remain for eternity.

It rained.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Wow.

It's over.

3890 words just ended the most stressful, most time-consuming, but the best experience that had taught me the most about fanfiction.

I know that the end is corny. And I know that it's cliché and sort of stupid and girly, but sometimes, those are the best ways to end stories.

Haha, maybe not this story, but it's over and there's nothing you can do about it except review. Just know that this is the last time you ever have to review this story- and any of my stories for a long time because I'm taking a break- so make it good. I've finished… really… all my stories now. Or all the ones I was most worried about. I won't be updating other stories often for now, since break is almost over and everything and I've just spent all Monday finishing this. Did you know that I had 6 versions of the story (after the very beginning when John Smith finds himself at Three Broomsticks)? Crazy. I chose this one and I hope I made the right choice. I'm very indecisive.

So anyways, I'm trying to tell you guys that you won't be seeing any updated stories for a while so review me while you can. I'm thinking about another story, but we'll have to see about that.

I love you readers the most. You have no idea. You guys have been the most patient, nice and forgiving people in the world and that meant so much to me. Which is why it hurt me the most when I betrayed you guys and didn't update for about 324987 months on this story. Because you guys deserve better.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed it… Thanks for enduring with me on this one. Yeah. You know who you are.

Thanks so much, guys.

love always,

Dawn.