Author's Note: Yes people, this is the end of the story. Don't be sad. At least now you don't have to check to see if I updated. Personally, I don't really like how my story turned out. Too mushy and immature. I started this story when I was 15, and now I am nearly 17, and I feel that this story never matured along with my writing. I may write another story, but after a while of brainstorming. Anyway, enjoy the last chapter, and thank you to all who reviewed!
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Ginny jabbed Draco in the back with her wand again, harder this time. Despite herself she was curious as to why Malfoy would be so interested in Hermione anyway. Maybe, she thought, she should take him to an empty classroom and ask some questions.
Malfoy stood still. He found this whole situation quite annoying. He, being held up by a Weasley! The embarrassment! But Ginny was a strong, young woman, and like many strong women, she was probably emotional and very quick to chew off his head if given a chance. This made her quite different from her older brothers. Draco rolled his eyes and grunted in frustration. He had to think of something.
"I think that we should have a little chat, Malfoy. I want to discuss recent, strange behavior on your part."
"If we must, Weasley," Draco drawled. "Any excuse to miss class is good, I suppose. But I had no idea that you were one to play hooky."
Ginny glared at the back of Draco's head.
"It's my free hour, you twit!"
"Oh, someone has her knickers in a twist today. Sorry that I said anything at all. Where to Miss Weasley?" Draco asked with surprising smoothness, knowing that being annoying to anyone besides Hermione was easy.
What an annoying bastard he is. Why Hermione ever felt anything for him was beyond her. Ginny started to roughly push him to a nearby empty classroom. No one took any notice to them, being as the hallways where now deserted. Closing the door with a kick from her foot, Ginny never took her hands off Draco's back. She then swiftly pushed him as hard as she could with her free open hand, but kept her wand out. Ginny hoped to at least make him lose his balance, but being "Malfoy," he was, well, poised in a way that all he did was take an extra step or two that he wouldn't normally take to get to the distance he ended up. Ginny was, after all, only two thirds his size, because of being a petit girl.
Draco slowly turned around, and smirked at Ginny. Oh, he would love to push her buttons, and he knew just how.
"Well, Weasley, you've got me alone, what are you going to do with me? Something fun, I hope."
Ginny crunched up her nose. He was such a git, and it made her want to throw up, but she saw his immature schema even before the words even left his mouth.
"Stop being a perverted son of a b for a second and give me some answers."
Draco narrowed his eyes. Anger was starting to set in. This reaction was never a good thing to happen if you were on the receiving end of his anger.
"But Weasley," Draco said shortly. "You didn't even ask a question."
"Yes I did, I asked about your strange behavior."
"Uh, uh, uh, Weasley. You SAID that you wanted to talk about my 'supposed' new behavior. You never asked. So there's no reason as to why you could be upset with me."
He really made her want to pull out her hair! Oh, Hermione really owed her for this! Ginny thought it would be a piece of cake, but she was so wrong.
"Fine, Malfoy," she spat. "Why are you acting so strange whenever you are around Hermione?
"…I have no idea what you are talking about."
Draco had just barely hesitated. Just long enough to not make him sound defensive, but he was beyond calm. The tables had been turned about who was pushing whose buttons, and Ginny wasn't even trying to. She just wanted a semi straight answer, if that was even possible.
"Really now?" Ginny asked wittingly. "Okay."
Despite himself, Draco's mask temporary slid off his face and his eyebrows rose slightly. That was…too easy. The mask quickly repositioned itself, but a look of suspicion shown though his eyes. Ginny didn't miss a beat. She wanted to throw him for a loop. A little lie would be nice.
"I guess that Hermione was wrong."
Draco cleared all expression from his face, with much difficulty.
"Whatever," he rolled his eyes. There was no way that he was going to take the bait. He would act uninterested. Unbeknownst to him, he had, in a way, taken the bait, in his subtle cues his body language had given off.
Ginny inwardly smirked. She had gotten her answer and so much more. He DID like her. Why, she didn't know, but he did.
"Nice talking to you Malfoy, have a nice day."
Draco glared at her. Ginny wasn't done though.
"Oh, and one more thing Malfoy," Ginny slyly grinned.
"And what might that b--?"
"Expelliarmus!"
Draco was pushed back by an invisible force, slamming into a few desks. His weight pushed them slightly from their neat order. Right before he blacked out Ginny spoke a few words.
"That was on Hermione's request. I hope you enjoyed the thought Malfoy. Good bye!"
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Draco came to merely seconds after Ginny had quickly made her departure. She had not hurt him badly. He had a few bruises and a hurt pride, but that was all. Surprisingly he was only a bit mad at Weasley, which was very unlike him. He didn't even think about reporting her to the professors about using magic in between classes. All he could think about was how he had been put everything since giving any attention to Hermione, and he was still being persistent! There was something wrong with him! Liking Hermione would always be like that. Confusion, but that was the way it was. Now all he needed to do was have her listen to him! What could he do though? He had tried everything! He would have to just wait for her to come back to their shared quarters. He knew that she couldn't have fit all of her stuff in one bag which she took to the Gryffindor tower. She had to come back some time or another.
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At dinner Hermione was impatiently waiting to talk to Ginny. She had hoped that she had made it abundantly clear that she wanted Malfoy as far away from her as possible. She needed Ginny to reassure her that this indeed happened, and it was for the best. Just as Hermione was about to carelessly slip into thoughts of Draco, Ginny walked up and sat next to Hermione. She nudged her, knowing her thoughts were elsewhere.
"Her-mi-onnnnee," Ginny said, stretching out her name just to make sure that she was listening.
Hermione slightly jumped, and silently scolded herself for almost giving into fantasies.
"Ginny? Ginny!" Hermione said in a slightly louder voice than normal. She quickly brought it down to a harsh whisper. "What happened? Tell me everything!"
Ginny chuckled. So the feels were still there for her too. It was humorous, but a question started to form in her head. Why was she standing in the middle of this relationship? The answer came back to her very quickly although it didn't seem as plausible as it had once been, however.
"Yes, Hermione," Ginny answered quietly. "I used the disarming charm on him, and yes, he got the point."
Hermione sighed in relief. With any luck he hated her now and would not be interested in kissing her. She would have done it herself, but she knew she couldn't have done it. She couldn't do that to someone she cared for, no matter how much it was against her will, in her opinion. Suddenly, however, a twinge of guilt floated to the surface of her consequence.
"He…isn't too badly hurt, is he?"
Fear shot through Ginny for a mere instant before it was instantly calmed. At the Slytherin table was Draco, looking unharmed.
"Look for yourself, Hermione."
Hermione did, but unwillingly. What if he was looking at her? Ginny seemed to be reading her mind.
"He's not looking over here at the moment."
Relieved, Hermione looked in his direction. He looked fine and like nothing had happened to him, if you examined his arrogant smirk. As Hermione started to look at him for just a bit too long, her glaze drew him to look in her direction. Their eyes connected and for the briefest instant, his eyes shown something, and for once, Hermione recognized it without a doubt. He eyes held a softness of longing.
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The days were up. Hermione now had to go back to her shared common room with Draco Malfoy, and she dreaded it. Something in his eyes at that dinner had held her fast. How did he keep doing that? Damn the male sex! All they did was frustrate her! Well, she didn't have a choice. She had to go back, or she didn't know what Dumbledore would do to her.
Hermione walked back to the Gryffindor common room. She looked around at the entire room. She new she was going to miss it all over again. She slowly walked up to the girls dorms and gathered her things.
Walking back down the stairs, she came across Harry. He was sitting on the couch, with his hands in his lap. He didn't see Hermione at first. His eyes were on the ground and he seemed saddened. Killing He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named really scarred him mentally and emotionally, not just physically. He still thought about it at times and Hermione knew he would never be the same person ever again, just like everyone else who would have had to do what Harry did. Harry noticed Hermione as soon as she made her presence be known.
"Hey," Harry said with a soft, half smile.
"Hey," Hermione echoed.
"So, you're going back to your Head dorm, huh?"
"Yeah, I am." Hermione sighed. Harry noticed.
"Hermione, whatever is bothering you—whatever to reason you left your room, just let it go."
"Harry?" Hermione was confused. How could Harry say something like that, when he didn't even know what was bothering her or even follow his own advice?
"I mean it. You shouldn't let anything rule you so much. If you can't change it or do anything about it, then just let it go."
Hermione stared at Harry in slight disbelief. Harry stood up and continued.
"Hermione, relax and you will know what to do."
Hermione smiled slightly. Rushing forward, she hugged Harry.
"Thanks, Harry. I needed that." Harry returned the hug.
"No problem. Glad I could help you for once."
"I better go now, Harry." She let go of him reluctantly.
Hermione left the dorm. It all made sense. She was making such a big deal over Draco and all that had happened. Yes, it was a big deal, and what had happened was definitely strange, not something that occurred everyday. In fact, she knew that this was very unusual, but she had to some obsessing over it. She had to be willing to end up with a broken heart. If she didn't, she'd drive herself crazy. The more that Hermione thought, the closer she got to her dorm. She stood in front of the door, waiting. She had to make up her mind.
"Password, Miss Hermione?" The peasant girl asked, smiling.
Taking a deep breath, Hermione gave it to her and took a step inside. There was Draco, sitting on the couch.
He saw her as soon as she came in. Much as he hated to admit it, she had hurt him, by ignoring him. He stood to leave.
"Granger," he said briefly, and turned to go to his room. Hermione dropped her bags and quietly walked up behind him.
"Draco," she answered softly, barely over a whisper.
He stopped up short, his back to her. His eyes had widened. Did she actually say that? Slowly he turned around, but before he actually got any words out, his lips were attacked by hers. He quickly joined in, savoring the mouth he had missed so much. As quickly as it started though, it ended. She stepped back, giving herself room.
Draco just starred. Finally he got some words out.
"You came back," he said dumbly. Hermione just smiled softly.
"Yeah, I did. Did you miss me?" She knew she was asking a lot from him with the question. He wasn't a mushy guy.
Draco just looked at her, willing what he should say out of his mouth, but he couldn't. That just wasn't the time of person he was. Too much had been instilled into him at an early age. Hermione seemed to understand.
"It's okay, Draco." Hermione spoke up. "I understand. All I need right now is to know that you feel something real for me."
To answer her question, Draco lowered his head and diminished the space between their faces and gave her a sweet, tender kiss with just a little bite. It was the kind of person he was willing to be for her, but a simple little reminder of just who he used to be, who he still was. As the continued to kiss and got closer together, not once did Hermione forget who Draco Malfoy was, and how this relationship was going to be difficult, but with so many rewards as well.
At last, Hermione pulled away, but quickly she came back to hug Draco. He looked surprised, but hesitantly returned the embrace.
"Draco?" Hermione asked hesitantly.
"Yes Hermione?" Draco replied. Hermione blushed when he said her name. She liked the sound of it coming from his lips.
"You know that this isn't going to be easy. You know that many people won't accept this, especially at first."
Draco was silent for a moment, weighing how he was supposed to answer.
"Yes, Hermione, I know, but all we need to do is know each other, and then it won't matter how other's see us….Hermione?"
"Draco, I know." Draco looked at her.
"You know?"
"Yes. I found the book in your room. I know you gave me that potion that would show my deepest desire. I guess you found at before I did."
Draco laughed. Oh, he found out all right, and he enjoyed it.
Hermione had just one last question before she was going to bask in being held by Draco.
"What are we going to tell Harry and Ron?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe we should have the little Weasley tell them." Draco lightly laughed. Hermione hit him on the back with on of her hands she had wrapped around him playfully.
"Draco! How did you know she knew?"
"Well, I know girls, and they can never keep their mouths shut about some things."
Hermione glared up at him. This was definitely going to be an interesting relationship.
Well, that's that end. Wow. This story took more than a year and a half. I'm going to miss it! Well, I hoped you enjoyed it. Thank you for reading it.