Nicest Thing

Songs:

The stars indicate where the song belongs.

*** Lily Allen – Not Fair
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xfv52SEgCNA

********** Lily Allen – Back To The Start
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DuVt1k8bdM

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***
It was as if the entire wizarding world had become cattle to the press and gossip. Every morning Hermione would be faced with several reporters – stalking her just outside her home – asking about the break-up, supposed break-up, and if she had any comment about Draco and his supposed engagement with Pansy. She wouldn’t respond and Apparate as quickly as she could. Crookshanks’ favorite flower bed had been destroyed by the feet on one reporter, resulting in her squashed faced feline to pounce on the reporter and proceed to claw his eyes out. He deserved it and Hermione did nothing to stop it.

The Ministry was just as the rest of the world was. Photos of the slap she had given Draco emerged in almost every newspaper, outside the Quibbler – which she had a feeling was out of Luna’s request and threats to sick a cloud of Nargles at her father if he printed one thing about Hermione and Draco. She appeared through the Floo at one point, annoyed by having to be hassled by the group of reporters stationed outside the large red phone box.

Like cattle, she moved with the crowd and ducked her head every time the large projection put up another article by Skeeter about Hermione or Draco, or both. Her colleagues had once pressed her for details but after a very loud howler from Ginny, not to mention Hermione threatening to hex their bollocks off, they ceased. They even stopped talking to her beyond the usual formalities as to the bills she was passing. Her office had once been clean and organized – not sat in disarray. She spent her entire time in the office, shut it and out from the world.

Every once in awhile Gretel would bring her the Prophet – along with lunch – but Hermione would toss all of it into the bin beside her desk. The Falmouth Falcons were getting much more press than usual because of Draco and he seemed to fit right back into his world. Flaunting around with various witches of every ethnicity and caught snogging them silly only seemed to make her angry and slam things. She had caught the tail end of a conversation from a colleague that Draco had proposed to Pansy.

“She deserves him,” Hermione grumbled as she passed but once she got into her office and slammed the door, tears began to flow down her face.

The Prophet highlighted the engagement for three solid weeks – photos and interviews of Pansy trying on dresses, going out to dinner with Draco and his parents – not that she wanted anything to do with him or his parents, but the bright sparkler on her ring finger caused her alarm. She shut herself in her office for several days on end, having Gretel push her paper and mail through a makeshift vent in the door.

“Hermione?” A small rapping on her door broke her from the latest law she was reviewing. It was Ginny.

Hermione shoved herself from her desk and opened the door for her friend. Her eyes bulged at the size of Ginny, she had never known before but the red head was VERY pregnant. How could she not have noticed? Oh right, because she had secluded herself from the world because of that damn hippie git.

“Hey, Gin. Come in,” Hermione smiled, faking it of course, as she held the door open.

Ginny sniffed the stale air and the dark room before her bright green eyes landed on Hermione. She took her wand out and waved it, the curtains drawing up and fresh air wafted through the open windows.

“Blimey ‘Mione. What have you been doing to yourself?” Ginny asked, looking over Hermione’s disheveled look.

“Working,” Hermione responded with a shrug, “Do you want tea?”

“No. Pumpkin juice would be lovely. Silly James won’t stop kicking,” Ginny said with a huff as she sat down in an empty chair and let herself sigh with relief of the weight.

“You shouldn’t be walking when you’re about to pop,” Hermione scolded, pouring her friend some juice in a goblet and handing it to her.

“That’s what Harry says and I say ‘bugger off Harry, I’m pregnant not incapable.’ Of course, it doesn’t phase him anymore. I think my mood swings make him happy,” She shrugged and took a heavy sip.

“So,” Hermione looked around anxiously, “What are you doing here? I mean, not that it’s not a pleasure to see you. I was just about to owl you to go to lunch…”

“No you weren’t,” Ginny interrupted with a knowing look, “You’ve been secluding yourself from everyone. Did you even know Ron got on bended knee and asked Luna to marry him?”

Hermione gawked, she hadn’t. Oh Merlin, what did she do to herself!

“He sent an announcement,” Ginny added, watching Hermione shift through piles of mail she hadn’t opened.

Right there was the envelope made out to her in Luna’s loopy scrawl. She felt guilty at that point and sat at her desk with her hands holding her head up.

“I’m a right mess, Gin.” She whispered, with a sad sigh, “I’ve been a mess since…”

“Hermione,” Ginny said quietly, rising from her very pregnant sit, “You’re in love with him…”

“What?” Hermione looked up at him, “No. No. No. I’m not. I’m just…I’m confused. We argued when we returned to my cottage and…went ended up shagging.”

Ginny grinned, “How was it?”

“Bloody brilliant,” Hermione said with a sigh, looking at her friend’s bright smile and she couldn’t help but smile as well. “We’re through though.”

“You said you weren’t together to begin with,” Ginny recalled, shifting through Hermione’s mail. “Or was that another one of your denials?”

“Oh shut up, Gin. It’s too hard to…” Hermione leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes, “Not that it matters anymore. He’s made it quite clear that he’s not interested and he’s getting married and…”

“No he’s not,” Ginny replied with a laugh, “Since when do you take what Rita Skeeter says in the Prophet as fact? Pansy has been feeding that bint for weeks about their ‘supposed’ marriage.”

“What?”

“Yeah. I ran into Draco a few weeks back – at some Quidditch gala – which you didn’t attend although I sent tickets for you. Imagine having Luna there with you, I couldn’t get a word in edgewise to half the people I was supposed to talk with.” Ginny laughed and took another seat, resting her hands on her large belly, “Anyway, I ran into him…he was alone…and he looked a right mess himself.”

“Probably just got done shagging Quidditch slags to oblivion,” Hermione muttered, listening to Ginny cackle in front of her.

“I saw him and he let me interview him about the World Cup – which is in a few weeks by the way, Harry and I got seats in the Minister’s box. Ron and Luna are coming too. You should come, but that means you’ll have to leave this dusty office of yours.”

“Just get on with what you’re saying, Gin.” Hermione mumbled, watching her friend grin at her and clear her throat.

“Oh, right. Well, after the usual rounds of questions he asked how you were doing,” Hermione quirked a brow but tried not to seem interested, “I told him I hadn’t heard from you in awhile and that you probably were busy with work. He just nodded and looked away. I asked about Pansy, why she wasn’t there, and he said that they weren’t a couple. Apparently, Pansy had the sick notion that he was going to marry her, went off and bought a ring and started flaunting it off. He was none to happy about it…”

“But he didn’t set the record straight, maybe he’s changed his mind,” Hermione interrupted, pulling out her mail and going through it.

“Why should he? I mean, it’s not like he has anyone to be with…anyone he wants,” Ginny looked at Hermione, who had begun to pile her mail into piles.

“He can get anyone he wants, Gin. He’s a bloody Malfoy.”

“He can’t get you,” Ginny said sheepishly, watching Hermione look up from her mail, “He didn’t seem at all interested in other women and just kept asking about you….You should owl him.”

“Not in my lifetime,” Hermione grumbled, continuing to sort her mail, “How’s Harry by the way?”

“I’m not here to talk about Harry, Hermione,” Ginny leaned closer, “I’m here to talk about you.”

“Ginny, I don’t need relationship advice from a pregnant former Quidditch star,” Hermione replied firmly, setting her mail to the side, “Draco Malfoy would think less of me then he would of you. I’m glad I don’t see him anymore. He deserves whatever he gets.”

“Right,” Ginny nodded sadly and rose, holding her hand out when Hermione rose to help her, “Pregnant not incompetent.”

They smiled at one another, Ginny laughing a little. She pulled out a small envelope and placed it on Hermione’s desk, “Sometimes, we need a little help to get what we want…Can’t leave everything to the fates. If we could – I’d already pop James out and be well on my way to recovery. But no, this little bugger is determined to mooch off of me until the very last minute. Stupid Potter genes. Anyway, I’ll owl you later for lunch.”

“Ginny,” Hermione walked around her desk and hugged her friend closely, “I’m so happy for you. So happy that you have Harry and a baby and…”

“Don’t get sentimental on me, ‘Mione. Or else I might think you’re pregnant and going through mood swings,” she quirked an eye, but both broke out in laughter.

“I’ll owl you later,” Hermione confirmed, waving to Ginny as she stumbled across the hall, wobbly and shouting at people to get out of the way.

She turned and sighed, shutting the door quietly. Her eyes landed on the envelope that was addressed to her in a familiar scrawl. She held her breath and walked to it, picking the thick thing up with her hand. Her fingers skimmed over the writing and she exhaled, tossing the letter into the bin. It was time she got over herself and return to her life. She had spent the last few weeks sulking over some one who would never be serious, let alone look at her as other than a mudblood know-it-all. It was time to start new.

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Standing in her living room, Hermione had her hair pinned up in a pony tail with her hands on her hips. She let a small smile escape her lips and decided to change. Not just herself, but everything else around her. Wallpaper went flying as she began, levitating the large furniture out of the way before transfiguring them into miniature versions. Crookshanks sat by the door, in his favorite flower bed, and watched as Hermione tore down things in her house.

Boxes of trash and pictures littered the ground, as the carpet she and Draco had shagged on was rolled up and thrown into the large bin outside. She sighed and wiped sweat from her brow before retreating back into her cottage where she pried open several pints of paint. Tying a white handkerchief to her hair, Hermione dipped her paint roller into a cream colored paint and began smearing it onto the wall.

Like covering up bad scars, Hermione changed the entire outlook of her cottage. No longer a clouded brown, the light cream paint made the room look happy and changed. She looked down at the carpet under her feet and twisted her lips to one side before making a decision. Getting on her hands and knees, she pried the carpet up and began rolling it to one side of the room, revealing lovely brown wood underneath. She remembered putting carpet in when she moved in – because she liked the feel of it beneath her toes, but now it was time for change.

Scrubbing the wooden floor to a shine, Hermione skidded around it and laughed when Crooks tried to pad across it as well but slipped and fell because it was wet. She reached out and grabbed him, hugging him close to her while he mewed for freedom. When day faded into night, she sat on the floor with a box as a make-shift table. Drinking a glass of wine and dining on chicken and pasta, Hermione looked around at the empty room. She smiled and retired for the night.

“Things are going to be different, Crooks,” Hermione mumbled against her pillow, rubbing her ginger cat as he snoozed on the side of her, “I’m a new woman.”

The cat looked up at her and wheezed, as if he were laughing at her. Hermione twisted her lips to the side and laughed, “You really are such a beautiful cat.”

Crooks mewed and rolled onto his back, wanting her to pet his stomach. She did heartily and sighed, “I do admit I was wrong. I bottled everything up and…that’s not healthy. No more, Crooks, no more.”

The cat yawned and squirmed a little before he began to doze off. Hermione sighed and rolled onto her side, snapping her fingers as the lights turned off.

The next several weeks flew by quickly. She rummaged through a box and found the emerald green and silver pinwheel she had bought Draco and sighed. Leaning back on her heels, Hermione looked outside into her garden and rose. She planted the pinwheel in Crooks’ favorite flower bed. A gust of wind blew past and turned the pinwheel in circles quickly. She found herself mesmerized by the memories the pinwheel had and smiled lightly. Draco holding her hand, arguing with the vendor, the rain, the kiss, the morning after. Closing her eyes as the wind surrounded her, Hermione took a breath and retreated back into her cottage, closing the door as the pinwheel spun quicker.

Hermione finished her living room, making it look brighter and less cluttered. Books were lined up along the wall in alphabetically order, photos of her and her friends and family lined the walls around the fireplace. On her mantel she had a picture of her, Harry and Ron from their third year, out looking over the Black Lake.

She went to lunch with Ron and Luna, to congratulate them on their upcoming nuptials, but found herself staring at the couple with envy. Ron sat with his arm around his future bride, a shining ring on his finger – which she should have told him he wore AFTER he married her, but she’d let him flaunt his status of being taken. She felt happy for them, for Harry and Ginny.

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Molly Weasley called a few days later, telling her that Ginny had gone into labor. Rushing around her house, Hermione ran into a wall as she grabbed her scarf to go to the hospital for James’ birth. Ginny was screaming at Harry when she arrived, blaming him for getting her pregnant but he was too happy to argue and kept agreeing with her while she huffed and pushed out a very beautiful baby boy.

As if the calm after the storm, Ginny’s rage subsided at the sight of baby James and she let out a proud sob cradling him to her chest. Hermione was there brushing Ginny’s wet hair from her forehead and whispering how she did a good job. Ginny smiled at Hermione and leaned over to peck her on the cheek. James had a tuff of black hair and deep blue eyes, as did most babies, yet he looked exactly like Harry but with Ginny’s nose. He was adorable and he was the product of Ginny and Harry’s love.

As happy as she was for them, she felt envy and sadden. Her best friends were moving on and she…she was starting over. Ginny surprised her when she and Harry asked her to be godmother to little James. She couldn’t say no and had the opportunity to hold James in her arms, rocking him back and forth as he cooed. What a wonderful baby. Ron shook Harry’s hand but his face fell when there was another visitor.

Hermione stared in shock as Draco Malfoy entered the room, carrying a stuffed lion and flowers. He wore expensive dress robes of midnight blue that accentuated his cobalt eyes. Ginny called his name and rose from her bed as he approached and smiled. He didn’t look at Hermione beyond a glance.

“What the bloody hell is he doing here?” Ron hissed into Harry’s ear.

“Don’t ruin the birth of my son, Ron.” Harry warned in a deep voice, smiling at Draco, “Nice that you came.”

“Of course, my mum was nearly screaming my head off that Ginny was having the baby,” he said lightly, shaking Harry’s hand. “I’m not good with gifts so…”

He handed the stuffed lion to Ginny, who let out an explosive sob – causing everyone to quirk an eyebrow but her to wave her hand.

“Hormones, ignore me!” She laughed, as did everyone but Hermione and Ron, “Thank you Draco. It’s lovely.”

Draco turned and looked at Hermione but his eyes were averted to the bundle of James that she held. He approached quietly and peeled back the blanket to look at Harry and Ginny’s son. He smiled and Hermione couldn’t help but smile too.

“Hello, baby,” He cooed, causing her to stifle a laugh, “May I?”

Ginny nodded and Hermione felt Draco pick James up from her arms and held him. She had to admit that he looked even more attractive holding a baby, but she had to push those thoughts from her head. Ron was red in the face but even he looked more calm with Draco’s smile and rocking of James. She couldn’t take it anymore and excused herself, pushing past Molly.

She needed air. Hermione took a breath as she stepped outside and batted away tears. She had gotten over him, hadn’t she? She had convinced herself that they were nothing and she didn’t need him. Yet, with him there looking like that…how could she not get those ruddy feelings. Feeling of Lo –

Hairs on the back of her neck raised as Draco stepped outside, pulling his hands into gloves. She could feel his eyes on her but he said nothing but merely turned and walked the other direction down the street. With a small faint pop he was gone from her life and her world. Hermione brought her hands to her face and let out a small sob, stifling it before anymore could come. She needed to be strong and happy for Harry and Ginny.

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Her return to work was explosive as she no longer followed the cattle of people and walked briskly, happily through the crowd. Photographs of her and Draco were no longer the talk of the town, as Theodore Nott had been appointed Potions Master after Slughorn retired and was now making headwind. She nodded to Gretel, who smiled at Hermione.

“Your mail,” she said in a thick accent, handing Hermione a stack.

“Thank you, Gretel,” Hermione replied, taking the mail as she entered her office.

No longer dim and covered with paper, it was bright and the curtains were lifted. Everything looked brighter…happier. Hermione was happy. She shuffled through her mail and went to work as she normally did. A few people annoyed her when they came by to ask if she had gotten their memo, she had and showed the, then there was the annoying boy Dennis from circulation who kept asking her to lunch. She had put off boys for a long while and wanted to get her own life in order after that…after Draco.