Bad Romance - Time

The next day Hermione looked for Draco every where she went. During breakfast in the great hall she had spotted him at the Slytherin table, she’d sent him a look that she hoped he’d understand. He’d stared at her for a slow moment before getting up and leaving.

It was then that the funny feeling in her stomach started. It felt like uncertainty but Hermione couldn’t be sure.

For the rest of the week she had hardly saw him and when she’d finally managed to get a note to him to meet her at the shack he didn’t show up.

It was then that the gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach grew.

The following day she was sat at the Gryffindor table, eating her lunch when she saw Draco walk past the door and out into the grounds.

Not stopping to explain herself to her friends she had put down he folk and followed him.

He continued on his way, past the Whomping willow and towards the forest.

Hermione wondered why he was going to the forest?

‘Draco?’ she shouted once she was sure they were out of sight of the school. ‘Wait!’

He came to a stop at the edge of the forest but didn’t turn around. Hermione ignored the doubt that was building inside her and stepped towards him.

‘Draco, what’s wrong?’

‘What makes you think anything is wrong?’ he asked, finally looking at her.

His face wore no expression and his eyes seemed cold, Hermione couldn’t help but shiver.

‘Why are you avoiding me? Didn’t you get my note?’

‘Yeah, but I had homework to do.’

‘Couldn’t you have done it at the shack?’ she asked, frowning. She really didn’t like the feeling she was getting from him. He seemed so different for the man that had taken her into his arms only a few day ago.

‘I needed a book from the library?’

‘What’s going on?’ she asked finally, her voice growing hard.

Draco looked down at the floor by her feet. ‘Nothing?’

‘Why are you avoiding me?’ she asked again.

‘Jeez, Granger! You sound like a parrot.’

At the sound of him calling her by her surname Hermione took a step back. ‘Draco?’ she questioned.

He suddenly lifted his eyes to hers and sighed. He lifted his hand and ran it through his blonde hair.

‘Listen, I didn’t think when the time came you’d be this much of a pain.’

‘What?’ she gasped. ‘I-I don’t understand?’

‘I’m finished. It was fun, good even but you and I both know that it was only ever temporary.’

‘I-I- Draco?’

‘It’s over with, Granger! We had our bit of fun.’

Hermione felt dizzy and with the dizziness came the feeling that she was going to be sick. He couldn’t be serious, could he?

‘I don’t understand?’ she repeated in a quiet voice.

He sighed. ‘We said we’d see how far this thing between us goes.... well this is it!’

‘But-but we said till the end of the school year-’

‘Or till one of us get bored and guess what, Granger, I’m fucking bored!’

She heard the crack. She was sure of it. Her heart had stopped, she was sure she heard it crack.

She looked at him, trying to see deep into his eyes but he blinked and wouldn’t let her.

‘I don’t believe you,’ she whispered.

‘Well, believe this, I’ve had you and I don’t want you again. You’re lucky, many girls can’t hold my attention for as long as you have - you should be honoured!’ He gave her the well known Malfoy smirk.

It was that smirk that heated her blood and suddenly had her realising how angry she was. ‘Why are you being so hurtful, Malfoy?’

At the sound of his surname his eyes widened. ‘Because it’s the only way to make you see sense.’

‘Sense?’

‘We both said it was going to be fun, no commitment, You knew that. It was just harmless fun to explore the attraction we both felt for the other. What else were you expecting?’

‘I’m not sure,’ she whispered. ‘If I hadn’t slept with you, would we still be having this conversation?’

‘What do you think?’ his eyes narrowed.

Hermione gasped for breath. This was too much she though as she tried to ignore the pain in her chest.

‘You haven’t changed after all!’

He shook his head.

‘You’re a liar and a user!’

‘I never said I wasn’t.’

She closed her eyes as another wave of dizziness hit her. ‘Draco, don’t!’ She hated herself for begging.

She felt rather then heard him sigh and when she opened her eyes he was stood as close to her as could be.

‘It was fun,’ he whispered. ‘But it can’t go on.’ He lifted up a hand and gently touched it to her cheek. ‘I’m sorry.’

Hermione opened her mouth to say something, anything, but he placed a finger over it. ‘Don’t bother.’ he whispered and then he was walking away.

Hermione’s hand found it’s self wrapping around her wand. She wanted to hex him! She thought. She wanted him to suffer like she was. How could he just walk away so casual? As if nothing had happened, as if it hadn’t meant anything to him?

Didn’t he realise that he had just hurt her? Didn’t he care?

Obviously not, she told herself.

She wrapped her arms around herself, keeping tight hold of her wand. She really was stupid, she thought as she walked back to the castle. A first class idiot!

She’d walked straight into Malfoy’s scheme with both eyes open and had no-one to blame for her pain but herself. It was obvious to her now that Malfoy had never really cared for her... She didn’t doubt that it had been his plan all along to get her into his bed. To fuck her at her own expense. and then to just throw her away like a broken broom.

It was just something he would do out of spite, to get at her.

He really hadn’t changed and she’d been a fool to believe differently.

---

Hermione rushed into the Gryffindor common room, didn’t spare her friends a glance and rushed up towards the seventh year girl’s dormitories.

She walked to her bed, flicked off her shoes and sat down. She brushed a hand through her brown curls and then held them out in front of her to watch them shake.

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes and Hermione breathed deeply to try and keep them from falling.

A sound at the door had her looking up. She watched as Ginny looked around the door, saw Hermione and walked in.

‘What’s wrong?’ she asked a look of concern on her face.

‘Nothing,’ Hermione said quickly. ‘I have headache, too much reading in the library.’

‘You really aren’t a good liar, you know?’

‘Not now, Ginny. I’m just going to go bed early.’ Hermione turned her head away so that Ginny wouldn’t be able to see the tears shining in her eyes.

She so wanted to confide in her friend. She wanted to cry and shout and have Ginny listen to her call Malfoy all the names under the moon. But the look she knew she would see on Harry and Ron’s faces if they ever found out stopped her.

She couldn’t take the chance of them knowing, not now that there wasn’t really anything to know. She’d just humiliate herself.

She just didn’t get him! Why had he all of a sudden changed? Why had he turned back into the horrible cold snake he was before?

She had thought that they were having fun, like he’d told her he wanted. Was this all because she hadn’t slept with him straight away, hadn’t really encouraged him? She had believed him when he had told her that he wouldn’t pressure her - and he hadn’t. So why had he all of a sudden changed his mind about them spending time together and ‘having fun’? Was one quick fuck all he’d ever been after?

---

This was horrible, Hermione thought to herself as she stood listening while Professor Slughorn gave his plans for the days lesson.

She could sense Malfoy just a few feet to the left of her. She wouldn’t look at him, she told herself as she kept her back tensed and her head straight. She wouldn’t give in and look at him.

‘So saying, I would like you to pair up and begin the potion,’ Slughorn finished and the class as a whole seemed to move. ‘But!’ Slughorn continued raising his voice. ‘I’ll be pairing you up. I want to see what you come up with when you are paired with somebody you might not usually work with.’

At his words a terrible feeling washed over Hermione.

Slughorn reeled off a list of names and when he called Neville’s, along with a boy from Slytherin, Neville let out a little sigh.

‘Now, now, Longbottom, you can not monopolise all of Miss Granger’s skill for your own means.’

Neville moved off to work with his new partner and Hermione gave a silent moan when Ginny was partnered with a fellow Gryffindor.

When Slughorn turned and looked at her she knew instantly what he was going to say. She began shaking her head.

‘Miss Granger and Mr Malfoy.’

‘No!’

‘Miss Granger?’ Professor Slughorn looked shocked.

‘I’m sorry, Professor but you can not ask me to work with him.’ She still wouldn’t look at him.

‘That’s why I am telling, Miss Granger, and not asking.’ Slughorn narrowed his eyes. ‘There’s not a problem is there?’

‘No, sir,’ Malfoy said coming to stand next to Hermione. ‘As long as you know Granger will be taking credit for my work. I’m far better at Potions then her.’

Hermione couldn’t even think up a good reply. Slughorn moved away from the table and Hermione found herself rooted to the spot.

Draco lit the fire under their cauldron. He went to the store cupboard to collect the ingredients they would need. When he got back to their work space he began to cut up the Ginger root to be used.

‘Am I going to do all of the work?’ he asked softly.

Hermione stayed silent. She was scared of what she might say if she spoke.

He sighed and poured some water into the cauldron before dropping in three pieces of the root. ‘Guess so, then.’

Hermione lifted up her wand and tapped it on the side of the cauldron twice. ‘Don’t be flippant!’

‘Flippant?’

She nodded. ‘Yes, don’t be witty or nice. Don’t even speak to me!’ she warned.

‘If that’s what you want?’ he replied.

She nodded again and began to crush some dragon scales.

They worked in silence for a few minutes until Hermione couldn’t help herself any longer.

‘You’re a swine, Malfoy!’ She whispered to him as they stood side to side.

‘I know.’

‘Was it all just a game?’ Hermione stirred the potion.

He shook his head slowly.

‘Was it all a laugh at my expense? To see if you can get the stupid mudblood to fall for you and when she does crush her?!’

‘It wasn’t like that! You have to know it wasn’t like that!’ He stopped tidying away and looked at her.

‘I don’t know nothing. So much for everyone thinking I’m clever. I’ve been stupid about you. What was your idea, Malfoy? Were you just trying to see if you could get us all thinking you had changed? That the war had made you different?’

‘I have changed!’ He said so quietly that Hermione didn’t hear him. He poured some potion into a vial and push the stopper in.

Hermione snatched the vial out of his hand. ‘You’re still the horrid little ferret you’ve always been and I should have hexed you in third year, not punched you.’ In her frustration she gave a little stamp of her foot before walking to Slughorn’s desk and placing their potion upon it. She then collected her bag and books and left the class room. Not caring that she might end up being in trouble for leaving a lesson a full ten minutes early.

---

Hermione wiped the tear from her cheek and quickly cast a drying spell on her face, as well as a quick glamour, when she heard foot steps approaching.

‘I’ve been looking for you everywhere,’ Ginny said as she sat on the cold stone step next to Hermione.

Their where in Gryffindor tower just before the common room in a little nook that many of the students used for privacy.

Ginny reached for Hermione’s hand and gave it a squeeze. ‘Wanna talk?’ she asked softly.

Hermione shook her head.

‘Hermione, even with the glamour I can tell you’ve been crying.’

Hermione winced. ‘I’ve never been able to do them as good as you.’

Ginny shook her head. ‘Dosn’t matter. I doubt I’ll ever do a healing spell as good as you.’

Silence froze the air around them as the two friends sat side by side.

‘What’s gone on between you and Malfoy, Hermione?’ Ginny finally asked. Her voice was serious and had a tone to it that Hermione recognised Mrs Weasley having when she wanted no nonsense. ‘I’m not stupid and you already know that I know something is going on. I’ve noticed things, remember?’

‘I can’t - I can’t tell you...’

Ginny sighed and squeezed Hermione’s hand tighter. ‘If I promise not to tell Ron or Harry will you tell me?’

Hermione looked at her friend and saw in Ginny’s eyes that she meant it. ‘I couldn’t ask you to do that. You shouldn’t keep secrets from Harry.’

‘I won’t be. He’ll find out eventually. I know you, Hermione, you’ll end up telling him.’

‘Not this I won’t.’

‘What is it?’ Ginny paused and moved even closer to Hermione. ‘I’m you’re friend and I want to help you. I can’t do that if you don’t tell me what’s wrong. I keep telling you I’m not stupid, Hermione - I know something is between you and Malfoy!’

Hermione let go of Ginny’s hands and covered her eyes. ‘There’s no point now, Ginny-’

‘Sure there is, if it’s making you feel this way. I saw you and Malfoy in potions today. I thought you were going to start a fire, the sparks were that hot.’

‘Merlin! Did anyone else notice?’ Panic gripped Hermione’s heart till she saw Ginny shaking her head.

‘No, I was the only one paying attention to you two. Everyone else was trying to get the potion right. Which you did, by the way. You didn’t wait for the marks.’

‘I couldn’t.’

‘Do you fancy Malfoy, Hermione? Is that it?’

Hermione couldn’t stop the quick laugh that escaped her. ‘Oh, Ginny!’

‘What then?’

‘It’s much more then that.’

‘What?’

‘I think I love him...’

‘You bloody what?!’ Ginny gasped. ‘But - But - This is Malfoy, right?’

Hermione nodded her head. Too late now she thought, she couldn’t keep it a secret from Ginny any longer - and Merlin! she didn’t want to. She wanted to confide in her friend, she wanted support and advice.

‘I don’t understand... I saw the looks and - and... But I just thought-? What’s happened?’

Hermione took a deep breath. ‘So much...’ she whispered. ‘He - I... We, well the sparks do fly when we’re around each other. They always have, I think...’ Hermione took another deep breath as Ginny listened. She explained about how, at the start of the school year, she had been feeling alone and left out. She then explained about watching Malfoy and he watching her. They she told her about the letters.

‘Wow,’ Ginny sighed. ‘I didn’t think Malfoy was that romantic?’

‘They wern’t romantic letters,’ Hermione corrected. ‘I’ll show them to you, if you want?’

‘I want!’ Ginny’s eyes lit up. ‘And of course they were. He was thinking about you so much that he just had to write you.’

Yeah, Hermione thought, he’d had hurting her and breaking her heart on his mind.

‘So what did you do then?’Ginny’s question broke into Hermione’s thoughts.

Hermione then explained about Malfoy’s little ploy of them spending time together, to explore their feelings and have fun.

Ginny frowned. ‘That... erm, Hermione, please tell me that you didn’t agree to it. It’s such a Malfoy idea and it sounds to me like Malfoy just wanted to have fun with you without any repercussions or commitment!’

Hermione burst into tears. She couldn’t help it. She berated herself for being so weak... for doing such a girly thing. She curled herself up as Ginny’s arms came around her and she murmured soothing words of comfort.

Finally she took another deep breath. ‘He seemed to have changed so much. He was sweet and we spent so much time together, studying or just talking. He even read to me a couple of times.’

‘So,’ Ginny coughed to clear her throat. ‘He didn’t just want sex then?’

Hermione was a little taken aback by the bluntness of Ginny’s question. After a while she answered. ‘It didn’t seem so... at first.’

‘At first?’ Ginny frowned.

‘We didn’t... I wasn’t ready.’

Relief washed over Ginny’s face. ‘So you haven’t slept with him?’

Hermione moved away from Ginny a little and looked down at her shoes.

‘Hermione?’

‘I did!’

‘Oh, Hermione!’

Hermione suddenly stood up. ‘I’m so bloody stupid, Ginny! I’m a idiot! He hasn’t changed - not at all!’

‘What happened?’

Hermione walked away a little and then turned to face Ginny, who was still sat down on the hard step.

‘Afterwards... well he was so, so tender-’

‘So he didn’t hurt you?’

Hermione shook her head, not wanting to share her tender moments with Draco with Ginny.

‘Then, the day after he was so cool towards me. I hardly saw him for a few days and then... he ended things. Said - Well it dosn’t matter what he said. Things are over and he’s still the horrible ferret he’s always been.’ She paused and then said softly. ‘And I’m a fool.’

Ginny stood up and went over to give Hermione a hug. ‘You’re not a fool, Hermione, you’re just confused and hurt.’

‘Well, It’s over with now. I’ve had my silly moment, which I’m going to put down to delayed stress of the war, and I’m going to just concentrate on my NEWTs. They’re what is important. Not some silly boy!’

Hermione gave Ginny a bright smile. Hoping to convince her friend that she would be ok.

‘You doen’t fool me, Hermione Granger.’ Ginny’s arms tightened. ‘I love you and I’m here for you, no matter what or who you fancy. Although I’m still in shock about everything. Malfoy - of all people. Are you sure you’re not going to tell Harry or Ron?’

Panic held Hermione tense. ‘You’re not going to tell them are you?’ she quickly asked.

‘No,’ Ginny rushed to say and shook her head. ‘Of course not, they’d go kill him. And it’s not for me to tell. I’ll keep your secret, Hermione. But, do you think Malfoy will?’

Hermione had been thinking this thought herself. She come to the conclusion that he’d stay silent. ‘I don’t think he wants any trouble, Ginny. He’s got plans to go abroad and Harry and Ron finding out about this could cause him trouble with the ministry. He needs access from the ministry to go, doesn’t he?’

Ginny nodded. ‘Then you can do what you wish and concentrate fully on your NEWTs.’

Yeah, Hermione thought, she’d concentrate on her NEWTs, she’d be the studious student she was known for being.

---

A/N; And just like that it's all over! Stupid Malfoy!!!! And his stupid reasons!!!! And Poor Hermione.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please let me know what you thought and again a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed :D I love reading all your comments xx