Bad Romance - Time

The sun shone down on Hermione and she rolled up the sleeves on her blouse. It really was warm, she thought. She was sat on a bench in the courtyard, studying from a book as she waited for Ginny to come out from her Divination exam.

NEWTs were well on their way and soon it would be the end of the school year. The end of school forever, she thought and looked up and around at the old beloved building. A sad tingle in her chest.

She couldn’t believe that it was nearly the end. So much had happened. She’d been through so much. They all had.

She had three more exams left and then that was it. A long wait to she found out her results.

Then she was on her own, out in the big wide wizarding world.

It was a scary thought. After the war she had comforted herself with the fact that she had school to comfort her, school to house her and school to take her mind off everything. When school was over what would she have then.

The ministry. The thought popped into her head. After the summer she was to start her internship at the ministry in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

She had been so excited at the prospect. It would be challenging and she was aware that she would learn so much. But it was still sad to be saying goodbye to Hogwarts.

And at the moment she couldn’t feel any excitement, nor any emotion - other then misery.

It would be like saying goodbye to her childhood, not that she’d had much of a childhood with the war going on.

She looked up as Professor Vector told a fourth year off for climbing a tree. The same tree she had stood under when she had been asked to the yule ball by Krum. So many memories, she thought again.

She looked across the grounds towards the lake. Remembering the rest of the Tri-wizard tournament. Of waiting, with Krum at her side, for Ron and Harry to appear.

Hermione watched as she spotted Hagrid in the distance, she remembered the many tea parties they had had, helping him prep and plan for lessons. Helping him prepare a case for Buckbeak.

Her eyes swam with tears as vision and vision of memories came to her. All of them overpowering in emotion as she thought about saying goodbye.

Hermione looked around her once more and noticed that students seemed to be emptying from the school. The exams must be finished. A flash of blonde hair caught her eye and Hermione turned to watch as Malfoy walked across the courtyard and towards the back of the school, as if on his way to the dungeons.

Her heart contracted in her chest at the sight of him. They hadn’t spoken for weeks, not since that last argument in potions. It was better that way, Hermione told herself. She’d rather ignore him and have him ignore her.


Ginny walked out into the sun and gave Hermione a beaming smile.

‘How did it go, then?’ Hermione asked her friend. ‘Ok?’

Ginny shrugged. ‘I doubt it, I hate the subject!’

‘Why the grin then?’ Hermione asked, surprised.

‘Because, Hermione, my very dear friend,’ Ginny sat down next to Hermione and hugged her arm. ‘I have two more exams left and then it’s see you latter, Hogwarts - Harry, here I come!’

Hermione couldn’t help but laugh at Ginny. ‘You’re really not sad to be leaving?’

Ginny stopped laughing and looked at Hermione more closely. ‘Of course I am. I remember begging mum to let me come when it was Ron’s first year. I couldn’t wait to start school and learn all about magic... but the last few years here have not be a barrel of laughs. I still can’t walked down the corridor- you know....?’

Hermione reached her arm around Ginny and hugged her back. She did know. She had trouble walking down the corridor where Fred had died herself.

‘I just want to start the rest of my life, Hermione. Harry and I, we haven’t had time to just be together. School and then Horcrux searching. Now this year he’s out there,’ she pointed a finger in the direction of the gates. ‘And I’m here being a good student. Everything just got in the way.’

Hermione smiled. ‘Having him living at the Burrow is going to be handy then, isn’t it?’

Ginny pulled a face. ‘Not likely. New rule from mother. Harry has to move out!’

‘You are joking!’

Ginny shook her head. ‘Nope. Mum’s insisting that the two of us carn’t live together at the Burrow. Apparently I’m still her little girl and she doesn’t want Harry to take advantage of me.’

Hermione laughed. And couldn’t stop. Merlin, she hadn’t laughed like that in ages. Tears ran down her cheeks as students looked on and sent Ginny questioning looks.

Neville came over to see if everything was alright.

Ginny briefly explained to him what she had said.

‘Why is that funny?’ Neville asked with a confused look.

‘Oh... because it’’d be more of a case of Ginny taking advantage of Harry!’ Hermione explained.

‘To be honest, Hermione, I think mum knows that, she just doesn’t want to admit to it.’

Hermione wiped at the tears on her cheeks.

‘So what’s going to happen?’

‘Well, Harry has an idea, but I’m not to say till he’s spoken to you. He’s waiting till school is over to put the idea to you.’

‘Grimmauld Place? Harry, Ron and I?’

Ginny nodded. ‘I knew you’d be clever enough to guess.’

Hermione smiled. ‘It’s a good idea.’

---

Ginny yawned as she rounded the corridor. It was her last night in Hogwarts and her last night of head girl duties.

It had all ended so quickly in the end, she thought. She’d told Hermione that she wasn’t that sad to be leaving school but the truth was she was. Hogwarts, even though it held a lot of sad memories also house many happy ones.

She would miss it.

A flash of blonde caught her attention and with out thinking Ginny followed it. Her temper flared and her grip on her wand tightened. It was Malfoy!

He rounded another corner and Ginny, seeing her chance took a short cut and ran through a empty classroom to cut him up.

She burst from the door of the room and flew towards him. Before he had chance to register she was there her small fist flew out and punched him on the nose.

‘Bloody Merlin!’ Ginny groaned clutching her hand. That had hurt, what was his nose made of? Marble?

‘Fucking Hippogriff, Weasley! What the fuck was that for?’

Ginny forgot about the pain in her hand and took a step closer to him.

‘I think you broke my fucking nose!’ he cried, his hand covering his nose was covered in blood.

‘She’s my best friend, Malfoy!’ Ginny said in a angry tone. ‘Break her heart and I break you fucking face!’

She turned and left him there.

Breathing hard Ginny rushed back to Gryffindor tower, she didn’t care that she had just broken a lot of school rules. She had just seen Malfoy and reacted. Hermione wasn’t going to get her own back on the jerk, and Ginny was all about the revenge.

---

Hermione watched the loading of her trunk onto the train and gave a soft little sigh. That was it. Her life at Hogwarts was over. Completed.

She stood on the platform and watched as students rushed around. Saying bye to friends and checking their luggage to make sure nothing was being left behind.

The train wasn’t due to leave for London for another hour yet. Hermione had left Ginny to finish her packing.

She had somewhere she needed to go.

She walked past the station house and through the village. No doubt she’ll be back for a visit. She happened to have a fondness for Honeyduke’s sugar quills.

She walked past the three broom sticks. Memories of Harry, Ron and herself sitting, enjoying many a butterbeer came to mind. She continued on past the little shops and the well. She rounded a corner and stared at the Hog’s Head pub. She entered the dirty establishment and walked over to the bar.

Aberforth Dumbledore stood wiping down the bar top with a dirty rag.

‘Miss Granger,’ he greeted with a grunt.

‘Mr Dumbledore,’ she replied and then smiled. ‘I’m leaving, I thought I’d come and say goodbye.’

‘Why you saying goodbye to me when you have all them professors up at the school to say farewell to?’

‘I’ve already said my farewells to them and the school.’

‘What about him?’

Hermione didn’t try and pretend not to know who he meant. ‘I’ve been to see his portrait. I have to admit I take pleasure in hearing his voice.’

Aberforth grunted again.

‘I have something. It was given to me by your brother.’ She pulled out the old book, and handed it to the bar man. ‘I wondered if you would like it?’

Aberforth shook his head and tried to give Hermione the book back. ‘He gave it to you.’

‘He did,’ she nodded. ‘But for a purpose. That purpose has been achieved. I think you may find more enjoyment in it then I. All I wish is that if I ever wish to borrow it, you allow me to do so?’

‘You don’t know how much trouble this book caused when we were younger...’ he whispered.

‘Then maybe reading it again might help to heal old wounds?’ she suggested

Aberforth nodded his head and then slipped the book into the pocket of his apron.

Hermione, pleased with herself, left the pub and continued on her way. Instead of heading back to the station or the school she made her way up the hill. Towards the only building on the outskirts of the small village.

Hermione had never been this close to the building on the outside. It did look haunted and scary. Even in daylight. She walked towards what she presumed to be the front door and feeling foolish tried to turn the knob. It didn’t open.

Not that she’d expected it too.

Saying a quick spell the door soon opened and Hermione found herself walking up the stairs and towards the room, she and Malfoy had used.

When she pushed the door open she found she wasn’t alone.

Draco turned his head upon hearing her.

‘Sorry,’ she muttered. ‘I just came for the books I left.’

‘There,’ he nodded his head towards a pile on the table. He was putting some of his own into a bag.

Hermione lifted her wand and accio’d the books to her and into her bag so that she wouldn’t have to walk towards him. Draco watched her.

‘You used the front door?’ he commented.

She nodded. ‘I walked up, from the village.’

He nodded his head then closed his bag. ‘I might leave by that way.’

He turned and walked towards her. Hermione was stood in the door way and before she could move out of his way he had her trapped there as he made to go past.

His ice, cold eyes seemed to burn into hers. ‘Have a nice life, Granger, won’t you?’

‘Are-are you leaving for America?’ she stuttered.

‘In a week,’ he whispered softly.

‘Will you ever come back?’ she hated herself for asking but she had a need to know.

‘If I ever find something to come back for, I might.’

What about finding something worth staying for, she wanted to cry out at him, suddenly angry.

‘Well, do stay out of trouble, Malfoy, after all you will be representing the U.K..’ And with that she pushed past him and out of the creepy shack.

Hermione ran all the way back to the village, trying to keep the angry tears she felt at bay.

She made her way to the station and lent against a wall, trying to catch her breath before boarding the train. She needed to calm down.

‘Miss Granger.’ Hermione opened her eyes at the sound of her name being called. She turned to face her favourite professor.

‘Professor McGonagall.’

‘It’s Minerva, dear, you’re not a student any more.’

‘Thank you,’ Hermione said and quickly wiped away a stray tear, hoping that Minerva didn’t notice.

It failed.

‘Hermione, what’s the matter?’ Minerva’s voice held concern in it’s tones.

‘Just sad to be leaving school..’

Minerva gave a soft smile. ‘I could well believe that, dear, if you hadn’t been so quiet these last few weeks. You’ve not been yourself, Hermione.’

‘It’s just school, and...and things-’ Hermione bit her lip, not wanting to suddenly let out the sob that was threatening to leave her.

‘Are you sure?’

Hermione nodded.

Minerva frowned and gave another soft smile. ‘You’ve made me very proud, Hermione, I just wanted to let you know that.’

Hermione’s eyes widened. ‘Why... Thank you.’ she whispered. She was touched, Hermione held great respect for Minerva MaGonagall and to be told that she was proud of her, well, it eased a little bit of the sadness inside her.

‘I’m also sure you’ve made your parents very proud too.’

Hermione nodded. ‘They want me to join them for the summer, in Australia,’ she explained.

‘It seems like a good idea.’

‘I can’t... I have so much to prepare for, the ministry and... and...’

‘You don’t have to explain yourself to me. I’m sure you’ll make all the right decisions. The train is leaving in a few minutes. I just wanted to say goodbye.’

‘Goodbye,’ Hermione whispered as Minerva McGonagall walked away, supervising the students boarding the train.

Hermione followed and made her way on to the train herself. She spotted Malfoy going into a compartment and turned away, heading for the opposite direction.

She soon found Ginny and Neville, sat in a compartment with a few other Gryffindor’s and Luna.

Hermione sat down next to Ginny and listened to all their endless chatter. Life kept moving on, she thought, time didn’t stand still for a bruised and broken heart.

A hand suddenly held hers and Hermione looked up to find Ginny looking at her, concern in her soft eyes.

Hermione bit her lip again as tears threatened and Ginny squeezed her hand in quiet support. She rested her curls on Ginny’s firm shoulder and closed her eyes. She was so tired, so miserable. She wished she could wake up and everything be over.

---

A/N; Poor Hermione!!! I got a little sad when writing this chapter :(. I know you're all cursing Malfoy... and I am too but he does have his reasons, I promise.

I love writing fluff and hate writing angst - but somehow that's what I alwasy tend to write. I will try and get a bit of fluff in there somehow. I have the next chapter written but it needs a lot of editing so it might be up toda it might not....

Please leave a review - I love reading them and again a big big thankyou to everyone who has reviewed so far.... you all make me happy :)