What I\'ve Always Known

Disclaimer: I do not own anything but the plot. And my tan.

A/N: I am back! I realize this is a short chapter and the plot is degrading, but I wrote this quite some time ago and am posting it chapter by chapter, in hopes of feedback for future fanfics. Thank you for all your feedback its been very helpful and not at all nasty. Thank you all so much!


An Unexpected Visit

Hermione nodded numbly, things starting to make mind-blowing sense. She should be angry, she had every reason to. Yet, no matter how much she thought about it, all she could feel was relieved she had one less thing to figure out. Besides, Ron was obviously trying to be honest with her. They had come so far in the last week Hermione felt no desire to ruin it. In the past, they’d been through so much worse and made their way through with their friendship intact.

“Ron, I should be. I really should be furious with you,” Ron hung his head. “But, I’m not. I can’t fully explain or understand why, but I’m not. I’m just glad you told me. Thank you.” She stood on tip toe and lightly kissed his cheek. “Come one, let’s get back.”

Ron stood flabbergasted as Hermione made her way to the door. It was only when she slid the door open did she notice he was still standing rooted to the spot. She just shook her head when he started and hurried after her.

“Well how is that bloody owl? You’ve had time for a little funeral service you’ve been gone so long!” Ginny said when they finally sat back down in their compartment. Neville was gone and Ginny and Harry seemed to be trading Chocolate Frog cards.

“Well it doesn’t seem like you missed us too much.” Hermione raised an eyebrow. Harry’s hair was severely disheveled and Ginny’s muggle sweater was inside out. Ginny and Harry both flushed a deep purple. Ron merely looked from the pair of them back to Hermione, as though audience to an intense tennis match and clueless as the day is long.

“So, erm, got a Difiunkus card Ron? I’ve been looking for one.” Harry’s voice cracked several times.

“Oh yeah, what have you got that I need?” Harry grinned, his plan a success as Ron seated himself across from them and leaned over to survey Harry’s cards. Hermione shot Ginny a smug look and settled herself down in the far seat with Dragon Breeds of the Far East. The pages carried her through the remainder of the train ride, occasionally having to set the book aside when someone interesting dropped by to chat.

All too soon, the train came screeching to a halt and they were all saying their temporary farewells outside the wrought iron gates to Platform 9¾.

“Hermione, I’ll be owling you to invite you over later alright?” Ron said as she hugged him goodbye. “Mum will be fussing as soon as she realizes you’re not coming with us.”

“Alright Ron, I’ll be waiting. Bye Harry.” She hugged Harry next and waved goodbye to the Weasley’s as she climbed into her cab. She directed to driver to her address and leaned her head back against the seat. She breathed a deep sigh of relief and closed her eyes. The further they drove, the further away her problems seemed.

“Miss? We’re there. That’ll be 7 Pounds please.” The driver started Hermione out of a doze when the car jolted to a stop. Hermione rummaged through her bag for the muggle money at the bottom, thanked the driver and dragged her trunk out of the boot.

She had just taken out her wand to magic it up the steps when someone grabbed her wrist.

“Students aren’t allowed to use magic outside of school. You of all people should know that.” A silky voice said just behind her right ear.

Ice ran through Hermione’s veins. Did the man never quit?

“What are you doing here?” She snapped. She wrenched her wrist out of Draco’s grip and tucked her wand back into her jeans pocket before taking hold of one end of her trunk and dragging it up the walkway.

“Hermione stop being so bloody independent and let me help.” Draco moved to take the other end of her trunk before she could even object.

She threw him a hearty glare but let him help her carry it through the door. She set it in the front hall and turned towards him.

“Thank you for your help. Goodbye.” She opened the door for him but he simply crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. “Leave.”

“No.”

“Why?” Hermione was beginning to feel teary, though she didn’t know why.

“Because I want you to hear me out.”

Hermione snapped. She couldn’t remember the last time she had cursed, but if there ever was a time, it was now.

“Malfoy, I don’t give a shit what you do or don’t want. Get out of my house before I curse your oh-so-mighty Pure Blood arse back through my wall.”

Draco’s eyes were as wide as Galleons. She simply continued to glare and pointed towards the open door. Draco straightened up off the wall and dropped his arms, but made no move to follow her direction.

“How can I make this right?” He asked quietly.

“Take back the things you said to me. Take back the hurt you caused me. Take your knife out of my back and give me back the time I wasted thinking we were actually something.” Hermione stormed through her house and pushed the swinging door open to her kitchen, not caring if he left or not, just needing to be away from him.

She absent mindedly fixed herself some tea, listening for the door. She had already sat down at the table when she finally heard it close. Wondering what took him so long, she made her way back to the front hall. Her entire body tingled as she caught the faint scent of his cologne. Spotting nothing out of the ordinary, she sighed and started dragging her trunk upstairs to her room.

Half a grueling hour later, she collapsed on her bed, panting and covered in sweat, finally successful in maneuvering her Hogwarts things up her seemingly never ending staircase.

Giving herself time to catch her breathe, she tried to decide what to do with her time alone. Her parents were actually much more refined than people realized, so consequently she was never allowed to make much noise or eat unhealthily while her parents were around.

Devilish grin spreading over her face, she launched herself off her bed and nearly fell down the stairs in her rush to get to their stereo in the living room. Cramming a random CD into the tray, she cranked the volume and pressed play. A fast paced dance beat blared from the speakers and pulsed through the house.

Dancing like a lunatic, she decided to make herself something greasy for dinner. She was halfway through a pirouette when something on the front entry table caught her eye; a folded piece of parchment with her name written on it in elegant calligraphy writing.

She didn’t allow herself to stop and think about it. She merely scooped it up off the table, tucked it into her back pocket, and
danced her way into the kitchen.

Only after she had downed her meal of homemade pizza and turned down the music to watch an old movie on T.V. did she remember the letter in her pocket. She set her coffee down on the table and waited for a commercial break to unfold it. Muting the Rolaids commercial, she took a deep breathe and read the note:


Hermione,

I don’t deserve a second chance. I understand that. But please, just hear what I have to say. I can’t lose you. I won’t stop fighting for you Hermione. I’ll be back at midnight. I won’t force entry.

Forever Yours,

Draco


Hermione folded up the note and turned off the movie, no longer in the mood for noise. She simply sat and finished her coffee and toyed with the idea of taking a bath while she thought everything over. All she seemed to be doing these days is thinking about Draco. And not in the way she would prefer.

Hermione sat on the side of the filling tub, staring herself in the small clear patch on the fog covered mirror. Her cheeks were flushed from her previous flamboyant dancing, and her hair was wavy and tamed. The dark blue circles under her eyes were the only give-away of how much sleep she was getting.

She turned off the taps, stripped and lowered her body into the steaming water, sighing in contentment. She still had two hours
until midnight. Two hours to decide whether or not to lock the door on Draco forever.