A Thousand Miles from Yesterday

John and Katie had gone out of their way to make tonight\'s party a success. They had even bought a mixture of beer and hard liquor, as all the guests except Ginny were of age… Well, in the Wizarding World at least! They had rented a cottage in Cornwell and wouldn\'t be back before Monday.

Draco and Hermione were pouring crisps into bowls, putting on the finishing touches and then opened the door from the kitchen to the living room and walking in. Draco smiled and gave the room an approving nod, now it was ready for a party. "How your parents smuggled firewhiskey and butter beer past the Wizengamot beats me… Hell, I don\'t dare drink it… If I\'m caught drinking wizarding beverages, I don\'t know the consequences…" He when over and picked up a bottle of ale instead and took a sip to test if it was worth drinking. "Tastes okay… Guess I stick with this then," making Hermione smile and pick up a butter beer. She raised it to his health and took a mouthful.



The whoosh from the fireplace told them there were incoming guests and soon Harry, Ginny and Ron stood in front of the fireplace dusting themselves off. Harry went over and gave Hermione a hug and Draco his hand. "Happy birthday, Mal… Well, hell… Draco!" Ginny gave him a kiss on the cheek as she congratulated him, making Draco grin and wink at Harry, who grinned back miming, "MINE!" Ron looked around the room and spotted the bar on the coffee table. "Blimey… You don\'t spare on nothing do you, Malfoy!" but grinned and grabbed a glass. He poured himself a doubled firewhiskey and walked over to Hermione, placing an arm round her waist and kissing on her cheek.



It was a little awkward at first, but soon they chatted and when Hermione turned on some music the party got going. They were all in a good mood, dancing around like crazy, singing along to Bucks fizz\'s song "Making you mind up," jumping around, laughing, drinking and having fun.



As the song changed to a slower song Draco and Hermione end up dancing as Ron danced with Ginny and Harry was fetching another beer. As Hermione meets Draco\'s eyes, she saw a Draco she hadn\'t seen since the trial: scared, woundable and hoping for her to save him. Ron didn\'t see a thing, but Ginny did and giggling asked why Ron didn\'t dance with his girlfriend instead of his sister and told him to cut in. With a tap on Draco\'s shoulder Ron smiled, "Can I borrow my date for a moment." Draco grinned and bowed, thanking Hermione for the dance with a smile and took a seat on the settee, his eyes still watching Hermione with a slightly covered longing. Harry and Ginny looked at each other; they had both seen the spark between \'Mione and Draco and were getting slightly worried.



As Ron and Hermione started dancing very close, Draco grimaced and made an excuse to go the bathroom. Hermione saw him go, but focused on Ron. However she couldn\'t keep her mind from racing and her heart from beating faster. Draco\'s plea had burned into her mind; did he really have feelings for her past friendship? She had to stop thinking about Draco; she was dancing with her boyfriend for crying out loud! But her heart wasn\'t in it and with a smile she said she was thirsty and needed a break. Ginny jumped right in and took her brother\'s hand. "Ohhh, I LOVE this song and Harry doesn\'t dance, please dance with me!" And Ron had no chance of saying no!



After a couple of songs Harry and Hermione began to worry. "You think he is alright, Harry?" Hermione cast a glance to the stairs. "He\'s been gone a long time…" Harry frowned and said they better go see. Making a joke to Ron about them thinking Draco had passed out and they would look for him, he and Hermione went upstairs. The door to his room was open and music floated into the hallway. Silently they moved closer and peeked in. Draco was sitting on the window-still, bitterly looking out into the dark, humming along to a slow song. As Hermione listened to the lyrics it felt like her heart was breaking in two.



"There\'s a light,

A certain kind of light

That\'s never shone on me

I want my life to be,

lived with you

lived with you

There\'s a way

So everybody says

To do each and every little thing

But what good does it bring

Have I ain\'t got you, ain\'t got,

Baby, baby



You don\'t know what it\'s like

Babe, you don\'t know what it\'s like

To love somebody

To love somebody

The way I love you



In my brain,

I see your face again

I know my frame of mind

You ain\'t got to be so blind,

and I\'m blind

So, so, so, blind



I\'m a man,

can\'t you see what I am

I live and I breathe for you

But what good does it do

If I ain\'t got you, ain\'t got...

Baby, baby



You don\'t know what it\'s like

Babe, you don\'t know what it\'s like

To love somebody

To love somebody

The way I love you



You don\'t know

You don\'t know



I want my life to be

Lived with you, with you, oh you baby



You don\'t know what it\'s like

You don\'t know what it\'s like

To love somebody

To love somebody

The way I love you



No, no, no baby please



You don\'t know what it\'s like

You don\'t know what it\'s like

To love somebody

To love somebody

The way I love you



You don\'t know

You don\'t know what is like"



Draco downed his beer in one swallow and jumped down from the window. He then saw them standing there looking at him and laughed it of with a "Finished snogging, eh...? Not kind to do in front of a lonely bachelor like me! Shame on you, Miss Granger." He then asked if there were more of these beer things as they have the funniest way of making his head spin and pushed by them heading back to the living room. "I believe he has fallen for you, \'Mione!" Harry whispered knowing all too well Ron and Hermione\'s relationship was heading down the drain anyway, not that Hermione knew yet, maybe he should tell her, as she kind of had a right to know. But now wasn\'t the right time, tonight it would ruin the party beyond a few shots of firewhiskey!

Hermione just stood there for what seemed forever. She knew… She knew that song was meant for her… And all her doubts were swept away. As Harry said, Draco had fallen for her, but the worse part was… She had too. She would keep pushing her feelings aside, but she had truly fallen for Draco Malfoy. She let out a mixture of a sob and a laugh. "This is quiet a mess, don\'t you think Harry?" and her best friend drew her in to a hug whispering that it seemed to be. After a minute or so Harry whispered that it would seem strange that Draco came back without them close behind. He squeezed her once and said, "Let get back \'Mione."



Back in the living room they found Ron and Draco in deep concentration over a game of Chess, Ron wearing only his pants, socks and shoes; Draco in much the same attire. Ginny sat in a comfy chair by the fire watching the two boys, consumed in muttered giggles. Harry looked at his girlfriend and whispered what the hell had they missed. "Ron and I found the chess game and Draco came in bragging about him never having lost a game… And somehow they ended up challenging each other to… to strip… STRIP CHESS!" Pressing a pillow to her face Ginny laughed so hard the chair shook. "Ah-ha… There goes you second bishop… and you shoes, Weasley!" Ron growled and threw his shoes to one side.

Harry and Hermione sat down staring at their friends as the two of them got more and more drunk and the game got more and more weird, ending with Ron using his knight to jump all Draco\'s pieces and declare checkmate as he slipped off the chair. Ginny had fallen asleep in her chair to Hermione\'s remorse, as the sight of Draco staring disorientated at the board, trying to figure out if that was part of the rules and Ron singing the Canon\'s theme song was worth a billion knuts. "I have to have a picture of this," Harry whispered and conjured up a camera, capturing the moment for later use, or misuse, he thought smirking.



"I\'ll better get those two Weasel\'s home… Think you can manage him?" Harry nodded at Draco, who was still staring at the board. Hermione nodded with a small laugh saying she would tell him they had had a great time, when he would understand what she was saying. As Harry woke Ginny, Draco suddenly yelled, "Hey… that\'s cheating!" Looking up to the empty chair, clearly wondering where Ron had disappear to, he then pushed the board further towards the vacant chair and placed his arms on the table and settled down seemingly to sleep. Harry and Ginny snickered and hooked their arms under Ron\'s, saying goodnight to Hermione, who was leaning against the fireplace shaking her head as she wished them pleasant dreams.



As they disappeared she walked over to the empty chair, sitting down and looking at Draco\'s sleeping figure. "What am I going to do with you?" Gently she shook his shoulder, calling his name and saying he would be more comfortable in his bed. Finally his eyes fluttered and he lifted his head, looking confused. Then his eyes slowly widen and he blinked. "Oh… Oh my God… I\'m… I think…" Leaping off the chair so fast it tipped right over, he tumbled over to the stairs, climbing them on hand and feet and smashed open the door to the bathroom, just in time he clutched onto the loo.



When Hermione came up he sat leaning up at the cold wall, eyes closed, sweating and shaking. She had been to Fred and George\'s parties so many times she was used to people not holding down the liquor. She found a cloth and ran it under the water before wiping his forehead in a nurturing way. "Was… Was I embarrassing?" Draco stuttered more clear-minded than just ten minutes ago. "A little… But don\'t worry, we won\'t tell on you… Ready to get to bed?" Hermione whispered and Draco frowned then tried to get up with Hermione helping him to his feet. "Just need to brush my teeth first… Go on… I think I can manage." Draco leaned on the sink as Hermione let him go.



"Come by my room to say goodnight, will you?" She asked before leaving and was please when he nodded.





She was laying on her stomach reading as he knocked on the doorpost. She closed the book and tucked it back under her pillow, making Draco smirk and tilt his head. "What ARE you read that is so shameful that I can\'t even have a glance." Clearly more steady on his feet, he smirked and started to walked over, a determined look in his eyes.



"No… Draco… No… I mean it! It\'s private… Draco!" Hermione crawled up and sat down on her pillow in a desperate attempt to keep it private, but Draco just sat down in front of her and began sliding a hand under the pillow. In panic she grasped the book and held it over her head, but that just made him lean in on her. As she struggled he somehow ended up on top of her grinning as he finally got hold of the book. Frowning as he read the book title, he looked into a panting Hermione\'s eyes realizing he was lying on top of her, feeling her heart beating fast against his chest. "Ron is a lucky man," he whispered and let go of the book, pushing himself off her as Hermione closed her eyes. "But he should teach you… You shouldn\'t learn something so personal from a book." He felt a jolt of lust run through his body, but didn\'t move on it. Standing up again he smiled and apologized for not accepting her privacy, wished her a good night and left.



Hermione\'s heart was racing, threatening to break out of her chest, shivering as she imprinted how his body felt against her own and shocked that she felt more desire for Draco that she had ever felt for Ron. Clenching her fist tight she once more told herself off; Ron deserved better than that, he had been a friend to her for most of her time at Hogwarts and she trusted him with her life. She promised herself not to let something like this tempt her again and feared the fact that she had to spend the whole next day alone with Draco. Maybe she would ask him if it was alright for her to go to the Burrow after they had cleaned the house. Yes, that was the only logical solution! She drifted of to restless dreams.





Draco was more that happy to let her visit the Burrow. He had the worst hangover ever and not only the physical one. He wished he couldn\'t remember a thing; it would be a blessing not to remember how he hadn\'t been able to keep his attraction to Hermione a secret. Yup, he preferred a blackout to this any day! After they had cleaned the house in complete silence she had flooed out saying she would be back Wednesday and he was left at the Grangers all by himself.

He threw himself on the settee and just lay there drifting in and out of sleep as the telly supplied some background noise. He awoke to a sound of a knock on the front door. Frowning, he tried to decide if he felt like opening the door, but as the knock became harder he sat up. It had gone dark outside, had he really slept the day away? "Coming… Wait a sec." He got up and walked over to open the door. Looking out the peephole he saw a cloaked and seemingly nervous figure looking back over its shoulder. Opening the door askew he looked at the figure "Yes?" and he blinked as he recognized the person. "Goyle… What the hell!" and as Goyle drew his wand Draco knew he wasn\'t there for a friendly chat. Slamming the door shut to buy him some time, he ran to kitchen thinking, "Knife… KNIFE!" not that it made any sense against a wand.



"Come out, Malfoy… You know you don\'t have a chance… Wandless and all… Do the brave thing and take it like a man!" Goyle roared. Grabbing the first and best knife Draco\'s mind was racing like mad trying to think of things to buy him more time. "I\'ll come out if you tell me who sent you." Goyle laughed as asked why he thought someone sent him, that this was his own idea. "Come on, Goyle… We both know you\'re not the smartest owl in the owlery! Who sent you…?" Draco could hear Goyle stop on the other side of the kitchen door. "I\'m here to avenge Crabbe… You left him to die!" Draco couldn\'t help but laugh, "Uh… No… He burned himself to death!" A light tap on the door and it first went see-through and then disappeared and Draco\'s eyes met Goyle\'s and wand point. "So… You think you can throw that knife fast enough to stop me cursing you?" Goyle grunted and Draco sneered, "I\'m gonna try!"



A whoosh from the fireplace caused Draco to make a fatal error and look away. "Oppugno Knife… Avada Kedav…" Goyle started to yell then blinked and fell forward petrified. Draco had squeezed his eyes close ready to take whatever spell Goyle was planning, but still gave a cry of pain when the knife in his hand turn against him and left a cut up his arm. He was relieved to hear the familiar bump of a body falling to the ground. Letting out a gasp he thanked the Goddess, he still could do so. "Sorry about the delay, Young Malfoy… It seems there was a mix up at the Ministry… But no harm done." Chief Warlock Ogden stepped over the blinking young man on the floor and handed Draco a cloth with a smile, saying that Draco could relax now. "Thanks… for…" Draco nodded in directions of Goyle and leaned back against the counter wrapping the fabric round his arm. Ogden nodded and looked towards the living room, as two more whooshes told him the Aurors had finally discovered it wasn\'t a joke. "Ah, nice of you to come… Please take this," nodding to Goyle, "young man away."



Clapping Draco on the shoulder Ogden congratulated him for not trying to defend himself by wandless magic, making Draco blink as he hadn\'t even considered that possibility. "Damn… I\'m going Muggle!" he whispered and Ogden laughed. "That the sprite, young man! Say hi to the Grangers when they come home, will you?" And with a crack he apparated away. Shaking his head and grinning, Draco decided to go for a run. If his father hadn\'t been turned Muggle himself, Draco would have to fear for his life from a much more dangerous man the Gregory Goyle. Walking up the stairs to change he noticed that Goyle had dropped his wand and the Aurors hadn\'t taken it with them. "Better just leave it there!" he thought and climbed the stairs to his room.



Hermione had returned minutes after Draco had left. Heartbroken… not wanting to stay at the Burrow after what Ron had told her. Her desperate and successful attempt to stay true to Ron had been awarded with a "Hermione, we need to talk," and an "I think of you more as a sister and friend," and adding salt to the wound an "It\'s not you…It me!" She had just uttered an "Oh" and had left without saying goodbye to any of them. At first she was glad Draco wasn\'t there, but then she saw the wand on the floor next to the kitchen, where the door was missing. Finding a knife and bloody rags on the kitchen floor set her alarm blasting. "Draco… DRACO?!" She ran upstairs, but didn\'t find him and jolted down the stairs to the basement only to realize he wasn\'t in the house at all.



Shaking like a tree in a blizzard she sat down on the couch not knowing what to do, who to contact. Breaking down in tears she cursed the fact she had gotten out of bed at all that day, but at the sound of the front door opening she jumped to her feet, wand ready, pointing it straight at… Draco? Dropping her wand, jumping over the couch she threw her arms round his neck sobbing, "Don\'t you ever do that again… ever, hear me?!" Making Draco look perplexed as he almost carried the bawling girl into the living room, to close the door. His arm was hurting and blood had seeped through his running jacket "Please \'Mione… Let go… Just for a sec…" and she let go looking at him with big tear-filled eyes as he removed his jacket.



"You\'re bleeding… " She whispered through the sobs, saying she would be back with the first-aid kit and he should sit down. Looking after the still weeping girl he wondered why she reacted so full of… grief? He hadn\'t died or anything. When she came back not wanting to look him in to the eyes, he figured there was more behind the tears that the cut on his arm. "So… The Ministry contacted you about the attack?" he said quietly and frowned as she shook her head and asked why she was had returned so quickly then? As she gently wiped away the blood and tied a bandage tight around the cut, she told him how she had been greeted at the Burrow. How Ginny had avoided her question about Ron\'s whereabouts and Harry had been the one to tell her, that her boyfriend was in Diagonally with Lavender Brown and had pulled out a chair for her as her legs gave after.



"Harry assured me it wasn\'t a date. But he admitted that Ron and Lavender had been spending a lot of time together, as friends. And when Ron flooed in and saw me there… Well, we had The Talk… We broke up, he sees me more as a sister than a girlfriend." Small warm tears fell on the bandage and she wiped her eyes, turning her head away asking if he wanted some tea. "Yes, please… \'Mione… I\'m truly sorry." Draco didn\'t know what else to say or do, feeling a great need to hold her and tell her it would be okay, but at the same time he wanted so much more that just to hold her! Ron was a fool to let her go, but it might give him a chance. If he played his cards right, she might see him as more that just the one that saved Fred Weasley, as more than a friend. He had to be SO careful not to make his move too soon. As she came in carrying tea and scones, he smiled and said it looked good, but it wasn\'t a really good "Heartache remedy" and asked if he, as a friend, could spoil her a little.

"Get your jacket \'Mi… Please let me make this day a little better?" His eyes pleaded so much that she gave in and let him take her away.





Sitting in the small French patisserie in South Kensington, she had to agree that the huge arrangement of pastries, cakes and the cutest little croissants beat the dry veggie scone at the Granger House. Draco had ordered two of every thing and she couldn\'t help it, laughing she asked if he was feeding her up or something. "Well, no… But heartaches and whipped cream is an amazing mix, wait and see!" Draco grinned and winked at her, paying the disbelieving vendor behind the desk.



Hermione almost fell of her chair as the vendor said, "116 Pounds, please," starring at him as he paid without blinking. As he sat down she hissed that he just didn\'t spend over 100 quid on pastries. "You could take four persons to the theatre for that!" Draco smiled and raised his shoulders, picked up the dessert fork and cut a piece of a particularly tasty looking pastry. He was about to bite it, but as Hermione kept listing thing you could buy for a 100 quid, so he fed it to her instead.



She widened her eyes. "Mmmm… That is actually rather good… But still…" Again Draco fed her a piece to shut her up. "Mmmm…" Licking her lips clean of the whipped cream she sighed and murmured that he had paid for it, so it would be a sin to not at least to taste some. She picked up her fork, making Draco grin and finally taste the pies himself.



Leaning back, stuffed to the point of nausea, Hermione looked at the table of pastries and sighed. "I can\'t believe I just ate three croissants, two small pies and a half a dozen petit fours… It\'s somewhat sick if you think about it." Draco laughed and agreed, asking the vendor if she would bag the rest for them for a small fee. This made the older woman smile and say she would do it for free as their feast had brought her a weeks salary in a day. "But, Sir, I must admit I was starting to worry about you after the fifth chocolate croissant," she said with a giggle, making Hermione laugh as Draco replied he had worried about bursting at that point himself.



Each carrying a finely decorated paper bag they started home, Hermione taking his arm and placing her head on his shoulder for a second. "Thank you for spoiling me… You were right… Whipped cream and heartache is a fine combo." She gave him a bright smile not letting go of his arm till they got on the tube heading back. Sitting across from each other they sent each other grins all the way home, but didn\'t talk at all. Draco feeling his heart beat somewhat faster than usual; if it was from being here, happy with Hermione or the overdose of calories he didn\'t know, but he didn\'t really care!