The tall blond stood, hidden, in the shadowy corners of the hall carefully observing her enjoy herself without him. It ate at his heart as she threw her head back in joyous laughter whilst the gangly redhead whirled her around the dance floor. He angrily stomped over to the bar, barking for a shot of Firewhiskey.

The barkeep raised his brow but obliged the man.

To be lost in the forest
To be cut adrift

The broom raced over hill tops and tall trees as the cold wind swept through her hair making it fly about wildly. They’d been flying for about five minutes now, and while she didn’t know where they were headed, she was enjoying the experience. The evening was beginning to cool, and she was wishing she had brought her cloak as he’d suggested instead of been stubborn. Suddenly he dropped down sharply, laughing jovially, making her feel as if she were on top of a Muggle rollercoaster. She screamed loudly, closing her eyes, as she held on tightly for dear life to the piece of wood beneath her.

“Open your eyes, Granger. You’ll enjoy the experience much more,� he drawled into her ear, slowing down a bit but continuing to lower their height.

She bit back a retort at the tip of her tongue, not knowing how he had managed to lure her onto the broom in the first place. Or how he had convinced her to sit in front of him so he had practically hover over her to be able to steer appropriately. A part of her had warily stared at the stick of wood wondering if it would hold both of them – it had, amazingly enough. Just as she was going to tell him to take her back to Hogwarts, Hermione felt their speed slow down considerably more.

“Trust me,� he whispered silkily into her ear.

And therein was the problem – she trusted him regardless of what Harry or Ron thought of the ‘slimy Ferret.’

As soon as she opened her eyes, her breath caught. They were skimming the top of the trees of the Forbidden Forest. The great expanse of forest took her breath away. But most captivating was the sun setting on the horizon: brilliant shades of purple, lilac, indigo, violent, red, yellow, and orange hues that streaked the skies as the moon battled the sun over dominance of the heavens.

“It’s beautiful, Draco,� she whispered.

This modern love breaks me
This modern love wastes me

Glaring at Weasley, Draco threw back his third shot of Firewhiskey for the night in an effort to drown out his pain and sorrow. He should be the one in her arms, brushing away the errant locks of hair that escaped her neatly styled nest of hair.

“Give me another,� he snarled at the bartender.

“I think you’d had quite enough, sir.�

“I’ll tell you when I’ve had enough,� he sneered, throwing down some Galleons and standing to leave.

You've been trying to reach me
You bought me a book

“What’s this?� she asked him, walking into his office without knocking.

“A book,� he flippantly answered her, not bothering to look up at her from the forms he was currently filling out.

“This isn’t just ‘a book,’ Malfoy. This is the newest edition of Hogwarts, A History. It hasn’t even come out in print yet.�

“So?� he casually said, looking up slightly at her, his quill hovering mid-air for a second before continuing to make scratch marks over the report he had to finish for the Aurors.

She scowled. “I don’t like it when you bribe people, Malfoy!�

He stared mutely at her. “I didn’t bribe anyone. One of the publishers owed me a favor. I brewed his daughter a skin clearing potion.�

“You brewed something that menial?� she asked without thinking.

“If you don’t want it just say so,� he suddenly blurted out, pink tinge on his cheeks. He stood and moved forward to take the book out of her hands.

“No. Are you insane? Of course I want it! It’s Hogwarts, A History�

“I know,� he replied, walking past her, leaving her alone in his office.

This modern love breaks me
This modern love wastes me

Ron had brought her a drink during their short break from dancing. He hadn’t wanted to attend the Ministry event since Luna was due to give birth any day now. However, he had agreed on the condition that she not talk about the Great Blond Prat. Now as he watched her sipping her mimosa while coyly keeping her eye on the Ferret, Ron sighed to himself in exasperation.

He couldn’t help but shake his head at the idiocy of the two. The Great Blond Prat just for existing, and his ex-girlfriend for giving the fool a hard time. This was the same reason they had broken up: Hermione didn’t let herself just be loved.

Shaking his head, Ron excused himself in order to use the Floo and make sure Luna hadn’t burned down their home.

Don't get offended
If I seem absent minded
Just keep telling me facts
And keep making me smile
I get tongue-tied

She loved his smile.

She loved his slow drawl and witty remarks to her daily diatribes ranging from education to the way the Ministry was fumbling, once again, through the passing of another archaic law. It angered her and made her flush all over at the same time.

But most of all she loved that he made her laugh when she least expected it.

As they lay next to each other on the soft cotton blanket, the sun shining above them, she pointed out a fluffy cloud.

“That looks like a Thestral,� she muttered.

“How would you know what a Thestral looks like, Granger?�

She stared into the empty void of the blue sky.

“Can’t you see them pull the carriages?� she asked.

Silence.

He stood up abruptly. He looked at a loss for words. Grimacing, he stared at the ground before replying, “Yes, but I was hoping you didn’t.�

“Oh, Draco,� she murmured, the name a stranger to her lips and his ears, “I don’t think that anyone in our class can’t see them.�

He nodded sharply at her before walking briskly back to the castle. She stared sadly after him.

This modern love breaks me
This modern love wastes me

After emptying the contents of his stomach in the nearest toilet, Draco sobered himself by splashing cold water on his pale yet feverish skin. Perhaps the barkeep had been right and three shots of Firewhiskey in a row were too much to drink in one sitting. But he hated that she made him feel vile when she wasn’t around to boss him around. It was an unfamiliar feeling. Whenever he was around her, it drove him nuts, but he felt he couldn’t breath at the same time. However, above everything else, he detested that she saved him when he hadn’t wanted saving. All he had wanted was to be left alone, but she hadn’t let him be.

You told me you wanted to eat up my sadness
Well jump on, enjoy, you can gorge away
You told me you wanted to eat up my sadness
Jump right on


“You can’t give up yet!�

“Why not?�

“Because I believe in you,� she stated. “I believe you can be a better person, and hiding isn’t going to do you any good.�

“I’m not a Gryffindor, Granger.�

“I’m not a Slytherin.�

“What’s that supposed to mean?�

She stared at him then shrugged. “It means whatever you want it to mean.�

Overwhelming silence encompassed them.

“I don’t know how to change.�

“I’ll help you.�

This modern love breaks me
This modern love wastes me

Draco approached her tremulously. It had been seven years since she had first befriended him during their ‘seventh year’ after the war. He hadn’t been the same person when he went back to Hogwarts. And he was happy to hide in the shadows, not drawing attention to himself, but she’d noticed. She pursued him, he was her ‘lost cause’ and wasn’t she just a sucker for them. Their friendship wasn’t meant to go past the classroom or Hogwarts, but they were just fooling themselves all along.

It was after her and the Weasel had gotten engaged that Draco knew he was in love with Hermione Granger. After she called off her wedding, Draco was beyond elated, and bid his time when he’d be able to tell her. However, it seemed time wasn’t on his side, seeing as she had been dating on and off the past several weeks. There had been several times when he had been close to asking her out, but he didn’t have the courage she carried so proudly.

Baby, you've got to be more discerning
I've never known what's good for me
I will be yours

He slammed the vial on the desk, its contents swishing dangerously inside. She looked up startled only to find stormy eyes glaring right through her.

“You don’t even love him. Why are you marrying him?� Draco sneered angrily.

“What do you care, Malfoy?� she replied just as angry, scratching off the mistake she made when disrupted by his outburst.

“I don’t!� he huffed. Hermione narrowed her eyes, trying to read into his soul.

“I do love him.�

“No, you don’t, Granger. You’re just used to been with him. I think you deserve better though. Both of you deserve better.�

“Since when do you care what Ron deserves?�

“I don’t! I just think you’re going to waste your perfectly good genes on the shallow genetic pool that is Ronald Weasley and his family. You deserve someone like…�

“Like who? You?� she finished for him snidely.

“Like…� he didn’t finish his sentence, even though he wanted to say ‘me.’ Instead, he stood up and coldly replied, “Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials, Granger. Now if you’ll excuse me.�

“Wait!� she blurted out as she watch him escape like he always did whenever he couldn’t deal with a situation.

“What, Granger? What do you want from me?�

“I…�

“You what?�

“Draco, I…�

“Just stop. Please, just stop. Why do you even bother with me? You should have let me be.�



This modern love breaks me
This modern love wastes me

Swallowing nervously, Draco gently touched her bare shoulder, and watcher her turn around slowly from her conversation with Potter and his wife.

“Draco,� she murmured, acknowledging his presence. He nodded to her and her company.

“Granger,� he replied, “I was wondering if I could have the honor of the next dance.�

She nodded her acceptance, her eyes locking with his, as she absently handed Potter her half-finished drink, while accepting Draco’s hand.

He smiled tentatively at her. She grinned. His heart fluttered as he led her to the middle of the dance floor. The music began to play slowly, but Draco couldn’t even hear it anymore. Her left hand lay stiffly on his shoulder just as his right hand seemed to be locked in a freezing charm over her waist.

She giggled nervously as they stumbled about the dance floor, bumping into other couples. Whether it was from nerves or alcohol induced didn’t matter, and Draco threw all caution to the wind. As he danced with her, he experienced a euphoria he hadn’t been privy off since childhood. This was the witch he wanted. His heart was ready to burst with emotion.

He leaned forward, bumping their noses together. His cheeks flushed red. She demurely looked away, a mischievous glint in her eye.

“Do you want to try to kiss me again?� she blurted out suddenly. It caught him by surprise and he had to stop their dancing and laugh. After his mirthful laugh, he pulled her forward into his arms not minding the scowling couples that graced by them.

And he kissed her like he had wanted to do so for the past seven years. He felt her throw her arms around his neck, losing himself in the emotion. Her lips were soft and warm to the touch. It was familiar yet new to him. The background blurred into a swirl of colors as he found himself twirling them about. She threw her head back joyously at his impromptu courage.

They swung around the dance floor, aimlessly, with no real direction or purpose lost in each other and not caring of the spectacle they made of themselves.

As they slowed down to a rhythm of their own, she stared at him in wonder before asking, “Well? Aren’t you going to tell me you’ve always loved me?�

“Well, aren’t we demanding?�

“You’ve made me wait for seven years. Of course, I’m going to be demanding.�

“Of course, I wouldn’t have you any other way though.�

Do you wanna come over and kill some time?
Throw your arms around me

It had all started with a simple unfinished question while studying together in the library a couple of weeks after she ‘rescued’ him.

“Malfoy?�

“Yes?�

“Do you think that?� her question was posed, unfinished.

He blushed but didn’t look away from her questioning glance.

“I’ve no doubt about it, Granger.�