A huge thanks to my reviewers from the last chapter:
taylor s., gran/ger, Brookeweasley23, StarryLaura, Luna, and of course, Gin-gin06. I love you guys.
And now, without further adieu, here's chapter 13.
Hermione's POV:
"Bloody hell, Hermione!" Ron yelled at me, causing several people to stare.
"What?"
"THAT'S what he said? After that amazing weekend?" He gave me a look of disbelief before turning to walk away, carrying his food tray with him, loaded with food. We were grabbing lunch together and I just told him every detail. Down to what happened at the lake, at dinner with his parents, and what Draco said to me before leaving.
"Oh hush, Ron. It's complicated!" I nearly screamed. I ran to catch up to him so that I was walking next to him now. "You know what? Just don't." I walked away, frustrated at myself for having expected anything else from Ron.
"Don't what, Hermione? It's not THAT complicated. He's being a bloody arse about the whole thing! You aren't exactly being very smart. And that surprises me Hermione. You're being bloody stupid."
"Excuse you?! I shouted at him," at this point I didn't care who was looking, "I'm being STUPID?"
"Yes Hermione. Yes you are. He's just leading you on. And you're going along with it. You're allowing him to." He paused and looked at me. "When are you going to end this with him? At the altar?"
"He's not married yet!"
"Bloody hell, Hermione! That's my point. You don't get it do you?! He isn't married, which means he can end this anytime. Yet, he's choosing to stay with my sister. You're his little play thing." When Ron said that, I nearly punched him. I had never been more angry at Ron, and that was saying something. "I don't understand when you changed Hermione. You used to be so strong. So sure of yourself. Now you've become a woman who waits around for the guy to make the decision. Here you are, still waiting!"
"I don't see you chasing after your dreams!" I was nearly in hysterics at this point.
"You know what, perhaps you're right. But the difference is, I take chances Hermione."
"Ha! When was the last time you took a chance Ronald?"
"2 days ago. When I decided to move to the US. I'm moving to New York Hermione." His sentence stopped me short. He was WHAT?!
"You're WHAT?!"
"Yeah, moving to New York come next month."
"And when were you planning on telling me might I ask?"
"Umm... today. Just now, actually, before you decided to yell at me." The words hurt, but I knew they were true. I was being unreasonable and snappy and defensive. It wasn't his fault, yet I was taking it out on him. "I'm going to be stationed as an Auror over there. Apparently they need a lot over there, with all the crime and all. They said I'm one of the best for the job."
"Ron, that's amazing. I'm so happy for you. That's an incredible opportunity." I said, finally calming myself down and realizing that my best friend was moving across the world. He deserved to have people happy for him. This was his moment.
"Thanks. Want to be the amazing best friend I know you are and give me the best going away present?"
"Uhh what's that?" I asked, not sure if I should know where this was going.
"Ask your boyfriend to make a decision."
I laughed and we got to talking about all the details surrounding the move, before falling into our usual conversations.
I wandered the park after Ron and I had our talk. I was done with work for the day and I didn’t want to return to my empty flat.
“Hermione!” I head someone shout and turned to see none-other than Blaise. He was actually playing with a couple younger boys. He was playing basketball with some muggle boys. It was rather sweet. I smiled and waved, making my way to a bench to sit down and watch.
After a while, the boys had to leave, and Blaise came over and flopped down on the bench next to me, out of breath.
We sat in silence for a few minutes before he finally talked.
“You know, I was thinking about you the other night.” He said nonchalantly.
“Oh. Were you?” I asked, somewhat taken off guard.
He laughed, “yeah, I was lying in bed wondering if I should jerk-off or not. But you know what? I couldn’t get it up. And that NEVER happens by the way. Ever. And it wasn’t because I don’t think you’re hot, because well, I do. I just… I don’t know. I guess I associate you with failure?” I didn’t know whether to be disgusted or laugh.
I shook my head and my eyes narrowed, “How is it that you manage to make some of the most disgusting things possible, charming? I don’t get it. Some kind of gift you posses?”
He laughed. “I suppose you could say that. So how big do you think it is?” I stood up, not wanting to have this discussion.
“Excuse you?!”
“Woah woah, Hermione. Calm down. I was talking about the house.” Blaise said, eying me cautiously.
“House?”
“Well… yeah. The house, the one that Draco’s father is buying him and Ginny? Surely one of them must’ve mentioned it to you. I mean, my father is their realtor so he’s taking them to some houses today. Apparently some pretty pricy ones.” His words tore through me like knives. They were buying a house. Draco hadn’t even bothered to tell me.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Draco’s POV:
We were walking through yet another huge house. With a wide spanning green lawn, a small forest, magnificent garden, and more bedrooms than I could count on 2 hands. I hated it. I had always told myself that I would downsize when I moved out. Get a house that was what I needed, not one for show.
Ginny, however, was thrilled. She wanted a house with more bedrooms than could fit all of her family. She wanted it to be something they would want to come to during holidays and for vacations. She wanted it to be the center of family traditions.
“Ohhh I love it!” She squealed as we entered the kitchen. The kitchen alone was nearly the size of a larger classroom at Hogwarts. It was ridiculous. It was flashy. Blaise’s father showed her different features the kitchen possessed, some muggle, some that required magic to work. I heard her ooh and ahh over different things, not really paying much attention myself.
“Draco don’t you just love this house?” She asked me, smiling. My mother and father stood to the side, admiring the kitchen as well.
I nodded, not really able to formulate a sentence. I hated it. More than anything. But I couldn’t tell them that.
“---and how many children do you guys plan on having?” I heard and my head shot up to see a beaming Ginny smiling at Blaise’s father.
“As many as Draco’s father tells me to have.” She made her way over to my father and gave him a tentative hug. I could tell she still didn’t feel comfortable around him after all he had done, but she was willing to look past it for me and he was willing to look past her family history simply because she was pure blood. How I hated this whole situation.
“Draco, dear, how do you like this house?” My mother asked me, snapping me out of the daze I was in.
“It’s lovely.” I said, my mother beamed and made her way over to give me a hug.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Hermione’s POV:
I sat in front of the fire. A book in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. It was a perfect night to relax and push everything out of my mind. To escape into my own little world.
The phone rang, shattering whatever illusion I had created. I sighed and set the book and wine down on the table before picking up.
“Hello?” I said into the receiver.
“Hermione! You little brat! Draco and I just had dinner with Blaise and his father and Blaise mentioned running into you today. Spill. I want to know everything that happened. And I mean everything. Circumcised?” What the hell?! She doesn’t even bother to tell me they’re going to look at houses today and now she thinks I went and slept with Blaise? After I had said I didn’t before. I swear, she didn’t know me at all. I took a deep breath.
“When were you going to tell me you guys were looking at houses today?” I asked her, more than frustrated with my best friend.
“How did you… ohhh Blaise’s father! It wasn’t a big deal.. they’re just houses Mione. I mean, we found this amazing one that was simply stunning. We loved it!.. Uhh well we haven’t decided anything yet.” I heard Draco add. Which meant I was on speaker phone. Shit.
“Am I on speaker?” I asked.
“Hey Mione.” Draco replied.
“Hello Draco. So, did you like the house as well?” I wasn’t quite sure where this attitude was coming from, but I was grateful for it.
“Umm. Well… yeah, I mean, it was alright. I guess.”
“It was ALRIGHT you GUESS?!” I heard Ginny nearly shriek. “Mione, it was without a doubt the most gorgeous house I’d ever seen. I wish you could’ve been there. Absolutely stunning!”
“Lovely. Well, I gotta go. But, hey, Ginny?”
“Yeah?”
“Blaise is circumcised.” *click*
I hung up the phone and nearly threw it across the room. I couldn’t believe what I had just done.
~*~*~*~*~*~
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