I took a deep breath as I stood outside the door to the building I hadn't entered in two weeks. I laughed a little at myself because it seemed like each time I was at these doors I was facing a new problem in my life. Each time something had gone wrong. This time wasn't too bad, nothing had really happened since Draco stormed off on me. I had taken a two week mini vacation, and by vacation I meant I had went and asked my boss to allow me to work from home for these two weeks. Draco didn't bother to talk to me, never once even trying. At first I was being stubborn, refusing to try to talk to him either. Though towards the end of this mini vacation I found myself trying desperately to talk to him, to even just see him from afar. Yet I couldn't do it. I could never find him. He magically dodged all of my calls, visits, and even when I dropped by the office to get unneeded clarification on a work paper.
“And that's how you finish this...you've done this form before, hundreds of times actually. Why did you need help this time?” My boss questioned me. He looked perplexed and a bit suspicious as of to why exactly I needed his help on something I obviously knew.
I tried to think of an excuse, which usually if I knew I needed one I would plan it days in advance, making it perfectly believable. I was slipping, losing my touch. “Err...yeah, duh of course that's how you do this.” I smiled innocently at him. “Must be pregnancy brain already hitting in. Damn wizard babies work fast.” I laughed hollowly.
He seemed like he wanted to believe me but at the same time couldn't. It was probably the dead eyes and sad, fake smile that gave me away. I couldn't help it. This was just how I was now.
“So...” I tried to make conversation up to what I wanted to ask but failed at finding a single thing to say. So therefore I just went on and asked. “Uhm....so how is Draco? And the rest of the work staff, how is everyone?” He had given me a funny look, everyone knew we had been best friends. They also knew that we no longer were. I'm sure there were many rumors and questions to as of why. I shrugged the thought off, that's not on the top of my many problems list.
Then he smiled, a slow and sickeningly sweet smile. “Mr. Malfoy is doing wonderfully well. A bit too well actually.” I shot him a questioning glance. He knew I wanted more information, and just when I thought he was about to give it to me, he went on to say, “But now Ms. Granger, I must be on my way. There is a very important meeting I must attend to. It will be nice having you back soon, pregnancy brain and all.” He smiled at me once again before getting up and leaving his own office. Leaving me sitting there looking like an old toy that had been tossed away. What was going on? What wasn't he telling me?
I opened the door and the wave of sound hit me. The normally peaceful floor was bustling with activity.
I spotted Loren hurrying between her desk and somewhere down the hall. When I finally caught her I asked “What's going on?”
She looked down the hall and back at me awkwardly. Then her face broke out into a smile, but it was easy to tell that it was fake. “Oh Hermione, it is ever so nice to see you back. We've all missed you. This place really isn't the same without you!”
I rolled my eyes. It was only two weeks. Two miserable weeks for myself, but that's besides the point. “I asked a question.”
“Someone's grouchy” I heard her mumble to herself. She looked up at me. “It's a going away party.”
“Oh?” Who would be leaving? I honestly couldn't think of anyone that would leave this job.
“Uhhhh...yeah. I thought you weren't coming in until Wednesday? Not today.” She murmured. She was avoiding telling me any more about this party.
I simply shrugged. “Couldn't take Ron for too long, he gets annoying.” He really had been getting under my skin lately. Sometimes he tries to put on a mask of being a happy soon to be father. Then other times he would bring up how unconventional it was.
“Well...I better be going back to it, I was just grabbing the cake out of the freezer.” She informed me before going to the small mini fridge and freezer behind and getting a large green cake. She gave me one final look before heading down the hall.
Should I follow? Or should I just leave it alone. I laughed at myself, we all know I would never just leave anything that perked my interest alone. Even if I should.
I made my way down the hall to where the festivities were being held. At the very end of the hallway was a large banner. The sight of it made my heart stop. I wanted to walk away and never come back. I wanted to blink it away, once my eyes reopened what I had just seen would be gone...just a figment of my imaginations. I tried doing this but each time I opened my eyes the hunter green banner was still there. And so was the shiny silver writing. Good Luck Malfoy.
Draco.
He was leaving? He was leaving. How? Why? I couldn't wrap my head around why he would be leaving this company. He was so good at his job.
I walked into the room where the party was being held. No one even noticed I was there. The place was packed, groups of people everyone. In the center of one of the largest groups was none other than the blonde haired beauty of Draco Malfoy. He was practically glowing. He looked...happy. So much different than how he looked the last time I saw him, like a completely different person.
Attached to his side was a tall blonde girl, dressed business like but he skirt was too short and her shirt unbuttoned way to far to be work appropriate. How classy. She could have passed for his conjoined twin by how close she was clinging to him. My rage bubbled inside of me.
I just wanted to talk to him. I watched as he talked animatedly to the people that surrounded him on all sides. He must of said something funny, as all of them laughed. Everyone here was watching him, waiting for his every word. Draco really was amazing. I wasn't the only one who saw that. There were thousands of people who would have loved to be in my positions simply because it meant a chance with him. I didn't appreciate him the way he should have been. I watched him a while longer, also watching how everyone was mingling around him, so desperate to be the one he was talking to.
I needed to get him alone...and away from that stupid little blonde who didn't belong here. Why was she here? Why was she hanging all over him like this? “Not jealous, I'm not jealous” I mumbled out loud to myself. I weaved my way in and out through the different people in the room, making my way closer to Draco. I needed to talk to him, needed to.
I heard a light giggle, the sound of tinkling bells. I looked up to see Miss Let Me Stick To You addressing the group in front of her and Draco. “I am just so happy to be able to have Draco join my team. I know he'll be perfect for the job, even if it does require him to be so far away from everyone around here. I'm sure he'll have no problems making new...acquaintances.” She smiled, moving even closer to him. This irked me. She needed to stop talking. “I want to say that I'm sorry for stealing him away...but I can't. He's mine now, lucky me.” She winked at the crowd. So she was his boss? Or coworker? Either way it's not like she was a new girlfriend, which helped relieve some of the weight off of my chest, not all but some. She had an evilly innocent look plastered across her face. She knew that what she was saying could be taken the wrong way...and she liked that. The wink was just the cherry on top.
That was it. I marched over to the group and pulled Draco's arm away from her's. “Can I talk to you?” I almost shouted. He looked up at me, surprise clear in his eyes. I guess no one had expected me back, this is what I get for coming back early. He didn't say anything, just gaped at me. “In private.” He didn't budge. I sighed loudly, showing my obviously annoyed side. “Like now!” I tugged his arm, making him trail behind me as I walked off.
I pulled him into a storage closet. Once in there it dawned on me that this was the same closet that we shared our first kiss in. The memories haunted me. He couldn't just leave.
“You're leaving? Just like that?” I cried, partly in anger and partly in pain. It really did hurt that he was just leaving.
He just stared at me for a minute. Please say something. “Hermione.” He started. My name sounded the best when it was coming from his lips. Even when it was in that slow sad voice he used when he was telling me bad news...yeah, even then. “I'm sorry. It's a good offer and I'm taking it.” He looked down, away from me. The darkness of the closet not allowing me to see his emotions being reflected on his face, which I'm sure was a good thing for they would have hurt me even more.
“You don't need it. You're a Malfoy.” I rolled my eyes. He was loaded, he was a Malfoy! They didn't even need to work. He only worked for something to do. My poor workaholic...no, not mine. Not anymore.
He almost laughed. “I thought you hated when people generalized me as just a Malfoy?” It was silence for a while after that but then he sighed, low and long. “It has nothing to do with the money, it's a pride thing.”
What? Pride? His work was his baby, he had so much pride in everything he did. Did he mean his position? Was he going to go somewhere else for to become a higher up? “Pride? You're right under me. You're third in command here.”
His voice was cold. “I'm done being under you.” The sentence seemed to be obvious what is was about, but it also had underlying factors of something more.
“You've never had a problem working under me before.” I stated blankly. The fight was leaving me...I knew I was losing. Of all the things I could do, I didn't know how to lose. This was something new to me. I felt like I was emptying. Empty.
More painful silence before he spoke again. “Not work. In general, I never want to be under you again. I just want to be over you.”
“W-w-what?” I stuttered. Oh, so that's what he meant before. He wasn't leaving for anything, he was leaving to get away from something. From me.
His voice grew stronger, as he became more confident in what he was saying. Painfully confident. “I want to get over you. That won't happen if I'm forced to see you every day. Sorry but this is the way it has to be.”
“Didn't you tell me that nothing has to be a certain way, that we can change it?” It wasn't exactly that, but his big rant last time we talked was basically that summed up.
“Yeah, well you obviously didn't listen so why should I?” I said nothing, just stood there not wanting to hear the words that I was sure would follow. “Goodbye Hermione.”
And he left. He just left me to sit alone in that closet. So alone.
-Author's Note-
Sorry that this wait was a little longer than normal (but still not too bad :p ). I've been so hectically busy this week. So here this is. Updates will follow shortly I promise. Oh and Draco fans: please don't hate me! Keep reading! And reviewing!! :D<3
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