Lovers

Part 26: The Gathering

The first few days were hard on both Draco and Hermione, though the other would assume otherwise.

Hermione took over as secretary for her parent's dental practice and enjoyed it- to an extent.

Sitting behind the desk all day in the same building she grew up playing in as a small child- fills her with both fond memories and now torturous boredom.

Being a secretary was not her idea of an independent woman who is powerful, smart and brave—life changing.

Being a secretary was old ideaology, anti-feminist, and submissive.

Which anyone who knows Hermione, would tell you she is none of those things.

Over the years she had drifted from that sweet little submissive smart arse into the strong willed, knowledge driven freedom fighter she is today.

Those who challenge her often find they will lose or at her mercy will forfeit before declared the loser.

Yet now in her life, she feels she has lost.

Looking at the calendar, she realizes that she has gone twenty- two days without Draco and yet it hasn't gotten easier. She buries herself in her work and then goes home to her old bedroom and sulks quietly.

At first her parents were trying exuberantly hard to get her up and moving and out of her bedroom of depression and despair- but after weeks of failure: they've long since given up.

She has even avoided seeing her friends.

Harry, Ron, Ginny and Luna call upon her daily- but they never get word of her. They try her home phone and Lydia or Paul just fill them in on their daughter's funk.

To her at this stage in the horrible legal contract, it seems to Hermione that Draco is having a wonderful time- not even worry about her.

In her mind, he must feel relieved to have gotten rid of her.

And then there's Gavin.

The little rat who has popped up conveniently during all of this. If seeing him in her home and at the police station- then him coming into her parent's work or showing up at her home is making it harder and harder for her not to feel sick to her stomach.

Just the other day he stopped into the office and dropped her off a bouquet of flowers saying:

"My Mum got me these for my office- but I don't care for the scent of Gardenias- I know they're your favorite, so I thought I'd bring them over."

To which Hermione responded with taking the vase from him to admire their beauty and just as he thought he got her: she proceeded dump the cold water and flower over his head and thrust the vase back into his arms- nearly knocking him over in the process.

She knows what he's trying to do and frankly, she's not impressed by him in the slightest.

She is more likely to get back with Ron if she had to choose to move on from Draco- but even that is more or less a hard no on her part.

Yet it amuses her at the same time.

She enjoys watching Gavin trying to be the Prince Charming he could never be.

Which is mostly because she enjoys coming up with new ways to tell him to fuck off.

She's gone as far as to be childish and give him Bat Boogies and making him eat slugs.

Sure, she could just Obliviate him so he forgets her entirely and leaves her alone- but she's finding he's a great outlet to remove her anger and frustration about this whole PFA thing.