To Destroy » Dramione

|04.| Hope

Hermione had never been happier than she was when Harry and Ginny's celebratory dinner was over. It wasn't as if she didn't enjoy the company of her best friends, but she just wanted to be alone in her flat. Ever since the war, that was how she liked it. She began to wonder if she herself needed someone to pull her out of her shell, and the idea made her laugh. She was grateful for the laugh because she needed a moment of joy no matter how small.

Although Hermione just wanted to sit on the sofa for the rest of the evening after returning to her flat, she decided she would wrap her presents. Christmas was still a few weeks away, but she needed a distraction. There wasn't a better distraction in her life at the moment than Christmas wrapping. Especially the excitement she got when she imagined her friends unwrapping their presents with smiles all over their faces. That made her happy, that made her smile, and she knew exactly how she was going to spend her evening.

However, only an hour and a half into wrapping, Hermione found herself falling asleep. The wrapping paper surrounding her created a cushion for her body and caused her mind to dream about Christmas — a vast contrast to her usual nightmares. She was only asleep for a couple of minutes before someone knocked on her door.

One knock was all it took to wake her up. The sound startled her so much she could feel her heart beating inside her chest. Giving herself a few moments to calm down, she convinced herself it was probably only Ginny or Ron or Harry. After all, who else would be visiting at this time of the night?

"Coming!" She called as she made her way over to the door even though she wasn't in the mood to entertain. She was having an enjoyable night being alone with the presents, and she didn't want the rest of her night ruined. It wasn't as if her friends would ruin her night, but she didn't want them asking her are you okay? anymore. However, she knew that if she were in their shoes, she would most likely do the same exact thing.

Opening the door, her smile faded when she saw Narcissa standing there. "May I come in?" Narcissa rushed before she walked past Hermione without waiting for an invitation.

"Of course," Hermione muttered sarcastically under her breath as she closed the door. "Would you like some — "

"No, no tea tonight. I realize how late it is in the evening, and I'm sorry for stopping by on such short notice," Narcissa began as she wrung her hands nervously. "Have you talked to Draco at all?"

"Oh," Hermione whispered as she remembered standing at the front gates of the Malfoy Manor only hours before. She wasn't brave enough to knock on the door and keep her promise of helping Draco. Seeing the looming house before her was enough to send her running away. "No, I haven't."

Hermione watched as Narcissa's expression changed from worried to annoyed. The blonde woman didn't appreciate Hermione's response. After all, she asked the young witch to help her son two nights ago. When was she going to start holding up her end of the deal? "I asked you two nights ago, Hermione, why has it taken you so long?" Narcissa gave Hermione the same look the young witch always received from the Malfoys during her time at Hogwarts, and although Hermione was still broken inside, this was not something she was going to put up with in her own home.

"Why? Let me tell you why, Narcissa," Hermione began as her temper rose. "Maybe because going to your manor gives me certain memories I don't want to relive. Maybe, being around your son reminds me of the constant teasing and mudblood name calling he would always do. Maybe, being around Draco reminds me of the pain that I myself have. Maybe, it hurts too much, and I need time to process it all. Did that ever occur to you? So, don't you dare come into my flat, reprimand me about my timing as I deal with a nightmare from my past." Hermione was angry, and although Narcissa wasn't in the mood for an excuse as to why Hermione hadn't yet visited Draco, she also wasn't expecting an actual reason. A reason that even Narcissa herself could understand.