Draco x Hermione: "Goodbye"

Three years later

He stood there, frozen, in the middle of the supermarket isle. It had been years since he'd last seen her, since he had run away without even telling her. But there she was, unchanged, completely unaware of his presence. Draco watched as she moved through the crowd and began to walk away. He wanted to call out, to tell her he was there, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything.

Just as he was about to give up, she turned around. Yes, it was her. The same old Hermione, a little older, perhaps, stared at him, her eyes wide. The crowd moved away, as if they could read the situation, and soon they found themselves alone. It was Hermoine that broke the silence.

"Hello, Malfoy" she said coldly.

He just nodded. So they were on last name basis now, were they? Apparently three years did change people.

" I was meaning to talk to you" it was obvious she was lying, but he didn't complain "but I didn't know where you lived. In fact" she added an extra emphasis on the 'in fact' "I haven't heard anything about you since you dissapeared"

They both knew she meant ran away. Draco honestly couldn't understand why she didn't just say it. Why she didn't yell at him, scold him, insult him. Even being called a coward would have been better then this coldness.

"Well, anyway" she picked up her basket, left on the floor " I've got to get on with my shopping"

And then she began to leave. Not just down the isle, but to the checkout and out of the shop. He could see her through the window, walking to her car. He had to stop her. If she drove away, there was no way he coild catch up, not even with magic. Overcome with a sense of urgency, Draco dropped what he was carrying and ran out of the building, followed by the yells of the angry shop assistant who now needed to clean up the broken wine bottles. She was begging to get into the car. Just as he was about to reach her, the engine turned on. And away she went. She was driving quickly, as if she was trying to get away from him. Panic clouded his vision until, finally, he could take no more.

"HERMONIE!!!!"

The scream eoched through out the parking lot. The other customers stared at him, whispering between themselves, but it was worth it. The car had stopped. He rushed over and, after a couple of taps, she opened the window.

"What do you want?" she didn't look up at him, instead she continued to stare out straight ahead "I thought us Mudbloods were to inferior to recieve your attention"

He stared at her, stunned. She'd never called herself a Mudblood before. She appeared to wait for a response, but none came.

"Please don't ever talk to me again" she said, simply, and began to put her window back up.

"Hermoine, wait! I...!"

"I know!" There was a slight tremble in her voice now "I feel the same"

A smile spread across his face.

"Then..."

"No! I can't.... I can't leave Ron alone."

"Hermoine..."

"Draco." a curtain of tears fell down her face as she smiled at him for the last time "Goodbye."

Draco watched as the car dissapeared down the road and got lost in the traffic. He wasn't sure how long he stood there, sobbing, but it felt like an eternity. By the time he could speak, he was alone, in more ways then one.

"I didn't say being Muggle born was a bad thing." why he was saying what he had wanted to long ago now he didn't know, but it didn't matter "you beautiful Mudblood."