Determination| 𝐴 𝐷𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 (𝚈𝚎𝚊𝚛 4, 𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 2)

Chapter Two | Back To You

Back To You, by Selena Gomez

There he was. Looking at her, smiling at her, standing in front of her. Hermione shuddered when she met his gaze. She winced as the memories began to flood back in. They swam before her eyes as tears entered her gaze. Hermione blinked rapidly, trying to clear her head, and wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. She wasn't supposed to feel this way. She didn't want to feel this way. But she couldn't control it. Her feelings were still fresh in her heart and soul.

   Hermione moaned and glared down at him. She thought she was past all this. Hermione thought that the whole summer would be enough time to get over him. But just the sight of him caused her to cry. She didn't want to think about him, want him, or care about him. But she did. Her feelings had not changed. She still cared deeply for him. No matter how badly he had hurt her.

Draco stared up at them and Hermione sucked in her breath, trying to avert her gaze. She swallowed, the saliva stinging her raw throat. Crying tended to do that. But she didn't want him to see her like that, so weak and haggard, she didn't want him to see her cry. He'd probably only mock her for it. Make a fool out of her. He'd broken the strong-willed Hermione Granger. There wasn't a much more challenging achievement. But what hurt her the most was that he'd done it so easily. That he'd been able to break her. That she'd fallen so deeply for him that she couldn't see past his charms and good looks.

This was all her fault. She should never have come. Hermione regretted letting Ron and Harry convince her to join them. She hadn't even wanted to go to the Quidditch World Cup. It was overrated honestly. Just a silly game with exaggerated players and dangerous tactics. Hermione smiled to herself. If Draco had heard her say that he would be quite distraught. As would Harry and Ron. Not so much Harry as Ron though. He would be livid if he heard her say that.

   That was another thing Hermione couldn't help but ponder. Draco, while upset and not agreeing, would never argue or make her feel less because her opinion was different. When she was with him, her opinion mattered. With Ron, he always had to be right. It was his way or the highway. The highway that always led to a fight. And he never apologized, unless he needed help with his homework.

Hermione knew the game was a big deal and part of her thought it would be fun but that wasn't why she didn't want to come. She'd feared she'd see him today. Hermione knew how big of a Quidditch fan Dr... Malfoy was. Hermione shook her head, trying to get his name out of her head, even though it had already burned itself into her cranium. She was determined to forget him. Or at least forget thinking of him I'm that way. As of this day, he would be known to her only as Malfoy. That was what she wanted. Wasn't it?

   Hermione sighed. She'd known he was sure to be there that day. Part of her had hoped he wouldn't show, or at least that they wouldn't cross paths. It was easy enough not to run into anyone you knew, even if everyone you'd ever known had attended. The stadium was so very large. But of course, Hermione had to run directly into him and his poor excuse of a father. She sneered at him as he and his father approached them from the floor below.

Deep down, Hermione knew there was a small part of her that wanted to see him. She supposed that this was punishment for wishing such a thing. The deepest desire of her heart seemed to overrule the logically common sense thinking of her mind. So as you could say, her wish came true. But Hermione had to have been daft for wishing such a thing. She hadn't even truly wanted to see him... Well, that was a lie. She had wanted to see him.

   Nevertheless, it was painful to see him standing there. Whether she had wanted to or not. It had been inevitable that she would see him today, considering that she was undecided on where she stood. So of course, fate decided for her. And it seemed, she would have rather it chosen not to have them cross paths. No matter what the deepest desire of her heart was. Her heart was broken and had been deceived.