Silencio

Chapter 15

Hermione had no idea how she should feel. This, in itself, was not really something new, as her relationship with Draco frequently threw her and turned everything she thought she knew upside down.

But no matter how she should feel, she felt remarkably happy. Ecstatic even.

He had said he loved her.

She didn't quite understand everything he had done to push her away over the months, but that didn't matter much now. All that was about to end. Everything that had seemed so dire and important before was now fading in the light of their love.

Love.

Could it really be? She wasn't deluding herself, was she? She hadn't fallen asleep and was dreaming up this whole thing? She pinched herself. Ow. No, she was awake, and he had truly said the words and assured her that everything would be ok, they would be together.

Of course, she knew it wouldn't be easy for him to date a Muggle-born, with his parents and his House and everything, but somehow everything would work out now. It had to. She couldn't bear the thought of some stupid prejudices keeping them apart. Not again.

She refused to believe that the danger was as great as Draco had always claimed. It had just been another way for him to push her away. If there was any danger, then it could be overcome by contacting the Order—easy as that! If the Order would accept someone as horrible as Snape, then surely a repentant Malfoy or two wouldn't make people as much as raise an eyebrow.

She wouldn't acknowledge any obstacles. She wanted happily ever after.

Forever?

Well, nobody could guarantee that, could they? Her logic told her that they were both still very young and statistically, they were both bound to date several more people before settling down. Her heart didn't seem to care about the statistics, though. It wanted to conquer all odds and be with him and nobody else. Who cared about the future; it was the now she had to live in.

And he wanted to be with her too. Right here, right now.

Hermione's heart skipped every time she thought of that.

She hadn't meant to do what she had done. She supposed it was true what they said about full moons making everyone a little crazy. She had felt the old attraction to him, but he had been so cold, distant and annoying, and she had assumed that he truly was over her. It had sobered her and made her focus on the task at hand until she had looked up and caught him gazing at her like that. He had looked at her with such a pained yearning that it had stolen her breath and her good sense away.

Of course he had tried to deny it. Tried to get away from her. So she had captivated him the only way she knew how—with her body.

And it had worked. Merlin, had it worked.

He loved her.

He obviously had never meant to say the words for whatever foolish reasons he had for trying to resist. He had meant to go on pretending that he didn't care about her, allowing both their hearts to break in the process.

I'll have to punish him for that.

Hermione smiled. Yes, she definitely had to punish him for trying to deny them both. What possible reasons could he have that were good enough? None that she could think of. No, he'd had some stupid idea about what would work and what wouldn't work, and he had tried pushing her away, enforcing his idea that their relationship wouldn't work. Well, he was wrong!

Yeah? And what about punishing him for the fact that he slept with Marilyn Shaw?

The familiar pain twisted her insides and her smile faded. She was fairly certain that it had been another stupid and desperate scheme of his to push her away. It did hurt, and she did hate that he would even do this to her, but she wasn't going to allow it to break them apart. She wasn't going to give up on them. Not this time.