Afraid Of Love

Twenty-One: The Truth Hurts

Hermione's Pov...

The silence could have been cut with a knife as both Harry and Severus stepped into the house. Mrs. Weasley about fainted on the spot, and several Weasleys openly stared at the former potions teacher with a healthy dose of fear and skeptcism. Hermione had had enough of being treated like a second class citizen ever since their precious Ron died.

"What's the matter with all of you?!" She shouted. "Is this any way to treat a guest?"

"Well, one that's returned from the dead," George Weasley put in, grinning. "I think deserves some staring, don't you think?"

Hermione stood. "You know what? I'm tired of this bullshit. All of you cut me off ever since I wouldn't talk about your precious godsdamned brother, Ron. Do you know why?? Because I was grief-stricken!"

"Hermione," Severus said soothingly. "I think you have proven your point."

She shook off his hand. "I became his friend at first because I was sorry for him, but he was an insensitive idiotic asshole from the beginning. It was my mistake for ever associating with you people to begin with! There is your eulogy, and--"

Molly Weasley's slap echoed across the dinner table, and everyone stared openmouthed at the two witches. Hermione punched Molly in the face, hard. She took one look around the table, and finally understood the disdain the Malfoys had for this family. She straightened her clothes, and grabbed her coat, and purse. With one final look, she left the Burrow, never to come back again. Severus followed her, and she wrenched out of his grip.

"Do you want me to come with you, darling?" He asked, hugging her.

"Later. I need to go to the Malfoys for a bit," Hermione explained. "Narcissa said to go to her if I just needed to get away from it all. I'm sorry, Severus. But that was all building up for years now, and I had to let it out. Do you forgive me?"

Severus smiled. "Of course. You go and relax, whatever you need. I'm here for you, you know that. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Hermione disapparated on the spot, and was greeted by Draco. Draco was alone for once, no pesky wife, or lovers hanging about the place. He was in the living room watching some action movie, and eating ice-cream. He saw her, and patted the seat next to him.

"Okay, Granger," Draco said, handing her the spoon and cookies and cream. "Spill, and eat that ice cream. It looks like it's a night we'll both be needing it."

Hermione took a scoop and ate it, trying to ignore that a minute ago it had been in his mouth. "Well, I finally told the Weasleys exactly what I thought of them," She said, and then began to cry. She told him everything that had happened, and Draco didn't interrupt once. "...I'm actually pretty shocked to agree with your dad when he called them 'low level hicks pretending to be purebloods.' So, why are you watching Rambo and eating ice-cream in your pajamas?"

Draco sighed, and ate a few bites of ice-cream before answering. "Because Astoria is leaving me. Her cowardly sister confessed that I was cheating on her with not only Ashley but Nott. Thank the gods, we don't have kids, or this divorce is going to be messier than it is bound to get."

"So, why action films?"
"Pardon?"

"Bloody action films. Why watch muggle violence instead of a comedy?" Hermione asked.

Draco un paused the movie, and said, "Just watch. See, it's therapeutic for me to watch other people having a worse time than I am. But we can watch what you want, we have a ton of movies in this house."

Hermione picked a romantic comedy, and they shared ice-cream and soda together. They laughed like two girls, and Hermione looked at her watch. It was 3AM.

"Holy crap! It's really late."
"So what? Stay the night."
"Are you sure?"

Draco blew his hair out of his face, and said, "You're practically family, so yeah, it's totally cool." Draco yawned and stretched out his arms. "Night', Hermione."

"Good night, Draco."

Something unreadable flashed in Draco's eyes, and he shook his head, and paid attention to his movie. Hermione summoned a house elf, and she was shown to a guest room. She got ready for bed, and as soon as she hit the plush mattress, she was out like a light...