quidditch kiss cam | dramione

20. The Boy Who Lived, Our King & Gin.

“Are you fucking kidding with me right now?”

“Ron-” Hermione was about to come to him when suddenly Draco grasped her hand in his. Her eyes fell on their entwined fingers just before she looked at the blond by her side. “Let go of me.” she seethed, her eyes closing in anger. Hermione didn't want it to be this way but Draco and Ron were behaving like stupid children. She didn't even want to fathom what would Harry say next. It was tough as it was already. Draco gave her an amusing glance, his gaze fling over the ginger twins and then at Potter before finally on Hermione. The anger on her face clearly meant no bullshit. Just as fast as he had grasped it, he let her hand go, stepping back with his hands up in surrender and a playful frown on his face.

“Ron—” Hermione spared no second glance at Draco, quickly walking off towards the three friends she felt like she hadn't seen in a lifetime.

“We leave you for a few months. Don't talk to you. Don't see you. And this is what you do? Merlin, disappointment is an understatement here.” well, he sure didn't spare any concealed profanities.

"Ron, please, listen—” Hermione chastised despite the tears burning her eyes. She knew her friends would react harshly but she didn't think it'd be this much. As she put up her hands in definitive surrender and trudged forward, her heart felt like it was being stabbed the moment Ron took a step back, his eyes were full of disgust. Like he couldn't believe she was the same girl they had had years of friendship with, the same girl he had, at some point, loved. While she could understand how hard it could be for her friends, especially Ron to see her this way with Draco, she also wanted them to put behind a fued no one quite frankly needed at this point. Yes, Draco had done several questionable things in the past but she believed everyone, even Draco fucking Malfoy, deserved another chance. All she wanted, at that moment, was for her friends to feel the same way.

Hermione certainly didn't want them to think that Draco had put some kind of magic on her that had left spellbound, no, she wanted them to understand. Understand that loving someone is never a choice, and that accepting a person is okay, as long as they are ready to change for the better.

“This is more important than you, Weasley. Stop overracting. So what if she loves me? We all know you couldn't give the love she deserved, why not just back the fuck off?” Hermione wished Draco hadn't said that because the moment he did, she could feel the tension getting even thicker in the room, she could swear that she could slice through it like butter. Ron was visibly angered—Hermione noticed how the tip of his ears turned as red as his hair. Thank Merlin for Harry who stepped in just when Ron was about to punch Draco.

“Shut up! Both of you! Or I will have your heads on sticks outside the Gryffindor common room.” Ginny, who had been silent this whole time, screeched. All eyes shifted to the red head as she gave everyone in the huge office nothing short of a death glare. Briskly, she walked in between the odd pair with four pair of eyes still lingering on her. Ginny sighed, consequently massaging the bridge of her nose. “Look, I'm going to say it once and once only. I am assuming whatever Professor McGonagall called us in here for is pretty vital, otherwise, I don't think she'd ever voluntarily put Malfoy and Ron under the same roof. Now, if we can all be civil about this, I'm sure it will all be over soon. You don't have to see him,” she turned to her right where Ron stood, still caged in Harry's arms as if he didn't trust him enough to let go just yet. “And you don't have to see him. We all can walk out if this office with our limbs still attached to our body.” Ginny peered to her left where she was met with an exasperated Malfoy.

“Are we clear?” neither of them spoke, only continued to huff in annoyance at each others' mere presence. “I said.” Ginny fired again, this time, more fiercely, her tone having a sharp edge to it. “Are we clear?” Hermione and Harry had their mouths agape the whole time. While Hermione knew Ginny had quite a temper, she had never believed her to be this wise and blunt. It was maddening to even think— the young girl who had been treated like a child all her life because of six older brothers had a voxie of her own, and Merlin's beard, did Hermione wish she was never on the receiving end of it.