The Tragedy of Chemistry (DM/HG)

High

Sunday. Two o'clock.

Hermione's hallway.

Hermione stared at Draco's broad frame suspiciously when she opened the front door for him. He usually used the floo network; but this time he had knocked politely at his arrival.

"Did you fly here?" She asked warily as she stepped back to let him in. He wore a handsome smirk on his face with his broom in one and a travel bag in the other hand.

She wondered if he had charmed his hair to look so fluffy and she swallowed down the envy in her throat at the fact that he always looked so put together. It was annoying, really.

"No, I apparated, but I have to practice later with the team," he replied smug and dropped his bag before leaning his broom against the wall carefully. He pushed the door closed.

He smelled heavenly as always- maybe even a little more intense. She inhaled his scent when he wasn't looking at her. He was meticulous in the way he made sure his broom stood straight and couldn't fall before letting go of it.

"Why didn't you use the floo?"

"Asking lots of questions today, do we?" He smirked with raised brows before Hermione bit her tongue at the snide remark. She hadn't even started all the questions she truly wanted to ask him.

He nodded towards the broom without taking his eyes off her. His grey eyes with an unexplained storm of something in them. They seemed extra light today, and she couldn't help but wonder how in the world she would ever get used to how beautiful he truly was. It was all consuming and distracting. "Just cleaned it this week, no need to get it all dusty."

She had been nervous to see him today. Being apart from him for so many days without his touch or mere presence had been strange.

The flowers he had given her on Friday made her kitchen smell heavenly and let her stomach twist in anticipation for today.

They stood across from each other in silence and eyed each other curiously. There was no kiss or intimate touch – Hermione didn't dare to guess what he was thinking, silently suffering through their distance.

She sighed and he woke from his own stupor.

"Nice weather today. Feel like exploring the outside a bit?" He asked, careful with his choice of words as he looked away from her.

Hermione swallowed and suddenly worried about his true intentions for today. She was scared that all of this, everything between them would come to an end quickly since she had told him that she had feelings for him. Maybe she had misunderstood his gesture to bring her flowers on Friday. Maybe this wasn't him trying to open up but to shut her out for good. At least it would explain the physical distance he had created.

His plan to leave her flat to a more public place she assumed was a classic in the rule book of breaking up with someone. Not that she would have made a scene if he would cut the ties right here and then; but he didn't know that. The signs were all there. He hadn't even planned to stay the night with his broom leaning in her hallway for his Quidditch practice.

Her mind spiraled when he eventually did meet her eyes again with a questioning cock of his brows. "Not a fan of fresh air?"

"Um... no... I mean...sure... do you want to leave right away?" She asked slowly and turned around to look for her shoes. She could see from the corner of her eyes that he checked his prosperous watch on his wristband.

Great. - She thought with a studder of her heartbeat. Now he was under time pressure to get it over with.

She had done her hair today; a simple but clean french braid. Maybe she should have put less effort into her appearance. She probably looked desperate for his affection. Her fingers began to entwine with each other in uncertainty.