The Tragedy of Chemistry (DM/HG)

19 - I don't know

"You were with Weasley last night?"

Horror washed over Hermione's face; her heart pounded in her ears so loudly she was convinced he must have heard it too.

She shook her head, then nodded before she almost ripped the parchment from his hands. She didn't even look before she let go of it. It was so quiet that she could hear the parchment land on the floor between them.

"We only met for one drink," she said quickly and tried to translate Draco's unreadable mask. The temperature around them had dropped so suddenly that she started to shiver.

He didn't speak but watched her without any hint of how he was feeling. She stepped closer, but that's when he retreated further. She stopped her movement and he copied her; they were both frozen in time. What a horrible misunderstanding.

"I wanted to tell you yesterday when I came home, but you had prepared the game night and I didn't want to ruin anything." She stared at him and waited for him to say something. To accuse her of something she hadn't done.

Draco's usually pale face had turned a light shade of red when their eyes met. Hers wide and shocked, his cold and analyzing.

"Did he touch you?"

"What?!"

"I'm asking if you fucked him before you came here." Plain and without any emotion.

She shook her head again, irritated at his thought process and reached for his hands. This time he didn't pull away, but he also didn't react to her touch. As if his body was with her, but his mind had wandered planets away.

"I've never slept with anyone but you. I met with Ronald at The Three Broomsticks to talk. You have nothing to be worried about."

At that, he frowned merely. Her thumb ran over the back of his hand in a gentle gesture to soothe his unnecessary anger. "I'm not worried about anything." Draco almost spat the words and Hermione held her breath at his condescending tone.

"We're not together, you can do as you please."

With that, he swiftly pulled his hands out of hers. She wasn't sure what to say or do in return. She just watched him helplessly. He turned away.

Hermione wanted to explain why she had wanted to talk to Ronald, but his words cut through her chest harshly and she wasn't sure if she wanted him to know anymore. She had done it for him. If he really didn't care... if he still didn't consider that she could be more to him but a witch he slept with... What was the point?

"I'm already running late. My mother is expecting me." He didn't even look at her.

Hermione felt how the panic spread through her chest. No – he had felt it too. She was sure of it. Last night when he had told her that he wanted this with her, only with her... more than once a week. That was him saying he wanted more – wasn't it?

"Can we talk about this before you leave? I don't-"

"It's all said. We're cool."

Dumbfounded would have described her expression best when he forced a stiff smile onto his lips. She watched him walk away from her, but her feet were too heavy to follow him.

Her lips parted when he almost had reached her floo.

"Will you come back tonight?"

Draco turned to face her once, briefly nodded and then disappeared. Hermione stood several minutes where he had left her before she blinked and crouched to pick up the parchment roll she had dropped earlier.