She Drives, He Walks- Chapter Seventeen

She Drives, He Walks - Chapter 17 (Final Edition)

“Draco, do me a favor?” Hermione says, looking calm and still pointing her wand at her old best friends. She can feel Draco's body heat very close to hers.

His voice is uncertain but firm. “Sure.”

“Get your mom and dad in my bedroom, okay? I wanna talk to those two on how to treat guests that are not their own.” And she stretches out her hand that holds his parents’ wands towards him.

Draco, Harry, and Ron widen their eyes. The latter two start to open their mouths to protest.

Hermione glares at them. “Shut up. Draco, now, please.”

She feels one wand being pulled out of her hand. Next, Narcissa is being levitated to her bedroom.

Still glaring at Ron and Harry, she points towards the couch with her eyes. “Sit, you two. I'm fucking tired today.”

Ron fuming, Harry frowning, they comply. Draco starts levitating Lucius.

Hermione places herself in front of them. She looks at Harry. “That was too fast, you two coming here. I am figuring that it has nothing to do with the Ministry. Did you put wards in my house, Harry? Only you knew where I lived.”

There is a soft click of a door. Next, Draco is back at her side, giving her back the wand he used. “Thank you, Draco.”

He smiles sweetly at her. “No problem, Hermione.”

She almost smirks at the expressions of the two Aurors.

“What are you two doing here?” she says, angry. “Harry, I thought I was crystal clear when I said I would call you if I needed anything.”

Harry frowns, looking hurt. He opens his mouth but Ron snaps. “What is the bloody ferret doing he-”

“Oh, SHUT UP, Ron.” She glares again. “I'm talking to Harry.” They can tell just looking at her moving her hands to her hips that she is losing her patience quickly. “Harry. I'm waiting.”

Harry speaks so low nobody hears him.

“Come again?”

With a snarl, Harry speaks again. “I said I put some wards here.”

Hermione stares, pissed.

Harry gulps nervously. “What? You- I- What the hell, Hermione! You are like my sister, I couldn't just have-”

She snaps at him, her patience gone. “-Left me alone LIKE I ASKED YOU TO? Fuck- All right. What kind of wards?”

“It just lets me know if anyone inside has intention to harm you.”

Hermione looks at Draco, and then looks at her bedroom.

He nods at her. “Definitely my parents.”

She smiles at him.

“How do you know it was not Malfoy?!” Ron seems affronted.

Hermione says in a matter of fact tone. “Because he has been staying with me for some time now.”

“... WHAT?” Both Ron and Harry scream at her. She doesn't even flinch.

Now Harry looks affronted. “But- He could be setting this up! He is a bloody Slytherin!”

Draco stares at him, looking bored. “Why would I do that?”

Harry snarls yet again. “Just to annoy me, I'm sure!”

Hermione rolls her eyes. “Harry, shut up! He is living here. Why would he do something like this? He doesn't even have a wand! There is nothing for him to gain and a lot to lose.”

Draco grins at Hermione, and says with a sweet voice full of sarcasm. “Why, Hermione, thanks.”

She grins back. “Don't mention it.”

Ron stands up, his eyebrows in an angry frown, pointing his finger at her. “Why are you doing this? Why are you so friendly with him? Is he the reason you left me? How can you trade me for bloody Malfoy?”

Harry tries to speak but Hermione warns him with one look. Draco just watches it, looking curious, but takes a few steps back.

She sighs. “No, Ron, he is not the reason I left you! He had nothing to do with it. We only met like a month ago. He has been staying here only a few days.”

“Well, why did you?”

Hermione doesn't say anything. She just stares.

Ron waits a bit. He gets redder and redder by the second. Then closes his hands in furious fists. He snaps. “TELL ME!”

Hermione doesn't even blink. She seems angry herself. “BECAUSE... Because I didn't want to stay as we were. And I wasn't in love with you anymore.”

“... What?”

“It's true. I didn't want to marry you. I felt suffocated. After the war was over, everything was fine for a while.” She frowns. “Then you started talking about marriage, and how we would have a bunch of kids was all that Molly could talk about.” Hermione snorts at that. “I didn't want to be a damn housewife and I didn't want to stay in the wizarding world, either.”

She takes a pause. With a deep breath, she goes on. “Then I started to pay attention to you, and us, Ron.” She points her finger between them. “We aren't so good together. You wanted someone to be there for you and take care of you while you went and discovered the wonders of the world. I sincerely wanted some peace after that dammed war. We were fucking nineteen! I wanted to do stuff too!”

They all have forgotten Draco's presence. Ron just stares at her.

“You could have told me. We would figure it out-”

“No, Ron...” Hermione raises her hand to stop him, looking tired. “I wasn't doing something like this without thinking, you know? I did this so you wouldn't be held back because of me. I knew very well what you wanted to do.”

She smiles a little smile. “Aren't you an Auror now? Hasn’t everything go as you wanted? ... Don't get me wrong, Ron. I loved you... once. I wanted a life of my own. I've always been by the side of you and Harry.” She snorts. “I only got a social life at Hogwarts because of you two.”

She sighs deeply. “I needed to find myself.”

Harry tries to talk again. “But-”

“But nothing, Harry. I won't change my mind. I have a job; I have a life doing something I like. I won't go back to Ron, sorry. This is what I am now, a librarian that is currently helping a former schoolmate. You like it or not: this is it.”

Harry is perplexed. Ron is angry and broken-hearted.

Ron lowers his head. He tries to hide a sob and remembers who else is in the room.

His crying glare fixes on Draco. He points his wand at him, and Harry puts a firm grip on his shoulder. “You. If you hurt her, I will kill you.”

Draco nods. There is nothing disrespectful about him towards Ron.

The red head lowers his wand. “Let's go, Harry.” And heads towards the door, not even looking at Hermione.

Harry follows after giving Hermione a last glance. They are gone with a crack.