Story: Happy Birthday, Draco

Summary: Her eyes flashed dangerously at his. 'Sorry it ended this way, so jagged and all.' And with her friend watching, she reached over and cupped his cheek softly. 'I wish there was an easier way, Malfoy.' She said softly... The bittersweet end of a romance. (DracoHermioneHarry)

Authoressa: Prompted by this huge fight I had with a friend (who will go unmentioned) today in school. This is dedicated to undedicate all of the fanfiction I wrote for her.

Happy Birthday, Draco

Hermione pushed the door open with a hard shove, the door emitting a creak as she stepped in. The Astronomy Tower whipped her hair around her face and she brushed it away carefully, but slowly. Her hands shook nervously, as she tried to plan out everything in her head. She didn't know why she was being so harsh about her breakup, but she just wanted to meet him up here to tell him that she was done, that she couldn't be with him anymore.

Although she would miss the gentleness of his voice and the smooth caress of his fingers, she braced the edge railing and waited for him to arrive. Unexpectedly, Harry walked in, his dark green eyes looked wildly before realizing her erect and ready form.

"Hermione?" He asked softly, making the brunette jump out of her shoes. Her curls landed in a flurry around her surprised face and she avoided a mildly high pitched scream. She took a breath.

"Harry! My god, you scared me!" She said, her hand clutched over her heart.

"What are you doing here, Hermione? It's late. You should be sleeping." He said, stepping into the moonlight. Hermione could see that he had been trying to get away from something by coming here.

"I could say the same for you," She said dryly, "but I won't. I'm meeting up with Draco." Harry let out a huff of indignation as he heard this.

"Can't you just-"

"Things aren't working out." She said softly, her voice starting to sound raspy and crack a bit. Harry sighed, and walked over to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, which made her look up into his eyes. He hugged her, his arms tight around her waist. He felt her tears through his shirt.

"Oh Hermione, don't cry. Things like that regarding Malfoy aren't worth the tears." Harry said, brushing the top of her head with his lips. Hermione pulled back a bit, still encased in the hug to look at him innocently. Harry's eyes suddenly went glassy as he dipped his head down to kiss her on the lips.

Hermione was shocked. She had known Harry loved her-as a friend, but to a further extent was a surprise to the brunette witch. Tentatively, she wrapped her arms around his neck, Harry's hands pulled her in at the waist, and the kiss was deep, intense, and filled with raw passion. Hermione couldn't seem to draw her lips away from Harry's, and when she did, she was out of breath.

"Harry-I-Draco's supposed to be meeting me here." She said, brushing strands of hair away from her eyes, avoiding his bright green ones that she knew were seeking hers out.

"Oh, don't worry about me." A voice called out from the door. "I'm all right." Hermione pushed Harry away from her and ran over to Draco, grasping his hands.

"Stop. Please don't go." She said softly, her eyes begging him to stay and hear what she had to say.

"What? Haven't I seen enough of you and Potter snogging each other senselessly into oblivion? Do you want to put on another show?" He said, his voice angry and venomous. Hermione's hands tightened around his and he looked down at her. Harry was watching overwroughtly from the side, occasionally running his hands through his messy jet-black hair.

"That's not it. You don't even want to know why?" He paused for contemplative of her question.

"At first, I didn't even want to know you." He said darkly, his eyes brimming with anger and ferocity. "I didn't even want to know why you wanted me here. So, go ahead and explain yourself."

"It's just not working out right. I don't want all of this." She motioned around her. "I don't want to be unfaithful to anyone. I'm not an unfaithful person; I can't do 'cheating on people.'" She said, her eyes flickering back up to his after explaining. She had been thoroughly examining the floor during her talk and was now ready to listen.

"Well, then what were you and Potter doing, studying?" Hermione gave him a glare, but the blonde continued.

"What did you think this would be? A fairy tale romance? It'd last forever? We'd never have problems and our love would be eternal? I expected you to come undone at some point, but not this quickly for you, Granger, and with Potter, over all people you had a choice of. You always told me he was just an 'overprotective friend.' You've been a bit blind to how he watches you, you know." Draco said, crossing his arms across his chest.

"I don't love you anymore, Draco. It's not that hard to understand. It never mattered to us, anyway. It doesn't matter. " She said, shaking her head. Her eyes were pouring tears, and she wiped them away, furious at herself.

"It does matter. I love you, Hermione; I've never stopped feeling this way. Even after walking in on that, I still love you. But, I don't think you ever loved me." She stared at him blankly.

"How can you? How can you still love me after what you just saw?" She asked him incredulously. He kept quiet and so did she. There was a period of dead silence, before she spoke again.

"You know what? You're right. I don't think I ever really loved you, Draco. I think I was just with you to 'oppose the crowd' to 'loosen my strings' to be 'unattached' to someone. For 'Inter-House Unity.'" She added with a wry smile. "You've finally hit rock bottom in a bottomless pit, Malfoy." She said, her eye contact with him wavering.

He laughed. "Rock bottom in a bottomless pit is looking better than a train wreck mixed with a tornado for a breakup." Her eyes flashed dangerously at his.

"Sorry it ended this way, so jagged and all." And with her friend watching, she reached over and cupped his cheek softly. Her eyes were looking at him, but his eyes turned away from her in hatred and betrayal. She felt herself began to cry again and felt overwhelmed.

"I wish there were an easier way, Malfoy." She said gently. Silence overcame them again and Hermione had to stop herself from running out of the room. She wanted him to say something. Anything. Yet, he remained quiet and stiff.

"Happy birthday, Draco." She muttered softly, her eyes filled with tears as she gave him a soft, sour kiss on the lips. Tears trickled from her eyes and she turned away from him to look at Harry. She felt the compelling tug to grab one of them and leave the other, but she couldn't figure out who. There was Draco, who had been nothing but supportive of her and loved her. Then, there was Harry, who had just come upon his feelings for her at the moment. But, she pushed past the both of them and left the Astronomy Tower.

There was an awkward silence between Harry and Draco for quite a few minutes. Finally, Harry spoke.

"Look, Malfoy. We're not exactly friends, and I can't apologize for loving Hermione, so I don't even know why I feel this nagging in my stomach that I shouldn't have done anything tonight. Malfoy, I'm just-sorry about how this ended for you and Hermione. I know she loved you, and I know that by me intruding on your relationship, it's a bit rugged." Draco's eyes flashed at Harry's, as to warn him that he was pissed.

"I don't want an apology, Potter. I don't want anything from you. Besides-perhaps-Hermione. Nothing else you have, I want. I've never been jealous of you, or your friends, or anything you've got or had." Draco turned to the door.

"I am sorry, Malfoy." Harry said, sitting in front of the window. Draco turned, and tossed a box at Harry.

"I bet you are." He quipped quietly, before commenting on the box. "Tell her I don't want it anymore." And he left, the door shutting quietly behind him, mocking him. Draco had been anything but quiet while in the Astronomy Tower. Sighing, he unfold the paper wrapping in the present box that read, 'To Draco.' A beautiful, silver watch with his name and the date engraved on the back was present.

June 5th

Draco,

I love you, and I always will. Happy Birthday.

Love,

Hermione.

Harry threw the watch out of the window, and decided to talk to Hermione about things. His last thought was, 'Today is the fifth,' before you could hear his footfalls receding.

"Happy Birthday, Malfoy." Harry said softly, before entering the Gryffindor Common Room.

Happy Birthday, Draco

Authoressa: I know, not exactly happy. That's kinda what happened when you get in an argument as such. I have bruises and stabmarks. Read and Review!