I'll Always Be There for You...

I'll always be there for you...

Chapter 12

After Draco left me there, my heart was pounding so loudly that I thought he would be able to hear it, several floors up.

After thinking about the kiss, I decided to just go to my room. So I made my way to my room and changed into my pajamas.

Then I hopped into my big bed, but I couldn't fall asleep for hours.

I kept thinking about Draco and how maybe I had misunderstood him. He seemed really lonely and alone. Sure he yelled at me, mocked me and sometimes just made me want to curse him. But under it all, I felt like deep down, he cared about me.

The next morning, I woke up feeling like I had just gone asleep minutes ago and not hours ago.

I brushed my teeth, washed my face and changed my clothes. When I was 'home' I dressed rather casually, since Draco had promised that no one would take pictures of me or bug me.

Lazily, I walked downstairs to have my breakfast.

As usual, the dining table was filled with yummy looking food. I had half a bagel and some coffee. But I decided to have it outside, since it was a beautiful day.

Normally, Draco woke up around the same time as me and sometimes before, but I didn't know where he was now. The truth was that I wasn't looking forward to seeing him for a while, as I didn't know what to say.

The only thing I had planned for today was a tea with Witch Weekly, their annual one, where the Daily prophet would also be present. Until then, I could lounge around.

I sat down on a bench and admired the gardens as I ate. They really were beautiful.

Trees, shrubs, bushes and flowers of all different kinds and colours filled the gardens, as well as different aromas. There was also a small fountain off to one side.

I finished my breakfast and then took a walk around the gardens, something I hadn't really looked at.

I enjoyed my morning alone, just wandering around and thinking. It was great.

Before I knew it was two o'clock and the tea was at three o'clock. I was waiting for Draco to show up, and was wondering where he was.

What if he was hurt? What if something happened to him? He had been gone all morning.

At two fifteen, I heard a pop in the living room so I headed there and saw Draco.

"Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried I've been?" I said, sounding like Mrs. Weasley.

Draco was wearing a white-collar shirt with black thin stripes and black pants. He looked like he hadn't got any sleep at night either.

"I had to talk to Blaise about the mission," he answered, not meeting my eyes. "Why aren't you ready? We have to go."

"I was waiting for you," I said. "I thought you weren't going to come."

"Well I'm here now," he said. "You can get ready now."

"Ok," I said, going up to the room, cringing with the way we were talking to each other. I realised that I liked him better when he mocked me, not when we were so formal to each other. It felt unnatural.

I had a shower, once I got to my room and then got dressed. I picked out a light blue dress with darker blue embroidery. It was a tube top type and had a little half sleeved sweater to wear on top that buttoned up the front. It went down just to my knees. I tied my straight black hair into a ponytail, pulling my soft, side swept bangs to the side, still amazed at how easy and fast it was to brush my hair. I pulled on my ice blue matching sandals and my chandelier earrings that looked like icicles.

I walked downstairs, calling Draco. "Draco, I'm ready. Let's go now and..."

I tripped on the last few steps because of my stupid sandals and almost fell face flat on the ground, when Draco caught me. Well not really caught me, but held me up before I tripped anymore.

"Are you ok?" he asked me, helping me stand up.

"Yeah," I said, wiggling my foot around. "Stupid shoes."

I could walk perfectly fine, but I wanted him to help me. Trying to look serious, I tried to walk and almost fell.

"No," I said, wincing in pain.

"Here, lean on me." He put his arm around me and supported me so that I could put my weight on him.

For once he wasn't wearing a suit. He was wearing dark jeans and a black shirt.

"Close your eyes," he said, as he got ready to Disapparate. He held on to me, so that our bodies were touching, and then I felt the ground move underneath me and we were off.

A minute later, we were there. I let go of Draco and he helped me over to the party, which was being held in this great big garden that were filled with fountains and roses.

"Thanks, Draco," I said, supporting myself now. "I'll be ok now."

We made our way to the reception and a woman greeted us. "Draco Malfoy and 'Mione! So glad you could make it. You are my special guest of honour today," she said as she hugged me.

I smiled back at her. "Thanks, Julie."

"Everyone's almost here," she said, waving at the crowd of people. "I guess I'll make my speech now."

"Hello!" she said, making her voice magically louder and standing on a podium. "Thank you all for coming today to the Witch Weekly's annual picnic tea party. Please eat whatever you like, mingle with the others and enjoy yourself!"

Everyone clapped and then the talking resumed.

"There's Blaise," muttered Draco, heading off to talk to him and some other Ministry members.

I was standing there, along when I heard a voice behind me.

"I can't believe it," said Parvati Patil behind me

I turned around and saw her and Lavender Brown standing, with glasses of champagne in their hands.

"Hermione?" Lavender asked me, peering at me as if I was a foreign object.

Even though Lavender seemed to have forgotten me, I hadn't forgotten her or how she had used me and ignored me.

"Actually it's 'Mione now," I said.

"I thought the rumours were just...rumours," said Parvati, staring at me. "But look at you, Her...'Mione. You look great!"

I flipped my ponytail over my shoulder. "Thank you. Both of you look nice to."

"Oh my god, Hermione," said Lavender, still not believing it. "You look bloody amazing! I saw you on the cover of like every magazine just yesterday. They say you're going to win the model of the year award, making you the youngest model ever to win."

I shrugged nonchalantly, as if to say whatever.

Soon, several people that I had known over the years when I was at Hogwarts and after were all surrounding me, unable to believe that it was really me.

I smiled and chatted with all of them who claimed that I was stunning and so very successful. I felt like throwing a piece of cake in their faces, because they were the ones who ignored me and pushed me around before and now they were the ones saying that they knew I was going to make it big one day and that I wanted to be a model all along. I wanted to laugh and throw something at them. My mother hadn't even known I wanted to be a model, even when I didn't, so how would they know?

But I didn't explain it to them how it was just for a few months to help Draco out, because the truth was I liked it. I liked having them respect me. I liked having them talk to me and praise me. I liked having them think I was very successful and very beautiful.

After having fifteen people crowd around me, I grew annoyed and then snuck away from them.

I was just about to take a walk around the gardens when I heard a voice behind me.

"'Mione! Have something to drink," said Julie.

I cringed when I heard her loud voice. "No thanks, I don't drink."

"Nonsense!" she said. "You must. It goes with the image. I'll get you a drink."

She left and then came back in a few minutes with a glass of bubbling champagne.

"Thanks," I said to her, pretending to drink it.

She beamed at me and then said, "Bye now."

I rolled my eyes after she left and walked around the garden. Finally I found a quiet bench to sit on.

I stared at the glass of champagne in my hand. Come on; just drink it, I told myself. It probably tastes better than it did three years ago.

When I had been seventeen I had tried an alcoholic beverage for the first time and hated it. I didn't like the way it made me feel (light-headed and not in control) and I thought it was bad for my body. Except for that one time, when I got lost my head because of the whole Ron thing and had drank Vodka, I never drank.

I took a sip and nearly spat it out. But I made myself swallow it just in case anyone was watching me.

Which they were.

"So you drink champagne now?" came Ron's voice.

I spat the champagne out. I stood up and faced him. "What do you want Ronald?"

"Just to know what's wrong with you," he said, coming closer to me.

I backed up, stumbling into the bench.

"Ronald, I am serious. Leave me alone. I have nothing to discuss with you," I said firmly, trying not to be scared. I took my seat on the bench and took another 'sip' of champagne.

Ron, being stubborn Ron as usual, ignored what I had said and took a seat beside me.

"Come on, Hermione. Look at you. Look at the way you're dressed."

"What's wrong with the way I'm dressed?" I demanded. "I look better than you." This statement would have been true any other day than today, for Ron, for some strange reason, had dressed up a bit. He looked adorable in a green shirt and black pants, with his hair cut shorter and his face clean-shaven.

"You were never like this. You hated wearing dresses and skirts and dressing up. That's what you said you like about me, remember Hermione? That you didn't feel like you had to dress up in front of me?" he asked.

"That was ages ago, Ronald," I said, being firm, "when we were...when we had a relationship. Not now. Leave me."

"Bloody hell, Hermione! Please, I'll make it up to you. I'll buy you a thousand books. Please talk to me," he pleaded.

"I have no use for books," I said to him. "Good bye."

I got up and left him sitting there on the bench. I made my way to the table with food and pretended to look at the food, as if that was where I wanted to go there all along.

After standing there for fifteen minutes, taking a nibble here and there, Parvati and Lavender came up to me.

"Her...'Mione," said Lavender, "you've been here for fifteen minutes now standing."

"Oh," I said, moving away. "I didn't realise."

"Hermione, what's wrong?" asked Parvati. "Why are you a model suddenly when I know you never cared about stuff like this and why won't you talk to Ron? I know you guys broke up, but talk to him. And what did we do? At least talk to us."

I lost my temper then. "Would you really like to know why I'm not talking to you? Before this day, did either of you ever notice me? Did you?"

"Of course we did," said Lavender. "Don't be ridiculous."

"No, you're being ridiculous now," I said. "Other than being there for you guys when you needed help, did I provide you with anything else? Were you there when I needed help? No, you weren't."

"That's not true," said Parvati. "You're being mean and we're your friends."

"No, it's not mean," I said. "It's the truth. Ask Lavender how many times I patched up her and Dean when they had a fight and she was crying? And ask her how many times she actually listened to me when I had a problem? Is that how friends behave? Is it? And you, Parvati? How many times did I help you so many times in every single class in 7^th year when your grandpa passed away? Didn't I console you when Harry ignored you at the Yule Ball? Wasn't I the only one who took you to the hospital wing, countless times when you had cramps? And please tell me, how many times you actually answered my questions about whether you thought Ron liked me or not in 5^th year? How many times did you call me an insufferable know it all? And how many times did I help you study for your Potions and Transfiguration tests when you forget? How many times?"

Parvati and Lavender stared at me open mouthed. "Oh my god," said Lavender, starting to cry. "Hermione I never knew. I'm so sorry."

Parvati also started to cry. "Me too, Hermione. I am really very sorry. For us, you were just Hermione. You were always there and..."

"Exactly!" I said. "I'm Hermione Granger. I'm always there. If Snape dies tomorrow and doesn't come to class, we can still copy our homework off Hermione. She always does it. I was always the person that everyone knew was there but didn't actually pay any attention to. I was just there for you guys. For yourselves, I was there to help you. But when I needed help, you were never there for me. And now! Now that I've made a name for myself and I've become different and famous and rich, you think by sucking up to me and behaving like you did before, I'll just say 'oh that's fine, we'll be friend's again'. Because that's not going to happen."

Parvati took my hand. "Hermione it's not like that. Please, we're really sorry. We never knew."

"A child is always forgiven for whatever he or she does in their childhood for two or three years. But this has been going on for nine years! Nine bloody years! And I'm tired of it. Why shouldn't I look beautiful? Why shouldn't I be noticed? Why shouldn't I be happy and admired?"

I turned around to leave, but then turned around again. "And ask Ron if he's finally noticed that I'm a girl."

And with that I walked away, my heart beating madly in my chest. I took several deep, calming breaths to calm myself.

Then I walked around a bit, going a bit deeper into the gardens so that I could get away from the chatter of people and be on my own for awhile.

It felt good to get that out, I thought as I made my way around the gardens. I had wanted to say that to Parvati and Lavender for a long time. Now only if I could say that to Ron.

Soon I found myself to be in a circular area with the walls of the gardens making a circle around the massive fountain that was in the middle. The ledge wasn't very tall; it was short enough so that you could sit on it comfortably.

As I came into the closed space, I heard someone coming from the other area. I got ready to run, just in case it was Ron, but it was only Draco.

"Oh, it's only you," I said.

"What do you mean?" he asked me.

"I thought you were Ron for a second," I said, sitting down on the ledge of the fountain.

"Is he here?" he asked me. When I nodded, he said, "Why?"

"I don't know," I said. "He keeps saying stuff about how I've changed and a bunch of more rubbish. I don't know."

He shook his head. "Ignore him. When do you want to go home?"

I shrugged. "Whenever. I'm through with this place."

He nodded. "Me too. It's quite boring."

I gave him a look. "Boring? How's it boring for you? You had your old pal Blaise Zabini to talk to."

"He was your boss right?"

Nodding, I said, "I hate him. He used me."

"He...er saw you," said Draco, slightly smirking, "and he was asking about you."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. What did he ask? That I'm slobbering up to you?"

Draco grinned. "He said that you looked hot and if I had your Owl code." Owl code was your residence where a person's Owl could find you. Asking for someone's Owl code was like asking someone for his or her phone number. It was a pick up line in both worlds.

I felt my cheeks redden. "He...he said that?"

"Yeah, he said a lot more stuff too. About how you've got great legs and that he wouldn't mind you working for him again or going out with him. He said you could take your pick," he said, smirking.

My face reddened some more. "How dare he? He used me before and now he wants to go out with me?" I had to laugh at the absurdity of it all. "And what did you say?"

Draco laughed. "I told him that I would let him know after I asked you."

I punched him on the arm. "You should've have said no. Like I'd want to go out with him. Ew."

He laughed again and then said, "Who would you want to go out with then?"

Whoa. What kind of question was that? I didn't know how to answer that since I was afraid my cheeks were flaming red. But then I thought of a very clever response.

"It doesn't matter who I want to go with," I told him pointedly, "because I can't. It states in the contract that I can't make any new 'friends'. So it doesn't matter."

He smiled at me, a real smile. "I'm glad you remember that."

"How could I forget?"

We looked at each other for a few seconds more and then he broke away. "Let's go home."

I got up and took his hand, except he took my other hand and pulled me closer to him.

"It's pretty far," he said.

"Oh," I said, holding him closer.

Smirking, he said, "I see your foot's better."

Looking at my toes, I half smiled. "Yeah, it's much better."

Suddenly there was a flash that nearly blinded me. I moved to the side to get even more blinded by several flashes. There were several people from the daily prophet there taking pictures of us!

I screamed and pushed Draco away from me. Except my sight was blinded and I fell straight into the fountain and so did Draco because I pulled him in with me.

It took me some time to get out of the fountain and by the time I was out, I was furious. My dress was ruined and the Daily Prophet had several pictures of me making a fool out of myself.

By the time I got back to the manor, Draco was grumpy and so was I.

"You need to get more exposure to the press," said Draco, while he dried himself off with his wand, in the main foyer.

I didn't even answer him. I just walked off to my room and dried myself off there.

Quickly, I changed into something more comfortable and tied my black hair up. The things that Parvati, Lavender, and Ron had said were getting to me.

I shook it off and then started to browse the bookshelf in the room. I had wanted to look at it before, but had never had any time.

I found several books that looked interesting and so I picked one and curled up happily on my bed with it.

I had forgotten how much I loved to read, because soon the hours passed by like minutes and I had finished half the book and it was dark.

It was about eight o'clock now and I was hungry, having eaten nothing at the tea party.

So I made my way downstairs and ate my dinner by myself, whilst reading my book.

When I was done, I went upstairs and read for another two hours and then fell asleep.

The next morning, I woke up at ten o'clock and got dressed casually. Draco hadn't told me that he had anything planned today, so I took my time.

When I opened my door to go downstairs, I noticed a note written by Draco on my door.

He had gone to the studio to do some work with some other model and told me to come in at eleven thirty for an overview of my new schedule plus a short shoot.

I still had plenty of time, so I ate my breakfast in peace while reading again.

After breakfast, I decided to explore the manor, since I didn't really know what else was in it.

So I started on the floor where my bedroom was. Most of the rooms were bedrooms and one was a library.

I browsed in the library for a bit but found the books all to be very boring. They were all about the Malfoys. Thanks, but no thanks.

There was a room on the end of the hallway that I hadn't explored. Malfoy's room.

I checked my watch. It was only quarter to eleven. I had tons of time.

Happily, I made my way to Draco's room with an evil grin on my face. Let's see what Mister Draco Malfoy was hiding in his room.

I cautiously opened the door, expecting some curse, but nothing happened. I fully opened the door and walked in.

If I thought my room was big, his was bigger. His was like a complete flat.

In the centre of the room was his king sized bed with two side tables off to the side. He had a fireplace as well with a sofa set around it. When I had spied him talking to someone through the cracks of the door, it must have been someone through the Floo network.

His closet was a whole room unto itself. On the other side was his huge bathroom, complete with Jacuzzi and two sinks, and a shower stall.

There was door that I was beside the fireplace, which when I opened, turned out to be his office.

His office, just like everything, was super neat. It had a desk with a big chair and big windows, letting in the sunlight.

There was still some stuff on his desk and I saw that it was today's edition of The Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly.

My eyes widened as I saw what was on the cover of both of them.

'Supermodel 'Mione Granger going out with famous Auror Draco Malfoy?' they both said. On both of them, the cover picture was me and Draco standing closely with our arms around each other.

Noooooo! I wanted to scream as I read through the whole articles. They both claimed that there was something going on with me and Draco, as the Daily Prophet photographers found out when they found us hiding in the bushes, with our arms tightly wrapped around each other.

But we were just Disapparating! I wanted to yell. It was nothing like that!

The article went on to explain how right after that I fell into the fountain, complete with moving pictures of the event taking place.

Argh! I wanted to curse those photographers! I knew nothing good could come out of the whole picture taking thing and me falling into the fountain.

I sighed and put the magazines back how I found them.

I went back to my room and got ready. I picked out black jeans and a blue shirt, with a blazer on top. With a swish of the brush and a swish of lip-gloss I was ready.

I Apparated to the studio--into my old room--which was now again a storage room.

I walked downstairs and into the main studio. A model noticed me and said, "Where did you come from?"

"I was here all along," I lied, flipping my hair over my shoulder. "Get back to work."

She gave me a look and then said, "Sorry," and then disappeared.

Monique came up to me and smiled. "Hermione! I mean 'Mione! Hey, I haven't seen you in ages."

"Me neither," I said, smiling warmly at her. "How have you been?"

"Good, thanks. You've been great, from what I can see," she said. "You're famous!"

I smiled. "Yeah. But it's no big deal."

"Of course it is," she said. "Look at this, someone sent these for you." She pointed to a chair on the side with a great big bouquet of red roses.

"Got an admirer?" she asked me, while giving me the roses, winking.

I laughed. "Not really."

"I've got to get something for Draco, but I'll be back," she said.

I nodded and smelled the roses. They smelled heavenly. I dug into them to find a card.

I was off to the side and I ripped it out of its envelope. I turned it over in my hand and read 'Hermione, please forgive me. I love you and miss you. Come back to the world where you belong, Ron'.

I almost ripped the card, but then thought better of it. No one must see me get upset.

Inconspicuously, I stuck the card back on and pretended like I was delighted to get them.

"'Mione, Draco would like to see you," Monique said.

I followed her to Draco's office and Monique shut the door behind her.

Draco was sitting at his desk. "Who are those from?"

I put them on the chair beside me as I sat down. "No one."

He looked as if he didn't believe me, but didn't press it. "This is our seven day itinerary," he said, handing me a bunch of folded papers.

Opening them, I saw that we were headed to a lot of new places that I had wanted to visit my whole life.

"When are we leaving?" I asked him.

"Tomorrow," he said. "After we finish up a few things here."

"Oh, cool," I said, getting excited about going to all the historical and beautiful places.

"But I would like to discuss something with you before we go," he said, looking serious.

I nodded, folding the papers up again and sitting up to look at him.

"The press seem to think that...we're an item," he said, not really looking up at me.

I tried to look as if this was news to me. "Really?"

He nodded. "It would be best if we just stuck to that story. It would make things a lot easier."

Whoa. "What?"

He put the lid on his pen. "What I'm saying is that, a lot of the places we go, it seems weird for me to come with you since I am only your agent. But if we were...going out then it would make more sense."

"So you want to go out with me?"

"Just in the eyes of the public press," he said. "We'll just make it look like that."

Hmm, this idea didn't sound so bad.

"Okay," I said.

"Okay?" he repeated. "You're alright with this?"

I nodded. "Maybe it'll get Ron to stop bugging me."

He appeared to be thinking. "Maybe it will. Anyways that's it. You can go."

I got up from my chair and walked to the door, but Draco called me back.

"You forgot your flowers," he said, pointing to them.

Smiling, I said, "You can have them."

And with that I opened the door and left his office.