The Truth Hurts

"Hermione...Honey, wake up."

Hermione heard someone call her name. She rolled over, hiding her head. "Why is it that whenever I'm having a nice dream, you, Draco Malfoy, have to go and wake me up? I mean...just because we share a dorm, it doesn't give you the liberty to barge in here!" Hermione felt for a pillow to throw at him.

Ayden smiled remembering when they were Heads and he used to wake her up. But he replaced the smile with a look of concern. "Umm...Honey?"

Hermione sat up, her back to him. "Why in bloody hell are you calling me honey?!" She looked down at herself. "And why am I wearing a dress?"

Ayden walked around her. "Umm...remember Luna's wedding?" he asked, hoping she would drop the whole Draco thing.

Hermione blinked. "Ayden...?"

Ayden sat down on the bed. "Are you okay?"

Hermione closed her eyes. "I don't know. I dreamed that I was back at Hogwarts and...and...," she choked on whatever she was trying to say.

Ayden quickly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "Shhh...it's okay. Do you still feel up to going to the wedding?" he asked.

Hermione wiped her eyes and nodded. "It's taken Ron and Luna this long...I'm not going to miss this."

Ayden smiled and stood up. Since it was early spring, he grabbed their jackets. Handing Hermione her jacket, he said, "I'll drive."

Hermione put on her jacket and nodded. Before the left, she grabbed her wand. It was more of a security thing, than her actually using it. She closed the door behind them, not noticing that her clock was saying Draco Malfoy had left.

~*~

(After the wedding)

Ayden and Hermione were dancing, when a photographer came over to them.

"How about a picture?" she asked, holding up the camera.

Ayden nodded and wrapped his arms around Hermione.

*flash*

"Here you go," she said handing Ayden the picture.

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Do I know you?" she asked the photographer.

The woman nodded. "Yes. I shot your friend's wedding, a few years back."

Hermione's face lit up in recognition. "Yes! I remember now."

The photographer extended her hand. "The name's Melody Bloom."

Hermione shook her hand. "I'm Hermione Granger. And this is my boyfriend Ayden," she said, gesturing at Ayden.

"What happened to the blonde?" Melody asked.

Ayden's head snapped up.

Hermione had an expression of pure confusion on her face. "I'm sorry...?"

Melody's eyes went from Hermione to Ayden and rested on his eyes. "Last I saw you, you were with a blonde," she said to Hermione, who was looking down at the ground.

"Well...yes I was...but we...broke up," she said, holding back tears.

Ayden noticed this and wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders.

Melody noticed the discomfort. "I'm sorry, Hun. I was just curious. I didn't mean to pry."

Hermione shook her head. "No...it's okay." She turned to Ayden. "Can you take me home? I don't feel well."

Ayden nodded. "Sure."

Hermione went to sat goodbye to Ron, Luna, and the others.

Ayden turned to follow, but was stopped by Melody's voice.

"Take care of her, Blondie."

Ayden turned back around. "What?"

Melody put the lens cover back her camera. "I said...tale care of her, Blondie. Don't hurt her...again."

Ayden nodded, too speechless to do anything else. "How...how'd you know it was me?"

Melody gestured to the picture in his hand.

Ayden looked down at it. "Bloody hell," he whispered. The picture showed, not Ayden and Hermione, but Draco and Hermione. "How'd that happen?" he asked, looking back up. But Melody wasn't there. Ayden put the picture in his coat pocket, not noticing that it was sticking out.

Hermione walked over to him. "I'm all set."

Ayden nodded and they walked to the car.

~*~

Unbeknownst to either of them, the picture had fallen out of Ayden's pocket. A raven-haired figure picked up the picture. "What the...Malfoy's alive?!" The figure pocketed the picture, pushed up his glasses, and headed towards his car.