Phases of the Moon

"There's nothing left to lose, there's no more hearts to bruise, there's no greater power then the power of goodbye."

-- Madonna, "Power of Goodbye"

Chapter Seven: Nighttime Conversations

*

Hermione trudged her feet through unusual autumn snow that began to fall a little while after Draco's proposal. She was walking through Hogsmeade, her ring firmly on her left ring finger, and she sat down by the Whomping Willow.

"Sorry I'm late," she said. She fiddled with her ring again; its radiant diamond allure matching that of the September snowflakes. Remus frowned and took the most surreptitious glance at her hand. He waved off her tardiness.

Hermione tried to reach her hand out to him (the right one,) but he moved it away with his own hand. "Please tell me you're wearing the ring because you like it, and not because you said yes," he whispered.

"You were there, you heard I'm marrying Draco," Hermione hastily replied. Remus mumbled a string of incoherent words and then grabbed her left hand.

She stared into his grey eyes that matched his streaky hair, and all he saw reflected was her honey brown ones. "I should have given you that ring. We should have gotten married as soon as you graduated Hogwarts,"

Hermione stared at Remus, gaping. Closing her mouth, she muttered, "You never proposed." Remus snorted, and stared at the darkened sky, the wind soaring through his salt and pepper hair.

"Like you would have accepted." He dismissed the thought as if it were too silly to even consider. "You always had Draco." He sunk his head into his hands and tugged at his hair, like he was blaming his scalp for all his failed attempts at a happy life. Hermione grabbed his hands into hers and stared into his eyes.

She took a deep breath. "I would have." Remus felt his heart swell, and Hermione lowered her head down, just about to meet his lips with her own, but Remus got up and left.

*

Draco smiled smugly to himself that a new Mrs. Malfoy was entering the family legacy. Now that he was getting married, he would receive all of his inheritance after the wedding from his father. "Heh," he grinned to himself as he poured himself a glass of champagne.

From behind him, he heard a faint pop and he knew that his soon-to-be wife had just entered the house. "Where did you run off to, huh?" he asked, wrapping his arms around Hermione's neck.

"Took a walk. Looked at the ring," came her distant answer.

The young-blonde heir of the Malfoy fortune broke out into a crooked smile. "You like the ring, huh?" Hermione nodded as she stared intently at her left ring finger. She looked up at her fiancé and bit her lip.

"I...I, uh, I saw Remus a short while ago," Hermione mumbled. Draco let go of her hands and took a step back. His eyes flashed with something of disbelief and contempt. He threw down his glass, making the liquid stain the carpet.

Then he ran out of the apartment.