Almost Doesn't Count

"Hi, babe." Draco kissed Hermione as they slid into a dark hall during lunch.

"Hi," breathed Hermione. After a few more minutes of breathless greetings, Hermione pulled away. "Let's go eat lunch."

"Lunch? But I never eat, angel. You know that." Draco's gray eyes pleaded with her brown ones.

"Which is why you should. It's good for you. I want my baby to be all heathy....Besides, I'm starving." Hermione pouted a little before Draco gave in.

"Okay...but let's make it quick."

Almost made you love me

Almost made you cry

Almost made you happy baby

Didn't I, didn't I?

When Hermione sat down at the Gryffindor table, Draco made an excuse of having to get homework from Crabbe. "I'll come back before you know it," he promised. He kissed her on the nose and walked quickly away.

"Hermione," whined Ron, pulling out the last syllable, "why did you have to bring that insufferable git over here? He's so...fake."

Hermione stopped her fork, which was halfway to her mouth. "Ronald Weasley, I'll bring whoever I want to our table, and what in the world do you mean by fake?"

"Come on.... Don't tell me you don't remember how Malfoy is. He used to make our lives a living hell? Endless insults, hexes, and just plain pissing us off. But now, he's just hiding it."

"Ron, you're being so cynical." Hermione sighed as she went through this argument again. "Can't you just be happy for me?"

"Mione, I am happy for you. But I wish you weren't happy with him. Besides, I heard that he was going to ask Pansy or someone else from his house to go to the ball."

"Really," said Hermione dryly. "And from whom did you get this piece of gossip?"

"It's not gossip," said Harry quietly, speaking for the first time that day. "I heard it too. And there are others who've heard it."

"So what?" Hermione snapped. "Just because a few people believe something, doesn't mean it's true." Just then Draco came back and Hermione got up in a huff and walked away with him, holding him very close to her.

"Honey?" Hermione looked at Draco. "Can we meet for lunch during our free period?"

"Oh, baby, I can't. I have to talk to Snape about something." His gray eyes filled with regret.

"Again? That's the third time this week?" Her eyes flashed with disapproval.

"I know, but I can't do anything about it. You know, Head Boy, teacher...." He shrugged as he lamely trailed off.

Hermione sighed. "Oh, that's okay. Some other time then." She looked away, disappointed.

"Definitely." As they reached their separate paths, Draco grabbed her arm before she kept walking to class. "Hey. You're still the best thing that's ever happened to me in my life. Don't you ever forget that."

"I won't." Hermione smiled genuinely and Draco leaned in, letting his blond hair fall over his eyes before he closed them.

You almost had me thinking

You were turned around

But everybody know

Almost doesn't count

Almost heard you saying

You were finally free

What was missing for you baby

You'd found it in me

But you can't get to heaven

Half off the ground

Everybody knows

Almost doesn't count

Later on, after classes, Hermione waited expectantly for Draco to meet her in their usual spot. Five minutes went by. Class must have let out late, thought Hermione. When fifteen passed, He probably got held back to talk to his teacher, she thought optimistically. After half an hour of waiting, Hermione looked around and started walking to her dorm. Where is he? He always meets me there. I hope he's all right.

While she walked mechanically, her head was full of thoughts - of Draco. She wasn't watching where she was going, so when she crashed into something, all the air flew out of her lungs. She looked up, trying to see who it was in the dark corridor.

"Draco?"

"Mione, babe, hey." His posture reflected serenity, but his eyes showed the panic he felt.

"Where were you? I was waiting for you after class." She waited impatiently for an excuse, any excuse, that could explain his absence.

"You were waiting? Oh, I didn't know....I wasn't sure if I should wait for you. I mean, we've only been waiting for each other after classes for...." He trailed off, counting the days.

"For three weeks. Draco!" She cried. "Why - I mean, how co - I - " She took a deep breath. "Don't you want to wait for me after class?" Hermione was confused and angry and couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Well, I...." It was Draco's turn to grope for words. "I didn't...I mean, I thought...I'm sorry, angel. I'm such a jerk. Can you forgive me?" One look into his shining eyes and Hermione forgot all her anger.

She sighed. "Of course. Listen, I'll talk to you later, honey, all right? I need to go write my paper for Potions," she lied. What she really needed was some time to think.

"Sure, no problem. I'll meet up with you later." Draco seemed to pick up on that idea quickly - too quickly.

" 'Bye," Hermione responded. She turned around and walked away without another word. She started thinking about a month ago, before they'd told everyone they were together. She wanted to scream her love for him from the rooftops. Draco, however, tried to stall for as long as possible before letting Hermione say anything to anyone.

I can't keep on loving you

One foot outside the door

I hear a funny hesitation

Of a heart that's never really sure

Can't keep on trying

If you're looking for more

Than all that I could give you

Than what you came here for

~*~ Flashback ~*~

"But Draco, honey, it doesn't matter what other people think. Can't we just tell them so we don't have to sneak around anymore?"

"You don't like sneaking around?" Draco pouted and started to kiss her neck.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "That's not fair. You're trying to get me to forget," she protested.

"Is it working?" Draco smiled slyly.

"Yea...." she trailed off and forgot about her request.

~*~ End of Flashback ~*~

She realized now that he was always reluctant to doing things with her in public. Is he...ashamed of me? She thought. No....Impossible. He loves me. That's why he stopped cutting class. Because I told him it wasn't good for his studies. She was still dubious though. She remembered what she'd done for him. He wanted me to straighten my hair, so I did. Afterwards, he said it looked so much nicer. And he gave me a necklace. It was beautiful, but the girls looked at me oddly whenever I wore it.

She stopped her meandering and ran to her dorm. "Ginny!" she called. "Am I glad to see you. Remember the necklace Draco gave me?" she said in one breath.

Ginny looked startled at Hermione's sudden appearance. "Yes....What about it?" she asked suspiciously.

"Why were some girls looking at me weirdly and making comments? I remember someone saying, 'it's so sad that she's wearing that piece of used junk.' But I didn't listen to them."

Ginny's eyes widened. Hermione didn't know! "Oh...Hermione. We thought you knew. Draco had given that same necklace to Pansy."

Hermione felt her heart stop. "Really?" she whispered. Ginny nodded quietly. Hermione left the room to look for Draco.

Gonna find me somebody

Not afraid to let go

Want a no doubt be there kind of man

You came real close

But every time you built me up

You only let me down

And everybody knows

Almost doesn't count

She found him lounging in the library in his favorite chair, staring out the window. "Hi Draco," she said cautiously.

"Hi," Draco sat up, surprised. "I thought you said you had to do a paper."

"I...wanted to do a little thinking." Hermione hesitated before going on. "Draco, things aren't the same as they were before, were they?"

"What do you mean?" He motioned for her to sit down. She slid into his lap. "I still love you the same. Even more than the day before, P - Hermione."

Hermione looked Draco in the eye. "You were about to say Pansy." Draco opened his mouth. "You were." She stood up. "I know you and her went out before we did, but I thought that was over."

"It is," Draco said.

Hermione shook her head. "No, it isn't. I'm sorry, Draco. We can't do this." She took the necklace he gave her out of her pocket and gave it to him. "Give this back to Pansy," she said. "She'll appreciate it more than I will."

Maybe you'll be sorry

Maybe you'll be cold

Maybe you'll come running back baby

From the cruel cruel world

Almost convince me

You're gonna stick around

But everybody knows

Almost doesn't count

"So that's it?" He asked, his eyes filled with guilt and sorrow.

"Yes. It is." Hermione turned around and walked away. I love you, she thought. But your heart doesn't belong to me.

So maybe I'll be here

Maybe I'll see ya round

That's the way it goes

Almost doesn't count