15th August Tuesday

Some kind of awkward relationship was created around Hermione and Draco.

They wouldn't communicate anymore but still, they wouldn't argue. It wasn't that kind of childish discussions with childish comebacks anymore but it certainly wasn't friendship or anything close to it.

The most common thing about them was tension. A tension of not knowing what to call each other, coming back to the last-name-bond. Of not knowing when to talk to each other, starting to even avoid staying in the same room. And mostly tension of not making eye contact, never.

They were uncomfortable around each other. They were nervous, upset and essentially embarrassed.

Hermione would only think of how wrong she was about Draco's behaviour with the rest of the people in the contest.

Draco would only think of when and if he would send Hermione home.

He was starting to like her,but the fact that he could have her against her will would kill him inside. On the other hand, Astoria was kind and he had always liked her.

But there was no way to avoid the awkwardness. They were going to have a date today. A dinner date. A dinner date where they would have to talk, to communicate, to look into each other's eyes and speak.

Hermione was ready around 6 p.m. She was determinated to make the least of that date. As little eye contact and words as possible.

Draco knocked on her door and after she got her belongings, she opened it.

"Hi... Are you ready?" He asked. No 'you look very beautiful tonight' or a simple 'nice dress'. Not even one compliment for such effort.

Hermione let herself nod and got out of her bedroom in the Malfoy Manor, closing the door behind her.

Was it strange that she was finally feeling home at the Malfoy Manor? Yes, maybe it was but it wasn't the same as the Weasley's place where all of her friends were waiting for her to come home.

There was silence during the walk through the Malfoy Manor's corridors until they got to a black old fashion car.

Hermione got in the front seat and Draco rushed to the driver seat, not even wanting to open the door for her.

The car ride was silent only Draco spoke up once to tell her where they were heading. "We're going to go to a beach. There's a picnic".

That got Hermione thinking about it during the whole journey. Why would he take her to such a beautiful place as a beach? Had he already brought Astoria to that beach?

But still, she kept silent, her stubbornness winning the best of her curiosity.

When they got to the beach, candles were lit everywhere. A picnic towel was set there and there was a picnic basket there as well.

They set beside each other in awkward silence. Draco took all the things off the basket as Hermione only looked at the sea and the sun landing in it.

Why couldn't life be as simple and beautiful as a sunset?

They started eating not even bothering to look at each other.

"Granger?"

"Hm?" Hermione asked while eating a chocolate strawberry.

"Why are we acting so uncomfortable? Have I done something wrong?" He asked already regretting his question.

"I don't know, Malfoy. Have You?". They finally connected their eyes for a long time.

"What do you mean by that?" Draco asked, changing his relaxed position to a more straightforward one.

Silence...

Hermione looked at her feet starting to think of a possibility of going straight to the main question.

Suddenly, the possibility came real. "Why do you keep me here? Why do you still want to go on a date with me? Why do you keep making me think I might have a chance with you if you already know you want Astoria? Why-" She was cut off by the worst way ever. She was cut off by tears.

Draco didn't know what to say or do. He liked Astoria but he liked Hermione as well and seeing her crying was the worst sentence ever. He couldn't deny he loved Astoria but he couldn't tell he loved Hermione too.

She managed to come to a straight position again, at least straight enough to speak. "When are you going to let me out of this? When can I come back to real life and leave this whole surreal fairytale?"

"When do you want to?" Darco asked with a hurt face.

"Don't you understand?" She exclaimed getting up from her seat and starting crying again. "I don't want to! I fell for you and then I discover you fell for Astoria! I can't compete with Astoria if you love her. I can't compete with her because I'm not Astoria, I don't have her beauty, your family don't love me like they love her. Please just Tell me to my face, right here, right now that you love her and end all of this." She motioned to them.

There was silence for a while.

Draco didn't want to let her go. He didn't want her to go. He wanted to be with her. He wanted to wake up beside her every day and he wanted to share a lifetime with her but his mother wanted him to be with Astoria and as much as it hurt him, he had to let her go.

"I'll send you home next Saturday." Draco looked at his feet not willing to watch her cry.

Hermione walked to the car, entering it and waiting for Draco to pack the things. What she wanted most was to run away but yet she couldn't. She wanted to be able to go right to Ginny and tell her everything without even blinking.

During the car ride, the only sound was Hermione silently sobbing. She kept looking at the lights in the city and at the couples in the streets, hugging and kissing and looking all cute and sweet.

Why would she never have that? Didn't she deserve it? Wasn't the intelligence, sense of humour, personality and all the rest enough for a boy to love her? For a boy to REALLY love her?

Ron didn't love her and she didn't love him, And now, Draco chosen Astoria.

She was a war heroine! She fought for the things she believed! She fought for good! She was kind! She believed in love! And all the boys she dated never seemed to like her.

Life was not fair.

Life is not fair.