*~*~*~Of Pumpkin Lattes, and Things Lost Past*~*~*~*~*

Part III: Happily Married, Bugger Off

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Hermione slaps him across the face, the scarlet on her cheeks and the smudge of pumpkin on her lips not at all under bellying the deep seated shockor it is anger she's feeling right now.

"Don't ever try to kiss me without my consent again." Her voice is shaking. "That was completely out of line."

Yet she also feels a shake to her core she hasn't felt for years.

Especially as she meets his crystal blue eyes and his brown hair has fallen into his eyes.

"I'm sorry I just realized I missed doing that so much it hurt to breathe," Theo wipes at his own lips, not at all looking regretful. He looks like he wants to kiss her again. She steps back from him.

"After 10 years? You've realized that? I didn't realize you became delusional in middle age, Theo. Or deranged." She waves her hand in the air to show that he is clearly off his rocker.

"Isn't delusional another word for romantic?" he attempts to switch around her words into a positive light. Typical of him, playing around with words. A Slytherin tactic. Though his wit might be quick, it meant nothing more than empty double speak. She wouldn't be taken in by his fancy words again.

"I'm married. Happily," she adds.

"I'm neither blind or deaf, I know you are married. And no, you're not the least bit happy, don't pretend otherwise."

"I am not pretending anything, how asburd of you to think I'm still hung up on you?!" She laughs. "How dare you. You're divorced. What do you even know of happiness or what marital bliss would look like?"

"So you've heard. I'm glad you cared enough to read it from second sources. Did it tell you also that Daphne Greengrass was more interested in keeping up with her sister's marriage to Draco than she was in me? She was nothing but a social climber."

"Why are you telling me this? Hoping to score sympathy?" She attempts to laugh again in his smug pureblood face.

Theo laughs along with her, showing his full row of white annoyingly perfect teeth. "No. Since have I ever peddled for sympathy? You know that's not in my cards."

"Oh no the high and mighty Theo can never admit when he's wrong or buggered up."

"Funny you say that." Theo grins with genuine mockery. "Doesn't that remind you of yourself, getting married to a Weasley, right after Harry did? Had to keep up didn't you? Couldn't be seen running back to your Slytherin boyfriend that became a Death Eater. Not after you became everyone's beloved war heroine."

"You presumptuous twat, you know nothing of my marriage or what it was like after I had to see you become what you became."

"I'm just the same Theo you've always known."

"Then maybe you were always a bastard but I didn't know it."

She grabs her purse off the sofa chair where she was comfortably seated a mere 10 minutes ago before Theo Nott decided to waltz in to her life once again. She can't wait to see the back end of him again. Why did he think it was a good idea bringing up the past? Why did she even bother to speak to him? She should've walked right out the moment she saw him, like she always had whenever she saw him in the last ten years.

"Cruel words. But if the red on your cheek is anything to go by, I'd say you missed me."

"Delusional again, Nott." She raises her ringed finger for a moment and then her middle finger. "Try to stop telling yourself lies."

Theo completely ignores her rude hand gestures. "I will, when you do. Wasn't I your first?"

Bugger him. To remind her.

Her cheeks burn with a particular hatred that only Theo Nott can stir up. Her heartbeat is racing. She hasn't felt this type of deep seated anger in years. Not since she saw the Dark Mark on his wrist and ran off with Harry and Ron to go Horcruxe hunting without him.

"That was a mistake," she says without raising her eyes to him. Because Hermione at this point has had enough. She wraps her scarf around her neck and grabs her book bag off the floor preparing to leave.

"No, it was a mistake when I let you go off with them." His voice sounds more gravelly and heavy though she refuses to look at him. "I won't let that happen again."

"Delusional again, Theo. Truly delusional," she says spitefully.

There's a reason they haven't stayed in contact.

Theo is completely unaware of how its his own damn fault for joining the Death Eaters, rather than her fault for leaving. There was no way she could stay with him after seeing that mark on his wrist...no matter his excuses and Theo, of course, didn't even think he needed to apologize for it.

She increases her speed and decides not to even buy the books she has in her hands; instead she leaves them on a random shelf.

She's never so glad to see the doors of Flourish & Botts. Of course, he had to wreck her one place of total peace and happiness. Wreck her sanctuary, her favourite spot, by intruding his slimy presence back into her life.

Though what is she even saying? What did it even matter what Theodore bloody Nott thought or said. He could march right off to the devil, for all she cared. And if he ever tried to kiss her again, she'd punch him flat off his feet. Anything that particularly big-headed pureblood thought of her life is, was and would forever be completely inconsequential and irrelevant to her life.

With that assurance in mind, she tugs her wool peacoat closer to her body and savours the warmth of her scarf against the chilling wind before apparating home.

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a/n: Thoughts? Would love to hear what you think? It's still a breezy chilly fall so hopefully y'all are having a good autumn and happy thanksgiving :)