Three years into their relationship, Hermione felt that wedding bells were sounding louder each day. Little did she know, he felt that they were already chiming too loud. One night after a particularly mundane day, Hermione arrived home to find him sitting at the kitchen table. She could tell right away that something had happened, his face showed it. She sat opposite, took his hand in hers, he pulled away.
"Hermione, I did something, something bad."
"Tell me." She was now growing scared of what he was about to confess.
"While I was away, it happened only once, and it meant absolutely nothing. I…"
"Don't even say it, I think I get the jist of it." She looked away and began to walk toward the door.
"Hermione please, let me explain."
"I don't want an explanation. You shouldn't have done what you done in order for you even offering to give me an explanation." She swung open the door to her flat and motioned for him to get out.
"Where am I supposed to go Hermione? I live here to remember?"
"I'm sure you'll find some desperate slut to accompany to bed. I really don't give a damn, so long as it's not my bed you'll be in" He rose from the table and walked to the door, he stepped over the threshold and before giving him the chance to look at her, she swung the door closed behind her with a bang.
And she woke up.
She turned to her left and saw him sleeping peacefully next to her. She got out of bed and checked the clock. 2.45 am. She walked out of her bedroom into her adjoining bathroom, splashed water onto her face and looked in the mirror. Her eyes were puffy and the circles under them were becoming darker with each dream. With a sigh, she wrapped her dressing gown tightly around her and walked out into her living room. Her eyes were automatically drawn to the portrait above the fireplace of the two of them. It was taking by herself at arms length, he was leaning into her neck. She could remember him whispering 'I love you' into her ear as she took it. She had the biggest smile on her face. That was in fact the first time he had told her that he loved her, which is why she loved that picture so much and felt the need to have it framed and given pride of place in her flat. The background of it was nothing special, it was an autumn day, you could see the red and brown leaves some falling from trees, some just blowing around them. Her woolly had made her feel ridiculous and her hair was blowing everywhere, the surprised look in her eyes also didn't help with her looking her best, but she loved it. She went and curled up in the corner on her oversized and overstuffed armchair and just stayed there, waiting for the sun to come up. After what felt like hours, she felt someone else walk into the room.
"Dreams again?"
"Yeah. When he confessed." She could feel him nearing her and didn't know whether to cry or just wait for him to come and scoop her up, which he did everynight. "It hurts just as much in my dreams as when he told me." She felt the arm of the chair become weighed down. She looked up into the darkness where she assumed his face was "I could never go through something like that again."
"I would never do that to you Hermione." He took her face in his hands, "You know that? Right?" She leaned up and kissed him. "I know, Draco."
"Weasley was a rat, always was. Didn't know a good thing when he had it. I love you, Hermione."
"Yeah, I love you to." And they went back to bed, where Hermione clung to Draco and had a peaceful few hours of sleep, before she woke up and knew it would happen all over again the next night.