Looking back draco knew he could have been kinder...made the right choices to make her his, but he was a coward. All of the sleepless nights in the sixth year helping that madman's crew of blood obsessed followers into the school had been for nothing...all it had done was pushed her further away. Hermione granger. The name itself still brought tears to his eyes and an ache in his chest. At the final battle he had watched as she flung herself into weasleys arms and it killed him inside. He had watched over the years after the final battle as potter and the female weasley married and had children, and had watched the woman he so respected and longed for started her career and married that git the weasel. He could have said something, could have gone to her work and told her how he felt for her but he was a malfoy..he had too much pride to beg her for forgiveness. He knew she would never listen and accepted that he would one day marry a pureblood from a powerful family of his fathers choosing. One day he might even love another but for now it was only her. Watching her from a distance today while she helped hogwarts students find the books they needed at the start of school had him wanting to do something, no matter how small, to get her attention so he quickly found a small bit of paper and wrote a message. Walking over to the shelf of books she was currently at and bumped silently into her, slipping the note into her hand he gave a slight smile when she looked at him puzzled and left the shop.
Hermione could feel his eyes on her. It was always the same, she would be walking or at one of her favorite spots and she would feel as though someone was burning a hole in her with their eyes. She had spotted him once, just a glimpse but enough to know that draco malfoy was watching her. It unnerved her with him always a few yards away...why did he follow her? Hadn't he done enough? She was helping a first year hogwarts student gather the books she would need for school when she felt him bump against her and press something into her hand. She watched curiously as he left the shop and headed down the street. Slowly she opened the note and read something she would have never believed had she not been staring at it.
I have always admired you, please meet me at the three broomsticks tonight as I cant hold in what I must tell you any longer. 9 pm
Draco was at the three broomsticks at 8:30 to nervous to drink or eat he just sat and watched the other patrons. Hermione was incredibly curious and he had no doubt she would show up and as the clock ticked down his nerves grew steadily. As 9 o'clock came and went he decided to wait in case she showed up a bit late. The hours flew and draco drank not wanting to accept his fate. She would not come and he would be destined to be with the likes of pansy or Astoria. In the end though draco knew it would only ever be her.