Even from across the crowded ballroom, he instantly knew it was her. She wore a beautiful set of dress robes, silver dress robes, ironically. She hadn't changed much in ten years. Her hair was still brown, she had the same face, and she was animatedly discussing some scholastic matter with a random ministry official he didn't recognize.
He knew she would be here tonight, but he couldn't not come, especially since he was hosting it in his manor. Besides, no one of importance could afford to skip the annual Fundraiser for the Orphans of the War without looking heartless.
For the past ten years, he had eagerly scanned the newspaper every day for any mention of her name. And since she was who she was, her name appeared in the papers almost every day. She was not only one of the Golden Trio and the wife of Ron Weasley, keeper for the Chudley Cannons, but she was also an acclaimed healer whose groundbreaking treatments helped save thousands of lives.
But tonight, it was just her. On closer inspection, she really had changed. Her brown hair, bushy during her teenaged years, was smooth and a sleek. Her hazelnut eyes, once warm and shining with light, were darker and almost dull. Her face held many lines, too many lines for someone her age.
She was now animatedly chatting up the Minister of Magic, who was entranced with her, of course. Who wasn't?
"Draco, love, is everything okay? You seem distanced," a female voice interrupted his thoughts.
He was relieved for the interruption since those feelings started to rush back into him. He turned to the woman beside him, who wore the emerald Malfoy family ring on her finger.
"Nothing, darling. Everything is fine. Just a little tired today I think," he lied so perfectly. But then again, he was a Slytherin and lying was a required Slytherin trait.
"Love, you really have been running yourself ragged with the preparations of tonight's ball. You need a long vacation," she wrapped her arms around him as best as she could, considering her bulging belly.
"Of course, we're spending a week in the south of Italy remember? Our last vacation before Draco Jr. or Draconia comes." Very smooth, He had changed the topic. Of course, she didn't know that he was stressed over seeing her. He hadn't seen her for years after his appointment as the British Ministry of Magic's liaison to the American Ministry of Magic. But with his new appointment as the Head of the Department of International Cooperation, he could no longer avoid coming back to Britain and seeing her.
Ten years and his heart had never stopped loving her, even as he married and prepared for a baby.
"For the millionth time, you are not naming our baby Draco Jr. or Draconia," she retorted, having forgotten about his distracted state. Mission completely accomplished.
"Darling, we'll talk about this later. I'm going to go say hi to Harry now, I'll be back soon," he felt guilty thinking about her right next to his pregnant wife.
"All right dear. I'm sorry I can't dance but I feel like a bloated whale," he was feeling guiltier by the second.
"It's all right darling. You're feet must be killing you. I'll massage your feet the second these people leave. Oh look, Harry is coming this way," he said all this without a trace of maliciousness or snarkiness. Despite everything, he did cherish and appreciate his wife, even if she wasn't her.
"I still can't believe Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter are friends. I mean, who would have thought," she was completely oblivious to his inner battle.
"I guess the war changed things." He was surprised himself that they had become friends. But the war changed things. After all, who would have thought that Draco Malfoy would betray his family and the Dark Lord to join the light side? The war buried most hatchets. It was hard not to, considering how much both sides lost.
"Good evening Draco, Cassandra. Cassandra, you're looking as lovely as ever." Harry was ever the perfect gentleman.
"Oh Harry, stop lying. I know I'm huge right now," Cassandra said, although her smile increased. "Where is Ginny? She didn't have the baby yet, right?"
"Thank goodness, no. But she was too tired to make it today. I didn't want to come, but she persuaded that I ought to make an appearance. The Minister would have had a heart attack had I not come," he said wryly. Even after all these years, he still hated being the hero of the war. He once thought that when the war was over, he would no longer be in the limelight. But boy was he wrong. Ever child in the world learned of Harry Potter and his heroic actions in defeating the Dark Lord. People on the street still gaped at him and his scar.
"Oh look, Hermione is coming this way." Harry didn't know, of course. No one did.
She was coming closer, but hadn't seen him yet. He wanted to run, to dodge this moment that he had been dreading for ten years, but he couldn't. He was stuck to the floor. He couldn't move. His heart was pounding. But on the outside, he was as cool as ever.
Then she saw him. Her smiling face slipped for a fraction of a second but when he blinked, she was smiling again. No one else seemed to notice. She had no idea he was in Britain, of course. He had come back early to host the charity and to set up house with his wife. He wasn't supposed to be here until next month. She had just assumed that he had given the Ministry permission to use his manor.
His silver orbs met her brown ones. Neither looked away. Harry and Cassandra were still chatting away about babies and whatnot and neither noticed. Finally, Harry realized that Hermione stood just before them and started the introductions. "Hermione! Look who crawled back to town. And this is his wife, the lovely Cassandra – you won't remember her since she was a few years behind us at Hogwarts. Cassandra, this is Hermione Granger, as you probably know."
"It's wonderful to meet you. I've heard so many stories about you," Cassandra warmly said while sticking out her hand.
Hermione, still smiling a tight smile that only Draco noticed, took the hand.
"It's nice to meet you to. Congratulations, when are you due?" Still the fake smile.
"In another month, actually, Draco, Harry, Hermione, if you don't mind, I'll retire to my room right now. I'm feeling very tired." She did look tired. He promised to make it up to her later. He didn't want her to come but she insisted, saying that as mistress of the manor, making an appearance was her duty.
"Of course, darling, go rest," he was genuinely concerned.
"Go, Cass, god knows pregnant women need their sleep. Ginny sleeps like a hog throughout the day, but don't tell her I said that," Harry sheepishly said. Draco gave her a peck on the cheek and after saying her pleasantries; she left, leaving Harry, Draco and her. Harry turned to Hermione. "Where is Ron anyways?"
"In Bulgaria playing a match, he told me to tell you sorry and that he probably can't make it back tomorrow either. The match is taking longer than expected," she sounded detached and cool.
"So you're alone tonight? I would ask you to dance right now, but I have to go say hi to the Minister before he thinks I snubbed him. I'll see both of you later." Harry turned to leave. It was just going to be them two now.
He had been avoiding her gaze for the past five minutes but once Harry left, he had to look at her. "Granger, I mean Weasley," he whispered. His throat was dry and parched.
"It's actually still Granger. I never changed it," she was no longer smiling.
"Granger, then. Dance with me? For old times sake?" He didn't know what he was doing. He probably was a sadist.
Apparently, she too, was a sadist. "Yes," she breathed.
Never tearing their glazers from each other, the two moved to the dance floor. In the crowd of people, no one noticed the odd couple.
They were completely in sync, with each other and with the music. He was the first to speak.
"So what have you been doing to for the past few years," he could no longer stand the silence.
"Not much, just the usual, you know?" she looked away.
"I do know," he whispered under his breath. But she heard.
"You what?" her gaze snapped back to him?
"I've been reading the papers so I know that you're one of the top healers in the world and happily married to Weasley," he couldn't help but sound bitter.
"The papers know nothing," she was bitter too.
Their song started.
After a few moments of silence, she could no longer take it. "Draco, I — need to go," she said in a shaky voice. She ran off the dance floor, drawing the attention of people nearby.
He had to follow her, to settle everything. This was ten years in the waiting.
He found her in the garden, in a private enclave, sitting on a stone bench with tears streaming down her face.
He didn't know what to say. "Hermione — I," he started.
"You know, I thought I made the right choice ten years ago, when I left you for Ron. But I'm miserable. I'm not supposed to be miserable, dammit!" she was openly sobbing and shouting now. "I was supposed to marry Ron, and then we'd live happily ever after. I followed the plan, I did everything that I was suppose to, but why am I so sodding miserable?"
Her voice grew quieter now. "In the beginning, everything was perfect and I loved him, but no matter what I did, I couldn't fall in love with him."
He didn't know if he wanted to hear anymore. But she kept on going.
"He soon noticed my feelings no matter how I tried to hide them. Oh the irony. He was blind to my feelings back in school when I was sincere. But when I put on a show, he knew straight away. He couldn't even fucking wait for me. You know what he's probably doing right now?"
Draco stayed quiet.
"He's screwing his mistress. I lied to Harry, the game ended five hours ago, but he's at a hotel in Sofia screwing his mistress," her voice was rising again. "Why didn't everything work out like it was supposed to? I did what I was suppose to!" she was downright hysterical now. But she lifted her head and saw him. "Why am I still in love with you?" she whispered. "Why am I not married to you?"
He could no longer stay quiet. He was staring to get angry with her. "You chose your path, dammit. I asked you to stay with me. I begged to stay with me. I was willing to give up everything, but you weren't. You couldn't give up your precious goody-two-shoes image. You were scared," he couldn't help but be cold.
A tear escaped her eye. "I'm so, so sorry Draco. I really wished I could go back, and change everything, so we could be together. Maybe we still can."
Now he was downright pissed. "You know what sweetheart, you made your choice, now you'll have to live with it. I have a wife now, a wife who loves me and we're having a baby. I can't forget that. Remember, you chose this path," he wanted to wring her beautiful, creamy neck. A neck he used to kiss.
She couldn't look at him anymore. "I know, I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. You wouldn't be the Draco I love if you were willing to cheat on your pregnant wife or leave her behind. And I wouldn't be the Hermione you fell in love with either. I don't know what I was thinking," she sounded genuinely sorry.
His heart melted. "Hermione, I'm sorry that everything turned out this way. You know, every night, I look at Cassandra and she's perfect, but I can't help thinking that she's not you. I can't love her the way I love you. You know how screwed up that is?"
His use of present tense didn't escape her. But she also thought of something else. "You know what today is?" she asked him. "Ten years ago, today, we confessed our love for each other."
"I didn't forget," he gruffly said. They were staring at each other again. Did she really think he would forget? He would never forget.
"Yes, we were on that mission for the Order and we thought we would die. We were so scared that we confessed our feelings," another tear escaped her eye.
"I remember thinking that at least, if I died, I would die beside you," He had to remind himself that Malfoy men do not cry, nor get sentimental for that matter.
She started to openly weep now. "Draco, I'm so sorry for how much I hurt you. I was too much of a coward back then."
"Hermione, I'm sorry too. I'm sorry for the way things turned out." Malfoy men do not cry, he repeated to himself.
And before they knew what happened, they were engaged in a passionate kiss. But it wasn't a happy kiss, it was a goodbye kiss and both knew it. Neither wanted to stop, for they knew that would be the end, but they had to stop. He pulled away first.
He started walking toward the manor and stopped, but didn't turn back. "Goodbye, Hermione. I hope you have a wonderful life," his voice was clogged with emotion. As he left, a single tear escaped his eye.
"Goodbye, Draco. I will always love you," she whispered, but he didn't hear. No one heard except the evening wind.
In fact, no one ever knew. No one knew of their secret one-year long romance during the war or of their love or of their last encounter. From then on, whenever they met, they were two polite and cordial strangers. No one ever guessed what happened between them, or what could have happened.
Hope you guys enjoyed! This is my first completed story (yay!) so I would really appreciate any feedback.