Disclaimer: I own nothing, except this endearing plot!
This was written as part of the Valentine's Day challenge by Ami L. Mendal.
My OTP #1: Dramione
Draco Malfoy sat staring into the fire moodily.
He seemed to be doing that very often lately. It made him think, the fire. How it sputtered, seemingly at war with itself just like he had been, all those years ago in Hogwarts. He had never wanted to become a Death Eater really. Neither had his father wanted him to join the ranks, contrary to people's belief. No, Lucius Malfoy had been a very protective father and had done everything in his power to protect Draco from the Dark Lord, but being a Death Eater brought its share of perils. Basically, the entire family was doomed to follow that flat-nosed albino bigoted arsehole just because they had had their accounts frozen and he had made their Manor his camping spot, so they couldn't even run away if they wanted to. When he was finally defeated, the Malfoys waited for the inevitable summons and presented the entire story, grasping at any available straw, they tried to present their witnesses but no one was willing to speak up for them.
It had been no less of a shock for the three of them when Harry Potter and Hermione Granger decided to stand up for them. Potter revealed that Narcissa Malfoy had lied to Voldemort, and had it not been for her, Voldemort would have killed Harry a long time ago before he proceeded toward Hogwarts. Hermione, most surprisingly, insisted that when they had been held captive at Malfoy Manor, before his aunt had tortured her, Malfoy had lied about Harry's appearance, which was fundamental in their escape. The jury had decided to hand them a sentence of a year of house arrest for his parents and two years of tracking of their movements, for their presence in the battle could not be denied.
Relieved, he had followed his parents to the two Gryffindors, who were in deep conversation with Weasley. They had seemed surprised to see the Malfoys, but the girl hid it well enough. Lucius Malfoy had thanked the two with as much dignity as he could and visibly hesitated before nodding at Weasley's direction. The redhead had spluttered in surprise and Narcissa, saving him from embarrassment, patted his back and shook hands formally with the other two. She had stopped for a while near Potter and whispered, "Thank you, Harry." Gently, she grazed his scar with her fingers and hastily turned away. The three had then turned to Draco, who seemed at a loss for words. He shook his head as he remembered his eloquent opener, "Um, so...well, ahem..thank you." Potter had, in a very shocking move, grasped his hand and shaken it firmly while Weasley spoke gruffly, "Yeah, no problem. Just, next time you house a ditzy freak like that, you may want to inform people if you are being threatened by him too, you know. Just a suggestion." He then recalled Hermione's roll of the eyes and when she turned to face the Slytherin and had gently nodded in acknowledgement.
Things had gone rather well in their lives thereon. His father secured the post of Minister of Magical Reinforcement in the Ministry after some years of hard work and his mother had launched her own interior designing label. He himself had completed his graduation from Hogwarts and now, twenty-seven years old, was the youngest Head of Trauma at St. Mungo's. He smiled to himself as he remembered how happy his parents had been at the news and also how Hermione had insisted on a treat from him.
Ah, Hermione.
She had also graduated along with her friends in the same year as him and was also working at St. Mungo's, though as the Head of Medical Research. Her relationship with Weasley had died off due to a mutual conclusion that they were better off as best friends, because they had loved each other as siblings. He got to know this when she had arrived crying to work one day, and he had sat her down and given her a cup of coffee, as she spoke about how disoriented she felt the first day without Ron. She had blurted out all her troubles to him, having gotten acquainted with him through the course of their internship. He had nursed her through the phase and she was grateful to him for that. She then offered to go with him for a cup of coffee as a repayment. Slowly, the two found reasons as random as running out of a quill to not remembering the other's face to drop into the other's office, or hang out at the other's house after work. Luna Lovegood, Assistant Head of Trauma had dreamily winked at them and curled her hands to form a heart at them as he scowled and shut the door to her office. Even his parents seemed to feel free with her and he had discovered the glory of dental floss from her father.
He didn't even try to deny; Hermione Granger was a very special woman in his life. She was fierce, passionate, beautiful, loyal, independent, witty, hardworking and simply astounding. Several men had tried to go out with her, only to have him hear her later about how awful someone's pronunciation was, or how pompous someone else was. While men gazed at her toned legs in her pencil skirt, he remembered how she had bounced in her pyjamas in excitement when he had dropped in at her place before work to give her a present on her birthday. Men preferred to compliment her on her perfect features-her lightly pursed lips, or her delicate nose or her serene gorgeous eyes. Draco Malfoy, instead found himself getting lost in her childish pout as he teased her, the way she scrunched up her nose while in deep thought, and her sparkling eyes alight with the fire of challenge. Men found her intellect dominating, he found it refreshing. Men considered her to be a trophy, he thought of her as a privilege. She was thought of as a War Hero, he knew how scared and nervous she had been through the ordeal. She had motivated him to become a better person each day and his day would start with her and he would drift off to sleep thinking about her. He sighed to himself as he came to the same conclusion he had for the past year.
Slowly, and surely, he had fallen in love with Hermione Granger.
Just then, his mother entered the room, dressed in an elegant gown. She sat down on a chair beside him, as she asked, "What's the matter, Draco? Why aren't you out today? It is Valentine's Day after all."
He shook his head and mumbled, "Just tired, Mother."
Narcissa Malfoy frowned and a line marred her brow as she spoke, "Draco, dear, what's bothering you?"
Draco raised his head wearily and relented, "Mother, I have this...friend. He thinks...actually, knows that he loves this girl. She is amazing and absolutely perfect in every which way, and they are great friends. She doesn't know about this and he is hesitant to ask her, because..." he broke off.
Narcissa bit back a smile and mused, "And why is he not telling the girl?"
"Because he is afraid what the girl would think. Whether she will be repulsed by it and break off her ties with him." He responded.
"Draco...love is risky. And scary too. But sometimes, the chance is worth taking if it feels right. This friend of yours, is he sure about his feelings?" spoke Narcissa slowly.
He nodded fiercely, "I am...I mean, he is."
"Then by all means, go ahead and tell her! Hermione is a lovely girl indeed." Chuckled Narcissa.
Her son stumbled as he got up, surprise etched across his features. Narcissa raised an eyebrow wryly and remarked, "Draco, did you honestly think we are so oblivious? You wrote about her in all of your letters in the course of your internship, you are in her companionship for almost the entire day, save when you go to the bathroom, or when you sleep at night. You have met her parents on their anniversary, she met us on ours. You two have been at each other's side ever since you got your jobs, be it a birthday, a holiday, New Year's, Christmas, or any ordinary day. She has had a positive influence on you. You seem more optimistic about things, you consider people's emotions and sometimes even put their needs before yours, and knowing you, congratulating Ronald and Harry on their engagements to Lavender Brown and Ginny Weasley by showing up in their office with a bottle of wine just proves to show how accommodating and social Hermione had made you. Honestly, I am surprised why you didn't think of doing so before!" she finished with a glare at her son.
Draco sat back astonished and asked, "But Mother, how...why..wh..never mind."
She laughed and patted his hand in understanding. He looked up at her and mumbled, "Mother, but..I value her too much in my life to take the risk of confessing my feelings and possibly making her distant from me! What's to say our interactions will not become awkward and...and even non-existent? I love Hermione."
"Draco. You disappoint me."
He swivelled around to find his father standing at the door, his mouth pursed tight and a frown on his face. Draco gulped. He knew his father had gotten over his hating Muggleborns phase long ago, even before Voldemort's downfall. Still, Draco had his apprehensions about his father being willing to let his son not be with a Pureblood, as had been the Malfoy tradition.
Draco stood up and faced his father, "Father, I...it's true. I do love her."
Lucius walked over to his son and wife as he muttered, "All these years, everything I ever taught this boy has fallen on deaf ears. No use teaching him anything at all!"
Draco clenched his jaw and controlled the flare of temper at his father's words. When would people begin to look past a person's blood status and see them for what they were worth?
Narcissa spoke up, "Lucius, whatever do you mean?"
He replied, "This is a reflection on our upbringing, Narcissa! Everything that we Malfoys stand for, this boy here is intent upon destroying it permanently! I am more disgusted than I am sad at it-"
Draco burst out as he broke in, "Father, how can you honestly even house these views any longer? If you recall, it was because of Hermione that we were able to walk free! She and Potter spoke up for us when we most need help! And despite all that she's done for us, despite the fact that she makes me want to be a better person, you simply cannot ever be happy or let go of those prejudices for once in your life?"
There was a humming silence for a few seconds after his outburst after which Lucius spoke in a surprised tone, "What makes you think I have a problem with Hermione?"
Draco gaped at his father in surprise as the man began laughing and added, "Oh, Draco, you are mistaken. In fact, Narcissa and I are more than open to the idea of having Hermione around you, maybe even as a member of this house soon enough, eh? No, I was merely disappointed that after all those years of inculcating the values of honour and bravery in you, you could not muster up the courage to profess your feelings for the lady. We Malfoys are people of honour, son, and I will not let your cowardice or indecisiveness tarnish our reputation of not being honest and courageous. Now, go ahead, tell the woman how much you love her!"
Draco shook his head in amazement and broke into a heartfelt grin at his father's words. Impulsively, he hugged his father and felt him tense for a second before he patted his son's back proudly. He then kissed his mother's cheek and spoke in a trembling voice, "Is my hair okay? And do you think I should change my clo-"
"You look fine, Draco. And she has seen you in worse, so go!" laughed Narcissa.
Nodding, he stepped into the fireplace and shouted, "Hermione Granger's office, St. Mungo's!" After the gut-wrenching Floo ride, he stumbled into her office where she was busy signing some files. She shrieked in surprise at the sudden appearance.
"Merl-Draco! What on Earth do you mean scaring me like that?" she cried, a hand on her chest and she tried to calm herself.
He stood up straight and took a few deep breaths. Worried that he hadn't responded, she got up and stood in front of him and asked him worriedly, "Are you okay? Why is your breathing so laboured? Do you feel some shortness of breath?"
He smiled at her questions and shook his head, "No, nothing's wrong. I, uh..well, I wanted to know, do you have any plans for today?"
She frowned and replied, "You came here to ask me that? Well, no, not really. Why, what happened?"
He nodded and spoke, "Oh, nothing, just wanted to know."
Hermione looked into his eyes trying to figure out what was going on in his mind and he almost melted into an undignified puddle of goo.
"Hermione, I...well, honestly, I came here for something else." He began.
"Okay?" she responded, a smile on her face.
"Wait, what if she slaps me out of disgust? Or hates me?" he thought in a panic and darted his eyes around the room, "I...ha, well I ran out of these file binders and wanted some! Thank you!" He grabbed a handful as he reached behind her back.
Hermione sighed and he felt a pang of shame at the small sound.
"Okay." She muttered.
Draco swallowed nervously and spoke, "Look, Hermione...there's...there's something else."
"Honestly, Draco, I am feeling quite repetitive, but what's the matter?" she asked in a slightly exasperated tone.
"Just listen to me first, okay? And don't hate me later." He added.
"Why would I hate-"
"I love you. I think I have, ever since I saw you crying that day after your break up with Weasley. You are the most amazing person I have ever had the fortune to meet, and I cannot begin to emphasise how incomplete my day is without you. Hell, my life too. I have wanted to kiss you almost every time I see you; when you stick your tongue out at me when I bug you, when you drool when you sleep, when you snort while laughing hard...each single moment. It's taken me more courage to ask you what I will than when I had to face Voldemort...I don't know whether you will be okay with the idea...but will you have lunch with me? As a date?" Draco spoke nervously and waited for her response.
Hermione stared back at him and whispered, "I don't drool when I sleep."
He blinked at her, "That's what you took from that?"
She squinted her eyes and he thought, "Oh boy."
"I do not drool when I sleep, it's just an effect of gravity on my open mouth, thank you very much. And I am shocked that you found me scarier to approach than Voldemort. And to answer your question, yes I will." She finished with a flourish.
He had winced at her initial words but snapped his head to look at her when she spoke the last sentence. She was grinning at him with a twinkle in her eyes.
"What? Y..you will?" he asked her. Today was really a day of surprises.
"Of course I will, you daft ferret! I was beginning to wonder why you hadn't asked me out yet, considering that we spend almost every waking hour near each other! And did you really think I was that unapproachable?" she asked him softly.
He sighed and took her hand, "Not at all. On the contrary, for the past year, I've wanted to tell you this numerous times, but...I was scared. Of losing you. Of the fact that there was a possibility of our friendship becoming awkward, or weird. That's why I was so nervous. I could not even imagine my life without you in it."
She looked up at him with tears in her eyes and he exclaimed, "What's wrong?"
Sniffing, she smiled, "Oh, nothing. It's just...too many emotions."
He nodded understandingly and kissed her forehead when she growled and snatched her hands out of his as she grabbed his face and kissed him on the lips. He was floored, instantly. It was amazing, passionate and honest.
She broke off and remarked sarcastically, "Gee, now I get why you weren't in Gryffindor. How much courage does it take to kiss the girl you like?"
He looked at her blankly, still reeling under the effect of the kiss. Were there any more surprises for the day?
As he opened his mouth to reply, she clicked her tongue, "Tsk tsk tsk. No talking till we have food. Now, I'd like to take you up on your offer of the date, if it still holds."
He nodded, breaking into a smile as she grabbed her coat and took his hand. Snuggling up against his side, she sighed contentedly and announced, "Happy Valentine's Day, Draco."
Smiling, he spoke out the words he had been aching to speak for ages, "Happy Valentine's Day, Hermione. I love you."
A/N: Please do read and review! More fics coming up soon!
