Hermione rushed into the Room of Requirement. In the Room were piles of various pillows and blankets, a Muggle telly with stacks of DVDs next to it, and in the corner of the room was a cart with hot chocolate, popcorn, and Draco Malfoy.
"What are you doing in here?" Draco whipped around surprised at finding someone in the room with him. He then noticed her tear-stained cheeks and red, puffy eyes.
"S-s-sorry. I-I just needed s-somewhere to hide. I-I thought it would be em-empty here," Hermione stumbled over her words, visibly trying, and failing, to hold back her tears.
Draco, caught off-guard by her tears, was unsure of what to do. Malfoys were not kind of comforting people, but the way Hermione had curled around herself to appear smaller and sobbing silently brought some protection instinct out of him.
Dropping his rude façade, Draco slowly approached Hermione and held her close. Hermione responded to his gentleness with more sobbing.
Eventually, her sobs slowed and she allowed Draco to guide her to a cushion in front of the telly. While Draco made them both steaming cups of hot chocolate, Hermione picked a movie from before she was born,
Settling in beside her, Draco handed Hermione her drink and asked the one question he wanted the answer to the most.
"So, what exactly are you doing here? I can tell you're upset by all the crying you've done, so spit it out," Draco's personality came spilling out probably because he'd been so kind just barely.
"Ron and I had a row," she said pulling her attention from the movie. "The entire time we had been together, he was secretly going out with Lavender Brown. He told me, 'What we had, 'Mione, was nothing serious. I wasn't in love with you, never had been actually. You were just convenient.' It was that last part that really killed me. That's when I ran from the common room. I just couldn't take it," realizing who she had spilled her guts to, she added, "Sorry. I didn't mean to unload my burdens on you."
"No, that's fine. I guess I can see how you feel. Or at least how it feels to be on the other side," Hermione's raised eyebrow urged Draco to continue. "Pansy and I have been engaged since our births. I've tried and failed several times to fall in love with her, but honestly, there's nothing there. I feel terrible for what I had to do.
"I went up to her in the common room and told her our engagement is off using what I have just told you. She yelled at me, scaring off a ton of younger years before storming to her dorm room. I wandered up here looking for comfort," he gestured to what the Room considered comfort offering a small laugh really more of a chuckle.
"Sorry, I guess I didn't realize that being a Pureblood meant arranged marriages," she grimaced at what that must have sounded like to him. "Oh, that's not," she was cut off when Draco raised his hand.
"It's fine. I know what you meant. Do you want more?" he said gesturing to her nearly empty cocoa mug. At her nod, Draco used his wand to levitate the pot of cocoa and the bowl of cream to them. He slowly refilled her cup, and they watched most of the movie in companionable silence.
At some point during the movie, Hermione and Draco drifted closed and Hermione rested her head on his shoulder. Lifting her head to ask Draco one more question, she saw he was already twisting his head, probably uncomfortably, to look at her. Hermione was startled but shook it off. Before she could ask, Draco's lips crashed down on hers.
Thoroughly enjoying herself, Hermione let her instincts kick in. They made her respond with fervor she didn't know she possessed. After breaking apart for air, they stared deep into the other's eyes looking for rejection that wasn't there.
It was there on the floor of the Room of Requirement while holding him close, Hermione knew her soul mate was her best friends' enemy.
