I spent yesterday afternoon with my dad watching Martin Truex Jr. win the Pocono NASCAR race. Never in my life have I seen that man so happy about anything. It was equal parts sad and exciting to see him like that.
Chapter 11
"Ask her out," Pansy demanded, following Draco around his room as he packed his belongings. Ever since she had moved out, Draco had begun looking for a flat of his own. He wanted space and independence, and desperately needed to be out from under his mother's thumb. "She wants you to, so do it. Ask her, Draco. Ask her out. Do it."
"Stop," he said, laughing. "What makes you think Hermione wants me to ask her out? We're friends, and it was my understanding that that's all she wants from me. We've only just made things good between us. I'm not going to ruin that by dating her."
Scowling, she sat down on the bed they had once shared and rummaged through his boxes. "How would going to dinner together ruin your friendship?" she inquired. "Or are the two of you only able to have a relationship when it involves clandestine meetings in the library?"
Moving the box away, he closed it to prevent her snooping. "Why are you so okay with this?" he wondered. "I'm your ex, she's your best friend, why would you want us to date?"
Pansy shrugged. "Because I care about the both of you and want you to be happy," was her simple reply. "Besides, you both want to be together, no matter how much you deny it. You know, she still calls out your name in her sleep. I don't know what she's dreaming about exactly because she won't talk about it, but they're definitely about you."
Draco sat down beside her, releasing a heavy sigh. "The night of the Final Battle, we were trapped in the Room of Requirement," he said, talking to her about the war for the first time. "I was terrified. The Fiendfyre was everywhere, and it was so hot. I thought we were going to die in that room. She...I told her to go, to leave me. Her friends were yelling at her, telling her they had to get out. Hermione didn't want to leave me. Potter forced me onto his broom, and we got out of there. After that, I didn't see her again until she returned home a few months ago. That night, that one small part of such a long night, is my worst memory."
Arms wrapped around him in a tender, loving hug. "Hey, you're both okay," Pansy murmured. "You're both here, and you're both okay. Focus on that."
He nodded and kissed the top of her head, thanking her for being there for him. "You know I love you, right? No matter what," he told her.
Smiling, she nodded. "I know," she replied, though there was something sad about her tone. "I'll always love you too. I just...we would have killed each other if we stayed together. We've spent every hour together for the last three years. Honestly, I'm getting a little sick of your face."
He laughed loudly as she pulled away and helped him pack. "It must kill you that Ellie looks exactly like me," he retorted.
Rolling her eyes, Pansy shook her head in disbelief. "I genuinely don't know what anyone sees in you," she stated. "I'll have to convince Hermione to get her head checked, and soon."
"You've been friends with Hermione for too long," he mumbled.
Pansy smiled proudly. "So, are you going to ask her out?"
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Hermione arrived at Draco's flat to help him unpack while Pansy returned home to Eleanor. She took in the large living room filled with boxes and furniture that assembled itself. "Please tell me you labeled these," she said, staring at the mess. Looking over his shoulder, he smirked and nodded. "Thank goodness. I know Pansy loves packing, but the little details tend to slip her mind when she's excited."
"She's a freak," he agreed. "Though I should confess that her love of packing and your organizational skills are pretty handy when it comes to this move. Perhaps I should insult you two less and praise you more."
Arms crossed over her chest, she eyed him wryly. "Yes, I'd say so," she murmured. "I think I'll start with the kitchen. Can't be much to do there."
"I can cook!" he yelled after her as she left the room.
"One plate of pancakes doesn't mean you can cook," she retorted.
Half an hour later, they met in the bedroom. "I can cook," he muttered, standing beside her near the door.
Eyebrows raised, she looked up at him. "I know, Draco. I was only joking before," she said.
Nodding his head, he mumbled an apology. "This is weird," he declared as neither moved to begin unpacking. Silently, she agreed. "Pansy thinks I should ask you out."
Wide eyed, she stared at him incredulously. "What? Why?" she wondered.
Shrugging, he tucked his hands nervously into his pants pockets. "Because," he mumbled. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "Because I like you and have for a long time, and she thinks you like me too. I'm scared though."
"Of what?" she asked softly, touching his arm. Draco didn't answer. "Of...of me?"
He stared at the hand that gingerly lingered on his forearm. "Of losing you or hurting you or having you leave again," he confessed, walking over to the bed to sit down. "Pansy, Eleanor, you - you're all I have, and I'm okay with that. The three of you are all I want, but I don't want to ever lose any of you."
"We're not going anywhere," she promised. "Draco, I'm not going anywhere. It's not like it was three, four years ago. There's nothing to take me away now. The war's over, my parents are safe. I see no reason to run."
It was then that she moved away from the doorframe and sat beside him. Instinctively, he took her hand. "What if dating ruins everything?" he wondered. "What if it doesn't work out between us?"
"Then it doesn't work," she replied with a small shrug of her shoulders. "What's more important - taking a chance or dwelling on the what ifs?"
"Aren't you tired of taking chances?" he asked. "Just once, I'd like to know what's going to happen before I jump in."
"Sounds boring," she declared with a wry grin. "As much as I like planning and despise spontaneity, I don't think you can do that with relationships. We've managed to be friends, and I don't think going on a few dates would ruin that. If we dated and it didn't work, would you stop being my friend?"
Tightening his hold on her hand, he shook his head. "I lost you once, Granger," he said. "I'm not going to lose you again."
Resolutely, she nodded and stood, ready to continue their task. "Okay then," she said. "Dinner tomorrow night. I don't need anything fancy, and if I can avoid having to wear heels, that's even better."
Smiling, he agreed. "Okay then."
