The Realisation Dialogue

Confusion paints her face, followed by a dawning realisation.

"You are not serious."

He stares back into her eyes in silence. Without saying a word, he rises from his seat at the dinner table and his tall figure blocks the fireplace, the only light source in the room.

"You cannot be serious, Malfoy!" Hermione exclaims ghastly while her eyes widen in shock.

He looks down at her and says nothing, his face unreadable.

"It was a one-time thing!" she yells while rising to her feet too and throwing her table napkin back on the table.

Draco instantly breaks his silence, his words merely a whisper, "Bullshit."

"Malfoy, we kissed two times and both times we were drunk. It doesn't mean anything."

Now, his facial expression changes. He raises his eyebrows and walks over to her in four quick steps.

"Are you really this thick, Granger?"

"No! You're trying to use some psychology on me to make me think that all of this stuff means more than it does. And feelings are no good directives."

"Why don´t I just state the facts plainly? I won't mention any feelings at all," he suggested slowly.

"Go ahead," she gestures him to begin.

"The past year we have kissed on four different occasions: in May, at Blaise's wedding to Ginny, in June at the inauguration of the new auror team at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement party, two weeks ago at the Cerberus Club and three nights ago in the same club again. Out of those four times, you slept in the same bed as me for three times. You accept my invitations to breakfast and dinner even when no one else is present and you willingly told me that you like kissing me. Those are the facts, Granger."

Hermione wants to slap herself. She had forgotten all about the wedding and the department party.

"That doesn't mean that this is meant to be, Malfoy. I think feelings get in the way of a stable relationship."

Draco blinked before inhaling loudly, "I can't even…"

He motioned a noncommittal gesture to her and then rubbed his eyes harshly. Hermione impatiently waited for him to say what he was thinking and tapped her foot.

This seemed to increase Draco's frustration to infinity and then he was done.

"Witch! Cut out that endless foot tapping! You're driving me crazy! I am in love with you. I am sorry if that scares you, but I cannot deny those feelings any longer. Truly. I think that-"

Hermione cut him off instantly, "You think that scares me? How dare you? Of course it doesn't sca-"

"SHUT UP, GRANGER! Let me finish!" he interjected angrily before continuing, "I know that Weasley left you scarred, but I am nothing like him. I am almost the exact opposite of him, you know that."

Hermione opened her mouth to say something but Draco silenced her with one single motion of placing his finger for his lips. He continued, "And I know you're trying to push me away by being more annoying than ever, but hear me out. I am in love with you, and I know you're in love with me too. So why don't we just accept it and move on like we already knew this was going to happen and just go with it. Don't think about it, just act like it is the most normal thing to do. You are having dinner with your colleague, but instead of colleague I'm your boyfriend. It's as simple as that."

Draco waited for Hermione to reply, but Hermione opened her mouth and then closed it again. He awaited her answer for seconds that felt like minutes and then she just nodded, pressed a kiss against his cheek and sat back at the dinner table.

"Very well, how was your day, sweetheart?"

Draco just stood there, paralysed that this approach had actually worked. He'd realised that she had been terrified when she realised she felt something for him, and like a true Slytherin he had handled the situation.