Chapter 57: The Aftermath

That night, Draco draped one of his coats around Hermione's shoulders and walked her back to her flat- neither of them were in any state to Apparate. He made sure she was tucked safely into bed, turned out all the lights, and pinned a note in her front hall before softly closing the front door behind him. He returned to his flat and lay awake on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His heart felt lighter and heavier at the same time.

The next morning, Draco got ready for work as usual, eating eggs cooked in his recently scratched-up frying pan. He Flooed down to the office at nine, just in time for the weekly editor meeting.

"Well, well look who's back!" Claudine greeted him as he took his seat at the table. "Fifty percent attendance from the bachelor boys. And where might Albert be this morning?"

Draco felt a pang in his chest. "I'm not sure," he said in as normal a voice as he could manage. "Hopefully he comes in soon."

"Indeed," Claudine replied. "Well, we must get on with the meeting, I suppose."

Draco hardly listened the whole meeting- his mind was rather understandably preoccupied with other matters. He was still furious with Albert, of course, but he couldn't help but worry. Hopefully Callum had let him stay at his place.

Draco tried his best to stay focused for the rest of the day, and he managed to get most of his work done. Claudine had purchased a new camera, and it was horribly complicated. It took him the better part of an hour just to figure out how to turn it on. And then finally it was five o'clock, and Draco packed up his things and headed down the street to the cafe on the corner. And much to his relief, Hermione was there, waiting for him, a cup of coffee trapped between her hands. She half-smiled as he sat down in the chair across from her, slinging his bag over the backrest.

"How did you sleep?" Draco asked as she took a sip of her coffee. He loosened his tie and leaned back slightly in his chair. She set the cup down, lacing her fingers around it.

"Better than I have in months," she said, almost embarrassed. "You?"

"Don't think I actually got around to sleeping," Draco replied, rubbing a hand across his face. "But it's no big deal."

Hermione's eyes darted to the side. Draco leaned forward and placed his clasped hands on the table. He sighed. "I think there's something I never got around to saying last night. I'm sorry, too, I-"

"I know, Draco," she cut him off. "And you're right, we need to stop apologizing." Draco's shoulders sagged. "Apologizing is not the issue, we both know that," she continued. "I think we can move past that."

Draco leaned back again, his hands dropping to rest on his knees. He sighed. "So, now what?"

"Well," she began slowly, "If you don't mind I'd like to just...I just need..." Draco reached out toward her, his hand hovering just above one of hers.

"I know."

She looked up at him, hopeful. "Once a week? Here?" Draco nodded. "All right then," she said, her voice mingled with gratitude and fear. "I'll see you then."

Albert didn't show up to work for three more days. Finally, on Friday, he walked timidly into the office and placed a letter on Claudine's desk. Or at least he tried to, because Draco flicked his wand and sent it flying into the fireplace as soon as he realized what it was. Albert stood in front of the empty desk, stunned, staring at Draco. Draco took a few steps forward, his right arm outstretched. "I'm sorry, mate. There...there are things I should have told you. I'm sorry. You're one of my best friends and you deserved to know...know the truth about the person you're living with. And who you hopefully still consider your friend, too."

Albert swallowed hard. "I'm sorry, too, Draco," he began, "I shouldn't have-"

"It doesn't matter," Draco interrupted. "You- you did the right thing. But you still owe me a new frying pan," he added with a smile, jabbing Albert in the stomach with his index finger. Albert's face broke out into a smile, and he grabbed Draco's outstretched hand and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Ah, what a touching scene," Claudine's voice rang out as she walked into the room. "Decided to finally come back to work, Albert?"

"Yeah, sorry," Albert replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I, um had a family emergency."

"I'm sure," Claudine replied, rolling her eyes. "Well, I hope it's all sorted now because you have a pile of work as high as the ceiling on your desk, Mr. Assistant Editor."

"Right," Albert said, glancing pointedly at Draco. Draco smiled, and on the way back to his desk grabbed half the papers off of Albert's desk and plopped them onto his own. He stayed late with Albert that night, and they drank themselves into quite a state, using Claudine's secret stash, of course. Callum came by around nine, looking for Albert. That night, Draco told them everything, swearing them to secrecy, of course.

"You two both know that I have enough dirt on you to keep you quiet," Draco said, half joking as he poured Callum another glass of firewhiskey.

"Yeah, yeah, you're secret's safe with us," Callum said, waving his hand dismissively and sloshing his drink onto the floor. "So, what's going on with you and this...Her-my-nee person?"

"Hermione," Draco corrected. "And I'm not too sure. We're...we're still figuring it out. It's hard to bring everything up again so many years later, you know."

"Are you going to go back? Back to London?"

Draco sighed. "I don't think so. At least not yet. I don't think I'm ready."

"BABY STEPS," Albert bellowed before tripping on an empty bottle and falling to the floor. Draco and Callum erupted with laughter, and Draco felt a new kind of happiness, one full of light and tinged with hope.