CHAPTER 30
October 10th 2001
Hermione Granger had been laying her in yellow sheets trying to fall asleep for several hours now. The discomfort in her freshly sown wounds had a tendency to heighten when she lay down at night. It took a great amount of strength, resisting the urge to claw at the soon to be scars.
Outside the window of her grandmother's bedroom, she could see a full moon shining ever so entrancing above the cloudy sky. Her face was turned from the wizard sitting behind her, but she sought comfort in the singular noise he would make every minute or so, turning a page of the book in his hand.
Malfoy had never strayed from watching over her as she slept. Hermione gathered that he ran off guilt, and couldn't risk even the slightest hiccup damaging her even further. As frustrating as it was to be crippled by a curse swarming your insides, it did feel nice to be looked after for once.
She began to wonder if this was what falling in love was like. Genuinely falling in love, not staying together out of obligation. Time passed as she watched the clouds drift across the moon's shine, memories of a haunted fight replaying in her mind.
Hermione let out an exhausted sigh as she closed her office door, ready to have a warm bath after a long day of meetings.
"Miss Granger!" Astoria called out from behind her desk. "Before you leave, there are a few letters that arrived for you while you were out today."
The young receptionist offered a sweet twinkle as she handed over a small collection of letters. Her oval shaped nails complementing the rose colour on her lips.
"Thank you, Astoria." Hermione nodded her head, taking the pile from her grasp.
Flipping through each of the parchments, it had appeared that Ron had sent her some nice notes throughout the day in order to make up for the awful quidditch match over the weekend.
Every day is better with you by my side
Asking you to marry me was the best decision I ever made
Hermione smiled down at the small letters in her hand. They weren't much, but he knew her love language. The kind words he had been randomly sending her were a good bandage for their more major hurts.
"Are you up to much this evening, Miss Granger?" Astoria broke her concentration.
"Gosh no, I think a good book will be all the company I can endure tonight. Yourself?"
"Mr Malfoy has offered to take me to dinner." She grinned from ear to ear. "A much less public date compared to the quidditch match last weekend. I think we'll be able to really get to know one another outside of these silly work walls."
Hermione felt a weight fall at the pit of her stomach. "Oh. That sounds... lovely."
The red lipped witch tucked part of her hair behind her ear, clearly noticing the strain in her superior's voice.
"Right, well I had better not let that book wait too long."
"Yes, please. Don't let me keep you. I shall see you tomorrow, Miss Granger."
After awkwardly excusing herself from the ministry halls, Hermione floo'd back to her apartment in anticipation for some alone time. Only, a certain freckled wizard stood in her living room awaiting her arrival.
"Oh, hello." Hermione grinned, still chirpy off reading his letters moments ago.
"Hi." Ron rubbed the back of his neck. "I take it you haven't read the papers today?"
"I have not, I've been really swamped with work today. You should have heard Chambers in our meeting this afternoon, what an absolute arse. All he does-"
"Yeah, I get it." He cut her off, handing over the newspaper he clung to. "They don't respect your ideas. You really should read what the Prophet said about the game."
Thrown by his rash interruption, Hermione crossed her arms against her chest and lent more so on her left leg than her right.
"What did they say, Ronald?" She asked bluntly.
"Don't use that tone, like it's inconvenient for you that there's a load of tosh in the papers about me." He snapped back at her.
"I never said that it was inconvenient for me! It is rude that I cannot even talk about my day at work without it being turned on you."
"It is always about you!" Ron threw his hands up as if to strangle the air between them. "My bloody coach is down my neck about fucking with Malfoy. I'm on the edge of loosin' my job here."
"Well maybe if you weren't stupid enough to throw a bludger at Malfoy, you wouldn't be in this mess!"
"Oh yeah, that's right. Stupid bloody Ron Weasley, too stupid to ever compete to the perfect Hermione Granger. Piss off."
Hermione let out a groan as she slammed the newspaper to the ground. "Why must you always turn our arguments into something that they are not! I get it, Ron. You messed up. Grow up and learn from your mistakes instead of expecting me to clean it up all the time."
"See! There you are again." He pointed at her with passion. "Perfect Hermione, cleaning up after her stupid boyfriend. I hate to see what our kids are gonna be like if they're raised by you!"
"Oh my god, Ron! How many times do I have to remind you that we are not going to have children? I cannot change that!"
The red-headed wizard pulled at the roots of his hair. "You know, if I had known that we weren't gonna have kids, I don't even know if I would have asked you to marry me."
"Well why did you ask me to marry you then?" Hermione screamed with all her might, finally needing the answer she longed to hear.
"I don't even know anymore, Hermione!"
The curly haired witch clenched her jaw tight, afraid that if she let go, she'd start crying and never stop.
"Do you even love me?" She brought her volume down to a desperate whisper.
Ron let his hands flop against his sides. Pity, pouring over him as he looked at her fragile state.
"Of course I do." He slumped his shoulders, walking over to cup her face in his hands. "Of course I do."
"Then why does it feel like I am not enough for you anymore?" She asked honestly, searching his eyes for a glimmer of their future.
Without giving her an answer, Ron pulled her in as he wrapped his arms around her short frame. Whether the hug was his way of saying she was still enough was never really clear. But Hermione went to bed that night, aching for the day she no longer had to question whether someone loved her or not.
The soft flip of a page brought the witch back to the room in which she tried to sleep. Her heart, saddened by the reality of her failing engagement, and yet relieved to be so close to someone she was learning to love.
Draco Malfoy sat in his armchair, flicking between the pages of a book he could barely read in the dark. Most nights he would use his wand or light a candle, but by the lack of faint snores coming from the bed, Granger had yet to fall asleep.
He had never strayed from watching over her as she slept. Guilt ran through his veins every second he caught a glimpse of the wounds running down her back. He couldn't risk anything or anyone else hurting her.
Just over Granger's curled up shoulder, Draco could see her eyelashes fluttering as she stared out into the cloudy sky. As frustrating as it was to know a curse was swarming at her insides, it felt nice to take care of her.
He wondered if she knew how hard he was falling in love with her, how he yearned to be with her. Skimming through the book he couldn't see, memories of toxic union coming to an end playing in his mind.
Draco kept his door open as he left his office to leave for the day, watching as Granger took fastened steps on her way out to the elevators. Parchments held strong in her hand.
"Mr Malfoy." Astoria called from behind her desk. "Before you leave, is there anything I should know in regards to our dinner tonight?"
The young receptionist offered a sinister grin as she leant over the partition to show off her lower cut blouse. A very slaggish technique to grab his attention.
"You might want to wear something to cover up." He strolled over to her desk, his limp still prominent from bruised ribs. "It will be awfully cold out, and I would hate to make you catch a cold."
Astoria pursed her lips as she stood straight once more, picking up what he had been putting down.
"What time should I expect you at my apartment then? I must know when to send an anonymous owl to the Prophet in order to capture our romantic night out."
Draco raised an eyebrow at the witch, impressed by her dedication. "7o'clock."
"Wonderful." She caught her bottom red lip between her teeth. "Looking forward to it."
After politely excusing himself from the ministry halls, Draco floo'd back to his apartment in preparation before the date. Only, a certain pointy nosed witch stood in his living room awaiting his arrival.
"Pansy." Draco exhaled. "I should have known you would be here. Couldn't have a drama-filled weekend without you sliming your way in for the inside gossip, now could we?"
"Darling." Pansy rubbed her palms against his chest. "You know me too well."
"Whatever you came looking for, I am not giving it to you, no matter how much you beg."
"Oh, but you love it when I beg. Getting on my knees would not be hard at all… Well, at least not for me."
Draco smiled at the corner of his mouth. "What do you want, Pansy?"
"To know why the Prophet is claiming that Weasley threw an illegal bludger at your chest, and yet you never even blinked an eye. In fact, there was even a photograph of the two of you shaking hands."
"You read correctly."
Pansy slapped him against the top of his arm. "What the hell has gotten into you? Weasley nearly throws you off your broom, and you don't lay one on him?"
"Ow!" Draco rubbed the muscle where he was hit. "Trust me, I punched him. I just waited until the cameras were all gone. Do you take me as an idiot?"
"Honestly. Lately, yes I do."
The blond shook his head, stripping himself of his jacket as he painfully made his way out of the living room up to his bedroom. Pansy not far behind.
"I'm guessing that black eye and cut lip of yours is from the fight then?" She leant against his bedroom wall as he undid the buttons on his dress shirt.
"Weasley might be an imbecile, but he can throw a mean blow."
"What made you snap?"
"His face, mostly." Draco replied sarcastically, but Pansy glared at him, not buying the playful tone. "Fine… He embarrassed Granger."
"Merlin." She slapped her hand across her face. "You are pitiful."
Draco scoffed, outwardly brushing her insult aside but inwardly agreeing with it.
Pansy pushed herself off the wall and made her way over to where Draco was levitating his clothes to return to the closest. Her fingers tracing over the lining of his shoulders, followed by a tongue mirroring the same action.
"Stop." He pushed her hands off. "I cannot do this anymore."
"What do you mean?" She tried to kiss his cheek.
Shoving her off with more force the second time. "I said, stop." He barked.
Pansy was thrown by his change in behaviour, stepping back with a scowl across her eyes. Lipstick smudged at the side of the mouth that held a flame.
"You're not doing her any favours by ending things with me." Her nasty side coming out to play.
"Who said I was doing this for anyone else?"
Pansy scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "Please. Don't pretend you aren't turning into one of those pathetic little Gryffindors. You and I both know that love is fickle, and unreal."
Draco ran his hand through his hair, taking a seat at the edge of the bed. "Good to know that you and Theo will stand the test of time."
Following his actions, Pansy sat beside her paramour with a dramatic sigh. Her boney hands curled around his trouser pants, squeezing the thigh until her black claws almost scratched his skin.
"You really are in love with her, aren't you?" She asked, hopeful he'd deny it.
"Yes." He hissed, hating himself for getting carried away.
"Are you going to do anything about it?"
"She's engaged."
"So am I."
"That's different."
"How?"
It was like Draco knew the answer she was looking for, but couldn't quite say it out loud just yet.
"I see." Pansy breathed, releasing her claws and rubbing his leg up and down. "I never thought I would see the day that Draco Malfoy cared about the repercussions of his own actions."
"You and I both."
The two lovers sat side by side on the mattress where they once used to momentarily fill the voids of each other's hearts. A union that was desperately needed by one, but despised by the other.
Draco took hold of Pansy's hand, cupping her fingers around his own. A gesture to show he knew she needed this, but he wanted someone else more.
"Theo misses you, Pansy."
Rested her head against his shoulder for the last time, Pansy sighed. "Why couldn't we have gotten a happily ever after like everyone else did?"
"I think you will." Draco kissed her forehead. "It just looks different to what you want."
A gentle huff from the woman in her yellow bed, brought the wizard back to the room in which he sat. Her long frizzy curls, falling across her face as she flipped over to face him. Draco chuckled as she blew a puff of air through her lips, only for the curl to fall right back to where it was before.
"Can't sleep?" He asked, slamming his book shut.
"No." She grunted. "I want to scratch every inch of my skin."
"I'm sorry, Granger. I would offer you some Draught but I used the last of it yesterday."
"Would you, perhaps, would you mind reading to me?" She asked shyly.
"Read to you?" He questioned, unsure if he heard her correctly.
"It might help… as a… distraction."
Draco opened his mouth to say something in reply but words failed him. Reading aloud was not quite common within the Slytherin bunkers. Was this something that Gryffindors took part in often? Braiding one another's hair and sweetly sharing bedtime stories? How fucking disturbing.
And yet, something compelled him to turn against his initial disgust.
"I suppose."
Granger revealed a toothy grin within the darkly lit room, beaming at his acceptance.
"Don't push it, Granger." Draco grumbled, already seeing himself moulding into whoever she needed him to be.
"I didn't say anything!" She squeaked. "I am just happy to hear your narration abilities."
Draco couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of how easily he could crumble in her hands. Pansy was wrong to think that love was fickle, Draco felt like he could selfishly dote on her for the rest of his life.
Granger patted at the mattress beside her, encouraging him to sit on the opposite side of the bed. Without any hesitation, Draco rose from his chair and followed her instructions. Feeling like it was inappropriate for him to slip under the sheets, he kept the boundary clear, sitting on the duvet with his legs crossed at the ankle.
Looking down beside him, Draco bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from smiling at her big brown eyes.
"Could you do me a favour, Granger?"
"What is it?"
"Could you do me a kindness?"
"Yes, yes. What do you want?" She giggled up at him.
"Would you please pass me my wand on the nightstand? I am having trouble seeing the words over here."
Granger furrowed her brow, matched with a confused laugh. "Have you not been able to read this whole time?"
Draco shrugged his shoulders in reply.
"Why didn't you use your wand? Or light a candle or something?"
"I-uh-I wanted you to be able to fall asleep."
Draco swallowed the ever growing lump in his throat as he continued to stare into the chocolate orbs beside him. Her nose scrunched up in bewilderment at his odd choice to flick through pages of a book he couldn't even see.
Letting out the tiniest breath of air, Granger reached behind her and gifted Draco with his wand. Her fingertips graciously brushed against his wrist as she did so.
"Thank you, Malfoy." She laid her head upon her pillow once more. "You really didn't have to do that."
Draco lacked to find a response within his mind. Instead, as if it was out of habit, he simply cleared his throat and ignored the fluttering notion within his chest.
"Shall I begin from the start?" He flipped the book open and lit the tip of his wand. "Or do you mind picking up from where I left off?"
Granger closed her eyes and wrapped herself amongst the blankets surrounding her. "From where you were."
"Okay." He whispered. "From where I was."