His heart thudded against his chest as he hugged the wall. This was either a stroke of brilliance or the first signs of senility. He almost laughed when he thought of getting old! No one, least of all him, ever thought he would reach his eighteenth birthday, let alone his nineteenth. He felt punch-drunk at the thought of it, and even more so due to what he kept in his silver hip flask.
She lay, bathing in the hot summer sun in nothing but her skirt and bra as she soaked up its rays. She held the book aloft, which was no surprise. To see Hermione Granger without a book in her hand was akin to witnessing a wizard without his wand. And he could speak from experience, it was both miserable and downright unnatural.
To find her alone, scantily clan and on his birthday… He sent a silent prayer to whichever gods were listening for this incredible gift. He felt the nerves bounce around inside him like jumping beans as he tried to breathe through the agitation. He still hadn't been able to face her since the battle last year; he just watched from afar and wondered what it would be like to bask in her attentions, even for just a little while.
He must have slipped as the sound of his shoe scuffing the floor alerted her
"Is someone there?" She called as she scrabbled to clothe her top half. "Hello?"
It was now or never. Draco could either disappear back down the ladder from the astronomy tower, and she would be none the wiser. Or he could actually gather some Gryffindor courage and be brave for a change. He took a deep breath and stepped out from the wall, his eyes closed, and his head turned as he allowed her both her privacy and also the chance to jinx him if she saw fit.
"Apologies, Granger. I didn't realise there was anyone else up here," He called as he raised his hands in a defensive gesture.
"Malfoy? How long have you been there?"
He bit the inside of his lip as he tried to work out what to say.
"I only just arrived," He lied. He had been there for at least ten minutes as he'd battled internally with what he was going to do.
"I thought I heard someone there a while ago. Are you telling me that wasn't you?" She asked.
"No, not me!" He said, trying to sound convincing, but failing miserably.
"Go away, Malfoy. You've had your eyeful, now leave me alone."
"Alright, yes, it was me. I've been behind this blasted pillar for the last ten minutes while I agonised over what to do. You can be very intimidating, you know?"
He wanted to look at her face, but the tower was silent except for the wind brushing against the stone.
"Me? You think I'm intimidating?" She snorted, "That's rich, coming from you."
"Is it safe to look?" He asked without opening his eyes.
"Yes, you can look," She said, reappearing in his vision as his eyelids parted.
He met her eyes and looked away quickly. There had been too much honesty in that chocolate gaze, and he wasn't ready for it. "So, what do you want, Malfoy? Or have you become a peeping tom, just like back in first year?"
"Indeed not. I learned my lesson!" He replied, "I actually came to celebrate, you can join the party if you like? Albeit the guest list is rather slim." He offered as he patted his pockets, looking away from her as he tried to locate his flask.
"Celebrating what?" She asked, her curiosity piqued, as she bookmarked the page of her book.
"Today is my nineteenth birthday!" He announced proudly, realising that he was probably slightly more than tipsy and certainly drunker than he had expected to be. How much had he drank while he hid around the corner?"
"Well, happy birthday. I'll leave you to enjoy it," She said as she looked down to collect her things.
"Please!" He shouted desperately, drawing her alarmed eyes as she instinctively reached for her wand. "Please," He said again, calmly. "Please stay. As I said, the guest list is a bit thin and I would really appreciate it if you didn't leave."
Hermione straightened and looked at him, a frown of confusion on her face.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Malfoy," She said as she continued to return her things to her bag.
He deflated, his hopes dashed as he waited for her to leave. She stepped around him slowly while she studied him. Her scent of honeysuckle and cotton filled his nose as she paused before him. "Happy birthday," she nodded before she went to leave.
"I'm sorry, Granger," He muttered as he let her go, listening as her footsteps disappeared. Sighing and stepping closer to the ledge, he sat in the spot that she had vacated.
He looked out at the Scottish countryside before taking another swig from his flask. It really was a beautiful place. He wished he'd come up here more before the war and appreciated the beauty as he evaluated his decisions. A sudden noise behind him made him jump, and he spun around, expecting the worst.
"If it's your birthday, as you say, where are your friends?" Hermione asked as she stood next to the pillar where he had hidden.
"I don't have many friends left," He said, swallowing his heart back down before turning back to the grounds. His heart thudded in his chest as it dawned on him that she had returned.
"What about Pansy, or Blaise? Theo was a friend, too, wasn't he?" She asked as she stepped closer.
Draco nodded and took another sip of his flask. "They were indeed, but alas. No longer."
"Why not?" She said as she stood over him, her hands gripping her bag strap.
"Malfoy is a dirty word these days. Certainly not a name to be linked with while the world rebuilds itself and remembers what to forget," He said dolefully as he looked down at his hands. They trembled as he gripped the silver flask. He rubbed his thumb over the snake engraving on the side and thought of his mother.
Hermione sat down next to him suddenly and crossed her legs, her skirt riding up her thigh.
"The world works in mysterious ways. Sometimes we think the worst has happened, but in actual fact, it's saved us from ourselves." She said as she too gazed out at the sunny afternoon scenery.
"How come you're up here alone?" He asked.
"We've all been through so much, and we're all so damaged. We come together when we need to, and we get space when it's too much."
He nodded.
"I didn't expect to get this old," Draco offered randomly.
"Me neither, I think it was a shock to most of us," She smirked.
He smiled, and remembering his hip flask, offered it to her.
"What's in it?" She asked as she took it.
"Fire Whiskey, the very best from my father's vintage collection." He smirked
Hermione eyed it warily.
"If it's poisoned, we're both doomed," He snorted. She nodded and took a swig, her dark brown curls springing against her caramel skin. She was so beautiful. Hermione handed it back to him as she coughed from the alcohol.
"It's got a bit of a kick, doesn't it?" He smirked, and she nodded.
"Happy birthday," She smiled.
"Thank you," Draco muttered again, hoping his words would get lost in the wind.
"For what?" She asked.
"Staying with me, celebrating the birthday of a death eater!" He toasted himself bitterly before taking another swig.
"Don't be silly, Malfoy. You may have gotten the mark, but you were never a Death Eater."
"Nice of you to say so." He said soberly as he looked down.
"And thank you," Hermione added again.
"For what?" He asked as he turned to her.
"For apologising."
Draco smirked and looked down at his hands again. He couldn't seem to stop them from trembling.
"I never wanted anyone to get hurt, especially not you," He said again as he avoided her gaze.
"I know," She nodded as she placed her hand on his. The heat and comfort from her hand radiated into him, calming the quiver almost immediately.
He admired the contrast between her dark skin and his pale flesh, so different and yet still soft and tender.
He looked up into her deep brown eyes, and she smiled warmly. "It'll be alright, just keep letting people see your good side, they'll forget eventually."
He nodded and smiled as she looked out into the Scottish wilderness. Suddenly, as he basked in her warm glow, he felt hopeful that he'd see his twentieth birthday too.