Chapter 5

Hermione stands outside a large deep maroon brick stone house in awe. Green ivy sprawls up along the side, causing the house to look mysterious and cozy at the same time. As she takes a step forward she also notices massive bushes lining the front of the house showcasing large front windows, and to top it off a black wrought iron fence surrounding their front lawn.

Surely this can't be the place…

"Oh good, you found it just fine!" A chipper Draco says to her as he kisses her on the cheek in greeting. Before she can respond, because she is still in shock, he grabs her hand and pulls her into the immaculate home.

The inside is even more unbelievable than the outside. Draco has somehow found a home that is equal parts warm and welcoming (to fit her style) and yet sharp and pristine (to fit his). The walls are a warm olive color (I'm sure the ode to Slytherin is what sold Draco) with beautiful vintage molding along all the walls. And that was just the beginning, I mean, this was just the foyer!

As Draco drags her from room to room, making sure she sees every little detail, Hermione finally chokes out, "Draco…where did you find this house? I mean, how can we afford this..?"

"Oh you haven't even seen the best part!" Draco says, like he's a kid on Christmas morning.

As they enter the last room, she knows she's completely and utterly smitten by this house.

The room greets them with a giant window in the middle of the wall with a small bench/nook right below it, it is then surrounded completely by floor to ceiling bookshelves in dark oak, just like the Hogwarts library. Hermione can't help but reach out her hand and run it across the smooth wood.

"I knew you'd appreciate that little touch, I know how much you love that library." Draco says softly.

Hermione turns to him speechless. She runs and wraps her arms around him.

"I can't believe how perfect this house is, how perfect this all is."

Draco wraps his arms around her as well and kisses her softly on the lips, "It is perfect, isn't it? When I first came to see it, I could see you in this house," he pauses, "I could see us in this house."

She looks up at him with a mixture of love and befuddlement, "but it's too much, it must be too much…right? We're not using your inheritance…" She points out with suspicion. They'd talked about this before, Hermione does not want to use any money that comes from Pureblood lineage, she cringes at the thought.

"No, you know I've refused any of that money. With my new promotion at work, it may have been a stretch, but it's worth it." Draco answers.

"What do you mean, 'may have been'" Hermione questions.

"I, uh, may have already bought the house…" He finishes with a bit of unease on his face.

Hermione laughs, "I'm sorry, I thought I misheard you, I thought I heard you say you bought this house..but that would be preposterous…"

"Why is that preposterous? I knew you'd love the place! And..well..Surprise!" he finishes lamely, gesticulating his arms around the room to get his point across.

"DRACO! Yes, I love the place, but there are things we need to discuss before we buy a place together!" Hermione replies with agitation.

"Like what? What do we need to discuss? We both love the place! And I want us to live here." Draco responds with bewilderment and isn't going the way he thought it would.

Hermione is almost at her wits end though and all but lashes out what she's been bottling inside throughout the entire house tour, "like the fact that I might be moving to Switzerland for four years!"

Draco reels back as if he's been struck in the head - a deafening silence follows.

The room is starting to become stifling and uncomfortable and Draco is looking at her like she's gone mental. A mixture of hurt, confusion, and downright anger keeps flitting across his face.

Finally Hermione ends the silence to fill in all the gaps Draco must be trying desperately to make sense of.

"I…" she pauses and takes in a large breath, then starts again, "I…was given a promotion today at work…I'd get to work with House Elves again" at that she gives herself a small smile in congratulations, "the kicker is, well, the ministry wants me to go to Switzerland for four years to be trained." Just hearing herself say it out loud causes her to grimace in fear of what he is probably thinking. "It's not ideal…" she hears herself finish lamely.

At that Draco gives a sarcastic chuckle. From the moment they started this argument he hasn't moved at all, he's probably only a couple of feet from her, but it's starting to feel much further. "Not ideal, yes, that's one way to put it" he responds, and the level of snark in his voice throws her back in time to their Hogwarts days. She closes her eyes from the emotional whiplash and she can sense him crossing the room - immediately putting her hands in his.

"I'm sorry, I just didn't know how to respond," he pauses, "I don't know how to respond..I wasn't expecting any of that."

"And you think I was? You think I asked for this?" Hermione says, opening her eyes and giving him a pleading look.

"No, no, that's not what I'm saying." Draco says, trying to keep this conversation from spiraling out of control once more.

He heaves a big sigh, and lets his shoulders drop from the tension that's built up. He moves his eyes away from Hermione's and with frustration continues, "I mean, where do we go from here? I can't very well move to Switzerland with you, I just got my promotion at work and I just can't leave at a time like this. And..and the house…" At this his voice cracks from emotion, something he was clearly trying to suppress.

Hermione is doing everything she can right now to hold it together, "I don't know Draco, it's just something I'm going to need to think about, this opportunity is huge for me." At this she takes a step back and is considering her next words carefully, "I think, I think I might need some time to think this all through."

Draco's body is as still as a statue but Hermione notices an imperceptible nod of his head.

As she starts to leave the room, she takes one more look back, her last view of the room is of the back of Draco's head staring at the beautiful dark oak bookshelves.