Chapter 13
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.
"Good morning!" Hermione opened her eyes and gasped as she saw Draco staring down at her. Draco laughed as he pulled her comforter aside.
"Draco, what are you doing here? Don't you know how to respect privacy?" Hermione said, covering her body with the remaining bed sheet.
"I tried knocking but you didn't answer," he said.
"Obviously I was asleep. Just because this is your apartment doesn't mean you can wake me up from my slumber anytime you want!" she answered, pretending to be mad.
"Even if it's like," Draco began, reaching for Hermione's bedside clock, and turning it for her to see. "Eleven in the morning?"
Hermione gaped. "Why didn't you wake up me earlier?" she said, standing up still holding the bed sheet and dragging it all the way to the closet with her.
Draco chuckled. "I said I tried."
"It's almost lunch time and I was still asleep," he heard Hermione say behind the closet door.
"You don't have to worry much, actually, since you don't have school or work to go to. But I did wake you up for lunch," Draco said.
Hermione peeped from behind the closet door holding a yellow shirt. "You're right," she said, sighing.
Draco stood up and began walking towards the door. "I'll meet you outside. Lunch is almost ready." He stopped before exiting and called out to Hermione, "And can you please put the bed sheet back on the bed? You don't have to cover anything, you know. I've seen that before."
He heard Hermione gasp and he chuckled once again, moving down the hall.
"Don't remind me of that ever again!" Hermione shouted.
***
Hermione entered the kitchen wearing the yellow shirt and denim jeans. "Wow! You cooked stew!" she exclaimed upon seeing Draco setting up the meal on the table.
"You're just in time," he responded, sitting on one of the chairs.
Hermione sat in front of Draco and began serving herself some of the stew. "This looks and smells delicious!" she said. "How long have you known how to cook?"
"Not so long ago," he answered, scooping some rice into his plate.
"You know, I don't cook much. Mom always told me I should learn how to cook heavy meals but I never had time for it," she said, getting some rice.
"Well, you don't have to worry about that here," Draco replied, pouring some of the stew over his rice. "I'll be the one to cook our food."
Hermione dug on her plate and brought her spoon to her mouth. "This is delicious!" she said while chewing the food.
"Thanks," Draco replied, taking a spoonful as well.
After a couple of servings, Hermione released her spoon and fork and reached for her glass of juice. She took a few sips then rested her elbows on the table, her hands clasped together.
"What's the problem?" Draco asked upon noticing her.
"I'm just not comfortable with this setting," she answered.
Draco straightened his back. "What, you don't like it here? You don't like living with me?" he said with a worried face. "We can eat outside if you want. I don't always have to cook."
Hermione reached out her hands and tapped his shoulder. "Relax, I like it here. And I'm not leaving anytime soon," she declared. "It's just that it doesn't feel right to me that I live here and do nothing."
"Then what do you want to do?" Draco said, finally resting his elbows on the table as well.
"Draco," Hermione started, eyebrows curled. "It is okay with you if I clean your apartment?"
Draco straightened up. "What?"
"I want to do something, and not just sit here all day like a princess," she explained. "I hope you understand."
Draco took a deep breath, pondering on the situation. "Okay, if that's what you want," he finally replied.
"Thanks," Hermione said, smiling.
"Eat more," Draco said, pushing the bowl of stew to Hermione's direction.
***
After both of them have been satisfied by the food, Hermione insisted that she should wash the plates. After much hesitation, Draco finally gave in, being reminded by Hermione about their agreement.
Making sure that the table is clean as well after she has washed the dishes, Hermione proceeded to the living room, wiping her hands with a cloth. Draco was sitting on the couch, and she sat beside him.
Draco looked at her and he knew at once what she was thinking. "Relax. I know your parents are okay at home."
"I don't know why I should be worrying. Maybe I just miss them."
"You are such a good daughter, Hermione. After everything your parents had done to you, you still care and worry about them," Draco said.
"I still don't understand the way they treat me. But maybe they just have their own reasons; maybe they are just so blinded by their desire to protect me that they tend to neglect my own happiness."
"But they won't be able to protect you your whole life."
"Maybe that's the point, they want to do their best while they are here. They want to make sure they've established the right foundation for my life so that when they leave me, they know that I'll be okay," Hermione replied. She then cringed. "I don't even want to about think about it."
Draco looked at her fixedly. "They want to protect you by keeping you away from me?" he said.
"They just don't understand you, Draco. They judge you by your past and they can't accept that you have changed."
"They see me in the light of my father's shadow. I bring with me the name of my family everywhere I go. No one will ever believe that I am different, that I am not evil," he said, his eyes narrowed with wrath.
"Someday they will understand," Hermione said, trying to calm him down.
"No they won't! They'll never understand!" Draco shouted.
Hermione just looked at him, eyes wide. Upon seeing her reaction, Draco buried his face on his hands, breathing heavily. "Then show me, Draco. Show me that you are not like your father." Draco looked up at her and nodded. "I'm sorry, Hermione."
"You don't have to apologize. I understand." Draco showed her a warm smile. Hermione now felt lighter and more at ease. "You know, I think you inherited your mother's smile."
"You don't even know my mother, Hermione," Draco grinned.
"I don't need to know her to be able to say how kind-hearted she is. Half of you is good, Draco. And that part is what I see now," Hermione said.
"Thanks, I appreciate that," he answered, smiling. But he suddenly shook his head. "I don't even understand why she married my father. They don't belong together. She's good and he's evil."
Hermione took his hand, which surprised him. "As for me, I'm glad the two of them met. Because if they hadn't, then I wouldn't have you."
It was the kindest thing anyone had ever told him. And he was glad it was Hermione who said it. She seemed to always know how to find the good things under the worst circumstances. She actually reminded him of his mother.
Draco piled his other hand over hers, holding her hand with both of his. "I'm glad that I found you, Hermione."
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.
"Good morning!" Hermione opened her eyes and gasped as she saw Draco staring down at her. Draco laughed as he pulled her comforter aside.
"Draco, what are you doing here? Don't you know how to respect privacy?" Hermione said, covering her body with the remaining bed sheet.
"I tried knocking but you didn't answer," he said.
"Obviously I was asleep. Just because this is your apartment doesn't mean you can wake me up from my slumber anytime you want!" she answered, pretending to be mad.
"Even if it's like," Draco began, reaching for Hermione's bedside clock, and turning it for her to see. "Eleven in the morning?"
Hermione gaped. "Why didn't you wake up me earlier?" she said, standing up still holding the bed sheet and dragging it all the way to the closet with her.
Draco chuckled. "I said I tried."
"It's almost lunch time and I was still asleep," he heard Hermione say behind the closet door.
"You don't have to worry much, actually, since you don't have school or work to go to. But I did wake you up for lunch," Draco said.
Hermione peeped from behind the closet door holding a yellow shirt. "You're right," she said, sighing.
Draco stood up and began walking towards the door. "I'll meet you outside. Lunch is almost ready." He stopped before exiting and called out to Hermione, "And can you please put the bed sheet back on the bed? You don't have to cover anything, you know. I've seen that before."
He heard Hermione gasp and he chuckled once again, moving down the hall.
"Don't remind me of that ever again!" Hermione shouted.
***
Hermione entered the kitchen wearing the yellow shirt and denim jeans. "Wow! You cooked stew!" she exclaimed upon seeing Draco setting up the meal on the table.
"You're just in time," he responded, sitting on one of the chairs.
Hermione sat in front of Draco and began serving herself some of the stew. "This looks and smells delicious!" she said. "How long have you known how to cook?"
"Not so long ago," he answered, scooping some rice into his plate.
"You know, I don't cook much. Mom always told me I should learn how to cook heavy meals but I never had time for it," she said, getting some rice.
"Well, you don't have to worry about that here," Draco replied, pouring some of the stew over his rice. "I'll be the one to cook our food."
Hermione dug on her plate and brought her spoon to her mouth. "This is delicious!" she said while chewing the food.
"Thanks," Draco replied, taking a spoonful as well.
After a couple of servings, Hermione released her spoon and fork and reached for her glass of juice. She took a few sips then rested her elbows on the table, her hands clasped together.
"What's the problem?" Draco asked upon noticing her.
"I'm just not comfortable with this setting," she answered.
Draco straightened his back. "What, you don't like it here? You don't like living with me?" he said with a worried face. "We can eat outside if you want. I don't always have to cook."
Hermione reached out her hands and tapped his shoulder. "Relax, I like it here. And I'm not leaving anytime soon," she declared. "It's just that it doesn't feel right to me that I live here and do nothing."
"Then what do you want to do?" Draco said, finally resting his elbows on the table as well.
"Draco," Hermione started, eyebrows curled. "It is okay with you if I clean your apartment?"
Draco straightened up. "What?"
"I want to do something, and not just sit here all day like a princess," she explained. "I hope you understand."
Draco took a deep breath, pondering on the situation. "Okay, if that's what you want," he finally replied.
"Thanks," Hermione said, smiling.
"Eat more," Draco said, pushing the bowl of stew to Hermione's direction.
***
After both of them have been satisfied by the food, Hermione insisted that she should wash the plates. After much hesitation, Draco finally gave in, being reminded by Hermione about their agreement.
Making sure that the table is clean as well after she has washed the dishes, Hermione proceeded to the living room, wiping her hands with a cloth. Draco was sitting on the couch, and she sat beside him.
Draco looked at her and he knew at once what she was thinking. "Relax. I know your parents are okay at home."
"I don't know why I should be worrying. Maybe I just miss them."
"You are such a good daughter, Hermione. After everything your parents had done to you, you still care and worry about them," Draco said.
"I still don't understand the way they treat me. But maybe they just have their own reasons; maybe they are just so blinded by their desire to protect me that they tend to neglect my own happiness."
"But they won't be able to protect you your whole life."
"Maybe that's the point, they want to do their best while they are here. They want to make sure they've established the right foundation for my life so that when they leave me, they know that I'll be okay," Hermione replied. She then cringed. "I don't even want to about think about it."
Draco looked at her fixedly. "They want to protect you by keeping you away from me?" he said.
"They just don't understand you, Draco. They judge you by your past and they can't accept that you have changed."
"They see me in the light of my father's shadow. I bring with me the name of my family everywhere I go. No one will ever believe that I am different, that I am not evil," he said, his eyes narrowed with wrath.
"Someday they will understand," Hermione said, trying to calm him down.
"No they won't! They'll never understand!" Draco shouted.
Hermione just looked at him, eyes wide. Upon seeing her reaction, Draco buried his face on his hands, breathing heavily. "Then show me, Draco. Show me that you are not like your father." Draco looked up at her and nodded. "I'm sorry, Hermione."
"You don't have to apologize. I understand." Draco showed her a warm smile. Hermione now felt lighter and more at ease. "You know, I think you inherited your mother's smile."
"You don't even know my mother, Hermione," Draco grinned.
"I don't need to know her to be able to say how kind-hearted she is. Half of you is good, Draco. And that part is what I see now," Hermione said.
"Thanks, I appreciate that," he answered, smiling. But he suddenly shook his head. "I don't even understand why she married my father. They don't belong together. She's good and he's evil."
Hermione took his hand, which surprised him. "As for me, I'm glad the two of them met. Because if they hadn't, then I wouldn't have you."
It was the kindest thing anyone had ever told him. And he was glad it was Hermione who said it. She seemed to always know how to find the good things under the worst circumstances. She actually reminded him of his mother.
Draco piled his other hand over hers, holding her hand with both of his. "I'm glad that I found you, Hermione."