DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Harry Potter. (I'll say it again) I do NOT own Harry Potter.
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The evening had been magical. Rule or no rule, they had fallen for each other. They sat together now having a picnic on a secluded deck.
"I feel like I've known you for years, yet I hardly do," said Draco. "So, where are you headed?"
"I don't know...wherever the journey takes me, I guess."
"Don't you have any family?"
"Family? Well, there are a few people back in England, but they don't really know me anymore."
"Don't you miss them?" he asked confusedly.
"Not really. I never look back. Only forward."
"Where'd you go to school?"
"Hogwarts. You?"
"Hogwarts. What house were you in?"
"Gryffindor."
"Slytherin. We must know each other," he said excitedly. "But, Trista Arden sounds so unfamiliar."
"What's your name?" she asked nervously.
"Draco Malfoy."
"Oh, no. I think I'd better go," Trista said nervously.
"What's wrong?"
"We do know each other."
"How?"
"I'm, I mean, I was...I was Hermione Granger."
"What does that matter?"
"What do you mean, what does it matter?" Trista asked disgustedly. "All those years, I wasn't good enough for you. I was a dirty mudblood. Now all of a sudden, it doesn't matter? Maybe not to you, but it matters to me, Draco. See you around," she said, turning to walk away.
"Trista, wait!"
"And why should I?"
"Because if you leave, you'll be lying to yourself. Before you knew who I was, we were hitting it off. Why should any of that change now?" Draco asked. "You know what I think? I think you're scared because I know the real you, and there's nothing for you to hide behind."
Draco wiped a tear from her cheek.
"We were meant to meet again on this cruise. It isn't just some joke we ran into each other. This was meant to be."
"Do you want to know something?"
Draco eyes met hers giving her the answer.
"I believe you."
The two sat down again and spent the evening gazing into the heavens.