***Trigger Warning*** I don't want to give too much away about this chapter, but I did want to give everyone a heads up that it does deal with a traumatizing issue.
"Are you okay? You seem a bit upset. Are you upset?"
Hermione did her best not to roll her eyes as she replied, "What's with the twenty questions? I'm fine."
"You don't look fine though. You look upset. Are you mad at Draco?"
"No."
"Ron?"
"No."
"Who then?"
"You! You keep stepping on my bloody toes!" Hermione cried in frustration.
Harry's eyes went wide and he paused their dance for a moment to look down at their feet.
"I hope Ginny protects her feet with some shield charms on Saturday," Hermione muttered.
"Sorry, Min," Harry apologized. He pulled her close once again and restarted their Tango. "I guess Ginny was right in signing us up for these classes." After a minute though, he launched back into his interrogation. "Are you really okay though? You really do seem a bit off, not quite yourself."
Hermione took a few seconds to read her friend's face. It was almost pained with concern. "I have a lot of things on my mind at the moment, but I promise I'm fine. And if Ron and I can get through tomorrow night without strangling one another, I'll be even better."
"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Harry insisted. "Judgement free zone here," he said, giving her shoulder a squeeze as the music faded away.
Tears welled up in the corner of Hermione's eyes. She pulled Harry into a tight hug and was able to fight back her sudden urge to sob, as he squeezed her back.
"You know, I was only joking when I said I'd share."
Hermione giggled as she let go of Harry and smiled at Ginny.
"I hope you plan on using protection on Saturday," Hermione warned.
Ginny's eyes bulged and she quickly looked around. "Pretty sure we're passed that point," she hissed.
"I meant for your feet," Hermione laughed, playfully shoving Harry towards Ginny. "I need to go soak my toes in a bucket of ice."
"Hey now! I may not be Fred Astaire, but I'm not that horrible," Harry protested.
"Of course you're not, darling," Ginny reassured, running her hand through his hair. Harry shook his head and waved her off her condescension. Ginny turned her attention back to Hermione. "I can't believe Draco didn't show up tonight."
Hermione shrugged and said, "Guess a better alternative popped up."
"You're okay with that?" Harry asked, shooting her a skeptical look.
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" When Harry didn't answer, Hermione continued, "He's free to make his own choices. It's not like he and I are….well, anything. Maybe a fortnight of shagging the same woman got boring." The last comment came out more bitter than she had intended and she could tell her tone was not lost on her friends.
"Was he okay at work today?" Ginny asked Harry. "Did he mention not making it to the class tonight?"
"I actually haven't seen him since Monday morning," Harry answered. "I was out all of this morning and only caught fleeting glimpses of him in the afternoon. Never a moment to really chat."
"It's not like it's a major scandal, here," Hermione insisted. Hermione summoned her purse and pulled out an elastic. Her lengthening charms finally had her hair reaching past her shoulders and the bright lights were making her sweaty. She swept her locks up into a messy bun and said, "There's a little cafe about a block or so away. I think I'm going to go grab a drink. You two want to join?"
"Not tonight, sorry," Harry answered. "I've got a ton of stuff I have to finish up over the next few days before I take off for the wedding and honeymoon."
Hermione looked to Ginny and received a sad smile. "I would, but I'm knackered. Plus, if I have any caffeine now then I'll never get to sleep."
Hermione nodded and gave her friend a hug. "Go get some rest. I shouldn't be too long."
Stepping outside, a welcomed breeze blew across Hermione's bare neck. The sun had just started it's descent, leaving brilliant streaks of color across the sky. She had been trying to savor the mild English weather over the last few days before she had to return to the stuffy heat and humidity of New York City. Breathing in the fresh air, Hermione turned left and took her time meandering to the cafe.
Iced coffee in hand, she snagged an outside table and slowly sipped her drink while she watched the parade of people pass by. A myriad of thoughts kept cycling through her mind, and Hermione didn't want to dwell on a single one of them at the moment. She tried to quiet them by studying the men and women that she saw, making up little stories about their backgrounds and where they were going. It worked, but just as Hermione's stories were becoming more intricate and complex, one of the baristas came out to inform her that they were closing for the evening and would be needing to take her table and chair inside.
Hermione tossed her long emptied coffee cup in the bin and continued walking up the street. She wasn't sure where she wanted to go, or what she wanted to do. She wasn't in the mood to go back to Harry and Ginny's. The influx of caffeine had her feeling restless and needing to move about. As she walked, her mind wandered to what the following evening held in store for her.
Hermione was more than a little nervous to sit down and talk to Ron. She had no idea how he would react to her confession. In the end, she knew she had to get this weight off her chest and come clean with him. She couldn't go back to New York still keeping a shared past hidden from the one person that deserved to know. For the moment, though, all she wanted to do was forget and deal with it when the time arrived.
The silver key was in her pocket. Hermione had been expecting Draco to show up for the dance lesson, equipped with an arsenal of insinuations that would leave her hot and bothered as they tangoed across the studio. Instead, she was left only bothered that he ended up being a no-show. What really bothered her was that she was indeed bothered by it! She shouldn't be caring about what, or who, Draco was doing instead. Both of them had been clear about the premise of their hookups- neither wanted a relationship beyond that of a sexual nature. So why did she have this jealousy eating away at the back of her brain when she thought of him ditching her to go shag some other no-named slag?!
"Whoa!" Hermione exclaimed, stopping suddenly in the middle of the footpath.
A woman behind her was able to quickly alter her steps and move around Hermione. She touched Hermione's shoulder and asked, "Are you okay, dear?"
"Oh, yes, thank you," Hermione answered quickly. "Just a touch of vertigo. Should pass soon." She smiled and moved to lean against a nearby bike rack. The woman gave her a reassuring smile and continued walking. "Get yourself together, Hermione," she muttered to herself. "You don't care about him because he doesn't care about you. Outside of the bedroom, there is nothing."
Hermione stood up and swung her arms, trying to shake off her minor meltdown. As she looked around, she noticed that several people had stopped and were looking at her, almost as if they were deciding whether she was a run of the mill nutter or if authorities should be involved. Hermione plastered on a fake, hopefully sane looking, smile and speed walked to the nearest alleyway. Thankfully, aside from a rogue stray cat, it was deserted and she was able to safely apparate away.
She let herself into Draco's apartment, not worrying about being silent or if she'd find him in a compromising position with someone else. She toed off her trainers by the door and tossed her purse onto the side table, with his keys and mail. Draco was reclined on the couch, still in his work trousers and button up shirt. He glanced up from his book when Hermione walked in, but said nothing and went right back to reading.
She hadn't expecting some heartfelt apology for skipping the class, but now she wasn't even worthy of a courtesy greeting? Arse…
"Missed you in class tonight. I was the only one without a partner," Hermione said, stepping into the sitting room.
"I'm sure Weasley was happy to take my place," Draco replied, without looking up.
"What's that supposed to mean? You need to be more specific when it comes to a roomful of Weasleys."
"No, I don't. You know exactly who I'm talking about." Draco tossed his book to the floor and rose to his feet. "What are you doing here anyway?" he asked, breezing past Hermione to the kitchen.
Hermione stood dumbfounded for a moment, before turning to follow him. "The same reason I've shown up here every other time." She watched as he aimlessly moved from cupboard to cupboard, as if purposefully avoiding her gaze. His shirt was untucked and the top two buttons undone.
"Sorry, sweetheart, but you're going to have to find your escape elsewhere tonight," Draco replied. He grabbed a bottle of Firewhiskey, summoned a tumbler, conjured two ice cubes, then drowned them under a generous amount of his chosen poison. One gulp later, the amber liquid was gone and Draco was pouring himself a second.
"Christ, whose wand do you have shoved up your arse tonight? I don't know what horrible injustice I've committed against you tonight, but if you'd rather drink than fuck go right ahead. I don't need your cryptic bullshit tonight."
Hermione turned to leave, but Draco's voice stopped her.
"I don't fuck women that are already seeing another bloke," he said, finally meeting her stare. "I may be a lot of shitty things, but an adulterer isn't one of those. Sorry, princess."
"Are you seriously insinuating what I think you are right now?" Hermione laughed. Draco said nothing and downed his second drink. Hermione summoned the bottle of Firewhiskey to her before he could pour another round. "What on earth would make you think I've gotten back together with Ron since I last saw you?"
"Potter said you went round to see him, and are kicking him and Ginny out so you and Weasley can 'talk' tomorrow night." The pompous arse actually made air quotes at the word 'talk' and Hermione narrowed her eyes. "You want to get back with Weasel, that's none of my business. Go remarry him and have a whole litter of ginger weasels. But you don't get to use me as a side fuck."
Hermione's voice caught in her throat and she set the bottle of Firewhiskey on the table, fearing she might drop it. She took several deep breaths before daring to speak again.
"You're the one that told me to face my past demons," she started, taking great care to keep her voice calm and even. "Yes, I plan on talking to Ron tomorrow night. No, I am not getting back together with him and I definitely don't plan on fucking him anytime in the near future. The probability of me fucking you again in the near future is rapidly dwindling though, seeing as how quick you are to label me as a whore."
Draco snorted a laugh. "Please. It would take me all of thirty seconds to have you in my bed, naked and begging. Stop trying to kid yourself that you're not like any of the others that have come before you."
Hermione took two strides forward and, before she could stop herself, her right hand swiftly connected with his left cheek. His silver eyes sparked as he slowly brought his own hand up to his reddening face.
They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before Hermione finally said, "I'm not apologizing."
"I didn't ask for one. Do it again."
"Fuck off Malfoy…"
"It wasn't a request."
Without another thought, Hermione's palm collided with Draco's face once more. A savage growl erupted from Draco's throat and he started to raise his clenched fists. Hermione stood her ground, preparing to defend herself.
Instead of a retaliatory slap, Draco's hands grasped her shirt and tore it half, as if it was nothing more than paper. He pushed her backwards until she was pressed against the table and his lips came crashing down against hers.
Hermione swirled her tongue around his, letting the remnants of the his Firewhiskey burn down her throat. Draco yanked her bra down, letting her breasts spill out over the lace. He grabbed one in each hand, making Hermione gasp and break the kiss. Draco moved from her mouth and started kissing her neck.
"You're a fucking bastard," Hermione rasped, shedding the scraps that were once her shirt.
"I know."
"I liked that shirt."
"I've seen you in better."
"Merlin, I hate you," she groaned as ran his thumbs over her nipples.
"No, you don't." He grabbed her round the waist and lifted her onto the table.
"You're a narcissistic, preten- ooooh…" Her rant faltered as Draco took a nipple into his mouth and sucked.
"Keep going," he murmured against her aroused peak.
"Pretentious, vain prat," Hermione panted. Draco's teeth nipped at her sensitive flesh and Hermione fell back on the table, knocking salt and pepper shakers to the floor. Draco wasted no time taking advantage of her new position and took it upon himself to relieve her of her shorts and panties.
"While that may be true, if you really hated me would you still be here? Allowing me to do this?"
Draco swiftly parted her legs. Hermione raised her head slightly and watched as he licked his fore and middle fingers, before plunging them into her core. Foreplay was not on his agenda that evening. He started pumping hard and fast and Hermione gripped the sides of the table as her need for release quickly built. She tried to hold back her orgasm, wanting to make the jerk work for it, but her body betrayed her.
Her pleasured cries echoed through the kitchen. As her moans subsided, Hermione let her head thud back against the table. She jerked back up when Draco plunged his head between her legs to lick up his reward. His silver eyes appeared over her hips and locked with hers. Hermione groaned and gave him a shove back with her knees.
Draco fell back into a chair, staring at her with a smug and satisfied look on his face. Hermione sat up and readjusted her bra.
"Still hate me?" He casually asked as Hermione eased herself off the table.
"My hate seems to have dampened to dislike. If you play your cards right, it might fizzle to mild aversion."
Draco's lips curled up in a evil grin. "I always play with an ace up my sleeve."
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Draco was abruptly woken by a distant crash, followed by a loud scream.
"Who's there?!" he yelled, bolting up and groping for his wand. "What's wrong?" Whipping his head back and forth, his eyes finally focused on Hermione. She was sitting up, clutching the sheet to her chest, her amber eyes wide and unblinking. "Granger, what's wrong?" he breathed, falling back onto his pillow.
"The crash," she whispered, swiping at her eyes.
"Yeah, stupid Muggles take the stop sign as more of a suggestion than a law," Draco yawned, aimlessly waving his hand in the direction of the main street. "There's at least one idiot a month that runs it and gets slammed."
"Right," Hermione whispered. She swung her legs off the bed, muttering, "I need the bathroom."
Draco closed his eyes and dozed back off. He wasn't sure how long he was out for, but he woke again when he rolled over and found the room dark and his bed empty.
"I thought we were done with this shit," he muttered. Draco buried his head in a pillow and tried to get back to sleep. He could hear the muffled sounds of the accident aftermath outside- drivers arguing, glass being swept up, a tow truck backing in, a woman sobbing.
Draco's eyes popped open and he listened closer. The sobbing was coming from his living room. After pulling on pants and a t-shirt, Draco quietly moved out into the hall and peeked into the living room.
Hermione was sat on the couch, wearing only her bra and panties. She had her legs pulled close, her chin resting on her knees. The flash of red and blue emergency responder lights highlighted the tears flowing over her cheeks as she stared blankly out the window.
Draco crept away from the living room and into the kitchen. He returned a few minutes later, carrying a tray with mugs of tea and a plate of biscuits. He set the tray on the coffee table and eased a steaming mug into Hermione's trembling hands. He held onto them until he was sure she wouldn't drop the drink in her lap.
After wrapping a blanket around her bare shoulders, Draco picked up his own mug of tea and sat down in the arm chair across from Hermione. She stared down at her tea and then turned her bloodshot eyes to him.
"Chamomile," Draco said, nodding at the drink. "My mother got it for me when I was having difficulty sleeping. Tastes like shit, but it won't keep you up."
Hermione nodded and turned her gaze back to the window. There was now clanging coming from outside as the tow truck hitched up one of the cars.
"So glad we can apparate," Draco commented, trying to fill the silent void. "Muggle cars seem like such a hassle."
His casual observation seemed to hurt more than help. Hermione let out another sob and fresh tears flowed.
"Sorry," Draco apologized, though he wasn't sure what for.
Hermione shook her head, sending her disheveled honey curls swirling around her face.
"You didn't do anything," she whispered, staring down at her tea. "It's me and my anxiety and I…" Her voice cracked and she swallowed hard. "I'm a horrible person. I don't know how I'm going to face him tomorrow," she cried.
"You know, the 'Horrible Person Club' is pretty exclusive. As club president. I find it hard to believe you qualify for membership," Draco joked. Hermione gave him a pained look. "Sorry, I'm not exactly the best with this sort of stuff. Umm, you want to talk about it?" He offered.
"No….I mean, yes, but…" Hermione chewed on her lower lip. "It's just...I've never talked to anyone but my therapist about it," Hermione admitted. "It feels wrong telling you before I talk to Ron."
"Maybe if you talk to an unbiased friend about it, it'll be easier to talk to Weasley tomorrow?" Draco suggested.
"Friend?"
"Fuck buddy seemed inappropriate for the moment." Draco breathed a little sigh of relief when he caught her lips twitch upwards. "No pressure though. We can just sit and drink horrible tea if you want."
Hermione sniffled and looked out the window once more. Draco relaxed back in his chair and took a gulp of his drink, attempting not to gag. No amount of sugar could make it acceptable. He was contemplating the possibility of dumping some Ogden's into it and was caught off guard when Hermione spoke again.
"I feel like I should give you a bit of a quick explanation of living in the states, specifically New York."
Draco nodded, silently encouraging her to continue.
Hermione took a sip of her tea, scrunched her nose in disgust, and sat the mug back on the tray. She pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders and took a deep breath.
"American wizards and witches don't have a great relationship with Muggles, or No-Majes as they call them. There are still strict laws in place about performing magic in front of them and many wizards choose not to engage with Muggles at all. In the big cities, it's hard to apparate places. For this reason, most of us over there use Muggle style transportation to avoid apparating on top of each other in the designated spots."
She picked up a biscuit and nibbled on an edge before continuing.
"I moved over there right after the divorce. Things started out really well. My job wasn't very exciting, but the city was. I had the chance to start anew, and wanted to make the most of it."
"That feeling was gone by the end of the first month." Her voice reduced to a whisper as she said, "I found out shortly after moving that I was pregnant."
Draco kept his expression passive, but it felt like his brain had come to an abrupt halt. That wasn't what he had been expecting her to say.
"And the father was—"
"Ron of course!" Hermione cried.
"But how?" Draco shook his head and corrected himself, saying, "I mean, when?"
"The night before I left. I went back to the apartment to get the last of my things and Ron was there, even though he had said he wouldn't be. This of course led to a fight, which somehow led to us ripping each others clothes off and taking our aggression out on each other. Not unlike you and I tonight."
"Don't," Draco interrupted, holding up his hand. "I already feel like gagging from the tea. If you compare me to Weasley, I just may vomit." He grinned when Hermione couldn't help but giggle.
"Sorry," she said, before continuing with her story. "So, I ended up leaving England pregnant, but not knowing it. When I found out, I was scared and had no idea what to do. I didn't want to come back to England, but I had no clue how I would be able to raise a child, by myself, in a strange city."
"Why were you so against coming back here?" Draco asked. "I can't imagine your parents disowning you over an unexpected pregnancy."
"Pride," Hermione answered, matter of factly. "I wanted to prove that I was perfectly fine on my own. I had chosen to move out of the country and to move back home, so soon after, felt like I was giving up. Plus, I was too much of a coward to face Ron and his family."
"I went crazy trying to figure out the best way to tell him. It seemed too insensitive to just send an owl with the news, but I couldn't bring myself to go back. I finally settled on inviting him to New York, so that we could talk on neutral ground, away from what I was sure would be meddling families." She slowly picked up her mug and took a slow sip. "It's not so bad once you get used to it," she remarked, licking her lips. "I must have written a hundred letters, trying to put into text the best way to persuade Ron to come and talk. Obviously we hadn't split on the best terms, and neither of us were eager to see the other. I hit five months and still hadn't told him."
"Five months?" Draco echoed in surprise.
"Yeah, I know, I'm pathetic." Her eyes went glassy again and her voice softened. "It was all starting to become so real and I felt like pieces of my life were falling into place. The city wasn't as intimidating and I had started to make friends at work. I had had an ultrasound and got to see the baby, hear the heartbeat. I was far enough along that they could tell I was having a girl. The thought of going back to tell Ron wasn't so scary anymore. I was confident we could come to a civil agreement on how to share custody and raise our daughter. To make sure I went through with it, I bought myself an expensive, first class plane ticket. As fate would have it, I never got to use it."
Draco frowned and it felt like a boulder had dropped into the pit of his stomach. He had been expecting Hermione to tell him that she had placed the baby up for adoption, without ever telling Ron about the child's existence. He now realized that this story had a much different ending.
Hermione took a deep breath and he could see that she was determined to make it through her tale.
"MACUSA sent me uptown one day for a meeting. I was the newest person on staff, and often got stuck going to the boring, mandatory meetings. This particular one was at a place I had never been to before, so I took a Muggle taxi. We got to the building, but there was no place to park. The driver double parked and as I leaned forward to pay, another car rear ended us. I was flung head-first into the dividing window and knocked out. When I came to, I was strapped to a gurney, being loaded into an ambulance with blood dripping down my face."
"It was the most surreal, out of body experience. Pain was coursing through my right hand and my head felt like it weighed a ton. I was thrashing against the grips of the paramedics, trying to tell them that I was pregnant, but I was so dazed that I couldn't string together a coherent sentence. They kept shining bright lights in my eyes, shouting out questions that I couldn't answer. Finally I was able to yell out 'baby' and that brought the commotion to a brief standstill, and then a new chaos ensued."
She paused for a moment and took another gulp of her tea. Draco watched silently, almost afraid about what she would say next. When he had talked about finding out what was behind Hermione's well crafted wall, this was not been what he had been expecting.
"When we arrived at the hospital, they sent me straight for an ultrasound. The nurses were very sweet, reassuring me that everything was going to be fine and that they just needed to have a quick check on the baby. I remember nodding and agreeing, but I knew then that she was gone."
Draco attempted to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat as new tears cascaded down Hermione's face.
"I had to wait another few hours while they performed scans to find out the degree of concussion I had, and an x-ray to confirm a broken wrist. When they finally induced labor, I was so numb and confused from all the pain medications, I don't even remember pushing. I have a vague memory of a far away voice asking if I'd like to hold my daughter. I must have said yes, because the next thing I remember is someone curling my good hand around a bundle of blankets. She was so tiny, so perfect, and so...still. I kept thinking it had to be a dream. This couldn't be real. Any moment I'd wake up in my apartment and feel her fluttering about in my stomach."
Hermione's breathing started coming quick, strangling her sobs. Draco quickly moved to the couch, placing a gentle hand on her back.
"I know I should have told Ron right away, but the emptiness I felt was so painful and all-consuming. I didn't want anyone else to have to go through it. So I buried it and went on as if nothing had happened. I thought I was doing the right thing, sparing Ron from the heartache I had to endure. In a way I envied him; he got to go about his life, oblivious to it all. I know now, of course, how selfish and isolating that was, but I wasn't exactly in a great state of mind. I guess I'm still not now."
The two sat in silence for several minutes. Hermione's breathing slowed down and she was able to finish her tea. Draco stared down at his feet, not knowing what to say, or if he should even say anything at all. He was spared from having to decide when Hermione spoke first.
"There you have it. That is what I've been hiding under all my armor," she said, placing her empty mug on the coffee table. "Am I horrible enough for your exclusive club?"
Draco looked up and into her toffee colored eyes. Though tired and bloodshot, they shined beautifully and Draco couldn't help but tenderly brush her unruly curls to the side, so that he had an unobstructed view.
"No," he murmured letting his hand fall on top of hers. "Sorry, but you're just not that horrible."
"We'll have to agree to disagree on that," Hermione whispered, looking down at their hands. "What makes you so horrible that you get to claim the presidency?"
"Really, Granger?" Draco snorted in disbelief. He abruptly stood, gathering the mugs. "We both know my checkered past and neither of us wants to relive it."
"Yes, but you're not the same person now," Hermione called as he took the mugs to the kitchen.
"I like to think not, but unfortunately a lot of people still don't see it that way." He returned to the living and shrugged his shoulders, explaining, "People don't expect much from me, so I figure I'll just live up to those expectations. Why put in the effort when no one is going to take you seriously?"
"Who's the girl that broke your heart?"
"Broke my heart," Draco scoffed. Hermione raised her eyebrows expectantly and Draco sighed. "Potter been talking about me?"
"No, he doesn't tell stories that aren't his. But from the way he and Ginny talked, I was able to deduce that you had your own relationship troubles."
"I think I'm going to need something a bit stronger than tea if I'm going to talk about her," Draco groaned. He flicked his wand and a bottle of tequila and two shot glasses flew in from the kitchen. He poured out the liquor, handing one of the glasses over to Hermione. "Apologies, but I'm fresh out of limes."
"Cheers," Hermione toasted.
Draco raised his glass, clinked it with hers, and then downed the shot, savoring the slow burn that spread throughout his body.
"Her name was Astoria Greengrass," Draco started, refilling the glasses. "She was a year behind us in school. I knew of her family from various social events over the years, but never really interacted with her. I ran into her about a year after the war and we started dating."
He quickly downed his second shot and Hermione followed suit. When he went to refill again, she waved him off and he set the bottle aside.
"I fell pretty hard for her. She seemed like the perfect woman- great sense of humor, didn't put much stock in her pureblood status, knew how to have a good time, amazing in bed, and she seemed just as enamored with me as I was with her. We dated about a year and I decided I was ready to take the next step."
"Draco Malfoy actually wanted to settle down with a woman?"
"We all have our moments of weakness."
"So, what happened when you proposed?"
Draco gestured to the empty flat. "I think it's clear that I'm not hiding a wife anywhere."
"You know what I mean, smartass. Did she say yes and eventually broke the engagement, or give you an outright no?"
Draco pursed his lips and said, "She laughed."
"Laughed?"
"She laughed for a full minute. Fool that I am, I thought she was just in shock and didn't know how to react. When she finally composed herself, she let me know how foolish I was, exclaiming that she couldn't believe that I was actually serious about the relationship. Turns out she was dating two other guys while she was seeing me. She very kindly informed me that while I was a lot of fun, I wasn't the kind of guy you could spend your life with."
"Wow. What a bitch."
Draco laughed and poured himself one last shot of tequila. "It hurt at first, but honestly she did me a favor. Saved me a lot of time by showing me that I'm just not cut out for intimate relationships. It makes life a lot easier."
Hermione sat and studied him for a moment before grabbing the bottle of tequila and taking a swig. "I don't buy it," she declared, swiping her arm across her mouth.
"Easy there, love," Draco said, coaxing the bottle out of her hand. "Don't buy what?"
"I don't think you're satisfied with your life of sleeping around," Hermione explained. "You've bought into the lie of one silly bint, letting her dictate the rest of your life. You've closed yourself off to the possibility of love based off one cow's opinion."
"Fuck, you sound like my mother now," Draco groaned.
"Is that a compliment?" Hermione asked, a worried look crossing her face. "Nevermind, I don't want to know. Give me back the tequila."
"Pretty sure you've had enough."
"Please! It's dulling the pounding in my head."
Draco smirked and poured her one last shot. "I do enjoy hearing you beg."
Hermione rolled her eyes and gulped the shot. "You're an idiot, Malfoy."
"You've informed me of this several times in the last few weeks."
"Then stop being an idiot!"
Draco laughed and said, "If I agree to try, can I go back to sleep?"
"Yeah," she said softly, smiling at him. "I really hope you do try."
Draco stood and before he could stop himself, leaned over and kissed her forehead. He lingered for the briefest moment, breathing in the scent of jasmine from her hair.
"Goodnight, Granger," he whispered. He turned and started for the bedroom.
"Hey," Hermione called. He looked back at her and she pulled the blanket tight around her shoulders once more. "Thank you."
Draco nodded and continued to his room. He collapsed onto the bed and dragged his hands down his face. What had he gotten himself into?
A/N- Apologies for the the long wait between chapters! Life has been a bit chaotic. The baby has arrived and he is perfect and adorable! We also recently just had a big move to a new city, so we're amidst of the fun of unpacking and organizing. I'm trying to get back to writing more because I have so much swirling in my head that I want to get out, but I need more hours in the day! Anyway, as always thank you for sticking with my story and all the encouraging comments!