The announcement of Draco's engagement was, minimally, a sort of blessing. She met with Ron and gave the ring back, but with the news of Draco and Astoria's engagement, no one paid attention to her for at least an extra week.
Hermione had no one to consult about her wounded heart. She wasn't able to disclose the details of her small crush - that had apparently been quite more than she originally thought- seeing as a majority of her closest friends were all related to her ex fiancé.
It was one of the most confusing moments of her life. She has no claim to Draco, therefore, she shouldn't be upset that he fell in love, so much so that he asked her to marry him within less than a year of dating. She should be happy for him, ecstatic even.
But in the moments when her mind rested from work, or she wasn't surrounded by friends and family, she'd think of the way he'd smile when she'd speak about work, or the way he'd laugh when she teased him, or look at her like… like he liked her. The memories of their secret moments felt tainted, Hermione had no idea how to move while stuck in a weird, cloudy funk.
It didn't help that he became close with Bill and Fleur, so even when she thought she'd have an escape, he'd pop up again.
Showing up to Dominque's birthday with Astoria on his arm, Draco was animatedly greeted by the party go-er's including Bill's oldest, Victoire, who sprinted to Draco with a wide smile, her two front teeth missing.
"Dwacooo!" She shouted and he picked her, tossing her a bit in the air before settling her on his hip.
"Hey sweetie!" He smiled down at her, wiping some of strawberry blonde hair away from her face.
"I lost another toof! See?" Draco smiled at the mispronunciation of the word and pretended to squint at the five year olds gummy smile.
"Lets see…where…where…Ah! Now I see it." He joked.
"I got two sickles for it!" She exclaimed proudly.
"Wow sweetie, that's great! I got something else for you." He put her down then reached inside his coat, pulling out a box of fizzing whizzbees.
"My favorite! Thank you Dwaco." She smiled then dashed off to show her mother what she got.
"I didn't know Malfoy was coming." Hermione whispered to Ginny who just finished nursing Albus.
"Hm? Oh yeah. Bill started inviting him around last year. He's never missed one of their birthdays since." She told her and Hermione frowned while looking back to the scene of Draco and Astoria hugging the family members. She supposed more of Bill and Fleur's coworkers were here besides just him, maybe it wasn't totally abnormal, but it was a shock for her to see him since New Year's.
"That's…interesting. I didn't know that." Hermione commented as relaxed as she could, then looked to Albus resting in Ginny's arms to avoid looking and Malfoy and Astoria cross the room, opposite of where they sat on the couch.
"It started happening while you were getting the UMC ready." Ginny said and Hermione nodded thoughtfully. "Can you grab me his blanket? I think I left the bag in the kitchen when I fed him."
Hermione agreed, then removed herself from the sofa to head into the kitchen. There were a few people conjugating there, until Bill announced they'd be singing Happy Birthday in a few minutes outside. Hermione was still looking for the bag, thinking maybe she should ask Fleur if she grabbed it and accidentally put it away.
Turning to leave the room, she found herself caught in the doorjamb as Draco stood on the opposite side, looking to get into the kitchen. Her heart stuttered and she felt her face break into a heat. With her gaze casted at his chest, she gestured behind him.
"Excuse me, I need to get through." She said, wishing her voice to be stronger than it currently sounded.
Draco stared down at her, ready to move out of the way until he felt a stubborn voice in his head tell him to stay put. She dragged her eyes back up to him, her eyebrows furrowed.
"I said—"
"George sent me to fetch the candles." He began, she said nothing. "Apparently they're special sparkling candles that change different colors, he invented them."
"Okay?" She said, confused.
"He gave me a vague location of where they would be. Do you know where he would have stored them?" Draco asked, though he knew exactly where they were, having been to Bill's house plenty times.
Hermione sighed heavily then turned on her heel, heading to the place where she knew George most likely put them. Grabbing the glittery candles, she walked back over to where Draco stood, handed them off then moved to Bill and Fleur's bedroom.
"You're not coming outside?" He asked. The house was completely empty, every gathering outside on the unusual nice spring day.
"Ginny asked me to fetch her bag, wanting Albus' blanket." She explained with no emotion to her voice whatsoever.
"Harry grabbed it for her, they're fine." He told her, gesturing to the backyard.
"Very well. I guess I'll just—"
"How are you?" He questioned, almost out of awkwardness making her feel like she was wearing heels two inches too high, she felt completely off balanced.
"Busy with work." She replied with a frown. Small talk now? That's what she deserved? No. She wanted two hour long conversations about the philosophers he read or nothing at all. This was pitiful.
"I saw your proposal for the updated amendment on employment discrimination. It was remarkably well written. If you should want any support again—"
"I'll be fine thank you." She crossed her arms over her chest then began to walk towards the hallway to the backdoor. He caught her arm as she passed, her nose flooded with his cologne and the minty fragrance of his hair product. She closed her eyes and let him pull her back.
"Hermione, this isn't fair." He started and she glared at him.
"What isn't?" She snapped.
"This? You treating me like you—" He huffed and then gently let go of her arm. "Like we're no longer friends."
Frustration rose through body and she felt venom form at her tongue.
"Do you think it's a smart idea to be friends?" She spat at him and his face visibly fell.
"Why would you say that?"
Hermione scoffed then raised her hands before letting them slap against her thighs. This highly intelligent man questioning why they shouldn't be friends was laughable. It epitomized all men. "I don't know, maybe because on New Year's we almost—"
"Auntie Mione! Dwaco! Daddy wants to know where the candles are?" Victoire came sprinting through the doors, causing them both to take a step away from each other.
"Right here, sweetie. We'll be out in a second." Draco told her, waving the candles.
"I'll bwing them out." Victoire outstretched her arms and Draco handed them off to her. "Hurry! The cake is chocolate! Dominique's favorite!" The adorable little girl bounced away and shut the door with a slam.
The silence extended between them. Draco wasn't sure where to begin, but knew they needed to have a longer conversation with more privacy in order to preserve their friendship. Hermione didn't really want to talk, she wanted to yell at him. Months from New Year's and she still dreamt of the feeling of his plush lips barely touching hers. He grabbed her too, he pulled her in. It wasn't one sided and she certainly didn't imagine the way he looked at her that night.
"How come she calls you Auntie?" Draco questioned and Hermione frowned at the randomness.
"I've known her her whole life. I've been Auntie Hermione from the start." She explained.
"She doesn't call me Uncle Draco." He concluded a bit sadly and she fought off the hilarity of his small pout but lost anyways.
"She probably doesn't like you as much as she likes me. I can understand why." Though the remark was intended to be bitter, she left for the door hearing an amused chuckle from him. At least she had the title of auntie over him.
Hermione saw everyone gather around the table and stayed around the edges, needing to stand on her tippy toes to watch as Fleur lit the candles on the cake. Draco came out seconds later, deciding to stand beside her and not his fiancé who was next to Fleur's younger sister.
The crowd sang happy birthday, and Hermione softly mumbled the words until she felt Draco speak, his voice directly behind her head.
"I don't fault you for your anger, you should be angry with me. I was…out of line and I'm sorry." He began and Hermione tried to desperately tune him out. Sorry he attempted to kiss her while he was engaged, or sorry he led her to believe her feelings were reciprocated?
"That doesn't mean I want to stop being friends. I need someone to enlighten me about all the famous muggles in the world and think they know more than me." He poked fun, but she ignored the temptation to tell him off and that she did know more than him. The song was finishing and she sang instead.
"Hermione please. You mean an awful great deal to me. To be without friends is to be lost in life." He said and Hermione couldn't help but forward her eyebrows together. They clapped and watched as Dominque fisted her slice of cake and smashed it into her mouth.
"Who said that?" She inquired, annoyed she didn't know the quote.
"I did." He replied.
Hermione snorted. "You can't make up your own philosophical quotes. You're not that important." She scolded him, slightly turning her head to peer over her shoulder. She caught the smug look on his face.
"I'd argue differently, but that doesn't mean my words aren't true." He said sincerely.
Hermione thought for a moment as she helped pass pieces of cake around. It looked rather pathetic of her to not speak to the man she liked and thought liked her. She'd eventually have to get over it, and how did it make her look pining over an engaged man? She sighed deeply, then turned to him.
"'There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not in my nature.' Jane Austen."
Draco smiled brightly as she handed him his own slice of cake. "I knew that one."
Hermione rolled her eyes "You still know less than me."
"But I'm getting there." He countered.
"Not even close."
He chuckled out loud and Hermione found herself grinning as she bit into her cake and walked away.
Proving to be friends was somewhat of a challenge. Without knowing how to move forward with their relationship in a safe manner, she decided to owl him in the evening before the Ministry's annual anniversary party, to test the waters.
'I drink to the general joy'o the table.' —Macbeth, William Shakespeare
Will you be attending the Ministry's 299th Anniversary?
—H. Granger
Draco smiled as he received her letter, then promptly asked Astoria if she would like to attend this year with him.
"We should wait until next year when it's actually a milestone. I've heard it's dreadfully boring anyways, always filled with the same people discussing the same things. I'd rather we not go." She said to him and Draco wanted to argue in favor of going but knew it would appear odd if he did so.
His owl was at her window just before she headed to bed. Opening the parchment with flares of excitement, her smile soon slipped off her face.
I'm remiss to say Astoria and I will not be attending this year. I would love to meet for lunch by the window some time this week if you're available?
—D.M.
Hermione stared blankly at the letter. She was unaware pettiness could blossom so quickly, but she certainly felt it when she penned her response.
My schedule is quite booked, sorry.
H.G.
Draco frowned at the shortness.
Please let me know when there's an opening then.
—D.M
She didn't respond even though she knew it was painfully childish of her to do so. Attending the Anniversary was boring and she left earlier than she ever had done in the past. The only interesting part of the night is when conversation drifted to Astoria.
"I thought it was arranged." Ginny stated and for a moment, the fact pulled at Hermione's insides. If that were the case would it really make her feel any better about the whole situation?
"No. They were more like, set up." Fleur said. "It's customary for old families to meet and field potential spouse prospects for their children, nothing was arranged though."
"I don't know Astoria very well but she seems…nice?" Ginny threw out there and Harry merely shrugged.
"Malfoy seemed smitten with her during the first months of their relationship, then it seemed to fade. Honestly for awhile I thought he was going to break things off with her." Bill mentioned and Hermione didn't hesitate to ask.
"Why would he do that?"
"Don't know. Reckon it was just them not having much in common. But it sure didn't stop him, look at them now." Bill shrugged and Harry made a noise.
"Didn't Astoria and her family have to go to Azkaban with Draco and Narcissa to get approval from Lucius?" Harry then asked, remembering seeing them all on the visiting list last year.
"Yeah something like that. I assumed for legal documents and money transferences. Old pureblood families still do dowry's and a bunch of other outdated procedures." Bill shook his head.
"Sounds less like a relationship and more of a responsibility." Harry noted and Hermione agreed.
"It sounds different, but I'm sure Draco wouldn't have gone through with his engagement unless he didn't love Astoria." Fleur said and it was the first time Hermione had heard anyone verbally verify Draco's feelings for Astoria. It felt like someone punched her in the gut, so she headed home.
Hermione received a wedding shower invitation at Malfoy Manor not long after that. She found herself surprised by how much she did not want to attend, and although she had already sent her RSVP acceptance, the day of the shower she was called into work on emergency as someone from Azkaban attempted to escape. Any normal day she would have thought the incident to be catastrophic, but she felt quite relieved when she wrote to explain her absence after the day was over.
The next month proved more difficult as their official wedding invitations were delivered. Hermione purposely ignored sending her response back for a few weeks, waiting until nearly the last day to respond. She was of course going to attend, but every time she opened the card and saw the words 'Draco and Astoria will be bonded through marriage on December 31st, 2005' she felt her food churn inside her until she hastily put the note away.
It wasn't until Draco unceremoniously showed up to her office when she was forced to confront the issue. A rapping knock on her door alerted her of someone's presence, her thinking it was just her secretary with lunch, she allowed the guest to enter.
"Yes?" She called out, and when her secretary didn't immediately announce himself, she looked up to verify it was him. "Draco, I wasn't expecting you, what a nice surprise."
He held up her bag of take away food she had delivered and then handed it to her.
"Your secretary told me you were about to take lunch and was heading to deliver this to you, but I asked if I could see you for ten minutes to discuss something." He said then sat down in one of her brown leather chairs.
"Oh?" She asked, her voice a little too high to pretend she didn't already know what he came to ask.
"Astoria has alerted me that only two people have yet to RSVP to our wedding. Potter being one, and you…the other."
"How odd. Harry and Ginny aren't going?" She asked to avoid his inquiry but Draco looked at her slightly offended before answering.
"Potter being Potter lost the invitation so I hand delivered one to him today. I have his confirmed attendance right here." He patted his breast pocket. "I swung by to see if there was a reason you haven't responded. So come on, what's your excuse?"
Hermione took out the styrofoam from the bag and unwrapped the fork while shrugging.
"I just forgot, I'll send it over tonight." She muttered.
"Hermione Granger does not forget things like that. So what's the real reason? You're not…I mean…" Draco began hesitantly and Hermione tried to urgently rush out a better excuse.
"No no!" She then weirdly laughed, trying to light heartedly blow off his insinuation.
"It's just…it feels as if you've been rather cold—" He began the same time she spoke, their sentences clashing in between pauses
"I've been meaning to get to it but I—"
"Don't want things to be awkward—"
"Long hours and work has been such a nuisance—"
"Hermione?" Draco called, and she stopped her nervous rambling of excuses. Hesitantly looking up in his eyes, she saw a glimmer of worry. "You are coming, aren't you?"
It would be unbearable for her to let him believe she's been holding off her response because she was honestly considering not going. She didn't think she would remain this affected for so long, maybe because they never properly discussed what happened and it just kind of…ended. Humiliation crawled to her skin so she sighed and composed a lie.
"Yes. But I um…wasn't sure if I'd have a date. So I've just been putting it off."
"You can bring whoever you want, you know that." He assured, trying to find her eyes and feeling a bit annoyed when she refused to meet his own.
"I know." She mumbled and sighed. "I know. I guess I've been feeling a little down since everyone seems to be coupled up. But I could always ask Ron too." She said then flipped open her box of Indian food. Draco blinked once then felt his head shift sideways.
"Ron?" He said and Hermione looked up at him, face blank. "Why would you invite Weasley as your plus one?" He cleared his throat, attempting to take the edge off his tone.
"Why not?" She questioned innocently.
"Well…he's your ex fiancé." He stated obviously, making Hermione look at him funny.
"So? We're still friends and it's been over a year since we broke up." She replied.
"Wouldn't that be giving people the wrong idea?" He asked
"Wrong idea of what?" She replied confused.
"That you're getting back together?"
"If people ask, we'll say we're just friends. Though I don't see why it matters what people think." Hermione wiped her mouth with the napkin, squinting at him while trying to determine his expression.
"What if Weasley gets the wrong idea?" He asked and Hermione laughed.
"He won't."
"How do you know?" Draco frowned.
"Because I know. Why are you asking me so many hypotheticals, do you not want Ron to come?"
"No it's not that." He said.
"You said I could bring whomever, does Ron not count?" Now it was her turn to frown as she bit into her pita bread.
"Of course he does."
"Do you care if he accompanies me as my date?"
"I don't care at all, bring whoever you want Granger. I'll expect your response tonight." He said then abruptly stood up. Hermione looked at him strangely, the sharpness to his voice made her feel like she did something wrong.
When Draco received Hermione's owl later that evening, he immediately ripped the card open, curious to see who she had written on the second line. Releasing a held breath, Draco felt his chest loosen when he saw the box labeled as 'plus one,' was empty and Weasley's name was nowhere in sight.
Hermione grew to accept Draco's marriage and got over her feelings of rejection, writing it as nothing more than a one time crush on someone who had captivated her interest because he was different. She could go back to being friends and was even happy to receive a lunch request from him. She informed her secretary that Draco should meet her by the window, saying that he'd know what she meant and confirmed their date.
Seeing Draco with two bags from her favorite muggle marketplace when she reached the spot, she felt a smile pass through her lips and warmth hit her chest.
"Hey, I figured we'd just be going to the vendors downstairs but this is a nice surprise." She said, hopping up onto the ledge, swinging her legs.
He handed her a wrapped sandwich and she instantly took a bite into it, causing him to smirk.
"That hungry, eh?" He laughed, unwrapping his own sandwich and salad.
"Usually I work through my lunches so this is a treat." She told him.
"So what? You just don't eat?" He asked incredulously.
"I do if I can remember to." She shrugged and continued to eat. Draco didn't like her uncaring attitude.
"You haven't been eating?" He suddenly asked while she was mid chew. She held up her hand and grabbed the water he handed her.
"Not intentionally. I eat breakfast every day but sometimes my days get hectic so I forget to eat or just get too tired to eat dinner too." She took another bite, feeling her stomach rumble for more. When Draco said nothing, she looked over to him, seeing him fork some pieces of lettuce and kale while looking at her figure.
"What?" She self-consciously asked. His frown deepened.
"I don't want to come off as insensitive but, you look small." He said and Hermione grinned confused.
"That's because I am small. You're nearly a whole head taller than me." She replied obviously.
"I mean…skinnier. You've lost a noticeable amount of weight and you were already small to begin with." He said and Hermione flushed with embarrassment. She slowly brought her food down, avoiding his assessing gaze.
"I didn't know. Though I suppose my trousers are a little baggy in the bum." She quietly admitted and Draco's eyes widened suddenly, thinking he had offended her.
"Granger, please don't think that I brought this up to make you uncomfortable. You're beautiful, always have been. You just look a little worn out and maybe eating more would help?" He said, his eyes full of worry and concern. Hermione focused her attention on his face, fearful that he offended her and obviously trying to look out for a friend.
"Thank you for telling me. I use to have the same problem in school during exams. I guess I haven't been around anyone lately for them to tell me, or maybe no one's noticed my appearance." She sadly thought then picked up her salad.
"I think it would be harder to notice if I saw you every day but since I don't, I saw it sooner." He explained and she nodded while sifting through her lentils. Draco, concerned with her silence again spoke up. "Hermione I mean it, you're beautiful no matter what, but you can't keep saving the world on only one meal a day."
She smiled at the words then brought her eyes up to his, seeing the deep pools of concern and sincerity. Thanking him, she tried to veer the conversation away from her, not wanting to feel any more butterflies in her stomach and telling herself it was only because it had been a long time since someone complimented her.
The next day during a meeting, one of the department's interns brought in a meal from her, stating a friend paid for it. Looking at the clock she realized it was already two in the afternoon and she had again forgotten to eat. She thanked the intern and saw it was another lunch item from the marketplace Draco brought yesterday. She smiled and happily bit into the tuna fish wrap.
That evening, she had a letter waiting for her once she got in from work, two hours past closing time. She smiled then shook her head at the note.
Eat yet? If not, I'll buy something from the bistro down the road from me.
—D.M.
She headed to the kitchen and grabbed a frozen pizza, turning on her oven. Conjuring a quill and parchment, she wrote her response to him.
In the process of cooking right now. I'm tired and forgetful, not poor and incapable of supplying myself with food.
—H. Granger
His response came lighting fast.
What an interesting way to say thank you to someone who's concerned for your well being. Next time, I'll send bird droppings for lunch.
—Draco
Hermione laughed at the note.
Thank you for being concerned about my well being. I'll pass on the bird droppings though.
—Hermione
There was a lunch sitting on her desk every single day for the next two weeks as well as an owl to ensure she had eaten or was eating dinner, prearranged by Draco to continue until her work load decreased. There was an afternoon where she asked if he would be available for lunch, to which he quickly agreed to.
She bought their food this time, from a place Draco had mentioned once before and knew it was a smart decision when she saw his eyes light up.
"I love this place, they have the best ravioli." He told her, burning his tongue on the cheesy meal.
"Figured I owed you. I'm up a full dress size and then some and feel much more energetic at work. Thank you for looking out for me." She said and bit into her own meal.
"Anytime, I know you'd look out for me the way I did for you, should I ever need it." Malfoy said.
Hermione would soon find herself going out of her way to care for him the way he had for her. Lucius died suddenly in Azkaban, body was weakened from former conditions and he passed peacefully in his sleep. The news was quite shocking and Hermione felt torn between the indifference she held for Lucius' life and her affection for Draco.
She sent flowers to Narcissa with a formal note expressing her sympathies, then a card with a personal message for Draco.
'Death ends a life, not a relationship.' — Morrie Schwartz
I'm so sorry for your loss Draco, if you need me for anything at all please reach out. I'll always be here for you.
—Hermione
The day after Lucius' private funeral, she was surprised to see Draco had requested to see her whenever she was most available. She owled him personally and said he could come over for dinner that night if he felt up for it. He responded almost immediately, accepting the invitation.
Hermione thought it was strange he'd want to see her during this period, especially when his wedding was two weeks away. A part of her truly felt bad for him though, his father just died, and she wanted to be there for him while going through a tragedy, so providing dinner and an open ear was the least she could do for now.
Hearing her floo, Hermione rose from the sofa and walked to where he appeared. She sadly smiled at him then began moving closer.
"Hi, how a—" She started to ask but Draco's arms around her body cut her off mid sentence with a small huff leaving her chest at the collision. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her heart squeezing in pain as she wordlessly consoled him. After a few minutes of her hands smoothing over his back, she turned her head into his ear.
"I'm so sorry Draco." She said honestly and his arms tightened in response, before pulling away. He stood before her, eyes rimmed red and face slightly damp.
"Thank you for having me over. I—just…thank you, Hermione." He said and she reached up to wipe away some of the remaining wetness under his eye.
"I meant what I said, I'll always be here." She said with a soft smile. "Come on, I made a roast."
Hermione served their meal and began to discuss her worth with him, not sure if he was willing to talk about his father's death. Her nervous babbling went on and on, and Draco was thankful for some conversation other than his father, the wedding or anything in between. It was nice to listen and have someone take his mind off his sorrows.
"I could go on forever about the task force, but did you know theft and robbery increase by almost ten percent on quidditch game days? Then increases to thirty percent during the World Cup? That doesn't even include the domestic abuse cases. Just madness." She said in disbelief and Draco refrained from chuckling.
"Makes sense I suppose. Most people drink on game days, the elevated levels of inebriation mixed with either anger because their team lost, or a false sense of invisibility because their teams won, would definitely lead to more crime." He examined thoughtfully.
"And these poor businesses are suffering their wrath all because a bloody sports team won or lost. Absolute chaos and neanderthal-like behavior." She shook her head while finishing off the last of her bread. She heard Draco's amused laugh and pushed her brow together. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing. This has been a very pleasant conversation. I'm more than happy to talk about anything other than my life's current predicaments." He began almost cheerfully but his words ended stiff. Hermione shifted in her seat then cracked her thumb knuckle.
"How's your mother been?"
"She's okay, spending a lot of time with Andromeda. She loved your flowers and note by the way, it was one of the few times I've seen her smile this past week. Said your words were beautiful and very much appreciated." He noted and Hermione felt her shoulders slouch with relief.
"And everything else? Do you need help with anything?" She offered unsurely.
"No s'alright." He sniffed. "Mainly documents and going through his will. Just taking awhile since there's a lot in his possession and he died unexpectedly."
Hermione grabbed her wand then vanished their plates away.
"Would you like some leftovers? I accidentally made enough for four. Maybe your mother or Astoria would like some?" She suggested and started magicking the leftovers in take away containers. She only stopped when he didn't respond.
"Draco?" She asked as she wrapped the last of the food. She put them in her fridge then walked back into the room where he sat, mindlessly staring at his wine glass' stem. Taking in his hardened daze, she tried a softer tone. "Draco?"
"Hm? Oh sorry, yeah that's fine..that's—" He broke off in a sarcastic huff. "I'll just take one plate. Haven't been seeing much of Astoria or my mother recently."
Frowning at the sentence, Hermione sat beside him, placing her head in her palm while her elbow rested on the table.
"They're not around?"
"Mum's been staying at Andromeda's. Said the Manor feels…too lonely. Now more than ever. Even when I'm there."
Hermione's heart squeezed when she thought of Draco staying in the mansion, alone and dealing with everything on his own.
"And Astoria?" She quietly asked.
Draco shook his head silently, then ran his tongue over his teeth before clenching them down tightly.
"I asked to push the wedding back, given everything. She's been busy reorganizing the entire event." He said and took a sip of his wine. "Which is fine really. I'm fine, I told her so. She didn't know my father so I don't expect her to have a large…reaction to his death."
"You shouldn't be going through this alone." She said then reached for his hand in a compassionate gesture. "And if you need to talk to someone about what's happened, I can listen."
Draco felt comforted for the first time in days. There was only the soft ticking of a clock in the other room, fading lyrics of a song he didn't recognize that was most likely muggle and the warmth of Hermione's palm in his hand. He was extremely grateful for her and when he brought his eyes up to her dark brown ones that somehow swirled with lines alike of caramel, he felt his eyes well up. He cleared his throat then removed his hand and leaned forward in his chair.
"Where did that quote come from, the one you sent me?" Draco quietly asked.
"It's from a muggle book, called 'Tuesday's with Morrie'. It's my father's favorite." She explained equally as soft.
"I thought it perfectly summed up everything I needed and wanted to hear." He expressed and pride engulfed her.
"I have an extra copy if you'd like to read it?" She asked hopefully, eyes lighting up when she saw the small nod of his head.
"I'd love to."
Hermione got up and headed to her bedroom, fetching the book that she kept on a shelf that was specifically for her favorite works. When she returned, Draco was standing by her fireplace, with his leftovers in hand. She handed him the book, giving a brief summary to him.
"Sounds a little perfect for me right now." He joked with heavy notes of melancholy. "Thank you again, Granger. I didn't realize how badly I needed the company of someone during all this."
"Anytime." She said, not moving to give him a hug since his hands were full. "If you, uh—" she released a quick and heavy breath, "if you find yourself in need of a friend or just a warm meal with me going off on the current social shortcomings in the wizarding world, let me know. I can definitely fill your evening." She lightly joked but clearly meant it.
Draco's face loosened, a pleasing to look at, half smile on his face. "I'll be sure to take you up on that."
In hindsight, it may not have been the best thing to offer up to him, even during his hard time. Though she didn't want to admit it or believe it, it felt like Draco was taking advantage of her kindness. He asked to have dinner at hers frequently, coming over nearly every night the week after his father's funeral. It calmed a bit, but then it progressed to a routine, especially after New Years.
He'd join her for dinner once a week, meeting her at the Ministry at their spot if she happened to work late that night. They would catch up on work and things going on in each other's lives, of course including discussions of new books or articles they'd make the other read for next dinner. The conversation never slipped into the rescheduling of his wedding, but sometimes Hermione would try to ask but he'd quickly disregard the subject, mentioning that Astoria was handling it.
Almost two months into their new weekly dinner routine, Hermione got wind that maybe Draco was somehow using Hermione for emotional support that he wasn't getting from Astoria. So she dug a little harder into their personal life.
"Does Astoria like that you're a curse-breaker?" She asked out of nowhere, causing Draco to eye her suspiciously. He wiped his mouth before answering.
"I don't know that she really has an opinion. Thinks it's fascinating, I suppose."
"Well what did she say when you got promoted last week?" She pushed, not giving him a chance to change the subject.
"Not much. We discussed my pay increase that came with it and how my weekends may be affected by it." He bit into a piece of his bruschetta. "Oh by the way, I finished The Alchemist last night. That should have been the first book you told me to read Granger. I bloody loved it."
She smiled and felt her mind too distracted by his long winded explanation into everything about the book that he loved to ask more questions about Astoria. Their nights were often like that, finishing dinner with conversations about books or literature they loved, going back and forth with lines they memorized, trying to outdo one another. When Draco was getting ready to leave, he challenged her.
"You didn't even take a guess at what my favorite line from the book was." He said, getting ready to grab the floo powder.
"Hmm. Would it be: 'I don't live in either my past or my future. I'm only interested in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you'll be a happy man?'" She guessed with a grin, thinking that the line was something Draco could agree with and focus on when he found himself struggling.
He shook his head, just barely, then a fond, faint smile spread over his face. Eyes were bright and commanding when he spoke.
"'The dunes are changed by the wind, but the desert never changes. That's the way it will be with our love for each other.'"
Hermione's bones melt with blood, her stomach tumbling at her feet. The response she had to his words was not something she expected, nor wanted. She couldn't stand to go down this route again.
"That's... not what I would have expected for your favorite line." She commented, worrying that he enjoyed seeing her blush.
"I like the message." He simply stated, eyes piercing into her. "I'll see you next week."
Hermione felt herself dematerialize at his words. While thinking she repressed her feelings remarkably well, it now was as if she were ink on parchment, thinking it had completely dried until a hand ran over it, smudging the liquid and ruining the lines. As much as she loathed to admit it, she never completely dried.
Her chest sank, feeling so incredibly angry at herself for letting her guard down and thinking this was all innocent. There was no way to continue other than fully stopping their regular meetings and dinner. Hermione needed to cancel them outright, otherwise she feared her feelings may suffer more than they already have.
Draco beat her to the punch though, owling early the following week saying he'd be out on assignment for the next couple days, not knowing when he would return. Sighing in relief, Hermione was grateful she'd have more time to devise a speech to explain to him why they couldn't remain close. The thought of rejection hitting her once more was enough to open a bottle of wine and drink almost the entire thing in one, very depressing night.
A floo call came in, making her jump as she was loudly singing to muggle heartbreak music into the late hours of the evening. Rushing over to the fireplace, Draco's voice rang through the ashes. She crouched down on her knees.
"Granger you home? I need a favor." He asked, his voice almost worried. Despite his concerned tone, Hermione debated whether letting him through was a smart idea. Normally she would accept him without question, but felt drawn to have her defenses on high since their last meeting.
"Er, yeah. What do you need?" She replied cautiously.
"Can you look at something for me. I-I had an accident at work and I th—"
Opening her floo immediately at the information he shared, Draco came barreling through the fireplace, limping on one foot and half his neck flaking skin in a painful looking curse.
"Oh gods." Hermione quickly rose to her feet, stumbling a bit at her slightly dizzy vision from her wine binge. "What happened?"
Leading him over to her sofa with a gentle hand on his back and waist, Draco fell down with a deep sigh. Hermione quickly dashed into her bathroom, collecting vials of potions, salves and gauze wrappings then heading back into her living room.
Sitting on her knees beside the couch, she shifted her attention to his leg, seeing a similar open wound to the one of his neck. She rolled his trouser up higher and inspected the skin.
"What happened?" She questioned again but sounded more demanding.
"I was in the Philippines, working on a family's great, great, great, great grandfather's knife that he used in the war. I was just finishing the last counter curse when it suddenly shot out a hex at me, then I dropped it and then it shot at my leg." He explained, his face growing in disgust when he glimpsed at the wound.
"Why on earth would you come here then? We need to go to St. Mungo's." She screeched worriedly, knowing the complexities of his wound were something that needed professional help.
"Because originally it felt and looked like a sharp and powerful stinging hex. I healed it myself with some salve and then it started burning later. I was coming to ask you to take a look at it but it suddenly looks worse now. Stupid bloody knife." He recalled in annoyance.
Scoffing with disbelief, Hermione quickly grabbed shoes and a jumper. "We're going to St. Mungo's. Draco, this looks terrible." She told him as she dressed.
"Gee, thanks." Draco felt his brow begin to sweat as the blistering pain in his foot and neck grew. He panicked briefly and not wanting to admit he badly screwed up during a work accident, he silently agreed and let her come over to him.
"Can you stand okay?" She asked, brown eyes flamed with concern.
"Think so." He mumbled, stiffly sitting up and placing his legs back on the ground. He let out a forced breath through his mouth as he pushed himself off the sofa, wobbling on the unaffected leg. Hermione automatically ducked under his shoulder and helped him over to the floo.
She shouted the location and they arrived in the hospital halls, the late evening causing the building to be rather quiet. Hobbling over to a mediwizard, Hermione started speaking, feeling Draco's body heat though his clothes, thinking he was spiking a fever.
"Hi, he needs to be seen immediately. He was hit with something at work from a knife, he's a curse-breaker, and now his skin looks like this." She quickly explained, the mediwizard taking one look at the peeling skin on Malfoy's neck before his eyes grew in astonishment.
"Right this way." He ushered them to a wheelchair, magically moving it into a separate section of the building. The mediwizard requested the presence of a specific healer and Hermione looked down at Malfoy.
"How are you feeling?" She questioned with a tight forehead, noticing his skin was extremely ghostly with a thick sheen of clammy sweat. He had been oddly quiet since arriving.
"Hot." He rasped out, sounding as if he screamed until his vocal cords were ruptured.
Once in a room, two other healers surrounded Draco on the bed and Hermione tried to explain everything involving the event that led to his injuries. She watched nervously as the Healers began casting spells along his neck and leg and analyzing how deep the curse was in his body and checking his vitals. They spoke to each other in calm and hushed tones while the mediwizard trying to get any more information out of Draco even though he looked totally drained.
For a long minute, Hermione fearfully thought Draco's condition was worse than known. He looked slightly normal when he walked through her floo, uncomfortable at the most. Then as soon as they got to the hospital, he looked depleted, and his skin was a terrible sight, crashing colors of red, pink and yellow.
She chewed her lip to hold herself from asking too many questions about what they were doing. Her patience was wearing thin until she saw the images of his vitals glow green, alerting her he was stabilizing. Draco's features began to grow with life again, his cheeks flushing back to their normal shade of light pink.
"How does that feel?" One of the healers asked after she finished her spellwork and started applying a balm over the now closed wounds.
"Better." He breathed out, voice stronger than minutes earlier.
"Can you move your toes for me and rotate your ankle?" The other asked applying the same balm. Draco did as requested.
"Good, good. Well Mr. Malfoy the next time this happens you should come in immediately and follow your office's protocol. It could have been a lot worse, lucky you got here when you did." He stated and Hermione gave him a knowing look which he saw and rolled his eyes. "But everything will heal within the next two weeks."
"Pretty nasty curse you get hit with there. Reckon you should be more careful." The other Healer said and Draco grimaced from his bed.
"Reckon I usually am except for this one time." He replied slightly defensive, but his Healers smiled.
"Right well, you can head home tonight. We'll put in a request for a balm you can pick up from your local apothecary. Apply twice daily, change your wrappings every night. Might leave some light scars but other than that, you'll be okay." The healer explained and Hermione sighed in relief.
"Thank you. Is there anything else we should know?" Hermione said and walked over to his bed.
"Let the balm sit for thirty minutes first, then I'd say check out at the front desk. If you have any other questions, here's our cards." They handed Hermione their contact information then proceeded to leave the room after she thanked them again.
Flicking the cards with her fingertips, irritation began to seep through her skin as she turned her stare to him and huff. Malfoy sat up from the bed and swung his legs on the ground, flexing his leg and testing how it felt. When he peered up at her, he frowned.
"What?" He asked innocently. Hermione then smacked his arms with the business cards.
"You idiot!" She yelled at him. "You are so bloody lucky Draco Malfoy. Your skin looked like it was ready to peel off from the bone. What were you thinking?"
"I was thinking I got hit with a normal stinging hex and that I could handle it myself. It wouldn't have been the first time something minor happened during work." His nonchalance was aggravating.
She scoffed loudly and folded her arms tightly around her body. Draco reached his arm forward and tugged at her elbow, trying to get her to sit down.
"Hey," he said softly and she looked back to his face, seeing it swell with ease. "I'm okay, honestly."
He continued to pull at her, and Hermione begrudgingly sat down next to him, arms still crossed. "Thank you for answering your floo. I think if you didn't, my house elf might have found me unconscious."
"Don't tell me that. I don't want to think about that." She winced, picturing Draco lying on the floor half dead from a work accident that he neglected. "I don't see why you didn't just come here straight away, you sh—"
"I already told you," he began tiredly, untying her knotted arms and wrapped his around hers. Hermione wished her stomach wouldn't have jumped at the action so she focused on her irritation. "I thought I was fine. Clearly my instincts were wrong, for once, and yours were correct."
The stirring anxiousness was slowly dissolving as Draco's fingertips softly glided over the back of her hand, his other hand tenderly holding her hand in place. Her body relaxed into a slouching position, watching the careful movements of his long fingers over her skin.
"Did you admit I was right?" She asked in a much calmer tone, she didn't even have to look at him to know he was grinning at her ridiculous question.
"Just this once. Please stop worrying. though. I can feel it vibrating through your hand." He joked and she faintly smiled.
He brought her hand up, Hermione craned her head at the action and watched as he placed a single kiss on her hand, eyes focused on her skin. Draco's lips lifted barely a centimeter away from her hand before his eyes found hers. He closed the gap and kissed her hand again, Hermione's mouth parting as she carefully watched him place one delicate kiss after the other.
"'If I had a flower for every time I thought of you…I could walk through my garden forever.'" He mumbled, causing Hermione's stomach to ignite in a powerful bolt of lighting.
His kisses slowed, pressing long on her hand before releasing. He lowered her arm between them, both of them staring, a quietness between them that was full of wait and longing.
With their faces already close and Hermione's lack of movement, Draco let his head lean forward. As he approached her lips, Hermione watched as if from meters above what was happening. Draco closed his eyes, allowing himself the one thing he dreamt about for her ages and touched their lips together.
It was simple, a test to see each other's reactions, but Draco opened his mouth to hold her bottom lip between his own and Hermione froze. She watched the delicate black eyelashes rest against his cheek, the motion of his jaw as he tried to get her to kiss him back and it made her realize it's not at all what she wanted it to feel like.
It felt like guilt and darkness and offensive and just fucking wrong.
She pulled away, rising to her feet to put a considerable amount of distance between them. Her whole body felt drenched with regret and was shaking with stomach turning knots.
"No." She said and ran her fingers over her damp lips. Her back was faced to him, a hand coming up to rung through her curls before dropping into a quivering fist at her side.
This wasn't fair to her.
She whipped back to him, seeing a neutral expression that confirmed nothing for her but only made her more furious.
"No, you do not get to do this." She firmly said, pointing her finger at him accusingly.
"Do wh—" He tried but she cut him off, not wanting to hear any excuses from him.
"THIS!" She shouted. "You are engaged Malfoy! You are getting married in months and you—" She broke off, mouth parting as she struggled to find words. "You're treating me as some toy you can flirt with and keep as a pocketed secret and pretend to care about because it's fun and you can get away with it!"
"Hermione, I do care about you." He frowned at her rant.
"No, because if you cared you would have left this alone, left me alone. But you knew, you knew, what you were doing. You took advantage of me, of my kindness and the friendship I tried to offer. After knowing I was sensitive to you, after your father's death…you manipulated and kept giving me just enough to keep me exactly where you wanted. Knowing how I felt and seeing I was still—"
Her voice hitched and she quietly cursed when her face pinched with angst and her cheeks filled with warmth. His body became clouded as tears formed in her eyes. She hated showing how much she was affected by this, it felt pathetic. His vague emotion only made it worse.
Willing herself to something more composed, Hermione imagined Astoria's face and found it compelling enough to center her to blinding anger. Her eyes narrowed, rage radiating off her and for a split second, Draco thought her magic was ready to explode.
"I will not be used as someone's crutch, not anymore. Especially to someone vowed to another. I deserve someone who wants me with no exceptions and what you've done is wrong, immoral and just flat out cruel." She spat at him.
"Look, can we sit and—"
"Absolutely not. I don't want to talk to you, I don't want to see you, do not contact me and don't fucking invite me to your bloody wedding." She turned on her heel, storming away as quickly as she could without drawing attention to herself, tears rolling past her cheeks and onto her neck. Once home she crawled into bed and let the heavy iron weight sit on her chest, clutching her pillow while finding no restful sleep.
A/N: soooo much heartbreak im sorry! I really went above and beyond for the slow burn. Do you guys like stories like that? More angst that leads to a happier ending?
Also, i made a tik tok...LOL...but i wanted to somehow get my work out there in a fun lighthearted way and also follow other people separate of my personal accounts. So if you're on the app and want to follow, the username is rubykrishnax.