Chapter 10
Hermione sat in the privacy of her common room that following morning, with her heart in her throat. In her hands she clung onto a bit of parchment, her knuckles white from tension. Her hair had been groomed, and she had been ready to take on the day, her left hand still sporting the ring marking one of her futures, and she wasn't yet sure whether she wanted that particular path.
But that parchment marked a curveball, one that she had not seen coming. It was an invitation. A formal one. One of congratulations from none other than Rita Skeeter, asking for a private interview with the happy couple, followed by a photo shoot. For that evening. She felt feint.
She heard Draco thumping down the steps; heard him stifle a yawn as he opened the door into the room. He made his way over to the Gryffindor, plonking himself down beside her on the plush lounge, kicking his feet up onto the coffee table. He smiled at Hermione, when he turned to her. She and he had had a nice evening during patrols, where they pranked the portraits and ended up returning home covered in paint, courtesy of Peeves. But he stopped smiling when he took in her tense posture.
"Hey," he broke the silence, laying a hand on her arm. "What's the matter?"
She answered by showing him the letter instead. He leaned closer to her, looking over her shoulder as she read it aloud.
"Dear Miss Granger. Congratulations on the upcoming nuptials. Your fiancé has contacted me regarding an interview, and if it is convenient to you I would like to meet you both tonight, followed by a photo shoot courtesy of the prophet. Please respond via owl by 10 am, as I have other interviews lined up should you not be able to attend. Kind regards, Rita Skeeter," she said bitterly, looking up at him. Her hands were shaking, and Draco reached over and covered her hands with his own. She looked up at him, their faces inches apart, breaths interchanging. "I can't, Draco."
She shook her head sadly, tears pooling in her eyes.
Draco leaned closer, putting his forehead to her own. "Okay, here's what's going to happen: you write Skeeter, tell her you can't do today. You and I go to Weasley and you tell him how you feel. You tell him about our kiss, and fate, and your thoughts about death. You keep nothing from him. You break his charming façade of how perfect and helpful you are for him, and you break his heart. And in a couple years he marries another woman. One who meets those needs. One who fills his little weasel heart with joy, and you be happy for him."
She took in a shaky breath, and let it blow over him. "And me?"
She pulled back to look into his eyes. "You marry me instead."
A/N: It's really short, I know! But I have more coming to you tomorrow. I purposefully cut this here, because I'm mean, but also because this conversation needed a chapter to it's self. Hello to my new followers! And thank you for the reviews. I think I am looking at this story being about 30/40 chapters, with sequels later on. Love you all!