Chapter Seven

Draco slammed the door extra hard as he left the building. It had started to rain so he stood under the overhang for a minute to pull on his jacket. "Bloody hell," he said to himself. He was worried about Potter doing something rash to compromise their mission, and what does he do? He puts his nose where it doesn't belong. Trouble in paradise was nothing new, nothing to worry him. Just as he was about to turn on his heel and apparate home, he heard a soft noise from around the corner of the building. Daring to peek he saw that it was Granger.

She hadn't made it far. There was a bench along the side of the building and she looked like she had simply crumpled to the ground next to it. Her arms were up on the seat and her head was buried in her elbow to muffle her tears. Draco felt uncomfortable, especially since he knew why she was crying. "None of my business," he told himself, but he couldn't bring himself to leave her there. Awkwardly he walked over and crouched down beside her. "Hey, you alright?"

She looked up surprised, but a second later she threw her arms around him with a sob. "Oh Harry!"

"Huh?" Draco froze, unsure of what to do. Belatedly he realized he forgot to put his earring back in after his shower. Bloody thing was Potter's idea. "Oh, uh-"

"I'm a horrible wife!" she sobbed into his shoulder. "I can't give Ron what he wants. He wants a family, I know he does."

Draco looked down at the woman in his arms and carefully returned her hug. She held him tighter, like he was a lifeline. Just then, a flash of lightening lit up the sky. The storm was getting worse. "Come on," he pulled her to her feet and sat her down on the bench.

She was babbling through her tears. "I watch him with his little nieces and nephews and I can see the pain in his eyes. I want it too, doesn't he know that? But I'm broken, and I can't."

He sat down next to her and awkwardly patted her on the back. ""That wasn't your fault." He surprised himself how much he cared about this little woman. Probably guilt...

She took a deep breath, but her voice didn't sound any happier. "That's what everyone says, but it IS my fault we can't start a family."

"No." Draco remembered like it was yesterday. The Dark Lord was gaining power and had his family held captive in their own home. The night Harry and the others were brought to the mansion, Draco had nearly died of fright. Then, when his insane Aunt Bella had discovered Granger... Flashes of his recurring nightmare the few nights before played out before his eyes; her screams, her reaching and pleading with him, his cowardice. Now he knew her torment didn't end that night and he felt physically ill knowing he could have prevented all of this. "What she did that night... what everyone did that night should never have happened. You didn't deserve that. If things had gone the way they should have you would be happy with Ron."

She looked up with grateful eyes, then sighed. "I don't know. I mean, yes that is a huge factor, but it's other things as well." She was silent for a moment, staring out at the rain. "I remember the first meal I tried to make after we were married. It was a disaster! I guess he just assumed I could cook." She gave a laugh that made him frown. "It's only gotten worse since then. My marriage is a failure. I'm a failure."

Who knew Hermione Granger was so insecure? Draco thought back to all the times he'd tormented her in school. She was so sure of herself and everything she touched turned to gold. This was not the same woman he knew before. "No," he shook his head, "No, Hermione Granger and failure don't belong in the same sentence together. Or have you forgotten?"

Her only response was a sad smile, and he knew she didn't believe it anymore.

Suddenly, he got a brilliant idea. Later he would ask himself what made him take so much interest in her plight. Pity? Guilt? Something else? "I know what you need." He took her hand and pulled her up to stand next to him. "Come with me."

He felt her tense beside him as she side-a-long apparated with him to his favorite wizard coffee house. "What are we doing here?"

"Just trust me, you'll like it. I promise." He pushed to the front of the line. "I'll have a cafe macchiato and," he glanced at Hermione, "a chai tea latte. To go."

She was looking at him strangely.

"Ever had a chai latte? You're going to love it. I-"

"No, it's my favorite. I guess that's the first time I've ever seen you order anything besides a hot chocolate."

Draco almost laughed. Potter drank hot chocolate? Unable to suppress a grin he said, "Well, even The Great Harry Potter has to expand his horizons."

"Cafe Macchiato and a Chai Tea Latte!"

"You ready to go?"

"Go where? Are you kidnapping me Harry?"

"In a manner of speaking. Come on." He was having fun now. His hands were full with their drinks but he held out an elbow for her to grab on.

"Hogwarts?" A few moments later they were standing outside the gate. She looked at him like he had gone mad.

With a smile he sipped at his coffee. "I figure I'm no good at the therapy thing, but I'm sure you know a thing or two about it. Here's the plan. We enjoy our coffee and walk around the school for a bit. Pretend I didn't grow up with you, like I've never met Hermione Granger, and tell me all about your adventures."

In her eyes, Draco had progressed from mad to extraterrestrial. "You're serious?"

He shrugged and pushed open the gate. "Why not? If anything, we get to spend some time together." He walked through the gate and turned back. In the few seconds it took her to move, he found himself really hoping she'd follow.

The next few hours were amazing! He thought he'd heard all the Golden Trio's exploits, but he was wrong. He saw the place where she'd brewed her first polyjuice potion (in second year!) to break into his common room. They visited the forest clearing where they first hid with Buckbeak, who had attacked him in third year. She pointed out the bookshelf in the library where she'd had her first kiss with Victor Krum. They laughed about her blackmailing Rita Skeeter in fourth year. Draco didn't know about the herd of wild thestrals and they fed them some apples they found outside Hagrid's hut.

As they walked back toward the castle, she suddenly turned to him and said, "Thank you. You were right Harry. I needed this." She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Draco froze. He'd been having such a good time with her, just remembering the old days. It was like they were... friends. But then she kissed him and he felt his stomach go all wonky. What was it he was feeling toward this woman? She was still looking up into his eyes, all the sadness from earlier forgotten. His breath caught, and he realized he wanted to kiss her.

In a desperate attempt to change the subject he said, "Oh! Look where we are! Right here's where you punched Malfoy in the nose third year."

She pulled back and looked around her. "You're right. You know, I'd almost forgotten. Strange. How is he?"

"Huh?"

She waved her hand as if to erase her question. "I mean, how is it working with him? He's obviously changed."

"Oh, uh... Yeah, it's alright I guess. I still think he's a right foul git."

To his surprise, she frowned. "Harry," her voice took on a mothering tone he knew she'd used on Potter and Weasley since first year, "he's had a hard life too you know. Ok, so maybe he made some bad choices, and maybe he had the manners of a hippogriff, but that doesn't mean a person can't change. I mean look at me. Coming here today has reminded me of who I was, who I wanted to be. Things didn't turn out the way I expected them to either."

Draco stared at her. How could someone he hardly knew know him so well? He knew now what he felt. He was in love.

Hermione didn't seem to notice. She wrapped her arms around herself with a big smile. "This has been the best day I've had in a long time."