Chapter Sixteen.
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Hermione was tired. You would expect, with all of the sleep she was currently getting, that she would feel well rested, but that was not even close to the truth. She was currently laid, still and silent in her bed, staring at the door. She was both hoping that someone would walk through and also hoping that no-one bothered her. It was a strange mix of feelings that she had never experienced before.
The door slowly creaked open as she watched it and Hermione saw the tall figure of Theo enter, quietly shutting it behind him. He gasped when he saw her looking up at him, obviously having expected her to be asleep.
"Morning sunshine," He said with a smile, crossing the room and sitting next to her on the bed, "How are you feeling?"
"Tired." Hermione muttered and he chuckled, gently brushing some errant hair away from her face.
"Julia will be here in an hour, do you feel up to talking to her today?" He asked and she furrowed her brow in confusion, "You slept through her visit yesterday."
Had she really? She couldn't remember when she had last spoken to Julia and her mind briefly flashed with a sense of panic before it was quickly subdued.
"What day is it?" She asked, slowly turning her head to look at Theo.
"Wednesday," He told her, "You've been asleep pretty much non-stop for four days. Our date was on Saturday."
Hermione gasped. Four days of an almost catatonic existence? Why was this man, who had no romantic relationship with her whether she wanted one or not, still here, caring for her? Most men would have left long before this point. Hell, most men would have left her in the restaurant.
"I'm sorry, Theo." She whispered tearfully and Theo frowned before lowering himself to lay next to her and began to run his fingertips up and down her arm.
"Hey, what are you sorry for?" He asked gently and Hermione shook her head.
"That you're stuck here with me." She muttered.
"Do you really think of it that way? Because I don't," He smiled, touching his nose to hers. "I would rather be here, with you, than anywhere else in the world. I know you don't know me very well, but I've dreamt of you for a long time. I'm staying right here, okay?"
"Okay." She whispered, closing her eyes. "Theo?"
"Hmmm?"
"Thank you."
She felt him touch her lips to hers, as gently as the first time though less hesitantly. When he pulled away, Hermione smiled tiredly up at him.
"Do you really mean the things that you say, Theo? Because I don't want to get attached to you and then have you leave." She whispered and he frowned.
"Why would I leave you?" He asked.
"Because everybody I have ever loved has left me." She whimpered and Theo cupped her cheek gently.
"I promise, I'm not going anywhere." He murmured. "Do you want to know what I told Blaise the other night?"
"What night?" Hermione asked, raising her hand to his and pressing it harder to her cheek.
"The night of our date," He said and she nodded. "I promised that I would love you for as long as I could, even if you didn't want me to."
Hermione choked on a sob and, with the quickest movement that Theo had seen from her in days, she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He held her as she laid against him inhaling his scent. He smelled divine, like firewood and vanilla. Like safetly. Like... Home?
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Theo had persuaded Hermione to come out of her room and sit with him on the sofa for the afternoon, which is where Julia found them when she stepped out of the floo. She grinned when she noticed the peace that seemed to have settled over Hermione, simply just from being held by someone who, at least Julia believed, truly loved her.
"Hermione!" She exclaimed, rushing forward towards the girl. "I'm aware that this isn't proper, but I need to hug you."
Hermione grinned as Julia pulled her into her arms and she basked in the warmth of it. It felt motherly, which up until this point, Hermione hadn't realised she had been sorely missing.
"I'm so very happy to see you awake and out of bed, Hermione. We have all been extremely worried about you." She said once she had pulled away and seated herself in the armchair. "How are you feeling?"
"Pretty low." Hermione told her honestly, "But I'm awake, so that's an improvement, right?"
"Definitely. And I can see you are being well looked after?" Julia asked, looking to Theo, who chuckled.
"Only the best." He promised and Hermione smiled.
"Could I talk to Hermione alone please Theo?" She asked gently and Theo nodded, placed a gentle kiss on Hermione's cheek and went into the kitchen, shutting the door behind him.
"What's going on in that busy head of yours?" Julia asked once the door had shut, pulling her clipboard out, ready to take notes.
"I'm scared." Hermione confessed quietly.
"What are you scared of?" The therapist pried, careful to remain gentle and Hermione sighed.
"Am I transferring my left over feelings for Draco onto Theo?" She asked and Julia smiled, shaking her head.
"Answer me this; Are you happy right now?" She asked and Hermione snorted.
"You're joking right? I'm miserable." She spluttered.
"And are you in love with Theo?"
"No, of course not," Hermione said with no hesitation, before adding, "I could see it happening though."
"I don't think this is a case of transferrance." She informed and Hermione nodded, though she could see that the girl was still uncertain.
"Hermione, could I be frank with you for a moment, off the record?" She sighed and put her clipboard down. Hermione nodded.
"Draco, at least to you, is toxic. Now don't take this as professional advice. Think of it as more... Advice from your mother, okay?" Julia asked Hermione smiled gently.
"I could probably do with some advice from my mother." She whispered.
"Draco is a spoiled, undeserving, arrogant man. His love is not the kind of love you either need or deserve. You need gentle, reassuring and compassionate love. Do you see where I'm coming from?" Julia asked.
"I do, honestly. It's just... Is it weird that I don't really feel like I need Draco around any more?" She asked with a frown and Julia sighed. Standing, she crossed to sit next to Hermione and gently took her hand.
"Of course not. I think that your feelings have run their course, Hermione. That you have found some closure. Perhaps this is what has caused this decline in your mental state? It was such a huge part of your life and now it's just-"
"Over. Just like that." Hermione sighed and Julia nodded.
"Precisely." She agreed, "And Theo? I think he could give you the kind of love you deserve, if you let him."
"I'll try. I feel like he deserves so much better than me, though." She muttered.
The kitchen door opened and they both turned to see Theo leaning against the frame, smiling gently at Hermione. Julia chuckled and told Hermione that she would be back tomorrow before disappearing through the floo, knowing that an emotional discussion was about to take place in Hermione's apartment.
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"Whether you feel like I deserve you or not is irrelevant." Theo said from the doorway before crossing the room and kneeling between her legs, putting one hand on either side of her face, forcing her to look him in the eyes, "In the last ten years, there has been no-one else for me. Nothing compared to the connection I felt with you, even back then. Whether you feel like you deserve it or not, you have my heart and my love. I'm begging you to give me a chance to let you know how worthy you truly are. Let me love you, Hermione."
Hermione couldn't speak as Theo's thumbs wiped away the escaped tears that had rolled down her cheeks. Theo broke into a massive grin when she nodded and pulled her toward him, capturing her lips between his for a kiss that was neither hesitant or gentle.
They were curled around each other when Blaise stepped out of the floo a while later, having been off visiting Draco for most of the day. It had been decided that Draco should avoid their apartment for the time being.
"Bloody hell, when did this happen?" He exclaimed, looking at Theo's arm draped around her shoulders and her arm draped across his stomach.
"Uh..." Hermione snorted and Theo shrugged, grinning.
"Whatever," Blaise laughed before collapsing down next to Hermione and throwing his own arm around her so that the three of them found themselves in a strange three way cuddle. "Feeling better?"
"Starting to. I know I'll get there though." She answered, smiling up at him.
"Course you will." Blaise confirmed, squeezing her shoulders. "Guess what? I bought face masked and foot soaks today!"
"Oh hell no..." Theo muttered and Hermione pinched him on the side, making him squeal.
"Movie and junk food binge?" Hermione grinned, jumping up from the sofa and running into the kitchen for supplies when Blaise nodded.
When she was gone, Blaise turned to Theo and raised his eyebrow in question. When he had left that morning, Hermione hadn't been out of her bedroom in four days, and now he'd come home to find her completely revived, though obviously far from her normal self. Theo shrugged.
"I've got no idea what happened, but I'm not going to complain and neither are you." He said and Blaise snorted.