A/N
Please don't hurt me, I've never written a ship before. Constructive criticism is welcome, I suppose. Thank you for reading.
Lunor Encounter
Overhead, the sky is speckled with bright pinpricks of light, the dazzling constellations mirrored in the awe-filled eyes of Hermione Granger as she peered into the vast expanse of the universe through the lenses of the Astronomy tower's telescope. It was here that she sought solace from the usual Hogwarts tumult. Tonight, however, she was not alone.
Behind her stood Draco Malfoy, the eternal antagonist turned unlikely ally. Their rivalry had mellowed into a reluctant friendship, especially after Voldemort's defeat. On nights such as these, their biases would fall by the wayside, their personas stripped down to their most elemental selves.
"I never knew you were this interested in Astronomy, Granger," Draco drawled, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice. He had encountered her on the Astronomy tower purely by chance, having ventured there himself for a moment's peace.
Hermione turned from the telescope, her brow furrowed at his sudden intrusion. "It helps clear my mind," she replied after a moment, her gaze returning to the telescope.
There was a pause. Draco awkwardly shifted his weight from one foot to the other before extending his hand. "May I?" he asked, an uncharacteristic humility in his tone.
Hermione nodded, stepping away to allow him access. She watched as he peered into the telescope, his steel-gray eyes reflecting the distant stars. Something about the sight stirred a feeling in her she couldn't quite understand.
Eventually, Draco stepped back from the instrument, his face turned towards the velvety sky. "It's quite peaceful," he said, an unspoken question hanging heavy in the air between them.
Without speaking, Hermione extended her hand out. Surprised, but not objecting, Draco took it. Their fingers intertwined in a quiet yet powerful affirmation of their newfound companionship.
Their eyes met. In the starlight, her brown eyes softened while his gray eyes appeared warmer than she remembered. A strong surge of emotion welled up within her. Draco seemed to sense it too, for he moved his other hand to gently cup her face.
"Is this okay?" he murmured, a touch of vulnerability in his voice.
Hermione nodded and closed her eyes, her heart pounding in her chest. The deep calm of the night enhanced the sound of their breaths and the whispering wind. Draco leaned closer and their lips softly met in a warm, tender kiss. It felt as though the world had stopped, and they existed in their own universe.
Minutes later, as they pulled apart, their hands remained entwined. Their hearts pounded in tandem as the enormity of their actions settled between them. Hermione looked up, catching Draco's gaze. There, she saw not the arrogant boy she once knew, but a man who had courageously faced his demons and emerged a softer, stronger being.
"Draco," she began, her voice a soft whisper. He hushed her with a gentle squeeze of her hand.
"Together," he finished, his gaze never leaving hers.
They remained on the Astronomy tower, their hands entwined, their hearts aligned. Their silent companionship prevailing over the murmurs of the night, they gazed into the vast canvas of the starry sky, their shared silence echoing their unspoken understanding.
Throughout that night, Draco and Hermione weren't an ambitious Gryffindor or a conflicted Slytherin, but just two souls adrift, finding solace and understanding in each other's presence under the celestial theatre of stars.
For that night, they had the universe to themselves, their two worlds colliding and combining in the quiet corners of Hogwarts, beneath the watchful gaze of the constellations above. A moment they would always retrace in memory, where their friendship bloomed into something warmer, something deeper, etching itself onto the canvas of their hearts.