Ron and Hermione lasted through the rest of university, moving London and getting a flat together. Draco fucked his way through the rest of his university experience, always keeping a side eye on her. But as she and Ron got closer, the more Draco forgot about her. Just like Hermione forgot about Draco.
Hermione had to admit, Ron was good in bed, but the whispers of Draco were always with her and were never going to leave.
It was the same for Draco, but not like he would admit that. After he graduated, he also moved to the capitol, but on the other side of town. He didn't know where she went off to, nor did she know where he went. Not that either of them cared.
Draco had his short-term girlfriends here and there. Nothing serious. The latest girl, he had to break up with because she wanted to move in after a couple months. He met up with his old frat brothers, Blaise and Theo, frequently down at the pub. That was a brotherhood that was never lost.
Draco was enjoying his bachelor life while Hermione loved life with Ron.
Marriage was always in the works between the two of them. Ron wanted it and Hermione wanted it, but there was just always something holding it off. The entire relationship just grew stagnate the more the two waited to take the next step.
One day, Hermione came home after a long day. She kicked her heels off in the doorway and started towards her room. She stopped when she saw Ron sitting at the kitchen table, alone, and a beer in front of him.
He was picking at the label of his beer. She frowned and came over to him, "Baby?" She said cautiously, rubbing his shoulders gently.
Ron shrugged away from her touch. "Don't." He sighed and shook his head.
Hermione frowned and looked at him, going to sit across from him. "What's wrong?" She said in a concerned tone.
"I went out to lunch today and uh… I ran into an old friend." He said, a frown puckering his face.
"Uh, okay?" She said, a bit confused on what he was trying to get at. "What happened?"
"It was Lavender." He looked up as he spoke, his tone dull.
Her heart sank. Lavender. The infamous girl that broke Ron's heart. Here she was, coming back into his life. "Oh." She was always worried that would be the reason why the two never got married. Being together for six years, one would assume there would at least be an engagement.
"I-uh. We ended up having lunch today." He spoke slowly and finally looked up, meeting her eyes. His eyes were bloodshot and there was heartbreak there. "One drink turned into two. Two drinks turned into a lot more… We ended up at her flat and uh—" He couldn't finish. He shook his head. "I was unfaithful to you and I realized I still have feelings for her… We want to try again since we've had room to grow. And-And you don't deserve someone who did what I did to you. I am so sorry. You deserved more." He sighed.
Hermione had never felt her heart break and her blood run cold at the same time. This was the first time she had experienced this so fully. She shook her head, fighting the sob bubbling up in her chest. "I uh. I want to say I understand. But I can honestly say I don't." She choked out a bit. "I just think you're selfish." Hermione said honestly. "Fuck you. Fuck off. I can't—I can't deal with this right now." She stood up, her hands shaking, tears streaming down her face. "I'm going to my parents. I expect your shit to be out by the morning." She wanted to fight for this, but it was pointless now.
"I'm sorry—"
"Just don't. Just-Just go." She hurried out the door, keys in hand and putting on slippers. Fucking Ron's slippers she kept there to run out the door. God damn it. You know what? Screw it.
These were her slippers now.
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It had taken Hermione about a year to truly get over Ron, but this didn't stop hurting her. It'll dull with more time though, she'd remind herself.
By the next year she moved flats and eliminated any evidence of Ron from her life. She couldn't be there anymore. She lived more towards the center of the city now, surrounded by nightlife to get her out of the house and actively taking part in something other than being home and moping.
Sitting at the bar, she ordered herself a cocktail. She wore the same clothes she wore earlier to the office: skirt, blouse, and heels.
Like any other Friday night, Draco and his friends came into the pub, taking their booth in the back. Blaise made his way to the front of the bar to buy the first round of pints for the table. He leaned against the bar, just a couple feet away from her. She had her back turned to him, chatting with a gentleman who offered to buy her next drink. She politely turned him down and turned forward, her eyes going to the man to her right. Hermione would recognize that head of curls anywhere. He was a norm at the frat house—Draco's best friend. She turned her body back to the man immediately. But it was too late, Blaise had seen her.
He called Hermione's name before asking "Is that you, Granger? It's me, Blaise." He grinned and closed the small gap.
Hermione turned to look at him, giving him a faint smile. "Hey Blaise! How are you?" She asked, putting her drink down and giving him a hug.
He nodded, "I've been great! Thank you." He murmured. "Draco is here too, by the way." He motioned with his head back towards their table.
"Oh, how nice. I was just going through. Maybe next time." She downed the rest of her drink and nodded at him.
Blaise frowned and hollered across the bar, "Draco!"
She could have hit Blaise.
Draco saw Hermione look back and his heart skipped a beat.
His best college fling. The one who left when it was just getting good. He got up and Blaise danced away with a pint for himself and Theo, leaving Draco's at the bar.
"Hey Hermione, long time no see." Draco murmured, coming beside her. His hand rested on the small of her back to draw her in for a hug.
She hugged him back, ignoring how well she still fit against him. "Seriously! How have you been?" She asked, waving forward another cocktail from the bartender.
"Oh you know. I am pretty good. Just doing the work and grind. I've been moved up so I am under the president now, which is nice. What have you been up to? Are you and Ron still a thing?" He asked and looked around, searching for Ron.
"Oh no. We've been done for about two years." Hermione said, taking a long sip off her fresh drink. He was married now. She got an invite to his ceremony with Lavender. She remembered almost being sick from the shock of that.
"I'm sorry." His tone was sincere with his head trying to work out if the two of them just broke up, that meant they had been together for a while. "I hope you were the one—"
"I wasn't." Hermione shook her head and took another gulp. "Enough about that. What about you? Anyone special?" She asked with a smile. He looked just as hot as he did in uni. But now… he was much more attractive (if that was possible). He really grew into his jaw line.
"Not really. Just enjoying my bachelor life." He shrugged and sipped on his beer.
She laughed, "Didn't you enjoy enough of that in your fraternity?" She teased him and he shrugged.
"It's a different game now, babe." He teased and searched her eyes. "Can't just ask to go study." He joked and started to laugh.
She laughed and flushed lightly. "Oh Malfoy, you haven't changed."
"Neither have you, Granger." He laughed and bumped his hip against hers. "How's your job going?" He asked, his eyes on her.
Hermione needed to focus on the words. Not how deep his silver eyes were, not the minty, beer tainted breath fanning her face or his cologne. She prayed that her perfume was still strong and her lipstick was still in place. "It's great. I have changed jobs to a better one in the middle of the city. So I had to move and everything. But it's all working out extremely well for me." She nodded as she spoke, eyes on Draco.
When she took another sip, he looked her up and down. She still has it. Fuck . "That's great." She even smelled as good as she did at school. What Draco would do to get his hands on her.
"Want to sit with us at our table?" He offered, glancing back.
She shook her head. "No. I have to get home. I have an early appointment. Thank you, though. It was great seeing you." She smiled and tossed back the rest of her drink.
He raised his brows. "You're not driving, right?" He asked.
"I walked here from my flat." She explained as she stood up.
Draco got a better look at her as she settled her tab. He was not going to let her walk home alone. "I'll walk you home." He nodded and chugged down his pint.
She glanced at him, "I can call a taxi. Thank you anyways."
"Aw, c'mon. It's a beautiful night. I would love to walk you home." He said softly, a faint smile on his lips.
Hermione bit her lip, thinking for a moment. What was really holding her back? The two weren't in uni anymore. They were both grown, jobs, flats, real actual adults. "Yeah. Let's do that."
Draco grinned and helped her put her jacket on and led her towards the door, grabbing his jacket from the booth. The boys all made noises and she fought her eye roll. He flipped them off and opened the door for her.
The walk was spent genuinely catching up. The odd little stories here and there, laughing with one another until they were in front of her flat building. She fiddled with her keys for a moment, "Want to come up for a glass of wine? Or a cup of tea?" She added the tea part on quickly.
Draco nodded without having to think twice. "I would love to."
She felt like the two of them had never lost touch. It was a bummer that Draco decided that being friends was totally off the table when she said they couldn't just have random sex anymore.
Draco did regret those last few words that were traded between them. She definitely deserved an apology for that.
He took off his shoes before going to sit on the couch as she headed to the kitchen. "Tea or wine?" Hermione called back.
"Wine, please. Red if you have it." Draco nodded and got up, looking around, searching the photos. A lot of family and friends in the pictures as well interesting art around.
Hermione watched him for a moment before coming over with the glass of wine. "I still have a couple pictures of us from that one summer." She said as she handed him his glass and took a sip off her own.
"Where are they?" He asked and looked at her.
"In a box under my bed full of uni stuff." She murmured. Next to the box full of memories with Ron. It was getting smaller and smaller as time passed.
"Oh nice." He nodded, going to go sit again.
She sat across from him, eyes on him. "I—"
"Hey, uhm," Draco breathed out, looking down. "I need to apologize to you." He said and looked at the red liquid swirling in his glass.
Hermione frowned a bit, "Draco, that's so—"
"I shouldn't have made it out that you didn't mean anything to me. You were my friend. I did care about you that way. I was angry then. I just, I am sorry. You didn't deserve that." He finally looked up, searching her eyes.
She nodded and bit on her lip, "Thank you. I appreciate that, Draco. I forgive you, of course. It was years ago."
"It wasn't nice." He sighed.
"It wasn't. But hey, we are older now. Forgive and forget." She smiled and raised her glass towards him.
Draco smiled, "Thanks, love."
They talked until the wee hours of the morning. Draco checked his phone and his eyes widened, "I've got to go. It's super late." He yawned.
She checked her phone and her brows came up. "Let me call you a taxi to get home." She took out her phone and phoned for one to come pick him up. "They will be here in ten."
"Great. Thanks." He went to the door and she followed to walk him out.
They went down the lift, standing somewhat close. Stepping into the cold, she wrapped her arms around herself. "I'll wait with you." She smiled.
"You really don't have to. It's cold." He said, wrapping an arm around her and rubbing her arm gently.
"I'll be fine." She murmured but relished in the warmth he was giving her.
Hermione watched the taxi pull up and she pulled away from him. She hugged him tightly, sighing a bit as she started to pull away. He took her phone from her pocket. He entered his number in her phone and sent himself a text. "We should have dinner sometime." He said softly and searched her eyes.
"That would be nice." Hermione smiled and nodded, taking a couple steps back. "Let me know when you get home."
Draco nodded and got into the taxi.