Calculated the meteor shower time yet, Granger?
D. Malfoy
Hermione frowned at the small piece of parchment that had just soared over the heads of several students to land in front of her. Unfolding the neatly folded paper crane, she saw the familiar tidy handwriting—Draco Malfoy was pestering her about their assignment again.
She glanced over the heads of her fellow students who were engrossed in their breakfast and pouted. For the past week, she and Malfoy had been assigned an Astronomy project to capture images of a meteor shower and write a report. Professor Sinistra had emphasized the deadline for next week, and Hermione, in a moment of confidence, had volunteered to calculate the precise timing of the meteor shower.
But after multiple attempts, she still hadn't determined the exact time. Sometimes her calculations predicted too few meteors to observe, and other times the weather forecast was too unreliable. She loathed admitting that she was struggling with the calculations—especially to Malfoy, who would seize any opportunity to mock her.
"Meet me in the library this afternoon. We need to discuss a few things.
H. Granger"
Hermione sent the paper crane back across the Great Hall and spooned some yogurt and what Ron called "bird food" into her mouth. Ginny was sitting beside her and seemed particularly interested in whom she was writing to. She kept nudging closer, clearly wanting to ask, but staying silent until Hermione finally sighed and turned to face her.
"I'm talking to Malfoy about homework," Ginny nodded and a sly smile spreading across her face.
"What subject this time? Potions?"
Hermione shook her head. "Astronomy."
"Seriously? Don't tell me you're paired up with him for every subject," Ginny whispered, eyes wide in mock horror.
"Blame your brother," Hermione replied, rolling her eyes. "He doesn't seem to care about his studies these days."
Ginny pulled a face and leaned in closer. "As if you'd want to work with Ron even if he was attending every class," she teased.
Of course not Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes. Ever since Ron had thrown himself into Quidditch, she rarely saw him in any classes. Sometimes she worried whether he would have enough required attendance hours or even earn enough grades in each subject to avoid repeating a year. Though Hogwarts didn't have a high rate of students repeating years but it wasn't unheard of. She had tried to get Ron to attend classes, but he didn't seem to care. He'd told her that even if he didn't graduate, he could still be a Quidditch player. She'd done her best to help him, and if he wasn't interested, it wasn't her problem.
As Ginny had said, whether he attended classes or not didn't affect her. Over the past two years since they'd finished their third year, she'd grown apart from Ron and Harry. Their lives had moved in different directions. What was more surprising than the distance growing between her and her old friends was the fact that her new closest friend was someone she never would have expected.
Their relationship—between her and Malfoy—developed slowly over the course of the first term of their fourth year while Harry was preoccupied with the Triwizard Tournament. As Hermione continued attending all her classes diligently, she found herself encountering Draco Malfoy more frequently. Often, they were paired together for assignments or ended up sitting next to each other with no other choice. Initially, She and Malfoy didn't talk much; Hermione knew that trying to befriend someone as proud and abrasive as Malfoy was likely impossible. But what gradually changed everything was Malfoy himself. She couldn't pinpoint exactly when he stopped calling her those insulting names and began initiating conversations during class.
It was usually something cynical comment like, "Do you think Potter will die in the first task?" or a sneering, "Just managing not to drown is quite an achievement for someone like Potter."
Not the most pleasant topics but she knew this was Malfoy's way of starting a conversation.
The real turning point came during the Yule Ball. After Ron had completely ruined what should have been a wonderful evening for her. Hermione was left crying on the stairs, overwhelmed with disappointment. That was when Malfoy appeared.
The words he tried to comfort her with were clumsy and awkward but enough to make her forget her sorrow and laugh for the first time in hours.
"First class is about to start. Let's go, Hermione," Ginny said as the clatter of knives and forks pulled her back from her thoughts.
The Ancient Runes class dragged on slowly and Hermione found her concentration waning compared to the blond boy beside her. Partly, It was because her mind had a tendency to drift because he kept jiggling his leg so much, she had to resist the urge to smack it. Malfoy seemed to enjoy translating runes more than she did. He could raise his hand and answer complex translation questions before she'd even begun deciphering the first word as if runes were his native language.
"If these two symbols are together, It means 'dense forest' not 'large forest'" His drawling voice explained while his quill pointing lazily along the line of runes as they worked together during class.
Hermione nodded and jotted down notes. "And this sentence means 'he won't go into the dense forest unless...' right? It doesn't mean 'he will go into the dense forest if...'"
Draco shook his head and leaned closer. "The correct translation is 'he will go into the dense forest if Balthazar agrees to be the troll's bait' – you need to understand the mindset behind the original language more, Granger."
She pursed her lips and wrote down the correct translation as he provided. "I didn't think studying runes would be this difficult at first. I thought just understanding a few characters would be enough."
"That's a very wrong assumption, Granger," he said, scribbling down a few more translated words next to her sentence. "The higher you go, the more complex it becomes. It's not just about learning to read; you need to understand the nature of the language. Even if you had ten more Spellman's Syllabary, they wouldn't help if you don't understand it yourself."
Hermione glanced at the red-covered book lying beside them "That's why I always see you paying such close attention in History of Magic."
"Have you been spying on me?"
Caught in the act makes her face heated up suddenly. She hadn't meant to be watching him but in a room full of students who barely paid attention to Professor Binns, his focus was like a beacon.
She didn't respond, simply picked up the red book and flipped it open absentmindedly. "It's impressive that you understand this so well. I thought you were completely closed-minded."
"Maybe when I was younger," He said while his eyes never straying from the runes. "But as I grew older, I learned more about different people. Muggles would call it the principles of anthropology, I suppose. Right?"
Besides being surprised by the term "Muggle," the jargon he used next astonished her even more. "I never knew you were interested in that sort of thing – the humanity of Muggles, I mean."
He chuckled softly and looked up at her with his smoky eyes. "Our world is becoming more open to Muggles, so it's not strange that I should keep up with their advancements. Even if I don't appreciate their brutality, I've come to see that Muggles are quite fascinating creatures."
"You sound like you've developed some left-wing thoughts," she said with smiling and testing whether he would grasp her terminology.
"Left-wing, as in the Muggle metaphor for progressive versus conservative? If so, I'll take that as a compliment," he replied with a smirk.
She smiled and shook her head choosing not to say more since he had understood perfectly. They resumed deciphering the runes and by the end of the class, they had successfully translated both pages of the text first in the class. Draco rolled up their completed work and tied it with a string before walking up to Professor Babbling who permitted them to leave early.
Draco packed his things and checked his pocket watch. "Are you going to have lunch?"
"Are you inviting me to lunch?" she teased as she arranged her books in her bag.
"Not really, but I wouldn't mind if you wanted to join me," he said with a grin. "Actually, I was going to ask if you wanted to head to the library instead."
She smiled to herself while still focused on her books. "Sure, I was planning to return some books anyway."
Draco reached out to help pack her quills into their case. "You've changed your quills."
She glanced at the quill he had just packed away and took the case from him. "Fred and George gave it to me as a gift from their opening, but I've only just started using it."
"No wonder. You don't seem like the type to use a self-writing quill," he muttered and upon seeing her puzzled expression, he continued. "Don't tell me you didn't know it was a self-writing quill."
"Not at all," she laughed and shaking her head. "And I certainly won't be using it to write for me."
She stood up from her seat and glanced over at Ron and Harry, who were still arguing over the correct translation of a word. "Let's go."
They walked side by side down the empty corridor with their footsteps echoing softly in the silence. Most of the students were still in their classes so the hallways were deserted. Hermione glanced at her companion through the corner of her eye as they moved quietly together. She had so many questions she wanted to ask – questions that had been plaguing her for ages – but she couldn't find the right moment to ask. Instead she had pieced together answers from his actions and other conversations and tried to understand why a pureblood fanatic like Malfoy had changed, why he had stopped tormenting her and become her friend instead. He had become the one person who provided her with comfort at Hogwarts without her having done anything for him.
When they reached the library, Draco offered to take her bag to their usual table while Hermione dealt with returning some books at the front desk. As she walked back to join him, she saw he had already spread out their books and a star chart.
"We've got a few days left before the meteor shower ends. Have you decided when we should do our observation?" he asked, not looking up as he adjusted the star chart.
"I've thought of a couple of days, but one of them it's supposed to rain, and the other the meteor activity will be too low to see anything worthwhile," she said, exasperated. "But I'll keep checking for a better time."
"Let's figure it out together today," he said, handing her a piece of parchment covered in his scrawling handwriting along with the star chart. "I did the calculations. Tonight or tomorrow night look good. Can you double-check?"
Hermione tilted her head to examine his calculations against the star chart. They seemed accurate; the positions of the stars tonight and tomorrow were promising, and it would be a new moon, ensuring the stars' light wouldn't be dimmed by moonlight.
"I think it's possible. But we'll need to be out there from before midnight until almost dawn. If your calculations are right, we might see thousands of meteors in an hour if we're lucky," she said, copying his notes into their report before looking up at him. "We could go out tonight, and if something goes wrong, we'll still have tomorrow night."
Draco nodded thoughtfully. "I'll inform Professor Sinistra that we need to be excused from curfew tonight."
Hermione suppressed a smile and gently shook his wrist. "Did you forget? We're prefects, and we have patrol duty together tonight."
He blinked, then laughed. "Right, of course." He glanced at the prefect badge on his chest "Still not used to it. I can't believe I got here. Probably because I have a friend like you."
"How could it be because of me?" She laughed, a soft, clear sound meant only for them. "You're brilliant and destined to be loved. You'd have been prefect or even Head Boy even without me. Dumbledore has a knack for spotting talent."
The mention of the headmaster made his throat tighten, recalling the burden he carried. He swallowed the bitter lump and forced a smile. "It's hard for others to see me the way you do."
"Oh, Malfoy," she murmured, her eyes filled with concern.
"But that's alright. Just having you see me like that is more than enough."
Hermione caught herself biting her lip as her cheeks grew warm once again. She wasn't sure if her face was turning red enough for him to notice, but she could feel her heart pounding more than it ever had before. "Good. I thought you wouldn't want to be my friend."
"That's probably the first thing I thought about you."
She frowned. "What?"
"I mean, not wanting to be your friend," he said while casting a copying spell on the book without meeting her eyes.
"If you don't want to— I mean, if you're uncomfortable being friends with me, that's fine. I understand because—"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence. What are you thinking?" He grumbled, using his fingers to gently pull at her cheeks until her frown turned into a reluctant smile. "Your brain must not be working properly because you haven't eaten. I shouldn't have dragged you here first."
"That's not it—"
"Shall we go get some food? I'm curious what the house-elves have prepared for us today." He deliberately mentioned the house-elves to distract her, and it worked.
Hermione launched into a discussion about house-elf rights as soon as they got up from the table, continuing all the way out of the library and into the bustling corridor. Draco listened attentively, even though he had heard her speeches so often he could recite the mission statement of her Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare by heart, despite not being a member.
By the time they reached the Great Hall, most of the students had finished their lunch. Only a small group of first-years and a few dirty dishes remained. Hermione sat down at a table near the back of the hall, and Draco took a seat opposite her. She pulled out a new book she had just borrowed from the library and placed it on the table. But Draco didn't let her read even a single line; he quickly reached over and shut the book.
"I told you not to read during meals," he scolded and gently taking the book and setting it aside. "You have the rest of the week to read this."
"If I can't read, then what should I do?" she complained, pouting slightly. It was a side of her she rarely showed to anyone but Draco. "Am I supposed to stare at you while I eat? That sounds boring."
"Well, I'm sitting here for you to look at, but you'd rather stare at a book. That's what's boring," he retorted.
Hermione scrunched up her nose and sighed. "You've been disappearing during lunch breaks every day recently—I don't know what you're doing or with whom." Her last words were mumbled, meant for herself, just as plates of food appeared before them.
Her comment about his frequent absences made Draco uneasy. He was the only one who knew exactly where he went each day. In truth, he should skip classes altogether if he wanted to complete his task quickly, but part of him didn't want to succeed in his mission. He preferred to spend time with her in class. At least being with her brought him the only happiness he could find these days.
He knew it was wrong, but he would live with that guilt if it meant following his heart for once in his short life.
"You should eat more green vegetables. Who will eat them for you when I'm not around?" Hermione's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked at the steak and kidney pie in front of him and made a face. The house-elves always served it with mashed potatoes and either peas or green beans.
Draco didn't like vegetables. The first time they had eaten together, he had pushed them to the side of his plate until Hermione used her knife and fork to move them to her own plate. Since then, whenever they ate together, she always separated the vegetables for him. She would also pour gravy all over her mashed potatoes because she loved it, while Draco preferred his without gravy. On the other hand, if there were carrots and pumpkins, he would take them because she didn't eat yellow vegetables.
Their eating habits complemented each other perfectly, something neither of them had experienced with anyone else. However, there was one thing they always argued about: tea and milk. Whenever they stopped by the Great Hall for afternoon tea, the house-elves would provide hot water, milk, and tea leaves separately. Hermione would add the milk to the tea leaves before pouring the hot water, a method Draco couldn't stand. He always insisted she should add the milk after the hot water, but she refused.
"Where would you go? Are you planning to leave me?" He forced a laugh, knowing well that sooner or later, one of them would have to leave. And that day might come sooner than she thought—perhaps by the end of the year if he continued his mission.
"If there's no reason for me to leave, I won't leave you," she laughed, taking a bite of her pie.
"Exactly. Where else would you find a friend like me?" he teased, making her roll her eyes.
Draco straightened up as they began to eat in silence. The atmosphere was as it always had been, but something felt different for him today. The conversation had left him uneasy, urging him to act before it was too late. There were many sad truths he had never shared with her, and he wasn't sure if he would get the chance to do so before she discovered them on her own.
But he felt more determined than ever that if something were to separate him from her, it should be by his own choice, not by some external force. And that meant he had to tell her everything he had kept hidden.
He had to tell her himself, as soon as he could summon the courage.
Evening slipped into night faster than they anticipated. They walked through the dimly lit corridors, the faint torchlight casting flickering shadows on the stone walls. The only sound was the echo of their footsteps.
In truth, they hardly ever deducted points from other students since becoming prefects in their fifth year. The only time they had was when they stumbled upon two third-year Hufflepuffs engaged in a clandestine tryst near the broom cupboard. That night, after the embarrassing sounds and the awkward interruption as the couple hastily redressed, the atmosphere between Hermione and Malfoy was unbearably tense. She hadn't known how to react after such an encounter, and it seemed Malfoy was equally unsettled, as they never spoke of the Hufflepuff couple again. The word "Hufflepuff" itself seemed to become a taboo topic between them.
Hermione watched Malfoy's back, clad in his black prefect's robe, as he walked a few paces ahead of her. She was lost in thought and didn't notice when he suddenly stopped, causing her to walk right into him. She caught a whiff of his scent as he turned quickly to catch her before she fell. In that fleeting moment when the world seemed to pause, her mind was filled only with his fragrance and his overly concerned face.
The scent was a heady mix of ripe fruits and sharp spices, intertwined with a lingering clean aroma of lavender and musk, with an enticing undertone that made her think his cologne was exceptionally expensive and even more so when worn by him. She couldn't help but wonder if the next time she brewed Amortentia, his scent would be among those she detected.
"Are you alright, Granger?" he asked, his voice laced with genuine concern as he looked her over ensuring she hadn't hurt herself.
"I'm fine. You just stopped while I spaced out for a second."
"About what?"
You, maybe. She pouted but didn't say it.
"I checked the time. We should head to the Astronomy Tower," He said, showing her his pocket watch.
The hands pointed to midnight, the time they estimated the meteor shower would be visible. She nodded and followed Malfoy toward the Astronomy Tower.
"Five points from Ravenclaw," his voice rang out. She looked ahead to see two Ravenclaw students lingering outside their dormitory after hours. "If you're so smart, you should know this isn't the time for a stroll."
Hermione looked sympathetically at the two second-years as they walked by. Malfoy's stern expression was enough to ensure they wouldn't venture out again anytime soon.
They climbed the winding staircase to the Astronomy Tower, with Malfoy glancing back occasionally to ensure she didn't trip. When they reached the open space at the top, he began setting up a small ring of candles to provide just enough light to work by. Hermione watched as he carefully pulled a telescope from his bag and positioned it on the railing, adjusting it meticulously until he seemed satisfied.
They sat on the damp, cool stone floor, chilled by the evening dew. Hermione pulled out a star chart and began rotating it, Malfoy leaning in to look over her shoulder. They were so close she could feel his breath against her cheek, a rare proximity that sent her heart racing in a way it hadn't in all the years of their friendship.
Hermione's almond-shaped eyes glanced at the star map, her gaze like stormy clouds as she held her breath. The scene felt too surreal to believe; despite knowing Malfoy for years, she had never imagined being this close to him. If she told anyone, they wouldn't believe her.
"Where should we start looking first, you think?" Malfoy asked as scanning the star map.
Taking a deep breath to steady herself "If I remember correctly, tonight's meteor shower will start at the Leo constellation, which rises from the east. So, over there." She pointed towards the horizon. "Professor said we should look about 40 degrees away from the origin, which means... um..."
"Here," Malfoy said, guiding her hand through the air to the spot she had in mind with his well-defined, muscular hand. "Right? Near Gemini?"
She nodded, then laughed. "Do you think it looks like twins? To me, it looks more like a jackalope."
Malfoy frowned. "A jackalope?"
"Oh, you probably haven't read about them in Muggle Mythology," she said as tracing the stars with her finger. "It's a rabbit with antlers, like a deer. That cluster looks like its horns and that part looks like the rabbit jumping."
"Sounds like one of those magical creatures the Americans talk about," he mused.
Hermione's eyes widened as she turned to look at him. "So, jackalopes really exist? And Muggles must have seen them then."
"It's possible," he nodded. "But I still see twins."
"Show me how they look like twins," she challenged, lifting her chin stubbornly.
Instead of tracing the stars, Malfoy gently pushed her to lie down on the cold stone floor. She stiffened, staring at him in shock but he did nothing more than lie down beside her and looking up at the sky. He began tracing the stars with his finger.
"Those four are the feet. Up there, the two are the waist. The star right above you is Wasat, a star in a multiple star system." He traced from the star to her waist and then back to the star beside it. "And above me is Mebsuta, a yellow giant."
She nodded as following his gestures. "And what about those five or six stars over there?"
"Those are the arms and chest of Gemini. They're holding hands like this," he said, taking her hand in his right hand to mirroring the stars above.
"T-They're in a funny position, aren't they?" She looked up at the sky, trying to avoid glancing at him and feeling her heart race even more.
"And do you think it's funny that I'm lying here looking at you like this?" He asked making her turn her head to find his stormy gray eyes gazing at her, the stars reflected in his eyes.
"I don't know about Muggle Mythology but in the wizarding lore, Castor has always loved Pollux. He watches her, seeing only her," he said softly.
"Malfoy..."
His eyes looked at her with an mesmerizing gaze and she felt her words disappear from her lips as he said, "Castor couldn't tell Pollux how much he loved her because it would put her in danger. But in the end, even though he never said it, she died because of him. Granger, you've probably read this story and know that in the end, Castor begged for something, anything, to honor his love by allowing him to protect her forever. His wish was granted; they both became stars, side by side, with Castor watching over Pollux until the end of time. I don't know if Castor ever managed to tell Pollux how he felt or if he remained just a part of the Gemini constellation."
Hermione held her breath as Malfoy spoke. She had read the wizarding star stories many times before but never had she felt her chest get so tight as she did now. She wanted to look away and watch Castor and Pollux as he spoke but his mesmerizing presence kept her eyes on him.
"Before we get started, I have to tell you something, Granger," he said, sitting up and pulling his knees to his chest.
Hermione sat up beside him, her mind reeling. She had no idea what he was going to say as his face was a jumble of emotions so strong they were breaking through his Occlumency.
"Are you alright?" she asked, leaning in and putting a hand on his shoulder. "If you want to talk, I'll listen, no matter what it is."
He looked at her with yearning before slowly raising his left arm and pulling up his sleeve. For the first time that year she saw his arm without the robe and the sight of the dark mark explained everything.
"Malfoy..." she breathed, grabbing his wrist, not daring to touch the mark.
His face was etched with sorrow as he struggled to swallow. "I'm one of them, Granger."
"No..." Her mouth formed the words before she could think. "How...?"
"My parents... I had to do it to save them," he said, more bitterly than she had ever heard. "I couldn't defy him, even though I knew what he wanted me to do."
"What do you have to do?" Hermione asked, her voice shaking, feeling her tears would come soon. She hadn't expected him to open up about this, nor had she thought they would be in this situation so soon. She knew exactly what his father was like, but she hadn't considered the depth of her feelings for Malfoy that had grown until now – the moment they reached a crossroads.
"Destroy this place and kill him," he said, his hand shaking in hers.
Hermione squeezed her grip and knelt to hug him. Draco buried his face in her neck, his tears falling. He couldn't hold them back, especially as she was hugging him, silently telling him it was okay. His tears fell more because he hadn't been able to talk to anyone about this for months, only to himself and try to convince himself he could ignore the mission. He had deceived himself into thinking just living each day with Granger by his side would be enough. But as time went on the reality kept calling out to him more loudly, reminding him he had no choice – never had one from the start.
She stroked his hair and hugged him tighter. "It's okay, Draco. I know you don't want to do this. I know you're not one of them," she said. "Trust me, we can fix this. We'll find a way to do something."
He pulled out of her hug and looked at her. "Why do you believe in me?"
Hermione forced a smile and pulled down his sleeve to cover the dark mark. "You didn't have to tell me if you wanted to complete your mission, but you did. That means if we were really enemies, I'd have the advantage now because I know your plan, right?"
"You're too trusting, Hermione," he complained as she laughed and wiped away his tears. She hadn't expected their first time calling each other by their first names would be in such a situation.
"I'm trusting because I've always trusted you," she said, gripping his hands tightly. "And I still do. I believe we can get through this – we'll thwart their plans, and they'll be thrown into chaos for a while. Don't worry about your parents. If – when others find out about this, they'll come up with a plan to help you and your family."
Draco let out a bitter laugh. "You make everything sound so easy."
"I think it's easy because I want it to be easy," she replied. "Sometimes, it starts with our thoughts."
To others, he might have seemed weak and cowardly, but he knew now that even if he were to die after this, he wouldn't regret it. Just telling her and having her understand him was enough. He was determined to keep pretending that his life revolved solely around her, ignoring the mission, whether it be tomorrow, the day after, or any time. Even if Potter and the others couldn't help him and he had to meet his end, he wouldn't regret it.
Draco glanced up at the sky and saw a shooting star pass by. "We should get to work now."
Hermione huffed and frowned. "You still want to work after crying just now?"
"Well, it starts with our thoughts, right? Pretend I'm not stressed about it. You said we'd find a way – I believe you."
Hermione couldn't help but smile. She looked out at the dark sky, now dotted with the white and blue lights of the stars, and sighed. "The stars are so beautiful. I wonder if any camera could capture them as beautifully as they look."
Draco looked up at the sky and then smiled. "You'd be jealous if I told you I see something more beautiful than these stars every day."
She wrinkled her nose and looked at him questioningly. "What do you mean?"
He gazed into her eyes. "I mean that just looking into your eyes every day is better than looking at these stars. Too bad you don't get to see the millions of stars' worth of beauty in your own eyes."
"Malfoy..." Her heart nearly stopped. Part of her wanted to slap him for being so glib at such a time. She had just been stressed about him and couldn't even figure out how to handle it. Yet he still found time to joke. But another part of her prayed he wasn't joking. "Is this really the time to be joking?"
"I'm not joking," he said, moving closer, causing her to hold her breath. "I've never joked about you. Haven't you noticed?"
"..." Millions of words were ready to burst out, but she remained silent, her heart working so hard that her mouth felt heavy.
"Since we're already here, I have one more thing to tell you tonight." He paused and gave a smile that no one else had ever seen, a smile that warmed her heart, a smile he was willing to show only to her. "I don't want to die without telling you, like that fool Castor. And besides, I don't think I'd be lucky enough to become a star up there with you."
"..." His demeanor was clearer than before. If she wasn't being too hopeful, she could guess what he wanted to say. She listened silently, afraid to speak.
"You might not have noticed, but do you know how hard it is to get everyone else to sit somewhere else so there's an empty seat next to me?" he said.
"Do you know how hard it was for me to gather the courage to comfort you that night?"
"..."
"Do you know how hard it was not to paint a picture of your face in my mind every time I looked at you?"
"..."
"Do you know how hard it was to just try to be your friend?"
"..."
"Do you know that I've liked you all along, so much that I don't even want to use the word 'like' anymore? I'm madly in love with you, Hermione. Do you know that? If I were to die today or tomorrow, I just want to tell you -"
His voice was cut off as her small lips captured his in a gentle kiss, silencing all the words he was about to say.
Her clumsy kiss was met with warm, moist lips and a tongue that gradually guided her into the depth of their long-repressed feelings. Under the rain of stars, like witnesses to their deep emotions, every pent-up feeling they had hidden was absorbed by him, each fragment that she couldn't express with words. It was sweet, gentle, and profound, as if there was no other way to reveal the vastness of her feelings for him.
Years of watching each other, years of taking care of each other – no one or nothing could understand them better than the two of them. No one or nothing could fit with them as perfectly as they fit with each other.
When their lips finally parted slowly, Hermione gazed into his eyes and understood that the beauty surpassing millions of stars had always been this close to her – right here, within reach.
"I love you too, Draco. I'm madly in love with you."
END