Hermione stood in the alley, dazed. Draco had been acting kindly all night - maybe even flirting a little? Then… this? Making out, disappearing - all very Malfoy-ish, but not normal for the witch. She didn't "fraternize" with people, and certainly didn't just snog someone then disappear. This was wrong, awkward.
Shaking her head, she quickly apparated home and got ready for bed. That night, however, she slept far too restlessly for a boy. Hermione was an overthinker - she knew that. But as she lay in bed at almost three AM, staring at her closed blinds letting in the city lights, she cursed herself for caring what Draco Malfoy thought, what his actions meant. It was ridiculous - caring so much what some man was up to. Hermione knew that. Yet, she still lay awake in her bed.
When the sun finally rose, Hermione let herself give up on sleep and began to clean her apartment. Deep cleaning sessions were always therapeutic for the witch - the muggle way, of course. Even as she let herself be absorbed in the music, dusting each of ehr many bookshelves and meticulously tidying the flat, she couldn't help but check her window, watching for an owl.
Eventually, Hermione was forced to stop cleaning. She had wiped every surface, scrubbed every plate, put her sheets and towels in the laundry - everything. The only thing left to do was… work. Sighing, the witch pulled her hair into a messy bun and settled herself down at the dining room table with a folder of parchment.
She began to read the page, but kept having to reread the same line over and over. Her focus was shot. The witch let out a scream, burying her face in her hands. These notes were boring and bland - for some hearing she was running the following Wednesday - and were not helping her avoid thinking about a certain blonde's actions. Feeling as though she might tear something apart, she apparated out of her apartment and directly into the hall outside Draco's apartment (risky, she knew, but she couldn't care for that moment).
She banged on the door until it was flung open by an exasperated -
"Astoria?" Hermione asked,m flustered. Right, they both live here…
"Goodness, Hermione, you gave me a fright! Is everything alright?"
"Oh, um yes." The witch blushed, realizing how little she had thought this through. "Is, erm, Draco home?"
Her friend gave her a curious look, but responded nonetheless. "He should be back in a few minutes - he just popped out to the store. Want to come in and wait for him?"
"Uh, sure. Thanks, Astoria. What have you been up to today?"
"Just working on a few job applications. I should get my Healer Exam results back in the next few days, sooo…" Astoria and Hermione talked about Astoria's future excitedly. They were speculating if St. Mungos would hire her for her year of Healer-In-Training or not when the front door flung open and Draco wal;ked in, arms laden with bags.
"Astoria, they didn't have the usual milk so I got - Hermione?" He froze in the doorway for a moment before heading over to the fridge.
The young healer looked between the pair for a moment then said, "Draco, I'll do that. You entertain our guest." She shot a look at Hermione, who blushed and stood.
"Uh, wanna take a walk?"
The blonde wizard gave her a funny look, but headed out the door with her. She waited until they were all the way out the building before she spoke the words that had been tumbling around her head for so long.
"Draco, we need to talk about something. What the hell was last night about? You admit to sending me roses, kiss me, then shove me and leave without even saying goodbye properly. What the hell did I do to you? Or are you just messing me around?" The witch's voice grew louder and louder with each sentence. Her companion tried to interrupt her, but he was on a roll. "I mean - I get it, I was working for you. Our other kisses - totally unprofessional. But it's not like I initiated that kiss last night. Furthermore, I respect myself enough to say that you and we will not be seeing each other - at all - until you can make up your mind on what you want. Am I some mudblood, side-chick you just want to mess around? Is this - is this some cruel test drive? What is it?" She demanded, stopping on the corner and glaring at Draco.
"I… Shit, hermione." He ran a hand through his hair, making it stand on end. "I didn't mean to make you feel like I was messing you around. And you know I don't believe those horrible things about blood status anymore-"
"Do I? Or is it just what you're saying?" The witch exploded, storming on. Draco easily kept up.
"C'mon, this, we… I don't know what's happening, but what I did last night was wrong. I should have, I don't know, shown you the respect you deserve. You are this amazing, beautiful, smart, respectable woman and I was kissing you. I felt so wrong, I felt… You deserve so much, Hermione, so much. More than I could ever give you." He grabbed her arm, and the witch stopped, looking up at Draco with confused and sad eyes.
"Draco…" She grabbed his face, forcing him to look at her. "Draco, don't say that. It's so not true. You are bright and powerful and funny and caring, and the fact you would even think to buy me roses, make me smile… we see eye to eye. And, well, I like you. But I don't want to be some fling."
"Hermione," the wizard murmured, looking into her molten gold eyes. He brushed a strand of hair from her temple, bending closer. "You have never been a fling for me. I care about you, a lot."
Her pale lips split ever so slightly, pulling up at the edges into a gentle smile, before she softly places those lips over his. The kiss was slow and gentle - not at all what they had usually shared. It was full of emotion and sweetness, a trust almost. When they eventually pulled apart, they remained in their embrace.
Standing on a street corner in London in mid-afternoon on a Saturday in late August, Hermione's face split into a wide grin. "Are we doing this for real, Draco?"
"Yes, Hermione. I'm going to take you out tonight to a nice dinner. And I'll walk you to your door and give you a chaste kiss. We'll date and take it slow." His gray eyes looked like pools of shimmery smoke in the bright sun, the soft smile fulling at the edges of his lips and eyes. "We'll do this for real."
A/N: Short, sweet chapter today. I wanted to write more, but I felt like this was such a good ending... I start school again soon, but I'll keep updating as much as I can. I love this chapter so much, I hope you do too! R&R!