Summary: Hermione just wants Draco to stop hiding.
Warnings: angst with a happy(?) ending
WC: 1.1K
Read on Ao3!
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The wind howled outside the castle walls as Hermione hurried down the empty corridor of Hogwarts. The evening chill clung to her skin as her robes fluttered behind her, but she didn’t slow down. She couldn’t. Her mind raced, her heart pounding with emotions she could barely keep in check.
It had been weeks since she had last spoken to him—really spoken to him. Draco Malfoy. The name that had once sent waves of anger and resentment through her now caused a sharp pain in her chest. She had tried to forget him, to push aside everything that had happened between them. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t.
The late-night arguments, the stolen moments, the confessions that made her heart ache—they haunted her. And now, as she made her way toward the Astronomy Tower, where he always seemed to retreat when things got too heavy, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to change. One way or another.
When she reached the top, the door creaked as she pushed it open, revealing the dimly lit tower. And there he was, standing near the edge, his back turned to her as he stared out at the vast expanse of the night sky. The moonlight cast a silvery glow over his blond hair, and even from a distance, Hermione could feel the weight of the tension in the air.
“Draco,” she called softly, stepping inside.
He didn’t move. Didn’t even acknowledge her presence at first. But after a moment, he let out a breath, his shoulders sagging slightly. “I was wondering when you’d come.”
Hermione’s heart twisted at the sound of his voice—so cold, so distant. She had been expecting anger, maybe even resentment, but what she heard instead was something worse. It was as if all the fire had been drained out of him.
“I…” She hesitated, unsure of how to start. So many things had been left unsaid between them, but the silence that stretched between them now was unbearable. “We need to talk.”
At that, Draco finally turned to face her. His gray eyes were shadowed, dark circles visible beneath them, and for a moment, Hermione almost didn’t recognize him. He looked exhausted, worn down by whatever had been eating at him since their last encounter.
“I know,” he said quietly, his voice rough with something she couldn’t quite place.
Hermione stepped closer, her brow furrowing in concern. “Draco, what’s going on? You’ve been avoiding me, shutting me out… I don’t understand.”
He laughed, but there was no humor in it. “You don’t understand?” His eyes met hers, sharp and filled with pain. “How could you? How could you possibly understand what it’s like to be me?”
Hermione recoiled slightly at the bitterness in his tone, but she didn’t back down. She knew Draco had a habit of putting up walls, of lashing out when he felt vulnerable. But she wasn’t going to let him push her away. Not this time.
“Then tell me,” she urged, her voice soft but firm. “Help me understand. Because I don’t know what else to do, Draco. I don’t know how to fix this, fix us.”
Draco’s jaw clenched, and he turned away again, his hands gripping the stone ledge of the tower. For a long moment, he was silent, his chest rising and falling with each heavy breath. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, he said the words that made Hermione’s heart stop.
“I’m falling apart without you.”
The weight of his confession hit her like a tidal wave. She could hear the raw vulnerability in his voice, the desperation he had tried so hard to hide. Her breath caught in her throat as she took a tentative step closer, her heart aching for him.
“Draco…” she whispered, unsure of what to say.
He finally turned back to her, his expression a mix of anger, pain, and something else—something fragile. “You don’t get it, do you?” His voice wavered, his defenses crumbling. “Every day without you, it’s like I’m losing myself. I’m drowning in all of this, and no matter what I do, I can’t breathe.”
Hermione’s eyes filled with tears as she watched him unravel before her. She had never seen Draco like this—so exposed, so broken. The man who had always seemed so unbreakable was crumbling before her eyes, and it shattered her heart.
“You don’t have to do this alone,” she said softly, stepping closer until she was standing right in front of him. She reached out, her hand gently brushing against his arm. “You don’t have to push me away.”
Draco looked down at her hand, then back up at her, his expression torn. “But I do,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “I have to, Hermione. Because if I don’t… if I let you in any more than I already have…” He swallowed hard, his voice barely a breath. “I’ll destroy you.”
Hermione’s heart clenched at his words, and she shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. “You won’t. Draco, you won’t destroy me. We’ve already been through so much. I don’t care about the past. I don’t care what anyone else thinks. I care about you.”
Draco’s eyes searched hers, as if trying to find the truth in her words, but the fear in his gaze was palpable. “I don’t deserve you,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “After everything I’ve done, everything I’ve been… I don’t deserve to be happy. Not with you.”
Hermione’s heart broke at the self-loathing in his voice. She reached up, cupping his face in her hands, forcing him to meet her gaze. “Draco, look at me,” she whispered, her voice steady despite the tears in her eyes. “You deserve love. You deserve happiness. And I’m not going anywhere. No matter what happens, I’m staying.”
His breath hitched, and for a moment, he looked like he was going to collapse. But then, something shifted in his eyes. The walls he had built around himself began to crumble, and before Hermione could say another word, he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as if she were the only thing keeping him grounded.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered into her hair, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m so sorry.”
Hermione wrapped her arms around him, her heart aching as she held him close. “You don’t have to apologize,” she murmured. “Just don’t shut me out anymore.”
For a long time, they stood there in the quiet of the Astronomy Tower, holding each other as the storm inside both of them finally began to calm. And in that moment, Hermione knew that no matter how many times they stumbled, no matter how hard things got, they would find their way back to each other.
Because they weren’t falling apart anymore. They were falling together.
Spike is my favorite canon character, and Draco Malfoy is my favorite fanon character; so I feel like this Venn diagram is just one circle explained by this meme.
Oh dear, I totally have neglected this tumblr. I'll be honest I don't really do nail art that much anymore, don't have the time for it. Check out my YT page for my makeup videos if you like: youtube.com/cherielovemakeup
Finally got around to doing my nails for Christmas. I usually dona different design on every nail but I've had no timw this year for that, so I did what I could. I missed doing my nail art, its relaxing. Happy holidays! #nailpolish #nailart #christmasnailart #penguin #snowman #christmastree #cute #nails #pretty
SOUTHWEST SUNSET! Nail Challenge day 2 - orange nails
base ombre colors - Urban outfitters - orange #1, Love & Beauty - orange & light orange, with a coat of sheer iridescent Sinful Colors - You just wait
Then for the desert i used Nail Star, - copper & Wine, O.P.I. - Bling Dynasty & Royal Rajah Ruby, Ruby Kisses - black eutopia, then added small hexagonal glitter in brown and gold and added gold rhinestones in each nail! topped with Seche Vite!
theartofmadeline
pixelskylines
andulkaphoto
germansingergirl
snowghoul
2087
origamiaround
dededos
kianamaiart
tangentwithtanner
