Prompt : Dracoās Post War Trial
Hermione runs into Draco, two or so months after the war. The Malfoy family fled to France, incidentally where Hermione decided to take a small solo vacation. She runs into him at the small bistro in the ground floor of her hotel as she goes to get breakfast on her fourth morning there. But Draco pretty much runs as soon as he can, leaving her standing there wondering what had just happened.
She comes back the next morning, hoping to see him again. Draco returns the next morning as well, telling himself the food was just really good.
āDonāt run.ā she says, coming up behind him. She sees his back straighten and his shoulder tense. He doesnāt turn around, but he doesnāt run either. āWill you just have breakfast - you donāt even have to sit at the same table.ā
So without a word, Draco sits at the table next to him and they have breakfast, sitting back to back at two separate tables.
āSo, are you enjoying France?ā Hermione asks, after theyāve gotten their food.
āItās fine,ā he answers curtly. And then thereās silence for most of the meal but Draco just canāt help himself. āWhat are you doing here?ā he finally asks.
Hermione lets a little smile slip, because at least heās making conversation even if he is a little short with it. āNothing, really.ā
āNothing?ā His voice sounds closer and she can tell heās turned his head, engaging with her further.
āWell, Iām doing a lot of sleeping, and some reading. And I suppose Iāve done a little bit of sightseeing. Really⦠Iām just here to relax.ā
He doesnāt respond and Hermione calls for her check, silently gesturing to the server for Dracoās as well. āBreakfast was delicious,ā she says in French as she hands the server her money. āI will definitely be back tomorrow.ā she adds, still in French and loud enough for Draco to hear.
The next morning sheās halfway through her meal when Draco pulls out the chair across from her and signals for the server.
āGood morning,ā she greets after heās ordered. āI see you speak French.ā
āObviously. Look Granger, what do you want?ā
She sips her coffee. āI donāt want anything.ā
āBullocks, everybody wants something. What is it? Money? You going to turn us in unless we hand over a fortune?ā
Hermione interrupts him with a big, boisterous laugh. Itās full and loud and genuine and something heād never seen her do before. Ā āOh, Merlin,ā she sighs as she starts to catch her breath. She wipes the moisture from her eyes. āOh, thatās rich. Truly. Thank you for that, I havenāt laughed that hard in⦠who knows when.ā
Still trying to regulate her breath, she stands and puts enough muggle money to cover her breakfast on the table. āI guess I just enjoyed seeing a familiar face, even if it was yours.ā And he watches as she goes back into the hotel.
The next morning sheās shocked and surprised to see his his tall frame nearly folded up in the small chairs in the lobby, coffee and muggle paper in hand. āDo you have plans for the day?ā he asks as she walks up, not giving her a chance to greet him.
Sheās a bit taken aback, both by the question itself and his short tone, but she answers anyway. āJust a bit of exploring, really. Nothing solid.ā
āWould you like a familiar face to accompany you?ā
She smiles a little. āI wouldnāt be opposed to it, no.ā
So for the third morning in a row they have breakfast together, and afterwards they spend the day walking around the city. They roam the streets, pop into shops, and even stroll through a museum. Thereās not a lot of laughter, or goofing off, or even a lot of conversation; itās not a movie montage where they end up best friends by the end of it. But Draco explains some of the intricacy and history behind a few paintings, and Hermione gives highly informative insights into the architecture and lesser known history of the city and they have a nice, quiet lunch and itās not all bad, thereās a calm and comfort to the day that neither were likely to admit for a long time.
āWell that wasnāt completely awful,ā Hermione says, half joking, as they arrive at her hotel. Draco let a quick smile flash on his face and Hermione canāt help but think that a smile looks good on him, almost handsome even.
āNo, I supposed not.ā Thereās an awkward silence as neither one quite know how to say goodbye.
āWell, I guess Iāll see you around,ā Hermione finally says, turning towards the glass doors next to them.
āGranger,ā Draco says, a little more urgently than he would like. She turns to face him, but he avoids direct eye contact. āI - I have some things to attend to tomorrow but⦠would you like to have dinner Friday night?ā
A jumble of thoughts flood her mind, but in the end she gives him a soft smile and says, ādinner sounds great.ā
Friday night he waits for her in the lobby at the agreed upon time, and almost doesnāt recognize her when she walks in. Sheās in a figuring flattering dress, in a color that brings out her eyes, and her hair is sleek and curled and partly up. It looks nothing like the Granger he knows and he canāt stop the smile from spreading across his face.
When Hermione sees him sheās suddenly hyper aware of everything, her dress and hair and how sheās walking and she almost feels like turning and running back to her room. But she doesnāt and he brings her one of his favorite restaurants and theyāre between courses when it happens. He tells her how nice she looks and she returns the favor, complimenting him on his suit.
āItās actually transfigured,ā he replies before he can stop himself.
āWhat?ā Hermione asks, a bemused chuckle in her voice. Draco tries to hide his embarrassment with the bottom of his Scotch glass, but Hermione press him on.
āMy family and I - we werenāt really able to get out with much.ā He mumbles. Itās the first time either have spoken of anything outside of what was immediately around them. Theyād tiptoed around it in all previous interactions, ignored the Hippogriff in the room. And after that instance, they go right back to doing it.
They spend the next week together, and the longer theyāre with each other the more their pasts and the wizarding world start to slip into the conversation. Draco eventually asks about the rebuilding, and how itās going. Hermione tells him about Kingsley as Minister, and the changes heās making. She tells him about how Hogwarts is doing, and how she plans to go back to finish up her Seventh Year. She eventually finds away to slip in Azkaban, and how the Ministry have removed the Dementors.
Draco grows quiet and moody after that, ending their lunch abruptly and sticking Hermione with the bill. He shows up that night, to her room, to apologize.
āItās okay, I understand,ā Hermione mumbles. āListen Iām really tired, maybe -ā she starts, as she slowly begins to close the door on him. But he puts his hand up, stopping her.
āNo, Hermione. Iām sorry.ā
It takes her a minute to realize what heās saying, but it clicks when she looks into his eyes and can see his remorse.
āIām just - I wish I could undo everything. I wish I could take it all back -ā She stops him by pulling him into the room, away from a family walking by, but she lets him say everything he needs to say. And he has a lot to say. He repeats and re-words a lot of things, rambles at length, talks to himself more than her at times, and ends up trying to hide his tears, but she lets him get it all out.
āYou should turn yourself in,ā she says, after heās done and theyāve spent a good five minutes in silence.
āWhat?ā he asks, incredulously. Heās angry, but more so at himself because heās known for a while itās what he has to do.
āTurn yourself in. Give up any information you have. Do your time. And then make it better.ā
They fight from there, mostly due to Dracoās obstinace, and she doesnāt see him for three days. On the fourth day he shows up at her door, disheveled and in disarray but with a packed bag. Heād spent those three days fighting with his parents.
āIt doesnāt matter what happened,ā he tells her when she asks, āIām coming back with you. But I need you to do something for me.ā