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Part 1 Here! / Part 2 Here! / Part 3 Here!
A/N: I think two more parts and an epilogue :)
* If Draco’s being honest, he kind of saw it coming
* Honestly the fact that she had been so quiet when everything unfolded in Paris was very unlike her
* So he’s not at all surprised to see her in the mundane waiting area at his department
* A very frazzled receptionist who’s frantically telling an old war hero that even though she saved the world, she can’t see Mr.Malfoy without an appointment
* “It’s alright Saoirse, I’ll take it from here,” he tells the receptionist with a soft pat on the shoulder before turning his attention to his visitor
* “Hello Granger,” she only replies with a polite smile
* He really was afraid of this
* “what can I do for you?”
* And that’s how he found himself at a cafe around the corner sitting across from his old nemesis -
* And apparently also his old school crush-
* With two steaming cups of untouched tea in front of them
* He’s trying to keep calm, not showing that he’s internally freaking out
* It’s no sooner that the server is out of earshot that Granger leans over the table and says through gritted teeth
* “What are you playing at Malfoy?”
* And Draco, having learned one single thing living with his parents is that when someone is angry-
* So he takes control of the moment, lifting the cup of tea to his lips and savoring his sip of tea before saying :
* “I have no idea what you mean”
* It only makes her angrier
* Well what did she think was going to happen?
* That she could just show up unannounced and interrogate him about his relationship
* He doesn’t need her to be hard on him, he’s hard enough on himself for the both of them
* “Honestly Draco, are you so self-involved that you have no consideration for what will happen to them once your family finds out you’re involved with a Muggle”
* He’s thought of nothing but that actually
* “You’ll be fine of course, you’re their son they’ll forgive you for it, call it a flight of youth but what about them? What about the years you’re stealing from them, their mind-“
* Mid tirade, Draco slips a hand into his suit pocket and pulls out a small velvet box
* Hermione stops talking when he sets it down in the middle of the table
* “I bought it the day after our first date”
* After that day, he knew there was no going back
* He couldn’t live a life without you, he couldn’t go back to the way things were anymore
* Hermione doesn’t say anything for a long time
* “Your parents-“she starts
* “Will disown me” Draco finishes and then after thinking about it for a second he adds:
* “Draco-“ Hermione’ stone is sympathetic but he stops her right there
* “I know you think I’m the worst and daft to boot, and honestly I probably am, but don’t think for a second I haven’t considered all the angles for how this play’s out”
* They sit in silence, and to Draco’s surprise it’s not painful
* “You love them that much?” And for the first time, Hermione isn’t looking at him with a glare
* “With all my heart” he responds without a moments thought
* If being with you means his family will never speak to him again if it means he’ll have to give up his money if it means he’ll have to give up magic forever
* He’ll give them all up with a smile on his face
* “They show up in my nightmares you know” Granger raises her eyebrow at that
* Ah, that came out wrong
* He’s certainly not saying the person he loves is the root of his nightmares
* Every so often he’ll be back in school
* Kicking some first year while they’re down
* Telling Potter how pathetic he is because he doesn’t have parents
* Standing in front of the vanishing cabinet in the room of requirement, trying to mend it
* Standing in front of Dumbledore with his wand raised
* And he can see himself doing all of these terrible things, things that make him cringe and ashamed
* A hand placed on his shoulder
* “You can choose kindness Draco”
* “You don’t have to hurt other people so they don’t notice that you’re hurting too”
* And so, like things always are when you're around, the dream is bathed in warm gold light
* Draco extends his hand, helping the first year onto his feet
* He tells Potter: “sometimes I’m jealous you haven’t got any parents. Sometimes the things they want from me - it's like I can’t breathe”
* He breaks that vanishing cabinet
* And he lowers his wand and whispers “help me please, tell me what I have to do to escape this future”
* And it makes all the difference
* “They’re what saves me,” he says, completely unaware of the look in Hermione’s eyes
* Ron and Harry never saw it, but she did-
* It’s easy for the three of them to be good, they had people like Dumbledore and Arthur Weasley and Professor McGonagall to look up to, to look towards when they thought they may stray from their path
* But Draco never had anyone like that
* He had Snape, but that was a mess in and of itself
* And she’s ashamed to say that as smart as she is, she didn’t see it sooner
* Not until she saw him in that Parisian bakery
* She didn’t think he could look that kind in general, let alone to a Muggle
* But just because he’s better now because of you, doesn’t mean he should be better at the expense of you
* “If you hurt them you won’t need to worry about your parents, I’ll murder you myself”
* “I’m sorry,” and when she seems confused he adds:
* “For all the things I did in school, I regret all of them”
* An awkward expression crosses her face
* “I’m not asking for your forgiveness, I don’t deserve it, I just-“
* He just thought that she deserved one, even if it was after all these years
* “I just wanted to apologize”
* Not wanting to make her uncomfortable he moves to leave, standing up and ticking his chair in
* “Oh and one more thing,” he says before leaving.
* “Let Weasley and Potter know that the irony isn’t lost on me that I fell in love with a Muggle,” he says with a grin, and Hermione smiles back.
* You walk out of the office to see Draco leaning against the building, a brown bag in hand
* He’s wearing that black on black suit
* “Were you waiting for me?” You’re probably grinning when he leans down to greet you with a kiss, grabbing your hand with his free on
* Fingers intertwining as you walk down the street
* “I got finished early, thought I would surprise you with some of your favorite food,” he says the paper bag rustling in his hand
* “My place or yours,” you ask, and Draco gulps
* He puts on his best smile
* “Yours is probably best”
* He strips off his coat the moment he asks in, before helping you out of yours
* “You’re being so attentive today,” you say with a giggle while he tucks your hair behind your ear
* “Just missed you is all,” he says with a smile
* “Hard day at work?” You ask setting your keys down and you see Draco shrug
* “A little” a tiny reassuring smile curled onto his face
* “I’ll get us some wine,” you say “white or red?”
* He takes a seat on your couch, leg bouncing
* You come back with two glasses of rosé
* “I thought you said my options were white or red?” He says taking one of the glasses
* “And you said ‘surprise me’”
* He laughs, setting the glass down on a coaster
* “You know there’s no one else like you in the world, you’re an original piece” he’s teasing, but it’s not unkind
* “Well I didn’t see you complaining about my originality last month when you proposed to me”
* And you know exactly what’s about to happen
* Before his hand dips into his pocket
* Before you see the velvety box, which creaks open to reveal a formidable diamond ring
* “That’s right, I love your originality, I love everything about you. And I want nothing more than to spend my entire life being surprised by you”
* You don’t realize you’re crying until Draco’s thumbs wipe away the tears on your cheeks
* Your mouth opens to tell him that you want nothing more than to surprise him for the rest of your life too, nothing more than to stay by his side
* “Before you answer, there’s something you need to know, something I haven’t been 100% honest about”
* Draco averts his gaze and you feel anxiety gnaw at you
* What sort of terrible thing could it be?
* He looks straight into your eyes with those warm Grey orbs
