“marry me instead”
Hermione woke up to someone pounding on her door. Finding her wand, she carefully made her way down the the stairs.
“Granger! GRANGER!” The pounding continued.
With her hand still firmly gripping her wand, spells sitting on the tip of her tongue, ready to be unleashed, she cautiously opened the door.
In front of her, she saw a man sprawled on the floor, sobbing, whispering, “Granger” over and over again.
She lowered her wand, rushing to his side. “Draco?” She cradled his head, checking for signs of injuries.
“Granger please.” He choked out.
“What is it? Are you hurt?” She raised her wand ready to cast a diagnostic spell. Instead, he grasped her hand and lowered her wand.
“I need you to listen to me. And please don’t interrupt.”
“Granger - Hermione, I need to tell you that I’m in love with you. I’ve loved you from the moment we met on that train. Even when I was meant to hate you, I couldn’t do it.”
“Draco…” Hermione cupped his face, using her thumb to try to wipe away the never ending tears steaming down his face.
He leaned into her touch, putting a hand over hers. “Please marry me instead. I’m begging you. Choose me.”
“But Draco -“
He cut her off. “You’re the air that I breathe, without you, I’ll suffocate. You’re the sunshine to my days, and with you gone, I’ll be plunged into darkness. I know I don’t deserve you, but please let me spend this lifetime and the next trying to be worthy for you.”
“Draco, we’re already married…”
He took a minute to absorb her confession. Finally, a dopey smile appeared on his face.
“Really?” He asked, looking like a child opening presents on Christmas.
“Yes love, as of 5 yrs ago.”
He abruptly embraced her, engulfing her in the scent of firewhisky. He clutched onto her fearing that if he let go, she’d disappear.
“Wow, when did I get so lucky?” He whispered into her hair. She could feel her hair getting wet from the tears that he was still shedding.
As she was rubbing circles on his back, trying to comfort him, two sets of footsteps abruptly burst through their gate.
Hermione turned her head and narrowed her eyes at the two men, leaning against the fence trying to catch their breath.
“You were supposed to take care of him.” She hissed.
Theo was the first to recover. “Well it looks like everything’s taken care of.”
“Yeah, we’ll give you some time to alone.” Blaise said, grabbing Theo’s arm, ready to bolt out.
Before either can move, she casted a /petrificus totalus/ on both men, allowing them to fall into her rose bushes. She ushered Draco inside, leaving Theo and Blaise outside as her problem tomorrow.
