"Have I ever told you about your eyes?"
There was a long sigh.
"Yes. Several times now."
"They're so brown... Chocolate with honey. Pure amber in the sunlight. They light up as though they have stars in them when you're happy." Draco gave a long deep sigh. "I love them. Adore them, really. I would kill a man for your eyes."
"Yes. You mentioned that earlier when I came to get you from the bar."
"And your hair—" he caught hold of a lamp post with one hand and proceeded to swing around and around it. "I used to think it was hideous. Like a doxy nest. Sometimes"—his voice dropped into a stage whisper so loud it bounced off the buildings—"I think it's sentient."
He twirled around the lamp post again before straightening unsteadily.
"But your hair has grown on me too. Pucey made a comment about it last week, and I hexed that bastard so hard his descendants will have boils." He sneered for a moment before his expression transformed into a smug smile.
"Teach that fucking tosser to say a word about my girlfriend." He gave a deep bow from the waist and nearly face-planted into the pavement.
Hermione caught him by his scarf and straightened him, gripping him by the waist.
"Yes. I'm sure you felt very chivalrous." Her voice was dry.
He nodded heavily, wrapping his arm tightly around her shoulders and drawing himself up. "I am a gentleman."
There was a pause.
"I try—to be a gentleman." His voice wobbled.
She looked up sharply and found him staring down at her, his eyes were large and luminous, and beginning to swim. His jaw was trembling.
"God—Granger—" his voice cracked, "I'm so sorry for everything I did at school—how I treated you—I know you'll probably never be able to forgive me—"
She cut him off abruptly. "What do you think of my ears?"
He blinked, looking confused and sidetracked. "Your—ears?"
"Yes. What do you think of them?" She walked him rapidly down the street while speaking. "I wonder if maybe they're a bit too big."
"No! Your ears are perfect. Like—little pink seashells. But..." his voice was loudly conspiratorial, "my favourite thing about you," he was getting louder with every word as they turned the corner, "despite how much I love your eyes and ears, are the little noises you make when I lick your cu—"
She clamped her hand firmly over his mouth and held it there until his jaw stopped moving. She glared at him as she pulled her hand away.
"Will you keep quiet, you imbecile?" Her face was visibly scarlet even in the moonlight.
"Rude," he muttered under his breath. "Rude. Rude."
He pulled away from her sulkily, walking over to a wall and proceeding to slide down it and sit on the damp pavement, his eyes closing.
Hermione groaned and shook him, trying to pull him to his feet. "No, no, no stay with me. Don't close your eyes."
"Leave me alone, witch. I'm taken," he said. His voice was deeply slurred and he slumped down further.
Hermione started to reach into her jacket but paused and glanced over her shoulder. A matronly woman was peering disapprovingly at them through the curtains of her house. Hermione withdrew her hand with a sigh.
"Come on." She grunted and nearly fell backwards as she dragged him up off the ground.
His head lolled forward and he leaned heavily against her, nearly folding her over as she stumbled down the street past three more townhouses and then laboriously dragged him up the steps to the front door.
"Here we are." Her voice was breathless as she dug out a key and they fell through the doorway.
She lay panting for several seconds and then rolled him out of the way and kicked the door closed before drawing her wand. She flicked it and carefully levitated his limp body up the stairs and into the bedroom. Pulling back the comforter, she dropped him down onto the bed, pulled off his shoes, slipped his tie off, and tucked him carefully in.
She went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and change into pyjamas before crawling in beside him, curling up against his shoulder. His arm immediately shifted and wrapped around her.
She lifted her head, resting her hand on his chest as she kissed him chastely on the lips.
Draco's eyes instantly popped open and he withdrew his arm with a jerk, nearly toppling off the bed.
Hermione sat up and watched as he quickly sat up, snatching up his pillow and holding it against his chest as he stood. He glanced around the bedroom and hurried over to the rug on the far side. He looked up and down the floor and finally dropped the pillow in one corner and proceeded to lie down there, bunching the pillow under his head and closing his eyes.
Hermione stared at him for several seconds before finally speaking. "Draco... what are you doing? Come back to bed. Aren't you going to sleep with me?"
His eyes opened and he looked at her blearily from across the room. He shook his head so firmly his shoulders swung with each movement. "No. I'm sure you're a very nice person, but I have a girlfriend. I'm not fucking it up. Not for anyone."
He closed his eyes again and went to sleep.
