𝑀𝒶 𝒷𝑒𝓁𝓁𝑒 𝒷𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑒

𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓇𝓉𝓎-𝑒𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉

Hermione felt like she had been petrified again, she was getting her first measurements for her costume and the seamstress was more terrifying than Madam Pince when someone drew on a book

"Hold still" the German witch ordered

Hermione glanced at Draco who looked like he wanted to burst out laughing at any given moment

She glared at him and he winked at her, rolling her eyes she winced when the witch poked her with a needle, Hermione didn't know if she did that by accident or on purpose

"Diese verliebte Hexe weiß nicht, wie sie still bleiben soll" Hermione heard the older witch mutter under her breath, Hermione furrowed her eyebrows in confusion but winced once again when the witch poked her again

"Frown lines, no good on young witch" she ordered and flicked her forehead

"Ow" Hermione whispered, she looked into the mirror and saw Draco laughing, he had cast a silencing spell on himself so that he wouldn't get in trouble

That bastard

She sent a wandless pinching hex and he stopped laughing, now he was glaring at her while Hermione smiled innocently at him through the mirror

"There, all done, come back in four weeks for refitting" The witch said and waved her wand, the pinned fabrics got off Hermione and left her only in her undergaments, she didn't risk glancing at Draco while she redressed, if she had, then she would have seen him eyeing her as if she was the welcoming feast

She put on her shoes and turned to him

"I get a few hours free, what do you want to do?" She asked him

Draco shrugged, Hermione bit her lower lip

"I-I need to go Christmas shopping and buy a nice gown for Sunday, I can show you my favourite place" she said, blushing and turning away from him, when he didn't respond she felt her heart plummet and mentally kicked herself for being so stupid, his words from a few weeks ago ran through her mind, she hated it but couldn't stop it

"Nevermind, another witch has probably asked you to go out with her, you—"

"Shut up for a moment will you?" Draco asked her, Hermione spun around, she willed the tears to go away which was a failed mission considering that Draco saw her lower lip quiver slightly before she bit it to stop it from shaking, he took a deep breath, fearing what he knew was running through her mind, he had to fix this, he slowly took a step towards her as if not to startle her

"Sweetheart" he whispered, she looked at him and he could swear her eyebrows disappeared into her hair "there is no other witch I'd rather spend my day with, and I'd really like to see your favourite place, if you'll show me that is" he smiled softly, he sighed with relief when her lip stopped quivering and her eyes dried up, he took another step towards her and pulled her into a hug, Hermione stiffened for a second before relaxing into his embrace and inhaled his scent, Draco took a risk and kissed the top of her head, she snuggled closer into him and he smiled into her hair

Hermione knew that she was completely and utterly defenseless against this man, and she knew that there was no way her feelings for him weren't just friendly anymore, no, she was falling for this man, and she worried that he wasn't going to be there to catch her

.

Hermione and Draco were walking down the streets of the city of light, they were bundled from head to toe to prevent the snow from nipping their skins

"Here we are" she clapped like a little kid on Christmas, she led Draco into a ice cream

"Ice cream?" Draco asked her

She nodded and walked up to the till, Draco watched how her eyes sparkled in the light

A few moments later she came back with two chocolate and vanilla ice cream cones

"Where did you find this pace?" Draco asked her while taking his cone

"Madam Marie-Rose brought me here on my seventh birthday, after that every birthday she would bring me here" she told him

Draco eyed her for a moment

"Don't take this the wrong way but...you speak of madam Marie-Rose as if she's your mother, why?"

They reached a small park and made sure that no muggles were looking at them before waving their wands and casting a small warning bubble around them, she took a deep breath and looked out to watch the children playing in the snow

"My parents were one of the top dentistry practitioners in Britain which meant that they were very well known and sought out, I think I spend more time with nannies than I did with them if I'm being completely honest" she explained, she looked at him and took another deep breath

"When I started having my accidental bursts of magic I had a really bad one at preschool and a child got hurt, my parents paid it off but immediately decided that I would be too much work, they started looking for other families that would be 'better equipped' which basically meant that they had nothing to lose, they were going to give me away because I am different" she whispered, her voice breaking but she fought the urge to cry, this was the first time she had said that to anyone else

"One day Madam Marie-Rose showed up and told them that she could teach me, and she did, she taught me how to sit, eat and talk 'properly' but more than that she became a parent for me, she would go to every recital and every show, she was always waiting for me after I finished, I have bad performance anxiety but it helps to have someone waiting backstage, I got the love of a parent from her that I never got from my actual parents, I guess I see see her like my actual mother than my biological mother" she finished, Draco brought a hand up and cupped her cheek, he used his thumb to wipe the tears away

"Do you know why she left?" Draco whispered softly

She shook her head and moved closer to him, seeking his warmth, he put an arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer into his side

"I don't...but I miss her" she cried softly

Draco held her tightly, he was utterly screwed with this woman, she was going to be the death of him, and it pained him slightly knowing that she didn't feel the same way, but he would rather love her from afar than to risk lose her from his life completely