Ending The Sacred Twenty-Eight (Dramione)

Love Is Messy

Back in Hogsmeade

There was the alarm ringing throughout her house again, accompanied by insistent knocks on her door; Hermione looked at the clock beside the bed and it let her know it was three a.m.

She had been sleeping for just under two hours since her grilled-cheese snack and Draco's unexpected visit.

She closed her eyes, hoping whoever or whatever was at her door would go away.

But they didn’t.

Fuck. She cursed, getting got out of bed, wand in hand and marching to the door, ready to hex whoever thought it a good idea to mess with a pregnant lady at that hour.

But when Hermione opened the door...

“Draco? You again. What the fuck do you want?” She was confused – and furious – he had returned after leaving without a word about an hour ago.

He walked in without waiting for an invitation this time, an arm wrapping around her while the other was on her face.

“I fixed it all, love. I told my parents everything and-”

“Fixed it all?” she shouted, pushing him away. “You think telling your parents about us now changes anything? Two months too late, Malfoy!” she glared at him. “Get out.”

“No, Granger, please, I love you.” He seemed desperate, his rumpled clothes and the dried blood on his chin adding to his look of despair.

“Get. Out!”

“We can marry now, love.”

Hermione laughed harshly, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me! You. Are. Already. Engaged!”

“Please, listen to me... I don’t want any other woman, I thought marrying Astoria would appease my parents and allow me to live my life with you-”

“In hiding!” she interrupted him. “As if our love is something to be ashamed of!”

“We hid it for four years, I thought-”

“And yet you promised me.” She interrupted him, her eyes filling up with tears. “You whispered those damn words in my ear every week since the first time we slept together. We hid for convenience, to avoid drama, yes! But if you had asked- if you had talked to me, we would've faced your family and my friends together!” she was panting.

“I see it now!” Draco shouted in exasperation. “I should never have agreed to hiding that I had you!” he was right on her again in seconds, holding her against his chest, securing both of her hands behind her back to avoid being hit or hexed. “You’re not a woman to be hidden, Granger. You’re a witch any man would be proud to call his.” He smiled, his eyes showing her how desperate he was. “You have no idea all that you mean to me, how you impacted my life. You turned my whole sense of self upside down from the very first moment I met you.”

“What?” She looked at him with a frown, not expecting the conversation to go that way. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You weren’t supposed to exist.” he explained, a look of adoration filling up his face. “I was raised to believe people like you were nothing but dirt, lesser wizards and witches, unworthy of the magic they possessed. And yet, you bested me in all classes.”

Hermione stopped trying to free her arms, staring into his eyes, knowing her rational thoughts would lose the battle against her heart’s desires if he kept looking at her like that.

“Year, after year,” Draco continued. “You were there beating me on every class, every subject. Then you physically assaulted me and I... I couldn’t stop thinking about that, about you. Ask any of my friends – they were sick of hearing about you after third year.”