Healing the Heart (Dramione)

15|| Fried Eggs and Dancing

Draco awoke in the middle of the night when the couch cushions next to him moved. He frowned in the darkness, trying to figure out what had caused the shift. A warmth enveloped him as two dainty arms wrapped around his middle. It took him a moment to remember the events of the previous evening. Hermione. At some point during the night they had both laid down on the couch for a more comfortable position. Her nose brushed along his collarbone as she let out a gentle sigh against his neck. Her breath stirred his hair and sent goose pimples down his spine.

Afraid that he might jostle her with the slightest movement, he remained motionless. It'd been a very long time since he laid next to another human. Draco had slept with women before but never had he slept next to one. This situation somehow seemed so much more intimate than actually shagging a girl.

Laying still for a moment, he listened to the sound of her even breathing and the crickets chirping in the bushes outside. Worried that the sound of his heart pounding against his ribs would wake her he willed himself to take a few deep breaths in hopes of calming his racing heart. Once his eyes adjusted to the darkness he could see her form nestled firmly against his own. Her hair fell in a tangled mess over her eyes and cheeks.

"Hermione?" He whispered. When she didn't respond he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her shoulders and buried his nose in her hair. She smelled like earth, rain, and old books. She smelled perfect. He breathed in deeply, tightened his hold around her, and brought her closer to his chest before drifting back to sleep.

~

The smell of fried eggs and the sound of humming woke him up the next morning. "Hermione?" He mumbled, groaning as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. Each time Draco fell asleep on the couch, he regretted it. His entire body would ache and he often felt groggy for most of the next day.

Draco stumbled off the sofa and into the kitchen. She was standing in front of his stove, frying eggs, but that wasn't what caught his attention. Her hair was damp from a recent shower, her feet bare. She was wearing a pair of his drawstring sweatpants, rolled up at the cuffs because they were too long, and a t-shirt of his. She was still humming, swaying softly to her own tune. Something about this scene made his stomach clench. He paused at the counter, watching as she spun in a circle with her eyes closed.

"Morning."

"Oh!" Her dancing stopped. "Draco, good morning."

"Are you dancing while making breakfast?" He walked up behind her and pushed the top of his head into her back.

"That I am." She chuckled. "Do you want to dance?" She tried taking his hand only for him to pull back.

"Nope. I don't dance."

She shrugged and turned back to cooking. "Do you want one egg or two?"

"Just one, I'm going to shower really fast."

"Okay, just move my stuff from the floor. I hope it's alright, I borrowed some clothes, mine smelled odd and were still a little damp from last night."

He nodded numbly and walked into the bathroom to shower. "You know," He called, leaving the door open as he turned the water on and climbed in. "You could just leave a few of your clothes here. That way you won't have to go home to change when this happens again."

He could almost hear the smile in her voice. "We do end up back here rather often. Alright, you make sure to do the same. I have a nearly empty drawer in my room you can use."

"I'll stop by after work with a few things."

"Perfect. Hurry up! Your eggs are done!"

"Yeah, yeah." He stepped out of the shower and pulled on a pair of sweatpants. Grabbing a shirt from his room as he headed into the kitchen. "Wait a second," He looked at the plate sitting on the table with two eggs and a piece of toast on it. "I believe I asked for only one egg."

Hermione turned around and stuck her tongue out at him. Immediately, she noticed that he had yet to put on his shirt. The sight caused her heart to beat a little faster as a light pink flush crept onto her cheeks. He took note of the change in her demeanor and stalked over to her. She dropped her eyes to the floor, avoiding his gaze.

"Why are you blushing 'Mione?" He teased gently, only stopping once he was nearly chest to chest with her. Placing a finger lightly under her chin, he lifted her head till he could see her eyes. Strands of damp hair fell in front of her eyes in an attempt to hide her face. His thumb lightly traced along her jaw as he grinned down at her. "Does seeing me without a shirt make you nervous? Maybe excite you a little?" His voice was surprisingly level considering how fast his heart was racing. Peeking through her hair, she met his eyes.

"Your eggs are getting cold." She whispered. "And we need to get to work." Breaking contact with him, she placed the pan in the sink and put the eggs back in the fridge. "I'll see you there." Then, realizing that she was still wearing his clothes. "Mind if I bring them back later? Or you could pick them up when you stop by?"

"Of course." For some reason he enjoyed watching her walk around his flat in his clothes. "See you at work." He called as she walked out the door. Draco's shoulders fell once she left. He was playing with fire. Tempting fate. Courting danger. Call it what you will, Draco was doing it. He thought back to the conversation he had with The Director. The old man was right; Draco was drawn to the forbidden but that wasn't why he remained friends with Hermione. He truly did enjoy spending time with her but somewhere that friendship had rekindled his feelings for her from Hogwarts. He had no intention of losing her  but if he wasn't careful, he'd lose his job and her in one fell swoop.