Lost Control- Dramione Fanfiction

43. Memories

DM + HG

1994

She gasped as she ran her fingers over the faded letters carved into the wood of the ancient, gnarled tree. "Draco," Hermione spoke quietly, her heart hammering in her chest, "What is..." But her sentence faded out as she sat in the muddy garden bed and stared at the years old carving, her mouth gaping open in shock.

Draco broke the silence with a deep breath "I carved that into the tree the summer after our third year.. I guess when you punched me, you sent my senses flying as well." He finished his sentence with a nervous chuckle.

Hermione tore her eyes away from the carving to meet Draco's gaze, his face half hidden by the branches. "Are you serious?" She breathed as she watched him run a hand anxiously through his hair.

"I've loved you for a long time Hermione." He chuckled. "I just wish I'd stopped being such a git and gotten on with asking you out earlier."

Draco then reached a hand out to help her navigate back through the garden bed. Any ability to form a sentence had disappeared with her shock so she wordlessly accepted his helped and crawled back through the branches to meet him on the other side.

Her mind was buzzing as he pulled her up and enveloped her into a hug and she closed her eyes to appreciate the feeling of his warmth spreading through her body. For a moment, they stood there in silence, but Hermione's mind was racing as she searched every single memory that her and Draco shared in school that would have given her any clue to how he felt about her.

And she found nothing.

But Draco, always seeming to know what she was thinking, replied to the thoughts buzzing around her head. "Malfoy's are trained not to show emotion. I guess I did a thorough job of making sure you never knew." Hermione could feel him chuckle to himself as she pressed her cheek firmly to his chest. He continued, "Every year I'd watch you-"

"Like a little creep?" Hermione laughed into his chest.

"Yeah!" Draco laughed, "Like a little creep! No wonder you all called me ferret!" Hermione giggled in reply as the both continued to stand, arms wrapped around each other.

Draco's laughs died down, but he continued to speak happily and playfully, "I remember reading all of the articles about you and Potter during the Triwizard Tournament and going to bed every night sick with jealousy!"

Hermione felt Draco's fingers now absentmindedly trace circles around her back as he continued to reminisce, and she buried her head into his jacket even further.

"Or in fifth year, when we caught you all in Umbridge's office! Merlin, Hermione, all I was thinking about was throwing you over my shoulder and marching you down to a secret passageway so I could snog your brains out!"

Hermione kept her arms wrapped firmly around Draco's waist but pulled back so she could look at his face, "You're not serious!" She scoffed happily and Draco winked at her, "Every time I was nasty to you, it was because I was trying to distract myself so I didn't run over and pin you up against the nearest wall."

Hermione's laughed and Draco stood there still smiling at her. "If you'd done that, I would have knocked you into the next week!"

"I know, Mione!" Draco chuckled at her and he slowly began to pull away from her. "I was just as terrified of you as I was attracted to you."

Hermione continued to beam at Draco as he stepped back and admired her. Even in the cold, night air, her insides were warm and flush; her heart felt like it had never been so full.

Suddenly, Draco grabbed Hermione's hand and held it to his heart. "You are incredible Hermione Granger." He murmured and Hermione felt the warmth spread across her cheeks and nose. Bringing her hand up to his lips, he kissed each of her fingers softly.

Still staring deeply into her eyes, he waved his wand and the cool breeze rushing through Hermione's bones suddenly stopped. A pleasant warmth spread across her skin and Hermione had to check that the sun hadn't suddenly burst through the inky black sky. Draco waved his wand again and out burst a stream of twinkling lights, as if he had pulled the stars out of the sky to gently rain down over the two of them.

Draco then reached into his pocket and pulled out a little, black velvet box. Hermione couldn't stop the sharp intake of breath that escaped her lips at the sight of it. Her eyes welled with the memories of the last time she saw this box, but Draco's hand was already cupping her cheek.

"I never thought, in a million years, that I would have the honour of calling you mine Hermione." Draco began, caressing her cheek with his thumb. "You've taught me things I never thought were possible. You turned an over-privileged, idiotic little git with a bad attitude into an over-privileged, idiotic big git who is head-over-heels in love with you."

Draco flashed her a smile before his face suddenly became more solemn. "I've hurt you in ways that you should never have forgiven me for Mione. But, lucky for me, you are a better person that I will ever be and you took me back every time."

Hermione reached up to brush the stray strand of hair that had fallen on to Draco's forehead as he looked down at his feet.

"I promise I'll never hurt you again Mione." And, with that, he stepped back and opened the little, velvet box to present to Hermione.