Decadent Dramione

Problems In Prefection - Part 9

It had been two weeks since Hermione had rejected him. Malfoy had avoided her ever since - leaving long before her in the morning, ignoring her during classes, and returning to the dorm late at night after she was already asleep. She hadn't told Ron or Harry anything yet, and she was okay with the choice she had made.

But she felt oddly dissatisfied.

She had to talk to him. She wanted him, but there were problems between them that needed to be resolved first. Whether or not she could forgive him depended on how he reacted to her side of the story.

So that night, after classes were done and she had finished her daily rounds of monitoring the halls, she settled into an armchair in their common room and waited for him to return.

It must have been long past midnight when quiet footsteps made their way into the common room. Hermione was drowsing in an armchair under the warm glow of a lamp, an open book on her lap. At the sound of feet, she awoke and looked up to find Draco's eyes on her, his face blank. He paused like he wanted to say something, but then seemed to think better of it and began walking past her to his room.

"Draco, wait!"

He ignored her. Hermione hopped out of her armchair, the book falling to the floor with a thunk as she ran to catch him before he could hole up in his room. She reached out and grabbed his arm, and found herself short of breath as his silver eyes looked into hers, cold and impatient.

All her practiced speeches flew out of her head. Instead, the words came tumbling out, quick and raw and true.

"You bullied me for years, Draco," she made herself hold his gaze. "You made me feel worthless for years. And need I remind you of the time you called me a- a..?" She couldn't even say the word out loud. "No matter how much I like you, I can't just ignore that you hurt me."

A sharp intake of breath, and she felt the muscles in his arm tighten. There was a long pause.

Hermione prayed that if this was going to go badly, he'd snap at her, and do it quickly, so she would finally be free to hide in her room and deal with whatever this growing tightness in her chest was. It didn't matter if she liked him, nobody deserved to be treated like dirt.

Draco stood silently, staring hard at his feet. He did not reply. Then, so quiet she almost missed it, "I'm sorry."

"What?" It sounded unreal. Hermione almost didn't believe it.

"I'm sorry. I was insecure and I liked you and I didn't know how else to get your attention. And there was my family." He seemed to steel himself to look at her. Stormy grey oceans met her gaze. "That's not an excuse. I've hurt you over and over and you have every right to be mad at me. And..." He paused to look down at the hand she had forgotten was on his arm. Soft and hesitant as a first kiss, he placed his hand over hers. Hermione shuddered, the warmth of his much larger palm engulfing her fingers.

Not looking up, he finished, "And if you don't want anything to do with me again, I understand, and I don't blame you at all. Just say the word and I'll never bother you again."

He finally looked up, and the naked vulnerability in his eyes took her breath away. "I have much to make up for. I want a chance to do that, but if you choose to not want me around, I will honor that. It will be the least I can do."

There was another pause as Hermione considered him. Draco Malfoy may have been brought up in a pureblood supremacist household and a jerk in his own right, but there was no way anyone could fake that kind of emotion. It was there in uncertain slate of his eyes, the tightness of his mouth, the tiny tremors of his hand on hers. She made her decision.

"If you want to, we can start over."

His head jerked up, eyes suddenly bright with hope as she said the words. She put her other hand on his, and his hands came up to hold both of hers.

"We can start small. Say hi in the corridors, chat, complain about Snape." He half-smiled at that. "We can be friends."

Hermione smiled - a small, tentative smile, testing the waters. Draco hesitated a moment, but he smiled back, relieved and real.

They were not completely okay yet, but they would be.

~~~~~~
A/N
I'M BACK BAYBEEEEEEE✨✨

Oof. It has been weeks? Months? I haven't checked - but it's been a long while. I'm glad to say I got into college, and I got so busy adjusting to the schedule I forgot about everything else, and with online classes and all I've barely had time to breathe :D 

But my first semester is over and here I am. Thank you all for being so fucking patient. I'm posting the rest of this story all together, as promised. Y'all deserve it.