Shots in the Dark - Dramione

Love

Draco tapped his fingers a few times on the table and shifted in his seat. He'd practiced several things with Rivington, and worked through many potential ways to steer the conversation, including going as far as to plan how he would react to various outcomes.

He even accounted for her becoming thoroughly exasperated with him and storming off, ordinarily he would consider that highly likely, but their last conversation threw a wrench in that idea.

She just kept surprising him, and he was surprising himself, if he were honest.

Even with all his planning, he could not have accounted for the turn in which his date with Hermione Granger was going. She hadn't left, yelled at him, or in any way displayed disgust towards him. In fact, she had shared her dreams with him... even made plans.

They began brainstorming lightheartedly, a fundraising gala, as well as meetings with various ministry officials regarding some of her ideas.

Their time together was enlightening, at times tense, but pleasant...even moreso, it was hopeful .

However, Draco would be remiss if he did not heed Rivington's most poignant urging to, "just tell her, with your words, how you feel."

"Granger, I—" he inhaled and smoothed his hands across the table as if it were messy bedding that needed sorting, "Hermione," he corrected, "I know this— well for me at least it's all been a bit confusing. I am not the best at expressing..." he paused and furrowed his brows at the table before looking at her again.

Her eyes bore into his, and she nodded her head slowly, edging him to continue.

"All my life I have felt like I have had to prove myself. Every bit of attention or affection I received from my father.. and from... others, was conditional. I wanted to please, impress, one up, be at the top.... If it weren't for my mother I would probably never know the difference, but additionally..." Draco caught the shift in her breathing as he said the next part, "with you, I feel as if that is also possible," he cleared his throat and closed his eyes for a moment.

Why in the name of Hecate was this so fucking hard, he thought.

Because it's real.

He cleared his throat and pushed out, "and... you don't just make me feel good. You make me feel better ."

When he opened his eyes again, he realized his face must have twisted in a comical way because the corners of her mouth had jumped up

"Draco," she asked, and then feigned an exaggerated look of surprised seriousness, "Are you trying to tell me that you fancy me?"

"Fuck all, Granger," he said, scratching the back of his head and making a face at her.

She let out a tinkling laugh and wrinkled her nose at him.

He shook his head a few times and they both let out relieved laughs. Draco looked to the ceiling as if in prayer for several moments then met her eyes again.

His lips quivered a little longer as he tried to stifle his amusement, and then he inclined his head to the door, before saying, "Do you want to get out of here?" Draco asked her, lowering his voice and composing himself, "Let me show you how much I fancy you."

She fumbled her lips in her fingers playfully, then nodded her head slowly.

"My place or yours?" He asked.

'Um..." she said, a thought occurring to her, and he thought for a moment she was changing her mind.

"Y-you could, stay the night. With me," Draco tried. If they were going to move forward with being more honest, then Draco thought it best to try now, "I'd like you to, that is. Stay the night."