Fait à la Perfection

25

Hermione took a long, ragged breath as she braced herself. She ensured that the bouquet was still in place and that she looked presentable.

She knocked and waited.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

Four—

Just as she was about to flee. The door opened and a miserable looking Malfoy stood there, his eyes were bloodshot and he had deep bags under them. He looked skinnier and she felt guilty for pushing him away when all he needed was a little space.

"Granger?" He rasped, "i-i-is everything okay? Are James—Henry—"

"Malfoy," she snapped to stop his rambling, "I'm here to talk to you about...me...and what it would mean to be us."

He leaned on the door. Almost as he couldn't get his own legs to hold him up. She took a breath and a step closer. He smelled like he hasn't seen the light of day in a week.

He exhaled shakily and nodded his head. Clearly he thought that she was going to end this relationship before it began. Fortunately he thought wrong.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I—"

This was it.

The make or break.

"I have never felt like this with anyone," she confessed "it was—is terrifying...I'm so scared—"

"That I'm going to leave you?" He whispered.

She shook her head.

"That I'm going to leave you, I had prepared myself to be alone, not fall in love, because for the longest time I knew that falling in love meant getting hurt. I saw how my dad's death broke my mother and I knew that I could never do that to someone, and I'm still so scared that those thoughts are going to win, but I'm not scared with you, I'm terrified with you because you—you broke away all those walls...and you're still breaking those walls and I-I hate you for it because you're leaving me vulnerable but for the first time in forever I can finally breath without feeling like I'm drowning, you—you have no idea what you're doing to me...and I don't think you ever will..."

After finishing her confession. Draco just stood there looking at her. She clenched and unclenched her jaw as she waited for him to respond.

His mouth opened and closed as he gawked at her.

"You—"

"I want you to meet Alan," she blurted out, he looked at her confused as she took a shaky breath, "he—he's been my therapist for years and...well...I think if he told you part of my story...you would be able to see what you would be getting yourself into," she laughed tearfully "oh gods this is annoying, I'm...I'm so broken Draco, I'm so...I'm so tired of not getting what I want, and right now the only think I want us. I want you, Malfoy, I want you but I'm terrified that you'll run for the hills once you realize just how messed up I am in the head...but...but you have healed me in a way that I thought no one would ever do, you...you have seen the darkness in me and have accepted it...so...I know this it too much to ask...but will you give me another chance?"

She was breathing heavily and crying by the end of her confession. She extended the flowers towards him and he took them.

"Granger..." he whispered.

He took a step forward and leaned down. She flinched and looked at him.

"As much as I would love to kiss you," she murmured, "you stink and I need you take a shower."