Post-war, Hermione has moved on with her life but spends most of her time alone. That is until she finds her previous schoolmate (and personal bully), Malfoy, near death in the shadows of a back alley close to her bookshop. She decides to bring him...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
One Month Later:
There was a knock at Hermione's office door.
"Enter," she called out, setting aside the document she'd been working on. The door opened, and Draco leaned against the frame, giving her a sheepish look.
"Yes... Draco? Can I help you?" she smiled up at him, amused by his uncharacteristic nervousness. He tucked his hands into the pockets of his slacks.
"I have a favor to ask you," he announced quietly. It was endearing to see him so vulnerable.
"Okay," Hermione urged him to continue.
"You remember how I told you about my mum kicking me out? And how she was the cause of my spiral a few weeks back?" he asked, and Hermione nodded, shifting forward and observing him with interest.
"Well, she got word that I'm doing better and summoned me to one of her little soirees," he informed her. "Quite a change from pretending that I do not exist." Draco sneered.
"It is good that she's reached out to you. I can understand your hesitation though. But what does this have to do with me?" she asked, puzzled.
"I... uh..." he stuttered, "was kind of hoping you'd come with me, as my friend... or date? I dunno. It's stupid," he finished quickly, turning to go.
"Wait," Hermione called out, holding out her hand. Her face had gone pale. "I'd love to go."
"You would?" he asked, surprised.
"Well, no... not really," she admitted with a small chuckle. "But I'd like to be there for you, as a friend."
Draco's shoulders relaxed, and Hermione noticed the relief in his eyes. He was nervous to see his mum again, but probably not as nervous as she was at the thought of setting foot inside Malfoy Manor again. The mere thought of it made her stomach churn, but maybe this was what she needed to heal and put a stop to the nightmares haunting her sleep.
"The tea is in three days," Draco informed her. "Thank you for doing this."
Hermione gave him a reassuring smile. "It's no problem, Draco. We'll get through it together."
Draco's expression softened, and for a moment, Hermione saw a vulnerability in his eyes that made her heart ache. "Thank you, Hermione. It means a lot."
She nodded, feeling apprehensive. "I'll see you then."
As Draco left her office, Hermione took a deep breath, steeling herself for what lay ahead.
*****
Hermione wrung her fingers behind her back, a light sheen of sweat collecting on her brow. When she'd agreed to attend Narcissa's event, she had no idea she would be this nervous. Several things were bothering her, but at the forefront of her mind was the fear of having an anxiety attack as soon as she walked inside Malfoy Manor.
