Undeniable Truths

34~ You

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Granger asks while she watches me cook supper.

I continue to cook the chicken, "Of course, anything. What's up?" I can sense her squirming, so I turn around and lean on the counter, "Alright, what's wrong? You're squirming."

"Hey! I am not squirming, I'm being perfectly still," she defends.

"Yeah, and weebles don't wobble. Now, tell me what's wrong," I joke.

"How do you...? Nevermind. Do you remember the night Weak Rebel Weasley was born?" Hermione asks nervously.

I laugh, "Yes, I remember. Why?"

She tugs on her sleeves, "Well, you came to my flat and said you wanted to tell me something. I was wondering if you were ready to tell me."

If I would've been taking a drink, I would've choked. How could she still be stuck on that?

She walks over to me and hooks her fingers in my belt loops, "You thought I forgot, didn't you? I'm not the smartest witch of our age for nothing y'know."

"I talked to my parents, and they wanted me to tell you something. But I don't remember what it was. So, it must not have been too important," I lie with a shrug.

"Alright," she drawls out, "want to try again, and not lie this time?"

I turn back around, and she loops her arms around my waist, "I'm not lying, I am hurt that you would think that I would lie to you."

She nuzzles her face into my back, "Whatever you say, dear."

"Now, go sit down you crazy girl. Dinner'll be ready in a few minutes, but I can't have you attached to me while I'm mixing and whatnot," I chuckle as I kiss her hand.

She plants a kiss in between my shoulders and walks to her stool at my island.

I love having her live with me. Don't get me wrong, it took a lot of adjustment. I have to worry about making too much noise in the mornings, and if I'm going to be late I have to make sure I call her. I've never lived with anybody but my parents, and my dorm mates first year. Even then, everyone got up at the same time, and they never cared when I came home.

Once I got into second year, when Slytherins all get their own room, I really didn't have to worry about anybody. I've always enjoyed that feeling. The freedom of living by yourself, but it's time for me to settle down. It's nicer than I thought it would be to have someone there when I come home. To have someone ask how my day was, and to be able to tell someone when something is bothering me.

She's a great listener, and can always tell that something is bothering me before I tell her. It's been a great two weeks living together.

She keeps me updated on all the things going on in the auror department, and the latest dirt on our old school peers. Who's dating who. Who cheated on who with which person. Who's pregnant. All that jazz. It's a good arrangement.

It took me a month into our relationship to even get her to talk about anyone she knew. Granger didn't think it was right that she was talking about other people. I wore her down, because as far as she knows, I don't know who most of these people are.

It seems the longer she's with me, the more like me she becomes. Gossiping. She drinks with me occasionally. It's fun.

"There's something I need to tell you," Hermione states as we sit down to eat.

"Around what lines is this news? Is it like Lavender got caught in bed with her boyfriend's father? Or like someone got held at wand point again?" I tease.

"More along the lines of I got letters from my very first crush slash love, who happens to be dead..." Granger trails off.

I put down my fork, "What do you mean? When did this happen?"

"It happened while you were in Sweden. His mother sent me a package containing letters that are dated clear back from when we were eleven up until the day before my wedding," she looks down. "He picked on me all throughout school, but it was only because he liked me, and he didn't know how to react to it."

I stand up and walk over to her and hug her, "Who was it?"

"Draco Malfoy," she replies with raw emotion in her voice.

I feel a stab in my chest at the mention of my name, "Did you have to same feelings for him?"

She cries into my shoulder, "I saw how much pain he was in, and I wanted to help him. I guess after a while, my need to help turned into love. But he was so closed off that I couldn't help him. He fell into darkness and was persuaded to join the Death Eaters, but in the last battle he switched sides. He was hunted down and killed for it about a year and a half after the war. I didn't know he was in love with me, and I never told him how I felt."

I clear my throat, "Why are you telling me this?"

Hermione looks into my eyes, "Because I felt awful hiding it from you. You've been nothing but honest with me, and here I was hiding this from you."

"It's okay, it's hard to talk about stuff like that. I understand. There's no need to feel bad about this."

She calms herself a little, "So, now that you know who my first love was, who was yours?" Granger asks trying to change the subject.

"You," I state confidently.

"No way, I can't be. You're twenty-three, you have to have fallen in love before," she states.

"No, I'm being serious. I was a geek in school. I focused on work, and my grades more than girls. I didn't have girlfriends after school, I had random shags. I wasn't in a place to be in love."

"So, what changed?" Granger questions.

"You."