Fated to Love You: A Dramione Story

Chapter 13

Hermione stepped out of the fireplace with Teddy and Ravi and almost tripped over a box in her haste to find Draco. Teddy and Ravi were both crying, having been woken up so abruptly. She set them both on the couch and comforted them as quickly as she could, giving them a book out of her bag before setting off to find Draco in the expansive house. She stumbled past all of the moving boxes and silently cursed herself for not insisting that he finish unpacking when she was there the day before. Draco had moved into one of his family's homes over the weekend but hadn't had time to unpack because he had spent all that weekend at Hermione's place. She had wondered why he had decided to break his lease and move so suddenly but now she figured she knew why.

"Draco!" She called frantically as she moved toward her destination. She knew where he would be of course but her worry increased when he didn't reply.

Hermione burst through the double doors of the library and found him. Draco was sitting on the floor, staring blankly at the wall in front of him. His normally neat appearance was disrupted, his white dress shirt halfway unbuttoned, tie cast aside and his hair disheveled. He didn't look at Hermione when she entered the room but instead took a swig from the glass in his hand containing what Hermione guessed was firewhisky.

She stood at the door and waited for him to speak. After a few long moments he raised the glass toward her. "Let's have a toast Herms!" He slurred.

Hermione made her way across the room and sat down on the floor next to him. "What are we toasting Draco?"

"My bastard of a father," he said, bitterly. "Even in death he knew how to make my life miserable."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hermione asked quietly.

The distraught blonde man sighed and shook his head. Hermione shifted closer to him and placed her head on his shoulder. Draco reached around and pulled her into his arms. She couldn't be one hundred percent sure but she thought for a moment that he was crying into her hair.

After a few minutes, Hermione heard Ravi scream and she jumped up.

"What was that?" Draco asked, pulling his wand.

"Ravi and Teddy!" she called behind her as she ran out of the room.

"Ravi and Teddy?" Draco inquired as he followed, close on her heels. "What are they doing here?"

"Long story!" she shouted as she ran back into the room where the boys were. They were taking turns jumping from one couch to the other.

"Aunt 'Mione! Mr. Draco! Be careful! The floor is lava!" Teddy announced, laughing heartily.

Draco and Hermione shared a smile of relief before joining the two small boys in their game. After they finished playing, Hermione pulled together a quick dinner for them from the little food that Draco had in his kitchen and they put the boys to bed in one of the guest bedrooms.

Hermione brought tea into the library and sat down in the chair opposite Draco. He was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Hermione took a book off of the shelf before her and started to read, waiting for Draco to be ready to talk to her.

Thirty minutes later, he sighed and finally picked up the cup of tea that she had brought off of the table between them. She set her book down and looked at him expectantly.

"I've got to tell you something but I don't really want to...You're going to think me a coward Herms," he started.

Hermione sat up taller in her cozy chair and opened her mouth to protest but was silenced by Draco's hand in the air.

"Just, just let me get it out," he said gently before taking her hands in his own. "I fully expect you to hate me after this but it's time you finally knew the truth."