𝐂𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐄 | 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦

four

Why did I agree to this? she thought to herself as Draco Malfoy Apparated her away with a crooked grin.

"Come on, Hermione, it'll be fun."

"I don't know, Ron probably wouldn't-"

"Oh, rubbish on Ron. He doesn't have to know," Draco scoffed. "Besides, it's just dinner. I'm hungry. You're hungry. No funny business except two friends sharing a meal in Hogsmeade."

"Ah, fine," Hermione said, unable to say no to that logic. She also was, as he had correctly guessed, hungry. He pulled her out of the doorway with a ridiculous grin, and she giggled as they ran through the grounds, noses and cheeks tinged pink from the cold, snowflakes caught in their hair.

"Table for two," he said to the hostess, not letting go of Hermione's hand.

"Draco?"

"Yes?" he asked, tilting his head at her. Something boiled in his eyes that felt familiar to her, but she dismissed the thought almost as soon as it had occurred to her.

"Let go of me."

"Ah, right," he said with a cheeky grin, releasing her hand. She scowled at him and crossed her arms, looking up at the ceiling.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you so gloomy?" Draco asked, dumping an obscene amount of creamer into his coffee. Hermione wrinkled her nose at his drink, then said, "It's really none of your business."

"Venting makes you feel better," he said matter-of-factly, taking a sip of it and making a face. She wordlessly pushed her own cup across to him and he accepted it. That was something that they used to do every morning. He'd put too much creamer into his coffee every time, and Hermione would give him hers.

"That's disgusting," Hermione said, looking at his cup with faint disgust on her face. It was early, and they were sitting in the common room of their dorm before heading down to the Great Hall. Hermione was in the habit of brewing coffee right when she woke up, she had ever since she was a child. She always had extra, so she had begun to give it to Draco. They were both early risers, up before the sun, using the extra hours to study, sometimes together, in the common room.

"What is?" Draco asked, head snapping up, looking genuinely curious. She almost laughed. 

"Putting that much cream in your coffee- it tastes watery like that."

He scoffed. "It tastes fine."

"Does it?" she asked. He took a sip, his face immediately screwing up in displeasure. This time she did laugh, so loudly that she clapped her hand over her mouth. When she looked back up, Draco was staring at her, an odd expression on his face. 

"Don't hide your laugh," he said sincerely. 

"I hate it," she said. 

"I love it," he said seriously. Her cheeks flared, a bright rosy red, and she muttered, "Just take my coffee."

She pushed it across the table to him.

She bit her lip, debating whether or not to open up. It was just Draco. He leaned back in his chair, waiting. Hermione didn't say anything for a while, and he raised his eyebrows.

"Hermione...?"

"I'm going! I just have to collect my thoughts first," she said defensively. He said nothing, an amused smirk fixed on his face. She exhaled loudly then said, "When I was younger, I thought Ron was the greatest person I'd ever met. He was a bit of an idiot, yes, but he had a great personality. He was loyal, determined."

Draco scoffed, but let her continue.

"We started dating after I left Hogwarts, and I was so happy. I'd liked him for longer than I'd let on, and to have the feelings returned- I mean, it was just more than I'd hoped for." She shifted. "He'd been distant when it all happened. Never spending time with me, never wanting to talk or go out. We were both busy, but it seemed like he never had any time for me."

Draco frowned, tipping the chair back on two legs.

"Don't do that," Hermione said automatically, used to Harry and Ron falling backwards.

"What, this?" he asked, leaning back even farther. She rolled her eyes at him and continued. "He went out to the bar instead of having dinner with me. The next day he took me out somewhere nice. I thought he was going to apologize for being such a prat, but... he told that he'd met someone else. I left. He didn't come back," Hermione said. She sighed. "He's dating someone else now. I thought I was over him- agh, I feel ridiculous. Now he wants to buy our house back from me, for her, and I have to leave. I didn't sign my name on the mortgage or put it on the title. Stupid of me, wasn't it? I really do love that house."

She sighed. "I thought that everything that I felt for him... I thought that he felt it too, you know? I guess it was foolish of me."

Draco practically growled, startling Hermione. "Don't say that. It's not your fault that you thought that. It's a reasonable thought to have. How long had you dated? A while, right? Yeah, I'd say that it's pretty reasonable to think that he loved you."

Hermione was taken aback at the force of his reply. His eyes were sharp, mouth set in a thin line. "Don't call yourself a fool because of Weasel. He's the fool, letting you go."

Hermione's eyes widened, and she looked down at her plate. "Thank you," she mumbled, taken aback at his sudden display of anger. He was always good at keeping his cool, barely ever getting upset. Ron always did put him on edge, though. Any time she was upset because he wouldn't write, or because he bailed on their Hogsmeade dates, Draco would always tense up, his face furious.

Draco leaned back, all intensity gone. "Anytime, Hermione."

She was laughing at something he said, his arm wrapped loosely over her shoulders. "Draco, I've got to go. I have work tomorrow."

"All right," he said, rolling his eyes. "Still a workaholic, I see." She Apparated them to her house, just outside the door.

"I know where you live now, you know," he said, the crooked grin creeping onto his face.

She shoved him, laughter bubbling up. "Try not to sound creepy for once, will you?"

Draco smirked. "Whatever you say."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him, her cheeks pink. She shoved past him to unlock the door, her keys jingling as she searched for the right one.

"You alright there, Hermione?" he asked, amusement in his tone as he watched her struggle.

"Oh, yeah, absolutely," she answered, finding the right key and slotting it into the doorknob.
She unlocked the door and leaned on the doorknob. "Guess this is goodbye."

"Guess it is," Draco replied, eyes glinting in the dim hallway light.

"Uh, Draco?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. For tonight. It was really nice, having someone to vent to."

"Anytime, Hermione," he said, a hint of a smile on his lips.

"See you," Hermione said unceremoniously, opening her door.

"See you," he said. Hermione turned around and closed the door behind her.