Chapter 19
Draco’s POV
The next couple of days passed in a tense sort of quiet. Hermione stayed mostly in her room, resting and regaining her strength. She hadn’t brought up what happened at the Ministry again, and Theo and I didn’t push her. We gave her space, let her heal. But the entire time, I could see something simmering beneath the surface—something unsettled.
And sure enough, on the third day, she finally said it.
We were in the sitting room, Theo flipping through a book with zero real interest, and me going over a letter from a solicitor I’d reached out to about her case. When Hermione stepped into the room, there was a different energy about her.
“I want to face him.”
Theo froze, mid-page turn. I set the letter down.
She crossed her arms, standing firm, but I could see the way her fingers dug into her sleeves, the small sign of nerves.
“I need this to be over,” she said, looking between us. “Hiding isn’t going to fix anything. I need to confront Weasley.”
Theo scoffed and shut his book with a loud thud. “Brilliant idea, princess. Let’s walk straight into the lion’s den and ask him politely to let you go.”
She shot him a glare. “That’s not what I mean.”
I leaned forward, studying her carefully. “What do you mean, then?”
She took a breath, steadying herself. “I mean I want him to see that I’m not afraid of him anymore. That he doesn’t own me. I need him to know that this is over, and there’s nothing he can do to change it.”
Theo looked like he was barely restraining himself from saying something sarcastic, but for once, he didn’t. He just shook his head and ran a hand through his hair.
“You really think he’s going to take that well?” he asked. “Because I’m fairly sure he’s going to do everything but accept it.”
She squared her shoulders. “I don’t care how he takes it. I’m done being afraid.”
I exhaled slowly, dragging a hand over my face. I understood where she was coming from—I did. But the thought of her anywhere near that bastard again made my blood boil.
“If you do this,” I said carefully, “you’re not going alone.”
She met my gaze, something flickering in her expression. “I know.”
Theo groaned dramatically, throwing himself back against the couch. “You both are going to kill me, you know that?”
I ignored him, still watching Hermione. She was serious about this. Determined. And I knew there was no talking her out of it.
Theo groaned again, rubbing his face like this was causing him physical pain. “I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this. This is the worst idea I’ve ever been part of—and that’s saying something, considering I once let Pansy convince me to sneak into the Hogwarts kitchens dressed as a house-elf.”
Hermione huffed out a small laugh, shaking her head. “I appreciate the vote of confidence, Theo.”
He pointed at her. “Oh, don’t mistake my involvement for support, Granger. I still think this is a terrible plan. But if you insist on throwing yourself into the fire, then at least let me be there to throw water on you when you catch.”
I smirked. “You? Help? Please. You’d throw alcohol on the flames just to see what happens.”
Theo placed a hand over his heart, looking mock-offended. “How dare you? I’d at least warn her before doing it.”
Hermione rolled her eyes but didn’t argue.
I turned serious again, locking eyes with her. “Are you sure about this?”
She nodded without hesitation. “I need to do this, Draco.”
And I could see it—this wasn’t just about Weasley. It was about her. About reclaiming her life, her choices, and her strength.
I took a breath and nodded. “Then we do this properly. No surprises. We control the setting, and we make sure he understands that there’s no way back from this.”
Theo scoffed. “Oh, he’ll understand, all right. I’ll personally make sure of it.”
Hermione shot him a look. “No unnecessary violence, Theo.”
He grinned, leaning back. “Define unnecessary.”
I sighed. “It means don’t try to hex him into oblivion five seconds into the conversation.”
Theo pouted dramatically. “You’re no fun.”
Hermione gave him a small smile before looking back at me. “So, what’s the plan?”
I exhaled, running through everything in my head. “We’ll meet him in a controlled space—somewhere public enough that he won’t try anything too drastic. Maybe the Ministry, or somewhere neutral.”
“Not the Ministry,” Hermione said quickly. “It needs to be somewhere I feel comfortable.”
I nodded. “We’ll find the right place. And when we do, Weasley is going to learn, once and for all, that you’re not his to control anymore.”
Theo clapped his hands together. “Excellent. Let’s go crush a man’s fragile ego, then.”