An almost kiss and it's a yes
“Hermione”, a gentle hand rocked her shoulder “Hermione, I have to leave”, she opened her eyes to Ron standing over her bed, Rose in his arms. “I’m so sorry to wake you, but I have to go to work and Rose is wide awake.” Rose was smiling at Hermione reaching her arms out for her, Hermione sat up, accepting Rose and pulling her into bed beside her “Of course, thanks Ron” her voice scratchy with tiredness, “I’ll owl you later and let you know how she is” she smiled and then lay back down, pulling Rose in for a snuggle with her. “Hello darling, are you feeling better?” she asked, Rose’s answer was a giggle and a bit of drool escaping from her mouth down her bodysuit. “I’ll take that as a yes” Hermione reached for her wand on the bedside table, and used it to run a diagnostics on her, “temperature is still a little high, but much better than last nights” she told her, “not that you have any idea what Mummy is telling you” she laughed and got out of bed, while Rose lay amongst the soft duvet and pillows, with a teddy cat in her hands.
Hermione glanced at the clock beside her bed, Malfoy would be here in a hour and she wanted to at least have herself looking somewhat presentable, though a look in the mirror showed her hair was going to be crazy without a shower and she just didn’t have time to deal it. She shoved it up into a bun, putting her wand in it for safe keeping as she reached for Rose, “let’s get some lunch into you and then we can tidy the house quickly.” She prayed Ron hadn’t left it in a state for her to sort, “tidiness is not your daddy’s strength Rosie,”
Thankfully, as she walked into the living room, it wasn’t actually all that bad, and most of it was her own clutter of books and Rose’s things that were scattered around, but there was no point in tidying as it would no sooner be back on the floor. With a wave of her wand, she put the books back into their place on the shelves beside the fireplace, and her shoes neatly placed beside the front door. It’ll do for now she thought, placing Rose into the high chair in the kitchen. The living room and kitchen was all open plan, with an island separating the two, which was one of the reasons her and Ron had loved the house.
Hermione reached for a bottle of milk, already prepared in the fridge and warmed it with her wand, before lifting Rose and snuggling on the sofa to feed her. She ran her finger down her soft little cheek, and through her dark curls, “You had mummy so worried baby, but you’re a Granger and we don’t give up easily” she smiled as Rose drank happily at her milk, before dozing into a gentle sleep. Hermione placed her into the Moses basket, noting how big Rose had got, she would soon outgrow the little bassinet and it made her sad realising how quickly time was going.
Speaking of time, Hermione looked at the clock on the fireplace, it was almost 4pm, she raced into her bedroom to grab a clean jumper, pulling on a soft grey cashmere knit and some blue jeans that hugged her curves perfectly. She wondered would Malfoy be wearing a suit as that’s all she ever saw him, and she thought about him wearing a pair of tight muggle jeans and smiled, giggling to herself about how great his bum would look.
Just then, the door knocked gently and her heart began to race “stop being silly, he’s here to see Rose” she told herself, before giving her a head a shake, making her way to answer the door. Hermione paused, just as her hand reached for the handle, taking a deep breath before opening it. “Hello” she said with a smile, as her eyes took in the sight of Malfoy on her doorstep, a teddy in his hands and two takeaway cups by the looks of it. “Hi” he answered, smiling back to her, “I brought a little gift for Rosie, and some hot drinks for us both. Theo said you drink a… chai latte?” he asked, a question on his face. She accepted it gratefully, “amazing thank you so much, but come in come in” she ushered him inside,
“Did you go to a muggle coffee shop for these?” she asked him as she took a sip, “it might shock you Granger, but yes I did in fact go to a muggle coffee shop, and in fact it’s my regular stop every morning” he raised an eyebrow, “Theo got me onto an Americano, and once I discovered coffee, well.. who needs a pepper up potion” he said almost with a laugh. Hermione nodded, “quite” taken aback at the thought of Malfoy having a regular routine involving anything muggle.
For a moment Malfoy looked a little uncomfortable, but then saw Rose sleeping in the cot “do you mind if I give her this?” He held out a tiny Jellycat dragon toy” I saw it on my way here and thought, every girl needs a dragon to protect her” he smiled, and it warmed Hermione’s heart “that’s really thoughtful Malfoy, thank you” watched as he placed into the cot beside Rose who was still fast asleep. “How is she? And how are you?” he asked. “She’s better, still a little hot but we both got some sleep which helped.” Malfoy nodded.
Hermione led him to the dining table, and sat down, nodding to the seat opposite her. Malfoy took off his long black pea coat, revealing a jumper not dissimilar to her own in a dark grey, and a pair of dark tailored trousers, his usual boots on his feet. He hung the coat over his chair, and sat down. “I can’t imagine how scared you must have been last night, but I’m glad to hear she’s doing okay. She looks a good deal better than she did a few hours ago.” A soft smile on his face as he looked at the sleeping child, “she seems so small tucked in there.” Hermione wondered if he was thinking of his own son, but she didn’t want to bring up memories he wasn’t ready to share.
As they both took a sip of their drinks, she watched him, seeing the dark circles under his eyes and remembering he too had been at the hospital for some reason. “Do you mind me asking, what had you at the hospital, are you okay?” her face showing concern. Malfoy looked down at his drink, clearly gauging whether to answer her or not before sighing “My mother” he said. Hermione looked up, waiting for him to continue.
"It's… it's her mind," Draco finally said, his voice barely a whisper. "The war… it broke something in her. She… she doesn't always know who she is or where.” Hermione saw the raw pain in his grey eyes, a pain she’d only glimpsed in fleeting moments before, a vulnerability that made her breath catch.
"They call it… a dissociative state," he continued, his voice rough. "She… she drifts. Sometimes she’s lucid, remembers everything. Other times… she thinks I’m Lucius. Or… or she’s terrified, thinks the Dark Lord is still here."
Hermione’s own memories of the war, the fear, the losses, resurfaced. She knew the trauma of it, even if her experience was different from his. She could only imagine what Narcissa Malfoy had endured, trapped between her loyalty to her family and the growing horror of Voldemort’s actions.
"Draco," she began softly, "I’m so sorry." He gave a short, humourless laugh. "Sorry? For what, Granger? For my mother losing her mind? For my family being… what we are?" "No," she said, her voice firm. "Not for that. I’m sorry… for her suffering. For your suffering."
He looked at her, his eyes searching hers, as if trying to understand how she could find any sympathy in her heart for his mother. He expected pity, maybe even fear but he found sadness and understanding. He looked away again, his shoulders slumping. "She used to… she used to tell me stories," he mumbled, his voice thick with unshed tears. "Stories about constellations, about magical creatures… about hope. Now… now she just stares blankly, or screams in the night."
Hermione’s heart broke for him. She knew what it was like to lose someone, to watch them slip away, even if they were still physically present. She knew the helplessness, the grief. Without thinking, she got up from her chair and moved round to stand beside him, putting her arms around him from behind. It was a tentative embrace at first, a little unsure but he didn’t pull away.
Malfoy reached his hands up, pulling her in a little closer, her head just leaning on his. His breath hitched, and she felt a tremor run through his body. She held him tighter, offering silent comfort. She didn’t know if it would help, if anything would but they both needed a moment of human connection.
The silence in the room deepened, punctured only by the soft patter of rain against the windowpane. Hermione kept her arms around Draco, feeling the tension slowly drain from his body. The hug, initially a gesture of comfort, had shifted into something else, something unspoken. He turned his body, and before she realised, he had pulled her down onto his lap. She felt the warmth of his breath against her hair, a faint, lingering scent of his cologne, bergamot she thought to herself and a hint of something minty.
He finally pulled back slightly, just enough to look at her. His grey eyes, still filled with a lingering sadness, held a flick of her something new that made her heart pound in her chest. He searched her face, his gaze lingering on her eyes, then drifting down to her lips.
Hermione’s heart raced faster, she knew she should pull away, that she was trying to be friends with him. But she couldn’t. She was captivated by the vulnerability in his eyes, the concern he had shown for her and for Rose, the pain over his mother. Malfoy leaned closer, his hand reaching out to brush a stray curl which had fallen from her bun. His touch was feather-light, sending a shiver down her spine and she closed her eyes for a moment, savouring the feel of his touch.
“Hermione,” he whispered, his voice rough with emotion. She loved hearing him say her name, it sounded so intimate, and gentle falling from his lips. Her own hand reached up, almost instinctively, to touch his cheek. His skin was smooth and warm beneath her fingertips. She could feel his heart beating against her palm, mirroring the frantic rhythm of her own. She opened her eyes again and their eyes locked. The air crackling between them with unspoken tension, a pull so strong it almost felt physical.
Before she could stop herself, her lips reached for his and she placed a gentle kiss on his lips, and he pulled her closer, feeling his body tight against hers but before he could answer her kiss, a cry from Rose shattered the fragile moment jolting them back to reality. Hermione jumped from his knee, and Malfoy’s hand reached for hers, she turned to look at him “I’m sorry” she whispered, and let go.
Hermione picked Rose up, who was clutching the tiny dragon toy Malfoy had brought for her and her heart ached. She longed to go back and continue the kiss, to reassure him she didn’t regret it but the moment had passed and maybe it was a good thing that Rose has disturbed them. She wasn’t sure she trusted herself not to get carried away.
Malfoy was still sitting at the table, watching them both as Hermione walked towards them, “I think someone’s a fan of her new teddy,” Rose was holding on tight to the soft green dragon that he had brought, “she’s a girl with great taste” he reached out a hand to gently graze Rose’s hand, “he’ll keep you nice and safe.”
“She’s getting so big,” Draco observed, watching as Rose’s tiny hands reached out to grab at Hermione’s hair.“ She is,” Hermione agreed, her eyes filled with love. “It feels like just yesterday I was holding her for the first time.”
As if on cue, Rose started to fuss, her little face scrunching up, her hands reaching out to Malfoy. “Looks like someone wants to be held,” Hermione said, a slight smile on her face. “Would you like to hold her?” Malfoy’s eyes widened slightly and he nodded, “absolutely” his face brightening with a smile. Draco carefully took Rose into his arms, she was so small, so fragile. He held her close, feeling a strange sense of protectiveness wash over him. Rose, for her part, seemed perfectly content in his embrace. She gazed up at him with wide, curious eyes, then let out a giggle and reached out to touch his cheek.
Draco’s heart melted. He looked at Hermione, his eyes filled with tenderness. “She’s… she’s perfect,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. Hermione smiled, her own heart overflowing with warmth. Seeing Draco holding Rose, seeing the genuine affection in his eyes, solidified what she’d already suspected: she was falling for him. Hard.
They stood there for a moment, lost in the quiet intimacy of the moment. Rose, now content in Draco’s arms, holding tight to the tiny dragon teddy.
“Hermione,” Draco began, his voice low and serious. He met her gaze, his grey eyes searching hers. “I… I know I said that I wanted to give you time to think about it, about us but...” Hermione’s breath hitched. She knew what was coming, and her heart fluttered with anticipation.
“Would you go out with me? On a proper date?” he asked, the words tumbling out in a rush. He looked at her, his expression a mixture of hope and vulnerability. Hermione’s smile widened. “Yes, Draco,” she said softly, her voice filled with warmth. “I would love to.”
A look of pure joy illuminated Draco’s face. He looked down at Rose, who was now gurgling happily, then back at Hermione. “Then it’s a date,” he said, his voice husky. “I’ll… I’ll owl you the details.”
Hermione nodded, her eyes sparkling. As Draco held her daughter, a sense of rightness settled over her. She knew there would be challenges, that their past would always be a part of their story. But in that moment, holding her daughter in her arms, looking at the man who was quickly becoming so much more, she felt a sense of hope she hadn’t felt in a long time. The future was uncertain, but for the first time in a long time, it felt… bright.