Runaway Affair

~10 years ago~

The second time Draco laid eyes on Hermione while in town, she'd shorn her hair short. The longest curls were brushing her chin, the shorter pieces framing just along her eyes. She was laughing again, this time in the sun on the shore of the river. The golden light picked up the golden highlights in her hair. Her friends were all in very traditional Beauxbatons uniforms, but Hermione had forgone her cape-top in favor of a plain, white blouse.

And she was stunning.

Draco choked on his spit and made the most undignified coughing noise, drawing the girls' attention. One of them blushed hard, one said something in French that was just out of Draco's comprehension, and another nudged Hermione meaningfully. Before the English witch could do or say anything, her companions were rushing down the path by the river, and Hermione was left standing there alone, watching Draco.

"Hello," he said. "I know I said I wouldn't see you again, but I didn't think- it's a weekday. So I figured- I can go."

But Draco didn't move. Hermione tilted her head a little, causing her shorter bangs to flop into her eyes. She shook her head, trying to flip them back out of her eyes, and gave up with a push of her fingers.

"You don't have to go."

"You cut your hair." Draco could have knocked himself in the head when that came tumbling out of his mouth and barely cut off the end of her sentence.

Hermione brushed her fingers through her hair absentmindedly. "Well, I actually just did it. We have a few free days before exams and we had a bit of a party the other night."

"This was a drunken act?" Draco drawled, his mouth turned up in a good-natured, teasing smile. As soon as his smile came, it was gone again and a bit of panic spread through his face. "I'm sorry, that wasn't-"

Hermione shook her head. "Stop apologizing, please. I don't mind a little teasing. And, if I am being honest, it was a drunken decision. I had a few too many and I started cutting, so Marie had to wrestle the scissors from me and made sure it was even around the sides."

Draco snorted. "It looks good. Very different from school, it frames your face."

Hermione smiled shyly. "Well, I could have taken it further and dyed it black. I don't think Ron or Harry would recognize me!"

"Probably not," Draco hummed. "But then again, I'm sure you'll have ample time to either grow it out or write them notice."

Hermione shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. I haven't been talking with them much since moving here." There was something suddenly dark in her eyes, and Draco pulled himself together to muster a serious, somber look.

"Hey, if you want them dead, you just say the words. I'm sure I could spring my dad for a couple hours to get them taken care of."

Hermione paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. Draco followed right behind her, laughing himself. He'd always had a darker humor than most, but after the war, no one was foolish enough to laugh at his jokes anymore. But here was one third of the Golden Trio, laughing at his best threat against the others, and there was nothing more freeing than laughing again.

"What," he finally choked out through laughs. "You don't- don't think I could do it?"

Hermione sucked in a deep breath, finding her voice after laughing so hard. "Oh, no. No, I have no doubt you could sneak your father out of Azkaban, but I just- Oh, I just didn't expect that is all. But it was nice. To be honest, I'm very upset with Harry and downright incensed by Ronald."

"What'd the Weasel do to you? Last I heard, you two were an item."

"Apparently we are only an item when I'm on English soil. I heard from Fleur's little- you know Fleur right? She's got a little sister at Beauxbatons with me, and she's married to Ron's older brother, Bill. Anyways, she found me one morning because Ron had been seeing another girl, and no one had told me."

Draco scoffed. "The worst men always seem to snag someone like you, and they throw it away over nothing at all. I'm sorry, Granger, I wish there was more I could say."

Hermione shrugged. "Between that, and running into you the last time I was in town, I figured I was due for some change."

Draco's eyes wandered over her hair again before finding her eyes. "Granger, I should have said sorry last time we saw one another-"

"Please, we've been over it, I don't want to be the only reason holding you back from-"

"-because I am sorry. I am sorry for everything I said in school, every parroted line I picked up from my father. I am sorry for my actions in our 6th year, and I am sorry that I did nothing when you were- when my aunt did what she did."

That seemed to momentarily stun Hermione into silence. Her opposite hand came across her body to barely ghost over the scar on her arm, her eyes somewhat far away. In a second, though, she was back, and staring at Draco. "You couldn't have done anything, Malfoy. It was clear she was unhinged, and there was no way for you to step in without putting yourself in the line of direct fire. There was nothing you could have done that night."

Draco's face didn't change. If anything, his eyes got a little darker, his expression a little clearer. "How about we agree that I owe you for every rotten thing I have ever done."

"So I can call in them all in at once for one real good beat down of a Weasley?" Hermione laughed again.

"You don't have to turn in any favors for that, I'd do that for free."

Hermione glanced over her shoulder before she pulled her bag to her front and began rummaging in it. "Hold on. I have to go, I really do need to be back at the school soon, but-"

She pulled out a pen and some paper and scribbled something quickly before flinging it out to him. "Here. Write me."

Draco took the note and noticed it was the dorm she was in at Beauxbatons. "Are you sure?"

"I can tell that somethings changed, because we aren't the people we were at school. And I don't have a lot of friends from back home, so I figured-"

"Of course, Granger. And for the record, I'm glad you kept the brown hair as is. I'm far more partial to brunettes than I am to noirettes."

Hermione wasn't sure what to do with that, so she just nodded and turned on her heel, running back up the river where her friends had gone just a few moments before.