Ficlet: Fallout
I was runner-up for July, week 1 at dyno_drabbles. I struggled with the prompt, so I'm very pleasantly surprised.
Title: Fallout
Word Count and Rating: 588, PG-13
Summary: In a world that won't forget the war, Hermione tries to hold on while Draco tries to let go.
Notes: I used one of the four available Lifehouse lyrics: "How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?" Also for my 100quills table, prompt 011 Ice and my MI Places table, prompt 06 Alley.
We don't serve Death Eaters. You're not welcome here.
The maître d's words were still ringing in her ears when Hermione hit the door and sailed out into Diagon Alley. Frantic, she looked right and left and glimpsed a flash of pale blond hair rounding a corner.
"Draco!"
Hermione began to follow but paused and faced the restaurant again. "You don't want to eat there," she called to the patrons standing in line at the door. "They've got rats! Big ones." She held her hands so far apart several customers gasped. "The biggest I've ever seen!"
She turned and ran after her boyfriend, wondering if she'd need to chase him all the way home this time.
*
She caught him at the entrance to Knockturn Alley.
"Draco?"
When he said nothing, Hermione hugged him, ignoring the curious looks from passers-by. "I'm so sorry," she whispered against his arm. "We mustn't let that…git ruin our night."
Draco was frozen in her arms. She kissed his bicep. "Come on. We'll find somewhere else to eat."
"I bet I'd have no trouble getting a table down there." She looked up and saw he was still staring down the gloomy alley. "Bet I'd fit right in." He sighed and let his head drop until he was looking up at the sky. "I'm so tired of this."
Hermione bit her lip, tempted to go back and Incendio the restaurant into ashes. It happened all too often; Draco was snubbed in the shops, ignored in pubs, and had been passed over for promotion at the Ministry twice in five years. The wounds caused by the war were still fresh, and few, it seemed, were willing to forgive the actions of a foolish, frightened teenage boy.
"It's just going to take time," she said, feeling helpless. "Someday things will be diff-"
"No." He never looked at her.
"But they will!"
"No." Draco swallowed hard. "I meant I'm tired of this. Of you and me."
"What?" Hermione felt as though her blood had turned to ice. Slowly, her arms fell to her sides. "Why…why would you say that?"
"Because it's what I feel." He looked her in the eye for the first time since the maître d' sneered down his long nose and they both knew what he was about to say. "How much longer will you be willing to go through this?" He shook his head. "I'm tired of waiting for you to leave."
"I'm not going to leave!"
"You can put on your brave face and play the optimist all you want, but things are never going to change. This," he pulled his sleeve up, exposing the faded Dark Mark on his forearm, "is all I'll ever be. Aren't you sick of the staring? The whispered comments? How can you even stand to be seen with me?"
"How can I…" Her mouth moved silently for a moment. "Draco," her voice quivered, "a better question would be how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?" She covered the Dark Mark with her hand. "This might be all you are to others, but it means nothing to me. I know who you are in here." She placed her other hand over his heart.
He squeezed his eyes shut, his mouth a thin, firm line.
"Draco?" Her voice cracked on his name. "I love you."
He kissed her forehead. "Yeah," he whispered hoarsely against her skin, "I love you too." And he turned and walked into Knockturn Alley without looking back.
Title: Fallout
Word Count and Rating: 588, PG-13
Summary: In a world that won't forget the war, Hermione tries to hold on while Draco tries to let go.
Notes: I used one of the four available Lifehouse lyrics: "How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?" Also for my 100quills table, prompt 011 Ice and my MI Places table, prompt 06 Alley.
We don't serve Death Eaters. You're not welcome here.
The maître d's words were still ringing in her ears when Hermione hit the door and sailed out into Diagon Alley. Frantic, she looked right and left and glimpsed a flash of pale blond hair rounding a corner.
"Draco!"
Hermione began to follow but paused and faced the restaurant again. "You don't want to eat there," she called to the patrons standing in line at the door. "They've got rats! Big ones." She held her hands so far apart several customers gasped. "The biggest I've ever seen!"
She turned and ran after her boyfriend, wondering if she'd need to chase him all the way home this time.
*
She caught him at the entrance to Knockturn Alley.
"Draco?"
When he said nothing, Hermione hugged him, ignoring the curious looks from passers-by. "I'm so sorry," she whispered against his arm. "We mustn't let that…git ruin our night."
Draco was frozen in her arms. She kissed his bicep. "Come on. We'll find somewhere else to eat."
"I bet I'd have no trouble getting a table down there." She looked up and saw he was still staring down the gloomy alley. "Bet I'd fit right in." He sighed and let his head drop until he was looking up at the sky. "I'm so tired of this."
Hermione bit her lip, tempted to go back and Incendio the restaurant into ashes. It happened all too often; Draco was snubbed in the shops, ignored in pubs, and had been passed over for promotion at the Ministry twice in five years. The wounds caused by the war were still fresh, and few, it seemed, were willing to forgive the actions of a foolish, frightened teenage boy.
"It's just going to take time," she said, feeling helpless. "Someday things will be diff-"
"No." He never looked at her.
"But they will!"
"No." Draco swallowed hard. "I meant I'm tired of this. Of you and me."
"What?" Hermione felt as though her blood had turned to ice. Slowly, her arms fell to her sides. "Why…why would you say that?"
"Because it's what I feel." He looked her in the eye for the first time since the maître d' sneered down his long nose and they both knew what he was about to say. "How much longer will you be willing to go through this?" He shook his head. "I'm tired of waiting for you to leave."
"I'm not going to leave!"
"You can put on your brave face and play the optimist all you want, but things are never going to change. This," he pulled his sleeve up, exposing the faded Dark Mark on his forearm, "is all I'll ever be. Aren't you sick of the staring? The whispered comments? How can you even stand to be seen with me?"
"How can I…" Her mouth moved silently for a moment. "Draco," her voice quivered, "a better question would be how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?" She covered the Dark Mark with her hand. "This might be all you are to others, but it means nothing to me. I know who you are in here." She placed her other hand over his heart.
He squeezed his eyes shut, his mouth a thin, firm line.
"Draco?" Her voice cracked on his name. "I love you."
He kissed her forehead. "Yeah," he whispered hoarsely against her skin, "I love you too." And he turned and walked into Knockturn Alley without looking back.
