treat for rivertempest
Title: Don't Let Go
Author: ldymusyc
Prompt: #2
Don’t Let Go
"It's just a little further, Granger. You're not going to fall. I have you. Just don't let go."
Hermione clung to Draco's hand and trusted in his guidance as much as she could. She hated having her eyes covered, but he'd wanted to show her something on the grounds of the Manor, and had made her promise not to peek. She trusted him, but she worried. The estate had been in the hands of pure-bloods who hated her kind for so long that she was sure the trees themselves hated her as well, and her shoulders ached from the tension of expecting that the barren, twisted branches of the autumn-bare trees would reach out to pull her into the darkness. She trusted Draco. It was his world she didn't trust.
They stopped abruptly and Draco muttered a curse. Before she could help it, her hand tightened on his. "What's wrong?" she asked him, and she was ashamed of the tremble in her voice.
"Nothing." He didn't let go of her hand, but stepped closer to her, until she imagined she could feel the heat from his body. She knew it was most likely the candle he held to light their path, but she wanted it to be him. She moved her free hand until it rested against his chest, and she tightened her fingers in his robes. "It's nothing, Granger," he said, his voice soft and reassuring. "Just a cobweb across the path. Pretty big one. Going to need to let go of you to get to my wand."
Her fingers tensed until he hissed and she realized she'd hurt him with her grip. "Don't," she said, trying to look through the magical blindfold to his eyes. "Don't let go of me. I don't trust the woods."
"It's all right, Hermione." Draco let go of her hand and she tensed, but he'd only moved to put his arm around her waist. She could tell he was holding the candle at arm's length, but he stood close enough to her that she could lean against his body. "It's all right," he said again. "I'm right here. I'm not going to go anywhere. I won't let you go. You're perfectly safe with me."
She heard him chuckle quietly and his fingers moved at the small of her back. "Yes, the irony of that is not lost on me. But we've been together long enough that I've proven it to be true repeatedly, haven't I?"
Hermione chewed her lip, then nodded. They'd had a rough road, especially in the beginning, but time and trust and talking -- and a lot of all of that -- had helped them work things out. She took a little time and put a little more trust into him, her head resting against his shoulder. "Okay," she said. "Okay. Get rid of the cobweb and do it quick. I'm getting cold and it feels like we've been walking in circles for an hour."
Draco chuckled again. "That's because we have been. Didn't want you to know what I had planned. We're actually still in view of the house." He tipped his head to hers, kissing her temple. "All right, now I feel bad. Didn't realize this would make you all upset and tense. I'm putting the candle down."
She expected to feel him bending to set it on the ground, but heard a muffled clink as the holder settled onto a nearby surface. A table, possibly, with a cloth over it? Hermione's brows furrowed behind her blindfold as suspicions formed. "Malfoy, what--"
He pulled her blindfold off and Hermione caught her breath. They were on the wide expanse of grass in front of the house. The sky was full of stars, but it wasn't nearly as sparkling and bright as the tableau Draco had set up. A table with a white cloth, two chairs, and a thousand fairy lights dancing in spirals overhead. Champagne, small cakes, a mountain of white and red rosebuds. He'd really gone all out to surprise her. She folded her hands in front of her mouth and stared at the gorgeous set-up, her eyes shimmering, then turned and pounded both fists into Malfoy's chest. "You prat!" she shouted as he staggered back. "You couldn't have just said? Had to walk me around and around and get me all nervous and fretful? I thought you were sneaking me off into the woods to leave me there!"
He laughed and caught her wrists as she went to hit him again, then pulled her into a kiss that made her toes curl inside her sensible boots. "Surprise," he whispered as she gave up with a huff and melted against him.
"Prat," she said with affection as he led her to the table. "That was a lot of work you did, you know. You didn't have to go to all that effort."
He poured a glass of champagne and handed it to her. "I don't mind, when it comes to you." Draco leaned down and kissed her again, lips moving soft against hers. "It was a lot of work to get you, and it was worth every moment. I won't let go of you, Hermione," he said, echoing his earlier words. "Trust me. I love you."
They clinked glasses and he smiled at her. "Happy anniversary."
Author: ldymusyc
Prompt: #2
Don’t Let Go
"It's just a little further, Granger. You're not going to fall. I have you. Just don't let go."
Hermione clung to Draco's hand and trusted in his guidance as much as she could. She hated having her eyes covered, but he'd wanted to show her something on the grounds of the Manor, and had made her promise not to peek. She trusted him, but she worried. The estate had been in the hands of pure-bloods who hated her kind for so long that she was sure the trees themselves hated her as well, and her shoulders ached from the tension of expecting that the barren, twisted branches of the autumn-bare trees would reach out to pull her into the darkness. She trusted Draco. It was his world she didn't trust.
They stopped abruptly and Draco muttered a curse. Before she could help it, her hand tightened on his. "What's wrong?" she asked him, and she was ashamed of the tremble in her voice.
"Nothing." He didn't let go of her hand, but stepped closer to her, until she imagined she could feel the heat from his body. She knew it was most likely the candle he held to light their path, but she wanted it to be him. She moved her free hand until it rested against his chest, and she tightened her fingers in his robes. "It's nothing, Granger," he said, his voice soft and reassuring. "Just a cobweb across the path. Pretty big one. Going to need to let go of you to get to my wand."
Her fingers tensed until he hissed and she realized she'd hurt him with her grip. "Don't," she said, trying to look through the magical blindfold to his eyes. "Don't let go of me. I don't trust the woods."
"It's all right, Hermione." Draco let go of her hand and she tensed, but he'd only moved to put his arm around her waist. She could tell he was holding the candle at arm's length, but he stood close enough to her that she could lean against his body. "It's all right," he said again. "I'm right here. I'm not going to go anywhere. I won't let you go. You're perfectly safe with me."
She heard him chuckle quietly and his fingers moved at the small of her back. "Yes, the irony of that is not lost on me. But we've been together long enough that I've proven it to be true repeatedly, haven't I?"
Hermione chewed her lip, then nodded. They'd had a rough road, especially in the beginning, but time and trust and talking -- and a lot of all of that -- had helped them work things out. She took a little time and put a little more trust into him, her head resting against his shoulder. "Okay," she said. "Okay. Get rid of the cobweb and do it quick. I'm getting cold and it feels like we've been walking in circles for an hour."
Draco chuckled again. "That's because we have been. Didn't want you to know what I had planned. We're actually still in view of the house." He tipped his head to hers, kissing her temple. "All right, now I feel bad. Didn't realize this would make you all upset and tense. I'm putting the candle down."
She expected to feel him bending to set it on the ground, but heard a muffled clink as the holder settled onto a nearby surface. A table, possibly, with a cloth over it? Hermione's brows furrowed behind her blindfold as suspicions formed. "Malfoy, what--"
He pulled her blindfold off and Hermione caught her breath. They were on the wide expanse of grass in front of the house. The sky was full of stars, but it wasn't nearly as sparkling and bright as the tableau Draco had set up. A table with a white cloth, two chairs, and a thousand fairy lights dancing in spirals overhead. Champagne, small cakes, a mountain of white and red rosebuds. He'd really gone all out to surprise her. She folded her hands in front of her mouth and stared at the gorgeous set-up, her eyes shimmering, then turned and pounded both fists into Malfoy's chest. "You prat!" she shouted as he staggered back. "You couldn't have just said? Had to walk me around and around and get me all nervous and fretful? I thought you were sneaking me off into the woods to leave me there!"
He laughed and caught her wrists as she went to hit him again, then pulled her into a kiss that made her toes curl inside her sensible boots. "Surprise," he whispered as she gave up with a huff and melted against him.
"Prat," she said with affection as he led her to the table. "That was a lot of work you did, you know. You didn't have to go to all that effort."
He poured a glass of champagne and handed it to her. "I don't mind, when it comes to you." Draco leaned down and kissed her again, lips moving soft against hers. "It was a lot of work to get you, and it was worth every moment. I won't let go of you, Hermione," he said, echoing his earlier words. "Trust me. I love you."
They clinked glasses and he smiled at her. "Happy anniversary."