FIC: Listen to the Rain (Draco Malfoy/Hermione Granger)
Title: Listen to the Rain
Author: snugglelove54
Characters: Draco Malfoy/Hermione Granger
Prompt number: #128
Word Count: 3,101
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Sexual references, angst
Summary: Rain had always seemed to be their thing. Even after all these years, it still had a way of pushing them together.
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters, magical/non-magical settings, etc. are the property of J.K. Rowling. No copyright infringement of the Harry Potter fandom is intended nor is any profit made from this fiction.
Author’s Notes: Well, I have some people I'd like to thank. First off, I want to thank the mods for hosting this fest! I've had a lot of fun writing this! Secondly, I also want to thank my brilliant beta! You're awesome for doing this on such short notice! (Any current mistakes are entirely my own.) Lastly, dormiensa deserves some thanks for coming up with such a fun prompt! So, I hope you all enjoy!
Listen to the Rain
March 23, 2006
Large, cold raindrops splattered down onto the grounds of Malfoy Manor. The dreary weather had caused the sky to darken an hour earlier than usual, and because of this the night seemed even more daunting. The wind wailed while the sky cried. It seemed as if the night was mourning.
Draco Malfoy had just gotten home from a long day of listening to his business clients complain and worry about their investments, and while he loved his job most days, rainy days always brought him down. People called him weather sensitive, but Draco knew it had more to do with that Granger girl than it did with sensitivity.
Hermione Granger had captured his heart during their fifth year. They had been caught up in a bad storm, and had waited up against one of the green houses. They hadn’t said much until the wind shifted and started drenching them with cold rain water. Deciding that he had had enough of standing around, he’d yelled for her to follow him, and she had reluctantly obeyed. He had pulled to greenhouse door open, and they had scurried inside. The wind had been so strong it had rattled the glass walls.
Draco had then noticed that she was wet and shivering. He had quickly cast a drying spell. She had looked at him in shock. He didn’t know why he’d done it, but once she’d realized that he hadn’t hexed her and that she was warm, she gave him a small grateful smile.
When the storm finally died down a short while later, they had decided to make their way back to the castle.
However, the rain had thought differently. It started coming down again, so they sprinted the rest of the way. They were both completely soaked and had probably never looked worse, and once inside the entry hall Granger had laughed at the way his hair stuck up in different places. He’d scowled and commented on her absurd hair, but she’d only laughed harder. Her laugh had been so contagious that he’d smiled too.
After that they seemed to always find themselves running into each other. Mostly around the castle, but the major events always seemed to happen in the rain. It seemed to be their thing. They’d had a playful dance in the rain, as well as their first kiss. Two very productive hours by the lake hadn’t started in the rain, but had certainly ended in it. He’d helped her hide from Filch one night inside an abandoned classroom while the rain splattered against the windows, helping to cover up their loud activities. Their relationship had all started and centered around the rain, and it had only made sense that it had ended in the rain as well.
They had been secretly seeing each other for a year when Draco had first strayed from her. Hermione and he had had a great sex life, but that had been the year he’d gotten the Dark Mark. He had been so stressed out that he’d had to relieve some stress, and he had been so shaken up by the lack of progress on the cabinet that he had known she would ask too many questions. It hadn’t meant anything, and he hadn’t even liked the girl to begin with. He hadn’t even been able to remember her name after they were done. She’d just been there and willing.
He’d felt so guilty afterward. The next day he had met up with Hermione for a quiet lunch by the lake, and she had been happy and smiling, thinking everything was normal. But Draco had known what he’d done. He’d felt immensely guilty. He was a scumbag, but… he realized that he had gotten away with it. As they parted for the night with a goodnight kiss, he vowed he’d never betray her again.
Draco had been true to his word too, or at least he was for two months. The next girl had seduced him. It had been right after the failed attempt with the necklace, and he’d been drunk. He had woken up the next morning with a massive hangover and couldn’t even stand to look at himself. The third time he’d been sober and willing after he had almost killed one of Hermione’s best friends, and the girl had had the same color eyes as Hermione.
He had felt so bad about his behavior that he had started distancing himself from her. He had known that she didn’t deserve to be cheated on, that she deserved a faithful man. He had wanted to come clean and tell her everything, but he loved her. He couldn’t lose her.
As it turned out, Draco hadn’t had to tell her. She found out herself. A rumor had spread about the girl he had screwed while drunk. It had reached Hermione, and while they were sitting on their spot by the lake watching the sky darken, she had flat out asked him about it. He’d contemplated lying, but he had wanted to tell her the truth for months. He’d looked her in the eyes, and confirmed the story.
She hadn’t broken down crying or shouting, like he had thought she would. She had just stared at him with this hurt look in her eyes, and at that moment Draco had wished she had screamed at him. It hurt worse to see just how much he’d hurt her.
Draco had immediately tried to apologize, but Hermione just asked if there were any other times. He had remained silent, and that was all the answer she’d needed. She had calmly asked him why, as the first drops of rain started, and said that she knew that something was going on with him. He had wished he’d been able to answer, but he wasn’t about to drag her down with him.
She had started begging him to confide in her and swore that whatever was going on, she’d get him out of it. Part of him wondered if she knew what he was, but Draco still didn’t say anything. When she’d finally had her say, she’d looked at him with defeat. With a shaky sigh, she told him to be careful and left. Draco had never felt so alone as he watched her walk out into the rain and out of his life.
Now, nine years later, Draco still regretted everything he’d done to her. When she had walked away she’d taken his heart with her and he’d never gotten it back. She, however, had no problem moving on. She had married Weasley only a year after war. It had taken Draco much longer to find someone new. No one was as funny as Hermione or as smart as her. No one measured up, but he did finally settle down when his parents urged him to three years ago.
Draco watched the rain slide down his study’s window pane in contemplative silence. How he hated the rain now. It was as if it mocked him. He sneered as a strip of lightning flashed in the distance.
“Draco,” he heard his wife draw out his name before opening the door. Astoria Malfoy née Greengrass was a girl he’d grown up with. Their parents moved in the same circles, but Draco had never given her much attention in the past because she’d always been materialistic and was too much of a drama queen. However, when his parents suggested the match Draco really couldn’t care either way, since his dating history had been nonexistent for ages.
“Draco,” Astoria said again when he didn’t answer. “I’m out of my potion.”
Draco gave her a disgruntled look. “What?” he asked. “What potion? And why are you complaining to me about it?”
Astoria rolled her eyes. “My prenatal potion,” she said slowly. “The only potion I’ve been taking for the last few months. I need you to go pick me up some.”
Right. Astoria was three months pregnant. Draco tried not to think about it too much. It was too overwhelming to think that he would be a father in six short months. He much preferred to pretend that nothing was changing, and that he wouldn’t be irreversibly bound to this woman for the rest of eternity. Not that his wedding vows didn’t already say that, but at least they didn’t freak him out as much as this responsibility.
“You’re joking,” he replied. “Do you see the weather outside? There’s no way I’m traveling anywhere in this. You’ll just have to wait until tomorrow.”
Astoria let out a huff. “No, I need it tonight so I can take it at ten tomorrow morning. It’s part of my routine,” she explained with her hands on her hips. “If I wait and get it tomorrow, then it could throw off our baby’s growth. It won’t get the nutrients it needs, and therefore it could be born malnourished or, Salazar forbid, deformed.”
Draco shook his head in disbelief. “I hope you know you’re over exaggerating,” he told her as looked back toward the window. “And if it really bothers you that much, you go and get it.”
“I’m feeling nauseous,” she replied as her hand traveled to her stomach. He turned and gave her a pointed look. “Besides, you know it’s not good for a woman to Floo or Apparate while pregnant, and you wouldn’t want to put our child or me at risk, would you?”
He very much wanted to answer positively, but held his tongue. “Of course not, love,” he said in a condescending voice. “Let me just grab my wand, and I’ll be gone in a second. If that’s fast enough for you, that is.”
She gave him a sarcastic smile. “Of course not, if you were going fast enough, you’d already be back,” she told him.
Letting out a sigh, Draco pushed himself out of his chair. “I suppose I don’t have a choice in the matter,” he said as he maneuvered around her and walked out the door. She followed at his heels. He made his way down stairs and into the drawing room.
“Prenatal potions, yes?” he asked as he grabbed his wand from an end table.
“Yes,” she confirmed, and then studied his face. “Be careful, all right? It is nasty out there.”
“Well, if anything happens to me, I’m sure it won’t be on your conscience for long,” he retorted, and then before he could see how his words affected her he Apparated to Diagon Alley. He knew it had been a low blow, but it ticked him off that he had to go out in the first place.
The street was practically deserted, and it took no time for Draco to be completely soaked. It seemed the faster he walked toward the Apothecary, the harder the rain fell. It was as if the rain was telling him to turn back, that the errand wasn’t worth it and safety was back home. He tensed his shoulders and tried to peer through his wet bangs, hoping to glimpse the store’s windows. This whole unnecessary scenario only added to his hatred for rain.
He finally made it to the store’s door and quickly dried himself once inside. He then made his way back to the far shelves in search of the prenatal potions and found to his annoyance that there were several different types. How was he supposed to know which one was better? Did Astoria take a certain one? He reached out and grabbed a green package and read that it had held twenty phials. Three of these should last her more than a couple of months.
Draco was just about to turn to go pay, when someone said, “There must be something in the water.” He looked over his shoulder, and found a heavily pregnant woman with bushy brown hair watching him with a familiar smile. “It’s been a long time, Draco.”
Almost dropping the packages, he could do nothing but stare at her. What were the odds that Hermione, the very girl he’d been thinking of earlier, would be at in Diagon Alley on the same stormy night? “Hermione Granger.” The name slipped from his lips before he could stop them.
“It’s Weasley now, actually. Has been for awhile,” Hermione said, but continued to smile as she walked closer to him.
“Wh-what are you doing here?” he managed to get out, not really caring what her name was now. She’d always be Hermione Granger to him.
“Well, I’ve been having some cramps lately,” she explained, but all Draco saw in her hands was a worn book. “But the storm’s delayed me. I’ve been stranded in here for a least an hour. It’s been ridiculous,” she continued as she lifted the book in explanation.
“Shouldn’t Weasley be out in your place then?” he asked, trying to keep the edge out of his voice.
“Oh,” she said. “Well, Ron is actually out on an Auror mission. He’s been gone for the last two weeks. Believe me, if he were home, there’d be no way I’d be out in this.” She smiled again. “But anyway, I really can’t believe I haven’t seen you in I don’t even know how long.”
“I don’t get out much.”
She shrugged, allowing it. “So, you’re married,” she stated, gesturing to the ring on his finger. “And expecting a baby. That’s amazing. Congratulations.”
He tried to say thank you, but he couldn’t get around the lump in his throat. He didn’t want to talk about the coming of his child. He waved his hand toward her stomach. “I guess I have to return the congratulations. You’re about to pop.”
She laughed and it was like an old song he hadn’t heard in years. “I’ve still got a month and a half to go,” she said as she patted her swollen tummy. “It’s a girl. We’re naming her Rose, after my grandmother.”
Her eyes still lit up when she talked about something she was passionate about, and Draco drank it in like it was his favorite flavor of brandy. It was clear to him that he still loved her even after all these years. “Congratulations,” was all he could find in him to say.
With a modest smile, she replied, “Thank you.” She gestured to the long forgotten packages of phials in his hand. “How far along is your wife?”
Draco faltered. “Uh, I think she’s fourteen weeks,” he guessed. He believed that was the last number Astoria had fired off at him.
“You’ve still got a ways to go,” Helen replied with a knowing laugh. “I’ll bet she’s driving you crazy with morning sickness and moodiness. Merlin knows I did with Ron.”
Draco nodded. “She’s always driven me crazy,” he answered, trying to keep the spite out of his voice. “I’ll just be glad when this whole thing is over.”
“Aw, don’t say that,” she said in a way that had him wishing he’d never said anything. “Pregnancy is beautiful, and I know we woman make it difficult to see some times, but that still doesn’t take away from the fact that she’s carrying a life that you and she created.”
Nodding and not knowing quite what to say, he just stared at the packages in his hands. “I guess.”
Hermione had that knowing smile again. “I’m sure once she’s big enough and the baby starts the kick, you’ll think differently,” she informed him. She checked her watch. “Well, I won’t waste anymore of your time. I’m gonna go and check the weather. It doesn’t sound like it’s raining as hard anymore.”
Just as she was about to turn away, panic seized Draco. It had been nine years since he’d last talked to her, mostly due to him trying to avoid her, and they hadn’t been on good terms then. He just wanted to continue to listen to her voice as long as he could.
“Wait, Hermione,” he called as he reached out and grasped her wrist. She faced him with a confused expression. Now on the spot, there was only one question he really had for her. “Are you happy?”
Her eyes softened as she reached with her other hand to cover his. “I am,” she replied in an almost apologetic voice. “Ron loves me very much, and I adore him. He’s never made me want for anything. …Are you?”
The answer no was right on the tip of his tongue. “Yes,” he choked out he lie. She smiled again, but he could tell that she knew he’d lied. Just as her grip loosened, he tightened his. “Hermione, I’m still sorry about what happened between us.” That apology had been weighing on his chest since the day she walked out into the rain. He knew he’d never get over her if she didn’t at least accept it.
Hurt recognition filtered across her face. “Oh, Draco,” she said, furrowing her brow. “I forgave years ago. Why are you still holding this inside?”
The forgiveness lifted a burden that he’d carried for so long that he’d forgotten what it felt like to be guilt free.
“Because it never stopped being true,” he replied. “Doing that to you will always be my biggest regret.”
Tears formed in her eyes, and she blinked rapidly to clear them. “Draco,” she whispered, and then leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out between us. You have no idea how sorry. Leaving you was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
It seemed they both had regrets, but it was much too late to fix them.
She wiped her eyes, and finally let go of his hand. “I really should go,” she said tearfully. “Learn to let things go, Draco, and please, smile. You always had such a heartthrob smile.”
He quirked his lips at that. “Goodbye, Granger,” he said with a sad smile. Touted
“Goodbye, Draco,” she whispered before turning and disappearing from sight.
It was strange. He felt whole and empty at the same time. Having closure with the love of his life was something that he never thought he could have, but he was glad he’d achieved it. He looked down at the phials, and figured it was time for him to return home as well. Maybe he’d even try to be a little more enthusiastic about the pregnancy.
He slowly made his way to the counter and paid. As he was walked outside into the light shower, he figured that maybe the rain was trying to tell him something. Maybe it was time to move on.
Author: snugglelove54
Characters: Draco Malfoy/Hermione Granger
Prompt number: #128
Word Count: 3,101
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Sexual references, angst
Summary: Rain had always seemed to be their thing. Even after all these years, it still had a way of pushing them together.
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters, magical/non-magical settings, etc. are the property of J.K. Rowling. No copyright infringement of the Harry Potter fandom is intended nor is any profit made from this fiction.
Author’s Notes: Well, I have some people I'd like to thank. First off, I want to thank the mods for hosting this fest! I've had a lot of fun writing this! Secondly, I also want to thank my brilliant beta! You're awesome for doing this on such short notice! (Any current mistakes are entirely my own.) Lastly, dormiensa deserves some thanks for coming up with such a fun prompt! So, I hope you all enjoy!
Listen to the Rain
March 23, 2006
Large, cold raindrops splattered down onto the grounds of Malfoy Manor. The dreary weather had caused the sky to darken an hour earlier than usual, and because of this the night seemed even more daunting. The wind wailed while the sky cried. It seemed as if the night was mourning.
Draco Malfoy had just gotten home from a long day of listening to his business clients complain and worry about their investments, and while he loved his job most days, rainy days always brought him down. People called him weather sensitive, but Draco knew it had more to do with that Granger girl than it did with sensitivity.
Hermione Granger had captured his heart during their fifth year. They had been caught up in a bad storm, and had waited up against one of the green houses. They hadn’t said much until the wind shifted and started drenching them with cold rain water. Deciding that he had had enough of standing around, he’d yelled for her to follow him, and she had reluctantly obeyed. He had pulled to greenhouse door open, and they had scurried inside. The wind had been so strong it had rattled the glass walls.
Draco had then noticed that she was wet and shivering. He had quickly cast a drying spell. She had looked at him in shock. He didn’t know why he’d done it, but once she’d realized that he hadn’t hexed her and that she was warm, she gave him a small grateful smile.
When the storm finally died down a short while later, they had decided to make their way back to the castle.
However, the rain had thought differently. It started coming down again, so they sprinted the rest of the way. They were both completely soaked and had probably never looked worse, and once inside the entry hall Granger had laughed at the way his hair stuck up in different places. He’d scowled and commented on her absurd hair, but she’d only laughed harder. Her laugh had been so contagious that he’d smiled too.
After that they seemed to always find themselves running into each other. Mostly around the castle, but the major events always seemed to happen in the rain. It seemed to be their thing. They’d had a playful dance in the rain, as well as their first kiss. Two very productive hours by the lake hadn’t started in the rain, but had certainly ended in it. He’d helped her hide from Filch one night inside an abandoned classroom while the rain splattered against the windows, helping to cover up their loud activities. Their relationship had all started and centered around the rain, and it had only made sense that it had ended in the rain as well.
They had been secretly seeing each other for a year when Draco had first strayed from her. Hermione and he had had a great sex life, but that had been the year he’d gotten the Dark Mark. He had been so stressed out that he’d had to relieve some stress, and he had been so shaken up by the lack of progress on the cabinet that he had known she would ask too many questions. It hadn’t meant anything, and he hadn’t even liked the girl to begin with. He hadn’t even been able to remember her name after they were done. She’d just been there and willing.
He’d felt so guilty afterward. The next day he had met up with Hermione for a quiet lunch by the lake, and she had been happy and smiling, thinking everything was normal. But Draco had known what he’d done. He’d felt immensely guilty. He was a scumbag, but… he realized that he had gotten away with it. As they parted for the night with a goodnight kiss, he vowed he’d never betray her again.
Draco had been true to his word too, or at least he was for two months. The next girl had seduced him. It had been right after the failed attempt with the necklace, and he’d been drunk. He had woken up the next morning with a massive hangover and couldn’t even stand to look at himself. The third time he’d been sober and willing after he had almost killed one of Hermione’s best friends, and the girl had had the same color eyes as Hermione.
He had felt so bad about his behavior that he had started distancing himself from her. He had known that she didn’t deserve to be cheated on, that she deserved a faithful man. He had wanted to come clean and tell her everything, but he loved her. He couldn’t lose her.
As it turned out, Draco hadn’t had to tell her. She found out herself. A rumor had spread about the girl he had screwed while drunk. It had reached Hermione, and while they were sitting on their spot by the lake watching the sky darken, she had flat out asked him about it. He’d contemplated lying, but he had wanted to tell her the truth for months. He’d looked her in the eyes, and confirmed the story.
She hadn’t broken down crying or shouting, like he had thought she would. She had just stared at him with this hurt look in her eyes, and at that moment Draco had wished she had screamed at him. It hurt worse to see just how much he’d hurt her.
Draco had immediately tried to apologize, but Hermione just asked if there were any other times. He had remained silent, and that was all the answer she’d needed. She had calmly asked him why, as the first drops of rain started, and said that she knew that something was going on with him. He had wished he’d been able to answer, but he wasn’t about to drag her down with him.
She had started begging him to confide in her and swore that whatever was going on, she’d get him out of it. Part of him wondered if she knew what he was, but Draco still didn’t say anything. When she’d finally had her say, she’d looked at him with defeat. With a shaky sigh, she told him to be careful and left. Draco had never felt so alone as he watched her walk out into the rain and out of his life.
Now, nine years later, Draco still regretted everything he’d done to her. When she had walked away she’d taken his heart with her and he’d never gotten it back. She, however, had no problem moving on. She had married Weasley only a year after war. It had taken Draco much longer to find someone new. No one was as funny as Hermione or as smart as her. No one measured up, but he did finally settle down when his parents urged him to three years ago.
Draco watched the rain slide down his study’s window pane in contemplative silence. How he hated the rain now. It was as if it mocked him. He sneered as a strip of lightning flashed in the distance.
“Draco,” he heard his wife draw out his name before opening the door. Astoria Malfoy née Greengrass was a girl he’d grown up with. Their parents moved in the same circles, but Draco had never given her much attention in the past because she’d always been materialistic and was too much of a drama queen. However, when his parents suggested the match Draco really couldn’t care either way, since his dating history had been nonexistent for ages.
“Draco,” Astoria said again when he didn’t answer. “I’m out of my potion.”
Draco gave her a disgruntled look. “What?” he asked. “What potion? And why are you complaining to me about it?”
Astoria rolled her eyes. “My prenatal potion,” she said slowly. “The only potion I’ve been taking for the last few months. I need you to go pick me up some.”
Right. Astoria was three months pregnant. Draco tried not to think about it too much. It was too overwhelming to think that he would be a father in six short months. He much preferred to pretend that nothing was changing, and that he wouldn’t be irreversibly bound to this woman for the rest of eternity. Not that his wedding vows didn’t already say that, but at least they didn’t freak him out as much as this responsibility.
“You’re joking,” he replied. “Do you see the weather outside? There’s no way I’m traveling anywhere in this. You’ll just have to wait until tomorrow.”
Astoria let out a huff. “No, I need it tonight so I can take it at ten tomorrow morning. It’s part of my routine,” she explained with her hands on her hips. “If I wait and get it tomorrow, then it could throw off our baby’s growth. It won’t get the nutrients it needs, and therefore it could be born malnourished or, Salazar forbid, deformed.”
Draco shook his head in disbelief. “I hope you know you’re over exaggerating,” he told her as looked back toward the window. “And if it really bothers you that much, you go and get it.”
“I’m feeling nauseous,” she replied as her hand traveled to her stomach. He turned and gave her a pointed look. “Besides, you know it’s not good for a woman to Floo or Apparate while pregnant, and you wouldn’t want to put our child or me at risk, would you?”
He very much wanted to answer positively, but held his tongue. “Of course not, love,” he said in a condescending voice. “Let me just grab my wand, and I’ll be gone in a second. If that’s fast enough for you, that is.”
She gave him a sarcastic smile. “Of course not, if you were going fast enough, you’d already be back,” she told him.
Letting out a sigh, Draco pushed himself out of his chair. “I suppose I don’t have a choice in the matter,” he said as he maneuvered around her and walked out the door. She followed at his heels. He made his way down stairs and into the drawing room.
“Prenatal potions, yes?” he asked as he grabbed his wand from an end table.
“Yes,” she confirmed, and then studied his face. “Be careful, all right? It is nasty out there.”
“Well, if anything happens to me, I’m sure it won’t be on your conscience for long,” he retorted, and then before he could see how his words affected her he Apparated to Diagon Alley. He knew it had been a low blow, but it ticked him off that he had to go out in the first place.
The street was practically deserted, and it took no time for Draco to be completely soaked. It seemed the faster he walked toward the Apothecary, the harder the rain fell. It was as if the rain was telling him to turn back, that the errand wasn’t worth it and safety was back home. He tensed his shoulders and tried to peer through his wet bangs, hoping to glimpse the store’s windows. This whole unnecessary scenario only added to his hatred for rain.
He finally made it to the store’s door and quickly dried himself once inside. He then made his way back to the far shelves in search of the prenatal potions and found to his annoyance that there were several different types. How was he supposed to know which one was better? Did Astoria take a certain one? He reached out and grabbed a green package and read that it had held twenty phials. Three of these should last her more than a couple of months.
Draco was just about to turn to go pay, when someone said, “There must be something in the water.” He looked over his shoulder, and found a heavily pregnant woman with bushy brown hair watching him with a familiar smile. “It’s been a long time, Draco.”
Almost dropping the packages, he could do nothing but stare at her. What were the odds that Hermione, the very girl he’d been thinking of earlier, would be at in Diagon Alley on the same stormy night? “Hermione Granger.” The name slipped from his lips before he could stop them.
“It’s Weasley now, actually. Has been for awhile,” Hermione said, but continued to smile as she walked closer to him.
“Wh-what are you doing here?” he managed to get out, not really caring what her name was now. She’d always be Hermione Granger to him.
“Well, I’ve been having some cramps lately,” she explained, but all Draco saw in her hands was a worn book. “But the storm’s delayed me. I’ve been stranded in here for a least an hour. It’s been ridiculous,” she continued as she lifted the book in explanation.
“Shouldn’t Weasley be out in your place then?” he asked, trying to keep the edge out of his voice.
“Oh,” she said. “Well, Ron is actually out on an Auror mission. He’s been gone for the last two weeks. Believe me, if he were home, there’d be no way I’d be out in this.” She smiled again. “But anyway, I really can’t believe I haven’t seen you in I don’t even know how long.”
“I don’t get out much.”
She shrugged, allowing it. “So, you’re married,” she stated, gesturing to the ring on his finger. “And expecting a baby. That’s amazing. Congratulations.”
He tried to say thank you, but he couldn’t get around the lump in his throat. He didn’t want to talk about the coming of his child. He waved his hand toward her stomach. “I guess I have to return the congratulations. You’re about to pop.”
She laughed and it was like an old song he hadn’t heard in years. “I’ve still got a month and a half to go,” she said as she patted her swollen tummy. “It’s a girl. We’re naming her Rose, after my grandmother.”
Her eyes still lit up when she talked about something she was passionate about, and Draco drank it in like it was his favorite flavor of brandy. It was clear to him that he still loved her even after all these years. “Congratulations,” was all he could find in him to say.
With a modest smile, she replied, “Thank you.” She gestured to the long forgotten packages of phials in his hand. “How far along is your wife?”
Draco faltered. “Uh, I think she’s fourteen weeks,” he guessed. He believed that was the last number Astoria had fired off at him.
“You’ve still got a ways to go,” Helen replied with a knowing laugh. “I’ll bet she’s driving you crazy with morning sickness and moodiness. Merlin knows I did with Ron.”
Draco nodded. “She’s always driven me crazy,” he answered, trying to keep the spite out of his voice. “I’ll just be glad when this whole thing is over.”
“Aw, don’t say that,” she said in a way that had him wishing he’d never said anything. “Pregnancy is beautiful, and I know we woman make it difficult to see some times, but that still doesn’t take away from the fact that she’s carrying a life that you and she created.”
Nodding and not knowing quite what to say, he just stared at the packages in his hands. “I guess.”
Hermione had that knowing smile again. “I’m sure once she’s big enough and the baby starts the kick, you’ll think differently,” she informed him. She checked her watch. “Well, I won’t waste anymore of your time. I’m gonna go and check the weather. It doesn’t sound like it’s raining as hard anymore.”
Just as she was about to turn away, panic seized Draco. It had been nine years since he’d last talked to her, mostly due to him trying to avoid her, and they hadn’t been on good terms then. He just wanted to continue to listen to her voice as long as he could.
“Wait, Hermione,” he called as he reached out and grasped her wrist. She faced him with a confused expression. Now on the spot, there was only one question he really had for her. “Are you happy?”
Her eyes softened as she reached with her other hand to cover his. “I am,” she replied in an almost apologetic voice. “Ron loves me very much, and I adore him. He’s never made me want for anything. …Are you?”
The answer no was right on the tip of his tongue. “Yes,” he choked out he lie. She smiled again, but he could tell that she knew he’d lied. Just as her grip loosened, he tightened his. “Hermione, I’m still sorry about what happened between us.” That apology had been weighing on his chest since the day she walked out into the rain. He knew he’d never get over her if she didn’t at least accept it.
Hurt recognition filtered across her face. “Oh, Draco,” she said, furrowing her brow. “I forgave years ago. Why are you still holding this inside?”
The forgiveness lifted a burden that he’d carried for so long that he’d forgotten what it felt like to be guilt free.
“Because it never stopped being true,” he replied. “Doing that to you will always be my biggest regret.”
Tears formed in her eyes, and she blinked rapidly to clear them. “Draco,” she whispered, and then leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out between us. You have no idea how sorry. Leaving you was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
It seemed they both had regrets, but it was much too late to fix them.
She wiped her eyes, and finally let go of his hand. “I really should go,” she said tearfully. “Learn to let things go, Draco, and please, smile. You always had such a heartthrob smile.”
He quirked his lips at that. “Goodbye, Granger,” he said with a sad smile. Touted
“Goodbye, Draco,” she whispered before turning and disappearing from sight.
It was strange. He felt whole and empty at the same time. Having closure with the love of his life was something that he never thought he could have, but he was glad he’d achieved it. He looked down at the phials, and figured it was time for him to return home as well. Maybe he’d even try to be a little more enthusiastic about the pregnancy.
He slowly made his way to the counter and paid. As he was walked outside into the light shower, he figured that maybe the rain was trying to tell him something. Maybe it was time to move on.