Ch. 16

Hermione's POV

The rest of our date went by easily; I was very relaxed and comfortable with him, and couldn't help but notice that conversations between us came easier than conversations with Ron. Ron would always try to direct the conversation towards himself and what he wanted to talk about. Draco was genuinely interested in hearing what I had to say and what I was interested in, and I was just as interested in his side of the conversations. Thankfully he had more to talk about than just quidditch and the latest news on Death Eaters. I learned a lot more about his business and what plans he had for the future of his company, which included purchasing a few vineyards in America as well as contributing to Hogwarts and the other wizarding schools around the world.

There was a small, comfortable lull in conversation, and then he smiled at me. "Thank you for accompanying me to dinner."

I smiled in return. "Thank you for inviting me, I've had a wonderful time."

"You know," He rubbed the back of his neck, "It's not that late. We could always go for a walk if you'd like?"

"I would really like that," I nodded. "Where were you thinking?"

"What about Hyde Park?" He offered.

"That sounds perfect, I haven't been there in a while."

Soon enough, we walked out of the restaurant and he offered his arm to me again, disapparating us away. We landed behind a large tree and thankfully out of sight from any muggles that could have seen us, stepping out and onto the pathway. I still had my arm in his and I noticed that he was subtly pulling me closer until I was right up against him, which I didn't really mind. Especially considering that I was starting to get cold and he was warm.

"Here," He said quietly, releasing my arm and pulling off his coat before wrapping it around my shoulders.

I grinned at him as I pulled his coat on fully. "Are you a Legilimens now?"

"No, but I could feel you shivering," He replied, smiling as he pulled me back to him.

I leaned my head against his shoulder as we continued walking. "Aren't you going to get cold?"

He shrugged. "I'm naturally a fairly warm person. Plus I don't plan on keeping you out too late so I should be fine for our walk."

We continued to slowly walk in silence, and then I heard him chuckle quietly. I looked up at him and asked, "What's so funny?"

"Just remembering the last time we took a walk together," He answered quietly. "That night you found me by the Black Lake."

"Oh yeah," I said as I turned to look forward again. "After rounds. I was wondering where you had gone off to."

"I just wanted some time to think," He said.

"I'm sorry I interrupted your thinking that night," I said playfully.

He smiled at me. "It's not a problem. You being there actually kind of helped me make my decision that night."

"What decision was that?" I asked curiously.

He grew oddly quiet then and he didn't answer for a few moments. I was suddenly aware of just how quiet it was in the park, my heels making almost the only sound other than the fountains and random birds. I looked up at him and saw a serious look in place of his smile, and that worried me slightly.

"Draco?"

He then stopped walking, taking a deep breath as he looked out at one of the fountains. "Remember how close we were back then?"

I pulled away slightly, keeping my arm in his but still looking up at him. "Yes, why?"

"That night you found me out at the Black Lake, that's what I was thinking about," He said quietly.

"You were thinking about us?" I asked.

He nodded and finally looked at me. "I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was when I found out we were going to be Head Boy and Head Girl together, and then my happiness when I apologized to you and you actually accepted my apology."

"Did you really think I wouldn't?"

There was silence and then he nodded again. "I wouldn't have blamed you if you didn't want to forgive me. I was a horrible person to you, even if I was trying to aim most of my frustrations at Harry and the Weasel."

I smiled slightly. "Okay, you're either going to have to call them both by their first names or call them both by their last names; it's too weird hearing you picking both."

He laughed at that. "Fine, fine. But I was still horrible to you throughout our school years. And the fact that I didn't do anything to help that night at the manor....

He looked away again and my heart sank. I reached up and gently put my hand on his cheek, making him look at me.

"I do not blame you for what happened," I reassured him quietly. "I realize now just how high the risk was for you, and you didn't give us up to them."

"Hermione."

He placed his hand on my arm where my scar was. I had gotten so used to covering it with a concealment charm that I had nearly forgotten it was there, and I was caught off guard that he knew where it was.

"I wasn't able to prevent that," He said quietly. "And while you may not hold me responsible, I didn't do anything to help. And because I didn't, you have a permanent scar."

"Everyone has their scars, Draco." I glanced down at his left arm.

He grimaced. "I deserve my constant reminder of my mistakes. You don't deserve yours."

I shook my head. "I don't think you deserve yours either."

"Oh, but I do," He said quietly.

Before I could respond, he gently pulled away and put his hands in his pockets, walking a few steps away from me with his back turned.

"There were other things I was thinking about that night too," He started again, stopping at the edge of the next fountain.

I slowly followed him and asked, "What other things?"

He sighed. "Well, that was the night that Weasel demanded you stop talking to me."

I looked down at the ground, closing my eyes as I remembered that night very well. Ron had met me in Hogsmeade towards the end of the school year in April, and he had seen Draco and I talking, since Draco had gone with me to Hogsmeade to pick up some supplies.

Ron had practically yelled at me in the middle of the Three Broomsticks, saying that if I didn't end my friendship with Draco, he would end our relationship. It was awful and I left, trying not to cry. Draco had apparently overheard what happened and avoided me for the rest of the day, until I found him sitting at the Black Lake.

"That night was really the last night we talked, wasn't it?" I asked quietly.

He nodded. "I tried to make the most of it, which is why I asked you to go on that walk with me. I knew your decision already."

"It was a stupid decision," I lamented. "I regret it."

He turned around and raised an eyebrow at me. "You regret that you didn't give up your relationship to keep my friendship?"

"Well, it's not like the relationship worked out, is it?" I said quietly.

"True, but there's no way anyone could have known what was going to happen." He looked at me for a few moments before looking down at the ground and shifting his weight. "There are other things about that night I regret too."

"Like what?" I asked.

"Like making the decision to let you go."

He looked back up at me and I stayed frozen in my spot, my mind completely blank. We watched each other quietly for a few moments before he slowly started walking towards me.

"I also regret hiding my feelings from you," He continued quietly. "And not telling you to leave the Weasel. But instead, I let you go."

"Why did you?" I asked finally, the words nearly catching in my throat.

He stopped in front of me and looked down at me sadly. "Because I thought he was what was best for you at the time. As much as I wanted to tell you how I felt that night, I knew I wasn't right for you then, and that I didn't deserve you because I hadn't completely changed for the better yet. But I should've at least told you to leave him."

I looked up into his eyes for a few moments before asking, "Do you think you deserve me now?"

I saw the corner of his mouth lift slightly as he held back a smile. "That's not really my decision, is it?"

"If that's the case, then it wasn't your decision back then to decide that you didn't deserve me," I retorted.

He finally cracked a smile at that, shaking his head. "I suppose not."

We stared at each other in silence, the only noise being the fountains around us again. I shifted my weight slightly before asking quietly, "What feelings were you hiding from me?"

He smiled slightly and said, "Do you really not know at this point?"

"No, I know," I said, as he took another step towards me. "Maybe I just want to hear it from you."

He leaned down slightly and pulled his hands out of his pockets, gently cupping my face. "How about I show you instead?"

He closed the distance between us and pressed his lips to mine softly, as if he was waiting for me to push him away. When I didn't, he relaxed into it and I leaned in, putting my hands on his chest and enjoying the kiss.

After a few moments of bliss, he pulled back but smiled at me. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to do that."

I smiled back at him and pressed another kiss against his lips. To my dismay, he pulled back again and sighed. "Hermione, I know it hasn't been long since you ended your relationship. I don't want to pressure you into another one right away, but I just want you to know that I'll be waiting for you when you're ready."

I pulled back from him and dropped my hands, frowning slightly. "That makes it sound like you're leaving."

"Oh no, I'm not going anywhere," He said. "I just don't want to make you feel pressured into another relationship. I would like to still see you, but only if you want to as well."

Relaxing slightly, I smiled. "I would really like to keep seeing you too."

He  smiled  as  well  and  pressed  a  kiss  to  my  forehead  before  saying,  "Come  on,  let's  get  you  home  before  you  freeze."