Work Text:
"Hi. I'm here for an appointment."
"Granger?"
"Yes?" She turned, eyes widening comically when she saw him. He was different, yet somehow still the same.
"Malfoy?"
"I'll schedule you with another artist," he offered hurriedly.
"You're the tattoo artist?"
He nodded, rubbing his neck with a shrug." You asked for the best cover-up artist in the shop," said the receptionist.
Hermione's eyes moved from the woman behind the desk to Draco, "And you're the best," she guessed with a sigh.
"Malfoys are generally the best," he acknowledged.
"Generally," she repeated pointedly.
The Draco Malfoy she knew from her childhood would've bristled at that, but not this Draco. This very fit, heavily tattooed Draco grinned instead, grey eyes sparkling behind gold-rimmed glasses.
"Do you want to swap artists?" asked the receptionist, glancing at them curiously.
"It's up to you," Draco added. "You're drawing is done already, so it's no trouble. I won't be offended."
Hermione bit her lip and smiled, "No," she replied, gaze drifting back to Draco, "We can work together."
Draco nodded, his smile doing bizarre things to her insides. "Come with me then." Hermione followed him to the back of the shop where his set up was. "Have a seat," he told her, pointing to the large black chair that dominated the space. He sat on the stool and pulled a drawing off the top of the pile on the very organized desk.
"Here's what I designed for you."
Hermione took the paper with shaking hands. She had already been nervous about the appointment, having her childhood bully as the artist just magnified those feelings. It all felt unnecessarily complicated, but as her eyes dropped to the image, she sagged with relief. It was breathtaking. "Draco. It 's-it's stunning," she breathed.
Draco's cheeks pinked as he smiled at her. "I'm glad you like it. You told Dana you were open as long as the scar was covered. I think I got everything you put on your list though - flowers, a bird, a bowl, something for medical, and mythology."
Hermione's eyes devoured the image. "Is this Athena?"
Draco smirked, "I knew you'd get it. Athena, Goddess of wisdom and war. I included her staff and helmet, and, of course, the owl."
"Why did you pick that for the mythology piece?"
"You're kidding, right? She's you." His cheeks flushed again as her head snapped up.
"You think I'm a goddess?" she asked in disbelief.
"Yes." Her eyes widened at the suddenness of his response. She swallowed as she continued to stare at him - looking for any hint of malice or teasing but found none. Hermione struggled momentarily with his sincerity before nodding.
Draco cleared his throat, "If you like, I can place it, and we can get started?"
Hermione nodded, handing the drawing back to him. "Yes, I'd like that."
The session went by in a blur. Hermione passed the time asking Draco question after question. He answered every one from "How did you end up tattooing in a muggle tattoo parlor in Birmingham?" to "How many tattoos do you have?" and beyond.
They took a few breaks, but finally, at the end of 4.5 hours, Draco wiped the last of the blood and ink from her skin, "All done." Hermione beamed at him. "Feeling alright?" She nodded, stretching slightly. "Want to see it?"
"Yes, please!"
He moved his tattoo gun and pushed the tray full of inks away as he helped her stand. "Here he told her, leading her to a full-length mirror. "Take a look."
Hermione felt tears well in her eyes as she studied the image. "Draco. It 's-it's," she wiped the tears that were running down her face absently with her opposite hand. "Thank you," she breathed.
"You're welcome," he replied sincerely, handing her a tissue.
"How long have you known?" she asked, "Known it was for me."
"Since I saw the picture of the scar," he told her sincerely.
She nodded, "Why did you say yes - if you knew it was me?"
"Because it was you," he replied with a shrug, "Because I couldn't help you then, and this is a way I could help you now."
He dropped his eyes, and she reached over and squeezed his arm. "Thank you," she said again. "It's even better than I could imagine."
"It's the least I could do. Sit back down and let me get it cleaned and bandaged up for you, okay?"
"Okay."
Several minutes and a few pictures later, Draco placed the last bit of tape over her tattoo to secure the gaze. "Call me if it doesn't heal properly."
"What if..." her words trailed off for a moment before she blew out a breath, "What if I wanted to call you for another reason?"
His eyes widened slightly, and he visibly swallowed. "You can call me anytime- about anything," He scribbled his number down and handed it to Hermione.
She nodded with a smile, pocketing his number before throwing her arms around his waist and hugging him tightly. Draco's entire body stiffened for a moment before he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. "Thank you," she whispered against his chest.
Draco hesitated only briefly before dropping his head to the top of hers and inhaling deeply, "You're welcome, Granger."
He blew out a breath as he watched her leave. Draco felt a sense of peace settle upon him as he cleaned up his space. He heard a throat clear and looked up to find Hermione standing there, fidgeting.
"I was wondering if you'd like to go for a drink? Or maybe dinner?"
Draco smiled, "I could eat. Just give me a minute more to clean up," he indicated the space around him.
She nodded, biting her lip. "I'll wait outside."
He watched her walk out the door a second time and felt hope spring in his chest.