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Cursing under her breath she wished for the thousandth time that magic had followed her here as she attempted to sip her now ice cold coffee again. A simple heating charm would have had her warming back up in no time.
A light breeze picked up around her as she stared out into the open hills surrounding her humble deck. She missed her past life, her friends, and cat. But out here, with the sun’s rays just reaching out through the distant mountains, the crisp morning dew slowly lifting back up into the cloudless sky, and the promise of cooler weather, it was easier to forget.
She reached for her blue wrap, securing it tightly around her shoulders as another fresh almost-fall breeze tried to reach her already chilled skin. She shivered as her eyes watched the offending air tickle the nearby trees.
Hermione’s eyes landed on the Aspen closest to her; a massive tree that had apparently been planted by the original owner of the home. She slowly watched a leaf detach itself in all its brilliant red-orange glory and prance through the air. Some moments it would be joined by the breeze, twirling and jumping through the descent, the next moment it would flutter gently as the breeze released it from its hold, moving on to dance with its next victim. Smiling slightly she watched as it completed three perfect pique turns, the furthest tips of the leaf reaching out then back in- in perfect harmony with the breeze fluttering inconsistently around them.
She was pulled from her listless observations when the screen door behind her opened up.
She smelled her favored teakwood aftershave as he joined her on the swinging chair, tearing her eyes away from the view to look over at her companion.
Bringing his hand up to push a curl that had escaped her tight confines back behind her ear, she felt her eyes flutter shut as he gently rubbed her chilled cheeks.
“How long have you been out here, baby?” Draco murmured, pulling her closer to him as he let her cheek go.
“Mmmm, not long,” she shrugged her hand out of under her arm, shaking her wrist out until her thin white-gold watch slipped past her flannel sleeve, “just under an hour. I wanted to watch the sunrise again. Couldn’t sleep. But I felt like I needed to be here, at this exact moment in time, to catch the last sunrise of September.” She whispered the last bit, sending him a quick, small smile before shifting her head onto his shoulder. "Can you believe it's already September 30, love?" she murmured more to herself than to him.
She felt him hold her tighter for a moment before his large hand began to run up and down her left arm.
“Was it something new this time?” He asked after minutes had passed.
“Hmm? Oh no. Still missing our before.” She chuckled half-heartedly at his incredulous scoff, “Right well I don’t miss the war that would never end, nor do I miss all the death, fighting, and hiding we had to do. I sure as Merlin don’t miss Ron for mucking up my research and landing me here,” she let out a huff of breath, shaking off her wrap to lay by their feet as she readjusted in his hold.
“I still cannot believe that you were the one to find the tear in time to get to me, especially when I had no previous knowledge that you had switched sides. But I digress. I miss our people, Draco. I miss the ones who had remained loyal to what was right and good. But without magic, without access to even half the resources we had before, well - I miss it. I miss it and know that going back will be three times as hard, nearly impossible without it.” She growled out in frustration, hating how her mind always traveled back to this.
“Salazar but we have talked about this before so you know all of this. But I feel guilty, guilty that we are here enjoying the most beautiful views I have ever had in such a peaceful state as Oregon. Enjoying life the way we should have always enjoyed it. Not running for our lives or fighting for our lives or crying for the lives that were stolen from us. But, without magic, without that missing link to our old world, there is no hope in trying to go back. So I just - I just came out here to remind myself, remind myself of how good I have it - we have it. Together, in love, enjoying all of this.”
She felt his warm breath on the side of her face before his hand came up to dry off the lone tear that fought its way through her hardened shell. Hermione took in a shaky breath as she turned and kissed him gently, reveling in the feeling of warmth that touch alone incited in her.
She smiled into his lips as he ran his fingers into her fallen curls, scooting closer to the furnace that was Draco Malfoy. Her smile morphed into a deep laugh as she felt his socked feet rubbing against her own. Reluctantly, she pulled away, sliding her nose against his own once, twice, before dropping a final peck on his lips and looking down. “Look,” she laughed down at their feet, “together we make green and grey!”
“Seeing Slytherin everywhere now, are we Granger?” he taunted, reaching down to grab her opened book and cold coffee. “Come on, baby. You promised to open our bookshop early for little Maryam and the release of that new novel. The good thing about this life - the view will always be here.”
With a final kiss to her crown, he stood up extending his hand to her with a soft smile, slight sadness reflected in his grey depths. And that was enough because although she knew he kept his thoughts quieter, slower, and deeper inside, she knew he felt the same; and it was enough to know she wasn’t alone in her early morning turmoil.
With a deep groan, she let him tug her up walking hand in hand back into their home, tucked high atop the hills of Oregon.
“Oh! My wrap,” and without thinking Hermione extended her hand, a silent accio running through her veins and out her fingertips a moment before she realized it wouldn’t work.
However, that moment never came. The wrap zoomed into her hand, landing gently in her grasp as if the world, previously tilted to the left, hadn’t just righted itself once again.
“Draco,” Hermione squeaked wide eyes darting from the blue alpaca wool into her lover’s shocked visage and back again. Their hands trembled as a slow, beaming smile filled her face only matched by the radiance of the sun finally rising, highlighting Draco’s silhouette.