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“I’m leaving.”
“Granger don't do th-” Draco’s sentence was cut short by the slam of the door to their flat.
-Earlier-
“Granger, I swear to Merlin if you don’t put your books back on the shelf, I might lose it,” Draco announced as he walked into the kitchen. Hermione slightly turned away from the sink, her forearms submerged in soapy water.
“Well, if you had put your dishes away, I could have been doing that right now,” she replied, letting the soapy foam slide off her hands.
“I was too busy picking up your scattered laundry. I don’t understand why you throw your clothing in every fucking corner of this place.” Hermione dropped the towel in her hands onto the counter, turning to look at him— an incredulous look on her face.
“Are you fucking with me right now? You’re the one who flings them across the room because you can’t fucking keep it in your pants long enough to let me put them away— and half the time, I don’t even know where you’ve thrown them to.”
Draco rolled his eyes, scoffing. “Oh yes, because you’re the picture of patience, aren’t you? ‘Draco please fuck me, I need you now.’” he added, making his voice higher and exaggerating his arm movements.
“Oh yeah, of course! Go ahead. Blame me. That’s the one thing you know how to do best, isn’t it? Can’t be held accountable for anything because daddy’s pretentious, spoiled little boy could never be wrong.” Draco opened his mouth to retaliate but Hermione cut him off. “You’ve just walked past the bookshelf, you could’ve just put them away instead of starting an argument. But Gods forbid, Draco fucking Malfoy does anything remotely close to commoner’s work. Honestly—.”
“Shut up!” he yelled, his voice echoing throughout the entire flat. “Merlin shut the fuck up for a second! Why does everything have to be a struggle with you?” Draco groaned into his hands, pushing one into his hair, moving it out of his face. Hermione huffed out a breath, walking out of the kitchen.
“Don’t you walk away right now!” Draco called out, following her out to the living room.
“Oh no, let me lessen your struggle since I’m such a big one for you right now.” Hermione sassed, blindly grabbing for her wand on the coffee table.
“Come off it, you know that’s not what I meant,” Draco countered, grabbing her arm.
“Do I? I’m really not sure I do know what you mean,” she snarled, yanking her arm from his grip, stalking towards the entrance of their home.
“You always fucking do this. Can’t handle being put on the spot, can you?” Draco snipped as she pulled on her shoes.
“Being put on the spot?” Hermione asked in disbelief, her magic thrumming in her veins violently. “I’m leaving because I can’t physically restrain myself from hexing you right now.”
“Well, all of this could’ve been avoided if you had just let us get a house elf.” Draco dared, knowing the subject was touchy.
“Yeah, just so you have another living thing to boss around? Learn to do your own shite. You can’t do anything for yourself, can you? I’m not your mother Draco.”
“Well, you're not fit to be a mother anyway,” he shot back. When Hermione didn’t respond for a long moment, he felt a slight sense of victory. The sense of victory was short-lived as his eyes widened; realizing what he had just said.
Hermione’s jaw hung loose, taking an everlasting second to comprehend.
“Granger, I didn’t mea—”
“Don’t fucking say you didn’t mean it!” Hermione interrupted.
“Hermione, I swear I didn—.”
“Don’t you ‘Hermione’ me. Don’t take it back. I know exactly what you meant.”
There was a moment of silence. They looked into each others’ eyes. And it wasn’t one of those long romantic gazes where they got lost in the depths of each other. No. This was disbelief. This was one of those times where they both questioned if they really belonged with each other. It was one of those times that they wished they listened to everyone that said that they shouldn’t be together.
It was as though golden rays faded into a film of silvery moonlight.
Hermione turned on her heel, opening the door. “Merlin, I really thought you had moved past being like this.” Draco’s lips parted with a sharp inhale.
“I’m leaving.”A single traitorous tear flowed down her face as Hermione quickly made her way to the Apparition point. There was no reason to cry.
This was bound to happen.
They were going to explode sooner or later.
Their arguments were already volatile and this one had done it. They both fanned each other’s flame to the point of combustion. Hermione rubbed away the goosebumps that had spread on her arms from the chilly night.
Clearing her mind, Hermione focused on her destination. It would be a shortstop but a needed one.
Destination
Determination
Deliberation.
Draco watched her disappear with a resounding crack through the window of their flat. Turning away, he launched the vase on the coffee table beside him, across the room. It exploded against the wall, the porcelain shards clinking as they hit the floor.
~ * ~
Hermione tripped over her feet as she landed in the Muggle suburbs of Islington. She wasn’t exactly sure as to why she had come here. She climbed up the stairs— a death grip on the railing. The more she thought about it the worse it sounded in her head and the door to Grimmauld Place swung open before she could turn around. Ginny stood in the doorway, trying to pin her hair into a bun.
“Hermione?” Ginny ushered her in, shivering as the cold air hit her skin. “When I said you could come whenever, I didn’t expect you to arrive at two in the morning. Is everything alright?”
“I’m sorry, Gin. I– I need a favour.” Ginny nodded absently as her eyes roved over Hermione for any sign of injury. Something she adopted from Molly; a motherly instinct perhaps.
“Of course. What is it?” Hermione swallowed thickly, pulling at her fingers.
“If Draco Floos, I was never here,” Ginny’s eyes snap up to Hermione’s. “Alright?”
“Alright,” Ginny agreed as she pulled Hermione towards the kitchen, pushing her into one of the stools behind the counter.
“I don’t even know— what are you doing?” Hermione interrupted herself as Ginny poured them both a tumbler of firewhiskey. She looked up as if she wasn’t indulging in hard liquor in the middle of the night.
“What? I can’t do this anymore with James running around the house. At least now I have an excuse.” she shrugged, pouring a little too much to be sober afterwards. Hermione chuckled, shaking her head as Ginny took a hefty swig. She smacked the glass down on the counter before clasping her hands together, her fingers intertwined.
“Alright what’s the issue that’s got you at my house, drinking at”— Ginny turned to check the time on the clock on the wall—“1:58 in the morning?”
“Gin, it’s not that important.” Hermione rolled her eyes, gesturing with her tumbler in hand, the amber liquid splashing along the sides. Ginny glared at her, waiting for an explanation.
“I wanted to go out,” Hermione huffed. Ginny furrowed her brows in confusion. Hermione was not about to hash out her immature argument with Draco as an explanation.
“Well as you just mentioned, you can’t go out because of James and it’s been so long. So, I thought why not come and ask? Harry’s upstairs, correct?” Ginny nods. “And you know he sleeps like a sloth, he won’t wake up anytime soon. We can slip away and he won’t even notice. We haven’t gone out in ages and clearly, you and I both need to get out of the hou—”
“Hermione. Hermione, stop rambling. I was game the second you said you wanted to go out. But there’s one issue.” Ginny mentioned, coming around the counter to sit beside her. Hermione took a long drink from her tumbler, selfishly praying that they would be able to go.
“What’s that?” Hermione coughs from the burning in her throat.
“There is no way in Godric’s name, we are going like this. If we go out, I expect dancing, drinking, and more dancing. And that requires being dressed up.” she explained, swirling her glass. Hermione’s eyes snap to Ginny.
“I will change, but I will not be your personal dress-up doll.” Hermione pointed at her with the tumbler in her hand. Ginny dramatically sighs, putting her elbow on the counter, resting her chin on her hand.
“Oh well, looks like we aren’t going then. Another boring night at home it is.” Ginny gushed, turning to look at her, with her chin still in her hand. “Did you want to grab a book?” Hermione glared at her for a couple minutes, knowing that the younger Gryffindor wouldn’t budge.
“Ok fine for the love of Merlin, let’s get on with it then.” Hermione gestured up the stairs before chugging the rest of her firewhiskey. She would need it.
~ * ~
Blaise awoke to the sound of his Floo ringing, indicating a visitor. He rolled over to check the time, only not realizing he was already on the edge of the bed, falling face-first to the floor.
“For fuck’s sake Theo, I’m not coming with you! Let a man sleep,” he yelled, getting up and pulling on a shirt, trudging out of his room to find a disgruntled Draco, pacing in front of his Floo. He stood there, leaning against the wall for a couple seconds, before coming to the conclusion that Draco wasn’t going to acknowledge him.
“Oi mate, sit down already, you’re wearing a hole through my rug,” he exclaimed, gesturing to the couch.
Draco looked up at him, bleary-eyed and Blaise just knew it was going to be one of those nights. Blaise sighed, turning around.
“Let me go grab the firewhiskey,” he called over his shoulder.
~ * ~
Ginny had another room, filled to the brim with dresses for a variety of different occasions. She had told Hermione to stay in the bathroom and do her hair while she picked out a dress for them both. Hermione shook her head but let her have her way. She grabbed at her wand, only to realize she had grabbed Draco’s instead of hers. She huffed, lazily doing some hair charms. Ginny entered with two dresses hung over her the crook of her elbow just as Hermione finished with her hair, keeping it down. She gently closed the door behind her before holding up the dresses for Hermione to see and her eyes bulged out of her head. One a sheer, Slytherin green and the other a very prominent, Gryffindor red.
“What do you think?” Ginny asked cheekily, bouncing on the balls of her feet like an impatient child.
“What do I think?! Ginny, that's excessive. You obviously failed to remember that we are both taken. You have a kid for goodness sake.”
“Pshh, it’s not like he is coming with us, now is he. He and his father will never know a thing, as you so eloquently explained not 10 minutes ago.” Ginny rolled her eyes before lifting one of the dresses higher, a deep green, satin, sleeveless number.
“This one’s yours.”
“Gin, I can’t wear this. That’s—”
“Hot? Sexy? A blessing to everyone’s eyes? Yeah, I’m aware, now get your arse into right now. You gave me free rein, so deal with it.” Ginny pushed the dress into her arms and stepped out for her to change. Hermione looked down at the dress in her arm, filled with uncertainty.
“Bugger,” Hermione mumbled, taking her nightclothes off and slipping into the dress. She turned to face the mirror, taking in her reflection. Ginny re-entered with her dress on, hair and face done too.
“Hermione, when I say if I rolled both ways, I would definitely snog you,” Ginny expressed unashamedly. Hermione shook her head, rolling her eyes as Ginny did her makeup.
~ * ~
Blaise handed Draco a glass and the blond stared at it. Blaise took a sip of his, watching Draco from out of the corner of his eye, unmoving.
Blaise furrowed his brow at the sight of Draco before he leaned towards Draco a bit, reaching over and lifting his glass to his mouth, making him take a sip. That snapped Draco out of it and he drained the rest of his tumbler, pouring himself another. He takes another sip before asking, “Were you expecting someone?” Blaise’s eyebrows drew together in confusion before understanding.
“Oh, no. Theo’s been nagging me all week to go to this new club with him and Pans. It’s just opened today, you know, just around the corner from the Weasley’s shop?” Draco nodded, taking another sip. They sat in silence and Draco finished his glass and poured himself another.
“So, are we going to talk about why you’re here or are you going to continue depleting my whiskey stores?” Blaise asked and Draco glared at him before letting up.
“We got into a fight.”
“‘We’ being you and Granger, I’m assuming.”
“Yeah.”
“As if you two don’t fight often. Well, are you going to elaborate or would you like me to use Legilimency?” Blaise drawled.
“It was a useless argument. Immature. But then I crossed a line. She’s gone, Merlin knows where— at this time of night and she’s taken my wand. I didn’t notice until right before I came here.” Draco admitted, placing his tumbler on the coffee table and pulling out Hemione’s wand to show.
“She’ll be fine. This is Granger we’re talking about. She basically raised Potter and Weasley, I’m sure she can take care of herself for a night.” Blaise assured, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“I know she can. I’m not worried about that. I worry she may not come back to me. I wonder if all hopes of an ‘us’ are gone.” Draco mumbled, turning to look at Blaise.
“Draco. What did you say to her?” Blaise asked, an unsure tone colouring his voice.
“I— We were on about something and things about her not being an adequate mother were mentioned.” Any drowsiness that Blaise had been experiencing, disappeared.
“You what?! Have you gone crazy? After everything the two of you have gone through with just the topic of children. You’ve been trying for ages and you go ahead and say that?”
“You think I don’t know that? Just like you mentioned, ‘we’ went through it. I’m aware.” Draco slumped back into the couch, his hands covering his face. “I didn’t mean it. She has to know I didn’t mean it,” he muttered and Blaise pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Let her think this one out, mate. Give her some time. I really don’t know what else to say, the two of you are as unpredictable as a dying phoenix.” Draco tipped his head back, staring at the ceiling.
“I like to think that’s what makes us so rare.”
~ * ~
Ginny Apparated them just in front of the Weasley’s shop and Hermione doubled over, panting.
“A bit of warning next time?” Ginny shrugged sheepishly and Hermione righted herself, taking in their surroundings. “What are we doing here?”
“There’s a new club just around the corner. Opening night and that means free drinks.” Ginny explained as they walked down the street. Their heels clicked and they turned the corner, the floating neon sign lighting up the entrance.
“‘Adonis’ Envy’,” Ginny announced, her arms extended, wiggling her fingers towards the establishment.
“Crafty.” Hermione chuckled as they walked in. They opened the door and the boundary line on the floor glowed green as they crossed over the threshold. Red fog covered the floor, wafting around as the mass of bodies moved. Strobe lights flashed, lighting up the dark room as the music thrummed through their bones. Ginny grabbed Hermione’s hand and led her towards the bar, each taking a seat on one of the bar stools. They waved a bartender over, ordering their heart’s content of shots.
They raced to finish their line of glasses and Hermione slammed down her shot glass a second before Ginny, a drop of alcohol dribbling down her chin.
“Granger?” Ginny and Hermione both swivelled in their seats to find Pansy Parkinson in a mini, fitted black dress with gold threading above her waist, a mixture of surprise and dubiousness on her face, and an excited looking Theo beside her.
“Hey Double P!” Ginny exclaimed and Theo chuckled at the nickname, earning a poke in the ribs from Pansy.
“For the love of Salazar, let’s not use that nickname again,” Pansy advised, her cropped hair swishing around her neck as she shook her head.
“Oh hush, come sit.” Ginny grabbed Pansy’s hand, pulling her to the seat beside her and Theo took a seat beside Hermione as she ordered another drink.
“Granger, long time no see. Where’ve you been?”
“I’ve been right here Theo. Might I remind you that you and Pans ditched Friday nights, not us.” Hermione answered, taking a sip of her drink, looking at Theo from the corner of her eye.
“Touché.” Theo accepted with a bob of his head, waving down the bartender. “I hope we aren’t intruding on your girls’ night.”
“What makes you think it’s a girls’ night?” Hermione asked, fingering the necklace around her neck.
“Well from the absence of a certain blond and a shaggy black-haired individual and the amount of alcohol we saw flowing, I took a wild guess,” he shrugged, taking a sip of his own beverage. Hermione scoffed and shook her head.
“No, you aren’t intruding. The more the merrier, I guess.”
“Beg your pardon?”
Hermione waved her hand, brushing it off. “Muggle phrase.”
“Well since we’re on the topic, where are Malfoy and Potter?”
“Hell if I know,” Hermione muttered, swirling her drink around. Theo furrowed his brows. “Harry, on the other hand, is sound asl-” Hermione was cut off by the telltale glow of a Patronus bounding in front of Ginny; a particular stag.
“Speak of the devil.” Pansy hummed, chuckling slightly.
“Oh, Merlin.” Ginny groaned before draining the rest of her drink.
“Gin, where the hell have you gone to? I was about to report a missing person before I saw Hermione’s jumper on the counter. And a half-empty bottle of Ogden’s. You’ve got some explaining to do.”
The stag fizzed out and Ginny frowned like a child.
"I was just getting started," Ginny whined as she grabbed her purse, slipping off the chair. Hermione began to follow suit, not wanting to spend the rest of the night being interrogated by Pansy.
“What are you doing? You’re staying here.” Hermione opened her mouth to argue but Ginny continued. “You need this night out more than I do. We’ll go again soon, I promise.” Hermione huffed, nodding.
“Don’t Apparate, grab the Knight bus, yeah?” Ginny nodded, waving her goodbyes. Hermione sat back down and Pansy hopped onto the chair Ginny had been occupying, slightly spilling her drink as she settled into the chair.
“What are we doing, Granger?” Pansy asked, her fingers thrumming on the counter.
Hermione furrowed her brows, behind the rim of her drink.
“What do you mean?”
“Are we going to talk about it or continue our way through the selection of alcoholic beverages they offer at this fine establishment??
“I- what? There’s nothing to talk about. I mean do you have something to talk about because I certainly don—”
“Bollocks. You think I can’t tell when something is up?” Hermione opened her mouth to answer but her words sizzled out just like the firewhiskey in her mouth. “Tell me, if I were to go to your flat right this second, tell me I wouldn’t find Draco drunk off his arse or not there at all.” Hermione deflated, shaking her head.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Emptying the club’s alcohol reservoir, it is then,” Theo announced, flagging down the bartender yet again.
Oh, Godric.
~ * ~
Blaise returned to the living room after putting back whatever he could salvage from the bottle of Ogden's to find Draco passed out on the couch. This was fairly normal, they’d done it for as long as Blaise could remember.
At first, it was immature small things like losing a game of Quidditch or having to serve detention, usually solved by a bag of Sugar Quills or a mug of butterbeer. Only was it later that the situation escalated enough that Draco had once shown up at their dorm in sixth year on the verge of passing out. He refused to tell him what had happened, but eventually, let slip out of exhaustion that he had ‘received punishment’. For what, Blaise already knew because no one could disguise the toll the Dark Mark or the Cruciatus takes on a person, much less a sixteen year old.
Blaise rubbed his eyes and debated Flooing the Potter residence to ask for Hermione’s whereabouts but decided against it, not wanting to worry them in the middle of the night. He Accioed a throw blanket, tossing it over the blond before laying on the other side of the couch. Not one second after he closed his eyes, light burst into the room, startling them both to their feet.
“What the fu-!” The light emitted by an eagle, soared into the room circling above them. It was a familiar Patronus.
“Blaise! I know Draco is with you so get your arses over here right now. Granger’s on a table,” The Patronus went silent for a second before Theo’s voice boomed through it again. “Somebody come get her, she’s dancing like a- what do the Muggles call them?” Another voice, farther away, spoke up. “A stripper!”
“Yes, that. Come quick!” And with that, the bird fizzled out. Draco’s head slowly turned to look at Blaise before they both scrambled to the fireplace, calling out the name of the club and disappearing in a haze of green before their coats were even on.
They nearly fell on top of each other as they arrive at the club, the age line on the ground not having enough time to glow green before they dashed into the misty haze of red.
As soon as they reached the bar, they were presented with Hermione and Pansy dancing on a table with Pansy pouring alcohol over Hermione's mouth. Most of it going down her dress, which was quite possibly the best colour on her in Draco’s opinion.
They found Theo at the foot of the table, trying to get them down but being blatantly ignored. They pushed their way through the crowd to the front and stopped just in time as Pansy threw the empty bottle on the floor in front of their feet. It disappeared in a puff of smoke and Theo waved them over to the side of the table he was at.
“About time you arrived! I’ve been trying to get them down for ages. They’ve gone through at least four bottles.” Theo yelled over the music.
“Merlin, help me.” Draco groaned before reaching up for Hermione’s hand, which she swatted away.
“Granger, get down! You’re going to fall on your arse.”
“Let me be!” She replied with an attempt to kick Draco’s arm but threw herself off balance and tumbled right into Draco’s arms. “Let me go, you bastard!”
“Granger, stop it. It’s just me.”
“Stop it. I have a husband. Leave me aloneeeeeeee.” She slurred as she tried wriggling out of his grasp. Draco groaned and sent a look of desperation to Blaise, who put his hands up, shaking his head. Draco heaved Hermione over his shoulder and walked to the fireplaces, leaving Theo to deal with Pansy on his own.
“Did you know, my husband’s name is Draco? He won’t be very happy to see me like this. All dressed up in his favourite colour.” Draco smirked, suddenly very glad she couldn’t see his face. “It’s okay though because when he gets mad, he makes this really amusing face. He’s very pretty but he’s very very very mad at me right now. I was mad at him too but I love him still. Don’t tell him I told you that though, okay?”
“Alright.”
“Promise? Wait actually no, pinky promise.” Hermione brought her arm over his shoulder, right in Draco’s face with her pinky out. Draco pinched the bridge of his nose before intertwining his pinky with hers.
“I pinky promise,” he assured, bringing her down and setting her on the hearth of the fireplace before throwing in the powder to take them home.
“I love you too, Granger,” he whispered as she passed out into his arms. “And I always will.”
Even though they fought like Nifflers over treasure, they couldn’t ever stay apart. They were like magnets, they’d end up finding a way to stick together even after they'd been pulled apart.
