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The first “accident” happened in the Archives.
Hermione Granger reached for Advanced Rune Theory, only for another hand to brush hers.
“Oh,” she said, pulling back.
“Granger.”
Draco Malfoy sounded bored, as if running into her was the greatest inconvenience of his day.
“You can have it.”
He walked away without another word.
Hermione frowned.
That was…odd.
⸻
The second coincidence happened a week later.
Every seat in the Ministry cafeteria was occupied except the one across from Draco.
He looked up from his paperwork.
“You’ll survive five minutes.”
She rolled her eyes.
“I wasn’t asking permission.”
They ate in silence.
It was strangely peaceful.
⸻
By November they had somehow become…friendly.
Not friends.
Friendly.
They worked in neighboring departments, frequently crossed paths during Ministry committees, and, through some bizarre twist of fate, seemed to keep ending up together.
Hermione mentioned wanting to learn wizarding chess.
Draco offered.
She complained about London’s terrible weather.
He produced an umbrella before it started raining.
She wondered aloud where to find an obscure potion ingredient.
He already knew.
She found herself smiling more often around him.
That was dangerous.
⸻
Ginny noticed first.
“Hermione.”
“What?”
“Why is Malfoy looking at you like that?”
Hermione glanced across the atrium.
Draco immediately looked away.
“He isn’t.”
Ginny laughed.
“Oh, honey.”
⸻
By Christmas, Hermione knew three things.
One—
Draco Malfoy was much funnier than anyone realized.
Two—
He listened more than he spoke.
Three—
She was in serious trouble.
⸻
It came to a head during a Ministry gala.
Hermione had been cornered by an elderly wizard determined to explain the superiority of cauldron-bottom thickness.
She had been nodding politely for nearly twenty minutes.
Then Draco appeared.
“I’m afraid I need Granger.”
“You do?”
He looked completely serious.
“Emergency.”
Hermione blinked.
“What emergency?”
She asked as they walked away.
“You’ll think of one.”
He took her hand.
Led her onto the balcony.
The cold air hit her cheeks.
She burst into laughter.
“There wasn’t an emergency.”
“No.”
“You lied.”
“I did.”
“You rescued me.”
“I suppose.”
He looked almost embarrassed.
Hermione stared at him.
She realized she had never seen him look at anyone the way he looked at her.
Like she’d rewritten gravity.
She kissed him.
It lasted exactly four seconds before they sprang apart.
Neither spoke at first.
Then Draco quietly said—
“I’ve wanted that for years.”
⸻
Months later, they were inseparable.
Harry remained suspicious.
Ginny remained smug.
Theo Nott claimed he’d been taking bets.
Life settled into something wonderfully ordinary.
Until Hermione found the notebook.
⸻
It happened completely by accident.
Draco had left his work satchel at her flat.
She searched for a quill.
Instead she found leather-bound pages filled with neat handwriting.
She wasn’t trying to snoop.
Then she saw her name.
Granger.
Curiosity won.
⸻
September 3.
Transferred lunch break to coincide with Magical Law.
Probability of crossing paths: 78%.
⸻
September 17.
Learned she prefers the east reading room.
Begin using east reading room.
Do not make it obvious.
⸻
October 2.
Borrowed Advanced Rune Theory before she arrived.
Return it precisely twelve minutes later.
⸻
Hermione froze.
She turned another page.
⸻
Rain forecast.
Carry umbrella.
She always forgets hers.
⸻
Another page.
⸻
Volunteer for Committee C.
She declined Committee A.
Good.
⸻
Another.
⸻
Never let her think she owes me.
Let every choice remain hers.
Just…
be nearby.
⸻
Her heartbeat thundered.
There were dozens.
No.
Hundreds.
Years of tiny calculations.
Not manipulations.
Opportunities.
Every meeting.
Every conversation.
Every “coincidence.”
Carefully engineered.
⸻
She heard the front door open.
“Hermione?”
Draco walked inside.
Saw the notebook.
Went completely white.
“Oh.”
She looked up slowly.
“You…”
He closed his eyes.
“I can explain.”
“You orchestrated everything.”
“…Yes.”
“The Archives.”
“Yes.”
“The cafeteria.”
“Yes.”
“The committees.”
“…Yes.”
Silence.
Draco laughed once.
Without humor.
“I knew you would hate it.”
“I don’t hate it.”
“You should.”
“I don’t.”
“You deserve honesty.”
Hermione stared.
“I spent years convincing myself you would never look at me.”
His voice barely rose above a whisper.
“So I settled for being around you.”
“I never forced anything.”
“I never lied about who I was.”
“I only…”
He smiled sadly.
“…arranged the chessboard.”
⸻
Hermione looked back down at the notebook.
The last page wasn’t a plan.
It wasn’t a schedule.
It wasn’t strategy.
Just one sentence.
If she says no, be grateful she smiled at you at all.
⸻
She closed the journal.
Walked toward him.
“You idiot.”
“…Probably.”
“I spent months thinking fate kept throwing us together.”
“I know.”
“I told Ginny we had unbelievable luck.”
“I know.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“You know everything?”
He winced.
“Not everything.”
She laughed despite herself.
Then another thought struck her.
“Wait.”
He blinked.
“The Archives.”
“Yes?”
“You looked annoyed.”
“I practiced that expression.”
“The umbrella?”
“I bought six.”
“The chess lessons?”
“I spent three evenings relearning openings so I wouldn’t accidentally humiliate you.”
Hermione burst into helpless laughter.
“You absolute menace.”
“I’ve been called worse.”
She wrapped her arms around him.
“You really masterminded this.”
“I did.”
She rested her forehead against his.
“I have a confession.”
His eyebrows lifted.
“The gala?”
“Yes?”
“I wasn’t trapped.”
“…What?”
“I saw you coming.”
“You did?”
“I could have escaped.”
“You stayed.”
“I wanted to know if you’d rescue me.”
Draco blinked.
“You tested me?”
“A little.”
He stared.
Then laughed so hard he had to sit down.
Hermione smiled.
“You weren’t the only mastermind.”
He looked up at her.
“So…”
“So."
“You knew.”
“I suspected.”
“For how long?”
Hermione grinned.
“Long enough to start arranging my own coincidences.”
Draco frowned.
“The café on Sundays…”
“My idea.”
“The botanical garden?”
“I knew you’d be there.”
“The conference in Edinburgh?”
“I volunteered after seeing your name on the list.”
He gaped.
“You manipulated me.”
“Strategically encouraged.”
“You stole my move.”
“I improved it.”
He shook his head in disbelief.
“I fell in love with a terrifying woman.”
“You certainly did.”
He kissed her.
When they pulled apart, he smiled.
“I suppose we never really left anything to chance.”
Hermione smiled back.
“No.”
She laced her fingers through his.
"But I'd choose you anyway."
"So would I."
Somehow, that mean even more than all the plans that had brought them there.