Last Lesson in Love - (Sequel to Tutoring A Malfoy)

Chapter Eleven - 'Draco... of course.'

‘When  do you get off work?’ Draco asked, ignoring her and looking at the rose instead.

Once again, Hermione’s eyes went to the rose and she wondered if he had bought it for her. If he had, why wouldn’t he just give her it? Did he want her to beg for it? Hermione closed her eyes shortly and sighed, ‘I get off at three because I need to pick Rose up from school. Why?’

‘Ah, three,’ Draco nodded and they fell into a silence which annoyed Hermione. She watched him with narrowed eyes until he smirked at her, ‘how’s Michael?’

‘Draco, why are you here exactly? I have work to do,’ Hermione crossed her arms over her chest.

‘Alright, alright. You’re very bossy,’ Draco muttered, rolling his grey eyes at her. He leapt off the counter and stood in front of her, holding the rose between them, ‘remember when I came over to your house a couple of weeks ago and gave you the tickets for the boat ride weekend?’

Hermione remembered that night very well. She had been utterly shocked to realise that he remembered that letter he had sent her in Hogwarts before the war had started since he sent that years ago. The boat ride had been his way of wanting to make sure she forgave him for what he had done. Hermione looked at the rose and then up to his eyes, looking deep into them to see if she could find that boy from all those years ago who teased her to no end.

‘I remember,’ Hermione said quietly, feeling her throat close up a little. She wished... he hadn’t bothered to give her the tickets. She didn’t want him to care about her like he did since she was with Michael not Draco.

‘It’s this weekend,’ Draco reminded her, lightly brushing her cheek with the rose. He didn’t say any more but Hermione guessed he wanted to know if she would go or not.

‘I don’t know if I... can go,’ Hermione said so quietly that she wasn’t sure he had heard her.

Draco ignored her and muttered, ‘I want you to go with me.’

Hermione raised her eyebrows, he couldn’t possibly expect them to go together on a couples boat ride weekend, could he? The idea of spending an entire weekend away with Draco, alone, on a boat, made her heart beat a little faster than usual.

‘How about it?’ Draco asked, smiling at her and Hermione found her eyes going down to his full lips and how he had kissed her that night.

Hermione closed her eyes and rested her hand on his chest when she felt him take a step closer to her, ‘Draco... I have a boyfriend.’

‘Shh,’ Draco closed his eyes at her words, holding the rose up to her mouth to silence her. He stayed like that for a second before opening his eyes to look at her, ‘I want you to go with me because... I should have said this a very long time ago but it’s never too late, right? Granger, I want... I need you to go with me because-’

‘Don’t,’ Hermione held a finger up to silence him this time and she looked into his eyes, almost pleading him not to finish his sentence, ‘please, Draco, just don’t.’

‘I love you,’ Draco smiled, kissing her finger lightly. Hermione’s eyes drifted shut and Draco frowned slightly, ‘I know I’m sexy and all but don’t faint, Granger.’

Hermione leaned forwards and rested her head on his chest, willing Draco to have the sense to put his arms around her. Draco obliged and hugged her for a while in silence, seriously wondering if she would faint because of those three words. Draco rubbed her back softly, listening to her breathe.

He couldn’t imagine what would have happened in Hogwarts if he had admitted his feelings for her then. He would never have told her he loved her because Draco was too damn proud back in the day but now... now, he didn’t want to keep going on after believing for so many years that she was dead. Now that he knew she was alive, he wanted to be with her to compensate for all of that lost time.