The Muggle Project

Try With Me

When we turned into the Leaky Cauldron, I bumped into Draco who had stopped just over the threshold. He took my hand into his and then led me through the crowd and into the small courtyard. He quickly tapped the appropriate bricks and stepped back as the wall opened up, revealing Diagon Alley.

"Join us for ice cream?" Draco asked.

Neville and Luna polietly declined because they wanted to go to a new shop that opened up beside Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. This left Draco and I to our own company.

At Florean Fortescue's I ordered a simple vanilla cone and Draco had chocolate.We took a seat outside the parlor and licked happily at our ice cream cones while basking in the sunlight.

"I'm sorry." I said to Draco once I had finished my own.

He glanced up from his half-eaten ice cream, his eyesbrows risen curiously.

"I'm sorry about what I said back at the hotel. I understand how you feel and how hard it must be to have interest in someone who is on the opposite end of the spectrum in your life."

"Oh, that." Draco mumbled, his voice once again melancholy. "Between you and I, Hermione, I would give up everything in my life to be with you. Even if it meant converting to the muggle world. I mean, look how well we are doing without using magic. We could live-"

I cut him off, holding up my hand. "That's completely ludicrous, Draco. For a while I thought that maybe after graduation, what we had could continue. But back at the hotel, with the manager-"

"Hermione, I did that for you."

"That isn't the point."

"Then tell me what is."

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath to relax myself. I couldn't allow myself to get worked up over things because stress could harm the baby. When I was confident that I was calm again I opened my eyes and looked at Draco.

"You come from a world of riches and being able to get things you want just by intimidation. I, on the other hand, grew up in a family that got everything by hard work. I don't belong in your rich world, Draco and it is clear that you would never be able to convert to mine."

His placed his hand over mine. "Hermione, please. We have a chance to actually be together. No one, no fear, can keep us apart now. Please..." The look on his face I had never seen before now. It was clear desperation.

"What do you want me to say, Draco?" I asked.

He brought his other hand up and cupped my hand between both of his before kissing them. "Tell me that after the year is over, once we have graduated, that you will try with me. That you won't give up on something so amazing and so rare just because it might be hard... or scary... or real."

I bit my lip, doing my best to force back tears.

"Draco..."

"After everything that you have been through, you owe it to yourself to have a chance at this. You know you want this, you want us." His voice was hard, but gentle at the same time.

No matter how I looked at it I couldn't deny how right he was. Not only was I afraid for my blood status and his, but I was worried about where we might go. If this was real, if we lasted, I could very well be the next Malfoy.

Even though Voldemort was gone. Bellatrix and several of his most dangerous followers were dead and the remaining locked away for life in Azkaban, I was still afraid. More so of what would be expected of me as a Malfoy and how society would view us.

If I married Draco society could either see it as me going dark or Draco turning light. There was a fifty/fifty chance that it could go either way and I wasn't sure if I could handle it if things took a turn for the worse.

But I loved him. Draco made me happy.He wasn't afraid to show his love for me now that it was safe for us to do so. He was bold, brave, loving, caring, smart, funny, handsome. I knew that he would protect me for as long as he lived as he had protected me during the majority of our years at Hogwarts.

He was perfect for me. He balanced me out in a way I never knew was possible. And I felt complete with him by my side.

If I gave that up what would happen to me? Would I fall apart? Would I even be able to last a day without him in my life?

I looked down at the hands that embraced mine and then looked up into his eyes. Those grey eyes, my favorite grey eyes. I thought about the first time we made love together and then the morning I woke up with him at my side.

"Okay." I took a deep breath to settle myself as I prepared for what I was about to say next. "I promise."