Draco’s POV
It had been three very long agonizing days since I had seen her. After our eyes had met in the Great Hall the morning after our run in, I knew it wasn’t safe for me to be around her so I had stayed in hibernation in the dungeon. Her letters had been my only company and they were too few for my liking. But I had survived without going crazy, so that was a bonus.
“Ready for breakfast?” I asked Blaise as I shrugged on my robe.
“Depends what’s on your menu, actual food or Hermione?” He asked jokingly but I didn’t laugh.
“I’m going to ignore that, hurry up.” I muttered before walking out of the dormitory.
Theo and Pansy were at the portrait door waiting, both in deep conversation with each other. I shook my head. I wished those two would just hurry up and get together.
“Morning Draco,” Pansy spoke once she spotted me and I gave her a brief smile in return.
“Nervous?” Theo asked as he looked me over once. I looked like shit. The dark circles under my eyes that had appeared after the first night had yet to fade away but gradually worsen.
“As I’ll ever be.”
“Right then let’s go. I’m starved.” Blaise spoke as he finally joined us.
“You’re always starved.” Pansy spoke with a roll of her eyes before opening the portrait.
“Have you heard from her?” Theo asked quietly as we walked through the halls making our way towards the heart of the castle.
“Not this morning. She never replied to my letter yesterday.”
“Well she got it and she read it I know that much.” Blaise spoke up and I nodded.
“I guess today will tell.” I spoke quietly.
Hermione’s POV
“Mione are you sure you don’t want to come to breakfast?” Ron asked but I shook my head.
“No I’m not hungry; I’m just going to head straight to the library. I’ll meet you in class.”
“Alright if you’re sure?” Harry spoke, sending me a concerned glance. I smiled slightly and nodded, hoping both boys would get the hint and leave me to it.
“Alright see you later then.” I nodded and waved goodbye to them before bounding off to the owlery.
I had spent last night doing a lot of thinking. I had made my decision and whilst I wasn’t over joyed with what it meant I had made peace with it. I was accepting Malfoy. Fleur had spent last night explaining to me how I went about letting him know. I had two ways- in person or formally in a letter. The latter I felt more comfortable with. It would take him a while to track me down that way. We had no shared classes today so I figured time was on my side, even just a little bit.
“Amity?” I called out and watched as the beautiful owl swooped down off her perch and settled on the stone wall beside me.
“Take this to Draco please.” I spoke softly as I tied the letter that held what seemed like my entire life to the owls leg. The letter only contained two sentences. I had written out so many letters- some long, others shorter before I had finally had enough and just wrote the two things I wanted him to know the most.
Amity gave a soft hoot in response and took flight, heading towards the great hall ready for the breakfast mail drop.
“Please don’t let me regret this.” I whispered in a quiet plea before turning and heading towards my first class. I needed to make a quick escape.
Draco’s POV
I scowled as I scanned the Gryffindor table. She wasn’t here.
“She may be running late.” Theo spoke quietly when he saw what I was looking for.
“Doubtful. The sidekicks are here.” I gave the table another quick scan as I sat down. I raised an eyebrow as I met the youngest Weasley’s stare. She carefully gave a small shake of her head before turning away. I frowned, the girl knew, that much was clearly obvious but what did her head shake mean? She wasn’t accepting? She wasn’t coming? What?
“The youngest one knows?” Pansy asked with a frown. I shrugged as I watched the red head carefully.
“It would seem so. Hermione must have told her.” I frowned.
“But not the other two.” Theo observed.
“She was warned not to tell anyone.” Blaise spoke up as he reached for the eggs.
“I told you three, she needed to tell someone. It would have been unfair for her to bottle it up.” I said before I turned back to my breakfast.
A loud screech filled the hall and I turned my eyes skyward as the owls started swooping in, dropping mail to its owners. I caught sight of Amity and held my breath.
“Incoming mail.” Theo spoke as he too caught sight of the owl. The four of us watched as Amity swooped down and landed gently in front of me. With shaking fingers I managed to somehow untie the letter, before breaking off a piece of toast to give to Amity. With a soft hoot she ate it gracefully.
“Open it Drake, it’ll play on your mind all day of you wait.”
“Maybe we should do this elsewhere?” I spoke as I caught sight of the teachers table subtly watching my every move.
“Draco stop stalling and just open the letter.” Pansy spoke quietly.
Unfolding the parchment I let my eyes trail over the words barely taking it anything in after the first two words. Reading it over again I forced myself to take in the words.
I accept. I only one thing of you- go easy on me.
Unsure I had read it right yet again I passed it off to Blaise in a daze.
“What? She rejected you?” Pansy hissed as she misinterpreted the blank look on my face.
“Read it out loud.” I whispered.
“Okay… it says- Holy shit.”
“Read it.” I hissed as I twitched.
“Uh right okay. It says- I accept,” Pansy let out a startled gasp while Theo’s fork clattered onto his plate.
“I only ask one thing of you-go easy on me.”
“Draco, she accepted.” Pansy whispered as she reached over.
“WHOA! No, remember what happened the last time you touched him?” Theo spoek as he quickly grabbed Pansy’s hand before it touched mine.
“Shit I didn’t even think. I’m sorry.” Pansy apologized.
“No harm done.” I whispered as a buzzing noise surrounded me.
“Draco you don’t seem…happy?” Blaise asked me but I barely heard it.
“I…”
“He’s in shock.” I vaguely heard before nothing. The buzzing noise had taken over and all I could think about was what the latter meant. She had accepted. She had accepted to be my mate, for life. Relief flooded me along with a severe pang of want.
I needed to find her. Now.
It had been three very long agonizing days since I had seen her. After our eyes had met in the Great Hall the morning after our run in, I knew it wasn’t safe for me to be around her so I had stayed in hibernation in the dungeon. Her letters had been my only company and they were too few for my liking. But I had survived without going crazy, so that was a bonus.
“Ready for breakfast?” I asked Blaise as I shrugged on my robe.
“Depends what’s on your menu, actual food or Hermione?” He asked jokingly but I didn’t laugh.
“I’m going to ignore that, hurry up.” I muttered before walking out of the dormitory.
Theo and Pansy were at the portrait door waiting, both in deep conversation with each other. I shook my head. I wished those two would just hurry up and get together.
“Morning Draco,” Pansy spoke once she spotted me and I gave her a brief smile in return.
“Nervous?” Theo asked as he looked me over once. I looked like shit. The dark circles under my eyes that had appeared after the first night had yet to fade away but gradually worsen.
“As I’ll ever be.”
“Right then let’s go. I’m starved.” Blaise spoke as he finally joined us.
“You’re always starved.” Pansy spoke with a roll of her eyes before opening the portrait.
“Have you heard from her?” Theo asked quietly as we walked through the halls making our way towards the heart of the castle.
“Not this morning. She never replied to my letter yesterday.”
“Well she got it and she read it I know that much.” Blaise spoke up and I nodded.
“I guess today will tell.” I spoke quietly.
Hermione’s POV
“Mione are you sure you don’t want to come to breakfast?” Ron asked but I shook my head.
“No I’m not hungry; I’m just going to head straight to the library. I’ll meet you in class.”
“Alright if you’re sure?” Harry spoke, sending me a concerned glance. I smiled slightly and nodded, hoping both boys would get the hint and leave me to it.
“Alright see you later then.” I nodded and waved goodbye to them before bounding off to the owlery.
I had spent last night doing a lot of thinking. I had made my decision and whilst I wasn’t over joyed with what it meant I had made peace with it. I was accepting Malfoy. Fleur had spent last night explaining to me how I went about letting him know. I had two ways- in person or formally in a letter. The latter I felt more comfortable with. It would take him a while to track me down that way. We had no shared classes today so I figured time was on my side, even just a little bit.
“Amity?” I called out and watched as the beautiful owl swooped down off her perch and settled on the stone wall beside me.
“Take this to Draco please.” I spoke softly as I tied the letter that held what seemed like my entire life to the owls leg. The letter only contained two sentences. I had written out so many letters- some long, others shorter before I had finally had enough and just wrote the two things I wanted him to know the most.
Amity gave a soft hoot in response and took flight, heading towards the great hall ready for the breakfast mail drop.
“Please don’t let me regret this.” I whispered in a quiet plea before turning and heading towards my first class. I needed to make a quick escape.
Draco’s POV
I scowled as I scanned the Gryffindor table. She wasn’t here.
“She may be running late.” Theo spoke quietly when he saw what I was looking for.
“Doubtful. The sidekicks are here.” I gave the table another quick scan as I sat down. I raised an eyebrow as I met the youngest Weasley’s stare. She carefully gave a small shake of her head before turning away. I frowned, the girl knew, that much was clearly obvious but what did her head shake mean? She wasn’t accepting? She wasn’t coming? What?
“The youngest one knows?” Pansy asked with a frown. I shrugged as I watched the red head carefully.
“It would seem so. Hermione must have told her.” I frowned.
“But not the other two.” Theo observed.
“She was warned not to tell anyone.” Blaise spoke up as he reached for the eggs.
“I told you three, she needed to tell someone. It would have been unfair for her to bottle it up.” I said before I turned back to my breakfast.
A loud screech filled the hall and I turned my eyes skyward as the owls started swooping in, dropping mail to its owners. I caught sight of Amity and held my breath.
“Incoming mail.” Theo spoke as he too caught sight of the owl. The four of us watched as Amity swooped down and landed gently in front of me. With shaking fingers I managed to somehow untie the letter, before breaking off a piece of toast to give to Amity. With a soft hoot she ate it gracefully.
“Open it Drake, it’ll play on your mind all day of you wait.”
“Maybe we should do this elsewhere?” I spoke as I caught sight of the teachers table subtly watching my every move.
“Draco stop stalling and just open the letter.” Pansy spoke quietly.
Unfolding the parchment I let my eyes trail over the words barely taking it anything in after the first two words. Reading it over again I forced myself to take in the words.
I accept. I only one thing of you- go easy on me.
Unsure I had read it right yet again I passed it off to Blaise in a daze.
“What? She rejected you?” Pansy hissed as she misinterpreted the blank look on my face.
“Read it out loud.” I whispered.
“Okay… it says- Holy shit.”
“Read it.” I hissed as I twitched.
“Uh right okay. It says- I accept,” Pansy let out a startled gasp while Theo’s fork clattered onto his plate.
“I only ask one thing of you-go easy on me.”
“Draco, she accepted.” Pansy whispered as she reached over.
“WHOA! No, remember what happened the last time you touched him?” Theo spoek as he quickly grabbed Pansy’s hand before it touched mine.
“Shit I didn’t even think. I’m sorry.” Pansy apologized.
“No harm done.” I whispered as a buzzing noise surrounded me.
“Draco you don’t seem…happy?” Blaise asked me but I barely heard it.
“I…”
“He’s in shock.” I vaguely heard before nothing. The buzzing noise had taken over and all I could think about was what the latter meant. She had accepted. She had accepted to be my mate, for life. Relief flooded me along with a severe pang of want.
I needed to find her. Now.