Accidental Affection

36 - New Beginnings

It was almost a week after the war with Bellatrix. Hermione rolled out of bed, thankful for the constant headache seemed to have to have disappeared in her sleep. Peering out of her bedroom window at the burrow, a smile spread across her face. She quickly slipped into some jeans and a sweater, and slipped outside. The brisk cool morning breeze floated across her face making her feel more alive as she took in a deep inhale of the autumn air.

She glanced up the hill, a lone figure catching her eye, his back turned, looking down upon the valley beyond. She smiled and took off up the hill at a very labored jog. She should have walked up, but she didn't care in her haste to reach the top.

The last few feet she took at a quiet creep before throwing her hands around the man's eyes. "Guess who?" she forced out between labored breaths.

"I don't play guessing games, remember?" Draco's voice came out in a long-controlled drawl. "But if I were to tell by the harsh breathing, my guess would be that Ron snuck home one of the dragons."

"Hey!" Hermione let go with a chuckle before playfully pushing his shoulder.

"Ow!" Draco faked, as he grabbed his shoulder with a big pout.

"Oh, you big baby." Hermione laughed. "Can I join you?" she gestured to the fallen tree on which Draco was perched upon.

"By all means, please do. I am afraid if I say no you may push me down the hill next." He pointed to his head as he added, "if you can see, I'll already bruised and battered, thanks."

He was indeed, a large purple and yellow bruise lay across his nose, reaching to his right eye, accompanied by a 1-inch gash upon his left temple complemented by a blue ring of bruises.

Hermione smiled "I guess I'll try to refrain from it today. But don't think you'll always be so lucky." She sat beside him, taking in another big breath, which was echoed by Draco's. "So..." Hermione began. "Back at the manor, after... after you got me down from the wall, you were trying to tell me something."

Draco shifted slightly, "I..." he cleared his throat, "I was?"

"Yes."

"Oh, I don't even remember. It's been a while, and if you haven't noticed I've taken a few bumps on the head."

"Liar."

"No."

"You," Hermione began, this time it was her turn to clear her throat, "you were saying that you were afraid." She glanced sideways at Draco who stared intently at the valley beyond, nodding his head. "You said you were afraid to, well, to lose me."

"That I am" Draco stated. "Hermione, you have been the best... and first REAL friend I've ever had."

"Oh." Hermione now joined Draco at staring straight into the valley, and although she as staring intently, she was unaware of what she was looking at. "Okay. Well... Mrs. Weasley was saying that there was going to be a luncheon today, I guess like a celebration. I think I'll go and help get everything ready for that."

Draco opened up his mouth to speak, but it seemed like 50 of the cattails from the pond by the burrow had been shoved down his throat. He swallowed to try to push the feeling away but couldn't. He nodded, and watched solemnly as she sulked her way down the hill, the morning sun casting a glow upon her head of brown locks. He sighed deeply. Why was it so hard to tell her what he already knew? He sure of his feelings, and was so eager to tell her so much the night back at the manor, but now in the calm of things, he just couldn't.

"Coward" he scolded himself through his teeth.

******

Draco stood in front of the mirror, tugging on his suit. A tuxedo, as Harry had called it. He turned slightly to view it from different angles. It was alright, he thought, but nothing near dress robes. He sighed and stuffed a small black box into his jacket pocket before heading down the steps, out the door, and into the burrow's yard which had been transformed into a wide-open tented area for the luncheon.