Chapter Text
Hermione flipped through the pages of the book that had been left behind for her and a small folded note slipped from the pages onto the floor.
The salutation enough was enough to send a shiver down her spine. It was the first time he’d used her given name.
Hermione,
I’m so sorry.
A better man would have been able to have this conversation in person, but I’m not strong enough to look you in the eyes and say goodbye. A part of me feels this letter is selfish and self-indulgent, but I didn’t want to leave you without an explanation this time. I couldn’t hurt you again.
You trusted me to take care of you when you were vulnerable and I took advantage. I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.
I always knew I didn’t deserve you. I couldn’t bring myself to abandon you when you needed me, but I assumed that once the hormones subsided, you would be ashamed of the time we had spent together. I wanted to spare you the indignity of looking me in the eyes when you realized what had happened.
Once you remembered all the horrible things I’d done to you and your friends over the years… what my parents had done… I assumed you would want to forget it had ever happened.
It tore me apart to leave you exposed like that. I was fighting every instinct in my body, but I did it for you. I followed you around the castle, knowing that eventually you were going to end up with someone else, but I wanted it to be someone you chose.
I fell in love with you when you took me back. For someone as kind and perfect as you to accept me despite my past… it was intoxicating.
It has been the greatest privilege of my life to find more reasons to love you every day. I love your brain. I love the way you think. I love the way you make connections between seemingly unrelated things. The way you test me with words or concepts you think I won’t understand. The way you watch me out of the corner of your eye sometimes, looking for my reactions. The way your lips twist in delight when you realize that I understand. I live for those brief, fleeting moments.
You deserve someone who is kind and considerate. Someone who makes you laugh. Someone without emotional baggage. Someone who doesn’t fly off the handle. Someone who is strong enough to be the partner you need, not just someone who happened to be at the right place at the right time. You deserve someone who would never take advantage of you the way that I did last night.
Charlie Weasley is that person, Hermione. I’ve seen the way you look at him. It’s been killing me the past few weeks.
You could be Minister for Magic someday. Or maybe you’ll cure diseases, or overturn unjust laws. You’ll change the world one day, but you can’t do that if you’re tied down by an association with a Death Eater. If rumors of our relationship were to get out, you’d be tainted by the Malfoy family name. It would take years for you to recover.
Once I’m outside of the walls of Hogwarts, I’ll finally be forced to face the consequences for my family’s actions during the war. It’s only fair that my family will be shunned by both sides for playing the fence all along, but somehow you only ever seemed to see the best in my situation. Despite all evidence to the contrary, you’ve always believed in the best for my future because that’s who you are. It has been an incredible gift these past few months, but you deserve better.
Be happy, Hermione.
Love,
Draco
P.S. Tell the Harpy I said thanks for the Charm.
“Hermione!” She turned at the sound of her name as she crossed the Clock Tower Courtyard, completely lost in her own thoughts.
“Hi, Charlie,” She tiredly waved tiredly at Charlie as he jogged up to her.
“Feeling better, are we?”
Hermione’s cheeks suddenly flushed as she realized how things must have looked when she saw him last. “Charlie - I… I missed class!”
Charlie chuckled, small dimples appearing on his left cheek as he fought a grin. Pink tickled his cheeks to mirror her own. “That you did, Hermione.”
“I… You saw me…” Hermione covered her mouth with the books she was holding in embarrassment.
“Ah, I didn’t see much.”
“I was… I completely threw myself at you. How humiliating.”
“Eh, humiliating, huh?” Charlie looked down at his feet awkwardly.
“Yes!”
“I’m… sorry, Hermione.” He spoke with an earnestness that she wasn’t expecting.
“You’re sorry?” She looked up in surprise.
“I shouldn’t have put you in that position. If I had known it would make you that uncomfortable -”
“It wasn’t… uncomfortable. It was just… embarrassing for you to see me like that.”
Charlie cocked his head to the side, flipping a small tuft of hair out of his eyes. “Why would you be embarrassed?”
“I was so…” Hermione trailed off, letting the books fall a bit so she was hugging them to her chest.
“So…?” Charlie prodded.
“Messy.” She cringed as she said it.
“I thought it was hot.”
Hermione looked up a him in surprise. A slow, satisfied smile crossed his face as he looked down at her. He took a step closer.
Hermione gripped the books against her tighter to keep them from slipping from his grasp.
“You… did?” She choked out.
He nodded slowly, his eyes locked on hers. Suddenly, he looked down, seeming conflicted as he said, “Malfoy came to see me.”
“Malfoy?”
“He told me you broke up. He said he thought you deserved someone better. Not sure why he’s talking to me about that, when just the other day he was punching me in the face because I couldn’t keep it together around you…”
Hermione shook her head, not sure where this was going.
Charlie coughed, as though realizing what he’d just said. “Anyway, I know your… Well… it’s almost your time of the… cycle. I don’t want to pressure you or anything. I’m not dense enough to think your ex has any right to decide for you who you should or shouldn’t be with. Obviously it’s completely up to you. I’m sure you have guys lining up, but I just wanted… well… I just wanted to throw my hat in the ring. I wanted to let you know that I’m available. It’s just an option if you wanted to -”
“You would?” Hermione interrupted. She could feel her eyes grow wide as she looked up into his. She took a step closer, trying to read him better. His pupils dilated in response.
His voice sounded like it dropped nearly two octaves, “Of course.” He took a step forward and she could smell him in the air again. “I can take care of you.” He reached out a steady hand to the side of her head. She closed her eyes, leaning into it. He gently stroked the side of her head.
“Let me take care of you,” he whispered.
He took another step towards her and pulled her into an embrace. He held her for a moment, then pushed back slowly, resting a kiss on her temple. “Whatever you need. I’ll be down here on the grounds when it’s time. We can go out into the forest together. I know a safe place where no one will bother us.”
She nodded, overwhelming emotions washing over her.
“Can you meet me down here tomorrow night so that we can get out there before your heat starts? Maybe bring a change of clothes? I’ll take care of everything else.”
Charlie smiled encouragingly. Hermione nodded.
His lips brushed her forehead right up against her hairline just before he released her from his embrace.
Hermione scurried away, only turning back to look at him when she was halfway through the door to the castle.
He was still watching her with a big, dopy smile on his face.
END OF PART I