Chapter Text
{ALT TEXT}
September 26 7:00 AM
G: Good morning, Malfoy
M: Morning, Weasley. Listen, I’ve been on an overnight. I’m exhausted. I can barely type. My fingers are knackered from casting.
M: Everything okay with Potter?
G: Harry is fine. This isn’t about Harry.
M: Okay…
G: This’ll just take a few minutes.
G: Care to explain this?
G: {Photo of the close couple}
M: Oh, fuck
M: How did you get that?
G: Oh, fuck is right.
G: A friend passed it on. Not Hermione, obviously. I have no idea if she’s seen it, but considering she’s not breaking down my Floo, I would assume she has not.
G: Has she reached out to you?
M: We’ve been texting, but I didn't tell her anything about the other night.
G: What are you doing, Malfoy?
M: I have no fucking idea what I’m doing, Weasley. Isn’t that obvious?
G: It’s been an entire week and you’re still some anonymous healer to her.
M: THAT’S CLEARLY WHAT SHE WANTS!
G: Is it?
M: Do you know why she’s responding to the anonymous healer? It’s a novelty. She’s mildly entertained. That's all. It’ll wear off.
M: She doesn't want to know the real me.
M: If she does know she’s clearly too embarrassed to admit it.
G: You’re both idiots.
G: Are you planning to keep this up?
Five minutes later
M: I’m too selfish to stop.
G: There is very little Hermione doesn’t know, Malfoy.
M: This photo makes it look like we kissed.
M: We didn’t kiss, Ginevra
G: I know that, but Hermione has it in her mind that she snogged someone at the party.
M: This isn’t right.
G: I’m the one who should be saying that. I didn’t correct her at first because we were having a laugh. Now, I don’t even know what to say. This has gone too far.
M: You think? You asked me to carry her home not one hour after that photo was taken.
G: Don’t you dare. I was pissed, but I still remember.
G: YOU WANTED TO!
G: Stop lying to yourself. Gods, Malfoy
G: I’m sure you think it’s fun for me to watch you pretend you haven’t been pining for her.
M: Can we go back to acknowledging you owe me, Weasley?
M: I need someone on my side.
G: You almost kissed her.
M: I pulled away.
M: I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t kiss her like that.
M: You saw how legless she was. I could have been anybody.
G: So you’re cross you’re not special?
M: She doesn’t want Draco Malfoy. She wants some healer you let her build up in her mind!
G: You are encouraging this just as much.
G: You sent her breakfast for Merlin’s sake!
G: If she sees this photo she’ll have questions.
M: I’m aware.
M: I know what I have to do.
G: So why haven’t you?
M: You don’t understand. She never would have spoken to me sober, and I never would have approached her, Weasley.
M: I’m not made for her. The imbalance in our lives is strangling me. I either live with the memories of what happened or the regret of not doing enough.
G: When is it enough, Draco?
G: You stay out of the spotlight. You donate nearly all of your Galleons, and somehow more appear. You work tirelessly.
M: It’ll never be enough.
G: I can’t accept that.
G: You can’t live your life in almosts. Almost enough is nothing, Malfoy.
G: She’s been so stressed at work.
M: Tell your prat of a brother it’s his fault.
G: Ron and Hermione are civil enough.
M: Not him. The pedantic one.
G: Oh, I should have known. Well, I’ll take care of Percy, but that still leaves you.
G: What are you so afraid of?
G: You never let anyone in.
M: My life is easier that way.
M: And I haven’t lied to her.
G: You’ve done everything but tell her.
G: So clever, right? She won’t see it like that. Meanwhile you’re denying yourself happiness.
G: All those late nights you were looking after Harry, I was watching you.
G I saw you the day you dissolved the marriage contract with Astoria.
G: You hid it well, but I was an insomniac wife with nothing better to do than worry for her husband, and obsessively scrutinise the people around me.
G: I wanted anyone but you on Harry’s case, you know.
G: And you gave up so much for it.
M: Was I that obvious?
G: You were a professional, but even a lifetime of practised decorum couldn’t hide that amount of sadness behind a person’s eyes.
M: Astoria said I would always choose my patients over her. That she could never build a life with someone married to their work.
M: Witches will never want to compete with this, and I won’t give it up.
G: You should tell Hermione that straight up. You’re not even giving it a chance, and you’re lying to yourself here.
M: I see the wizards Granger dates. And there have been many.
M: To be clear, that is not a critique.
M: I just refuse to be the next wizard who can’t keep up with her. Can’t give her what she needs.
M: What she deserves.
G: For someone so concerned with managing everyone else’s pain, you really need to turn that magic inward.
G: You should have seen yourself the other night. You looked happy. I guarantee she responded to that, Malfoy.
M: You don’t know that.
G: If only you had a way to ask her…
G: Text me again when you’re done being an idiot.
G: You said you’re not lying to her. Fine. I won’t either. If she asks me who the healer is I’m telling her myself.