Home To Stay

"It's me, isn't it?"

"Of course not! How could you think such-"

"It's pretty obvious, isn't it?" I sneered. "I'm the problem in your perfect life. I'm the one mistake. You're Miss Perfect, with the perfect grades and the perfect friends and the perfect family."

"Draco-"

"And what am I? I'm the boy whose grades could never hope to match yours, whose parents both ended up in Azkaban, the boy who made friends with all the wrong people!"

"Do you think I honestly care where your parents are or who your friends were? If I did, I wouldn't be here with you!"

"Then why?" I demanded, shoving the ring I had tried to give her into my pocket.

"Because!" she said in frustration. "Because I'm not ready yet. I've always dreamed of traveling the world- there's only so much that books can teach you. And now that I have enough money, I'm going."

"Hermione," I said, my voice matching her tone of frustration, "you should have told me."

"I've brought it up so many times before! You never listened."

I fell silent. It was true- I had never wanted to listen to her plans of leaving the country.

"Draco-"

"I'll go with you."

"Don't say things like that," she said sharply. "You know you'd never leave your company."

She knew me too well. I ground my teeth, thinking of something to say. But she beat me to it. "Draco, I really want this."

"Hermione, you can't-"

"Don't tell me what I can or can't do!"

"Fine," I snapped, not bothering to keep the hurt from my voice.

"Fine," she replied.

"And if you get killed in your travels, do write to let me know," I said sarcastically.

Tears filled her eyes. "Draco-" she began yet again.

I dropped my gaze. She put her hand on my face and turned my head towards her. I refused to meet her eyes. "Please," she whispered softly. And as my gaze met hers, I found I couldn't resist. She kissed me, a slow, sad kiss. I didn't respond at all. Her kiss told me that she loved me, but that she chose her dreams instead. This was too much for me.

I pushed her away and strode off, leaving her there. I had no contact with her for months after that- I didn't even know when she had left the country. It was only about four months later that I ran into Harry Potter at a formal party, and he told me, rather coldly in fact, that Hermione had already left. Perhaps Hermione had told him that we weren't on good terms any more.

It was a shame, really, that one night ruined our relationship. Perhaps if I hadn't pushed her away, or if I had walked back to her instead, then I would have been able to give her a proper farewell. That she hadn't chased after me is beside the point.

One day, almost seven months since I last saw her, I received a letter from her. Hermione wrote to say that she was in South America, and that before the year was out she would go to the South Pole. It was as simple as that. No apologies made, no questions asked. It took me almost a week to come up with a suitable reply. My other attempts seemed too angry, too indifferent, or too hurt. In the end I managed to write something that I found relatively all right.

We kept up the exchange of letters for all of the years that she was gone. Hermione returned to England twice or thrice during those years, but we never met. I never asked for more details about her visit, and she never volunteered information. I wasn't ready to see her yet. She never asked to meet either. The first time she came home was only for a week, to celebrate Christmas with her parents. The second time was for her parents' birthdays, which were within two weeks of each other. My excuse that time was that I was busy, and that I had to work.

The correspondence that we had consisted mostly of where she was and what she had done and seen. Our letters were simple, usually with an 'I miss you' at the end. I kept all of them, and I think Hermione kept all of the ones I sent her too. It usually took months before our letters reached each other, depending on where she was.

I held Hermione's most recent letter in my hands. She said that she was currently in China, but at the end of the month she'd fly to France, and from there take a boat home. It took a while for this to sink it. I must have read the letter four times before I realized that Hermione was coming home for good.

It didn't take me long to decide that I was going to be the one to bring her home. I would go to that town in France and be the one to personally deliver her to her house, or to her parents' house, whichever one she wanted to go to first.

I didn't know the exact date that she'd be arriving, so I paid Ginny Weasley a little visit. She was easier to deal with than her brothers. Besides, she was a hopeless romantic. At first she was cold and refused to invite me in- I could only assume that she was angry that I had hurt Hermione. I had only asked my question, and I hadn't yet mentioned my reason for wanting to know the date of Hermione's arrival, when Ginny smiled and told me all I needed to know. I didn't even have to swear her to secrecy- she actually volunteered.

And that was why I found myself at the docks, scanning faces to see if I could spot Hermione's. There was only one boat leaving for England, but there were a lot of people who planned to ride it. Eventually, I saw her. And she took my breath away.

She looked so much different, and at the same time she was the same as ever. Her hair was still untamed, her countenance still exuded confidence and bravery. I think it was her eyes- they looked tired. Like she had seen too much of the world.

I hadn't planned what to say. I figured it would be best if it came naturally. But now I felt incredibly unprepared. Steeling myself, I approached her.

Hermione looked up and saw me. Our eyes locked, and for a moment I stopped walking. Her jaw dropped open, and I inwardly smirked at her surprise.

"Hello," I said, walking even closer.

"Um, Draco?"

"Have I changed that much?" I wondered.

Hermione shook her head. "I'm just not sure if I'm dreaming." She stepped towards me, and we were only a few inches apart.

I felt my eyebrows go up, and I smiled down at her. "Surprised?"

"Very."

"And- happy?" I asked nervously.

"Incredibly," she replied, slipping her arms around me.

Taking that as a sign of encouragement, I kissed her. Unlike the last kiss we had shared, both of us were very passionate about this one.

"Why are you here?" Hermione asked when we paused for breath.

"To bring you home."

She looked at me hesitantly. "You know that night, when we, um, said goodbye-"

"We never said goodbye, Hermione," I told her gently, knowing perfectly well what she was talking about.

She nodded and took at deep and shaky breath. "Right. Well, that night when you were giving me the ring-"

"You mean this?" I asked, drawing it out of my pocket.

"Yes, that." Hermione took another deep breath. "Does the offer still stand?"

I couldn't believe my ears. I had hoped something like this would happen, but I never actually expected it to. "Yes. Yes it does."

Hermione grinned. "Then I accept." She flung her arms around my neck and kissed me hard.

Later, as we stood on deck, the apologies were finally made, but both of us decided that we didn't need to hear the apologies of the other. What mattered to both of us was that Hermione was finally coming home to stay.

"Good to be home?"

"Yes, it is. Not just to be home, but to be, well, here," Hermione replied, gesturing at my dashboard. I was driving her to her parents' house, using the very first car I had bought, with her help of course. It was rather out of date in my opinion, and I had more modern cars in my garage at home, but none of them were as important to me and Hermione as the one we were in at the moment.

"You were gone too long." I glanced at her, the wind causing her hair to whip about her face, her cheeks flushed in the cool air. I wanted to stop the car and snog her then and there.

"I know. I did come back two years ago for a quick visit, though."

"Yes, you wrote about it. We weren't able to see each other." I reached for her hand and held it in mine, controlling the wheel my other hand.

Hermione looked down. "I was afraid that- I thought that I wouldn't want to leave again."

"And I didn't want to see you leave again," I replied, massaging her fingers.

She suddenly leaned over and kissed my cheek. "Mum will be all excited about our wedding, of course. We'd better start planning it."

"I'll leave it up to you," I said, laughing. "I'm hopeless at planning small get-togethers, and I don't even want to think about the mess I'd make if I tried planning the wedding."

Hermione laughed and fell into deep thought. A while later I realised that she had fallen asleep.

I looked at her, sleeping in the seat beside me. I wanted to savor the moment, but it was impossible. Mr. and Mrs. Granger's house was too close.

Hermione didn't wake up as I pulled up in the driveway. She didn't so much as stir.

"Hermione," I whispered softly. I had no real intention of waking her.

Pleased with myself, I got out of the car and opened her door. This time she opened an eye sleepily, and when I scooped her up she shrieked in surprise.

"What are you doing? I can walk on my own!" she insisted.

"But you don't have to do it on your own, you're not alone anymore," I told her, using my leg to close the car door. I carried her to the porch and she rang the doorbell before putting her arms around my neck.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you too," I replied, gently setting her down. "God, I missed you."

She didn't reply, but kissed me instead.

As I kissed her, I was vaguely aware that her father had opened the front door and was watching us. It was only when he cleared his throat that Hermione realized his presence and pulled away from me.

"Dad!" she cried, launching herself into his arms. "Mum!" she hugged her mother, who I had not realized was standing there too.

I waved awkwardly. "Good evening."

"You remember Draco?" Hermione said, leaving her parents and taking my arm. "He surprised me by meeting me in France and insisting that he take me home."

Her parents couldn't say anything.

"Anyway, we're engaged," she added, showing them the ring.

This seemed to snap her mother at least out of whatever trance she had been in. "Oh really? How wonderful. When's the wedding?" She took Hermione's hand and led her inside, leaving me and Mr. Granger outside. He seemed to be sizing me up.

"You brought her home?"

"Er...yes, sir," I replied, not quite knowing what was going on.

He nodded. "Thank you."

"It was my pleasure."