Hermione didn’t respond. Some things didn’t require a response. Instead she tightened her hold on him and let that be her affirmation. She loved Draco from a different place in her heart that had nothing to do with Harry and Ron. She loved his shadows as well as his light. She loved how he grounded her and freed her. She loved all the things she didn’t know she could love. And when he dipped his head against her shoulder, he told her in his silence and he loved her too. Not with flowery words, or noble sacrifices, but with the deepest, darkest pockets of his soul. He loved her trust. He loved how she loved. He loved.