Did the fact that he loved her change anything? She’d have to be one oblivious idiot to say no. The question of whether he meant it lingered in the air. Hermione would have to ask someone that knew him longer to be sure. But was it really doubt or just a weak attempt at grasping the last straw? Was giving him the benefit of the doubt going to fix anything? Hermione thought that their situation could never get more complicated and there she was. The hardest part about it was how much it affected her. Could she say that she loved him? Hermione wasn’t sure that she was ready to answer the question. Her feelings for him were more than just mere attraction or lust. In the past few months, Draco became a crucial part of her life. She could’ve said that he crept into her heart secretly, that she noticed her feelings too late to back out. But Hermione was there for every part of it, letting him in step by step. And still, love felt too grand. Hermione always thought that whenever she would fall in love, she’d know instantly. A tumbler in her brain would snap and let her know. Was it possible that she wasn’t aware? She huffed, knowing that going down that road would only lead to self-loathing and pity.