HERMIONE
The soft ring of my doorbell wakes me from a deep sleep, my mind still foggy from the dream I just had. I blink a few times, trying to orient myself in the dim morning light. It's a Saturday, and I was planning to sleep in, so I have no idea who could be ringing my doorbell at this hour. Groaning, I pull myself out of bed, tugging my nightgown down as I shuffle to the door, the cool floor against my bare feet sending a slight chill up my legs.
When I open the door, I freeze.
Dylan.
Standing there in the early morning light, looking entirely too good for this hour, a takeout bag and two coffee cups in his hands. He's dressed casually, but there's no mistaking that confident, commanding presence he carries with him everywhere.
"Dylan?" I blink, unsure if I'm still dreaming. "What are you doing here? It's six in the morning…"
Before I can finish my sentence, he steps forward, his lips crashing onto mine, stealing the breath from my lungs. The kiss is tender but full of an intensity that leaves my heart racing, my hands instinctively reaching up to clutch his jacket. It's like every moment we've shared up until now has built to this, and the weight of it hits me all at once.
When he pulls away, he smiles down at me, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"I couldn't sleep without my girlfriend," he says, as if this is the most natural thing in the world. "So I figured I'd come over and cuddle with you."
My eyes widen, partly in confusion and partly in disbelief. "Cuddle?" I repeat, still processing his words. "Dylan, you—"
He cuts me off with a soft, reassuring kiss to my forehead before walking past me into the apartment.
"I went back to the office last night to finish some work," he explains casually, setting the takeout and coffee cups on the counter. "Now that I have the time, I figured we could have a weekend morning together. Just the two of us."
I watch him in a daze, his ease with the situation unnerving and somehow comforting all at once. I thought I'd be the one who needed to take the first step in this relationship, but Dylan seems to have no problem taking the lead.
Before I can gather my thoughts, he turns back to me, pulling me into his arms with a smile that's soft but assured. "Come on," he murmurs, guiding me gently toward my bedroom. "I'm here to make up for the time I've missed with you. We're going to relax and enjoy the day. You deserve it."
I open my mouth to protest, to ask why he's being so—well, Dylan—but the look in his eyes silences me. There's something almost vulnerable there, something raw. I've seen glimpses of it before, but this is different. This is him letting me in, letting me see the man behind all the power and control.
"I'm not going anywhere, Hermione," he says, his voice soft but firm. "Not until you've had a proper rest and we've had some time together, just us."
He pulls back the covers of my bed, and I let him lead me inside, feeling a strange warmth spread through me as I crawl under the blankets. Dylan follows, his body molding to mine as he wraps his arms around me, holding me close as if I'm the one thing he needs to feel whole. The scent of him—cologne and warmth—fills the space around us, and I close my eyes, allowing myself to settle against him, feeling his steady heartbeat beneath my ear.
"This is… different," I murmur, still half in shock that he's here, that we're doing this.
Dylan chuckles softly, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "You're the one who's been holding back, Hermione," he says. "But I'm not letting you run anymore. I'm here for you, and I'm not going anywhere. I promise."
I feel the tension in my body slowly begin to melt away, replaced by a quiet comfort I didn't realize I needed. Maybe it's the warmth of his embrace or the simple act of being here with him, but for the first time in a long while, I feel at peace.
The world outside is still waking up, but at this moment, it's just the two of us. And for once, I let myself relax into his arms, letting go of all the doubt and fear that's been holding me back.
As we lie there, the minutes stretching into hours, I realize that this is exactly what I've been searching for—someone who sees me, who understands me, who isn't afraid to take charge. Dylan's presence fills the space around us, and though I know this is just the beginning, something tells me that whatever happens next, we're in it together.