Hermione stood outside of the lavatory waiting for Harry to come out.
"Ms. Granger." A deep bravado said from behind her. She jumped and clutched her chest. Draco Malfoy smirked a bit and folded his hands behind his back. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He tilted his head down and looked at her through his eyelashes innocently.
Harry and Hermione had made sure of the innocent part.
"Are you happy?" She asked him, trying to give him a reassuring smile. Like things would be all better now. Ministry officials passed them and gave Draco dirty looks. That's what she was going to call him now.
Hermione imaged he wanted to be as far away from his last name as possible. Although she couldn't be sure. When the verdict had been announced, he had hugged his mother with fierceness.
"I'm happier than I would have been in Azkaban." He chuckled, running a finger along the emerald wall. "To be unhappy seems like it would be a waste. I am probably the luckiest person alive. I deserve the worst sort of punishment, yet I'm free." There was no humor in his eyes. She could feel the despair pouring off of him.
She wondered when Harry would come out of the bathroom.
"You don't deserve the worst sort of punishment, which I believe to be either death or the kiss. Your aunt... she deserved it. Voldemort," He winced at the name, "and countless other Death Eaters who the world will be better off without. They deserve the worst."
He pressed his lips together and it pulled his gaunt face tight.
She pressed on. "However, I don't think you are on that list. Or your mother. Or even your father." His head jerked up and his silver eyes bore into hers.
"My father is in Azkaban." He snapped.
"For five years. Five years will take it's toll, but he has a chance to survive which is more than some would want for him."
"Thank you for speaking on my behalf." He jerked his head in a nodding motion.
"Harry and I thought you deserved it." Hermione told him.
Draco looked at a loss for words. He worked his mouth and she laughed.
"That shouldn't surprise you. You've done horrible things - but they were things that school boy would do and I have hope for the man that you have become. You deserve to be punished and you were. You served time in Azkaban and you watched friends die. You will live the next five years without a father. That is your punishment and I think it is right." Hermione reach out and put her hand on his shoulder.
"You went back to Hogwarts." He said.
"I did." She nodded and Harry walked out of the bathroom.
"Malfoy?" He looked between them. "Congratulations."
"Thank you. For everything you have done for my mother and I." He lowered his head.
"We were happy to do it." Hermione said. "But we should get going."
Draco called after her, "See you around." She smiled as Harry gripped her arm.
"Hermione," Harry groaned.
She pulled her arm free. "You can't think he's still a Death Eater." She hissed.
"No. But I think he's still a pureblood. He wasn't cruel like his aunt but he was an arsehole to you in school."
"I know." Hermione pushed the elevator button. "But I think these past three years have changed him. He realized what it meant to be a pureblood in sixth year. I would like to believe that he has changed for the better."
Harry shut the gate and pressed the fifth floor button. "I think he's broken. I'm just hoping he uses his pain for a useful purpose." He sighed.
"I think he will."
"If he doesn't I don't want you to get dragged down."
"I won't." She promised him.
"Are you going to speak with Ron?"
"I think it's better that you do it." Hermione gave him a knowing look. "He's a bit touchy with me at the moment."
Harry chuckled. "I wonder why."
"I had to break up with him, you know I did." One more floor to go. A few notes flew in and hovered around them. "Our relationship ended when I went back to Hogwarts and he didn't. It was difficult to carry on when we never saw each other."
"But you did see Malfoy." Harry gave her a level look.
"Yes, but I hardly spoke with him."
"You really think he's changed?" Harry stepped out of the elevator and Hermione followed. "When you supposedly never spoke with him."
"Apparently." She snapped. "You saw him in there. He crumbled into his mother's arms when they announced him innocent."
"They announced him not guilty. Big difference." Harry muttered. People were whizzing around the Aurors Office, paper work flying, and a few dark wizards growling with their arms pinned behind their backs.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I can't wait for him to prove you and Ronald wrong." She chuckled.
Harry cleared his throat. "It's not just us he has to prove. In fact, I think you're the only one in the world he doesn't have to prove himself to."
"Unfortunately, I think you're right."
ooo
"Thank you." Hermione took her roasted nuts from the man on the other side of the cart.
"Hello, Ms. Granger."
She turned around, clutching her nuts to her chest. "Why must you always sneak up on my like that?" She glared at Malfoy. She walked past him, determined to listen to Harry and not get too friendly.
"I don't actually mean to." He jogged until he caught up with her.
"What did you want?" She took a sharp turn into Flourish and Blotts. He almost ran over some young children, holding all their school books for the new year.
He cleared his throat. "I wanted to thank you." She falted but never stopped walking and never turned around. She weaved through book shelves and tried to lose him in all the books.
"You already did that." Hermione snapped when it became clear that Malfoy had no intention of being lost.
"I mean I want to thank you properly." He stopped suddenly when she did. She whipped a book off the shelf and randomly flipped through the pages. "Ms. Granger I had no idea you were into that sort of thing." He teased and she frowned.
What was he talking…
"Oh, Merlin." She dropped the book that was titled Sex Tricks: How to Drive Your Wizard Wild. Malfoy bent over quickly and snatched the book up before she could. "Malfoy, give it back." She said threateningly.
He opened the book and began to read, "'Chapter five: The Art of Oral Performance' wow this seemed like an interesting book." He grinned and held the book up when she tried to reach for it.
"You know I wasn't going to actually buy it." She hissed as she tried to grab it again.
He gave her a look of mock innocence. "No, then why were you looking at it?" He knew full well that she was only trying to avoid talking with him. "How about this? I'll buy you the book, clearly you subconsciously want it, and then we'll discuss it over dinner." He said like it was the best idea in the world.
"You want to talk about a book like that over dinner?" Hermione gasped.
Malfoy shook his head. "I only wanted to thank you. You were the one who brought the book into it." He held up his hands innocently, still gripping the book.
"Stop waving it around, for goodness sake." She whispered, looking around. There were children getting their school books, and parents were giving them dirty looks. And then they seemed to realize who is was. Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger. They began to give only Malfoy dirty looks, but he either didn't notice or didn't care.
"Say you'll have dinner with me." He smiled, holding the book up threatening. "One hour. It's only one hour-"
"Alright. Alright fine. You win." She hissed and threw him a hateful look.
"How about the Leaky Cauldron? At seven." He said and folded his arms behind his back, hiding the book from her. She stomped out of Flourish and Blotts, forgetting about the book completely. She clutched her roasted nuts in her hand and looked at the clock on top of Gringotts. Drat, her lunch break was almost up.
Hermione also realized that in six hours she would be eating dinner with Malfoy. How in the bloody hell had that happened? She practically growled as she apparated back to the Ministry. She stomped into her office in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. There was a stack of papers on her desk and for the rest of the day she tried to concentrate on those, but all she could think about was Malfoy.
At five o'clock her shift ended and she was tempted to drag the day out, but she didn't want to drag this date out. Damn, she shouldn't think of it as a date. She went to the fireplaces in the main hallway allow with several other workers and flooed home. When Hermione stepped out of her fireplace, she kicked her shoes off and collapsed on the couch.
She rubbed her head and closed her eyes for a moment. She supposed if she was going to go to dinner with Malfoy, she shouldn't give him anything to sneer about. Hermione took a long shower. The longest she could ever remember taking, complete with a potion for hair removal for her legs and underarms, and hair potion that made her hair silky and easier to brush once it dried.
I'm not trying to impress him. That was technically a lie. She didn't want to impress Malfoy, just show him she wasn't the same and she wasn't going to give him anything to tease her about. When she got out of the tub, she wrapped a towel around herself and stood in front of the foggy mirror.
She took her want from the counter, where she always placed it when she showered, and waved it at the mirror and the fog disappeared. She grabbed another bottle and sprayed some of the stuff on her hair. When Ginny had gotten her all this rubbish from Madam Pimpernelle's, Hermione had never thought it would all come in handy.
The hair potions she used every once in awhile, but as she looked at the counter full of products, she realized she had never put this much effort into looking good… not even for Ronald. She brushed her hair and the brush slid through easily.
"Might have to use this stuff more often." She muttered looking at the bottle of spray she had just put on her hair.
An hour later it was six thirty and she sighed, looking herself in the mirror. She smoothed her hand down the silky fabric of the dress. It was white, something else Ginny had gotten her, and it fell a few inches above the knee. It was a summer dress and scooped across her collarbone, and came down her arm like a tight T-shirt would.
She apparated to Diagon Alley. At this time, there weren't a lot of people. Mostly just couples and young people shopping around. It was a bit chilly and she cursed herself for forgetting that summer was almost over.
Inside the Leaky Caldron, she stopped Malfoy immediately. His silvery blonde hair stood out and he was seated apart from everyone else. He was also fifteen minutes early like she was and that pleased her. Hermione walked over to him and he stood up immediately.
"Ms. Granger." He held out his hand for her and gone was the teasing self he displayed in the book store. She took his hand hesitantly and sat down as she pulled away.
He looked like a man with a mission. "You don't have to be so formal." She told him and immediately regretted it. She was supposed to be keeping him at a distance, not inviting him closer.
"Hermione." Her name rolled off his tongue. "I brought you something." He placed a wrapped box on the table. The candle flickered.
"Thank you… Draco." She tested out his name and he looked surprised. She unwrapped the paper and opened the folds. Her jaw dropped and she heard Malfoy chuckle. "Malfoy!"
"Back to surnames are we?" He still looked amused. She looked down at the book and blushed. "I told you we would discuss it over dinner."
"I can't believe-"
"Really? Your opinion of me must be better than I thought." He smirked. "Look, I'm joking. Just tell me about your day or something boring like that." He took a long drink from his Butterbeer.
"It was boring." She shrugged, leaning her chin on her hand.
"Not all of it." He winked.
She flushed. "No, there was an interesting part."
A waitress stopped by their table and in a dull, cockney accent asked, "Is there anythin' I can get for you?" Draco looked at her, waiting for her to order.
"Um… I'll just get a Butterbeer." She muttered. Malfoy frowned.
"You're not hungry?" He asked.
"No." Yes. She was very hungry and yet didn't think she could eat anything.
"In that case make that a Butterbeer to go." He put a galleon on the table for incentive and the waitress's eyes widened.
"Of course. Just a moment." She hurried off.
"We're leaving?" Hermione raised her eyebrows as Draco stood up. She noticed his black silk shirt was slightly wrinkled.
"Well, if you're not hungry no point in hanging out here. Let's go back to my place and-"
"I'm not going home with you." She stood up abruptly and a Butterbeer in a plastic cup came to her. "Thank you." She muttered to the waitress.
"Not to the Manor." He shook his head. "I've got a flat in London." Like that mattered.
"That's not the point." Hermione scoffed.
"We won't do anything." He pushed. "I just got cleared, I'm not looking to be back on trial." He snapped and she immediately felt guilty. Then realization hit her and she remembered what Harry said. She was the only person in the world who he didn't have to prove himself to.
She knew he had changed, but no one else bought it. Which meant he must be lonely. Maybe that was why he was so desperate to be around her.
"Alright." She said hesitantly and he went from upset to shocked.
"Really?"
"Yes. I don't think you want to go to Azkaban, so you'll not try anything." She said, the words themselves a warning. If he did try something, she would put him in Azkaban with her bare hands.
"Okay then." He took her hand. "I'll apparate you." And then then were suddenly standing in a sleek apartment. She gripped his arm for a moment. She much prefered to to apparate herself, it made her stomach queasy when other people did it.
"Uh." She took a few deep breaths, clutching her stomach.
"Sorry, but only family members can apparate into my apartment." Draco told her, stepping away from her. He smirked and held up the stupid book. "You know, I looked through it and it actually has some valid points." She stood up straight and rolled her eyes.
"Lovely, but I don't need sex tips." She snapped and took the opportunity to look around his apartment. It was spacious and impersonal. There were no pictures on the walls or shelves, the living room was all decorated in black, white, and red and they were clearly up high. One wall was top to bottom windows over looking London below them and gave her a beautiful view of the setting sun.
"Because you're already so accomplished?" He scoffed. Was that so unbelievable?
"No, because I…" She broke off realizing how personal this was getting so quickly.
"Ah, you're a virgin." She gasped at his forwardness. "Do you want something to drink?" He asked casually. She was still speechless about his previous statement. He dropped the book on a table.
"Ah no." She held up her Butterbeer. He nodded and disappeared through a doorway that she guessed lead to the kitchen. She noticed a picture hanging on the wall that was probably worth a thousand galleons, but didn't look much more than paint flung at a canvas. And it muggle, because it wasn't moving.
He came back with a glass of... orange juice?
Seeing her look he told her, "It's got firewhiskey in it as well."
"Oh, there's a muggle drink similar to that." She told him factually.
He smirked. "I know. The hammer or something like that."
"Screwdriver. But you were close." She giggled and then had to roll her eyes at herself. She bit her lip, trying not to laugh at the situation.
"Whatever." He waved dismissively.
Neither of them said anything and she looked down at the book that was lying on the lamp table next to the sleek red couch.
"So what type of things was the book right about?" Hermione found herself asked. He looked at her and smirked.
"Well, I didn't read the whole thing, but it had about about letting the man take the lead." He sat down on the couch in a very fluid motion. She sat in the armchair adjacent to him.
"And that's what guys prefer?" That was disappointing.
"No." He snorted gracefully. "Honestly, the book was mostly crap. Every bloke likes something different. A lot of it was actually a bit sexist." Hermione frowned.
"So it had nothing of use? That's a waste of money." She muttered.
"Pretty much." He agreed.
"So what are you planning on doing now?" She took a sip of her Butterbeer.
He shrugged. "Probably get a job at Gringotts."
"Why there?"
"I like money." Malfoy smirked. She gave him a bland look. "And I like to know how things work. Why not learn how money works?" Hermione stared. That's how he was choosing his career? She had spent months during seventh year trying to narrow down what field she wanted to work him and he just winged it.
"I'm glad you have a plan. Sort of." Hermione took a sip from her cup. "So do you have the job or do you have to do an interview?"
"Actually…" She gave him a worried look. "I need a recommendation."
"A recommendation?" Hermione repeated.
"Yes and it's supposed to be from a previous employer or someone who knows our character well." Malfoy looked at her pleadingly and she finally understood what today had been about.
"And you want me to write it." She set her cup down on the coffee table.
"No, wait! Please, I need this job and a recommendation from the golden girl would secure it. And before you start thinking that I'm using you, I'm not. Admittedly, I did have an ulterior motive when I invited you here, but I still would like us to bury the past." Malfoy said earnestly.
"Why does it have to be me?" She asked finally.
"Well, because no one else believes in me. I could have asked Potter, but I had more faith in your ability to look at this without taking personal feelings."
"You have been nothing but horrible to me since we met." She argued.
"No, I haven't." He scoffed. "I stopped that in sixth year. I haven't been overly friendly, but that's just my nature, and the fact that I'm sitting here with you proves I've changed. Before I wouldn't have ever invited you here or asked for your help. I would have just gone bankrupt." He had a point.
She opened her mouth but he continued on. "Besides, I don't hate you anymore. Not since seventh year and I don't think you hate me." He said that last part in a rush. Hermione bit her lip.
"You were quite. It was clear you wanted to change your life." She explained. "At first I didn't trust you, but you never did anything to suggest that you deserved to be punished by Azkaban."
"It took a while to convince the Wizengamot to let me have a year of probation in the form of school, before my trail. Eventually they came around. I knew that I probably wouldn't be convicted for life, so when I got out I wanted to have a complete schooling." He took a large gulp of his screwdriver. "Luckily, I wasn't convicted." He gave a short laugh.
"It wasn't luck. You didn't deserve it and sometimes the system works." She shrugged.
"A big part of that was because of you." He whispered and ran a nervous hand through his hair. She noticed that he stopped putting so much product in it. His hair was no long plastered to his and she though it looked-
He leaned in and she stopped thinking.
Is he going to kiss me? That's what it seemed like, but it couldn't be possible. Maybe she had something in her eyes or in her hair. She started to speak but he shut her up.
Draco pressed his lips softly to her's. The kisses felt just like butterfly wings on her lips. They both kept their mouths closed, just teasing each other gently.
Hermione felt something spill into her lap. She broke away with a gasp and looked down while he cursed. He had come up to cup her face, but forgot about the drink in his hand.
"Damnit. Sorry, I wasn't thinking." He got up and summoned a dishcloth from the kitchen.
"Oh thank you." She dabbed it her dress. "It's an easy fix. I should probably be going home, but, uh, thank you for… the drinks and ,uh, everything else." She stuttered and felt like an idiot. On the plus side, he also seemed flustered. His cheeks had faint traces of pink on them.
And then he grinned abruptly. "Your book." He picked it up from the coffee table and handed it to her. "You can skip the chapter on kissing." She grabbed the book quickly.
"There's a chapter on kissing? I thought this was supposed to be a sex book."
"Oh, Granger, kissing is a very important element when it comes to sex." Draco gave her a look that said he would love to show her exactly how important it was.
"Yes, well, a discussion for another night." Did I just say that? This was not going to happen again. She tried to sturdy her absolve, but most of it melted when she looked at his silver gaze.
"Right. I'll see you Friday."
What have I gotten into?
Hey guys, I just posted a follow up called Sharing the Trust. You can search it or just go to my profile! - Alex