I like drabbles! This was actuallyreallyOOC but I kind of like it so enjoy!
Hermione.
I walk into Flouirsh and Blotts and head straight to the checkout counter. The owner usually gives me a pile of books on my bad days so I can just sit in my favorite corner and read away my troubles. But today there is nothing waiting for me.
"Hi Mellie," I say as I reach her.
"Oh hi 'Mione." She stares at me as expectantly as I am staring at her.
"I was kind of expecting there to be a pile of books waiting for me. I'm not having the best day."
Melissa gives me a funny look. "Someone came in saying they were meeting you here in your usual corner. I gave him the books."
"Someone…him…what?"
Melissa grinned. "He was very handsome too. I would go check that out if I were you."
A bit peeved, I walk to the back of my favorite shop in Diagon Alley. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised by what, or who, was waiting for me. "TheDraco Malfoy." I say, smiling gently.
"Why hello there Miss Hermione Granger."
He looks really good. He gained back all the weight he lost during the stress of the war but it was definitely in muscle. His hair was longer but neat. Well…neater than Harry's at least. He's still a lot taller than me. I say that as if he would have shrunk.
"To what do I owe this pleasure?" I ask sinking into the chair across from him.
"I'm not sure exactly. Blaise mentioned something about a certain Ginger getting hotter and I figured he meant Granger because he's never paid much attention to the Weaslette."
"And he's paid attention to me?"
"All of us have Hermione." He said smirking. "I'm sure even Saint Potter and the Weasel have mentioned it at some point?"
The fact that he used my first name isn't lost on me. "Mentioned what?"
He rolls his eyes. "And they call you the brightest witch of our age."
"Malfoy get to the point."
He surveys me coolly. "What are you doing tomorrow night?"
"I was just going to work on some stuff for the Ministry…"
He smirks. "As fun as that sounds…how would you rather go on a date with me?"
I try to keep an open mind as it seems he's doing right now. "Sure. Why not?"
"Seriously? I expected to drag you screaming and kicking. But then again, I have that effect on women."
I don't know where my sudden confidence comes from but it just bottles over the top. "I must admit…Draco…you've become quite a sight for sore eyes."
"English Granger?"
"You're hot." I say simply before grabbing my books and leaving the shop without even a backwards glance. Then I remember that we didn't even sort out any details for tomorrow and swivel around quickly…right into Malfoy. How'd he get out here so fast? "Oh Malfoy. I was just coming back to talk to you."
"Missing me that fast Granger?" He smirked. "I guess great minds think alike though. You realized we hadn't sorted anything out, right?"
I blush. "Yes."
"Okay I'm going to pick you up around seven. Is that alright? Dress fancy."
I take out a pen and paper and write my address on in. "It's a date." I say.
Draco.
"You're hot."
The words still play in my mind even as I'm getting ready for our date. I didn't expect her to comply so easily. I figured she'd still think of me as that 'foul loathsome evil little cockroach' and hex me. But she said yes. Straight off the bat. I knew I still had it in me.
Something about her caught my eye as soon as I saw her. I mean she was always beautiful. Even with my prejudices, it didn't stop me from thinking about her beauty back in Hogwarts. But now…now she's just radiant. She seems more relaxed. More carefree. Still as hardworking as ever but less anal about it.
I do hope this turns into more than just one date. Although I barely know her; she could be a crackpot for all I know. I snort. Doubt it.
I'm planning on taking her to dinner in muggle London, to show her how much I've changed. It's an Italian place close to a park where my mother used to take me when Lucius wasn't home.
I apparate to the closest apparition point near her home. I thought she would live in muggle London but she actually lives in one of the nicer flats in Diagon Alley.
I'm about to knock on her door when I realize I am actually nervous. This is Granger. But I'm nervous. I just want to show her I've changed. Apologize for all the shit I put her through.
I finally knock after standing there for what felt like ten minutes. Fixing my dress shirt and re-tucking it into my pants, in the time it takes for her to get to the door, I mentally prepare myself for anything.
Anything buther opening the door in sweats and a hoodie with tear stained eyes, which got big as soon as she saw me.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! Draco, I'm sorry I-"
I don't care that she is about to cancel our date. I care that the girl I mayhave just fallen in love with at first sightis crying. "Are you okay?" I interrupt. I walk in without being invited and sit down next to her.
"I'm fine." She mutters.
"No, you're not."
"Malfoy-"
"Hermione." I say pointedly. "We're on a first name basis now and I expect it to stay that way."
"Okay Draco. Look I think I just need to be alone. I'm surprising myself by saying this but I want to go on that date with you…eventually. But not tonight. I'm so sorry." She actually looks upset not only at what she was crying about but by cancelling our date.
I apparate away quickly, back to my loft. She probably feels rejected but I plan on going back. I strip down to my underwear and then search around for the old pair of sweats Mummy bought me and an old shirt that I don't mind getting ruined with the beautiful girl's tears. Since the war, I had become accustomed to more muggle things and started using a tee-vee and DVDs.
I grab Mum's DVDs she had left here, she must have something Hermione likes, and apparate back to her flat.
"Harry?" She calls out.
I peek my head around the door to her bedroom. "Sorry. Not Saint Potter."
"Oh Draco. I-I-I thought you left." She tries to wipe a few tears away quickly.
"Sorry to disappoint." Ehh, she's not disappointed. "But I brought movies and popcorn. If you don't want to go out, we'll stay in." I didn't want to ask her what was wrong. Just distract her. I feel like if I ask her, she'll get mad and ask me to leave, as we're not on that level yet.
"Thank you Draco."
Hermione.
I didn't want to tell Draco about the Ministry finally finding my parents. About them finally reversing all of my charms and protections without harming them. About them being so livid with me that they couldn't even look at me.
But at some point it all came out. As I was blubbering like an idiot on Malfoy's shoulderof allpeople, it all just came out. If he thought it was strange, however, he didn't say. He just held me the way a boyfriend would. He offered me advice and didn't push it. When I started crying even harder, he just held me tighter.
He even ended up telling me about his family. How he no longer considers Lucius his father and how he can rot in Azkaban for all he cares. How much closer him and Narcissa have gotten since his dad was taken away. The way he takes care of her is so beautiful. He really has changed. He even goes into muggle London just for leisure sometimes.
We watched The Notebook and even he shed a few tears at the end. It's my all time favorite movie. To stop crying, however, we watched a few others. Like Happily Never After and Friday the 13th. We didn't really see much of the movies though. We just talked and ate and hung out. It was fun!
Too bad we fell asleep in the middle of our fun little session. I wake up at about four o'clock in the morning, tucked under a muscular arm, with my head on a warm body. I start to get up and Draco, feeling me stir, wakes up as well. He glances at the time and starts getting up. "Wow it's late," he says. He picks up his jacket and I get this odd feeling that I don't want him to leave. "I'll talk to you sometime?" He asks, a hopeful gleam in his eyes.
"Draco...you can…stay…the night. You know. If you want to."
I watch his face change a bit and then he says, "Alright. Who knew Hermione Granger would let a guy stay over on the first date."
"You don't have to stay you know! I could just as easily take back my offer! You know what no-"
He climbs back into bed with me and tucks me under his arm. "Shut up Granger. You nag too much."
"I wouldn't have to nag if you could have a little more sense sometimes." I thought it was strange that we hadn't been arguing. Guess I just fixed that problem. But now it feels weird. "Draco what do you do for a living?"
He probably thinks I'm insane. "I'm an auror." He says simply.
"Oh. You work with Harry then?"
"Yes. We're co heads of the office."
"Co?" I ask. The Malfoy I remember wouldn't be okay with 'co.'
"Yeah. We were partners at first as Potter was training me and we developed this sort of…good cop bad cop routine-"
"Let me guess," I say. "You were the bad cop?"
He smirks. "How'd you know? But anyway. Shacklebot likes both our styles and since we're both so different, we work together and train new aurors."
"So, you two get on well?"
"Well enough. We still have our moments but I might actually say we're friends. I respect him and what he does. He really is a hero…Saint Potter."
I smile in spite of myself. The thoughts running through my mind right now were crazy. Just knowing that him and Harry got along was perfect. Especially if 'we' went anywhere. It was nice that he respected him though. I know it was hard for him to admit that.
I found myself staring at his lips for the millionth time tonight. They looked so soft and pink…I wonder if…I unconsciously leaned forward as he did and placed my lips on his. They even taste good too! Hermione stop it.This is a boy not a new book. Don't get too excited. But he's perfect.
I pull away and lay back in his arms, not really wanting to look at him. I never initiate anything. Especially not on first dates. Draco Malfoy really was a special guy. "Hermione?" he whispers a few minutes later.
"Hm?"
"I know this is our first date and all but I want to take you out on a real date. As soon as possible. Any chance of that happening?"
I glance up at him quickly before looking down trying to hide my blush. "Absolutely."