I don't own Harry Potter or any characters! All credit to J.K Rowling please don't sue!
It was 8:30pm and Hermione Granger was running late. She cursed herself (not literally of course) as she walked hurriedly down the streets of London. "Ginny'll be furious with me" Hermione muttered, rounding another corner. Just as she arrived at the Leaky Cauldron her mobile vibrated in her pocket, announcing the arrival of a text. It read:
Sorry Hermione but I'm going to be a bit late. Just met up with Harry. See you there soon. Lv Gin
Half irritated, half relieved, Hermione realized there had been no reason to rush. If Ginny was with Harry it would be more than "a bit late". She smiled to herself and shook her head. The pair had been practically inseparable since they got together at the end of their sixth year making it impossible for Hermione to have a girl's night out. But it was understandable; Ginny had loved Harry since forever and now she had him she wouldn't waste one second.
Hermione decided to wait inside the Leaky Cauldron anyway and just hope Ginny would actually show up. Taking a seat at the bar she ordered herself a nice Butterbeer and took out her notebook. This notebook was a sort of journal that Hermione had taken up in the recent months and she had grown quite attached to it. She wrote whatever came across her fancy in there – interesting spells, passing thoughts, funny comments, important issues, anything. But at this moment in time Hermione simply wanted to doodle.
However after half an hour Hermione began to get bored. She put away her notebook in her bag and sighed quietly to herself – inadvertently attracting the attention of the person sitting next to her. "Granger? Hermione Granger?" a boy asked curiously. Hermione looked up in surprise and was shocked to find herself looking right into the cold grey eyes of Draco Malfoy.
"Oh great" Hermione thought dismally. "He's probably looking for someone to have a go at because he's as bored as me". After this thought had sluggishly processed itself through her brain (slow though processes? What's going on?) she replied "Hi Malfoy" and looked down again. She waited for the onslaught of insults to come… but it didn't. Instead in an almost friendly voice, Malfoy replied "So are you alright? Meeting someone are you?"
Hermione looked up in astonishment at the pleasant tone and searched his face for signs of loathing, hate, venom – but only found an open, friendly smile. And concern? Ah, maybe it was because she had not answered and had simply been staring at him for a good ten seconds.
"Oh, yes.-er I, I'm good thanks. I'm meeting Ginny. Yourself?"
"I'm meeting Pansy" he said, smiling again. After a couple of seconds his forehead creased in confusion at Hermione's silence and he said "Are you alright? Only you're looking at me funny."
"Uh.."
"What is it??"
"I… it's just weird. You talking like this to me, I mean. You're usually so…you don't like me, I didn't think and…" she tailed off into silence, not really sure how to phrase her thoughts, but her point had been understood, somehow.
"Ah. I see" said Malfoy. To Hermione's surprise he sounded glum. "Sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out. But to be fair, I haven't really given you that much grief recently, have I?" And when Hermione thought about it, he hadn't. Not really. All his latest incidents had been with Harry and hadn't concerned her. "Well that's true enough, but I thought you hated all muggle borns" although she hadn't heard that in a while either. "Shouldn't you be twitching in disgust by now having sat so close to me for so long?" she added with a hint of sarcasm.
Draco smiled ruefully "Yeah, yeah. Except I don't really go for that anymore"
Hermione looked at him in shock. "What? You don't hate muggles anymore? Why?"
He shrugged indifferently "I don't agree with it. My dad. I think he was wrong. He'd be pretty mad if he knew that but he's in Azkaban now so..."
"Sorry. I didn't know"
"S'alright" said Draco with another smile. Hermione scrutinized his face while he turned to have a drink. He seemed different. More open, alive. She liked it and found herself wondering for the first time what Draco was really like.
"Well, if you've changed your views then would you mind if I sat with you for a while? It's just Ginny's really late and I don't really-"
Draco smiled again. It suited him better than his smirk. "Yeah that'd be great! I'd like that!" Hermione couldn't help but smile back at him. But then Draco's eyes slid away from hers and to the door and the smile fell right off his face. He tore his gaze off Hermione's face causing Hermione to look around in confusion. Pansy had just entered the Leaky Cauldron.
Understanding dawned on Hermione and she turned back to Draco again. He looked apologetic. "Sorry, It's just she doesn't really agree with my new frame of mind and she doesn't like it when –"
"I understand. Thanks for talking with me. It was fun" Hermione said with a small smile. "I'll make like we never even saw each other". And with that she casually slid off the seat and disappeared into the depths of the pub, taking her drink with her.
A couple of seconds later Pansy arrived. "Drakie-kins!!" she cried loudly, attracting the attention of several members of the bar and causing "Drakie-kins" to turn red. Pansy planted a big kiss on his cheek and then said "Was that Granger?"
"Where??" Draco replied in fake surprise, looking around the bar.
"She was just sat right here"
"Really? That was her??" Draco said incredulously. "Didn't even notice"
"Eeeeewwwww" Pansy moaned. "Now I'll have to get another chair" Draco rolled his eyes.
"Hurry and drink up Draco" Pansy chattered "because were leaving soon!".
"Where?" Malfoy said in confusion.
"Some of my girl friends are having a sleepover and we're invited!!" The mental image of ten or so of Pansy's friends pointing at him and screaming because he was "hot" came to Draco's mind.
"Actually I think I'll just skip it" he said quickly
"Why? What's wrong Drakie-pooh?"
"I'm feeling a little ill. I was going to go home to bed soon anyway. But you go on ahead. I'll see you tomorrow"
"Awww, poor you. Okay, but the girl's will miss you. Love you. Miss you. Can't wait to kiss you!" She did kiss him of course and then hurried off to join the fun.
Draco sighed in relief. Pansy was just a little too much sometimes. After a moment or two of well deserved silence Draco remembered the second reason he had not wanted to go with Pansy and he turned around and scanned the room for it. There she was at the opposite end of the pub. He blinked in dismay. Hermione was sat with that Ron Weasley. Of course. They were dating. It was bound to happen. "Stupid Weezlebee" Draco thought darkly. But why did it even bother him? He frowned deeply and then even more so as he saw Ron move an infinitesimal inch closer to Hermione on the couch.
But what Draco had assumed to be a dating couple was in fact a broken up relationship. After the war ended, Ron had grown tiresomely cocky about his involvement in it, leaping at the chance to tell anyone about it and Hermione eventually had enough. She had broken it off with Ron gently but it hadn't gone down too well. He refused to accept her decision and hounded after her whenever he got the chance. It was a shame really considering how close friends they used to be.
"Hermione, I think you made a mistake you know" said Ron with enthusiasm
"No Ron, I didn't. For the last time I'm sorry but I just want to be friends! Please can we just be friends??"
"Naa you don't really mean that Hermione" Ron said with confidence
"Yes, I do." Said Hermione through gritted teeth
"Haha! You just said "I do" so I guess we're married!"
"But-"
"I'll go get you another drink!"
Hermione moaned in despair as she saw Ron head over to the barman. He really couldn't take a hint. Hermione pulled at her hair in frustration then put her head down on the table in despair.
Draco had seen all this. "Aaah I see! Weezlebee won't take a hint" Draco thought with glee. He felt bad for Hermione though and wondered if she still wanted to sit with him. "But I can't just wander over now, with no reason" he thought. "I need a reason. Give me a reason!"
"Hermione?" a disembodied voice said tentatively. Hermione knew who it was. Without looking up she replied "No, I don't want to sit with you. Go away!!"
"Oh. Okay, well…you left your bag, up at the bar so... I'll just leave it". That didn't sound like Ron. Hermione looked up to find she was looking into Draco's eyes for the second time. This time he looked more upset than confused though. "Draco!! It's you! God, I thought it was Ron, sorry" Hermione garbled. "Thanks" she added, taking her bag.
"No problem!" Draco said cheerfully. He was secretly relieved and had seriously thought she was telling him to get lost. He was also secretly wondering why that had devastated him so much…
"I was wondering if you still wanted to sit with me. Pansy went to some party so I'm just on my own now…"
"Of course!" Hermione replied happily. This should clear Ron off. "Take a seat!" Draco did so graciously. Ron appeared seconds later. He saw and immediately recognized the back of Draco head, looked between the two of them in utter horror and then left the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione sighed sadly. She wished that things didn't have to be this way between the two of them but Ron seemed incapable of getting the message. Draco had seen the momentary worry in Hermione's eyes and said "Are you alright?". He sounded genuinely concerned. "Yeah I'm fine, it's just Ron" Hermione admitted.
"Aww, don't worry about him. He'll understand eventually then you can be friends again" Who would've thought Draco Malfoy would be comforting her about something Ron had done in stead of the other way around?
She and Malfoy talked about everything and anything late into the night. It was only her phone buzzing that dragged Hermione from the surprisingly engaging conversation she was having.
"It's one AM where the hell are you Hermione?? Tb soon lv Gin
Hermione gasped. "Oh god it's so late! Sorry Malfoy, I've got to go, Ginny's back at the apartment and she doesn't have a clue where I am!"
"Oh right yeah. Lucky Pansy's having a sleepover or boy would I be getting a beating when I got in" Draco said laughing.
"Well, this was…fun. Really, thanks for sitting with me. Maybe I'll see you again sometime." Hermione said, rising to leave.
"Yeah maybe. See you soon" He watched her leave the leaky Cauldron and found to his surprise that he was sad to see her go. He shook his head and headed home himself, his head completely full with thoughts about one person only. Guess who?