Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition; Round 1

Hollyhead Harpies, Beater 1

Mandatory Prompt - Write about Beater Two's NOTP (DracoHermione)

Optional Prompts -

7. Broken wine glass

8. "If I'd wanted you to then I would have asked!"

11. Attractive

Word Count - 2064

Thanks to both Amber and Sam for Beta'ing.

Finally Proper

She poured the wine, knowing she would regret it in the morning but not really caring. After the day she'd had, she felt like she was perfectly entitled to try and relax, and drink away the tension.

Work had been hell and the numerous things she still had left to do on her primary project for the month were still weighing heavily on her mind. Research, charts, interviews, and countless other things still needed finishing.

Sometimes, she hated that she had ambition.

Her day hadn't been helped when she received a letter, this time from Lavender Brown, announcing her engagement and the subsequent 'save the date' card. All of her friends, both school and university, were settling down. With engagements and weddings, baby showers and birth announcements, Hermione was feeling seriously left behind.

If only she and Ron had been compatible, she'd be the one enjoying couples nights out, with conversations about blue or pink, or what colour works best for bridesmaids. Instead, they'd quickly realised that they were better off as friends.

She could only be thankful that they'd made the realisation before they imploded their friendship completely.

Sipping at her wine, she let out a sigh. Tomorrow was the weekend, and she was due to join her friends at the Leaky Cauldron for their monthly catch up. Harry would be excitedly telling them all about James' newest… new thing, and Ron would be happily chatting about his upcoming wedding. Hermione wasn't sure what she could talk about.

Nothing had changed. Her work was the same as always; busy and infuriating. As for her relationship status, how could she tell them when she wasn't entirely sure of it herself?

Slipping her tired feet into her comfiest slippers, Hermione padded through her flat, depositing her wine glass on the living room table before she made her way to the bathroom. A shower and her pyjamas were definitely necessary to her general happiness at the moment, she decided.

She'd find a movie on the television and settle in for a relaxing night alone. Again.

Halfway through both a mind numbing movie and the bottle of wine she'd opened, a knock on the door woke her from an almost deep sleep. Growling quietly to herself, she pushed herself to her feet and walked over to the door, knowing who it was but really not in the mood to deal with him.

Sure enough, she opened the door to see blond hair, grey eyes and an arrogant smirk.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, leaning against the door jamb.

He frowned when she didn't immediately let him in, but reached a hand out to rest on her hip.

"You know why I'm here," he murmured, taking a half step so he was almost pressed up against her. "I've nothing on tomorrow, so I thought a lazy morning in bed with you was the best plan. Are you going to let me in?"

She sighed, pushing the door open with her foot, locking up when he passed. She folded herself back onto the sofa, picking up her still half full glass of wine as she did so. Draco returned from the kitchen with his own glass moments later, sitting down beside her.

"You really should invest in some better wine, Granger," he muttered, wincing slightly as he sipped at the wine. "I wouldn't give this cheap swill to a Muggle."

Rolling her eyes at the jab, Hermione replied, "Nobody is forcing you to drink it. You're welcome to go and enjoy your own expensive wine."

"You're in a fine mood," he drawled, scowling at her. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing, really. Just more people settling down. I got Lavender's 'save the date' card today. She's getting married in three months."

Draco nodded. "Hmm. She's marrying Theodore Nott, isn't she? I got the card today as well."

Hermione felt her cheeks colour. She hadn't paid enough attention to the letter to realise that Lavender was marrying one of Draco's friends.

"I don't understand why Brown getting married would put you in such a sulk though."

"It's just that everyone I know is settling down, getting married, having kids, and I'm just… not. I feel like I'm being left behind, I suppose."

Draco snorted rudely. "If you're looking for a proposal…" he trailed off.

She scowled. "From you? Of course not."

"What, I'm not good enough for you?" he sneered, standing up. "Maybe I should just leave then? I thought we had a good thing going!"

"I'm just not in the mood. Could we do this another day?"

Shaking his head, Draco smirked at her. "I don't think so, Granger. I think what we had, while admittedly enjoyable, has run it's course. We're looking for different things and honestly? I can't give you what you clearly want, no matter what you say. I'm a Malfoy… I'm expected to marry a certain… breed of person."

The smirk on his face told her he was being purposefully cruel, and the meager control she had on her temper broke. Throwing the glass at the wall behind him, she pointed at the door.

"You know your way out."

Draco gasped, outraged as the remaining wine in the glass dropped down his forehead. He looked in the mirror, sneering when he saw his usually pristine blond locks stained red.

"If you wanted a Weasley, you should have stuck with the cretin you were with in school! You didn't have to turn me into one!"

"Don't call him a cretin," Hermione shouted back, glaring at him. "Get out!"

The slam of the door behind him masked the quiet sob Hermione let out as she sunk back into the sofa, alone once more.

The Leaky Cauldron was the same as always when Hermione arrive the following afternoon. After sweeping up the broken wine glass from the night before, she'd tried to give herself a talk in front of the mirror, taken a shower, wrestled with her hair and dressed in her favourite jeans and jumper.

Anything that would help her to feel like her old, happy self.

Ron and Harry were, surprisingly, already present when she got there, and after getting a butterbeer from the bar, she joined them in their favourite booth.

Greeting the boys with kisses to the cheek, she settled herself in comfortably, mentally prepared to listen to a few hours of family life and wedding plans. Instead, she grew uncomfortable as the two of them stared at her silently.

"What? Have I got something on my face?"

"We, uh, arranged a blind date for you," Ron muttered after a moment's pause. "It's with a bloke in the Ministry, one of the desk lads in our department, you know? He's nice and -"

Hermione cut him off.

"I'm not going on a blind date, Ron."

"But I thought you didn't like being single anymore?" he complained. "I thought you wanted… we were only trying to help!"

"If I'd wanted you to then I would have asked!" she snapped, regretting it almost immediately when she saw the hurt on her friends faces. "I'm sorry. I just… I don't want to do the pity date thing. Besides, I had that… whatever it was with Draco, didn't I? I wasn't exactly single."

Harry hesitated for a moment before he asked, "Had?"

"Hmhmm. Pretty sure that after last night, I won't be seeing him again. We had a row and I might've thrown a wine glass at him. Filled with red wine. Which then stained his hair…"

Harry snorted in an attempt to hide his amusement while Ron laughed outright, all hurt forgotten.

"I'd give almost anything to see the git's face when you did that," Ron chortled.

"What did you row about?" Harry asked, looking a little concerned.

"Oh. Commitment, or rather, that he won't. At least, I think that's what we argued about. It escalated from nowhere and ended up there at any rate. When he gets married, it won't be to me. He made that extremely clear."

"Jerk," Harry muttered. "He doesn't know what he's losing with you, Hermione. He'll realise he made a mistake before long, I guarantee it."

Hermione shrugged. "I'm not sure I want him to. What we had was good at the beginning, but we're getting older. I want more out of life than an undefined relationship that's clearly going nowhere. I have more important things to deal with."

"But -"

Hermione cut across Ron once more.

"How are the wedding plans coming?"

With that, Hermione settled in for the expected conversations, ignoring her jealousy in favor of enjoying the time spent with her oldest and best friends.

Time passed as time is wont to do, and before she knew it, Hermione was slipping into a pretty mint dress as she readied herself for Lavender's wedding. She was feeling rather nervous about going and had almost sent her regrets countless times over the three months.

This would be the first time she'd come face to face with Draco since the rather horrendous argument. She still felt the small twinges of guilt that she'd actually thrown a glass at him, though part of her was still convinced he deserved it.

Checking her appearance once more, she sighed, but nodded to herself. She was as presentable as she was ever going to be, and if she left it much longer, she'd be late. Picking up the wrapped gift on the living room table, Hermione took a deep breath and Apparated away.

The wedding was beautiful. Everything seemed to go as planned and Lavender and Theodore made a very attractive couple. Lavender practically radiated happiness as she moved from guest to guest, thanking them for their attendance while she glowed her contentedness for all to see.

Hermione sat by the bar, watching her friends dance with their significant others. Harry and Ginny were as sickly sweet and in love as they'd ever been, and while she was happy to see it, a sharp jab of envy had her averting her eyes.

"Granger. Dance with me?"

Turning at the familiar voice, Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"We shouldn't," she replied quietly. "Heaven forbid someone see you with me. People might talk."

Draco sighed. "I probably deserve that and quite a bit more. I'm sorry, Hermione. What I said was completely out of line and I really do apologise. I was… being an idiot. Come on, dance with me."

She took the extended hand with only a slight hesitation and let him lead her to the dancefloor.

"I've missed you, Granger," Draco admitted as he took her in his arms. "I've realised over the last few months that your absence in my life is sorely unacceptable. Nobody challenges me quite like you do."

"I won't go back to the way we were, Draco. I can't. It's… It's not enough anymore."

"I know. I'm not asking you to. I want to court you - properly this time. By the book. I have the note of intent with me, and the traditional flowers should already be in your flat. Give me a chance to show you that I've learnt my lesson, Hermione. Please?"

The idea that Draco wanted to follow a courtship with her, any wizarding courtship, was proof that he had actually missed her. Courtships were sacred in the wizarding world, not least because they were a public declaration of intent in a relationship and showed how serious the emotions involved were.

Smile slowly growing on her face, Hermione nodded. "Which courtship are you invoking?"

"The traditional one," Draco murmured. "Which means that I'm probably already breaking the rules by dancing with you, but I haven't given you the letter yet so we should be alright."

Hermione chuckled. "Indeed. Who is going to be our chaperones?"

"I do hope you haven't invoked already, Draco," a chiding voice said from behind Hermione. Draco rolled his eyes but Hermione turned to find Harry and Ginny smirking at them.

"Really?" Hermione asked.

"I thought you might take me more seriously if they approved of the rites."

Taking an envelope from his inner pocket, Draco handed it over, pausing to kiss the back of Hermione's hand.

"Hermione Granger, I humbly offer you my intention to court you by Traditional Rite. Do you accept?"

Hermione smiled, suddenly feeling that her life might possibly be going in the right direction after all.

"I do."