Hermione POV
"Hermione, it's been so long, how are you!?"
Luna Lovegood runs over to me with her arms out and I force myself to smile a little wider. She throws herself onto me and holds me in a tight embrace.
I push her away. "I'm great, thanks Luna. I love the set it's very, uh, original,"
"Oh thank you, only the very best for you and Draco...where is he, by the way?"
"He's on his way, don't worry, I'd never let him be late," I smile. "So why all the, all the ferns?"
The set for our photoshoot consists of a dark, wooden chair in front of lots of plants and flowers, especially ferns. Lots of ferns.
"It fits the theme of this month's edition," she replies eagerly. "You see, the main article of this month is all about the- Draco!"
I turn around and see him standing at the same door I came through. He is wearing something that's clearly of his own design- a dark, almost black suit jacket, emerald green where the light catches. Under that he's wearing a black button up shirt and black trousers.
"Draco! How amazing it is to see you again!" She throws herself onto Draco in a similar manner she did to me. Slightly caught off guard, he wraps his arms around her and pats her on the back. He catches my eye and smirks. I snarl back at him.
He pries Luna off him. "It's great to see you Luna, it really has been too long."
He walks towards me and I move towards him as well because you know, that's natural isn't it?
He wraps his arms around me and pulls me close to him. I mirror his fake happiness and squeeze him close. I break away after a moment, keeping my hands on his shoulders. He gives me that one smirk of his that really gets on my nerves. "How are you?" I ask in the most effortless but still excited way I can.
"Oh I've been yearning for your touch, counting the seconds until I can see you and hold you again." He clasps my hand in both of his.
I roll my eyes. "Come on Draco, no need to exaggarate," I allow myself to still look a little flattered. He raises my hand to his and presses his lips to it, maintaining eye contact and that infuriating smirk. I notice his agent, Severus Snape, who might be almost as annoying as him, enter the room and stand by the door, observng.
Luna squeals. "You guys are the cutest! Now hold on one moment, I have to go get our photographer, you two behave!"
"We will," I reply, pulling my hand away from Draco's.
As soon as she leaves the room, I drop the act. "Must you do that? It's getting old. Actually, it was old the last time you did it as well," I scowl.
"Oh come on, loosen up a bit," he says. He looks around. "What the fuck is this set? We might as well be shooting in the fucking jungle at this pont,"
I ignore him and pull out my phone, hoping for a distraction. I see a text from my agent, Pansy. Deciding to face that instead of replying to Draco, I open the text.
Were you late as usual? Luna expects punctuality. I won't be coming.
I quickly type my reply. Punctuality is my middle name.
"Granger, can't you at least pretend to be interested?" Sneers Snape from the other side of the room.
"Our contract doesn't say I have to talk to him when believers aren't around." I reply. Yes, we call the people who believe our relationship is real 'believers'.
"Yes, but it isn't that hard to just reply," he replies, his tone still sharp.
"I wasn't even talking to her, I was just putting the point out there," Says Draco to no one in particular. Just as he finishes his sentence, Luna comes dashing back in with a man dressed simply in black.
"Alright you two, I'd like you to meet Neville, he brought in all the plants and helped me design the set. He'll also be taking your lovely photos today!"
Neville shakes our hands and quickly takes his place behind the camera and starts getting ready.
"Are you two ready to start?" Luna asks excitedly.
Lets get this over with. "Sure, I am," I say, mirroring her excited tone. Draco nods.
She leads us over to the set and gets me to sit in the small, metal chair amongst the foliage. She then tells Draco to put his arms around me and I try not to make my extreme disconfort obvious.
Snape, watching us, meets my eyess and puts a finger of each hand to the center of his lips and draws them up in an exaggarated smile. His favourite gesture, other than rude ones of course, ehich he loves to do to me whenevr we're doing photoshoots. Since Luna had her back turned, I flipped him off.
"This is gonna be so much fun," Draco whispers to me.
I roll my eyes. This is going to be so very fun.
A couple hours later
"What an awful shoot, I hope I never have to be within a ten metre radius of that woman again!" I exclaim in the car on the way back. Usually I don't speak during our rides home, but today I forgot my headphones and therefore am forced to socialise.
"Oh come on Hermione, you're exaggarating, as usual," Draco replies, not looking up from his phone.
"Well you didn't get touched the way I did. She had her fucking hands all over me, shifting parts of my body to get "good angles"" I make finger quotes around the last two words. "I bet the photos are all shit."
"Hermione, stop moaning, I might have to terminate your contract early," says Snape. Draco snorted.
"Hardly a fucking punishment," I put my feet up on the seat and look out of the window. It had started to rain and so I watch the drops sliding down the glass, trying to lose myself in the tiny droplets. I was almost there when Snape spoke again.
"Don't forget abiut the party next week, they expect you to be dressed nicely, and Hermione, I think the world is waiting for you to wear something of Draco's."
I sigh. "The clothes aren't my style. We have completely different tastes. I don't want to wear his shit."
"And I don't want to make her shit." Draco replies.
Snape turns around and looks at us both for a split second.
"Draco, I know you are designing a new dress, I have seen it. You will finish it for the party and Hermione will wear it. Granger, I don't care whether it's your style or not, you are going to weat it. It will drive the world crazy. Everyone has been waiting and wondering why the hell Hermione Granger doesn't wear her own boyfriend's clothes. Enough excuses, it's time you put your fucking pride and ego aside and wear his dress. Understand?"
"Fine," I reply. I don't do anything to hide the annoyed look on my face.
"For the record Hermione, I don't want to make the dress for you, in fact I will have to completely resize it, so this isn't convenient for me either."
"Hold on, resize? Does that mean-"
"Yes. I will have to take measurements. Tomorrow morning, you're coming. 9:30, and not later please. I have a week to complete this dress, and time goes by surprisingly quickly.
I don't reply for a while. "Can't you just base the sizes off another dress of mine?"
Draco looks at me like I suggested time traveling to measure me. "Of course not. The style will no doubt be completely different, and the only way to be fully accurate is to measure your body directly. Trust me, if there was another way, I'd do it."
"And listen Granger, if I haven't recieved a text from Draco telling me you're at his house by 9:35, I swear, there will be consequences."
I don't speak until we arrive home. Luckily Draco and I don't share a house but we live in the same floor in the same apartment block to create the illusion that we do.
I quickly survey the area for fans or paparazzi as we pull into the parking lot. It's empty. I step out of the car and walk up to the front door, and Draco follows me.
We stand together in the lift, not saying anything. The ride up to the third floor always seems so long whenever I'm with him.
The lift arrives and the doors open with a ding. I step out and hurry to my door, not wanting to wait a second more to get inside my house, away from Draco.
"Don't forget, 9:35 tomorrow," he says as I unlock my door. I don't reply.
Doing photoshoots, interviews or anything with Draco is so tiring. Having to pretend to like him, to let him touch me, to let him kiss me, is so exhausting.
Unfortunately, I can't go to sleep now, I have to go into work for an important meeting. Fuck me.
I pull off the weird dress and toss it aside. Green really isn't my colour. I put on my normal work clothes, a fairly casual suit, grab an apple, and head out.
Hi everyone, long time no see
It really has been a while, and I just want to say that I am back. I will try my hardest to upload reguarly or at least consistently. I will finish off Snape's Diary but I am abandoning my other stories; they are lost causes.
I hope you enjoyed this and if you did, please rate and review. Until next time,
Leila