Café
"Hey Draco, could I have a scone?" Every morning exactly at 7:30, except on Tuesdays, this question would be asked by a girl full of brown unruly hair, brown happy eyes, and a Cheshire cat smile to a tired Draco Malfoy as he opened the cash register of the café in muggle London. Every morning at exactly 7:35 Draco Malfoy would hand an overly happy Hermione Granger a blueberry scone and a cup of coffee, and every morning Hermione would take a sip of the coffee and state-
"This coffee tastes horrible," In which Draco would respond-
"If you have don't like it you're welcome to leave," In which Granger would give him a smirk worthy of a Slytherin and start rambling on about a few things he could change in his café.
"Well Draco, I'm just trying to help out, I mean really am I the only one who comes here?" As if on cue three muggles walked into the small café. Draco cocked an eyebrow.
"You were saying?" Hermione rolled her eyes and nibbled into her scone. Draco smirked and turned his attention to the muggles.
"Draco, are you coming to the Burrow on Saturday?" Hermione said as she sipped the rest of her coffee.
"Course, I'm not missing a day when Weaselbee gets yelled at," Draco said handing the muggles their change and waving goodbye. Hermione laughed walked outside and apparated. Draco chuckled wondering when all this chumminess with the golden trio, had started. It was probably the war. Bollocks, it was the war. War changed everyone, even Lucius, even Narcissa, even him. After Dumbledore's death Draco started helping the golden trio, Lucius started helping also, anything to end that stupid war and help his family. Through the various night time information exchanges he did, a quiet form of respect blossomed from the Ferret and the Boy-Who-Would-Not-Die, Weaselbee and the Bookworm. After the war Draco had also managed to be even closer friends with the three and continued to help them break apart Voldemorts death-eater troops.
Now 5 years after Voldemorts death and with most of Voldemorts death-eaters rotting in Azkaban or 10 feet under everyone was now calmer, spirited, and happier. Now everyone was getting married. Ginny and Harry had gotten married two summers, followed by Luna and Neville, Blaise and Daphne, Theodore and Astoria, even Percy had gotten married. Now only Draco, Hermione, Ron, and Pansy weren't married. However Ron and Pansy were practically married, only that Ron was bugger with proposing and marriage in general.
Draco let out a sigh as he cleaned the café counters. It'd be a few hours before rush hour came bringing Ron and Harrys overly hyper yet work drained selves. The jingle of the entry bell and the chattering of two overly happy voices proved him right. Draco turned, and for certain two males, one with bright red hair, an over necessary amount of freckles, with blue eyes, the other with dark shaggy hair round, wire framed glasses, paired with twinkling green eyes that could rival Dumbledores, walked in.
"Hello ladies, what can I get you today?" Draco said smirking. Ronald Weasley scowled as he sat down in a booth, while Harry Potter grinned.
"Nice to see you too mate," Harry clapped Draco on the back and shuffled to the seat opposite of Ron.
"So, would the lovely couple want their usual?" Draco said jotting down their normal club sandwich and chips order.
"Yes, please, and could I get a glass of butterbeer Dray?" Ron said taking out his newly updated phone and tapping endlessly on it. Draco rolled his eyes at the mention of his nickname. He remembered when he first got it.
Harry, Ron, and Draco were playing quiditch against Bill, George, and Percy, the game was tied 50-50, with Percy screaming at George a few strings of choice words, Bill laughing and almost falling off his broom, Harry and Ron were tossing the quaffle back and forth using Percy's distraction as an opening to score. Draco however was flying high above them keeping an eye for the snitch. He was still a bit surprised that Harry didn't object when Draco chose to be a seeker, but this thought didn't settle in much, not when your brain starts registering the sharp pain on your shoulder and the lack of a broom between your legs. Thankfully lady fate did not let Draco die; instead had Hermione Granger cast a quick Arresto Momentum saving Draco Malfoy, who coincidentally managed to catch the snitch in his free fall which did nothing to alleviate Hermione Grangers anger on the boys and quiditch.
"Dray could've died!" Hermione later on screamed at Harry and the rest of the boys. Dray, it was the first time anyone had ever given him a nickname (other than his parents of course), it felt…. nice.
"Draco?" Draco snapped from his reminiscence and grunted.
"Will that be all?" He said jotting down their order.
"Yup, and do hurry, I'm starving," Ron said his stomach rumbling in approval. Draco snorted and walked into the kitchen waving his wand the kitchen came to life and two sandwiches were placed into a plate ready to serve. Draco strolled out of the kitchen and was then greeted with a full house of people waiting to be served.
"You two couldn't hold the fort while I got food?" Draco muttered tossing Harry their order.
"And not watch you suffer?" Harry grinned biting into his sandwich as Draco rushed around jotting down one order after another.
"Thank you, come again. Thank you, come again," Draco said giving the last of the customers their change.
"I think that was a new record Dray," Ron said looking at his watch. "Completed lunch hour in less than 3 hours,"
"Shouldn't you two be going back to work?" Draco muttered glancing around for any muggles before casting a scourigify on the dirty tables.
"I still don't get it, you could've just been an auror, and anyways Moody needs another auror and you'd be perfect for the job," Harry said sipping his drink.
"I've already told you Harry, I actually like this job, and the main business is thriving under Lucius's, so I really don't mind doing this," Harry stood up.
"Well whatever you say mate," He said, handing Draco, galleons for the meal.
"Thanks for the meal Draco," Ron said however he was still chewing on his chips making his words sound like a bunch of gibberish.
"Swallow Ron, swallow," Draco said patting his back. "I wonder what Pansy see's in you," Ron flipped him the finger and paid him for the meal, momentarily walking out of the shop with Harry. Draco glanced at the clock, it'd be awhile before the dinner rush and his parents visit. He made himself a cup of tea and sat down near the window watching passerby's walk by.
"You look content," a cool voice sliced through the silence and startled Draco. He looked at the door and saw a tall couple, hair as white as platinum, eyes grey as fog, poise and elegance surrounding them.
"Mother, father," Draco said standing up and greeting them. "I didn't even hear you come in,"
"Well you did seem lost in thought my little dragon," Draco groaned.
"Mother!" He exclaimed. "I'm 22 years old," He said guiding them to a seat and handing them the menu.
"You'll still be my little dragon, Draco," Narcissa said eyes twinkling. Draco rolled his eyes.
"You two are here earlier than normal, what happened?" He said glancing at his Lucius who busy examining the menu again.
"Work ended early, stocks are doing well," Lucius said. "I'd like some steak please, Draco,"
"Father, this is a café, we don't exactly carry steaks here," He said sighing.
"You should upgrade your café, Draco," Lucius said scrutinizing the menu before setting it down on the table, "Never the less I'll have the Fettuccine Alfredo with a glass of firewhiskey,"
"I'd like a Caesars salad and a glass of water, sweetheart," Narcissa said, Draco jotted down their orders and took their menus.
"Your orders should be here momentarily," He turned on the sound system letting piano tunes echo through the restaurant as he tossed the order inside the magicked kitchen. A trickle of muggles entered the restaurant and Draco strolled over to serve them.
"Draco your cooking spells are excellent, Mipsy might get jealous," Narcissa said taking another bite from her husband's plate.
"You have your own food woman," Lucius said huffily. Narcissa smirked and continued stealing food from him. "Draco I'd like the check please,"
"Father you really don't have to pay for this,"
"Bollocks Draco, let us pay for our own food," Narcissa said taking out galleons.
"Mother!"
"Draco, listen to your mother," Lucius said wiping his mouth. Draco groaned and grudgingly gave them the check. Lucius handed him the appropriate galleons, stood up and helped his wife out of his seat.
"Have a good day, Draco," Narcissa said kissing her son on the cheek.
"Goodbye mother, father," Draco said nodding them goodbye, watching them walk outside the door and apparate from a nearby alley.
Draco served the rest of the muggles and handed them their checks, after the last of them walked outside the door happily chattering, Draco sat back down with another batch of tea and watched the array of red and gold colors in the sky, slowly churn and change to the pitch black night dotted with silver stars and a brilliant moon.
"Draco could I have a scone," A voice rang from behind him as he felt warm hands circle his shoulders and someone's chin on his head.
"There's one in the kitchen Hermione," He could feel Hermione pouting.
"But you didn't make it Draco," Hermione said.
"You know it's gonna take awhile to make a scone," He said.
"Well you could make me a grilled cheese sandwich," Draco nodded and stood up, heading to the kitchen. With a wave of his wand, all the previous spells disappeared and the kitchen resumed to its stillness. Picking up a nearby pan and slices of bread, Draco started cooking.
"Here," He said placing the plate of freshly grilled goodness in front of her. "Anything to drink, miss?" flashing a pretty boy smile.
"Butter beer would be wonderful right now," Hermione said stretching her arms up. Draco nodded, grabbed two mugs of butterbeer from the refrigerator and flipped the store sign to close.
"So how was work," He sat across from her, sipping his drink.
"Dreadful, some wizard managed to get his head on backwards while making a potion," She said exasperated. "Then some witch managed to get a pretty nasty bat bogey hex casted on herself that took hours to undo,"
"Well you did choose to be a healer,"
"It does have its moment's Draco," She said grinning. "Like today, someone gave me tickets to a piano concerto next month," She shuffled through her purse and waved around two pieces of paper in front of him. Draco cocked an eyebrow.
"Hermione Granger, is this your way of asking me out to a date?" He said grinning. Hermione smirked.
"It can be whatever you want it to be, Dray, I know you want me," She said gulping down more butterbeer.
"You're getting more Slytherin each day," Hermione scowled and flicked his nose playfully.
"And whose fault is that?" Draco grinned. "So, do you want to go or what?"
"I might as well, you might embarrass yourself with your Gryffindorness," Hermione snorted at that. Draco grinned at her.
"It's strange," He said staring at her.
"What is?" She asked.
"If someone had told me I'd be talking to Hermione Granger about going to a piano concerto back when we were in Hogwarts, I'd probably have laughed at them,"
"If someone told me that back then, I'd have laughed with you," She chewed on her sandwich, but then looked at him with pursed lips. "Do you regret it? Being friends with us I mean, I know we can be annoying and what not,"
"Regret this?" He snorted. "Never," and he meant it.
A/N: Just a quick one shot to satisfy my boredom this spring break. Please review and what not.