Index:

Chapter 1: Mark My Words (Dramione)

Chapter 2: Halloween (Dramione)

Mark My Words

Summary: Hermione Granger is on a blind date with a co-worker she hates. Who will come to her rescue? Draco Malfoy, of course.

Pairing: Dramione (Draco x Hermione)

Universe: Post-Hogwarts, EWE

Rating: K+

POV: First Person, Hermione

Beta: mrbenzedrine89 (Tumblr), she deserves all the love in the world. :)

Dedicated to: salazars (Tumblr), I hope you enjoy!

Blind Date: A blind date is a social engagement between two persons who have not previously met, usually arranged by a mutual acquaintance.

I was sitting in the restaurant at a table for two, waiting for my supposed date to arrive. 'This is such a waste of time,' I thought to myself.

"You've got to be joking!"

The sudden shout came from behind me, and I jumped a few inches. Turning my head around, I saw Zacharias Smith's incredulous face. I sighed in my head, cleared my expression, and turned to face him.

"Well, it's not like I planned this. Believe me when I say this is the last thing I'd like to do."

'Especially after breaking up with my boyfriend not a week ago,' I thought to myself.

"Well, I'm sorry, Granger," though he most definitely was not, judging by the look on his face, "but you have to deal with me tonight." It seemed that, after the initial surprise, he was actually happy with this arrangement.

He was smirking infuriatingly, as if he was taking some sort of sick pleasure from seeing my frustrations.

I suddenly realised that this was a very bad idea, and I shouldn't have come here tonight. I couldn't deal with Smith after such a tiring work day with him.

"I'm so sorry, Zacharias. This wasn't a good idea. This was a very long day, and I want to go home and sleep the night away. Maybe another time," I declared. Then, I got up from my seat in the fancy restaurant and headed for the door, my tight dress and high heels just slowing down the process. A certain Ginny Potter was going to die.

"No, Granger. You are not going anywhere," said Smith. He got up from his chair and followed after me.

We were outside the restaurant; the sun was set, and there was no moon in sight, but the lights from different shops lit the streets. Not many people could be seen since it was a Tuesday.

I clutched my purse in my hand and tried to control my anger. After all, this wasn't his fault. I took a deep breath and tried to reason with him.

"And why the Hell not? I see enough of you every day; I can't bear to see your face in my free time as well."

Not a great thing to say. I blamed it on the glass of wine I had before getting ready for the date. 'Hermione Granger, you are and idiot. How is this going to help you get out of this situation?' I thought to myself. This might not have been his fault, but I had seen enough of him for that day. I worked with him in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and seven years after the Battle of Hogwarts, he was still a complete and utter jerk.

"Well, you should be grateful that you're working with someone as intelligent as I am," he said snidely. 'What does this have to do with anything?' I wanted to cry out loud but controlled myself. Instead, I snickered quietly. Intelligent, my arse.

We were standing a few feet from the door of the restaurant, facing each other. He had his arms crossed across his chest, and both my hands were loosely holding my purse in front of me.

"And, if I weren't handsome, then you wouldn't be here on a date with me, now would you?" he said with arrogance. My head whipped around at that comment.

"It was a blind date, Smith. Do I have to spell it out for you to understand?" He was so annoying! He wasn't even that good looking. In fact, he wasn't even the most handsome in our department. Now, if this was Malfoy, maybe- 'Bad Hermione. Bad thoughts.'

I was lost in my head looking at the pavements and not really paying any attention to Zacharias.

"Who set us up?" he asked haughtily.

Ah, the million Galleon question. The answer was the bane of my existence.

"Ginny," I muttered.

"I'm sorry? I didn't quite catch that," he said with another smirk.

"I said Ginny," I nearly shouted. The few people in the vicinity turned heads and looked at us rather strangely.

"Well, as long as I remember, Ginny hated me with vigour. How could she, of all people, set us up? Huh? No answer for that, Granger?" he asked. He was sneering down at me. He had a good point though, now that I really thought about it. I started walking. During our conversation, Smith had gotten closer to me, and I had a feeling that if I stood in one place, he would actually touch me.

"How about I ask her and inform you of her answer. Now, if you'll excuse me, I really need to leave."

I didn't know why I was actually bothering to explain myself to this pathetic excuse of a man. I guessed it was because we were always like this at work. He was his cynical self about everything and spent every hour of the day asking for explanations. Even Malfoy wasn't that sceptical of things when he actually had a right to be. Everyone, including myself, hated Draco, and most people, including Smith himself, would jump at any chance to get him in trouble. If one person had a right to be doubtful, it was Malfoy. 'You realise that you have brought Malfoy up twice now, right?' Damn it, whatever. 'I can bring up whomever I want. Now shut up, and don't distract me so much… Great, now I'm talking to myself in my head.'

That's right. After the war, his father went straight to Azkaban for murder and attempted murder with at least thirty witnesses without any trials. His mother would have been under house arrest for two years if it weren't for Harry's testimony. Missus Malfoy was cleared of all charges.

Malfoy himself was a branded Death Eater, and since no one testified for him like they did for his mother, things weren't as easy for him. With a really expensive lawyer, and a rather large sum of money donated to the Ministry for post-war reconstruction purposes, as well as the fact that he was underage when he was branded, his one-year Azkaban sentence was reduced to four years of working for Ministry of Magic without any payment and an obligation to donate money to it every year for five years.

But after his four years had passed, he didn't quit his job. I remember him saying with a shrug, "Well, it's a decent job, and it's not like I have anything better to do."

Also, in an effort to reduce the gap between Muggle-borns and Pure-bloods, a few laws had been put in place. The very first one being that each insult towards one's lineage and ancestry meant seventy hours of community service. To be quite honest, watching Malfoy clean the halls of the Ministry without any magic after his very first day of work was a humbling sight to behold.

However, it became apparent that he'd learned his lesson very well. He refrained from addressing me, his co-worker, for the rest of the month, and after that, he did so reluctantly. It took about two years for him to get comfortable enough in any Muggle-born's presence to talk about different cases.

Anyhow, as I was saying, although Malfoy learned to keep all the insults to himself, Smith did not. He went right and left, acting superior to everyone and ordering us around. Malfoy stood up to him once, and Smith hexed him; Malfoy almost hexed back. For a few days I was wondering why until I remembered what was said at his trial: "Put one step, one small step, in the wrong direction Mister Malfoy, and we won't hesitate to put you in Azkaban for the rest of your life. We are being lenient with you as it is."

I was willing to bet that this was what kept him from retaliating.

"… bet she just fantasises about me all the time, and she just wants to know how good I am in bed."

I hadn't heard the first part of his speech but realised I didn't care.

"What? Whatever, Smith. I'm going to go; have a nice day," I said sarcastically.

I took out my wand to Apparate to my flat, but Smith grabbed my wrist rather roughly. I could easily hex him without a wand but decided that I didn't want to deal with the hassle of paperwork if he decided to sue me.

"Let go this instant, Smith," I said through clenched teeth and glared at him. He paled a little but didn't release my arm. Later that night, I would reflect on his face and decide that seeing him scared was worth the bruise on my wrist. After all, Healing oneself is much easier than scaring an Auror with a simple look.

"You heard the lady. Let her go, Smith," an all too familiar voice sneered.

"Malfoy, what are you doing here?" I asked at the same time as Smith said, "Shut your trap, Death Eater."

Malfoy didn't even acknowledge the Hufflepuff as he turned to me.

"You said to Floo the reports to your flat, Granger, but only Weasley was there, and she wouldn't tell me where you were. I had to use the bloody Locating spell to find you. Do you know how much trouble that is? I had to go through so much paperwork to be able to use that, while the bloody secretary eyed me. It was annoying as Hell! All because of what? A date! And a date with Smith, and here I thought you actually had standards." I raised both my eyebrows at that comment, but he was unfazed and continued.

"How could you be so careless not to inform me of your whereabouts? This case report is due tomorrow morning, and I'm going to get all the blame because, apparently, it can never be anyone else's fault, and I'm an ex-Death Eater," he vented. Malfoy might have kept the insults to himself, but he sure as Hell complained double as much to make up for it. His face was a bit blue from lack of oxygen during his little rant. A few seconds later he turned to his pale self.

But he was right. I couldn't deny that. I sighed and tried not to look flustered.

"I'm sorry, Malfoy. I can't believe I forgot," I said. I cast my eyes down and blushed with embarrassment.

This night couldn't get any worse.

"So, the Princess isn't perfect after all. I wonder if you'll be the best employee of the Ministry after this!" Smith taunted gleefully. I was wrong. 'You know you shouldn't say things like that. It only backfires.'

"Shut up!"

Surprisingly, that wasn't me. Malfoy actually defended me against Smith? If anything, I was expecting him to join Zacharias in the insults. Although, I shouldn't be that surprised. I couldn't even remember the last time he insulted me.

"Put the paperwork on my desk, and I will handle everything from there," I said, trying to make up for my carelessness.

"Are you sure, Granger? I thought you had a bloody date. If you can't do it, I'm not going to let you ruin my job for me. I'll do it myself."

"No, Malfoy. I didn't know I was going on a date with Smith here. It is over now, so I'll be back in the office in twenty minutes," I explained. In the duration of my talk with Malfoy, not only had Smith refused to drop my hand, but he had gripped tighter.

"Could you please let go of my arm, like the gentleman that you are and let me get back to work?" I asked with polite words, though my voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"No, you agreed to a date with me, Granger," he accused.

"Fat chance, Smith. I did no such thing. I agreed on a date with a handsome, polite gentleman, to enjoy a conversation with. I will never go on a date with a man who dares touch me in a less than appropriate manner, let alone manhandle me," I gestured to his hand on my arm as I said this. I couldn't believe the nerve of him; his grip didn't waver.

"Let go of her, or else."

Malfoy was the one most surprised by his own statement, but he didn't let it show, aside from the subtle widening of his grey eyes. I only noticed because I was paying attention.

"Don't threaten me, Malfoy. Everyone knows you're just Death Eater scum. The Ministry will have your head if you so much as touch me," Smith said with a smirk. However, his smirk was incomparable to that of Malfoy's.

"They won't if I have a good enough reason for it," he said, eying me out of the corner of his eyes. I got his silent message.

"As if they would believe you, a ruddy Death Eater, over me, a loyal worker of the Ministry," Smith said, though his smug expression faltered.

"Of course, they'll believe me," Malfoy said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"You must be delusional if you actually think that's true," Smith replied rudely.

"He's not," I said with a wide grin on my face.

"And why pray tell is that, Granger?" Smith asked rather arrogantly.

"Because I'll testify for him," I said. Smith paled.

"You'll testify for a Death Eater? What will Potter and your boyfriend Weasley think?" Zacharias said, as though he already knew the answer.

"They'll think I'm a decent human being for speaking the truth. Besides, Ron isn't my boyfriend. You know that," I replied.

He looked around and quickly realised that between the two of us, he didn't stand a chance.

"Whatever," was his short comeback before he let go of me. "You'll regret this, Granger," he said and Apparated away.

"Stay right here. I'll be back soon; I just have to change," I said and Apparated to my flat.

Ginny was there, but before she could say anything, I went to my room, changed back to my regular jeans, shirt, and flat shoes.

"What are you still doing here anyway? You helped me get ready; Now, shoo!"

"I'm waiting for all the juicy details of your date. What happened? Why are you changing?" she asked.

With a rushed, "I'll tell you later." I Apparated back to Diagon Alley.

Malfoy was still standing there just as I had left him.

"That was quick," he said with raised eyebrows and a smirk.

"I'm always quick to get ready when I have to work extra hours with my worst enemy," I teased. Malfoy didn't respond for a few seconds, and I knew he took me seriously. 'Damn it.'

He nodded solemnly and said, "Let's just get this over with then."

He didn't show it, but I could sense that I had offended him.

'I already told you, Hermione, you are an idiot. You don't even know how to talk to your crush.' WHAT?

'I do not have a crush on Draco bloody Malfoy!'

'Whatever you say, dear.'

This voice was beginning to sound a lot like Ginny in my head, and I didn't appreciate it distracting me while I was trying to rectify a situation before it was out of hand.

"You know I only meant it as a joke, right?" I said softly. In a moment of boldness, I reached my fingers and took his hand in mine. His skin was surprisingly warm and almost pleasant.

'Who are you kidding Hermione? His hand feels divine. We totally have a crush on him.'

'So it's we now, is it?' was what I responded with to The Voice. I squeezed Malfoy's hand and gave him a small smile. Apparently, he understood, because he smiled back and jokingly responded, "Yes, I know. That can't possibly be true. Smith is your worst enemy. I'm second worst, at best." He squeezed my hand back, and then pulled his hand away. Something in my stomach tingled and brought colour to my cheeks. 'Cruuush!' The Voice sang; I scowled to myself.

"Let's go then," I said, but to my utter embarrassment and mortification, a loud growl came from my stomach. I realised I hadn't eaten. Malfoy laughed loudly, clutching his sides.

When he caught his breath, he said, "Let's eat, Granger. I don't want to starve you before you finish the report."

I didn't say anything, and I was too hungry to protest, so we went back to the restaurant where Smith and I had a reservation.

We sat down and ordered. I decided to strike up a conversation while we were waiting for the food to arrive.

"It's Potter, you know."

"What?" he said, seemingly confused.

"It's Ginny Potter," I repeated. He shook his head, giving me a funny look. "You called her 'Weasley' earlier."

"You're so bizarre, Granger."

Throughout the meal, we talked about the case, my breakup with Ron, my disastrous blind date, our mutual hatred for Zacharias Smith, as well as a bunch of other topics.

When we were finished, it was ten o'clock in the evening, and my eyes widened in the realisation that we had talked for two hours straight.

The waiter came back and said, "Do you and Mademoiselle need anything, Mister Malfoy?"

"No, thank you, Mark. Put the check on my account, as always," he replied.

Apparently, Malfoy was a regular customer. Not that I was surprised; this was one of the most luxurious restaurants in the wizarding world. Malfoy was always one for luxuries.

"Your girlfriend must really love you if you make a habit of coming here every week," I mused.

"What makes you think that, Granger?" he said with a smirk, and in that moment, I knew I was wrong. "As a matter of fact, I do come here every week, but I don't have a girlfriend. The only girl I ever bring here is my mother, who really loves this place," he informed. My heart fluttered. 'He doesn't have a girlfriend. He's available. Make your move, girl!' The Voice said excitedly. I shoved that notion aside and continued.

"Anyway, I don't care either way."

'Stupid thing to say. Stupid thing to say. Stu-'

"I'm just interested in knowing how much I owe you for this meal. I don't particularly like to be paid for," I said with my hands folded across my chest.

"Oh, really, Granger. I couldn't have guessed that," he said sarcastically, "but what's done is done. Tell you what, why don't we have a meal some other time, and you can pay for both of us?"

"Did you just ask me out, Malfoy?" I asked incredulously. Strange things were happening in my body. My cheeks and neck were flushed, and my stomach was doing somersaults. 'It's called being excited,' The Voice provided unhelpfully. 'It's probably just the food,' I replied.

He was still smirking, and his answer was a simple nod. I looked at him curiously.

Now that I wasn't afraid of being rejected, it was as though clouds had left the figurative sky of my mind, and the notion of my crush on Draco Malfoy didn't seem so far-fetched after all. 'My crush just asked me out!' I was giddy like a school-girl. It was sixth-year all over again, except this time my love interest wasn't snogging a harpy.

"You planned this whole thing, didn't you?" I asked sceptically.

"I appreciate your faith in my plotting abilities, and I love seeing your cynicism for a change, but no, I did not plan this. In fact, if you hadn't been hungry enough to eat a Mountain Troll, we wouldn't have come here at all."

"I didn't eat that much!" I cried indignantly.

"My point still stands," he said with a smirk, seemingly amused at being able to get a rise out of me. "You have yet to give me an answer, Hermione," he continued, and my chest constricted at being called by my given name for the first time.

"Fine," I growled, though inside I was giggling at the prospect of Malfoy enjoying a meal with me and asking me out for another one.

"Good, let's get back to the Ministry," he decided, and I couldn't disagree, even though I wasn't particularly opposed to spending more time with him. We used the restaurant Floo to go there and handled the paperwork of the case together. It was almost midnight when we finished working and writing reports.

We walked to the Atrium together to use the Floo network.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around," I said shyly. I couldn't bring myself to look him in the eye and glanced at the ground, examining the tiles for any spot of dirt; I counted five of them before I jolted a little when he took both my hands in his, and it felt like my heart would pump out of my chest when he leant down to kiss my forehead. I looked up at him - with comically wide eyes, I'm sure. His kiss left me speechless, and my mouth was hanging open.

"See you around, Hermione," he said softly and left through the Floo yelling, "Malfoy Manor!"

I Flooed to my flat, and Ginny was sitting on the sofa with a frown on her face, pretty much in the state I left her when I changed my clothes.

"Hermione Jean Granger, what the Hell was that?" she exclaimed.

I managed to recount the events of the night, and she listened patiently. I intentionally left out The Voice, my year-long crush, and any pertaining details. 'Just say kissing him and holding his hand. Merlin, you're such a prude!'

'Shut up!'

"So basically, I set you up with someone you hate. When you wanted to leave, someone else you also hate came and rescued you, and you went on a date with him?" she summarised.

"First of all, I don't hate Malfoy. At least, not anymore, and I don't hate Smith; he is just extremely annoying. Second, it wasn't a date; we were just hungry," I explained, frustrated with the redhead's attitude.

"Sure, tell yourself that all you want. Besides, didn't he ask you out for another date?" she asked rhetorically. I nodded reluctantly. "Good. Do you see him as a potential boyfriend?"

"Ginny!" I reprimanded. "It's too soon for that, and shouldn't you be angry? I completely ruined the date; I shouldn't have even gone out after only one week of being single. Statistics show that out of every hundred rebound relationships, only-"

"Woah, woah, woah. Stop right there. It worked out in the end, didn't it? I just know that you'll be in love with Malfoy in less than two months and engaged by the end of the year," she gushed with a dreamy look on her face. "Mark my words."

"You know I don't believe in Divination, right?"

But I did mark her words, and sure enough, she was right as she always is about these things.

"By the way, why did you set me up with Smith? How could you possibly think I'd enjoy a night with him?"

"That, my dear, is a story for another time."

Three days earlier…

"Missus Malfoy, it's nice to meet you, Ma'am."

"Call me Narcissa… I have a proposition for you."

Ginny looked intrigued. "I'm listening."

"I have a son, you see, and he is rather… infatuated with a close friend of yours…"

Thoughts? =)

-M