Written for Speed Drabble – Pairing: Scorpius/Hermione, Word: Flower
Written for If You Dare Challenge – Prompt11: Intense
Boot Camps: Pairing Diversity – Prompt17 – Purple, Scorpius/Hermione; Cross-gen – Prompt3: Sigh, Scorpius/Hermione
Happy Birthday to Me
The first time Hermione had properly been introduced to Scorpius Malfoy was when Rose had dragged him to meet her and Ron at King's Cross Station. While Ron had been miffed at Rose's choice of a friend, Hermione had tried to make it up. As they got to know the young Malfoy, Hermione began to realize that he was actually a decent young man and that she enjoyed his company.
Scorpius seemed to consider her as his mentor and was completely enraptured by here. Eventually he started working under her in the Magical Law Department as soon as he had finished his training course. It was then that Hermione really got to know him. He was a serious and hardworking and extremely intelligent. Exactly the kind of person she could relate to.
The past few months were hard on her. Though work was hectic, it was her only solace from all the personal stress. Things between her and Ron seemed to going downhill, and she did everything to get herself away from that atmosphere. And that meant that she stay back long hours. Most of the time, Scorpius was there to keep her company. Apparently he loved his work as much as she did. Deep down, she was grateful for his company.
"Hermione? Shouldn't you be going home?" Scorpius inquired, breaking her from her reverie.
"Oh, well . . . I don't really have to," Hermione said, looking at the clock. It was only thirty minutes past eight.
"Shouldn't you be celebrating? I mean, it's your birthday after all," he said hesitantly.
Hermione pretended to be indifferent and answered with a smile, "We're planning to celebrate it this weekend. Everyone's busy."
"Of course, I'm sorry, I just assumed you had forgotten," Scorpius replied with a polite smile and returned to his paperwork.
Hermione once again pretended that she wasn't hurt that her family didn't want to spend her birthday with her and tried not to get Scorpius' words get to her. Ever since Rose and Hugo had gotten to know how tense their parents' relationship was, her children were behaving quite differently. However, she had hoped that they would meet her that day. But she had only gotten their parcels and an attached note wishing her a very happy birthday.
Ron had left their apartment even before she had woken up. Some birthday it was. Not that she loved having an extravagant birthday, but it still hurt. At least it had been better at her office. Her colleagues had wished her and Harry had dropped by at lunch.
"Do you mind if I leave? I have some work to take care of," Scorpius asked suddenly.
A little surprised, Hermione answered, "Of course I don't, it's past working hours anyway."
"Thank you, good night then, I'll see you tomorrow," he said and grabbed his overcoat and belongings and left the room.
Hermione let a loud sigh and tried to concentrate back on her work. Instead, a single tear escaped her eye.
"No. no. I'm not going to cry because I'm having a lousy birthday. I don't even like celebrating!" she admonished herself.
Wiping the tear off her cheek, she stared at the case sheet in front of her. She was unable to get back to back to working, but continued trying stubbornly. She didn't want to leave to an empty apartment. She knew Ron wouldn't be back yet. Merlin knew where he was. For some reason, it didn't matter at all. That's when she realized how wrong her relationship with Ron was. They had to be in love, they had to worry about each other, they had to celebrate each other's birthdays . . . and they weren't doing any of those things.
Hermione jumped when she heard slow footsteps. She quickly reached out for her wand and waited by the wall waiting for an attack.
She sighed in relief when she saw Scorpius at the doorway and willed her heartbeat to slow down.
"Did you forget anything?" Hermione asked, studying him. She felt a little foolish but proud as well, just because she wasn't doing any on-field work didn't mean that she had lost her alertness to act.
"No, er–I bought something for you." Was Scorpius blushing a bit?
He held a package in his hand and on top of it resided a single flower, a purple chrysanthemum. Hermione's eyes welled up with tears. It was her favourite flower . . . she didn't remember telling it to Scorpius.
"I'm sorry if it's out of line, no one should be alone on their birthday, especially not you," he spoke with such intensity that Hermione began to feel flutters in her stomach.
"Thank you," she spoke huskily, hoping that the tears wouldn't fall. Thankfully they didn't.
The next couple of hours were spent in eating pizza and drinking wine (which was secretly stashed in the cupboards.) Scorpius placed a candle on the center of the pizza and sang her the birthday song until she had tears of laughter rolling down her eyes. For the first time that day, Hermione truly felt happy. She saw Scorpius in a new light, and he seemed to appreciate her back.
"As much as I would love to stay longer, we should be leaving." Scorpius said with sigh, staring at his wrist watch wistfully.
Together they cleaned up and put on their overcoats. Hermione stopped him at the door and spoke to him in a soft voice. "Thank you so much. You didn't have to, but I really appreciate it."
Maybe it was the wine, or maybe it was the intense look with which Scorpius was looking at her, or maybe it was how happy he had made her feel or whatever it was, Hermione didn't know. But she reached up on her toes and placed a soft kiss on his lips.
It came as a surprise to her when Scorpius didn't push her away but instead held her tightly in his arms and pressed his lips back against hers until they were moving passionately with raw emotion. Needless to say, Hermione and Scorpius stayed well past the working hours.
A/N: Okay, hope this didn't read too hurried and you enjoyed it. Let me know your thoughts. :D
