A/N: Hey people! So FYI this is a sequel story. It's not necassary to read part one (The Only One He Trusts), but it might help. If you haven't, you won't be confused or anything and it's still a nice little story, but it might be good to find out how this all came to be. - Alex
Hermione sat nervously at a restaurant in muggle London. She fiddled with the napkins and silverware, alternating between chewing her thumbnail and picking at the prongs of her fork. As seven thirty dawned closer, she became more panicked.
She had told Harry and Ginny to meet her here at seven thirty.
"Why?"
Hermione sighed, wishing Ginny could just follow along. She had thought about how she would explain... the situation, a million times but each time she was about to say something, she chickened out.
"Because I need to tell you guys something."
"So tell us." Harry shrugged. Hermione inhaled patiently.
"Just come please. You can get up and leave straight after."
Eventually they had agreed. They would understand once they saw. Or maybe they wouldn't. Thank Merlin she hadn't invited Ron, because he definitely would understand. No, it was better to tell Harry and Ginny, they were reasonable, and then when she did tell Ronald she would have some backup.
"Hermione!" She turned around and saw Ginny raise her hand. They were following behind one of the waiters. Hermione stood up to hug them both and then they all sat down. "So tell us." Ginny leaned across the table impatiently.
"Let's order drinks." Hermione stalled. Besides, maybe if she got them plied with alcohol... she stopped. Where was all her Gryffindor courage?
"Fine." Harry shrugged, but Ginny kept staring at her expectantly. When the waiter came back they ordered their drinks.
"A glass of red wine and a glass of white." The waiter nodded, asking about a specific type but she just told him whatever their best was.
"Is someone else coming?" Ginny asked excitedly.
Hermione exhaled slowly and finally said, "Yes." Her voice sounded high pitched even to her own hears.
"Like a date?" Harry asked cluelessly and Ginny smacked his shoulder.
"Of course a date." She rolled her eyes and pushed her flaming hair back. "Is that what you wanted to tell us? You have a boyfriend!"
Hermione nodded meekly. "Yes-"
"Who?" Ginny demanded, a cheeky grin on her face.
Hermione mutter something unintelligible.
"Huh?"
"Draco." She said a bit louder. Harry and Ginny stared at her, clearly waiting for the gotcha! "Draco Malfoy." She repeated.
"Speak of the devil and he shall appear." A smooth voice said from behind her. Draco slipped into the seat beside her. This seemed to send Harry and Ginny into more of a stupor. They stared with open mouths until Draco nodded at them, "Potter, Weasley."
Draco was dressed formally, as usual, with a perfectly tailored charcoal jacket and a silk black shirt. No doubt his shoes were italian leather, that was practically all that was in his closet.
"Malfoy?" Harry gasped and looked between him and Hermione. Hermione shrank back into the chair.
"Yes." Hermione nodded quickly.
"When did that happen?" Ginny said bluntly.
Hermione looked at Draco. "About four months ago." Draco nodded.
"Four months?" Harry glared at her, probably wondering why they were just now hearing about it. She flushed and knew that she should have told them sooner, but had convinced herself that it would somehow be better to wait.
She had been stupid. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
"So right after the trial?" Harry clarified.
Hermione took a long sip of her wine when the waiter set it down on the table.
"We met in a bookstore and I persuaded her to have dinner with me," Draco took over and she was thankful. He sounded casual and in control, opposite to the way she was acting. He continued, "I wanted to thank her and ask her to write me a recommendation. She was the only one I trusted to write me in a good light." He smiled at Hermione and threw his arm over the back of his chair.
"So why tell us now?" Ginny asked. Harry was looking between them with squinted eyes.
"I've been wanting to tell you for weeks, but I kept chickening out." Hermione admitted. "I finally just plucked up." She shrugged. In truth it had been hurting Draco that she hadn't told them. He never said anything but she could tell that he thought she was ashamed of him.
And as crazy as it was, she didn't want to lose him. She had gotten used to the way he subconsciously straightened up around her flat, the way he left his hair products (yes, plural) on her sink, and how he was always put together.
Looking at how disheveled Harry was, even though they were in a fancy restaurant, made her appreciate Draco's effort even more.
So she decided she was going to tell her friends, even if it killed her. Which she hoped it wouldn't.
"And you're serious?" Harry looked like he couldn't quite believe it. "About each other, that it?" Hermione felt Draco play with the ends of her hair.
"Yes, we are." He answered for both of them.
Harry continued to look between the two of them. Hermione waited anxiously for his response. She in no way expected Harry to be okay with this and neither did Draco. They both knew it would take a long time before Harry accepted Draco, even if he accepted their relationship.
"I suppose if you're happy, I can't really say anything." Harry said finally and it looked like it took him great effort to say that. Hermione beamed at him.
"No, you can't." She agreed.
Ginny snorted. "I can't wait to hear you tell Ron. You have to promise to tell me when you do so I can be there with a camera. Or one of those muggle things that takes long pictures. You know the thing… that machine that takes long pictures…" She looked to Harry for help as Hermione watched her in amusement.
"A video." Harry told her and she snapped her fingers together.
"Yea! I want a video of the whole episode." She nodded excitedly, with her crazy grin in place.
"Right." Hermione pursed her lips. She released a long, relieved breath, happy to have that weight lifted off her shoulders.
"So Malfoy," Ginny started bluntly, "what is it that you do?"
Draco cleared his throat, "I work at Gringotts on a pretty basic level…"
Hermione nudged him. "Don't be modest. He's a liaison to the Greek wizard bank." She smiled at him, her pride showing through.
Draco shrugged. "Greece is one of our least influential partner partners. Really I just go to hear them complain about how they need more money and then tell them we can't give them more money."
"Well, obviously you won't stay there forever." Hermione reminded him. He had a tendency to look on the negative side because he was too afraid of getting his hopes up.
"I'm hoping to get moved to France in a few years." Draco told the other couple. Ginny nodded and Harry looked mildly interested.
"And would Hermione go with you?" Harry asked.
"It really depends." Hermione shrugged. "It could be a similar job to the one he has now, where he mostly goes on day trips or weekend trips, in which case I would stay in London-"
"You're living together?" Ginny looked at them.
Hermione blushed. "Well, not always. We still have our separates flats but…"
Draco picked up, "But we have things in each other's apartments. And if I got promoted it wouldn't be for another few years." He waved off the idea that they would move to France together any time soon. Hermione started breathing again. She didn't want to bombard Harry and Ginny with too much, too soon.
"But what about your job?" Harry demanded.
"Well, I would transfer to the French Ministry. Or possible get a job similar to Draco's. I could act as a diplomat between France and England." Hermione said.
"You've thought a lot about this." Ginny's eyebrows were high on her forehead.
Hermione blushed. "Not really. I just like knowing all my options." She said defensively.
Ginny nodded. "I know."
"When are you going to tell Ron?" Harry asked.
"Whenever I get the opportunity." Hermione still sounded defensive. Ronald was more difficult than Harry and she knew that he was going to have a massive fit over this.
Harry leaned back in his chair, ruffling his already messy hair. Draco's hand continued to run along the back of her neck. Her senses finally calmed down and she had the feeling like they were in the eye of the storm now.
They had gotten through one nasty part and were safe, but it wasn't going to last forever.
Because it wasn't just Ronald they had to deal with. It was the whole wizarding world.
Okay, let me know what you think. - Alex