Anything Can Happen at the Movies
Chapter 1- A Surprise Run-In.
Hermione walked into the cinema and was instantly greeted by the fresh, inviting smell of buttery popcorn. 'Mmmm' she thought to herself, inhaling the scent. For the first time in several months she felt relaxed. Coming here, to the muggle movie theater always made her feel relaxed. Ever since the end of the wizarding war several months ago, her life had been turned upside down with all the media attention. She was Harry Potter's best friend and therefore she was thrown immediately into the spotlight as a hero. Ron, of course, had been thrown into the spotlight as well. Thinking about Ron she instantly felt that annoying feeling behind her eyes and knew she was about to tear up. She swallowed back the tears and tried not to think about Ron. After the war, Hermione was so sure that they'd become an official couple but Ron instead ran off and got Lavender Brown pregnant and now the happy couple was engaged to be married. Harry and Ginny had become a happy couple as well, that didn't come as a real shocker to anyone though. That left herself, the only single and lonely member of the Golden Trio. She shook the thought out of her head and went to go get in the long line of muggles waiting to purchase their tickets. She inspected the movie board and searched through the titles of the movies that were playing, she was trying to decide between a romcom and a horror flick when a figure Hermione thought she'd never see near a muggle theater appeared.
"Malfoy?" Hermione looked at the man in line behind her in disbelief. Draco looked surprised to see Hermione standing in front of him but quickly composed himself.
"Granger," He greeted his cold drawling tone. Draco had changed sides in the wizarding war and fought against Voldemort and even his own family in the war. Everyone in the wizarding world knew that and they also knew that once the war was over the Malfoy Family had disowned their traitorous son. He still had not become the trio's friend or even made an attempt to do so as of yet but he respected them so they respected him as well. Hermione and Draco hadn't really talked since the war had ended except for the usual 'hello' or 'how are you' in passing at interviews.
"What are you doing at a muggle cinema?" Hermione blurted out before she could stop herself. Draco smirked.
"Well, you know, being the wizarding war's heroic flipper and the wizarding world in general's most eligible bachelor gets a bit tiring after a while, I assume you know that as much as I. Well, not the bachelor part of course but the wizarding war part and all the media attention it attracts." He pointed out, adding on the ending part out of spite. Part of Hermione wanted to slap him for adding on the part about her being far from a bachelorette at the end and another wished she had dressed fancier knowing she was going to run into him here of all places. Her hair was in a messy bun, she was wearing her favorite worn and fading pink sweater and an old pair of blue jeans. Flip flops adorned her feet. Feeling extremely uncomfortable and self-conscious she responded.
"Oh yes, that's right! You are a bachelor! Silly me, I forgot about the girls fawning all over you at press conferences and interviews. How is the bachelor life working out for you, Malfoy?" she asked sarcastically. Draco snorted sarcastically in return.
"Not very well, I don't have much time for the ladies what with all the fame and demands for interviews and such. How are you and Weasel?" He asked, completely oblivious to the fact that Ron had dumped her for Lavender. The whole wizarding world was, actually. The whole community had been rooting for Hermione and Ron to become a couple after the war and had no knowledge of Lavender and the pregnancy. All of the witches and wizards thought Ron and Hermione were dating secretly and weren't ready to be official to the public eye. Lavender and Ron were planning to announce their engagement the following day at a press conference and their wedding date that was set for the following month. Hermione gulped back the tears again.
"I'm sure Ronald is fine and is tending to his fiancée and child." Hermione said curtly.
"Fiancée? Child?" He asked, puzzled. Hermione sighed, struggling to choke back the tears that threatened to spill. "After the war he got Lavender pregnant and now the happy family is engaged to be married. No one knows yet." she explained, voice cracking.
"Oh. I-I'm sorry to hear that Granger." He said, his cold expression softening a bit, everyone knew that Hermione liked Ron.
"Save it, Malfoy. That's all I'm going to tomorrow when they announce it officially. I'll forever be known as Harry Potter's friend who was head over heels for the other trio member but was rejected. I'll always be second to Lavender in Ron's book I've realized." She said with difficulty. Draco shifted his weight from foot to foot uncomfortably. Lucky for him, Hermione was next in line.
"one ticket for 'Roses and Rainstorms'." she told the cashier, deciding on the romcom.
"That'll be $6." the guy said cheerfully. Hermione searched through all the contents of her purse but her wallet was nowhere to be found. With a heavy heart she realized she left it at home on the counter.
"Forget it." she told the cashier, beginning to walk away.
"Hold on, what's the problem, Granger?" Malfoy asked, stopping her by catching her arm. Hermione's skin flushed where he was touching her.
"I forgot my wallet at home." she mumbled miserably.
"In that case," he said, walking up to the cashier, "Two tickets for 'Roses and Rainstorms.'" He said, purchasing the tickets and handing one to Hermione.
"Oh, Malfoy, you don't have to-" she started.
"It's no big deal, Granger. I don't mind some company. Besides, you're the first person I've actually had an intelligent conversation with in a week." He said, heading to the concessions stand. Hermione laughed.
"Well, in that case, thank you. Who have you been talking to all week?" She asked.
"Oh Merlin- reporters, I talked to Pansy Parkinson a couple days ago, her and Zabini are tying the knot in a month as well, Rita Skeeter keeps calling for no reason, Crabbe and Goyle called yesterday. So you see, I've been conversing with people who have an IQ the size of a pea." He said, smiling. Hermione laughed.
"I didn't know you were a romantic comedy kind of guy, Malfoy." she teased, changing the subject.
"I'm not. I'm a 'Blood and Guts' type of guy but when you're escorting a lady it's the gentlemanly thing to do to let her pick the movie." He nodded as if it should've been obvious. She opened her mouth to respond but it was Draco's turn to order.
"What do you want, granger?" he asked. "Popcorn and a box of M&Ms. No drink." she said.
"Make it a large tub of popcorn and a box of M&Ms." Malfoy told the guy working the concessions stand, paying him and taking the tub of popcorn, handing Hermione the M&Ms.
"A large? I'm never going to eat that much..." Hermione protested as they got their tickets checked and sat down in the theater.
"You're not the only person eating the popcorn, Granger." Draco smirked. "We're sharing popcorn? You're not afraid that I'll give you some mudblood disease?" Hermione asked skeptically.
"Oh please Granger, I did change sides in the war, I don't have those views any longer." He told her.
"Good to know." She whispered, opening up the M&Ms box. "Hand me the popcorn." She ordered.
"Why?" He asked, holding on to the tub.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to poison it or anything, I'm eating the same popcorn as you. Whatever you're eating I'm eating too so I'm not going to do anything bad to it. Trust me." She said, taking the tub. He watched her curiously as he poured the M&Ms into the popcorn tub.
"Try it, it's good." Hermione insisted, eating a handful for herself. Draco looked at the container questionably but eventually took a handful and ate it.
"Hmm, that is good." He nodded. Hermione smiled smugly.
"I told you." she said cockily. He smiled at her, a genuine smile Hermione had never been a recipient of before. She thanked Merlin that the movie theater was dark and he couldn't see her blush. She leaned back in her seat and took another handful of the popcorn/M&M combo and watched the previews. They sat through the previews in silence, eating the popcorn and eventually the movie started. Hermione struggled to sit through the movie, for some reason her mind just wouldn't let her forget she was sitting next to Draco Malfoy, the most eligible bachelor in the wizarding world. Halfway through the movie, they ran out of popcorn.
"Granger," Malfoy nudged her.
"Huh?" Hermione asked, looking up from pretending to be in to the movie. When she looked up she found his face just inches from hers, the thought excited her and intimidated her at the same time.
"Do you want more popcorn?" He whispered, blowing his minty breath in her face. Hermione didn't even hear him, she was too mesmerized by the way his lips moved and shaped words. Without thinking, she found herself leaning in, acting on impulse. Hermione lowered her lids and leaned in, completely closing the space between the two former enemies with her lips. Draco, taken by surprise, acted on his impulse as well and joined in the kiss, deepening it a bit. Hermione carefully lifted her eager hands to his hair and knotted them through the luscious locks. He followed her lead and placed his strong hands around her bushy hair, cradling her neck gently. The popcorn tub fell to the ground with a soft thud. A minute later, Hermione pulled away, hands still knotted in his hair, breathing heavily. She realized what she'd just done and her hands flew to her swollen lips instinctively. Draco looked equally as shocked. "I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't of done that." Hermione whispered.
"You mean you...regret doing that Granger?" was that a hint of disappointment she heard in his tone? Hermione thought for a moment.
"I don't regret doing that, but it doesn't mean I should've done that. It was inappropriate and un-called for." Hermione scolded herself.
"Hermione, stop acting so scandalized, it was just a kiss. And we're both single so it's not like you were cheating. What's got you all flustered?" He asked. When Hermione heard her first name from his lips for the first time she wanted to kiss him again because it sounded so good on his lips. She shook her head of that thought because her stubborn rationalization was back from a brief absence.
"Because I'm not supposed to kiss you, you're Draco Malfoy, not only rich and incredibly handsome but also the hurtful bully from the Hogwarts days. I can't just forget you calling me a mudblood and being awful to my friends and I when we were in our years at Hogwarts. And besides that, I'm Hermione Granger, bookworm, bushy-haired, Gryffindor princess, know-it-all. We just aren't meant to mix." she shook her head, looking down sadly. He tilted her chin up so that she was looking at him with two fingers.
"We don't mix? Is that what you think? Because I think the kiss and all this sexual tension says otherwise." he said casually, staring into her big brown eyes with his cold gray ones.
"Okay, I guess you've got a point there. But still, I can't just forget about you bullying me at Hogwarts, it's always going to be there." She retorted. He released her chin and looked down at the floor.
"Hermione, you'll never know how truly and honestly sorry I am for my actions and behavior in the Hogwarts days. There's nothing in the world I wouldn't give to go back in time and change my ways. All I can say is it was the way I was raised, making fun of muggle borns and hating Potter and his friends was the only way to gain my father's approval. I know it's no excuse but it's the best I can do as far as an explanation for my actions. And to tell you the truth, I've always had a sort of thing for you Hermione, you know how little boys pick on the girl they like? I guess that was me but I never wanted to admit I liked you and felt better insulting you because then I could convince myself I didn't like you. It was silly. I was stupid. Honestly, I'm truly, deeply sorry for my Hogwarts years." He admitted, still looking down at the ground. Hermione threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. Draco, taken by surprise again, stiffened at first but after a moment wrapped his strong arms around her too.
"What would you say I told you I've always had a sort of thing for you too but I never wanted to admit it to myself?" She whispered in his ear.
"I would say that's too good to be true." He whispered back huskily. Hermione giggled softly and pulled back, looking at his face for any trace of insincerity. She found none.
"This is all happening so fast." She whispered, staring into his gorgeous gray eyes. "I agree, but I don't mind." He smiled. Hermione blushed slightly.
"Hermione, with all these confessions coming out in the open and all, I'd really like to ask you something I've been wanting to since the Hogwarts years…" He started, looking nervous and blushing a bit.
"What's that Draco?" Hermione asked, tilting her head but keeping her hold on him.
"Will you be mine? My, uh, girlfriend I mean." Hermione beamed and nodded her head yes. Draco opened his mouth to say something but unfortunately, the movie chose a very inconvenient time to end. Hermione sighed disappointedly, if she blushed when he talked to her now he'd be able to see it. Draco stood up and picked up the empty tub of popcorn and M&Ms box.
"Are you ready to go, Granger?" He asked, offering his free hand. Hermione flushed excitedly and took his rough hand. They walked out together in companionable silence but once they were outside they knew they'd have to part ways.
"I'll walk you to your car." Draco offered politely. Hermione nodded her agreement and allowed him to walk her to her red slug bug.
"Nice car." He smirked.
"It's convenient and cute." She said defensively.
"And in Gryffindor red." He added. Hermione smiled.
"What kind of car do you have, Malfoy? A Slytherin green Porsche?" She asked pointedly.
"I have the black Lamborghini Spider, Granger." He told her matter-of-factly.
"How nice for you, I'm sure your car is much more luxurious than mine." She retorted.
"It's very luxurious, Hermione. I'll take you for a ride in it sometime." He stated, smirking. Hermione smiled and blushed.
"I would like that very much, Draco."
"I bet you would, Granger." He said, trying to stall for time before they parted ways.
"I- I better get going, it's getting late and we have that press conference tomorrow…." Hermione trailed off. Draco nodded sadly.
"Goodbye Granger." He said, kissing her hair softly but not making any move to leave.
"Not for long, Malfoy. I'll see you tomorrow morning." She smiled, getting into her car slowly. He smiled back and watched her drive away before heading to his own car, already wishing it was tomorrow morning.