All things Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling. I just like playing with her toys.
Draco Malfoy was pissed.
Draco Malfoy was supremely cheesed off and it was all Granger's fault.
Not only had she sent him out like a common peasant to run her errands; he was weighed down by books he had no choice but to charm so that they followed him like a flock of angry seagulls. He also had to run messages like an owl to the shops for potion supplies.
When he asked why she can't just send the books back with owls? Helpfully pointing out that she did, after all, order all these books on her loan contract from Flourish & Blotts and it was delivered by one very sorry and tired looking owl. She did not like or appreciate his logic in the slightest.
His ears are still ringing, at this rate he'll be a long time sufferer of tinnitus.
She has the voice that could rival a fully grown Mandrake on the face of an angel- wait…
Draco stopped dead in his tracks, the crowd of books behind him smacking pedestrians as they quickly engulfed him. Ignoring the outraged and surprised protests, he pondered his last thought.
He thinks her face is pretty? Where did that come from?
He began to stroll, the books still blocking most of the sidewalk forcing people to duck or move out the way completely. Lost in thought he slowly made his way to the bookstore, with an absent swish of his wand he sent all the books crashing through the door and continued on his way deaf to the cries of the shop's occupants.
Granger? Why did he like Granger's face?
Sure, they worked well together. They had become friends after returning to Hogwarts for their 8th year and then that friendship continued when they entered an internship offered to become potions masters. They had found at Hogwarts that they made excellent partners, having been partnered for the year by Slughorn. After the initial awkwardness, one heartfelt apology and acceptance later, they slowly came to find that they had more in common than they had previously thought. He was even friends with Luna and Ginny.
How that happened when he wasn't looking is still a mystery to him but friends they were. Ron and Harry, can go jump off a short bridge for all he cares but they have a tentative truce that only holds when in Hermione's presence.
Thinking about Hermione Granger conjured up her face in his mind. She still looked the same as she did at Hogwarts but her hair was slightly more tame, still a bushy mess that threatened to strangle him if he got to close but it suited her. After the Densaugeo incident of 1994, as they began calling it jokingly, her smile though slightly crooked held charm and he loved-
Loved!
Draco's eyes widen as he stops on the sidewalk again, agitatedly running his hands down his face, hoping that it cleared the torrent of thoughts that flooded his head. A mother clutches her child close to her as she hurriedly skirts around him, her child pointing at him asking about the strange man and his strange behavior.
He, Draco Malfoy, loved Hermione Granger's face and smile and her personality and her mind and oh, Merlin…
"Salazar's salty balls! I'm in love with Hermione Granger," Draco scowled harshly, happy feelings surging through him. It was a rather unusual reaction to realizing he was in love, but Draco scowled and was happy nonetheless. Rushing into the Apothecary, he cut the line of customers, dropping the list of supplies off with a harassed clerk who blinked at him owlishly, before briskly walking back to the apparition point.
Appearing in the Ministry's lobby, he made his way to the lifts his scowl causing the occupants to get off early on other floors- they can just use the stairs, they all thought. His good mood lasted for a few more floors until it started to drop as his thoughts caught up with him.
"I'm in love with Hermione Granger. This is terrible!"
Hermione Granger was confused.
Hermione Granger was perplexed and that did not sit well with her.
After sending Draco out with the last of the errands they needed to do before the short holiday weekend, ha! she intentionally took the easy task of cleaning up, Hermione was startled when Draco slammed through their shared lab door.
"Merlin, Draco! You know better than to slam through the doors like that! What if I was carrying caustic materials?" Hermione placed her hands on her hips and was in prime lecture mode when she stopped at his expression and appearance. His looked disheveled, well as disheveled as a Malfoy can get- "Malfoys are never disheveled, Granger." - and he was staring at her. Really staring at her, like he had never seen her before in his life.
That made her very nervous.
"Draco?" she ventured, nervously plucking at her shirt hem. "Is something the matter?"
Instead of answering her, he swiftly moved to his things grabbing them and muttering the whole time. Hermione thought she heard "love" and "Oh merlin" a couple of times before she steeled herself and placed her hand onto Draco's arm. His entire body went rigid at her touch before relaxing. Hermione's brows furrowed slightly and she cocked her head in question.
"Everything ok?"
He turned to her and blinked slowly. "Yes," Draco cleared his throat discretely, "Why wouldn't it be?"
Outwardly his face was the usual calm and snarky mask he usually wore; inwardly, Draco's heart started to perform a complicated jig and his stomach decided it wanted to move south by his shoes for an indefinite amount of time.
"What? Missed me, Granger?"
Hermione rolled her eyes and removed her hand much to Draco's displeasure. He tamped that feeling down swiftly before he could do something stupid like snog her or hug her or worse.
"No, you prat. You just came in here looking like someone told you that all the hair gel in the world had been destroyed and you couldn't believe it," Hermione retorted and moved over to her things gathering them up as well.
"Hey! I haven't worn hair gel since 8th year." left unsaid, when you told me that I should wear my hair without it.
"I know, you look much more normal. Less like a giant drowned ferret," Hermione laughed softly at his expression as she picked up her ratty messenger bag hoisting it over her shoulder. "What are your plans for our short little holiday? I've been meaning to ask. What do rich people do when they don't have to work?"
Hermione walked over to his desk settling herself beside him, the soft floral perfume of her shampoo wafted over when she began to fix her messy bun. A stray curl fell into her face and Draco had the urge to touch it but he tamped that down as well. His eyes skittered away from her as he shuffled the rest of his papers around.
"The usual. Spend galleons on feverous things, like goblin made crowns-"
"Crowns?"
"Yes, crowns. My mother has a collection of them. She gets a different one every year that is specially crafted by only the finest of Goblin smithies. She wears them around the manor occasionally. My father gave her most of them but I took up the tradition when he died."
Hermione placed her hand on his and squeezed gently, "You miss him don't you?"
Draco takes a deep breath, shaking his head slightly. "He was flawed, we can't all say we are perfect, but I knew he loved my mother and I."
Hermione stared down at their hands before fidgeting with her bag strap, "Do you, uh, do you have one?"
Draco glances at her from the side of his eye, smirking, the heavier mood lifting.
"Yes. My mother had one made for me as well. It's not as ornate as hers but it's still wonderfully crafted."
Hermione imagined Narcissa wearing a ornate crown with gold tendrils that weaved into her silver hair, with inlays of golden flowers and jewels, perched upon her head sitting down for tea. She then imagined Draco wearing a circlet of silver leaves and gold vines intertwined that rested upon his brow with his silver blonde hair and grey eyes and his dark suits and robes. In her mind he looked otherworldly, like a Fae. She blushed heavily and looked down at her shoes. Draco had continued talking, oblivious to her blush.
"-torture more coffee kiosk workers-"
"No, Draco! Do not torture coffee kiosk workers!" Hermione's blush receded only to be replaced by one of frustration. "The one that works in the Ministry lobby just left on a doctor recommended holiday for an undetermined amount of time. That poor girl goes into a panic attack every time she sees you approach!"
"Maybe then she'll learn how to make a decent cup of coffee," Draco sniffed and Hermione threw her hands up in exasperation.
"But you never order coffee. You order some sort of alchemist recipe. I'm half expecting the kiosk to burst into flames or for you to make a another Philosopher's Stone," Hermione gestures wildly with her hands.
"Problem with my beverage choices, Granger?"
"YES! What in the world is 2/3 caff triple ristretto affogato venti, 2 pump mango 1 pump classic, 2%, mango to the second line, 3 scoops protein-"
"Did you memorize my coffee order?"
"- 3 scoops berries, 2 scoop matcha, add banana, double blended, with whip, caramel drizzle, salted caramel topping, vanilla bean frappuccino?"
Hermione placed her hands on her hips and taps her foot and Draco can't help but think she was adorable in her agitation.
"A drink befitting a Malfoy," he smirked at her.
Hermione huffed in exasperation and punched his arm- "My arm, woman! I bruise easily!"- looking away from him to adjust the straps on her bag again. A comfortable silence falls between them. Draco wonders when he had gotten so comfortable with her around that when she wasn't there he felt lost. She memorized his coffee order for Salazar's sake.
"…Draco?"
He blinks out of his thoughts and looks towards Hermione.
"What?"
Hermione smiles at him, shaking her head. "I said 'bye,'" she reached out and touched his hand gently. "Are… are you sure everything is ok?"
No.
Touching her warm hand, he nods.
"Yes, I'm fine."
"Ok, I'll see you later then," Hermione waves slightly as she steps out of the lab. Draco's shoulders slump and he rubs his face with his hand. He needed to figure out what to do about these pesky feelings. He needed help and he knew just who to ask.
"Ok, so let me get this straight. You, Draco Malfoy. Wealthy Sacred 28 pureblood heir to the Malfoy fortune, are in love with my best friend Muggleborn savior of the Wizarding world, Hermione Granger?"
Draco grimaced shifting on the couch. "Yes, that about sums it up."
"Oh my Gods!" Ginny covers her mouth and starts to laugh. "This is just too perfect! I knew this would happen. I said to myself 'you know, Ginny?-"
"You talk to yourself in third person?"
Ginny ignores him and continues, "' There has to be some sort of underlying sexual tension-"
"There wasn't – there isn't- sexual tension!"
"'- for Malfoy to be targeting Hermione especially after that wonderful slap during third year when he started to make calf eyes at her every time she passed by-'"
"I did not and do not make calf eyes-"
"And I was like 'yes, Ginny-'"
"Still weird that you talk to yourself in third person."
"'-you are right he does have a fixation on Hermione.' and then I saw your face when she walked down the stairs in that beautiful dress for Yule."
Draco was silent, he remembered the way she looked as well. She was beautiful and he hated Krum was her date for the entire night. He was not used to the feelings of jealousy that coursed through his veins. And when he got home that summer he tore down the pictures of Krum he had on his wall and promptly burned them.
"And then there was that time during 6th year where I though for sure you were glaring at Harry-"
"I was."
"- but every time you saw Hermione, your expression softened. I've never seen you look like that before."
Draco didn't like to think of Sixth year. It was hell, pure and simple and while most of the time he glared at Potter and his sidekick Weasel, Hermione was like a light in the dark. Of course any thought of approaching her aside from his usual antics was not something he could do. He was glad and still a bit surprised that Hermione became his friend.
"Ok, I see your point, Red," Draco drawled as he sat back on the sofa. "I have feelings for your friend. Fate must really have a sense of humor."
Ginny laughs again and pats his shoulder, "Yes, Fate is rather funny isn't it. Do you remember the Amortentia lesson in sixth year?"
Draco looked at her in confusion, "but you weren't in that class."
Ginny shook her head, "No, I wasn't but Hermione told me about what happened when she smelled the potion."
"Fresh cut grass, new parchment and she never finished. I could only assume then that she smelled your brother."
Ginny nods her head and takes a biscuit from the tray in front of her. "After 6th year Hermione took that as a sign that she was destined for Ron. So she took a chance on kissing him during the final battle."
Draco sneers, "Yeah, she told me she had kissed him and I couldn't fathom why she would kiss that red headed degenerate. No offense, Red."
Ginny shrugs and grins, "None taken. My brother is an idiot most of the time. It is my cross to bare." She sighs dramatically and takes a bite of her biscuit. "Anyway, after that kiss, Hermione didn't see Ron for a while but they came to the conclusion they were better off as friends. But you guys did Amortentia in class again with Slughorn when we returned for eighth year."
Draco remembers that lesson. Hermione went first and smelled their potion and she blushed from the roots of her hair to the base of her neck. She stuttered an excuse to Slughorn about the vapors getting to her and rushed out of class without even a glance towards Draco.
"What are you saying that Hermione smelled me?" Draco's voice was tinged with hope.
"Maybe. I'm not telling though. It's not mine to tell but if she did smell you, after the Ron fiasco, she is a little reluctant to believe that sort of thing again. You're going to need to convince her."
Ginny fixes him with an intense stare and Draco gulped.
He was starting to think that talking to Ginny was a bad idea.