Hermione ducks as a bolt of light barely misses her head. She rolls across the floor dodging another, rolling onto her feet to return fire.
The slap of hands on the floor tells her she probably missed.
She forgot to look where she was shooting.
She was better than this.
She's breathing hard when the buzzer goes off ending their session.
"You know this isn't actually life and death right?" Hermione said.
"Sorry maybe I got a little carried away," Pansy replies chucking Hermione a towel before taking one herself. "I was thinking about him."
"Oh Pans," Hermione whines.
"I know, I know it's just with tomorrow being what it is..."
"We could do something together," Hermione suggests making Pansy laugh.
"Actually I was thinking of seeing if Blaise was free for a tumble," she shrugs.
"No come on you can do better than that whore."
"Really? Because Adrian was supposed to be my 'better' Hermione and look how great that worked out," she replies rolling her eyes.
"Okay so why don't we go to Luna's singles Valentine's whatever she's doing tomorrow night?"
"I need more details before I sign up to anything else Lovegood is hosting. Remember Halloween?" They both shudder.
"This will be different. Even she admitted Halloween perhaps wasn't the best idea she's had. This is speed dating," Hermione says.
"You think we should go speed dating?" Pansy asks as if Hermione has finally lost her mind.
"We might meet new people?"
"In Wizarding Britain? There are no new people Granger," Pansy laughs.
"We can find out who is still single?"
"Alright fine we'll go together worse case scenario we have a new funny story," Pansy smirks.
"I hate your stories. I always seem to come out worse in them," Hermione pouts.
"Then let's hope it's a good night for us both," Pansy laughs as they separate.
"Come on you can't keep hiding away like this," Hermione pleads.
"I can if I want to," Harry sulks.
"This is actually pathetic. You know that right?"
"Speed dating is pathetic," Harry mumbles before she smacks him on the arm. "Ow Hermione. Violence is never the answer."
"Well nothing else seems to be working. Just because Ginny ran off with her Quidditch coach does not give you the excuse to hide away. You're better than this," she huffs putting her hands on hips, stamping her foot against the floor.
"Luna is organising it and need more men. She owled me this afternoon. She needs just one more for tonight. Please Harry. It would mean a lot to her if you go," she pleads.
"Alright fine but you have to dress me. Like hell am I picking something out myself," Harry sighs.
Hermione's squeal of delight is enough to almost make him smile.
Her plan is coming together. She's always thought they'd be perfect but they're rarely single at the same and never at the same events. But now, finally, she can give them a little nudge thanks to Luna's help. Hermione picks out the perfect outfit knowing exactly what Pansy likes best on a man. Harry doesn't hate it and agrees to wear it. She leaves his place with just enough time to get ready herself.
When she gets back to her flat, Pansy is there already. She isn't allowed any say in her outfit tonight. Pansy has dressed her in a white sundress with red roses. Her hair in loose curls held back by a red headband. Bright red high heels, waist belt and lipstick keep her outfit from being girlish.
Pansy calls it festive.
Pansy is wearing the classic little black dress. The one that never fails to impress.
Hermione grins at it. It means Pansy really was looking for someone tonight. Hopefully she'll notice the right somebody. The girls approach the entrance room that has two doors leading off it. One for men and one for women.
Through the women's door they find Luna waiting for them.
"Hello you both look lovely," Luna smiles at them. "We're doing this a little differently to the way the muggles do. You'll have your own cubicle around a central bar. You will stay in your cubicle and the men will come to you. You will have three minutes with each man. At the end you'll score them out of ten, then we'll use those scores to match you up with your date for the rest of the evening."
Luna shows them into rooms next to each other, first Hermione then Pansy.
The rooms are already set up with privacy charms.
"Is he here? The schedule set out properly?" Pansy asks Luna desperately.
"Oh yes. Everything is progressing nicely. You picked her dress?" Luna asks.
"Of course. Everything she's wearing including the underwear which if everything goes to plan he will see tonight," Pansy smirks. "You know she actually thinks we're here to set me up with someone." She laughs.
"Just keep an open mind. Maybe there will be someone you never considered before," Luna smiles vacantly before leaving Pansy alone.
The girls aren't waiting long until the first bell sounds.
Both first dates are terrible. Hermione has McLaggen who suggests that the private room to get properly reacquainted.
"With only three minutes? Surely what you're suggesting should last longer than three minutes," she teases making him flush.
He spends the rest of the time boasting about his Quidditch skills.
Pansy has Theo who she dumped last year. They were going out last Valentine's day. They make pleasant small talk until the bell rings and Theo leaves very quickly.
Their dates don't improve much. Old friends and ex's make up the majority. Hermione begins to suspect this was a bad idea. Looking at the sheet she still has two to go and she's knows one of those is Harry.
She glances up to see who her final date will be as the door opens. Her jaw drops as Draco Malfoy walks into the room.
"What are you doing here?" She asks him.
"Hello to you too Granger. Long time no see," he smirks. "Manners, Granger."
"Sorry. I mean yes hello Malfoy, I'm well and yourself," she says calming herself.
"I'm bored. I hate stuff like this. I'm either death eater scum or a walking Gringott's vault," he sulks sitting down next to her. "I've done so much else since then. I've plowed more of the family money into 'doing good' than any Malfoy in our history but does that matter to anyone? No." He rants.
"How do you choose your projects?" She asks interested.
Draco looks at her taken back. He takes a sip of his drink.
"Well the first one was the Hogwarts rebuilding fund. That was easy and hopefully obvious?" He looks at her as she nods.
"Well so was the orphan fund that my mother ended up heavily involved in. The wolfsbane foundation just makes sense. If werewolves have access to the potion it's safer for everyone, it's something that the ministry should be issuing for free. Then there have been others that I've kept out of the public eye."
"Such as? I won't tell promise," she smiles. Glad to talk about something that isn't herself or Quidditch for the first time that evening.
"I.. you won't believe me," he mutters.
"Do you really think I'm that closed minded? I'm best friends with Pansy. You know that right? I hang out with her more than Harry and Ron these days. I've grown up a bit I'm not that judgemental anymore," she reminds him.
"Okay. I set up a fund for research into the effects of the Cruciatus curse and how it's effects can be healed. As part of my probation they sent me to work on the closed ward for permanent spell damage. Magic is incredible. I couldn't believe they'd stopped trying to cure all those people. I made copies of every case files I could get my hands on. It's been my mission since. We've managed to come up with a few new therapies," Draco says excitedly. She stares at him stunned.
"Neville's parents..." she stammers.
Draco blushes slightly running a hand through his hair.
"Yeah.. that was umm... that was us. I mean they aren't completely better. Sometimes I wonder if we made things worse but..."
"No. No not worse. They have a chance now. A chance to be better because of you..."
"It's not just me. There's a whole team working.."
"With your gold. With your prompting. I never thought I'd hear Draco Malfoy being modest," she laughs. He chuckles.
"It's rare but it happens occasionally. Sometimes it just feels like no matter what I achieve no one will forget the mistakes I made as a child."
Hermione leans towards him resting her hand on his thigh. He looks at it before looking up at her.
She opens her mouth to say something but the bell goes off ending their three minutes.
It wasn't nearly enough time.
She tries to stand up when he does but her heel gets caught in her bar stool sending her flying into his arms.
"Falling for me already Granger," he winks as she pulls herself up right.
Hermione blushes hard as she takes her hands away from his torso. Her eyes trace where her hands just were, following the lines of the muscles she felt under her hands.
He watches as she smoothes down her dress. The curves accentuated by the block of colour at her waist. He leaves strangely reluctant to go but their time is up, for now at least.
In the corridor he nods at Potter as they swap rooms. Potter is a little flushed Draco notices as he steps into Pansy's room.
Hermione smiles as Harry comes into her room. She's glad he's last.
"So how have your dates been?" He asks.
"Mostly awful," she groans.
"Mostly? That sounds promising," he laughs.
"What about you?" She deflects.
"Apparently I have fan girls. A lot of them," he blushes as Hermione giggles.
"All crazy over 'the chosen one'?"
"This is why I don't date," Harry pouts.
"Who are you picking for your date tonight?" She asks making him blush.
"I'm not telling you. You're going second on my list though so hopefully I won't end up with one of the crazies. I saw Malfoy leaving your room a little late. Date go well?"
"I'm not sure. Three minutes just isn't very long," she tells him hesitantly.
"Any other contenders for your date?" He asks she just looks at him.
"I'm trying to be a gal pal here," he shrugs.
"That Malfoy got hot since school." He winks making her laugh even harder.
"Oh Merlin! Harry stop, please," she pleads wiping tears from her eyes.
Their bell goes off before she can make a case for Pansy. She just hopes they had a good three minutes.
Luna's magnified voice flows through her room once she's alone.
"Please fill out your slips of parchment and then make your way to the lounge. You'll be instructed when to return. Thank you everyone for participating today."
Hermione fills her slip quickly wanting to have some time with Pansy before her final date that evening.
"So how was it?" Hermione asks Pansy as they meet outside their rooms.
"Awful. One decent guy and there's no way he'll pick me. He'll have options," Pansy pouts.
"Oh Pans if he doesn't pick you he's an idiot," she says hoping they're talking about the same guy.
"Well what about you?" Pansy asks.
"One who was... intriguing. None of the others held much interest," she shrugs. Pansy seems on the edge of saying something as they settle into a corner of the lounge away from the other girls. All noise stops when Luna enters smiling.
"Your date is waiting in your room."
Hermione sees Pansy and Luna exchange a look. She wonders of this whole thing is an elaborate set up, but dismisses the idea quickly. Her friends
She takes a deep breath before re-entering her room. Even with his back to her there is no mistaking Draco Malfoy.
"Oh thank Merlin," she says more audibly than intended.
"I'm not disappointed either," he grins at her.
"You were the only interesting conversation I had all night," she blushes.
"Likewise," he nods at her. They sit down at the table they're to have dinner at. He pulls out her chair for her helping her sit.
"In case you have another fall," he whispers as he pushes her chair in.
"Oh ha ha and here I thought you were being a gentleman and in fact you were being an arse."
"I can't be both?" He asks making her giggle.
"I suppose it's possible yes," she smiles as she sips her wine.
The hours fly by as the discuss and argue politics, potion developments, mutual friends and their plans for their careers.
She surprised by how easily conversation flows even when they disagree. She finds herself becoming more aware physically of the man he's become. Harry may have joked that Malfoy was hot now but there was more to it than that.
His smile, his real smile, was infectious. The way his eyes lit up when he talked about something he was passionate about. His laugh made her core tingle.
He seemed to be affected by her too.
The way he looks at her.
A warning bell tells them there is only twenty minutes left. It makes them both jump. He looks at her panicked.
"Can I kiss you?" He asks desperately gripping the arms of his chair. She stands up nodding.
He moves around the table quickly wrapping his arms around her pulling her close. His fingers tentatively stroke along her cheek as she watches him lean closer.
"You're absolutely beautiful, Granger."
Then his lips touch hers and the ability to think leaves her. Her hands slide up into his hair gripping tightly as he nips at there bottom lip. She opens her mouth to him letting his kiss carry her away. Her hand trails down his back to grip his firm arse as his begins to slide up her thigh.
The bell rings.
Their date is over.
Panting he pulls away from her. They both look a little ruffled as they try to regain their breath.
"I had a lovely time this evening," Hermione says unable to take the silence anymore.
"Are you really ready for the date to be over?" He says running his gaze over her body. "We could.."
"Not on the first date," she says cursing her own rules.
He nods as he looks at her.
"Are you free tomorrow?" He smirks at her.
"For you? I'm free any day," Hermione smiles as she backs out of the room, not wanting to leave but not trusting herself to stay. When she reaches the door she turns and flees.
"Did you have fun Hermione?" A voice stops her before she can leave.
"I did Luna, thank you. Is Pansy still here?"
"No. She left with Harry thirty minutes after going back into the room together. That was a good idea of yours," Luna congratulates her.
Luna continues to watch her for a few more moments, her head tilted before she smiles brightly and leaves.
A few hours later Hermione is sat on her sofa, a book abandoned on her lap. She isn't even sure what volume it is.
She can't tear her thoughts away from Draco Malfoy no matter how hard she tries.
She throbs at the thought of what could have happened between them had she not run from him.
She remembers the feel of his hand moving slowly up her thigh, she can still taste him on her tongue. The dress she's still wearing holds his scent from where he pressed against her.
She's startled out of her reminisces by a knock on her door.
She glances at the clock. Who could possibly be knocking on her door at a minute past midnight?
She opens the door to find Malfoy leant against her door frame holding up a bottle of Ogden's.
"It's tomorrow. Any chance of a drink?"
She stares at him stunned as he looks at her hopefully. When his heated eyes flick up and down her body something in her snaps.
She grabs him roughly by the shirt pulling him into her flat slamming the door shut. His back hits the door as her mouth meets his.
The bottle slips from his grasp, smashing against the floor.
He doesn't care.
Hermione Granger tastes better than firewhisky.