This oneshot is dedicated to Easytarget80 for giving me an honest and detailed review. enjoy and review!!
Hermione entered the enormous Malfoy Mansion by herself to a party she had been rather reluctant to attend in the first place. But Ginny had come over and spent about an hour making her look good and she felt bad saying she was just going to undo the chestnut curls and beautifully done make up.
"For me Mione?" Ginny had pleaded. Hermione didn't quite understand the rational behind her friends pleads but agreed to go. The party was being thrown by Draco Malfoy in a celebration of the capture of a band of forty witches and wizards or so, murdering muggles all over the country and threatening to completely expose the wizarding world.
"Mind if I cut in?" Draco Malfoy approached silently and tapped Gregory's shoulder; a rather charming man she had been dancing and conversing with. He nodded with a quick smile to Hermione, assuming she would love to dance with the host of the party. Bad assumption.
"I mind..." Hermione muttered under her breath. Draco had a smirk on his face bigger than any she had ever seen. "What do you want Malfoy?" She sighed tiredly, she had been alive and chipper seconds before he had arrived.
"What makes you think I came her for a reason other than to spend a few mere moments dancing with the most beautiful witch in the room?" He asked her smoothly. Hermione sighed again before making her response.
"Because I know you." Draco raised an eye brow disbelievingly. Hermione looked over his shoulder and saw a shock of red hair across the room on the arm of Blaise Zabini, a nice enough man, who also worked at the ministry with them. He was highly influential there. "Ginny?" Hermione spoke, unable to stay silent.
"Ah. Noticed the youngest Weasley with my best mate? They've been rather smitten with eachother for the past month or so." He said this in an off handed sort of way but both knew this information was new to Hermione.
"He's the mystery man she's been spending all her time with??" Hermione could hardly believe her ears. Draco nodded and twirled her beneath his arm. "I cant believe it's him. She refused to tell me for all this time because it's Blaise Zabini?!" Draco caught her waist after the spin and locked gazes with her.
"And what's wrong with Ginny dating Blaise Miss Granger?" He seemed almost amused and was awaiting her answer.
"Well because he's a. You know!" She tried feebly to support her argument without using the words Slytherin or former Death Eater but failed miserably at the task.
"You have a point there. You can't truly hold his past against him." Draco told her calmly and Hermione blushed. "Clearly Ginny doesn't seem to mind." Both looked at the couple dancing and Hermione couldn't help but notice the glowing smile on Ginny's face she hadn't seen for quite some time.
"She does look happy." Hermione finally agreed, tucking a curl behind her ear and Draco nodded. "So is that what you wanted? To show me you know my best friend better than I do? Because I don't have the patience."
"Why don't you believe my first reason?" His mouth was very close to her ear and this Hermione was ready to contradict.
"Why? Because I'm a muggle born. We've hated each other since the day our eyes first met. You nearly killed me and my two best friends on several occasions. Why would you just want to dance with me right now?" Her voice had started off light hearted but had turned cold and hurt by the end of her statement.
"Because you're beautiful." He told her, not the faintest trace of a lie in his voice. She was wearing simple silver dress robes that Ginny had picked out. "And maybe I badgered Ginny for a month to convince you to come tonight. Maybe so I could just tell you that." Hermione blushed.
"And I don't think you hate me as much as you're trying to make it appear. You've been dancing with me this whole time have you not?" He pointed out. "And you haven't objected once during my little explanation. Let's go get drinks."
Hermione had wanted to say something but what could she say? She didn't really hate Draco. And all he'd done is compliment her. The two left the dance floor and walked to where Blaise and Ginny were standing. Ginny smiled somewhat apologetically at her. An unspoken Sorry For Not Telling You Hermione supposed.
"Hello Hermione." Blaise grinned at her and they shook hands. "How are you surviving over in the Aurors department? What with this bloke bringing all of you down?" He teased his best mate and Hermione laughed at Draco's expense and the two began talking.
After ten minutes or so Ginny excused she and Hermione to talk outside. "So you and Draco seem to be. Er getting along." She started off uncertainly but stopped at Hermione's piercing gaze. "What?? He really did convince me to get you to come tonight. He's different Mione. And really needed to talk to you. Just hear him out."
Hermione put her head in her hands. "Fine! Fine Gin. But if I signal you to come get me you do it. No questions asked." Hermione gave in and Ginny clapped her hands delightedly.
"Feels like back at the Yule Ball all over again!" She giggled. "Oh wait! What will the signal be??" She quickly asked and Hermione racked her brains before coming up with a semi decent idea.
"Something crazy! Totally out of the ordinary!" She gestured wildly, hoping Ginny got the idea. The red head nodded and both women walked back inside, Blaise snaking his arm behind Ginny's back, making her grin and Hermione crossed her arms. "Well Draco. Here I am." She was as ready as she'd ever be to have a civil conversation with him.
"I'm glad. You two will excuse us wont you?" He guided her back to the dance floor. They began a slow waltz and Hermione looked at him expectantly. "I'm not about to confess my love for Potter if you're waiting for something as earth shattering as that." Hermione laughed lightly which caught Draco's attention. "A laugh at something I said. We're already a step in the right direction." He smiled. Not smirked for once. But actually smiled.
"And what direction is that?" Hermione asked as Draco lifted her off the ground.
"You'll see soon. So tell me about that law you just had passed. About Unicorn Protection was it?" Hermione eyed him carefully before diving into a long explanation about the work she had been doing about Unicorns possibly becoming an extinct species, Draco asking occasional questions every once in a while.
"So if you think about it. The protection will benefit many species, including the human race." Hermione finished almost breathless from talking for ten minutes. Draco nodded. "Didn't you just donate a new ward to Saint Mungos?" The two were talking for at least an hour after that when Draco brought up Ron.
"Last I heard you two were crazy about each other. Something changed? I don't see him here with you and you referred to him as your bestfriend?" Draco asked her quietly.
Hermione shrugged. "Our careers were headed in different directions I suppose. I wanted to travel and study several breeds of dragons while he was trying out for the Chudley Cannons. I spent long hours training as an Auror while he traveled with the team. In the end it was just better for the both of us." Draco nodded understandingly once you finished.
"So you have no boyfriend now?" He was very hesitant to ask her about this. She nodded with a roll of her eyes.
"Not many men these days fancy a book worm who spends a majority of her time working. But you wouldn't really understand that would you now?" She snapped and Draco hadn't been expecting that tone from her.
"Maybe not exactly but it seems I get the privelage of seeing you more than anybody. What with both of us spending most of our time at the office. Even if we aren't together..." He was getting at something but Hermione was unsure what. "I can only admire your work Hermione. I don't know why men aren't clawing at your door. As I said before, you're very attractive. And very enchanting."
Hermione looked up at him. "I've found myself thinking about you more often than not. And I cant help but wonder if you would want to go out with me sometime..." Hermione slowly looked up and felt her gaze connected with those blue gray orbs.
As their eyes met, Draco's lips sealed over hers. Hermione immediately felt something between them but her mind was telling her to push him away. But somebody seemed to be doing that for her. Ginny had run over to them and was dragging Hermione away. "Sorry Draco must be going!" Ginny called over her shoulder.
Hermione put her feet flat on the floor to stop her best friend and looked at Ginny. "What was that for?!?" She demanded to know and now it was Ginny's turn to be confused.
"But you said if anything crazy or out of the ordinary-" She flailed her arms around, mimicking Hermione's motions, "Happened then I should come get you! That was sort of out of the ordinary!" She exclaimed and Hermione burst into a fit of giggles.
She looked up and made eye contact with the bewildered blonde and he could read her lips perfectly. Tomorrow. Leaky Cauldron at seven. Do not be late.