A/N: So I got the idea for this one-shot one night while waiting for my flight to New York. There will be two more parts which will be published on Wednesday and Friday. I hope you enjoy it.
As usual, all mistakes are my own.
Disclaimer: Hermione Granger et all belong to JK Rowling. I merely like to play with her characters. ;)
Draco Malfoy did not consider himself to be an especially patient man.
So it was his own brand of hell when his flight was delayed by four hours. He grumbled under his breath as he made his way to the corner of the terminal where he knew he wouldn't be bothered, dropping his leather bag rather unbecomingly despite the various costly electronics it housed.
He huffed out a breath, continuing to mutter about 'incompetent airlines' as he shrugged out of his expensive black coat and draped it across the seat next to him as a precaution. He sank back into the seat, crossing his arms rather sullenly as he observed how the holidays screwed with people's heads, demanding to know why the flight was delayed; he smirked, not wholly surprised to see how the upcoming Christmas holiday seemed to bring out the worst in humanity.
Suddenly remembering the book in his bag, he quickly snatched it out and inspected the cover.
I can't imagine Kimberly in a bookstore. I honestly would have paid good money to see her look for this. As a matter of fact, I was caught totally off-guard by her gift. I expected a tie or cufflinks, perhaps, anything but a book. How did she even know I'm a fan? Even so, I'm glad—
His ears perked at the sound of tentative footsteps headed his way and looked up. A sly smile curled the corners of his lips as he caught a woman brazenly staring at his crotch as she approached.
Not a shy one, is she?
She looked up to meet his eyes and turned an enticing shade of pink once she discovered she'd been caught but continued to make her way to him. Draco watched her keenly, taking note of her appearance.
What first caught his attention was her hair. It was a mane of riotous curls that looked as though they were trying to escape from the confines of her ponytail. Her hair was dark brown though when the light hit it from a certain angle, he could pick out the auburn and honey tones in it. Her face had a pretty heart shape, slightly accentuated by the widow's peak and Draco found her dark eyes to look rather doe-like. From what he could see, her nose was slightly upturned but he found that it suited her nicely. Her lips are what caught his attention last; they were plump and rosy, made even more so by the fact that she was nibbling on her lower lip.
Her clothes were unexceptional, in Draco's opinion. She wore a black pea coat with a colorful scarf looped around her neck. Her legs were encased in denim and her feet were clad in trainers. All in all, he found her to be passably pretty despite her nondescript clothing.
I certainly wouldn't kick her out of bed. Bugger… focus, Draco.
She stopped a few feet before him and he watched her with a polite expression on his face, feeling inwardly amused as she shifted uneasily from foot to foot.
"Excuse me, I hardly ever do this but…" she trailed off nervously, glancing once more at his crotch.
Oh, I bet you don't. Let's see… hit me with your best pick-up line, sweetheart. Impress me.
"—I was wondering what you thought of the book."
Draco blinked owlishly, dropping his gaze to his lap before feeling like the ultimate fool. He fought a blush and looked up at the woman, who was watching him interestedly.
"You see, I'm a big fan of the series and I would have ordinarily bought it myself but I've been promised that it'd waiting for me under the tree… so I have to wait to read it," she continued, sounding mildly put out.
Draco continued to watch the woman, momentarily speechless as she eyed him expectantly.
Speak, you fool! Say something, anything.
"I was about to start reading it myself, actually," he found himself answering.
"Oh."
"I, too, would have bought it on my own but it was a gift from a friend," Draco smirked.
Wait, why did I tell her that? It's not like me to over share, especially with strangers. Gods, the delay must be getting to me worse than I thought.
"Oh," she blushed once again although he could spy a smile curling the edges of her lips. "Well, I'm sorry to interrupt…"
"It's quite alright," Draco answered, waving his hand airily.
The woman watched him intently for a moment, furrowing her brow before seeming to come to a decision.
"Would you… would you mind terribly if I sat with you?" she questioned, lowering her eyes to the floor and looking at him from under her eyelashes.
Draco's tongue felt as though it was stuck to the roof of his mouth and he nodded clumsily, removing his coat and setting it over his leather bag. He saw the woman take a seat next to him from the corner of his eye, setting down her backpack at her feet before turning to him.
"Thanks," she beamed at him. "My friends are constantly teasing me for being an avid lover of the series. I think there's something extraordinary about having the ability to produce magic, wouldn't you agree?"
"Yes," Draco responded immediately.
Gods, what's happening to me?
Her eyes practically twinkled as she gave him a pleased smile and he found that the color reminded him of his favorite dark chocolate truffles while the light dusting of freckles on her nose and cheeks brought to mind one of his favorite spices, cinnamon.
Draco felt mildly horrified by the way he was turning into a sap by this stranger and pushed his thoughts away as he forced himself to speak.
"My best mate is constantly ribbing me for enjoying the series, so I definitely understand. Then again, we can't quite expect everybody to love something just because we're interested in it," he shrugged.
"Very true," she agreed, looking somewhat chastised.
Hmm… do my ears deceive me or does she have an accent?
"Have you read the previous books?" he questioned, shifting in his seat to make himself more comfortable.
"Have I? Of course!" she grinned. "There's not one midnight release I haven't attended."
"Bookworm, are we?" Draco teased her, groaning inwardly at his playfulness a second later.
"Oh, you don't even know the half of it," she muttered.
"Oh?" he questioned, feeling curious despite himself.
"I have a bookshelf full of books I have yet to read," she admitted, biting her lip timidly as a pink exploded on her cheeks.
I definitely hear an accent… she's probably going home for the holidays as well.
Draco barked out a genuine laugh and shook his head while she smiled sheepishly. He tried not to dwell on how comfortable he felt talking to a perfect stranger and focused on her face.
She looks rather fetching when she blushes.
A sudden shout caught their attention and they turned and watched as a would-be passenger gesticulated wildly at the poor woman behind the desk.
"Looks like the delay is putting a dent in everybody's schedule," she observed quietly, giving her head a small shake.
"Yes, but there's no need to be taking it out somebody who doesn't deserve the backlash," Draco snorted before freezing.
Christ, did I really just say that? What is this woman doing to me?
"There's impoliteness everywhere, most unfortunately," the woman sighed.
You don't even know how true that is.
"I'm going to guess you're going back home…?" Draco trailed off, realizing he didn't know her name.
"Oh, my apologies! My name is… I'm Hermione," she said, pressing her lips into a smile.
"I'm Draco, Draco Malfoy. A pleasure, Hermione," he said, surprised by the frankness in his statement.
"Draco?" she questioned, eyes wide.
He felt his face redden and glared at the woman.
"You're one to talk… Hermione," Draco bristled, both deeply offended and ashamed.
"No, no! Please don't misunderstand, I'm not laughing at your name. You see… I was fascinated with dragons when I was a young girl," she confessed, blushing brightly. "I used to have quite the collection of dragon stuffed toys. To meet someone by the name of Draco, well… it's almost a dream come true for the little girl who delighted reading books about dragons."
Draco stared at Hermione and knew his cheeks were undoubtedly pink but he couldn't even find the words to chastise himself.
"That's not the usual reaction I receive when I introduce myself. It's a pleasant change, I think," he muttered, feeling rattled by Hermione's candidness.
She rolled her eyes and crossed her leg before leaning her elbow against her knee.
"Better than having a boring name like John or Kimberly," Hermione said, scoffing playfully.
Draco couldn't help but grin at her statement, thinking of his lady friend.
"I rather like your name too. I take it your parents are Shakespeare fans?"
"They are, but they're even bigger fans of Greek mythology," she chuckled, as if remembering an amusing joke.
"Oh?" he asked, wanting to know more.
"My mum's name is Helen… and my dad's Paris," Hermione explained, an affectionate smile on her face.
Draco stared at her for a heartbeat before chuckling.
"It would have been even more perfect if your father's name had been Menelaus."
"Right?" Hermione tittered, daintily covering her mouth with her fingertips.
How lady-like. This woman continues to surprise me.
"My parent's names are Narcissa and Lucius. They chose Draco for me because there's a tradition from my mother's side of the family to be named after constellations," Draco explained. "From my father's side, it's tradition to have the son's middle name come from their father… so I'm Draco Lucius Malfoy."
"Ooh, I love the idea of naming someone after a constellation! That's such a lovely tradition. Your name does sound rather regal," Hermione mused, watching him intensely. "It fits you."
Draco swallowed thickly, commanding himself not to blush like a teenage girl.
"Thank you," he murmured. "Have you a middle name, Hermione? Or a surname for that matter?"
"My middle name's Jean. I think my parents chose something so mundane to counteract the strangeness of my first name," she laughed.
"And your surname?" Draco pressed.
"My surname's… Granger," she answered, sounding a tad hesitant.
Granger, Granger… have I heard of any Grangers?
"Hermione Jean Granger… it suits you too," Draco said, smirking.
She blushed and looked down at her feet.
Is she not used to being complimented?
"So, Hermione Jean Granger, what is it that you do?"
"I'm… I work at a hospital," she answered vaguely.
Hmm… she must be holding back for a reason. Perhaps she's ashamed of her job?
"Oh, the hours must be brutal," Draco commented slyly, hoping she would open up.
"I'm used to it by now," she smiled wryly. "What is it that you do?"
"I run a business. Or rather, what used to be my father's business but has been handed down to me."
"Oh, that's so interesting! My parents are dentists, so they were a bit disappointed when I chose a different pathway. I think they were hoping to pass down the practice to me. But the heart wants what the heart wants, right?" she chuckled impishly.
So her parents are dentists. Interesting. I don't think I've heard of them.
"Too true. I remember there was a time period I tried rebelling because I didn't want to be bullied into running the business. I eventually warmed up to it, though."
"What changed your mind?" Hermione queried, cocking her head slightly.
"Well, traveling is a huge perk. I get to meet with companies in different countries so I'd like to think I'm well-traveled by this point."
"Oh, you're so lucky! I wish I could travel more but my schedule doesn't always allow it," she sighed ruefully.
Maybe she's not happy with her job? Christ, I've always prided myself on being able to read people but I find myself at a loss with her.
"At least you're going home for Christmas, right?" Draco asked, finding that he wanted to soothe her.
Hang on… if she's going home for the holidays, does that mean she lives here? Damn. Must find out more.
"And New Year's," she said, quirking a smile at him. "Not only will I get to see my parents but I'll be able to catch up with my friends from school as well."
"That's great. So you're heading home for two weeks?"
"Yep. Then back to the same old," she joked.
"You live here, then?"
"Here, in New York? Christ, no. I live in Seattle," she smiled pleasantly at him.
"I don't think I've ever been to Seattle," Draco frowned.
"I quite like it there. You should visit sometime."
Is that an invitation or…?
"Perhaps someday," he smiled furtively. "What I'm curious about is what an English girl, one who clearly loves her parents and friends, is doing in the United States."
Hermione gave him a sly look before chuckling softly.
"You don't miss a thing, do you, Draco?"
His chest tightened at how smoothly his name rolled from her tongue and chastised himself inwardly but gave her a cheeky grin. He was unused to having people call him by his name, save for his family and friends although he found that he didn't mind so much when she did it.
"A big factor for moving away… well… my then boyfriend had been dropping not so subtle hints about getting married after graduation. I think part of me panicked and instead of talking things out, I ran away as fast as I could. I'd always had big plans for my future and being someone's little wife didn't feature in them," she answered bluntly.
Draco couldn't help but feel impressed by Hermione's ambition and applauded her internally.
"Ouch. Bet he didn't take that well."
"Not at all," she chuckled, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "But we'd been friends long before being a couple and have since repaired our friendship, thank goodness."
"Out of curiosity, why did think you'd be playing wife?"
"Because Ron is such a momma's boy. Sorry, that's an expression that's rubbed off from my American colleagues," she grinned. "But I digress. In his eyes, she's the pinnacle of what a woman ought to be and… I couldn't have possibly lived up to those standards without ending up disappointing him. There's no doubt in my mind I would have ended up resenting him for wanting me to be someone I'm not, too."
Huh… so she's not completely opposed to marriage, it seems. Just the possibility of being shackled down by it.
"So the two of you are friends? Only friends?" Draco asked, arching an eyebrow.
Hermione stared blankly at him before understanding his question and blushed.
"Just friends, no benefits," she laughed. "Although I'm no stranger to that game. Seems to me like you aren't either."
Her eyes fell on his book and smirked at him. Draco was speechless for a moment, not quite being used to having an English (if slightly Americanized) rose speak so bluntly to him.
"Well… no," he admitted, cursing the blush on his cheeks.
"Funnily enough, my former one is the one who gifted me the book. Seems like yours has that in common with him."
Draco almost choked and ended up coughing while Hermione chuckled.
"'Former'?" he asked, feeling a dangerous sort of curiosity.
"Well, yes. I was forced to sever our liaison. He mentioned wanting to come visit my parents with me and that's when I knew he'd gotten too comfortable. It was fun while it lasted but I can't be bothered to invest myself in a relationship at this point in my life. My career will always come first," she shrugged.
Again, Draco felt impressed by Hermione's commitment to her job.
So that means that she couldn't possibly have a menial job at the hospital, right?
"You'll have your career, yes… but what happens when you go back to an empty home?" Draco found himself asking.
He paused and then cursed his tongue.
Hermione looked rather taken aback as well because she stared as though he was a puzzle she'd like to piece together.
"I may know very little of you, Draco Malfoy… but I was not expecting that," she told him quietly.
"What were you expecting?" he countered, unsure whether he really wanted to hear her answer.
"You're young, handsome and wealthy by the look of you. You travel frequently and there's no doubt in my mind you have a friend in every city you've ever been. I doubt there would even be a woman who would turn you down… so why would you lament the fact that all you'd have at the end of the day would be an empty home when it seems like you're living the ideal life?" Hermione queried gently, looking into his eyes.
Draco tried not to be surprised by her shrewdness but couldn't help but feel slightly ashamed by the way she stated things even if they happened to be true.
"I'm not entirely sure where it came from, to be honest," he replied softly. "You're absolutely right in all your observations. I do have everything a man could possibly ever want: I can get laid without the commitment along with the money to do everything my heart desires. Strangely enough… it wasn't until now that I've realized just how… empty my life really is."
Hermione's gaze softened and she licked her lips.
"I'm sorry, Draco. I didn't mean to sound like I'm judging you because I'm really not. I—"
"I know, Hermione. I just… I don't know. Maybe it's your maturity bringing out mine," he joked weakly.
Draco noticed how her hand closed into a tight fist before hesitantly reaching out, slowly uncurling her fingers and ever so gently resting them against his arm. He felt a tiny jolt upon her touching him before the warmth of them seeped through the material of his shirt.
Christ, I'm going 'round the twist.
"There's nothing wrong with your life, Draco. If you're happy, that's all that matters," she smiled kindly at him.
He nodded dumbly, unable to look away from her dark eyes.
Am I really happy, though?
He tried not to dwell on the hole he felt in his stomach and instead focused on the warmth of Hermione's eyes.
She startled suddenly, clapping her hands against her stomach and blushed to the roots of her hair. Draco eyed her curiously, partly amused and cocked his head as he tried not to think about how he already missed her touch.
"I hadn't realized how hungry I was until now. Would you like to have…" she pushed the sleeve of her coat back and widened her eyes when she looked at her watch. "Christ, have we really been here for two hours already? Time sure flies…"
Two hours? I hadn't expected that.
"Would I like to have dinner? I'd love it, actually. Seems you've passed your hunger to me," he chuckled, feeling his stomach rumble.
"Great! I know just the restaurant," she grinned, jumping to her feet and grabbing her backpack.
Draco rose to his feet, sliding the strap of his bag (or man purse, as Blaise liked to joke) on his shoulder and draped his coat on his arm before turning to Hermione and motioning for her to lead the way. He noticed that she walked briskly though he had no trouble keeping up with her and eyed as her curls bounced with every step she took.
I kind of wish she took that coat off… I'm absurdly curious as to what she looks like underneath it.
Once they reached their destination, Draco was amazed that they were given a table right away. After sitting, he heard Hermione grunt softly before standing and unbuttoning her coat impatiently. Draco felt oddly giddy as he watched a sliver of her jumper appear. She shrugged off her coat gracefully, folding it neatly next to her and taking a seat once more.
Draco, on the other hand, glued his eyes on to the menu as to not look like a perverted creep and met her gaze innocently.
"Comfortable, are we?" he teased.
"Definitely!" she laughed, moving her arms without restraint.
Draco's eyes flickered to her thick jumper, which was a navy blue hue. To say she looked cozy wearing it was an understatement; Draco let his imagination roam for a moment as he wondered what it would be like to cuddle with her. The deep blue complimented the olive undertones in her skin and Draco realized that aside from the spray of freckles on her face, her skin was flawless. She played with the ends of her scarf and Draco wanted to see that go too; it made him feel slightly vampiric that he wanted to take a gander at her neck.
"So what are your plans for Christmas?" Hermione queried, breaking him out of his thoughts.
"Oh, well… someone I know is hosting a party so I'll probably be attending that," Draco shrugged. "What about you?"
"Same, except my childhood friend is hosting the one I'm attending," she smiled.
"Christmas party, how original," Draco drawled.
What would be the odds of it being the same party? Although I'm sure Potter can't be the only person hosting a party that evening…
"Have you done all your Christmas shopping, then?" Hermione asked him eagerly.
"Don't tell me you're one of those people who start their Christmas shopping after Halloween?"
"No! That's practically sacrilege. There's nothing like shopping to Christmas music and the scent of peppermint and fir trees in the air," she grinned. "I do my shopping at the beginning at the month that way I don't run into one of those last-minute nutters."
Draco snorted softly but smirked.
"There's absolutely nothing wrong with a little last-minute shopping," he defended playfully.
"Ah… of course you'd be one of them. I should have known," Hermione sighed mournfully though her eyes sparkled.
"Is that so?"
"You seemed perfect in every other way, so there had to be something wrong with you. Naturally," she said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Draco's words got caught in his throat as he watched her smile good-naturedly at him.
Good God, man! Get a hold of yourself! Not the first time you've been called perfect, even if she's just joking.
"So you think I'm perfect?" he smirked at her.
"I think you think you're perfect," she quipped cheekily.
Draco let out a genuine laugh and felt something in his chest tighten when she joined him.
There wasn't one dull moment during Draco's dinner with Hermione. As a matter of fact, he found himself to be fully engaged in both conversation and banter with her. She was both clever and funny. She was introspective, ambitious and feisty as hell. Draco found himself regretting the moment they'd board the plane because he knew he wouldn't be able to continue talking to her since he was in First Class.
They walked back slowly to the terminal in silence, as if they knew their time together was running out. Not ten minutes later, First Class was called and Draco stood, feeling regret weigh him down.
What do I say? Quick, Draco!
Hermione watched him, curiosity alight in her eyes.
"Well, Hermione, it's been a pleasure. I hope you're not seated next to an obnoxiously annoying person," he joked weakly, feeling his heart begin to race.
"Thanks, Draco," she told him dryly but offering him a smile all the same.
He grabbed his things, grasping his ticket tightly in his hand and turned to Hermione, who had been watching him. She blushed and waved her fingers while Draco smirked, nodding his head at her and tried not to dwell that he was in for a long flight.
I can always sleep...
Draco put stowed his things away, settling the book on his lap and stared at it without really seeing it. He usually loved flying First Class but this trip felt soured by the fact that he wouldn't be able to talk to Hermione any more.
What else could I have done? Asked her for her number? Besides, there's a chance I might see her at Heathrow… unless that backpack is all she carried with her.
The passenger next to him dropped their bag loudly on the floor, intruding upon Draco's brooding. He snapped his head toward the person, glaring and with an insult on the tip of his tongue but was struck mute by the familiar smirking face.
"Not obnoxiously annoying, are you? If so, we are in for a long flight," she grinned, sitting down and buckling up.
Draco opened his mouth to retort but found he had no words. Instead, he felt deliriously excited that he was going to spend more hours with her, his heart thumping loudly in his chest cavity.
"But… how?" Draco stuttered out.
Hermione blinked and cocked her head, watching him pensively.
"I get it…" she muttered. "Just because I'm not wearing a suit doesn't mean I'm any less poor than you. Well, I probably am but that's not the point. My point being, just because I choose to dress comfortably doesn't mean anything. I'm not sure why some women bother to wear heels and dresses, especially in a long flight like this. Long story short: don't judge a book by its cover because the contents of said book might just end up surprising you."
But instead of sounding mad, Hermione sounded amused. Draco, on the other hand, felt an immense guilt pool in his gut because that's exactly what he did: he judged her based on her looks.
Hadn't I thought her 'passably pretty' when I first saw her? Now, I think she's… she's… well, she's very attractive. Gods, I'm such an idiot. That'll teach me not to mess with her.
"I apologize, Hermione," Draco told her somberly.
"Don't worry about it, Draco… I might've had a few misconceptions about you too," she admitted with a breezy shrug.
"And what might have those been?"
"I was hesitant to approach you because you look like the ultimate power yuppie, snooty and disdainful but… you're not so bad," she grinned at him.
"But that's exactly what I am!" he blurted out.
He blushed when Hermione raised her eyebrows and gave him a questioning look.
"Not with me."
And I can't help but wonder why that is.
They continued to chat comfortably until they both decided a nap was in order. Draco's face felt hot at the thought of them napping at the same time because it sounded strangely intimate although he found that he didn't particularly mind. They were settling into their seats when a loud shout was heard.
Hermione straightened and looked around alertly while Draco's heart pounded.
"What's going on?"
"I don't know…"
"Help! Help, someone! Is there a doctor on board?" the flight attendant shouted, voice full of panic. "Please help, a man collapsed!"
Draco saw Hermione swallow thickly and was about to reach out to comfort her. She, however, was too quick for him because she jumped off her seat just as his hand was about to make contact with her shoulder. Curious, he followed her, gently pushing snooping passengers aside.
"I'm a doctor! I'm a doctor, how can I help? What happened?" he heard her ask the flight attendant who was hovering over the collapsed passenger.
Wait… what? She's a doctor? How did I did not see that one coming? Shame on me.
"He complained of having chest pain before collapsing!"
"That's not good," he heard Hermione whisper to the flight attendant. "I'll be right back, I need to get my—"
"Please don't go! What if something else happens to him?" the flight attendant pleaded, her eyes wide with fright.
He watched Hermione frown, her brain obviously fast in thought before turning, her face brightening once she spotted him.
"Draco, Draco… there's a medical kit in my backpack, would you please bring it to me?" she asked urgently.
Draco nodded sharply and quickly did as she asked, feeling ridiculously important as he approached Hermione who was giving him a grateful smile.
"Thanks," she murmured.
The flight attendant was clearly going to tell him to go away but Hermione shook her head and said, "I need him here with me."
Draco's ego soared at the words, trying his best not to smile smugly at the woman.
Hermione, on the other hand, had begun to examine the passenger, who was slowly coming to. She spoke to him a low but clear voice, her words soothing but clinical. Draco thought he couldn't be more awed with Hermione, but he was wrong.
She's an amazing woman. A doctor… who would've guessed? She did say she worked at a hospital. Why did I insist on thinking she was a nurse? Are women not capable of being doctors too? Damn my mild sexism.
But an annoying voice in the back of his head taunted him, saying that once again he judged her by her looks.
Oh, do shut up.
Ten minutes later once the crisis was averted (turns out the man had high blood pressure), they were back in their seat while the flight attendant and the passenger thanked them profusely. When they asked for her name, Hermione answered them reticently.
Yet another mystery… even with me she was hesitant to give me her surname. What else are you hiding, Hermione?
"A doctor, huh?" Draco smirked.
"Oh, hush," Hermione blushed, accepting the free snacks and drinks from the flight attendant.
"Anything you want, Dr. Granger, just say the word!"
"Thanks," she mumbled, biting her lip.
"Are you going to share your loot, or what?" Draco asked, wanting to lighten the mood.
She chuckled before giving him half, to which he stared at her incredulously.
"What?" she shrugged. "You asked me to share."
Draco felt something tug at his chest at the thoughtful gesture.
Maybe I should ask her to examine me as well.
"Where did you attend medical school?" he asked her, feeling curious.
"Johns Hopkins," she answered quietly.
Draco whistled quietly, impressed.
"Do you have a specialty?"
"The heart—Cardiology is what I specialize in."
He recalled her joke about the heart wanting what the heart wanted and was about to chuckle belatedly at her joke but noted her subdued mood and settled for munching on pretzels.
"You may not be a dentist, but at least you're still a doctor, right?" he asked her playfully.
To his delight, she beamed at him and nodded.
"Thank you, Draco."
He was taken aback and stared at her.
"Why are you thanking me?"
"Because you helped me," she answered simply, giving him a small smile.
"In that case, it's a privilege to aided you."
They both remained quiet afterwards and eventually fell asleep, Draco's mind racing as he realized just how closer to home they were once he woke up.
Once the plane landed, they both gathered their things quietly, exiting together and walking side by side to baggage claim.
Come on, buck up, Draco. You can ask her for her number. Hell if I know how many times I've done it before. But that's the thing, right? This time it's different. It's different because of her and you don't want to get rejected. Christ, if Blaise could hear my thoughts, he'd tell me to man up.
Draco grabbed her suitcase for her and gave him a soft 'thanks' before they both continued to head to the exit, his heart pounding tremulously. He was about to open his mouth when a shout caught their attention.
"Mione! Mione! Over here!"
By the way her spine straightened, Draco surmised they were calling out for her.
'Mione'? What the actual fuck?
"Ron!"
Ron? Ron, as in her ex? The one who she refused to marry because she wanted to be more than someone's little wife? Bloody great.
He watched as the tosser (Draco had already decided to dislike him) approached them and felt revolted by the bloke's mop of ginger hair and freckled face although he looked vaguely familiar to Draco. To make things worse, he was dressed like a vagabond and Draco resisted the urge to sneer at him.
I can't believe Hermione dated this bloke.
"Mione, I'm so happy to see you!" the man exclaimed, engulfing her in a fierce hug.
Draco gritted his teeth together, wanting nothing more than to peel the man's gangly limbs off Hermione.
"Thanks for coming for me, Ron," she smiled after they pulled away.
"You know I'd do anything for you, Mione," he said, making cow eyes at her.
Draco felt sickened at the sight.
So he's obviously still in love with her. Christ, could the bloke be any more obvious? Apparently not since Hermione is seemingly oblivious to his dubious charms… thank goodness.
It was then that Ron noticed Draco and sent Hermione a glance before she turned to him.
"Oh, Ron! I'd like for you to meet Draco Malfoy. Draco, Ron Weasley," she introduced them, giving Draco a bright smile.
Ron noticed and scowled at Draco.
"How'd you meet… Draco, Mione?"
Oh, think my name's funny, you ginger tosser? It's worth more than you can even imagine.
"Ronald Weasley, how many times have I told you not to call me that abhorrent nickname? My name is Hermione," she chastised him, which tickled Draco to no end. "Gosh, even Viktor was able to pronounce my name correctly."
"Eventually," the ginger petulantly muttered under his breath.
Victor? Who the fuck is that?
"Anyway… he and I met while waiting for our flight. We hit it off pretty fabulously, didn't we Draco?" she winked at him, gently nudging his side.
Draco simply nodded jerkily as Ron grimaced, clearly not liking their camaraderie.
Deal with it, freckles.
"That's great, Hermione," the ginger gritted out, sounding like it was anything but.
"Oh, hell… I need to go to the loo," she murmured, blushing. "I'll be right back. You'll still be here, won't you, Draco?"
"Yes," he answered quickly.
"Great! I'll be right back," she smiled at him.
He and the ginger watched her go before the he rounded on Draco.
"Listen, I don't know what your intentions are with her, but I love her," the redhead told him hotly.
"Tell me something I don't know," Draco smirked. "It's evident by the way you keep mooning all over her. I'm quite surprised she hasn't reprimanded you for it."
Ron's face turned an unpleasant shade of puce while Draco cackled inwardly.
"You may think you're all that, but you're not. Riches do not make a man," Ron spat at him, eyeing him bitterly.
"It may not, but it certainly helps," Draco told him smugly.
"Look, you could never deserve her. She has a heart of gold and you… you're a slimy, two-faced arrogant bloke from what I can see. She's too good for you. Besides, like you'd go for her type!" Ron snorted.
Draco, on the other hand, felt both stung and offended on her behalf.
"She's beautiful and you bloody well know that," Draco snapped.
"Yes, I absolutely do. But men like you only want women for one thing and you'd just end up breaking her heart. I know your type," Ron sniffed disdainfully. "Besides, I've been planning on asking her to get back together."
"As if she would make the mistake of telling you yes again. You broke up for a reason, didn't you?" Draco taunted him.
"You know nothing," the redhead glared.
"I beg to differ. Hermione was quite forthcoming," Draco smiled smugly.
"You son of a—"
"You two getting along?" Hermione interrupted, noting each man's tense stance.
"Yes, just peachy," Ron bit out.
"Just swell," Draco drawled.
She gave them each a suspicious look but shrugged.
"Look, Hermione, we should go… it's late enough as it is…"
"Yes, right…" she trailed off, turning to look at Draco.
He looked back at her, taking in her bright brown eyes and her unruly curls.
"Draco… I had a great time," she said, bestowing a bashful smile upon him. "I'm glad I approached you."
"As am I, Hermione," he replied, feeling a sudden case of dry mouth. "I hope you'll enjoy your beneficial book."
Pink bloomed on her cheeks at his words and Draco couldn't help but stare at how lovely she looked.
"Thanks, you prat," she laughed.
Ron cleared his throat pointedly and Draco resisted the urge to snarl at the ginger.
"Well…" Hermione trailed off, biting her lip.
C'mon… don't just stand there.
But that's exactly what he did because the light in Hermione's eyes dimmed slightly at his lack of action.
"Well, I hope you have a happy Christmas, Draco," she told him quietly, not meeting his eyes.
"Thanks. Likewise Hermione," he choked out.
The disappointed look in her eyes almost made him call her back but he shut his mouth and watched her go with the redhead, who began chatting eagerly, lightly touching her shoulder and elbow; to make things worse (in Draco's eyes, anyway), he didn't bother to offer to wheel Hermione's luggage for her.
You bastard. I may not deserve her, but you do so even less.
To his dismay, Hermione turned to look at him one last time, a sad smile tugging on the corners of her lips before turning around and exiting the airport after her ex.
With his heart in his throat, Draco exited the airport and tried not to dwell on the regret that churned in his belly.
Sorry guys, I know it seems like I hate Ron but I really don't. XD I'm actually quite ambivalent about the guy.
As always, thank you for taking the time to read. :)
