A/N: Sorry for the wait!
Hermione stumbled through the bathroom door, the music from the main part of the pub echoing inside as she glanced up, into the mirror above the sink. Naturally, she looked a mess. A few of her coworkers had invited her out for a drink at the new pub in Diagon Alley, and although she normally wasn't one to go out drinking in the middle of the night, she decided, that night, she would have fun and let loose for a change.
It was all part of the 'say yes night' that Ginny had suggested to her at lunch the other day.
Instead of moping about at the office or at home in your empty flat, go out and just say yes. To all that comes your way, the younger witch had said. You'll thank me later.
She wasn't sure why she had agreed to do it. All she knew was that she had said yes to two shots, two pints of Guinness and a drunken rendition of 'I Want You' by Savage Garden, not to mention the fact that she had agreed to go on a date with a Canadian wizard whom she had only just met, and who was staying in London until the end of the week. Daniel something or other. She wasn't sure as to his actual name, only that he was tall, handsome and blatantly in search of a one-off.
Although she normally said no to such things, she felt she owed it to herself to give it a go, just this once. Ginny had dated loads of different blokes before settling down with Harry. In fact, they all had. Hermione was the only one in her group who'd been with just one person. Ron.
I did kiss Viktor that one time, she recalled, facing screwing after. Obviously doesn't count.
She glanced down at her phone to check the time, her stomach twisting at the sight of yet another eMatchic notification.
You've had thirty-five visitors this week on eMatchic!
In large part she had neglected to use the app, having initially joined with the hopes of meeting someone — for one night, even — but her prospects were lacking. Ginny had been nice about it, suggesting the men on the app were likely intimidated by her. After all, Hermione Granger was a household name.
That in mind, Hermione scrolled through her messages, having only received a few since she had joined. The first message had come from a slightly older wizard called Ciaran. He lived quite a ways from London, but he seemed lovely, so she gave him a try, quickly learning that he was in fact married and had two young children. Suffice to say, it didn't work out. The second message had come from a slightly younger wizard who was based in Paris, but who visited London often. He was called Liam and he worked in fashion. Again, he was lovely at first, but the very moment he asked her if she was a 'good little sub' the conversation had come to a swift and abrupt end.
The third message, and perhaps the most unsettling of them all, had come from the guy who had bullied her for nearly six straight years.
She read through the messages they had exchanged, ignoring the anxious twitch in her stomach. For whatever reason, he had assumed that she was an imposter. Sure, it was a little strange of her to be on a dating app, given that she was a household name and all, but she was in need of a little love just like everyone else.
With a few lazy flickers of her thumb, she began looking through his photos, halting on the third one. There was nothing particularly eye-catching about it, nor about him in it. He was simply posing in front of a mirror, flash on, every little fleck coming to light as if it were snowing in his apartment. She laughed to herself, accidentally tapping the photo, which, to her complete horror, had sent him a like.
No!
No!
NO!
They hadn't said a word to each other all week, and there she was, liking one of his photos in the middle of the night like a complete and utter creep.
I'm such an idiot.
Why am I such an idiot?
Fumbling with her phone in the few seconds that followed, a jolt of shock went through her as she felt it vibrate in the palms of her hands.
From: Draco Malfoy
You're up late.
She gulped down on the lump in her throat, at a loss for what to do. For all she knew, Malfoy had taken screenshots of everything. What would the world think of her? She hadn't the privilege of messaging all sorts of boys late at night. She was Hermione-fucking-Granger.
From: Hermione Granger
Sorry, that was an accident.
From: Hermione Granger
I'll be going now.
She couldn't see his face, but she was sure he had smirked at that. He smirked at everything. Always.
From: Draco Malfoy
Admit it, Imposter.
From: Draco Malfoy
You were checking me out.
From: Draco Malfoy
And I don't blame you.
Staring dully at his replies, she scrunched her mouth into a frown.
From: Hermione Granger
You're awfully confident for someone who can't take a photo to save his life.
From: Draco Malfoy
I'll have you know those mirror flecks are a work of art.
From: Draco Malfoy
If you squint a little, you can actually see the constellation that I was named after.
There was no way that was at all true. In her right mind, she knew that. But for some reason, she simply had to check. Her curiosity had only grown stronger with age. With one look at the photo, she snorted to herself, her stomach lurching as she accidentally hit like — AGAIN.
From: Draco Malfoy
This night just keeps getting better.
From: Hermione Granger
I'm never going to live this down, am I?
From: Draco Malfoy
Absolutely not, imposter.
From: Hermione Granger
Still with this imposter business.
From: Draco Malfoy
Of course.
From: Draco Malfoy
The real Granger wouldn't be so generous with her likes.
This time, she was the one who smirked.
From: Hermione Granger
What makes you think she wouldn't like you?
From: Draco Malfoy
Well, I did bully the girl for years.
From: Hermione Granger
You don't think she's moved on?
From: Draco Malfoy
I think she knows better.
Lifting an eyebrow, she contemplated what to say next.
On the one hand, he was right. She should have known better than to engage in conversation with the likes of him. But on the other hand, she was older now, and she had enough life experience to realize things weren't always as they seemed.
From: Hermione Granger
What if she doesn't?
From: Draco Malfoy
Wait a second.
From: Draco Malfoy
Are you flirting with me?
She rolled her eyes, smiling nonetheless.
From: Hermione Granger
I'm just having a conversation.
From: Hermione Granger
You remember what those are like, don't you?
From: Draco Malfoy
Vaguely.
From: Draco Malfoy
How are you? Tell me about your day. This rain is relentless.
From: Draco Malfoy
Is that good?
Her lips twitched into a laugh.
From: Hermione Granger
If you're talking to your mother, yes.
From: Draco Malfoy
What sorts of things would you rather I say?
From: Draco Malfoy
That I find you ravishing in that cardigan? Is that what people do on this app?
From: Hermione Granger
You're asking the wrong person.
From: Draco Malfoy
Oh?
From: Draco Malfoy
Go on.
Sighing, she decided to just go for it.
From: Hermione Granger
First, I haven't met anyone interesting on this app who isn't married or interested in 'good little subs'. Second, I'm currently hiding in the bathroom at some random pub that I can't remember the name of, whilst my coworkers are out there, most likely talking about me, and about how sad it is that my ex-boyfriend — whom they had all met when we were together — is now engaged to marry another woman, no more than a few months after the break up. Third, I'm quite sure my 'say yes night' has resulted in a one-off that I'm not certain I want to take part in anymore.
From: Draco Malfoy
First, you'd probably have an easier time on here if you weren't The Chosen One's best friend. Either they're too intimidated or they say whatever horrible things come to mind, so at least you remember them.
From: Draco Malfoy
Second, your coworkers are definitely talking about you. Everyone does. Constantly.
From: Draco Malfoy
Third, there's no rule out there that says you have to engage in one-off's after a bad breakup. If it's not something you want, don't do it.
Surprisingly, she agreed with most of what he had said.
From: Draco Malfoy
Also, what in Salazar's name is a 'say yes night'? It sounds like a good way to end up at the bottom of a lake.
She snorted.
From: Hermione Granger
It's a night where you have to say yes to everything.
From: Draco Malfoy
That sounds stupid.
From: Draco Malfoy
What if someone asks you to torch the pub down? You'd do it?
From: Hermione Granger
That is the name of the game.
From: Draco Malfoy
Well, in that case …
From: Draco Malfoy
Why don't you send me a photo of yourself?
Her face screwed.
From: Draco Malfoy
So ... that came off creepier than I had intended.
From: Draco Malfoy
I just want to know if you're the real Granger.
From: Hermione Granger
I thought you decided I wasn't.
From: Draco Malfoy
Now's the time to find out.
From: Hermione Granger
Well, I suppose I have no choice, then.
From: Draco Malfoy
Get to it, imposter.
Given that it was 'say yes night', and given that she was tired of being called an imposter, Hermione ignored the anxious twitch in her stomach and held her phone out, snapping three photos in a row — all of which had turned out badly. With a few clicks and swipes, she blurred out the puffiness under her eyes, and whitened her teeth a little, not that she needed it. She simply had fun editing. The technicalities had always interested her.
Yes, the technicalities, she said to herself. No reason beyond that.
Examining it one last time, she opened the text conversation between her and Malfoy, and with a split second of hesitation, she sent it.
There was no word from him.
He started typing a couple of times, but he ultimately said nothing. She wasn't sure what to make of that. Was the photo that bad? He'd definitely seen her in worse states. Before she had learned to manager her hair and apply makeup, and use a Quill without getting smudges all over her face and hands.
Surely, he's not going to leave me hanging like this.
Swallowing the lump of doubt in her throat, Hermione stared blankly at the screen, jumping back a little as he finally replied.
Not with words, but with a photo of his own.
Her cheeks prickled as she glanced down at it. Him, relaxing on a balcony of some sort, with perhaps the most beautiful view of London she had ever seen, in the background. Was he always this … handsome? She refused to give it more than a second of thought, glancing into the mirror one last time before grabbing her clutch and heading out, the soft, unexpected vibrations of her phone, forcing her to look down.
From: Draco Malfoy
Mine was unedited.
From: Draco Malfoy
Just so you know.
A/N: Thanks for reading!