Chapter Two
Friends
Hermione Granger did not like surprises. She was organized, she knew where all her pens were, how many there were and where every medical file was in her file cabinet. True her office was untidy and filled with books opened and piled haphazardly against the wall and across her desk, but she knew what to expect whenever she opened her door or began her morning routine.
And she did not expect Draco Malfoy to be sitting in her seat piling her work together into a neat pile. He looked up and raised an eyebrow, a slow smirk pulling across his face as he leaned back in her seat.
"Good morning, Granger." He said slyly. Her eyes widened and she quickly shut the door and locked it behind her.
"Did anyone see you come in here?" She hissed.
He rolled his eyes.
"No, no one saw me. I'm still your dirty little secret, Granger."
He said spitefully.
"Oh-shut up! I told you to stop popping up over here. At least call me beforehand. You know I don't like unplanned events, besides I have a lot of work to do and-stop tidying my desk." She spat and slapped his hand away from more files.
"By the Gods, Granger. It's filthy in here! I was trying to help you. I know you're friends with the Weasleys but it doesn't mean you have to live like one, shacked in a small hole full of junk." She punched him hard and then pulled him out of the chair.
Her little frame was practically dwarfed by her wilder than usual hair and her white coat was crumpled. Desperately she pushed back her hair from her face and began to fill out paperwork refusing to pay him any attention. Draco hardly cared, he had played this hand before and instead sat across the desk and propped his feet up. She glared at him but returned to scribbling.
"So…when are we going to lunch today? Isn't your break sometime soon?" He asked.
"You know I take my lunches in here, Malfoy."
"You used to take your lunches in here but you take them with me now. Come on I'm tired of watching you write. I'm bloody hungry." She sighed and pushed her hair back again. "Okay, okay, let me finish this."
He would just keep pestering her until he got his way anyway, spoiled rat. He was the one distraction.
She usually didn't let anything interrupt her schedule. She had plans for the day, for every hour of the day and none of those plans involved spontaneity except for Draco Malfoy, who had become a strange friend in the past three months and enjoyed making sporadic unexpected appearances just to irritate her. He was annoying, quick tempered and sometimes frighteningly cruel, but a friend nonetheless. And somehow they had been able to keep their friendship discrete and away from the hungry eyes of the press. She wasn't sure how long that was going to last, especially since Malfoy was becoming increasingly tired of Muggle restaurants.
"Exactly what's wrong with Muggle restaurants, Malfoy?" She asked.
He looked around the small Italian restaurant around them, noting the still pictures on the walls, the flickering artificial fireplace and further from their table the line of Muggles waiting for open tables at the entrance. No magic, no underlying excitement or constant movement-it was so boring and uncomfortably simple.
"They're filled with Muggles." He said simply and she promptly hit him across the table. He rubbed his aching shoulder. She had hit him three times already in the same spot. Damn Granger.
"Ladies should not hit or eat with their elbows on the table."
"And human beings should not be so horribly prejudice." She replied back and resumed eating like a wild boar.
"I'm not prejudice, Granger."
"Just because you have not referred to me recently as a mudblood doesn't mean you're not prejudice." She said eyeing him with scolding look again.
He fidgeted in his seat and pursed his lips.
"I am sorry." He said suddenly after several minutes of silence.
She looked up from her spaghetti dumbstruck, a pile of noodles inches from her mouth. He couldn't help but laugh at her and without thinking (as was his habit around her) he reached out and wiped spaghetti sauce from the corner of her mouth with his finger. Her eyes widened even more.
"For-for what?"
"For calling you that. I don't feel that way anymore, Granger. You're an equal to me, even more than equal in some regards." He said quietly.
She nodded her head still confused.
"I forgive you, Draco. I forgave you a long time ago."
O o O o O o
He left right after lunch but reappeared sometime before she was beginning to leave for the day. This time he met her outside of St. Mungos, shrouded in a large black cloak and as still as death. She jumped in surprise when he lightly touched her arm and quicker than he could react she had brought out her wand and was pointing it at his throat.
"Granger it's me, damn it! Calm down your post traumatic stress from the war please before you kill your favorite Slytherin!"
She blinked and then put down her wand and suddenly hit him in the shoulder-in the same spot damn her.
"You scared me to death! And what're you doing here? Someone could see you-"
"Oh bugger that, like I care, Granger."
"Well I care. I told you, I really don't feel like having the press and everyone else down my neck right now." She spat and his lips twitched downwards in the beginning of a famous temper.
"So what? You want me to bloody hide all the fucking time, Hermione? You say I'm prejudice but you're the one who's prejudice. You can't even be seen with me because I come from a line of Death Eaters, right? Because I'll ruin your reputation! You bloody hypocrite-"
"Oh Gods, Draco that has nothing to do with it, you're overreacting-"
"Shut the fuck up, Granger and let me bleeding talk without you interrupting me for once! We've been friends for three months, how long do you want to play this game of hide the ex-Death Eater? I'm willing to confront my family and my friends who will consider me a blood traitor for this so why the hell can't you confront anyone? Whatever happened to that damn Gryffindor courage?"
She looked at him in shock, a red blush visible under the overhead street lamp.
Her mouth was twisted in confusion and there was that damn dimple again that always drove him mad. He still wanted her, if anything he wanted her more now but she was infuriating. She was embarrassed by him and it drove him to utter madness! Who would be embarrassed of Draco Malfoy? He was second at Hogwarts only to her; he was a pureblood, rich and exceedingly handsome so why did she treat him like he was nothing, like he was a soddin' embarrassment? He wanted to throttle her!
"Draco, I never meant-"
"Just-just forget it, Granger." He spat and apparated.
She stood there for another two minutes, wondering where the hell this little outburst came from.
OoOoO
Blaise Zaibini had known Draco since they were children. Their families were intertwined because they were two of the oldest pureblood families and because of this they inevitably had to mingle. Their personalities were extremely different. Blaise had been neutral during the war as was his family, Draco's had been heavily involved in the war and were branded Death Eaters. Draco had always possessed a deep rooted repulsion with muggleborns and lesser beings of wizarding society and Blaise Zaibini had no such prejudice. He was as willing to date a Miuggleborn as he was a pureblood. He had even dated several muggles at one point to the chagrin of his family. Although he still understood the duties concerning a man of his wealth, he just chose quite often not to obey them.
Suffice to say that they were both two different people of the same socioeconomic status (although Draco loved to mention that he was considerably wealthier). Blaise possessed a calm demeanor, silently smirking as all Slytherins seemed to be, but always polite and rarely had Malfoy ever seen his temper unrestrained. Draco of course had always been cruel, demanding and quick to judge. He only associated with purebloods and socialites; his anger was renown, his sneering contempt proudly displayed. But Zaibini knew that beneath that angry façade was a plethora of ranging emotions. Contempt for his father for letting them get mixed up with Voldemort, anger when reflecting on the spoiled weakness of his childhood self, a need to prove his worth to his father and the world. A desire to be the best and distant from others because he was afraid above all else that he would be exploited for his wealth and position and become someone weak again.
So while employees scurried from his office and objects flew crashing out through the door, Blaise knew that this temper could be quelled if only he could find the underlying cause of it.
He leaned against the secretary's desk and stared at the display with seeming apathy. He could hear Draco's loud barks and demands as he began throwing furniture at the remaining lawyers who eventually flew from the room as well.
Ms. Vienna was staring at the display with fear and she seemed desperate to make herself smaller, her pretty eyes glancing from the door to Blaise with trepidation. He smiled at her politely and with more suave than necessary.
"He'll calm down," He said.
"I hope he does," She muttered under her breath.
Blaise sighed and walked into his best friend's office. Everything was in disarray. The couch was overturned, several of the books were on the floor and one of the legs of the desk was broken. His hair was wild and his shirt was wrinkled, he was walking back and forth, muttering loudly to himself.
"Idiots, fools! They can't do one thing right! Goddamn!" He kicked the desk again and it whined in protest.
Draco was a neat creature. His office was usually impeccable as was his appearance, so to see his office in such disarray with his oxford crumpled and his hair disheveled was almost disconcerting for the Italian.
"Draco, calm down. What's the matter this time?"
"I told those idiots to get that woman to settle out of court and she refused. I made it known that they will make this happen."
"Draco, I meant what's really the matter? You've been…pleasant for the past couple of months." Blaise said.
"And? So bloody what? I don't like incompetency." "No you don't. But you do like taking your frustrations out on others. Is this about your father? I know he made another statement about muggleborns in the Daily Prophet, which could affect your image again, but I doubt they'll associate him with you as they used to-"
"It's not about my bloody father, Zaibini." He growled.
"Then what is it?"
The door opened and Blaise turned around hoping to quickly get rid of whoever had the audacity to come in unannounced before Draco's temper rose again. But he was surprised. Curly honey caramel hair, a white doctor's coat, large brown eyes-she looked familiar, almost like-
"Granger?" He squeaked. Draco looked from Blaise to Hermione in surprise and amusement.
"That's exactly how I felt when I first saw her," He said under his breath.
She looked at Blaise in surprise and then at Malfoy determinedly.
"Draco we need to talk." She said with both hands on her hips.
Blaise's eyes traveled from her small ankles back to the hidden bosom beneath her shut, then up to the small mouth. Draco growled at him, almost possessively, though Blaise was sure it had to have been a display of annoyance over Hermione's entrance.
"Leave, Zaibini." He barked and Blaise shrugged and walked slowly past Granger.
"Nice seeing you again, Hermione. You look lovely." He said with a small smirk and closed the door behind him.
Hermione frowned. It almost sounded like he was trying to flirt with her.
"Don't mind, Zaibini. Exactly why are you here? Another problem with New Dawn?" He asked mockingly.
"Draco-"Malfoy." He spat back. She twisted her lips in irritation.
"Malfoy, I just came to say I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking about you, I was being selfish and thinking only about how I would be affected. I'm not embarrassed by you it's just-we weren't the best of friends at Hogwarts and we still have…entirely different perspectives and personalities and I didn't want to be bombarded by the press like I was right after the war and it's still strange to me that we're even friends. And-and yes I was worried about my reputation, and I'm sorry. It took me years to get where I am today, to be able to speak and have people finally listen and not take what I say for granted. So I'm sorry. I don't want to sneak around like this anymore, if you still want to be friends I mean…." She began to stutter.
He watched her coldly, his hands smoothing his hair back as he looked at her. No I don't want to be friends you stupid bint. He wanted to yell at her.
That's what this whole argument was about for him anyway. He wanted to be more than friends, but he knew she didn't accept him and he was too afraid of rejection. He had promised himself since the war ended never to be a coward again, never to let anyone like Bellatrix had make him afraid. And Hermione Granger made him afraid, he was a coward around her. But she didn't know that. She bit her lip, worried it with her teeth as she waited with big eyes large with fear.
"I forgive you, Granger. I overreacted; I'm not used to people not wanting to be seen with me." He said smirking finally.
"I'm sure you aren't. And I'm sorry. We could still go to lunch later; I'll even take you to a wizarding restaurant and pay." She said slyly.
"No. I'll pay." "Why do you always get to pay?"
"Because you're poor," He said grinning.
"I'm a Healer at St. Mungo's!" She protested.
"Poor." He nagged. He smiled at her pursed lips.
So she wanted to be friends with him, alright.
That was a start.
OoOoOo
"So that's why you were furious. Granger driving you crazy?" Zaibini asked once Hermione left the room.
He had made no attempt to hide his wandering eyes as she slipped past him and he smiled at the blush in her cheeks accompanied by a fierce glare.
"You could say that." Draco said sighing.
"Draco, I'm trying to give you an outlet here. At Hogwarts this is where you go on and on about how annoying that mudblood Gryffindor is-"
"Don't bloody call her that," Draco spat suddenly and Zaibini instantly stopped talking.
"Wh-what?" "….You heard what I said." Draco mumbled and gingerly sat down in the only piece of furniture not broken in the room.
"Wait a minute-I-what-?" A light flashed and Zaibini remembered the easy almost familiar way Hermione said Draco and how amused Draco was by her entrance.
As if-
"ARE YOU SHAGGING GRANGER?" He shouted in surprise and Draco cursed him.
"Keep your voice down-"Bloody hell I will! You-I-how did that even happen? As far as I'm concerned you've been very cold about the subject of muggleborns! Was that why you've been so pleasant these last three months? Are you in a relationship with her?"
Draco shook his head.
"We're not in a relationship and we're not having sex!" Draco spat.
"But you want to!" Blaise said pointing at Draco accusingly.
"What does that matter?" Draco pushed out between grinding teeth.
"I-I can't believe this! Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy, wants to finally date and it's a muggleborn! Not any muggleborn, Gryffindor Princess and brains of the bloody Golden Trio, Granger! HERMIONE GRANGER!"
"Shut up before someone hears you acting like a fool!" Draco spat and pushed Blaise back down in his seat as he leapt up.
"I don't blame you, though, Malfoy. She's filled in all the right areas these days, even her hair is endearing."
"Shut up. And don't bloody look at her like that."
"And you're protective! Is that a blush on your cheeks I see, Malfoy?" Blaise teased grinning even wider if possible.
"I'm going to kill you."
"Not before you tell me how this started," Blaise said wiggling his eyebrows.
Malfoy sighed and gave in.
He'd tell him the story and then he'd kill him.
OoOoO
"Hermione, oh! I'm so glad to see you!" Ginny said hugging her best friend tightly.
She was still small as ever, but her hair was slightly shorter than it had been at Hogwarts, a "necessity of the trade" she once said referring to her job as seeker for the Howling Harpies. She was still as pretty as ever, red hair perfectly straight and voluminous and more freckles fluttering over her face because of the sun. She was subconscious about the freckles and tried to cover them up with several wizarding charms, all of which she was extremely good at but couldn't seem to perfect when it came to covering the freckles splattered across her nose.
As they walked down the street several heads turned to watch them.
Ginny was famous, the Holyhead Harpies would indeed go to the World Cup at this rate and Ginny was in line for Captain. Hermione's fame was obvious-her exploits during the war were well recorded, of Ron and herself she was considered the second most important figure besides Harry Potter in their trio (according to the Daily Prophet, on several occasions Ron had to be placated because of this). She was also, at one point, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the tender age of twenty three and had given that up to become one of the leading Healers in all of the wizarding community. Her exploits however were not nearly as day to day exciting as Ginny's or Ron and Harry's who had become Aurors.
"I'm beginning to wonder about you, Hermione. Ever since Ron you never…dated anyone seriously." Ginny said slyly.
Hermione raised an eyebrow and sipped her tea. "Don't start with this, I have no interests in being set up with another suitor."
"And why not? I know a lot of men who would die to go out with you but can't reach you or are too awed by you to say anything."
Hermione blushed at that and pushed back her mane of hair.
"Seriously, Ginny, when I'm ready for that I'll pick out my own suitors, thank you."
"Hmmm…you sure you're not dating someone already? I've been hearing some interesting tales about you and a mystery man-"What?"
"A nurse, who I'm friends with by the way so she doesn't just go out and tell everyone, at least I don't think so, tells me that you've been going out on luncheons now instead of staying in your office. Quite a change, which leaves me to believe that you may in fact be involved with someone." Hermione said nothing, just sipped from her tea cup.
Ginny's eyes widened and she pointed at her friend with glee.
"You are aren't you? Whoo? Who is it? Hermione!"
"Shush! And I'm not going out with him, we're just friends."
"Then why wouldn't you tell me about this friend who you've been going out on regular dates with? Sounds suspicious. Talk up." Ginny demanded.
"We're not dating…but well, it's complicated and if I tell you, you have to promise not to go crazy or spread it all over the place."
"Okay, okay, geesh, I can control myself, 'Mione." Ginny said rolling her eyes.
"Welll…ummm," She wasn't going out with the guy so why was this so hard? And people would find out eventually anyway so she might as well just take a breath and-
"It's Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."
"WHAT?" Her tea cup slipped from her fingers and shattered on the floor.
OoOoO
Ah, please review! I thank all of you that have and I really do enjoy the comments. I like knowing people enjoy what I write, hopefully this chapter has been fun to read as well! And I'm sorry about the previous weird format, I don't know why it did that! If anyone knows please tell me!