A/N So sorry for the wait! Please forgive me. I'll be working on the next chapter tonight as well, so thatll hopefully be up within the next couple days. I'm excited for them to finally start developing some kind of relationship. They are not officially together, but casually working their way up to something more. Leave reviews, requests, and kind criticisms please! Thank you.
"Soooooo, how did your meeting with Weasley senior go?"
Blaise dropped into Draco's office at work and made himself comfortable, flopping down into the high backed chair opposite him. Draco smirked and leaned back in his chair.
"I think it went well. He didn't try to kill me, and he enjoyed the food." Draco rubbed at his chin in thought, and sat straighter in his seat. "I respect him quite a lot, you know. He cares deeply for Hermione, likes she's his own daughter. I've got to be careful how I handle this."
Blaise eyed his friend for a moment, and while examining his newly manicured nails, he replied casually, "You could always just ask her to be your girlfriend. Why bother with all the traditional shit?"
Draco furrowed his brow and peered at his friend. He released a strained cough and shook his head. "No, that won't be enough. It's not appropriate. I'm quite literally coming out of nowhere with this proposition for her, and I refuse to ruin it by barreling in like a blast ended screwt in heat."
Blaise snickered and rolled his eyes. "I figured as much. Well... I could talk to her for you, if you like?"
Draco's head snapped up and he glared in his sly friends direction.
"What?" he hissed quietly, adding a bit more emphasis to the T.
Blaise waved his hand carelessly and rested his head back against his seat. He placed his hands atop his midsection, fingers interlaced, before responding in an overly cheerful voice.
"Oh, I sometimes stop into her little Muggle shop, didn't I ever tell you? Yes, she and I have become something along the lines of friends. I planned to visit her again tomorrow, and if you need me to pass along a-"
Draco burst like a firework from his chair, hands slammed down onto the top of his desk. He was glaring at Blaise so fiercely, he might have been able to set the man on fire with a rogue thought. Blaise quirked a brow at him, but did not move otherwise.
Through clenched teeth, Draco managed to speak. "Do you mean to tell me you've kept this a secret from me!? Why?"
Blaise fixed him with an unflinching glare. "I didn't think you could handle it."
Both men watched each other in silence for a beat before Blaise rose, and smoothed out the fabric of his trousers and waist coat.
"A message, than?" he offered, adjusting the buttons of his coat back in place. Draco schooled his emotions and straightened.
"Please tell Hermione I'd like to stop by her shop on Friday afternoon after she closes."
Blaise nodded and smirked at his friend. He turned his back and with a flick of his wrist, offered a small wave before exiting the office and softly shutting the door.
oO0Oo
"Blaise! Oh my god, where have you been?" Hermione rushed to the slender man entering the shop and pulled him into a tight hug, before backing away and swatting him with the dust rag she held.
"Ow, damn woman, get a hold of yourself!" Blaise scolded while rubbing his arm. "I've been traveling for work, you know that."
Hermione huffed and turned to walk away from him. He couldn't help but smirk at her obvious disdain.
"Come now, Granger. Play nice." He purred, and sidled up beside her while she aggressively wiped the display case he was now leaning on. He obnoxiously moved his face closer to hers. His eyes twinkled at the slight upturn of her lips and he knew she wasn't really that cross with him.
Rolling her eyes, she shoved him to the side and tossed the rag down. "Well, since you refuse to actually tell me what it is you do, how am I supposed to believe you were traveling?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and staring accusingly at him.
"I'm so pained, Granger. I thought we finally developed a solid, trusting friendship since out school days ended. Clearly, I have been mistaken. Oh, what a fool I have been." Blaise replied, and made a show of wiping away some nonexistent tears.
"Honestly, shut the hell up." Hermione said, laughing at his dramatics. "Would you like some tea?"
He shook his head. "No, my dear. I'm just here to deliver a message from Malfoy."
He watched in amusement as her eyes widened and she slowly stood straighter.
"Malfoy?" she questioned, and he simply inclined his head, standing straighter as well.
"Yes, I work with him after all. Didn't I tell you that?" he smiled mischievouslyat her and her jaw practically hit the floor. She recovered long enough to shove him and cross her arms again.
"No! You absolutely did not mention that to me. Ever. After all this time, you never once brought up Draco sodding Malfoy!" she exclaimed and he could only chuckle at the look of shock on her face.
"My mistake." He said through his laughing and Hermione scowled.
"Right, so I assume that means you know everything, than." she asked, clearly quite annoyed with him.
He nodded. "I am aware of his affections toward you, yes."
"Well, what is his message for me?"
"He wants to come see you tomorrow after you close shop."
Hermione sighed and relaxed her stance some. "Tell him that's fine with me. God, Blaise. I can't believe you kept this from me."
He pat her on the shoulder and shrugged. "I didn't think it was a good idea. I had been trying to convince him to contact you for the longest. Even before you and I somehow managed to become friends. I didn't want to inadvertently muck things up."
She breathed slowly through her nose and shook her head at him again, but offered a small smile in response.
"You're a dick."
Blaise nodded. "I know."
oO0Oo
Hermione was nervous. There was just no other way to explain how she was feeling. The clock behind her check out counter was ticking away, and all she could do was clean things that didn't need cleaning to keep herself busy. She kept glancing at herself in the full length mirror near the sunglasses and handbags displays. She didn't want to seem eager, so opted to dress in a full length sun dress. It was blue with white stripes at the hem, and quarter length sleeves, with a modest neckline. That was okay, right? Good enough for the work day, but also satisfactory for Malfoy? What? She scowled at herself. She was being so unbelievable, and shook the thoughts about her appearance from her mind. The clock chimed at exactly 6pm, so she moved to the door to turn the open sign to read closed. Just as she flipped it, Malfoy appeared on the other side of the door. They locked eyes and she felt her breath catch in her throat. He smiled at her and waved. She blinked. He looked so good, and when he smiled like that, it put her in a trance. He tapped the glass and she jolted from her daze. Dropping the sign she still held, she hurriedly opened the door and let him enter.
"I apologize. Hello, welcome to my shop." She said quickly, willing the blush she felt to go away. He smiled at her again and shoved his hands in his trouser pockets. He turned on the spot, looking around at everything she had on display.
"So, this is what has everyone buzzing around here. This is a great idea, Granger. Muggle technology paired with our magic. Ingenious, really."
She beamed at his praise and watched as he casually moved about her shop, picking things randomly to inspect more closely.
"I just wondered why the wizarding community insisted on staying so behind the times. Muggle have made so many advancements, and even found ways to make life easier that wizards could never hope to accomplish, even with magic. Phones, for example. To be able to contact someone else instantly, without the use of an owl, or floo."
Malfoy nodded along to her words, and turned to face her. He pulled something from his pocket and her eyes went wide. He held a cell phone, and flipped it open.
"A birthday gift from Blaise. He was sick of waiting on responses from me when he was abroad, so he bought this and taught me how to use it."
Hermiones face lit up, and then she began to laugh at the memory. She'd asked Blaise why he wanted another cell phone, when he already had one, and he had told her it was for someone special. Well, that explains that, than.
"That's a strange sight, to see you holding something so... so..."
"Muggle?" he supplied, peering quizically at her. She shrugged apologetically but nodded. "Yes, well, it's very useful. I'm glad you decided to offer these things." He said, and held up a wristwatch to see more clearly the sparkling gems embedded around the edge. His eyes widened slightly upon realizing they were real, and placed it down carefully.
She smiled and watched him continue through the shop. She could see he had been very curious about what she sold there, and thought the expressions he made over each item was rather adorable.
Finally, he seemed to remember where he was and with whom he was with and turned back to her.
"Have you spoken with Mr. Wesley, by chance?" he asked, and stepped closer to her.
She nodded and smiled again. "I did. He owled me as soon as he arrived back to the Burrow from the Manor and let me know he didn't bully you too badly."
Malfoy eyebrows raised, and he rolled his eyes at her cheekiness
"Very amusing, Granger. I thought it went well enough."
He seemed a bit self conscious, so Hermione eased up on him. Before she could think on her actions, she rested her hand on his arm, squeezing gently to reassure him.
"It did, Malfoy. And in case you were wondering, I'm still okay with seeing where this goes. I was so nervous to meet with you again today, but this isn't so bad, right?"
She let her hand drop from his arm, and could still feel the tingle of warmth in her fingers. He took a moment before responding, and smiled at her.
"No, it's not so bad. Did you ha e plans tonight?"
"No, I thought I'd just go home and have dinner. Probably read before bed. The usual."
"Whoa, Granger. Relax. That wild lifestyle of yours is a bit much for me to comprehend." He replied in mock surprise. She swat at him and told him to bugger off. He laughed and finally calmed enough to ask, "Would you like to get dinner with me?"
She thought for a moment, weighing her options. She could refuse, and stick to her normal routine. While not boring to her, it was still a bit bland. It might be nice to spend an evening with him, and she could probably get some answers from him, at last.
"Okay, Malfoy. Let's have dinner."
oO0Oo
"Holy shit, Blaise. Am I dreaming? I must be. How is this really my life now?" Draco threw himself down on the couch in Blaises home library. Blaise rolled his eyes and sipped at his whiskey. The Muggle stuff was quite good, and became his drink of choice while relaxing at home.
"You literally had one date, but you're behaving like she agreed to a shag." came his dry response, but Draco only waved a dismissive hand in his direction.
"One date, but it was a hell of a date, my friend. She had said she was nervous, but she really made an effort, you know? I answered all her questions, and we were able to move into a pretty pleasant conversation. Granted, we still went to a Muggle establishment, but I think soon she won't be so insistent on that."
Blaise watched his gushing friend from his spot by the fireplace.
"So, am I to assume you're no longer cross with me for keeping my friendship with Hermione a secret?"
Draco stopped babbling upon his words, and bolted back upright. He squinted at Blaise in frustration and huffed.
"I'd forgotten about that."
"Ah. Clearly. Well, I'm not sorry. You would have reacted poorly, I'm sure." He replied and continued to nurse his liquor.
"More poorly than finding out the way I did?" Draco spat, and Blaise shrugged.
"If you'd known sooner, you would have either harassed me about her incessantly, or demanded I never speak with her again, thus putting a strain on our friendship. I refused to subject myself to that."
Draco eyed him angrily for a few moments, but eventually sighed and fell back into the cushions. Slinging an arm over his eyes he grumbled, "You're probably right."
Blaise scoffed. "Of course I'm right, you twat. I think I know you well enough by this point."
They remained in silence for several minutes before Blaise spoke again.
"Well, are you going to tell me how it went, or not?"
Draco removed the arm from over his eyes and faced his friend.
"It was great. She wanted to know more details about how my feelings developed, and she also wanted me to clarify a few things about the war, but mostly she was just trying to wrap her head around the fact that I truly desired her time and attention. After all that talk was done, we spent the rest of the evening getting to know one another. Did you know she is collecting every updated edition of Hogwarts, A History. She even has the original tomes and scrolls preserved in a glass case at her shop. It's amazing."
Blaise rolled his eyes. He did know this. He knew a lot of things about Granger that Malfoy couldn't even begin to fathom at the moment. Despite his tightlipped silence, he had managed to forge a fairly strong friendship with her over the last couple years.
"When will you see her again?" he asked.
Draco grinned. "Monday. She wants to show me a Muggle film. Have you seen one? Seems odd, moving and talking pictures on a screen. I don't care though. I'm just happy she wants to spend time with me."
Blaise laughed. The thought of Malfoy sitting in a Muggle cinema was an amusing one.
oO0Oo
Hermione was rushing through the door of the Leaky Cauldron, worried she'd made her friends wait long. She'd run late in the shop that evening, and was supposed to be meeting Harry and Ginny.
Spotting them at a table off to the side of the bar, she hurried over and greeted them. Harry grinned at her and Ginny had her face scrunched up.
"Blimey, Hermione, what happened to you? Got caught in a tornado, maybe?"
"Ha ha, Ginny. No, I rushed over after my last customer left. He somehow managed to set his television on fire while watching a horror film. It was still ablaze when he apparated to my shop!"
Harry laughed and Ginny shook her head in disbelief.
"What a fucking tosser."
Hermione snorted and agreed.
They laughed and talked about all kinds of nonsense. They drank their fill of butterbeer and firewhiskey, and overall just enjoyed each other. It felt good to reconnect with her friends like this, since work consumed so much of their lives now.
"So, Hermione... Malfoy?" Ginny asked, wiggling her eyebrows over her mug."
Hermione laughed at her antics and shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you. I'm sure Harry has filled you in on most of the situation." Ginny nodded. "Well, yesterday he stopped by my shop for the first time, and then we went to have dinner. We spent a lot of that time getting to know each other. We didn't talk about anything of true importance, other than some clarifications on his feelings. It was mostly just an evening of getting more comfortable around each other."
Hermione hadn't realized her smile was growing wider as she spoke until she saw the knowing looks on her friends faces.
"What?" she asked, eyeing them suspiciously.
"Nothing, nothing." They both answered, hiding behind their drinks. Hermione pursed her lips and rolled her eyes.
"Well, anyway, I'm meeting him again Monday. We are going to the cinema."
Harry's brows hit his hairline and Ginny snorted this time.
"That'll be interesting." He replied and Hermione nodded.
"I'm actually looking forward to it. I am so curious about him. It seems sudden, but it's nice."
"Just be careful, Hermione. We are happy he's trying to make amends, but to court you? That's serious." Ginny replied, worriedly.
"I know, I understand. I promise to keep my head on straight. Thank you for being concerned for me." Hermione said, and smiled at her friends. She was a lucky woman to have them in her life.
The rest of the evening was spent laughing until it was late and they stumbled into the floo back to their own homes with the promise of meeting again for dinner in a weeks time.
oO0Oo
"That was so bizarre, but strangely I enjoyed it." Draco said as they walked out of the cinema. He stretched his arms above his head after having sat for so long, and Hermione desperately tried not to notice how his shirt inched up ever so slightly to reveal the briefest glimpse of skin above his trousers.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I admit I was concerned you'd think it silly or a waste of time." Hermione said as they made their way down the sidewalk.
"I was slightly skeptical. Sitting among a crowd of strangers for two hours without being able to speak with you... but it was enjoyable, nevertheless. What's next?"
"I thought a stroll would be nice, but haven't the faintest idea where to go." Hermione admitted, biting on her lower lip. Draco smiled and led her to a secluded alleyway.
"I've got a good location, if you'll agree to apparated with me."
She nodded, feeling excited over what he had planned for them.
He grinned and tucked her hand into his arm before they turned on the spot and disappeared with a soft pop.
