A/N: This chapter is long, about twice the size of my usual chapters. I just didn't feel like splitting it up as it all goes together :)


Chapter 8
"An Unexpected Meeting"

Draco looked around his newly furbished flat with satisfaction. Had it not been for Blaise letting him know that there was a unit available in his building, he would never have been able to move out as quickly as he did. His mother was upset of course, but Draco just couldn't stay in the house a moment longer with his father there.

It was a modest size place, with only two bedrooms instead of the ten he was used to at the Manor, but that was all he really needed; a room to sleep in and another to work in. There was also a decent size kitchen that had the most up to date appliances, a small dining room that had a built-in bar, similar to Blaise's, and a living room area to entertain in.

He had grown tired of all the white and cream color decor that was riddled throughout the Malfoy Manor, so Draco chose a sleek, dark brown leather sofa to sit in the middle of the living room and his dining table was topped with black, white, and grey marble, instead of the usual wood variety. His bedroom was decorated in midnight blue and silver instead of the the green and grey of Slytherin colors like his childhood room.

The walls were still bare, but he had a few paintings he had collected while he was traveling abroad that he was planning on putting up.

He was was about to go into his study when there was a knock at the door, followed by Blaise entering his home.

"Hello neighbor!" Blaise said cheerfully.

"Is this how it's going to be all the time? You just come over whenever you want and bother me?" he said, pretending to sound irritated though Blaise knew he was joking.

"You know you love me," Blaise said with a grin. "Besides, I come bearing a housewarming gift!" he announced.

Draco frowned at him, "You didn't have to do that…"

"I know," Blaise said shrugging, "But I did anyways. Besides, you'll love it."

Before Draco could ask anymore questions, Blaise took out his wand and conjured up a flat-screen TV as well as an entertainment center for it sit on.

Draco gaped at the gift and Blaise smiled widely.

"You got me one of those muggle moving picture things you're always going on about?"

"It's called a television. And yes, I did."

Draco just stared at the contraption, unsure about it.

"Here, let me show you how it works," Blaise offered, knowing his friend would love it once he got the hang of it.

An hour later and the two of them were sitting on Draco's couch, drinking butterbeer, and cheering for different teams for a soccer match they were watching.

"So..." said Blaise conversationally, "Have you seen the latest edition to this week's Witch Weekly?"

Not taking his eyes off the game, Draco shook his head, "No, why would I?"

"You mean to tell me that you don't have a subscription to it yet, even though you're their Bachelor of the Year?" Blaise shook his head in disappointment and let out a 'tsk tsk tsk" under his breath.

Draco snorted, "I'm still surprised you have a subscription."

"Hey, they have some pretty good recipes and house decorating advice." Draco rolled his eyes while Blaise continued, "And some of the articles aren't too bad either… such as who was the winner of this years Bachelorette of the Year."

Draco groaned, "So that's what you're getting on about. I told you before, I really don't care who it is. It's probably some no-name, stuck-up, know-it-al-"

"It's Granger," said Blaise evenly.

Draco finally peeled his eyes away from the TV and frowned at his friend, "Granger? As in..."

"As in the Granger you ran into at the zoo the other day," Blaise said, nodding his head.

Draco let out a sigh, "Well, that'll make the banquet interesting… she hates me," Draco explained at Blaise's confused look.

"Well, one can hardly blame her after everything that happened between you-"

"Yes, Blaise, I understand that, thank you," said Draco irritatedly.

Blaise let a few seconds pass by before asking, "Have you ever, you know, apologized to her?"

"No," Draco admitted, "Though to be fair, I've only seen her once since Hogwarts, and that was just last week at the zoo."

"Well, I hate to say it, but you might want to at least try and talk to her. Maybe you two can actually be cordial at the event you have to attend together," Blaise suggested.

Draco nodded absently, "I suppose I should."


By the following Monday, Hermione had had enough of everyone stopping in to congratulate her about her new Witch Weekly Bachelorette title. She sent out an office wide memo, as well as put a note on her office door, saying to please not disturb unless it was work related. By Wednesday, things seemed to be getting back to normal and she no longer was wary of anyone who entered her office anymore.

That afternoon, she was working on paperwork for her department when there was a knock on her door. Without looking up, she said, "Come in," and continued writing and making notes.

She heard the door open, then close softly. She looked up from her desk briefly, only to snap it back up quickly.

"You? What are you doing here Malfoy?" she asked cautiously.

Draco saw her glance quickly at her wand which was lying on her desk, and was glad when she didn't actually reach for it.

"I was wondering if… you'd like to have coffee or something… sometime. Together," he asked stiffly and awkwardly.

Hermione's mouth dropped open, trying to find the words that were forming in her head. All she managed however was, "Why?"

"I heard you were picked as Bachelorette of the year. I was thinking maybe we should try and talk things out so that the banquet won't be awkward," he simply.

"Oh. Well when you put it that way," she gave him a glare, "No."

"No?"

"If that's all you came here for, you can leave now. I'm very busy-"

"We have to go to the banquet together, Granger. Don't you think it would be better for everyone if we-"

"Better for who? You? I could certainly care less what people think of how we act towards each other," she stood up from her desk, so she could look at him face to face, "And I'm not going to the banquet with you. We're both being honored there, yes, but there is no rule that says we have to go together. If it weren't for the charity aspect, I wouldn't even go at all." She gave him a disgusted look, crossing her arms over her chest, "I don't trust you Draco, and I don't like you. Merlin, you don't even like me! You never have! Ever since you knew I was muggle born, you were nothing but an evil little ass to me. How on earth you ever got nominated, let alone won that contest is beyond me."

"Are you quite finished?" Draco asked through clenched teeth, trying to control his temper.

"Hardly, but I don't want to waste anymore of my time with you," she finally sat back down, picking up her quill, "I have work to do. Get out," she snapped.

Draco walked around her desk, yanking the quill from her hand and tossing it back on her table.

"What are you-?"

"You are such an insufferable, know-it all, brat Granger. Did you even read the article about me in the magazine? You might be surprised what you learn from it,"

She seethed at him, standing once again to face him, "No, I did not read about your precious interview. Once I saw who was on the cover, I tossed it away." She'd never admit that she didn't actually throw it away; Rose was still clinging to the damn thing.

He stepped forward, getting much more closer than what she was comfortable with, but damn him if she'd let him know that.

"Well, I read yours," he said.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Right, like you'd read anything that to do with me-"

"You went back to school after the War. You got top grades and graduated top of the class. You got engaged to Weasley but he passed away before you could get married, but not before getting pregnant-"

"Don't you talk-"

"I'm not finished," he said, cutting her off before continuing, "You got a job right away working for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures then switched to the M.L.E. after you had your daughter. You are a devoted and loyal mom to her. You are still close friends with Potter, and your daughter's middle name is after Ginny Weasley. Am I missing anything?"

"Yes. I hate you," she spat.

"Good. Because I hate you too right now."

Before he knew it, he grabbed her by the front of her robes and pulled her even closer to him. Before she had a chance to object or say anything, he crushed his mouth onto hers. Fire spread throughout him as he teased and tasted her lips, trying to coaxing them open. Hermione grabbed the front of his cloak to steady herself and to push him away, but instead, she held on. Just as she was about to yield to the kiss and open to him, he broke contact, fury in his grey eyes as he stared into her brown, surprised ones.

She blinked a few times before the reality of what happened hit her. She scrunched up her face in anger and lifted her hand to slap him, but he caught it before she could.

"Not this time Granger," he said, before letting go of her hand and walking around the desk towards the door.

She just stared after him as he yanked it open. Before he stepped through he called back over his shoulder, "See you at the banquet," then slammed it smartly behind him.


"How dare he. How. Dare. He!" Hermione yelled, pacing the living room of Harry and Ginny's home. After the incident with Draco in her office, she quickly left, picked up Rose, then headed straight over.

"Hermione, you need to calm down. Harry's going to be home soon and I don't think you want him to overhear what happened. He's already going to wonder why you left so early without telling him."

"You're right, you're right. I wouldn't want him to do anything rash," Hermione agreed, taking a few calming breaths before sitting down next to Ginny on the couch.

"Worried about Malfoy, are you?" Ginny teased.

"Hardly," said Hermione, rolling her eyes, "I just don't want Harry going to Azkaban because of him."

"Tell me again, calmly this time, what happened," said Ginny, propping up her feet on the coffee table.

"OK," Hermione took a deep breath before starting, "He came to my office, which, that in itself is irksome because of the already flying rumors about us with the whole zoo thing."

Ginny nodded but didn't interrupt, waiting for her friend to continue.

"He asked me out for coffee, which at first was confusing but then it just made me mad. He only wanted to meet up so we could 'talk' and to put up a front that everything is fine between us. I can see right through that it's just for publicity. I called him out on it and I guess it got him angry. We argued and then…. " she trailed off, not being able to say it.

Ginny waited for a moment before tentatively saying, "He kissed you?"

Hermione nodded, "Yes."

"And...did you kiss him back?"

"What? Ginny! No!"

"Then what did you do while he was kissing you?"
"I just… stood there I guess. I was confused. This was Malfoy. He tormented me for years. He hates what I am. And there he was, trying to snog my brains out? What else should I have done?"

"Can I ask you something if you promise not to get mad?"

Hermione glanced at Ginny from the corner of her eye, "No promises."

"How did he treat you? Like, I know he asked you out and kissed you, which we'll get back too in a moment, but, besides that."

Hermione gave her a confused look,"What do you mean?"

What did he call you, for instance?"

"He called me Granger. Just Granger. Why?"

"Did he call you that… that word?"

Hermione absently rubbed the arm that contained the thin, white scars of the word in question. "No. He didn't," she looked at Ginny, "But that doesn't mean he's changed or anything. He just-"

"Have you read the article about him? The one in Witch Weekly," Ginny asked curiously.

Hermione shook her head, "No."

Ginny got up from the couch and walked into her bedroom, returning a few seconds later with the magazine in question.

"Here. Maybe you should take a look," she said quietly.

Hermione sighed, "Fine. But I need to check on Rose first. She's been awfully quiet and sometimes that's not a good thing..."

"I already did. She's just playing with some of Teddy's toys in his room," Ginny sat back down on the couch next to Hermione and motioned to the magazine, "Read."

Hermione opened the magazine and read the article within quietly to herself. When she was done, she frowned, and looked to Ginny.

"Is this true? How do we know that it isn't all just a lie?"

"We don't. But can you really see Malfoy shaming and disrespecting his family like that if it wasn't true?"

"No, I guess not," said Hermione, biting her lower lip.

"What if… and this is only a what if," Ginny said hesitantly, "He asked you out for coffee because he wanted to apologize to you? For the way he acted towards you in school? He was just a child back then after all, and his views were all screwed up because of the way he was raised. "

Hermione, still frowning, shook her head, "I highly doubt that. If he wanted to apologize he could have just done it in the office instead of asking me out.."

"Did you give him a chance?"

"What?"

"Did you give him a chance to talk? To explain anything?"

Hermione thought about the encounter in the office and shook her head slowly, "No. I… I guess I didn't."

Ginny smiled at her friend and patted her knee, "Maybe next time you see him, you can try and hear what he has to say."

Hermione looked at Ginny, "Why are you trying to get me to like Malfoy?" she asked, confused.

"I said nothing about liking Malfoy, just maybe about, forgiveness."

Hermione thought about that for a moment, wondering if she could forgive him.

"Ok, one more question then I promise we'll drop the subject," Ginny gave Hermione a sly grin, "How was the kiss?"


Draco stared moodily at the contents in his tumbler, thinking about what transpired that day. With a growl, he drank back the firewhisky in one go, then threw the glass across the room, where it shattered against the wall, just as Blaise walked in.

"I see things went well," he said sarcastically.

"Peachy," said Draco through clenched teeth as he grabbed his wand and repaired the broken tumbler with a wordless reparo spell. He filled it up again, drinking the contents one more time.

"How many of those have you had, mate?" asked Blaise, walking over to Draco.

Draco shrugged, "Four. Five. Maybe six. Who cares?" he said, starting to pour another glass.

Blaise stopped him, "I care."

He took the Firewhisky and tumbler away from Draco then turned to face him again. He had only ever seen Draco this mad and this drunk a handful of times. The first was right before his trial at the Ministry, knowing for sure he'd be sent to Azkaban the next day. Another time was after Astoria cheated on him, though his anger and drinking was even worse than this.

"What happened?" he asked seriously.

"She hates me," he said sourly.

"She wouldn't accept your apology then?"

"She didn't even give me the bloody chance!" Draco stormed over to his leather sofa, sitting down angrily.

Blaise walked over and sat next to him, "What happened?" he asked again.

"I walk in and she's immediately defensive. I ask her out to coffee so we could talk and she tells me no. Then she goes on about how she doesn't trust or like me. I shot a few things back at her and then….." he clenched his teeth.

"And then..?" Blaise prompted.

"She was just so infuriating! She wouldn't shut up and she was pissing me off! The worse part is, everything she said was true. I had to shut her up somehow…"

"What did you do?" asked Blaise nervously, thinking the worse.

Draco closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I kissed her," he said evenly.

"You…you kissed her?" Blaise asked, both relieved and confused.

Draco nodded gloomily.

"Well that's… unexpected," he said, trying not to smile.

"Tell me about it," said Draco.

"Did she kiss you back?"

Draco glared at Blaise, "That isn't the point."

"It isn't? I thought the whole point of kissing someone was to get kissed back," he said, a small smile forming.

"I told you, I only did it to shut her up."

"And did it work?"

"I left before she could spout anything else at me… or throw hexes."

"Smart move," Blaise chuckled.

"This isn't funny, Blaise," said Draco wearily. "I totally blew it. I just wanted to apologize and put our past behind us but I couldn't even take two steps into her office without her going off on me. How on earth will we be able to get through that banquet together?"

"Well, you can always just kiss her again," Blaise suggested.

This time, Draco cracked a smile, "Guess there is always that," he said sarcastically.

"Do you want to kiss her again?" Blaise asked seriously.

"No," said Draco a little too quickly, and a little too nervously.

Blaise raised his eyebrows at him, "You do, don't you? You felt something."

"All I felt was her stiff, cold lips. She just stood there, non-responsive."

"But you want to kiss her again, to see if she will respond, right? Even just to ebb that curiosity now that you've had a taste, am I correct?"

Draco's brooding silence was enough confirmation for Blaise.


A/N: So what do you think of their first kiss? As good as can be expected, right? haha!
For those wondering, Blaise had bought the tv and left it at his house, then used a transporter spell to conjure it to Draco's place.
And as far as Teddy having a room at Harry and Ginny's, I figured it made sense seeing as how he stays with them occasionally.
Thanks for reading! Please follow/favorite/review!