Draco kept checking his mobile, laughing occasionally as Hermione sent play by play texts of her day in the shop. She seemed to get the most unusual and eccentric customers. She even sent a short clip of someone's charmed coffee pot. It was now malfunctioning because the new owner tried to adjust the spellwork to allow for a self filling pot rather than having to manually change the filter. Instead, it had started spurting coffee out randomly from different areas of the appliance, burning whoever happened to be standing too close.
It was amusing to him how silly she really was, to be honest. He never would have thought she was as laid back as she was. She often kept to herself in Hogwarts, or stuck around Potter or Weasel, so it was hard to gauge how much of a sense of humor she might have. She wasn't cruel by any means with her jokes, but she was often sarcastic and made random or unexpected jokes that caught him by surprise and always made him laugh.
A knock came from his office door, so he quickly pocketed his mobile and grabbed the papers on his desk instead.
"Come in," he called gruffly, and looked up in shock to see Astoria Greengrass stepping into the room. She shut the door delicately behind her and turned to face him.
"Hello, Draco."
"Astoria," he replied cooly, placing the papers he held back down onto his desk. "What brings you to my offices?"
"Are you so unhappy to see me?" she asked quietly, seating herself in the chair opposite him as he gestured to it.
"Of course not. It's always a pleasure to be in your presence. I'm just surprised, that's all."
Astoria tipped her head in acknowledgement, and fiddled with the clutch she held in her lap. Her back was ramrod straight and she looked as elegant as ever in her perfectly pressed robes, with not a hair on her head out of place.
"Not as surprised as I was to hear you dissolved our engagement agreement." She replied curtly, bringing her eyes to look into his own.
Draco did his best not to flinch, and hoped he'd managed to remain as stoic as possible upon hearing her words. He interlaced his fingers and leaned onto his desk.
"Astoria, I apologize if my decisions offended you, but I-"
She scoffed, cutting him off. "Offended? More like, betrayed. Stunned. I was depending on being wed to you. My future had been secure, and you snatched it all away, for what? Some random bint that has caught your attention?"
His jaw clenched painfully, and it was all he could do to withhold the barrage of curses he wanted to throw at her. She flipped some hair over her shoulder haughtily, and glared at him from across the desk.
"Its really not any of your business, however, no I didn't dissolve our arrangement for some random woman." he replied through clenched teeth. Normally, he got on fairly well with Astoria, so he was trying very hard to be patient. The only reason for her to behave like this is that her feelings are hurt so she is lashing out.
"Really? Not my concern? You have some nerve, Draco Malfoy. This was my life. Everything I'd been preparing for, taken from me by one single letter."
He watched her eyes glaze over with suppressed tears and grow red from the effort of holding back. Her cheeks flushed and she seemed to be trembling. He sighed and got to his feet, moving around the desk to stand before her.
"Tori..." he spoke softly, and held his hand out to her. She sniffed, and placed her hand delicately in his as he tugged her up to stand with him. "I'm so sorry for hurting you. This was not my intention. I still care for you, but you know my heart wasn't in it. We would have been unhappy."
She shook her head and bit her lip, head down so she wouldn't have to look him in the eye.
"I would have been a good and dutiful wife, Draco. I would have done everything to make you happy. Given you an heir..." She replied softly, and released a shuddering breath further trying to fight off her tears.
"I've no doubt you would have been, Tori, but that doesn't change the fact that we would not have been happy together. Please understand that." He rested a hand on her cheek, and just as a tear managed to find it's way passed her defenses, she stepped quickly away from him, wiping harshly at her face.
"No!" she snapped, eyes ablaze and burning through him, "I will never understand! You've ruined everything!"
With a flourish, she whirled away from him and rushed out of his office, slamming the door behind her.
oO0Oo
A chime came from Hermione's chimney, so she hurried over and saw Blaise's head looking up at her.
"Hello, sweetheart. Mind if I come through?" he asked, overly pleasant.
"Yes, I mind." She replied, staring down at him with her hands on her hips.
"Lovely." he quipped, and the next instant the floo roared to life as his head vanished and he stepped past the grate, brushing soot off his person in distaste.
Hermione rolled her eyes and her foot was tapping impatiently on the floor. "Really, Blaise? Why bother asking, than?
"I don't want to stumble upon you and my best mate shagging, do I?" he retorted and Hermione choked and sputtered through his words. Blaise let out a hearty laugh and toppled rather gracelessly onto her couch.
"Honestly, you're such a git. What do you want?" she snapped once she regained control of herself.
His brows furrowed and he looked up at her with a pained expression. "Why are you cross with me?"
"Because I know you're only here to poke fun at me about having tea at the Manor today. Go home."
"Come now, Granger. That's no way to treat a friend. The emotional abuse I'm enduring may have lasting effects."
Hermione huffed as she sat next to him. "Nothing I have done to you has had any lasting effects, Blaise. I can show you what that's really like, if you insist." She growled.
Blaise laughed again and shook his finger at her. "Careful Granger. Wouldn't want Malfoy to hear you flirting with me like that, would we?"
Grabbing a small cushion, she whacked him with it several times, and he pitifully tried to shield himself from the onslaught.
"Shut up! Okay, seriously Blaise, what do you want?" she asked again after growing tired of pummeling him with her pillow.
Blaise sighed and gingerly wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a tight one armed hug.
"Be brave, Granger. Don't let those Malfoys intimidate you, yeah? They have no idea the magnificent witch you are, and you will do well to show them. Don't let them corner you, and take away your fire. Draco cares for you, and with good reason. Remember that, okay?"
He was looking intently at her, and she felt a sting in her eyes, and a slight tremble of her lip.
"Blaise..." She whispered, but he just pulled her even closer and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. She squeezed her eyes shut, and hugged him back. "Thank you, Blaise." She said softly, and felt him nod once.
oO0Oo
"Ready?"
Hermione looked up into Draco's eyes and let out a shaky breath before nodding. They were stood in front of the Manors huge entrance hall doors, and she had to fight to remain there instead of fleeing back in the opposite direction. She felt him squeeze her hand in reassurance, and opened the door to allow her entry. Moments after stepping over the threshold, a slender and beautiful woman appeared at the top of the grand staircase and quickly made her way down to them.
"Draco, my sweet boy!" she preened, and took his face in both hands to plant kisses on his cheeks. He wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug and sighed contentedly.
"Hello, mother." He released her, and turned to Hermione. "Mother, may I introduce you to Ms. Hermione Granger. Hermione, this is my mother, Narcissa Malfoy."
Hermione bowed her head respectfully at the older witch, and smiled nervously. "It's so nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Malfoy." Properly, anyway, she thought to herself.
The Lady of the house waved her hand. "The pleasure is mine, and please, Narcissa will do just fine, Ms. Granger."
Hermione smiled again, and nodded, "Please, call me Hermione."
His mother smiled prettilyat her, and they all turned toward the staircase at the sound of a throat being cleared.
"Welcome to our home, Ms. Granger. I'm pleased you have agreed to join us today." Lucius Malfoy stood, regal as ever and spoke like his words were wrapped in silk. Hermione felt herself shudder. It was a very strange feeling sharing a space with a man that once tried to kill her and her closest friends.
"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. I appreciate the welcome into your home. It is lovely."
He nodded curtly and summoned a house elf to check that tea was ready for them in Narcissa's personal sitting room.
As they walked, she glanced to Draco as he took her arm in his and he smirked at her. She felt the nerves prickling through her, but pulled every bit of comfort she could from his presence.
They entered the sitting area where Narcissa and Lucius both sat in some comfortable looking armchairs separated by a small table in between that held a lovely vase full of a variety of different flowers. in front of them was a table with their tea service and opposite that was a small couch, which Draco and Hermione occupied. The room itself was beautiful, and reminded Hermione a lot of a French countryside villa.
"Well, Ms. Granger, what made you agree to our son courting you? Was it his promised inheritance?" Lucius wasted no time, arching a brow at her just as Narcissa snapped a deathly look at him before she was able to even place a hand on the teapot.
Hermione gasped at the man in shock and felt Draco tense immediately beside her. She supposed that was one way to break the ice.
A/N Lucius is being a butt. Hopefully Hermione can handle it.
Thanks for reading and please leave some reviews below. Let me know what you think and maybe what youd like to see at some point. Maybe i can work it into the storyline. See you soon!
