Chapter 10
A night at the Opera
AN: Hello my lovely's! I am so glad everyone is enjoying my story so far. Please continue to review and let me know your thoughts. And remember to check out photbucket for photos for this story. Just search ssteele2989. Enjoy!
Hermione awoke the next day with a blaring headache. She groaned and drew the blankets up over her head to block out the sun. She had tried rolling over and going back to sleep when there was a knock at her door. She wrapped her comforter around her and cracked the door open to see who it was and she groaned again because it was Draco.
"What?" She asked annoyed.
"Well good morning to you to. Someone not feeling well today?" Draco asked pushing the door open and walking into her room and stretching himself over her couch. "I brought you a hang over potion." Draco said tossing a small vile at her that she caught but in doing so dropped her comforter that left her standing in nothing but her bra and knickers. When Hermione realized what had happened she blushed something fierce and quickly picked the comforter back up and covered herself.
"Thanks." She said quietly and took the potion instantly feeling better. "Now is there something I can do for or are you just planning on bothering me all the time?" Hermione asked sitting in a chair across from him.
"Well I wanted to check and see how you were doing. You drank quite a bit last night. " Draco said running a hand through his hair. Hermione was coming to find that's what he did when he was nervous or unsure about something.
"Everything alright?" She asked him. He was quite for a moment as if deciding whether or not to tell her what was on his mind.
"Yeah everything is good. So are you hungry?" Draco asked standing up and moving behind the couch. Hermione nodded and stood up. "Good then I will have breakfast brought up to you. Why don't you go take a shower and get ready and breakfast will be here waiting for you." Draco told her leaving the room and closing the door behind him. Hermione thought that he was acting odd but just brushed it off as Malfoy being Malfoy. Hermione took her shower and freshened up putting a white silk robe on and braiding her hair. When she came out of the bathroom a small table had been set up and had muffins and fruit set out on it along with spiced tea made with warm milk. Draco was already seated and was sipping coffee reading the morning's paper. Hermione sat down and placed some of the fruit in her bowl and grabbed a muffin. She asked Draco to pass her the current events section of the paper and they sat in relative silence as they ate their breakfast and read the paper.
Draco watched Hermione over his paper as she had her breakfast. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen as she sat there with her section of the paper. No make up on and her hair braided and draping over her shoulder. He could get use to doing this every morning.
"So what is on the agenda for the day?" Hermione asked setting the paper down and picking up her tea leaning back in her seat and sipping from her cup.
"We are going to the muggle opera tonight." Draco told her. "I believe the production is The Phantom of the Opera. Which I hear is a musical and not an opera but I have heard good reviews and going to the opera will show that the Malfoy's are making an effort and…"
"Draco you're rambling." Hermione pointed out to him and for the first time ever Hermione thought she saw a small embarrassed blush grace Draco's perfect checks and Hermione smiled to herself because of it. " Any way Phantom is one of my favorite productions so I am sure you will like it very much." Hermione told him setting down her empty glass and stretching back in her seat. "Anything else?" Hermione asked.
"Yes we will be having dinner with Blaise and Ginny before the production and Mother and Father will be joining the four of us in our box for the production." Draco told her. Hermione did not like that thought of having to sit in an opera box with Lucius…Wait did he say box?
"We will have a private box to view the play in tonight. Really?" Hermione asked excited about the fact that they would have a private box. Being rich really did have its perks.
"Yes I believe that's what rich muggles get themselves so I got one as well. We Malfoy's do everything in style." Draco told her and she just rolled her eyes.
"Well then I am going to get dressed and try and find my way to the library." Hermione told him.
At 5:45pm Hermione heard a knock on her door and she called that it was open. Draco stepped in wearing a muggle tux with a silver tie and vest. His hair was slicked back but he hadn't used as much gel in his hair that he had when he was in school and he smelled wonderful. Hermione was just finishing getting ready when Draco had stepped into her room. She was wearing the long black dress he had picked and her was pulled back in a large bun at the nap of her neck. She was putting her long diamond earrings in and Draco's attention was brought to her long slender neck. How he loved kissing the soft skin there.
"Ready to go then?" Draco asked Hermione as she checked herself in the mirror. "You look wonderful so stop worrying." Draco told her as he noticed her face. Hermione just nodded to herself and grabbing her matching clutch purse her and Draco left for the restaurant.
Dinner had been a pleasant enough affair. They had a wonderful meal of roasted lamb and vegetables as well as some wonderful wine and a chocolate dessert that was to die for. Draco had arranged for a limo to take them to the opera house in London. When they arrived at the opera house they were met with the muggle paparazzi there as well as some wizarding ones seeing as how they must have caught wind that the Malfoy's were attending tonight and come to find out the queen was going to be there as well which explained while the muggle paparazzi was there. The four pushed their way through the photographers and Draco presented the tickets to the clerk and they were shown to their seats. The production didn't start for another forty-five minutes so they stood in the parlor area outside where the other's who had boxes as well passed the time before a production and during intermission. Draco and Blaise brought the ladies champagne and they continued to talk. They were soon joined by Narcissa and Luicus who said hello and disappeared into the box. Narcissa just rolled her eyes in a very non Malfoy fashion and followed after her husband. The lights flashed a few moments later in the parlor telling them to take their seats.
Draco watched Hermione through out the whole production and watched her face light up through out the whole production and she mouthed the words to all the songs.
"Oh that was simply wonderful. Don't you think dear?" Narcissa asked Lucius after the play was over. Lucius just made a grunting noise and Narcissa bid them all a good night before her and Lucius departed for home.
"Did you enjoy it Hermione?" Draco asked Hermione.
"Yes it was wonderful. Thank you so much for bringing me." Hermione told him.
"Uh-oh. We have a problem." Blaise said to the group pointing towards Pansy Parkinson who was coming there way looking royally pissed.
"Well if it isn't the home wrecking slag herself." Pansy spat towards Hermione.
"I didn't wreck anything. It's not my fault you can't keep a man happy." Hermione replied keeping an air of superiority that Draco found very slytherin of her.
"Watch who you are speaking to Mudblood." Pansy said. "You are in the presence of someone far superior then yourself."
"Really where because I don't see the Queen anywhere" Hermione said keeping her cool. The word mudblood didn't bother her anymore. She had heard it so many times before that it was just another word to her now.
"I think you need to leave." Draco said to Pansy in a warning tone.
"And you. How could you leave me Draky for her. She is nothing." Pansy said pouting.
"She is everything to me. And you will respect her as the future Lady Malfoy. Now leave before I have security come and take you away." Draco told her. Hermione just stood their shocked. He was being so protective of her.
"This isn't the last you will hear from me." Pansy said then stalked off back to the group she had come with.
"Are you ok?" Draco asked Hermione who just nodded. He wrapped and arm around her and they left to go back to the manor.
"That was some act back there." Hermione commented to Draco as they rode in the limo.
"Who said it was an act." Draco said giving her a most peculiar look. "Hermione I don't think you realize how special you are to me." Draco told her softly.
"You mean because I am securing your money for you?" Hermione asked him.
"No because you are the most wonderful person I have ever met and I want to be a better person because of you. Everything I have done since the war has been to make myself worthy of you. To be the man you deserve. To be the man who will give you the world and protect you from all of the bad in it and give you all the good it has to offer." Draco told her most sincerely. Hermione listened to all he said and her heart began to break. He had been so wonderful and had done such amazing things since the war to turn his life around and he was pouring his heart out to her and all she could think was that she didn't deserve him. She was damaged and had let her life slip when he had been making his better. "When I saw you that night at the club I knew that you were meant to come back into my life and I swore I wouldn't let you get away because I have been in love with you since school but was never fully able to admit it to myself and for years I kicked myself for letting you get away. I tried to forget you but no one ever compared to you. I would really like to court you properly. I would love the honor of having you for my love. No pretending. I want you to be mine." Draco told her brushing a tear off her face with his thumb.
"Draco I don't know if I can. I have been so damaged and I don't know if I could love again." Hermione told him looking into his wonderful silver eyes. Eyes that made her want to forget the world around her and just float in those mercury pools.
"Then let me teach you." He told her capturing her lips in another passionate kiss. "Let me show you how to open your heart again and I promise I won't hurt you ever if you trust me with it." He said in between kisses. She nodded and let herself melt into his touch and kisses.