Chapter Ten
Hermione checked her watch for the umpteenth time and sighed, Zab- Blaise was late. How are they supposed to make a good impression to Headmistress Mcgonagall if they don't even show up on time. Hermione stomped up the steps to the rooms and knocked on the door to the top floor. She wasn't expecting Malfoy to open the door, he looked surprised as well, his eyebrows practically shot up into his hairline. Since the last time she had saw him she was used to Draco not looking like that douchebag who spent way too much time on his looks, but now he was even more different. He was wearing a tank top and basketball shorts. She couldn't believe it, Draco Malfoy is wearing a tank top and muggle shorts. And oh Merlin, is that a tan? She didn't even know if it was possible for Malfoy to tan.
"Morning Granger." Malfoy said, pulling Hermione out of her musings.
"Malfoy." Hermione replied, hoping that she wasn't caught staring, "Is Blaise still here?" Malfoy looked at her strangely, and Hermione felt the need to explain, "He was supposed to meet me in the common room two minutes ago and if we don't leave now we're going to be late for our appointment with the Headmistress."
From inside the room Hermione heard Blaise say, "Don't get your knickers in a twist, Hermione, I was just having my morning coffee and reading the paper." Blaise appeared next to Malfoy, with a copy of The Daily Prophet under his arm and a cup of coffee in his hand. Blaise and Malfoy hugged each other as Blaise left the flat. Hermione thought that was cute, she could understand where the gay rumors came from. "See you at breakfast, mate." Blaise called over his shoulder as they descended the steps.
As Blaise stepped out of his flat Hermione got a closer look at his mug, "Does your mug have an owl putting up his middle finger on it?"
"What else would I drink my coffee out of?" Blaise replied like it was the simplest answer in the world. Hermione covered her mouth in the hope of covering up her giggle, Blaise grinned down at her.
"That mug is completely inappropriate, you can't take that into our meeting." Hermione scolded.
Blaise raised an eyebrow as he took a sip from the mug, "Trust me, 'Mione, I need this coffee. There's no way in hell I'm leaving it." The two stared at each other before Hermione huffed and left the common room, she knew Zabini had a victorious smirk on his face as he followed her out.
Blaise talked about their new ties on the way to the office, he had the amazing talent of being able to ramble on about something insignificant for quite awhile. Hermione didn't mind the black ties, it seemed fitting that they wore when they first entered Hogwarts and now they'd wear them as they were preparing to leave.
They sat in straight-backed chairs in front Headmistress Mcgonagall's desk. "Good morning, Granger, Zabini." The gray-haired witch said as she entered the room.
"Good morning." Blaise and Hermione replied in unison as Mcgonagall took a seat at her desk.
"I'm sure that you're wondering why you're here this morning. First things first, I know that the two of you are not from the same house and I would appreciate-"
"Excuse me, Headmistress," Blaise interrupted and Hermione stared at him in disbelief. "You don't need to tell us this, Hermione and I are going to work well together. We're friends." That shocked Hermione, sure they didn't want to kill each other but friends?
Mcgonagall's eyebrows raised as well, but she smiled slightly, "Very well. As Head Boy and Girl you will also have to be the liaison between the Hogwarts administration and the rest of the eighth years. Not to mention that the Heads and I have decided that you two should be the ones to plan our first mixer."
Hermione raised her hand without thinking, Mcgonagall nodded to her with a smile as Hermione blushed, "When do you expect this 'mixer' to be?"
"I was getting to that," The Headmistress answered, "The party will be on Halloween Night, after the feast, we're expecting about 300 people to attend, as students from Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, and anyone else affected will be invited. All we ask is that it will be Halloween themed and a nice atmosphere for meeting new people." That should be easy enough, Hermione thought.
"Liquor is allowed, right?" Hermione should've expected Blaise to ask a question like that. She hadn't been having civil conversation with him for more than a day and she already knew that he drunk far more than necessary. She snuck a glance at him, he looked completely professional and calm. She couldn't help but wonder how much Zabini actually drinks.
Mcgonagall nodded, "You all will be of age, so alcoholic beverages will be permitted. And if that is all, you are dismissed."
"A party." Blaise said as they went down to the Great Hall, breakfast hadn't officially started yet, but there would probably be some food down there. Blaise had a mischievous glint in his eye, "We should get Daph to help, she's good with planning things.'
Hermione hummed in agreement without actually paying attention, unlike Blaise she didn't sit down for breakfast earlier, so she was extremely hungry. As they went down the steps Hermione redid her sloppy bun and Blaise was uncharacteristically quiet. When they got to the Great Hall there was only one other person inside.
Malfoy sat at the eighth year table facing away from the door, eating an apple. Blaise went over without a second thought, Hermione stopped for just a moment. She still had the time to go back upstairs and wait for someone else to come down the steps, but Merlin, Hermione's hungry. Wait shit, the Slytherin boys both looked over at her, and Hermione knew it was too late to go back up to the Flats. She took a deep breath and went over to the table.
Malfoy was at least dressed in uniform this time, Hermione was thankful for that. Blaise and Malfoy were, for some reason, talking about cancer when Hermione sat across from them at the table. "Hermione can't you get lung cancer from smoking?" Blaise said with a pointed look at Malfoy.
Before Hermione could reply Malfoy said, "Granger, can't you get Liver Disease from excessive drinking?" Now Hermione knew that she wasn't meant to answer their questions, Blaise and Malfoy glared at each other as Hermione picked up a piece of bacon. They seemed to be having a conversation without words before finally looking away from one another. Blaise stood up, "I'm going to the bathroom." The Italian left without another word, leaving the Gryffindor Golden Girl and the Prince of Slytherin by themselves.
Hermione and Malfoy looked at each other, and Malfoy took another bite of his apple. Hermione ate her bacon and they sat in silence. Last night they had both silently and mutually decided that the days of hurling insults back and forth like children were over, but the type of relationship they had now, if any, was unclear. Hermione couldn't think of a single thing to say, and the awkward silence stretched on. Finally Malfoy coughed lightly, "How was your meeting?"
"It was fine." Hermione replied, grateful that Malfoy had said something, "Mcgonagall has tasked us with planning a Halloween Party, people from Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang will attend, along with people who have already graduated."
Malfoy nodded, "Is it going to be a costume party?"
"I suppose it could be, Blaise and I haven't discussed it yet." Hermione replied awkwardly, everything about talking to Malfoy felt awkward to Hermione. It was much easier when they were insulting each other between classes, than it was to have civil conversation.
"When did that happen?" Malfoy asked, Hermione stared at him curiously. He rolled his eyes pushed a couple of blond locks off his forehead, "Since when are you and Blaise on first name basis?"
The corner of Hermione's mouth quirked up, and she raised an eyebrow. She could tell Malfoy was bothered by something and she couldn't help but to push his buttons; it was so easy, "Blaise, and I are friends, friends use each other's first names."
"When did you become friends?" Malfoy asked, Hermione shrugged, and Malfoy rolled his eyes.
"I make a lot of friends," Hermione replied through bites of her bacon, "I can't keep track of when exactly I became friends with everyone." Hermione smirked as Malfoy glared at her, but she saw the corner of his mouth twitch. "It's okay, Malfoy, I won't steal your best mate." That little twitch was the most emotion she'd gotten out of him, annoying him felt so normal.
Malfoy gave her an arrogant look, "Like you could."
As though he knew he being spoken of Blaise came back over and sat at the table, with Daphne Greengrass in tow. Malfoy raised an eyebrow, "What did you run into Daph on the way back from the bathroom?"
"Good morning to you too Drake." Daphne said, sticking out her tongue as she sat next to Hermione and Blaise took his seat next Malfoy. "Blaise said that you need help with a party?"
As more people entered the Great Hall more and more food appeared on the table before them, and Malfoy grabbed some toast and began buttering it, "You should make it a costume party."
Daphne grinned, "That's a great idea!"
Blaise's eyes widened, "I call being a doctor, Hermione because we're the hosts we should do partner costumes. You be a nurse."
Hermione frowned, "That's incredibly misogynistic of you, why do I have to be the nurse?"
Blaise stared at Hermione in surprise, "Okay you be the doctor and I'll be the nurse, I just want to wear the blue clothes they wear. I think they'd look good on me, don't you think so?" Hermione stared at Blaise in disbelief as he winked.
"What's a doctor?" Daphne asked, she looked extremely confused, as did Malfoy. How did they go eighteen years without knowing what a doctor is?
Blaise answered, "I found out about them when I was researching cigarettes, they're the muggle version of healers." Daphne and Malfoy nodded in understanding.
At that moment Harry and Ron came into the Great Hall, Hermione received an odd look from Ron as the two took a seat at the table. Ron sat next Hermione and Harry took the seat opposite Daphne across the table.
"Morning 'Mione." Harry and Ron each said in greeting.
"Good morning." Hermione grinned, thankful to finally see her friends.
"Harry," Malfoy started with a pointed look at Hermione. Everyone at the table looked at Malfoy in shock, and he continued, "Do you know what a doctor is?"
Harry looked very confused when he answered, "Yes?" Hermione snorted in amusement as Malfoy boasted that he too knew what a doctor was as Parkinson joined the table. It seemed that Daphne took pity on Harry and explained the costume party idea to him as the mail came.
Hermione didn't expect any mail besides a letter from the Weasley's but to her surprise several bundles of mail were dropped in her breakfast. The same went for Harry, Ron, Blaise, Malfoy, and when Hermione looked around she saw that Ginny and Neville got quite a bit of mail too. "What the fuck?" Blaise muttered, "I never get mail."
Hermione looked at some of the names on the envelopes, she didn't recognize most of them. She heard Harry give a small, uncomfortable, laugh, "I've been proposed to at least thirty times this morning." Another letter was dropped onto his plate, "Make that thirty-one times."
Hermione's eyes widened as she opened the closest one; Dear Ms. Granger, Would you marry me? -Love, Nicholas Talman. She fished through the pile, hoping to find at least one that wasn't asking for her hand in marriage. She grinned when she found one with a return address from Bulgaria. She opened it and grinned while reading;
Dearest Hermione,
The quidditch season is over now (and because you don't follow quidditch I feel the need to add that we won the Cup...again) and I want to go back to England. I had heard that you're back at Hogwarts and I was wondering if you would make time out of your schedule to meet me in Hogsmeade? If not I can always stop by and meet you in the library, just like old times. I've missed you, Hermione.
With love, Viktor Krum
Daphne elbowed her lightly, "What's got you blushing?" Hermione just shook her head, and slid the letter into her bag, feeling very warm-hearted.
A/N: Wow I'm sorry this took so long, I've had a bit of writer's block and I'm not quite through it but I didn't want to leave y'all waiting. Read and Review please (Favoriting and Following are also greatly appreciated). I hope you all have a great day or tomorrow, and until next time; valete!