Chapter Ten
Who Knew
The morning announced an official new start. Hermione smiled when she woke, but frowned when she found that Malfoy wasn't beside her. She looked around the Slytherin room, but he was nowhere to be seen.
She went into the kitchen, and saw a blonde boy in boxers over the stove, the sweet aroma of bacon, and cheese reached her. He turned when she walked in, and grinned. "Morning."
Hermione felt her heart soar. He wasn't angry with her. She stood next to him watching the omelets sizzle in the frying pan. "When did you learn to cook?"
"During the summer my parents would often go on these long trips to Europe. If you haven't noticed I'm a proud individual, and don't like everything being done for me. My houselves were kept to secrecy when I cooked my meals during those times. It didn't make the elves happy. They didn't like me too well."
Hermione's smile grew. He didn't like houselves doing all his dirty work. It was the best thing he could have ever said to her. She stood on tiptoe kissing him on the cheek.
"I suppose this means that our rules are invalid," he commented slyly. He slid the omelets onto two plates. "I have some plans for us today."
"Really," she asked intrigued taking a plate from him.
"We've been here for weeks, and haven't seen the town. Thought you could show me around?"
It was hard to believe that the guy before her was Malfoy. "You do know that it's a Muggle town, right?"
"Of course." He looked at her intently. "Granger, I swear to you, who I've been these past sixteen years is my father. I tried to be him, but I know I'm not. I'm trying here."
Hermione would have never believed him if it wasn't for his eyes. For as long as she had known him, since they were eleven, he had gray eyes that reminded her of steel. Cold, and impenetrable. Now his eyes were similar to a stormy sky. They held promise, and renewal.
"We'll go after breakfast."
They walked on the sidewalk past a line of neighboring houses until they reached the corner. They walked in silenced. Hermione almost expected for him to take her hand, but he walked with his hands in his pockets. She shrugged it off, and they took a right.
Hermione remembered Dumbledore telling her that there were shop nearby, and he was right. They took a left at the next corner, and was greeted by a long street packed with modest shops.
They spent the day going into each one. Malfoy was fascinated by an electronics store. He almost yelled when he saw "boxes with people trapped inside." Hermione did a lot of explaining that day, but it was worth it to witness his reactions to everything that was new to him. He once said, "and they do all this without magic?!" She couldn't recall having so much fun with someone.
As dusk started to drape over the sky they went for dinner at a cafe. There was a coolness in the air threatening to chill, but they ate outside anyway. They talked of school, childhood memories, likes, and dislikes. At one point she forgot that she was talking with her enemy turned friend, and she couldn't help but think of all the years they lost hating each other when it could have been like this all along.
The moon was above them as they made their way back home. Malfoy's hand brushed across hers, and he took it in his. Hermione suppressed a smile. She could hear Malfoy took a breath before he spoke, carefully as if he was afraid of the words coming out of his mouth.
"So... Does this count as a date?"
"Lets
see... We went out, we had dinner, talked, and laughed, had a good
time. Yes, I think this would count as a date. Why?"
He
shrugged. "I can say this is my first Muggle date."
"Would you?"
"Yes."
When they reached the front door he stopped her pressing his hands on her shoulders. "Let me kiss you?"
She beamed, and he bent grazing his lips over hers. When he tried to deepen it she stepped back. "I'm going to go to bed."
"Mine,
or yours?"
Hermione glared at him warningly. "Mine.
This is still new -"
"And you don't trust me." It wasn't an accusation, but a statement.
"Yeah... Lets take it slow, Malfoy."
"Okay," he agreed with only slight disappointment in his tone, and it appeared as if he remembered something. "Hey, we snogged, had our first date, are we ever going to call each other by our first names? I think we're at least at that point."
Hermione bit her lip thinking. "I think we are too, Draco," the name a little foreign on her lips.
"Right, Hermione." The name rolled off his tongue in the sweetest way it sent chills down her spine.
They each went into their separate rooms without a backward glance. It would make it harder otherwise. Hermione spent the next hour in the bath idling away time with giant purple bubbles. She stepped out, dried herself, and slowly dressed. He should be asleep now, she thought.
She walked carefully across the hall to his door. She pressed her ear against it listening for deep breathing, maybe snoring. There was a light snore. She twisted the knob, and pushed it open gently being certain to not make any noise. She whispered the spell, and caught the flying journal, and went back to her room.
25/9/96
My father would be disappointed. I should now officially consider myself cut from the family fortune, and the family for that matter. I'm dating Granger. Today was the best day of my life. I spent it all with her. I never had so much fun.
I went to my first Muggle shop. Father was wrong. Muggles are smart. Granger should be proof enough, but the gadgets they have... I could never imagine my life without magic, but they get along well.
Hermione sighed happily. Malfoy, a good guy... Who knew?