A/N: Hi there! Sorry for the long wait, but today I can give you the newet chapter of this little story. And you all absolutely blow my mind with all the love you're giving it, thank you so much for that!
Beta love to the awesome MrBenzedrine!
The week had been a busy one, therefore neither Hermione nor Draco had been given the opportunity to dwell on their budding...relationship? Magical people with potentially upcoming benefits...thing? Feud? Nevertheless, the witch took some time in class to think about the details of the mugglefied evening with the tamed snakes. And yes, Hermione had the mental capacity to zoom out from lectures because she was the Brightest Witch Of Her Age and had surpassed the curriculum of an ordinary Hogwarts student somewhere between brewing Polyjuice in second year and time turning in third.
When Saturday came around, Hermione knocked on Draco's bedroom door about an hour before the other Slytherins were supposed to arrive. "Draco? Are you ready? I have to leave for a bit."
Rustling could be heard behind the door; then he opened it with the words, "Did the perfect Hermione Granger forget to purchase something? You must be very excited, indeed."
Any witty reply got blocked by the most primal parts of her brain, rudely nudging them to the side. Draco stood in front of her, barefoot, wearing honest-to-God jeans and a pale blue polo shirt that made his eyes stand out even more, and she wasn't even starting on how it accentuated his seeker built.
She wanted to hit him.
And she wanted him.
He must have caught her staring because he questioned, with one brow furrowed, "What? Isn't this a fitting attire? I asked Tracey Davis what to wear, and she ordered this for me." Draco Malfoy's worst case scenario: not to be dressed properly.
Hermione took a deep breath and said, "Tracey will be getting a very big box of chocolate from me this year's Christmas."
Draco's lips curled into a smile. "Alright, I take this as an appreciation of her choices and my body, but why do you have to leave? I thought we were having a night out in muggle world?"
'Simple question, simple answer. You can do that, Hermione. Just don't stare at his arms or think about how his backside…' She blushed but said, "It's difficult to explain, but I have to venture outside to get our food for tonight - you'll see. And we won't go out per se; instead, I'm bringing the muggle world to us."
From one second to the other, there was a mask falling into place in Draco's face, and she felt instantly remembered of the petty boy he had been. "Are you afraid we're going to scream insults at every bypassing muggle?"
Hermione wasn't an overall affectionate person, only with people she genuinely liked. Therefore, her hug was too fast and unexpected for Draco to anticipate. With her arms around him, she felt him relax after the first seconds of shock. "You idiot! Of course not. I merely thought it would be easier for you all to have a slow, measured dose of the unknown instead of jumping into it. You Slytherins are so easy to set off!"
"Says the bloody Gryffindor," he grumbled. Before she'd forget her name, Hermione stepped away from Draco, who continued, "Nevertheless, your effort is very much appreciated."
"You could simply say, 'Thank you, Hermione'!" she teased.
The SmirkDM appeared, and Hermione knew he roamed somewhere between friendly bickering and downright flirting. "I'm a Malfoy. We say 'thank you' and 'sorry' by showering a lady with jewelry."
"I'm waiting for my lorryload then," she replied dryly, delighted he merely grinned back.
Exactly one hour later, the Head Girl entered the common room again, opening the door to incessant chatter. Apparently, Theo, Blaise, and Pansy had arrived and now eyed Draco's outfit. Blaise scrutinized the jeans with disbelief, raising his hand to touch the delectable bum, while Hermione made herself known with a clearing of her throat. "I really love to see you exploring Draco with your hands, but you might like to have something to eat now." She nodded her head to the steaming boxes in her hands.
"Why are you so windswept, Princess?" asked Blaise, prying a leaf from her curls. She didn't miss Draco's glare at his friend from the other side of the room. Secretly, she enjoyed it.
Smiling, she explained, "Well, I couldn't very well order this to Hogwarts, so I Apparated to the forest south of Edinburgh, telling the delivery boy I were camping with a YMCA-group." Judging by the discombobulated expressions, she could very well have spoken Elvish. Amused, she chose a different wording. "I brought good food from outside of Hogwarts."
"What kind of food?" Pansy asked curiously.
"Pizza. The greatest invention since the wheel," Hermione replied and, without much further ado, placed the boxes on the counter of the kitchen. With some fast swishes of her wand, she cut the pizza and placed slices on five dishes.
The Slytherins' reaction was so comical that it made Hermione giggle loudly. They approached the dishes like Crookshanks with a new brand of cat food: suspicious, distrusting, yet intrigued by the unfamiliar smell. She swore she could see Theo wriggling his nose.
"Come on, try it! It's delicious!" As if to prove the harmlessness, she bit into her slice.
Draco, observing that Hermione used her hands to eat, commented, "Are all muggle foods in that barbaric fashion?"
A light Stinging hex flew in the blond's direction. "Actually, the first time I used a fork was on the first evening in Hogwarts," she voiced, deadly-serious, but couldn't keep up the facade for too long. The almost embarrassed expressions around her were too much. "No, you idiots, it's simply what one eats on an evening with friends."
A moment of silence. A moment of understanding. Then, Pansy carefully bit into her cheesy delightfulness. Like the pureblood heiress she was, she chewed thoroughly, then swallowed, and declared, "That's really good, boys."
"Maybe the reluctant dungeon boys need a little something to lower their inhibitions first?" Determined, Hermione produced some bottles from the fridge. Plopping them open and pouring the beverage into glasses, she handed each of the men and Pansy one with the words, "This is Guinness. It's an Irish brand, but by far my favourite when it comes to beer. four point two volume percent alcohol, so not much. Sláinte!"
She took a demonstrative sip for the others to see. They had spent too much time in the potions classroom together to drink an unknown liquid without being a bit suspicious. Mollified that she didn't combust into flames, the wizards took large gulps.
"Salazar, that's-" Blaise started, but was interrupted by his own, very prominent, very common, and very loud burp.
Hermione and Pansy giggled because the surprised face the man made was just too adorable. "Blaise! Is that how your mother raised you?" Pansy mocked him.
After another burp he covered elegantly with his hand, Blaise answered, "No, it isn't. I'm afraid this heavenly beverage is entirely new to the Zabini family. My mother hasn't married an Irishman, yet."
Blaise's talking had made it possible for Theo and Draco to turn around and burp discreetly, though not unnoticed by the two witches. Hermione approached Draco and patted his back as one would do with a baby. He glared at her but didn't protest at the long strokes she made over his back. "Barbaric, mh?" she commented smugly. "Just a friendly advice: take it slower so you can enjoy it more."
Within a second, the blond's eyes gleamed with something dark and delicious. He lowered his head and shared, "One day, you're going to find out that I'm very much capable to do very enjoyable things very fast when I want to." Hermione closed her eyes for a moment to keep hold on her self-control as Draco stepped away.
"You coming, Princess? I'm afraid Theo will eat this all alone if we don't stop him!" Blaise called for her.
She smiled at the image the four snakes made: standing around their counter, the pizza boxes between them, they carefully held the slices in their hands. Backs straight, elbows close to the body, they presented like the perfectly raised purebloods they were, but the delighted expressions on their faces conveyed clearly how much they liked it. The exception was Theo, who happily munched his second slice already, making his behaviour hilariously close to Ron's pizza-virginity wise.
Happily fed and slightly tipsy from the amount of alcohol and carbonic acid in the beer, they all gathered in front of the fireplace, which Hermione had deactivated for the evening - for a good reason.
"This, ladies and gentlemen, is a VCR, connected to a TV. It's used to show movies or different TV channels and runs on electricity. "
"I'm a bit disappointed that you don't know that 'Hogwarts: A History' clearly states how the magic of the castle interferes with all electric contraptions," Draco drawled. Oh, he just had to go and ruin her knickers by quoting random facts. It was a good thing he didn't wear glasses. She'd jumped him in front of all their guests then.
Instead, she arrogantly threw her curls over her shoulder and moved her wand in an intricate pattern. "Ten points to Slytherin for the ability to read. But I have to disappoint you, that book needs an update." A final flick and Hermione could switch on the VCR, its humming sound startling the others. "Actually, the solution was quite simple: all it took was a modified shield charm that isolates the wires from their environment, as well as a small generator cloaked in the same spell. Et voilà!"
The Slytherins tried to hide their awe at the starting movie by raising their eyebrows in an emotion that could convey distrust, weren't it for the curious glimmer in their eyes. Grinning triumphantly, Hermione skipped the opening credits and fetched some snacks from the kitchenette. With a huge bowl of popcorn and one of crisps levitating in front of her, she came back, placing them on the coffee table.
"This is popcorn, the sweet variation. Take care as not to hurt your teeth; it sometimes happens." Of course, Draco was the first to grab a handful, much to Blaise's amusement, and smiled contently at the sugary sensations. Theo, on the other hand, already tasted the crisps. "Those are essentially fried potatoes," she explained and then handed Pansy a small bottle with a cool beverage.
The raven haired witch read the label and frowned. "Diet Coke? Is that the Gryffindor way to tell me I have to lose weight?"
Hermione almost giggled at the insinuation, having had a similar conversation with Fleur before. "No, Pansy. I only thought you'd appreciate something with fewer calories since we've eaten that heavy pizza already." She grabbed herself another diet coke and settled down on the enlarged sofa between Draco and Theo.
"Oh, thank you then, I guess. Very thoughtful," Pansy stammered and imitated Hermione's way of opening the bottle.
"This movie is called 'Men in Black'. It's a newer and very popular science-fiction movie what means that you will see technology and other elements only existing in the movie-makers' fantasy. You'll also find some comedic elements; it's not a serious plot. Serious we've had enough for a lifetime in the past few years." She had to admit, when she saw the others nodding solemnly, that it felt like explaining catalogue shopping to Molly Weasley.
The brunette had hoped, or rather calculated, Draco would sneak an arm around her while Agent J and K saved the world from an alien attack. But no. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his thighs, eyes drawn to the screen. And, like Theo and Blaise, he was the chatty kind of person to watch a movie. She rolled her eyes inwardly, but thought it adorable at the same time. Just as she was pondering if he noticed her playing with the irresistible platinum locks that fell over the skin of his neck, she was interrupted in her musings.
"Imagine a giant cockroach, with unlimited strength, a massive inferiority complex, and a real short temper, is terrorizing around Manhattan island in a brand new Edgar suit. That sound like fun?`" Blaise repeated a line from seconds ago and commented darkly, "I don't know about the Manhattan thing, but this sounds like Voldemort." And with theses words, the Italian opened the comparative analysis of movie versus magic.
"'You know what the difference is between you and me? I make this look good'," Draco imitated Agent J to a tee, "I think this is going to be a nice line I'm going to drop at Potter in the next Quidditch match."
"Well, you're both look drop-dead sexy in your Quidditch gear," Pansy admitted, accompanied by Hermione's hefty nod. "But what about spells?"
"Mh, those guns seem to be a lot more harmful than our jinxes when you're leaving Avada out of it, but they're lacking finesse. A tickling jinx isn't exactly harmful, while a gun is every time you use it and hit someone," Theo pondered, deep in thoughts. "Then again, this 'flashy-thingy' reminds me awfully of Obliviate."
"Believe me, I know that one better than I'd like to," Hermione whispered, but everyone had heard her. The heads turned towards her, and she knew she had to explain. With her eyes firmly on the screen, she explained how she had erased her parent's memory, her voice almost breaking when telling how they decided to stay in Australia after their memories had been restored in a complicated procedure after the war. They enjoyed their new life there. And who was Hermione to beguile them of their happiness?
Sighing, she forced herself not to dwell on those sad thoughts. "Anyway, it's not an experience I'd like to repeat anytime soon, flashy-thingy or not," she tried to humour the others, but her voice was slightly shaking. The relaxed atmosphere in the room had dampened considerably.
Hermione stood, keen on keeping herself together, with the excuse of, "needing to provide some more snacks for the apparently very sweet toothed Slytherins."
A few minutes later, Hermione had returned to a more composed mood, when Pansy stepped next to her behind the counter. Since the sofa and TV faced away from them, they had a bit of privacy there.
Without further explanation, the Slytherin witch enveloped the Gryffindor in a fierce hug. "We all regret things we've done in the war. You're not alone," she murmured into Hermione's curls. The brunette felt a strange sense of relief flooding through her as she patted Pansy's back. This was one of the precious moments demonstrating Slytherins were humans just as the other houses were. They had feelings and regrets like everyone else. House unity wasn't a fantasy, but it rooted in mutual understanding and tolerance and grew in spontaneous hugs.
"Okay, I declare the Hufflepuff time over now," Pansy said a bit later, her tone amused. "Let's get back to some important business." She opened another bottle of coke without accident and asked conspiratorially, "Aren't you holding a grudge against Draco after he presented your bra to the school's greatest gossip?"
So Lavender had graced the school with her telling of the incident. Not that Hermione was surprised. After all, every community thrived on gossip. "Mh, a bit," she replied. Upon seeing Pansy's surprised expression, she corrected, "Scratch that. Yes, I am. But I'm waiting for the perfect moment to revenge."
"Splendid." Pansy grinned proudly at her. "You're something of an adopted snake now. When we hold a grudge, we wait. And wait. And when the prey thinks you've forgotten the incident, we strike."
Like a spirit summoned, Draco strode towards them, two empty bottles of beer in hand. "What were you two talking about?" he wanted to know, his voice somewhere between amusement and suspicion.
Schooling their faces into innocent smiles, the witches draped their arms round each other's shoulders. "You know, girl stuff," Pansy explained and squealed when Hermione pinched her bum for Draco to see. Giggling, the woman left the kitchenette, and Draco and Hermione were alone.
With a wink, Hermione turned around to open another bag of crisps. Seconds later, she felt the warm presence of Draco's body behind her, close enough to smell his cologne, but barely close enough to make the fabric of his shirt brush against her when he braced one arm against the counter.
"I must admit, all those things you've presented us were rather delicious," he spoke huskily from behind her. "But I've set my eyes on even more delicious goods."
Hermione felt heat pooling in her abdomen when Draco carefully pushed her hair aside and started to press feathery kisses to her neck. A sigh escaped her upon those delightful sensations and was rewarded by a low chuckle from the wizard. Not wanting to be the only one reduced to a needy mess, the witch arched her back purposefully, the movement causing her bum to rub against the front of his jeans. She relished the hiss he made.
Beyond caring if one of their guests saw her, Hermione turned around, her lips immediately brushing over his. One of his arms secured her against him in an almost possessive gesture. He nipped at her bottom lip, grinning against her when her mouth opened reflexively in a gasp. Excitement and a good portion of lust coursing through her veins, she let her tongue slip between his lips, probing, searching for his. Finding it, his tip clashed against hers teasingly, and she curled her hand around his neck to pull him even closer-
"Why is it going backwards so fast now?" Theo must have discovered the remote control for he shouted from the sofa helplessly.
Instantly, Hermione and Draco were rudely robbed of their moment. A bit flushed, she rested her head against his chest and felt his accelerated heartbeat within. Good.
"I don't let go once I've set my eyes on something, Hermione."
Trying hard to ignore the pleasant shiver his use of her name brought, the witch in question extracted herself from his arms. On impulse, she pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek and said, "I don't want you to." With a coy wink, she walked over to the others again, feeling his hot gaze roaming over her.
Additional Disclaimer: I don't own Man in Black, either. Also: No money comes from this work.
Also thank you to LaBelladonne x for an enlightening conversation about beverages!
In the meantime, I did a bit of alpha/beta work for three wonderful stories: Kyonomiko's "Once More with Feeling" and stllrmno's "When Hermione met Draco", as well as raisrabble's "Jealousy". Maybe check them out?