Chapter Ten: Delirium
Waking up the next morning was as waking up with a hangover, or waking up the morning after you'd done an intense workout. Draco rolled over in bed, happy to be nested into his covers, and then froze as yesterday snuck up and hit him with a bludger.
He pulled the covers over his head and decided that he wasn't going to go to work, ever again.
…
And it was definitely the Weasleys' fault for asking him to dinner in the first place.
…
What a disaster. He did NOT tell Hermione she was beautiful.
…
Because she wasn't, really, she had all that hair which just cascaded- well, tumbled down her back in curls- knots, really. And her eyes were just eyes, nothing special, just a shade of liquid brown that absolutely did not remind him of chocolate. And if he noticed the smoothness of her skin, it was because he was repulsed by the idea of even touching it.
…
Oh, who was he kidding?
…
He pulled the covers off of his head and groaned. Sitting up with his head in his hands, he considered what he was going to do now.
He could leave the country, and at the moment he was very seriously considering it.
He could pretend that he was under the influence of something and didn't remember any of it.
He could say that he was somewhere else and that it was someone using Polyjuice potion, which would require some bribery on his part….
Or… he could just go forward one step at a time.
Of course, Draco was too much of a drama queen to do that.
…
"DRACO, YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE TO WORK!"
Was that his mother? She almost never raised her voice.
"DO YOU REALIZE WHAT TIME IT IS?"
There was a very good reason he didn't have a clock in his bedroom.
"Are you moping about yesterday?"
The voice was closer now. Wait… what did she know about yesterday?
"It was very sweet of you."
Oh, Salazar, the whole bloody world knew.
…
It turned out that Hermione had only come to tell Mrs. Weasley and say goodbye before leaving shortly after he had. The only reason his mother knew was that she had somehow become bosom buddies with Mrs. Weasley, and they had probably been giggling about it like a couple of schoolgirls.
Unfortunately for Draco, he hadn't known this before diving under his bed and smacking his head on the metal frame.
Merlin, what was the point in going to work now?
…
It took coaxing; threatening, bribery, and cajoling from Narcissa to get Draco dressed, out of his room, and to the apparition point outside of the Manor.
He felt like he was a toddler, and he certainly wished he could act like one.
…
His almost lateness bore no comment, but after one case of chartreuse spots which transferred to anyone who touched the infected, a couple splinchings, and four incidents with biting teacups, Draco needed coffee. Badly.
Usually he got coffee from a place halfway between St. Mungo's and the Ministy. However, he knew that many Ministry workers frequented that place- being the only wizard-run coffee shop in the area- and he really didn't want to bump into Hermione there, miniscule as the possibility may be.
…
So, that meant a muggle coffee shop.
…
No problem, right?
…
It was the second coffee shop he'd tried after a mishap with muggle money, and he was contemplating the selection, feeling unsettled and rather unprepared.
Maybe I should just go to the wizarding one, he thought. She's probably up to her neck in work, anyways.
Irony walked up and smacked him over the head as a slender hand was laid on his shoulder. Draco whirled and would have taken Hermione's head off with his elbow if he hadn't checked himself in time.
…
"I wouldn't have expected to see you in a muggle café."
"Hello to you, too," he said with what he hoped was the right level of sarcasm.
Good! Witty reply covered. Nice save.
"Having any trouble with muggle money?" Her eyes were sparkling.
He puffed out his chest. "I am a Malfoy. Malfoys never have trouble with mundane things such as coffee."
"Is that so?"
"Well… there might have been an episode at this other coffee shop. But I admit to nothing."
…
"Why are you here instead of saving the Ministry's arse for them again?"
"I'm on my break. And Godric knows we've tried, but wizarding coffee shops just don't make coffee the same way."
"I've never tried coffee here."
"Well then, you won't mind if it's my treat?"
…
Draco couldn't take much more of this. "Why are you being so nice to me?"
"Well, yesterday you were… very nice to me. I thought I'd return the favor."
Her implacable calm was an incredible juxtaposition to her emotional state the night before. Draco's eyebrows raised, just a hair. This woman was either a mystery, or she was used to keeping her feelings and thoughts under a mask like he was.
Also, she thought that he had blurted out The Compliment in a moment of sympathy.
He didn't like that thought, and he didn't know why.
…
He also didn't know why, after sitting in the coffee shop and drinking delectable coffee across from Hermione, he managed to regain his courage and unruffled Malfoy manner, and as he left breathed in her ear with just the right amount of sexy,
"By the way, love, I absolutely meant it."
...
And then he sauntered out of the coffee shop like nobody's business, enjoying how her eyes had widened just a fraction and an unmistakable blush had stained her cheeks.
Maybe it wasn't a disaster, after all.
…
After that, Draco got through one hysterical lady who claimed she had Dragon Pox, twin brothers who had tried to accelerate the making of Felix Felicis only to give themselves "Luck Poisoning," and many other cases without a hair on his head disturbed, and the smirk he wore was quite immoveable as well.
…
When he reached home at the end of the day, he paused in front of the hall mirror, studying the man he saw there.
He was perhaps thinner, and a little taller, than the Draco he used to know. In his eyes there was a sadness that could not be shaken, and the traces of pale scars on his pale skin contrasted greatly with the Mark that was usually hidden under long sleeves.
The smirk, however, was still firmly in place, and with it Draco found hope that he would not lose the past, even as he moved forward.
…
A/N:
Another chapter! Huzzah!
I hope to give you one or two more chapters this early August, before I have to go on a family trip. Thus, hopefully I will be a better updater. I have far too many plots floating around my brain.
SO MANY THANKS!
Fulgance- My ever faithful reviewer, I thank you with great fervor for your commentary. I am always glad that you put such effort into picking out parts of the story. My hat is off to you. :) I hope you enjoy Draco in this chapter as well!
KodeV- Thank you! Yes, loud family can be intimidating. Especially to loveable Ferrets. ;) And he will tell his mother… eventually. We shall see. Hermione and Draco still have to have a real tête-à-tête.
Stephanie – (for some reason your username refuses to post) Because you gave me three reviews in a row, haha… Thank you so much. Yes, Draco has to do some soul searching to move things along. But he's still a tricky Slytherin!
Guest- You're welcome! Draco, I think, has a very interesting perspective on the world. I'm glad to share my version with you.
The Wolf Of Midnight- I hear and obey, haha.
Soxylady – Thank you very much- and here you are!
On another note, I just got my driver's license, so I'm pretty pleased with myself right now.
Updates soon,
-Isefyr