The restaurant was impeccable and expensive as Hermione sat down across from Blaise. He was smirking and ordered some Japanese beer for them when the waiter came. Hermione did not own dresses; that was just a fact. She was a single mother. She owned two different types of clothes. Home wear and work wear. However, Ginny squeezed her into a lovely black dress and slapped some sacrificial paint on the scared woman's face.
"I haven't been on a real date in ages," She murmured, running her finger on the rim of her water glass.
"Well, it is a nice place. In fact, Draco recommended it," He told her with a smirk like she should know what he meant.
"Don't you feel bad for lying to him?" She asked softly and Zabini frowned deeply.
"Well, of course, but you really weren't giving us much of a choice."
Hermione exhaled slowly and shook her head. "I feel guilty. I want to tell him. He doesn't understand why we cannot be friends," she declared, and Blaise scratched his chin.
"You are quite attached to your boss, it makes me a bit jealous he sees you every day," He snickered, and she scoffed.
"That was in poor taste," She snapped, and his eyebrows ran up to his forehead.
"My apologies. I didn't realize," He grumbled and huffed. "I don't do this either usually," he said waving a hand around. "Dates don't usually appeal to my nature."
Hermione glanced around and gasped, trying to hide her face behind the menu. Astoria and Draco Malfoy were being led by a waitress near them. Zabini followed her stare and growled. "That mother f-"
"Is that Zabini and Granger?" Draco asked, and Astoria made an agreeing sound. "Alright, right here is good," he said to the waitress, and she set up their place settings. "I want the booth if you don't mind," he told Astoria who guided him over to sit right next to Hermione.
"Draco mother fucking Malfoy, what are you doing here?" Blaise asked, and Hermione set down her menu.
"You called me Granger," she noted, and he pivoted his body toward her.
"I did because that is your name," he sneered and waved his hand. "Hermione Jean Granger. Age, 28, adoptive mother of Edward 'Teddy' Remus Lupin who is eight-years-old. Spent three years getting her undergrads at Cambridge, impressive. Then working for a small piece of shit news company for five years and worked her way up through the ranks. You then got fired because said piece of shit news company wanted to keep it in the family as Black Industries usually does and now work for me." He finished, and Hermione's mouth didn't close.
Blaise turned to Astoria. "You are a rat, not an Anguis," he hissed, and she shrugged her shoulders.
"I didn't say a word, thank you," she said with a nod and Draco chuckled.
"So why are you here?" Hermione questioned, and Draco tapped his chin.
"Well, you left before we could actually talk last night, so I recommended a restaurant to Zabini and told him I would set up reservations for him. You owe me a job interview," he growled and searched for his water glass.
"You aren't angry?" she questioned as he sipped his glass.
He slanted his head. "I was. I was going to storm into my cousin's estate and demand your resignation for your lies. I was going to hire someone to beat the fuck out of Zabini and Flint. I yelled at my mother, which I am not proud of…"
The waitress approached their tables, and Draco waved at her. "You are a server? Yes?" he asked, and she nodded.
Hermione turned and hemmed. "He is blind, not just ignorant for wearing sunglasses inside; please speak up." She said politely with a smile, and the waitress gasped.
"Of course! I am sorry."
A bartender brought over Blaise and Hermione's beers before Draco cleared his throat. "That smells delicious. I want one of those." He ordered, and she wrote it down.
"And for you Miss?" she asked Astoria.
"Miss Greengrass is only having water tonight," Draco declared, and the woman nodded before leaving.
Draco reached over and grabbed Hermione's beer. "You don't want that right, Granger?" he snickered with a smile, and she smacked his hand.
"Stop groping my beer and wait for your own, Draco," she snapped. "Now, what happened?"
He released her glass with a smirk and sighed. "Then I remembered something you said to me. That bit about leaving sharp objects out because the tacts I had taken out the day before were still on the desk. No one moves things on my desk, but you had the foresight to put it away. It made me remember how you were in school and by god if you weren't a swotty thing in school." He paused, and she snorted.
"The point Draco?"
He tapped the table and sighed. "I cannot get you fired for being a liar. Your work is too good, and you are far too efficient to dismiss and have my cousin find another station for you. So, I am giving you another chance to redeem yourself." He finished, and she raised her eyebrows in shock.
Zabini was shaking his head. "And he is punishing me by stealing my date." He snapped, and Hermione giggled.
"You have to know, I only agreed to this insanity because you wouldn't take no for an answer and I haven't been out in ages," she admitted, and Blaise chuckled.
"Well, I will still keep trying, but as it looks, this is now a work dinner, and I am going to dip," He declared and rose from his chair. "I will figure out another way to charm you out of your knickers, Granger," he picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles.
"Get out of here you silly man," she laughed, and he waved before departing from the table.
Astoria glanced around and shrugged her shoulders at Hermione. "Sorry, we crashed your date."
Draco's beer was soon brought to the table, and he sipped it a few times before dismissing the waitress for the time being. Astoria glanced at the menu and made a face. "Draco, darling, I am not hungry, and this place is making me nauseous."
"Well, you are my driver for the evening, love. Get some rice and see if it settles your stomach," he declared, and she huffed.
Hermione chewed her lip and hemmed. "If she doesn't want to stay, I can drive you home after. Harry and Ginny have Teddy tonight, so I have no restriction on time," she offered, and Astoria's eyes lit up.
"Please, Draco? I would love to soak in a bath and catch up on my soaps. I am so far behind," she murmured and Draco sighed heavily.
"Fine, but you are coming over tomorrow and letting my mother take you shopping. No exception," he said flatly, and Astoria clapped before rising from her chair.
She walked over and kissed his genuinely which released a moan from his mouth. Hermione was trying desperately to hide her blush as she turned and gulped a good mouthful of her beer. Astoria released him and smirked. "Goodbye darling," she murmured and waved as she turned to Hermione. "Goodbye and thank you again!" she declared and left just the two of them.
"So you drove here, Granger?" he asked.
Hermione laughed and sighed. "Yes, Draco, but I'm only having one beer."
"No, I was just observing that you did not let him pick you up. You weren't planning on staying with him tonight, were you?" he asked, and Hermione blushed, thanking her stars that he could not see.
"No, I wasn't. I may not date, but I also know about questionable men," she snickered, and he chuckled.
The waitress approached and hemmed. "Are your guests returning?"
"No, they are not. Miss Granger and I are just going to eat tonight. I want every single roll on the menu," he declared, and Hermione snorted.
"Draco, we are not going to eat all of that. Don't be absurd."
"Fine. Granger, look in there and tell me what the platters are," he said, and she pulled open the menu.
Hermione read them off, and Draco nodded. "The last two then," he declared, and the waitress wrote it down.
"Anything else, Sir?"
"No, thank you," he said, and she walked off with pep in her step.
"I hope you tip well, that was an expensive dinner you bought yourself," Hermione teased and he waved his hand.
"You are helping."
Hermione sighed and shook her head. "Draco, you aren't angry with me?"
"Yes, I am. Quite rightfully."
Hermione chewed her lip before sipping her beer. "I am sorry." She declared after setting her glass down.
"No, I am," he exhaled and scrubbed his face. "This whole time I thought I had the worst luck in the world being blinded by my father's accident. However, I realized something when Flint told me why you made an alias. If you walked into my office when I had my sight… I would have laughed you out of the room. Even if you told me at the beginning, it was you. I would have done everything to make your life hell. I am an awful person. I still remember you crying after I called you that horrible name and remembered enjoying it. I really am sorry, Hermione," he sighed and patted her hand. "You got stuck with an arsehole for a boss."
She couldn't prevent the tears, he somehow just understood and forgave her for her cowardice. "Well- I suppose that wasn't much of a Gryphem, now was I," she laughed and removed his hand so she could wipe her face.
"Can we start fresh? Don't expect me to go easy on you because you cried about something I said two days in a row." He asked, and she snorted.
"Please, as if you can have that effect on my emotions."
He lounged and swigged his beer with an impish smile. "Well, I mean you have never been one to have mastered emotions, Granger," he hissed, and she gasped.
"You are a rude man, Draco Malfoy," she snapped, and he nodded with a smile.
The food was brought to the table, and Hermione gasped. "That looks delicious."
"Good, because I cannot see it." He grumbled, and she tilted her head.
"I am sorry," she responded.
"Anything else, Sir?" the waitress asked, and Draco waved her off.
"No, go on ahead and check on us in a bit," he declared, and she giggled and walked off. "Granger, take off my tie," he ordered, and she glared.
"You put it on; you take it off." She retorted.
He grabbed her hand and placed it on his gray tie. "Take off the tie. We are going to have dinner," he snapped.
She grumbled obscenities under her breath and unwove the tie, setting it in his hand. "There, now can I enjoy this expensive dinner or not?" she asked with a sharp tone.
"Turn around," he said, and she huffed.
"Why are you cryptic, Draco?"
"Turn the fuck around, Granger," he breathed, and she rolled her eyes but did what he asked.
He placed the tie over her eyes, and she jerked. "Trust," he said, and she exhaled and let him cover her sight.
"How am I supposed to eat like this?" she grumbled, and he made an agreeing sound.
"Exactly. Try, I promise you, it will taste much different," Draco responded, and she conceded.
It was disorienting. Hermione couldn't remember where her chopsticks were. She scrambled a bit and eventually settled for her fork on the table. Being flustered she huffed, and Draco laughed. "You are not giving this effort, Granger. I know you have it in you."
Rolling her neck, she inhaled and exhaled a few times and started picking up on fragrances. Things she wouldn't have quite noticed if she was looking at everything. Her fork touched one of the rolls finally, and she managed to butcher it. "It is easier with your fingers," he responded to her groan of frustration.
She listened and picked up another roll. Hermione had no clue what she was putting into her mouth. However, when it touched her tongue, she released a sound of enjoyment as she tasted the flavors of the salmon and seaweed. Many other tastes that she would have possible cast aside for another bite.
"Isn't that better than sex?" he asked her with a chuckle, and she snorted.
"You need to shag to have a comparison," she murmured and explored for another bite.
Hermione wasn't sure again what she was putting in her mouth, but the same effect happened where her taste buds went crazy for the textures and tastes. If she were watching herself as a stranger, she would think she was mental for making so many distasteful sounds in a restaurant.
"Why don't you shag? Zabini thinks you are absolutely shagable. His tastes are usually spot on for aesthetics."
"Are we friends now?" she asked with a sharp tone before finding her glass of beer on the table.
"Getting there," he remarked and sighed. "This is good, try this," he said and nudged her.
She took it from his hand and slid it into her mouth. "My god, how have I never eaten before in my life," she groaned after swallowing.
"It is a perk I tell you," he said and exhaled again. "This next," he sounded and handed Hermione another.
"You aren't drugging me, are you?" she grumbled after that last one.
Draco belted out in laughter, and it shook the booth. "No, but I should have thought of that before. Now I will never get to shag you, Granger," he snickered, and she was so glad no one was there to see her scarlet blush. "You never answered me," he reminded her.
"I never intended to," she retorted and reached for one at the far end of the plate.
Her fingers traversed along the edge and she picked up on the sound of her nails running on the plate. They trailed over another piece, and she brought it to her lips. It was so decadent and delightful that she shook her head and grabbed another that felt like it.
"Here, this one," she said and felt for his fingers.
He took it from Hermione, and she heard him hum after a moment of receiving it from her. "You were right, that was good. That spicy tuna is beyond distracting," he sighed, and she shook her head.
"You know what it is now from taste?" she questioned.
"Oh, yes, my pallet has changed plenty due to lack of sight. There is a reason I wanted the platters. Cannot just have one taste the whole dinner. If I am going to eat out, I am going to experience food," Draco said simply and Hermione made a sound of puzzlement.
"This is the first time I haven't looked at what I am eating," she admitted and he chuckled.
"It is intimidating, isn't it? No robust colors, no decorated plates. Just you and the food," he finished the last word as a whisper and Hermione squirmed a bit.
"Do you mind if I take this tie off now?" she asked and he exhaled.
"No, Granger. You satisfied my curiosity. Thank you," he said and she pursed her lips.
"Has anyone bothered to do this with you?"
He was silent for a moment and exhaled. "No, why?"
"It's nice, you should do this more often- you know, with your friends."
Draco was quiet again and hemmed. "Did you take my tie off yet?"
"No."
"Good, try this one," he said and handed her another.
That went on until Hermione could not eat another bite. When she finally took her blindfold off, she hissed at the light that blasted her unprepared eyes. She blinked a few times to adjust before handing Draco's tie back to him. "I have a theory." She started and turned to him.
"Yes?" he asked as his fingers ran along the edge of the table.
"You are actually quite a likeable person, but you don't want others to know that so you act like a wanker," she said and he snorted, reaching for his beer.
"Good effort, but I am not a nice person."
Hermione glanced at the picked at platters and shrugged her shoulders. "You are right. I must be on a high from all this rich food."
"Do you feel like you are qualified to helping me run the company?" he asked her.
Hermione frowned at him and she thinned her lips. "Do you?"
"Yes, actually. I believe so," he said and sat up. "I think you would run it better than me, to be honest. However, I am not going to chip myself out of a job, so you will just have to work under me."
"Regulus told you he is retiring?" she asked and Draco nodded slowly.
"Granger, lets get this boxed and take me home? I want to show you something."
She waved over the waitress who was smirking brightly. "Did you both enjoy your dinner? It looked like you both did," she commented and Hermione smiled.
"We did enjoy our dinner very much. Can we get some boxes for this?"
Draco waved at the waitress. "I have a question."
She approached and he waved her closer until he felt that she was within whisper range. Hermione couldn't hear what he said to her but the woman's cheeks lit up as she pulled away giggling. "Yes, Sir, to be perfectly honest. I will be right back with your boxes!"
Hermione folded her arms and glared, "What did you ask her?"
Draco grinned broadly and sighed. "I asked her if she thought you should shag me after that dinner," he snickered and Hermione smacked his arm. "Hey, don't beat up on the disabled." He spat and she snorted.
"In more ways than one," she growled.
"Always a mood spoiler, Granger," he sneered and she huffed.
"You are getting married and I am not going to listen to your flirtations, Draco Malfoy," her voice was sharp and he waved her off.
"Mood ruiner," he said simply and she groaned.
"I hope you are off your rocker pissed," she whispered and stood up. "I am going to the restroom and we are leaving." She said while straightening her dress and walking off.
Author Notes: I know you think... man she got off so easy. You have to ask yourself why? What is this conniving Malfoy doing? Hahaha... Hope you enjoyed this installment. I know I packed you all with tons to read today, I hope it was good. I might be busier tomorrow so, therefore, less writing, but I hope you are ready to eat a meal blindfolded after that! hahaha, cheers!