Author's Note: I HAVE REACHED 2936 WORDS IN MY COURSEWORK ESSAY!!!!! YAY!!!! So, as a celebratory gesture, I have decided to upload this partial-chapter to say thank you to everyone who's wished me luck with my work and been extremely patient with me for not updating for about a month! I hope none of you have had any major withdrawal symptoms!
It made Hermione physically ill every time she thought about being caught being groped by Draco Malfoy—not that she hadn't enjoyed Draco's hands all over her—it was more to do with the fact that it had been her parents who had caught her. And she absolutely loathed William for those teasing looks and taunting anecdotes he shot at her every time she entered the same room as him. It didn't make figuring out what she and Draco were exactly any easier considering the only times they'd been left alone together they hadn't done much talking and they'd always been interrupted.
"Going out?" Teddy asked nonchalantly, scribbling in his Transfiguration textbook. Hermione grunted softly as she strode towards her dressing room, a towel wrapped around her head and one around her body, shivering at the change of temperature. Compared to the under-floor heating of the bathroom the carpet was inexcusably cold.
"Draco's taking me to the fair," Hermione sighed. She wasn't all that thrilled about the roller-coasters—she'd never liked heights or throwing up her meals, but Draco had promised her they could just have a go at the games and talk. Hermione knew it was essential they talked; that was the only reason he wanted to take her out, so soon after last night's episode with their parents, to talk about what they were now. She had no idea. She liked kissing him, but if that was all they were going to be…No; she was too emotionally involved with him for that to be enough.
It wasn't a date, technically, and the county fair at the park wasn't exactly a five-star restaurant, so Hermione decided to dress down; she tugged on a distressed denim mini-skirt and one of the little silk spaghetti-strap camisole tops Phaedra had bought her; it was teal blue with contrasting floral patterns on it, a lace-edged deep V-neckline and a ruffled hem. She clasped a necklace of bronze and teal-blue charms around her throat and put her hair down in tousled waves and tucked a pair of mirrored Aviator sunglasses into a brown leather handbag; she tugged on a pair of buckle-detail brown boots from TopShop and made sure she had cash and her Sirius before exiting the dressing-room to turn to her dressing-table and her quickly-expanding collection of cosmetics. Looking nice takes so much time, she thought with a heavy sigh, noting her armchair was empty; Teddy was next-door listening to ELO.
No day was complete without both of her parents putting their two-galleons in and it was William who first broached the subject of that dreaded three-letter word. Sex.
"You look incredible!" William said enthusiastically, and his eyebrows lowered dramatically—"Get in the kitchen!" Teddy, who had thrown on a smart shirt with his jeans and run a comb through his hair, shared quirked eyebrows with Hermione, shrugging his leather jacket on and pocketing his Sirius: he was going to see Marilis.
"Listen…" William sighed heavily, looking extremely uncomfortable as he propped himself up on his elbows over the marble island in the kitchen. Hermione waited tentatively, wondering what would come out of her father's mouth next. Just tell them you've already had the Talk, Hermione urged herself, but she couldn't, both because she didn't want to draw attention to the fact that her face was flaming like a Weasley at the thought of having to discuss sex with her father and the fact that she would have to admit she'd already had the Talk with her adoptive-parents.
"So how is your dating situation going?" William asked, eyeing her scrutinisingly.
"Good," Hermione shrugged. Despite you and Mum and the Malfoys all conspiring against us to never give us a moment's peace together! she thought, annoyed.
"By that limited response, I suppose you believe it to be none of my business," William said in a low voice, nodding to himself. Hermione tilted one shoulder noncommittally. "Alright, listen closely, 'cause I'm only going to say this once, and it makes me feel yucky, so—I'm supposed to give you some fatherly—and wise—advice at this time in your life."
"Dad—" Hermione stammered.
"No, wait, let me get this out. If you are ever wondering if a boy is thinking about you, he isn't. He's thinking about sex or he's hungry; those are the only two options," William said, and Hermione laughed, feeling a little less embarrassed. No matter what, William could put a comical spin on any situation.
"Are you trying to be funny?" Hermione giggled softly.
"Well, you have two male best-friends, I'm sure you understand the workings of the male mind more than most girls your age can boast," William said quietly, "but I wanted to say something else, which is that boys think about sex every minute of the day. That is what they do; that is why they lie. They're going to leave you waiting for them to write to you and they won't write to you. They're going to be charming and misleading." Hermione smiled softly, appreciating the fact that her dad cared about her enough to stand there squirming in front of her as he tried to talk about sex and relationships to the daughter he'd known for maybe a few weeks.
"Have you finished?" she asked, smirking gently. William sighed again, smoothing her hair away from her shoulders and cupping her face tenderly.
"You are beautiful, you are sensitive, and you are smart, and I don't want to see you get hurt," William said. Hermione smiled, gazing up another foot to meet her father's eyes.
"I love you, too, Dad," she said softly. William smiled.
"Keep your mouth closed," he said, looming closer to kiss her cheek. Hermione rolled her eyes and smiled. "Do you have money for tonight?"
"Er…a few galleons," Hermione said, checking her coin-purse. William rifled through his pocket and dropped a few coins into the palm he grabbed. "Thanks."
"Don't elope with that," William warned. Hermione rolled her eyes again and William chuckled. She left the kitchen and quickened her pace when she saw Draco was being cornered by Phaedra in the foyer.
A.N.: The next instalment will feature Hermione/Draco out at the fair and then Phaedra's take on the birds-and-bees talk. Be prepared to squirm for Phaedra's sake!