A/N: Dun, dun, dunnnnn. Chapter 11 is here! I think there are going to be a whole bunch of you who propose to me after this chapter :)
Anzlicious - I know what you mean, Ginny makes such a good friend.
polofreak15 - Thank you so much, but I think you might like this chapter better, if for nothing more than the content ;) I loved the flowers, I love it when flowers are given with a meaning, not just because they look pretty. I'm glad you agree.
alwaysthere2 - Flowers to you for reviewing! :)
TBeedle - I hope this was soon enough for you, I'm glad you're enjoying this story, I love new reviewers :)
hellothereloser123 - I absolutely love your name, and I think you'll like this one :)
anon - I'm glad you like the pace this is going at, I think it's more believable then what some authors will write, having them jump into bed together and THEN form a relationship
Science-Fantasy93 - I've always had a secret soft spot for Narcissa, she just can't help but meddle you know :) Draco got mad kudos last chapter, standing up to his mother AND sending flowers, way to be manly Mr. Malfoy :)
Persephone's flower - I know right, I'm glad you liked the chapter though, I'm still creeped out about the coincidence of the calla lilies, but it all worked out :)
I don't own anything
The week passed by quickly for both Hermione and Draco, Hermione was busy with work and helping Ginny and Harry plan on decorations for the fund raising Auction and Ball, which she had decided to participate in. She spent some time making her apartment more home-like, and collected different decorative pieces. Mostly she did things to keep her mind off of Ron, who was showing no sign of changing his mind or apologizing. After some serious thinking though, Hermione had decided that even if he did apologize, she wouldn't be willing to take him back, at least not any time soon. It was just like Ron to jump to the wrong conclusions and throw about accusations, and frankly, she had decided she didn't really want to be with somebody who was going to accuse her of adultery as if he had no trust in her. She did however wish that things could return to how they used to be, back before Hermione and Ron had started dating, and that they could all just be very good friends. Unfortunately she knew it would take time for anything like that to happen.
Draco was busy filling orders and running the apothecary mostly on his own, and he was very happy to see Libatius return Saturday morning, where upon the old man insisted he take off until Tuesday. Draco was happy to go home within an hour of the shops opening on Saturday, and decided he should think of something special to make for Hermione for their dinner date that night. He hadn't seen her since Sunday morning, and after realizing his feelings for the witch, he had become more and more anxious to see her again. They had been corresponding via owl over the week, and he always left the apothecary through the back door, hoping to run into her, but that wasn't the same. He wasn't entirely sure how he was going to deal with his new found feelings, surely she didn't feel the same for him even despite their new friendship. She had just gotten out of a relationship for one thing, and Draco knew that Hermione would never be willing to date a Death Eater, reformed or not. Nevertheless, he intended upon making sure she valued his friendship very much, he didn't think he could bare it if she suddenly decided she wanted nothing to do with him again. The only problem that left him with, was making sure that neither of his parents ever discovered his affection for the muggleborn witch, that could be disastrous.
So Draco went home, and decided to spend the day tinkering around his apartment, he knew he had some grocery shopping to do for himself, along with for their dinner that night, and it had been a while since he had tidied up. He was considering inviting Hermione to his home for their dinner, but wasn't sure if she would want to or not. Deciding it wouldn't hurt to ask, Draco searched his kitchen for some parchment, and penned a quick letter to Hermione asking her to join him at home that night, giving her his address and letting her know he was awaiting an answer, before sending Shinto off through the open window. After Draco watched Shinto disappear into the sky, he magically heated some water in the sink, and set his dishes to cleaning themselves. He had learned to appreciate having a house-elf when he had moved out of Malfoy Manor three years prior, and he'd become rather handy with house-hold spells, much to his mother's horror. He fiddled around in the living room too, setting some freshly laundered clothes to folding themselves, and he fluffed his couch pillows as well, folding up the blanket that hung over the arm of his couch and setting it in it's rightful place. It wasn't long before Shinto returned with Hermione's reply, and Draco excitedly untied it from the owl's leg, before giving him a treat and sending him back to his perch.
Draco,
I think dinner at your home sounds like a lovely idea. I truly hope that whatever it is you intend upon feeding me tonight is nice and fattening, I've been so busy working this week I doubt I've had a proper meal. Anything greasy or fried will be wonderful, baking and grilling be damned. I'm sure you can manage that though can't you? You are a male after all. I'm looking forward to seeing your apartment, they say you can learn a lot about a man based upon how he keeps his living space. I'll be bringing along a camera though, in case I stumble across anything incriminating. I'd make a nice sum I think, if I were to sell pictures to the Prophet, just think of the headlines! "Malfoy Heir, Handsome Bachelor, Closet Opera Singer!" I think it would be positively splendid myself. I'll arrive shortly after seven if that's quite alright.
Yours,
Hermione
Draco laughed at her letter, and wrote his own reply, letting her know seven would be wonderful, and tied it to Shinto's leg with instructions to take it to Hermione whenever he was rested enough. Draco then put away his freshly folded clothing, laid his dishes out to dry, and locked up his apartment, before walking out of his front door and into the streets of Hogsmeade, to do his shopping.
Draco had finished cleaning his house, showered, dressed and was in the kitchen starting their dinner when Hermione arrived around 7:15 that night. He smiled at her when he opened the door and she stepped inside, giving him a hug. She set a brown paper bag down on the counter and pulled out two bottles of wine, causing Draco to laugh.
"Well we can't have 'Chef Draco and Elven Wine' without the wine now can we?" Hermione asked, grinning.
"Too true." Draco agreed, going back to his cooking. Hermione popped the cork on the first bottle, and he pointed to where he kept his wine glasses, so she preceeded to pour them both glasses, before hopping up to sit on his counter and watch him cook.
"My flowers were lovely, thank you." Hermione said conversationally, causing Draco to turn a little pink.
"I don't have any idea what you're talking about." He replied, not looking at her. Hermione grinned.
"Really? I must have been mistaken then, I don't know any other 'D' who might have sent me flowers though." She mused.
"Perhaps the D stood for delusional, or disoriented. Or maybe that old codger who gave us all our apparition lessons! That dog-breath man! He was always on about some D words, what were they? Demented, Delirious and Denial?" Draco asked, causing Hermione to snort into her wine.
"Wilkie Twycross!" She exclaimed. "Harry and Ron did try to tell me that old wizard had a crush on me, he swore he'd never seen anyone execute with such 'Destination, Determination, and Deliberation' before!" She leaned back onto her left hand, laughing to herself as she took another sip of wine. "They chased me around for a week after I got my license, proposing to me in false sopranos. That poor old man, they were so mean about him." Draco laughed out loud.
"What do you know, I never imagined Potter and Weasley had it in them to be entertaining." He grinned, using some kitchen tongs to pick some chicken breasts out of a frying pan.
"Oh, if you think that's amusing, you should have heard some of the things they used to say about you." Hermione teased, her eyes twinkling merrily. Draco scowled.
"Yes well, I had a fair amount of things to say about them as well." He told her, shaking a chicken breast in her direction. Hermione grinned.
"Nothing quite so clever though, I'm sure." She stuck her tongue out at him, and he flicked some of the flour he had been using to bread the chicken with at her. Hermione's jaw dropped at she wiped flour off of her face and shirt, astounded.
"I cannot believe you just did that!" She exclaimed, hoping down off of the counter to get a wet napkin. "How childish of you!" Draco laughed.
"I think white is a good look for you." He mused, returning to the frying pan. Hermione got her wand out when he turned around, and then spelled the open bag of flour on the counter to float above his head, then turned it upside down on him. Draco spluttered and the pan he had just emptied of chicken sizzled and popped when the flour hit the hot grease. He turned around to look at her horrified, and Hermione tried her best to look innocent, but the look on his now ghost-white face was so comical, she couldn't help but to burst out laughing. Draco smirked and took a step toward her, to which she backed up.
"Oh no, Draco. Don't even think about it." Hermione warned, raising her wand at him. Draco lurked forward and knocked it out of her hand, and she ran into the living room trying to avoid him. She juked right, but he was too quick for her and caught her up in his arms, shaking his hair and smearing flour all over her clothes and face, causing the both of them to burst out in fits of laughter.
"Draco! Let me go! You've made a mess of everything." Hermione demanded. He obliged.
"Alright, but only because you have a mess to clean up in my kitchen." He grinned, walking away from her. She scowled.
Draco finished what was left to cook of their dinner as Hermione watched over a broom and dust pan, making sure it got all of the flour on his floor, as she sipped on her wine, grinning to herself a little. When Draco was done and all of the flour swept up, they took their glasses of wine and plates of fried chicken and fixings to the living room to lounge on the couch.
"Chef Draco does it again." Hermione smiled, cutting into her chicken. He waved a hand as if it were nothing.
"It's just chicken, but you said you wanted something fried, so I obliged." He smiled, taking a sip of his wine.
"You would never know my parents were dentists the way I've been eating lately." Hermione commented. "I can't help it though, living on my own, it's so easy to eat junk, especially after eating so many organic or nutritional healthy meals my mother's prepared over the past few years. I love hamburgers now. Those American's really knew what they were onto." She laughed. Draco grinned.
"I'm going to have to agree with you on that. Can you keep a secret?" He asked, lowering his voice and looking around the apartment dramatically, as if there were somebody else there to listen in on them.
"I swear it." Hermione replied solemnly, smiling at his antics.
"Well, I have a guilty pleasure." Draco told her nodding. "My father would be appalled if he were to ever find out but..." He looked around again. "I'm addicted to muggle fast food. They have this place called MacDonagalls, it's fantastic." He grinned, and Hermione snorted again.
"It's called McDonalds, Draco." She laughed.
"That's what I said!" He insisted.
"Of course you did. I was never allowed McDonalds as a child, which always made me upset, they gave out toys with their children's meals you see." She laughed, reminiscing.
"Toys! What good are muggle toys?" Draco asked, looking at her incredulously as she cut off another bite of chicken. "Muggle toys don't do anything interesting, they don't fly like ours do. I used to have a set of miniature dragons, Mother would get so angry with me when I allowed them to fly around the Manor. She told me that dragon's were to be kept in the bedroom. Which is pretty amusing now that I think about it. She'd have my hide if I were to keep an actual dragon in my bedroom at the Manor." He grinned to himself at the thought.
"I bought Teddy a set of dragons." Hermione commented. "Did yours breath fire?"
"Of course!" Draco exclaimed, as though appalled at the thought that there were miniature dragons that didn't breath fire. "Who is Teddy?" He asked. Hermione looked at him confused for a moment. Did he truly not know?
"Teddy is your cousin, Draco." She replied solemnly. "He's your Aunt Andromeda's grandson."
"My cousin? But I was told..." Draco looked up in shock. "I knew I had a cousin, Mother mentioned Aunt Andromeda's daughter once, saying she was a metamorphamagus, but I know she passed at the Battle." He stared off into space, ignoring his plate and his wine. "I wasn't aware she'd had a child. How old is he?" Draco asked excitedly looking at Hermione.
"Well he's about five now." Hermione told him, thinking. "I'd never realized you didn't know about him. Harry is his Godfather." Hermione told him, looking at him to gauge his reaction. Draco made a face.
"Why would my cousin name Potter the Godfather?" He asked.
"Teddy's father and Harry's father were best friends in school. You remember Professor Lupin?" Hermione asked quietly.
"That's his father?' Draco looked at her in wonder. "Is Teddy a werewolf?" He asked worried.
"No, but he is a metamorphamagus." Hermione smiled, thinking of how Teddy liked to keep his hair bright blue. "Would you like to meet him? I'm sure Andromeda wouldn't mind. Teddy doesn't really have much family." Draco looked at her unsteadily.
"I don't know if that would be a good idea. I've never even meet my Aunt Andromeda. What if they didn't like me?" He asked worried. "I know my Mother regretted it, when their parents disowned Andromeda, she was always Mother's favorite sister. Mother just never managed to move past her parents prejudice soon enough I don't think." He replied, looking off into space again, sipping his wine.
"I think Teddy would love you." Hermione smiled at him warmly. "I'll see what I can do if you'd really like to meet him." Draco was drawn out of his reverie and he smiled at Hermione.
"I think I'd like that." He decided. They fell into a comfortable silence for a few moments as they both finished their meals. Draco was thinking of how things might have been different growing up if he had a larger family, with cousins. Hermione was thinking about how Draco was still niave in a way, and that meeting Teddy would probably be a wonderful thing for him. Professor Lupin would have liked this Draco, she thought. He had grown into someone worth knowing. She also knew that Andromeda would be very happy for Teddy to meet his only living cousin, family had always been very important to 'Dromeda, and Hermione knew she still hurt at times, over her family shunning her, just for who she loved. Draco took their plates to the sink, and magicked them to clean themselves, before returning to the living room and sitting back down on the couch, bringing the bottle of wine with him.
"So, what is new in the world of house-elves?" Draco teased, topping them both off. Hermione thanked him and leaned back into the couch.
"Well, we had a meeting with some house-elf representatives on Wednesday. Getting them all proper treatment and wages was a huge step, and the ones my team met with were nothing but grateful to us for our work. There are those who are insulted to be working for money now, but the younger generations of house-elves I think appreciate the freedom. The next order of business we've decided, is to get a bill passed allowing house-elves to be hired in areas of work other than just as house-keepers. Personally, I would like to be able to hire a team of house-elves on at the Ministry, as paid representatives, but that will take time." Hermione said decidedly. Draco studied her for a moment, deep in thought.
"You really do care for them, don't you?" He asked. Hermione blushed.
"Oh, don't you go about teasing me now. But yes, I do care. They're creatures with feelings just the same as ours, and slavery isn't right, no matter who you ask." She declared. "You probably think me crazy don't you?" Draco studied her for another moment, causing her to squirm in her seat.
"I think you're bloody marvelous actually." He amended, causing her to blush again.
"Oh you're just saying that." She decided, nudging him with her shoulder.
"No, I'm serious!' Draco declared, setting his wine glass down and turning his body a little to look at her. "I love that you care so much. The world needs people like you, to make up for all of the people like me. You've devoted your life to helping others and I think that makes you wonderful. After everything you did during the war to help scar-head stop Voldemort, nobody would be able to fault you if you wanted to just disappear and go live on some tropical island somewhere, enjoying the rest of your days and spoiling yourself. But you didn't do that, you're here, working for the Ministry so that other creatures who can't help themselves can enjoy their lives more. And to top it all off, you volunteer for things like the St. Mungo's benefit during your free time, and you aren't even smug about it. Anyone who tries to say you're anything short of amazing must be out of their mind." Draco told her earnestly. "I mean it Hermione." She blushed, and looked up into his eyes, seeing that he truly did mean it. Hermione felt elated, she hadn't ever heard anyone recognize her like that before, and seem to believe like Draco did. Looking at him, Hermione felt as if she knew without a doubt that he believed nothing but good things of her, something entirely different than what she had grown accustomed to expecting from him during their years at Hogwarts. She realized that they'd been looking at each other for much longer than just a few seconds, and she wasn't entirely sure what possessed her to do it, but in that moment she wanted nothing more than to connect with him.
She tilted her head up and pressed her lips to his. Draco registered her action with shock for a moment, but then realized what it meant and happily kissed her back, smiling into her mouth. She hummed a little and their kiss grew more passionate. Draco wrapped an arm around her and placed his hand on the small of her back, leaning into her and pressing her further into the couch as her arms snaked up around his neck. She nibbled on his bottom lip, causing him to groan with pleasure, before deepening their kiss, running his tongue across her upper lip, seeking entrance. She obliged and tugged on his hair, her hands having twisted themselves into it. Draco broke off from her mouth and trailed kisses along her jaw and to her neck where he nibbled and sucked a bit, causing Hermione to sigh contently. He moved the hand supporting his weight to her hip and she gasped a little at his weight dropping onto her, so in a quick fluid movement, Draco flipped them on the couch so that Hermione was on top of him, their legs tangled together. Hermione laughed and kissed him on the lips again, teasing and biting, eliciting another little moan from him. Hermione grinned, she felt powerful, making him moan in such a way, and she wanted to make him moan more. She trailed kisses along his neck and collar bone, sucking and kissing, and then suddenly bit down hard on that sensual strip of muscle, connecting neck to shoulder. Draco had been running his hands along her back underneath her top, and he growled at her sudden recklessness, as he felt himself swell. He flipped them again, causing them to fall from the couch, but he held Hermione close to his body and used his other arm to catch the majority of their weight, then shifted to his other elbow, slipping a hand into her shirt and kissing her hungrily. Hermione purred, feeling him pressed up against her thigh, and then gasped into his mouth as he unhooked her bra unexpectedly. She broke their kiss and looked up into his eyes with a sultry look.
"Draco." She whispered, as he moved his mouth to her collarbone. He made a little sound of enjoyment into her skin as he continued to kiss and suck.
"Hermione." He replied huskily, nibbling her neck, causing her to gasp again breathlessly. Hermione closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy what he was doing to her with his mouth, and she moaned aloud when she felt his warm hand slip under her loosened bra to cup her breast. He kneaded her with his hand as he claimed her mouth again, sucking her bottom lip into his own mouth, and running his tongue along her teeth sensuously. Hermione purred again, but knew she would completely lose herself in a minute, so she pressed a hand into his chest.
"As much as I'm enjoying this..." She spoke breathlessly. He looked at her from heavily lidded eyes and nodded.
"We should probably stop." He finished, leaning back down to give her a sweet kiss, which she pressed into, dragging out luxuriously. After breaking their kiss, they both sat up looking flushed, and fixed their clothing. Hermione blushed, thinking to herself. It had been a long time since she'd kissed anyone other than Ron, and here she was, just a week after breaking up with him, making out with Draco Malfoy on his living room couch like a couple of randy teenagers. She blushed harder.
"I should probably go." She told him, smiling. "I don't know if I trust us both to behave if I stay here much longer." Draco looked disappointed but assured her that he understood, and they both stood up. He walked her to the door and helped her with her coat, buttoning it for her after she had slipped her arms into in, smiling at her with a cute little half grin. She smiled back at him and slipped her arms under his to hug him goodbye. She looked up at him and he kissed her on the mouth again, and then on the forehead as she sighed.
"Will I see you tomorrow?" He asked hopefully. "I don't have work again until Tuesday."
"It's possible." She teased. "I was planning on having a lie in, but I suppose I could owl you when I wake." Draco grinned.
"You don't have to go you know, we could always have a lie in together." He said, wiggling his eyebrows at her, making her laugh.
"That's precisely why I must go now." She told him, standing on her tip toes to kiss him again. "Goodnight Draco." She told him, pulling away and opening his front door.
"Goodnight Hermione." Draco smiled, as she wiggled her fingers at him and closed the door behind her. Draco grinned to himself some more as he walked giddily into his bedroom, leaving their wine glasses and the mess they had made of the couch until morning. He slipped off his clothes and crawled into bed, wearing naught but his boxers, and fell into a peaceful sleep, dreaming of nothing but Hermione and a couch.
A/N: So, was it too soon? Or too much? I've never really written sexy scenes before, so this one was a little bit of a struggle for me, do you think I did our favorite pair justice?
