Sinful Delights
Chapter 12: The Wayward Curl
AN:
Harry Potter is not mine, never was, never will be.
English is not my first language, I apologise in advanced for any mistakes you might find here.
Pairing: Hermione Granger & Draco Malfoy.
Timeline: True to HP series. Completely ignoring the epilogue.
"Should I sit down or be gone?" Draco asked cautiously. "You have that wrong-me-and-I'll-curse-you face."
"I do not!" Hermione vehemently denied. The cup of coffee she was holding was put down none too gently on the coffee table.
Draco lifted an eyebrow. He was still standing on the pathway, holding the tray with both hands, looking down on Hermione with the still lifted eyebrow. The mischief in his eyes was prominent.
"Prat! Sit down!" Hermione palmed her face and rubbed the forehead gently, she had a headache for the better part of the morning thanks to Ron and his demand for her to explaining over and over again how she could have befriended Draco Malfoy. She had explained, step-by-step, from their first encounter to the moment they became friends. Hermione had, of course, conveniently left some details out from her story.
Just before midnight, after Ron had asked for the second time "Are you mental?", Hermione had had enough. She roared that Draco Malfoy was her friend and then she challenged Ron to ask if she was mental one more time and see what would happen.
The more matured Ron Weasley - though not miraculously matured by much - had learned to read a situation better than before. For example, he had sensed that Hermione was at the edge of her patience, he knew that once Hermione decided that someone was her friend; she would stand by that decision, no matter what. Point in hand, he was still her friend, when others might have left him for some of the hurtful things he said or did. He also knew that even though he was an Auror, Hermione's love of book made sure that she was more knowledgeable in terms of variety of spells and curses in her arsenal. And when she was angry, the intricate spells - or curses, Ron did not know for certain - she performed, usually was quite vindictive in nature.
The more matured Ron Weasley had decided to do the mature thing that night. Hermione was a big girl and he trusted her judgment. If the words were similar to the ones said by Harry over and over again during their conversation, Ron would say that that was just a coincidence. He was not a coward for backing down from the fiercely looking Hermione; he was being a good friend for understanding. That decision, certainly, was not motivated in anyway from Harry who was almost running to the fireplace while shouting that Ron was on his own.
That was the reason for Hermione's mood; lack of a goodnight sleep. She knew she shouldn't let Draco took the brunt of it, but she just couldn't help it.
"Whoa, I just got here. I don't think I could do anything prat-like in the ten seconds I'm here," Draco said while sitting down and doing his routine of organizing his tray and its contents. A small hidden smirk appeared on his mouth.
"You're a prat just by being you," said Hermione.
"Hey, I resent that!" Draco objected.
Hermione shrugged her shoulders, her mouth smiling, feeling slightly better without really knowing why.
"So, who got your knickers in a twist?" Draco asked. This was the kind of question that he usually asked out of courtesy or curiosity, but now he found himself asking out of concern for the woman beside him. That rarely happened. Most of the time, his interest was usually provoked by selfish reason. How in the world, that in such a short time, he had begun to care for her? Draco was perplexed, but was given no time to ponder because Hermione had started grunting. And Merlin's beard, Draco thought she was cute.
"Urrgghh!" Hermione grunted. "Ron!" She spat the name out as an explanation.
"Ah, I take it you've talked to Weasley about us? And if I have to guess, he didn't take it kindly?" The sentences were spoken nonchalantly, but on the inside, Draco was wary. What if she decided to renege on her offer of friendship? Maybe she thought he was not worth the effort, not worth to be fought over with her best friends.
Would she do that? She wouldn't be here if she did.
But then again, she really did have nothing to gain by befriending him. If all else, she might be frowned upon by the wizarding world if she was seen being with him, the Death Eater. In Draco's mind, the one benefited most by this burgeoning friendship was himself. Her friends was abundant in number, she didn't need him. Her best friends despised him; it would be better for her to stay away from him. It was selfish of him to think otherwise, and Draco had vowed to be a better man. But damn it, he really wanted to be selfish for this!
"What happened?" Draco asked after steeling his resolve.
"After our conversation yesterday, I went straight to the Auror Office to talk to them. But they were not there and so I left," Hermione started. "Later that night, Harry came over. He knew I was looking for him. While he was making us tea, I fell asleep and he, um..., er... he heard..."
Draco inclined his head to look at Hermione and was shocked to see that her face was flushed, beautifully so. The tint of rose on her cheeks was highlighted. Her eyes were looking at anywhere but him. What in the name of Merlin happened last night to cause her so flustered like this? She was blushing!
"He heard...what?" Draco asked impatiently. "What did he hear, Hermione?"
"Er... Never mind what he heard!" Hermione insisted. The blush was prominent. "Anyways, we got to talking and I told him about you and I, that we're friends, I meant. He was shocked at first, but then he told me that you had apologised to him and Ron, and so he accepted us being friends."
"Just like that? No hurt-her-and-I'll-hunt-you-down speech? No tell-him-I'll-curse-him-if-he's-out-of-line either?"
"Tsk, please... We all knew I could kick your arse if I want to." The smile on her face was devious. Not for the first time Draco wondered how she was a Gryffindor.
"Yeah yeah, we all know you're a beast."
"Hey, I resent that!" Hermione replied, throwing back his previous words, accompanied by a playful slap on his arm.
"Hey, that was my line!" Draco returned the banter, feeling slightly giddy from her touch. A small smile appeared on his pale face, which was a rare occurrence for those who knew him well. Hermione noticed his smile and felt the pressure in her stomach; butterflies, lots of them.
"And Weasley?" Draco asked again, taking a bite of his sticky toffee pudding, oblivious that his friend was stunned to silence.
Draco turned his head when she didn't respond. "Hermione?"
"Uh, yes? Right then, um... what were we talking about?" Hermione stuttered.
"Weasley," Draco said, "you were going to tell me what happened with Weasley last night." His eyebrow was lifted again, this time wondering what made her lose her train of thoughts.
"Oh yes, right." Hermione answered lamely.
"Are you all right? You look a bit peaked." The red tint was persistent on Hermione's face. Draco was worried she might've been sick and was too stubborn to say so. She did look tired, as was evidenced by the faint shadow under her eyes. He held off the urge to palm her forehead.
"I'm just a bit tired, that's all. Harry and Ron stayed just before midnight. And Ron was an arse! But we sorted it out last night. All's well." Hermione explained succinctly.
Draco nodded, accepting her words. He stared at her for quite some time after that, while she mindlessly kept on stirring her coffee. There was something different about her; she was hiding something from him. Hermione had said that she had been sleeping when Potter heard her say something. That could only mean that she was sleep talking. But what could it be? Draco had a hopeful feeling that it was about him. But he was digressing.
Back to the matter at hand, something was different with Hermione; she stirred her coffee repeatedly, she kept looking down, avoiding his eyes. Draco was befuddled.
"I told my parents about us," he said at last, hoping that would make her look at him.
"Oh, you did?" Obviously it worked; curiosity was natural to Hermione Granger. She looked at him from between the curls falling over her eyes. "And?"
"As I predicted, they accepted it well enough. So well in fact, that my mother had asked me to extend an invitation for you to come over to the Manor this Saturday for lunch." There, he said it.
Hermione froze. He had predicted that too. "I know the Manor would have been the last place you would like to revisit, especially given the kind of welcome you've experienced the first time you were there. But I promise you Hermione, from here on out, your visit to the Manor would not be accompanied with torture of any kind. Unless if you consider dining with my parents as torture."
Hermione was silent.
"I'd be there too, you know. I would not leave you alone," Draco explained. "Being friends with me, a visit to the Manor was unavoidable," he added in lower voice, his guilt resurfaced.
Still, she was silent.
"If you want, I could arrange for us to have lunch in another venue. I'm sure my parents would appreciate it over the monotony of their exile. Maybe we could-"
"Torture..." Hermione started.
"Hermione, I shouldn't have aske..."
"It would be torture to have lunch with you," Hermione continued, "I agree wholeheartedly."
Draco felt the tension left his body. He let out a relieved breath. "I'll have you know that none of your friends would compare to my elite upbringing in dining etiquette."
"You mean the kind of elite upbringing that left a cream on the side of your mouth?"
Draco's hand shot out to both sides of his mouth, looking for the cream she referred to. Seeing that, Hermione laughed out loud, making Draco realized that he was being hustled. Hermione's laugh was intensified once she saw that Draco was fuming; she was hiccupping in a fit of giggles. The riot that was her hair was swinging all over the place; her hair swallowed her face. She was a mess.
A beautiful mess, Draco thought.
A minute or more passed before the giggle attack was finally done. Hermione took several long breaths and was working on taming her hair.
"Are you done?" Draco asked.
"Quite." Hermione answered happily, her eyes were eyeing his pudding. "How's the toffee?"
"Heavenly. Try some," he moved the plate closer to her.
Hermione picked up her fork and inched closer to take a bite. Her left hand was holding the plate while the right one started its ascent to her mouth. When the pudding was safely on her mouth, one persistent curl fell from its position behind her ear. Draco, who had been watching her movement, saw that she was closing her eyes, undoubtedly savouring the pudding, and was unaware of the wayward curl.
Casually, as if he had done it a hundred times before, Draco lifted his right hand and tucked it behind her ear. After that, every thing happened too fast for Hermione to comprehend. She felt his thumb caressed the faint shadow under her left eye. But when she opened her eyes, he had already retracted his hand. The only thing remained on her face were his grey eyes; a swirling silver of mashed up emotions.
"How was it?" Draco asked, his voice lower than usual. Hermione didn't know to what he was referring to, the toffee or his unexpected - possibly imaginary - touch.
"Wonderful." Hermione murmured. His eyes remained on her.
"You do look tired, Hermione. Go home earlier today and get some sleep."
Hermione nodded. All the signs were there; the pressure on her stomach, the elevated heartbeat, the warmness of her face, and the suddenly clammy hands.
Merlin's beard, she had undoubtedly fallen ill!
AN:
Please forgive Hermione for being so awfully slow in this chapter. She was in an unconscious denial. Draco, on the other hand, had started to accept the attraction he felt for her.
Was the pace too fast?
Plus, do you need me to write down the day of the chapter?
For example: this chapter happened on a Tuesday. The previous three chapters happened on a Monday. Or would it be too confusing?
Acknowledgement:
kabg01 (yes I've read Ron each way too. And the one I hated the most was when Hermione let him stomped all over her. Not this Hermione! I do hope you approve)
ElizabethDM (I'm trying to write a more matured Ron, though not by a lot, so that it doesn't feel forced. I didn't want another full chapter for a similar conversation like the one Hermione had with Harry, so I put Ron in a back flash. Hope it's okay)
CharmQuest (Don't worry, this Hermione would never do that! Thanks for reviewing, hope you like the update)
iwasbotwp (your review blown me away. Truly, I'm not just saying it. Thank you! Thank you!)
BBG336 (ehehe, I could understand you wanting a faster pace. But let's start with lunch first, which would be in 4 more days, that's counting in story days, not real-life days)
Melanie (hi, glad u loved it)
Nix Ginevra Black (super glad you loved Binky and the Malfoys' reactions. Thanks for reviewing; I was starting to wonder if u were still reading my update. Ron's part was in a back flash, hope that's okay. What do you mean with fiesta language? Are you referring to my mother tongue?)
Olicity Lover (yup, u guessed right. I hope you like the way Hermione handled Ron, even it it's in a back flash. Hope you'll like the Dramione in this chap)
