It Had To Be You

By Kate Dessi

Chapter 12

She remembered Dumbledore stating sometime in 1992 that, "it takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies but a lot more to stand up to your friends."

Hermione dreaded this day. She had felt a similar case of anxiousness when Voldemort and his army of Death Eaters, Snatchers, etc. had shown up breaking down the enchanted wards they had put up in Hogwarts which was quite ridiculous—she had gone through so much and she was a bit scared of coming clean to her friends.

Harry had owled her around nine in the morning; inviting her for dinner and insisting to bring Draco Malfoy over. Of course, Ron had blabbed, what else did she expect? Draco didn't want to go but she managed to persuade him in the end. She guessed that he was a bit apprehensive as well; she remembered the letter he had sent to Harry. He must have been a little embarrassed about that today.

If Draco hadn't been grumbling on the way to 12 Grimmauld Place, she might have been the one to do the grumbling.

After the war, Harry and Ginny had settled in the House of Black but not before the curses and enchantments had been lifted from the place. Most of the family heirlooms had been destroyed due to the fact that they were mostly cursed. The portraits had been destroyed, especially the shrunken heads of former house elves that were mounted on plaques. The home was bright and quite homely, thanks to Ginny, who was a great as a housekeeper like her mother, Molly Weasley. She stopped working when their second son, Albus was born.

It was apparent that Draco had never been to his family's ancestral home, considering he was a Black. He showed no surprise but apprehension was clear on his face when Hermione rang the doorbell.

"It's okay," Hermione assured him.

He didn't say anything but stepped closer to her when the front door opened and revealed a grinning Harry Potter. Well, his smile was directed to his friend but that didn't help any matters.

"Malfoy," Harry greeted after kissing Hermione on the cheek. To Draco's surprise, he offered a hand to shake.

Draco shook his hand for exactly two seconds. "Potter."

"Please come in."

"Draco," Hermione said as they walked through the long hallway, lit by a beautiful chandelier. "Play nice."

"Hermione, I wish you'd stop worrying," Draco said seriously, giving her a look. "I won't hex them or beat them up for no absolute reason. I am a dignified man of twenty-nine."

On one side of the hallway was the dining room where Harry had already disappeared to a few moments ago. Hermione and Draco saw that Ron and his fiancé were already sitting there, talking. They both looked up when Hermione and Draco entered.

Ron glowered at Draco but didn't say anything at first. His tone was cheerful when he and Dawn greeted her. His tone was curt when he greeted Draco. Hermione introduced Draco to their other friend, Dawn Winspear. He greeted her politely, instead of being his "annoying charming self" to women as titled by Hermione. He didn't really want to egg Weasley on by flirting with his fiancé.

The dining table was already set up in a fancy setting. Tall candles placed on beautiful silver candelabras.

Harry was fixing drinks at the far end of the room. Hermione pulled Draco to the kitchen where she had guess Ginny was. Sure enough, Ginny was there bent over a pan that was emitting a wonderful buttery garlic smell.

"Smells good," Draco commented.

Ginny whirled around and her eyes widened in surprise. "So you came," she grinned. "I half expected you wouldn't show up."

"He almost didn't. I had to convince him," Hermione said as she came forward to kiss her friend on the cheek in greeting.

"How did you do it?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, Potter's wife," Draco drawled suggestively.

Hermione whacked him on the shoulder. "She does have a name, you know," she scolded. "Anyway, Gin, do you want some help?"

"No, thanks, dear. We want to make the dinner as edible as possible," Ginny teased, laughing lightly.

Draco snorted with laughter.

Hermione ignored him and huffed. "Ginny," she whined, pouting.

"I'm joking, Hermione. Dinner is almost ready. Now, shoo! The kids are in the drawing room. They've been waiting for their auntie."

Hermione practically ran from the room, leaving Draco standing in the middle of the room awkwardly. "She did that on purpose, didn't she?" Draco guessed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm afraid so, Malfoy. Maybe we can talk a little bit, sit down if you want," Ginny offered. "I'm not one for small talk," she continued speaking when Draco sat down on a table near her and she sat opposite him. "Frankly, Malfoy, you're not my first choice of man for my best friend. You're actually my last, even if you claim to be friends. But there's something about you that makes her different."

Draco didn't look surprised when Ginny started speaking about his relationship with her friend. "Different?"

"Yes. Different in a good way, I think. As much as I would like to have her as my sister, she and Ron weren't exactly compatible, per se. She's too smart, too witty and most of the time he didn't understand her. I encouraged her to date Viktor Krum but she didn't really feel 'sparks' when it came to him, if you know what I mean. Now the past few years I thought she and Oliver was a perfect match. I was never more wrong—I won't go into detail, you can ask her if you want, it doesn't bother her anymore. Anyway, I really like to think you're different from him. Like Hermione had said before, you're changed and that you're a good man."

"I'm nowhere near good," Draco said stiffly.

"I agree, but then again I don't know who you are today but Hermione does and I trust her judgment."

"I didn't come here for your approval."

Ginny nodded in understanding. "We just want her to be happy."

"I think she is," he said carefully.

"I can see that she is," she confirmed and then she smiled. "By the way, I heard about the encounter at the teashop. Don't worry your pretty little head over it. It's a Ron and Hermione thing, we learn to ignore it."

A Ron and Hermione thing? Draco didn't like the sound of that but he didn't say anything anymore about the matter. He just nodded.

Ginny stood up from her seat. "I'm glad that you turned out this way, Malfoy. Years ago, if someone would have told me I'm conversing with Draco Malfoy in my kitchen I would probably have them admitted to St. Mungo's."

Draco smirked. "I, for one, would have probably hexed them for creating such a ridiculous notion."

"Now you talk like Hermione," Ginny stared at him like he had grown an additional head. "You can go out now. My interrogation is done. I believe that Harry wants to talk to you."

Draco grimaced. "I should have known," he muttered as he left exited the kitchen and back to the dining room. It was empty and he decided that they were probably in the drawing room. It took him about three minutes when he located the drawing room.

Hermione was seated on the floor against a wall, holding a toy dragon, wriggling it around in front a black-haired boy. She had her back to him. Not for away from her and the kid, was a crib and Draco guessed that there was another child sleeping inside. Weasley was seated on a couch with his fiancé in front of the fire place and they were talking quietly to each other. Potter was standing in front of a wall at the corner of the room.

As if sensing his presence, Potter turned and gestured for him to come forward. Hesitating for the briefest of moments, he came forward but stood a good five feet from where Potter was standing beside him.

The wall showed the Black family tree. "You're crossed out, Malfoy," Harry said without preamble, pointing to a face that seemed to be burnt.

Draco leaned forward and saw his name and above it was an image of him that was burned. He never told Hermione but he was crossed out from both the Black and Malfoy family tree, due to his involvement with muggles. In Bulgaria, he had a few muggle acquaintances that neighbored their estate. His former flames were muggles as well, including his last girlfriend. His parents found and they weren't exactly pleased, to say the least. Despite their current depressive state, they still managed to disown him as their son but couldn't bear even the thought of him cutting off all ties with him.

"I figured as much," Draco said soberly. "I almost didn't recognize this place, until I saw the Black family crest in the dining room."

"It was in a horrible state when we decided to live here. We reformed it to make it more family-friendly," Harry replied, looking pointedly at his son who was still playing with Hermione. He finally looked at Draco. "How was life in Bulgaria?"

He had seen that coming as well. "Fine," Draco replied. "Nothing like home, of course."

"And your parents?"

"Dead," he responded emotionlessly.

"I'm sorry."

Draco looked at him carefully. He saw genuine remorse. "Doesn't matter."

Harry nodded. "Ginny has probably talked to you about Hermione already," he said.

"She did." Draco finally smirked. "Has she always been—I don't know—indiscreet?" He asked, without malice.

"Yes," Harry chuckled.

They didn't say anything anymore. "Well, this has been really awkward," Draco said. "If you don't mind I'd like to chew Granger's ear off for leaving me alone." Without waiting for his response, Draco walked over to Hermione and sat down beside her. "You have some nerve, Granger," he said lightly.

Hermione grinned at him. "James, I'd like you to meet Draco Malfoy."

The boy looked at him curiously. "Are you Auntie Mine's boyfriend?"

"Yes," Draco said bluntly. "What's it to you?"

Hermione gasped. "Malfoy!"

James shrugged his shoulders. "I was just asking."

"How old are you anyway?"

"I'm six. What about you?"

"I'm twenty-nine."

"You're old."

"Your Auntie Mine's older. She's thirty."

"I know," James said simply. "Do you want to play with me?"

Draco almost scoffed but he resisted. "What game?"

"Exploding Snap or Snitch Snatcher? Auntie Mine won't play with me, she hates those games." He pouted at Hermione.

"It's not appropriate for a little boy," Hermione reasoned frantically.

"I'm six, Auntie," James sighed. "Please play with me, mister. She's boring."

"I think I'm beginning to like this kid," Draco surmised as James brought out his Snitch Snatcher! board game. "Call me Draco, James."


Dinner was an awkward event even though Ginny, Hermione and Dawn tried to make light of it. Draco was very quiet, only speaking when spoken to. Surprisingly, he and Harry were very civil but far from being friendly. Ron, on the other hand, was talkative but pointedly ignoring Draco. James and the year old baby Albus drew laughter from all of the adults. Especially James, since he was a smart kid, quite mischievous.

By the time they had finished eating dinner, Hermione was exasperated and she could not contain her frustration anymore.

"I'm not asking you to be friends with him, Ronald," Hermione said, almost sadly. Beside her, Draco's hand from under the table crept on her knee, squeezed it in comfort. She shot him a small smile that almost seemed sad. "Just accept us."

"Yeah, Weasley," Draco said in the same tone, surprising the other adults. "I don't even know why she cares so much about what you think but it's making her sad as well and I don't want that. I'm not going anywhere, not anytime soon, so you better get your act together."

"They're right, Ron," Ginny put in, but her tone was brighter than the two.

"If Hermione likes him," Harry added, "He must not be so bad now, eh?"

"Actually, Harry, he's still a right prat." Hermione laughed. "He's annoying, really."

"Hey!" Draco complained, pinching a good chunk of flesh on her side.

"Ah!"

"Serves you right you bossy know-it-all!"

"See, he's calling you names!" Ron almost yelled. "How can you date a ferret who calls you names and abuses you?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Abuse, Ron? They're being affectionate with each other. And really, ferret? What are we, fourteen?"

"You can't win this, Ron," Dawn said, who was sad because of the way her fiancé was reacting towards his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend. "Hermione's a big girl. You should lay off and concentrate on your own wedding plans instead of hindering her happiness." Unexpectedly, she burst into tears, burying her face in her hands.

"Oh, Dawn, no," Ron said, his eyes widening in alarm. "Let's go to the other room and we'll talk." Without waiting for an answer, he pulled her to her feet and they swept from the room, leaving four bewildered adults, a confused six year old and an oblivious one year old.

"Why was Auntie Dawn crying?" James asked from his place beside Harry, breaking the silence.

"We don't know," his mother giggled. "They're quite a pair, aren't they?"

"They sure are," Draco agreed. He turned to his dinner partner on his left. He leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Did it hurt?" He laid a hand on her side where he pinched her.

"Yes it did, you brute," she admitted, pouting a little bit.

"I'm sorry." His hand massaged her injured side softly. "Don't pout, Hermione, or I'll kiss you, right here in front of your friends."

She pursed her lips suddenly. "Don't do that."

"Then stop pouting." His lips brushed against the shell of her ear suggestively, emitting a small gasp from her.

How can such a simple kiss, not even a real kiss could affect her in such a way? She fought the urge to jump on his lap and kiss him until they turn blue. Of all the men in the world, it was Draco Malfoy who made her react this way. She never felt like this with Oliver and certainly not Ron.

Draco's hand unintentionally brushed against the side of her breast and she gave a small gasp again. Eye to eye, she drew closer to him.

"Oi, you two, get a room, preferably in your own homes," Harry drawled, visibly cringing at their display. "I know you're together and all but I don't really want to witness anything. Especially not in front of my kid!"

Hermione drew away from Draco in embarrassment, blushing deeply, while Draco smirked. Ginny caught his eye and she winked at him, making his smile even more prominent.

Then Ron and his fiancé walked in, with smiles on their faces, their faces a little flushed. They walked back to their place across from Draco and Hermione.

"I'm sorry for being such a git, Hermione," Ron said soberly, his ears turning a bit red. "I don't care who you're with just as long as you're happy. Even if it's Malfoy. Dawn had to knock some sense to me and it sure hurt." He rubbed his hand on his cheek.

"Thank you, Dawn," Hermione told Dawn gratefully and then she shot Ron a glare.

"Yes, well, he's being insufferable. Thankfully, my acting skills from theatre back when I was a teenager are still intact." Dawn giggled, her eyes twinkling.

"Oh, you fraud!" Hermione and Ginny burst in a series of giggles.


He avoided Weasley and Potter as much as possible and it seemed that the two seemed to be doing the same. Draco wouldn't have it any other way.

It was only past nine that Sunday evening when Draco grew restless. After their episode during dinner, he was left feeling a little aroused. Beside her on the couch, while she chatted away with the girls, he was silent, just observing her.

Draco wasn't exactly the most handsome man on earth nor was he famous with the ladies. But with Hermione, he felt like he was. Women usually found him conservative, if not a little uptight. With the way she had reacted when he whispered in her ear, it took everything not drag her away from the place and back to his flat where he could have his way with her.

They haven't done anything past groping yet. He didn't fancy himself as an honorable man but damn it, he was trying his hardest on being so. He had told her that it was up to her and that he was at her beck and call when she wanted him. But after tonight, he didn't think he could wait anymore.

He needed her.

Similar to their episode earlier, he leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Let's go home."

Her eyes held heat when they met his.

She needed him.


Warning for the next chapter

Implicit sexual content