I'm planning my very first solo vacation! My mother is planning my funeral. I'm not dying, but she thinks I'm going to if I go anywhere by myself. That includes going around the block to buy milk.

Chapter 12

Pansy and Eleanor sat on Hermione's bed as she readied herself for dinner with Draco. "No red," Pansy instructed. "No green either. It's not Christmas and this isn't Hogwarts. Avoid house colors."

"Purple bad," Eleanor added. "Eggplant."

Scowling, Pansy shook her head. "Thank her grandmother for that," she remarked. "Besides, you look good in purple. Smaller hips, bum. Nothing eggplant-shaped about you."

"Oh stop," Hermione said, pulling on a baby blue tunic. "You have the body you have, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. Narcissa's a b...witch."

Pansy laughed loudly, and her daughter followed her example despite being too young to understand the comment. "So, what does Draco have planned for tonight?" she inquired. "Our first date was in the gardens. We were five. He put a beetle down my shirt. I kicked him...well, let's just say it's a surprise he was able to have a child."

"Good thing I planned this then," Hermione replied. "He wanted to see the muggle world, and since this is my world, I thought I'd show him a bit of it. Did you know he's never been to London?"

"Um, I hadn't either until you dragged me there," Pansy reminded her. "Against my will, might I add."

Laughing, she left her room for Pansy's and returned with a pair of black sandals. "You loved every second of it," she teased.

"Oh yeah, it's fun thinking that everything around you can kill you," Pansy deadpanned. "That was great."

Fully dressed, Hermione turned to face her friend with a nervous, questioning look on her face. "What if he doesn't like it?" she wondered. "What if he screams every time a car whizzes by like you did? Or he tries to pay for something with wizarding money? Can I leave him alone for five minutes without worrying that he's going to talk to someone about Quidditch or magic politics?"

"Don't you think he's nervous about all the same things?" Pansy asked. "It's his first foray into a strange new world. I'm sure he's worried about doing something that'll get him in trouble, or worse, make you mad. I'm not saying that you're not completely entitled to your feelings. Just...consider that he might feel the same way you do. Also, maybe don't leave him alone. Oh, and don't scuff my shoes. You can't ward this room well enough if you hurt my shoes."

Laughing, she promised to guard them with her life. "Do you really think this is a good idea?" she asked.

Grinning widely, Pansy nodded. "Oh, and for your second date, the two of you can watch El," she suggested. "Next Saturday. Because I have a date."

Though she wanted details, Draco showed up and interrupted their conversation. "Hello?" he called from the bottom of the stairs.

"You look great, and I'll tell you all about it when you get home," Pansy promised, shooing her out of the room. "And don't you dare come home early to hear about it. I'm not telling you anything until ten o'clock at the earliest."

Hermione bade them goodbye, and joined Draco downstairs. "Lucky for you I talked Pansy out of the intentions speech she had prepared for you," she told him as they left the house. "Although, I think she better than anyone knows your intentions."

He glanced nervously at her as she led him to the car. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said. "What is this thing?"

Laughing, she told him to get in. "Trust me - I drive a car better than I fly a broom," she assured him. "It's safe. I have no intention of maiming you, at least not before we eat. I'm famished."

"You always could eat," he recalled fondly. "I've always liked that about you."

Backing out of the driveway, she shrugged. "What's wrong with eating?" she asked rhetorically. They drove in silence for several minutes. Every once in awhile, Hermione would catch nervous gray eyes surveying the cars in front of them and the passing scenery. "Are you alright?"

Mouth open, he nodded. "Yeah, fine," he mumbled, licking his lips. "Are, um, are we there yet?"

With a sympathetic smile, she turned around, returned the car to the garage, and held out her hand to him. "Let's just Apparate," she suggested. Letting out a sigh of relief, he agreed and took her hand. Soon, they arrived in a small back alley and began their date. They stopped first in a small cafe for fish and chips. Hermione chuckled as Draco eyed the greasy food she told him to eat with his fingers. "It won't kill you, and I swear not to tell anyone that you didn't use cutlery."

"I think you're trying to induce a nervous breakdown," he replied, gingerly picking up a piece of fish.

"It would make for a memorable first date story," she added. "I promise to bring flowers and chocolates when I visit you in the mental ward."

They continued to talk as they ate. Leaving the cafe, Draco declared that he had found a new favorite food. "It's official - I've lost my mind," he joked. She laughed as she took hold of his arm and led him to another abandoned alley. They soon arrived in a deserted area near the River Thames. "Did you scout out all possible Apparition points?"

Grinning, she nodded proudly. "I didn't really think you'd be okay with driving," she replied, pointing out the sights as they walked slowly. "This is my favorite place in the whole world. Well, a place that isn't a bookstore."

"It's beautiful," he murmured, watching the sun set over the water. "So, do you think you'd maybe want to do this again some time?"

"I could be talked into it," she decided. They stopped to look at Parliament as the sun dipped below the horizon. He listened with rapt attention as Hermione told him about the governing body and its history. She was mid sentence, telling him about Margaret Thatcher, when he stopped and kissed her. "Was that to shut me up?" she wondered when he pulled away.

"It was because I've missed you," he replied, brushing a stray curl away from her face. Leaning down, he kissed her again. It was soft, chaste, but perfect. "I've missed that too."

There was a dreamy look in her eyes as her lips tingled. "We were always pretty good at that," she said wistfully. "I've missed this too. Not just the kissing and...other things, but this - you and me. I regretted sending those letters when I first did, but now...now I'm glad I did."

He inhaled deeply, taking in the cool night air. He could recall the anger he had felt when he first received them, how he hated her for waiting so long to contact him, how his world seemed to implode after they arrived. And while he could recall all this, he could no longer find fault in the way the situation had played out. He still had Pansy and Eleanor, and now he had Hermione back in his life too.

"I'm glad you did too," he told her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

Hermione was sure she heard something off in his voice, and stopped walking. "I'm not going anywhere, Draco," she promised. "I told you before that I'm here to stay, and I mean it. You're stuck with me now, Malfoy."

"I'll take it."