Hi! Hope you're all doing well. Sorry for not updating sooner, time has seem to run away from me. I love F. Scott Fitzgerald, hence the quote later on! Like and subscribe to the story and comment below with your thoughts xoxo
Draco was having a great time out with Harry and the Weasley men. It had hit him just how much he had removed himself from society after his near death experience at New Years. His life had consisted going to work, staying holed up in his office then hurrying home as quickly as possible, avoiding as much contact with other people as much as possible. However, being surrounded by his friends, he felt completely safe, and with the help of a few beers, he was starting to feel like his old self. He would never admit it out loud, but even Ron was being pleasant.
"So Draco." George said. "How's the stab wound?"
"Yeah not bad." Draco said, subconsciously rubbing his chest.
"So tell us." George said, a cheeky grin spreading across his face. "What was it like getting a sponge bath from the wonderful Hermione Granger?"
Draco laughed. "One of the best experiences of my life."
"Tell me." George said, closing his eyes.
"If you want to see me without my clothes, all you've got to do is ask." Draco said, undoing the top button of his shirt.
Everyone laughed, "Another round?" Draco asked. Draco walked up to the bar and ordered six pints. He was playing with a coaster when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked and saw that Ron had propped himself at the bar with him.
"Thought you could use a hand to carry them." Ron said quietly.
"Thanks." Draco said, not quite sure why Ron was willingly helping him.
"I just wanted to say I'm really sorry for what I did." Ron blurted out after a few moments of silence.
Draco looked at him, he definitely wasn't expecting this. "Are you?"
"I am." Ron replied, looking ashamed of himself. "I never thought it would happen."
"I never thought my parents would try and kill me, but they did." Draco said, a little coldly.
Draco looked at Ron, he really did look ashamed of himself. He thought of what Hermione would say to him right now. That he could hold on to the resentment at Ron's inadvertent part in his stabbing, or he could forgive him and move on. It would make everyone's lives so much easier at gathering if their underlying tension was gone.
"Forget about it." Draco said, holding his hand out to shake Ron's. "I lived. Lets move forward."
Ron smiled at him and shook his hand. "Thanks."
"No problem." Draco said. "Now tell me something. I was told that you did what you did so you could have some more spending money for a night out with Lavender." Ron refused to look at Draco, so he continued. "Do you really think that she is the woman for you?"
At this Ron's eyes snapped up at him. "What do you mean?"
"Well." Draco said, choosing his words carefully. "Does she bring out the best side of you? Hermione makes me want to be a better man, can you honestly say the same about Lavender? Plus she's a pain in the arse and you can probably do better." Draco watched Ron as he was processing what he had heard, thinking about whether or not Draco was right.
"Hermione was better." Ron mumbled.
"You're going to have to move on from her mate. You blew that one, not that I'm complaining." Draco said. "Hermione wasn't the girl for you and either is Lavender."
Ron looked at him, they both knew Draco was right about Hermione. "Lucky for you that I did blow it." Ron laughed. "You two are better suited that her and I ever were."
"Oi!" George yelled across the bar. "What's taking so long?"
Ron smiled at Draco as they collected their drinks and headed back towards the group. Draco couldn't help but wonder if this was the start of the most unlikely friendship.
Hermione wrapped herself up in a blanket as she sat on the sofa watching a movie, Draco wouldn't be home for hours so it allowed her plenty of time to watch Midnight in Paris in peace. She was glad that Draco was having a night out with Harry and the Weasley's. She couldn't help but feel a little blessed, she had the love of a wonderful man despite their school enmity and he had been welcomed by those she considered family.
She woke to the sound of the front door slamming, she didn't feel herself drift off but she looked at the clock where is read three and her movie was long since over. She watched the front hall as Draco slowly stumbled his way down, removing his shoes and jacket and leaving them where they fell. Draco saw her on the sofa and gave her a drunk smile before stumbling over and collapsing on top of her.
'Did you have a good night?" she asked, smiling and brushing hair out of his eyes.
'I did." He slurred. "Even dear Ronald was pleasant tonight and we had a little chat too."
"Well isn't that nice." She smiled. "What did you two chat about?"
"Well he apologised for being a bastard." Draco said rather matter-of-factly. "And then we talked about Lavender and how she's a pain in the arse and then how lucky I am that he blew it with you."
Hermione agreed with Draco, she was very lucky that her relationship with Ron ended, otherwise she might have been stuck married to someone who couldn't love her like she needed to be.
"I know the exact two moments I fell in love with you." Draco said, gently tapping her nose.
"Oh really?" Hermione asked, curious to know when. "Pray do tell Mr Malfoy."
"The first was when you came down the stairs at the Yule Ball. That Periwinkle blue dress and your hair was up and it was the first time I had properly seen your face." Draco said, looking in the distance, as if he could see that image right in front of him.
Draco was dancing with Pansy Parkinson at the Yule Ball, but like every other man in that room, it was Hermione Granger that had captivated his attention. She was absolutely stunning. The way the silk slid across her body and that shade of Periwinkle blue was the perfect colour to her pale skin and dark hair. Draco noticed that her hair was up and no longer in that bushy mane that he had come to taunt her with every day. Instead it was sleek and in a stylish knot. Draco found himself staring at her face for the first time. She had a beautiful smile and kind eyes. For the first time, Draco found himself looking at her rather than humiliating her.
He felt a pang of jealousy as he watched her dance with Viktor Krum. Draco found himself wishing that he had asked her, but then remembered who he was and who she was. There was no way on this earth for them to accompany each other anywhere. He noticed that she had stopped dancing with Krum and was talking to Potter and Weasley. Judging by the terrible look on Weasley's face, he was being horrible to her. How could someone be so horrible to someone so lovely? He watched as she stormed off and over to get herself a drink. Draco stopped dancing with Pansy and said he was going to get her a drink.
The closer he got to Hermione Granger, the more he became intoxicated by her. He could smell her perfume, a mixture of Jasmine and Roses. She had small crystal flowers placed carefully in her hair, winking at him as he walked closer. It was at this moment, that Draco began to question is current life. What made her less than him? He felt a small twinge of guilt, there was no way he could be anything to her other than an enemy. Especially with what his father had told him was happening at the end of the year.
"You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest and most beautiful person I have ever known – and even that is an understatement." Draco whispered to her as he looked at the back of her head. He would never dare say it to her face, how could he.
Hermione was pouring herself a drink, fuming at Ronald Weasley. She wasn't going to let his childish behaviour and comments ruin her night. As she was taking a sip, she could have sworn she heard someone whisper something behind her, something about being the most beautiful person they had ever known. Hermione turned around to see who had said that, but she didn't see anyone. She did see Draco Malfoy walking away, but there was no way in all that is Holy that he had said something nice about her.
"You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest and most beautiful person I have ever known – and even that is an understatement." Draco said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"That was you?" Hermione said, shocked at his admission.
"Yeah." Draco said, getting a little embarrassed. "That was the first night I saw you for who you really were and not just what I had been told you were."
"And you weren't so bad looking yourself that night if I recall." Hermione smiled. "And what is the second moment?"
"When you set fire to your wedding dress in the garden." Draco said simply. "It was a reminder of that feisty girl I knew at school, how you were still a fighter and not prepared to take shit from anyone."
Hermione knew he was right. That night was when she decided that she wasn't going to let anyone make a fool of her again and that she needed to decide things for herself and not do things just because people expected her to.
"If you tell any of the guys that I am this soppy, we're over." Draco said, yawning,
"Never." Hermione laughed. "Come on Mr Soppy. Lets go to bed."
Draco rolled over expecting Hermione to be next to him, but found himself alone in bed. He looked at the clock, nearly midday, luckily it was Sunday. He was putting his boxers on when he heard loud voices and someone screaming his name from downstairs. He hurried down the stairs thinking Hermione was in some sort of trouble. Instead he was met with Hermione standing behind the kitchen counter only wearing one of his shirts, casually sipping coffee, while Ron was holding Lavender Brown back who was screaming his name and all sorts of obscenities.
"What the fuck is going on here?" Draco asked, confused at the scene he was looking at.
"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Lavender screamed, turning her attention towards him. "What did you say to Ronnie to make him leave me?"
Ron looked at him apologetically, clearly he had taken Draco's words seriously and had decided to end things with the banshee. "Nothing that he didn't need to hear." Draco told her. "You're a terrible influence and are a pain in the arse. Now get out of my house and have some self respect."
Lavender screamed again, shrugged Ron off and stormed out of the house. This wasn't the ideal way for Draco to start his Sunday, but it sure was entertaining.
"Sorry." Ron mumbled.
"Why are you sorry?" Draco said, moving to the kitchen to pour them coffees. "Its not your fault she's completely bat shit crazy."
"Would either of you please tell me whats going on?" Hermione said.
"Last night Malfoy made me see things differently." Ron explained, taking his coffee from Draco. "I was pretty much only with Lav because I felt like I had to show you that I had moved on too. But she's nuts and doesn't bring out the best in me."
Hermione was a little taken aback by what Ron was saying, but she was also proud of him for making the realisation. This seemed like the start to a new and improved Ron Weasley.
"I need to be a better person." Ron continued. "After what happened to Malfoy in January, I cant keep being the stupid wanker I have been since we left school."
"Call me Draco." He told Ron.
The two men nodded at each other. Hermione just when Hermione thought her life couldn't get any more surreal. Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley were being friendly in her kitchen, her old life and her new life coming together.
"Well, I'd best be off." Ron said, placing his empty mug down. "Maybe we could do something next weekend with Harry and the kids?"
"Sure. I'd like that." Draco said, holding his hand out to shake Ron's which he took.
After they heard the front door close, Hermione turned to Draco. "Did that really just happen or did I hallucinate?"
"That really happened." Draco laughed, giving her a hug. "You're a terrible influence on me, I'm not sure how I feel being nice all the time."
"I think it suits you perfectly." Hermione said. She put her palms on his chest, "Why aren't you wearing clothes?"
"Well I heard screaming and thought my beautiful fiancée needed my help." Draco said, suddenly aware that during that whole fiasco he was only wearing his Calvin Klein's.
"Well I'm not complaining at the sight." Hermione said, pulling him towards the sofa by the elastic. "You know, the nice Draco is a bit of a turn on."
Draco laughed as Hermione pushed him on the sofa and climbed on top of him. As she kissed her way down his chest, Draco thought that if this is how she was with the nice Draco, then he would be nice every day for the rest of his life.