Author's Note: Well, here it is a day earlier than I was hoping for! Draco and Hermione's first date; I hope it's everything you were expecting. An update on other things in the works: I put up a Labyrinth ficlet called Take Me Away. I'm starting the longer Labyrinth story, but it's not posted yet. I'm struggling with the exposition in the first chapter, though I know my basic premise—got to fill in all the time between the movie and start of the story. I also went ahead and updated The Professor this week. I've got another chapter just about ready to roll on that, so expect to see it in a day or two.
Chapter 29: Strolling
Hermione's stomach fluttered a little. She was going on a date with Draco. It really shouldn't be that big of a deal, but it was. She couldn't help wondering. Did he like her enough to want to still have anything to do with her once he had his magic back? Once he had the option of other company?
Was the question even worth asking at this point? She was already attached to him. If he didn't want anything to do with her in six months, it was going to hurt regardless of what sort of relationship they had now, whether it was friendship or romance.
She considered using the potion that Narcissa had gotten her for her hair, but she decided not to. If Draco liked her as she was, fine. If not…well, she wasn't changing for anyone. She might still try it at some point, but not today. She pulled on her jeans, and a pair of comfortable shoes. Not knowing where they were going, she wanted to be prepared for anything. She dressed in layers, with a camisole underneath a nice sweater, and her jacket over it. She tucked gloves and a scarf into her beaded bag. She made a few attempts at tying back her hair, and, dissatisfied with the result, left it down to float around her face as usual.
Not knowing what they might need, Hermione packed a little of everything in her beaded bag. She tried to settle her nerves with a cup of coffee. It was just a date. Nothing to get worked up over. Still, when Draco knocked on her door, she jumped to her feet to open it.
She saw him standing there in his winter coat, shoes polished and gleaming. He was wearing the gloves she'd bought him for Christmas, and the scarf Ginny had given him was around his neck. His pants looked freshly pressed, and there was a smart looking sweater peeking out of his jacket. "Are you ready?" he asked.
"Yes. Are you going to tell me where we're going?"
"Not yet," he said, smiling. He offered her his arm.
She accepted, resting her fingers on his forearm. He led the way, quite mysterious, and she made observations as they went.
"We seem to be taking the tube wherever it is we're going," she said, observing that they were nearing the nearest entrance to their flats.
"It's only the first stop, but you're welcome to guess."
Hermione studied the map on the wall as they descended. She observed the track and line they were on and what direction they would be headed, and what stations they would pass. "Are we going to the train station?"
He looked a little put out. "Sometimes, I think you may be too smart for your own good."
She chuckled. "You did tell me I could try to guess where we're going. I don't guess randomly. I make educated guesses. I could stop if you'd rather."
He waved a dismissive hand. "Well, perhaps I could distract you from your educated guesses for a time. How was your week?"
They caught up on their last few days. They hadn't had a chance to see one another since the night he'd asked her out. The conversation lasted all the way through their tube ride and only turned again as they entered the London Paddington station. Draco started investigating the signs to see where they were going.
"I was right. If you'll tell me where we're going, I can help you find the right track," she offered.
"That won't be necessary. I have everything planned," Draco assured her.
She was a little skeptical, and raised one eyebrow, but let him lead on. They made it to their train and found their seats just in the knick of time. Hermione smiled at him and saw that Draco looked a little disappointed. "What's the matter? We're on board."
"We should have been here in plenty of time to have a relaxed cup of coffee and board leisurely. I had it all planned out," he said, slightly testy.
She put both hands around his arm. "Draco, sit back and enjoy the ride. It's not raining. It looks like we're heading away from the noisy, crowded city. For today…does anything else matter?"
"I planned a perfect day."
"Perfect? Really?"
He twisted in his seat to look at her. "Truly perfect," he insisted. "You deserve a perfect day."
She chuckled. "I'd settle for a very good day with you, over a perfect one without. After all, I can have those aplenty—just stay in my flat with take out and a book," she teased.
"Today I'd like you to have more than what you've settled for."
There was a pause before Hermione responded. She was staring out the window of the train, watching the world blur past. "I don't think anyone has ever said that to me before," she offered quietly.
"Someone should have. A long time ago."
Hermione wasn't sure how to respond to that, so she just took his hand, and they stared out the window together. After a long silence, she said softly, "Thank you."
Draco and Hermione sat quietly, lulled by the chug of the train, and it's gentle vibrations. After a little hesitation, Hermione rested her head against his shoulder. His hand was warm in hers. He stared out the window for a while, inhaling the scent of her shampoo. Even the sound of the conductor calling out the stations seemed to fade.
His eyes popped open and he started looking around, moving so quickly he woke Hermione. When had they fallen asleep? The passengers sitting nearest to them weren't the same ones they'd boarded with. "Damn," he said, looking around for a sign.
"Hmm? What's the matter?"
"We missed our stop. I think." The train was just slowing again and he caught sight of a sign. He'd been sure to review the station maps this week. This one was after where they'd wanted to get off. Draco was kicking himself. So much for all his planning. He was a little frustrated as they went through the station and he did his best to get them a ticket one station back to Oxford.
"We're going to Oxford?" she asked, looking at the tickets.
"If you must know, yes," he said, looking around for the correct platform. He spotted it and led the way.
"What are we going to do there?"
"You'll see."
Hermione's mind churned with the thought of the colleges, museums, and libraries there. Oxford was almost as old as Hogwarts. A smile had broken out on her face. She was excited and impatient throughout the short ride back the way they'd come and was nearly bursting by the time they got off the train. As they got off she turned him, noticing his hair was a little rumpled from falling asleep with his head leaning against hers. She wondered what her own mane looked like and didn't bother trying to find a reflective surface. It wouldn't reveal anything good, she was sure. "We're here. Now can't you tell me?"
"It's just a short walk," he said. He pulled some handwritten instructions from his pocket. It had been no picnic searching through the Yellow Pages at the library he volunteered at for the Bodleian's phone number, and then trying to get directions from the station from someone who worked there. He held the paper slightly folded and glared when Hermione tried to read it.
Between the extra time on the train in each direction and a wrong turn or two on the way, it was nearly noon by the time they reached it, as opposed to the 10:30 or so he'd been hoping for. The best laid plans… He looked over at Hermione beside him, watching the people walk past and looking with interest at all the buildings around them. "We're here," he said quietly.
"The Bodleian library?" she asked, reading the sign. "I've heard it's one of the most impressive libraries in the country, with beautiful architecture besides, and such a large collection. I mean, this is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It's one of those places I've always wanted to go and I've never made it out here and…" She trailed off, looking at him.
There was a satisfied smile on Draco's face. "That's rather the reaction I was hoping for. Let's go in."
Hermione and Draco spent a glorious two hours there, which was as much as Draco could manage before insisting that they get something to eat. The whole train debacle had rather ruined his plans. Still, despite growling stomachs, it took all of Draco's efforts to pry Hermione away from a building filled with books.
As they sat down to sandwiches for lunch at a little cafe, Hermione couldn't help but marvel. "You really do know me well, don't you?"
"Hermione, anyone who has known you for more than about ten minutes knows the best place to take you is somewhere with a pile of books," he said dryly.
She shook her head. "That's not exactly what I meant. You know me well enough to know that I'd rather spend the day at a library, looking at books, admiring the architecture, than to go out for a 'romantic' overpriced dinner for two. And you put the thought into arranging it. Thank you."
"You deserve better than you settle for," he said, looking aside, a little embarrassed. He rather thought that statement might include him as well.
Hermione shrugged, sharing the table with him, glad for a small corner of quiet together. She and Ron had addressed their feelings for one another in rather haphazard fashion during and after the Battle for Hogwarts. It was rather awkward and clumsy, but sincere. And it had seemed to make sense to move in together. Hermione couldn't go home, and living together at the Burrow just didn't seem right. There hadn't been very many dates—the occasional dinner out. It had all just kind of come together. Certainly she and Ron hadn't exactly been in usual circumstances, and they had a long history together before any declarations of love, but looking across the table at Draco, she had to admit that it was nice to have someone making an effort. Someone who wanted to make it obvious that she was important, that he wanted to impress her and make her happy. She tried to find a light subject. "You are setting the bar pretty high for a first date, I have to admit. However will you manage to top it if I want to go out with you again?"
"You've already decided you want another date? That's pretty forward considering we haven't finished the first one."
"What can I say? I make up my mind quickly. I'm the sort of person who knows what she wants."
He tilted his head. "And what do you want?"
"To go back into that library," she said innocently.
He found himself laughing at the expression on her face. "I should have guessed."
"Does it interfere terribly with your perfect plan if we go back in?"
"The plan's already encountered some necessary modifications. Lunch wasn't supposed to have to wait until two o'clock. We should have already eaten and gone back to the library and been enjoying a stroll by now."
The sandwich shop was quiet, nearly empty apart from them. All the students were on holiday and it was hardly lunchtime anymore. They headed back to the library, strolling quietly through the stacks and reading rooms, and sitting together when they didn't want to walk any farther.
Draco probably would have skipped the second trip into the library, but the look on Hermione's face was worth it. At last, it was starting to get dark outside and Draco suggested that they might want to head back. Hermione looked up at him with a rueful smile. "You have been fairly patient. But I can never spend too much time in a library."
He rolled his eyes. "Say that after you've been volunteering in one for a few weeks."
They made their way back to the station and got tickets for the return trip. This time they had plenty of time to wait at their ease before boarding, and were relaxed when they stepped onto the train. Hermione told Draco a little of the history of Muggle universities like Oxford.
As the train pulled into London Paddington again, Hermione smiled at Draco. "This has been a most excellent date."
"You say that as if it's over."
She glanced at a nearby clock. "Well, we've been on this date for nearly twelve hours. It's going on seven o'clock now. I don't exactly have a wide range of experience, but I did rather think they tended to be shorter than that most of the time."
"Do you want it to be over?"
"No," she admitted.
"Good then, it's not." He gave a cheeky smile and pulled his gloves on as they left the building. He'd picked a restaurant for dinner near the station for dinner since at least it was something out of the ordinary and not right by their flats. When they were finally shown to a table, Draco pulled out Hermione's chair for her.
The restaurant was crowded on a Saturday night and the service slow. The food was slightly cold by the time it reached them, though they ate it anyway. They decided to skip desert. Whatever was in their flats was probably. better than lingering in the restaurant for the twenty minutes it would take to bring out a half-melted scoop of ice cream.
Draco offered his hand to Hermione and she took it. While they'd spent the whole day together, they hadn't run out of things to say yet. They strolled along together in the London evening, finding the nearest tube station and boarding. The subway car throbbed along on it's rails, bringing them to the familiar stop nearest their flats. Hermione felt a strange reluctance as they got closer to home. She didn't this date to end. While her experience in the world of romance had been rather limited, she'd never been on a date like this. One where what she wanted was actually taken into account, where they spent the whole day together. As they walked, she kept pace close to him. It made her smile to see him wearing the gloves she'd given him, even if she would have preferred to touch his skin.
As they began to climb the stairs to their flats, Hermione mentally inventoried what she had that she might be able to offer him. Coffee. Tea. Wine. There might be some ice cream in the back of the freezer. Possibly a package of store-bought cookies in the cupboard.
"Do you have to work tomorrow?" she asked.
"Brunch shift and dinner," he said, shrugging.
"A double shift?"
"The price of getting my Saturday night. Absolutely worth it."
Hermione blushed a little. There was one more flight of stairs to go. "Would you like to come in for a drink? I have coffee, tea, wine…" she offered. "There might even be some ice cream."
Draco paused them on the stairs and lifted Hermione's hand to his lips. "I don't care what beverage there is, as long as I get to spend a little more time with you."
"I'd like that," she said. They remained paused there for a moment. Her mouth felt dry and she licked her lips.
He whispered in her ear, his breath warm, "It's not midnight, and there's no mistletoe, but I would very much like to kiss you." He was still holding her hand.
Hermione felt a shiver run down her spine and squeezed his hand. This was Draco Malfoy in top form. Charming and handsome and absolutely right there. The look on his face said that she was not only the only person on the stairs at that moment, but the only one in the world as far as he was concerned. She wanted to be as charming as he was, but she thought her heart might manage to pound its way out of her chest if she didn't kiss him soon. Still, she did her best at flirty banter. "Can you manage 'better than nice'?" she asked.
"Oh, I think I can," he said softly, his breath tickling her ear. He let his lips carefully trail down from her ear, across her jawline, butterfly light. He was gentle, but there was no hesitation. He was exactly where he wanted to be. He still held Hermione's left hand in his right. He reached his left up to cup the side of her face, tilting her head towards him. Her lips were already partially open to meet his.
They stood silhouetted on the stairs, kissing for what could have been a minute, or ten, or a hundred years. Draco's lips caught Hermione's lower lip between them, and then her upper. To his surprise, her tongue ventured forward cautiously and he met it with his own. Draco's chest was pressed against Hermione's. He was dimly aware of the sound of her handbag hitting the floor as her now freehand reached up and into his hair.
Hermione felt weak at the knees. He was warm and close and right there, and utterly focused on her. She kissed him back at first with caution, and then abandon. His hand never left her face, and his other hand was still holding hers tightly, as though their joined hands anchored them.
As Draco's mouth left hers, he asked (a little breathlessly) and doing his best to smirk through his nervousness, "Better than nice?"
"Better than nice," she agreed. "But you lose points for the setting. A stairway, really?" she asked, wondering when her heart was going to stop pounding. Merlin, she wanted to kiss him again.
"We'll have to try again then, won't we?" he asked, leaning down to pick up her bag. "Is the offer for a drink at your flat still good? I'm suddenly a little thirsty."
"It is," she said, wondering how flushed her face was. At this point, if he had decided he didn't want to come in for that drink after all, she might have had to hex him.
They made short work of the last half of a flight of stairs and the fifteen feet of hallway to Hermione's door. She pulled the keys out of her bag and went in. She caught sight of her reflection in the fridge as she pulled out a bottle of white wine. Her face was pink. She grabbed a pair of glasses and turned to him. She could see that she'd done a little damage to his carefully combed hair.
She suddenly found herself worried as the gears turned in her mind. Merlin knew she wanted to kiss Draco again right now. Was he expecting more? How much more? What was she willing to do? Her mind trailed back to the adolescent fumbling that had been her experience with Ron—both of them learning as they went. They'd only lived together (alone) for a couple of months. What did she want to do tonight?
She chided herself. She would do absolutely no more than she wanted to and was comfortable with. But right now, she knew she wanted to kiss him, and preferably feel his skin. This was not a spur of the moment decision. The idea had been growing in her thoughts since at least Christmas. She was please to see he was peeling off his gloves and jacket. "Is white okay?" she asked, pouring them each a glass. She'd never had much of a taste for red wine.
"White's fine," he said, setting his jacket on a hook by the door and carefully folding his gloves into the pockets. He carefully unwound the scarf from around his neck and laid it across the hook where his jacket hung. She handed him his glass and set her own on the table, shrugging out of her jacket and gloves, and putting them away tidily on their hook. She looked at his coat on the peg and shook her head. Ron or Harry probably would have dumped their things on the floor or across the table. There was a fond smile on her face at the care Draco had shown. "What?" he asked.
"Nothing," she said, shaking her head. "Just thinking about good manners. Apparently you learned something worthwhile in that Manor of yours."
"I'd like to hope it wasn't all a waste," he said dryly.
She picked up her wine glass and took a sip. "Couch or table?" she asked.
"After jouncing around on trains for half the day, I think my backside would appreciate the couch," he said. Glasses in hand, they relocated to the couch. Hermione had another sip and set hers on the coffee table, reaching down to carefully remove her shoes and set them underneath the sofa where they wouldn't be tripped over. She settled herself on the couch rather close to Draco. She noticed where his hair stuck up in the back from her earlier attentions and tried to smooth it back down without success.
Laughing, she said, "Well, I've ruined your hair."
"Not beyond fixing, I'm sure."
She gave it one more attempt and looked at him solemnly. "I'm afraid it's going to be stuck like that forever."
"Then I suppose I'll just have to stay here, never leave this flat again, and count on your kindness to bring me sustenance and keep me from boredom in my solitude," he said, settling his arm across her back and resting a hand on her shoulder. He twirled a little of her hair in his finger.
She rested her head against his chest, tucked under his arm. It felt good to be held. No one had held her in a long time. She could feel his fingers resting lightly on her shoulder, as if he wasn't sure sure it was okay. She reached up briefly to put a little pressure on his hand and he took it as a sign of encouragement, letting his thumb rub circles on her shoulder. "We've been on one date and you already want to stay here forever? Isn't that a little hasty?" she teased.
"Well, I'm damaged goods now. I can't go out with hair like this."
She chuckled, breathing deeply against his sweater, her hand resting on his leg. "Well, if I can go out every day with my hair like this, you can survive a cowlick."
"There's nothing wrong with your hair." She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow and he continued. "Well, it's hair. It's perfectly functional as such. And it's growing on me."
She shook her head slightly into his sweater. "I thought about using the potion your mother sent, but…this is me. Take me or leave me."
"Take, definitely," he said.
"So you do want to go out again?" she asked.
"Most definitely."
They sat in silence for a few moments. Hermione couldn't remember the last time she'd been so comfortable. She pulled her feet up onto the sofa and tucked them underneath her. Wasn't a first date supposed to be awkward? But…it almost felt like she'd been with him for months. Except for kissing…today hadn't felt all that different from many of the other days and evenings they'd spent together. Comfortable. Natural. Her breathing slowed.
Draco looked down at the girl leaning against him, curled up under his protective arm. She was asleep. He rested his head back on the couch and closed his eyes. He wasn't going anywhere.
