It was silent around him, save for the quickened tempo of his knuckle against the table as he stared at the papers in his other hand, a bruise already staining the skin from the familiarity of the anxious habit. He was attempting to apply for his Master Potioneer license. It would be two years of studying, and it was an incredibly rigorous program, but he knew he could do it. If only he could get in. That was what was proving to be tricky.
Wrapped in his own thoughts, he failed to notice the witch peering over his shoulder. "You should apply," a voice spoke up suddenly. He startled for a second, before the poise that had been practically bred in took over.
"Hello, Granger," he breathed, shoulders squaring, " I know you enjoy reading, but over one's shoulder is a bit much." He was learning to simply exist in the same world as her. After all, they worked rather closely together now, the hard feelings of the past chipping away as the months passed. They both worked for the same side now, the same ministry. She, the golden girl of the war, was given a plushy research job that came with her own office and minions to boss around. Draco, the kid from the wrong side of the world...was one of those minions. He worked in research as well, as a potioneer. The position had her coming to him when she needed materials, ingredients, or on rare occasion, advice. She'd learned that he was good at his job, and was starting to trust him more in aiding in her research. It had been a slow burn, but her uneasiness around him was melting away. And he found the same could be said for him.
She rolled her eyes. "I just know it's challenging to get into the program."
"Are you questioning my intelligence?"
She collapsed into the chair across from him. "I'd be insulting a lot of people if I tried to. In school you were second only to me." He cocked an eyebrow at the backhanded compliment, but didn't say anything in response as she continued. "I know it's challenging and I know that a large portion of who gets in is based on politics." She lowered her voice slightly, "And I know the politics of this world aren't the kindest to you lately." He had been prepared to hear malice in that statement, but found empathy instead.
He picked up the tapping once more, sucking air in through his teeth. He knew this, he was just hoping to get lucky.
"How are your references?"
"Okay," he pulled out a sealed envelope. He wasn't allowed to read what was written, the paper magicked to go up in flames if he tried, so he was just hoping it was a good one. "From McGonagall."
"And?"
"And what?"
She shook her head in disbelief, "You only have one? Malfoy, you need more than that." The shock in her voice was genuine, and he couldn't find the patronizing tone he was looking for.
He ground his teeth together, "Yeah...well..."
She tapped on her chin as she thought. "Well obviously I'll write you one...and I suppose I could talk Shacklebolt into it. Though I'm sure he'd be sad to see you go. I know I will. You're one of the few here that actually listen to me here."
He just blinked at her. He couldn't believe that Hermione Granger, the girl he was quite terrible to for years, who was tortured in his home, who he had only just become less than frosty toward, would be willing to help him like this. "You would do that?"
He was looking for a trick in her voice, but didn't find it. Wide eyes and almost a smile greeted him. "Yes, I think you would do great in the program. It needs more talented people."
"Thank you," his voice barely above a whisper.
"Don't mention it. I hope you get in." She smiled softly at him, full of forgiveness.
And he couldn't believe what he saw.
It was a few months after that conversation when Draco burst into Hermione's office. Surprise and a little bit of fear crossed her features, but when she saw who it was, it eased. And Draco couldn't help but feel good about that. A smile was on his face and she decided she liked the way the foreign feature looked on him.
He stood in front of her, all of a sudden realizing that he had nothing prepared to say. So in a rushed breath, "I got in." Said in disbelief and a little hope.
She jumped up from her desk, "That's amazing!" Ever the Gryffindor and their abundance of emotion.
She was too close all of a sudden and he found he couldn't quite breathe. It had been months of friendliness. They had lunch together now and then, she called him in for his opinion on what she was working on, he gave it even when she didn't ask, and there was a new goodwill between the pair. But now she was close, breaching his personal space. He thought she might hug him, but she instead backed off at the last second and leaned against the front of her desk. She looked away from him as her brain caught up with her body, a blush just hinting at daring to stain her skin, "I knew you would."
He smirked inwardly at the color to her face, giving him the confidence to bring up why he came. "I…" Okay not that much confidence. A deep breath and he tried again. "I wanted to thank you for your help. Your reference is what got me in."
"Oh I'm sure that's not true!" She laughed off the thought, waving it off with her hand.
A chuckle erupted from his chest, "No it is. They told me so. Politics matter and having someone as good as you endorsing me made all the difference."
She seemed surprised by this but then tittered, "You say 'good' like it's a dirty word."
He rolled his grey eyes, "Well when I'm speaking about a Gryffindor, it might as well be. Half of your good deeds were illegal."
"That's not true!" Hermione laughed, "It was definitely more than half. And the rest were deadly or at least questionable." White teeth sank into a plush bottom lip, keeping her smile under control so as not to scare him away.
He found himself joining in in her mirth, enjoying seeing her like this. He had only known the stick in the mud, rule maker, dull Hermione that she often portrayed at work for too long. Seeing her laugh, make a little fun of herself, break the rules...it was good for him.
She was playing with the feather of her quill, clearly thinking about something when he decided to be brave and speak again. "I'd like to say thank you for everything. Maybe over dinner?"
A soft thud came from the quill being dropped onto the surface of the desk. She looked at him with wide eyes, her mouth slightly open in confusion. "Dinner?" She squeaked out before clearing her throat.
Spurred on by the effect he had on her he poked the bear a bit. "Yes Granger, dinner. You know that meal we eat in the evening. Gives us our nutrients for the end of the day."
She walked away from him, giving herself some space, but her next statement still came out on a laugh, "You're such a prat!'
Seeing the skin of her neck turn red gave him a bit of bravery. "A prat that will be eating dinner alone tonight or will he be accompanied by someone equally as annoying?"
"If those are the only options, definitely alone." He swallowed hard at her statement, but she didn't let him think the worst for too long. "Because you'll never find someone as annoying as you." Bright eyes and a demure smirk decorated her face.
Draco rolled his eyes at her once again, leaning his hips into her desk. "I don't know about that, Granger. You're giving me quite the run for my money."
She stared at him, her smirk now a full formed smile, though she was nibbling at the corner of her mouth. "Well I guess I'll have to go easier on you so you can use that money to buy me dinner tonight." It wasn't as confident as it sounded, and he was delighted that she was just as nervous as him. Though he couldn't tell why. This was just a budding friendship. Though he didn't have many lasting friendships, it could be nerves over that. "What did you expect me to say no?"
"Pfft. Expected an argument over payment honestly."
"Oh please," she blushed a delicate pink, " I know how to graciously accept a gift." Maybe it was the way she said it from under her lashes, or the way she stood up to lean into him as she said it, but suddenly friendship was pushed a little further from his mind. "7 work for you? Gives me enough time to look like a human acceptable to be in public after work."
He swallowed hard, "7 is perfect."
"Great," her teeth were biting into that bottom lip of hers again. "It's a date."
It's a date is just a phrase, obviously. He couldn't believe that she would ever want to go on an actual date with him. This is what he was telling himself later that night as he walked up to the apparition point they had agreed upon. But then...then he saw her already waiting there for him. Perpetually early she had her back to him. He was graced with a few minutes just to take in the woman that was Hermione Granger. Her hair was tamed, but not too perfect. She had a knee length, thin strapped navy blue dress with a pair of low heels. In other words: she definitely looked like she was on a date.
"Hi," he whispered as he approached.
She greeted him with a soft smile. "Hi yourself."
He wasn't good at this. "You look nice," he said lamely.
"Thank you," she nodded in appreciation. Maybe at the compliment, maybe at his own appearance because she continued, "you as well."
"You okay with side-along?"
She sighed, "No, but I'll do it anyway." She despised side-along apparition. It always made her stomach tie in knots...and it already was doing that on its own tonight. For some completely unknown reason having absolutely nothing to do with the fact that her enemy turned coworker turned friend asked her to dinner. And she had called it a date. And he hadn't corrected her.
He gave her a questioning look but didn't press at her weird response and even weirder the myriad of emotions that played across her face after it. "Then let's go." He looped his arm through hers, startling slightly at the feel of it. But soon it was out of his mind as they spun into their new location.
They stood on the sidewalk in front of an ancient Baroque style building. He looked at her as she stared up at it with a puzzled look on her face. She looked at the book made of marble, its pages magically turning now and then to signify the passing minutes. "A library?"
Her question had him tilting his head. "Have you never been here? It seems right up your alley…"He wanted to believe that he knew the woman fairly well. But he didn't need to know her past her reputation to know this was the perfect place for her. While the bookworm certainly did have many facets of her personality beyond her studious ambitions, there was a reason she was known for them. It was such an easy hit that he was shocked no previous friend or even boyfriend had ever brought her. Sure it was far, but they had magic.
She stared up at the strong, but undulating curves of the building. "No, what's so special about it? Other than it obviously being beautiful."
He still hadn't removed his arm from being linked with hers, but she hadn't either. So he gently tugged her forward, "Let's go find out."
They stepped inside the building and the beauty settled warmly in their chests. Grand architect, sweeping arches, grouped columns, large globes - all from different moments in history - decorating the walkway, and rows upon rows of books as high as the ceiling. The ceiling which looked like it was charmed into looking like the soft pink and orange glow of sunrise in the clouds, but truly was painted on. The true magic.
"Wow." She looked as if she had seen one of the seven wonders, because in her opinion, she might as well have.
He guided her around the many rooms of the building, pointing out specific artifacts, books, and artwork that he thought she might particularly like. And it seemed like he was doing a good job at it, since each time he eyes lit up. It wasn't until he heard her stomach rumble that he led them to the restaurant hidden inside this gem of a building.
"This place has everything," she smiled as they were seated. Draco couldn't help but stare at the woman in front of him, so full of life and happiness. None of it locked away, just out there for the world to see. To see her with him.
The night continued as such, pleasantly full of a mixture of gentle chides and deep discussions. He surprised her, and she returned the favor.
When they left the pulchritudinous building it was with full hearts and tired face muscles from smiling and laughing all night through. She had dared to grab his hand when they walked out of the building, and he hadn't minded one bit, a soft smile forming on his face as he looked at their entwined fingers. "Draco…" she inhaled deeply, not having planned out her words and settling for a classic, "I had a really good time tonight."
He couldn't stop his smile as he looked at her, "Me too. Maybe...maybe we could make this a regular thing?" They were standing dumbly in front of the library, somehow each passing second bringing their bodies closer together until they were practically touching.
"I would really like that," she whispered, close enough that he could feel her breath at his collar.
Draco Malfoy wasn't stupid when it came to girls, though not nearly as well versed as some foul rumors may have had one believe, and he knew where this was going. He just needed to take the leap. And leaps were something she had been helping him make lately, so what else did he expect. "Hermione."
"Hmm?" She practically purred.
He pulled her closer, "I'm going to kiss you now."
Her head was already angled and eyes were already shutting when she whispered back, "Finally."
The kiss started off softly, but grew in intensity at a gentle gradation that made them start to understand why people describe kissing as melting, because suddenly they couldn't even tell where one person ended and another began. Neither had ever been kissed like this before, never had had it feel this right before. Hands brushed against skin; cupping her face, gripping at his neck. He heard her hum in pleasure and he decided that he now had a favorite sound.
When they broke apart he couldn't help but chuckle, "You're always going to have the last word, huh?" His voice was husky with emotion.
She was already leaning in to continue what they had started, "Always."
Narcissa Malfoy, though quiet in nature, was quite the observant mother. Even though he was now 20, she kept tabs on her son from his whereabouts to his emotions. Even if it was rather difficult to figure out the latter. But today she watched from the doorway of the living room as he puttered about, humming as he went. Humming wasn't something she had heard him do before.
"What is that sound you're making?"
Her voice had startled him, but his wide eyes crinkled in the corners as an easy smile washed over his face. How peculiar. "Hmm?"
"That noise."
He laughed a little at her interrogation, "Humming, I suppose." He shrugged.
She narrowed her eyes at her son, "I've never known you to be musically inclined before."
His smile grew wider as he chided his mother, " I hardly think humming makes me musically inclined."
"Well, why on earth are you doing as such?"
He looked at her, confusion coloring his face as he started to think about it. But again, a small smile appeared, "I guess I'm just in a good mood...happy."
Now this was news. Draco was rarely happy. Content, sure. But happy? Truly happy where he would admit to the feeling? Almost never.
Narcissa wanted to press on, find out the reason why her son suddenly seemed uplifted. But just as she went to ask he turned on his heels and exited the door. A soft "goodbye mother," on his exhale.
Later Narcissa sat alone at the dining room table, thinking about her run in with her son, when her husband approached. "Stop making that face," he nodded at her furrowed brow, "you'll get wrinkles."
She let out a noise of indignation, "Lucius!"
He rolled his eyes, and she knew exactly where Draco had gotten that move from, "It was a joke, my dear."
She didn't have time for his jokes, she had important matters to discuss. "Our son is happy."
His brow furrowed now, unsure why his wife's speech and sentiment didn't align. "And our son's happiness is a cause for concern?"
"Well, yes," she rolled her shoulders back. "He's never been so outright in his feelings. He told me today that he was happy." She knew it sounded odd. " I caught him humming."
"Humming?" He cocked an eyebrow at the thought.
"Humming."
He seemed to ponder this a bit. "I didn't know he was musically inclined."
"Precisely, my love."
Author's Note:
Hello there! It's been about 6 years since I've last written any type of fanfiction, so take it easy on me. Over the past years my writing ability has gone to scientific papers and journals, so forgive any stiffness.
Anyway, this is just a little something I've had bouncing around my brain for a while and finally sat down to write. This is just the prologue of a little three-shot. The rest should be up soon!
Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think! -S