AN: Happy almost December, everyone! I know, it's not a Thursday, but last night I completed my NaNoWriMo goal of 50k words for this story! I can't tell you how huge this is for me and couldn't have done it without your likes, comments, and love. So thank you everyone! And to celebrate, I'm giving a bonus chapter today! Don't worry I'll still post on Thursday. Thanks again!
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Draco had just sat down at his desk, a piece of parchment before him and a quill in his hand, when his floo burst to life in the next room. He sighed quietly and set down the quill. His letter to Granger would have to wait.
He made his way out of his office and caught sight of Pansy dusting off her robes. "Pansy, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
Pansy finished picking invisible pieces of dust off her robes and smiled at him. "Draco, darling, how have you been?"
"I saw you just the other day, Pans," he said. He leaned against the doorway, folded his arms, and waited.
Pansy waved her hand dismissively at him and perched on her favorite chaise. "Yes, yes, but that was only for a few moments and Blaise was there," she said with a dramatic roll of her eyes. "You know he dominates the conversations; I barely got a word in edgewise."
Draco huffed a laugh but knew she was right. "You did ask what was happening in his life, so you are partially to blame for opening that particular Pandora's box of drama."
"I was being polite," she argued. "Just because I ask how he's doing does not mean I need to know every detail of his week. That was far too much."
The corner of Draco's mouth twitched, but he resisted the urge to point out that Pansy could be just as bad as Blaise when it came to over-sharing details that hardly mattered to other people. He stood to get drinks from the bar in his kitchen and waited for Pansy to finally explain why she had come.
The quiet sounds of glass shifting as he poured their drinks filled the room before she finally broke the silence.
"I visited Granger's shop."
Draco paused in his pouring for just a moment, both to acknowledge what she had said and show her his surprise. He then finished pouring their drinks and then crossed the room to ask, "Did you?"
Pansy accepted the drink with a grateful smile and said, "It was purely out of curiosity."
"Of course," he said and took a seat on his couch. He sipped his drink, watching her carefully for any tells or signs of what she was thinking. She was infuriatingly difficult to read when she wanted to be. "What did you think?"
She swirled her drink for a moment, took a sip, and hummed at his drink choice. "She has changed a lot since school," she said. "She is quite skilled at her craft as well. For Granger." Her eyes shifted from her glass to his face to gauge his reaction, but his face remained carefully indifferent.
"Theo says she is much more relaxed."
"And a rebel," Pansy said with a wicked grin. "Who knew the biggest Golden Girl in Hogwarts' history would come home to be such a upsetter of the precious status quo?"
The reminder of Hermione's tattoos caused a wave of warmth to wash over him and settle in his stomach. If he was being entirely honest with himself, the motive behind the letter he was writing to Granger to set up his second appointment was less than innocent. He couldn't stop thinking about her other tattoos and where she might be hiding them.
When he pulled himself from his thoughts and focused once more on Pansy, he saw a mischievous gleam in her eyes that set a bird of panic fluttering in his chest.
"Draco," she said sweetly with mock innocence, "does the idea of Granger having a rebellious streak interest you?"
His eyes widened the slightest bit, and his body went completely still.
A wicked grin slowly spread across Pansy's mouth and sent a shiver of fear dancing down Draco's spine. In no way would this bode well for him. Like a werewolf catching the scent of blood, he watched her quick mind take hold of the possibilities and chase them to all their horrible conclusions. He needed to nip this at the bud before she tried to involve herself, but outwitting Pansy was something Draco had never managed to master. His mind sped into action to try and come up with anything that might at least divert her attention away from him.
"I found out the other day that she and Theo have become friends," he said calmly and hopefully without a hint of the desperation he felt. "He might even have an apprenticeship with her."
Her smile didn't falter. "While that is most certainly an interesting topic that we shall discuss at length, I would like to return to the topic of you and Granger."
"There is no 'me and Granger' to discuss," Draco said firmly.
Pansy took a sip of her drink with raised eyebrows, her glittering eyes expressing just how little she believed him.
"Pansy, reject any ideas that might be formulating before they get you in trouble." Draco picked up his glass and returned to the bar to refill his glass. "There is no evidence to indicate that my opinion of her has changed in the slightest."
"Who, Draco," Pansy asked.
He hesitated with his hand on the bottle of firewhiskey, and he knew his hesitation was another nail in his coffin. He cleared his throat and said, "Granger."
"Draco, you're an exceptional liar," Pansy said. She held out her glass for him to take and refill. "You can't, however, lie to me. You never could."
Draco returned the now full glass to her and made himself comfortable on the couch. It was true, Pansy had always been able to see right through him despite his best efforts. There would be no lying to her, but he was not willing to admit to any of the ridiculous insinuations she was coming up with.
Pansy spoke gently, "It wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing should there be something more than just passing interest or intrigue. You're allowed to feel for people, Drake."
Draco smiled softly at her. "I know, Pans, I do feel for people. You annoy me on a daily basis."
Pansy parked out a laugh and finished her drink in a swift gulp. "The feeling is mutual, I assure you. Regardless, if there is a little something inside you that is even the smallest bit curious about her, you should do something about it. She might be good for you."
He tossed back the rest of his drink and considered the idea.
She frowned in sympathy as she watched him mentally list all the reasons Granger would or should want nothing to do with him.
Cynicism dripped from his words when he said, "Granger could do much better than a reformed Death Eater, and she's a fool if she doesn't know that."
"Speaking from experience," she argued, "it's best to let the woman decide what is and isn't best for her."
Draco snorted. "The woman being you of course. I remember the time Pucey decided he knew what was best for you, and you showed him the error of his ways quite effectively."
Pansy groaned loudly at the mention of their former classmate. "Adrian was hopeless when it came to anything that wasn't quidditch," she said with a disappointed roll of her eyes. "Especially women."
"He could've been worse," Draco said. "At least he had quidditch going for him."
"He wasn't bad to look at either," Pansy said with a fond smile. "He had a nicer face than poor Marcus."
This time Draco rolled his eyes. "Flint didn't have two original thoughts. Too many bludgers to the head, if you ask me." He tapped a finger against his chin and said, "Maybe you should try dating someone who isn't a quidditch player."
Pansy scoffed. "And miss out on the gorgeous physique that comes from such brutal displays of masculinity?" She put a hand to her chest and said, "I wouldn't dream of looking elsewhere."
"Well you're running out of options rather quickly, Pans. Who's next?" Draco sneered, "Weasley?"
She blanched and snapped, "Absolutely not. I will be the first to say that graduation should be a turning point for us to move past old grudges and prejudices. However, I would like to think I have better standards than to date the Witless Weasley, thank you very much." Pansy flicked her hair in an exaggerated display of arrogance.
"But Weasley was a king."
She snarled at him, knuckles whitening dangerously around her glass.
"Even Potter would be better than that ponce," Draco agreed.
"Returning to our original topic which you so artfully avoided," she said with a pointed look. "You do know I will have to involve myself if you refuse to do anything, yes?"
Draco sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Pansy, there is nothing to involve yourself in."
She delicately arched an eyebrow at him before standing and walking to the fireplace. Setting her empty glass on the mantle, Pansy threw a sharp-toothed grin over her shoulder. "Two weeks, Draco." Her voice portrayed just how real her threat was. "Two weeks before I get involved. You know I can't resist a good, old-fashioned game of Cupid."
Draco tried to look threatening as he rose from the couch. "Don't get involved, Pansy. It never ends well when you do, and there is absolutely nothing to get involved in."
Pansy grabbed a fist full of floo power and said, "The dragon on your arm begs to differ. I will see you at the party tomorrow. Be sure to wear that blue tie I like." She winked at him, and in a flash of emerald flames she was gone.
The following day was Wednesday, the date of the party at the Three Broomsticks, and despite himself Draco was beginning to look forward to it. He had been bogged down lately trying to manage his family estate and rebuild the Malfoy reputation, so he was grateful for any kind of reprieve with his friends. Even if there would be so many unsavory characters at the party.
Draco heard a knock on his bedroom door as he tried to situate his tie in the mirror.
"Pansy, it's so unlike you to knock," he called by way of greeting. He glanced at the reflection of the door in the mirror and was surprised to see Blaise walk in. "Zabini, come to steal my mirror?"
His friend strolled into the room, his signature smirk resting on his face and a swagger in his steps. "Pansy sent me to make sure you wear exactly what she set out for you."
Draco rolled his eyes and said, "Of course she did." He looked towards the cloth in Blaise's hand and immediately began removing his tie. He sighed and held his hand out for the gold fabric. "I thought she wanted me to wear the blue tie?"
"There was a last minute change," Blaise responded quickly with a casual shrug. He stepped up next to Draco and preened in the mirror. "Any idea why she picked such a gaudy tie for you?"
"Considering it's Pansy who wants me to wear it, there is really no telling." Draco began to put on the new tie and arched his eyebrow at Blaise in the mirror.
Blaise hummed in agreement. Pansy had been in a stand-in mother to them during their years at Hogwarts, so they had learned fairly quickly not to question her. "I'm assuming it matches her dress."
"I still can't believe she's making us attend this ridiculous party," Draco grumbled.
"I can't believe the Wizarding World's most eligible Italian bachelor will be going to such a ridiculous party looking like the third wheel," Blaise lamented. "It's a tragedy."
Draco adjusted the cuffs of his black shirt and gave Blaise a bored look. "Would you rather wear a gold tie?"
"Merlin, no."
"That's what I thought," Draco said with a smug smile.
Draco and Blaise apparated into Diagon Alley and strolled towards the Three Broomsticks. Madam Rosmerta had completely renovated the restaurant after the War and had taken the opportunity to remodel. Despite her efforts, Draco couldn't help think the building still looked like a slightly dilapidated, hundred year old tavern. He still admired the hard work Rosmerta had put in before his attention was drawn to the other member of their friend group.
His brow furrowed in confusion when Pansy walked up to them in a beautiful navy dress.
"Pansy," Draco said while giving her a swift hug. "Please tell me the gold tie wasn't your idea of a joke."
Pansy held him at arms length and gave his outfit a careful once over before quirking an eyebrow at Blaise.
Blaise merely shrugged.
"Party attire is hardly a joke," Pansy said to Draco. "It was a last minute change." Flicking a piece of black hair out of her face she linked her arms with the two wizards. "Enough wardrobe talk, I need a drink."
The three made their way to the bar, greeting the friends they recognized and ignoring the suspicious glances. Draco lost Blaise in the crowd almost as soon as they walked in, no doubt to the attentions of an attractive witch, and Pansy had been stolen away by a squealing Daphne Greengrass. Draco was grateful when he found a Slytherin alumni that had been a year younger than him and was striking up a conversation about pro quidditch teams when a flash of gold caught his eye.
Glancing towards the pub's front door, Draco's mouth ran dry.
Hermione Granger walked into the Three Broomsticks arm-in-arm with Ginny Weasley. The shimmering gold fabric of her dress hugged her curves and left her shoulders bare. The hem fell a few tantalizing inches short of her knees and made her legs look a mile long. Loose brown curls framed her face and tall black heels accentuated her regal posture. When she turned to greet someone, her hair fell to one side and he caught a glimpse of a tattoo on her left shoulder. She was too far away for him to see what it was, but a jolt of electricity ran through him nonetheless.
Without a thought to the repercussions, Draco downed the remainder of his drink and left whatever conversation was still going with his old classmate. He quickly made his way through the crowd and stopped before the two witches.
Ginny saw him walking their way and smiled at him in greeting. "Malfoy, don't you look dashing."
Hearing his name, Hermione turned and greeted him as well. She tilted her head to the side and quirked a somewhat baffled smile. "I like your tie," she said. "What a lovely color."
Draco touched his tie briefly and willed his cheeks not to redden. "Ladies, you both look radiant this evening."
Ginny smirked at his tactful evasion but said, "Thank you, Malfoy, you're too kind. I need a drink, but I'm sure Hermione would love a dance." She winked at Hermione and made her way over to the bar.
Hermione smiled wryly after her friend. "Leave it to Ginny," she said. "Such a smooth and subtle exit."
"I don't think subtle is in her vocabulary," Draco drawled.
She chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Unfortunately, no. She's got a wicked sense of humor and a temper that can't be matched, but subtlety is nowhere in her skill set."
Clearing his throat, Draco held out his hand to her. "In that case, I believe I will follow her instructions and avoid that notorious Weasley temper. Care to dance?"
Hermione eyed his hand then gave him an unimpressed look. "That was so suave, Malfoy. How could a girl turn down such charms?"
His eyes widened slightly at her rejection, feeling simultaneously foolish and insulted, but it quickly faded to amusement when he saw the challenge in her eyes. Draco bowed dramatically and offered his hand to her again. "May I have this dance, m'lady?"
Giggling quietly, Hermione curtsied and daintily rested her hand in his. "I would be delighted, kind sir."
They made their way onto the dance floor under the watchful gaze of their friends.
"I love when a plan comes together," Ginny said with a smug smile.
Pansy glanced at the woman leaned against the bar then looked back to the dancing pair. "Don't get too excited, darling. Dancing is merely a stepping stone in the grand scheme of things."
"Yes," Ginny agreed, "but it's a step."
Pansy smiled and eyed one of their classmates across the room. "Now for step two."
On the dance floor, Draco spun Hermione in his arms. She giggled as her hair flew madly around her face, a beautiful smile spreading across her cheeks. He pulled her close to his chest and swayed to the rhythm of the music, and his breath caught in his throat as she rested her head on his chest. He looked around the room before his eyes rested on Blaise chatting up a vaguely familiar blonde. His friend gave him a subtle thumbs up and wink before returning to his conversation. He smiled softly and shook his head at the oddity of the situation he was in. He never would have thought he'd be at a party holding The Gryffindor Princess in his arms.
Hearing him scoff, Hermione lifted her head and quirked an eyebrow in question. "What's going through your head?"
"It's nothing," he said with a shake of his head. "I just never would have thought the two of us could go from sworn enemies to dance partners."
Hermione chuckled softly and nodded in agreement. "You know, muggles have a saying. If a boy pulls your hair or chases you during school it apparently means he likes you. Maybe our rivalry in school was our twisted way of trying to be friends."
Draco squinted skeptically at her before reaching up and tugging sharply on one of her curls.
Her mouth dropped open in dramatic shock. "Draco! I was talking about young children!"
Draco led her into a quick spin and dip, leaning in close until he was nearly nose to nose with her. "Well you know what they say..."
Her heart thumped loudly in her chest.
"Some boys never learn to grow up."
He pulled her back into an upright position and found himself having to hold her upright as she shook with laughter. He continued to dance with her as she laughed, smiling so hard his cheeks ached. He hadn't felt this light, this carefree, in ages.
Hermione's smile fell slightly as she looked past him.
He frowned at her questioningly when he heard her scoff.
"I'm sorry to cut our dance short," she said with a deep frown, "but I think there's an issue I need to attend to."
Draco glanced over his shoulder and saw Cormac McLaggen talking animatedly with Pansy, Ginny, and Blaise. Blaise made eye contact with him and rolled his eyes dramatically while fake gagging. Draco quit dancing, took Hermione's hand, and began to make his way over to their group of friends.
Pansy saw them walk up and said loudly, "I'm sorry, Cormac, but could you repeat that? I'm not quite sure I heard you correctly."
"It was two years ago, while Hermione was still out of the public eye," Cormac said. He looked wonderfully pleased with having every eye in the group focused on him. "We met up for dinner, and I gave her a little bit of comfort." He winked at Ginny who twisted her face up in a disgusted grimace.
"A little bit of comfort," Blaise said skeptically.
Cormac chuckled. "Some of that 'feel better' shagging witches need," he said. "The best kind, if you ask me."
"You're so full of shit, McLaggen," Ginny said loudly, whether it was from drinking or to be heard over the music it was hard to tell. "Hermione would never!"
"Oh no, Ginny, it's true."
Cormac blanched when Hermione stepped up beside him, a small cold smile on her face.
"I just thought we agreed not to tell anyone, Cormac." Her tone was saccharine and menace. "After all, you had that little… issue you didn't want anyone to know about."
Draco's eyes darted all over Hermione's face trying to tell if she was serious or not. He caught the faintest twitch at the corner of her mouth and smirked.
"What issue," Ginny asked with a feral grin that sent a chill down Draco's spine. Blaise looked at her like one might a rabid dog.
"I don't have an issue," Cormac shouted defensively which drew the eyes of several people standing near their group.
"Well, maybe not an issue," Hermione said with a pitying smile. "But you know that little thing you do? When you bark?" She said the last part as a loud stage whisper.
Cormac's face began to turn an ugly shade of reddish purple. "I do not bark," he yelled, but his outrage was quickly cut off by Hermione.
"Or did you mean the fact that you couldn't even get it up until I let you wear a pair of lacy underwear?"
Cormac spluttered indignantly while Blaise and Pansy began to laugh mockingly.
"Don't get me wrong," Hermione said with a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You looked great. But when you asked me to call you Daisy? I had to draw the line."
"Stop lying," he cried and shoved her hand from his shoulder. "I would never let you—"
Hermione's smile slid from her face, and her brown eyes hardened, brimming anger and dark promise. "Then which of us is lying, Cormac?"
Draco felt a shiver dance down his spine, the ice in her voice was so palpable. Looking at her he could see the shadow of the fearless witch that had commanded a battlefield once before.
"I was," Cormac yelled and threw his hands up in the air. "We didn't shag. Dear Merlin, it was just a joke you psychotic witch!"
"Think twice about the rumors you spread, arsehole. Especially to my friends?" Hermione scoffed, "Come on, as if they would believe you."
Cormac gave her one more scathing glare, but he was quickly pushed from the circle by Ginny when she stepped up to give Hermione a gleeful hug.
"Fantastic work, Granger." Pansy raised her glass to toast Hermione and wandered off with Blaise to continue mingling.
Hermione turned to Draco with a large grin on her face, but it faded slightly when she saw he wasn't returning her smile. "Was that too much," she asked tentatively.
He shook his head and said, "No, that was absolutely brilliant."
This time he returned her grin and allowed her to lead him back onto the dance floor.
When the night finally began winding down and the crowd began dispersing, Draco led Hermione through the room so she could say her goodbyes. She leaned against him, her drunken equilibrium needing as much stability as she could find. Whenever Blaise used him as a "drunk crutch", he found it extremely annoying, but Hermione was adorably giggly when she drank. He couldn't help but pull her just a little closer as they walked.
Draco assured Ginny he would apparate Hermione home, that he was completely sober, and that he had absolutely no ulterior motives. Once the slightly inebriated Ginny had threatened him seven different ways and bid Hermione goodbye, they carefully made their way to the back of the restaurant and apparated to Hermione's street. Thankfully she wasn't too drunk to picture an empty alley between shops at the end of the street, and they quietly made their way to her doorstep.
"Thank you for dancing with me tonight," Hermione said with a soft smile. Her face was flushed a pretty pink from the cool night wind and the warmth of a few too many drinks.
"It was my pleasure," he said. "Thank you for letting me apparate you home."
Hermione stepped away from him to unlock her door, and the cold air immediately leached the warmth from his side and made him acutely aware of her absence. For a moment, he was tempted to reach out and pull her back into his side, but stuffed his hands into his pockets instead.
"Such a gentleman," she said with a coy smile over her shoulder. "Who would have thought the crown prince of Slytherin had such manners?"
"You have my mother to thank you that." He watched her finally manage to unlock the door, the muggle key making him roll his eyes. A wand would be so much easier considering the circumstances, but leave it to Hermione to use the muggle method.
She gave a quiet cry of triumph when the door finally opened, and Draco bit his lip to keep from laughing.
"This is me," she said and then blushed at the obvious statement. "I had a really good time tonight, Draco, and I'm looking forward to your next appointment."
Draco's chest flushed with warmth at the soft way she said his name. Reaching up carefully, he tucked a stray curl behind her ear. His fingers most certainly did not linger on her cheek, nor did he long to run them through her surprisingly soft hair. "I can't wait," he murmured.
Hermione stared at him for several moments, an unreadable look in her eyes. Just as he was about to ask her what she was thinking, Hermione rose up on her tiptoes and gently kissed him on the cheek.
"Goodnight, Draco."
He was so stunned that he hardly registered her amused laugh or the door finally closing. Draco stood on her stoop for several minutes before a huge smile broke out on his face. All of his doubts melted away and were replaced by a giddiness he hadn't felt in a very long time.