第26章

Draco had made peace with the idea of spending the rest of the day not alone with Luna. Much time to make up for it, he'd told himself. He could just keep her by his side and power through the day, pretend he wasn't regretting agreeing to this when he should have swept her off to another continent and spent a few days just—

It was fine. He was fine.

Except he wasn't.

Not when Blaise and his bride's ex-flatmates sat nested away at the edge of the rooftop garden for breakfast like the uninvited partygoers they were. The bloody brethren of let's make Draco's flustered nature break out from its longstanding confines. He'd never been cold blooded, but oh, how he'd forgotten.

It was a whole new experience to have his nerves buzzing and popping beneath his skin, belying the stoic face he wore as he approached them.

How did this happen again?

The Wards had no official entrance. The subterranean drive leading up to the parking was tucked away from view and accessible by recognition technologies or one-time guest passes that were impossible to forge. Had this deterred Blaise?

Nay.

Not that he'd planned for his day to take such a turn. He'd been meeting with Hermione for an early coffee to go over their project's first graded remarks, a "not-date", as Hermione proved by bringing Ginny along. The lab partners were delving deep into discussing why Led powered internet connection should replace regular wifi in the future, and when Hermione brought up Ginny's struggle streaming cheesy romcoms with wifi as opposed to using the LiFi router she'd given her to try out, Ginny replied with a spectacular non-sequitur.

'...Draco and Luna got married?' She spilled. 'Why the heck aren't we discussing that instead of stupid wifi stuff?'

A technical remark froze on Blaise's lips. He jolted up, nearly knocking over his chair, and demanded immediate confirmation from Hermione. When it was reluctantly offered, Blaise proceeded to detangle the two girls from their unfinished Belgian waffles and dragged them outside the cafe and inside the first taxi sweeping by the curb. He kept eerily quiet, stern as a man on a mission, until they had reached the unassuming entrance of the driving tunnel at 12 Grimmauld Place. There, he stood flanked on either side by a deeply frustrated Hermione and a very excited Ginny when Draco, barely outside his car after picking up his wife's relatives, received a fiery call from his ex-flatmate demanding that he 'scooped' them up now.

And here they all were, Ginny and Cassandra being the only highly excited faces in the general unease.

Draco placed a cup of coffee for his friend, who was gawking at him like a hawk ready to lurch.

'It's ever so lovely meeting with the friends.' Cassandra cooed, beaming up at the two girls whose expressions clashed hilariously. Ginny wore her best grin, her vocabulary reduced to 'ooohing' and 'aahhing' at everything, while Hermione stared with glum awkwardness at a patch of grass to her immediate left. 'Luna has told us so much about you. Thank you for taking care of our precious girl for a little while, before this young man came and stole her away into his luxurious dungeons.' Cassandra tittered. 'Didn't you, Draco darling?' She bit into her pastry before adding, innocently, 'so fast. I look forward to future developments following the same pacing.'

Hm. Draco briefly wondered how people could find him intimidating when Cassandra's ways outdid him by far and large.

'We're just so happy for them.' Ginny said sweetly, nibbling at a decadent chocolate muffin. 'Isn't that right, Hermione?'

'I suppose we are.' Hermione sighed. Ginny nudged her with her elbow. 'Sorry.' She directed a polite smile at Cassandra. 'I mean of course we are. I think I'm just—surprised.'

Blaise huffed, shrugging in you can say that again.

'Surprised at what, pray tell?' Cassie fluttered her lashes, interlinking her burgundy nailed fingers.

'Well, um,' Hermione had never wished for an invisibility cloak to exist so much in her life. 'It was a bit of a shock. Draco Malfoy is...we didn't know he had feelings for Luna, to be honest, or that they were in a relationship.'

Draco arched a fair eyebrow, making her wish for capacity to disappear even harder. What had she said? Was her diction not up to his haughty standards?

'Perhaps I haven't used the right words?' She defied with false courtesy, even if she regretted her question immediately afterwards.

'It's fine,' Draco said, his voice much less provocative than she'd anticipated. 'I just find certain expressions to be too vague for my taste; having feelings, being in a relationship.'

'It's the English language.' Hermione smiled stiffly.

'I like the definite forms better.' Draco replied, taking a sip of his coffee. 'But don't let my opinion bind you.'

'Thanks,' She said in a tight voice. Oh wow. The guy definitely lived on planet pompous. 'I'll try.'

'So Blaise, how long have you been friends with Draco?' Cassandra asked, endearingly nosy.

'Oh. Friends. That's a good question, Miss Lovegood.' Blaise gritted. 'Friends take care of each other. They tell each other stuff. Especially important stuff, right, Drake? Oh what would we be without our good friends that tell us massive news when they happen.'

'Hmm.' Cassandra pouted. 'I take it Draco didn't tell you?'

Blaise darted an accusatory finger at Ginny.

'She did.'

'To be fair we only learned it yesterday.' Ginny smiled, too chipper for the angst slicing the air.

'I can't believe this.' Blaise pinched the bridge of his nose. 'I can't believe I am such a psychic. I was right the whole time.' He shook his head. 'Oh my God. I knew something like this would happen. So many things tipped me off. You asked to talk to her on the phone when her father was having trouble—'

'Aw, when you learned Phil had lost the house?' Cassandra asked with a lopsided smile.

'—he doesn't do that, Miss Lovegood. Speak to people on the phone unnecessarily, much less if they were female.'

'Oh, loving that female allergy. What else tipped you off?' Cassandra asked enthusiastically, tearing the edge off a croissant and popping it into her mouth.

'Well, there was the fact that I actually had his attention when I first brought her up, thinking they hadn't met. Then he hired her, which was suspicious. Not that Luna isn't talented, but still. Then there was the night he had her make him that Japanese porridge that healed my heart by actual proxy.'

'My. Really,' Cassandra's eyes shone. 'I didn't know this one.'

'And now I don't know what to feel anymore.' Blaise sighed.

'Are you okay?' Hermione asked, dubitative.

'Yeah. It's just this weird mixture of being very happy and extremely disappointed, if that makes sense.' He heaved a long suffering breath. 'It's gonna take me a moment.'

'Blaise,' Draco called.

Blaise held up a dramatic hand. 'Don't call me that.'

'Zabini.'

'I'm not talking to you.'

'Why not? You're already here, might as well.'

'Well I had to come see this with my own two eyes!' Blaise huffed, picking up his cup. 'Friends these days I swear.' He muttered darkly between coffee sips. The vitalizing kick was a welcome addition to his excitement.

'You're turning me into a social commentary?'

'A social commentary...hah! You sir are a full on sign of the times!' Blaise smirked. The problem with playing mad, Blaise realized, was how hard it was when you were actually excited. The coffee wasn't exactly helping direct that energy in the blaming bit. He just wanted to celebrate.

'I was going to tell you.' Draco said. 'When it happened.'

'Well looks like it did.'

'Yesterday.'

'So? Luna told her friends about it.'

'Luna had to move out.'

'Oh. OH. Well that pardons your incapacity to tell me something so ridiculously important as putting a ring on her finger! You're supposed to tell your friends this stuff!' Blaise grouched, drawing an areal circle over his face before pointing at his nose. 'Me.'

'You knew I was getting married.'

'You didn't say to who!'

'Names entail affiliation.' Draco said. 'I don't affiliate with what isn't mine.'

'Well. That's not cocky at all.' Hermione mumbled under her breath.

'Pardon?' Draco asked.

Hermione blanched. She wanted to kick herself. Why couldn't she just keep her mouth shut?

'He didn't mean it like that.' Blaise immediately defended. He hadn't meant to. Again, it was the coffee. Damned good one, too.

'Hum.' Hermione pursed her lips. 'Sorry. I should probably head back, I've things to do.'

'Oh no, stay,' Cassandra pressed. 'I am going to cook a hearty meal for us to enjoy.'

'You are?' Draco asked. 'You don't have to, we can—'

'Draco, my dear, do not do me the affront of telling me not to make my family and their friends something to eat.'

'If it pleases you, by all means.' Draco acceded.

'That's what I like to hear! Ah, there they are!'

Draco looked sideways to see Luna and Phil walking toward them. He automatically pulled back the seat next to him for his bride.

'Hi,' she sniffed. 'Sorry we took so long. Dad had a present for us.'

Skies. She smelled so nice.

'A present?'

'Go on, tell him, pet.' Phil smiled emotively.

'Well,' Luna bit her lip. 'He got us plane tickets for—'

'Oh you already gave them to her?'Cassandra interrupted, tapping her brother's arm. 'Silly Phil! I was going to build up the surprise after lunch!'

'Surprise?' Draco asked, inwardly wary. He was generally not fond of surprises. He liked to know what to expect.

'Well Phil and I thought it would be nice to send you two off on a proper honeymoon, since we're ruining your first weekend together with our unwanted presence,' Cassandra smiled. 'So we booked a trip for next weekend.'

'To Japan.' Luna sniffed again in a pink handkerchief.

'Aw my baby, did you cry?' Cassandra cooed. 'I knew it would make you emotional.'

'I...I've been wanting to go back for a while...' Luna turned her misty blue eyes at Draco. 'Is it all right with you, that we go together?'

'Of course.' He said. 'After the company's annual meeting, we can go right away. Are the dates still flexible?'

'Yes,' Phil grinned. 'We just booked them last night. I thought Luna might want to go back to her homeland now that she is set on a new beginning as, well, a newlywed and...you'll be fine, won't you, pet? You don't have to if you're not ready...we can still change the destination.'

'No, I want to.' Luna smiled, holding back a fresh surge of tears. 'I won't be alone.'

Draco looked down in surprise. Luna's tiny hands were cupping one of his.

Heaven, her hands.

Every bit of her felt incredibly good to the touch, and he didn't even want to think of just how good it had been to touch her this morning, back when it was just the two of them, everything external to their exploration of one another receding into limbo. Only took a minute, he wanted to see what would happen if it took hours...He wanted it too much.

It was like a bloody dam cracking dangerously at the worst moment, when he could do absolutely nothing more than stare at her hands and wish he could take them to his lips, drag his tongue between her pretty fingers—

'Um, not to ruin the happy mood of honeymoon plans but...Draco?' Ginny asked tentatively.

Draco unhurriedly looked up from the object of his fantasy.

'You wanna go with them, Ginette?' Blaise asked, tongue-in-cheek. 'Cause I'm sure do. Freaking Japan. That's what you get for marrying an anime girl.'

'Quiet, you geek! So, Draco...don't be weirded out but I'm kind of doing this side project thing exclusively on you.'

'Ha?' Draco deadpanned.

'Nothing creepy,' she explained quickly. Cassandra was positively laughing in the background. 'Like, taking you as a case study on media coverages and editorial biases, maybe I can even dig up some dirt on the newspapers who featured you to carve my name as a nextgen watchdog. My intentions are good, scoot's honor!' She twiddled her thumbs. 'You just mentioned an annual meeting, right? In you company? Before you go on your honeymoon, could I maybe attend it to meet the press there?'

'You major in media studies?' Draco asked. 'And I'm your 'project'?'

'No, well, yes but...it's because you're the most mediatized on campus and—'

'It's fine. I'll issue your guest pass and give it to Luna.'

'Oh really? You're so nice!' Ginny clapped a hand over her mouth. 'Holy—I just called you nice.'

'Grave mistake. He isn't.' Blaise smirked. Draco stretched his leg under the table, nudging Blaise's knee.

'I'm not saying that!' Ginny blanched. 'It's just, well, being nice is used pejoratively more often than not nowadays. Like, if you're a man and you're nice then it can mean you don't have much else going for you...it's part of the language codes we media majors study...which is, I mean...obviously not your case,' she gave Draco two thumbs up. 'I'm your fan.'

'Of course you are,' Hermione groused.

'Yup. I'll even have you all know that I am living my best life out here.' Ginny said unrepentantly, taking in the plenary view of the cityscape. The sky was clear and the sun was out. She sighed contentedly. 'Thanks to Luna, look where we get to sit! Isn't this the dream? Let's take pics for Snitchapp.'

'What, you're really gonna act like this isn't...unexpected?' Hermione raised an eyebrow, irritated to be the only one so deeply affected...correction, she wasn't affected at all, more like perplexed. Like a scientist observing a curious phenomenon.

'Why shouldn't I?' Ginny shrugged. 'Luna's just an Asian drama lead. I realized that last night while I couldn't sleep.'

'You couldn't sleep? You were positively snoring when I found you twisted up in the couch like some poltergeist...'

'Shh, Hermione. TMI.'

'Well for us normal people it's not...normal. Why is Blaise the only one who understands that—'

'Aww, he understands you because he's your soybean.' Ginny enthused.

'My what?'

'Soulmate. I say soybean for soulmate now, though I can't remember where I got the reference.'

'Auto-correct?' Blaise joked. 'But seriously, Drake, can't Hermione and I third-wheel in Japan?'

'Oh, they have fermented soybean there too!' Ginny gushed. 'You can like grow old together and become fermented soybeans!'

'That was poetry, Ginny. Poetry.' Blaise slow-clapped.

'I try,' Ginny stuck her tongue out playfully.

Meanwhile, Hermione was lost in her puddle of conflicting thoughts and feelings. She was not sure she wanted to leave anymore. Not that she thought it was a good idea to be here, really, and her uncontrollable remarks were making her come out as discourteous, but still...it filled her with some kind of satisfaction, watching this strange show unfold. Her mind was buzzing for clues, trying to figure Draco out. Sure, he was a living statue of male charm from up close, but how much did he really care about Luna behind his flawless veneer?

She stole a discreet look at him. Sitting broad and straight, body language she translated pejoratively as 'unflappable master of himself,' he emptied his cup leisurely, slanting his eyes at Luna, quietly watching her every move. For some reason, the simple thing felt wrong of her to witness, as though it was generating an unfamiliar power field and she'd nearly gotten caught in its fringes.

Still, her eyes drifted back to them time and again. Luna seemed to be shouldering his subtle attention with a comfortable allure that was response enough in itself.

Hermione prided herself in having zero time to spare for romantic drivel of any sort...Fine, she had once read through an Elizabeth Lowell novel without finding it particularly harrowing, and that was only because of the palatable writing...but admittedly, from the lens of science, this was fascinating. How one couple, as improbable as it was, created a third component around them, a coded energy, and she knew, not without some lingering regret, that it wasn't something she could ever fully understand from books.

'Ooh, I see you staring girlfriend,' Ginny suddenly breathed in her ear. 'Wondering whether they've spent yesterday night...in the same room?' She giggled. 'Yeah me too. They look so good together, am I right?'

'Ginny?!' Hermione hissed. She quickly ripped her eyes away from them, blushing behind her mug of hot cocoa. She felt like an impressionable schoolgirl caught staring googly-eyed at newlyweds like they'd invented oxygen. Why the heck was this affecting her so much anyway? It's not like she spent her days ruminating about relationships or desperately wanting to be in one. That was Ginny's thing.

Why would she, anyway? Her own parents hadn't bothered setting a particularly enviable example...they were perpetually at each other's throat.

'Draco looks much hotter from up close, though,' Ginny remarked. 'If I were Luna—'

'Ginny, stop!' Hermione screeched, then quickly looked up, certain she'd been overheard.

Except Draco was not listening, and neither was Luna, at that. He was looking at something hidden from view by the tabletop. Luna's...fluffy long skirt? Oh. Was he judging her outfit? Hermione furrowed her brows. Sure, it wasn't exactly high fashion, but it looked good on her. Was he the type to ask her to change her style just to meet some ridiculous bourgeois standard? Hermione's frown took a bemused turn. Why was Luna smiling down like that then?

Against her better judgment, Hermione shifted slightly, striving to get a peep at what was going on away from prying eyes (hers). For science, she thought lamely, the excuse sounding flat in her own mind.

Her heart gave a sharp thud and cowered back in shame when she realized that Luna's hand was sitting on Draco's thigh, and he was playing with her ring.

Abort abort abort! Cancel! Abandon ship! Science be damned, Hermione was out. She quickly rose to her feet.

'Blaise, let's, um, take a walk.' She said impulsively. 'I need to stretch my legs.'

Blaise jumped up, at the ready. Nobody else batted an eyelash. Phil and Cassandra were talking animatedly about the Japanese travel-circuit the newlyweds should take, Ginny was chasing the lighting for an umpteenth selfie, and, heavens, Draco and Luna were looking even more absurdly close, now, even though they were merely talking low—literally just planning the day, from what she could hear.

Yes, a walk was necessary right now because she clearly needed to chill.

'What's wrong?' Blaise asked when they were removed from the collective earshot. 'You look flushed. Is the sun making you feverish?'

'No, it's—'

'Nasty thing, when it comes out it's like let's get people sick shall we.'

'—nothing, I'm—'

'Like we're not used to it so it knows the damage it brings when it waltzes out, so—'

'Blaise.'

'—sunburn the other day from standing under the—'

'Blaise.' Hermione laughed, surprising herself. 'Are you okay?'

'Yeah, I don't know. I'm rambling, sorry. I just...this really hit me hard. Didn't expect it to fall on me this morning. He's so secret about this stuff, like, I would have supported him...' he sighed. 'I guess he had his reasons. Can't be mad, though. Luna's great. If anything I'm glad my hunch was correct. I was worried he would go for a diva type that would drive us apart or something, but Luna? Heck, she's a dream, we'll practice my Japanese together and I'll teach their kids the geek way of life when they're young and moldable...so it's all good and I'm a happy camper.'

Hermione smiled. 'And I thought I was silly.'

'Oh no. I'm silly too. We can be silly together. Anytime.'

'We shouldn't overstay our welcome here. They're among family, I'm feeling a bit off around your friend.'

'What? No. Draco's actually nice, you know. In his own way, at least. Don't feel intimidated.'

'I can't help it. He's like an alien code I need to parse out and it frustrates me to bits.'

'Oh my life. Don't do that.'

'Do what?'

'Talk about decoding other men.'

'Blaise, he married our flatmate! Of course I need to know what's going on in his head!'

'I dunno. Love?'

'Oh please. Like I'll believe that.'

'Seriously.' He smiled. 'Don't be so pessimistic about stuff like this.'

'My parents are getting divorced.' She blurted. 'So there's that.'

'Oh.' Blaise's jaw dropped. 'Oh crap. Sorry. That's why you were so down in the dumps this week.'

'Yeah.' She shrugged. 'I guess it's better like this. They brought each other down so much, it was like their marriage served to keep the hurting bubble constant and close-range, affecting everyone in its wake. I'm glad that bubble's popped.'

'Oh damn, Rin, girl, that's—wow. I had no idea you were going through this stuff.'

'I know. I'm closed off, and you probably deserve better, but I—'

'You deserve better, Hermione. Some people get caught up in egos and mind games and forget the big idea. I mean my parents' marriage is your idyllic Italian soap opera, so I got lucky, but I know how bad it can get. My dad says you don't really grow up until you figure out that there's someone out there that's just as important as you, if not more. Not everyone figures this out in time but hey, if you're...if...'

Hermione found herself hanging onto his words so deeply that even as he'd gone quiet, it took her a while to finally blink and quit staring at him.

'If what?' She insisted.

'Nothing.' He sighed. 'Your freckles are showing with the sun hitting you from this angle. I'm digging it.'

'If I what, Blaise?'

'If you...if you want, Hermione, I'd like to get...serious with you. I'm...you know how I feel about you. I'm just out here waiting.'

'I'm sorry, Blaise.' Hermione shook her head. 'You're probably a better person than I am, because the way I see it, relationships are scary...unpredictable...'

'Drake is a control freak just like you,' Blaise smiled. 'And look at him now.' He nodded at the couple. 'Sometimes, when the data is right, you gotta take a chance and leap—'

Hermione stilled at his remark. The cogs in her mental machinery clicked, and she knew it was true. Maybe this was why she had been fixating on Draco, so eager in judging him. She despised his controlled demeanor, she realized, because it was just like hers.

'The data's right for us, Hermione.' Blaise said.

'I...I'll work on it.' Hermione nodded resolutely. 'I'll work on myself. I'll let you know when the fog clears, just...don't go liking anyone else in the meantime, okay?'

'Easy.' Blaise winked. 'So. Wanna stick around for Miss Lovegood's lunch? I kinda like her vibe, I swear Luna's family are all anime characters.'

Hermione gave a timid nod.

'I'll stay.'

Hey! Hope you found this entertaining! It took a bit longer to post because I'm working on the new fic, Dies Nox et Omnia. It's a huge mood shift from this bubbly comfiness...Hope you're excited for that!

Sonderienne: thank you so much for your kind review :D I'm so happy hear you're excited about the new fic (I've answered your questions in private messaging, but yeah, lots of self-doubt and merciless perfectionism can be a double-edged sword :p thankfully I've found two kind readers willing to beta over at AO3 :]

MuffinMoe: sorry for the wait! hope you'll check out the new fic when it's out! xo