"Meet me in my office for lunch." The silver otter blinked out of existence before Draco could really truly wake up. It was early on Monday morning when he was rudely awoken by that blasted patronus. He heard what it said, and if he didn't know her Patronus was an otter, he would be very confused.
He grumbled about confusing women as he rolled out of bed. He stripped down as he got in the shower and let out a deep breath as the hot water ran over him. He got up earlier than he was planning on so he decided to take more time in the shower to wake up. He would be starting his auror training today and although he was looking forward to the job, he was not so excited about Potter being his boss and trainer.
He continued about his morning and decided to head to work early, even if it was to make a good impression. He was not surprised when Potter was also there early. "Hello Malfoy. Surprised to see you here so early." The git said smugly, he even had the audacity to smirk.
"First day jitters." Malfoy replied shrugging his shoulders. Just because he had been friends with Hermione at one point, didn't mean he had to be nice or like her friends. Potter still rubbed him the wrong way.
"Well, good, we can get started then." Get started, they did. Potter was a slave driver when it came to work, or maybe it was just when it came to Malfoy. Either way, by the time lunch rolled around, Draco was exhausted.
He made his way to her office and when he knocked on the door, there was no hesitation between when he knocked and the door opened. "Get in here." She said looking around like she was a spy and pulling him in quickly.
He chuckled quietly and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "You know with you acting like that Granger, people will start to think we're having an affair."
"Not an affair if both parties are single." She replied as she sat down behind her desk and motioned for him to sit as well. Which he did. "You are, aren't you? Single I mean."
He furrowed his eyebrows and took in her words. Suddenly she was asking about his private life and the last time they talked Hermione was so cold to him. His grumblings about her being confusing this morning came back to him. Forget focusing. Hermione Granger was giving him whiplash.
"Why are you asking if I'm single? You have a boyfriend. That's a little inappropriate, Miss. Granger." He replied after a beat and folded his arms over his chest.
He noticed then that her demeanor was different to him. She wasn't closed and cold, but her face showed hope maybe? Yet right now it showed annoyance, which was a look he was accustomed to with her.
"I don't have a boyfriend. Not anymore. But that's not what I'm here to talk about. I have a proposition for you, but I need to find out if you're even eligible. Wouldn't want some girl making things harder. So, are you single."
What happened on the weekend that she no longer had Weasel? What proposition? Why was she so adamant about if he was single? "Alright. You have piqued my interest. I'll play along. Yes, I'm single. No women in my life. Save for you, that is." He added slyly. He wasn't going to tell her that he had no woman because ever since they were friends, he couldn't look at another woman.
"Good, now let's talk. I recently have found myself without a date for the gala on Friday and due to some events that I do not want to talk about right now, I can't go alone. I also don't want to be Harry and Ginny's third wheel. So, I'm wondering if you'll go with me." She said in a rush and would not look at him.
"Of course I will Hermione, but I got to know. Are you asking me because I'm the one you want to go with…. Or is it too make a certain Redheaded ex of yours jealous?" Draco asked carefully as he didn't want to upset her, but he had to know so that he knew how to act.
Hermione stared at him for a moment as if his question really left her speechless, or like she couldn't figure out how he guessed. Of course he guessed why she asked him. He wasn't stupid, and based on her interaction previously, he didn't think it was because she wanted to.
"Honestly? A little of both, but mostly the second option. And it's not too really make him jealous…." She said trailing off and taking a second to get her thoughts together. "It's more that I want to show him that I'm not the boring person he thinks I am. That despite hurting me greatly, I can bounce back better. And yes, I want to go with you because we were friends once, and I hope that we could be again. I kind of miss you." She said though he barely made out the last part. As she talked her voice went to that of a whisper. He still caught what she had said at the end and he nodded.
"Of course I'll help Hermione. But you know, people will ask questions. Gossip like crazy, and I'm sure the press will have a field day if a former Death Eater and the golden girl of the Golden Trio show up together. Are you ready for that?" he asked knowing how much she hated the attention.
"Yeah, I already thought about that and Harry might kill me, but I want to do this. I can't go to that gala alone. I don't even want to go, but I already said I would. There would be more gossip if I didn't go now." She said and he could tell she was frustrated.
"Okay. I'll be there. Just let me know what color dress you're wearing and I'll match accordingly. We can't clash if we're going as a couple." He said with a wink and she chuckled a little. "Plus this'll give us time to talk. I really think we need to. Anyway, I've got to go. My break is almost over, and I think your friend will have my head if I'm late." He said as he stood to leave.
"Thanks, Draco." She said before he left.
The rest of the week went by exhaustingly and similarly to the first day. Potter would work Draco to the bone and he would only have one part of his day he looked forward to. His lunch time with Hermione. They would mostly talk about what they would tell people if they asked why they were at the gala together and about other things, but He never asked what happened with Weasel. He wanted to, so many times. Mostly to know what he was getting into, but he could tell she didn't want to talk about it. Not at all.
Every time one of them even got close to the subject, she would change it very quickly. It frustrated him because at one point in time he was the person she came to about everything Weasley and Potter. Well almost everything. He always knew there were things regarding Voldemort that she wouldn't tell him. Which he understood considering the time and what he was then.
"Malfoy! Where are you? I know you're in here!"He sighed as he came out from behind the wall of things he was hiding behind. He knew she would come. How could she not after he pulled what he did in Potions."I'm right here Granger."She turned on him, obviously furious. "You! I thought we had an understanding! But no! You go and humiliate me in Potions earlier. Why?"He shrugged. "Honestly? Because my friends were starting to get suspicious. I know it's a terrible excuse, but I have a certain reputation to uphold. Otherwise, a lot of awful things can happen." He replied looking down. It was the first time he alluded to anything about the Dark Lord.He heard Hermione sigh and take a few steps forward. "Then at least warn me of something next time. If this… whatever it is, if it's going to work, then we have to be honest with each other. Certain things we obviously can't talk about. I don't ask you about Him and you don't ask me about things with Harry and Ron. Then… who knows maybe we could be friends. But you can't just insult me out of this room and not expect me to just be okay with it."He nodded. "I'll warn you next time. If it makes you feel any better, I feel terrible about what I said." He said looking back up to her sheepishly. "As weird as it is, I think I would like to try to be friends." He added quieter, but he knew she heard as she nodded."Yeah, it is weird to call you a friend Malfoy.""If we're going to be friends. You can't call me Malfoy anymore. I insist on you calling me Draco. At least when we're alone.""Fair enough… Draco. But you have to call me Hermione. No more Granger.""Fair enough, Hermione."
He shook the memory from his head and pulled his dress robes from his closest. As a Malfoy he had many different dress robes on hand at any given time. Part of growing up in a Pureblood society.
Tonight was the gala, and he was looking forward to it. Only because he could spend time with Hermione outside of work and with nothing holding them back anymore. He hated that he had to hold stuff back from her back then. He did it because he didn't want to endanger her life more than it already was. By the end of the war, she had become the most important person in his life, besides his mother. There was no way he was going to put her in danger by telling her secrets about the Dark Lord.
He let those thoughts go as he dressed and gave himself an approving nod in the mirror before apparating to the apparation point outside her apartment. When he reached her door, he knocked. He heard her muffled voice saying she would be there in a second. He leaned up against the wall knowing she would take longer than a second.
About five minutes later the door opened, and he froze. In the doorway stood the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. He had seen her in black tie wear before as they had the Yule ball, but that was when they were all just coming into their own. Then she was cute and girly. Now she stood confident and beautiful and very sexy.
"You look… beautiful Hermione." He said and looked up to her smiling face. She was in a green, black lace strapless dress that had a slit up to her left thigh. He never thought she would choose his house color, nor would she look so radiant in it. He honestly thought she was kidding when she said she chose a green dress.
"Thank you, Draco. Should we go?"
He held out his hand, and she took it. In a blink of an eye they were gone.
A/N: Another chapter down. You had to know she was going to choose that dress. ;) Next chapter will be drama filled, with a little Dramione fluff thrown in.