Gifted Touch
Hermione paced back and forth in her living room, waiting for Draco to come and pick her up. Harry watched her pace. Gosh, she was even making him nervous and all he had to do was open the door. The doorbell rang, making the both of them jump slightly. Hermione raced to the stop of the stairs. "Harry, after you answer the bell, call me down." Harry just nodded mutely. Walking to the door, he swung it open. Draco looked startled before quickly regaining his composure. "Hello Harry," he said, extending his hand, "It's been awhile." Harry grasped Draco's hand. "Indeed it has," he smiled, "Let me get Hermione." Draco watched Harry yell up the stairs for Hermione. His jaw dropped at the gorgeous creature standing before him. She stood there in a mid-thigh length black tea dress. "You," he stuttered, "look gorgeous beyond any words can tell." Hermione blushed furiously while taking his offered arm. "I'm not sure what time I'll be back," she said, looking back at Harry. "Don't worry Hermes, I won't wait up," he said with a secretive wink in Draco's direction. Hermione glowered at him but didn't comment. She didn't notice the playful grin emanating at the corners of Harry's mouth or the equally smug grin that Draco was returning.
~ * ~
It had been fifteen minutes since they had ordered their food and it still hadn't come. Hermione and Draco had been left to make pointless and idle small talk until it came, which they were attempting very (very) unsuccessfully. "You know Hermione," Draco said, startling her for there had been an awkward silence, "I brought you here in hopes to make a good impression, but it doesn't seem to be going very well." Hermione opened her mouth as if to stop him from saying that but Draco held up a hand. "Now Hermione, don't try and make me feel better because this is boring and you know it." Hermione nodded haltingly, "I suppose but don't feel bad, it's not your fault that the food takes forever." "I'm well aware but what do you say we go over to the carnival that we passed on the way here? You said you hadn't been to one since before Hogwarts and I've never been to one at all. Let's ditch this place and go have some fun." Hermione smiled jovially, lighting up her entire face in the process. "That would be fantastic!" she exclaimed. Draco hailed the waiter and told him that they were leaving. Without stopping to hear the waiter's protests, they gathered their things and headed for the door.
~ * ~
After riding every possible ride that they could and going on the rollercoaster twice (Draco couldn't get enough of it), the two of them sat down under a pavilion and ate fried dough and popcorn and drank soda. "So, how was that for your first carnival?" Hermione asked, taking a big bite of fried dough, getting powder all over her face in the process. Draco chuckled. "It's very fun indeed." Picking up a napkin, Draco gently moved her hair away from her face and wiped her lips. "Much better," he stated, "Although you looked very adorable with the powder still on your face." Hermione smiled at the complement, then jokingly asked, "And I'm not adorable without powder on my face? Now I know why I haven't been on a date for so long. I forgot the powder. I'll have to remember that next time." Draco sobered. "I hope that there won't be a next time, not with someone other than me anyway." The intensity of his gaze proved too much for Hermione and she looked down at her watch. "Oh my gosh! It's already ten o'clock. The carnival is closing soon." Draco snapped out of whatever reverie he was in. "Well then, I suppose we'll just have to find another place to go for awhile." Smiling broadly, Hermione stood up and Draco draped his arm across her shoulders. As a reflex, she placed her arm around his waist and her head on her shoulder, surprised that she felt so comfortable doing so. She wasn't sure how her night could get much better.
~ * ~
Walking hand in hand along the beach, neither Hermione nor Draco could imagine having been happier. The moon was full and leaving a beautiful reflection on the slowly crashing waves on the shoreline. Draco laid a blanket down on the sand and they sat close to the waters edge. Hermione looked up at Draco sitting beside her. "Draco, when I first started working for you, which was two months ago if you can believe it, you said that you had been enlightened. What did you mean by that?" Draco turned to look at her upturned face, his face sobering just a little. Slowly, he began. "After we first graduated Hogwarts, my father fully intended to turn me over to Voldemort to become a Death Eater. Although I didn't mind being mean to others during school, whom I thought insignificant and below me, I could not bring myself to kill or hurt anyone. My father despised me for it because I had been on the Dark Lord's list for some time. I found myself thinking often of you, and how you were muggle born, yet you had graduated at the top of our class and had hundreds of owls from the ministry offering you a job. When I graduated, second in the class, I had no offers for jobs, and I suddenly realized why. First off, my father. He was known in the Ministry for threatening the other ministers and I'm sure they thought he had passed that on to his son. He did, of course, but it never stuck. Also, why would they want an employee who bullied other wizards for something as petty as birthright. I found myself disgusted at the person I had become. I told my father I was going to live as a muggle." Draco paused here, taking a deep breath. Hermione grasped his hand and gave it a firm squeeze, silently asking him to continue. He continued, " He disowned me. I believe he asked me where he had gone wrong and I remember asking him back where he had gone right. Since then I've been perfectly happy, living as a muggle. I've never even used magic unless in the most dire of situations and I haven't had any of those." He turned to look at Hermione. "And that's that."
Hermione paced back and forth in her living room, waiting for Draco to come and pick her up. Harry watched her pace. Gosh, she was even making him nervous and all he had to do was open the door. The doorbell rang, making the both of them jump slightly. Hermione raced to the stop of the stairs. "Harry, after you answer the bell, call me down." Harry just nodded mutely. Walking to the door, he swung it open. Draco looked startled before quickly regaining his composure. "Hello Harry," he said, extending his hand, "It's been awhile." Harry grasped Draco's hand. "Indeed it has," he smiled, "Let me get Hermione." Draco watched Harry yell up the stairs for Hermione. His jaw dropped at the gorgeous creature standing before him. She stood there in a mid-thigh length black tea dress. "You," he stuttered, "look gorgeous beyond any words can tell." Hermione blushed furiously while taking his offered arm. "I'm not sure what time I'll be back," she said, looking back at Harry. "Don't worry Hermes, I won't wait up," he said with a secretive wink in Draco's direction. Hermione glowered at him but didn't comment. She didn't notice the playful grin emanating at the corners of Harry's mouth or the equally smug grin that Draco was returning.
~ * ~
It had been fifteen minutes since they had ordered their food and it still hadn't come. Hermione and Draco had been left to make pointless and idle small talk until it came, which they were attempting very (very) unsuccessfully. "You know Hermione," Draco said, startling her for there had been an awkward silence, "I brought you here in hopes to make a good impression, but it doesn't seem to be going very well." Hermione opened her mouth as if to stop him from saying that but Draco held up a hand. "Now Hermione, don't try and make me feel better because this is boring and you know it." Hermione nodded haltingly, "I suppose but don't feel bad, it's not your fault that the food takes forever." "I'm well aware but what do you say we go over to the carnival that we passed on the way here? You said you hadn't been to one since before Hogwarts and I've never been to one at all. Let's ditch this place and go have some fun." Hermione smiled jovially, lighting up her entire face in the process. "That would be fantastic!" she exclaimed. Draco hailed the waiter and told him that they were leaving. Without stopping to hear the waiter's protests, they gathered their things and headed for the door.
~ * ~
After riding every possible ride that they could and going on the rollercoaster twice (Draco couldn't get enough of it), the two of them sat down under a pavilion and ate fried dough and popcorn and drank soda. "So, how was that for your first carnival?" Hermione asked, taking a big bite of fried dough, getting powder all over her face in the process. Draco chuckled. "It's very fun indeed." Picking up a napkin, Draco gently moved her hair away from her face and wiped her lips. "Much better," he stated, "Although you looked very adorable with the powder still on your face." Hermione smiled at the complement, then jokingly asked, "And I'm not adorable without powder on my face? Now I know why I haven't been on a date for so long. I forgot the powder. I'll have to remember that next time." Draco sobered. "I hope that there won't be a next time, not with someone other than me anyway." The intensity of his gaze proved too much for Hermione and she looked down at her watch. "Oh my gosh! It's already ten o'clock. The carnival is closing soon." Draco snapped out of whatever reverie he was in. "Well then, I suppose we'll just have to find another place to go for awhile." Smiling broadly, Hermione stood up and Draco draped his arm across her shoulders. As a reflex, she placed her arm around his waist and her head on her shoulder, surprised that she felt so comfortable doing so. She wasn't sure how her night could get much better.
~ * ~
Walking hand in hand along the beach, neither Hermione nor Draco could imagine having been happier. The moon was full and leaving a beautiful reflection on the slowly crashing waves on the shoreline. Draco laid a blanket down on the sand and they sat close to the waters edge. Hermione looked up at Draco sitting beside her. "Draco, when I first started working for you, which was two months ago if you can believe it, you said that you had been enlightened. What did you mean by that?" Draco turned to look at her upturned face, his face sobering just a little. Slowly, he began. "After we first graduated Hogwarts, my father fully intended to turn me over to Voldemort to become a Death Eater. Although I didn't mind being mean to others during school, whom I thought insignificant and below me, I could not bring myself to kill or hurt anyone. My father despised me for it because I had been on the Dark Lord's list for some time. I found myself thinking often of you, and how you were muggle born, yet you had graduated at the top of our class and had hundreds of owls from the ministry offering you a job. When I graduated, second in the class, I had no offers for jobs, and I suddenly realized why. First off, my father. He was known in the Ministry for threatening the other ministers and I'm sure they thought he had passed that on to his son. He did, of course, but it never stuck. Also, why would they want an employee who bullied other wizards for something as petty as birthright. I found myself disgusted at the person I had become. I told my father I was going to live as a muggle." Draco paused here, taking a deep breath. Hermione grasped his hand and gave it a firm squeeze, silently asking him to continue. He continued, " He disowned me. I believe he asked me where he had gone wrong and I remember asking him back where he had gone right. Since then I've been perfectly happy, living as a muggle. I've never even used magic unless in the most dire of situations and I haven't had any of those." He turned to look at Hermione. "And that's that."