Disclaimer: We've been through this. I own nothing.
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SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1"Have you noticed that Hermione's acting a bit.. Off, lately?" Ginny asked her boyfriend casually as she nursed a bottle of stout.
"More so than usual? I dunno," he said conversationally. "She's always been a bit off."
"Harry, I'm being serious." He looked faintly surprised.
"So am I."
"It's just that she's been touchy every since that Ministry benefit ball thing."
"And God forbid you mention Draco Malfoy in her presence, less you want something valuable thrown at~"
"Harry, that's it!" Ginny looked like she'd just solved the Scooby-Doo mystery and couldn't wait to pull off the offender's mask. "Malfoy! That's what her problem is!" Harry just gave her a blank look.
"Malfoy is everyone's problem. What a git."
"Oh, sometimes I don't know why I bother with you, Potter. You're so thick!" With that, she bolted from the room.
"I don't understand," he said to himself as he heard the front door slam shut.
*****
Marie bustled back to their table with an enormous blueberry muffin and a tall glass of milk. She smiled warmly as she placed them in front of Draco and pat him lightly on the head. He looked a bit put off by the fact that his hair was being touched, but he obediently took a bite of the muffin under his Nanny's watchful gaze. She smiled more broadly.
"Good, good!" she glanced over and saw Hermione, probably, for the first time. "Who's this, then?"
"Oh, sorry, Nan," Draco said. "This is Hermione Granger. We're engaged."
Hermione stopped breathing.
"Oh?" Marie almost growled. Hermione carefully met her gaze.
"We're very happy together," Draco said cheerfully. "Been together since our Hogwarts days. We've always had so much chemistry between us," he sent a private grin to Hermione. Marie was looking very flustered by this time. A girl did not date Draco until they passed through her. What was this little hussy thinking, stealing her baby away without the proper consent? Her look was one of concentrated evil when she spoke again.
"Draco is very fickle about his women, you know," she said confidentially. There was one a while ago - oh, who was it, Drakes? Veronica? And just last week he had Pretty Susanne on his arm. Didn't you have a dinner engagement with that, oh, what was her name?" She snapped her fingers a few times. "Oh well, it really isn't of any importance. There's no use in learning the names of all his flings. Really, Darling, are you sure about this man? He'll break your heart."
Hermione was staring openly at the woman, right eyebrow arched.
"Honestly, Nan, Herm wont fall for the old horror stories." Hermione's head snapped back to glare at him. He grinned at her and reached across the table to hold her hand. "We're in love," he announced gaily.
"You have milk, Love, just there," she pointed to her upper lip. Draco, ever conscious about his image practically squeaked and rushed to wipe it away. Hermione took her chance and strode from the café.
She realized that she left all of her books when she was halfway into storming dramatically down the street. She could hardly just turn around and give a repeat performance.
Shit.
********
Ginny knew exactly where her friend would go. There was only one place that the girl would flee to, and she intended to find her and ruin the hiding experience. She threw open the doors of the small café and made an entrance that reminded patrons of a bad episode of Charlie's Angels. Ginny glanced around with a determined look about her for a little longer.
"Just missed her, Little Weasley," came an annoying drawl that made her want to run headlong into a wall. And where there's suicidal tendencies, there's Draco Malfoy.
"Damn," she swore, not really sure if she was swearing because she was too late, or that she'd just run into a Malfoy. Insert look of pure distaste. "Well, you're really the problem anyway, Malfoy, so I'll talk to you instead." He looked faintly alarmed at this.
"I don't associate with penniless, money grubbing twerps," he said a little too loudly. Ginny sat down across from him.
"And I usually don't associate with arrogant hate-mongers. And it's all very sad, but we're gonna have to deal, because I'm not leaving you alone until you tell me what you did to make Hermione so.. Weird."
"She's always been weird."
"I'm serious."
"So am I."
.. Honestly, the similarities between The Boy Who Lived and The Boy Who Smirked were frightening sometimes. Ginny shook her head to clear the cobwebs.
"Why are you bothering her?"
"I'm not."
"You're here!"
"I have a perfectly legitimate reason for being here, thank you very much. I don't understand why being here is a big deal in the first place."
"This is Hermione's favorite place. She's always here."
"That's ridiculous. Nan would have known her." Ginny almost smiled.
"'Nan'?" she asked.
As if on cue, Marie made her way back to the table, looking disapproving.
"Now, Drakes," she very nearly scolded, "I was just making it all up with that Harmony girl, but now that I see you 10 minutes later, you've got another bird on your arm!" She turned on Ginny now. "You should be ashamed of yourself, you little hussy. This man is to be married."
For once in his life, Draco Malfoy was speechless.
*********
Harry was sitting in an arm chair when Hermione decided to storm into her apartment, hoping to find Ron and chase the image of Draco Malfoy sitting across from her with an arrogant smirk and milk on his upper lip.
"Have fun, sweetums?" Harry said in a motherly tone. "Having a grand time running from your life, are you?"
"Piss off, Harry," she snarled, brushing past his chair in a mad rush to the fridge for a much-needed beer. His hand shot out and gripped her elbow, holding her roughly in place. She growled, and Harry seriously considered seeking mental help on her behalf.
"You're being flighty. And more impatient than you usually are - and for God's sake, Herm, stop glaring at me like that. I'm telling you as your best friend, not your mother. Would you stop fidgeting? Sit down, dammit." She sat on the floor next to his chair, folded her arms, and stared up at him blankly. "There," he said calmly, "was that so incredibly painful?"
"You are no longer my best friend. Just thought you should know."
"That's nice, dear. Now tell Mummy what's got your panties in a bunch."
"Does being condescending come naturally to you, or do you have to really try?"
"Oh, it's natural, but stop changing the subject."
"Where's Ron?" Hermione was ignoring him completely.
"Where's Malfoy?" Harry asked casually. Her head snapped up and she glared.
"How would I know? God, I dance with him twice and suddenly I'm his keeper. I don't know anything about the man. Why would you ask me a question like that?"
Harry's eyes were wide and signs of a grin were creeping to his lips. Hermione took a deep breath.
"I mean, how should I know where that git is?"
Harry's grin widened.
A.N:
So this chapter was about half the size of the first. I really didn't want to post this, because I loathe short chapters, but I haven't been writing much of anything. And I wanted to let ffn know that I am indeed alive. None of you care, though, so I don't know why I'm bothering.
Oh, and please don't rate the fic on the incredibly stupid plot. Rather, the wit, charm, and the author's ability to spell? Or maybe just on the author's modesty. ^^'.