Disclaimer: Not mine, don't own, don't sue.
A/N: Hey all! Sorry this one is late, but I do have a valid excuse. My computer's keyboard wasn't working! I had to wait for my dad to fix it because I am pretty much computer illiterate. So, I hope all enjoy this. And thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. Kat-a-ree, I got your review, and hopefully, there's a little bit less of that in this chapter! Hope everyone enjoys this!
Ch. 21
Panisking and Packing
For once, Hermione awoke on time the next morning.
She leisurely showered, dressed, and walked to work; managing to get there a whole five minutes early.
The rest of the morning passed by quickly as she tried to find time to plan her date that night and still look like she was working.
Unfortunately, it didn't quite work that way.
Hermione stood behind the counter, her hands mixing a drink while her mind considered possibilities…
Hmm…we could see a movie? No, too clichéd. How about…Hermione paused in her thoughts.
Wait! It's not clichéd to him! He's probably never even been in a movie theatre before.
A loud, very annoyed voice broke into her thoughts. "Ms. Granger! What exactly do you think you're doing?"
Oh joy. It's the manager!Hermione automatically looked down at her hands, and was deeply embarrassed when she saw that she had somehow managed to spill not one, but two containers of whipped cream on the floor.
Shit! Those were supposed to be in the drinks!Because she knew she had messed up, and because she desperately needed to keep her job, Hermione assumed an apologetic and humble demeanor.
"I am so sorry sir. I promise it won't happen again."
Hermione grabbed a wet rag and began wiping up her mess immediately.
Her manager, apparently appeased by this, merely shook his head at her and said, "It had better not."
Crisis averted, Hermione decided to wait until her lunch break to think about Draco.
Oh Merlin, I already sound like Lavender at her worst, and I haven't even gone out with him yet!
She pushed that highly disturbing (and exaggerated) realization from her mind and worked diligently for the next half hour. She then pestered James into taking his lunch at the same time as her; mainly so she could pester him about Draco.
They are flat mates after all. He has to know something!
Hermione led James across the street to a little pub that served the best fish and chips in town.
James laughing protested as Hermione dragged him by the hand across the street, but he knew that Hermione was unlikely to listen.
Besides, she could have been dragging him by something far more painful.
James and Hermione spent a very pleasant half hour together. James, however, would not say anything about Draco, except that he seemed like an "ok chap."
Hermione was highly unsatisfied by this, but she let it go. She would just have to figure him out on her own.
She was able to leave work at three o'clock, which left her two hours to get ready…hopefully that would be enough!
She got home, changed out of her work clothes and drove to the nearest movie theatre. There she purchased two tickets for the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings. She had already seen it, but she thought Draco would be amused by Merry and Pippin.
Plus, I had a lot of action, and she knew Harry and Ron had loved it.
Then again, she couldn't really compare Harry and Ron to Draco…
All of a sudden she was extremely nervous.
What was I thinking? This is Malfoy! What's going to happen if he takes me to meet the parents??
Hermione smirked wickedly as an image of a terrified and shocked Lucius passed through her mind.
Maybe this could be fun…But Hermione paled, however, when she thought of Narcissa. The older woman had always slightly frightened Hermione, which was a rare occurrence.
Harry and Ron had never understood. Hermione herself didn't really understand it either.
There was just something so cold and dead in those icy blue eyes.
Hermione shivered, and decided that what she really needed to calm down was a visit with Narcissa's antithesis: the warm and comforting only daughter of the Weasley clan.
In a word: Ginny.
She drove toward the nice little flat that Harry and Ginny shared, hoping against hope that Harry wasn't home.
She knocked on the front door and was highly relieved when Ginny answered.
Ginny had been packing and wedding planning, two very absorbing activities, and she was surprised to see Hermione on her front porch.
"Hullo Hermione!" The two girls shared a very warm hug. Ginny noticed that Hermione seemed a little preoccupied about something. "What's happened?"
Hermione twisted her hands together, "Oh, nothing much. Just, erm…can I talk to you for a bit?"
Ginny nodded and walked back into the flat. "Talk away, but you have to help me pack up some stuff. It's too fragile to pack with magic."
Hermione smiled, her nervousness temporarily forgotten. "It's a deal."
Ginny sat on the couch, a stack of newspaper next to her and began quickly and methodically wrapping candlesticks, picture frames, and other knick-knacks.
Hermione sat cross-legged on the floor, an equally large stack of newspaper and breakables around her.
Somehow, focusing on something else gave Hermione a chance to relax and soon she was pouring her heart out to Ginny.
The girls talked for about an hour, until Harry walked through the front door and startled both of them.
Ginny exclaimed, "Sweet Merlin, Harry James Potter! What are you doing scaring us like that?"
Harry gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry luv, I'll close the door quietly next time." He assumed the penitent future-husband face and Ginny just laughed and smacked him on the arm.
Hermione looked at her watch and then, giving Harry a hug and Ginny a kiss on the cheek, said a quick goodbye to the happy couple.
"I only have an hour left! I'll ring you tomorrow Gin, we still need to pick wedding colors and such!"
And with a wink and wave Hermione was out the front door.
She ran down the stairs, wishing that she had just apparated, jumped into her car and drove away.
Back in the flat, Harry glanced quizzically at his fiancée, "Only an hour for what?"
Ginny smiled and pretended not to hear him. "What? Sorry luv didn't catch that. Anyway, help me finish this packing! We're moving in a month you know!"
She handed him a picture frame and some bubble wrap.
Harry set both down, folded his arms across his chest and said, "She only has an hour for what Ginny?"
Ginny knew she couldn't put this off any longer.
"SheonlyhasanhourlefttogetreadyforherdatewithDraco."
Harry was slightly confused, Ginny had been speaking really fast but he was still pretty sure that he had heard the words "date" and "Draco" in the same sentence.
This can't be a good thing.
Harry only had the presence of mind for one word, "Explain?"
Then he shook his head, his conversation with Hermione the night before flooding back into his mind. She must have decided to go for it. "No, wait, don't bother. I'll help pack now. How much do we have left?"
Ginny smiled. Problem solved! "Well, Hermione helped me for awhile, so we really just have dishes left. We can pack the clothes by magic."
"Okay, then let's get to work."
About forty-five minutes later, Harry looked at his watch. "Come on Gin. We have a little appointment to show up for right now."
Ginny looked up at him in confusion, but decided that he had probably just forgotten to tell her about it beforehand.
She realized the reason behind his silence however, when they apparated into Hermione's living room.
Ginny glared up at Harry now. "What do you think you're doing? If this is about Malfoy then you can just get over it. Hermione likes him, and we will just have to wait and see!"
Harry looked down at her, "Ginny, I'm just going to do a little meet and greet before they leave. We're still not entirely safe even now, and though I'd like to think that Hermione's judgment is better than that but there is always the possibility that… well, you know."
Luckily for him, Harry stopped his sentence just before Hermione walked into the room. She took one look at him, sighed, and walked back into her room.
Inside of her room Hermione was trying to put her hair into some semblance of order, and was getting more and more frustrated, so she didn't even notice when Ginny walked into the room, until she pointed her wand and aimed a spell at Hermione's head. Utilizing the lightening fast reflexes she had had to learn during the war, Hermione ducked just as the spell whizzed past her head.
The one strand of hair that the spell had caught arranged itself into a neat ringlet as Hermione gaped at it.
She placed a hand over her heart. "Oh Ginny, next time warn me before you start pointing your wand at my head."
Ginny just laughed, and said the spell again, causing the rest of Hermione's hair to fall into loose curls.
She pinned up a few, and turned Hermione towards the mirror. "There. How does that look?"
Hermione grinned, "You have got to teach me that."
Ginny smiled, "With pleasure. But for now let me explain the testosterone heap sitting on your couch."
Hermione laughed, but a small frown was still playing on her face. "Please do. I'm a little nervous already, and if Harry's just going to bludgeon my date, then it would probably be better if he went home."
Ginny smiled, "Don't worry, he says he just wants to talk to him. We'll be in and out. You know how Harry is. He fancies himself your big brother."
"Alright, but there will be no fighting. Otherwise I'm kicking Harry's bum myself."
With that Ginny headed back out to the living room to wait with (and control) Harry; and Hermione began to do her makeup.
About five minutes later Hermione heard the distinct pop of someone apparating in. She glanced at the clock. 4:55 He's even early. Brownie points for Draco!
Hermione listened to the conversation in the living room.
Harry was saying something. "Hello Malfoy. Ouch, erm I mean Draco." Hermione snickered. Sounds like Ginny kicked him. You go girl!
Hermione was rather anxious to hear how Draco would respond, and in an instant her wish was granted.
Draco's voice floated into the bedroom. "Oh, well, hello Pot- Harry. Hello Ginny."
Hermione smiled delightedly. She knew how much that must have bugged him. However, in the next instant she panicked.
Draco sounded desperate to get out of there, and she could hear his voice saying, "Well, I'll just go into the bedroom and see Hermione then."
Hermione frantically tried to rub in the foundation that was dotted on her face, but it was to no avail. When Draco first saw her on the night of their first date, Hermione was sporting a large foundation dot on the tip of her nose.
Oh shit! Of all the bad timing.
