Saturday, July 25, 2020
When Hermione and Rose stepped out of the floo and into the living room of Harry and Ginny's home, Rose darted towards the yells growing louder in the backyard. It was common to find the Potters on a Saturday afternoon playing Quidditch against each other in their back yard.
"Uncle Harry, switch with me!" Rose bellowed from the ground.
All five Potters, Albus safely from the ground holding a book in hand, turned to look at Rose.
Harry immediately swooped down and circled over the young witch with his broom.
"No way! Tell your aunt to let you play," he replied playfully.
"I'm your goddaughter!"
Ginny touched down on the ground beside Rose and gave her a high five, avoiding a fight between her husband and niece.
"I'm out," said Ginny. "Don't let those Potter boys best you, Rosie."
Harry groaned audibly as he flew away yelling, "You're a Potter, too!"
"Tell that to my red hair, Potter!" she retorted before reaching Hermione and greeting her with a hug. "Wasn't expecting you to visit today, something wrong?"
Hermione smiled at the redhead and shook her head.
"Just a child exchange, Ron will be over to pick her up later," Hermione explained. She followed Ginny through the house and into the living room, where they both sprawled themselves out on the furniture. "I also wanted to talk to you about something, privately."
Ginny eyed her friend carefully, before waving her hand carelessly and throwing her legs over the side of the couch. Hermione felt Ginny's magic wash over them, as the Muffliato charm settled. She shifted in her armchair and faced away from Ginny.
"Spit it out, Granger," Ginny said, exasperated with her friend's hesitation.
"So, you know how Rose is dating Scorpius Malfoy?"
Ginny raised an eyebrow to stare at her friend. Hermione could practically hear the gears in Ginny's head turning.
"Oh, I'm well aware. Al's been complaining about it all summer," she said, noncommittally. "You know he doesn't have very many friends, and now Scorp and Rose are hanging out by themselves, and he feels left out. He broods just like Harry."
Hermione smiled at Ginny's comment. Her friend worried constantly about Albus's difficulty for making friends. The reality was that Rose and Albus had been inseparable since they were able to crawl, not having the need for making many friends. When they arrived at Hogwarts however, Rose grew into a social butterfly, which made Albus feel left out. Nonetheless, they still were the closest of any of the Weasley cousins, practically best friends. The only problem was their friendship prompted the relationship between Rose and Scorpius.
"Right, so, Rose invited him to her birthday next weekend," Hermione started tentatively.
"Of course, she would, they are dating," Ginny replied calmly. But, after a moment, she practically jumped off the couch and sat up straight. "And Malfoy's letting him come? He never lets him go anywhere."
Ginny's face was a mixture of excitement and shock, her brown eyes glinting with just a hint of mischief.
"He asked me if I thought it would be fine if he brought him," Hermione answered simply. Then, she added as an afterthought, "I told him I'd speak to you."
There, Ginny's face broke into a wide malicious grin.
"Brought as in, they would both be staying for the party?"
"Mhmm"
"Harry's party?"
"Mhmm"
"At my house?"
"Just say no and don't beat around the bush."
Ginny's face broke into a grin, she let herself fall back down on the couch before speaking.
"This is going to be amazing. I hope they fight," the redhead exclaimed, the giddiness evident in her features as she looked up at the roof.
Hermione shook her head at her friend's comment, letting out a short, exasperated sigh.
"They won't. Draco was nothing but pleasant today during lunch," Hermione said, feigning nonchalance.
"You had lunch with him today?" Ginny asked, head whipping up to look at her friend. Suddenly, her face scrunched up in confusion. Then, in a louder tone than before, she asked, "since when do you call him Draco?"
Hermione could feel her cheeks burning, and she silently admonished herself for it.
"Since today," she answered petulantly. "And yes, Rose and Scorp had a date," Hermione paused, considering how much information she would disclose to her prying friend. "They went for lunch at that new coffee shop near Flourish and Blotts, and Draco and I sat outside while the children ate. It was a very enjoyable lunch."
Ginny raised a skeptical eyebrow at her friend, her mouth twisting up into a knowing smile.
"What did you talk about?"
Hermione bit her lower lip but quickly released it before Ginny could notice.
"We talked about the children, my divorce, his wife's passing, parenting, our careers," she began mentioning, as if counting down a list of groceries. Then in a much more subdued tone, she added, "We even talked about the war."
Ginny's eyes widened at Hermione. She was quiet for a moment and then stood, to waltz into the kitchen.
"It sounds like you and Malfoy had a date," the redhead said smugly over her shoulder.
Hermione blushed once more. She stood quickly and followed Ginny into the kitchen, steeling herself for the rest of the conversation."
"Actually…" Hermione began, letting her words trail off. She wasn't sure she was prepared for Ginny's reaction.
"Well?" Ginny pried, busying herself, her back to Hermione as she minded dinner.
"We're going to dinner tomorrow." She paused, gauging her friend's reaction. "Without the kids."
Ginny turned to face her friend, eyebrows nearly touching her hairline, mouth slightly open. It took her a full second to gain back her composure.
"You're going on a date with Malfoy, Draco Malfoy? Then you're bringing him to my husbands' birthday? My husband, who he hates?"
Hermione's response was a short shrug.
"Thank you, Hermione, my life hasn't been as interesting since the end of the war. I needed some action and drama in it." Ginny laughed as she turned back to the food.
Sunday, July 26, 2020
Hermione finished applying the last bit of mascara on her eyelashes just as she heard the familiar sound of the floo.
It pained Hermione to admit that she fuzzed over her impending date with Draco for the past twenty-four hours. Considering Rose was staying with her father, Hermione had very few distractions from her date.
Hermione hadn't been on a date in a very long time. She wracked her brains trying to remember her last date, she thought it might have been dinner with Oliver Wood when Rose started her second year at Hogwarts. Why hadn't she gone on a second one?
She remembered having a lovely time with Oliver, but she couldn't fathom how the date had gone wrong. It bothered her to no extent, particularly since she could remember all the previous dates she'd had before that and how they had gone wrong.
From Earnie McMillan, who had tried to date to increase his chances of getting a promotion.
To Cormac McLaggen, who suggested sending Rose away for camp in America as not to deal with her during the summers.
And even one of her coworkers, who she went on three dates with before he accidentally mentioned having a wife in the office.
Hermione was determined to not let this date blow up in flames, like all the ones before that. Yet, she couldn't shake the thought that her date with Oliver had somehow gone wrong because of… her.
What had she done? Certainly, she wouldn't repeat it.
She chanced one more look at herself in the mirror before heading towards her living room.
Stopping paces away from the entrance to the living room, Hermione smoothed away nonexistent wrinkles on the skirt of her dress. An attempt to buy time to steel her nerves. Her hands fidgeted for a moment with the bow around her waist.
She took a deep breath and slowly released it, reminding herself she'd been on countless dates before— even if they always went horribly wrong. She tried to convince herself there was no need to be nervous. She shook her head as if the nerves would tumble away with the movement and finally stepped into the living room.
Draco was turned towards the telly, observing it quietly. She could see some of his profile from her angle. Dressed in a dark grey tailored suit, with dragon-hide shoes, he was the perfect image of everything the head of the Malfoy dynasty should be.
Hermione wasn't surprised at his choice of outfit. He sent an owl in the morning telling her to dress formally. It turned her stomach into knots. She wondered all day what type of date he was taking her on, where he felt the need to clarify that she needed to dress nicely.
But seeing him there, curiosity etched into his features as he observed the strange muggle artifact, it calmed her in a way she was not brave enough to explore now. The knots in her stomach and the worry she'd been feeling all day dissipated when his hand reached up to touch the black screen.
"It's called a television," she said, announcing her arrival in what she hoped was a casual tone.
His hand froze in midair and Draco turned towards her, looking a bit startled for only a second.
He composed himself quickly, taking a moment to study her appearance before flashing her a charming grin.
Hermione's insides melted.
"You look gorgeous," he replied in a low tone.
The bluntness of his statement left Hermione taken aback. She felt her cheeks warm, hoping they paled in comparison to the scarlet of her dress.
"Thank you," she said softly. "You don't look too bad yourself."
His grin widened and he stepped closer to her, offering his hand. She took it without hesitation, smiling up at him.
"There's been a slight change of plans though," he began, as she led him to the front steps of her house. "Mother had purchased seats for London's Magical Philharmonic Orchestra, but unfortunately for her, she finds herself indisposed."
Hermione used to enjoy going to the orchestra. As a child, her mother and father had always brought her along. She reveled in the opportunity to dress in her fanciest dresses and chatter on about the latest classic she'd read to her parents' friends and colleagues.
As an adult, she considered her visit not much more than an opportunity to mingle, and being Hermione Granger, War Heroine and Brightest Witch of Her Age left her being the focus of lots of unwanted attention. Apparently, nobody ever forgot her role in defeating a Dark Wizard.
The concert was crowded with high-ranking Ministry officials and some of the most wealthy and prominent wizarding folk. All of whom wanted to mingle with her.
Hermione, on the other hand, wanted to enjoy her time. This quickly became a problem when she noticed Draco seemed to know every person in the room, which was mildly infuriating, if only slightly surprising.
Some of the businessmen he'd acquainted had been over the top to meet his companion. The Hermione Granger, they all exclaimed as they shook her hands fervently. A foreign witch, who was very familiar with him when he introduced them, had been positively giddy at being in her presence and kissed her on both cheeks before going on a rant about how Hermione had been her idol growing up.
While Draco's socialite skills were dizzying, Hermione was forced to admit that he was considerate enough to bring her into every one of his conversations and made a point to introduce her, if not reacquaint her with the figures with whom he spoke. Always a dashing smile and his hand never too far from the small of her back.
"You're quite good at this," he whispered close to his ear, steering her away from Damocles Belby, who had gone into deep conversation with Hermione regarding werewolf rights.
Hermione snapped her head up at him, beaming smugly at him.
"Oh really? I am Hermione Granger after all," she said, feigning to brush off the compliment.
"Not that I expected anything less of you, of course," he amended quickly. "Just giving praise to those who deserve it."
She laughed, a genuine laugh that bubbled from deep in her belly, head tilting back slightly. Something about the way he'd said it as if she were still the young girl who strove for the approval of her classmates made her truly amused.
When she composed herself enough to look at Draco, his crystal grey eyes shone brightly with mirth. Holding back a grin, he added, "Isn't that your primary source of food? Or has your diet changed these days?"
She shook her head, curls bouncing softly before falling back over her shoulders, a deep smile painted on her lips.
"Long gone is the Hermione who wanted to please others, nowadays I please only my daughter and myself."
Draco stepped closer into her space, fixing her with a deeply penetrative stare. Unblinking, he asked, "And when was the last time you let someone else please you?"
Hermione's breath caught in her throat, his comment taking her completely by surprise. Despite not having words to respond, she opened her mouth.
She was saved by a familiar voice from behind her.
"Hermione."
They both turned.
"Kingsley," she greeted the former Minister for Magic with a warm hug.
"Mister Malfoy," Kings greeted, shaking Draco's hand firmly.
"Minister, how's retirement treating you?" Draco asked in a tone very reminiscent of his fathers. It sent chills down Hermione's spine.
"It would be better if I didn't have to still make appearances like this one," he said gesturing toward the new Minister for Magic, a tough-looking, balding man, whom Hermione only knew in passing.
Hermione smiled softly at her former boss, "I know you've always hated these things."
She remembered Kinglsey being a more practical Minister and less focused on politics and more hands-on with regards to running the wizarding community.
"Have you had a chance to speak to Minister Dawlish?" He asked her with a glint in his eyes. Hermione shook her head.
"No, we've barely been able to escape the hoards rushing to make Hermione's acquaintance." Draco chuckled, placing his hand once again on Hermione's back.
Her head snapped up to gaze at him at the mention of her given name.
Kinglsey instantly drew the Minister away from his current conversation, introducing him to Hermione and Draco.
"Mr. Malfoy." The old man shook Draco's hand, then he quickly took Hermione's placing a cordial kiss on her knuckles. "Mrs. Weasley."
She felt Draco's hand press firmly into her back.
Hermione smiled weakly at him before snatching her hand back and correcting him, "That's Granger, Minister Dawlish."
The old man looked bemused. Hermione had faced that expression many times before. Divorce was not a topic to be held lightly within the wizarding community, particularly around wizards of the Minister's age.
"Right, I forget. It's difficult to teach an old dog new tricks."
Hermione smiled kindly at the old wizards, keeping up a polite conversation with them. Soon enough, Draco had swooped her away from the Ministers and beckoned her towards the entrance.
Once outside, he offered her his hand.
"Would you like to go to dinner now?" He asked her with a playful smirk on his lips. "We have a reservation at a restaurant just down the streets, a few minutes' walk."
She smiled up at him.
"Please, I need at least two glasses of wine to wash the taste of Hermione Weasley off my tongue." She shook her head in exasperation, earning a soft chuckled from the blond wizard. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Honestly, if I ever marry again, I will not be changing my name."
"And is that something you're looking forward to?" Draco asked without missing a beat.
Hermione looked at him questioningly, but he was not looking at her. Instead, his gaze remained straight ahead.
"Remarrying, I mean," he added.
Hermione froze, a bad idea considering Draco still held on to her arm quickly. He paused when he felt her halt and finally turned to look at her.
"Excuse me?"
His brow furrowed slightly, the smirk evaporating from his features.
"Was that too straightforward? I didn't mean to be abrupt," he said, placing one hand over her arm when she moved to remove it from his grasp.
She tugged it away from him regardless, frowning deeply as she looked up to see his face.
"Malfoy, this is barely a first date."
He widened his eyes at her in disbelief, shaking his head briefly.
"I'm not proposing to you, Granger," he said in a deeply condescending tone. "I am a single father concerned with the well being of my son. He hasn't ever met anyone I've dated, not that it's been a lot, mind you," he added when her eyes widened. "Unfortunately, this is not a luxury I can afford with you. I would like to get an idea of what you expect out of a relationship before my son has the opportunity to misread the situation."
Her eyes widened even more as he spoke, and she felt annoyance creep up her senses with each of his words.
"I'm a single mother too-"
He quickly interrupted her, "And giving the nature of our children's relationship, I think it best to be clear on what type of relationship we wish to pursue with each other."
Hermione laughed a loud misplaced cackle, a stark contrast to the previous ones he'd elicited from her. It sounded foreign even to her own ears.
"I'm sorry, Malfoy. This was a mistake," she said stepping away from him. "We should keep being civil for the sake of our kids. I'll see you next Friday at Rose's birthday. Ginny was very pleased to hear you and Scorp would be there."
Without waiting for his reply, Hermione apparated away.
