Well I've encountered some plot bumps but its all good, things will get better! Just keep those reviews coming (hint hint)
Yes I apologise for my spelling error in chapter 18 it is 'foul' not 'fowl'. smiled sheepishly
So please, keep reading! And special thanks to my regular reviewers MssrBlaze, Obnoxiously Peachy Twit 2008, One White Tulip, and of course my good friend Jo!
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"I thought you said muggle pictures don't move." Draco observed, coming into Hermione's study.
She looked up in surprise "Well no, photo's don't." He was wearing his training robes and she could see his broom stick propped up against the wall in the hallway. "Have you got practice?"
"Yeah, I'll be back tonight, Potter's missing a lot of training." He made his way over to Hermione's desk, still looking quizzically at the laptop humming softly before her.
"He's very busy, but he'll be back from America soon enough."
A window popped up on Hermione's screen, startling Draco which caused her to laugh. "It's a laptop." She explained.
"I see…Why do you need it?" He obviously didn't see at all but didn't want to admit it.
Hermione smiled "Advertising; how else do we reach a greater muggle market than through internet advertising?"
It was a rhetorical question but Draco seemed to be trying to think of an answer. "Just go to training before you hurt your head." Hermione teased.
He frowned but had no come back, instead he kissed her gently "I'll be back later."
She waved as he left and shut the door softly behind him.
Reliability, friendly service and a name you can trust
MALFOY COMMUNICATIONS
The new way to reach the world!
Hermione stared at the screen where she was currently trying to develop ads for their company and reel in customers as fast as possible. It was rather ironic that she used the phrase 'a name you can trust' when Malfoy was probably the most untrustworthy name in the entire wizarding community.
Thinking carefully, she continued to type.
What have you always craved from your phone company? What have you always desired from your internet provider?
Friendly, reliable service! Here at Malfoy Communications, we aim to provide our customers with the fastest, safest internet services! We aim to give our customers the best prices for both landline and mobile phone usage.
Join us and have the world at your fingertips with every communication service available to you from one provider!
She cringed at the corny ring to her words and wondered if it would work. Finally, after much inner debate and re-reading of her words, she printed out a copy and placed it in a large white envelope.
"Minnie!" She called out to one of the house elves who quickly ran into the room, curtsing deeply "No need for that now." She told the elf, still not used to the bowing and curtsies she received.
"You called miss?" Little Minnie squeaked.
"Yes, can you deliver this to the muggle post office?" She handed the envelope to the elf "Be careful not to be seen now."
The elf nodded and was about to curtsy once more when she remembered what Hermione had just told her and ended up nearly toppling over. Hermione helped her regain her balance and smiled "Run along now Minnie."
Minnie looked grateful and hurried out of the room.
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Tension on the pitch had been high since their very first practice together, but now they covered it up expertly. Apparently being too professional to show their distaste obviously.
However, at international level, when you didn't get along with your team mates, you didn't play very well.
"Let's try that again." Their coach, Mark was growing increasingly frustrated with their lack of progress but the other players seemed to hung up on their dislike of each other to notice.
Draco kicked off, soaring higher than everyone else and took a quick inventory of their positions. Already American guy had drifted off and was sidling the Australian man, who Draco knew was Anthony.
Anthony was floating higher to get away from him and ended up at Draco's height before the American had to fly off to catch the Quaffle.
"Quite a bugger ain't he?"
Draco laughed, "Yeah, he is quite." They had developed what appeared to be the only friendship between the team, which made Draco feel quite nice inside, though he would never admit it to anyone.
"So I hear you're engaged." Anthony remarked, circling slightly underneath Draco.
Just then, Draco gripped his broom and surged forward before turning a sharp left and pulling his broom to an abrupt halt as a bludger flew past him. Glancing to up he saw one of the other players with dark hair and light eyes smirking at him.
He threw back a glare and made his way back to Anthony who didn't seem phased by what had happened, it was becoming a rather regular occurrence now.
"Yes, I am." Draco answered.
Anthony gave him a crooked grin "Congratulations." And then he flew away to beat a bludger towards their American chaser.
Draco laughed, he was rather enjoying this, and with all their practicing, they would no doubt be able to scare their next opponents into a default.
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As dusk was setting, Draco aparated back into the Manor and revelled in the warmth that welcomed him. Despite it being spring, the nights were rather cool.
"You're back." Hermione came to hug him but pulled away, scrunching her nose slightly "And you smell."
"Nothing should part us, not even the horrors of sweat." Draco proclaimed, mocking hurt and stepping towards her.
She quickly ducked away, a grin on her smooth features "Get washed up and I'll see you for dinner."
Before he could claim his hug or kiss, she disappeared, leaving Draco to do as she bid.
He walked lightly down the hall and noticed how some things had changed, a few pictures had been moved and a statue of an elderly robed wizard which had been sitting in the corner since before Draco's birth, was now gone.
It appeared, Hermione had begun some of her decorating, he found that he was glad. The manor had been in darkness for centuries; it was good to see it looking so much friendlier.
Once he had taken a warm shower, he changed into grey polo shirt and black pants before slipping his robes on and heading downstairs where Hermione waited.
"Smelling better?" She enquired, not looking up from the papers that were strewn across the table before her.
Draco chuckled and leaned down to kiss her cheek "Much better."
Hermione glanced at him "Right. Now," A brisk business-like tone took over her voice as he sat down beside her. "These are some brochures from curtain makers I had delivered."
He looked down, from every page; curtains of every design, colour and outrageous fashion were gently billowing in front of their windows.
"And you want me to look at these, why?" He saw a rather unattractive set of frilly brown drapes that hung at odd angles around the window frame and cringed.
Hermione seemed mildly humoured by his expression "Well, it's your home too; I don't want to pick things you don't like."
He picked up the paper with the brown ones on and threw it to one side, then picked up a few more, murmuring his distaste (much to Hermione's amusement) and also threw them to one side. Once satisfied with the selection before them, he leaned back in his chair. "I'm alright with them."
"Draco?" She asked softly.
"Yes?"
"There are only two left."
Unfortunately she was right. He had only left two different kinds of curtains sitting before them while at least fifty lay on the floor. "Oh." Was all he said.
"Never mind, I'll chose them and trust me, you'll like it." She assured him and cleaned up the mess just as three house elves came to serve them dinner.
"Fetch some wine will you?" Draco ordered to the elf nearest to him.
"How was practice?" Hermione asked, showing some genuine interest as she popped a baked potato in her mouth.
Draco shrugged "It was just like it always was."
"No one got injured did they?" She wondered out loud.
Draco laughed softly "No one that matters."
She frowned at him but soon broke out into gentle chuckles as well "You were always a trouble maker."
"It wasn't my fault." He argued.
Hermione raised an eyebrow in scepticism "Sure it wasn't" Earning a mock glare from the man sitting beside her.
They ate while talking pleasantly; it gave them both a nice feeling to have someone to talk to openly. Draco found it was such a changed from the way he used to keep things inside himself; lock them away for no one to see.
The fact that he had someone that he could talk to and trust was warming; it showed him that times had changed and that maybe he could change to.
"How long have we been together Hermione?" Draco asked suddenly.
She seemed taken aback by his question and had to thing about the answer for a moment "Around six months I guess."
Draco nodded "Hmm yes."
"Why?"
He turned to her "Because I was wondering when I should ask you to marry me."
In was incredible how silence could seem so loud.
Hermione wasn't saying anything, but then again, she didn't need to; the noise inside her head was deafening.
'He wants to marry me?' Was the first coherent thought in her jumbled mind. Flashes of their time together flittered around her head; from the very first day he had slipped into her apartment, smirking slightly till now, when he had just returned home, sweating and grinning at her.
"Wow." Was what she finally said out loud; though it didn't seem to fit the occasion quite well.
Draco smiled and turned back to his dinner as though he had just told her it might rain tomorrow "I was told I should wait at least a year before I ask any woman to marry me."
Hermione was staring now, open-mouthed at his matter-of-fact nature. "You want to marry me?"
"Yeah," He frowned at her, as though worried about her health "I thought I already told you that; didn't I?"
"Um…yes I supposed you did. I just…thought…" She trailed off, remembering the last time Draco had said he was ready to marry her, they were in the Leaky Cauldron and she had …kindly, refused him afterwards.
"You thought I wasn't being serious?" He asked her softly.
"No, I knew you were." She assured him quickly. "But now? It's only been two months since we decided not to get married yet."
"True." The thought seemed to have just occurred to him. "But I'm not going to ask you now; I was just wondering how long I had to go." He finished brightly.
She gaped "What?"
"You look rather a lot like the fish in the library." He chuckled, drinking from the glass of wine one of the elves had brought up for him.
"You're really strange." She stated plainly, giving up on any hope of producing intelligent, fully-formed sentences at that moment.
"I've been told that before; but it didn't sound like a compliment until now." He laughed again. "Relax Hermione, you should eat; you're looking a little pale."
She obediently put another mouthful into her mouth and chewed slowly, mulling over what could possibly have caused Draco's outburst.
"Has it ever occurred to you," Draco began, as though reading her mind "that I love you?"
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That was a short chapter but I decided to end it on a positive note, unlike the previous two chapters.
Please tell me how you like it. Do you think I've made Draco utter the 'L' word too soon?
Thanks for reviewing!
