The transit floo dropped Hermione off an unfamiliar cobblestone street in muggle Kensington. He had sent her an owl with the street to meet on, though she was surprised to realize they were going to a muggle restaurant. She had suggested they get takeaway and stay at his flat, but he waved her off, saying he could figure it out.
Figure it out he did, it would seem, as he was waiting under a street lamp on the cross of two streets. He was dressed perhaps a little formally, but in perfect replica of the muggle fashion trend, dress pants, a long sleeved crisp button down shirt and a long tweed coat. He checked his wrist watch before catching sight of her.
When he saw her, his eyes lit up and Hermione smiled smugly to herself. She'd dug out a lace camisole that Ginny had gotten her as a "breakup present" for when she got back into dating. She'd worn it a few times since, guys who didn't last more than a handful of dates for the most part. Admittedly, the black lace detail was flattering, dipping just low enough to be a tease. It made her cleavage look fuller and drew the eye without being obvious. The long cardigan overtop served the same purpose, though she enjoyed a fantasy of it slipping off her shoulder at dinner and Draco having to adjust himself under the table.
"Wow," he said, kissing her hello, "look at you."
"You look nice too, where are we going?"
"Just up this way, this place has great reviews."
Hermione laughed, "which you looked up…on the internet?"
"I'm not totally helpless!" He objected but softened after one eyebrow raise from her. "Alright, you know Suki from the trainee class? She's been hounding me for a networking coffee and I bartered it for some tips. Her parents are muggles who own some pubs in Wales. She made a reservation for me on the telephone."
He held the door open for her at a posh but unstuffy French-Asian fusion restaurant. When he gave his name to the hostess, she remarked on his unusual name.
"I get that a lot," he chuckled effortlessly, "my parents were really into Greek mythology in the eighties."
Hermione stifled a laugh and eyed him as they sat down. "Did Suki tell you to say that?"
"Ugh yes," he grinned at her over his menu, "but I am very clever myself, thank you very much. She also told me muggles tip 50%... She's messing with me right?"
"Absolutely."
Draco ordered them a fancy French wine from the wine list and Hermione managed to not tease him about how it wasn't elven wine. As he looked her in the eye as he said cheers, she thought she'd never seen anyone look at her that intensely in her life.
"So… We haven't talked about if work is off-limits."
She considered it for a moment, "I don't think work is off-limits. Maybe eventually we'll want work to stay work and home to stay home."
"Home you say?" he said with a grin as he leaned in.
"No I just mean- someday is all-"
He laughed, "Granger, I'm messing with you." He reached out and took her hand, "how's your Lupus case?"
"I told you it was Lupus!" Hermione squeezed his hand.
Draco had been moved off once they figured out the poison that had mimicked the symptoms of muggle Lupus. He was working on a different case now, which he told Hermione about as she sipped her wine and perused her menu. Though she could feel him resisting the urge to order for her, he merely offered suggestions of the appetizers they'd share and main meals that might compliment each other.
There was never another time that Hermione could remember feeling so comfortable on a date. Even with Ron, their comfort with each other gave way to complacency almost immediately after they started dating. There was no courtship, no wooing, just the harsh reality of adult life. And the other boys, the Quidditch players and the ambassador's sons? They were all glitz and glamor and no substance whatsoever. But Draco was…something else, something else all together. He cared to impress her, he asked what she thought of her meal and recited facts about the wine, but he didn't condescend, he asked her questions, and made her laugh.
When the check came, Hermione sat back with her wine and grinned. "Wanna split it?"
"No, no I can do this," he looked at the check and his face turned red, but she was suspicious it had more to do with not knowing how muggle money worked rather than the number. "Maybe you can get the next one."
"Because you don't know what you're doing?"
"Because I'm a feminist…I think. Okay, shush, I need to concentrate." Draco carefully counted out his muggle money that Hermione was pretty sure he had also bribed Suki into getting for him. He kept his head up high to not arouse suspicion but she could see on his face how he wasn't 100% sure he'd done it correctly. If she was honest, it was probably a little strange to the waitress he was paying all-cash, but maybe it gave them an air of mystery.
As the waitress brought him his change and he returned it awkwardly to his dragon leather wallet, he looked up at Hermione, "uh, so what do you think about coming to mine after this?"
Hermione laughed, "are you seriously nervous about asking me to come home with you?"
He shrugged, "well you never know."
"I think you know."
That night, she washed her face in Draco's bathroom and as she wiped her face off with his towel, she saw him leaning in the doorway watching her. His eyes skimmed up and down.
"You look good in my shirt, have I ever told you that?"
"May have mentioned," she kissed him on the way out, making her way back to his bed like they had been doing it for years and years. She crawled into bed, her side of the bed, the right side, though she wasn't sure when they had found the time to establish that. His king-sized bed was unbelievably comfortable, though she didn't dare consider how much his Egyptian Cotton sheets cost.
The lamps went out as he slid in next to her and wrapped his arms around her. She'd noticed earlier as they were undressing that he'd glamoured the dark mark. Much as she respected his desire to not cover up his mistakes, she appreciated not having to look at it while his arms were braced on either side of her head and his hips were rolling against hers. A kiss landed on the side of her chin.
"G'night, Hermione."
"Goodnight," she said, but she didn't close her eyes. Instead she looked back at him, "do you usually say 'I love you' before bed?"
"Do I what?" He raised an eyebrow, she could just make it out, even as her eyes were adjusting to the dark.
She shrugged, "just curious. I've always said it every night."
"I suppose yes, typically, when I'm in a relationship, that's how I say goodnight."
"But you don't, with me."
"I'm very confused by this line of questioning."
"It's not an interrogation, I'm just wondering!"
"Wondering what Hermione?"
She groaned, "have you had second thoughts about what you said?"
Draco looked stunned, and then laughed, "no. No I have not had second thoughts about what I said. I stand by it, if not the way that it came out. But you have not said it."
"No, I know…"
"And I don't want you to feel pressured, so I try not to keep reminding you of it. You'll say it when you're ready."
"You sound confident."
"Oh I am. When you fall in love with me, which you will, you'll say so. And then you won't be able to get me to stop telling you how in love with you I am. I'm just not going to force that. There's no reason for it.
Hermione nodded and turned back away, "you're right. Goodnight."
He sighed, "you're spiraling, aren't you?"
"No! I just…I have a lot of thoughts in my head, that's all."
He turned her head towards him with two fingers and kissed her hard. As she rolled towards him he pushed her down to the mattress on her back and slid his hands down her torso and then up under his t-shirt. Looping his fingers around her panties he dragged them down slowly before breaking the kiss and looking her in the eye.
"I'm not gonna do this every time you get in your head, you know."
She responded with a moan as he teased a finger inside of her.
"But so far orgasms are my best shot of getting you to stop overthinking."
"It's a hard life," she said with a sigh. Soon all of the insecurities and worries about them suddenly melting away with each movement of his hand.
