Chapter 5

It was eleven o'clock in the morning. Honey puttered around the kitchen of the townhouse that she shared with her brother. The two-story building was made of yellow brick and had three steps leading up to its front door. It had three bedrooms and two bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room and a den. It was certainly large enough to accommodate any of their needs.

She was brewing a pot of tea and toasting a slice of bread when she heard the doorbell ring. She paused, wondering who would be inquiring at their door at this time of day. She looked down at herself. She had already showered for the day, but still only had on jeans and a tee-shirt that said, "I'm not lazy, I just don't give a damn." She was not wearing a bra. Sticking her hands in her back pockets, she shuffled to the door in her bare feet. Peeking out the window, she gasped.

There, in a pair of khaki shorts and a Quidditch t-shirt, stood Draco Malfoy. How he had found her home was beyond her. She had tried very hard to confuse him the night before. Apparently, he had her followed home anyway.

Warily, she swung the heavy wooden door open. "How did you find my house?" she asked forcefully, her hands still stuck in her back pockets, her chin up. She stepped outside onto the top step, pulling the door closed behind her.

From the sidewalk, Draco looked her up and down. Without the make-up, she seemed like a normal teenage girl. Well, a normal teenage girl with blue hair. The thought that she was quite pretty came to him again. She seemed a little younger as well.

Draco shrugged. "A pursuant charm." She looked blankly at him. "I wasn't about to let you walk home by yourself. I knew that it was at least one more block."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't you have to work or something?"

The left side of his mouth lifted into a half-smile. "Or something." His arms crossed over his chest, and his weight leaned into his right hip. "I have off this morning. My internship only lasts four days of the week. I don't have to go into work on Fridays."

She simply stared at him, standing her ground.

Finally, Draco spoke. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

Her mouth twisted indecisively. She turned and pushed the door open. "Fine. Come in." She walked into the house without sparing him a glance.

"What a welcome," Draco murmured, underneath his breath. But he followed her into the house.

He was surprised at what greeted him. He had walked directly into a nice, neat sitting room. It was decorated in cream and beige, with a couch and two armchairs. Two end tables and a coffee table completed the room. The walls held two massive paintings—one of the countryside and one of the ocean. In the back of the room were several steps which led into a kitchen. It was white and pristine. A countertop with several stools separated the sitting room from the stainless steel appliances. The whole bottom floor didn't seem to match Honey's tastes.

Draco pulled himself onto a stool and looked to see what Honey was up to. She grabbed two mugs from a cabinet and then two tea bags. A tea kettle whistled merrily from the stove. She poured the steaming liquid into both cups and handed one to Draco. She shoved a spoon at him as well.

"Sugar is in the canister." She pointed to a tin by his hand. "Milk is in the fridge. Would you like some?"

Draco shook his head. He sipped the hot tea in front of him.

Honey opened the fridge, poured some milk into her drink, set the carton back into the fridge and closed the door. A second later, a pop sounded. She grabbed a piece of bread from the toaster, spread peanut butter onto it, and set it onto a plate.

"Want any?" she asked, gesturing to her snack.

Draco shook his head. "I had a heavy breakfast before I came over."

Honey leaned her elbows onto the countertop opposite Draco. "So why did you follow me?"

Draco, deciding that he didn't want to answer the question, responded, "You look different without all of that make-up. Pretty, almost."

Not prepared, Honey pulled back. Indignantly, she said, "I like my make-up."

"Do you wear it all the time?" Draco asked, taking another sip of tea, trying to look nonchalant.

"Do you always slick your hair back like that?" she asked, smiling.

Draco nodded. He wasn't going to get much out of her. "You think you're pretty smart, don't you?"

She shrugged, turning away and turning the water on in the sink. She grabbed her plate and began to wash it.

"How come you don't do anything with magic?" asked Draco.

"I'm still underage. My brother asked me to wait, and I have respected his wish." She turned off the water and dried the plate with a towel.

Draco nodded. "So, do you want to learn Quidditch?"

She whipped around, the towel and the plate still in her hand. "What?"

"Do you want to learn how to play Quidditch? I brought an extra broom."

She set the plate down. Eagerly, she said, "I can try out a broom?"

Draco nodded.

An expression of pure delight crossed her face. "Okay." She looked down at herself. "I'll be right back." She ran up the stairs which extended from the sitting room.

"Don't put on any make-up," called Draco, walking to the bottom of the stairs. He watched her figure pause in the hallway. She was deciding whether she should listen to his direct order or not. He grinned. He rather hoped that she defied him.

Ten minutes later, she came back downstairs, her hair in a French braid, leather-soled shoes on her feet. He noticed that she had left off some of the make-up. While her lids were still circled with black, there was no heavy blue eyeshadow. Her lips were a soft plum color, rather than a dark red. Admiring her, he walked to the front door and opened it.

"Madam," he said, with a mock bow.

She rolled her eyes and grabbed his forearm. "Let's go."

Draco grabbed two brooms that had been leaning against the side of the townhouse. He threw them up onto both of his shoulders. In amiable silence, they walked to the park together. Draco could feel her excitement build as she walked next to him. It was endearing. He carefully placed a bored expression on his face.

By the time that they reached the park, she was practically bubbling with enthusiasm. Two days ago, she had pretended that he didn't exist. Today, her emotions were written all over her face. Draco wasn't sure which way he liked her.

When they got to the pitch, no one was around. He held out his old broom, a Nimbus 2001, and she grabbed it. He explained that she needed to leave it down on the ground and call it to her. After several unsuccessful attempts, he decided to let her hold it, mount it, and call the charm out.

Draco stepped back.

"Ascendio!" cried Honey. She leapt in surprise as the broom rose from the ground. She could feel the wood vibrating beneath her. Clutching onto the handle, she leaned over and let the broom take her to the opposite end of the pitch. Halfway across the field, she sat up slightly and let the wind whip around her.

Draco watched, poised on his Firebolt, from the end of the field. She had obviously never been on a broom before. He wondered at it. He knew some people had never been on a broom before they had gotten to Hogwarts, but the professors made sure each and every one of them knew how to ride by the time they graduated. Even the students who weren't particularly good at it. He wondered how this part of Honey's education had been overlooked. While she wasn't a complete natural, there was no fear in her, which made teaching her a whole lot easier.

He decided to wait to teach her Quidditch. Next time they came out, he thought. He sensed the next time would be very soon.

She flew up and down the field, hovering at a height of approximately five feet above the ground. She angled up and soared to approximately ten feet, swerving left and then moving right. As she reached the end of the field, she sloped downward, spinning completely on the broom. Her laughter reverberated through the air. It was music to Draco's ears. Flying was such a simple pleasure; he took it for granted. He was glad that she enjoyed it as much as he did.

Honey soared close to where he was floating above the center of the field. "How do you stop this thing?" she cried, the wind whipping the words from her lips.

"Pull up sharply, pushing down with your feet at the same time," yelled Draco, his left hand cupped by his mouth. He watched as she swung the broom around to face him, following his instructions.

She wasn't quick enough. She slowed down, but her broom tangled with his, pulling them both into a swirl, tumbling them both to the ground. Her high-pitch shriek held a hint of terror in it. Five feet above the ground, they both slipped and fell, entangled in each other's limbs.

With a thud, they landed on the ground, Honey on her back, Draco on top of her. A small gasp of surprise escaped her lips and her eyes fluttered close. She became still, Draco's weight heavy on top of her.

Draco lifted himself up onto his elbows, relieving some of his weight from her body. "Honey?"he asked, his breath shallow. The wind had been knocked out of him. She had cushioned his fall, taking the brunt of it. Her brains were probably addled.

He lightly slapped her cheek. He sighed with relief as her eyes flickered open. Her lips curled upwards into a full grin, and she chuckled heartily. Her bright blue eyes sparkled with amusement. Her blue hair had escaped from her hair elastic, and tiny pieces framed her heart-shaped face. "That was fun," she announced, reaching up to touch his cheek with her fingertips.

Her laughter faded as she stared into his silver grey eyes. Draco was staring intently down at her. She had shaken him up a bit, tearing out of nowhere and slamming into him. His heart had skipped a beat when she had fallen. Without thinking about the consequences, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

With a squeak of surprise, she accepted his kiss. Reaching around to touch the hair on the nape of his neck, she molded her lips to his, a thrill running down her body to the tips of her toes. His tongue slipped into her mouth, exploring gently. After a long moment, he broke away.

Draco's insides shook. Thoughts and emotions tumbled through him. He couldn't figure out what set this girl apart from all of the others he had kissed. She was different, on the inside as well as on the out. Rocking back, he shifted onto his feet and held out his hand to help her up. Tacitly, she accepted his help, rising to her own two feet.

Turning away from him, she brushed the grass off her clothes. She took a moment to pull herself together before saying anything. "Thanks," she said, her voice abnormally loud. "I had fun."

"Good." Draco's voice was inches from her ears. Honey whipped around, nose to nose with the man who had just kissed her. She swallowed. She glanced down at his lips, realized what she was doing and flinched. When she opened her eyes, Draco was grinning, a smug, knowing expression on his face.

"Come on, let's go get some coffee." He picked up the brooms with one hand and tilted his head to the street. He was afraid that she would run if he reached for her.

Honey nodded, still a little unsure of her response to him. "Okay." Silently, they walked to the coffee shop together.