Chapter 6

Draco had packed himself up and returned to Granger's hotel within the hour. He was so bloody stupid, fiancé. What had possessed him. He would just bury those thoughts for another time. Acting like he was into Granger wasn't exactly a hardship, she was a pretty witch. But that mouth; it drove him mad. She talked back and fought him on everything.

The next town on Granger's list was another cutesy book town, she drug him to every damned store and made him carry everything. On the criminal front they heard nothing. Thomas hadn't responded in the last three days. Draco couldn't let her go anywhere alone though now that he knew Thomas was in France and Thomas knew she was too.

They decided to move on to her next destination because all of Draco's sniffing around did not suggest any new leads.

Thomas had gone to ground again.

Draco was getting frustrated by the utter lack of progress. At least now he knew that Thomas likely was a much bigger player than previously. Running into Granger and pretending to have a fake relationship wasn't a total waste.

Granger was not totally her swotty fiery self though. She had been mildly Occluding since she found out he was a Legilimens. Draco supposed he couldn't blame her since he had read her mind without her consent.

Six more towns over the next two weeks and nothing came of it except Granger visiting every bookstore in France; he was certain. On the last day of her vacation Draco finally hijacked her plans. He couldn't do this for one more day.

"Granger, I know this was your vacation and you had no intention of bringing an unwilling Auror side kick, but I cannot do this one more day. Do you trust me?"

She looked at him like he was the largest git she had ever had the misfortune to encounter.

"What did you have in mind Malfoy?" exasperation thick in her question.

Was she serious he had been a model fiancé, carried every bag of books, and meandered every twisty scenic road. He had been so obliging it was sickening.

"Would you stop Occluding or I swear I will hex you. You are absolutely impossible to speak to. You have none of your usual Grangerness I feel like I am spending time with a wraith. I know you don't exactly enjoy my company, but Salazar am I that bad? I am sorry I looked in your head without your permission I swear I will never again unless we are in a life-or-death situation!" Draco was practically shouting down at her now.

"I'm sorry," she took a breath and he watched it fall away.

Her face fell with shame.

"I have been such an entitled ass hole…well at least you know what you were like all through school," she was going for a rib but he could see that her heart wasn't in it.

"Yes, well spotted Granger I was an aristocratic arsehole."

"To be fair you still are," she shot back with a smirk.

There she was. He loathed that he missed this.

"I asked if you trust me, I want to take you somewhere. I haven't taken off time in years and we are already in France and there is a place I love and I want to go. We could just be our selves it will be Paris, so busy no one will notice us. What do you say?" Draco was trying to hide the eagerness in his tone.

"Fine I have drug you through half of France's bookstores I suppose I can acquiesce to your request."

"Great I am all packed how long with it take you to pack?"

Ten minutes later Granger was taking his arm for side-along Apparation to the nearest Wizarding village so they could Floo to Paris. After a quick Floo they popped out of a hearth at Hotel De Ginestou. Granger looked around expectantly, but Draco offered his arm.

"We are staying in Muggle Paris if you must know it is closer to where we are going."

They Apparated to an ally in downtown Paris.

The hotel Malfoy showed her into wasn't nearly as luxury as she would have imagined, this place was posh but artsy in a way she was surprised was to Malfoy's taste. Though she conceded she really didn't know much about his tastes anymore; he was so changed from the lanky, dark eyed, gaunt teen she remembered. Leafing through the memories of the last two weeks she saw a picture of Malfoy she couldn't believe. Hermione also realized how much she was suppressing from that time in an effort to appear professional and unaffected in his presence. This trip was fun and if she had only been totally present, she was sure they would have made some real memories.

Why did that matter? Memories to what look back on fondly when they were old and grey together.

Laughable.

Still, she wanted to be fully present; Malfoy was a different person one she was confident she could be friends with if she could just pull her head out of the clouds.

Belatedly, Hermione realized Malfoy had booked a room and was ushering her through a hotel door and following her in. So much for present. But glancing up there were French doors that were opened wide to showcase the view of the Eiffel Tower. It was breathtaking.

"Malfoy, this is lovely!"

"I'm glad you approve. Now we have several hours before dinner what do you want to do and do not dare suggest a bookstore," Malfoy eyed her critically.

"A library then! I jest, no this was your spontaneous addition to the trip. You drag me along to your favorite places and I will carry all the bags this time," Hermione said with a laugh.

Evening was approaching as Malfoy held the door to the hotel open for her to enter. They had returned to dress for the evening. Hermione had in fact wandered into a bookstore while Malfoy had gone on ahead. They met up again a while later at a small Café for lunch.

Malfoy wanted a shower before dinner and so did Hermione.

After a short debate Hermione teased Malfoy, "fine you will take longer to primp than I do anyway may as well get a head start."

Malfoy looked mockingly aghast.

Hermione had tucked into her book again while Malfoy showered. She was getting to a particularly saucy section when a glistening Malfoy stepped out of the steam of the bathroom.

If her knickers hadn't already been a little wet from her book they certainly were now. His chest was broad and leanly muscled, every inch a Seeker, sleek, made for agility and speed. The scars from Harry's Sectumsempra curse crisscrossed his torse, and rather than detracting, it rather gave him a greater aura of danger and intrigue.

Ripping her from her thoughts Malfoy drawled.

"As the Muggles say Granger 'take a picture it will last longer'."

Mortification was the only word for it. She had been ogling him like some dim-witted buffoon.

Was that drool. Steady on.

"Right, are you quite done I knew you going first would be prudent given that I read nearly two chapters in the time you took to shower!"

Hermione brushed past him on her way to the shower and as she slammed the door Malfoy was chuckling.

Showered, Hermione found a fluffy robe in the bathroom and slipped it on. She realized while showering she had no idea where they were going still and casually wondered if she would have an outfit for it. When she opened the bathroom door a spectacularly dressed Malfoy was lounging on the chaise she had vacated, and he was once again reading her book. She grabbed her wand and summoned it and snapped it closed. Laughing he rose from the chair, and she noticed that he had on smart black trousers a black button up and a black suit jacket was hung over a chair. The collar of the shirt was open still and she saw no tie so the place couldn't be that fancy.

My though, did he have to look quite so good.

"I hope you don't hex my bollocks off for this, but I took the liberty of getting you something to wear because I figured when you packed for your trip you had no plans to include Parisian night life in your itinerary."

Looking at the bed where he had gestured, she now saw the box.

"Malfoy, how would you even know where to begin in choosing a dress for me?"

"Just open it Granger and try it on, the great part about being a witch is that you can magically alter it. Goodness, for the Brightest Witch of Her Age you sure are daft at times!"

The book Hermione had taken from Malfoy was now flung at his head. He caught it midair, damned Seeker reflexes. She opened the box and inside was a beautiful golden dress, of course he would pick gold, she was "The Golden Girl" after all. Stupidest name right after Brightest Witch of Her Age, all a load of rubbish.

"Are you mocking me with this gold Malfoy, because I really thought we were past this."

"Granger, seriously must you always be so contrary, I chose gold because as my name suggests I like to hoard it, so naturally I will always prefer the woman on my arm to sport my favorite color," that mocking smirk was back.

Rolling her eyes Hermione took the box and stomped back to the bathroom. Back in the bathroom she slipped out of the robe and dried her hair and charmed it into glamourous curls. Malfoy wanted to play games she would show him up. Putting on the dress it looked rather simple, it was held up by a gold choker at her throat flowing loosely over her chest and torso until it tightened at the hips the back of the dress had a small opening that allowed a window of her back to be seen through an eyelet hole.

Hermione decided she would alter it.

With the finishing touches on her make up, she strapped on the heels that had accompanied the dress. Then Hermione applied some cushioning and stability charms—hard to strut glamorously when you wobble like a newborn giraffe with blisters. Fully prepared to stun she swept out of the bathroom.

Granger had stomped back to the bathroom angrily with the box. Honestly most women would have swooned over the dress and the thoughtfulness but Granger never. Draco picked up the book and returned to a particularly tantalizing scene, Draco wondered what Granger would do if some one actually touched her like her book beaus do. This writing was filthier than any porn mag he had growing up.

The bathroom door finally opened so he stood, he shouldn't have though because the witch that stepped out of that bathroom was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He very nearly had to sit again. Without so much as a how do you do Granger reaches for his jacket handing it to him before sashaying to the door and when she does…

Thank Merlin for magic.

Granger had altered the back of that dress to scoop so low the dimples in her back were just visible before the dress clung tightly to her hips. Draco swayed on his feet.

Calling over her shoulder, "Are you coming Malfoy?"

Draco was calm, he was great, this was not a terrible idea, they would definitely not regret this evening one bit.