As soon as she got home, after the weirdest breakfast of the year, Hermione decided to keep her bedroom window closed, after all. All she wanted was not to see Malfoy's face for even a second longer. She'd already seen too much of him.
Not that it was a bad sight, anyway, but it was unpleasant nonetheless.
Hermione spent the late morning relaxing, and after lunch, she decided to go out again. The lake was frozen over now, and she could see a little girl skating along the edges as her mother watched. They both looked very happy, which made her smile.
She would like to skate, too. It was common for people to do it there, at this time of the year, as the layer of ice that formed was thick enough. But she would wait a little longer.
She watched the girl skate until she was gone, and smiled at her, who responded. So, she stood there for a while longer. The peace that that place emanated was indescribable. It was exactly what she had in mind when she decided to take that vacation.
The next day, she would visit other places in the city, if she had luck.
When she returned home, it was the end of the afternoon. Hermione took a good bath in the warm water of that bathtub that was vastly better than hers, dressed appropriately, and opened her bedroom window to see her current neighbour's already open.
She took a deep breath. She didn't have to interact with him, after all, he wasn't even in her camp of view. She sat on her bed with a cup of tea, and began to read one of the books she had taken with her.
Involuntarily, as she picked up the book, she had the unfortunate memory that Malfoy had seen her damned sexual positions book, and she squinted, hiding her face in the book she was holding, extremely embarrassed. As much as he had nothing to do with her life, that wasn't the impression she wanted to give. That wasn't the impression she'd had giver throughout her life.
It took a good few minutes before she forgot that fact again, and was finally able to concentrate on the reading, which was, by the way, very interesting.
When it got too dark to read, she got up and turned on the bedroom lights. She still found it strange to go back to using Muggle electricity often after so much time in the wizarding world, visiting her parents sometimes.
She was about to go back to reading when, from the next room, Malfoy waved. He was definitely annoying.
Okay, school days were over, as was the war, and all that. But that didn't change the fact that he'd been an asshole all those years. Nobody really changed from water to wine, right?
He'd said filthy words to her, he'd been a thorn in the side of her best friend, Harry, he'd humiliated her ex-boyfriend Ron. There was no way it could be different now.
All of this would make sense in her mind, if he weren't once again shirtless. All she could think at the time was how handsome he actually was. Unconsciously, Hermione bit her lower lip, in a mixture of desire, doubt, and unease.
Without responding to the wave, she returned to her bed, but could no longer concentrate on her reading.
...
Draco smiled as he watched her bite her lip, ignore him, and disappear from sight. She hadn't been rude, that was a beginning.
She might as well show up at his door again, he thought foolishly, as he slipped on his shoes, and laughed at his own thoughts. Since when had he descended so low? Was his sexual abstinence that bad?
Draco got up, pulled on a black shirt, and looked at himself in the mirror. He always prized good looks.
He fixed his hair, his shirt collar, put on some perfume, and was ready to leave, when irresistibly, he looked towards the window once more, and there she was, quickly hid her head when realized that he was looking.
But that didn't stop him from seeing her staring at him. He smiled.
He took his time to approach the window and leaned on it with his crossed arms, waiting patiently.
He didn't have to wait long, though. Sooner than he expected, she appeared again, and he raised his eyebrows, a smug smile on his face.
Now, there was no more Potter, or Voldemort, or that Mudblood bullshit. Now it was just him and her. It was just the pleasure of pissing her off like old times.
Clearly red from being caught, Granger was breathing heavily. The list of the embarrassing situations that she was passing only got longer every day. He could feel her angry even though he was away from her, and he didn't turn away from the window until she walked away first, deciding that she had wasted enough time, and that she could leave now.
He walked towards the door, and left, going out to dinner.
...
Dinner was amazing. Infinitely better than breakfast, Draco felt particularly content when he returned home.
The place had been excellent, the view of an impeccable landscape, not to mention the food, which was divine.
Upon entering his room, he soon took off his shoes, feeling a little relief in his feet, and continued on with his socks. He realized he'd left the window open when he'd left, but Granger wasn't visible.
He took a hot shower, as he liked to do before bed, and when he left the bathroom, he decided to have a glass of water.
He went to the kitchen, drank the water, and was back in less than five minutes. Lying on his bed, lights off and wearing only grey shorts, Draco stared at the walls. He didn't like the colour, he soon decided.
Closing his eyes, he tried to sleep, but getting to sleep wasn't going to be easy that night. He didn't suffer from insomnia, but at that moment it looked like he did.
He opened his eyes again, and faced the ceiling, lying on his back. He hated that feeling, wanted to be well-disposed the next day.
He was just about to decide to get up and have a glass of wine when he vaguely noticed that the light in Granger's room was on, in the dark of the night.
Sitting up on the bed, he looked in her direction but didn't see her. He heard a low noise that he recognized as magic, so close were their houses to each other, and frowned. What the hell would be happening?
Another noise, this time it wasn't magical, it was more like a dull thud. And then she appeared, getting up like she was for some reason, crouching on the floor, and fiddling with her thick hair nervously as she tried to control her breathing.
Granger glanced at him, who raised an eyebrow in curiosity, and she walked over to the window, shaking her head in disbelief.
"So you stay up at night waiting for me to show up so you can keep an eye on me?" her voice was no louder than necessary for him to hear.
How presumptuous she was.
"Do you think so?" was his reply, because it was absurd.
"That's what it looks like" she had a bad face, although also a little suspicious "what are you doing there, sitting in the dark, in the middle of the night, looking at me?".
Draco shrugged.
"Maybe I don't have anything better to do."
"How about sleeping? That's what normal people do. You know, I don't feel comfortable knowing you're staring at me all the time."
He rolled his eyes, speaking lazily:
"You're not the centre of the universe, Granger. Don't think the world turns around you."
"Well, I don't think so. But I would appreciate it if you would at least accept my time-sharing agreement. I want my privacy."
Draco's eyes gleamed with malice, a small smile forming on his lips as he had a little thought.
"All right. Let's do it. Come over here, so we can better discuss this matter of schedules."
"Are you serious?" her expression showed that she would expect anything but that.
"Yes, sure".
"Now?".
"Yes, but of course, if you prefer, I can come over there."
"No, thank you" she was quick to reply "I don't want you here, Malfoy. And I don't want to go there now either. Why don't we leave it to discuss in the morning?"
"Either now, or never. Take your chance, Granger. Tomorrow morning I have other things to do."
She snorted. He smiled at the glimpse as she, still scowling, began to put on an extra coat.
Draco didn't bother to put his shirt on when he went to open the door a few minutes later. There she was, all bundled up, and her expression unfriendly.
"Hi Granger," he said, "to what do I owe the honour of your visit?"
She rolled her eyes, clearly out of patience for this behaviour.
"In case you have a really bad memory problem, Malfoy, you invited me. Now tell me, are you willing to open the window to a pre-formed timetable or not? Because if you don't, I'm leaving right now."
Merlin, she took this very seriously. It was just a window, after all.
Granger was clutching her arms to her body, and Draco was also starting to feel cold. Even though the inside of her house was magically warm, the icy wind that rushed in was bone-chilling.
"Come in, let's talk."
"That's quick," she said, in all her stubbornness, "are you going to accept it or not? It's simple."
"Let's discuss the timings properly, I'm not just going to accept what you say" he walked out of the front door, opening the way "come in".
She then, unwillingly, entered his house, and as much as she had disguised it very well, he managed to see some looks cast at his body, and he was pleased with it. At least she wasn't indifferent to him. She might hate him, but she definitely wasn't indifferent.
"Sit down," he said, as soon as he closed the door behind him, "do you want a glass of wine?"
"We're not at a friends' meeting" was what she said, dryly "I came here to discuss a single issue, but I have the impression that maybe you're making a fool of me, and you don't really intend to accept this".
Granger was standing in the middle of the huge room, arms crossed, as she stared at him steadily.
"Okay, what are the times you suggest?".
"I already told you. I open the window at night, you open it during the day."
"Hmm. But I already told you I like to sleep with the window open" he started walking towards the kitchen "are you sure you don't want the wine? It's good quality".
She didn't bother to answer, just waited in the same spot until he came back with a glass and sat on the couch.
"Malfoy, I'm not an idiot."
He glared at her.
"I never thought you were."
She sighed, finally letting her arms fall by her side.
""I open the window on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights, and you open the other days. However, I open it during the day when you open it at night."
"Sounds interesting," he pretended to ponder, "but I'd like to have Sundays. You know, it's my favourite day."
"Fine," she agreed, begrudgingly, "let's switch from Sundays to Wednesdays. And would you kindly get dressed?"
Draco hid a smile.
"Does it bother you?".
She was very uncomfortable, it was visible.
"Yes, it bothers me."
"Why? I'm in my house, and I'm agreeing to negotiate with you a matter as silly as a window, in the middle of the night. I have the right to at least stay the way I feel most comfortable."
Granger began tapping her foot impatiently.
"So are we settled? Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are my days, and-".
"No wait," he said, taking a small sip of his wine nonchalantly, "I think I'd rather stick with Wednesdays, too."
"Malfoy, are you taking me seriously?" she grew angrier with every word, as he enjoyed himself more and more.
"Of course I am, Granger."
She snorted.
"If you intend to take this conversation too far, have the good dressing sense," she asked again, looking slightly at his stomach, "or else, we're settled here, with the days divided the way they are."
She was trying to sound steady, but it was obvious she was nervous.
Draco stood up, leaving his already empty glass on the sofa, and approached her, who opened her mouth without making a sound.
He got so close, he could tell her whole body stiffened, and she bit her lip again. Then he smiled and said:
"Okay" and walked away from her a few steps.
"Okay, can I go?"
"No. I meant okay, I'll get dressed."
As he put on his shirt, in his room, Draco thought about what had just happened. If she had as much of a refusal as she wanted to show, she would have walked away immediately, but she remained there, motionless, while her eyes locked on his, and even repeated the earlier gesture with her lip, which, he had to admit, was extremely sexy.
Something told him that if he had tried to kiss her at that moment, she might push him away, but she certainly wouldn't hate the act.
He returned to find her in the living room, and smiled to see that she was sitting on the sofa, her hat and gloves gone. Unceremoniously, he sat down beside her, not so close as to be uncomfortable, and said:
"Better now?".
"Very much" she didn't seem entirely convinced, though, "and I've decided something."
"Go ahead".
She sighed.
"You can have the nights."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Really?".
"Yes. I don't want to prolong this matter any longer. You take the nights, I take the days."
Draco couldn't help but feel slightly frustrated. With the dilemma resolved, he had no more excuses for her to remain there.
"So I guess I'll be off now, Malfoy. Have a good night".
She stood up, and he did the same, getting closer than he probably should.
"What was that noise in your room, anyway?"
Granger chuckled.
"I don't owe you an explanation of anything, Malfoy."
"Well, that woke me up, so I guess I deserve to know."
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, still smiling sarcastically.
"Deserving," she said, "interesting word. Well, there was a bug in my room, if that's what you mean. And I killed it."
Draco frowned.
"Did you use magic to kill an insect?"
"No," she replied, "I tried to, but it didn't work. Do you want to know details of how I killed the bug, Malfoy? Do you want to learn it?"
At that moment, she was so attractive, mixed with the slight effect of the wine, that Draco couldn't think of any insolent response. On the contrary, he remained with his eyes on hers, and said, barely louder than a whisper:
"If you want to teach me."
Granger was serious for a moment, in which the two stared at each other, and then, she started to laugh, which completely left him embarrassed.
"What's wrong with you?" Draco asked, trying to compose himself, to no avail.
"Oh, do me a favour," she said, still laughing, and putting her gloves back on "what was that? Do you want to take lessons with me now? To kill a bug?".
She finished putting her hat on, and started to walk away, a smile on her face.
Draco was impassive, watching her walk out the door, unresponsive./span/p