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"Hermione! You look lovely, please sit."

Shock. Hermione was in shock. She was standing in the same spot for a good minute or two, words failing her, she smiled quickly then took her seat.

Wine, there was wine on the table and she takes a glass for herself, pouring a generous amount then gulping down half the liquid content. She couldn't believe her eyes, here she thought she was going to have dinner with her best friend, they would discuss her meeting and he would give her advice. She dressed to impress; and it really was a silly thought now that she thinks about it.

This wasn't supposed to be a date. But she at least thought they were going to spend time together one on one, seeing as they don't see each other not nearly as much. He even said so, he planned this bloody dinner, stressed her out with what tonight would mean, but now she's sitting at this table, sipping her wine, and avoiding eye contact. She feels dumb for leaving work early and making this whole ordeal out to be something it clearly wasn't.

She's practically third wheeling at this point, and her blood boils to no return.

"Astoria, nice to see you, but I didn't think you'd be joining us." Hostile but polite, the bitterness dies on Hermione's tongue and she still hasn't even looked in Malfoy's direction.

What happens next makes Hermione dig her nails into her thigh under the table. Astoria throws her head back in laughter, gripping Draco's bicep, and smile's greatly at the wizard next to her.

"I know, isn't it lovely? Draco here sent me an owl asking if I'd like to join you both for dinner. And I couldn't resist the offer," she leans in and pecks his cheek. Hermione looks anywhere else then goes back to her wine.

"Yup, just lovely." She hears Draco open his mouth to say something, make himself known for the first time tonight but thank goodness for the waiter's interruption.

"Hello, I will be your server for tonight, what could I start you off with?"

Astoria speaks up first, "Oh darling, what is it that we had at your parents dinner? It was just divine." Hermione's face tenses just a fraction but only stares daggers into her menu.

"Ah yes, that would be the roasted lemon chicken, do you have anything similar by chance?" Draco looks up from the menu to the waiter.

"We absolutely do, I'll let the chef know and I promise she won't disappoint." The waiter then faces back to Draco for his order.

"Granger," his first time interacting with her tonight, "Would you like to go first?"

She hums in acknowledgement but that's all he gets, "Yes, could I please have the Lancashire Hot Pot please?" The waiter jots down her order but she hears Malfoy stifle a snort.

"And for you sir?"

"Sorry, yes, I'll have the same. Thank you." The waiter gathers the menus then heads towards the kitchen. Malfoy is still snorting into his wine,

"What's so funny, love?" Love. That just hits Hermione hard in the chest.

"Oh it's nothing, just reminiscing."

"About?" Astoria pushes.

"Well, this one time, Granger was cooking for us and she was making Lancashire Hot Pot-"

"Oh for the love of Merlin," Hermione interrupts because she knows where this is going.

"-And well, she takes it out of the oven but the top is completely charred so we cut into it but the middle is completely raw. She messed it up so badly we had to order in."

Suddenly, Hermione breaks out in laughter at the vision. Remembering how much fun that night really was. The look on his face when they inspected the ruined dish, she was so disappointed but everything after that point made up for it. They ordered in, she introduced him to Thai food and he tried some of her dish but it was too spicy for him. He ran to the sink and ran the water on his tongue for a good thirty minutes. He kept mumbling under the faucet but none of it was tangible. She'll never forget that night and she'll never forget how much she truly laughed.

"It wasn't that bad. What really got me was your face when you tried my Thai food, your face turned bright red. It was hilarious!" Tears of laughter fell down each of their cheeks and Astoria just sat there, listening to their barely audible story.

"I don't see the humor in that, but that's just me," Astoria shrugs.

"I think it was one of those situations where you had to have been there to understand." Draco finishes laughing then throws an arm around Astoria's shoulders, leans in and plants a lingering kiss to her lips.

Yup and moment ruined. Hermione thinks sorely to herself.

She grabs her wine and finishes it off, then she grabs the bottle to keep at her end of the table. It might, sorry, it will be a long night.


The food arrived and they carried on with conversation. Hermione hasn't talked much this evening, just sat there enjoying her lamb gratefully.

"So, Granger, how was your meeting? You said you wanted to vent about it," Draco finally opens the topic to her after taking a generous bite of his own food.

"Oh, it really doesn't matter now, just the Goblins acting how they usually act." She waves him off. Hermione doesn't really want to talk about it now, she knows Draco has moved on from his prejudiced beliefs since the war, he may still even harbor some of those feelings to this day but what she's really concerned about is Astoria. She comes from a long line of a pureblood family and she's not sure where she stands in all that.

"You don't want to talk about it? Are you sure?" His eyebrows furrowed.

"Yeah, maybe another time." Feeling suddenly down and discouraged. She wonders why he planned this dinner tonight. She thought he wanted to catch up, just them two, but obviously she was mistaken.

"Okay, well you can always talk to me, you know that." His hand reaches across the table but it's all wrong. The first time he should have reached out to her like that should've been with different circumstances. Them on their first date, or maybe even their fifth. He should've done that in a moment of intimacy but that's far from the certain situation. Her heart beats at his warm touch, his soothing thumb rubbing across her skin. Her eyes flicker to Astoria and see a slight pained expression.

Hermione pulls her hand away quickly, her skin burning where his touch just was, she coughs then excuses herself to the restroom. She throws the door shut behind her and breathes heavily. Chest rising and falling rather quickly so she leans on the sink counter, face down toward the marble and hands resting on the cold platform. She takes her wand out and casts a cooling charm, hoping to relieve her body from the immense feeling of heat.

She turns around swiftly to the sound of the bathroom door opening. A middle aged woman walks in with a concerned expression but Hermione leaves before she can interact.

She arrives, flushed, back at the table, "Hey, so I think I'm going to take off." She gathers her coat from the back of the seat and wraps it around her tired body. Draco looks confused and Astoria almost looks pleased with herself.

"What, why? Is everything alright?"

"Oh, don't worry, I'm just not feeling well." Our eyes meet, silver greeting brown. She stutters to say more.

"Yes, you are looking a bit pale Hermione, maybe it is best you get home." Hermione forces her smile upon Astoria. It seems Astoria has a way of sounding sarcastic but also presenting it in the nicest way possible.

"Yes, well, work has been a lot. Don't worry about my portion of the bill, I had it taken care of with the hostess."

"You didn't have to do that, Granger. Can we at least escort you home?" With her arms wrapped securely around her midsection, she shakes her frantically.

"No no, that won't be necessary, please finish your dinner. Don't ruin your night on my account,"

"Granger, it really isn't a problem, if you're not feeling well we should make sure you get home safe." Draco is about ready to get out of his chair but Astoria cuts in,

"Darling, maybe she wants to travel alone. And I'd quite like to continue our night, maybe finish with dessert?" Astoria lifts her eyebrows suggestively and now she really feels like being sick. Tonight has been a complete disaster from start to finish. She catches the sight of one of Astoria's hands drifting under the table and Hermione groans at the image. She backs away and says a rushed goodbye.

"Have a good rest of your date." She rushes out, speeding down Diagon Alley to the apparition point.


From start to finish, this night hasn't gone as planned. First, Granger shows up in a gorgeous, tight fitting, small dress, which actually strucks Draco speechless. Then, it was like she was avoiding any conversation with him. He thought that if he just got her and Astoria in the same room for longer than ten minutes they could bond, maybe even form a friendship. But the exact opposite happened.

At some moments he could tell Granger was being sort of hostile and even Asotira seemed to be trying too hard with touching him, or kissing him. The whole night was rough and uncomfortable. Then he went and grabbed her hand across the table. He could see the flush creeping up her neck, he knew it was wrong, especially with his girlfriend sitting right next to him. It seemed to be too intimate, he quite literally felt a jolt of electricity shoot through him at their connected hands.

When she came back from the loo, excusing herself from dinner, that's when he got really confused. She didn't seem sick before, so what happened? And now he was here, sitting at a three person table with Astoria's hand grabbing his crotch.

"Astoria, what the hell?" He whispers in a hissed voice, her hand is rubbing his growing erection from under the table.

She leans in close, nibbling at his earlobe, "Just relax, I told you I wanted dessert. Maybe we should go back to your place?" Her teeth bit down harshly on his ear then smooths it out with a kiss. Draco's eyes shut at the feeling, moaning in his throat as her hand continues to stroke him through his dinner trousers.

He shakes his head, "B-But, I wanted to make sure Hermione got home okay, she wasn't feeling well," suddenly her hand stops and Draco opens his eyes to what looks like an angered Astoria.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, when you mention another witches name as I'm rubbing your cock, it seems to ruin the mood," her voice is poised but filled with conviction. She leans back in her chair and gathers her wine.

"Oh come on, Granger is my best friend, I just wanted to see her home safely." Draco pleads with a small laugh, then lets his hand travel up her thigh when she doesn't show any emotion to his sentiment.

"How about this, we can go back to my place, I'll owl her to make sure she's home, and then we can have our fair share of… dessert." Draco pulls his lip between his teeth as he strokes her skin softly.

Astoria quirks a smile then nods in agreement.

"Check!" She giggles beside him.


She couldn't seem to make it home fast enough. She stumbles out of apparating and has to take a moment to get her bearings. Her chest tight, skin on fire, and legs wobbling. When she steps foot in her flat, she hangs her coat and kicks her heels off. She got all dressed up, for him, she did her hair special, and put makeup on. She worried over her bloody outfit, she did everything you would do before a date. And that's the problem, she did everything special for someone who doesn't feel the same way for her. He even invited his girlfriend to a dinner that she assumed would be just for them.

A chance to reconnect, even if just as friends, she just wanted to spend time with him. But it's affected her too much. It's taken time away from her job and that's something she never does, not even for herself.

She cringes at the events that occurred tonight. As Crooks curls up beside her in bed, she pets his soft fur and he purrs at her touch. At least someone appreciates her affection.

Maybe she can move on from this. She'll focus on work, Draco can continue his relationship with Astoria, they can still be friends. Even if they can't be as close as they once were, she'd still like to have him in her life.

So, after her birthday, she'll take a step back. Give them their space and move on with her own life. Maybe even take Anthony up on his offer for dinner.


The next day felt good, she actually felt like she was getting somewhere in her work. She was focused and felt like her old self. It was rewarding in a way but also felt like she was back tracking. Returning to who she once was.

Some time after lunch she received an owl but she didn't want any distractions so she stored it in her purse to read later.

Later arrives quickly. As she heads out, she runs into Harry just before the lifts.

"Harry! Hi. I feel like it's been days since I last saw you," Hermione pulls him into a firm hug and he returns the gesture.

"Merlin, I know. Pans has me running wild, she's a bit stressed about the ceremony." He rubs the back of his neck.

"Oh, well I'm sure everything will turn out just lovely." She offers a sweet smile then they move towards the lifts.

"Heading home?" She asks.

"Oh no, I still have some paperwork to go through. But if I don't see you tomorrow, I want to give you this. Happy Birthday." Hermione takes the package from his outstretched arm with a smile on her face.

"Harry, you didn't have to get me anything," she sets her bag down on the floor and takes her time unwrapping it.

"I know I know, it's not anything big but I hope you like it,"

Once all the wrapping is gone, she holds in her hands a small frame, a gasp exits her throat and her eyes fill with tears.

"Harry, o-oh my, I don't even know what to say." It's a wizard photo from their second year at Hogwarts. Ron is also there, she's in the middle scolding them for casting a spell on Filch, they tied his shoelaces together and the second he stood to take a step, he fell to the ground. She then ended up pulling them in for a picture, holding them close and making them smile. Memories of the past rush back and fill her eyes with salty water.

She grabs him again, holding him closer this time, "I love it, thank you."

After they said their goodbyes, she stops at the cafe for a quick to-go tea. Unfortunately, Anthony was out on a sick day and wished for his well being.

She changes out of her work clothes and puts on comfy pants and an oversized jumper. Cuddled on her sofa, tea in hand, with her telly playing in the background, she pulls out the note she received from earlier, instantly knowing who it's from and is glad she waited until then to read it.

Granger,

I hope you are feeling better today. Especially since tomorrow is your birthday. I know I said we could meet at the restaurant but I decided it'd be best to just pick you up.

So be ready by six p.m., on the dot, wear something nice but comfortable. We will be dining at 'The Royal Lion' but that's all you're getting out of me.

See you then.

D.M

Hermione is excited for what's to come. She still has no idea what his plan is but she's okay with going with the flow, well, somewhat okay with it.

She's optimistic with the day to arrive and spends her night doing what she loves most, reading. She hasn't done much since she took on this recent case so it's nice to return to the filled pages.


September 19, 2004

Upon waking, Draco has gone to the loo then decides to lay back in bed. He was ultimately confused and concerned after receiving a letter from Granger, but in the end didn't think much of it because she's not been feeling well this entire week.

Astoria breaks him away from thought, "Good morning," she smiles sleepily and rolls over to lay on his chest, "I was thinking we could go to dinner tonight? Have a nice date, maybe at The Royal Lion? I heard their wine is magnificent." She kisses his lips sweetly before he can respond.

He takes a moment to review her offer. He could always give Granger her gift whenever she's feeling better, maybe he could owl it over tomorrow morning so she can wake up to something nice.

"Yeah, I think that'd be nice," he smiles then hops out of bed to start his day.

Laying there, Astoria smirks to herself. Everything falling into place nicely.


Surprisingly, Hermione slept through the night, she did wake up once but that's because her bladder is abnormally small. But other than that she had a good night of somber peace.

Glancing at her clock, it shines a bright nine o'clock. She makes the executive decision to have a bit of a lie in, maybe even read before meeting the Weasley's for brunch. They do this every year. Since her parents are so far away, Molly sort of made a tradition to hold brunch for her birthday and she truly loves it.

With work and all she doesn't see much of the Weasley's as much as she would like. She thought after ending things with Ron things would become strained, but quite the opposite happened. It really was a mutual understanding, he wasn't ready for a committed relationship and she wasn't ready for a relationship with him. They are, in the end, better off as friends.

Once ten hits, she gets ready for the day. Showering and doing her hair nice and pretty. She dresses in a light blue sundress, it rests just above her knees and hugs her waist nicely. She pairs the dress with a pair of white wedges then adds jewelry to her liking.

Her birthday has always been a bittersweet feeling since the war. Part of her feels guilty to have lived through the war when so many lives were lost. She also feels undeserving when she took her parents' choices away from them. She is, however, grateful for all that she has. Loving friends, a more than stable career, a nice even though small apartment; it feels like home.

She pats down her dress and stares at the figure in the mirror, with a final nod she feeds Crookshanks then heads out. Before arriving at the burrow she takes a detour to her favorite cafe, hoping to catch Anthony while he's working.

It's a beautiful day out. The sun is awake and the clouds are parted, birds are chirping and kids of all ages are laughing in the slow breeze. She relishes in the feeling of the sun on her skin and oxygen filling her lungs.

Today is going to be a good day.

"Thank you, sir." A nice man holds the door open for her as she side steps the entrance.

Looking around the cafe for a certain black haired wizard. "Jonathan! Hi!" She approaches the counter and offers her brightest smile. She glances him over and agrees with her brain, he is very fit.

"Hi, Hermione! What can I get you today?" Just like her, he offers a genuine smile and she can't help but blush. For a moment she actually stutters.

"Uh, just my usual tea please."

"Two?" He inquires with a bit of a hesitant expression.

She shakes her head, "No, just the one." He instantly brightens up and takes in a low breath.

"I'll have that right out." He moves away from the counter and explains he's officially on break.

"So, any plans for the day?" He takes a seat with her at a table and asks curiously.

"Actually, I'm headed over to the Weasley's for brunch, it's sort of a tradition they do every year for my birthday," her cheeks flush and he gasps loudly.

"Your birthday? Why didn't you tell me?!" He laughs and she laughs. He looks genuinely hurt that she didn't tell him about her special day.

"Well it's common knowledge nowadays, but I like to keep things subtle, not make a big deal out of things just because I was born on this day."

"Well, it's definitely a special day," he opens his mouth to continue but shuts it again, then opens it, "What're you doing tonight? Maybe I could take you out, we could get dinner?" Her heart flutters and her throat runs dry.

"Oh Merlin, I would love that," his face is hopeful and her chest tightens, "But I do already have plans for tonight." Hermione offers an apologetic twitch to her lips and he only nods his head with a smile.

"Order for Hermione!" A waiter yells and she breaks away from the conversation.

Jonathan doesn't say anything so she stands to retrieve her tea, just before hitting the door he calls out, "Whoever he is, he's one lucky guy." Jonathan's eyes twinkle with authentic care. Her heart skips a beat and she turns away before doing something stupid.

"Happy Birthday, Hermione!" Every voice occupying the space she just entered rings in her ears. Laughter and cheers, declarations of love and adoration spread and she's never felt more loved than in this moment.

A group hug breaks out, George the domino in this chain reaction, she's crushed by multiple sets of bodies and yells out, "Thank you! I love you guys!"

They spend the morning eating and laughing. Sharing stories of when she was younger and she blushes at her over the top semantics when it came to school.

"Ohh, please, as if you and Harry would have passed without me!" she huffs and Ron just shrugs. Everyone in the room bellows in howling and hooting.

At the end of their time, she declines any offers to throw a dinner for her birthday. She lets them know about her night planned with Draco and they let it go. She heads home after hugs and sweet words, thanking Molly and Arthur for yet again hosting her brunch.

She arrives home at exactly three, she decides not to get ready until around four-thirty; Hermione doesn't want to spend hours on end like she did last time just to be disappointed with the outcome.

She spends her time reading, cuddling Crookshanks then messaging her folks. They called when she first woke up and it was nice but she misses them dearly and just wants to talk. The phone rings then disconnects. Hermione thinks they must be busy so she waits a couple minutes to call again. Hermione hits their voicemail again and decides to just leave a message, huffing a sigh she hangs up then stands to get ready.

His note mentioned they were going to dinner so she refrains from making anything to eat. She circles her closet for at least twenty minutes then comes to a decision, settling on a deep red, a-line ruffle hem, wrap dress. It's cute yet casual, a little revealing but she doesn't mind; it has a high waist and flounce sleeves. She pairs it with gold jewelry and white heels. She's surprisingly having a really good hair day and she's grateful for that, her curls are more wavy than tangled and flows down her back nicely.

She gathers a coat just in case, she doesn't know what they're doing before or after dinner and just wants to be prepared, holding her white mini purse she settles on her couch to continue reading and waits for his arrival.


Draco buckles his cuffs, standing in the center of his room with Astoria getting ready in his bathroom. She's humming to a melody and he wonders what has her in such a good mood.

"Are you almost ready to leave?" He slips his coat on and fixes his collared dress shirt in front of his floor length mirror.

"Yes, darling," she steps out of the bathroom and looks stunning. A perfect dress to her match her perfect body on a perfect night. So why does it feel so glum?


5:30, thirty minutes before Draco arrives.


Diagon is crowded, much more than he expected it to be. The papers are out, with pictures of Granger spread across all platforms, wishes from millions to the golden girl herself.


5:45, she thought he would arrive early but maybe he's really sticking to the 6 o'clock on the dot rule. Crooks cuddles closer.


Draco pulls her seat out for her, she kisses his cheek gratefully but in the back of his mind his conscience is screaming at him for a reason he isn't aware of.

They are seated by the front window, getting a good view of the perfect night, clouds sparse and sun almost set. It is quite lovely, Draco just feels guilty and maybe it's because it's Granger's birthday and she's feeling sick or maybe it's because he hasn't checked up on her. But maybe it's both.

"I think we should order wine, no?" Astoria glances up through her lashes, a hint of a smile glowing her cheeks.


6:00, he should be here any minute now. Her stomach growls and she hopes they are getting dinner before anything else. Butterflies also swarm her hyperactive stomach, thoughts of what the night will bring run her wild.

6:10, perhaps he's running late.

6:15, she looks over the note again to make sure it actually said six.

6:25, she's worried now, why hasn't he sent a note?

6:30, she decides to check the restaurant. Maybe he made a mistake and actually wanted her to meet him there.

"Diagon Alley," she calls out into her fireplace and heads straight for 'The Royal Lion' as soon as she dusts off the ashes laying on her dress.

She avoids the witches and wizards, all asking for an autograph from the golden girl on her special day. But all she's feeling right now is annoyance and anger. Finally, at the end of the cobblestone walkway, 'The Royal Lion' stands tall. Hermione waits there, across the way with her arms crossed over her chest, she looks around for platinum blonde hair.

Her heart rate picks up when she finally spots him, except, he isn't standing outside or walking up towards her. No, instead, he's inside. Sitting across from his perfect girlfriend. Dining and laughing as if they were on a date.

She doesn't even notice the now pouring rain, once a beautiful day just hours ago, now turned dark and gloomy. She's confused but ultimately hurt, they had plans, he had specifically brought it up to her multiple times. He even sent a note just the day before. Tears prick her eyes and a choked sob breaks.

Hermione turns and all about runs the opposite direction. Her hair ruined, make-up ruined, outfit ruined. Everything about the night is ruined.

Her parents never called back and she's angry. Malfoy has some nerve creating all this fuss over her birthday and to find him at dinner, the exact place he was supposed to take her, is a low blow. She makes it home and instantly curls into herself.

Laying on the floor next to her fireplace, her chest hurts from expanding far too quickly then retracting at just the same speed. Her skin is cold to the touch from the fallen rain yet also burning hot with rage.

She spends the rest of her birthday glued to the hard floor. Overthinking everything and coming to a reasonable decision in the end. She has to cut him out, she has to remove the virus from the source. Going back to her decision about taking a step away and just accepting friendship, but no, she couldn't have that either. Because she would never do this to any of her friends.

Hermione has to stop making excuses for the man she loves and move on because clearly he isn't losing any sleep because of her, so why should she because of him? She at least thought their friendship meant a little more to him than how he's been acting but she can't be the smartest witch all the time.

Yes. She could do this. She could fall out of love with Draco. Easy.