See end of chapter for author's note
Disclaimer. I own none of the characters, I only my own mistakes.
-o-o-o-
The water streams warmed his skin. Draco took his time, he had always enjoyed taking long showers, there was something soothing about getting clean, warm and listening to nothing but the sound of water, hitting the tiled floor like raindrops. He ran his fingers through his hair, soaking it completely under the water, lathering it thoroughly. He reached for his body wash, the same he'd been using for a few years, he was a person of habit in that sense.
He wrapped a towel around his waist, and cast a drying spell on his hair. Put some hair potion in his hands and formed it to his will. He was a perfectionist when it came to his appearance, something he had inherited from his mother.
Appearance in the Malfoy family was imperative, and that entailed everything from manners to clothing and hygiene.
He hadn't really brought that many clothes, he decided on his grey suit, with a white crisp shirt. He held two ties in his hand, but folded them back, placed them on top of the bed one grey and one deep blue. Tie or no tie?
It was a date, but it wasn't that kind of date. He skipped the tie.
Asking Granger to dinner had been a heat of the moment kind of thing. A thing he rarely did. He'd made a rule for himself years ago to not make any rash decisions after a good shag, he tended to be to impulsive in those moments. A rule he had broken today. For Hermione Granger of all women.
It had made sense at the time; he hadn't really considered it a date before she asked if it was. Neither of them had anything to do this evening, none of their usual friends or acquaintances were around, and they clearly enjoyed each other's company. Although their past was reason enough, for her to say no, for him not to ask. Shagging each other senseless was one thing, dating an entire other one. Even if it was just this one time.
Before she'd fallen asleep, her wrist had been so visible; stark against the white linen sheets, her battle scar. It still looked freshly carved. It made him feel uneasy, almost nauseous. Sure, he had seen it before, but not like that, not when her heart was beating with a steady pulse in her chest, her lips parted as she breathed. She'd looked so fragile, and he could think of nothing but her screams on the floor of his home. He'd pulled her tight to his chest as the images flooded his mind and traced the letters on her skin gently, with his fingertips, careful not to wake her.
He never spent any time thinking about her at all before the war, but she occupied his nightmares after it. She was the last person he'd thought he would meet, drinking alone at the Leaky Cauldron on a Wednesday night. But there she was, her scar taunting him every time she used her arm to pick up her martini glass. Most of his reasons for what started their physical relationship had been selfish ones, a means to ease his own guilt, and he knew in ways she used him too, just letting him touch her was a slap in the face to her closest circle, and she knew he would be the last person to call her out on her bad habits. It allowed them both to mend their wounds away from the rest of the world.
Fuck it.
He grabbed the grey tie and started on a Windsor knot.
-o-o-o-
Hermione wanted desperately for the butterflies in her stomach to evaporate. Disappear to never come back. But they were there none the less. She picked out a dress for the evening; she figured one could never go wrong with a little black dress. It was one of her favourites, strappy, straight neckline and tight fitted, with a slit that reached the middle of her thigh. The full length of the dress ended just beneath her knees. It was decent and elegant. She had only brought it because she liked it, thinking she probably wouldn't have an opportunity to wear it. She was glad she had packed it against her better judgment. She picked a deep blue underwear set in satin decorated with white lace, along with a matching garter, thinking the night might end with her dress on the floor. She'd only brought one pair of high heels, they were black, with a red sole, she placed them next to the bed.
Feeling satisfied with her choices, she figured she had time for a cigarette before showering.
She took a wool blanket from the bed and wrapped it around her shoulders, as she stepped outside onto the balcony. A part of her couldn't help but think of McGonogall's words, and Draco's reprimand, maybe she would start smoking less, but she was not about to quit cold turkey.
Leaning against the balcony rack, puffing on her cigarette, she decided not to overthink this date tonight. She was looking forward to it, but she didn't like not knowing what to expect. The date had potential to go south if certain subjects were to be brought up. There was also a chance the butterflies in her stomach would multiply, and she felt unsure as of which she preferred. She hadn't been on a date since she and Ron had started seeing each other again, their first date post-war was almost two years ago now.
The air felt humid, cold, she wondered if it might start raining. The castle looked stoic in the distance. It felt like it was taunting her. She finished her cigarette and tapped the tip in the ashtray for the glow to die down. Inhaling the cold her, she stood there for a while longer, trying challenge the castle with her gaze, trying to make out the almost unnoticeable protection charms surrounding the grounds, wondering if they'd ever disintegrate again.
Hermione made quick work of her shower, and spent more time on her makeup than usual. She decided on a pink rose-coloured gloss for her lips, a hint of blush, and mascara. She used a drying spell on her hair, and curled it into big soft waves, the way Ginny had taught her for her Valentine's date with Ron. She used a vanilla scented body lotion for her skin, let it dry before putting on her underwear along with her stay ups, attaching them to the garter. She stepped into her dress, using her wand to zip it up.
She looked at the two perfume bottles she had brought with, both by French muggle brands. Choosing the one she only wore on special occasions, scented of amber, vanilla, tonka bean and Spanish labdanum, it was a boozy, warm and elegant scent. She spritzed it on all the crucial spots. Hermione grabbed a small black clutch and used an extension charm so it would hold all her essentials, including her wand.
Looking at herself in the body length mirror on the closet door, she wondered if she had overdone it.
Was it too much?
She sighed. Probably.
-o-o-o-
Draco was staring, and Hermione decided she had definitely gone a bit too far with her outfit choice, not that she didn't feel proud at the look on Draco's face when she'd opened the door. It was the fact that he wasn't saying anything that made her uncomfortable.
Instead of them leaving her room like they were supposed to, Draco walked inside, looking tall, immaculate as ever. His hair slicked back neatly, except for his fringe, dangling on one side of his forehead. He'd even put on a tie and smelled of warm spices, like a delicious autumn cocktail.
"You look gorgeous," Draco cooed without thinking. Because she really did. The black dress accentuated her curves, and her hair, he had never seen her hair so shiny, surrounding her face with flawless soft waves. And the heels. Draco had never considered himself to have a foot fetish, but he might need to reconsider. He placed one arm around her waist, close to his chest. Leaning in, their lips almost touching, until they did. Her lip-gloss tasted like strawberries, and he was surrounded by the most delicate amber scent he'd ever smelled.
The kiss was gentle, soft like feathers, no tongues involved. It was the kind of kiss that made his heart flutter, his brain go fuzzy. Tantalizing. Hermione was the first to pull away. But just barely, her lips where not even an inch from his when she spoke.
"Take it you like my outfit then?" she teased, smiling. Beaming. A smile he'd never seen directed at him before. It made him smile too, he took a step back, still holding her around her waist.
"Very much so," he admitted.
"Thank you," Hermione answered, as she took in his grey suit, the perfect colour to bring out his eyes. "You look dashing," she continued as she eyed him up and down shamelessly, and it warmed his heart in ways he didn't want to recognise. He used a finger to remove some of the lip-gloss that had smeared when they kissed.
"You ready to go?" Draco asked, loosening his grip around her waist.
"Let's go," she decided, stepping away from him to grab the only coat she had brought with her, a beige wool coat that had a strap to tie around the waist.
-o-o-o-
Hermione took in her surroundings, they were most likely still in Scotland, Draco had apparated them here as soon as they'd exited the Three Broomsticks. The Scottish highlands stretched around her, and she could se a building up ahead. They were standing secluded, pine trees and green grass around them.
"Where are we?" she asked curiously.
"Still in Scotland, we're having dinner at one of my favourite Italian restaurants. It's a muggle establishment, just so you know. I visited it many times when I was in Scotland working for my father," he explained as he led them towards the restaurant up a hill. Hermione wondered how many women he had taken on dates there. The thought was upsetting. But she was also relived they were having dinner at a muggle restaurant as oppose to one in the wizarding world. Now the needn't worry about prying eyes or being photographed.
The restaurant was dimly lit, cozy, and packed with guests having dinner. Forks and knives making clinking sounds on plates, and subtle music being played from speakers placed around the restaurant. Hermione immediately liked the atmosphere.
"Mr Malfoy!" A voice greeted as soon as they stepped in. A man with coppery curly hair smiled at them and asked to take their coats. As Hermione removed hers she noticed his gaze on her wrist.
Shit.
She quickly covered it with her other hand. She hadn't thought to glamour it.
The man showed them to a table by the far end, right by a wall of big panoramic windows that allowed for a magical view of the Scottish highlands outside. As she sat down in a brown leather chair, she took in the view. Mesmerized.
"Would you like to order any drinks before dinner," the man asked, smiling at them. Draco quirked an eyebrow, as to let her decide. She felt those butterflies in her stomach again, so a drink was a definite yes for her, she nodded.
"Martini with two olives?" Draco asked. It was the drink she had when they'd met at the Leaky cauldron years ago. She was surprised he remembered.
"Yes please," she said to the waiter, who nodded as he took the order.
"And for you sir?" he asked, shifting his gaze to Draco.
"A martini for me too, with a twist."
"Excellent, I'll be back to take your order," the waiter said as he placed two menus in front of them.
"The view is amazing," Hermione praised when the waiter left.
Draco nodded. "The view and the food here is exquisite, it's why it's one of my favourites," he said, perusing his menu. "What do you feel like?" he asked.
"Seeing as you know what's good here, I'll let you order," Hermione cooed, wanted to se what he would chose. Draco looked up from the menu, smirked.
"Alright then," he said, closing the menu.
The waiter came with their respective martinis, Hermione started to sip on it while Draco ordered a cheese plate for appetizers and truffle pasta for main course. She did love anything with truffles, so it suited her fine.
"And a bottle of 1999 Brunello if you have?"
"Of course sir," the waiter replied and stepped away with a nod.
"The 1999 is supposed to be lovely," Hermione agreed. Draco raised two eyebrows.
"You know your wine," he said, evidently surprised. Hermione had attended several wine tastings with Ginny and Parvati. Ginny mostly joined because she liked to drink it, Hermione found it quite educating.
"I do, I've gone to a couple of wine tastings now and then," Hermione explained proudly as she sipped her martini. It calmed her nerves. Sitting across from Draco felt so, intense. It was so apparent it was a date, and she felt she had forgotten how to date. Had she even been on proper dates? Her dates with Ron could hardly count seeing as they'd known each other forever. Her and Draco had only ever known of each other, and having sex was one thing, she wondered if he felt the same. She looked at him as he took a mouthful of his martini into his mouth, he looked calm, collected He'd probably been on plenty a dates. She picked up the toothpick from her glass to taste on of the olives.
Draco looked at her when she answered him, feeling like he had no idea who this woman was. He never would have guessed Hermione had any knowledge of wine, but then again, was there something this woman was not good at? How was anyone ever supposed to impress her, not that he'd admit he wanted to, but how? He shook the thought as he watched her slowly bite into one of the olives from her martini, sliding it off the toothpick with ease. Yes he stared, and he didn't even care. He wanted to know what she was wearing underneath that tight dress of hers, was she wearing stay ups today as well? She did look ridiculously good in those.
He drank some more of his martini. Hermione looked at him now, like she contemplated something.
"You have a few fans at Hogwarts you know," she said. Putting her glass on the wooden table.
"Really?" he asked raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, apparently several girls form the DADA class would very much like to snog you."
"They're children!" he exclaimed. "I thought you were going to say one of the other new teachers, like miss Evans," he said to tease. Hermione's eyes narrowed.
"Oh, you'd like that? Miss Evans and her long legs," she said, as if long legs were a curse.
She was rather cute when she was jealous. Draco chuckled.
"You think she look good too?"
Hermione clenched her fist on the table. "You're lucky we are at a muggle establishment or I'd hex that stupid grin off of your face", she said hastily. "Maybe you should have asked her on a date then," she contined and removed the second olive off the toothpick angrily. He would never grow tired of teasing her.
"Now, why would I do that when I could ask the brightest witch of our age, with such a delectable-"
"Draco!" she interrupted. Draco grinned mischievously. "I swear to Merlin if you don't stop using that word, I will hex you and obliviate everyone in here afterwards", she threatened with wide eyes and a large smile. It took away the entire effect of the threat.
Hermione didn't know what to do with herself, whenever he used that damn word her mind instantly led her down the gutter. To thoughts that made her shift uncomfortably in her seat, made her think of all the good things that stupid tongue was capable of. And he knew that, he must by the satisfied grin on his idiotic perfectly sculpted face.
Their appetizer course arrived and interrupted their bickering, along with the bottle of brunello.
The wine tasted absolutely divine, Hermione had never had a 1999 bottle before, the cost of it alone …
The wine paired with the pecorino cheese made for the most fantastic tastes as they meshed together in her mouth.
Draco swirled his wine, starting to get bothered by the sounds she mas making. Was she even aware?
"This is delicious" she quipped before taking another bite of the pecorino.
"Would you stop that," he said, trying not to sound too affected.
"What?" she asked, evidently unaware what the purring sounds of satisfaction did to his crotch. If she only knew how much she affected him. He was confused by it himself, never had he been on a date and become hard by the mere sounds his date made. It was disturbing how much he just wanted to drag her out of there and make her cum until she begged him to stop. Hermione met his gaze.
"Oh. Is this, is this-"
"Yes." He interrupted quickly.
"Well, then you know how I feel all the time when you're around," she admitted, the martini and wine lowering her inhibitions.
"All the time?" he asked curiously. Raising both of his eyebrows.
"Indeed. Sometimes you do it on purpose I think, but at times, I just find myself staring at you, you have no idea the effect you have on people. I've noticed it a lot these days, the female students, the younger once of the female professors. I mean. You must know you're handsome." She finished and sipped her wine, thinking she'd said too much. She could practically see his ego being stroked.
"Handsome?" he mocked and Hermione wanted to melt through the floor.
"Oh, and I have noticed your stares," Draco continued. He looked too amused for her liking.
"You stare too you know." She blamed, trying to even to score board.
"I do." He said simply, and she hated when he answered with only two words.
"Why?" she asked, using only one word for the sake of it.
"Because, you have these big eyes that hide no emotion at all, which makes you a terrible liar, you have those darn freckles on your nose that I before the war had never even seen, and now they're begging me to place kisses on them, and don't even get me started on that brain of yours. I can always see how I affect you, but never what's running through that mind, I can only assume it's about a hundred things simultaneously by the puzzled look you get on your face," Draco blurted, probably having had too much wine without proper food to soak it up. Hermione's eyes grew even wider at his confession and he wanted to snog her badly.
"Fuck this. Meet me in the bathroom in five," he said. His pants were incredibly uncomfortable. It was a command he wasn't sure she'd take him up one, but by the way her eyes went dark with lust, how she shifted in her seat, he thought it was a safe bet.
He left abruptly, taking big strides. It was the kind of establishment that had four bathrooms, not stalls, separate proper, clean, bathrooms. It should be fine if they made quick work of it, he thought as he reached the bathroom door. He did a quick muffilato.
Hermione was stunned. Now? Here? She crossed her legs and decided she very much wanted too. His words alone when he'd described her had her so wet it felt uncomfortable in her knickers. No one had ever complimented her brain in that way before. It was enough to make her want to devour him.
She waited for a while, told the waiter who passed to announce their food would come out shortly, that they would just step out for a smoke. It was the best thing you could think on the spot. Luckily the bathrooms were in the direction of the exit, and she hoped to Merlin the waiter didn't see she never exited.
As the door closed behind them his lips were on hers in an instant. Kissing her hard, passionately, rushing. She kissed him back, matching his vigour. Tasting the sweet wine on his tongue. It was intoxicating. They made quick work of undressing, only the bare minimum. She unhooked her stay ups from the garter and Draco moaned when he saw what she was wearing under her dress.
"Fuck you look so good," he growled as he kissed her down the neck, biting, licking. He pulled down her knickers and she stepped out of them, he placed them in his inner pocket.
"Please!" she said when he pulled down his pants and underwear at the same time. He was rock hard and she was soaking wet. They needed no foreplay. He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He placed her against the wall, it would be straining on his arms but he didn't care. He entered her quickly, discovering she was already soaking wet for him.
"Fuck, I love how you're always soaked for me," he said, nibbling at her earlobe.
"Oh yes, faster. It feels so good." She exclaimed. He moved fast, thrusting hard. Since both of his hands were occupied he knew he needed something else to pull her over the edge.
"Yeah that's it, moan loud for all the guests, I'm sure they'd love to her you cum all over my cock." He bit down, right between the collarbone and her neck and she squealed, as pain became pleasure. "Show them what a slut you are."
"Draco, I'm gonna, c-cum," she called out. He growled in her ear as he felt her tight cunt squeezing his cock. Almost there.
"That's it, come for me love," he said and she did. Her cunt gripping his cock hard, he couldn't hold it any longer.
He moaned her name as he came inside of her, her orgasm milking him. He kissed her hard before dropping her to the floor, still holding her waist, steadying her.
They used their wands to scourgify themselves clean.
"Fuck Draco. We can't go out there now, these walls are not that thick!" she exclaimed in horror as she held out her hand. Draco contemplated not giving her knickers back, but decided since it was their first date maybe he should play it nicely. He placed them in her palm and grinned at her.
"Lucky I'm a wizard then," he said and winked.
"You used a muffilato?" she asked, surprised. He just smirked and nodded in reply as he placed a kiss on top of her head, before smoothing down his suit and hair.
"See you at the table," he said and entered the bathroom with confident strides.
Hermione pulled her dress down and frowned at the wrinkles that had formed. She used her wand to straighten her dress, and did the same with her hair. She waited for a bit before she started for their table.
After their bathroom encounter all the first date tension gone, and they talked about mundane things, work and their life in general. Neither of them mentioned the relationships they evidently had between then and now. They kept the conversation light, mostly post-war and none of their history from before it was mentioned. She learned he had a sweet tooth, and missed playing quidditch and he learned she was afraid of heights and didn't care at all for quidditch. Draco cast a wandless spell to keep people at nearby tables from overhearing, they were muggles after all.
Draco laughed when she explained she'd read Hogwarts, A history, more than five times, he admitted too having found it so boring he'd ripped pages from it and charmed them into flying paper dragons. Hermione thought that to be an absolute crime, and told him she actually knew how to fold origami, something she had learned from her uncle as a child.
She also confessed to adding milk before her tea when she made it herself. He asked if she meant when the tea had been brewed separately, she told him no, she puts the milk in, then the water, then the brew. He found it absolutely ridiculous and questioned if she was even British at all.
Hermione was full from the meal, but Draco insisted on desert. They shared it but he ate most of it himself without shame. Hermione found his sweet tooth to be endearing, and the butterflies fluttered with vengeance, she didn't even try and squash them this time.
-o-o-o-
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