Chapter 64 – Reunion
The restaurant Draco's short notice had told her to meet him at was in Covent Garden. Hermione had heard the name Clos Maggiore once, when she was younger, when her parents had talked about it. It was a long lost memory that only came back to her after reading the note.
For a moment she wondered if her parents were still alive, safe somewhere in Australia, or if she had been able to undo her memory spell and they had a fall out. There had been no letters from them among the many she had received since she ended up here. It was something she didn't want to think about, a small hope that had reared it's head, but she squashed for now. It wouldn't do to get another panic attack right here, because she was overthinking things again. A deep breath later Hermione had cleared her mind and was able to smile, when she remembered whom she was about to see.
From the outside Clos Maggiore didn't look special, but once Hermione entered she was in awe. It was like walking into a garden, the whole restaurant was filled with flowers and other nature themed decorations. Dark wood contrasted with the expensive porcelain and shimmering wine glasses.
The waiter took her cloak and showed her to a hidden table at the end of the room without asking for her name. It was private and Draco was waiting for her with a glass of wine in hand already. When they approached he rose to set her chain in place for her.
"Granger." He greeted her without any emotions in his voice.
"Hello Draco." Hermione sat down and let her eyes follow his smooth movements when he sat back down and offered to pour water for her. She nodded her consent and tried to smile. He looked fantastic in the elegant charcoal-grey muggle tree-pieces suit. The top button was standing open and showed his throat when he drank a sip of his wine. She knew he would turn heads, even in this establishment, if others could see him. The suit was hand-made and top-of-the-line and the way he had forgone a tie made him look rather sexy. Sitting with him, the murmured voices in her head grew silent, and for the first time in days she felt less restless. Remembering Poppy's words she looked at him, enjoying that she was able to meet him at all.
They both studied each other for amoment, letting their gazes linger for longer than was appropriate in the pure blood circles Draco grew up in.
"It's a lovely restaurant. I didn't know you liked to dine in muggle London." Hermione opened the conversation, once the waiter had left them to revise the menu. It wasn't big, just three pages, and since she knew fish and meat made her nauseous, she had decided quickly.
"After the war I was denied service in most establishments in magical London. The Malfoy name was not something you could book a table with. Since it occurred more often that we got turned away, than we were served, I had to look elsewhere. The Muggles don't care about my name. All they see is the money I throw their way. So yes Hermione." He pronounced her name and looked her dead in the eyes while he talked. "I know quite a few muggle restaurant all over London."
Listening to his story her heart grew heavy. She should have known it hadn't been easy for him to fit into a world where he was seen as an enemy. Her hands smoothed her clothes to calm herself.
"Yes, I can see your point. I'm sorry I brought something unpleasant up. It was just an curious observation, a development that appealed to me."
"Think nothing of it. I fear I will spend the rest of my days undoing my father's legacy." He told her and sipped his wine again. "Have you decided?"
"Yes. Anyway, you are not your father Draco."
Hermione felt like she needed to add that little fact to remind him. Maybe she came off a little too strong, but she had learned to live with that part of herself years ago.
Just like he would always be seen as a Malfoy first, and his own person later, she had gathered equal experiences whenever she met someone new in this world. Everyone compared her to the person she was before she had the accident and she felt like they all found her lacking. She knew she was responsible for that herself, but seeing it in everyone else face made it even worse, even when she tried not to dwell on it. Talking and reconciling with Harry and Ginny was only the first step she had to take. There were others she had to apologise to, including Draco.
Closing his menu to signal the waiter he could join them Draco sat back and watched her. His grey eyes were shimmering in the light, but she couldn't read his mood.
"You look good." He offered a compliment. Looking down at her blouse and her black skirt she didn't feel beautiful, simply plain. Since she hadn't known much about the restaurant she had decided to wear something simple but elegant. It felt like he was mocking her and Hermione gazed at him to find out if he was, but his face was still an unreadable mask, so she decided to stay silent.
When the waiter stood next to their table smiling at them, Draco started his order.
"I would like another bottle of the 2009 Vaillons and the Black Angus Beef please. And for the lady...", Draco looked at her waiting for her to continue.
"The Pappardella, please, and a seasonal green leaves salad. A water will do." She hadn't missed that he had ordered another bottle, which told her he had drunken most of the first before she had even joined him. It hurt a little to know he had to refer to alcohol the even meet her, and made her question his motivation just a little bit. Why had he even written to her if her if he felt uneasy around her. Or did she make the wrong assumption?
'You are overthinking again Hermione!' a little voice in the back of her mind reminded her. Instead she decided to bring something else up.
"What do you know about Scorpius' time at Hogwarts?" Her hands were folded in her lap, clenched in tension while she tried to sound relaxed. She wanted to get what she saw the last months at school out, hoping Draco would be able to help his son where she couldn't.
"He's at Hogwarts. What's there to know?" Draco answered offhandedly. When their eyes met he saw the fire in hers and he rolled his eyes inwardly. He knew that wasn't all of it, but the lion in front of him of course wanted him to voice it all. Just good he had enough practice with Potter over the years to learn how to be frank.
"He allied himself with the Potter boy, gets moderate marks and tries to stay out of the way. He gets a lot of shit for having me as his father, something I'm not proud of. But I'd rather have him trouble for having me as a father than for the other stories they cooked up. You must have heard it by now. My son, the heir of the Dark Lord." The last was said with hardness and a hint bitterness in Draco's voice. As soon as Hermione detected it, Draco was back to his expressionless face, and gave nothing more away.
"He talked about you over Christmas." The change of topic would have looked normal to everyone else, but Hermione knew he wanted to deflect any more questions about the situation his family was in. That, more than anything else, gave away that it was a sore topic to Draco.
"Until he brought up that he talked to you again, and asked if I could set up a meeting, I hadn't thought we would see each other again." Draco admitted while he watched her and brought his glass to his lips. There was her answer for why Draco had met up with her. This was a totally different man from the one she had spend years with and with that thought came some surprising calmness.
"It was a one night stand." Hermione cringed at her own words. "It's not something I'm proud of, and I owe you an apology for it. I had - have - a hard time settling into my new life here. Some of the decisions I made the last months range from stupid to downright shameful. I should not have come onto you like that and I am sorry for it." Hermione bowed her head and swallowed the rest of what she wanted to say. How sorry she was for the way she had handled the situation. How insecure she felt about everything that had to do with him. How much she hated how alone he was here and even more to see how he closed himself off.
"That doesn't mean I don't care for Scorpius. I never told him what happened." Hermione added biting her lip.
"True, I am not the man you seek, but my son is good enough. Gryffindors and their bleeding hearts." His answer was cold and cut through Hermione like a knife.
"My Draco and our daughter are gone." Draco looked at her sharply, but the tears he expected to see were absent. Her eyes were locked into his and there was a sadness, but mostly acceptance in them he hadn't seen before. Something had happened, it occurred to him, but he wasn't one to ask openly, so he only nodded his agreement.
"Yes woman, they are."
"I am not sorry for caring for the only members that are left of my patchwork family. Even if they are not the same and don't see me as family."
"And that is were I do fit in, in this plan of yours, isn't it? The only person you can talk to about your 'son'."
He was sitting back and turned his glass around in his hand, watching the wine catch the light and throw it back in different shades.
Hermione felt her temper rise and had to bit her lip from saying what came to her mind first. The way he seemed uninterested always made her clench her teeth, but she knew better. It was nothing but an act, and she wouldn't play into his hands. Even if she denied the fact that her heart still beat faster for this version of him, and that she couldn't help herself to hope for at least friendship, he always had that way to make her talk before thinking.
"The rumours are bad Draco, and his situation at school - I don't like what I hear. I thought maybe you could do something."
"Granger, if my problem was that simple to come by, don't you think I would have solved it already?" His voice started to rise, but the waiter returned with their food, interrupting anything else Draco was about to say. Once the food sat in front of them and the waiter vanished again, leaving them alone, Hermione answered.
"I'm sorry Draco, I assumed you didn't know about Scorpius trouble. Of course he talks about it with you. I'll back off."
"That's one of your problems Granger, you assume stuff, instead of asking." He was more controlled now, but there was still an edge to him, that made Hermione keep her mouth shut. What could she say when he was right. She wanted to solve the situation, but couldn't. She wanted to help him, but he wouldn't let her, the way he reacted.