Chapter Fifteen
Red Wine
July 31, 2001
"Hermione, you're worrying me," Ginny says.
We're drinking wine on the floor of Grimmauld Place's living room, our backs on the couch. Harry, who inherited this house from Sirius, thought the place was too big to live in alone. But now that he and Ginny are moving in together, she thinks it's the perfect place to start a family. In her own words, Grimmauld Place is big enough for a dozen children, not that they're planning to have twelve. Anyway, Ginny thought preparing everything would be a nice birthday present for Harry.
So we set out to clean the place up with Kreacher. Kreacher did most of the cooking and baking while Ginny already put their clothes in the closets and brought her things as well as Harry's stuff from his apartment. We decorated the place with banners and balloons and prepared some confetti.
"You're playing a dangerous game here. You could end up hurt," she continues.
I drink up and pour another glass of wine."We're only friends, Gin."
"It didn't seem like it when you were holding hands at the Quidditch game two weeks ago."
"I've told you, Malfoy and I had to stick together rather than risk losing each other in the crowd."
"You're clearly still in denial."
I sigh. "Nothing even happened between us."
"You sound disappointed," she says pointedly.
I glance at her worriedly. "Do I?"
"Oh, Hermione." She puts her own glass on the floor and faces me. "The sooner you realize your feelings, the sooner you'll figure out what to do with it."
When I give her a confused look, she explains, "Well, do you want him to break up with that Greengrass girl? Then you can confess and hope for the best. Or… Do you want to stop this, whatever this is? Then you'll have to avoid him. At all costs. Honestly, I suggest you do the latter. Stop now while you still can. Because once you fall, there's no going back."
My eyes are wide and I'm shaking my head. "I've never even gotten to thinking about those things."
"Exactly," says.
I groan."I just hate this... confusion. It has sixth-year-Ron written all over it. The next thing you know, I'm attacking someone with a flock of birds and crying my eyes out. I have no control over whatever this is."
"That's the thing about feelings and relationships, Hermione. Most of the time, we forget to think logically."
We're both silent for a while. It's almost eight, people should be coming now. We've invited everyone today — the Order, Dumbledore's Army, people from the Ministry and the Holyhead Harpies.
"Do you remember the time when I was pining over Harry and I couldn't even talk whenever he's in the room?"
We both laugh, remembering how Ginny used to stumble on her own words and do the most embarrassing things around Harry. I say, "How could I forget?"
"You told me to get on with life, date other people, relax and be more of myself. Then maybe he'll notice. And he did," she continues."Hermione, you're the smartest witch I know. I think you'll know what to do when the time comes."
I smile. Ginny, just like Harry, always knows what to say to make me feel better.
"Thanks Gin. You know, you're pretty smart yourself," I say, elbowing her.
She nudges me back. "More pretty than smart though."
xxx
At ten, the party is swinging and the place is already swarming with people. I'm hiding in the kitchen, drinking my fifth glass of wine. Sometimes, Ginny comes in to get some refreshments and food. But most of the time, I'm alone in my thoughts with the hum of people and the sound of faint music in the next room.
"Hey what are you doing here?"
I look up and there he is, grinning widely with his eyes shining behind his spectacles.
"Just enjoying some time alone. How's your birthday so far?"
Harry grabs a brownie from a plate and takes a bite. "Spectacular."
I chuckle and say, "I'm glad you like it. Ginny put every bit of effort into this."
"I heard you helped," he says.
"Oh it was nothing."
"Malfoy just arrived actually. He's looking for you," he says nonchalantly, obviously waiting for me to take the bait.
I don't give him the satisfaction. "Oh?"
Harry eyes me knowingly. Whether or not Ginny told her, I'm not sure. But he nods understandingly.
"You should come out there. Ron's hammered and having a bloody hell of a good time. You wouldn't want to miss that."
The last time Ron was drunk, he was animatedly recalling the story of how he, Harry, and I were on the back of a Ukrainian Ironbelly to escape Gringgots. When he got to the part where we jumped off into a lake, he was so in character that he started stripping, perhaps imagining himself soaked with the water. If it weren't for Hannah, we would've all seen him butt-naked.
"I'll just finish this," I say, raising my glass. "Then I'm taking a seat at the front row."
He points a finger at me as he steps backwards. "You better hurry."
I'm almost done with my drink when 3-year-old, giggling Teddy Lupin comes running through the open doorway, followed by a laughing Draco Malfoy. He doesn't see me because he's too focused on catching Teddy. When he does, he lifts him up by his arms and the boy shrieks causing his hair to turn a bright shade of pink.
"So you've met Teddy," I say across the counter between us.
He's whips his head around, surprised to see me.
"Yeah,"he says, grinning from ear to ear. "As soon as he learned I'm his Uncle, he challenged me on a one on one game of tag."
He puts Teddy down on the counter and the little mister busies himself with the bowl of candies close to where he's sitting.
I'm silent and smiling down at Teddy who got candies on both hands and in his mouth.
"I've been looking for you," Malfoy says softly.
"I wanted to think," I respond before draining my glass of wine.
"About what?"
"Just… about everything." Mostly about you.
"Granger... If you need someone to talk to, er, I'm here. Just so you know," he says awkwardly.
I avoid his eyes by placing the glass on the counter-top. "Yeah... Anyway, I think this young boy had enough sweets, don't we? We better get him back to his grandma," I say, moving the bowl far from Teddy's reach.
He lets out a little chuckle and carries Teddy ("No, no, no, Uncle Dwaco, candy, candy") expertly in his arm.
"Who knew Draco Malfoy's good with kids?" I tease him as we walk together back to the party.
"You shouldn't be surprised, Granger. You know how I'm always good at everything I do."
I roll my eyes. "That joke's getting old, you know."
"Doesn't make it less true," he says giving me a playful smirk.
When we find Andromeda, she gives an audible sigh of relief. She takes Teddy from Draco's arms and says, "I hope he didn't bother you."
"No, not at all," Malfoy says genuinely. "Thank you for trusting me with him."
"Of course. We're family, aren't we?" she says, smiling affectionately.
I glance at Malfoy and see a subtle delight etched in his small smile.
"Well, it's getting late. I have to put Teddy to sleep," she says. "You should visit us some time, Draco. You can come with Harry if you want. He's always coming over with gifts for his godson."
"I'd like that… Any excuse to see this little man," he says, tousling Teddy's now purple hair.
Andromeda seems to be teary-eyed. If Malfoy notices, he doesn't show it. I guess she's never thought of seeing her nephew like this, playing with her grandson and talking to her as if they've known each other for a long time. With her husband and daughter gone, she only had Teddy. But now, it doesn't have to be.
"Well, we better get going then. Teddy, say goodbye to your Uncle Draco and Aunt Hermione."
"Bye bye Uncle Dwaco and Aunt 'Erminy," Teddy says waving his little pudgy hand.
Malfoy and I wave back, saying, "Bye Teddy!"
Andromeda and Teddy left after finding Harry to let him know they were leaving.
Only a few people are left now, including Luna, Neville, Seamus who appears to be hitting it off with one of the Harpies, Ron who's now sleeping on the opposite couch, his head resting comfortably on Hannah's lap, Dean who's strumming a familiar tune with his guitar, and Harry and Ginny who appear to be in their own world in one corner of the room.
Malfoy, who's sitting silently on the living room floor with me, appears to be content in the dim light. As I listen to the music, I realize Dean is playing the song by John Lennon.
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too—
"That's nice. What's the song called?" Malfoy says quietly, careful not to break the magic of the evening.
I realize then that I've been singing aloud and not just in my head.
"It's called Imagine by a famous Muggle singer."
I feel his eyes on me then. A few seconds, minutes pass and he doesn't look away. So I tilt my head, rest it on my arms, which are sitting on my knees, and stare back at him. It's so easy to get lost in the depths of his grey eyes that everything else seems to fall away except the details that make him—his long, pale lashes, the specks of the lightest blue in his eyes, his straight nose, the smoothness of his porcelain cheeks, the perfect bow of his lips. I feel light-headed.
He chuckles. "How many glasses of wine did you have, 'Erminy?"
He steadies me by both shoulders.
"Really? 'Erminy?"
"Come on, let's get you to bed." He tries to help me up but I stay rooted on the ground.
"I think I'm gonna sleep here, right here," I say tapping the rug under me.
He considers this then he's on his feet. He comes back with a pillow and a blanket. I lie down, the heaviness of my eyelids catching up to me. Mafloy pulls the blanket over me. I'm not entirely sure if I'm imagining it but there's the light touch of his fingers stroking my hair. Before I give in to sleep, I faintly hear him whisper.
"Good night… Hermione."
A/N: Wow, this was supposed to be a filler chapter but it turned out to be more than I planned. I just kept on rolling with it. Personally, I think this was kind of too fluffy. I'm not sure. I don't really have anyone reading my chapters before publishing them so please tell me what you guys think! xx indaysoraya