This fic was written for floorcoaster for the Strictly Dramione's Valentine's Day Fic Exchange. Floorcoaster provided the following word prompts to be added to the story: blue, carrots, abacus and yarn.
Thank you to smoorezmama for their awesome beta work. All mistakes are my own. Disclaimer, I don't own these characters, I just play with them from time to time.
Thursday, February 1, 2001
It seemed like the Ministry of Magic was ready to celebrate Valentine's Day, as the entire entry had been decorated overnight. There were pink and red streamers with little cherubs floating around the main floor of the building. Hoping the rest of the building was not this bad, Hermione made her way to her office on the fifth floor.
Getting off the lift, Hermione saw the decorations were minimal in the Magical Law Enforcement Offices. Getting to Hermione's office she noticed a vase filled with blue, purple and white hyacinth flowers with a note next to them sitting just outside her door.
Dear Hermione,
As a token of my feelings, please enjoy these flowers. They are expressions of my complex feelings towards you. The flowers are symbols of regret, sorrow, loneliness, and love.
With all my love,
Your Secret Admirer
Picking up the flowers, Hermione smelled them and smiled. Flipping the note over a few times, Hermione tried to figure out who left the flowers. There was no insignia or watermark on the note. Shrugging, she carried them into her office and placed them on the corner of her desk.
Many people throughout the day stopped by and complimented her flowers. Nobody seemed to know who left them for her. When Harry stopped by at lunch, he was a bit worried.
"Hermione, who left you the flowers?" Harry asked.
"No idea, they were outside my office with a note this morning."
"Do you want me to look into this as an Auror?"
Hermione laughed, "No, Harry, they're just flowers. If this persists, or if I get anything creepy, I'll let you know."
Harry offered a wave and went on his way.
Just before leaving for the day, Draco Malfoy had stopped by her office with a case file for her.
"Nice flowers, Granger. You have a boyfriend?" Draco inquired looking at the flowers.
"No, no boyfriend. A secret admirer, though," Hermione replied.
"Well, they have good taste in flowers. Here's the file you requested about the Centaur Lands. I cannot believe that the Flints want to take their lands in Scotland. Let me know if I can help you with the case," Draco offered before leaving Hermione's office.
Hermione looked through the file a bit before setting it on her desk to look at it again the next day. Debating if she wanted to take home the flowers, she cast a stasis spell on the flowers and left them on her desk.
At home that evening, Hermione wondered who her secret admirer was. Cormac had been flirting more lately, but ew. Andrian Pucey had taken a second look at her a few times but he also was flirting with Daphne Greengrass, as well. Seamus Finnigan would do this as a joke, as he was deeply in love with Pavarti Patil. Hermione slept that night wondering if there would be other notes in the coming days.
Friday, February 2, 2001
Sitting outside Hermione's office was a teddy bear with large chocolate-colored eyes holding a rose in its hand. A note rested in front of it.
Dear Hermione,
This bear reminded me of you with its beautiful eyes and the fur the same color as your hair. I hope you are able to get some good cuddles with it. The rose reminded me of your perfume.
With all my love,
Your Secret Admirer
Hermione brought the teddy bear into her office setting it on the chair facing her desk. The rose joined the vase of hyacinths on her desk. While these were harmless gifts again, Hermione wondered how they were getting to her.
Getting back to the case for the Centaurs, Hermione worked through lunch before meeting with the other Aurors to go over the arrest of Marcus Flint and his father, Julius. Draco stood near the back where Hermione was sitting. He noticed she was snacking on a bag of crisps.
"Granger, did you skip lunch or something?"
"What's it to you, Malfoy?" Hermione questioned.
"I thought I heard you tell someone your parents are teeth healers. What would they say if they saw you eating those?" Draco asked, looking like he actually cared about the answer.
"I'm an adult now. They don't tell me how to eat. And they would probably just recommend I brush after eating."
It looked like Draco wanted to say more but the meeting got started. An hour and a half later they were all dismissed to continue working on the case. Knowing the Flint family was larger than just the two who had been arrested for trespassing and harming a Centaur, Hermione turned to Draco before he left.
"Malfoy, would you be able to help with the Flint family tree? I want to know who else we should be watching."
"Sure, how does Monday sound? I have things I need to finish today before I leave for the weekend. I also already promised my mother I would visit her in France this weekend," Draco replied.
"Monday works well. 10 a.m.?"
"I'll see you then," Draco said before he left the room.
Back in Hermione's office, she began to plot out what she knew about the Centaurs land as well as what she knew about the Flint family. Sadly, she could not complete more of the family tree than just Marcus and his father. When she left for the weekend, Hermione took her gifts home with her.
The weekend was quiet for Hermione. She had spent Saturday cleaning her flat before visiting the Burrow for dinner. Sunday was spent with her parents. They had decided to keep the early retirement that was forced upon them and had joined a dentists-without-borders group. They had recently returned to England and spent the day talking about their travels.
Monday, February 5, 2001
Hermione was looking through her bag as she approached her office missing the gift with a note. When Draco arrived at ten, he brought them in with him.
"Granger, it looks like your secret admirer struck again. Although, I don't know if this is a gift or lunch," Draco joked, holding a bag of carrots that had a note on it.
"What? I'm sure that wasn't there when I got here this morning. Are you my secret admirer?" Hermione countered, never believing it could be him.
Draco blushed at that, "I'm sure you just overlooked this. And your secret admirer will let you know who they are when they're ready. Now how can I help you?"
Hermione and Draco worked for the next few hours tracing the Flint family back several generations. Having names to go on, Hermione thought she could handle looking into who else may be trying to take the land.
After Draco left, Hermione looked at the note attached to the carrots as she began munching on them.
Dear Hermione,
Crisps do not make a good lunch. These carrots should help when you don't have time for lunch. If I may be so bold, would you be my Valentine? If so, please put a yellow piece of paper outside your door this evening. If not, a plain white sheet will do,
Thinking of you fondly,
Your Secret Admirer
That narrowed down the number of people to those at the meeting on Friday. Did she want to meet her secret admirer? Thinking that it could be a trick, Hermione grabbed a white sheet of paper to hang outside her door and went back to work.
When she looked up from her work later that afternoon, Harry was in her office reading a note.
"Hi, Harry. What brings you by?" Hermione asked.
"Ginny wants me to invite you over for dinner tonight. Please say yes."
"Dinner sounds great. I'll be there."
"What are you going to do about your secret admirer? Please tell me you are putting out a yellow piece of paper," Harry said after a moment.
"Harry! You cannot just read things from my desk. And no, I'm putting up a white sheet. This is probably a cruel joke and I want no part," Hermione huffed.
"Hermione, this bloke obviously cares for you. Take a chance."
"What makes you think it's a bloke? It could be a woman for all we know."
"No, a woman would understand eating crisps for lunch and would have brought a big bag for you. This person cares about your health but sees you can get busy sometimes. And probably thinks all women eat healthy when they can," Harry offered.
"Still could be a woman by your logic. I'm not putting up a yellow paper. What time should I come over tonight?" Hermione asked.
"Ginny is planning dinner for half seven, so come over whenever before. Think about accepting. Other than your disastrous month with Ron, you really haven't dated. This could be good for you."
Harry left and Hermione started to think. She had gone out for drinks with people from the department, but no one-on-one dates. Maybe Harry was right, but what if it was a joke? At the end of the day, Hermione decided to turn down the date before a stag Patronus came into her office.
"Put up the yellow paper, Mione. I'll be by to check and change it if you don't."
Hermione knew Harry was serious and would tell Ginny what was going on. Ginny would only encourage this date, even though no one knew who they were. Hermione changed the color of the paper to yellow and stuck it to her door frame just as Harry rounded the corner.
"Good choice. Now I'm not going behind your back to change the color. The worst that could happen is you're stood up," Harry joked.
"Thanks, Harry, now I want to change the color again," Hermione deadpanned.
"Nope, come along. We can go home together so Ginny can tell you more about why this is a good idea."
Ginny did just that after Harry explained what he found in Hermione's office. Ginny was overly excited for Hermione to have a date for Valentine's Day. How romantic would that be to find her true love on the day of love. Hermione started to agree with Ginny just to get her to shut up about the date. Ginny ended the night by offering for Harry and her to meet at the same place if the secret admirer recommended a place to meet. Hermione told her she would think about it and get back to her about making it a double date.
Tuesday, February 6, 2001
Hermione was on the lookout for a gift when she got in on Tuesday morning; and sure enough, there was one by her door again. Today, a box of sugar quills sat next to a large bag of crisps. Picking the gifts up, Hermione looked at the note attached.
Dear Hermione,
Harry Potter is very loud and the entire floor heard his conversation. He was correct though, I am a bloke. Here is a large bag of crisps to show him that gifts can be frivolous (and you are welcome to have these for lunch if you want.) I recalled you liked sugar quills at Hogwarts and hope you still enjoy them.
Wishing you an easy day,
Your Secret Admirer
Hermione chuckled while she opened her office. This clue eliminated a third of those at Friday's meeting, leaving about a dozen possible candidates for her secret admirer. Knowing it was going to be a busy day, Hermione set aside her treats for later and resumed her research into the Flint family.
At noon, Draco came by Hermione's office. He knocked on the door frame before entering.
"Your office is turning into a snack bar. Your secret admirer strikes again?"
"Yes. But fortunately, they will not be my lunch. I'm having lunch with Headmistress McGonagall before meeting with Hagrid. Speaking of which, I need to go before I'm late. Did you need something?" Hermione asked.
"No, I just stopped by to see if you needed more help on the case. This is a high priority for the department. Without many dark wizards on the loose anymore, there is less to do," Draco said, looking hopeful that he could be productive.
"If you want to help, I'm struggling to find anything more about Julius's brother, Anthony. I am trying to find out who else would have a tie to this case."
"I can look into this and get back to you when you return. Have a good lunch and meeting," Draco said with a smirk.
Draco left as Hermione flooed to Hogwarts. After an enjoyable lunch catching up with her favorite professor, Hermione met with Hagrid and Bane to see how the Ministry could help them preserve their lands. The three also went over where they saw their lands compared to past treaties the Ministry had with Centaurs for land boundaries. Both parties were happy at the end of the meeting.
Apparating home, Hermoine started a list of who her secret admirer could be. Several Aurors and hit wizards made the list of who had been in the office on Monday. Hermione was hesitant to include Draco on the list, but he had been at work and was on that floor. He was low on her likely list. While they got along, Hermione had seen the images of some of his dates in the past year and they all looked like models. Something Hermione did not think she looked like at all. At the top of the list was an Auror named Gavin who was almost ten years older than her. He would often flirt with her when the department went out but could be shy when it was us the two of them. He also had really bad teeth and often had a bad odor that followed him around and Hermione did not care to be close to him for long periods of time.
Hermione went to bed that night thinking about how she would let Gavin down if it was him. That night, she dreamed of grey eyes staring at her across an intimate table.
Wednesday, February 7, 2001
Waiting for Hermione outside her office was a basket full of chocolate frogs and a small golden object. Upon closer inspection, Hermione saw it was a simple brass abacus. Although people no longer used them for counting, they were still fun to play with.
Dearest Hermione,
You have made me the happiest man alive by accepting me as your valentine. I am counting the days until Valentine's Day. This abacus has been in my family for generations but has not been used in a very long time. I hope you can use it to count down the days as well.
With anticipation,
Your Secret Admirer
Honored to have received a family heirloom, Hermione looked it over to see if there was a family crest on the abacus. Not seeing one, she set the first row to have two beads to the left in the first section and one in the second to count out seven days and smiled. Even if this was a joke, they were very thoughtful gifts.
After sitting down to go through her notes from the previous day, Draco came into her office.
"Granger, where were you yesterday? I have information for you," Draco stated, annoyed.
"The meeting took longer than I expected, so I just went home when I was done. I completely forgot we were going to meet. Do you have time now?"
"Robards is sending Terry Boot and me to check out a complaint from a business in Diagon Alley but we could do lunch if you want," Draco offered.
"You want to go to lunch with me?" Hermione asked, looking a bit amused.
"Why not? We get along well enough these days."
"Okay. The cafeteria or someplace else?"
"Come to my office and I'll have something for us. See you at one, Granger," Draco said with a wave.
Draco left and Hermione got to work organizing her notes from the day before. Adding what she learned to the case file, she had a more complete look at what was happening, but the motive was still missing. Why was the Flint family so set on getting this property?
Just before one, Hermione made her way to Draco's office. The door was open and inside was a table set up with two trays on a small table near the window. Draco was nowhere to be seen.
"Hello?"
"Are you Missy Granger? Master Malfoy said he wanted lunch for him and Missy Granger now," a small elf told her from behind the door.
"I am. And who are you?"
"I am called Tromby, Miss. Master Draco hired me to help when he found out my family had abandoned me," Tromby said as an introduction.
"Are you treated well, Tromby?"
"Yes, Miss. Master Draco gives me a day off a week and my own bedroom where I can make my own clothes! Oh, and a chest with money in case I need to buy something for myself," Tromby said while planting its feet and putting its arms on its hips.
Hermione took a closer look at what the elf was wearing and noticed the odd choices the elf had made. The neon green pants clashed horribly with the leopard print top. The elf also wore a fascinator with a large daisy on it. Wellies completed the look.
"As long as you are happy, I am happy you have someone to be with. Do you know where Malfoy is?"
"Are you harassing my elf, Granger? And thank you, Tromby for setting this up for us. Please enjoy your afternoon," Draco said as he entered the room.
The elf popped away before Hermione could answer.
"I wasn't harassing Tromby, I was just inquiring about its working conditions. From today's outfit, I couldn't tell if Tromby is male or female."
"Tromby is female. She likes bright colors and bold prints so who am I to stop her from wearing what she wants? Please, sit."
After a nice meal of butternut squash soup and turkey sandwiches, Draco showed Hermione what he had found out about the Flints. They had once had a family home on the land they were poaching over five hundred years ago. It was later sold to the Ministry who expanded the forest for the Centaurs to live on. Anthony had taken it upon himself to restore the family prestige and he was going about this by restoring family properties. He was also the odd Flint who had been sorted into Ravenclaw and thought he was smarter than the rest.
This information helped Hermione's case and solve the missing piece of why this was happening. Now they just need to get everything together to make the arrest. Trespassing and harming Centaurs were against the law. Hermione and Draco parted ways at the end of the night with plans to meet the next morning to present what they had found the Robards.
Thursday, February 8, 2001
Hermione got to the office earlier than usual to try to catch her secret admirer in the act. She also wanted to finish her proposal to Robard on the Flint case so the arrests could happen that day. Hermione was too late to catch her secret admirer, as there was a wrapped gift sitting next to her door with a note.
Dearest Hermione,
I figured you had enough treats for a while, but I still wanted to get you something. I know you like to read, and hope you enjoy this book. It is one of my favorites as it's a fun read and takes you away from real life for a while. It's also the first in a series.
Happy readings,
Your Secret Admirer
Hermione brought the package into her office and unwrapped it. Inside was a copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Hermione was surprised to see this, as it was a muggle book and one that she had been meaning to read. Hermione placed the book next to her bag and got to work.
Just before 9 am, Draco walked into her office with a knock on her door. They got to work establishing their case against the Flints, with particular notes of what Marcus, Julius, and Anthony had done recently to the Centaur lands. The entire report was completed by lunch.
Draco had Tromby bring in sandwiches again before they went to Robard's office to present their case. Robards decided to send Aurors, including Draco, to arrest Anthony. He was placed in the cell next to Marcus and across from Julius.
After everyone was interrogated, full charges were also set for four other family members who were arrested. These seven would await their trial in holding cells at the Ministry for a crime against Magical Creatures and trespassing on Ministry lands. The Centaurs were notified that they should not have problems with the Flint family any longer, but to let the MInistry know if they have any more trouble.
After a late-night, Hermione left work where she munched on the crisps she was given while starting her new book. Hermione stayed up later than she should have as the book drew her in and she too got lost in a new universe away from her own. When she finally went to bed, she realized she ate almost half the bag of crisps as well.
Friday, February 9, 2001
Hermione chose to come in a bit later than normal as she had a long day the previous day. Sitting outside her office was a basket with different liquids and salts. Looking closer, Hermione noticed they were bubble baths, bath salts and lotions in scents she would have chosen for herself. Picking up the note, she smiled as she walked into her office.
Dear Hermione,
Congratulations on the case. You deserve a weekend of relaxation. My mother likes this brand of bath products and the smell reminded me of summer and sunshine and you. I hope you like them and they help you relax.
Waiting (im)patiently for Wednesday,
Your Secret Admirer
Hermione opened a few of the bottles to smell them and agreed with the summer and sunshine sentiments of the products. Hermione made a note to remember these at the end of the day for an at-home spa day this Saturday.
Knowing there was an all-hands monthly meeting in the afternoon, Hermione spent the morning finishing a few projects she had started but had been set aside to deal with the Flint case. Hermione stopped at half-noon to eat the sandwich she brought from home. She noted it wasn't as good as the ones she had this week from Trombly, but knew it would keep her full for the afternoon.
After her quick meal, Hermione made her way to the large auditorium where all of the Ministry workers could gather. Taking a spot near the back and at the end of a row, Hermione took out her knitting needles and yarn to continue working on a hat for Bill and Fleur's new baby. Although Victoire was closer to a year than a newborn at this point, she actually kept hats on her head unlike Hermione's cousins had while she was growing up.
Hermione felt someone sit down next to her but ignored them. Hermione did not feel like making small talk with anyone at the moment. She continued to ignore this person until she felt them stare at her longer than a minute. Turning her head, she saw Draco had sat next to her.
"Granger, what is that?" Draco asked in disgust.
"It will be a hat, eventually. I made the mistake of using small gauged needles and this is taking longer than I would like," Hermione stated.
"Where did you find this awful yarn?"
"What's wrong with this yarn?" Hermione asked, affronted.
"It's supposed to be soft, Granger. I pity the person who gets this hat from you."
"Whatever, Malfoy. It's not like you have to wear it. Now, shush, they're about to begin."
The meeting was long and drawn out. If people would just read their personnel handbooks, we wouldn't have to have these monthly meetings where the same things were covered. The MLE was praised for their work on the Flint case, but that was the highlight of the meeting. We were all excused and allowed to leave early for the day.
"Have a good weekend, Granger."
"You too, Malfoy."
Hermione spent her weekend working on her hat as well as finishing The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. She found herself so entranced in this new world that Saturday afternoon she was at the bookstore near her flat to get the rest of the series. She had made it through the next book and as well as half-way through the third book by the time she went to bed on Sunday evening. Hermione found time to take a relaxing bubble bath with the new bath salts between devouring her books.
Monday, February 12, 2001
After such a good weekend, Hermione didn't want to return to work. Getting in at her normal time, she saw a hamper outside her office. Peeking inside, she saw it was full of yarn in different colors, but they were all the same brand. It was one she didn't usually buy as it was quite expensive for the projects she did.
Dearest Hermione,
You should only have the best materials to work with, so I thought I would get you some yarn to work with. I hope they work well for you and you find the colors you would need in the basket. I would like to take you out to the new Italian restaurant in Diagon Alley for Valentine's Day and I'm told the owner is expecting people to come dressed in formal wear for the evening. Please let me know if you require a dress for the evening by placing a green piece of paper for yes and a red one for no. I want you to be as comfortable as you can be during our date.
Thinking of you fondly,
Your Secret Admirer
After reading the note, Hermione was convinced her secret admirer was also a stalker. Maybe she shouldn't have agreed to be his Valentine. Panicking, Hermione sent her Patronus to Harry to have him come see her if he had time today.
Hermione got to work on her latest project on overturning many of the werewolf laws that were set during the 1850s that no longer pertained to today's society. With the invention of the wolfsbane potion, there was no reason not to hire werewolves that took the potion.
Harry stopped by just before lunch with sandwiches for both of them. After eating their meal, Harry sat there while Hermione figured out what to say. Rather than jump to her own conclusions, she handed Harry all the notes she had received for him to read himself.
"Well, you should put up a green piece of paper tonight. Ginny is always complaining about you not letting us buy new formal clothes for you. Especially because you have gone to the past four events in the same dress," Harry offered.
"That is not the point, Harry! And why have you been paying attention to my wardrobe choices? Isn't that something only women notice?"
"I only know because Ginny pointed it out. But I bet there're guys out there who do notice this sort of thing. And what is the point?" Harry asked, scratching his head.
"Draco Malfoy is the only person I talked with about yarn. So either my admirer is Malfoy or I have a stalker who is lurking around listening to everything I do! Do I need to have my flat watched now too?" Hermione proclaimed.
"Would it be bad if it was Malfoy?"
"No. But why wouldn't he say anything when I asked him about it?" Hermione asked, deflated.
"Maybe he's shy?"
"Draco Malfoy, shy? If he's shy, then you really are Voldemort's son."
"Maybe the thought of dating you has made him shy. You can be intimidating when you want to, Mione," Harry countered
"Maybe. Can you see if there is any security footage of how these are coming to be outside my office? I just want to make sure it isn't someone we know playing a prank on me. Or Gavin from down the hall."
"What's wrong with Gavin?" Harry asked a bit perplexed.
"Haven't you ever noticed he kind of smells like old gym socks. And his teeth!"
"Yeah, I suppose good oral hygiene is important to you. I'll look into it and get back to you. For now, put up a green paper at the end of the day. Oh, and you should come to dinner tonight. Ginny has something she wants to talk to you about."
"She could just send me an owl rather than use you," Hermione stated.
"But then when else would I get to see you? Come by after work."
Harry left and I got back to work. No one else from the floor stopped by which made keeping on task an easier thing to do. At the end of the day, Hermione shrunk her hamper to put into her pocket and went to the floo to get to Harry and Ginny's. A green paper hung next to her door. Meeting Harry at the floo, they went together to his place where Ginny was busy reading a magazine.
"Hermione! You came! I have a very important question for you. Will you be my maid of honor?" Ginny rushed out.
"Are you saying what I think you are saying?"
Squealing, Ginny rushed over to hug Hermione and also showed off her new ring. After they celebrated for a while, the trio went into the kitchen for supper.
"I looked into your mysterious packages, and all I can tell is they magically appear at half-six in the morning. One instant there is nothing and the next frame there is a gift. Whoever your secret admirer is, he's probably using a house-elf to bring your gifts," Harry stated.
"Is there any way to trace which elves come into the Ministry?"
"No. There are so many that pop in and out for many of the purebloods that work at the Ministry it would be hard to track."
"Thank you for looking into this for me, Harry," Hermione said with a smile.
The group enjoyed the rest of their meal before taking dessert back in the lounge. Wishing Harry and Ginny goodnight, Hermione went home to read a few more chapters before going to bed.
Tuesday, February 13, 2001
Hermione found herself waking up early to maybe find out who was her secret admirer. Maybe if she was at her door she could see who was there and gone again. She could set an anti-apparition ward to catch the elf who was popping in and out. As she debated leaving her bed early, she wondered if she was actually going to catch the person leaving the gifts. If they were being popped outside her office, there would be a chance she would miss the person even if she was in her office.
Deciding she was up too early, Hermione reset her alarm for her normal time and got an additional hour and a half of sleep before starting her day. Upon arriving at work, Hermione saw a gift and note next to her door.
Dearest Hermione,
Tomorrow cannot come soon enough, but I am a bit worried you will flee once you see who I am. We don't have the greatest past, but currently, we work well together. I saw your quill nub was terribly blunt last time we worked together. I hope this set will come in handy as you work through your latest project.
Dreaming of Tomorrow,
Your Secret Admirer
Hermione opened the box and looked inside to see a beautiful eagle feathered quill as well as a muggle fountain pen. Hermione pondered the gift and message and reflected at how thoughtful this person was to account for her muggle heritage as well. The note left little doubt in her mind as to who her secret admirer really was.
Knowing who was going to meet her the next day, Hermione got to work using her new pen while sucking on a sugar quill.
Without taking a lunch break, Hermione looked up from her work just before four in the afternoon. Standing outside her door talking to Harry was Draco. From what she could hear, they were talking about a new case; one they would be working on together. Draco looked over at Hermione as she was watching them and offered her a smile. Smiling back, Hermione got back to work to finish her day.
That night, Hermione finished the third book in the series before going to bed.
Wednesday, February 14, 2001
Hermione woke feeling energized. If she was right, she had a date with Draco tonight. Not knowing how long she had that evening to get ready, Hermione took extra time in the shower to condition her hair as well as shave. Even if she had no intention of taking off her clothes that evening, she felt more confident knowing she was prepared for the date.
Arriving at work, Hermione noticed a lack of gift or note. Frowning, she went into her office to get to work. Upon opening her door, she saw a beautiful bouquet of pink roses with a heart-shaped box in front of them. Under the vase was another box with a red ribbon on it; one that was used by Madam Malkin for her special orders.
Dearest Hermione,
Happy Valentine's Day. In honor of this holiday, I went with a traditional gift of chocolates and flowers. The chocolates are the best Honeyduke's has to offer and is a mix of dark and milk chocolates. Thank you for having visited Madam Malkin's in the past year, as she had your measurements on file. I think you will look stunning in this dress. I will be waiting for you outside the restaurant with a single pink rose as my boutonniere at seven.
Until tonight,
Your Secret Admirer
Hermione chuckled to herself as she opened the box. Inside was a beautiful lilac-colored dress. Without pulling it from the box, Hermione could see it had a longer skirt and covered her shoulders so she wouldn't need to find a shawl for the evening. Thinking of her jewelry, Hermione knew exactly what she was going to wear with the dress.
It was hard for Hermione to concentrate throughout the day. She often looked up at her flowers and smiled. As her hyacinths were at home, the roses added a bit of color to her office.
After a most unproductive day, Hermione opted to leave early for the day to get ready for this evening. Once home, she tied her hair up on top of her head so it wouldn't get wet again. She started her bath and poured a generous amount of bubble bath and oils into the water. The soak did her well as she felt relaxed and rejuvenated after leaving her tub. Once dry, she applied the lotion that came with the bath set before starting on her hair and make-up. Opting to keep it simple, Hermione spelled her hair to fall in ringlets before tying them back in a side updo that would keep her hair out of her face as well as slightly lifted off her neck. For her make-up, Hermione chose a shimmering purple eyeshadow and black mascara before applying a pale pink tinted lip gloss.
Once she was done, she went to the box with the dress. Opening it fully, Hermione took in the beauty of the dress. While the dress was simple with a lace overlay on the bodice, the skirt reached the floor. The dress fit perfectly and paired nicely with her white kitten-heeled shoes. Reaching for her jewelry box, Hermione pulled out her grandmother's pearl necklace and dropped pearl earrings. Taking one last look at herself, Hermione deemed herself ready to go.
Just before seven, Hermione apparated to Diagon Alley just a bit away from the restaurant. Standing with his back to her was a guy with platinum blond hair. Walking up behind him, she tapped on his shoulder. Much to her surprise, when the man turned around it wasn't anyone she knew.
"I'm sorry, sir. I thought you were my date tonight," Hermoine stammered.
"Sweetheart, I'll be anyone you want me to be tonight. How about you ditch your date and come with me?" The man offered with a lear.
"No thank you. My date should be here any moment and I'm looking forward to it."
"Are you really, Granger?" Draco's voice appeared behind her.
Turning around Hermione saw Draco Malfoy standing in what looks like a muggle three-piece suit in a charcoal color with a crisp white shirt. Draco wore a lilac-colored tie and pocket square to match Hermione's dress. Pinned to his lapel was a pink rose. To put it simply, he looked stunning.
"Hi, Draco. Yes, I'm looking forward to this date. You wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?" Hermione asked with a smirk and twinkle of mischief in her eye.
"What? But. . . Did you not figure out who your secret admirer is?"
"I did," Hermione said with a giggle. "You look wonderful tonight. Shall we go in?"
"You minx. Yes, let's go in. I'm told we have the best table in the house."
"And how do you know that?"
"I know the owner," Draco stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Do I know the owner too?"
"One of them, yes. Come along, Granger."
Draco hooked Hermione's arm through his to lead her into the restaurant. Clearly he wanted to be seen with her and this made Hermione smile. The hostess led the two of them to a table near the back that had a privacy screen to block most of the patrons. Those who were entering the restaurant could still see them, though. It was a great way to be seen but also have privacy.
As they began to look through the menu, Blaise Zabini came over to welcome us, "Good evening, Draco, Hermione. Welcome to my fine establishment."
"Hi Blaise, I didn't know you started a restaurant. How's it going?" Hermione asked.
"Draco and I started this place over a year ago. He helps with the books while I'm in charge of the menu and the public face. Want to do something fun tonight?"
"Depends on your definition of fun," Hermione hesitated.
"Let me choose your meals tonight. I know what Draco likes and I bet I can guess pretty close for you. What do you say?"
Hermione looked at Draco to see what he thought. He was smiling and shaking his head but it didn't look like he was angry with the intrusion; more amused than anything.
"Go ahead, Blaise. Surprise us," Draco stated.
Taking their menus, Blaise walked back into the kitchen to put in the order for their meal. He must have also told their server what to bring them for drinks as she showed up a few minutes later with a bottle of elf-made wine and two glasses of water.
"I'm very thankful you said yes to tonight," Draco offered honestly.
"I was a little worried this was a joke. Why not just ask me out rather than figure out two weeks' worth of gifts."
Draco chuckled, "I thought about it, but then I thought you would turn me down. I know I've apologized for being a prat in my youth and we work well together now, but you're Hermione Granger. Why would you say yes to me?"
"Oh, Draco. I would have considered it, and probably said we could go as friends."
"I like this outcome better," Draco said with a smirk.
They got to talking about projects around the office while they waited for their food. It turns out, Harry and Draco were working together, but not how Hermione had originally thought. Harry was helping cover for Draco and him leaving the gifts for Hermione while encouraging her to accept the date. This annoyed Hermione just a bit that her best friend had lied to her and she thought hard about how she would get back at him for lying to her.
Just as they were getting into what their next cases were, the server brought out their food. Hermione looked down and saw a chicken and linguini with alfredo sauce and a side caesar salad. She looked over and Draco had a ravioli with red sauce and a side of what looked like a vegetable soup.
Discussion over dinner turned toward Hermione's opinion of The Hitchhiker's Guide and how she was into the fourth book already. This made Draco laugh at how quickly she was working her way through the series, but he admitted to reading the first four books before the fifth came out. This brought up a question for Hermione.
"How did you get started on a muggle book series?"
"Aunt Andromeda used to have one of the Black elves bring me gifts on my birthday and Christmas until I was about nine. It was then that my father found out and ordered the elf to not respond to her any longer. I had to wait until I started Hogwarts to send her a letter telling her what had happened," Draco said looking a bit sad.
"Do you still keep in touch with her?"
"I do. It is easier now with Lucius in Azkaban. I told Mother about it after our trials and they are working on a friendship once again as well."
"That's great. What do you think of Teddy?" Hermione asked.
"The scamp is awesome when he's not giving my Mother ideas about future Malfoy's. I swear every time he changes to look like me Mother gets a look in her eyes of longing to have more children around."
Laughing, Hermione added that Molly gets that way too when Teddy is with Harry at the Burrow.
As they were finishing their meals, Blaise came out with dessert for them. Blaise must have known the work Draco went into to get this date and wanted to make it more of a date than friends meeting as there was one large slice of chocolate torte and two forks. Smirking, Blaise left it on the table and walked away without a word.
"I promise I did not ask for dessert to come this way. If you don't want to share I can run to the kitchen and get another," Draco offered.
"One is fine. You don't have cooties do you?"
"What are cooties?" Draco asked, looking a bit confused.
"A muggle thing. Nevermind. I would love to share this with you."
Hermione and Draco both picked up a fork and began eating the decadent dessert. While it was something Hermione had never done before, she found it nice to be able to share this intimate moment with Draco.
Once they were finished with their meal, Draco left a few coins for the server on the table as they got up to leave.
"Do you not need to pay for the food?"
"No, Blaise has already taken it out of my allotment for the month. If not, I'll pay this weekend when I'm doing the books," Draco said.
Talking Hermione's arm again, Draco led her outside. There was less of a crowd now than earlier.
"Thank you for a lovely evening, Hermione. Would you be open to going out with me again?" Draco asked.
Pretending like she was thinking about it, Hermione waited a moment before responding. "I would enjoy that very much."
"Would you like to pick our next outing? That way we're doing things we both like," Draco offered.
"I'll come up with something and let you know soon," Hermione said with a small blush.
"And, if it wouldn't be too bold of me, may I kiss you goodnight before we part?"
"Yes."
Draco leaned down, not caring they were in the middle of Diagon Alley and kissed her. While the kiss probably lasted no longer than a few seconds, it was electric and earth-shattering for both of them. When the kiss broke, Hermione looked up at Draco and smiled.
"Thank you for a great Valentine's Day. I will be in touch soon about getting together," Hermione said, still grinning.
Draco smiled back and offered a wave as Hermione apparated away. Once home, she squealed like one of those girls in the romantic comedies she watched with her mum. The night couldn't have gone better and Hermione was excited to see where the future would take them as a couple.
Thursday, February 15, 2001
Draco got to work the next day still smiling. Outside his door was a small box with a note attached.
Dear Draco,
Last night was amazing. I'm not quite as good at gift-giving as you are, but I hope you enjoy what is in the package. I would love to have a picnic with you this Saturday. If you are available, please leave a white sheet of paper outside your door. If you already have plans, please leave an orange sheet of paper.
Still buzzing from that kiss,
Hermione
Opening the box, Draco saw a book that he had never heard of before.
Picking it up, Draco read the back. "The secret passage to the house next door leads to a fascinating adventure NARNIA...where the woods are thick and cold, where Talking Beasts are called to life...a new world where the adventure begins."
Looking at the front, he saw another note from Hermione telling him this was the first book in a series that she loved growing up and helped her believe in magic before she knew it existed.
Draco smiled before grabbing a white sheet of paper to take directly to Hermione. He couldn't wait for this weekend.