Saturday, June 21st, 2003.

Part two: celebrating encounter.

"So?"

"Did you do it?"

"Where's Draco?"

Hermione was assaulted with, even before taking a step in Blaise's living. She stumbled out of the fireplace, startled to see both the sneaky lovers apparently torn between excitement and anticipation. They were smiling and she hadn't even said a word.

Something rather heavy and unexpected crushed into her before she could cut their incoherent babble though. A hand gripped her elbow just before she fell on the floor.

"Ouch."

"Fuck, sorry Granger."

"S'alright." She mumbled, rubbing her side. Damn he was heavy! "I should have moved …" She started as he frowned, apparently the blow had hurt him too.

"It's nothing." He gave with a clipped smile and Hermione realised he was still holding her steady.

"If you're done with the pleasantries we'd actually like to know if that sodding oath is broken."

This had the benefit to snap them out of the awkward moment and Draco let go of her to turn to Blaise. He pleated his eyes at him and started, his voice oddly small:

"Well …" He made a show of pouting miserably. If Hermione hadn't known him she'd definitely have fallen for it. None of them did though.

"Damn you did it?" Blaise asked Hermione then, a mix of awe and excitement in his grin. It changed significantly from his usual smirks.

"Of course she did it." Draco sneered before she could answer. He shook his head when Blaise started extolling weird things about bad moods and sordid lunches that Hermione didn't understand. Astoria had as wide a grin on her face as Hermione had.

The only one that didn't look entirely happy was Draco.

He should have been jumping in place, clapping his hands, but instead he slumped on the couch as Blaise uncorked a bottle of champagne. He even moodily looked at the full flute Blaise gave him with disgust:

"What is that? Sparkling piss?" He scowled. "Where's the firewhiskey?"

Hermione, although she wondered what had taken him, felt grateful for his request. She didn't like champagne. It always gave her a headache. Firewhiskey too but only because she had a tendency to abuse it.

"Coming your majesty." Blaise answered him with an exaggerated bow, before going back to the kitchen, oddly pinching his lips together. Hermione didn't miss the look he exchanged with Astoria.

Once they were all in the living, they clicked their glasses together, Astoria lifting her glass:

"To Draco." She smiled and Draco answered her grin with a shy smile, a light frown still in place. Maybe he just hadn't realised yet. Right, it could be that. After all, destroying the oath had been rather 'disappointing' as he'd said himself, maybe he needed time for it to sink in.

Years of being trapped didn't erase from one's mind in a couple of minutes Hermione guessed.

They drank, cheered and joked, and drank again, until Blaise only opened his mouth to mock one of them, Draco to snap little sneering comments in return, and Astoria didn't close hers any longer. Hermione found that she enjoyed herself far more than she had in a long time. After a while, and as many drinks, Astoria put some music on, and then she was dancing with Blaise and then Hermione and Draco were weirdly adverting their eyes elsewhere which Blaise saw of course, and didn't miss the opportunity to put his dirty nose where it didn't belong:

"Give the lady a dance mate! She just saved your arse!" Draco's cloudy gaze expended to the size of a plate.

"You don't need to." Hermione hurriedly told him which she regretted instantly at the scowl he hid rather quickly.

Draco didn't answer. She seemed more embarrassed than repulsed but it still stung. They were both drunk enough to put it all on alcohol later.

Was he actually disappointed? What was wrong with him?

The couple started snogging while dancing and both he and Granger resolutely adverted their gaze to their drinks. After a moment of ill-at-ease silence, Granger broke it:

"So?" He turned to her only to see her fidget awkwardly with the rim of her glass.

"So?" He mimicked, the start of a smirk lifting his mouth as he realised she had no idea what to say, but had just tried to talk over the wet noises at their back.

"Err …" She grimaced, confirming his suspicions. He chuckled and decided against teasing her.

"How's trial?" He asked instead and her visible relief made him chuckle the more.

"They're deliberating over the week-end." She frowned.

"And?"

"And I was confident until they decided that."

"Astoria mentioned it was short."

"Yes."

"Maybe you'll lose your first case." He shrugged, apparently the teasing was in order. She glared but half-heartedly. Her mouth twitched and her left dimple appeared.

"No way." She challenged and finally smiled.

"That's what I thought. Astoria said the defence was shallow."

"It was. They didn't have any tangible argument. I didn't even have to argue, everything they said was easily countered with basic Laws. All the research Stori did was useless."

"You got her a seat?"

"Yes. As a surprise for her help."

The conversation took a working turn then, and drifted to complaining about large meetings, and regulation controls that weren't thorough enough to her taste, neither his. Eventually it took a turn to incompetent assistants and receptionists, again, and then to their current ones that were more than competent. Apparently Tracey Davis had done far more good in Granger's department than in Blaise's company. She'd handled all the paperwork while Granger had been busy with the oath and court.

Astoria had apparently taken things on hands just to let her work on the oath too.

Draco felt immensely grateful. He watched Granger praise both her employees with a fond smile and turned his gaze to Astoria. She winked at him, her arms around Blaise's neck, slowly rounding the space between the living and the kitchen with the low music's rhythm. Blaise had closed his eyes and seemed in utter bliss.

Draco smiled and turned to Granger again, realising he hadn't really listened to what she was saying. All he'd heard was that she'd neglected her work for him, although she hadn't explicitly told him that, and that Tracey and Astoria had let her, better, helped her. For him.

She was talking, or more rambling, a small smile reaching her big brown eyes.

Granger. She'd found a way. Of course, she'd found a way. She'd broken the oath. It was the least surprising thing he'd ever heard, Hermione Granger, succeeding in something. Something she'd done for him. And she seemed as happy about it as he should be. Happy for him. She was happy for him.

It was watching her speak animatedly about oaths she'd encountered in the past that it hit him. Like a hard slap right across the face. He was free. He wasn't under oath any more. He could just sell the company. With the money he could buy potion shops. Maybe he could travel. He could buy a town house. He was free.

And Granger was still talking, her eyes animated with something wild, a spark, her glass dangerously spinning in her hand, her legs crossed under her, her hair in that messy attempt at a bun she pulled when she was overwhelmed with work.

"You're not listening, are you?" She asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. She chuckled as he blinked:

"Sorry, what were you saying?"

"I was rambling. Sorry I bored you." She smiled.

"You didn't. It's just ... I ..." He started, his breathing suddenly uneven.

"Took you long enough." She smiled. "The oath is broken." She reminded. It took him a moment to stutter:

"It is."

"You could smile. You're supposed to be happy." She was still smiling. Both her dimples were there. He gave her back her smile and hers morphed into a wide grin.

"That's better." She said. She kept grinning, her drunken hands making her glass shake. Draco had trouble tearing his eyes off of that smile. He was certain he'd never seen her smile like that before. It was ... Nice.

"Thank you." He eventually said. And then, he said it again: "Thank you." And again "Thank you."

She put her glass down on the table spilling some of the content, and drew a hand to him as he felt like he was just going to break down.

"It's alright Malfoy. It's good. It's a good thing." She comforted.

"Thank you."

"It's getting old now." She jested softly. "I just did my job, alright? Snap out of it." Her hand reached his forearm then. "Here," she said, grabbing his glass with her other hand, "Drink."

Draco did as told and gulped down a large mouthful of firewhiskey. The burning sensation didn't stop at his throat, it also burned his stomach and he winced. How she did this remaining impassible, he still didn't know.

"Thanks" He said and she chuckled:

"For what now?"

"The drink."

"Oh, you're back with me?"

"I think so."

"Good. Cause it would be a shame if you were broken now that you're free." She smirked, it was as nice as her grin.

"Indeed."

"What are you going to do now?" Her hand was still on his arm.

"Whatever I want."

"Open a potion shop?" She speculated, a curious glint in her eyes. They were really dark.

"Maybe."

"There's a new collection of potion books at Flourish and Blott's."

"I might go take a look then."

"Good." She smiled and then took her glass back and sipped at it, her small hand leaving his arm. "I'm really happy for you. It must have been really hard to be stuck with all this since the war. Like if it'd never stopped …" She frowned sadly. Compassionate she was, and so selfless.

"It was. But it's over now. Thanks to you."

"I'm glad I could help." She smiled and something flashed through his mind.

"I didn't ... Well I kind of forgot but ... How much do I owe you?" Apparently he'd said something wrong.

"What?" Her smile had vanished entirely.

"Well I asked you to ..."

"Do my job." She cut, the warning in her tone he didn't comprehend. "For which I'm paid. By the Ministry."

"It wasn't your job and you worked at night and ..." He tried.

"Are you out of your mind?" She roared.

"Why? I think it's perfectly normal to ..."

"No." She spat and then her voice softened. "I didn't do this to get anything but to help you. You won't pay a sickle. End of the discussion." She concluded sternly. Draco would have known better than to argue if only he hadn't been a tad tipsy.

"Why?"

"Does Blaise ask you for a rent?" She sighed.

"Well no but he's .."

"Don't you dare say your friend." She cut sharply.

"Rich. I was going to say rich." He quickly finished, being on the wrong end of her anger didn't seem so much of a good idea.

"Good." She frowned. There was a moment's pause then, during which she assessed his face closely. When she spoke again her voice was oddly small: "Cause we're friends, right?" She seemed to doubt it.

"I think so." He gave and her lips slowly pursued in a grim line. Draco didn't like it a bit.

"Because I helped you." She stated. It didn't sound like a question, more like she believed it. She was avoiding his eyes now and he hated it. It had nothing to do with that.

"No. Because I like you." He countered. She seemed as shocked as he was. And then, she smirked:

"Could you repeat that?"

"Never." He growled and she laughed.

"I like you too Malfoy. I'm glad we found a way." She eventually gave with both dimples.

"Me too. Th ..."

"Don't thank me again please or I might really believe you like me."

"I do." Damn, like one time wasn't enough.

She grinned though. And her dimples seemed to dance and then she shoved a strand of hair off her face and sipped at her drink and they started talking again. Eventually she squinted closer and her legs were still folded under her and she was really small. Draco talked, listened, answered, laughed and stretched his legs in front of him, protesting that he was too tall to ever be able to sit like her and still fit on the sofa without looking ridiculous. She said he was wrong. That it was easy and she patted his thigh:

"Come on try!" He obliged. He folded his legs under him and felt ridiculously stupid. She burst out laughing at him:

"You were right you look so stupid!"

"I told you!" He shrieked drunkenly, stumbling as he stretched his legs out once more. She was still trapped in a bout of giggles and even through his blurry sight, Draco found that her dimples were there, and that she was going to spill her drink for good. So he grabbed it from her hand and their fingers brushed. She stopped laughing and he justified lamely:

"You were going to spill it." She let go of it and he put it down on the table.

"You're so posh Malfoy." She said.

"I'm not."

"Why do you care for Blaise's carpet then?"

"I don't really it's ..."

"You've been watching my drink for hours." She pointed out with a sceptical eyebrow.

"Err ... I don't know. I was raised like that." He scowled.

She bent over to get even closer to him then, her face to his and, with a smirk that gripped his gaze, she said:

"Who's the little swot following all the rules now?" He had nothing to answer to that. And she didn't move away, her smirk inches from his face, some of her hair even closer. He took a strand between two fingers and pulled gently at it before letting it go. It bounced back into a curl. It was soft. He took another one and she withdrew a bit, making it escape his fingers. She was watching him questioningly, her wide brown eyes blurred by alcohol searching his face.

"Your hair is pretty." He said and her eyes started inspecting him fiercely as if she'd found lies on his face. "I'm not mocking you." He murmured and her brows furrowed in surprise. Her mouth opened slightly but she didn't say anything and feeling like she had to believe him, he drew a hand to her hair again. He pushed one rebel strand behind her ear and his fingers lost track of it as the dimple on her right cheek was there. He touched it.

A second later his lips were on hers and his long-fingered hand cupping her cheek and she froze.

He withdrew sharply, ending the kiss with a shocked face and lifted his hands in apology:

"I'm sorry it's … I didn't mean to …" She put space between them and caught her breath before trying to ease his sudden wide gaze:

"It's nothing."

"I shouldn't have, I'm sorry, I don't know what took me …"

"You were just happy. I get it. I saved your arse after all." She said, trying to convince herself more than him. What the hell had just happened?

"Still I didn't mean …"

"It's nothing. Forget it." She snapped. How did they go from friendly teasing to a kiss? With Draco Malfoy!

"Right." He blurted, visibly very uncomfortable.

"Just don't do that again, is all." She warned, although softly.

"I'll try to remember that." He scowled, his grey eyes on his hands and Hermione felt like the sky had fallen on her head.

"Good." She paused, not knowing what to do. "Now I feel uncomfortable." Right, good, point out the obvious. What a great idea.

He chuckled awkwardly, seemingly trying to ease the mood. It didn't work a bit. Hermione looked around and found how to change the subject:

"Where are they anyway? They just …"

"Planned the whole thing?" He growled, looking around himself and probably noticing only now too that both Blaise and Astoria had vanished.

"Of course. Em … I … Yes I'll just go home now." She stuttered and stood, stumbling on her feet. She was drunk, right. They were drunk. They could blame it on the alcohol, right?

Draco let her walk to the fireplace, keeping his back to her. He didn't dare look at her in the eyes. He actually found that he feared what he would see there.

After a moment she cleared her throat.

"Em Malfoy?"

"Yes?" He turned to her, unwillingly facing his fear.

"Do you think he emptied the floo powder on purpose too?" She asked, her embarrassment gone from her voice. She was frowning irritatingly.

"What do you think?" He scowled. Of course, the bastard.

"I think next time I see him, I might kill him." That fierceness wasn't a good sign for Blaise.

"Good." He snapped. "I'll hold him while you kick."

"Slow death? Good idea." She approved viciously, triggering a little chuckle from him.

"What about Greengrass? She's evil, it was probably her idea." He continued. That woman was as sly as a snake. Err …

"Right, Blaise's not that smart."

He chuckled again at her little smirk. There was pause, during which Draco dared think things had eventually gone back to normal, his horribly stupid mistake forgotten. But then she started fidgeting awkwardly again.

"Err … it's an hour and a half walk to my place …" She started and he decided not to let things be awkward.

"Take the guest room. I'll take the couch." He decided.

"You sure?" She frowned. "I mean …"

"That's what they'd planned anyway. Don't worry about me I'm too drunk to care for comfort." He dismissed.

"I'm drunk too, I don't mind taking the couch." She shrugged, her embarrassment gone and Draco congratulated himself for that.

"No. Guests take the guest room, end of the discussion." He ordered, failing to imitate her stern tone. Her eyes pleated though, and she pushed:

"Posh."

"Maybe. But you're sleeping in there." He concluded.

"Alright." She shrugged, eyeing the couch with a little smirk. He scowled, and pointed at his bedroom door. She chuckled and strode there. He turned his back to her, watching the couch himself. Damn.

"Draco?" She called softly just when he heard the door open. He had to swallow, his mouth suddenly dry, before answering:

"Yes?"

"Good night." She smiled.

"You too." He nodded and the door clicked after her. "Hermione."

Blaise scowled and closed as quietly as possible the door to his bedroom. He flicked his wand, and silenced it. Astoria sighed dejectedly:

"I told you they're just weird swots."

"It's definitely up to us, isn't it? They can't even kiss. What the fuck was that?" He growled.

"It looked like the way I peck my old auntie Sandi." Astoria grimaced.

"Great. They can't even kiss properly and now they're even mad at us."

"Still means we're not wrong. I guess it's better than nothing."

"Yes I guess it's a start. A very very slow start." He scowled.

"They'll come around. Leave it time, not everyone is like you." She smirked.

"Which means?"

"That Draco isn't really the kind to jump in someone's bed like that, is he?"

"Err … no."

"Well Hermione either." She pointed out.

"Err, sure. We keep pushing though, right?"

"Yes. Although maybe we should be a tad more subtle. We don't want an angry blond again, do we?"

"We definitely don't want an angry Granger either." Blaise shuddered extracting a little laugh from her mouth. "Go take a glass of water or something. Pretend we didn't plan anything."

"Yes, good idea." She nodded, and went for the door again.

Blaise passed his head through the creek and watched her retreating back go slowly to the living. That shirt was a tad too short for her to walk around the flat. Although the view was far from unpleasant. Wait, could he guess the start of her buttocks? Shit what were they saying? Draco was apparently struggling with the buttons of his shirt.

"Oh please you're blinding me." Astoria chuckled and he jumped:

"You're here?"

"And where would I be?" She was good at this. If ever she were to cheat on him, she was right, he'd be fooled.

"I don't know." Draco frowned suspiciously but Stori managed to make his face go smooth and then suddenly uncomfortable with three little words:

"Hermione's gone home?" She asked.

"No, there's no more floo powder." Draco answered warily. For a drunk guy he wasn't that stupid.

"Oh yes. Don't tell me you're taking the couch?"

"Astoria …" He whined. "Not you too, please." Blaise sure hadn't expected that. He was definitely drunk.

"Oh come on!" She reprimanded softly. "You didn't even dance with her." Her tone was … almost disappointed, almost sad. Salazar she was good at this!

"She didn't want to. Now …"

Blaise didn't hear what she murmured to him then, but whatever it was, Blaise had never seen Draco blush so furiously.

"Shut your dirty mouth Greengrass. I'm not a pig like your idiot over there." He snapped angrily, turning his reddening face away from her with a pissed off scowl.

"You wish you were though." She chuckled. "Good night Draco."

The last didn't answer as Stori came back to the room, without a glass of water. Although Blaise doubted Draco would notice. Too drunk and too pissed off now.

"What did you say to him?" He asked as soon as the door was silenced again.

"That he could have at least given her a thank you kiss or something." Using his awkward kiss! Devilish!

"You're the devil." He grinned.

"I love you too." She grinned back, biting her lower lip. Blaise took care of making her scream through the silenced door after that.

A/N: Couldn't leave you 'hanging' … hope you like it.