Needing Is One Thing; Getting? Getting's Another
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Prompt: "Anonymous asked: Ok, so this is my prompt is for the Needing Is One Thing or a new story, Viktor Krum arrives to London. He wants to see Hermione, he still likes her, so he looks for her. Hermione wants to see Viktor because he's her friend, but she doesn't have any romantic feelings for him. I want to see a jealous Draco, though."
Draco: Part 2
Fall 2004
"Oh, I can't meet on Wednesday," Hermione said, shooting him an apologetic smile.
Draco blinked. This would mark the first time Hermione had ever refused a date, and although he knew it was likely just a scheduling conflict, he felt a thin coil of dread curl down his spine. He smiled through it, effortlessly and breezily confident. "Oh?"
It had been eight months since he'd first asked her out, and he'd never stopped truly wondering when she was going to come to her senses and break up with him. Especially lately, when the more unsavory aspects of his personality – temperamental, judgmental, a bit nasty when grumpy – were becoming harder and harder to hide. Although she gave as good as she got when he was in a particularly unforgiving mood and showed no real signs of ending things the first few times they'd argued, he figured it was only a matter of time.
"Viktor's coming into town Tuesday to Friday for some Quidditch thing," she said, waving her hand a bit when she realized she couldn't recall what exactly the 'Quidditch thing' was. "We're supposed to meet and catch up on Wednesday."
It took him a few seconds to place the name. "Krum?" he asked, incredulously. "You still talk to him?"
"Sure, we probably write a few times a year," she said, looking slightly confused by his surprise. "We're still good friends."
Somehow, Draco doubted that. The way Krum had left Hermione after the tournament didn't look like sodding friendship to him. It looked like he was utterly besotted with her, which was ridiculous because 1) he barely knew her and 2) he barely bloody knew her.
He could feel his eye twitching a bit. "Where will you go?" he asked, casually.
"Probably the Leaky Cauldron, or something. Oh, do you think I should show him something fun in London?" Hermione asked, frowning a bit. "That didn't even occur to me. I should be showing him a good time, right?"
"No," he responded, flatly. At her confused stare, he molded a smile onto his face. "I mean, no, that's not really your responsibility. I'm sure he's got a lot planned for the week, he probably just wants a casual night to catch up. I'll come," he offered.
He expected her to refuse, but she smiled. "Really? Sure."
Of course, he had to protect his territory from roaming single males. Law of the Jungle, and all that.
Naturally, the plan would have gone a lot better if he was able to meet them on time. When something had suddenly come up in his father's affairs, he'd sent her an owl assuring her that he was coming, but he would likely be late. He wasn't able to stick around and see if he'd gotten a reply.
So when he went to the Leaky Cauldron a good two hours after they'd probably gone there, he was both surprised and not very surprised to realize they weren't there.
Striding to the bar, he demanded, "Hermione Granger and that Bulgarian moron. Where did they go?"
The bartender stared at him, speechless for a moment.
"Any time today," he snapped, irritably.
"Um, I think they went into Muggle London," she stammered, a little thrown off by his brusqueness. "Something about an… an eye?"
"The London Eye?" She blinked, nodding a bit, and his face twisted into a little snarl as he turned and stormed out of the Leaky and straight into Muggle London. He only just barely remembered to transfigure his clothes into something more appropriate.
The London Eye was the highlight of their sixth date. It was also the romantic moment that had eventually culminated in their having sex for the first time.
And now she was taking Krum on it.
Of course, he didn't doubt Hermione's intentions. For such an intelligent witch, the woman could be a thrice-blasted idiot sometimes, as naive and unassuming as a bloody four-year old. She didn't have it in her to be unfaithful, or knowingly lead a man on when she was in a relationship. She very likely just thought she was being nice and showing Krum a good time.
But Krum? Krum, he wasn't sure about. Not at all.
He was fuming the entire walk there. When he arrived, he didn't see them in the line to get on, which meant they were probably already up there. Alone. In a compartment together. With a big, fat romantic view laid out before them.
Gritting his teeth, Draco took up a post just outside of the ride, his eyes narrowed at the cars that were deboarding.
Finally, he saw them.
She was laughing, the wind picking up her hair. He was laughing, too, but his eyes were caught on her in a way that she seemed utterly oblivious to, a strange softness in his gaze that set Draco's teeth on edge.
He was going to punch that Bulgarian's lights out.
"Draco!" Hermione said, surprised. "Oh, good, you got my owl." It hadn't even occurred to him to go home and check for a response from her. He nearly kicked himself.
Stepping towards her, he made brief eye contact with Krum before snatching her against him and snogging her thoroughly. She squeaked in surprise against his mouth, stiffening for a moment before relaxing. He could feel the faint sound of laughter bubbling up out of her throat as she reached up and smoothed her hand over the side of his neck.
When he released her, she laughed again, a little confused. "What was that for?"
Draco smiled, the expression like a shark's as he took in Krum's slightly crushed expression. "Just missed you," he said, sweetly, and was rewarded with a beaming smile.
Law of the Jungle, bitch, he thought, smugly.
