Chapter 8
Hermione's POV
I sat on my couch lazily, staring at the blank wall. It was white and plain, with a few photos hanging. It was plain boring. I stared harder at the wall, wanting is to change the color, but alas, it is not possible unless I swish my wand and I am not in a mood to do that (more like too lazy to do that). It was Sunday, and it was alright to be lazy on Sundays.
I was still living in our my apartment. I had kicked Ron out long ago. He could live in his private home from now on. I came to know about that later. The nerve of some people I tell you!
It has been 3 weeks since our so called 'break-up'. It hit the news the next day. I was on the front page the next day and still continued to be in the paper for the next 4 days. I have to admit, I enjoyed that little show of ours. I know that Harry and all of them planned that, but I didn't want to burst their bubble, so I kept quiet. It was hilarious, I tell you!
This wall needs change. I need change. My life needs change.
I got up and got ready to Floo to the Potter residence.
"'Mione!" I was greeted by Harry's friendly face, who was lounging on the couch. I knew that he was too lazy to get up and greet me and I was too lazy to go up to him and hug him, so I sat on the loveseat which was the closest to the fireplace.
I saw Ginny enter the living room with Teddy.
"'Mione" Ginny greeted me, bending to give me a one arm hug. At least someone's not lazy on a Sunday late morning.
"Hey Gin." I greeted her in return.
"Aunt 'Mione!" Teddy exclaimed and threw his arms around me. I hugged him back.
We talked about everything and nothing for a bit, when I realized they all were dressed to go out.
"You are going out somewhere?" I asked.
"Yeah. Today's Teddy's day." Harry said with a huge smile, while Teddy sat on my lap, eyes filled with excitement. Teddy's Day is basically a day which comes around once a month. This day Harry and Ginny do all the things Teddy likes and also buy him some treats.
"That's great." I said to Teddy, whose grin grew bigger and bigger every second. Feeling like an intruder I put Teddy down and stood up to leave.
"Well, I better leave you guys to that. I will get going." I said and gave a kiss to Teddy and turned towards Ginny to kiss her a goodbye.
"You came here for something?" Ginny asked, kissing my cheek.
"Well, I wanted to buy a new apartment. I have got enough money. My home is like a showpiece. My wrong step and something goes crashing down. And to be honest, I want to get out of there." I said with a sigh. I went to Harry to bid him a goodbye.
"Sorry 'Mione." Harry said to me, while hugging.
"No, please, not at all." I said with a huge smile.
"Well. If it's really very important, you should go to Malfoy. I am sure he knows about some great places." He said with his eyebrows raised.
"Okay, then I will be in my way to Malfoy Manor. Bye." I bid my last goodbyes and entered the fireplace, ready to go to Malfoy Manor.
"Malfoy Manor." I said and threw the floo powder in the fire.
I appeared in the Malfoy Manor a second later and was greeted by a house elf immediately.
"Miss Hermione. Ivy is glad to see Miss Hermione here." Ivy, a properly dressed house elf greeted me.
"Hello Ivy. Is Malfoy here?" I asked her politely, kneeling in front of her.
"Yes Miss Hermione. Ivy saw master in his library. Should Ivy tell him you are here?" the house elf asked kindly.
"No thank you Ivy. I will go meet him myself. You can go back to the kitchen." I said and with a bow Ivy disappeared. I looked around the huge living room again. I always found myself doing this, whenever I came to the Malfoy Manor. Malfoy had given the Manor a complete makeover after the war. Now it looked like a paradise, with super comfy couches and beds.
I remember how I felt when I first came to this Manor. It was so cold. I remember how Bellatrix tortured me and how Malfoy had not given away Harry's identity that night.
I went up the stairs, remembering all the changes he had made. He had taken away all the annoying pictures of his ancestors and burned them in the fire. He had given freedom to all the elves, but some decided to stay. They adored him. Senior Malfoy was horrible to them, but Junior Malfoy wasn't. And they decided to give him a second chance. He gave them money and dresses all year round. They were also free to leave the Manor, whenever they want.
I asked him why he didn't buy another manor. His answer was quite simple yet surprising. This Manor contained all his happy memories, his memories with his mother and the change that took place in him, and it was too much for him to sell this house and too horrible to stay in the same house. So he chose the best option, remodeling!
He changed the wall color from the theme of dark green to the theme in which blue, light green and cream were present, and it was simply beautiful. It doesn't seem like the same manor, and it actually isn't. There was no discrimination against pureblood or half blood, no judgements and no horrible treatment towards house elves.
I smiled and went to the large library. I knocked and entered without his permission. He was lazily reading a book about magical creatures.
"Granger" he greeted me without glancing upwards. I was the only one who knocked and came in, even though it was before his response. Most of the people enter without knocking, even the house elves.
"Malfoy" I greeted him and sat across him, on a couch, which looked familiar to the ones in the hospital. I looked at the couch and looked pointedly at Malfoy, who was now looking at me.
"I really liked that couch." He said, as an explanation.
"You brought the couch from the hospital?" I exclaimed.
"No Granger, I bought it." He said, putting his book down.
I stood up and went through the rows of bookstands. It was almost as big as the Hogwarts library.
"I want you to come with me to buy my new apartment." I said without looking at him as I ran my fingers on the spines of the books.
"Is that a request or an order?" I he asked me, sarcastically.
"An order." I said, rolling my eyes.
"Potters?" he asked.
"Busy. Apparently it is Teddy's day." I said nonchalantly. He just nodded. Silence followed for a few minutes. It was not an awkward one.
"So, you got some nice places in your mind?" I asked him, looking at him.
"Actually, I do." He said with a smirk.
Oh no!
4 HOURS LATER
"Bloody hell! Those were the most awful apartments I have ever seen." I said with a sigh, sitting down on the café seat. I had no idea which café we were in, and frankly, I didn't care. I was too tired. I saw Malfoy smirking across the table at me.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you Malfoy." I accused him.
"You may never come to know that Granger." He said, his smirk grew big.
I huffed as the waiter arrived to take our orders. After giving our orders we just talked, like old friends, about everything. We didn't even notice the waiter coming and serving our drinks. I didn't remember when I finished my drink. We were having such fun, arguing and agreeing.
"I know the best place for you Granger. The apartment practically screams your name." he said with a smirk as we were about to leave.
"Of course you do, don't you?" I said, sarcastically.
"I am not kidding Granger." He said, smirk still present but eyes serious.
"Well, then what are we waiting for?" I said with a smirk matching his. We both stood up and walked out of the café.
I wish Ron and I had such pleasant and fun time.
Wait! Did I just compare the time spent with Ron to that spent with Malfoy?
Well I am doing it on a regular basis, am I not?
Yes, I am actually. I have been comparing Ron with Malfoy for a long time.
Gah! Whatever. I have a home to buy! I thought to myself while putting my hand in Malfoy, ignoring the chill which ran through my spine, so that he could apparate us to where ever the apartment was which screamed my name.
ONE HOUR LATER…
"This apartment does scream my name." I said and whirled around.
This apartment was in the Wizarding world, but nothing about this apartment was magical. It was a simple Muggle building in the Wizarding World. It had 3 floors and only 2 apartments on each floor. The apartment which is vacant, in which we are standing right now, is the one on the 3rd floor. It is large, but not that large and beautiful. For 3rd floor, my apartment was too high from the ground, but so are the ceilings. I had a spacious living room. When you enter the apartment you have to take a few steps to enter the living room and what you see is not a wall, but instead there were sliding doors present and a breath-taking view of all the buildings. It was almost twilight and the view was oh so beautiful! To the left of the huge window there was a wall which was one fourth of the whole wall, half the length and breadth of the wall, in the bottom right corner. This wall was the dividing factor of the kitchen and the living room. If you walk into the kitchen you would see the kitchen counters attached to dividing wall. It was spacious enough for a dining table of six to be placed in there. But if you ignore the kitchen and keep moving forward from the living room, you will find yourself in a hallway with 4 doors, 2 on the left, one on the front and one on the right. The one in the front was the bathroom. The one in the right is the master bedroom with a bathroom, which will be my bedroom, if I by this apartment, which I will. The first door on the left was another bedroom with a bathroom, but not as big as the master bathroom (it will be Teddy's room), and the second door to the left was the other bedroom, without a washroom.
I came back from the apartment tour to the living room to see the last rays of the sun going down. The lights of the buildings looked like fireflies in the night sky. I turned around to see Malfoy, with his hands in his pockets, and an elder man, who was there to sell the apartment.
"Well?" Malfoy asked with his eyebrows raised. I saw the stress lines on the other man, waiting for my answer.
"This apartment is mine." I declared with a huge smile. Malfoy cracked a smile and so did the old man, in relief.
The old man showed us out and we discussed a few matters about the amount and stuff. Half an hour later Malfoy and I were walking the streets.
"You did that on purpose didn't you?" I asked Malfoy.
"Did what?" Malfoy asked innocently, fully aware of what I was asking.
"You brought me to this apartment after taking me to those horrible apartments." I said, looking at him sideways.
"Well, aren't you satisfied? You looked more happy, actually anyone would, after seeing those horrible ones. That and the tiredness made you happier. Admit it Granger, you wouldn't have been this happy if I showed you this place in the first place." He said, looking at me.
"Aww! Did I just witness Malfoy making me happy? I will surely remember this day." I teased me. He glared at me.
"Granger…" he threatened, his eyes becoming narrow. I laughed and ran. I heard him run after him. He was fast but I am not that slow, running from Voldemort and all. And I also had started running every morning after war, to refresh my mind.
I was growing tired after running through the crowd for a few meters, so I stopped on the pavement, with my hands on my knees, breathing hard. I heard Malfoy running towards me after a few seconds. I raised my arm to stop him. He stopped right in front of me and leaned against the railing to catch his breath.
When I stood up, I saw him looking at me and I felt butterflies in my stomach. I frowned.
I can't possibly like Malfoy like that can I?
Of course not! I don't like him. I mean I do, but like a friend, not like a… you know.
But it's been a long time since I felt like this… like a silly teenager!
Woah! You just got a little too ahead didn't you Hermione? You are talking like I have a crush on him. I do not!
I didn't say you do. I am just sating maybe you like him, more than a friend.
No, I do not!
Ok, so when was the last time you felt like this.
In Hogwarts, whenever I am with Ron.
Exactly! After graduating you knew Ron had changed and you stopped feeling like that but now, now you feel like that again. You like him!
I do not!
Yes you do!
Even if I do, why did I feel it so suddenly?
You have liked him for a long time, but now you have realized it.
I told you I am not!
If you don't like, why are you arguing with me?
What do you mean?
You wouldn't be arguing with yourself if some part of you didn't feel attracted towards him, would you?
That is when I realized I had been arguing with myself.
"Hello! Earth to Granger." I heard Malfoy say, waving his hand in front of me. I blinked a few times.
"I am sorry. I was just… thinking." I said, my cheeks going pink.
"You OK? You look a bit flustered." Malfoy said, his arms crossed, still leaning against the railing.
"I am alright. Just tired." I answered. I hope he doesn't push much. You know the thing about Malfoy; he doesn't push much, which I am very grateful to, unlike Ginny or Harry. I hope he does that now too.
"OK. You should go and get some rest. You have a busy week ahead, Granger." He said with a smirk.
"Yeah. Thank you, Draco. For everything you did today." I said, deliberately using his first name to convey that I was truly thankful.
He just nodded. "Don't make me say that will make me feel embarrassed for the rest of my life Granger." He said, replacing his smirk with a genuine smile which caused my stomach to flutter again.
I didn't know what came over me but I leaned in, stood on my tiptoes, and kissed him on the cheek.
"Goodbye Draco." And with that I apparated to my flat.
DRACO'S POV
I just stood still as she leaned in, standing on her toes, and kissed me on the cheek.
"Goodbye Draco." She whispered against my cheek and apparated away.
I just stood there, in the same position, afraid that if I move, it will all be a dream. I liked Granger for a long time. Maybe, the time when she punched my nose in the 3rd year. Of course I didn't realize it then but after the war, I spent months recapitulating all the memories as they were from my childhood, I was fascinated. No one could come back with sensible comebacks, maybe Harry, but not always, no one dared to touch me, let alone punch me.
When we met for the first time, she knew what I had gone through, but didn't give me any sympathetic looks or scowls, which most people did. She started at me blank and said, "I have come to know that Harry is your Auror patner. Mess up and no one will be able to fix up the mess that I make of you." And just went away. I thought she was one of the people who hated me but when we met for the second time, she acted like I was another fellow Auror, doing her job and talked to Harry and I as we talked about our first case together. She didn't treat me as a fuss or a highly important person, which I highly appreciated of. It's been 2 years since that incident and we have pretty much grown to each other's company. We would visit each other's house uninvited, just like we would barge in Harry's house. We have been good friends. I don't exactly know when I started to like her, but yeah, I like her, in more-than-a-friend way.
I touched my cheeks where Granger had kissed me and smiled a bit. I stood there for a few minutes, her kiss lingering my cheek, with a goofy smile. I feel like a silly teenager, who asked his crush out and got a 'yes'. I apparated home, realizing that it was already dark, and went to straight to my room. I changed my clothes and lay on my bed with only one thought on my mind.
I won't be able to sleep tonight!ssss