[A/N: I'm back and it hasn't been half a year! Quite enjoying writing again, so I hope I can smash out a few more chapters in the very near future. Enjoy!]

Chapter 10:

The Things That Happen In Gardens

Although she hadn't had particularly high hopes, Hermione Granger had been excited for her date. It was her first in a very long time, and she deserved to move on with her life. But when she opened the door, she just knew the evening wasn't going to end well.

It would be a catastrophe.

A colossal disaster.

Because, on her doorstep, stood not one, but two men.

It took Hermione several seconds to fully process the situation, and quite a few more before she could even think of what to say in such a situation.

Draco Malfoy was standing on her doorstep.

He was standing on her doorstep, talking to a tall, dark-haired man.

A stranger.

Her date.

Oh Merlin.

"So how do you know-"

"Hello!" Hermione interjected.

She wasn't exactly sure was speaking, although it didn't sound like Malfoy, but she really didn't want anyone answering that question. Oh, I'm Hermione's ex-boyfriend, with whom she has a child... or Well, I've never met her before, but I'm here to date her. Yeah, that'd end well. Her date would balk, and Malfoy would... she didn't know what Malfoy would do.

Her date proffered his hand, "Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Thomas. Thomas Digby."

"Hermione Granger," she smiled, shaking his hand.

She liked him immediately. Not only did he have a rich, deep voice, but he was tall (not too tall that he would be difficult to kiss if she were wearing heels), athletic (his clothes fit very nicely) and he had warm, brown eyes. Thomas Digby seemed like a nice, normal wizard. She would have to thank Ginny, if she survived the night. Hermione turned to the other man, who stood slightly back, watching curiously.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Had he heard about her date? Was he here to ruin it? Bastard. Was he jealous? No, no, not that train of thought. Hermione grimaced, "Well?"

He traced one of his eyebrows, not exactly looking her in the eye, "Sorry, I came at a bad time... I was wondering if Alec wanted to go see a Quidditch match with me tonight... although it seems that he's not here..."

He found the situation awkward. He wasn't here to ruin her date. It was even nice, Hermione considered grudgingly, that he wanted to spend time with his son on a Saturday night. And she should let him...

"Alec's at the Burrow. Make sure he takes a warm jacket, and definitely do not let him out of your sight. It's a Saturday and he can stay out until the end of the game, but I expect him back at the Burrow and in bed no later than an hour after it finishes. Are we clear?"

Malfoy chuckled, relieved, it would seem, and grinned, "Of course."

The date had gone well. Not badly, not fantastically, but well. He wasn't thrilling, and she didn't feel the urge to jump straight into bed with him, but Thomas Digby was a nice man. He was intelligent and attractive. He liked cats, and had never felt the urge to play Quidditch, which Hermione couldn't help but admire. He read not only the Daily Prophet but The Times and a business paper that Hermione would never read, even in her most dull dreams. And, although she probably shouldn't have liked this most about him, Hermione really loved his voice.

Another plus? He wasn't Malfoy.

He was Thomas Digby, a fact that she was rather glad about as they apparated together (rather closely, she noticed) back to her front gate. He was Thomas Digby, a fact that she was very conscious of when he stepped closer, so that their shoes touched. He was Thomas Digby, the first man she'd dated in a long long time, a fact that worried her as he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. He was Thomas Digby, a fact that she really wasn't thinking about as she opened her mouth slightly, making the kiss more passionate.

He was Thomas Digby.

He wasn't Malfoy.

And she was enjoying herself. She was content. She was happy.

Huh.

Draco had no idea how the match went. He was a die-hard Caerphilly Catapults fan, but he barely even mentally registered their goals. As Alec jumped up and down excitedly at every pass (his first real Quidditch match!), Draco sat, stewing, wondering how exactly Hermione was going on dates.

Had she been going on them long? Was this a common occurrence? Had Alec in his younger years accidentally called other men Daddy?! Had she come close to marrying any of them? How long had she waited since they broke up until she started dating? At least until well after Alec was born... right?

Why was he thinking these things? Why did she matter? They were done. He was happy, and he was with Alec. Well... not right now. Alec was probably safely tucked in bed at the Burrow.

He certainly wasn't standing in a muggle garden, hiding behind a small hedge and watching Hermione kiss a man she'd just met for way too long.

Thank Merlin for that, it would have been embarrassing for his son to see him like this.

The man left, and Draco poked his head around the hedge to get a better look, ignoring the flower petals that ended up in his ear.

Hermione grinned to herself before slipping inside the house.

She was happy.

"Oi! You! What are you doing in my garden?" The shrill voice echoed through the empty street.

Shit.

"I'll call the police! I will! Why are you lurking there? What are you doing?"

Hermione's door opened again, her head poking out.

"Pervert! There's a pervert in my garden!" The woman yelled, louder.

SHIT.

Draco launched himself into the cover of the hedge and out of sight before quickly apparating home.

Why was he like this?

He'd almost gotten caught stalking Hermione. He'd been called a pervert. (He clearly wasn't, but after his school years, Draco really hated name-calling and it was a touchy subject.)

Why was he doing it? It wasn't like he was jealous... he just didn't like that she was going on dates. He had his son to consider after all. It wasn't that he wanted to punch the bastard in the face for dating her. Definitely not.

What was that name anyway? Thomas Digby.

"It sounds like he wants to talk about taxes," Draco muttered to himself.

He certainly wasn't jealous.

No, definitely not.

He just... didn't like that she was dating people. People other than him.

Huh.

[A/N: Although my best friend Rose won't be reading this, half the credit for Digby's name goes to her. In her words, "It sounds like he wants to talk about taxes", which is exactly what I was going for.]