Chapter Eleven: Death by Chocolate

Harry and Ron with Kira and Kimberly went back to join the party, both now solemn and unable to join in on the fun. Neither one wanted to discuss what had just happened in the kitchen with the girls. They ended up spending the rest of the party in one of the rooms on the floor the Brits were staying on that had a couple of couches and a TV watching a movie until Kira decided to make the first move.

Draco led Hermione to the chair they were on the last time they really spoke. He looked at her wondering what to say. He couldn't tell her just yet. He had to give it time.

"Amara-"

"Thank you Drae," Hermione said before he could finish. She looked down and blushed. "I know those guys can be a little, you know. They're really overprotective and a little, er, hotheaded."

Draco chuckled to himself and shook his head. "I know what you're saying. There are a couple of guys like that at my school. Two guys and a girl. They're inseparable."

"That's like us," Hermione told him. "Those guys and I are practically connected at the hip most of the time." She giggled at the memories she shared with her best friends over the years. "We're always sneaking around the school together after curfew."

"You lot sound like quite the troublemakers," Draco said. "Like my classmates. You remind me of the girl, actually." Hermione tried to think; was that a good thing or bad? "She's quite cute," they got closer, "and smart," and closer, "and," they kissed.

"Drae Meyer," Hermione said softly "I think I'm falling for you."

Draco smiled at her and took her hand in his. "That makes the two of us." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"Let's get out of here."

"I'm not so sure about your cousin and her friends Em."

"Oh shush Gails."

Abigaile crossed her arms and looked around the room. She worked hard over the years not to upset Emelyn. The two were close friends, but not the best. Emelyn always knew that Abigaile could get jealous, especially when it came to her best friend.

"She's my cousin, they're her best friends and they're all here until they say so," Emelyn said. "Please don't give them a hard time. Amara likes Drae and I honestly think that they are better for each other than they think they are. Now please get off of it and have another beer so you can get drunk enough to make out with your ex-boyfriend."

Abigaile grabbed the can from Emelyn's hand and walked over to Pop.

Emelyn rolled her eyes and sighed. Sometimes friends could be a bit annoying.

The party continued for another hour or two until the only people left were Lana and Lissie, Rita, Bobby, Vinny, Nate and Pop. Abigaile had left earlier with her older brother, or more dragged than leaving, and Hermione, Draco, Harry, Ron, Kira and Kimberly were nowhere to be found.

Emelyn looked around, thanking her friend for helping to clean up the house. Lissie and Lana had to go though, and were Bobby, Rita and Vinny's ride, so everyone left, making plans for the following week leaving Emelyn to take a shower and change into pajama shorts and an old, small t-shirt.

She decided to go up to Hermione's room to see if she could find a book to read, but when she heard the end credits for a movie down the hall she found out where Harry and Ron went to all evening. She curled up into the black armchair and looked through the books her cousin brought across the ocean.

There was a thick book at the bottom of the pile of books in her trunk. It looked like a scrapbook. Emelyn opened it up and saw the people in the pictures moving like that ones her aunt and uncle sent her parents that Hermione took in school.

There was Harry next to an old man with a goblet with blue flames.

There was Ron with, who she assumed, his siblings. There were three older boys, two were identical twins, and a shorter girl.

There was her cousin with Harry and Ron.

There was, wow, was that Hermione slapping…Draco?

Hermione wrapped her arms tighter around Draco's stomach. She was riding on the back of his motorcycle and they were heading…well she didn't know where they were heading, but he didn't seem to know either. They'd been riding for about twenty minutes and were nearing the beach.

Draco stopped at the beach they had gone to where they played volleyball and led Hermione down the block across the street where there was an open café-looking restaurant.

They were holding hands all the way down, but Hermione stopped and pulled him back a step before entering. She looked up into his eyes and stroked his black eye gently.

"I still can't believe they did that to you," she said gently. "I am so sorry."

He took her hand and kissed it. "Don't worry. I got worse from my classmate a few years ago." He chuckled.

Hermione blushed remembering her own encounter a few years ago leaving a black eye behind. "I know what you're talking about, believe me."

They were showed to a quiet table outside where they spent the evening talking and laughing, not knowing that their secrets were about to get out.

"I still can't believe you asked for a non-alcoholic alcoholic drink," Draco whispered as the waiter left with their dessert orders.

Hermione blushed. "I still can't believe we were hungry enough to go through dinner, breadsticks and now desert."

"Now don't tell me that you consider a Cappuccino and piece of apple pie dessert."

"Well sorry if it isn't Death by Chocolate, but how do you know that my secret plan wasn't to say 'look over there' and then switch our plates when you fell for it?" Hermione asked with a smirk.

Draco laughed with her and put the flower from the vase in the middle of the table into her hair and tucked it behind her ear. Hermione blushed and let the waiter put their orders in front of them. Hermione thanked the man and began on her pie.

"At least taste the chocolate before taking the healthy…er choice," Draco said, holding up a piece of chocolate syrup and whipped cream covered chocolate cake. Hermione opened her mouth and let him feed her the chocolate cloud.

"Mm," she let out. "Look over there."

Draco smirked and shoved a forkful of cake into his mouth.