Hermione ran over and yanked the door open as Beth flounced in and threw her bag on the floor with a loud, "ARGH!"
Hermione closed the door and took a tentative step towards her friend, "First, are you really okay?"
"I'm fine, just pissed as all hell!" she screamed. "I want to hit something!"
Hermione stepped back with her hands raised in supplication. Beth caught her move and her anger faded a little. Just enough to laugh before the hurt came through. She then sank into a chair and started to cry.
Hermione ran to her friend and threw her arms around her, "Oh, Beth, what happened?"
Beth sniffled and pulled back, "Well, Blaise was right."
"About what, exactly?" Hermione asked as she reached for her wand and transfigured the television guide into a box of tissues.
Beth reached for one, but then let out another wail, "About that!" Hermione looked around to try and figure out what Beth had pointed to near them. Her eyes landed on the box of tissues and she looked back at her sniffling friend.
"I'm sorry?" she asked, very confused. "Blaise was right about tissues?"
Beth had calmed down enough to laugh a little, but sobered quickly and shook her head.
"Come on, Beth. You have to help me out here," Hermione begged. "Please start from the beginning."
Beth took a deep breath and let it out slowly before she started to speak.
"He was right about me being just a muggle."
"What on earth do you mean by that?" Hermione demanded, affronted on her friend's behalf.
"That I can't do what you guys do. That I'm not special. Not really good at anything," she whispered sadly. "No wonder he doesn't want me."
"Okay, we'll deal with you being non-magical in a moment. And, we'll take on the Blaise topic next. But, first, what the hell happened with that Dave guy to get you like this?"
Beth smiled at her friend's defense of her, even against herself.
"Well, things went fine at dinner. We went to that nice little Thai place near our old job. Remember?"
Hermione nodded and then Beth continued, "Well, we had a nice dinner and good conversation. He told me about how much he'd loved spending time in Virginia Beach over the summer. And, we talked about some of the places there we both knew. We both loved this little seafood place on the boardwalk."
Hermione smiled at the story and urged Beth to continue. She didn't know what the woman was talking about, but she figured it had to be going somewhere.
"So, anyway after dinner, he suggests we go for a walk. So we get up and leave and we're standing outside of the restaurant and I ask where we should go. And, he said how about the beach. And, I smiled 'cause I was thinking he was kidding, but I guess he took it as consent 'cause next thing I know he's gone in a pop! And, I'm standing there looking like an idiot."
"He just left you?!" Hermione exclaimed, outraged at his behavior toward her friend.
"Oh, wait, it gets better," Beth sighed. "About thirty seconds go by and he pops back beside me and goes, 'Damn, forgot you were just a muggle. Sorry about that.' JUST. Like I was, I don't know, insignificant, I guess. Then, he grabs me and says, 'Let's try that again, shall we?' Like I was going to go anywhere with him after that! So, I pulled away and told him to get off of me."
"Good for you!" Hermione cut in.
"But, he didn't want to let me walk away and tried to grab me again. So, I punched him and pulled my arm back again for another hit. I thought for a second he was going to hit me back. But, he didn't. He just stepped back and looked at me like I was dirt under his feet and said 'Oh I give up. No piece of ass is worth all this. It's not like you're anything special, just a stupid muggle with gifted friends!' And then he was gone."
"He just left you there alone?! That bastard! I'll kill him," Hermione shouted. "No, I'll get Draco and Blaise go first, and then I'll…"
"Mione, stop!" Beth interrupted her rant. Then she started to cry again, "Don't you see? He's right. I'm nobody. Not compared to you guys. I don't even know why you…"
"Don't you DARE!" Hermione said into her startled face. "I will not stand here and let you insult my friend! And, I will not let you doubt or belittle yourself that way! He's an ass, Beth. You said so yourself. Why would you let him get to you like this?"
Beth's head dropped and she sniffled into her tissue, "Bembmsblamdmbmsameway."
'I'm sorry, what?"
"Because Blaise feels the same way," she said into a new tissue.
"Is that what this is all about?" Hermione asked softly. "Blaise?"
When she got the tiny nod, she sat back and sighed, "Okay, I guess it's time to get on to topics two and three then. Two being that you are a very special woman. And, just because you can't do magic does not make you any less special. I don't know what makes you think anything less, Beth. But, for future reference, we are going to have to work on this little complex you seem to be developing."
"Good, a smile," she said when Beth's dimples appeared for a second. "Seriously you have to stop thinking of everything as muggle versus magical. Measuring your worth against witches is like saying you aren't worth anything because you don't have brown hair. It's not better, it's just different. I believe it, why can't you?"
"I know," Beth said sadly. "I do. And, I don't think about it too much or too often. I mean, you guys always include me, and you don't show off or shove it in my face. But, it's there Mione. I won't ever be able to do the things you can do. I'm not saying I'm not okay the way I am, I am usually. But, meeting Blai…more people like you guys, reminds me that I'm not special enough for someone who can do those things to want me."
"And, now we get to number three. Blaise Zabini." Hermione smiled softly as Beth's eyes misted and then slid away from hers. "You've got it bad, huh?"
Beth didn't answer, but shrugged instead.
Hermione got up and went to get them both a bottle of water from the fridge. Normally, she would have wanded them over, but with Beth's current state, she didn't want to risk it.
"You know, he's not that great a wizard, actually. I mean, he barely scraped by in school. If he hadn't been friends with Draco, I figure he probably would have flunked out. He was so busy chasing girls, he never studied. I don't know how he got any homework done, unless all those girls did it for him." Hermione realized what she was saying and who she was saying it to and quickly changed gears. "Anyway, he's never been that good at anything beyond third year magic. He's practically muggle himself, to tell you the truth."
She heard Beth's little giggle and came back around the counter to join Beth on the couch. "And, since he can't cook, clean properly, use a washing machine or dryer, turn on a computer, much less use it, cross a street at the light, drive a car, work a blow dryer, read a map…"
"I get it," Beth laughed at the long list Hermione was making. "Stop picking on him."
"Well, anyway," she laughed, "what I'm saying is he's really not worthy of you! I mean, you know so much more about real life than he does. And, so what? He can apparate, unlock doors and flick on a tv without touching it, but that doesn't make him better. Or, smarter. Or, a better friend."
Beth blew out a breath and looked up at her bangs as they fluttered back into place, "I know. It's just, sometimes I wish I could…you know. Then maybe we'd be on more equal footing. Then maybe he'd see me as more than just a friend."
"He will, Beth, I just know it. Give him time, okay? You two just met each other. He doesn't know you yet. And, he hasn't had time to figure out how much he needs to get to know you better. He still has a lot of growing up to do, you know. He's a great guy, don't get me wrong, but he's been playing all his life. And, you've only known him a few weeks. And, don't get mad at me for saying, but you fell pretty fast and you can't expect him to keep up with you."
Beth looked at her a bit defensively, "You've only been with Draco the same amount of time and you two are already up to marriage and kids!"
"We are not!" Hermione blushed as she shook her head in denial. "And, it's different for us."
"How?"
Hermione looked down as she gathered her thoughts. She'd been thrown by the image in her head of Draco and her in wedding clothes.
"Well, we've known each other a long time, not just a few weeks, Beth."
"Yeah, but you hated him," Beth pouted.
"I did. But, I still knew him. And, now, it's different, we talk and we're getting to really know each other, but our history is still there. In some ways we've been together, albeit as enemies before we were friends, but together nonetheless, since we were eleven years old. We didn't have to learn about each other's habits, quirks…everything. We already knew them." Hermione shifted to a more comfortable position and sighed, "In many ways we're doing everything backwards. We're even dating all wrong. We've been out with you two, and there was the party, but we're having our first actual date tomorrow. See backwards."
Beth laughed with her and took a sip from her drink. "So, you think this…Blaise and me getting together, can happen? Maybe? In time?"
"I do. He just has to get there, Beth. And, trust me, he's coming around already," Hermione assured her.
"Huh? What do you mean? Did he say something?"
Hermione shook her head and smiled, "Not directly. But, he was surely not happy about you going out with Dave."
Beth beamed at the news, "Really? You're not just saying that to cheer me up?"
"Not at all, promise. He seemed to feel quite strongly that Dave was not your type. I heard him tell Draco."
"Oh," Beth smiled. "Okay."
"Are you sure you're okay now?" Hermione asked as they rearranged themselves to both fit on the sofa with their legs stretched out.
"I am much better, thanks to you, Mione. You're the best, you know that, right?"
"Well, since I am such a good friend, how about I help you get a little leverage in this situation," she smiled wickedly at her friend and then flicked her wand at her.
Beth felt a tingle slide over her and looked down to see what Hermione had done. Her eyes flew open in shock and her jaw dropped as she looked back up at her friend.
Hermione giggled and smiled with a shrug, "You asked for it, remember? And, hey, he's male, a little more cleavage can't hurt."
Beth laughed with her and looked down again to stare at her newly enhanced bust line.
-- -- -- -- --
The next evening Beth giggled into the phone, "They feel funny."
Hermione laughed, "Well, I can always change them back."
"No!" Beth was quick to answer. "It's just weird. I mean, I guess I still don'thave to wear a bra, I mean, you didn't go crazy, but they still feel huge."
"You went from nothing to a B, so it's gonna take some getting used to," Hermione answered.
Beth giggled into the phone and changed the subject, "So, enough about me, my non-existent love life, and my chest. Let's talk about you. Are you ready for your big first date? Excited?"
"Yes and yes! It's our first time really alone. We're having dinner here and then he's taking me one of his favorite hangouts."
Beth asked, "And, where's that?"
Hermione shrugged with a laugh, "No idea. I tried to pry it out of him this morning, but he won't tell me."
"Well, how are you supposed to dress?" Beth asked.
"He said just comfortably," Hermione answered as she adjusted the phone to the other ear and tossed some dried cranberries and almond slices on top of her mixed salad.
"Well that's not helpful," Beth sighed.
"Don't I know it," Hermione laughed in answer. "It took me forever to get him to understand the difference between dressing comfy for dancing and comfy for a movie."
"So?"
"Comfy for a movie."
"Think that's where he's taking you? A movie?"
"I don't think so, but who knows."
"Well, I better let you go, it's almost six. Have a fabu time and don't forget one detail!"
Hermione laughed at Beth's enthusiasm, "I'll try not to. Talk to you later."
"Bye."
Hermione hung up and looked around her kitchen to make sure everything was in place. She had prepared the salad, had the steaks marinating, and already finished the potatoes au gratin, so all she would have to do was heat it up. She stopped herself from making dessert, because Draco had said they could have dessert where they were going.
The park? A movie? Walking along Broadway? Comedy Club? No, I would need to dress better than jeans. ARGH! I hate surprises! What is it? Bowling? Oh, I'd love to see that. I would kick his cute little butt. I wonder if he knows how? Hmm I'll have to ask. Okay, lipstick!
Hermione rushed to her bathroom and touched up her makeup. She slid some gloss across her lips just as she heard a pop of apparition from the hallway outside of her apartment, followed by his knock on the door.
"One minute," she called as she stopped herself from running to the door. Breathe! It's just Draco. Relax. BREATHE!
Her feet moved to the door, even though her brain was still trying to make her lungs function, and she opened the door to him.
Both stood staring at one another for a moment before they together breathed, "Hi!"
Draco opened his mouth to say something, but quickly lost his train of thought. Her little bare feet peeked up at him with each toe sporting bright red polish. As he moved up her body he saw she was dressed in tight jeans that seemed to be molded to her legs and hips, and a tight green shirt with little teeny straps. The straps called for him to slide them down and kiss her shoulders, and then continue pulling to reveal the rest of her. But, he felt the breath rush from his body as his gaze found her lips, full, lush, open just slightly, glazed and beckoning.
Hermione's lips had parted in surprise and joy when she saw Draco in her doorway. He was dressed casually in jeans and a polo shirt that brought out more of the blue of his eyes. She let her eyes slide hungrily down and back up with a tiny smile, as she took in the taught stomach and muscled chest displayed so nicely by the well-fitted shirt. It wasn't until her eyes reached his, which were sparkling in laughter that she remembered that she was blatantly staring and hadn't yet let him into the apartment. She blushed a little and stepped back to allow him entrance.
Draco moved forward with a light chuckle and said, "I must remember to get a bunch more of these shirts."
"Oh stop!" she laughed embarrassed.
He raised a bottle of wine and smiled at her, "I hope whatever you're serving goes with a red."
She nodded and fidgeted as if she didn't quite know what to do or say. Truthfully, she didn't. The enormity of finally getting to her first date with him dropped on her like an anvil. She was top of her class in every subject ever put before her, but she had never really gotten the hang of dating. And, she hadn't had a lot of experience with men other than Harry, Ron and Ron's brothers. She liked Draco and didn't want to blow things in one night, but her nerves were revving on high and Ron's words kept running through her head.
He knows you haven't had a lot of experience in this arena and he's using that. He's setting you up, hon.
She was as sure as she could be that he wasn't using her or setting her up, but she couldn't get past the fact that he knew of her inexperience. What if I turn him off? Or, he gets bored with me? What should I say? I need to be calm and interesting. Crap, I should have made a list of small talk items. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize he had moved to stand in front of her.
"Hermione?" he said softly to get her attention.
He saw her eyes fly up to focus on his and then blink rapidly as she struggled with something.
She's scared! Huh? Why would she be scared? What do I say? Okay, good, her color's coming back. Say something, idiot! Something that won't scare her more.
"Come here," he whispered as he pulled her into a hug. She was stiff as a board and her arms didn't immediately rise to hug him back. He was really worried.
"Hon, whatever's wrong, we'll deal, okay? Just tell me what it is."
She didn't speak, but he heard her take a deep breath. Then her hands slid up his sides to rest on his chest on either side of her head.
His heart clenched at the shakiness of her voice when she softly said, "Nothing's wrong. Not really. I'm sorry. This wasn't supposed to…I mean… Some hello, huh…I'm sor…Draco, I'm just really nervous all of a sudden. I…I don't know what to sa…" Then she looked up at him, "I don't want to blow this."
He almost laughed in relief, but knew that wouldn't help matters. He blew out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and hugged her tighter for a few seconds.
"Well, I'm glad it's not just me," he said into her hair. When her head lifted and she looked at him in question, he continued with a little chuckle, "Yes, Draco Malfoy gets nervous. I don't want to mess up, either. I really like you, more than I probably should at this stage, but there it is. And, it's nice to know I'm not the only one having a little panic tonight."
Hermione stared up into his face and saw the sincerity in his eyes.
"Kiss me," she whispered.
When he arched a brow at her, she smiled and shrugged as she pinkened, "It might relax me."
"My pleasure," he answered and lowered his lips to hers.
What the feel of his arms around her had started, and the smell of his unique scent had prodded along, while his words had slid over her like a warm cascade, his lips touching hers finished the job. His tender ministrations eased her tension, and as his tongue swept in to meet hers, she felt the thrill of being with him glide over her like silk.
His light moan brought her back to the fact that they hadn't left the doorway, even though the door had somehow closed behind her.
She pulled back after one last peck and smiled up at him, "So, you still want to have dinner with the crazy lady?"
"Well, Granger, I might as well," he laughed with her. "No sense wasting good food."
-- -- -- -- --
Author's Note –
Thank you again to every one of you who has read this story. Another thank you and a hug to those who have reviewed it. And, finally, a hug, kiss, and squeal to the following additional people who have added this story as a Favorite, me as a favorite author, or set an alert for it.
DRACOANDHERMIONELOVER, cheeks, drakeofshadow, babiijorx0, hermione6913, j2poet, LuvDramione22, saynomore15, Kmommie, purplepanties, and raedae
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