Chapter Five – I Like You

Draco and Hermione met at that same restaurant the next day. They were seated at a table for two. Their server came almost immediately, and they ordered the same drinks they had gotten the day before. They looked at their menus.

"Have you eaten here before?" asked Draco.

"No, I have not," replied Hermione. "Why?"

"I was just wondering if you could recommend something," said Draco. "I haven't eaten a lot of French food."

"Well, I haven't eaten here, but I have eaten a lot of French food, and my recommendation is vichyssoise, which is cold potato soup."

"Okay, that sounds good. I will have that."

A couple of minutes later, the server came and they ordered their food.

"I will get boeuf bourguine (braised beef in red-wine sauce)," said Hermione, closing her menu.

"And I will have vichyssoise," said Draco, also closing his menu.

They continued talking for the next fifteen minutes while they waited for their food to come. They both finished their food thoroughly and enjoyed it. At the end of the meal, Draco and Hermione were both strangely quiet. All of a sudden, Draco kissed Hermione.

"What did you do that for?" asked Hermione, pulling away from the kiss, after about a minute.

"Hermione, I really like you," said Draco.

"You do?" asked Hermione.

"Yes," replied Draco, smiling.

"I like you, too," said Hermione admittedly.

"I'd love to see you again," said Draco.

"I would too," admitted Hermione. "Where do you live?"

"In England. I'm just on vacation here in Paris."

"Moi aussi."

"What?"

"Moi aussi! Don't you speak French?"

"Not really. The only French I know is oui and non – yes and no."

"Literally, 'me also'. Not literally, 'me too'."

"Oh. That makes sense. Where in England do you live?"

"Chamleigh, et toi?"

"Again, I don't speak French!"

"'Et toi' means 'and you'."

"Oh. I live in Appledore."

"That's not very far from where I live. 30 minutes driving or riding at the most."

"Hmmm... That's not very far. We could easily meet in Appledore or Chamleigh."

"Yeah. We could."

"Would you like to meet in Appledore?"

"As a date?"

"Yeah."

"Ok."

Draco smiled.

"Draco, before we go on a first date, I have to tell you something that might change your mind about me."

"What?"

"You know the Hermione you mentioned earlier?"

"The one I went to school with?"

"Yes."

"What about her?"

"Draco, I'm that person. My name is Hermione Anne Granger, and I went to Hogwarts, your (if I'm not mistaken) school."

"What?" said Draco. "You're joking."

"No. I'm not."

"Oh my gosh. How come you didn't say anything when I was talking about my school?"

"I was afraid to. You didn't recognize me, and were being really nice. I was afraid that you'd leave because of the horrible past we've had. I was afraid you'd still hate me."

"I don't."

"I know."

They continued to talk, and then both left. They met one week later in Appledore. They continued to meet every Saturday for the next couple of months, until September when Draco had to go back to teaching at Hogwarts. They continued to be in contact through letters. About every three or four weeks, the students at Hogsmeade on Saturday. As a result, those staff members who weren't the Head of one of the house were allowed to go to Hogsmeade also. These weekends Hermione and Draco met together, unless Hermione's work schedule didn't allow her to.

The next April, eleven months after Draco and Hermione had met, Draco asked Hermione to move in with him during the summer. She said yes, since her lease was up at the apartment she lived in. For the first month she lived there, everything went wonderful.