Annoyance in the Court

and the past knocks on your door

and throws stones at your window at four in the morning

- Shine, Anna Nalick

Part Three

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Day 26

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Draco could feel Pansy pulling at the fabric of his dress robes. He knew that she was trying to get his attention but he was too busy watching her. She was standing off to the side of the dance floor by herself. The large, hulking Krum had walked off to get drinks and left her alone.

Draco had hardly been able to take his eyes off her all night, ever since she arrived in those blue robes and with tamed hair and looking completely unrecognisable. Hermione Granger was beautiful tonight and everyone in the room was aware of it. He wasn't aware that he had shaken Pansy off or that he had moved at all until he was suddenly standing right in front of Granger.

He held a hand out to her before he could lose his nerve. "Would you care to dance?" Draco asked cautiously.

Hermione's eyes widened in shock. She opened her mouth to reply but immediately snapped it shut again. With a hesitant smile on her face she nodded and placed a hand in his. Draco returned the smile and led Hermione out onto the floor.

The rest of the world disappeared. He didn't hear Pansy screaming at him or the outrage of Potty and the Weasel. He didn't see the confused look on Krum's face when he returned with the drinks or the approval on Dumbledore's.

All that Draco could see was Hermione looking up at him and smiling. Nothing else mattered.

Draco stood and looked around at the full Wizengamot assembled, psyching himself up to deliver his closing argument. He had provided his witnesses (including Dobby who he, Hermione and Luna had been able to smuggle out again before Rogerson and his henchmen could get their hands on him) and the defence had provided theirs. This would be his last chance to sway the court in his favour. This moment could make or break their whole case. What he said now would determine whether Dipsy would be able to walk away from the Albertens as a free elf.

Draco didn't need to look to his left to know that Hermione and Luna were looking up at him from their table. He could feel the weight of their stares, just as he could feel the weight of all the members of the Wizengamot all looking down on him. Pulling a piece of paper from his pocket, Draco read through the short good luck note he had received from his mother that morning. His mother and Lucius might not agree with his decision to work on this law suit but at least Narcissa was consistent in her love and wish for Draco to succeed. He had received a similar note from her every morning before entering a new trial.

Taking one final deep breath, Draco strode forward and began to speak. "How would you feel if your child was hit or kicked? How would you feel if they were burnt, scalded, made to beat their own head against a wall or had spells tested on them and were unable to fight back? How would you feel if it happened to you yourself? And all because you missed a speck of dirt while dusting. Or because you put too much pepper on the roast pork. This is what house-elves just like Dipsy have to put up with every minute of every day."

As Draco fell into the rhythm of his argument he stopped hearing what it was that he was actually saying. He knew that he had started strong. He could feel that he was speaking well. He let the words flow from him but the sound of his voice no longer registered with him.

What did register was the look of awe on Hermione's face. Luna was no longer in a dreamland, but was listening intently to every word he said. The defence lawyer's scowl and the fury that passed like a cloud across Mr and Mrs Alberten's faces. Robert Rogerson twitching at the side of the courtroom, knowing that he would soon lose the first tiny part of all his power. And Dipsy, who was glowing with gratitude in between Hermione and Luna.

There was absolute silence as Draco finished his closing statement. No one moved as they all stared at him. The members of the Wizengamot were all watching him speculatively. Draco nodded to them and returned to his seat next to Hermione. He didn't let the smile erupt across his face, it was too soon for that, but he felt certain that they would win. Draco didn't think he'd ever been surer of something in his life.

Minister Scrimgeour held everyone's attention as he said, "Both sides have presented compelling arguments. I believe it is in the best interest for all if I and the other members of the Wizengamot now discuss in full all that has been presented to us today. We will owl you our decision once we have reached it." Standing to leave he added, "Court dismissed."

Luna was already discussing the proceedings with Dipsy so Draco turned his head to Hermione. She was quickly writing down a note, but sensing his gaze she glanced up to meet it. When it looked like he wasn't going to say anything at all Hermione murmured, "That was amazing Malfoy."

The corners of his mouth tilted up. "I think we should get out of here," he replied and then smirked. "I have a father to annoy with tales of my heroic efforts to save the house-elves."

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Day 29

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Hermione had seen Draco only once after the Battle of Hogwarts. The battle was over and everyone had been congregating in the Great Hall to regroup and to heal wounds and to mourn.

She had been sitting with the Weasleys, trying to give them whatever love and support and comfort that she could. Ron's head had been resting against her shoulder and it was as Hermione was looking around the Hall over Ron's head that she had spotted Draco.

He was sitting with his parents but had been staring at the Weasley family. Hermione had scowled. How dare he impose himself on their grief in that way? But she had looked closer then and properly processed the expression on his face. He was tired. Tired of the fighting, tired of the war, tired of everything and nothing all at the same time.

She couldn't help thinking that he looked exactly how she felt.

Draco burst into the office waving a couple of pieces of paper in his hands. "Granger!" he yelled in excitement. "Where's Lovegood?" He looked around but couldn't see her anywhere in the tiny office.

Hermione looked up from the book she was reading while eating lunch. She blinked in surprise at Draco's expression. He looked like a little kid in a candy shop. She had never, in all her years of knowing him, seen him look so happy. "Luna's gone out for lunch," she answered.

Draco looked annoyed for a moment and then brightened again. "Well, she'll just have to hear the news later," he decided. "This is too good to wait for her."

Hermione bit her lip as she stood up. "Is that what I think it is?" she queried, stepping closer.

Draco held out the two sheets of paper. "Read them."

Hermione quickly read through both letters, one addressed to Draco and the other to Mr Alberten. She gasped in surprise as a large grin spread across her face. She looked back up and her eyes met Draco's in amazement. "We won," Hermione whispered. Then the news really seemed to sink in and she screamed, "We won!"

Without thinking Hermione threw her arms around Draco's neck and hugged him. Never one to throw away an opportunity he picked her up and spun them around in circles. As he set her back down on her feet Hermione pulled back slightly, still smiling up at Draco. She suddenly realised what she was doing, and just whose arms she was being held by, and was about to pull away completely when Draco leaned down and kissed her.

Her lips were just as soft as Draco had imagined they would be. Slowly he moved his lips against Hermione's. Bringing one of his hands up to cup her cheek, Hermione began to respond and kiss him back. She grasped his arms tightly as he nibbled on her bottom lip and slipped his tongue inside her mouth.

Just as quickly as the kiss had begun, Hermione broke it off and stared at Draco, attempting to get her breath back. "What are you doing?" she asked through gasps.

"Kissing you," Draco murmured while leaning forward to continue but Hermione prevented it from happening by leaning back further.

"But you're Draco Malfoy." Hermione was confused. Didn't Malfoy hate her? And wasn't she meant to loathe him? And yet the feeling of his hands resting on her hips felt so good. And his lips. Merlin, those lips.

"And you are Hermione Granger," Draco replied moving closer again.

"But-"

Draco quickly cut her off by holding her face tenderly between both hands. "Granger, shut up."

And with that he kissed her again.

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Day 30

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Hermione smiled at Ron. She was lying in his arms in a meadow by a small, trickling creek. She had forced him on a summer picnic right before her return to Hogwarts in order to introduce him to Muggle food. She had packed Mars Bars and beer and all sorts of other things that Ron had never seen before. Hermione had been amused to see him scoff down all the Mars Bars and turn up his nose at the taste of beer (he had complained that it didn't have the sweet warmth of butterbeer and was therefore inferior). And now they were simply lying peacefully in the sun together.

"I love you Hermione," Ron stated.

Tilting her head up, Hermione kissed him softly. "I love you too," she murmured as she pulled away, intending to rest her head against his chest again. But when Hermione opened her eyes it was Draco Malfoy staring back at her with his hands around her waist.

Hermione was utterly and completely confused. She was sitting at home with a glass of wine and trying to figure out exactly what her own feelings were.

Earlier in the day she had delivered the court order to the Albertens and had made sure that Dipsy could leave the manor safely. Having asked what Dipsy intended to do now, Hermione had received the answer that Dipsy was planning to travel with Dobby for some time in order to spread the word about elfish freedom. She hoped to soon be sending more house-elves to Hermione and Luna.

Hermione had returned to the office afterwards to help Luna put away the last files on the case, and then had ended up having Luna send her home early because she was so distracted. Since getting home she had been stuck trying to figure out what was going on. Draco Malfoy had kissed her. She had kissed Draco Malfoy. And actually enjoyed it! Had the world suddenly turned upside down and she just hadn't noticed?

Hermione knew exactly how Harry and Ron would react if they knew about it. She knew what Ginny would say, what the Weasleys would say, hell she even knew how the Malfoys and Pansy Parkinson and all the Slytherins would react. But Hermione had no idea how she was meant to react. If someone had told her a month ago that she would be kissing Draco Malfoy she would have been horrified, disgusted, and angry that anyone could suggest such a thing. But now? After she had seen him working and getting invested in the law suit and seeing him smile and laugh and help… for one of the very few times in her life Hermione Granger had no idea what to do.

She was just getting ready to pull herself off the lounge and start making dinner (only to eat it all by herself as always) when someone knocked on the door. As Hermione went to answer it, she wondered who it could be. Not many people knew where she lived. Hermione considered Harry and Ron but quickly dismissed them. Harry was likely having dinner with Ginny and the Weasleys while Ron was probably out with the blonde bombshell.

She blinked in surprise when she opened the door. "Malfoy?" Speak of the devil and all that, Hermione thought, beginning to feel slightly flustered.

"Hi Granger," he replied leaning against her doorway. Why did he have to look so cool and collected when her insides were all twisting up together into knots?

"How do you know where I live?" she blurted out. The thought had popped into her head and apparently her mouth was working faster than her brain could stop it.

Draco shifted his weight and pushed his hands into his pockets. "I stopped by your office but Luna said you had already left. I made her give me your address." He glanced behind him at the empty hallway before saying, "Are you going to invite me in?"

Hermione stared at him for a moment but then opened the door wider so that he could step past her into the apartment. If Draco could act calmly after what had happened yesterday then so could she. Taking a deep breath she shut the door and followed Draco into the lounge room.

Draco was taking in the apartment. It was small and yet he could feel that it was very like Hermione. She had decorated in warm browns and across one wall were a couple of large bookcases all completely filled. He smirked to see that the bookworm he had known during school still existed. She had just grown up somewhat.

"Was there something you wanted Malfoy?" Hermione asked. Draco turned and saw that she was watching him with her arms crossed.

"Actually yes. I wanted to ask you to have dinner with me."

"Come again?" Surely she did not just hear that.

"Have dinner with me Granger."

So Hermione did hear right. But was he crazy? "But you're-"

Draco rolled his eyes, anticipating what she was going to say. "Draco Malfoy, yes I know. And you're Hermione Granger. We've had this conversation already." He watched as Hermione bit her lip, obviously trying to find more arguments against the idea. "It's just dinner Granger. Nothing more. One date and then we can see if we want to try it again. Is that okay with you?"

Hermione hesitated slightly and thought about it. She hadn't been on a date in so long. It would be nice to go out for once and have a fancy dinner. And it wasn't as if Draco was detestable anymore. In fact, Hermione thought she might even, possibly, like him a little bit. "Okay," she finally agreed. "Dinner."

Draco smirked. He walked back to the door and held it open for her. "Can't I even get changed?" Hermione questioned him.

Draco glanced back at her to take a look at what she was wearing. She obviously hadn't gotten changed after work since she was still wearing a grey suit. "You look fine," he replied.

Hermione huffed, grabbed her bag and wand, and walked out the door muttering. "Fine he says. Not pretty. Not beautiful. Just fine."

Draco chuckled as he closed the door behind them. This was obviously going to be a night that he wouldn't forget anytime soon.