Weeks had passed since he'd had his unusual encounter with Gryffindor's very own princess but the nightmares had ceased to stop. His only consolation prize was that now she was dressed in that flowing black dress she'd worn the very night he saw her in the inn but instead of the soft material waving back and forth it was torn and ripped on her body where she lied covered in blood and mud.
Draco was sure that when he saw her again, once classes resumed for their final year, that he could rid his mind of the plague that she'd infected and ignited there. Once he saw her safe and conscious, alive and back to her annoying little ways he could forget about her existence again but his mild little conversation with a very much alive and alert Hermione Granger only left his thoughts worse off as it stood. Now he sat tense, dreading the passing hours in his sickness, counting the days till classes began finally to ease his mind to forget.
It was however, even as obnoxious as it was, a nice distraction from the tabloids still surrounding his name. Draco currently had a stack of them lined upright inside a large basket lying next to the roaring fire beneath a beautifully carved marble mantel piece. Cerulean depths gazed over no particular words on the back of one of the many, giving it a small sigh before tossing it too into the flames, numbly feeding them with the printed lies. Just as Draco was getting ready to toss another batch into the flames before him, he heard a weak knock at his door.
Draco tore his eyes away from the pages melting in a charred remain of ashes to the large wooden stretch of his door way that stood at the head of his flat. Slowly, he drug his steps through the large room, wiping the soot and dirt from his hands off on the pair of muggle jeans that were resting against the low curve of his waistline before snatching his wand from the end table closest to the door, tucking it into his back pocket as he moved to clasp the door handle. Draco twisted his wrist, pulling it wide and abruptly open with his brows raised in irritation but the only thing his attitude was greeted with for such a late night, uninvited knocking was the petite brunette's back walking away briskly down the hallway towards the lift at the end of the walls meet. She flinched at the sound of his door snapping open, her steps halting like she'd run face first into an invisible barrier before she whirled around awkwardly, a deep blush creeping up her cheeks as she raised a single leather gloved hand up into the air.
"Hi. I mean, hey, Malfoy."
Draco's hands were resting on either side of the door frame, eyeing her in her short black button down coat tied tightly to her waist, flaring out over the long black boots lined with fur. Every time previously he remembered seeing her she was in robes, her uniform, or some doughty sweater…again, she had him standing, swallowing before he could find his words to respond to her.
"Would you like to come in, Granger?" His steps slid back, opening his hand to the insides of his personal loft with his brow raised lightly at her like he wasn't the least bit distressed but he was a ball of churning confusion where he stood, watching her watch him with just as much anxiety, holding her hands in front of her waist and her breath all at the same time.
It was Hermione's turn to stand there debating her own actions before she nodded, dropping her head and muttering a 'yeah, ok' before she began walking the short retreated distance back towards his open door, stepping inside once he'd stepped apart to hold the door open for her. She stood calmly on the marble tile, softly plucking the buttons from her jacket while he closed the door, "I half expected you'd still be at the manor." She laid her coat down over the back of his plush, black leather sofa, pulling her gloves off to lay them over top along with her scarf.
"And I half expected you not to come." Hermione scoffed when she turned around, tossing her pale yellow woven hat at him with a bit of a laugh emitting from her tone, "and to think I was just about to comment on how nice your taste is compared to your fathers influence!"
Draco easily snatched the offending garment mid air, his fingers clutching hold of it as Hermione ducked behind the arm of the couch when he made a motion to throw it back at her. He had to laugh lowly to himself, sighing as he lowered his hand to toss her hat on top of the pile of her things instead before he offered a hand down to her, a shake in his head at her crouched form, "dressed a bit nicely to be on my floor, Granger, don't you think? Come on…let me make you a drink." Hermione eyed him a moment longer to make sure he was void of any throw able objects before she took his hand and stood, brushing off her long button down dress and adjusting the thick black belt wrapping around the small of her waist.
Slowly, Hermione ran her hands down to smooth the lengthy strands of chocolate over a single shoulder as she turned to face him while he disappeared back into the large surroundings of his apartment. "Vodka, tonic, with ch…"
"Cherries, I got it, Granger. Sit down, relax." Hermione's face scrunched when he waved his hand dismissively at her order, like he'd been taking it for years as she stood defiantly with her arms folding over her chest until Draco moved to walk back to her, moving still to the front of the couch to hand her a short thick glass, holding one for himself in his opposite without a word.
"You stalking me now, Malfoy?"
"No…" Draco chuckled as she took her drink, seating himself down on his couch comfortably, folding one knee to set his ankle across his opposite, resting his arm up on the back of the couch as he cradled the drink in his hand against his thigh, "you ordered it last night, freckles. Just never seen anyone drink it…I found it unusual, I should say but I don't think you came all this way in the middle of the night to talk about drink recipes and my memory for them so why don't you tell me why you did come?"
Draco was still wearing his shoes, a pair of dark down leather that matched the twisting bands of his belt. A dark gray t-shirt held slack on the lithe muscles of his torso, even in the refuge of his own loft, a clasped leather band wrapped around the center of his left arm, buttoned securely. He'd still yet to shave, his hair far more disheveled and soft then when she had seen him last. Hermione wasn't accustomed to seeing him like this. He was so polished and pristine usually but now he was relaxed, easy, calm and comfortable in his attire and appearance, sipping casually on his drink watching her try to create the words to answer him.
"I got our room assignments today…" So had Draco but he said nothing, he simply let her continue. "I mean, I'm honored to be Head Girl and it's not that I don't think you deserve it or anything but…well come on, Malfoy. I really don't know what McGonagall was thinking. I mean…you're the last boy in that school, let alone the wizarding world, that should be representing Hogwarts." She was mildly on the verge of ranting now, her mouth resting open still in a bit of shock once she'd run out of words, hand and drink held in the air idly from her gesturing.
Draco sat upright a bit, resting his hand on her own mid air to direct it to rest back to her own knee, "take a breath or two, Granger. You're making me dizzy over here."
Hermione's wild eyes settled on him briefly before she lifted her glass to her lips, taking a strong swallow of the drink, emitting a small sigh to herself as it smoothly ran down her throat almost undetectable. She should have known that Draco would have only the best vodka but even she choked as she managed to get out the truth, "I got in a huge fight with Ronald about it."
And there it was. Seemed Weasley couldn't handle the thought of his precious little girlfriend being anywhere near the likes of him. As annoyed as he was by the thought, Draco truly couldn't blame him after everything they'd all been through and quite frankly the thought of sharing a Heads title with Granger still made his nerves dance on end but he had no choice in the matter and arguing would only damn his name further as far as he was concerned.
Draco's hand was still against her wrist, settling his drink against the coffee table between them and the fireplace before he questioned her lightly, "where does he think you are right now, pray tell?"
"At my mum and dad's…I'm not trying to sleep over, Malfoy!" Hermione snapped her eyes up against him to fix him with a stern glare, "That is definitely not what I meant by coming here…"
Draco laughed outright, his grin wide on his face while he moved to shush her with a soft patting motion in the air between them, "Shh, I know, freckles, would you relax?" Pale tiers pursed in against themselves when his fingers moved to press the fall of her chin up in the slightest, his brow furrowed at the bloodshot white hues gazing back at him, "You just needed someone to hear you for a moment, I get it."
Hermione instinctively wiped the blotchy skin beneath her eyes to make sure they were dry at his motions before sighing her hands down into her lap once again, "he'd kill me if he knew that I was here…with you."
"No, he wouldn't," he said it almost like he was disgusted that she'd ever think otherwise and she wished he wasn't so close to her all of the sudden, "but I suppose it's a good thing he doesn't have to find out. I mean, you can pretend you're at your mum's all you want. You want to bake some cookies? No problem…this guy?" Draco motioned to himself with his thumb, a small wink of his eye to follow, "not going to get in your way, Susie Q."
There he went again! The man whom she loved and was used to caring for her was breaking her heart and the boy who had trampled on her every nerve and emotion was now the man scooping up her pieces and attempting to make her laugh for reasons unexplained to her. She gave him a scrunching face, plucking one of her cherries and tossing it in her mouth before she spoke mid chomping of the juicy little red fruit, "you look nice like this…not so stuffy."
Draco looked down to admire his own attire, glancing back up to her as she swallowed the cherry down with the remainder of her drink. "Thank you, Granger. I find it easier to go unnoticed."
"Funny," She smiled at him as he bent to take his glass, moving to take a small sip, following suit to finish his own, "I find it easier to notice." Draco nearly choked on the liquid running down his throat, threatening to reverse the momentum as he coughed hard in the air. With a hard furrow of his brown, Draco brushed his hands down against the droplets of liquor spilling down the front of his shirt, wiping his lip with his finger and he glared at her, "don't…do that, Granger! Merlin."
"Aw come on, you can comment that I look nice but I can't repay the favor?" Leave it to Granger to catch him in his own words. Draco leaned forward and took her empty glass into his hand, standing up as he lowered her glass back down in front of her, offering it out. Hermione smiled brightly, pulling her other cherry from the glass and popping it in her mouth before he stepped away to refill to round two with a small smirk turning the corner of those pale lips upwards. Hermione watched him move in such carefree motions from where she'd rested and settled back down against the couch, leaning over the back to watch him make their drinks effortlessly.
"Would you like to talk about what happened with your boyfriend now that you can speak straight or shall we talk about something else?" Hermione tilted her chin against the back of her hands where they were perched, sighing softly as she answered back dryly, "He has a name you know, Malfoy."
"Yes I know but if I call him by his name then I'm forced to remind myself that I'm supposed to hate you and I start to get this horrible headache behind my eyes."
Hermione laughed fully at that and even Draco had to lower his head to laugh, dropping a few ice cubes inside their glasses as she offered, "He was worried about his girlfriend being forced to share company with the man that makes mothers cover their children's eyes and shrink to the other side of the street."
With a few cherries settling to the bottom of Hermione's drink, Draco moved to set a fresh straw in either of their glasses before picking them both up with a shrug, "Good point, but may I offer a rebuttal?" Hermione gladly accepted her glass before he rounded to seat himself beside her once again, telling her regardless of her nodding answer, "Perhaps your boyfriend is just a jealous git who needs to understand that if you're big enough to fight a war then you're strong enough to take care of yourself if need be. Truly, I cannot blame him. I would not want my girlfriend around…well, me, if it were…me." Draco looked completely confused by his own sentence, rolling his eyes at the statement before washing it down with a firm drink of gin.
After a small sip, Hermione slid her body and arm out to press her glass back onto the table, settling her feet to the floor in her sideways seated position as she slapped her hands to her knees, "I think you make an excellent point, Malfoy. I should take that as my cue! I do have a lot of shopping to do." Hermione moved to stand but Draco shot his hand out and tugged her back to the cushions as she laughed at his expense far quicker than she could joke about actually leaving.
"Nonsense, Granger. You're going nowhere by yourself this late in the night and you clearly haven't had enough to drink." He spoke with that easy, low drawl but that oh so un Malfoy like smile was pulling at the corners of his lips, flashing the perfectly laid rows or pearled teeth before her far more charming than she would have liked to admit. Hermione countered his statement as she leaned forward in her seat to snatch her glass from its resting position, flinching when Draco moved to stop her from leaving again with a small shriek. "You sound like a door mouse, Granger!" Draco choked out between a sip of his own drink, laughing so hard his face began to deepen a shade of red as he coughed.
The ever lady lake Granger lifted a single middle finger to rightfully tell Malfoy what she thought of his statement as she added, "As you said, Malfoy, I think I can manage." Hermione gave his chest a firm poke with her index finger before she continued, "and for your information I do not drink often so this has been plenty and I truly must do some shopping or I will be forced to duck my head and go back to the Weasley's which I am not quite capable of doing at the moment." Hermione looked quite perplexed at herself more than to the man seated next to her as she finished her long confession, huffing softly when she shook her head, dropping her hands, glass and all, to her lap.
"You want to go shopping? At 11:30 at night? Don't you have clothing at your mum and dads?"
"From when I was twelve!" For whatever reason that was unknown to Draco, she actually looked a bit embarrassed as she continued, "Everything aside from my school clothes are with Ron."
"I thought you were supposed to be well known for your studious by the book procedures in life and good common sense, freckles."
"I am, usually." Hermione had long since gotten over the denial of her complete OCD behavior with education, cleaning, and well...everyone and everything in her life. "With everything except for romance, I suppose."
"Obviously." Hermione set him with a firm glare, Draco lifting his hand up in a defensive state while he held his cup lightly in his finger tips, "It got you here, with me, didn't it?"
"Touché." Draco smiled softly, lowering his face away from her momentarily and for the first time in her life; Hermione would have given anything to know what Draco Malfoy was thinking. It was also the first time she'd had to think about the matter when it wasn't for the fear of her own or one of her loved ones lives.
He lowered his leg down to rest his foot next to his other on the floor, leaning across her legs so slowly that Hermione had to lean back on her palm to avoid them brushing together. With a pale blonde brow lifting, Draco eyed her strangely at her tense discomfort when he plucked her glass from her, shaking his head softly when he rose to that towering height of his, "Relax, Granger. I'm just getting you another drink."
He was still shaking his head, walking around the side of the couch and back towards the bar when Hermione whipped around on the couch to face him, or his retreating back rather, "No, Draco, I already told you I'm a lightweight. I really don't need another drink."
"And I told you that you are not nearly drunk enough, especially if I am going to be escorting you shopping at 11:30 at night."
Hermione gasped so loudly Draco nearly dropped the glasses entirely, shoving his hips forward in quick reaction to barely land them onto the bar countertop, "You'll go with me?" She was kneeling on the couch now, her hands gripping the back cushion as she lifted herself to peer out at him with all her excitement. A small grin was just beginning to find its way back to Draco's pale tiers when Hermione slunk slightly against the couch, cocking her head lightly to the side, "Why are you doing this, Draco? I mean, I was shocked enough you accepted my drink…"
"You accepted my drink, Granger," Draco corrected dryly.
Despite her ever growing frown that she seemed to reserve normally for interrupting lower years, she continued on none the less, "I truly wasn't sure why I came here tonight but you're just…"
"I'm just trying to prove to someone, who will let me, that I am not my father."The words pained him to say and Hermione couldn't help but feel her own heart twinge a bit for the man before her. "I've had a lot of confusion. I've had a lot of time to sort some things out…others I'm still working on." His hands were flat on the bar, his head down as he talked into the empty glasses before him, "I've never really met you, Granger."
Hermione knew exactly what he meant. She'd known Draco for seven years now and she'd never truly had a real conversation with him but in her defense, he would have never allowed it. Perhaps in his head Lucius would have just never allowed it…what the hell was Malfoy doing? Hermione scowled at her aptness to believe that, a small frown evident on her features as she lifted her chin up, "better get learning, Malfoy because in two weeks you're not going to be able to get away from me."
Anything, as long as it stops the screams.
Hermione had a cocky little smirk twitching on her mouth as Draco did his best to go about making her and her alone another drink. He'd told her the truth, Draco wasn't the boy his father had trained him to be. He'd been forced to make life altering decisions in split second situations, forced to choose sides and alliances, and forced to live with the wrong ones that he'd made thus far. He'd hated Hermione Granger for many reasons but somewhere around the beginning of sixth year he started to find his reasons behind hating her strained, the teasing forced and coerced. It was meaningless to simply not think of Granger to him then but now, after everything, Draco realized it was the start in his brain turning against all that he knew to be right and virtuous.
Draco's attention was pulled sharply when Hermione waved her hand in front of his face, his eyes springing to life when they lifted quickly to her. He wasn't sure when she'd left the couch but she was standing in front of him on the other side of the bar wobbling her freshly poured drink that she'd snatched away in front of his face before she took a sip, "everything in Hogsmede is closed…and I don't need to run into Ronald."
Draco shrugged as he dumped out his glass in the small sink at the bar, placing it face down beside it before settling his hands low into the pockets of his jeans. "I was thinking more muggle London…" Hermione was sure Draco kept talking by the way his lips were opening and closing but she too was busy nearly passing out where she stood. Did Draco Malfoy just say muggle London to her? With that thought bouncing in her brain, Hermione raised her hand as she shook her head rapidly, "Hold on, hold on, hold on…what in the world did you just say to me, Malfoy?"
"I said," Draco started again rather annoyed at the interruption, "we wouldn't have to worry about being spotted and at least you'd be close to home so you wouldn't be aparating all over Merlin knows where with thirty bags of who only knows what, half drunk, splicing yourself."
"Oh so you've seen me shop before, Malfoy?" Draco's eyes widened slowly, cocking his head in quite a comical expression that Hermione had to laugh at, her fingertips touching the burn in her cheek.
"You're going to have to change, freckles."
"What is wrong with what I'm wearing, Malfoy? And why do you insist on calling me that?" Hermione had backed up a step, holding her arms out in defense of her attire before she stomped her foot and slammed her fists firmly to connect with her hips.
"I don't want to tell you…freckles. And because it's much too cold."
"I already told you that I do not have anything else, Malfoy, hence the need for the shopping trip in case you've forgotten already…and why not?" He didn't even give her a lie, just a 'I don't want to tell you.' Hermione found herself beyond annoyed, and as much as she'd deny it, intrigued as she followed Draco through the expanse of his loft, arguing the entire way.
"Yes, dear, I remember the sad story all too well…and if you'll calm down than I could explain that we can just alter my own." Hermione was tapping her foot, arms crossed her chest when he turned around, standing in front of a large closet in his hall, handing her a folded pile of clothing before he added, "we are the two highest marks in our grade…I think we can manage."
Damn him for challenging her intellect. Hermione scowled at him deeply when she stomped into the nearest open doorway, slamming the door behind her. She blinked momentarily in the darkness, her hand searching idly for the light switch before…thank god, his bathroom. Hermione smiled at her successful storming out procedure, turning her sight down to the pile in front of her as she grasped the fabric loose in her hands.
Draco was sitting slack in a chair he'd pulled into the hall way when she'd emerged into the doorway, arms down at her side, head drooped over, frowning truly in the baggy, oversized clothing nearly falling off from her tiny curves. Draco smirked at her pout, drawing his wand as he sharply pointed it in her direction. Slowly and accurately, Draco's clothes began shrinking down, the threads lifting and relooping together to sew correctly in a tailored hold against her. Hermione, still in her heels, was looking like a child in a candy store, giddily watching the magic transform before her, eager for the knowledge behind it he was sure, up until the point that he added, "think of it like the shirt…but Hermione sized." She didn't even justify him with an answer; she only rolled those dark eyes at him dramatically from over her shoulder as she strutted inside the bathroom, moving to stand in front of the mirror with her mouth already open and ready for debate.
The once draping white long sleeved shirt was now hugging her quite close with well placed seams running down the front of the shirt and the tops of the sleeves beneath a dark brown leather jacket that appeared almost black to her inspection. There had to be a hundred hidden zippers and pouches in the thing but Hermione was too quick to investigate the rest of her newly fitted attire to bother counting. Dark denim, skinny all the way down to her ankles, clung to her legs from the low of her hips to the tips of her black pumps, distressed and mildly torn with dark zippers holding the back and front pockets closed. Hermione's head was bent down, zipping up the jacket and shimmying inside its warm contents when she turned around, jumping at Malfoy's sudden closeness as he stepped up behind her.
"Now that is much better, freckles."
"I want to know why you own a pair of skinny jeans…but I'm afraid the answer will force me to cut this adventure short so I will instead ask why I'm dressed like we're about to take some names and kick some arse, Big Dog?" Hermione mockingly tossed her arms around thuggishly before toughly folding them over her chest, laughing all the while through her words when Draco gave her arm a tug, pulling her from inside the bathroom, leading her down the hall and back into the large foyer, "because we're taking the bike, darling."
"As in…what does that mean exactly?" Draco was pulling his own dark leather jacket over his body, zipping it up tightly before he answered her, "As in we are taking my bike. What are you not understanding here, Granger?" He tossed her a pair of black leather gloves, busying his own hands once again pulling on his own. Hermione had to admit this was a look she'd never picture Malfoy in but it definitely suited him.
She caught the pair of gloves easily, eyeing them carefully as she turned them over time and time against in her hands, adding beneath the bent motion of her head, casting her eyes up to him. "You know how to drive a motorcycle?"
"Yes."
"You're lying." Draco stopped fidgeting waiting for her to finish gathering herself and huffed out a long strenuous sigh, "I am not lying to you, Granger."
"You do not know how to drive a motorcycle. You can't. You just can't, Malfoy."
"Why can't I, Granger? And why would I lie for fucks sake?"
"Because it's too…muggle. And you're too…Malfoy, Malfoy!"
Those blonde brows were inched in tightly together when Draco advanced on her, his hand shooting out and clutching hold of her bicep, hauling her in tightly against him with one fluid movement. She left out a gasp, her eyes clenching closed tightly at his rapid movements but before she could react to his advancement, Hermione's head went dizzy, compacting and flattening in quite a sickening whirling motion as her body was stretched and shot through a small tube of air. Draco's frame was smashed firmly against her before she felt her bones give way and start to straighten when they popped out of the apparation pull, snapping into the air with a loud, deafening crack.
Hermione's feet smacked solidly onto the hard ground without warning, her legs wobbling in response. "Oh mother fuc…" Hermione teetered forward on her heels, her hand covering her mouth just trying not to throw up on herself when she heard Draco add, "Lady like, Granger. Now come on so I can show you just what it is that I can't do."
