" Did you just say my name? "
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Draco was true to his word. Hours later, they got her car, and she drove it back to her flat with him trailing behind. As soon as she had parked, they drove for London and into a swanky mall.
" We're shopping here? " she said with raised eyebrows.
He smiled. " Why not? "
She shrugged and looked around. " You know, I only get to shop here once a year. "
He looked at her. " I only got to see you yesterday, " he said.
" What does that mean? "
" Nothing. " He shook his head and surprisingly took her hand.
An arrogant looking saleslady was standing near the furniture section. She raised an eyebrow at Hermione and smiled genially at Draco. " How may I help you, sir? " she asked clasping her hands together. " Shopping with your wife? "
Draco almost frowned at her tone. " Why, yes. Darling, what would you prefer as a centerpiece in the living room? "
Hermione almost laughed, but she managed to keep a straight face. " Hmm…how about that? " she pointed to a crystal piece that looked like ice shaped into a woman.
Draco looked at it for awhile. " I like that, " he said. " I'll take it. "
He didn't even look at the price. As the saleslady walked away to have it wrapped, Hermione grabbed his arm. " Are you sure about that? It cost about a thousand-"
He grinned. " Hey, we showed her. Besides, this is my money. Come on, get your arse moving. We still have lots more to buy. "
She laughed as they walked for the couches, beds and upholstery areas.
Draco had a hand to his chin. " Hmm…okay, this is the hard part…I hate choosing couches and bed sheets. "
She walked over to a couch. " Okay…to choose a couch... imagine who you'd be sitting it with. "
Draco laughed. " What? Are you getting back at me for that perfume incident?"
" Oh, shush! Just do as I say! " she said. " Now, imagine the two of you are seated snugly…does it look nice to you? Is there room for stretching?
He laughed again and closed his eyes. He pictured the first couch and imagined a…girl…" Um…about the 'room for stretching part', does this mean sexual- "
" Hey! " she said with a laugh. " Just imagine it, without clothes flying off? "
He nodded. " I feel silly. " He opened one eye and saw her folding her arms. " Alright already! "
He thought of a cold night in his new house. He was with same unnamed girl. He was sitting with her on the couch…he pictured the first couch again, he didn't like it. He pictured the next couch…it still sucked. Then the next and then the next.
Finally he opened his eyes. " Granger, I give up, " he said with a frown.
She grinned and pointed to a couch. " Look at that. "
It was a fluffy looking couch, done in a light and sandy color. He closed his eyes and saw himself and the girl…he opened his eyes. " I like that, " he began.
" See? " she said. " You've chosen your couch now. "
By this time, the saleslady was back. " Anything else, sir? " She sounded nicer this time.
Draco nodded. " That one, I'll take that too. "
The saleslady turned away and as soon as she was gone, they burst into laughter.
" Showed her again! " he said.
Hermione shook her head as the laughter died down. They spent the remaining hours of the morning shopping for a 'few' more pieces of furniture, and Draco ended up choosing light red and pale yellow bed sheets. It totaled to about ₤20,000. As soon as Draco signed for it to be delivered, he looked at his watch.
" Well, just in time for lunch. Where would you like to eat? " he asked her.
She shrugged. " Don't know. Where would you want to? "
" I feel like eating Italian…" he began.
She smiled. " Then Italian it is. "
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They arrived in front of a small looking café. Draco opened the door for her, again. She smiled.
It was a cozy, or rather intimate place. Draco was apparently well known, since the waiters knew him by his family name. They had seats beside a window.
" They seem to know you, " she commented as she held the menu.
He grinned. " Apparently, mother liked this muggle restaurant so much. We used to come here every weekend. You should try their Scarpariella Chicken, it's good. "
She blinked. Narcissa Malfoy liked muggle restaurants now?
" I know what you're thinking, " he said as he signaled for a waiter.
" What's that? "
" Why in the world would a witch like my mother learn to like muggle restaurants, " he told her. The waiter arrived. " I'll have a Linguini with White Clam Sauce."
" For the lady, Sir Malfoy? "
" Um… Scarpariella Chicken, " she said.
The waiter gave a nod and left.
" Where was I? Ah, my mother…well…let's just say after the destruction of Voldemort, " he said the name without care. " And my father's imprisonment and subsequent death, she opened her closed doors, with my help of course. "
" Just what exactly do you do, Malfoy? "
He grinned. " I sell cars. "
She laughed. " As in car dealer? "
He nodded. " If you call it that. "
" Hot cars? On the black-market? "
He gave a mock horrified look on his face. " Why never! I'd never! "
She laughed again. " Are you being serious with me? "
" I am, " he replied with a grin.
" I never took you for the fun type, you know, back in our Hogwarts days…"
" Things change…it did immensely when we lost almost everything, my mother and I. When the war was over, I knew it was time to change. You know, it never was easy working for my father. I couldn't say I hated it, it was the only life I knew. We went through rough times. We almost lost the manor, I fought to keep it. For the first time in my life, I worked. First was at the ministry. But a lot weren't so keen about me working there. After 3 months, I decided to get a shot at the muggle world. I first applied at some accounting firm, magic worked wonders, since I faked my resume… " he laughed.
" I was like the boy-who-ran-errands for the bosses, " he continued. " About nine months later, I scraped off enough money and decided to work on my own. I had helped mother open her shop already, so I was pretty much focused on my own job. I got in the car business and invested and the rest is, as they say, history. "
She smiled. " That's some story…"
" What about you? " he began.
She shook her head. " Look, the food is here. " Hermione silently said a prayer of thanks for the arrival of the food.
Draco smiled. He watched Hermione's eyes and he knew she was hiding something.
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The van from the swanky store arrived just as they did at his house. It had turned out to be a breezy sort of afternoon. Hermione liked the how the day had turned out.
" Just in time, " Draco said.
He looked at Hermione.
Hermione smiled and placed a hand on her hip. " Oh no you don't! "
" Granger, I may be metrosexual, but I don't know anything about arranging stuff. "
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" If we get a house, " Harry began. " You do all the arranging- "
" Not fair, " Hermione made a face.
" MYone, I can choose stuff, but not arrange them. I will however, be, your manpower. How's that? "
She laughed. " Fair enough. "
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She sighed, tried to stop Harry's voice in her head and grinned. " Fine, seeing that you need me that much. "
He laughed. But deep inside, something screamed that it was true. A few minutes later and with sweat forming at their foreheads, Hermione and Draco had begun arranging, first in the living room.
" It should be there… don't you think? " Hermione said in a thoughtful voice.
Draco frowned. " What! I just moved this. That's four times already! "
" Do you want a nice living room or not? " She frowned a little, that impatient look that wrinkled her nose a little, a look he suddenly thought of as appealing.
" I don't believe this! " But he lifted and moved the couch again to where she had pointed. " You're wicked, do you know that?"
She smiled. " We're not even halfway done. "
Draco groaned.
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They spent the remaining afternoon placing the finishing touches on the living room and just as the clock struck for six in the evening. Draco collapsed on the carpeted floor.
" Damn it, maybe I should've arranged all this myself, without your expertise... " He laughed.
She grinned as she lay beside him. " Well, you needed me. " And she laughed. " And you didn't even want to use magic. "
" How's about some Chinese? " he asked. " We could have it delivered. "
She smiled. " Whatever, Draco. "
Draco was silent for awhile. He liked how it sounded from her lips. " You said my name…" he murmured as he looked at her while she closed her eyes.
" Hmm? " Hermione began, opening her eyes.
" Nothing, " he replied. He stood up. " I'm having chopsuey, you? "
Hermione sat up on the floor. " Hmm…steamed rice is good. "
He nodded. " I'll be back. "
Hermione looked at Draco's back as she sat on the floor. She had never seen him look so carefree…so simple. So human…
Draco placed down the phone. " They're coming in fifteen to twenty minutes. We're getting it for free if it doesn't get to us in thirty minutes. So keep your fingers crossed for free food. "
She laughed. He sat beside her. There were a few minutes of silence as Draco lay on the floor opposite to her. His eyes were focused on the blank ceiling.
" You don't mind if I take a bath do you? " she asked. " After dinner? I'm stinky… "
Draco grinned. " Right. Go ahead. Just use the dryer and washing machine. It's near the kitchen. And you're not the only one that's all grimy. "
They both smiled as they sat side by side on the carpeted floor.
" It's been a heck of a day, " she mused.
He nodded. " Tell me about it. "
" I had fun. " She stopped.
" Don't worry, I did too. "
She looked at him just as he looked at her.
" Hermione," he began.
She looked at him. " Did you just say my name, Draco? "
" I-I- " he inched closer to her face. " I believe I did. "
She looked into his eyes and he looked into hers.
And he saw something he never saw before.
And she saw something she never saw before.
And his mind went blank and all he wanted to do was move closer and closer to her lips, hear her say his name….
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A/N: So much thanks to my the following reviewers who have never tired of making me smile with their reviews, no matter how long or how short: Golden Angel71, meenajon, Secretly-In-Love, fruitcake.x, Zarroc, Beautiful Suicide15, ShanaLynn, 1madcat, -X-Nefertiri-X-, angelraine, isabelle, Aeris1172…if I forgot anyone, please do acknowledge! My mind's kinda unorganized when it comes to these kinds of things.
Sorry about the cliffhanger...i just couldn't help it! So...next author challenge for me is to...get at least eighty reviews before i upload the next chapter! weeeee! so...leave me your resentments, love, critiques and the like? Till next chapter!