Authoress' Note : I am so glad this story has had 140 visitors in the short span of it being up... Unfortunately, I haven't had too many subscribers or reviews *sniffle sob* Just about ten? Really? Just about ten?
Bah. Who cares? People are reading this, right? YOU are reading this, right? That's good enough ^_^
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She didn't say a word. For a moment the rain seemed to seize and the sounds and splashes seemed subdued too. The people around seemed to have slowed down and each droplet of water seemed to fall lazily in slow motion. Time almost had the illusion of stretching for a few moments. Then as if a switch had been flicked back on- everything went back to normal when Draco said: "As much pleasure I have had talking to you, Granger, I must be on. So if you'll excuse me?" He nodded to her politely and stepped around her to continue walking.
She turned around and contemplated his receding back. She was still too dumbfounded to form any coherent thoughts. Then suddenly she lurched forward, toward him. "Wait!" She screeched desperately. Draco stopped and turned his head halfway around. He didn't move, just looked at her through the corner of his good eye as she ran to catch up. "Wait." She breathed when she reached him, "I'll come with you."
He cocked an eyebrow silently. "I'll come with you. To get the ring." She explained with pauses due to the panting. "You might need a girl to help you with that." His expression didn't change much; the other eyebrow just joined the first at a higher position. "What's your problem, Malfoy?" She erupted at him "Stop making fun of me! Don't you ever get tired of it? I know you may not think I'm a girl but you don't need to be so damn condescending about it!" She huffed. A few passersby sent them cursory glances. Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger fighting in the middle of the street? Sure. We'll read about it in the papers tomorrow...
Meanwhile Draco's eyebrows had shot up even higher. "I'm not making fun of you, Granger. I'm just surprised. Why are you getting so defensive?" He spoke quietly, as if it was a secret meant only for her ears. Or maybe he didn't want to attract any more undue attention. Hermione was looking at the pavement, her cheeks blushed lightly, but she didn't say anything. "Let's walk.", Draco suggested and without waiting for a reply started again. She followed him and caught up soon enough. Her eyes didn't leave the pavement but surreptiously she tried taking in this new Malfoy. He still looked the same - the same pointed nose, strong, thin jaw, pointed chin, high cheek bones, shallow cheeks, grey eyes, platinum blond hair, the same as he looked all those years back. He hadn't changed a bit, and yet there was something that made him so different. So... new. Maybe it was the way he talked now, how his words weren't jibes and hurtful. He seemed so subdued, so much more serious. And even more mysterious.
"You broke up with Weasley." He was looking dead ahead, his voice a mere whisper. He did not look as if he had said anything but she'd heard him. His face, she observed again, was wholly impassive. He didn't show a single emotion. Maybe that's why he felt... new? She winced. His words repeated in her head. "So you read the gossip columns too?" She attempted a smile; it ended up looking more like a grimace.
He chuckled, and made eye contact with her, "No, actually, I have a brain." And tapped his index finger to his right temple rather unnecessarily. She laughed. "Really, Sherlock? I wouldn't have known!" His lopsided smirk fell off his face - "Chère Lock?"
She shook her head- "Muggle reference." Skipped a few steps then turned back and added, "How did you deduce it then?"
He smirked again, "Trade secret." And looked dead ahead again. She made an impatient noise and stomped her sandal heels on the flagstones. "Tell me!" She whined.
He smirked again, "It was always fun teasing you. You always got so worked up." She shot a furious glare at him and then turned away, horrified with her own actions - she remembered now, after he uttered that sentence- he was the one who had tormented her all her school years. He had made her life a hell-hole. She was fraternising with the enemy now!
"You're walking with me." Draco spoke, startling her out of her mental tirade. His voice was so velvety she almost forgot this was the same person who had called her a "mudblood". "You're walking with me," he continued, "in the middle of wizarding London. Now is it just my phenomenally sharp brain or can anyone see that something has happened which has jolted you to partake in this activity? What would I call it? Fraternising with the enemy?" He turned to her with half a smile. Her eyes were wide in shock at his wording. That's exactly what she had thought! Draco quickened his pace, "We're almost there. But tell me, Granger? Would you be walking with me to get my future wife, who happens to be a Slytherin, a ring if you were with the Weasley?" She chewed her lip contemplatively. He was right. And smart, too smart. Was he always this smart?
"If I know him... and I must say I know him rather well..." He was continuing. "He hates me even more than you do... Personally I think it was after the second year when he was puking slugs into a bucket but, well, you never know." He shrugged. "And if you were still with him- you wouldn't dare be seen with me or he'd go all tomato on you."
"Tomato?" she repeated stupidly. Then it hit her- "Oh. Ohhh." She giggled a little- "Right. He goes red very often. The only time he did not go red was when I caught him shagging Lavender in our guest-bedroom." Draco gave her a sideways look. "He was already so red?" He supplemented with a deadpan. She laughed and nodded.
In a few moments thence, she found herself standing in front of a large standalone building. Grey stone that looked almost black when wet and scary gargoyles spouting run water from the edges of the roof. "Don't worry. The insides are better." He commented at seeing her scowl, "Marginally." She frowned "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..." He simply shook his head and opened the dark door in front of them. "Shall we?" He bowed gallantly.
The insides truly were different, Hermione felt grossly out of place in her brown trench coat and sensible sandals. The other customers were all decked out and sparkling her entire bank deposit on just one of their ears. She felt a tug at her sleeve; Draco was holding his hand out for her coat. She quickly shrugged it off and thanked the Almighty that she had decided to wear a dress to work today.
Draco beckoned her to one side of the shop. Under a massive, sparkling crystal chandelier stood a cabinet filled with rings. Draco was scratching the back of his head, he turned as she approached. "You were right. I am going to need help. More than just help, in fact. I need an angel." He said with such a horrified deadpan, she couldn't help but giggle.
Together they pored over the rings. He liked one with an emerald on it, she negated it saying it was too Slytherin. He pointed to a striking scarlet-crimson stone – she scoffed and commented that if he wanted to gift her something so Gryffindor, she'd send him to a psychiatrist. He made a face, evidently having no idea what a psychiatrist was, but didn't pursue it further. Then he pointed out a ruby cut in the shape of a rose and she made a face again. "Don't choose a colour. Or at least not a bright colour. She won't be able to wear that with a pink outfit, will she?" Draco had no idea whether she could but just nodded assent. "How about a pale blue? See that one?" He pointed to a small, thin silver ring with a pea sized almost-blue stone on it. Hermione gasped, "That is beautiful!" Her eyes shone and she gave him a wholehearted smile, "It's so tiny and frail, no wonder we missed it earlier!" then squinted down to read the little label next to it. Her smile faltered and she bit her lip. Her eyes scanned the other rings- "Erm, how about this one? She pointed to a similar ring but with a darker vein of blue running through it and a heavier golden coloured band. "What's wrong with that one?" Draco enquired lightly. She didn't answer immediately, twiddled her thumbs a little then squeaked, "It's a diamond. And the ring is platinum. It's very expensive." He shook his head and smirked, "Granger, I'm a Malfoy." Not a Weasley, she completed his sentence in her head and smiled back at him.
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"Why don't you come too?"
"For your parent's Anniversary Party?" He asked incredulously.
"Sure. They'll like you. Harry will be there too. And Pansy. You know, she does a lot of charity work! I never knew I'd get along so well with her!" She laughed, "And it won't be just us. There will be muggles too. Our neighbours and my parents' friends. A lot of people. You should come." She smiled at him as the saleswoman placed the ring in a velvet box, wrapped it in pale blue paper and handed it to Draco.
"But why are you calling me?" Malfoy asked evenly as they turned to leave.
"I'll be honest." She bit her lip tentatively, "You've changed. You're not the Ferret anymore." She smirked.
He gave her a sour look, "Oh. Thanks."
"Really. You have. I should have listened to Harry. He was right- you're not you anymore. We can actually be friends."
"You're saying this... now?"
She sighed deeply, "Ron was a mistake. I stuck with him for six years. I stuck with him six years too long. I became him." Her face fell. "I wouldn't talk to you even when we met through Harry. I used to meet Pansy and Blaise in secret. And I stopped doing things I liked. All the time- I was bending over backwards. For him."
Draco patted her arm comfortingly, "So basically you want me to come to your parents' Anniversary Party to show Ron. Get one more point against him? Make him see you talking to me? The little, horrible, bastard of a ferret. His single most hated person on Earth?"
"No!" She froze in her tracks horrified. "He... I... no. I wouldn't... wrong..." she stammered haphazardly. "Never!" He smiled his lopsided smile again, "It's okay. I know. You're too nice. I was only joking."
She hit his hand lightly, "So we're friends now, right?"
He winced as she hit his arm. "No we aren't. I'm an injured wizard and even my life is threatened. I can't keep friends who try to kill me!" She whacked his shoulder this time and they both chuckled.
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A BIG BIG BIG BIG -I could go on! - Thank you to my wonderful friends who reviewed! First off there was Annie, who was being her usual crazy self and being awfully supportive of this story! ^_^ -kitty hug!-
CheshireCat23 - Ahhh! That's a secret! Shhh! But come the next few chapters - you'll see *winks* The story has a lot of twists and awkward plot turns, more than I can even keep track of x_x Anyway - all the questions will be answered... Soon...
Guesswho p - No. I have absolutely NO idea who you are. O_O Please tell me? Please pretty please with a cherry on top? :D
idunnomyname - I'll just say a BIG FAT - THANK YOU over here... cos I already gave you a reply. Although the entire Ginevra and Ginerva mash up hasn't been rectified yet *nervous laugh* I'll get back to it when I get free time next :P
Jaahanavee - Yes! I was actually waiting for the JEE to get over. Then my mother wouldn't hound me to get off the PC - but noooo! Now she's started even more! Still have something like eight-ten more to give. Wait, why am I even talking to you here? x_x I've gone mad. JEE has made me go mad. And don't you have an account? I thought you did o.O
DramioneGirl117 - Hahaha, more questions! No, I'm not going to answer them! Just stick around for the next few chapters... you'll get a few hints here and there :)
anon - I hope this update is fast enough for you? TBH - I'm not going to update this frequently. I'll be having major exams on and off... But I will update some time or the other :)
LilPWG - Of course I'll continue :) And I know - Draco was the only reason I read HP books :P Thank you for your review :D