Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor ever will.
A/N: Hey there! Here is chapter four. I want to thank my wonderful Beta, LydiaLovegood, who took the time to review this chapter. So, thanks!
And it has recently come to my attention that Draco is a bit OOC, so my apologies. I hope this chapter is better for you guys.
Also, I decided to change the title of my fic, since there seemed to be other fics with the same name. (Hope you understand.) The new title is- Change Your Mind. And yes, for those who recognize the title, it is a song from The Killers. Can anybody guess what album it's from?
Anyway, on to the story!
(Hermione's POV)
Hermione stared at the way the green flames engulfed the blond pair, feeling somewhat melancholy. Draco had come to pick up Adrian at exactly eight o'clock sharp in the morning, his stiff shoulders making him look upset. She was lucky she always woke up early, even on the weekends; but doubted Malfoy had the same pattern- guessing by the look on his face. Hermione had been making breakfast for her and Adrian when she heard the knock, and had no doubt that it was Malfoy. He had apparated outside, having the decency to knock on her door instead of just flooing straight into her living room without any notice. She appreciated his gesture and placed a warm smile on her face when she opened the door for him, only to find a kind of grumpy expression on his features. Hermione woke up Adrian, handed him over to his dad, and attempted to offer a plate of food to him. Malfoy, being Malfoy, only gave back the plate, grabbed Adrian's hand and flooed them to his house.
Hermione was snapped out of her musings when the fireplace erupted in flames. She half expected Malfoy to return, but the thought flew out the window when she saw vibrant red hair accompanied by a brunette. Ginny Weasley and Pansy Parkinson stepped out of her fireplace, arm in arm, with mischievous looks on their faces. With Hermione sitting down on the couch, in her worn out robe and fluffy slippers, and them standing tall in high heels and fitted dresses, it gave her a bad feeling. She didn't like to feel intimidated, but she was.
Ginny was the one to speak first while sitting down on the couch next to her, with Pansy mirroring the action. "Hermione, Pansy and I couldn't help but notice how dateless you've been for the past few months."
Hermione rolled her eyes, not believing they actually took the time to come all this way to get her to go on a date. "Well, Ginny, that is due to the fact that I don't want to date right now."
"That's going to change today," said Pansy excitedly. Hermione raised her eyebrows at the comment.
"Hermione, don't get mad, ok? But we found the perfect man for you, and couldn't help but set you up on a date with him," Ginny rushed out hurriedly. "And I know you don't believe me, but he is smart, has a well-paid job, and is extremely handsome."
Hermione was reminded of Draco Malfoy when Ginny was describing the bloke, but knew it couldn't be him. Malfoy would never agree to go on a date with her. The mere thought was so ludicrous it almost made her laugh. "So tell me, who is the guy?"
Pansy and Ginny burst in giggles, confusing Hermione even further."We can't tell you that, but that is why we're here."
"You're here to tell me that you can't tell me? That doesn't make any sense, you guys."
"Trust me when I say this, but we are going to make you look fabulous and your date is going to want to eat you up when he sees you. Literally," said Ginny, still giggling like a schoolgirl.
"Hermione, dear, you should go take a shower, we have a long day ahead of us." She could only give them a dirty look before she followed Pansy's instructions, knowing better than to disobey them.
An hour later, they were in Diagon Alley, walking along the full streets in front of the bustling stores. Hermione was dragged into almost every clothing shop, having Ginny and Pansy throw at her dress after dress. It was unnerving, not having the upper hand when it came to shopping with the fiery red-head, and having to play along with whatever idea seemed to pop into her head. After the millionth dress, the duo finally decided on buying Hermione a below the knee green dress, which according to them, made her seem radiant.
"Can we go, now that we found the bloody dress?" asked Hermione, exasperatedly.
Ginny looked at her as if she was mad before replying hotly, "No, we are not done yet. We still have to do your makeup and your hair needs a good trim. Tell me, how do you manage to live with yourself with all those split ends? I would die of embarrassment."
Hermione frowned, discretely grabbing her hair, not finding anything amiss. They dragged her into the nearest salon, cutting a good two inches of hair and doing her makeup simultaneously. She was amazed as she gazed at her reflection; it was almost as if she was a completely new person.
"See, Hermione, now you look stunning. I can't wait for you to meet him, he'll melt at the sight of you."
"If you say so, Ginny. But, where am I meeting him?"
"Oh, well look at the time! You're meeting him at Le' Amour in about five minutes. Good luck, not that he can stand a chance with you looking like that."
"Le' Amour, that restaurant is extremely hard to get a table in. Hey, wait, in five minutes?"
"No time for small talk, Hermione. You now have four minutes to walk into the restaurant. Now go!"
Hermione could only nod her head before apparating in front of the expensive restaurant. She couldn't believe she was actually humoring Ginny and her crazy ideas. Although, she guessed it was time for her to finally start dating again. It couldn't hurt to try, now could it?
She nervously ran her hands over the impeccable green dress and walked with her back straight, nodding her head to the busboy that opened the door for her. Hermione had only been to Le' Amour once, with the insistence of Ron to have a nice evening together when they had first started to get serious in their relationship. She sighed trying to forget how romantic he could be at times.
She walked up to the maitre de clearing her throat, "Ah! Miss Granger, what a lovely surprise."
It sometimes unnerved her how everyone seemed to recognize her everywhere she went. Before she could utter a word, the maitre de continued, "Right this way, Miss Granger. Your companion for the evening is already sitting down."
They walked silently while Hermione noticed how posh and elegant the environment was, she felt a little out of place looking at the various couples eating their delicacies. The voice of the maitre de interrupted her thoughts, "Here we are Miss Granger. Hope you have a pleasant evening."
Hermione stared at the table in front of her struck with the way the Italian smiled at her, his white teeth contrasting with the olive tone of his skin. He stood up, kissing her on the cheek, and pulling the chair out so she could sit down. Before he returned to the other side though, he grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles- his signature move when it came to greeting her. She blushed, looking away from the intense fire in his eyes.
When he was sitting down again, Hermione found her voice had returned, "So tell me Blaise, how did Ginny manage to rope you into her scheme to get me out of the house?"
The Italian laughed lightly, the corner of his eyes crinkling. "Actually, it was Pansy who asked me to do her a favor. When she first owled me, I expected to help her do an errand or something of the like. But she told me that her and Ginny were worried about you and needed someone to take you out."
Hermione smiled, pleased she wasn't paired up with a total stranger whom she probably would have been annoyed with. "Well, they wouldn't tell me who my blind date was but I'm glad it was you. I don't think I could have handled Ginny's usual mystery blokes. She pairs me up with the dullest and most disgusting men."
Blaise chuckled, making Hermione relax and let her shoulders drop from their stiff position. "I'm glad you decided to come then. I wouldn't have wanted you to have a horrible night."
"Yes, you're not so bad, are you Blaise?" She couldn't believe she was actually flirting, if only slightly.
"You tell me, dear."
They spent the night talking of their past, how they expected the future to be, and discreetly stealing glances at each other. Hermione was smitten with Blaise's easy talk, feeling at ease with him. She felt liberated, as if she didn't need to show a false pretense since he already knew her. Not that she expected him to be attracted to her, but it was still nice to talk to someone who wasn't in her immediate circle of friends.
Before she knew it, it was time to leave but she hid her reluctance. Hermione could feel the stares of the couples around them and thought that maybe that was the reason for why Blaise was starting to seem a bit nervous. However, before she could ask him, she felt someone behind her, their body heat radiating out like waves.
"Hello Draco. Fancy seeing you here," came the clipped tone from Blaise. Hermione turned her head slightly, coming to face Malfoy's chest before angling her neck to see his face. His eyes were hard to read, but she detected some anger. Towards whom, she didn't know.
"I see you're finally out, on a date, no less. How amusing of you Blaise. Care to join our table?"
"Actually Malfoy, we were about to leave," said Hermione quietly.
Malfoy stepped back, looking at her face with a scrutiny that made her blush. "That invitation is open for you too Granger."
Blaise was quick to draw the attention of Malfoy, perhaps sensing her discomfort. "Who are you here with, Draco?"
"My mother decided that she wanted to go out to dinner and insisted I treat her to this specific restaurant. Not that it matters, seeing as how you are leaving."
At hearing that Malfoy was here with his mother Hermione felt marginally better. She didn't know why, but the thought of him bringing a date caused her to become a bit irritated. Hermione looked past him to see Narcissa Malfoy sitting down a couple tables away, looking elegant in dark blue robes. Her hair was a pale blond, which brought out the blue in her eyes, which were surprising to see, even from a few feet away.
Hermione watched as Narcissa drank from her wine glass, her small hands showing the engagement ring that sparkled with the bright lights. She was struck with the way the older woman appeared to be a timeless beauty, even though her age said otherwise. Hermione's gaze was suddenly met with the eyes of the older woman's, causing heat to flush her face. She was surprised and held back the urge to drop her jaw when Narcissa smiled, as if they were old friends, waving her hand to show her greetings. Hermione was stuck watching as the blond woman rose from the table, walking in her direction.
"Draco, you didn't tell me Blaise was here with Miss Granger. How are you dear?"
Hermione sputtered before regaining her composure, her voice wavering slightly, "I'm fine, thank you. And how are you, Mrs. Malfoy?"
"Oh, I'm stupendous. And please, call me Narcissa." The older woman kept on smiling, as if Hermione's presence was causing her joy. She turned to look at Blaise, questioning him with her eyes. He only smiled, watching as she turned back to the blond pair. "Did Draco invite you over to our table? I insist you come join us."
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Narcissa, but Hermione and I were about to leave." Hermione looked at Draco, noticing how his demeanor seemed to have suddenly turned even darker. She almost cringed at the way he was staring at Blaise.
"Oh no! You must join us for dessert. Right, Draco?"
The blond man turned to his mother before replying, "It is their choice if they decide to stay or not."
"You're no help, Draco. Miss Granger, how about it?"
Hermione didn't want to appear rude and nodded her head. Narcissa smiled wider, grabbing her arm and almost dragging her to the other table. For a tiny woman, she sure was strong. When they were all seated, Narcissa surprised Hermione with her questions.
"Tell me Miss Granger, how has Blaise been treating you? Don't lie to me, isn't he a wonderful man?"
"Excuse me?" she could feel her eyes portray the panic she was feeling.
"Well, aren't you two dating?"
Before Hermione could deny anything, Blaise grabbed her hand, weaving their fingers together. "I have been treating Hermione with all the respect in the world, Narcissa. We've just recently decided to start dating."
Hermione smiled, almost believing the words that were coming out of Blaise's mouth. Somehow she knew better and slightly frowned, turning her head so they couldn't see her features. She wouldn't mind if they were to actually going to have a relationship, which surprised her.
"Hermione is a prize, one which I have yet to earn. However, her beauty captivates me every day and I try my best to give all that she deserves and more." Hermione turned to look at Blaise, a small smile in place, deciding to play along with him.
"Yes, this is our first official date. He is so romantic," Hermione added, finding that she wasn't feeling like she was lying, not in the least.
"I remember when Lucius used to take me out. He was so romantic…" Narcissa trailed off, as if remembering her past.
Hermione and Blaise shared a plate of tiramisu for dessert. He fed her, which had Hermione giggling and Narcissa gushing over them. Draco was strangely quiet, only talking when asked a direct question. When they finally exited the restaurant, Hermione was unexplainably happy.
Blaise was holding her hand as they walked along the sidewalk, passing similar couples with the same look on their faces. She turned to him, making him stop, "Why did you lie to Narcissa?"
"I didn't lie, Hermione."
"You told her we were going out. I think that is considered a fabrication of words."
"No, I meant that I didn't lie about everything else. No, we're not in a relationship but I think we should be."
Hermione remained quiet for a moment, thinking over what he said. It wouldn't hurt to finally be with someone she felt comfortable with. Blaise was charming, handsome, and worked in the same building as her.
"If I say yes, would you suddenly disappear into the night?"
"No, I'll stay right by your side. As long as you wish it."
Hermione deliberated, a smile creeping into her features, "Where will you take me on our first official date?"
Blaise laughed, grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it softly, "Wherever you wish."
(Draco's POV)
When Adrian was a year old, Draco was faced with raising his son on his own. Lucius had come back from Azkaban and had taken a load off of Draco's shoulders by taking back the company, but only slightly. He had no notion of how to treat a baby, how to feed it, how to take care of it. In his time of need his mother had helped by teaching him the basics, but only faintly. With Astoria gone, Draco had looked after Adrian, a sort of panic making its way into his chest; but he learned to deal with it and learned from his mistakes.
Mistakes, which had included glancing in the direction of the woman who had given him his son. He loved Adrian, no doubt about it, but not the blond who he had so easily slept with. It had been just a pastime, a sort of game. Draco had always used protection but they had been drunk that time. He wasn't thinking straight that night and he had been careless. Things had spun out of hand, leaving him with a bitter taste in his mouth.
When Astoria had knocked on his door in the middle of the night, he knew his life had changed. At the time, he saw it as more of a punishment for his stupidity. He had broken up with her a month before as he thought she had become an annoyance and decided that it was better if they were to have a clean break. He had told her over dinner, happy that she hadn't made a scene in the restaurant. Draco hadn't expected her to come back; he knew she had her pride to uphold, as did he. But that night she was clutching her stomach, a painful look in her blue eyes and without even thinking, he had let her in, knowing she had news.
"Draco, I'm pregnant!" she had wailed, as if the mere thought was too atrocious to even say out loud. He had cringed, not looking her way for fear of what his expression might be.
Ever since she had come back into his house and his life he had not been happy, not in the least. They weren't married and he wasn't planning on proposing to her anytime soon. His mother had advised they wait until the child was born and he was content to oblige. Astoria may have been carrying his child, not that he was certain it was his, but that didn't mean he couldn't see the real her. He wasn't blind. She was selfish, condescending, narcissistic, spiteful, and above all, a bitch. She took advantage of people, held them in the palm of her hand, waiting for the right moment to squish them into nothingness. He had seen it happen with several of Astoria's so called "friends."
And so, the nine months that she carried the child in her womb, Draco only stood watching as she bitched and moaned about it being his fault that she was a whale. He had only rolled his eyes, seeing as how her body had remained the same slim fit, except for the roundness of her belly. Even if she had become big, that was what was supposed to happen. He had tried to tell her that, but she only shot him death glares, throwing herself in bed, claiming she was sick.
The day she was taken to the hospital, he had been working on expanding the family business and trying with all his might to be as far away from her as possible. Alas, his mother had owled him, telling him Astoria was giving birth and he had almost wanted to pretend he never received the letter but thought better of it. He still thought that the child might have been someone else's. Astoria wasn't one to pass an opportunity to have a stable life, especially if she had been knocked up by some random bloke whom she happened to have a one night stand with. If she had expected him to accept the child as his, based on her word, she was living in fantasyland.
However, when he had held Adrian those thoughts had vanished from his head. The silver eyes were a trait only the Malfoys had and his mind was put at ease for a few months. Not that his peace of mind lasted. Draco had a paternity test done on Adrian, without informing Astoria. She didn't need to know, only him. When the results declared that he was indeed the father, he could finally exhale a breath he had been holding since the night Astoria had showed up in his doorstep. When Astoria left, Adrian was the only thing he had left, which was fine with him. It was his child and he didn't need the narcissistic woman who had so annoyingly disrupted his life sticking around. He didn't need Astoria, whereas she had needed him.
Draco looked at the clock and it was barely time for lunch. The day had been going so slow, as if minutes were hours and hours were days. He grabbed his coat, intent on having a quick meal, wanting to come back to his office in order to leave faster. He didn't usually go out to lunch but he hadn't prepared a meal this morning.
He arrived at the Three Broomsticks, which was bustling with workers on their break. He sat himself in a booth by the window, intent on leaving the place as soon as possible. That is, until he saw them. Blaise was sitting with Hermione Granger; their smiling faces were directly two booths in front of his.
Unconsciously, Draco ground his teeth. He remembered how two nights ago, their little appearance at the restaurant had caused such a scene in the media. Magazines were sprawled with pictures of both of them: laughing, smiling at each other. His mother had found the couple so enchanting, or so she had put it. It was surprising to him when his mother had not found the muggle-born repulsive, but charming. All his life, the prejudice of his parents had driven them to look down their noses at everyone who was not pureblood, not of their rank. And yet, his mother had simply dragged the brunette to their table as if they were old friends. It was bizarre, to say the least.
Draco raised his eyebrows as his gaze lingered at the way Blaise was looking at Hermione, as if she was the most important person in the world. Draco could see he hung onto every word she was saying, like water in the middle of the desert. He didn't even know they were in a relationship but they obviously proved him wrong. His mother hadn't stopped talking about them when they left the restaurant, claiming she was so glad Blaise had finally found a partner. He had scoffed at the idea of Blaise with Granger, it was ludicrous. And yet, it wasn't.
Draco's eyes met with Blaise's, the Italian visibly tensing. As if sensing his discomfort, Granger turned around. She smiled at him, to which he felt puzzled. She always seemed to smile his way, making his stomach twist in an uncomfortable way. She waved a slim hand his way, signaling he should join them. He deliberated but stood up from his booth and sat down next to Blaise.
"How are you, Malfoy?" Granger enquired, her head tilting to the side.
"I'm good, how about you, Granger?"
"I'm great. How is Adrian?" He watched as she smiled at him again, a warm look in her eyes.
"He's good."
They fell into an awkward silence, or that's how it felt to Draco. He shouldn't have gotten up from his booth.
"So…You and Blaise." He saw the way they looked at each other, as if forgetting he was sitting next to them. He cleared his throat, the sound snapping them out of their trance.
"Yes, me and Hermione." Draco noticed how curt Blaise's tone of voice was. He fought the urge to sneer, a thin smile forming instead.
"Congratulations." He didn't mean to sound haughty, or did he? "It seems you finally pulled him out of his hiding corner, Granger."
She scrunched up her eyebrows, looking between him and the Italian. He wondered if she thought he was being rude, which he felt he was, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't explain it, but seeing them together didn't feel right to him, not that he would say otherwise.
"Thank you, Malfoy." He glanced at her hands, which were playing, twisting the collar of her blouse. She had a long neck, which he always found attractive in women. He halted his stream of thoughts, frowning at himself.
"I think I'd best be leaving now. Have a good lunch."
He didn't chance a look in Blaise's way, only meeting Granger's eyes before rising from the booth. He stepped outside, the unexpected rays of sunshine hitting him square in the eye. It was suppose to be winter, not bloody summer. He wrapped his cloak tighter to his body, for even though the sun was out, it was still December.
Thank you for reading. I would really appreciate it if you guys reviewed. Thanks!