A/N - I hope everyone likes this one, I'm trying to get all the relationships right. The next chapter will have Harry and Hermione having a heart to heart, I want to build their friendship and for them to help each other. Thankyou to everyone for following/favouriting/reviewing! Enjoy!
September was drawing to a close, it had been a week since Draco had asked her out in Diagon Alley, but he hadn't yet called. She spend a good amount of time thinking whether he even had a phone, her travels had made it obvious to her that the wiazarding world was far behind on technology, and she couldn't imagine Draco having a phone after being brought up in his pureblood home. However, she finally reasoned with herself, if he asked for her number, he must have a phone.
She had hardly left the Potter's house all week, she spent most of her week reading and trying to get herself best prepared for her future career. Ginny had managed to persuade Hermione to help around the house and sort out clothes and other things for the rapidly approaching mini Potter. Ginny had some how got Hermione into painting the baby's room today. Ginny should have been a Slytherin.
She wouldn't have left the house at all if she weren't house hunting. In the past week, she had looked at three apartments and bought one which had taken her breath away from the first time she looked round. It was located just outside muggle London, but location never really mattered to a witch who could apparate anywhere. Her new apartment was all open plan, as you walked in the door, you were welcomed into a medium sized sitting room, which was connected to the kitchen with a large archway. The kitchen was small and practical for just one person to use, with just enough cupboards for Hermione to keep all of her food. Through a much smaller archway was the bedroom, about the same size as hers at Harry and Ginny's but had bookshelves from ceiling to floor on one wall, perfect for Hermione. On the adjacent wall to the bookshelves were two archways which lead to an en suite and a walk in closet. All the walls in the apartment were a brilliant white and the ceilings were all a perfect stormy grey. The floors were laminate, apart from in the bedroom, which had a shaggy carpet that matched the colour of the ceilings. She couldn't wait to move in, but didn't want to be on her own again.
Hermione was changing into some old ruined clothes when her phone rang. Confused at first, she looked at the number, and realised it must be him.
"Hello?" She answered.
"Hermione?" His calm voiced question on the other side.
"Yeah, it's me." She was smiling, even though he couldn't see her.
"Oh good, I thought you might have given me the wrong number." He chuckled, "I managed to get tonight off work, so I was wondering if you still wanted to go on that date?"
"That's sounds good to me!" She said, perhaps too keenly.
"I've booked us a table at this nice place in London, so dress up like you were on your birthday and I'll pick you up at 6." He replied.
"So you booked the table before you knew I would say yes?" She joked.
"Well, yes. But I think if you had said no, Ginny would have forced you to come anyway." She could feel his smirk radiating through the phone.
"Actually, speaking of Ginny, she going to kill me if I don't get this room painted so I better go." Hermione noticed the time, it was only 4 hours until he would pick her up.
"Have fun, I'll see you later." He spoke, Hermione couldn't comprehend how the voice that had once taunted her was now making her melt.
"I'll see you soon." She put the phone down and sighed, her heart beating out of her chest.
She couldn't help grinning from ear to ear as she entered the baby's room, Ginny was stood in the middle of the room, looking around with a paint brush in her hand. "I wondered when you would finally complete the long walk down the hallway." She said, dripping with sarcasm before turning to face Hermione, "What are you so bloody happy about?" She looked at Hermione confused.
"He called." She blurted out. Before she could blink, Ginny had thrown the paint brush down and was grabbing Hermione's shoulders.
"How much time do we have?" Ginny questioned, as if it was a matter of of life and death, staring straight into Hermione's eyes.
"4 hours." Hermione was baffled by her friend's behaviour.
"We will have just enough time, the baby's room can wait. Let's begin mission: first date." Ginny said, rather like an army general. "After I am done with you, you are going to take his breath away." She paused. "Not like you couldn't take his breath away dressed in a bin bag but you know what I mean." By the time Ginny had finished her sentence, she had grabbed Hermione's arm and was dragging her back down the hallway into the master bedroom she shared with Harry. Upon entering the room, she pushed Hermione toward the bed and ran into her bathroom, she turned the big taps on the bath so they were running full blast. Almost running back into the bedroom, she sat down next to Hermione on the bed.
"What is 'mission: first date' Ginny?" Hermione smirked, her eyebrows raised.
"Whenever I set one of my girls up, before the first date, I prepare them." Ginny seemed proud but embarrassed at the same time, if that was possible. "It works nearly all the time."
"So what is the plan then?" Hermione was relieved that she was going to get a full day of pampering, she felt like she needed it.
"First, is a bath, done the muggle way; then you cast all the glamour charms you want on yourself; after that we will pick out your dress and match it with shoes and a bag." Ginny paused for a millisecond for breath. "I'll do you a face mask and paint your nails, and you can have a quick nap, so you are refreshed. When I wake you up, you'll have a small healthy snack so you aren't too hungry. After that it's just the basics of getting ready but I am going to do your make up. And then a pep talk and you'll be on your way." Hermione couldn't tell if she was more surprised that Ginny had created this huge plan and that she could recite it all with only one breath in between. She laughed with Ginny as she went to stop the bath and let the plan commence.
Three hours later, Hermione was nearly ready for her date, who would be arriving in less than an hour. Even before Ginny had started her make up, she felt more beautiful than she had in years, like every part of her body was gleaming and it had built up her confidence. With Ginny putting the final touches to her make up, Hermione slipped on her dress and looked in the mirror. She hardly recognised herself. She was wearing a pale pastel pink dress, which was fitted to emphasise her curves, matched with a white bag and heels. Her curls were pulled back into a relaxed bun, with loose strands falling down and into her face. Finally, her make up was flawless, her lips defined in a slightly darker pink thank her dress, which drew more attention to her dark smokey eyes.
"Now for the pep talk" Ginny spoke, coming and standing next to Hermione. The doorbell rang downstairs, "Don't worry, Harry will get that."
"I'm so nervous Gin." Hermione almost stuttered.
"Just be yourself, and don't worry about a thing. He know I'll come after him if he does something wrong." She smiled, "Remember, he doesn't get under your dress, if you don't want him too. If you do want him too, go back to his, I am not explaining that to Teddy in the morning."
"Don't get too ahead of yourself Ginny!" Hermione was shocked at her friend for suggesting such a thing, "I'm playing hard to get with this one." She winked.
"You could be living out every Hogwarts girls' fantasy, the rumours that I heard about him!" Ginny giggled like she was a school girl again.
"We'll see" Hermione joined in giggling. When they had stopped, they both walked down stairs to see Harry talking to Draco in the hallway. Draco was dressed in a muted blue suit with a white shirt and matching tie, his hair looked as if it had been slightly more styled than previous meetings and he looked calm. She couldn't help but stare at him, she found every part of him attractive, he was a man and not the boy who she had once known.
Ginny cleared her throat to get their attention, and both men turned their heads. Harry glanced at Hermione and gave his wife a look that only those two could understand. However, Draco couldn't take his eyes off Hermione, she looked beautiful, everything about her was put together without flaws. He couldn't stop staring and neither could she.
"Is this okay for where we are going?" She asked shyly, after a short silence.
"Yes, it's perfect." He said, snapping out of his trance. He slowly walked over to her, and kissed her lightly on the cheek, "You look beautiful Hermione, I've brought some flowers for you." He almost whispered as he pulled away from her face and handed her the flowers, which she summoned a vase for.
He turned to Harry and Ginny, who were both smiling smugly and continued, "We better be going now, I'll bring her back safe so don't worry!" They walked to the door and opened it to leave.
Hermione was just about to step outside before Ginny said, "Hermione, remember what I told you!" Then finished her sentence with a wink. Hermione just smiled in response before closing the door behind her.
"What did she tell you?" Draco smirked.
"It's a secret." Hermione mimicked his smirk.
"Like Teddy's secret?" He raised his eyebrow, this had caught her slightly off guard.
"Well, yes. But I can not give this one away and Teddy's is slightly more embarrassing." Hermione blushed while remembering. "Where are we going anyway?" She changed the subject.
"You'll have to side apparate with me, is that okay?" He asked, and she nodded. She didn't like it but thought it would be the only way to keep his destination a surprise. He grasped her arm and she felt the uncomfortable pull of side along. She wondered why it felt so much worse than normal apparation.