Hey all! Thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited and reviewed this story so far! I am loving all the support not only for this fic, but for my others as well. As always, I would like to thank beatlechicksteph for being my beta! Without further ado, I give you the second chapter of The Piano Bar. XOXO, Alexandra
Hermione snapped her jaw shut, embarrassed from being caught off guard. Tearing her eyes away from Malfoy's, she chugged the remainder of her firewhiskey ignoring the burn on her throat and the tears that sprung from her eyes.
"Woah, slow down Granger," Malfoy smirked. "No need to get so worked up, I didn't mean to catch you off guard."
"I am not worked up, nor did you catch me off guard," Hermione said pointedly. "Did you need something?"
Ignoring her first remark, and sliding into the booth next to her, "I just thought you looked like you could use the company."
She scoffed at that remark, but did not comment. For once in her life, she was in shock and at a loss of words.
"I also thought you should know that Rita Skeeter was sent on her way when she tried to come in here looking for you," Malfoy confessed.
Hermione glanced sideways at the blonde, trying to decide if he was telling the truth. Before she responded, he offered to refill her drink.
"Yes please," she said politely. "But something a bit lighter, I think. I don't really want to get black out tonight, and I definitely will be if I keep drinking firewhiskey."
She watched as he gracefully slid out of the booth and made his way up to the bar. Looking him up and down appreciatively, she gasped at the thought that he was wearing muggle clothing—dark wash jeans, cuffed; trainers, and a light grey sweater rolled up to mid-forearm.
"Like what you see, Granger?" Malfoy teased as he made his way back to the booth.
She felt the blush rise in her cheeks as she had been caught staring. Averting her eyes quickly, she heard him laugh.
'That was a nice sound,' she thought. Shaking her head, she was ashamed of her thoughts. First, she was checking the ex-Death Eater out, and then she admitted to herself that she enjoys his laugh? She obviously was pining for male contact to be thinking of Draco sodding Malfoy this way.
"Earth to Granger," Malfoy said waving his hand in front of her eyes.
Blinking, she realized he had been trying to give her, her drink since he had gotten back to the table moments ago.
"I got you a Manhattan. I figured since it was a Muggle drink, you would probably like it."
He had been horrible to her in the past, but she believed he didn't realize he just insulted her a bit. Not wanting to start a commotion, she responded with as much politeness as she could muster.
"That was thoughtful, Malfoy. Thank you."
Wanting to break the awkwardness, she brought up Rita Skeeter again.
"So, you saw Rita Skeeter?" she asked.
"Yeah, I saw you run in here and make you way to the ladies' room. She followed, but was stopped by the owner, that Carver bloke, and escorted from the premises," Malfoy informed her.
Nodding her head, she was thankful that her plan had worked. Hermione was hoping that Malfoy wouldn't ask about why she was running, but she had no such luck.
"Why were you running anyways, Granger? War hero afraid of the press?" he teased her again.
Brushing off the fact that Malfoy seemed to be flirting with her, she decided to be truthful and tell him the situation.
"Well, if you must know, I was on a date with Seamus—," Hermione paused as Draco sputtered in his drink, and fell into a coughing fit.
"Seamus Finnegan? You can't be serious," Malfoy said still coughing.
"If you let me finish my story, you will understand!" Hermione spat.
"Okay, okay," he said waving his hand for her to continue.
"Like I was saying, I was on a date with Seamus. I didn't want to be on the date, but he had been coming by the office daily bugging me about it. I thought that if I went on a date with him, he would finally leave me alone."
Before Malfoy could point out the stupidity in her plan, she quickly continued.
"So we were at this carnival and it wasn't as dreadful as I thought, but I still didn't want to be on the date. I was about to make an excuse to leave, but when I turned to Seamus he was waving at that cow Rita Skeeter to come join us!" Hermione spilled. "So while they were both distracted, or so I thought, I made a run for it."
"Why didn't you just apparate away?" Malfoy asked her curiously.
"Because I was distracted. When I reached the edge of the carnival, I couldn't think clearly enough to apparate away. So instead of potentially splinching myself, I kept running and ran into the first open business I saw—which happened to be this bar."
With her story finished, she took a drink of the Manhattan Malfoy had brought her—it was quite good, no longer angry he had brought it to her because it was 'muggle'.
Sitting there in silence was not as awkward as she expected. Although it was a comfortable silence, she realized she did want to get to know this new Draco Malfoy.
"So, what brought you here tonight?" she asked him.
Watching him take a sip of his drink, Hermione realized Malfoy had also chosen a muggle drink—an old fashioned.
"Well, for one I was curious and two, I was looking for a low-key night and this seemed the perfect place. Definitely not a rowdy as a club, a lot more my pace these days," he admitted.
She understood. After the war, they had all had their party stage. Going out to clubs every weekend and getting sloshed—enjoying their youthfulness they never got to enjoy when there was a full-fledged war happening.
Finishing her drink, Hermione realized she was enjoying her time with Malfoy. Hell, she was tipsy enough to admit to herself that she was really enjoying her time with him—not to mention he was devastatingly handsome.
"I think I need another drink," she whispered. As she got up, she let her fingers brush his leg, smiling as he stiffened under her touch.
Wanting to put on a show, she swung her hips as she walked up to the bar to order another drink, hoping he was affected by her, as much as she was him.
At the bar, she not only ordered another Manhattan, but two shots of tequila as well. Not one to let loose, purposely get drunk, and therefore lowering her inhibitions, she was feeling quite the daredevil this evening. It probably had something to do with the blonde-haired Slytherin Prince waiting for her back at the booth.
Setting the shots of tequila in front of them, Malfoy looked at her with a look of surprise on his face.
"Tequila, Granger? It seems like you are trying to get me drunk," he smirked.
She just shrugged at the comment, purposely not answering his question. Picking up her shot glass, she motioned him to do the same. Clinking their glasses together, they both threw back the tequila like it was water.
Feeling now pleasantly drunk, she scooted closer to the Malfoy heir smiling her most seductive smile at him. She didn't really know what she was doing, but she always had found him attractive and intelligent no matter how big of a prat he was. He smiled back at her, and did something she did not expect—grabbed her around the waist and pulled her closer to him.
Having enough liquid courage to speak her mind, she asked him a very daring question.
"Do you think this is wrong, Draco? I mean, being who we are and how we have interacted over the years? I mean, we hated each other."
"First, I have never hated you. I just strongly disliked you. But to answer your question—no, I don't think this is wrong. What is wrong with two adults sharing each other's company?"
"My friends—"
He interrupted her, "If Potter or Weasley saw us right now, they would be thoroughly pissed. Not to mention, their Gryffindork qualities would probably encourage them to start a brawl."
"Hey!" Hermione exclaimed, playfully slapping him on the chest. Giggling, she knew this is not something she would normally do, but she needed to let her hair down once in a while.
"I also like the way you say my name," he whispered in her ear. At those words, his mouth touched right below her ear, placing a soft kiss.
She took a deep, shuddering breath and let out a soft moan as he placed soft kisses down her jaw line. Letting her head drop back on his shoulder to give him better access, she heard him growl in approval.
Coming back to her senses she whispered, "We probably shouldn't be doing this here."
"You read my mind Granger, let's go," he said, throwing several galleons on the table for a tip.
"What—" she spluttered. Before she knew it, he was pulling her through the bar and out the door. Making his way over to the alley, he looped his arm through hers, and disapparated.