Hermione hid her face in her hands, her face flushed with mortification. She couldn't believe Draco had said that! She was also incredibly aware of his warm, still-damp arm slung over her slim shoulder, his smooth, nearly naked body pressed against her...
No, Hermione! she scolded herself. Now is not the time!
But his body really was glorious, pale and toned. His skin looked so smooth, like velvet...
She groaned out loud.
Draco cast a slanted look at her, his silver eyes sparkling mischievously, as though he knew exactly what she was thinking.
"Excuse me?" Ron choked out, sounding much like he did when they were being strangled by Devil's Snare in first year. Hermione peeked through her fingers at him. He was turning a rather alarming shade of puce. Harry, however, looked...calm. Hermione's amber eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Love, Weasel. Ain't it grand?" Draco chuckled.
"I'm...you...how dare you...Hermione!"
Draco arched a brow. "I'm sorry, was that English?"
"Ron," Harry said. "Cool down, mate."
Ron turned an incredulous face to his friend.
"Er, Harry?"
"Yes?" Harry adjusted his spectacles.
"Do you realize we just found out Hermione, our best friend Hermione, is shagging Draco Bloody Malfoy?"
"My middle name is Abraxas, actually."
Hermione blinked and looked up at Draco. "Really? I'm sorry."
Ron stared at them, dumbfounded, before turning to staring at Harry.
Harry shrugged.
"That is a pretty terrible middle name," he agreed.
Draco nodded seriously. "It's my cross to bear."
Hermione stifled a nervous giggle.
"You've all gone mad," Ron declared, looking around. "The lot of you is completely and utterly mad."
Harry grinned at Hermione roguishly.
"You like him, then?"
She blushed, looking down.
"I do."
Harry turned his keen emerald gaze to Draco, his laughing eyes turning serious and mature.
"You hurt her, and what I did to Voldemort will be nothing compared to what I will do to you."
Draco smirked.
Ron gaped.
Harry turned to his red-headed friend.
"Alright, mate. We better head out. The match starts soon, yeah?"
Ron stared, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.
Harry sighed, grabbing his arm and dragging him back to the Floo in the living room.
"Oi, Scarhead!"
Harry stopped in the doorway and turned, an eyebrow raised.
"Don't just come barging in here anymore. We might be...busy, if you catch my meaning."
A high-pitched strangled noise came from the living room, closing followed by something crashing to the floor and breaking.
Hermione groaned, blushing furiously. She closed her eyes, striving for patience.
Harry shook his head, a bemused grin on his face. He nodded once to Hermione, and then they heard the whoosh of the Floo.
Hermione turned to Draco and hit him in the arm.
Draco looked amused.
"You prat!" she growled. "Stop antagonizing Ron! And stop...stop with all...the...the bloody innuendos!"
"I can't help it. It's so easy."
Hermione started to say more, but she noticed the towel steadily sliding lower on Draco's pale hips. She blushed furiously, looking away.
"Just...get dressed."
Draco yawned. "Why?"
"We're having lunch with Ginny," she replied brightly.
Draco's eyes widened in horror.
"So, Draco," Ginny said, taking a drink of her tea. "What are your intentions with Hermione?"
Hermione groaned.
"Why, I'm going to shag her bloody brains out, of course."
Ginny snorted, inhaling tea and choking. Draco looked smug.
"Malfoy!" Hermione hissed, mortified. Her face flamed a bright red.
Ginny laughed, wiping tea off her robes.
"Good answer," she grinned.
Hermione groaned again. "Ginny!"
Ginny just chuckled.
"So, I hear you recently reproduced," Draco said.
Ginny nodded.
"James is nearly five months old now."
"And you still have my cousin?"
"Yes, we adopted Teddy."
"I would..." Draco looked uncomfortable. "I would like my son to know his cousin...providing, of course, he doesn't have the same...condition...as his dearly departed father?"
Ginny raised a brow.
"No, he's not a werewolf."
Draco looked relieved.
"Scorpius is a year old now. He should start meeting more members of the family."
"Does that include James?" Ginny said, grinning.
Draco grimaced, opening his mouth to reply. Before he could, he caught sight of a flash of red from the corner of his eye. He looked closer and paled.
"Draco?" Hermione asked, touching his arm lightly. "Are you okay?"
"I was just joking," Ginny said. "You don't have to meet James."
"I'm...I'm fine," Draco murmured, still staring.
He stood up abruptly.
"Sorry, ladies. I must be off."
Hermione frowned. "What?"
Draco patted her head distractedly.
"Scorpius...business meeting...owl you later."
He disappeared into the lunchtime crowd of the cafe.
Ginny stared at Hermione.
"What was that all about?"
Hermione bit her lip. "I don't know."
"It was like he saw a ghost."
Hermione frowned, deep in thought. She glanced around the crowded eatery once again. She had thought she saw someone familiar before Draco left, but she hadn't registered the face long enough for a name to sink in. But something nudged at her subconscious, and Harry's scrapbook floated to the forefront of her mind. She rubbed her brow in irritation.
"Hermione?"
She pasted a fake smile on her face.
"Let's just eat, then."
Ginny cast her a concerned look, but she was too lost in thought to notice.