Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yours. Only JK Rowling's
A/N: Seriously, I'm too tired to type anything so, just read and then review afterwards. Enjoy!
Chapter Seven: Grow Old with You
5. I want to hear a song dedicated to me.
Draco was sitting on Hermione's couch, browsing through the DVDs he'd bought a while ago. The aroma of freshly cooked popcorn with butter reached his nose, making him hungrier than he already was.
He then heard her footsteps and immediately, he looked up. She was slightly smiling while clutching the bowl of popcorn in between her hands. "Already found a movie?" she asked, plopping on the couch closely beside him. She placed the bowl on her lap and started to eat. Draco mimicked her actions and also ate the delectable popcorn.
"I still haven't found one," he said, frowning at the CDs scattered on her coffee table.
Hermione peered at the DVDs and then suddenly, she chose one and showed it to the blond. "This, let's watch this," she said, eyes full of mirth.
Draco raised an eyebrow. "Titanic?" he asked, reading the title of the movie.
"It's a wonderful movie," she announced, standing up to put the DVD in the DVD player. "And besides, Leonardo di Caprio is absolutely gorgeous in this movie."
The blond just rolled his eyes.
"This moved me to tears, you know," she said. "I watched it a few years ago and it made me cry. Their love story is just so… so beautiful. I bet that you'll find this movie wonderful."
"Whatever."
"Oh, wait, by the way," she said, pausing the movie. Draco watched curiously as Hermione rushed towards her kitchen. She then came out, clutching a magazine, Witch Weekly to be exact. The blond, horrified, fell flat on her carpeted floor.
"I burned all of those!" he exclaimed, immediately standing up to snatch the offending material away from Hermione's clutches.
"You burned all of them?" she asked, frowning. She sat down on the couch again and pulled Draco back on the couch. "You didn't want me to see it, did you?"
Draco scowled and stared at the latest edition of Witch Weekly. Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger: More than best friends? was blaringly flashed on the cover page of said magazine. Underneath it was a picture of the time when they were at Happy Land Amusement Park, eating their ice creams.
"You didn't want me to see it, did you?" she repeated, now scowling deeply. "Why not, Malfoy? You didn't want me to be aware of this… this blasted new gossip?"
He sighed and shook his head. "I didn't want you to get upset over this… rubbish," he said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Well, I wouldn't have been upset!" she exclaimed, gesticulating wildly. "I mean, I should be aware of this, Ferret. I don't want to go to Diagon Alley with a bunch of gossipers looking at me pointedly and whispering behind my backs while I'm utterly… clueless."
"You're upset," he pointed out.
"I'm not," she protested, crossing her arms against her chest.
"Yes, you are," he disagreed.
Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'm not playing this childish game, Draco," she told him.
"Look, Hermione," the blond said. "I burned all of them, except this, of course, because I didn't want you to become upset again. I mean, do you remember the time when that Skeeter woman wrote an article about you being the girlfriend of - ." He paused, watching Hermione at the corner of his eyes. He was about to say 'Harry' but stopped since he knew what Hermione's reaction would be.
"It's all right," she said, quite tensely. "You can say his name."
Draco just shook his head. "As I was saying, do you remember that time when that Skeeter woman wrote that particular article about you?" he asked.
The brunette frowned, still miffed at the fact that he had almost said Harry's name. "Of course I remembered that. I blackmailed her even, threatening her that I would tell the Ministry of Magic that she was an unregistered Animagi."
"Are you serious?" he asked, amused. He never knew that Rita Skeeter was an unregistered Animagi.
Hermione nodded. "Yeah, she's a small beetle," she said.
"Wow," he said. "So that's the reason why she knew even Hagrid's deepest, darkest secret."
The brunette then grabbed the magazine placed on the couch and stared at it, a scowl now forming on her face. "I still don't understand why people kept on pestering us," she grumbled under her breath. "I mean, we had made it perfectly clear before that we're best friends and will always be. How come of all the women that got linked to the famous Malfoy heir, I'm the media's favorite?"
"Well what did you really expect? With the way that you act it's a miracle that the rumors only started now," the blond blurted out.
She looked at him curiously. "The way I act?" she asked.
Draco blushed and gulped nervously. 'Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!' he exclaimed in his mind. "Well… I mean, you… you always go to my house and sleep with me in my bedroom."
"LITERALLY!" she exclaimed loudly, cheeks burning furiously. "And, best friends sometimes do that!"
The blond flinched and gave her a sheepish smile. "Of course," he said. "But… best friends who are girls. I mean, the slumber party. And then, you always hug me and, you know, kiss me."
"ON THE CHEEK!" she protested. "They're all harmless kisses, Malfoy. No need to find some malice in them."
Draco rolled his eyes. "All right, all right," he grumbled. "And, of course, we're inseparable. Do you honestly think that people won't find something suspicious in that? A boy and a girl, always together…"
Hermione harrumphed softly and looked away from him. "That doesn't mean they have to gossip untrue things behind our backs!" she exclaimed.
"What if…?" the blond slowly said, his eyes trained intently on the brunette's to gauge her reaction. "What if... we were to make the rumors true?"
"Huh?" the brunette asked, confused.
"What if we make the rumors true and prove that we're going out?" he asked, seriousness evident on his face.
"EXCUSE ME?!" she shrieked loudly, horrified.
Draco's stoic expression broke and he suddenly laughed loudly. "Aww, come on, Beaver. You know I was just joking."
"You… you…" And then suddenly, Hermione was playfully punching him, cheeks still red. A scowl was adorning her face while she continued her assault. "You… You bloody ferret!" she exclaimed.
"All right, all right," he said, calming down. He clutched both of her hands and wrapped them around his neck. He pulled her against him and playfully ruffled her hair. "I was just joking, Hermione. Why are you so riled up?"
"That was not funny," she muttered, her head leaning against his right shoulder.
"Really now?" he asked, a small smile still playing on his lips. Inside his mind, though, he was mentally beating himself. 'That was a nice one, Draco 'Ferret' Malfoy!' he scolded himself. 'Make the rumors true? MAKE THE RUMORS TRUE? Oh Merlin, what has gotten into me?' He was thankful that he was hugging the said brunette so that she wouldn't see his glowing, red face.
He had a feeling, though, that he had screwed everything up again. He had had a chance. It had been blatantly staring at him. He should have confessed to her that he was so madly in love with her after seriously telling her to make the rumors about them true.
Draco Malfoy was really a coward.
And again, Draco Malfoy had let his chance slip through his fingertips.
The Malfoy heir twirled his quill around, a thoughtful look found on his face while staring at Hermione's list of goals. Again.
He was currently in the huge kitchen of the Malfoy Manor. Surprisingly, no house-elves were hustling and bustling because his dear mother had given them a day-off. His father thoroughly protested but Narcissa's stubbornness had paid off.
So now, his grumbling father was seated across from him, looking bored as he watched his wife doing the hustling and bustling.
"Coffee, anyone?" Narcissa cheerfully asked.
Both men grunted in response.
Draco still couldn't believe that his mother made all of their house-elves have a day-off. Now, they were suffering, especially the female Malfoy since she had to do all of the house chores. Though, strangely, Narcissa was happy doing the job by herself. The blond had a feeling that the reason why the Malfoy Manor, for the first time in history, had no house-elves at all was because Narcissa had finally submitted to Hermione's request.
He scowled. 'Stupid spew,' he muttered to himself, sipping his hot coffee. He flinched, though, when he felt the small welt on his right arm. He had clumsily bumped against his huge wardrobe in his own home after slipping slightly. It was strange, though, because he normally never received small bumps from a slight accident.
"What happened to your arm, darling?" Narcissa exclaimed, examining Draco's right arm. "This looks absolutely horrible."
"Don't overreact, Mother," Draco grumbled, rolling his eyes towards his father. "It's just a small bump. It was my fault. I was just clumsy. With a swish of my wand, it will be gone. So don't worry anymore." Mothers. They were really so melodramatic.
Narcissa calmed down and sat down beside her son. She observed the blond silently, his eyes now gazing down on the parchment clutched tightly in his right hand. A small smile slowly graced her beautiful face. "I've read the latest edition of Witch Weekly, dear. And I must say that was an adorable picture. When did you and Hermione go there?"
Draco scowled at the same time his father did. "Not you, too, Mother. Where did you get that copy?" he said exasperatedly. "I burnt all of them."
"Oh, honey. You don't want your mother to see it?" she asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Why not?"
The blond only rolled his eyes.
"Did Hermione see it?" she asked eagerly.
Draco nodded, his cheeks reddening slightly.
"And how did she react?" she asked. At the corner of the blond's eyes, he could see Lucius curious look.
He sighed. "She was upset," he simply said with a nonchalant shrug.
Narcissa dropped her jaw ungracefully. Lucius, ever observant, tutted disapprovingly. "Upset?" she asked, breathless. "That must have hurt, dear! How are you feeling now? Are you quite all right? Does your heart hurt so badly? I can give a potion which one of my best friends gave me. She said it can soothe someone's broken heart and…"
"Mother!" the blond exclaimed, blushing furiously. "Why the bloody hell would I feel hurt?" he asked.
"Language, Draco," she sternly told him. She clucked her tongue thoughtfully and placed a hand on her son's arm. "Dearest, why don't you just spit it out!"
"Spit what out?" Lucius asked incredulously, talking for the first time. He had never heard his wife say those kinds of things. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. 'Maybe that Granger girl is really doing something to both of them,' he told himself in his mind.
"Yes, spit it out!" Narcissa exclaimed, gesticulating her arms wildly. "I mean, honey, aren't you alarmed or… or troubled of the fact that Hermione's absolutely gorgeous! If I am twenty-five-years-old right now, I would envy her so much. Too bad I'm older… But, that's not the point. The point is, aren't you afraid that one day, some random guy will sweep her off of her feet and will steal her away from you?"
"Mother, you know very well that Hermione has refused all of her suitors," the blond reminded her. "And so, I have to assume that she'll refuse me, too."
"Draco," Narcissa said in a motherly tone. Her features softened as she gazed at her son sadly. "Don't you dare lose hope." To the blond's horror, her mother pulled the necklace out from under his shirt. "See, you even have an engagement ring for her."
"How did you…" he asked, wide-eyed. He looked at his father but he, too, had a knowing look on his face.
Mrs. Malfoy moved closer to her son and placed a comforting kiss on his forehead. "Honey, I know you love Hermione. I just don't know how much." She tucked the necklace back into its original position. "I have never seen you like this before. Ask your Father; he will agree with me, too."
Draco looked back at his father but Lucius' face was expressionless.
"You are so happy now… so full of life," she continued. "And believe us, Draco, we are happy for you, too. Hermione Granger is the best thing that has ever happened to you and for that, I thank her. I am aware of the fact that we took you for granted when you were still a child. I am aware that we never showed you the proper care parents should have shown to their child. And as I watch you grow older, I regretted it, son. I didn't like the fact that you are shutting yourself from the world just because we shut you from our lives."
"But the Dark Lord was rising in that time, dear. Your father… was feeling quite confused at that time." Draco noticed the look of shame and guilt that flashed onto Lucius' face. "I confess that I was too worried for your father's safety rather than yours, darling. But see, we've changed."
She then sniffed daintily as she pulled her surprised son into a gentle hug. "Tell her, Draco, before it's too late," she begged him softly. "I know how you feel… But Hermione is dying. Oh, I still cannot believe it. So, please tell her before she… she dies. Is that clear?"
"Crystal," the blond said.
"What lovely advice," Lucius sarcastically butted in. "Want a round of applause? I might give a standing ovation, too, my dear wife."
"Oh, keep quiet, darling," Narcissa said, hurtling Lucius one of her infamous glares. Actually, Lucius was the only one who was immune to it. Draco just chuckled and shook his head. His parents were really so… so cute as what his brunette best friend had once described them.
"What's written on that parchment, Draco?" Narcissa suddenly asked, eyes staring.
Instantly, Draco felt awkward. "Um… well," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "Hermione made a list… '11 Things I Want to Do Before I Die'." He saw the amused looks on both of his parents. "And, well, she already fulfilled her eleventh to sixth goals. And now, I'm thinking of how to accomplish her fifth goal."
Narcissa eye's misted. "That's so sweet, honey."
"Really, Narcissa," Lucius said, rolling his eyes.
Mrs. Malfoy chose to ignore her husband. Instead, she asked, "So, what's her fifth, hmm?"
"Well, she wants a song to be dedicated to her," he simply said.
"That's so easy!" Narcissa exclaimed. "Just sing her favorite song in front of a large crowd. That will be so romantic!"
Draco made a face. "I'm going to sing? Mother, she perfectly told me that a banshee would be envious of my singing voice."
Lucius snorted.
"Ah, ignore your father," Narcissa said, glaring at Lucius once again. "And, why do you care if your voice isn't that lovely, honey? At least she would have accomplished her fifth goal. But first, do you know her favorite song?"
"Yes," the blond said, looking thoughtful. "There's this particular melody that keeps on playing from Hermione's music box. I just recently discovered that it has some lyrics."
"Perfect," Narcissa said, smiling widely. "Now, all you need to do is bring her to an expensive restaurant." Her face turned thoughtful. "Now, where should you bring her?"
"I know a place," Lucius suddenly offered. Narcissa and Draco looked at him incredulously. "What?" he asked innocently.
"That'd be nice, Father," Draco said, a large smile on his face while his mother kissed Lucius cheek. "So, where's this place?"
Hermione's eyes moved under her eyelids. She gently stirred as she faintly heard some music playing. The brunette, about to wake up, frowned. 'How come there's music in my room?' she asked herself. 'I've never had a radio in my room except for my music box. And… and humming? Who the hell is humming?'
The brunette started to panic. Her head ended painfully bumping against a window and instantly, she snapped her eyes open. The only difference, though, was that she couldn't see a thing at all.
"I CAN'T SEE!" she shrieked loudly, alarmed. 'Is this a symptom?' she asked herself. 'Is blindness one of lung cancer's symptoms? It's lung cancer, damn it! My eyes are far from my bloody lungs!' Hermione released a soft cry of terror. 'Oh God! What if… what if my cancer scattered and now affected my sense of sight?! Or worse! What if it's in my brain?!'
And then suddenly, she stopped. She heard the familiar snicker of her blond best friend. Instantly, it clicked. She was in his car, riding shotgun while the blond drove as if it was the most natural thing in the whole wide world. "Malfoy…" she hissed.
"Of course you can't see, Granger," the blond said.
"Is this some kind of a practical joke, Draco?" the brunette growled. "It's not yet April Fool's, for heaven's sake. And I'm telling you, THIS IS NOT FUNNY AT ALL!"
"Calm down, Hermione, okay?" Draco said, looking at her amusedly, though of course, Hermione couldn't see it. "I charmed your eyes to temporarily be blind. I just have a surprise for you."
The brunette snorted. "Surprise my feet," she spat. "You very well know I hate surprises, Ferret. And hello, you could have at least blindfolded me or something. Why temporarily blind me?!"
"Ah, I know you too well, Granger," Draco said, tutting softly. "I knew for sure that you would have removed the blindfold as soon as possible."
Hermione groped for her wand inside her pocket but to her horror, it wasn't there.
"Oh, and to be safe, I confiscated your wand," he said. Hermione wanted to pound him into powder. The nerve of this man! He even sounded smug!
"Give. Me. My. Wand."
"Or what?"
"Malfoy, I'm warning you!" she snarled. Draco just sighed. "Make me see again! DAMN IT! I thought the cancer had spread and reached my eyes or brain...OOF!"
The blond suddenly stepped on the brakes and Hermione banged her forehead painfully. She scowled while rubbing it, face turned towards the driver's seat to glare at the blond. "What did you do that for?"
"We're here," he said. Hermione knew instantly that he was gritting his teeth. The brunette sighed in defeat.
Draco opened the door of the wizard store his mother had recommended, Chanel. He had once seen this store in one of Hermione's fashion magazine (which surprised him since he never thought before that Hermione would own one) and he honestly thought that it was only a Muggle store. He was astonished to hear his mother say that some brilliant witch (he honestly forgot the name) thought of making a Chanel store, wizard version.
So now, the blond was gently dragging a stubborn, temporarily blind brunette behind him. "Granger, cut it out, please," he said.
"Make me see again," the brunette seethed.
"No," the blond stubbornly said.
"Ah, Mr. Malfoy!" Draco's head snapped up and instantly, his eyes landed on a chubby woman, probably in her mid-thirties, giving him a warm smile. The blond noticed she had a great fashion sense. "It's nice to see you."
The blond just nodded his head. Instantly, more women started to appear and stood beside the woman.
"I'm Mrs. Rickets," she said, stretching out her right hand. "Manager of this branch."
Draco shook her hand. "Yes, yes, it's nice to see you." He then pulled Hermione in front of him. Some woman clucked their tongue, criticizing Hermione's fashion under their breath. Some even admired her simple beauty. "Doll her up," he demanded. "I'll be right back. Be sure to be finished before 6:00 pm."
"Malfoy, it's still early," Hermione mumbled under her breath. "And doll me up? What the hell are you talking about?!"
"Well, for your information, Beaver, you slept in," he said, eyes trained on his watch. "It's already 2:00 pm. And, doll you up means to dress you and put some whatsoevers on your face. Seriously, are you a girl or what?"
"WHAT?!" she shrieked. Almost all of the witches in the field of fashion flinched and glared at the brunette for being quite unlady-like. "Take me home, Draco! Please! I want to go home!"
The blond shook his head at the brunette's childish behavior. He wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his mouth beside her ears. "Come on, Hermione. Do this for me," the blond whispered. Hermione was now frowning. "I know you hate surprises but I swear, once you discover it, you'll be delighted." He then pulled away from the brunette and gave her to Mrs. Rickets' arms. "Please do take care of her." And with that, he apparated.
Draco lounged on one of the plush couches in the store. He was wearing a black tuxedo, making him look more handsome then his usual stunning self. His hair was slicked back just like it normally was during his Hogwarts years. His eyes were scanning another magazine, criticizing something hither-thither.
"OW, DAMN IT!"
The blond flinched. Hermione had been inside a room with the fashion designers and make-up artists for hours now. The brunette would occasionally scream or curse or both. Draco smiled. He knew Hermione hated him now.
He sighed and closed the magazine. All was turning out like he had planned. He had slipped a sleeping potion in Hermione's tea last night, which wore off just after lunch today. In the morning, Draco had apparated to her house, temporarily blinded her, and put her in his car. He had then taken Hermione to the Chanel store and trusted her to the witches to make her decent yet beautiful for their friendly date tonight.
Draco mentally thanked his parents, especially Lucius, for at least helping him. The blond had apparated to the expensive restaurant, La Fleur (which meant 'The Flower'), and for him, the restaurant was the best place for him to fulfill Hermione's fifth goal.
He grabbed another magazine from the top of the coffee table, feeling quite bored.
Soon, he was dozing off. His head had just dropping down when without warning, the door burst open. Surprised, Draco sat up still. He had a feeling that if a ruler was placed behind his back, it would be perfectly straight.
Mrs. Rickets was the first one who emerged from the room. She was wearing a huge, proud smile on her face. Draco immediately felt curious. What would Hermione Granger look like? Soon, the other fashion designers and make-up artists joined Mrs. Rickets. All of them, Draco noticed, were also wearing huge, proud smiles on their faces.
"Mr. Malfoy," the manager said cheerily, "may I present to you, Miss Hermione Granger."
One witch went out, clutching the still blind brunette's hand. And immediately, Draco's eyes widened and his jaw dropped.
Each witch exchange knowing looks.
"Mr. Malfoy?" Mrs. Rickets asked, a small smirk adorning her chubby face.
The blond blushed and stood up, banging his knee against the coffee table in the process. He released whispered, colorful words as he limped towards the brunette.
"Draco?" the brunette asked, stretching her arms in front of her. The blond immediately clutched both of her hands. "Are you all right?"
"Fine, fine," he said, still quite breathless.
"What do you think, Mr. Malfoy?" Mrs. Rickets asked, smirking at the Malfoy heir.
Draco looked at her and meekly nodded. He didn't trust himself to speak.
He looked back at the brunette and observed her from head to toe. Her hair was tied up into a loose bun, loose tendrils framing her face. Make-up was visible, though not thick, thankfully. And then her dress… It was as if it was perfectly made just for her. It was a red, halter dress that ended Just a few inches below her knees. The hem of the dress was full of ruffles, making it look more beautiful. On her right wrist was a diamond bracelet which was identical with the necklace worn around her neck.
"Th-there's" – he cleared his throat – "there's still something missing." He pulled out his wand from his pocket and conjured a red rose without any thorns. He charmed it to be everlasting. Draco then took a few steps forward and then slowly tucked the rose into Hermione's bun.
Draco looked at Mrs. Rickets for approval and thankfully, the manager nodded her head. "Perfect," she clapped. The other witches joined her and applauded.
Hermione was now blushing furiously. She had no idea why Draco blinded her and brought her to the hands of the witches who just did things to her body. But she was sure her look right now might be… acceptable.
Her nose twitched slightly. "My face feels so itchy, Ferret!" she whined, making a move to scratch her face but Mrs. Rickets swatted it away.
"Don't you dare," the manager threatened, making Hermione scowl. "We worked hard for that."
Draco snickered and took hold of Hermione's wrist. "She's right, you know," he said. "And stop whining, for heaven's sake, Beaver! You're twenty-five-years-old."
"Look who's talking," she spat back, remembering the times when Draco would whine about this and that.
The blond then looked at Mrs. Rickets and smiled genuinely. "Thank you, Mrs. Rickets," he said. "Thank you for putting up with her, even though she tends to be too stubborn for her own good."
"Hey!" the brunette protested. "I heard that, Malfoy!"
"You were supposed to," the blond shot back.
Mrs. Rickets just softly laughed and waved a hand. "It's a pleasure dolling her up, Mr. Malfoy," she said. "I like challenges, after all. And she's one."
Draco just smiled and gently pulled Hermione. "I'll pay you later," he said.
"No need, dear," she said. "Mrs. Malfoy already paid."
"Really?" he asked, surprised. When Mrs. Rickets nodded, Draco made a mental note to thank his mother. "Okay then. Thank you, once again."
And with that, he pulled the brunette to his car.
"Aren't you going to talk to me?" the blond asked, looking at the beautiful brunette in the corner of his eyes.
Hermione, still temporarily blind, crossed her arms against her chest. "Not until you lift the spell and tell me where we are going," she muttered.
"You just talked to me," he pointed out, smirking. Hermione only scowled in return. "Look Hermione, can you please stop acting like a child for a few seconds. And be patient please. You'll soon - ."
"Boy I hear you in my dreams. I feel your whisper, across the sea," the brunette suddenly sang, singing along with the music in his car.
" – you'll be pleasantly surprised, all right. Just - "
" – Lucky to be coming home again - "
" – being so stubborn then you'll be more tolerable, Beaver - "
" – I'll put a flower in your hair - "
" – appreciate what I'm doing to you - "
" – You hold me right here, right now - "
" – and you should… STOP SINGING, FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!" Draco suddenly hollered, turning off the stereo.
Hermione was seething. "I swear, Draco Malfoy, if you don't take me back to my apartment, I'm going to end the Malfoy line with you," she threatened.
"Oh boo hoo, I'm so scared, Granger," the blond spat back sarcastically.
The brunette groped for the lock of the car door and pulled it up. Draco, horrified to what she was planning, immediately charmed the car door to lock magically. Discovering this, Hermione released a small wail.
"I want to go home!" she exclaimed. "I'm so damn tired today, Malfoy. I want to go home!"
"Granger, please!" he shouted back. He pulled the car to a stop, finally arriving at their destination. "I planned all of this. The least you can do is to appreciate what I'm doing."
Hermione released a sigh and rubbed the bridge of her nose while her eyes were closed. "Is this part of my list?"
Draco only answered with silence.
"Silence means yes," she quoted in a whisper before hearing Draco opening his car door. He immediately jogged to the other side and opened the car door for Hermione. He clutched her right hand and helped her up.
"I hear sounds," she said, her face scrunching up.
Draco snorted and gave the key to some worker of the restaurant to park his beloved car. "Of course you hear sounds, Granger," he said. "I made you blind not deaf."
"Don't start," she said, releasing a huge breath. Draco led her towards the entrance of La Fleur and then stopped to an abrupt halt.
"Come on, Granger. Smile," he persuaded her.
Her lips twitched, forming into a feral grin. "Merlin, Granger, you'll scare a child! Make it decent!"
To his surprise, Hermione lowered her head. She slowly looked up through her eyelashes and gently batted her eyes, a small seductive smile growing on her face.
Draco suddenly needed cold water.
"Smile, Hermione. I didn't say seduce," he said. Thank God she couldn't see him.
She scowled darkly. "Are you going to let me see now?" she demanded.
"You can ask nicely," he spat.
"Oh, go jump off a building," she retorted back. "Now, are you going to let me see or not?"
He made an angry noise. "Congratulations, Granger, you can now jump for joy," he snarled, pulling out his wand.
"You're mad at me," Hermione pointed out.
"I'm not," he grumbled under his breath.
"Yes you are."
"I'm not playing this childish game, Hermione," he said then waved his wand in front of her eyes. At first, Hermione saw different kinds of colors instead of black and then, her surroundings.
Finally, she could see.
Hermione sighed in relief. Being blind was no joke. Not at all. She then looked at Draco and was surprised to see that he was wearing a tuxedo. She looked down at her body and was surprised, too, to see that she was wearing a red dress she wouldn't even think of wearing.
Frowning, she looked back to her best friend and sighed. "All right, I'm sorry," she said.
Draco looked at her sideways. "Apology accepted," he said.
"You're still mad!" she whined.
"No, no, I said I accepted your apology," he said, face softening.
Hermione still looked suspicious.
His face then contorted into exasperation. "Merlin, Granger!" he exclaimed. "Why can't I stay mad at you for a whole year? My life would have been easier just like our Hogwarts years!"
Hermione gave him a charming smile and kissed his right cheek. "Because I'm your best friend and you can't live without me," she said.
"Unfortunately, that's the truth," he said. "I cannot believe I'm still attached to you, Hermione."
The brunette just gave him a smile.
"Malfoy. Table for two," the blond said to one of the waiters. He scanned this little list before nodding and beckoning them to follow him.
Follow him they did and soon, they found themselves seated at a table.
"Care to dance?" Hermione offered, her right hand stretched towards the blond.
Draco scowled at her. "You very well know I hate dancing, Hermione," he said.
The brunette rolled her eyes. "My butt aches, Malfoy," she pointed out. "I don't want to sit around the whole time we are here in the restaurant while I wait for your pleasant surprise. We might as well do something else like dancing. If not, I'm going home."
The blond groaned and grasped Hermione's right hand. She smiled at him and pulled him towards the dance floor. She placed her hand on his shoulder while the other gripped his hand. Draco's free hand placed itself on the brunette's waist.
Hermione already liked this restaurant, La Fleur she soon discovered. The dishes were delicious and all. But, her most favorite was the fact that a person was serenading all of them. A man, about his mid-twenties, was strumming his guitar (which surprised Hermione since this was a wizard restaurant) while he sang with that lovely voice of his.
Draco, on the other hand, suddenly became alarmed. Eyes were glued intently on both of them, most especially to the brunette held tightly in his arms. He groaned.
Bloody rivals.
He twirled her around, noticing the curious look she was shooting him. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"Hermione, try not to look too gorgeous for your own good next time," he whispered to her, giving every man in the room a warning look. "If you want to find yourself a dignified woman before you die, please follow my advice."
Hermione scoffed and looked at him strangely, overlooking the fact that he just commented that she was gorgeous. "Hello, Draco? Who forced me into this damnable, uncomfortable dress?" she asked. When the blond gave her a sheepish smile, she rolled her eyes. "See? So stop complaining there."
Suddenly, someone tapped Draco's shoulder. He looked at the intruder and glared.
"Can I borrow her?" he asked, pointing at Hermione. The brunette blushed slightly and smiled.
"No," he simply said, pulling her closer to himself. "She's mine."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't be silly, Draco," she said. She then looked at the man and smiled. "Don't worry, he really meant 'yes'. We were just playing 'opposite day' today." She pulled away from the protesting blond into the man's awaiting arms. "Be good, Ferret. I'll see you later."
Draco growled and turned on his heel, stomping away from the dance floor. He felt that it was time to do her fifth goal already.
"Your boyfriend is jealous," he pointed out.
Hermione laughed. "He's not my boyfriend," she corrected. "He's my best friend."
"Oh," he said. "In that case, my name is Andrew Mortell." He waited for Hermione's hand to shake his.
The brunette grasped his hand and shook it. "Hello Andrew. My name is Hermione Granger," she greeted.
"Ah, a lovely name for a lovely lady," he complimented, placing a kiss on the brunette's knuckles.
Hermione blushed while she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you," she timidly said.
"You're welcome," he said, flashing her a charming smile. He then placed a hand behind her back and started to dance with her. "Hmm… Hermione Granger? That rings a bell."
The brunette merely smiled.
"Oh, you're Harry Potter's best friend!" he exclaimed, failing to notice Hermione's tensed look. "It's nice to finally see the Hermione Granger." He pulled her flush against his body, making the brunette shocked. "So, how was it to fight You-Know-Who? Was it scary? Tiring? Exciting? I mean, you're no ordinary witch, I see."
Hermione was feeling slightly awkward with their close proximity. And his hand was dangerously close to her rear end. Maybe Draco was right after all. She shouldn't make herself too gorgeous for her own good if she wanted to die as a dignified woman.
" – oh, and I owned a large branch of hotels in the Wizarding World," he babbled. Hermione distinctly remembered Andrew Mortell's face flashing on Witch Weekly's cover page last year. "Hailed as the most Eligible Bachelor of 2004." She was right and his hand was moving lower! He suddenly leaned closer to the brunette, his mouth a few inches from her ears. "So which house? Yours or mine?"
That was it. Hermione pushed him away from her, a disgusted look on her beautiful face. Andrew looked shocked. The brunette presumed that no woman had ever done that to him. 'Good,' she thought. "Keep your hands to yourself, Mister Mortell. And yes, I'm the Hermione Granger who also fought against Voldemort (Andrew flinched) and I know more spells than you do." Her face contorted into anger. "If I were you, I would treat every woman I meet with respect." She sneered at him, almost Draco-like. "You disgust me."
She turned on her heel and walked away from the startled young man. Hermione sighed, still feeling quite freaked out. She had to find Draco so that he could comfort her (or even punch that perverted man for her! She wouldn't protest. Not at all).
Hermione looked around, seeking his familiar blond head. But where was he? She couldn't see him at all.
"Good evening to all of you," the man who was serenading them suddenly said. "I'm pleased to observe that almost all of you are enjoying your evening."
Murmurs of agreement erupted, followed by polite applause.
"Now, I had this special request from a certain someone and…" He paused as he looked at a torn parchment on his hands. "This song is dedicated to… Miss Hermione Granger!"
The restaurant suddenly dimmed and a spotlight hit a stunned brunette.
"Ah, gorgeous!" he exclaimed. "Please, let us all give her a round of applause."
The crowd obeyed and clapped, admiring the surprised, beautiful brunette.
Hermione grew red, as red as her dress, and smiled shyly.
"Miss Granger, this is for you," he said. Soon, he was strumming his guitar. Hermione's eyes widened. She recognized that song! She broke into a smile. Her fifth goal was already happening. The brunette anticipated the singer to say the lyrics so she could sing along when suddenly, another spotlight appeared, this time focusing on the stage. To Hermione's astonishment, Draco was standing on the stage while holding a microphone.
I wanna make you smile whenever you're sad
Carry your around when you're arthritis is bad
All I wanna do is grow old with you
A collective 'awws' were heard in the crowd as the blond charmingly smiled, singing even though it was off-key.
I'll get your medicine when your tummy aches
Build you a fire if the furnace breaks
Oh it could be so nice, growin' old with you
Hermione's eyes misted as she continued to listen to him sing. She chuckled softly under her breath because he was very obviously tone-deaf. And then, she started to run upstage, the spotlight following her.
I'll miss you, kiss you, give you my coat when you are cold.
Need you, feed you, and even let you hold the remote control.
Draco watched her as she cried. She stumbled into his arms and hugged him tightly. He smiled and nodded to the singer who continued the song.
"That was my fifth goal!" she sobbed, face buried on his shoulder.
"I know," he said, smiling. He was feeling proud of himself for another accomplishment.
"That was the song playing in my music box!"
"I know, too." He wrapped his arms around the brunette and kissed the top of her head.
So let me do the dishes in our kitchen sink
Put you to bed when you've had too much to drink
Oh I could be the man who grows old with you
"How did you know the lyrics to that song?" she asked, demanding an answer.
His smile grew. "Ever heard of the word 'research', Beaver?" he asked.
Slowly, Hermione looked up at him and for the umpteenth time, Draco was rendered speechless. As tears trailed down from her eyes (thank Merlin her make-up was bewitched so that only magic could remove it), it made her ten times more beautiful.
Their noses were slightly touching. "Why do you…" the brunette gasped, breathless. "Why do you always make me cry?" Before Draco could even retort back an answer, Hermione closed her eyes and kissed him straight on the lips.
Draco stiffened as he felt her lips moving against his. He was too surprised to even respond. That might have snapped Hermione back to her senses since she pulled away almost immediately, eyes wide because of horror. She took a few steps back from the blond, untangling her arms from his neck.
Before she could even completely step away from him, Draco grabbed her arm and pulled her flush against him. Without any second thought, he bent down and kissed Hermione again.
This time, both were responding.
Applause erupted around the restaurant once the singer had done singing. Down the stage, Andrew Mortell had a curious look on his face. 'I thought he wasn't her boyfriend?' he asked himself.
Surprised with the sudden noise, Draco and Hermione pulled away from each other, both mirroring the same expression.
"Why did you kiss me?" the blond demanded, feeling quite determined. He needed to know.
Hermione turned a furious shade of red and bit her bottom lip. She refused to answer him.
"Granger, I'm asking you. Why did you kiss me?" Draco was now seething, his fists clenched tightly on top of their table.
The brunette sighed and turned away from him, her eyes landing on a nearby full-length mirror. She hadn't seen her look at all and so, she was surprised at her appearance. Truly, she was acceptable… hell, she was beautiful. No wonder that Mortell guy disrespected her.
"WHY DID YOU - !"
"Shhh!" Hermione exclaimed, eyes roaming around the room wildly. She conjured a ballpoint pen and grabbed a nearby tissue paper. Draco watched her curiously as she scribbled down on it furiously.
After she was done, Hermione gave him the tissue paper and the pen mutely.
Will you keep it down? You're going to attract more attention!
Rolling his eyes, Draco scribbled down on the tissue paper, too. He shoved it towards the brunette furiously. Honestly, he really wasn't angry with her. He was just… confused. Why did she kiss him?
Why did you kiss me?
Hermione scoffed and wrote down her reply on the tissue paper.
You kissed me, too, for your information, Malfoy.
Frustrated with her reply, Draco made an angry noise while writing.
Just answer my question, damn it! Look at what you did, Granger. People think we are a couple.
Hermione blushed with his reply and looked around wildly. Indeed, people in the restaurant were eyeing them with interest. One old woman even nodded her head and raised a goblet of wine for congratulations, making her blush redder. Her eye caught Mortell's and she glared, eyes immediately returning to the tissue paper.
I don't honestly know, Draco. It was just you dedicated a song for me and thus, completing my fifth goal. And, I dunno, I was overwhelmed by emotion? (Draco frowned at the little question mark) And there, I kiss you.
The blond wasn't satisfied with her answer. Not at all. He flipped the tissue paper since he didn't have any space to write anymore.
That answered my question… (he saw Hermione's eye roll) Nice try, Hermione, I won't buy that. Now, WHY DID YOU KISS ME!
Hermione glared at him before snatching the ball pen from him. She clicked the ballpoint pen and scribbled on it furiously.
Look, Draco Malfoy, why don't we just forget it, all right? I kissed you, fine. But you kissed me, too! Do you have an answer to that?
Draco growled and crumpled the tissue paper. He placed it inside his pocket and glared at Hermione. "Fine, I don't know why I did it," he said, crossing his arms against his chest.
The brunette sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry, I didn't know why I did it, too," she softly said. "It was just… that was… that was the sweetest thing a man has ever done in my life." Hermione looked away from him, a blush staining both of her cheeks. She didn't see the reddening of Draco's cheeks.
"You know, you're right," he said after a few minutes of awkward silence. "Let's just forget it. It's harmless. It didn't mean anything at all, right?" Draco swallowed. To say that was harder than he had ever imagined.
Hermione gave him a smile. "Right, it didn't mean anything," she said. She released a sigh of relief. "Goodness, that was awkward. I swear that won't happen anymore."
Draco pursed his lips and nodded.
Hermione was now seated on her favorite swiveling chair in her room. Draco took her home a few minutes after their agreement and truly, the brunette was dead tired. She had changed out of the beautiful, red dress into her usual white tank top and shorts. She didn't dare touch her hair first since she had liked its style.
Now, she was absentmindedly brushing the tip of her quill against her chin. She was thoughtfully looking at her notebook… the notebook where her list was written. She had checked her fifth goal now that it was accomplished and wrote a small note beside it.
She was looking at her goals eleventh to fifth. The notes were scribbled neatly beside them.
Eleventh goal: Draco brought me to Felicity's birthday party. WATER GUN WAR! I angered Draco but it was worth it. I became a child again.
Tenth goal: Draco made me a tree house… in his backyard. UNBELIEVABLE. Though, it was beautiful. :)
Ninth goal: Draco took the liberty to bring my completed book to a publishing company. He BRIBED the owner, how sweet of him. My book's an instant best seller.
Eighth goal: I can't believe Draco took me to the ice skating rink at Happy Land Amusement Park. And he bribed a worker, BRIBED him just so that the ice skating rink would be open for only the two of us.
Seventh goal: Draco brought me to Happy Land Amusement Park Again. Got caught and pulled to a marriage booth by a good-looking guy. Draco got KISSED by an annoying girl. He told me I'm like a little sister to him and DEMANDED me to spend the rest of my days with him and only him. How sweet.
Sixth goal: Draco forced me to ride on a broomstick. Draco forced me to ride a bicycle. Now he knows about Danny and the scar on the side of my stomach.
Fifth goal: Ferret blinded me and brought me to witches who dolled me up. Met a perverted pig. Draco sang me Grow Old With You and, well, we kissed.
Hermione licked her lips after she finished rereading her fifth goal. We kissed. It surprised her that that had happened. She didn't know what had possessed her to press her lips against his. It was just… she thought it was quite perfect for the moment.
She sighed in frustration. It was just… Draco was so handsome in that tuxedo and well, she was beautiful and then he sung her the song playing in her music box and it was… perfect. Everything was perfect.
And so, she kissed him.
On the lips.
The brunette groaned. 'Great, I can't wait to see the latest edition of Witch Weekly!' she thought sarcastically, knowing that the cover page might have their picture while kissing and some bloody statement about it.
Sighing, she then looked at her first goal. So far, all of her goals that she had accomplished made her satisfied. And, she also noticed that all of them were accomplished by her together with Draco Malfoy.
Hermione bit her bottom lip. Hesitantly, she pressed the tip of the quill on the parchment just beside number one. Clucking her tongue in frustration, she wrote it. Officially, she already had her goal number one. She just didn't know if Draco would be involved in accomplishing it, too.
She then released a wide yawn. She threw her arms up into the air to stretch. Her hands the landed on her hair to let it down again. She honestly was sorry for doing it. And then, she clutched the red rose that Draco had tucked into it. Hermione pulled it out before removing the ties and pins buried in her hair. She ran a hand through her hair while staring at the red rose.
The brunette smelled it, smiling as soon as she discovered that it was still fragrant. Draco had charmed it to be everlasting. She fingered the petals and sighed. Yawning again, Hermione placed the rose in between the pages of her notebook before standing up from her swiveling chair.
She lied down on her bed, pulled her stuffed toy ferret closer to her chest, and fell asleep. The last thing that was on her mind was Draco's lips pressed against hers.
Disclaimer: I do not own the songs 'Lucky' by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat and 'Grow Old With You' by Adam Sandler.
A/N: Aww, sweet chapter, eh? And see, I made them kiss! Now, for my reward, reviews! Thanks to my beta reader, once again. Kisses and hugs to all of you! :D