Chapter 30
Hermione sat in a café in Notting Hill with her mother. They did brunch some Sundays. She'd been cancelling for a few weeks. Her relationship with Draco was taking up much of her time and impacting her normal schedule. Not that she was complaining, because they were finding absorbing ways to spend the time.
"So I take it there is a new someone in your life." Her mother said with a sly smile.
"There may be." Hermione blushed.
"Well, don't torture me, who is it? Tell me about him."
"His name is Draco Malfoy." She said. Her mum's smile slid from her face.
"Isn't the Malfoys that dreadful family? The one that tried to hurt you?" She said with concern. "And that boy that was horrendous to you in school. You told me about it every year."
"Yes, but things are different now." Hermione said.
"Really?" Her mother sounded unconvinced. "People don't change that much. We like to think they do, but they don't."
"He has changed some of his values." Hermione defended.
"And what does he do?"
Hermione didn't really have an answer, he didn't really do a traditional job. She wasn't actually sure what he did during the day. She knew how he spent his evenings. They had some lovely evenings together.
"He works in the family business." She said, it could be true, but it was definitely a stretch. She knew her mother wouldn't be impressed if she said they were wealthy and he didn't really work. It was a sore point for her as well. There was also no benefit in mentioning that before they were together he was basically a drunk womaniser. She could appreciate how ridiculous that would sound to her mother.
"And you are an item." Her mother said with the tone that signified her disapproval. "I'm not sure this is the right person for you." She continued with concern. Hermione knew what her mother was getting at, she'd had these concerns too. They were great when they were together, but when she took a step back, it was just insanity.
"It was just one of those things that happened, mum. One of those unexpected things, but it did happen. I care about him." She tried to defend herself. "And together… we work."
"And what about after the excitement of a new relationship. That excitement does fade. Will you have something you are happy with then?" Her mum pressed. Hermione tried to smile, but her mother was mirroring her concerns. She wasn't sure what was real, what was just novelty and plain lust. Things were going well between them, they talked, they teased, and laughed. His wit and his sarcasm was razor sharp. He challenged her views, sometimes they even had great heated debates. Physically things couldn't be better, he looked at her and she turned into a puddle of warm goo.
It was the most intense relationship she'd ever had. He was right there in her mind all the time. He seemed to know her thoughts. It was perfect, but she knew perfect was always an illusion. Therefore this must be an illusion as well. She wanted to believe in it hook, line and sinker, but there was a part of her that wouldn't allow it.
"I hope you know what you're doing." Her mother said, mirroring what Ginny had said earlier. Hermione changed the subject for the rest of the catch up. It was clear that her mother didn't approve. Her father didn't approve of anyone, but if mother didn't approve, he would be even worse.
It didn't take long for her to forget when she got home. Draco was still in bed, scanning through every channel on her TV.
"Have they got nothing better to do than watch this dribble?" He said when she got home. "How was your mum?"
"Usual." Hermione said and sat down on the bed. "You are such a creature of comfort, aren't you? Are you planning on getting dressed today?" She asked as she saw that he was completely naked under the white sheet. He proceeded to pull the blanket down slowly to reveal more of his body. Hermione couldn't help the smile that refused to give. The tease.
"I have a policy about not going back to bed once I'm dressed."
"That is an awful policy." He said. "Haven't we discussed some of these self-defeating policies of yours?" His fingers gingerly unplucked the button of her jeans. "And these awful pants, they must come off. I forbid you from wearing them."
"Forbid?" She said pointedly. "That is a strong sentiment coming from a naked man."
He'd had enough teasing, he pulled her into the bed and rolled on top of her, kissed her deeply. How could this possibly be wrong, she asked herself. How could anything that felt this completely right, be anything but?
They made love slowly and deliberately. She couldn't imagine anyone else touching her. She wondered if it was possible that he ruined her for other men. It had never been this intense and complete with anyone else. It was part of the reason she was so scared. Would she survive losing this?
Hermione quietly snuck out of bed on Tuesday morning. She had a full day ahead of her at work.
"Marcus is having a do at his house tonight." Draco said.
"Tonight? Must we?" She whined. An evening at Marcus' wasn't the fun night she was hoping for.
"Yes." He said. "We can't ignore everyone forever."
"Why not? It sounds like a good idea to me." She didn't want the outside world intruding on their idyll. She knew it had to happen eventually, them having to venture into the world again.
"We'll just stay a while." He said and turned back to lie down on his stomach again. "Now get dressed or you're going to give me ideas."
Hermione dreaded the idea of spending the evening with the Slytherins. She knew this day would come, but she wasn't quite prepared for it. She felt like she was still recovering from the last bout of interactions with them. Another evening of sniping, innuendoes and social manoeuvring just didn't appeal.
Draco wasn't home when she got back from work. He'd left a note saying he had some errands to run, but would pick her up later.
He arrived around seven and they left pretty much immediately. She hadn't seen him in proper social garb for a while. He was wearing his black suit again, the severeness of it was in stark contrast to the way they've been for the last few weeks. His hair was groomed perfectly as well. He looked different from the Draco she knew so well. She felt a sense of panic.
He smiled as he side-along apparated them to the foyer of the Flint house. A typical pureblood family home of indeterminable age, filled with luxury and family pride. The evening was well under way by the time they got there. All were dressed exquisitely as per norm. The room glittered with low lights, sparkling of jewellery and fine cloth.
Marcus was standing next to his betrothed, a pretty girl with dark hair and sharp features. She didn't look like she took no for an answer, which might actually suit Marcus better than he thought, Hermione suspect. What was she coming to when she had suspicions about what would suit their temperaments, she was getting to know the Slytherins better than she ever wanted to. She did wish Marcus well, she had a suspicion that he desperately wanted to be in love. It wasn't a thought she shared with anyone. This wasn't a group where you wore your heart on your sleeve, or reveal anyone else's unless someone rip it off and stomp on it.
"Draco, darling." Pansy cooed. "I see you brought someone."
Someone? Hermione thought. Pansy was still treating her like the last disposable girl in Draco's on-going string. Pansy would probably suffer torture before acknowledging this relationship, Hermione expected.
"Pansy," Draco said, "you look fantastic as always." Pansy cooed more at the compliment.
"Yes Pansy," Hermione interjected, "that is a nice dress, where did you get it?"
"Madrid." Pansy said. "Its hand made, sown by orphan elves, stitch by stitch." Pansy knew how much Hermione cared about defenceless elves and the wizard world's abuse of them. Hermione narrowed her eyes. Bitch.
After a while Draco drifted off tempted by a discussion on Quidditch. Hermione made the mistake of walking near Blaise. The glower she got from Draco clearly showed his displeasure. He was jealous, she realised. Oh, that was just fodder for teasing him mercilessly later, she thought. There was part of her that loved the idea that he was jealous.
Marcus' fiancé spoke very little English, which should make their marriage interesting. She clearly looked bored out of her brains. Poor girl, poor Marcus. The whole arranged marriage thing was dreadful. Draco was lucky to escape it, which was slightly surprising considering how strongly his parents, or at least his father felt about the right blood for their lineage. That was another thing that sat in the back of her mind. At some point that would have to be confronted, or not if they never reached that far.
Hermione spoke to Daphne, who was now sporting an engagement ring. It was ridiculously large and it sparkled almost blindingly. Daphne was obviously beside herself.
"It is just the most exquisite ring." Pansy said. "A family heirloom, been in the family for centuries."
"It is gorgeous." Hermione said. And you could use it as a weapon for self-defence if necessary, she kept that remark to herself.
"Its going to be a spring wedding." Daphne said. "I'm so excited I can't wait." Daphne went on to describe exactly how she wanted her wedding to be. She had put a lot of thought into it.
Hermione hadn't really done that. She'd never really thought of weddings, it had only really come into her consciousness when Bill and Fleur got married, just before they were attacked by Death Eaters. She still had no ideas for a wedding beyond that, and Harry and Ginny's. A wedding beyond the Burrow seemed a little too distant.
"Two ancient and important families joining." Pansy said. "How things should be. And mostly likely how things will always be." Hermione felt the barely veiled barb.
"Sometimes things just need to move on." Hermione said to Pansy.
"We'd like to think so, but really they just stay the same." Pansy said bitchily and gave Hermione a condescending pat on her arm. "That is just the way things are. See, you are a donkey, and we are unicorns. It just is what it is."
"Yeah well, you know what they say Pansy, a rhinoceros is just an old, fat unicorn when it comes down to it. Everybody knows it and just maybe a donkey doesn't look so bad in comparison. Bit of staying power, you know." Hermione said. Consider yourself slammed, bitch. Hermione kept her cool. She wanted to punch Pansy, sick of her constant bile.
She walked away and found Draco.
"You ok?" He asked.
"Sure." She said and flipped her hair. "Nothing I can't handle."
"You're a bad girl." He gave her the wicked grin he did so well. It completely melted her insides. That grin she used to fear so much, turned her knees to putting.
"Let's fuck in the bathroom." He said in her ear. She'd never considered herself a have-sex-on-someone's-bathroom kind of girl, but she was not going to argue with the logic, even if there weren't any. If fact, she might have sex in every stuck-up purebloods' bathroom she could find.
She downed the rest of her drink.
"By the way, we're having lunch with my parents on Sunday." He said and Hermione choked on last of her drink.
"Wait? What?" She said, but he had her across the room by then headed towards the bathroom.