Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter!
Ch. 37
After we had both showered and gotten dressed, Draco and I went downstairs to say good morning and apparently goodbye to my parents. They left shortly after, apologizing profusely for not eating breakfast with us –not that I had minded of course – but that they had to go because a patient had slipped on ice and mangled their two front teeth. I could still remember the shocked and utterly repulsed expression that had crossed Draco's face as my parents made their way hurriedly out the door. I only laughed, and proceeded to offer him some breakfast.
Sitting at the kitchen table across from me, Draco buttered and spread jam on his toast while I played with my cereal. Despite my efforts, I couldn't get the image of Draco shirtless out of my head. It was stupid and I knew it, but even then, it was a task for me to even look at him from across the table.
"Do you…err…need anything?" I stammered. Why was I even talking? I willed myself to get a grip, although it was a half-assed attempt. Just because I was slightly unnerved didn't mean I shouldn't show hospitality.
Draco smirked and looked up at me from buttering his toast with silver eyes. "No, thank you."
'That bastard!' I thought as I kept my eyes glued to the butter knife that he proceeded to set down on his plate. The edge of it glinted in the sunlight. He knew I was working myself up over practically nothing, and here he was, reveling in it! I couldn't just let him think I was weak! I wasn't just one of those girls that swooned over his biceps and face and…and… –
"Just let me know if you do", I replied, spooning in a mouthful of cereal so that I would have something to do. Urgh, it had gotten soggy.
Draco nodded, wiping his hands aristocratically on a napkin. He seemed to have forgotten all about the incident by now.
More like he had dismissed it.
"So, any plans for today? I'm sure you have some horrible scheme in mind to get back at me for making so much fun of Muggles." Draco mused, and something strange happened in my chest. I tried to control the incredulous look on my face at his comment. This was one of those times where I couldn't tell if he was being serious or sarcastic. Forcibly, I swallowed the soggy cereal in my mouth, regretting it as I felt it dredge a path down my throat.
"Please tell me you're kidding."
"Fine, then I am."
"Draco." I murmured, pushing away the cereal bowl away from me.
"Hermione", he shushed back, and somehow, his voice was soothing. Draco grabbed my free hand from across the table. "I was joking, alright?"
I nodded, ignoring the prickly feeling shooting up through my body at the feel of his thumb brushing over my palm. My hand slid out of his, and I got up to put my bowl in the sink, dumping out its contents into the dispenser. The roar of it gave me a moment to myself. Why was I acting like this? It was Draco's first official day at my house in the Muggle world, and here I was, getting emotional over one of his sly comments? I decided I would think about it later.
Switching off the dispenser, I turned to Draco with a smile on my face. "What do you want to do today?"
Draco scoffed. "As if I know. What do Muggle teenagers usually do?"
I bit my lip, thinking. "Well…there's not much of a difference from Wizarding teens, although some of the activities are a little different. Usually we visit friends, go to the mall, eat out, and go to the movies."
"The mall?" Draco questioned me, one eyebrow quirked. "Movies?"
"Yeah, they're both quite fun!" I exclaimed, trying to get Draco a little excited. At the moment, he was more curious than anything. "At the mall they have a food court and stores where you can buy clothes; they also have tons of really cool things to do, along with a movie theatre." I had been about to explain what a movie theatre was, when Draco interjected again.
"What the hell is a ruddy food court? Is that some type of place where people watch and judge you as you eat?" He jeered, and I couldn't but laugh. As smart as Draco was, he was, for once, completely clueless. This would probably never happen again, so I decided that I would keep it in my mind for future use.
"No, not at all", I giggled, and Draco glared. "Sorry", I apologized between gasps of laughs. He waited arrogantly, and when I could control myself, I continued. "It's just a place where they sell different types of foods, really."
I paused for a moment, scanning over Draco from my spot against the sink. It was then I realized that he was wearing the traditional black that he always wore, a black turtleneck, black pants, and shiny, polished dress shoes, minus the jacket.
"Actually, I think the mall would be the perfect place to go today", I grinned. "Most Muggle teenagers don't usually go about in perfect, sophisticated attire like you do."
Draco nearly snorted. "That's just because they have no sense of class. I'm a Malfoy; I've always got to be sharp!" He explained proudly.
I rolled my eyes.
"Unlike Potter and Dean, and the rest of your Muggle influenced friends."
I sighed, and waited for him to realize that he was ranting. Okay, maybe I shouldn't have insulted his pride, but I couldn't help that he was going a bit far. Then again, Draco had shown so much improvement since the beginning of our friendship. Not one racist or prejudiced remark had crept out of his mouth from the moment that we had kissed in the abandoned bathroom months ago. It seemed like so much longer than that.
"Draco, it will be fun, I promise. You trust me don't you?" I smiled, and I saw the smallest trace of a grin flash across his mouth.
"What am I getting myself into", Draco sighed exasperatedly, and we shared a laugh before he got up and helped me clean the table, no matter how much I had insisted that he didn't. In the end, Draco simply became impatient, and used his wand.
We had been about to go out the door, when Draco halted behind me.
"What's wrong?" I asked, turning around. Draco looked at me, obviously amused.
"Aren't you going to take the car keys?" He said, and they dangled from the hook of his index finger. I smiled, my fingers pausing on the doorknob.
"You want to take the car?"
Draco raised a brow. "If you can drive it", he quirked. Taking the keys from him, I led us out of the door, shutting and locking it behind us. It seemed that Draco was finally starting to warm up to my Muggle habits.
VVVVV
We had taken the silver "car", and as we adjusted into the seats, I willed my ungodly indecisive nerves to relax. Before Hermione, I would have never even imagined such a ludicrous thing as a "car"! Why in the hell did Muggles have these things, anyway? Besides, everything would just be so much easier if everyone knew about Apparition.
I stared down at the dark grey sash confining me in the seat distastefully. I didn't say anything to Hermione, but I was beginning to feel oddly claustrophobic with the bloody thing strapped around me. I looked at her, and saw that Hermione was humming cheerfully in her seat, completely unaware that I was uncomfortable in mine. I preferred to keep it that way, actually. For once, it seemed that there was no use for my sarcastic drawling.
She seemed so happy.
I observed as Hermione nonchalantly slipped a small, silver key into a tiny slot on the side of what she had explained to be the "driver's wheel", but instead of listening fully, I found myself looking at her rather than whatever she was pointing to.
Had her curls always been so sleek? And since when had she started looking so good in pink? My eyes gazed rather hungrily over her while she was busy, and I couldn't help it. The pale pink cable sweater Hermione was wearing seemed to cling to her every curve, almost as if it was hugging her skin, although she pulled it off with an air of indefinite modesty. My eyes snapped up to Hermione's face again as soon as she began to speak. Apparently she hadn't noticed me blatantly staring at her.
Wouldn't be the first time, I thought, grinning inwardly at the events that had happened in the guestroom this morning.
I still didn't know how to feel about that.
Hermione sighed, shifted in her seat and checked all of the car mirrors before turning back to me.
"Are you ready?" She asked comfortingly. I didn't need her sympathy, damn it!
I hated feeling this way…was helpless the right word for it? Probably. It was just a stupid "car", what harm could it be? The rest of the street had ones just like them, and if they could handle them, then I sure as hell could! I was a Malfoy, for Christ sakes!
Shifting uncomfortably, I nodded. Hermione gave me a small smile, obviously still trying to comfort me. She had always had that maternal instinct. Hermione clicked a small button, and the vehicle filled with warmth. It helped, considering the chilly air that had been biting through my woolen sweater throughout her explanations.
"Now, when I start the car, don't be surprised when the engine starts up. It'll sound like a big deal, but it's really not." Hermione explained expertly. All I could do was nod and lean back slightly in my seat. Hermione twisted the key into the slot, and simultaneously, the "car" seemed to roar to life. My seat buzzed slightly.
Bloody hell, fucking metal contraption!
I made sure to keep my face as blank as a slate board when Hermione turned to see my reaction. Inwardly, I grinned victoriously as she simply shrugged.
"That wasn't as bad as you made it out to be, you know", I drawled, putting on the most natural of facades. "I've been through worse."
Well at least that part was true. Voldemort, my father's beatings, and countless Death Eater meetings at the Manor made riding a car seem as easy as breathing.
Hermione simply smiled and pulled a knob that was on the same level as my lap. The car began to reverse. "Glad you think so", Hermione exclaimed, and inside I knew she knew that I was lying. Hermione backed up out of the driveway and slid onto the street rather expertly. The ride was smooth – almost as smooth as broom riding, I thought, impressed.
"Music?" Hermione offered, but before I could answer, she had tapped another button and the speakers in the small car came to life. I shook my head, laughing quietly as she sifted through stations. Every once in a while, she would stop at a few stations with rather upbeat songs, some with strumming guitars, others with loud bass. I knew not to ask for The Bloody Harpies or the Weird Sisters. I already felt inadequately informed enough about this "car" nonsense.
We had been on the main road for about ten minutes –Hermione often humming along to random songs by random artists I didn't know while we talked about the most random of things – before we got on the freeway. In a way, talking to Hermione while watching her speed up simultaneously was oddly relaxing. She was explaining everything, from stoplights, traffic wardens, how much gasoline you needed to supply a fully functioning car, to even how there were little cameras that could tell if you were going over the speed limit. Apparently people were punished with a fee for that, so when I had pleaded Hermione to speed up the car to the end of its meter, she had firmly refused. Even on a full highway, she wouldn't break the rules.
"Are you crazy, Draco Malfoy?" Hermione screeched, although I saw her foot firmly pressed on the gas pedal. "I'm glad you're getting a thrill out of this, but my parents would kill me if I got a ticket!"
More like Hermione would've killed herself. She had never even gotten a detention before! Well, not counting the time in First Year when I had ratted Hermione, Potter, and Weasel out for sneaking out onto the grounds to visit Hagrid. I didn't like counting that one because I had also gotten a detention, for following them.
Twenty minutes in, I had gained a bit of a daredevil view of driving! I had wanted to try it of course, insisting that I could handle it just as well as I could a broom, but Hermione had mentioned something about needing a sodding license.
Without warning, Hermione blasted the music, the sound of auto tune blended into a woman's voice flooding through my ears. I could've cringed.
"I love this song!" Hermione exclaimed, practically squealing as she sang along to the girl's rhythmic tune-toned lyrics. I just rolled my eyes and watched other people in their "cars", but before I knew it, my eyes were glued to Hermione again, watching her furtively as she sang along to each word of the song's lyrics.
"You're so hypnotizing
could you be the devil?
could you be an angel?
your touch magnetizing
feels I'm floating
leaves my body glowing"
Hermione's voice was fluid as she sang along, her eyes alive and shining like chocolate encased orbs. If it had been any other girl, I probably would've been annoyed to my wits end. It was a pop, hip, modern song – something I didn't think of or hear when I looked at Hermione. When I looked at her, I thought of dark pianos and soft, strumming guitars. In that moment, as cheesy as it felt and sounded, I knew that I had loads more to learn about the girl that I had always seen as Potter's go to brain book. Hermione had more behind the beautiful face and brain. She had more than I did, and as I gazed at her, for once, I wasn't jealous. I wanted her personality to be hers and her alone, unique, no matter how endearing and slightly unnerving it could be.
After all, I had always like surprises.
"They say be afraid
You're not like the others
Futuristic lover
Different DNA
They don't understand you
Your from a whole other world
A different dimension
You open my eyes, kiss me, kiss me
Infect me with your love and fill me with your poison
Take me, take me
Want to be a victim
Ready for abduction
Your touch is foreign
Your kiss is cosmic
Every move is magic."
The song ended, and Hermione's ludicrous yet oddly adorable singing came to a stop as well. She was grinning like two year old toddler in a Honeydukes sweet shop. A man began talking on the radio, and guessing that they were taking a musical break, I uncrossed my arms and found the same tab that Hermione had used to change the music earlier. I twisted it, and immediately, static filled the car. Hermione frowned almost comically as I stared at her with steely, demeaning eyes.
"And what exactly was that supposed to be?" I smirked. I would have never admitted that I had slightly enjoyed the whole shenanigan. Well…immensely enjoyed, now that I thought of it. Hermione raised her chin and shot an equally arrogant expression at me.
"That was my rendition of the song Futuristic Lover, by Katy Perry." Hermione defended herself, and I could see a smile creeping from the outward curve of her lips into her cupids bow. "And you very much enjoyed it." She added, before smiling and turning back to the wheel.
I scoffed. "Katy Perry?" I retorted rather carelessly, and slightly clueless. "Well whoever she is, I'd like to send her a bouquet of flowers along with a note telling her to never try and carry a tune again."
Hermione laughed, a high, tinkling sound, and I had a hard time ignoring the flush the rose into my chest through my abdomen. "That's rich! Although I don't doubt the flowers bit. She actually looks a lot like a would be older version of a more conservative Pansy. Quite beautiful, if you can imagine it." Hermione shrugged.
Was I deluding myself into a hearing a tinge of jealously lace her voice?
I had to be.
"Well in that case –", I smirked, and Hermione smacked my arm. Next thing I knew, she had called me a hypocrite, demanding that I change my views on women, and that was when I had yanked on one of her curls. From there, it ended up being a battle for dominance for control of the radio, Hermione desperately clawing at the knobs to find the song again so that she could permanently torture me with it by putting it on permanent replay by use of her wand.
And for once, I didn't care. The control didn't matter. I guess you could've said that I let loose. In that moment, all I had to worry about was winning over the radio while not making a fool out of myself to the people driving beside us. There was laughing, there was fun, and for once, there was a real, happy Hermione and I at the same time.
VVVVV
Hello loves! I'm sorry that I didn't get the chance to update earlier, but I have an explanation! The screen cracked on my laptop, and I am now being forced to use a computer that's slower than Professor Binn's lectures. With that said, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I hope to update soon, but it all depends on which computer I'll be using. On a happier note, it's finally time for some Dramione Muggle fun! We'll see what they get up to at the mall and other places! Remember, if there's anything you'd like to see in the next few chapters, please feel free to send me a message, or leave it in a review! Reviews, Ideas, and constructive criticisms are all welcome! Love to all! X