That night Luna cooked dinner, and for the first time in months they ate in the dining room because Luna had cooked so much it just wouldn't all fit on the small kitchen table. Hermione sat down to find bowls of salad, mashed potatoes, whole potatoes, sausage rolls, plain rolls, croissants, shepherd's pie, beef pies, tubs of butter, a plate piled high with chicken, another of turkey slices and a third with ham.
"Wow Luna, you've outdone yourself!" Ron sat down eagerly and immediately started piling food onto his plate, but before he could lift any of it into his mouth Luna waved her wand and levitated it all back to where he got it from.
"Ronald Weasley! That is rude, you do not start eating until everyone is seated!" Luna scolded Ron, sounding so Molly Weasley-ish that Hermione couldn't help but giggle. Ron blushed under Luna's intense stare, muttering out an apology to her. Luna nodded her thanks then sat down next to him.
"Well, I did cook more than I needed to again, know how you like your food Ronald. You can eat now." But Ron waited, seemingly patiently, until both women had filled their plates and started eating before he piled up his plate. Hermione watched as Ron devoured his food and began on his second plate piled higher than his first, before she had polished off her first plate of food.
"Hermione?" Luna asked quietly as Hermione was filling a croissant with meat and cheese.
"Yes, Luna?" Hermione's eyes were fixed on her croissant as she took a bite out of it.
"Can I take over the cooking?" Hermione's eyes flicked up to meet Luna's as she swallowed a mouthful of her food.
"Do you mean take over so that Ron and I don't do anymore cooking?" Luna shook her head.
"Not quite Hermione. I will do most the cooking, but I will teach Ronald how to cook. I don't need to worry about your cooking abilities, Ronald has complimented your cooking skill many times, so I know you don't need any more practise." Ron blushed as Hermione laughed.
"OK Luna, that's fine by me." Luna smiled and nodded her thanks before turning back to her food, so Hermione turned her attention back to her unfinished croissant.
Finally taking the last mouthful Hermione looked up to see that Ron wasn't eating, instead he was blushing and biting his lip while Luna had a slightly determined look on her face. Hermione was just considering excusing herself;
I wonder if Malfoy's replied yet … NO! It's Draco effing Malfoy! Hermione, you shouldn't be thinking about him, you shouldn't be wanting to talk to the cockroach!
When Luna spoke up. "Hermione, Ronald has something to say to you." Hermione focused her eyes on Ron curiously as he shot a look at Luna before taking a deep breath and turning to Hermione.
"W-well you see H-Hermione, since you gave me your b-blessing and all the other day, last night I-I-I k-kind of a-askedLunatobemygirlfriendandshesaidyesbutshesaidweneedyourapprovalbeforewecanbeofficialsopleasesayyes!" Hermione blinked. She was used to Ron running his words together when he was nervous, so she didn't need to ask him to repeat it.
"Ronald Weasley.." Hermione began slowly, wanting to draw it out just a little bit.
"Of course you two have my blessing! I couldn't be happier for you both!" Hermione jumped up and hugged each of them in turn. Luna had a wide smile on her face, but Ron seemed slightly shocked.
"I was sure you were going to chop off my balls or something … I don't know what's happened to you Hermione, but I prefer this new you." Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron.
"So, are you two going to tell your family, Ron, so that she's officially your partner for Christmas?" Ron blinked, obviously not having thought of that.
"Well, yeah. Course we will be." Ron turned to Luna, suddenly anxious. "Unless you don't want to tell them?" But Luna was smiling broadly and jumped up to sit in Ron's lap and hugged him tightly, pressing her cheek against his chest.
"That would be perfect Ronald!"
After dinner Luna and Ron cleaned up so Hermione bade them goodnight and went upstairs to go to bed. Before she walked into her room, she poked her head into her library, looking for a certain owl, only to be disappointed. Biting her lip and walking across the hall to her bedroom her mind was racing as she argued with herself.
Come on Hermione, why are you so nervous anyway? It's only Draco Malfoy! He was probably starting to feel bad for dragging this conversation on for as long as he already had. Yes, he did give the impression of wanting to talk to you, but it's Draco Malfoy! The cockroach you punched in third year, remember? He's a git, you need to sort this out and-
Hermione's thoughts were interrupted by a familiar owl sitting on her bed. Hermione closed her bedroom door and leaned against it, staring at the owl which was holding its leg out impatiently. After about thirty seconds the owl hooted at Hermione, shaking her out of her surprise paralysis.
Completely dismissing her earlier thoughts Hermione squealed in excitement and bounded over to her bed to untie the letter. The owl gave her a look that just said 'Really? You're that excited for a letter?' Hermione couldn't quite explain it either. Eagerly she opened the letter, her eyes skimming the page so fast that she had to make herself stop and start again, slower this time.
Miss Hermione Jean Granger.
Any reason to talk to you as soon, as and as much as possible, Hermione.
At least you're teaching Weasel to get out of your hair and fend for himself.
Hermione Granger did not complete a course all the way to the end? I'm shocked Granger, I would've expected you to have completed the course for just about every wizarding career possible by now. Instead I learn you've done one, and you didn't even complete it. That doesn't sound like the Hermione Granger I remember from school.
I must say, your questions did not disappoint, Granger.
Now, for your answers.
My wife's name was Astoria Greengrass, she did attend Hogwarts, but was two years below us, and yes she was a Slytherin also. She was in league with the Dark Lord, but only because He killed her family – including her sister who was in our year.
The muggle's name was Ashley. I lived with her in Los Angeles – Merlin knows how I ended up there. I was rather comfortable living with Ashley, even with the lack of magic, that's why I didn't come back sooner – comfort. I learnt how the muggles have dealt without our help, and they're much smarter than some wizards give them credit for. But eventually, I missed my world far too much, and the muggle world began to become repetitive, that's why I came back, as much as I did enjoy being a famous muggle actor.
The not so lucky muggles brought to light exactly how lucky I have been in my life. I'm now much more grateful for the things I have, I'm much more protective of my belongings that actually mean something to me, and I have a much higher appreciation for beauty, as well as the beauty that I cannot possess but only admire from afar. The muggles also taught me to not throw away the things you take for granted, no matter how insignificant they may be, and to not throw away real love.
I'm currently living with my parents, yes, but I am to be moving into a modest flat around the corner from Diagon Alley tomorrow, so that I can live on my own once again.
I helped you because you needed it. I told you my story, becauseuI/u needed it.
Hopefully my answers are satisfactory to your curiosity.
Hoping to hear from you soon.
Draco Abraxas Malfoy.
Hermione stared at Malfoy's letter, reading and re reading it until she knew every word by heart. By the time she looked away from the parchment it was nearing midnight. Looking out the window and biting her lip Hermione debated whether to reply to Malfoy immediately or not.
Hermione spun around and almost crashed into her bedroom door in her hurry to get to her study. She tried going slower as she opened her study door, but still managed to stub her toe and she dashed through.
"OW! DAMNIT!" Hermione cursed and stopped as tears welled up, but she dashed them away and kept walking to her desk. She knew what she wanted to write, and she wanted to write it down before she forgot! Muttering nonsense to herself about stupid doors that should learn how to open by themselves Hermione rushed to find a piece of parchment and quill and ink, she began to write hurriedly, anxious for the letter to be written and sent.
Draco.
I'm sorry I doubted you when you helped me at Diagon Alley. I knew Astoria and her sister. For Slytherin's they weren't too bad.
I still doubt that you have completely changed, but we did go through almost seven years of hating each other and that's not going to be forgotten in a few letters and an ice – cream date.
But after hearing your story, I want to give you a second chance. I'd like to re-meet you, Draco Malfoy.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Hermione
The next afternoon Hermione still hadn't heard back from Malfoy, but George, his son Fred, Ginny, Harry and their child James Sirius had come over to visit. Harry and Ginny needed to do some shopping and wanted some time without a bored, curious little child bouncing along with them, so Hermione offered to baby-sit. Harry had invited Ron, Luna and George to go shopping with himself and Ginny but George refused and instead chose to stay behind with Hermione, while Ron and Luna opted to go with the Potters.
The couples had left and Hermione and George were left sitting in the lounge room couch with Fred and James between them, the coffee table was in front of them and it was covered with bright boxes and colourful trays. George still had sole ownership of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and he often asked Hermione for advice on the quality of the spells, or potions, on his merchandise. He would never admit it, but Hermione suspected that without his twin his confidence in his magical skills had taken its toll on him. George had little Fred and James to test for how durable certain items were, so he had no doubts there, all he had to do was hand them something and leave them to it. Many of his merchandise now had a label on them reading; "Durability and safety officially toddler tested and approved."
The four of them had been testing and playing with some of George's new inventions for almost four hours now, and everything had been packed up except for one item that George hadn't pointed out, which Hermione now picked up.
"What's this?" Hermione held up a brightly coloured box, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, it's an accessory for the extendable ears. But I don't think it'll take. You attach it to the string for the extendable ears, and you can smell what's in the same room that you're listening into. Fred and I had other ideas for accessories, but we didn't get a chance to go any further than ideas. His favourite was an accessory like a telescope attached, so that you could see the person who was talking." Hermione smiled, but as she was about to reply, all the couples tumbled in the door, all laughing their heads off. George quickly vanished all the contents on the table – Ginny didn't approve of George allowing the children to play with the merchandise.
"Sorry we're late!" Ginny gasped. "Ron told us about him and Luna, then after our shopping was done we all had a few drinks and lost track of the time." Hermione and George eyed the four. Luna and Harry seemed steady at least, but Ginny and Ron appeared to be completely drunk, swaying and laughing for no reason, both leaning heavily on their partner. Harry looked at George uncomfortably.
"I know it's late notice mate, but can you take James for tonight while I sober Ginny up?" George nodded, trying not to laugh.
"Hawwyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, we dun naed a baeby sitta tanie. I cun wook afa owa wiwwle Jayems Siwius!" Ginny slurred so much that almost no one could understand her except Harry, who'd dealt with drunk Ginny enough to have mastered her drunk language.
"Maybe you need to make an accessory for the Extendable Ears so that you can understand 'drunk talk.'" Hermione muttered just loud enough for George to hear, making George lose his composure and laugh loudly, making the kids jump.
"Harry, better Floo her home. Have you got a potion for hangovers at home?" Harry nodded as he sat Ginny down so that he could say a goodbye to a half asleep James and explain that he was staying at Uncle George's.
"Luna, can you get Ron upstairs and in bed by yourself?" Luna nodded too Hermione and started to make her way up. "I'll bring up a potion or two for him once these guys are gone, OK Luna?" Hermione could only just hear Luna's response, as Ron had just wrapped his arms around Luna's neck, effectively muffling Luna's voice.
"No need. I've got some in my bag." Hermione sighed, hoping that Luna wasn't going to accidently poison Ron with an experimental potion of some kind. Or feed him Doxy eggs.
Harry gently handed over a now sleeping James to George before hugging Hermione goodbye. "Sorry about this you two. Thanks again George, I'll pick him up tomorrow around brunch time from the shop. See you two soon." Then he took a pinch of Floo powder and threw in the flames before turning to his wife and picking her up.
"Pwewwwwty gween. Like your peeeerfeckt eyes Hawwwwy!" Ginny giggled. Harry rolled his eyes before he stepped into the fireplace and disappeared.
George stood up and stretched. "Well, I s'pose I'd better walk these two tykes home." Hermione glanced outside the window, the sun was only just beginning to set.
"Hang on a minute and let me check on Luna and Ron, then I'll come with you." George nodded and Hermione made her way up the stairs. Walking up the stairs and along her hallway Hermione could smell the firewhisky that Ron had consumed. As she neared about halfway up the stairs to Ron's floor, she heard Luna groan Ron's name. Hermione froze mid step. There was silence up above her. Biting her lip she made a quick decision, pointing her wand to her throat.
"RONALD WEASLEY!" her voice amplified almost ten times through the floor, and sounded exactly like Molly Weasley. She didn't say anything else, she just pointed her wand at her throat again, silently performing the counter curse, and waited on the step.
Sure enough, Ron came tearing around the corner in just his socks and boxers.
"'Mione?! I thought you were my -"
Hermione glared up at him. "I do hope that you are NOT making any moves on Luna yet, Ronald! You better remember she's been through a lot this week! If you hurt her, I will cut off your balls the muggle way, with a rusty kitchen knife!" and with that Hermione turned and calmly walked back down to George and the kids.
Hermione hugged George and bade him goodnight "I'll see you next time George. And do think about the extendable ears accessories, I think you're onto something there." George nodded.
"I'll think about it. Cheers Hermione. I'll see you 'round." George closed the front door to his shop, which doubled as a front door to his apartment above the shop, but he continued to watch Hermione until she rounded a corner and he couldn't see her anymore. He wouldn't tell her outright, but he was worried about Hermione Granger.
Hermione knew George was watching, he always did, like a big brother would. Hermione was grateful, but she always felt naked once she turned the corner, knowing that she was now on her own. Taking a deep breath she made her way down the street to the Leaky Cauldron, where she planned on having dinner so that she wouldn't have to return until much later, not wanting to hear anything that went on between Ron and Luna, although she was confident that her threat to Ron would keep Luna safe.
"Hermione Granger!" a loud voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she turned to see Malfoy a few metres away from her, holding out a chocolate ice – cream sundae towards her. "Would you like some chocolate?" Hermione blinked in surprise and took the sundae.
"Hello there, Malfoy." Malfoy tipped his head to the side.
"Oh, back to using last names are we? In your last letter you called me Draco." He smirked at Hermione's surprised expression.
"Which you haven't replied to yet." Draco shrugged, and Hermione noticed that he wasn't taking his eyes off her, they seemed to dart all over her face, to her hand when it was lifting her sundae to her lips, to her lips as she cleaned them of chocolate with her tongue.
"I'm afraid I've been horribly busy today, that's why I haven't had a chance to reply."
"What've you been doing?" Hermione licked her lips again, not admitting it to herself, but slightly mesmerised by his grey eyes as they followed her tongue.
"Moving out of home, as of two hours ago I officially live around the corner in that modest apartment that I mentioned." Hermione nodded, she did remember him mentioning that. For a few moments they stood in silence each eating their sundaes, Hermione feeling awkward and keeping her eyes on her ice-cream, Malfoy at ease and never removing his eyes off Hermione.
Once they'd both finished, Malfoy took Hermione's cup and spoon and threw them in a rubbish bin nearby.
"So, Hermione Jean Granger, care to accompany me to dinner at the Leaky Cauldron?" Hermione raised her eyebrows, but nodded her head shyly. Malfoy, ever the gentleman, gave her a half smile and offered Hermione his arm. Hermione giggled and gave Malfoy a little curtsey before taking his arm.
"Why, Miss Granger, I wasn't aware you knew such good manners!" Malfoy teased her as they walked. Hermione glanced at Malfoy shyly and after a minute replied quietly.
"I can be just as good as I can be naughty, Malfoy." Malfoy stopped dead, his eyes widening as he started at Hermione.
"What was that?" he demanded softly. Hermione blushed and muttered back, "You heard what I said, Malfoy." Malfoy looked around them – it was around dinner time so the street wasn't very busy – before getting a firm hold on Hermione's arm and dragging her into an alley. He didn't go in very far, just into the shadows so that no one walking past would want to interrupt. There he pushed her against the wall and laid both of his arms either side of hers on the wall, he then leant forwards so that his body pressed against hers. Hermione had to work hard at keeping her breathing even as Malfoy's grey eyes stared down into her brown ones.
"What did you say, Miss Granger?" Hermione's breath hitched as Malfoy's breath blew gently across her face, sending shivers down her body that Malfoy did not miss, but was gentlemanly enough to ignore them for now.
"I said I can be just as good as I can be naughty, Malfoy."
WAIT! I DIDN'T MEAN TO ACTUALLY ADMIT THAT! HOW DID HE MAKE ME DO THAT?! Hermione screamed at herself in shock and alarm in her head as Malfoy half smiled at her.
"Is that so, Miss Granger?" Hermione just bit her lip, wondering what Malfoy could be up to. But Malfoy surprised Hermione by removing one of his arms from next to her, so that his hand could cradle her cheek gently. Hermione jumped a little at the warm, tender touch from a man she thought to be harsh and cruel. She watched his eyes as the grey depths turned from teasing to something more serious that she couldn't quite place.
Slowly Malfoy leaned forwards towards Hermione, his lips parted slightly. And he kissed her. It was so soft and gentle, so hesitant and fleeting, Hermione wasn't sure if it really happened. Malfoy went to pull away, Hermione's brain was still in shock so her body acted on its own as her hands shot out to grab Malfoy's shirt and pull him back to her, so that she could cradle his face in her hands and kiss him back.
Their second kiss was just as gentle, but longer. They were both gasping by the time they came up for air. Malfoy groaned and leant his arms against the wall and his body against Hermione again, this time pressing his forehead against Hermione's and staring into her eyes.
"So am I forgiven for not replying to your letter, Miss Granger?" Hermione closed her eyes and replied with a breathy, "Yeah, you are, Draco." Malfoy pulled back and Hermione's eyes snapped open in confusion,
"Have I also earned the right to be Draco, instead of Malfoy?" Hermione bit her lip.
Finally, she sighed.
"Yes, you have." And Draco Malfoy pulled out another dazzling full smile that completely stunned Hermione before he pulled her away from the wall and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. Hermione was short enough that Draco could bend his neck and rest his lips on her shoulder when he was hugging her, and he did just that now.
"Thankyou, Hermione Granger."