Just as he promised, Draco arrived on Hermione's doorstep to pick her up for brunch. Hermione had been waiting anxiously in the living room for him while fussing over Luna, who had curled up on the couch with a book. Luna and Ron had both taken the day off work so that Luna could relax and Ron could keep an eye on her. Hermione had tried telling Ron to go to work and she can look after Luna, she didn't mind cancelling her date with Draco, but Ron insisted he wanted to look after Luna and didn't want to be the reason for Hermione to get out the house.
"Remember, I won't be gone long and I'll be at Diagon Alley, you only need to owl me and I'll apparate straight here." Luna rolled her eyes at Hermione.
"Relax Hermione. I'm fine, and I trust Ronald will be able to look after me. Don't worry about me. You just worry about having fun." Hermione bit her lip at Luna's words and nodded, trying to look like she believed Luna, which only made the dirty-blonde girl laugh.
"And remember Luna, I'm cooking tonight so that you get a break for a night." Luna nodded calmly.
Ron had walked down the staircase then, grumbling to himself and heading for the front door. "Your git's here Hermione." He informed her unhappily as Draco knocked on the door.
"Ron! His name is Draco!" Ron opened the door to reveal Draco Malfoy standing there, one eyebrow raised and a small smirk on his lips. Hermione was startled to realize that, until that moment, she hadn't seen the infamous Malfoy smirk since bumping into him at Diagon Alley.
"Malfoy." Ron nodded unhappily at Draco, not quite meeting is eyes.
"Weasel." Draco nodded smoothly, ever the gentleman, but even though his body was faced towards Ron, his eyes scanned the room until they landed on Hermione, and a small, but very real, smile traced his lips and replaced the smirk.
"Are you ready to go, Miss Granger?" Hermione smiled at Draco and nodded, picking up her purse on the arm of the couch before walking to Draco at the door.
"Bye you two, remember I won't be far away if you need me!" Ron watched with narrowed eyes as Hermione took Draco's hand and walked outside with him.
"We'll see you tonight, Hermione. Safely and in one piece!" Hermione let out a huff of air impatiently, the way a frustrated teenager would. "Yes, Ron. I'll see both of you tonight!" Ron scowled and slammed the front door.
"Git." Hermione muttered before turning to Draco, suddenly full of butterflies when her eyes found his. "So what are we doing today?"
"Well, I thought that we might go to Flourish and Blotts. I'd like a new book or two to read, and I'd like your opinion, since I'm sure you've read all the books that are already in the store." Hermione blushed at the compliment.
A compliment that he would've used as an insult at Hogwarts. How many of his old insults could he turn into compliments now? Hermione asked herself suddenly.
"Come on, I'll apparate us there." Draco held his arms open for Hermione for side-along apparation. Before she knew it they were standing outside the Leaky Cauldron, and Hermione was rubbing her ears after the weird suffocating apparating sensation.
Draco and Hermione walked hand in hand through the Leaky Cauldron, and Draco didn't let go of Hermione's hand as he tapped on the bricks with his wand nor as they walked down Diagon Alley, and into Flourish and Blotts together.
I like it. It's weird but comforting. Hermione decided, before she got straight into business.
"So, Draco, what kind of books are you looking for? Fiction or non – fiction?" Draco thought for a moment. "I'd like one of each. I know I haven't actually read any of your books. What do they go under?" Hermione smiled shyly.
"Well actually, I only have the two books published so far, and one is non-fiction, where I wrote about the war from Harry's point of view. And I have one that's fiction, but it's a romance book, you know, the kind of book you curl in bed with a glass of wine and your favourite chocolates." Hermione teased Draco, but ruined it slightly by blushing furiously. Draco couldn't help but laugh.
"Then I'll have to get one of each won't I? What are they called?" But that made Hermione blush deepen on her cheeks. "You don't have to do that, Draco." She muttered quietly, but Draco only laughed. "Come on Hermione, you can't tell me none of your friends have ever bought your books." Draco waited for her to deny the tease and tell him that of course her friends have bought her books, but instead her blush deepened even further and now covered not just her cheeks but her entire face.
"Come on let's ask if they've got them in stock." Hermione muttered, turning away and heading to the man behind the counter.
Draco watched Hermione walk up to the counter and ask for copies of her books, but his feet couldn't seem to move. He was stunned; Surely at least one of her friends had bought her book?! He thought, frowning. They'd be pretty horrible friends if they didn't even support her and buy her books.
Finally Draco joined her at the counter. "Please tell me that at least one of your friends bought your books!" Hermione bit her lip but wouldn't look at Draco.
"Miss Granger! Here are your books! OH! Mr Malfoy, are you Miss Grangers friend to be buying her books?" Draco nodded at the nice witch behind the counter, keeping his face straight as he paid for the two books. "That's me."
The witch beamed at Draco. "Oh, you'll be Miss Granger's second friend to actually buy both of her books! Miss Granger this is absolutely wonderful!" Hermione gave the witch a small smile.
"Now, Miss Granger, would you like any new books? We received a huge shipment two days ago, and I put aside a few that I thought you might like?" Hermione smiled widely at the girl. "That would be great, Anne. And please, for the hundredth time, you can call me Hermione."
The young witch, Anne, flashed Hermione and scurried away. When she was well out of earshot in the back room, Draco looked around to double check they were the only two in the store before placing his hands on Hermione's shoulders and turning her so that she faced him.
"Hermione. Am I really the second friend of yours to buy your books?!" Hermione tried to look away, but Draco expected that and held her face still by placing a hand on each side of her face, keeping his eyes locked on hers. "Please, tell me Hermione."
Hermione was mesmerized by Draco's eyes, full of passion and determination.
I'll never worm out of not answering him. He's too determined to get what he wants. And he is my boyfriend now. I really should tell him. So Hermione took a deep breath in through her nose, and Draco's apple and new book smell overtook her, calming her and giving her a sense of security.
"Yes. Ginny owns both books, as a show of support, and she has read them … once or twice. Ron and Harry have no interest in romance, and have no need to read about the war since they were such a huge part of it, and they're not about to read it in a book and re live it all again. I understand their reasons." Draco watched Hermione's expression while she talked. He could tell that yes, she did understand why her two closest friends hadn't bought nor read her novels she'd worked so hard on, but she didn't like it.
"It really hurt you, didn't it? That's one of the reasons you and Weasel fought." Hermione's eyes widened in shock.
How could he know that? How could he have figured that out from what I just said? Hermione demanded of herself, but she didn't have any answers to her own questions. This unnerved her, having no answers, she felt compelled to ask her questions.
"How do you know that, Draco?" Hermione thought she almost sounded defensive, but Draco smiled softly down at her.
"It's all in your eyes, Miss Granger." And he kissed her forehead softly before finally moving his hands away from her face and taking half a step away from her.
Hermione blushed deeply again when she realised Anne, the shop witch, had returned with her books. But Anne hadn't seemed to realize what Hermione and Draco had been up to – she'd been more focused on not tripping over, since she couldn't see where she was going around the huge stack of books in her arms.
"Here, let me help you with that." Draco offered, taking all but two of the books from Anne and placing them on the shop counter. Anne was a little shocked, but she beamed at Draco with a "Thank you Mr Malfoy!"
Anne had kept fifteen books aside for Hermione, a mix of fiction and non – fiction, some were updated school textbooks and some were new adventure books. Anne and Hermione had been friends for a year now; they'd met at a now disbanded book club and had stayed in touch. Anne had completed her studies at Hogwarts two years ago and had already married a Ministry man, her job in Flourish and Blotts was so that she had something to do during the day – and so that she could keep her library up to date and well stocked. Anne had already read Hermione's books many times by the time they met, so at first Hermione thought of her as nothing more than an overexcited fan girl. But as they'd gotten to know each other, they'd become good friends, despite the age difference, and the girls each had a similar personal library, so Anne knew which books to hold onto for Hermione.
"Wow." Murmured Draco, his eyebrows rising and his mouth dropping slightly at the two piles of books. Anne laughed at his expression; "Best thing is, I bet it won't even take Hermione two weeks to read all this! This is a small load for her. I remember once I gave her a small load like this while she in the middle of writing Behind the curtains, and it took her two weeks and five days to finish reading them all! Plus she'd managed to write over half of Behind the curtains and still get everything done at home!" Draco laughed at Hermione's half embarrassed half proud expression.
Behind the curtains? Draco asked himself before looking down at the books in his hands, turning them so he could read the titles on the spines. One was red with gold writing, titled Harry Potter versus Voldemort – How the Dark Lord was defeated. Clearly being the behind-the-scenes of the war novel that had made Hermione Granger's name almost as famous as Harry Potter's.
The other was purple with a silver coloured title; Behind the curtains. This must be the romance novel Hermione wrote for fun after her first novel was a multi-million galleon hit. At first everyone had thought that Hermione had been pushing her luck, just writing another novel to make more money, but she had proven herself to be a versatile writer, and a great romance writer. Even when he had isolated himself in the muggle world, Draco had heard whispers about the amazing writer Hermione Granger – she'd even adapted her romance book for muggles, making millions in the muggle world as well as the wizarding world.
"Alright Hermione, am I charging you now or taking it to Gringotts?"
"Take it to Gringotts, Anne, and like usual, owl me the price when you've taken the money out." Anne nodded and pulled a wide bag out from under the counter, pointed her wand at it and muttered a complex looking spell before beginning to pack the books into the bag. Draco turned to Hermione, asking for explanations with his eyes. Hermione giggled a little at his expression before answering.
"I have a deal with the Goblins at Gringotts. If anyone who works at Flourish and Blotts asks for money from my vault, as long as they have the correct book titles and amounts with my signature, the Goblins can extract that money from my vault. But it's only from this store, and only Anne has my permission. We've taken an Unbreakable Vow with a Goblin as a witness, she vowed to be honest with which books she gave me, and their prices, when she tells the Goblins to withdraw my money, and she will not allow anyone else to collect my money for any reason." Draco nodded his understanding. His father had a deal like that with most of the shops in Knockturn Alley.
"And what did Anne do to the bag?" Draco questioned, but Anne answered for him as she pushed a piece of parchment and quill across the counter to Hermione.
"I put an Undetectable Extension Charm on the bag. Hermione mentions it in Harry Potter versus Voldemort. I always use it on the bags when someone has a large order like this one!" Hermione smiled kindly at Anne as she signed and returned the parchment.
"And you've improved at it, although, you can't perform it as a non-verbal spell yet." Anne laughed, handing over Hermione's bag of books.
"Actually, I caught up with Mr Ollivander the other day. My inability to do non-verbal spells has to do with my wand. My wand is made of Dogwood, and Mr Ollivander said that wands made of Dogwood refuse to perform non-verbal spells!"
"Oh … that explains a lot!" Hermione exclaimed. "Do you know if there are any other wand types like that?" Anne shook her head.
"No, I was so excited with what he told me I ran off to practise my spell casting and focus on my bond with my wand." Hermione's face fell slightly as the shop door opened and a small family piled into the shop, chattering excitedly.
"We'll let you work Anne, in the meantime, keep an eye out for any books on wandlore for me, will you?" Anne nodded and waved Draco and Hermione out the door.
Walking down the busy wizarding street Draco took a deep breath of the fresh air as he watched Hermione out the corner of his eye. "So, Miss Granger. We're dating now, but I don't know a lot about you. Would you mind if I asked you some questions?" Hermione looked up at Draco with curiosity all over her face.
"What do you want to know? I'm an open book." Draco gave her a cheeky smile and opened Behind the curtains to the first page.
"Well, there is one area of you I won't need to ask you about. I'll know how to romance you properly now, exactly the way you fantasise!" Hermione blushed as Draco winked at her.
"You're blushing a lot today Miss Granger. It's rather endearing."
"Oh, shut up Draco. What were your questions?" Draco laughed outright at Hermione, startling her a little at his relaxed laugh.
Once he'd stopped laughing, he adopted an open and relaxed expression, then his questions began.
"Wand type?"
"Vinewood with a Dragon Heartstring core."
"Any jobs before you published your book?"
"I worked in the Ministry, first in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, and then I transferred to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement." Draco nodded – he knew about the second one as he was working there currently and constantly heard about how they missed having the overly organised woman around, even though she had driven most of them close to insane with her over efficiency.
"Where are your parents?"
"Muggle London. Happily together." Draco flashed a confused look at Hermione.
"What happened to them? You said that like you were surprised." Hermione took a deep breath, steadying herself.
"Well, before Harry, Ron and I left to go prepare to face Voldemort, I didn't want to leave my parents unprotected, so I cast a memory charm on both of them. They became Wendell and Monica Wilkins. Their shared life ambition was to move to Australia and they had no daughter." Hermione felt tears threatening to overcome her, she wiped them away with the heel of her hand and cleared her throat.
"I went looking for them in Australia once the war was over. I was there for six months. Around the five month mark I had begun to lose hope that I would find them. It was a scary time for me. But, I finally found them! I reversed the charms successfully and brought them back home. But those few months of searching for them, knowing they were alive but unreachable, has haunted me ever since. I'm scared of losing anyone now." Hermione stared at the sky, lost in thought. Draco felt like a speck of dirt next to Hermione, she who was skilled, beautiful, brave, and a true, loyal Gryffindor.
I'll never be good enough for her. I could never match up to her. The best I could do for her is everything Weasel never did. Even then I'd be the luckiest bastard on earth if she doesn't go running. Draco mused to himself, gazing at Hermione.
Hermione looked down away from the sky and gave a little shriek as she jumped backwards from the dark figure that was standing directly in front of her.
"Mr Malfoy!" Draco snapped his head around and took one easy step forward so that he was standing between his father and Hermione.
"Father." He greeted the blonde haired man coldly whilst making sure that Hermione was safely behind him.
"Draco." Lucius greeted his son equally as cold. "What are you doing here? And with company such as that?" Hermione's blood ran cold as Lucius' looked around his son to meet Hermione's eyes, who has pressed herself against Draco's back and was gripping the back of his shirt in her fist in mild terror at Lucius' expression.
"Father, you know the famous Hermione Granger. Hermione is my girlfriend." Draco spoke slowly and with barely concealed annoyance, but that annoyance was overridden with pride when he said my girlfriend.
Hermione watched, with one eye peeking out from behind Draco's upper arm, as Lucius' expressions flashed from carefully controlled to furious and back to carefully controlled, all in a few seconds. But, Hermione thought to herself uneasily, that anger is still clear in his eyes. Please Draco, keep me safe. Don't you get hurt, either.
"Your what?" Lucius kept his voice down, but his voice was laced with astonishment and complete fury.
"My girlfriend, father. Do you have a problem with that?" Draco spoke slowly and through his teeth.
"Yes, I do have a problem with that Draco. You know how hard I have tried to restore our name after you abandoned your mother to live with those disgusting muggles. And ever since you've come back you haven't even helped to find a suitable-"
"Father. I did NOT abandon Mother. She was happy for me. It was you whom abandoned her, and me." This time Lucius' expression turned dark, and it didn't change back to controlled. He took a step towards his only son and took a fistful of Draco's shirt, glaring at him. Hermione realized with a slight jolt that Draco was slightly taller than his father, just enough that he could look down upon his father. Hermione was impressed that Draco didn't shove his father away, Draco's right arm was outstretched behind him, keeping Hermione behind him, but his left arm was tensed next to his body, his hand in a shaking fist.
"I was doing the Dark Lord's bidding, I was under the Imperius curse! That time is behind all of us! Now," Lucius let go of his son's shirt and took a step back, fixing his robes as he did so. "I expect to see you at home tomorrow night to join your mother and myself for dinner. In proper wizarding attire. We are having a member of the ministry over for dinner, and I'd like to make a good impression. Your mudblood whore is not invited, I expect you to get rid of it, Draco. Good day, son." And Lucius disapparated right before their eyes.
No one had noticed their exchange, but Draco was seething with anger, and Hermione was trembling with fear and hurt, the word Mudblood ringing in her ears and her arm stinging with a false pain. She'd healed the wound Bellatrix Lestrange had inflicted, but sometimes she woke up from a nightmare and her arm would be stinging like the wound had reopened.
Draco turned around to face Hermione, about to say something, but her expression made him change his mind. He looked around and led her to the same side alley he had previously dragged her into, leaning her against the wall, taking her bag from her and placing it, along with his new books, on the ground next to them.
"Hermione, are you OK?" Hermione didn't speak, she looked up at the blonde man in front of her, tension and worry clear in his tensed up body and jaw. She gazed at him so long he started to worry his father had cursed her without his noticing.
"Hermione? Please, talk to me!" Finally, Hermione nodded, and reached up to cradle his cheek with her hand.
"I'm OK. Are you?" Draco had titled his head as Hermione's small hand had touched his cheek, leaning into her hand slightly, and placed his hand over hers, holding it in place.
"I will be. I've got you." Hermione bit her lip and closed her eyes, leaning her head against the wall behind her.
"You – you aren't going to … get rid of me? Like your father said to?" Tears threatened to well up behind Hermione's eyelids.
"No! Merlin, Hermione. I'm not getting rid of you! I only just got you, why would I want to get rid of you so soon?!" Hermione opened her brown eyes to meet Draco's grey ones.
"Because I'm not a pureblood." Hermione's arm started stinging again, and this time tears really did fall down her cheeks.
"Oh, Merlin." Draco's face fell, pain etched into his beautiful features, as he wiped away Hermione's tears with his thumb. "In my eyes, you're more pure than I could ever hope to be. I don't care about purebloods or muggle borns anymore, I truly don't. All I care about is you, and keeping you happy." Hermione smiled a little.
"Come on my brave Gryffindor princess, you're not afraid of my father and his words are you? I'll protect you." At this Hermione stood a little straighter, her shoulders pushed back and her chin stuck out defensively.
"I am a Gryffindor. I don't need the protection of a Slytherin snake. No matter how reformed he is." Draco stood in awe of this beautiful woman, who was teasing him, smiling at her.
"Merlin, you are beautiful." Hermione blinked, taken aback.
"Um, thank … you?" she smiled, giggling. Draco raised his eyebrows.
"Any why are you giggling at me, Miss Granger?" Hermione beamed up at Draco, taking his breath away.
"Because I'd been thinking the same thing about you, just before." Now it was Draco's turn to blink and be taken aback.
"You think I'm beautiful." Draco felt a cheeky smile creep across his face, which Hermione eyed warily. Draco moved so that his left forearm was resting against the wall next to Hermione's head, his right hand found its way to Hermione's hip, and he leant his lean body against Hermione's slight one. He worked to take the smile off his face and keep his expression serious and smouldering.
Gazing deep into Hermione's eyes he asked her one question.
"If I'm beautiful to you, would I be able to use that against you to seduce you?" Draco could hear Hermione's breathing hitch in her throat and resisted the urge to smile. He counted to thirty hippogriffs, and she was still trying to catch her breath to reply. So he bent his head and gently kissed her cheek, then made a trail of kisses along her cheek to her ear, then along her jawline, back to her ear, and finally down her neck.
Hermione stayed quiet except for her breathing picking up speed, and when Draco kissed the base of her neck, she let out a small, almost inaudible groan. Hermione's hands moved from hanging limply at her sides, to rest on Draco's chest, where they then made their way up to loop around behind his neck.
"Draco…" Hermione murmured quietly. In that one word, Draco received his answer loud and clear. He straightened up slowly, his lips just brushing her skin as he did so. He had been planning on making his way up then kissing her gently, but Hermione had other ideas. She moved her hands so that they made fists in his hair, and using his hair like puppet strings, she moved his head up slightly so that she could kiss him fiercely, pulling him to her as she did so.
The arm that Draco had leaning against the wall found its way away from the wall and down the Hermione's hip, so both of his hands were on her hips and pulling her to him. Hermione moaned softly and thrust her hips towards Draco's.
But Draco pulled his lips away from her, smiling at her. "Miss Granger, don't forget we're in Diagon Alley." Hermione glanced towards the street, but didn't immediately jump aside and start cleaning herself up like Draco expected, rather she seemed to be deciding something.
Almost reading her mind, Draco bent over to whisper in her ear, "It's not worth it. I'd rather not get caught." Hermione shivered as his breath caressed her skin and sighed in longing as Draco stepped back.
Hermione watched Draco bend to pick up their books.
He is beautiful. He could just look at me and I'd do anything he wanted. Draco straightened up and held his hand out for Hermione, which she took gladly, warmth seeping through her skin at the contact.
I think I'm falling in love with him!
The couple apparated out front of Hermione's house, Draco holding Hermione's hand as well as their shopping. Hermione stood up on tip toes and kissed Draco's cheek as a good bye. Draco smiled, but he wasn't looking at her.
"Draco? You alright?" Draco glanced down at Hermione and sighed.
"I don't want to be alone tonight." He admitted quietly, almost shyly, surprising Hermione.
"You could stay here the night if you want, Draco?" Draco shook his head slowly.
"Actually, I was going to ask if you wanted to stay at mine for tonight?" Hermione's eyes lit up in excitement.
"I'd love to! But you'll have to come inside first, I promised Luna I would cook tonight." As Hermione turned towards the front door it burst open to show Luna standing there holding back an annoying looking Ron.
"Hermione! You should go, I'm happy to cook tonight! Go have fun with Malfoy! RONALD! STOP THAT AT ONCE!" Hermione had to fight the urge to not laugh at Ron's expression as he immediately stopped fighting to get past Luna and sulked off.
"OK Luna. Are you sure you'll be fine to cook?" Luna nodded and looked over her should for Ron.
"Now, go! Before Ronald comes back!" Hermione laughed, smiling widely.
"Thank you Luna! Don't be afraid to owl me if something comes up, OK?" Luna started closing the door slowly.
"I won't, Hermione." Suddenly Luna fixed her eyes on Draco. "Malfoy, I'm trusting you to look after Hermione tonight. Don't let me down." And the door closed with a snap. Draco glanced at Hermione and held out his hand so they could apparate together. Ignoring his hand Hermione jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck, her momentum helping Draco spin on the spot.
They appeared in front of a building of apartments and almost toppled over, both of them laughing. As they walked into the lobby and headed up the stairs Draco spoke up through the laughter.
"I've decided. I'm more scared of Lovegood than I am of Weasel." Hermione glanced at Draco in confusion.
"Why?" she almost demanded.
"Weasel has threatened me to return you safely. I was always going to do just that. And being a Slytherin, threats kind of just go right over me. But Lovegood has put some of her trust in me. That's no small thing, receiving someone's trust. I don't want to break that. You and Lovegood have the strongest hold over me, both of you trusting me." Hermione didn't know what to say to that.
"Here we are." Draco unlocked the door and stood aside for Hermione to walk in first and look around. Hermione felt her mouth drop as her eyes took it all in.
"What do you think?" Draco asked nervously.
"You have the penthouse?" Hermione squeaked. Draco only nodded.
"Malfoy inheritance, remember? Probably the only good thing my family has done for me." Hermione could only nod, frowning at the bitterness in Draco's voice.
Draco's penthouse was a very open space, the main area that Hermione walked into was the living room, dining room and kitchen in one, but it wasn't squashed in the slightest, it was large and roomy, even the kitchen seemed roomier than Hermione's back home. Most of the decorations were shades of green, silver, gold and black.
Draco took Hermione's hand and led her gently off to her right, towards a set of double doors Hermione hadn't noticed. Draco opened the doors to reveal a very large King sized canopy bed.
I'm in Draco Malfoy's bedroom.