Draco had spotted Hermione across the bar, she had her back to him, but she was unmistakable. She was talking and laughing with Pansy and Ginny and Harry, and another man, who he assumed was Pansy's husband. He had become fairly well acquainted with the three women over the past few weeks, finding the three of them made for a forbidding team, bouncing off each other with snarky and sarcastic comments that clearly indicated they had been friends for most of their lives and he looked forward to his daily encounters with them.
Ginny and Pansy had invited him to the pub, telling him that they all met there to unwind every other week, and Hermione would be more than happy for him to join them. He was new in town after all, and he needed to make friends. He was actually nervous about being there. It wasn't a date or anything, they were all here and Pansy and Ginny had said it was just a casual Saturday night at the pub with new found friends. But he'd never seen Hermione, or any of them for that matter, outside the shop, not in this capacity anyway. He didn't want to seem too eager when they had asked him, but the prospect of seeing her outside the shop had his heart racing.
"Draco, glad you could make it." Pansy said with a smile, giving him the once over, "And in jeans, no less."
"Hi Pansy," he said looking down at himself, "Yeah, I'm not always suits and ties; sometimes I'm just a regular guy."
"This is Theo, my husband," she introduced the two men.
"So you're the hot, blonde teacher that's got everyone talking?" Theo laughed at the flush of pink that spread across his face, as he shook Draco's hand.
"Excuse me?" Draco said.
"These three certainly," Theo thumbed in the direction of the girls, "It's been an endless stream of chatter."
"We don't talk about him all the time," Pansy poked her tongue out at Theo, then grinned, "Well, not all of us anyway." She touched Hermione's shoulder to get her attention "Hermione, look who's here."
Hermione slid from the stool to stand in front of him, a huge smile on her face, a large glass of filled with a golden colour liquid in her hand and he could smell the eye-watering aroma of alcohol emanating from it causing him to wonder exactly what it was that she was drinking, "Hey! What are you doing here?" She wrapped her free arm around his neck, pulling him into a hug.
Draco's eye's flicked up to Pansy and Ginny, both of whom weren't even trying to hide their laughter and he realised Hermione had no idea that he was going to be there, they'd completely set him up. "Pansy and Ginny invited me," He told her as she pulled back, "Apparently they told you I was coming."
"I had no idea, but I'm glad you did," She laughed, a girly giggle that he would never expect to come out of her and he wondered yet again just how much alcohol was in that glass, "Wow, you look different, all casual, not teacher-y at all."
He was dressed simply in jeans and a well fitted dark blue shirt, not the usual formal Mr Malfoy attire they were used to seeing him in. Her eyes flicked to his hair. The dark honey colour that made her stomach flip on a daily basis had been scruffed up and looked even more delicious than his regular serious teacher hair. She had to ball her fists to stop herself from running her fingers through it. Damned Ginny and Pansy! Had they told her, she wouldn't have ordered Seamus' now famous version of the Long Island Iced Tea, which he'd aptly named The Tuesday Tea, a tribute to Hermione's drunken Tuesday afternoon two years earlier.
"You don't look too bad yourself." He shrugged, a crooked smile on his face. Her usually crazy, unkempt hair was pulled up into a messy bun and she was dressed casually in black skinny jeans and ballet flats. Her light blue sleeveless top clung tightly to her, showing off her tiny waistline, and since it had a plunging neckline, a significant amount of cleavage as well.
"Where's Scorpius tonight?" Hermione asked, she had fallen completely in love with Draco's son and looked forward to his visits as much as Draco's.
"He's staying with his new best friend James at James's grandparent's house." Draco nodded at Ginny and Harry. Their boys had become friends at school, and even though he'd become fairly well acquainted with Ginny and Harry because of their children, he was still somewhat reluctant to leave his son with people he hardly knew. But Molly and Arthur had certainly been more than welcoming and reassured him that they were more than happy to have him stay the night. And watching Scorpius run off with James without a glance back when he had dropped him off had put him at ease.
"Ginny said they'd become friends," a dazzling smile lighting up her face, "I'm glad you could find a babysitter and enjoy a night off."
"Yes, well, Molly and Arthur were most insistent, and Scorp barely even said goodbye." He said sitting down next to her as she returned to the bar stool she had been sitting on, quickly averting his gaze and hoping that she hadn't noticed him ogling her chest like a horny teenager.
"Well, now that Molly and Arthur have him, you know you'll be hard pressed to get him back," Hermione laughed at the puzzled look on his face, "They figured that since they had seven children of their own, they'd have a house full of grandchildren, but they've been sorely let down."
Draco looked at Ginny and Harry, and Ginny nodded, "Mum thought we'd all have truck loads of children, but as it stands at the moment, she's still got more of her own than we've all had. Only four of us have had children, and the total is six, we've kind of let her down."
"She had seven? It's hard enough with one," Draco looked impressed, "How'd she cope?"
"She might be tiny, but you don't mess with Molly Weasley," Ginny informed him, and he laughed.
"What are you all drinking?" He asked the small group, and then ordered Jameson's for himself and Harry, and Theo ordered a beer, "Hermione?"
"Vodka, straight up." She said downing the remains of her Tuesday Tea, Draco's eyes widening in surprise. Hermione frowned at him, "What?"
"Nothing," he said regaining his composure, "I figured you for...I don't know, a wine drinker, not the hard stuff."
"Ginny's our wine connoisseur," Pansy laughed, "This one can drink like nobody's business. Maybe you should get to know her better. You might find out there's more to Hermione Granger than meets the eye."
"Really Pans?" Hermione rolled her eyes, "Really?"
"Just helping a friend out." Pansy smirked and winked at her, leaving Draco to shake his head in disbelief.
"Pansy, what are you drinking?" he asked.
"No thanks, nothing for me. I have to work in the morning." She told him.
Draco looked surprised. He hadn't been into the shop on a Sunday, assuming that it wasn't open, "But it's Sunday."
"Yes, Mr Malfoy. It is Sunday tomorrow; Ginny, Katie and I rotate the Sunday shift so someone here will actually have a day off," she nodded in Hermione's direction, "and it just so happens I lucked out this time. Besides my boss is sitting right beside you," she nodded pointedly at Hermione, "So I can't really pull a fake sick day can I?"
Draco laughed, "Tough boss, huh?"
Hermione winked at him, "Oh, you have no idea."
The easy conversation continued between them, but Draco's eyes kept darting to Hermione. He was hard pressed to believe that this beautiful woman sitting beside him was the same person he saw almost every day when he bought coffee. He'd only ever seen her in her regular polo shirt and khakis, with her hair all over the place, and even then he'd been attracted to her, but dressed as she was, beautiful didn't do her justice. Breathtaking was more fitting.
Hermione was momentarily distracted by some friends who had come over to say hello to her, and Draco took the opportunity to glance at Harry and Theo, his eyes going wide and shrugging his shoulders questioningly. Both men stepped up beside him, and Harry signalled Seamus for drinks and then looked over his shoulder at Draco.
"She's single," Harry said in a low voice and Draco's face flushed. Harry laughed, "Come on, it's exactly what you wanted to know."
"She's absolutely stunning." Draco replied in an equally low voice.
"Ah, that she is," Theo said with a knowing grin, "And Pansy tells me she thinks the same about you." Draco's eyes went wide, and Harry laughed.
"Watch yourself though," he said, "She's as smart as a whip, and she doesn't take shit from anyone."
"Yeah, I'm learning that on a daily basis," Draco replied, "These three can be somewhat intimidating when they get on a roll."
"Oh, here we go. Right on time to make a grand entrance. For fucks' sake!" Pansy snarled surprising Draco. He had suspected Pansy was someone not to be trifled with, but the current sneer on her face was almost terrifying.
"Stupid fucking twat." Ginny muttered. Draco looked at her surprised, he'd heard both Hermione and Pansy curse like sailors, but Ginny had always been nothing but polite. She looked at him and shrugged, "I'm not in the shop," she told him, "And I have six older brothers; I learned to swear in four different languages before I learned to walk."
Draco was curious about the looks of hatred on Pansy's and Ginny's faces, "There's a story here, I'm guessing." He said in a low voice.
"Lavender Brown," Pansy clarified, "The town tramp, I'm sure that you've met her."
Draco looked at the woman who was currently making her way across the room. A few people acknowledged her but mostly everyone seemed to be avoiding making eye contact, "Um, no. I don't think I've had the pleasure."
"Well, now's your chance," Ginny said with a laugh, seeing Lavender's eyes go wide the second she saw Draco, "She's spotted you, and I'm fairly certain she thinks your hers for the night."
Draco snorted a laugh, but Pansy shook her head, "She's serious. You heard me say town tramp, right?"
Draco looked to say something to Pansy, but never got the chance. "Hi, there," Lavender sung, sidling up to him at the bar, standing a little closer than was comfortable, her high pitched voice causing him to flinch, "I'm Lavender."
"Draco," Draco said with a look of distaste on his face that Lavender, who was so completely self absorbed entirely missed.
"I've not seen you before," she smiled at him with what Draco assumed was supposed to be a seductive smile, but truly wasn't, "Are you new in town?"
"I am," he said.
"Well, I'd be more than happy to show you around. I'm single, you know, so I have all the time in the world." Draco was sure this Lavender person thought she was being sweet and kind, but it came off as trashy, "What about you? Is there anyone special in your life?"
"Actually there is," an icy voice said from behind him. He turned to see Hermione and was taken aback. In the few weeks he'd known her, he'd discovered Hermione was a force to be reckoned with, but right now the glare in her eyes was even more terrifying than the look on Pansy's face. Her tone softened and she smiled up at him, "Hey babe, did you get me that drink? " Her hand came to rest low on his back. He wasn't sure what she was doing but the warmth radiating from her touch had his pulse racing.
Lavender looked between the two, her eyes going wide as Hermione leaned closer to him, her shoulder brushing against his, "Babe? Are you...You're here with him?" she asked.
"And why is that a surprise?" Hermione raised an eyebrow, sliding her arm around Draco's waist, feeling his muscles clench and hoping she wasn't overstepping any boundaries.
"You're always here alone." She blurted out.
Hermione gave an airy laugh, "Oh Lav, you should really keep up with the gossip. As you can see, I'm clearly not alone."
Pansy pressed a fist to her mouth, stifling the laughter at the look on Lavender's face. Theo turned to the bar, his shoulders shaking with his own silent laughter.
Draco was startled at Hermione's boldness, but managed to keep his composure. Not exactly sure of her reason for this display, but assuming it was mostly because of the woman standing in front of them, he played along winking at her and circling her shoulders with his arm, his thumb brushing over the bare skin on her arm. He locked his eyes on hers, "Sorry," he said, signalling Seamus for another round and kissing her temple "I was distracted. Theo and Harry were filling me in on all the locals. The friendly ones, the ones I should avoid..."
Lavender's eyes were wide, her face crimson. She choked out a cough, looking completely stunned at the pair in front of her. Draco wasn't sure if she was angry - or jealous - at his arm wrapped around Hermione, or embarrassed at Hermione making her look like the complete fool she appeared to be. He guessed the former, considering her eyes were focused on his hand that was slowly caressing Hermione's bare skin.
"Alright there Lavender?" Draco asked, "Sounds like there's something caught in your throat. Can we get you a drink?"
Ginny snorted and pressed her face to Harry's shoulder, silencing her laughter.
"Ah...no...that's...um...that's fine." Lavender stammered.
Hermione could feel the goose bumps raise on her flesh as Draco's thumb continued to brush across her skin. She hadn't expected him to play along in this manner, and she certainly hadn't expected her own response to the feel of his hand on her skin. It was warm and smooth, and felt comfortable, as though it belonged exactly where it was. She smiled inwardly, deciding that if Draco was playing along, she would take advantage and push Lavender's buttons even further. She leaned up and whispered in his ear. His eyes went wide and then he laughed, "Here, in the pub, with everyone watching?"
"And here I thought you'd be up for anything." Hermione said with a flirty little shrug.
"Oh, I am," Draco smirked at her, "I'm just not sure that's appropriate. What would everyone think?"
Lavender was glaring at them; she was clearly pissed at not winning Draco's attention. She thought so highly of herself, thought that every man in town wanted her, but what she failed to realise was that with her lack of scruples, the only thing she was known for was being a sure thing,
Hermione's mouth twisted into a wicked smile, "What's wrong Lav? Things didn't go your way again?"
Lavender huffed out a breath, "Just wait until he finds out about you." She sneered.
Draco felt Hermione tense against him, and he wondered if the fist he could feel curling against his thigh would actually do any damage. Going with what he knew about Hermione, he figured it would. He smiled at the insipid woman standing in front of them and wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist, pulling her back against him, his hand spreading protectively against her stomach, "I know all there is to know about her," he said in a voice so cold it shocked them all; they'd only ever seen polite, friendly Draco, "So if you believe there's anything you know about her that I don't, you'd be sorely mistaken."
Lavender actually had the decency to look apologetic, the coldness in Draco's voice obviously shocking her as much as it did the others, before she huffed out a breath and stuck her nose in the air and stalked away, ignoring the peals of laughter that followed her. It was mean, and childish, but then so was Lavender.
"Is there something you two need to tell us?" Ginny's eyes were wide, her gaze flicking between the two.
Hermione turned in Draco's arms; they looked at each other and burst out laughing. "Untwist your knickers Gin," Hermione said when she'd regained her composure, "I simply told Draco to look surprised and laugh, and then tell me I was being inappropriate."
"That was fucking perfect!" Pansy started laughing.
"I think your plan worked, she's clearly pissed off. And she's still watching you, both of you." Theo was nodding in the direction Lavender had stalked off in. They saw her on the opposite side of the bar, still fuming. And it appeared that several others had noticed the show and were smirking at her also.
Hermione grinned up at Draco, "Maybe we should up our game. Really piss her off."
He frowned at her, "What do you-" She cut him off, kissing him. It was quick, mere seconds, just a brushing of her lips on his and he knew in his heart it was only for show, but holy hell! She still managed to take his breath away.
Hermione pulled back, not actually knowing what had come over her. She felt her cheeks heating up, indicating the few seconds had affected her as much as it had him, "Sorry," she whispered, "Too much?"
Draco swallowed, still not really comprehending what was going on here. This Lavender person was clearly a thorn in Hermione's side. He knew she had a sharp wit and didn't hold back, voicing her opinion on a regular basis, but this was unexpected. This was anger; this was hatred, something he'd not seen from her. Admittedly he'd only know her for a few weeks, but in that time he didn't see her as mean or spiteful. Whatever this Lavender person had done to her, it was clearly a significant issue.
"No, it's okay," he breathed, "Just unexpected."
Hermione's own breath came out shaky, her face still flushed, "Sorry. I didn't mean to insinuate that we were...um...are... anything. I was just, um...trying to save you from...um, Lavender." she stammered.
A discreet cough broke their reverie, and they both turned to look. Their four companions were grinning at them. "Maybe we should just leave them to get better acquainted." Pansy said, elbowing Theo in the ribs.
Hermione, suddenly feeling very sober, stepped out of Draco's arms, not really wanting to, but the sensible part of her brain, the tiny sliver that remained anyway, was telling her to move before she did something they'd both regret. She pressed her hand to his chest, shooting Draco an apologetic smile, "Excuse us a minute, will you guys? Pans, Gin?" Hermione said and headed towards the ladies room. Draco watched as Ginny and Pansy linked arms, laughing as they walked away, his eyes dropping to Hermione's arse.
"Subtle mate, real subtle." Theo told him.
Draco's face flushed, his head snapping back to see Theo and Harry smirking at him, "Sorry, but how the hell is she single? The men in this town must be blind or stupid."
Harry and Theo shared a glance that Draco didn't miss, "She has to tell him," Harry warned Theo, "You can't."
"If he knows, he might not break her heart like the others have." Theo countered.
"No," Harry said firmly and then looked at Draco, "Um, there's a story," Harry winced, "But she has to tell you."
Theo nodded realising Harry was right, "Yeah , but you have to wait until she does. Don't ask her about it, she'll tell you when she's ready. And maybe she won't. Don't force it out of her."
"Is that a none too subtle threat?" Draco looked between the two, sensing a brotherly vibe coming off them both.
"No," Theo laughed, "She's more than capable of looking after herself. Just don't tell her we told you. She'll kill us. And if you break her heart, we'll kill you."
Draco smirked at the actual threat and asked, "Is she okay?"
Harry and Theo looked at each other. "She is now," Theo told him, "She's had some issues and struggled for a while, but once she worked her shit out, she just, I don't know...she turned into that."
"And that's all you're getting." Harry said, knowing that Draco was only asking out of concern, not as a way of escaping. Hermione wasn't his sister but she may as well have been. They were both only children with dead parents, a bond so few shared, and it had brought them closer. They'd know each other almost their entire lives so Harry knew her as well as anyone and he saw in her face something he hadn't seen from her in a long time when she'd kissed Draco, and the look on Draco's face after she'd kissed him had proven that there were mutual feelings between the two
Draco nodded, "And Lavender is a part of it?"
They both laughed, "Oh hell no!" Theo chuckled, "That's a whole other story, one that's much more entertaining and one I'm sure you'll hear before the nights out."
While this small group of new acquaintances were doing their best to make him feel welcome, Draco suddenly realised just how hard it was to be the new guy in town. These people had known each other their entire lives and he wasn't sure he'd ever fit in when there was so much history between them all. They all had stories, and Hermione's was obviously something big. But he hoped he would get the chance to be a part of their world, be a part of her world, if she would let him.
"Well, whatever the issue is, it doesn't change the fact that she's simply stunning." He admitted freely.
"Yeah sure, she looks great now, but wait 'til you see her on a Sunday morning, she's not all that." Harry grinned, then his eyes went wide, realising what he had just said. "Um, shit I mean, um..."
Draco's face had flamed red, and Theo was laughing. He slapped Draco on the shoulder, "So this just got awkward, who wants a drink?"
Hermione stepped into the bathroom with Pansy and Ginny close behind her. She leaned back on the sink and huffed out a shaky breath. She glanced up at her two friends who were staring back at her with looks of utter disbelief on their faces.
"Do you want to tell us what the hell that was all about?" Pansy asked.
"I don't know what came over me." Hermione said pressing her fingertips into her forehead as if trying to push the image of her kissing Draco out of her mind.
"Well, Lavender will do that to you." Ginny said as she leaned back beside her, "But holy crap, you certainly took it to the extreme."
"Was it that bad?" Hermione asked with a grimace.
"Hell no! Not bad, not at all," Pansy reassured her, "Just unexpected."
"Unexpected that I turn into a teenager and flirt with the hottest guy in the room?"
Pansy glanced quickly at Ginny. They both had watched their friend's face light up each day when Draco walked into the shop, but they also knew it was extremely rare for Hermione to act like this, especially in public. After the string of heartbreaks she'd been through she'd built walls around herself, never letting anyone in and she always rejected any advances men made towards her. So to see her like this was somewhat of a shock.
"Flirt?" Ginny snorted a laugh, "Hell, if that's what you call flirting..."
Pansy's face had gone from disbelief to mischievous, "You think he's hot?"
Hermione closed her eyes and sighed. Her mind was reeling. Draco Malfoy. Draco. Malfoy. The high school English teacher who left his job at an exclusive private school and moved to small town all for the sake of more time with his son. The man who had walked into her life while her arse was in the air, swearing like a sailor and simply laughed it off. This man had put her into a spin. He had her stomach doing back flips every time she had seen him since he walked into her shop a month ago. She couldn't believe she'd flirted with him. Actually Ginny was right, flirt was probably inaccurate, attacked was probably more apt. And she had kissed him, and in public no less. The town gossips would have a field day with this.
"You know I do," she finally said.
"So what are you going to do about it?" Pansy asked her.
"Nothing," she said, "That kiss should never have happened. I don't know why I did it. He'll be just like Oliver. He won't want to be with me."
"Hey!" Ginny said, squeezing her shoulder gently, "Of course he will. He obviously likes you, and we know you like him. I've not seen you like this for a long time, my friend."
"You haven't seen me like what?"
"Happy and flirty. You're practically glowing." Ginny told her, "And you don't flirt with anyone. Ever."
Pansy took her hand, "Ginny's right, He wouldn't be here if he wasn't interested. And he certainly wouldn't have put on that little show with you," Hermione's cheeks went pink, "Talk to him. Get to know him. Give him a chance and hey who knows, you might just be surprised."
The guys had moved to the pool table when they emerged from the bathroom, Hermione noticed that Ginny's brother Ron and his wife Susan had arrived. She smiled and flung her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. She'd not seen him in months, Susan's job as an attorney had moved them to the city and it was a rare weekend that they made it back.
"Hey there!" Ron exclaimed rocking on his feet with the force of her embrace, "Are you drunk?" He laughed.
Hermione pulled back and grinned, "Not even close." Ron gave her a look that said he thought otherwise, "Okay," Hermione relented and held her thumb and forefinger half an inch apart, "Maybe just a little."
"Tell me about the new bloke." Ron said.
"And is he yours?" Susan asked as Hermione hugged her.
"Oh, that's Draco, he's the new English teacher at the high school." Hermione giggled, "And tonight he's mine."
Susan's eyes went wide and she laughed, "Oh really?"
Hermione frowned and then laughed, "Oh, god no! Not like that! Lavender's here and she's being her usual delightful self."
Ron held up a hand, "Say no more," and he walked off to join the game of pool that was getting rowdy and jovial.
Susan looped her arm around Hermione's waist, "Just for the night, huh?" Hermione nodded, "Not with the way he keeps looking at you. Has he asked you out yet?"
Hermione shook her head, "I don't think it's like that at all. We're just mucking about tonight, keeping Lavender away."
It had been a long time since she'd had any attention from the opposite sex, it wasn't that she wasn't interested; they just weren't interested in her. Not anymore. And she certainly didn't think that the handsome new English teacher would look twice in her direction if he knew her story. Life had dealt her a cruel blow, and she wasn't about to burden anyone else with it.
Susan was looking at her with a quizzical frown, "No, I think it's much more than that. This one might be different and you won't know unless you give him a chance."
"That's what Pansy said."
"And when don't we listen to Pansy?" Susan asked with a grin.
"We always listen to Pansy," Hermione laughed.
"Hermione?" a voice said from behind her. She flinched, startled and turned to see a smiling Draco, "Are you okay?"
"Hey. I'm fine, thank you." she said in what she hoped was a casual tone, but the look of amusement on his face told her that she wasn't even close. Her face heated up and she wondered, not for the first time and she suspected not for the last, just how long it would be before she stopped reacting to him like a lovesick teenager. He glanced at Susan, who also had a look of amusement on her face, "Oh!" Hermione exclaimed, "This is Susan Bones, Ron's wife. Ron being Ginny's sister. She's a Lawyer."
Draco nodded, biting his lip to stop that laughter at her rambling, "Um, yeah. We already met. While you were in the loo."
"Oh," Hermione said, at a loss for words. The conversation had been easy, comfortable, and then she had to go and grope him and kiss him and completely embarrass herself. Now she just wanted to go home and curl up in bed with the covers over her head. Stupid Seamus with his stupid, yet delicious alcohol.
Susan simply laughed, "I think I hear Ron calling me. Nice to meet you Draco." Hermione shot her a look that said, don't leave me alone with him, but she just winked and walked away.
"Did you want another drink?" Draco asked nodding towards the bar.
Hermione pursed her lips, "Um, I'm not sure I should. Alcohol is making me kind of stupid tonight."
Draco grinned, "At least you're not on all fours with your arse in the air."
"You don't like my arse?" She quirked an eyebrow at him.
"I never said that," he told her, "In fact it's just the opposite, I was rather impressed."
Hermione tilted her head to the side giving him a thoughtful hm-mm, "So you're an arse man then?"
Draco shrugged nonchalantly, "For the right arse."
Hermione turned towards the bar and glanced back over her shoulder at him, "And the right arse is...?"
Draco grinned and followed her, "Well, the right arse comes with a whole bunch of cursing."
Hermione rolled her eyes, but laughed, "You're not going to forget that any time soon, are you?"
"Not likely," Draco said sitting on the stool beside her, ordering another whiskey for himself and then looking expectantly at her.
"She's up to water," Seamus said placing a large glass in front of her. Hermione grinned, she thought he was about to cut her off and with the way she'd behaved earlier, he was probably right to do so. But he surprised her by placing vodka over ice beside it, "Water then alcohol, that's the rule."
Hermione laughed, "Still looking out for me Seamus?"
"Always looking out for you," He winked at her, "Have to keep an eye on you with blokes like this one around." He laughed at the look on Draco's face and served the next customer.
Draco raised an eyebrow at her, "Blokes like me?"
"Yeah," she nodded at him, "Dodgy looking blokes that hit on single girls in a pub. No one hits on me. It's the town rule."
Hermione had never been what you would call a social butterfly. Not even close. In fact, she preferred not to socialise at all. She preferred the solitude, the quiet, the few friends that she had. She kept to herself and thus became the nerdy, studious girl. The smart one. The one with her nose constantly in a book. But the weird thing was, she was never teased or bullied. In fact, she had been popular. It didn't make sense: she deliberately kept people at a distance, yet people wanted to talk to her. The nerdy, popular girl; an oxymoron if there ever was one.
And Draco was no different. He'd been coming into the shop a few minutes earlier each day, spending just a little more time with her. At first she thought she'd been imagining it, but when Pansy and Ginny pointed it out, the butterflies that had taken up permanent residence in her stomach fluttered and she had to put up with her friends' relentless teasing yet again.
Hermione heard Seamus chuckle, as did Draco, "Well, it's kind of hard not to hit on you. I mean look at you, sitting here looking gorgeous and leading me on by kissing me."
Hermione snorted a laugh, "Yeah, um, I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean-"
"Never be sorry about that." Draco said squeezing her knee.
She downed the rest of her water and picked up the vodka, "Lavender." She said.
"I didn't ask."
"And you're not asking very loudly." She smiled, "She brings out the worst in me. What did Harry and Theo tell you?"
"Nothing actually," he shrugged, "They said it was a highly amusing story and that I should hear it from you."
"I shouldn't hate her as much as I do, really," Hermione began, "I mean, if she hadn't gotten me fired, I wouldn't have my own book shop."
"She got you fired?" Draco turned to look at Lavender, who was currently throwing herself at some poor unfortunate bloke on the opposite side of the pub, "How is that possible?"
"I used to work at the other book shop in town, and until Lavender arrived I pretty much ran it. She decided she needed a new sugar daddy, her former one dumping her without a thought when his wife threatened a very messy, very public divorce. And Don Blotts was the target she set her sights on. A fifty year old virgin with money to burn; he was the perfect choice really.
"See what she's doing now?" Hermione indicated towards Lavender and Draco nodded, "Well, that's her thing; flash the girls, smile too brightly and give it up to any man who crosses her path. She tried it on my former boss, and he fell hook, line and sinker for it." She looked at him thoughtfully, "I'm not sure she gave it up to Don, but the boobs and the smile worked wonders.
Draco sniggered, "And he fired you for not sleeping with him?"
Hermione grimaced, "Eeww, no! He fired me in the hope that Lavender would."
Draco looked confused, "That makes zero sense."
"She complained that I was bulling her, and not allowing her to work to her full potential - that potential being to scope out the male customers and see who would be best suited for her needs - so he fired me. When the choice is between the girl who might and the girl who definitely won't, the former always wins."
"But it actually worked out pretty well for you though," Draco noted, "You have our own shop, and from what I can tell it's doing pretty well."
"Ah, yes my friend, you are right!" Hermione said grinning, "Me getting fired was the best thing that could have happened. It was the kick in the arse that I needed and I know that Don is regretting it. So that makes me even happier."
Draco held his glass up to her, "Here's to success, the best type of revenge."
Hermione laughed and clinked her glass against his, "To success." She agreed.
"Let me walk you home." Draco said, helping her with her jacket. She'd drunk a little more than she'd planned to and was struggling to get it on without assistance. She was cursing Seamus for not cutting her off, thinking to herself that maybe Ginny and Pansy had put him up to serving her more alcohol than was strictly necessary so she'd lower her inhibitions and take Draco home with her. And as much as she may have wanted that, she'd told herself repeatedly No...well, not yet.
Draco had been attentive to her all night after their little show at the bar. He'd bought her drinks, talked and laughed with her and when it wasn't his turn at the pool table, he stood close, his hand resting on her lower back. At one point his hand moved up to the nape of her neck, his thumb brushing slowly across the base of her skull causing a shiver and goose bumps to break out again. She'd spotted him staring at her chest on more than one occasion and smiled to herself, internally high fiving herself on her wardrobe choice. She wasn't sure if this was just keeping up with the act – Lavender was still watching them – but she certainly wasn't complaining.
"I live four blocks away, I'm sure I'll be fine." She finally shrugged into her jacket, his hands lingering on her shoulders a little longer than necessary.
"Ah, but what about our ruse?" He whispered into her ear causing a not unpleasant shiver to crawl down her spine, "How will it look if I let you walk home all alone?"
"Fine," she relented, "In the name of our ruse, you can walk me home."
He took her hand, entwining their fingers. She looked down, staring at the linked fingers. She looked back up at him, her eyebrows raised.
"In the name of our ruse," he informed her, his face completely sincere.
Hermione yelled a goodbye over her shoulder, and didn't miss the smirks on Ginny's and Pansy's faces as she and Draco left the pub. She expected him to drop her hand when they were out of sight of the pub, but his hand never left hers as they walked - occasionally stumbling in Hermione's case - through the chilled air of an early winter.
"You live in the book shop?" Draco asked when they stopped in front of what was fast becoming his favourite place on earth.
"No, I don't live in the book shop. I live above it." She corrected him, her words slightly slurred, that second Tuesday Tea was probably a mistake. Any more than three of those and you'd pretty much forget your own name.
Draco was laughing, "I shouldn't really be surprised should I?"
"Shut up. It's my shop, and it's easier."
"Sorry, but this so you," Draco laughed, "How did I not know this?"
"I don't give my address to complete strangers, you know."
"That's very responsible of you," he teased and pulled her in for a hug, "I've had a great night Hermione. We should do this again." He'd had a brilliant night; her friends had welcomed him like they'd known him for years.
She returned the hug, "You're welcome to join us anytime." She was reluctant to let him go, and since his arms were still wrapped around her, she assumed the same of him.
"Hermione?" His voice was almost whisper.
She pulled back slightly looking up at him, "Draco?"
He leaned in, cupped her face, and kissed her gently. For a second she was startled, but quickly found herself kissing him back. His mouth was warm, his lips soft. She gripped his hips, as he deepened the kiss, his hand moving from her jaw to the back of her neck. He rubbed his thumb along the base of her skull causing her to shiver.
He pulled back, resting his forehead against hers, "I've wanted to do that all night."
"So have I," she admitted and leaned into his touch, staring up into his captivating grey eyes.
His hand was warm on her neck and before she could fully process what was happening, he stepped forward and gently pushed her back against the door. His mouth was on hers again and she opened her lips against his, his tongue sliding in with an almost desperate need to taste more of her. Draco's hand moved to the back of her head, pulling her harder against his mouth, kissing her fiercely. Hermione pressed herself against him, her heart hammering in her chest. It had been so long since anyone had kissed her like this. In fact, no one had ever kissed her like this. The fingers that were gripping his biceps moved along his arms, feeling the tight muscles and she almost hummed appreciatively, before sliding along his shoulders and wrapping around his neck.
Every fantasy she'd had about him exploded in her head. His kiss was so much more than her inadequate brain had imagined. He was making her toes curl and a pleasant heat spread in her belly, a heat that was shifting lower and leaving her wanting to feel him elsewhere. She almost saw the devil on one shoulder kick the angel off the other as her brain screamed at her to let him in, not to push him away. This felt too good to stop.
But she did stop, breaking them apart and pulling away. They were both gasping for breath and she panted out "I'm sorry, I-" But he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her throat, "I don't want to have sex with you." She blurted out and he laughed against her neck, "I'm serious," she said, "Not tonight."
"Maybe another night then?' he said against her neck..
"Draco," she moaned quietly, his lips still pressing hot kisses along her neck. She pushed against his chest, "Please, stop."
He kissed her one last time and pulled back to look at her, cupping her jaw, "Hey," he said quietly, "No sex. It's just that I've wanted to kiss you like that for weeks now."
"Sorry," she said, "It's just-"
He pressed a finger to her lips, "No, don't apologise. You don't need to explain why. There will be no sex, not tonight and there will certainly be no pressure from me, okay?"
Hermione smiled at him, unable to help it. Where did this man come from? "Thank you," she said, shivering again as his hands stroked slowly across her back and then pulled her into a hug.
Draco pressed his lips to her forehead, "But I do hope that you will let me kiss you like that again."
She chuckled and placed her hands on either side of his face, smiling at him, "I think that could definitely be arranged." She brushed her hand across his cheek, pressing her lips quickly to his, "Good night Draco."
"Good night Hermione," he said, leaning in to kiss her one last time, "Sleep well."
Hermione closed the door and leaned back on it closing her eyes and thinking that maybe her luck had changed.
She bit her lip, smiling. Dear Universe, thank you, love Hermione.