Hermione was drumming her thumb on the steering wheel as her Bluetooth was ringing. She was very nervous, but she was going to talk to him. She needed to speak to him about this.
"Hermione, you never call me this early, what's wrong?" Harry's voice came through the speakers.
"Hey, Harry, I told Ginny this morning when I dropped off Teddy, but you guys are going to take him for me on Saturday." She started, and Harry made a puzzling sound.
"Okay but is there a special reason?" he asked.
Hermione chewed her lip and sighed. "I am going out on a date," she declared.
"With? Tell me it is with Oliver. I think he broke up with his girlfriend a couple of months back. Did he ask you out? I gave him your number," Harry offered, and Hermione choked on a laugh.
"You gave him my number?"
"Yes, did he ask you out or is it someone else. You wouldn't be calling me unless you needed to talk to me about it." He replied which made Hermione groan.
"I have to be completely out of my mind. I asked out Zabini yesterday," she admitted.
Harry's snort was loud and obnoxious on her speakers. "You asked him out? Why?"
"Temporary insanity? I just found out that Teddy is related to the Blacks and Malfoys. I was getting ready to go back to work, and he had been trying to get me to go out with him all afternoon. It just came out," she exhaled and turned on the Malfoys' road.
Harry was silent for a moment, and Hermione chewed her lips. "That makes sense about him being related. Sirius was always fond of Nymphadora and Andromeda. Must be another reason why Sirius was cheering giddy shrieks when Remus announced he asked Tonks to marry him." He paused and hemmed. "Hermione, is something going on you haven't talked about? You avoid talking about your job now. Are they good to you?"
"Too good, Harry. I am waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under me and Draco has actually been mild." Hermione declared as she pulled into the driveway.
"Hermione- I just feel like there is something that happened that you aren't telling me," he urged, and she was glad he couldn't see her tinted cheeks.
"Harry- I just- it is silly," she grumbled and turned off her engine.
"Tell me. You just told me you asked out Blaise and I didn't even blink, I could snapchat it for you." He snickered, and Hermione huffed.
"Draco is different now. Really different, actually. He is still a prick, but there are moments like yesterday that stun me," she confessed, and Harry groaned.
"My god, don't tell me you have an infatuation with Draco bloody Malfoy. King of pompous," he said, and Hermione furrowed her brow.
"No, I don't. That is absolutely mental for you even to suggest!" she snapped.
"So, it is just the boss thing? Well, everyone crushes on a boss once in their life for just the authority of it all. Something risky about their power over you. Hermione, you are normal. Just do me a favor. Go on a few dates. Zabini may be a cad, but at least he is taking you out. Gin and I will watch Teddy every weekend if that means you will start to do something good for yourself," he insisted, and Hermione sighed.
"Alright, Harry. I got to go, but I will see you Sunday at mum and dads," she declared.
Harry mumbled agreement, and they hung up the phone. Hermione pressed her forehead against the steering wheel and exhaled. He was right, what was she even thinking? Satisfied with settling her mind, she climbed from the car and walked up the steps. The door opened, and Astoria came strolling out.
"Oh- hi, Granger," she said as she shut the door. "What are you doing here this early?"
Hermione realized that maybe no one had told Astoria of her alias. "Just dropping off paperwork for Malfoy. His company is taking over mine," she said with mild disinterest.
Astoria smirked and rolled her eyes. "You are a better liar than you used to be. Flint made me well aware of your little charade."
Hermione chewed her lip and her cheeks tinted. "Yes, well, I need to get to work," she murmured, and Astoria grasped her arm.
"Hey, do me a favor? Would you tell Fred I am sorry?" She whispered and glanced down at the ground. "My father is quite persuasive," she murmured, and Hermione tilted her head.
"Astoria, do you have feelings for Fred Weasley?" she breathed, and the woman pulled away.
"No, I do not. It was an accident, and besides, I love my fiancé very much," she declared with a stiff nod before walking down the steps. "Be kind to Draco today, he might be spirited," she called out with a breathy laugh before getting into her car.
Hermione shook off the twinge of envy- no that isn't right. Mild annoyance, yes much better. She was going over the conversation in her head and grimaced at the word fiancé. Why would he even want to marry her? She was disloyal after all. Hermione squeezed the doorknob once, exhaled and opened the door.
"And an angel comes bursting back into my life!" someone exclaimed and grabbed her in for a kiss.
Hermione stood there stunned as she bristled in Draco Malfoy's embrace. His lips were warm and moist against her own. He must have recognized the foreign layout of the woman's face because he pulled away. "You are not my fiancé," he noted and released her. "My apologies, Kelly. Er- Astoria- she. Well, I thought she forgot another kiss," he said, humiliated, and his cheeks were colored scarlet.
"Well, good morning to you too, but why are you standing at the door?" she questioned as she noted he was half dressed and scruffy looking still.
He grinned wildly and chuckled. "Astoria is pregnant. With my son. My child," he said almost giddy, and Hermione beamed.
"Congratulations, Draco. It is nice to see you happy, shall you get in more than your skivvies and we actually work today?" She retorted, did not mean for it to come out so shrill.
Draco moved his cane in front of the direction her footsteps were moving. "Hey, what the bloody fuck is your problem? Do you need a good shag? Woke up on the wrong side of the bed?"
"I believe one of those questions is absurd to ask, excuse me," she murmured and pushed the cane from her path.
"Don't you walk away from me, I am blind and can't chase you. We are going to talk about this like adults. What is your problem?" he growled in the direction he heard her shifting in.
"Nothing, nothing is wrong. Now, I am going up the stairs to start our work day, and I hope we can forget this whole thing." Draco could hear the discomfort in her voice, and he made a sound.
"You think I don't approve of you going out with Zabini, don't you?" he asked, and she snorted.
"Hardly, I don't even approve of it, but unless I do it, he will be unremitting," she responded and exhaled a large breath. "Why are we talking about this? When did we become friends?"
"When I found out for seven years you have been taking care of my relative. When you decided to treat me like a man and not a cripple. When your courageous quality to be at my mother's side while she cried and let her honor you. Those things make up the start of a friendship. Don't you understand that, Helen?" He snapped, and she stood there, quiet as ever.
He heard her exhale in a shuddered fashion after a few noiseless moments. "I cannot be your friend, Draco," she whispered, but he could hear the tones of pain in her voice. "I am going to go up and start working. I will see you when you are ready," she told him, and he heard her practically jogging up the stairs to get away from him.
"Draco, darling," Narcissa's voice entered the silence.
"Yes, mother?"
"I think you made her cry. Maybe next time, don't be so passionate?" She voiced carefully.
Draco ran his free hand over his face. "Did I hurt her feelings?" he questioned.
"No, I think you moved her," Narcissa replied, and her hand touched his shoulder. "But you cannot have them both, so do not try."
"Have them both? Are you on medication? I tell you that I'm marrying Astoria because she's holding my child and you suggest that? Have I no heart?" he inquired and pulled from his mother's grip.
Narcissa did not move or make a sound and Draco could tell she was examining him. "Mother, I do not have a thing for my assistant," he hissed, and she tutted.
"Draco, don't be so obtuse. It is common to feel an affinity for someone when they respect you for who you are. The things you said to her were very stirring. However, if you are getting married you should not be looking for a woman's familiarity during this time," she said slowly, and Draco waved her off.
"I am going to prove to you that I do not need to be unsociable. It will be fine," Draco told her and moved toward the stairs. "I am a good person, mother. You have told me that yourself."
Their workday had been strained. She was quiet and gave him nothing but answers to work-related questions. She took her lunch with her into the library away from him. Even after lunch, before his session with Marcus, she avoided any conversation with him.
He was practically assaulting the weights he was so frustrated. "Hey, slow down there, tiger, you are going to hurt yourself," Marcus stopped him and took them from Draco's hands. "What is wrong with you?"
"Astoria is pregnant with my child, and we are getting married," he said with a light tone.
"And? That doesn't explain why you look like you want to hate-fuck the dumbbells." Flint growled, and Draco scrubbed his sweat covered face.
"And? Well, I fought with Kelly this morning after I accidentally kissed her. Common mistake. Astoria just left, and I thought she came back for another kiss goodbye. Kelly was shrill and unmanageable after, so I asked her what was wrong. I delivered an ill-timed speech about us being friends because of what transpired yesterday, and she cried." He admitted, and Marcus made a grunting sound.
"Let's call it good today, you are going to hurt yourself," Flint declared and handed Draco his towel.
Draco reached for his cane and started to check for the corners. He struck one and found the doorway. Flint was following him to the pool room and was being unusually quiet. There was a thrumming about the silence today; everyone seemed to be in deep thought.
"Did she say anything back to you?" Marcus asked as they reached the room.
Draco put his cane down on the stone bench once he found it. "Yes, she said we couldn't be friends and then ran up the stairs like a child." He spat and tossed his shirt on the ground. "A fucking child," he repeated with venom.
The Malfoy shifted out of his jersey shorts and reached for his cane. "She was crying?" Flint questioned again as his footsteps were heard after the rustling of clothing.
"That's what my mother said, before accusing me of having a thing for Kelly of all fucking insanity." He declared climbing into the plunging pool. "I just don't understand it. What is going on that everyone thinks I am completely oblivious too? She was crying. Kelly ran off instead of talking; Something not in her personality. That used to irk me that she challenged me, but I missed it today." He finished with a large groaned and swatted the water.
A separate splash was heard, and Marcus exhaled. "Draco, I am going to tell you something. But you have to understand where she was coming from first," he started.
Draco slanted his head, and his brow pinched. "Okay, tell me."
"I am breaking a major promise by telling you this- a major promise, mind you, but I think you have the right to know if you want to be friends with her." Flint continued causing Draco to groan.
"Tell me then," he snapped, but still keeping his impatience at bay.
"Zabini found her at the alumni party for Hogwarts. When he was done drooling over her, he realized who she was. Through the course of his pestering, he found out she was freshly jobless after working as an EPA for the news company the Daily Prophet. You heard of them?"
Draco made a sound of agreement. "Yes, yes. Carry on," He waved his hand in front of him and splashed the water.
"Blaise knew she was a rare find because you all went to school together and knew of her impeccable work. However, in order for her to agree with working with you, she used a separate alias so you wouldn't know who she was. I am not sure why she felt the need, but maybe she just didn't feel comfortable with the past."
"Oh god, please don't tell me she's Potter's wife," He groaned and scrubbed his face.
"No, Draco," Flint paused and exhaled. "She's Hermione Granger."