A/N: Thanks for everybody's support. I really appreciate it. :) Here's the second part, I hope you enjoy!
All mistakes are mine.
Disclaimer: Still own nothin'.
"Draco, good morning," his mother called out to him cheerily.
"Good morning, mother," he responded glumly.
Narcissa Malfoy eyed her son suspiciously as he took a seat before her.
"Sleep well, darling?" she questioned, stirring her tea.
"Not particularly," he muttered just before biting into a scone.
"Oh? Why's that? Is something not to your liking?" she queried, determined to suss out the reason for Draco's sullen behavior.
"Everything is perfect, mother. Really," he told her, giving her a slight smile.
"In that case… I've been meaning to tell you something. Hyacinth simply won't leave me alone."
"Who's Hyancinth?"
"Daphne's mother. You know, the Greengrass matriarch," Narcissa reminded him.
As if I could forget Daphne. Christ, what a clingy mess of a woman.
"Oh, right… what about her?"
"She's been trying to get me to persuade you to go out on a date with Astoria. You know, her youngest."
"Right…" Draco sighed inwardly. "Do you think I should do it?"
I have a feeling I'm not getting out of this one unscathed.
"I think you should do what makes you happy, son," Narcissa answered simply.
Draco winced inwardly, recalling Hermione's words about his happiness being all that mattered.
"You're not seeing someone, are you? You wouldn't have hesitated before…"
"No! I mean, er, no… I'm not seeing anybody," Draco answered as placidly as he could muster while he added a liberal amount of jam to a scone.
"Then it's settled. I'll let you know of the time and place," his mother told him with a genteel smile.
Draco forced the whole scone into his mouth to avoid answering and downed his tea before excusing himself.
"Something's not quite right here," Narcissa muttered to herself, observing Draco practically shoot up the staircase.
The evening of Draco's blessed date with Astoria, he found himself feeling rather twitchy, constantly smoothing down his black button down shirt and making sure a crease hadn't suddenly bloomed on his pressed grey trousers. He kept tugging at his silver tie, recalling how Hermione had played with the ends of her scarf with a small smile on his lips. He realized he was thinking about her and shook his head violently, slapping his tie against his chest.
No, stop! You're being ridiculous… you're about to go on a date and yet you're daydreaming about another woman. Christ, I've got it bad.
Draco's spine stiffened at his thoughts, wide grey eyes staring at his aghast reflection.
I… enjoyed her company, for sure. She was interesting to talk to. But to fancy myself… what? In love with her? After spending an evening with her… hell, I don't even know her favorite color or her favorite animal. Although I do know how lovely she looks when I make her blush or the way she bites her lip when she's deep in thought...
He shook his head vehemently, attempting to shake off his traitorous thoughts.
I had a nice time and while I regret not getting her number, well, there's nothing I can do about it now. Best get over it and concentrate on my date with Astoria. The Greengrass girls are known for their beauty, after all. I will be the ultimate gentleman and pay attention to her and converse with her. I will charm her and… well, whatever happens, happens.
Draco nodded before noticing the time and thought he'd best get a move on if he didn't want to arrive late.
After all, it'd be rude to keep a lady waiting.
Once Draco arrived at the restaurant, he was relieved to see Astoria hadn't gotten there first. So, he waited patiently for her and wasn't disappointed when she arrived. She was every bit beautiful, if not more so, than her older sister.
Her dark mahogany hair hung in sleek waves down her back, which served to emphasize the flawlessness of her porcelain skin. Her nose was small and sharp but was softened by the fullness of her lips. She had high cheekbones that would undoubtedly make any model jealous and her eyes were the usual Greengrass shade, a soft green hue.
She wore an ice blue dress that made her look like a fairy tale princess. What caught Draco's attention and made him chuckle was the fact that it had a deep v-neck, showing off her cleavage. The dress clung to her waif-like frame, though it showed off her legs quite generously as well.
"Good evening, Draco. It's a pleasure to finally meet you," she told him in a cultivated voice, extending a petite hand dripping in diamonds out for him to shake.
Draco, for his part, couldn't help but arch his brow and nodded, taking her hand in his and releasing it after a quick shake.
Christ, could you possibly be trying any less? You should have kissed her hand!
"It's nice to meet you too, Astoria. Our table's ready… shall we?" Draco questioned politely.
She nodded regally and he motioned for her to walk ahead of him. His eyes slid to her bottom, which was small but perky and Draco smirked appreciatively.
Not bad, not bad at all.
After being taken to their table, they began to have idle chit chat and Draco found his mind wandering every once in a while.
Focus, damn you. There's a gorgeous woman sitting in front of you… the very least you could do is pay attention to her.
For all of Astoria's beauty and sharp mind, Draco couldn't seem to get into conversation with her. Although she tried... oh, did she try. She kept fluttering her eyelashes at him, stroking her hair and (not so) absentmindedly running her fingertips along her collarbones, clearly trying to entice Draco. It simply served to amuse him how transparent some women could be, Astoria's sister coming to the forefront of Draco's mind.
Looks like she learned from the best, didn't she?
Even so, Draco felt begrudgingly impressed with Astoria for constantly trying to catch and keep his attention. He guffawed inwardly when the waiter nearly spilled champagne on her lap and thought to himself that at least she caught somebody's attention.
"So, Astoria, what do you do?"
"I like to go shopping and—"
"No, no… what do you do? As in, do you have a job?" Draco interrupted, taking a swift sip of champagne.
"Oh… no, I don't have a job. I mean, I did get accepted at Oxford," she smiled smugly.
"And…?"
"I decided not to attend, after all, and traveled instead," she shrugged.
"I see. So you never plan on attending university?"
"Perhaps someday I will. It depends," Astoria shrugged again.
Draco watched her keenly and couldn't help from comparing her to Hermione any longer.
Like night and day. I wonder what she's depending on… perhaps finding a rich husband?
He smiled wryly and simply nodded before Astoria excused herself, sashaying away from the table as though she were on a runway.
I've got to hand it to her, the girl never stops trying.
Draco felt his phone buzz and fished it out of his pocket and saw that it was a text from Blaise.
hows the d8 going
He rolled his eyes at his mate's punctuation (or therefore lack of) and was about to reply when…
"Draco?"
He stilled for a second before his heart began to hammer in his chest, wondering whether he'd imagined the voice.
No, it couldn't be.
Very slowly, he looked up and forced himself not to gape at the woman standing before him.
Hermione broke out into a delighted smile and laughed softly.
"I knew it was you! That hair of yours is rather unique," she told him fondly.
Draco swallowed thickly and was tempted to pinch himself, certain it was a dream.
I've certainly dreamed enough about her…
"Hermione," he told her weakly before clearing his throat. "It's… good to see you. You look…"
She wore a black silk wrap dress that made his mouth run dry.
That bulky sweater did her no justice. Christ… she's… spectacular.
It hugged her curves perfectly, showing off her tiny waist and flaring hips. It had a deep neckline as well, though it only showed a hint of cleavage. Draco found himself much more tantalized by hers than Astoria's.
Hermione stretched her hand out when something sparkly caught his attention from the corner of his eye. He focused his gaze on her wrist and was surprised to see a bracelet in the shape of a snake coiled around it as he caught her hand in his.
Draco felt the same jolt when she touched him at the airport, only this time it sent tingles up his arm and all throughout his body. He looked up at her face to see whether she'd felt the same thrum of energy but became distracted by the sudden nearness of her. He froze when he felt her lips brush gently against his cheek and inhaled deeply, feeling mildly intoxicated by her closeness.
Hermione pulled away much too quickly for his taste and heard her chuckle softly.
"Sorry, I've accidentally left my mark on you," she teased, reaching out and wiping her lipstick from his cheek with the pad of her thumb.
Draco felt as though his face was on fire, the spot where she'd kissed him feeling warm as he stared at her.
"How have you been, Draco?"
Don't just stare. Answer her, idiot!
"I've… I've been good, thanks. How about you? Fancy seeing you here," Draco responded, sounding surprisingly unaffected and inwardly patted himself on the shoulder.
"I've been good as well. It's been nice being home. I'd forgotten how much I missed it," she sighed softly but then shook herself. "I'm here because there's a reunion of sorts going on. We're in one of the private rooms in the back."
"Ah, I see… you look very beautiful. Your companions are very lucky to be in your presence," he told her genuinely.
Her cheeks turned a lovely rosy shade which made Draco smile.
Ah, I've still got it.
"Thank you, Draco. You look very handsome yourself," Hermione complimented, smiling at him. "Your tie makes your eyes look silver too."
He blushed to his chagrin but gave her a crooked smile all the same.
"That was the point. So, what brings you here? Aren't you supposed to be with your friends?"
Not that I'm not thankful to see you. Christ, feels as though it's been ages.
"I told them I'd be going to the loo but went out to the lobby to stretch my legs. Once Seamus and Dean start singing their dirty songs… well, there's no stopping them really. Plus, the blatant yearning in Ron's stares made me uncomfortable," she muttered, scrunching her nose.
"Finally 'fessed up, did he?" Draco chuckled although he felt irked that the redhead couldn't control himself around Hermione.
Hermione blinked her doe eyes at him and cocked her head.
"How did you know? Did he tell you something?" she frowned, pressing her lips into a thin line.
What I wouldn't do to kiss those lips… gods, Draco! Get it together, man.
"No, but I gathered from the way he looked and spoke to you," Draco shrugged, not wanting to out the man.
Lord knows why. He'd definitely deserve it. But I don't want to come off as a snitch.
"Oh… guess it was obvious to everybody but me," Hermione mumbled.
"It happens. He'll get over it," Draco smirked.
Again, the poor sod.
"So, what brings you here?" she asked him.
Draco paused for a moment but settled for telling her the truth. He was saved from answering, however, by Astoria's arrival. He cringed at the way she stared blankly at Hermione before slowly sweeping her eyes down her body. Astoria lifted a brow superciliously, as though unimpressed, before sitting down.
"Hello," Hermione answered, looking slightly rosy.
"Hello," Astoria answered, not bothering to look at her.
Draco glared at her before turning to Hermione, who was glancing between them as though she'd begun to realize she'd walked into a date.
"I'm sorry, I'm clearly interrupting…"
"Caught on, have you?" Astoria muttered nastily.
Hermione swallowed thickly and looked down at Astoria's champagne glass, eyeing the lip print on the rim.
"I'm sorry," Hermione repeated quickly. "I'll just… Draco, it was really good seeing you. You… you haven't read your book, have you?"
Astoria finally looked up at Hermione, narrowing her eyes suspiciously before turning to Draco.
"No, I… I haven't. Why? Not trying to get me to spoil the book for you, are you?" he joked, not ready to have Hermione walk away from him yet again.
"No! No… I just… that's to say… I was just curious," Hermione explained weakly. "Well, I'll leave you two to continue your… date. Have a good evening."
Curious, indeed.
She gave Draco a quick smile, meeting his eyes briefly before turning around and walking away as quick as her heels let her. He couldn't help but stare at her shoes, which were the same bold red as her lips. His heart beat even faster just looking at them.
What a woman.
"Who is she, Draco?" Astoria demanded, scowling at him.
"I… she was on the flight with me. She approached me, asking what my thoughts were on the book I was about to read."
She pursed her lips and glanced at the direction Hermione had gone.
"Could she have been any more obvious?" she questioned snidely.
"What do you mean?"
"She has a crush on you or something. It'd be cute if you weren't so monumentally out of her league," she sneered.
His heart paused for a moment before it sped off.
"She… what? That's ridiculous, Astoria. Hermione… she doesn't fancy me," he stuttered, feeling his face redden.
Astoria's eyes narrowed upon him calling her by her first name but mercifully chose not to comment.
"Oh, Draco… you are so blind," she told him in a saccharine voice. "It's quite pathetic, actually. Though I can understand how you wouldn't even consider it."
"Perhaps I am blind," he mumbled under his breath, eyeing the woman before him. "But there was no need to treat her like that. She was nothing but courteous to you."
She rolled her eyes as she took a sip of champagne.
"Not like I'll see her again, thank goodness," Astoria shuddered. "Did you get a look at her?"
Oh, did I. My only regret is not kissing her back… or talking to her longer.
"I don't know who she's trying to fool, dressing like that. Who wears black, anyway, unless they're going clubbing or to a funeral? It's so gauche," she laughed meanly. "Plus red heels… during holidays? Totally cliché. I bet that gaudy bracelet on her wrist wasn't even real. Besides, did you get a look at her lipstick? Only harlots wear red."
Draco felt his temper build as Astoria continued to criticize Hermione, mimicking her voice and snorting scornfully.
"What a bookworm. I bet that's the only way she'd ever get a man like you to talk to her. Doesn't she realize you were only talking to her because it's the polite thing to do? As if you would ever be interested in the likes of her."
Draco stared at her stonily, trying his best not to snap at her even if she was trying his patience.
"She definitely looks like a librarian… gods, how boring. Plus the way she kept looking at you with those dull brown eyes of hers… the color reminded me mud. And that atrocious hair of hers! I'd like to slap silly whoever told her she looked okay. Though she's quite forgettable if you ask me."
Her hair? It didn't look atrocious to me… not that I paid much attention to it. It looked nice although I vastly prefer those curls of hers.
"She's definitely fooling herself if she thinks she has a chance with you. Plus, it was quite pathetic of her to bring up the book or whatever. She was clearly trying to exclude me from the conversation. I wonder what a person like her was doing in a restaurant like this anyway," she sniffed indignantly.
"'A person like her'?" Draco repeated through thinly pressed lips.
"Yes, she's clearly not like us. You, know, coming from prominent family. I could smell the poor off of her," she snickered immaturely. "She probably—"
"Enough."
Astoria frowned at him and opened her mouth to speak but Draco beat her to the punch.
"That's enough, Astoria," he repeated sternly. "I've had enough of your loathsome, disparaging remarks about her. She's done nothing to you yet you've continually opened your mouth to spill vitriol out of it and quite frankly, I'm sick of it."
"Draco, how could you defend her? I'm your date!" she whined like a child.
"I'm defending her because you're being immensely unfair. You keep judging her by her appearance, which was very nice if I do say so myself. Her wrap dress is a classic and I know so because my mother has a handful of them in her closet. There's nothing cliché about red shoes or whorish about red lipstick, if anything, they just add to her allure," Draco said, taking a breath. "You… you may be beautiful on the outside but you're nothing but a spiteful, jealous little girl who puts down a better woman in order to feel better about herself. You've done nothing for yourself but living off daddy's fortune and I feel genuinely sorry for you because you'll never know just how rewarding it feels to earn your own money or to make a difference in the world."
Astoria gaped unattractively at him, her face slowly becoming blotchy.
Not so beautiful now, are we?
"I was only here as a courtesy to my mother but it's been made clear that we have nothing in common. You may order whatever else you want… but I'll be taking my leave now. I'm sorry to have taken your time and I hope you grow up," Draco told her sincerely, rising to his feet.
"Draco, no! I… don't go!" she cried out, trying to reach out for him.
"I'm sorry, Astoria, but I don't want to lead you on. I see nothing happening between us and all I see when I look at you is a striking but massively spoiled girl."
"I… I can't believe it! You're nothing like the Draco my sister told me about!"
And I couldn't be happier about that.
"I'm sorry you feel that way. Have a good evening," he nodded to her before making his way to the exit.
Once he parked in the garage of his ancestral home, Draco rested his forehead against the steering wheel and let out a loud sigh.
"What a disastrous evening," he whispered. "Aside from seeing Hermione, of course. Gods, is she gorgeous…"
He exited his car and quietly made his way through the mansion, hoping he wouldn't wake anybody up. Draco had begun to remove the knot in his tie just as he reached his bedroom and was about to throw it aside when a shadowy figure in the corner of his room caught his attention. He halted, feeling a trickle of fear run down his spine before bright lights flooded the room.
"Draco, it's just me," his mother chided, a smirk on her face.
He grunted and stepped into his bedroom and shrugged off his outer layers, unceremoniously dropping them on his bed.
"Good evening, mother," he replied cordially.
"I got a very interesting phone call from Hyacinth Greengrass."
"Is that right?" he muttered, running his fingers through his hair.
"I was told that you left Astoria by herself at the restaurant but not before reprimanding her," Narcissa said seriously although her eyes were dancing in amusement.
"Yes, well, she deserved no less," he muttered.
"Draco, please sit," she told him gently.
He sighed inwardly and did as his mother asked although he couldn't quite meet her gaze.
"What happened?"
"I… she was charming until she wasn't. That's it," Draco shrugged aloofly.
"Draco," his mother admonished him. "I know that's not the whole story."
Should I tell her? Can I truly confide in my mother? She's supported me unfailingly in my endeavors...
He ran his fingers through his hair again and met his mother's inquiring gaze.
"There's… there's a woman," he began tentatively.
His mother clapped her hands eagerly, letting out a very un-Narcissa like squeal.
"I knew it!"
"You knew there was a woman?" he questioned disbelievingly.
"Well, I knew something was wrong…" she rectified sheepishly. "I noticed you weren't your, erm, vivacious self."
Draco gave his mother an unamused glare before sighing.
"Who is she? Where did you meet? Will I meet her?" she asked impatiently.
"I met her while our flight was delayed. She approached me. I thought she was going to hit on me but instead inquired about the book on my lap," Draco explained, feeling the embarrassment from that day wash over him yet again.
"Oh, Draco," she chastised him lightly. "Not every woman has that in mind."
"I know that now," he mumbled, feeling a blush rise on his cheeks. "After that initial awkwardness on my part, the conversation just… flourished. I found myself opening up, sharing things I wouldn't ordinarily share with a woman I've just met."
Narcissa watched him intently, a slight smile on the edge of her lips.
"She's so witty but cheeky, her thoughts are poignant and she's so kind, Mother. Oh, but she's not just sugar. She's plenty feisty as well and has a streak of stubbornness that could rival mine. But most importantly, she didn't treat me like Draco Malfoy, CEO. She treated me like Draco, the person. She didn't kiss my arse and didn't hesitate to call me out on my bulls—well, you know. It… she was a breath of fresh air. To make things worse—"
"'Worse'? Oh, Draco, what did you do?"
"No! I didn't do anything. Well, I did. Inadvertently. I… judged her by her looks as she approached me. Before she opened her mouth to me and I thought I had her all figured out," he chuckled humorlessly. "But I'd never been happier to be proven wrong. She's unlike any woman I've met before."
"Well, at least you realized your mistake. What happened then?"
"Well, we had dinner, which she insisted on paying. It was a slight to my ego but it'd never happened before which made me understandably speechless. Something she took advantage of and proceeded to pay, the little sneak," Draco recounted fondly.
Narcissa nodded, looking deeply pleased.
"But even when we'd just met, there was a part of her that seemed hesitant to open up. First it was her surname, then it was her job. Not going to lie, I came to my own conclusions about the latter but it all became clear once we'd finally boarded the plane. What a surprise I had then," he chuckled drolly.
"Oh? What happened?" his mother asked, curious as to what could have possibly surprised her somewhat jaded son.
"Well, just before boarding the plane I told her goodbye and that I was pleased to have met her, assuming I wouldn't see her again. I was brooding when the passenger next to me dropped their bag loudly and I was so ready to bite their head off… when, to my surprise, it was none other than her. She noticed my expression and proceeded to chide me for judging her based on what her clothes. That taught me to never commit the same mistake twice," Draco smiled wryly. "Thing was, mum, she wasn't upset about my snap judgment. The chit looked amused! Amused that I'd assumed she was poor. But then… I received an even bigger shock when a passenger collapsed."
"Oh, no! Were they okay?" Narcissa asked, worry in her eyes.
"Eventually, yes. But when the flight attendant asked for a doctor… guess who sprang out of their seat?"
"Your young woman," Narcissa smirked.
"One in one. Hermione, that's her name, turned out to be a doctor. You should have seen her mum. Had I a doctor like her as a child, maybe I wouldn't have been such a brat about check-ups," he chuckled. "She was both soothing but determined… I'd never been more in awe in my life. After diagnosing the passenger, both he and the flight attendant praised Hermione though she looked a little timid at having so much attention bestowed upon her. Once they asked for her name, she paused before answering."
"What is Hermione's last name, darling?"
"Granger… Hermione Jean Granger, born to parents Helen and Paris," he smiled goofily, recalling their conversation about names.
"That's amusing," his mother tittered, covering her mouth with her hand delicately.
Hermione does that too.
"Yes, it really is," Draco agreed.
"What are her parent's professions?"
"They're both dentists and actually own their practice. When I mentioned having taking over Father, Hermione told me her parents were a bit disappointed when she didn't become a dentist. She assumed they wanted to pass on the practice to her but she joked that the heart wants what the heart wants… which I got much later on."
"Granger… Granger…" his mother muttered thoughtfully. "Oh!"
"You've heard of them?" Draco queried, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course! They're quite famous, you know."
"Are they? I didn't know."
"I wouldn't expect you to, darling. They have quite a story. They started out as a small practice but have grown to be so successful they even attend to celebrities," Narcissa informed him. "Word is that they're booked year-round and you have to make an appointment at least a year in advance."
Despite his cynical nature, Draco couldn't help but feel impressed.
"Wow, that's pretty great. No wonder Hermione's so ambitious too," he said with a slight smile on his lips.
"Does your Hermione specialize in anything, dear?"
My Hermione… I quite like the sound of that.
"Oh, yes! She's a cardiologist."
Narcissa stared at him for a beat before tittering.
"'The heart wants what the heart wants,'" she parroted, nodding her head. "That's quite clever."
"Isn't she?" Draco asked, feeling pride swell within him.
"So what happened next?"
"Well, we fell asleep together—"
Draco saw his mother's eyes widen and shook his head vehemently, blushing to the roots of his hair.
"No! Not like that! I just mean…" he trailed off, gulping loudly. "I meant that we both fell asleep, in our assigned seats. I… I found it strangely intimate although a part of me… well… I felt comforted by her presence. I usually don't sleep well in airplanes but I succumbed to it once I closed my eyes."
Maybe I won't mention that I woke up before her and watched her… don't want my own mother to think I'm creepy.
"Aww," she cooed, to which Draco glared at her. "I knew my sweet boy was still in there somewhere."
Her words triggered Astoria's words about him not being who he used to be but decided to keep it to himself for the moment.
"When the plane landed, we both exited quietly though we walked side by side to baggage claim. I fished her suitcase for her and made our way to the exit. I… I'm not going to lie, Mother, I was struggling to have the courage to ask for her number and was just about to when someone shouted her name," Draco said and paused, shaking his head. "No, not her name. A sickening nickname, more like. It turned out to be her ex, who had volunteered to pick her up despite the delay."
"I don't like the sound of that," Narcissa muttered, pursing her lips together.
"Oh, you should have seen him, mum!" Draco groaned, closing his eyes. "The bloke looked as though he'd literally just rolled out of bed. Untidy ginger hair, unsightly freckles… to make things worse, he kept mooning over Hermione. It was a struggle not to lose my dinner then and there."
"How did Hermione receive him?" his mother questioned uneasily.
"Well, she looked happy enough to see him but I knew there weren't any lingering feelings for the ginger on her part," Draco answered, feeling relief wash over him once again.
"Oh?"
"She'd told me that she reason she'd left England was because she didn't want to marry the bloke, which he'd been hinting at, after graduating. She explained to me that he was undoubtedly expecting her to be a carbon copy of his mother, who seems to coddle him," Draco sneered, "and knew she wasn't that type of woman. So, instead of giving in, she broke things off with him because she didn't want to disappoint or grow to resent him."
"That's quite smart of your Hermione. What a level-headed young woman," Narcissa nodded approvingly. "But what makes you think there isn't anything but friendship in her heart for this young man?"
"She, well, she told me that it was a struggle, but that they finally repaired the friendship between them. They were best friends before they became lovers. I took it to mean that when a woman works hard to repair a friendship with someone she used to date, she's not interested in him romantically any longer… what do you think?"
"Seems sensible enough."
"Oh, but mum… Hermione went to the loo, leaving us alone and the fuc—bloke has the nerve to tell me that whatever my intentions with Hermione are, to just forget them because he was going to ask her to consider getting back together with him. Gods, how it infuriated me! But what made things worse is that I let his words get into my head! He proceeded to say that Hermione wasn't my type anyway and that I'd probably want her for one thing and then discard her, effectively breaking her heart. It offended me deeply, mum. Not because of what his words implied of me, no. Because you know it wouldn't have been the first time I've pulled that stunt on a woman," Draco said, feeling mildly ashamed as he admitted that to his mother. "No, it insulted me because the bastard had the nerve to imply that a woman like Hermione could never catch my eye. Which is utter bollocks because Hermione… she's beautiful, yes. But there's more to her than her attractiveness. She's whip smart and has a heart of gold. But she's also sly and ambitious and she deserves to be thought of as better than that. Especially by someone who claims, I assume, to love her."
Draco noticed his mother eyeing him intently and flushed.
"But instead of telling him to shove it, I let my insecurities take over and remained quiet. I let her go, mum!" Draco groaned softly, shaking his head. "You can't believe how much I've regretted keeping quiet. Even she looked mildly disappointed too. But mum… the most incredible thing happened tonight. After Astoria sauntered off to the loo, who calls my name but Hermione? Turns out there was a reunion of sorts going on and I'd never been happier to see anybody in my life, ever."
"Oh, Draco! That's so wonderful, son!" Narcissa explained, clapping her hands lightly.
"It was wonderful to see her again, mum. Especially after having come to terms that I'd likely never see her again. She looked so beautiful, too… sure, she was wearing a dress, heels and makeup and even managed to tame her hair, but she was still Hermione underneath all that."
"You've made me curious, Draco… what was she wearing on the flight?"
"Jeans, trainers and a bulky sweater along with her coat and scarf. Not very flattering, I'm not going to lie, but she looked so bloody comfortable I let myself wonder what it'd be like to cuddle her," Draco admitted, blushing slightly.
"And what was she wearing tonight?"
"A black dress… like the ones you have. You know, Von something?" Draco asked, shrugging. "I recognized the silhouette and the style. That day, she had her hair up into a ponytail but her hair, mum… her hair is a mane of curls. Her curls are so unruly that a few tendrils had escaped as the hours passed. But tonight it was sleek and tamed and looked like it was up in a French twist. From what I could notice, her makeup was natural but her lips… oh. She had on red lipstick and it just did things to me. That along her red silk heels. Gods… I wish I could have been on a date with her instead of Astoria just so I could keep staring at her. What interested me was her choice in jewelry. She wore a bracelet in the shape of a snake. It coiled around her slim wrist and looked to be encrusted with diamonds. But knowing what she does for a living… not so surprised she could afford it."
Which brought to mind Astoria's nasty words about Hermione.
"But what about Astoria, Draco?" Narcissa questioned warily.
"Oh, mum… it was a bloody catastrophe," he groaned, shaking his head. "Astoria was abominably rude to Hermione, who was very gracious about it. But once she seemed to realize that I was on a date with that… that harpy, she sort of paled and then left. Once she was gone, Astoria began to say some of the most venomous nonsense about her. I tried to be patient, I really did, but she kept getting nastier and nastier and I just couldn't stay quiet anymore. I'm not going to repeat what she said because it's utter rubbish and it doesn't merit being repeated since they were rants of an envious little girl. But I basically told her to grow up and that she could order whatever else she wanted but that I was leaving… and I did just that."
"I'm so proud of you, Draco. I'm glad you stood up for your Hermione and put Astoria in her place," Narcissa told him, a pleased twinkle in her blue eyes. "Although…"
"Hmm?"
"I wonder if Hermione's ex really did try to talk her into giving their relationship another go."
"Oh, he did alright," Draco laughed. "Hermione wasn't very happy about it."
"By the sound of him, he's not very deserving of her," she sniffed resentfully.
"To think he had the bollocks to tell me the same," he said, rolling his eyes.
"Did he? That little swine!" Narcissa huffed angrily. "How dare he insinuate Draco Malfoy isn't worthy of Hermione Granger?"
"I might not be, mum… you must have of an idea how quickly I went through women," he confessed in a discomfited tone. "Plus you know how the competition paints me as… I'm not a saint."
"You may not be one, son, but you're not evil, either. Perhaps a little misguided but it seems like the company of a certain woman has done you good."
"Astoria told me something just as I was about to leave… how I wasn't the Draco her sister told her about," Draco blurted out.
"Do you agree?" Narcissa questioned keenly.
"I agree," Draco admitted quietly. "Although it seems a bit unreal, doesn't it? To have my life flipped upside down in a manner of a few hours because of a woman?"
"I can understand why you'd feel that way, son. You've always been very set in your ways and to have a woman, a perfect stranger really, barge in on your life and have you question everything you feel… what are you going to do, son? I'm guessing you weren't able to ask for her number then?"
"No, I wasn't but—" he stopped, recalling how Hermione had inquired about his book.
He rose to his feet and grabbed the book, which was sitting on his nightstand and stared at it.
"No… it seems impossible, right?" he whispered to himself, stroking the cover reverently.
"Draco?" Narcissa questioned, watching him inquisitively.
His hand shook as he opened the book, inspecting the pages slowly. Draco couldn't help but feel sorely disappointed and chastised himself for even getting his hopes up.
"She asked whether I'd read the book… I got ahead of myself, it seems," he chuckled humorlessly. "Maybe she asked out of curiosity's sake."
But he couldn't get how flustered she looked out of his head. Just as he was about to put his book back, he flipped to the very last page. Draco felt as though his heart skipped a beat when he spotted the neat and feminine handwriting.
Just in case.
Followed by her phone number.
"She gave me her number… she wrote her number in my book. That little minx!" Draco laughed, feeling delirious happiness bubble in him. "It's like she knew…"
Narcissa extended her hand out and he passed her the book. She smirked at the message and then squinted her eyes.
"There's something written underneath that, Draco."
He leaned towards his mother and indeed saw that her number was followed by another message but in smaller print.
"'PS. Sorry I defaced your book,'" Draco read, feeling his heart swell with affection.
"Well, that certainly solves your problem, doesn't it, son?" Narcissa questioned smugly.
Draco looked up at her, still barely able to believe Hermione had the audacity to write her number in his book.
Besides, when did she even have the time to do this? Maybe she wasn't as asleep as I thought when I went to sleep… clever, cheeky minx.
"Draco, you will call her, won't you?" Narcissa pressed.
"I…"
"Draco."
"Mother…" he trailed off, feeling helpless all of a sudden.
"Draco Lucius Malfoy."
He cringed, knowing his mother meant serious business when she called him by his full name in that tone.
"You cannot back out now, son. Especially after behaving like a moody teenager ever since arriving to the Manor," she added under her breath. "She gave you her number and turned down her ex… what more could you possibly ask for?"
"You should have seen her face after she realized I was on a date with Astoria, mum. You would have thought I'd told her Christmas was cancelled. How do I come back from that? 'Oh, I'm sorry my date was such a raging bitch but it was a one-time thing and so would you pretty please give me a chance? I'm a bit of a prick, but you'll eventually warm up to me'?" Draco drawled sarcastically.
"Yes! Well, perhaps you could phrase it a bit differently. But it's the gist of it, isn't it?"
"What if she hates me for not jumping to her defense?" Draco whispered, biting his lip and looking miserable.
"Draco, if she's every bit as kindhearted as you tell me she is, she'll understand. Please, son… I've never seen you look so happy. You should give her a call. Or text. I'm sure she'd love nothing more than to hear from you," she told him gently, pressing a hand on his shoulder. "You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Besides… she gave you her phone number for a reason, right?"
Draco only nodded slowly, mulling his mother's words over in his head.
"Perhaps it'd be best to go to bed, sweetheart, and sleep on it. You'll feel much better tomorrow, just you wait," she smiled, pressing a soft kiss on his cheek. "Just don't wait too long, Draco. Your Hermione sounds special… I'm sure you're not the only man who'd have noticed it."
"Thanks, mum," he grunted, climbing into bed fully clothed.
I'd be a prize idiot if I let her go again. But can I really let go of my fears and follow my heart? Oh, hell… decimating a rival's company feels like child's play compared to matters of the heart.
I don't hate Astoria, either. No, really, I don't. XD I actually want to write a fic where she's nice and all that jazz. We'll see.
Like always, thank you for taking the time to read. :)