"Is Granger's breakfast ready?" Draco asked urgently as he strode into the kitchen impatiently. The smell of bacon and eggs filled his nose as he saw Isabella neatly place the breakfast items on a tray.
"Ready! Though I'm not sure why you-" Isabella almost dropped the tray in her hands when she turned to face Draco. She gave a sharp gasp when she saw the Death Eater mask on his face.
Draco hurriedly took the mask off. "Oh for Merlin's sake, it's me!" he barked.
William then hobbled in. "What's with the commotion?"
Isabella put the tray down on the table. "Well, Draco decided to wear a Death Eater mask today."
William's face contorted in confusion as he sat down. "Why on-"
Draco interjected, "I want to bring Granger her breakfast today. Maybe she'll actually come down from her room and talk to me. So I cannot let her see my face."
Isabella snorted. "Y'know there's a reason that she hasn't come down from her room at all the two weeks she's been here. It's that she believes her best friend dumped her here, and she is being held hostage by a Death Eater."
"Ex- Death Eater!" Draco defended.
"So? She still doesn't trust you! And I don't think making the first impression with a bloody Death Eater mask on will help." William replied.
"Well it's loads better than this," Draco remarked, gesturing to himself.
Isabella cocked her head. "I'm not so sure, Draco. The mask is a bit of a put- off."
"Yeah, I'd take the face of a deformed man over the face of someone who wants me dead any day." the blind tutor added.
Draco growled complainingly. "Honestly, you two . You're here to maintain the house and not to lecture me! And besides, it's just a bloody mask."
"I think the mask will scare her more than your face," Isabella warned.
"Well, it's a risk I'm willing to take." Draco slipped on the mask and then snatched the breakfast tray from off the table. He maneuvered himself upstairs and quietly stood behind Granger's door.
He balanced the tray on one arm as he knocked on the door with his free hand. A small voice came through. "Isabella?"
"No, it's me," Draco said with a broad voice, talking to the closed door.
He then heard a muffled sound of disgust. "Go away!"
"I have your breakfast!"
"Tell it to someone who gives a shite!"
Draco became irritated, yet slightly amused at Granger's new colorful vocabulary. He put the tray down and jiggled the doorknob. Of course, it was locked. "Bollocks!"
A light trill of laughter then rang from the other side. "Did you honestly think my door wouldn't be locked?"
Draco became desperate. "I'd really like to explain! Please let me in!"
He was met with agonizing silence. Frustrated, he ripped his Death Eater mask off and punched the locked door.
"Inviting!" the girl shouted at him sarcastically in response to his temper tantrum.
Draco stomped away and into the kitchen, cursing under his breath. He tossed the mask onto the table and flopped down in a chair. Isabella and William observed this, and after a while, William piped up, "So yelling at her and slamming her door didn't work?"
Draco pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "I need to think of something else."
"Obviously," Isabella added.
He looked up at the housekeeper and was suddenly struck with an idea."When are you going to town next?"
"At noon. Why?"
Draco then ran to the drawing room and came back with a huge stack of Muggle money. Isabella's eyes widened at the amount. "Where did you get that?!"
"The Blacks always had to keep a stash of Muggle currency since they lived in the middle of Muggle London." Draco dropped the stack in front of Isabella.
"What do you want me to do with this?" she asked, gingerly taking the pile of money.
"I need you to get something pretty for Granger."
William busted out laughing. Draco whipped around, glaring at the tutor. "What's so funny this time?"
"Do you really think this rubbish will work? On Hermione?"
"Of course it will work!"
Isabella cautiously spoke up. "I'm not so sure, Draco. I don't think-"
Draco interrupted. "Please, Isabella."
The housekeeper eyed Draco and could see that he was desperate. She sighed in sympathy. "Fine. What do you want me to get?"
Draco counted to three and then swiftly dashed to Granger's door with a colorful box embellished with ribbon. He darted away after he placed the box at the foot of her door and rapped at the door loudly. He concealed himself behind a column in the hallway. Holding his breath, he watched hopefully as Granger opened the door.
With a confused look on her face, she looked from side to side and then down at the box. She raised an eyebrow as she bent down to look at it. She slowly opened the box and then pulled out a very expensive bottle of perfume.
Draco grinned as Granger held the present. The beautiful crystal bottle sparkled and gleamed. Any woman would die to receive a gift like that. At least he knew Pansy would. Many times in the past had a diamond ring or jeweled bracelet helped ease Draco's ex-girlfriend when they were in a fight. In fact, it seemed that she would completely forget what they were fighting about in the first place. Draco hoped to Merlin it would work on Granger.
But Draco's hopeful expression dropped as Granger tossed the bottle back into the box with a scoff. Draco jumped from the shockwave of Granger slamming the door behind her. His jaw plummeted to the floor, genuinely shocked that the perfume didn't completely thrill the girl. He would have to come up with Plan B. A gift that no woman could resist.
Draco trotted down the hall to Isabella's room and let himself in. Isabella looked up from the book she was reading and chuckled. "Let me guess. She hated it."
"Well yes. But that's because you got her the wrong thing."
The housekeeper rolled her eyes. "Okay, so what would be the right thing?"
"Jewelry," Draco answered confidently. He was less than pleased to see that Isabella wasn't floored by his ground-breaking suggestion.
"You're kidding, right?" Isabella asked. "Do you know even a modicum about this girl?"
"Just go and get her a necklace or something!" He snapped, and then walked briskly away.
Take two. Draco was in his same spot, perched behind a column. This time, a black bag with the golden letters BVLGARI engraved on it sat in front of Granger's door. Inside the bag was a diamond necklace encased in a leather box. This was the epitome of luxury and beauty. She would be barmy if she rejected him over this.
Draco watched with anticipation as Granger opened her door. She looked down at the bag with a bored sigh. Not looking good. But things would turn around when she opened it.
The golden haired girl reached inside the bag and grabbed the leather box. She opened it, and defying expectations, looked at the necklace with disgust. She picked up the expensive piece of jewelry like it was a piece of garbage.
"Thanks, but no thanks you prat!" She hissed to the hallway, listlessly throwing the necklace and box back into the bag. The familiar sound of slamming doors rang through Draco's ears as she turned away. Fuming, he threw a blow at the column with an infuriated grunt. He immediately regretted it as his hand started to throb and Granger started to laugh mockingly.
"Again, inviting!" She bellowed between giggles. Draco's cheeks flooded with crimson as he moped away, Granger's laughter increasing in decibels.
Needless to say, he needed a Plan C.
It was noon the next day and Isabella was going into town. Draco was hovering over her with detailed instructions as she was getting ready to go out.
"This time, go to Dolce & Gabbana, get Manolos or whatever sick-expensive thing Pansy loved," Draco ordered, handing her another large stack of paper money.
"Everything you say to me about her, and everything I see, tells me that she's not the kind..."
"Okay, Prada then."
"...To be bought," Isabella corrected.
Draco's face scrunched up. "I'm not trying to buy her!"
"You are. And she'll hate that."
Draco exhaled and realized she was bloody right. Granger was not like Pansy at all. She was not materialistic and superficial. She was real, and she cared about real things. What scared Draco was that he was pushing her away this whole time with the stupid gifts, and he didn't even know it.
Draco then asked quietly, "So now what?"
"Well, what do you know about her? You must think about her." Isabella put her hand up to his cheek. "I know you see who she is," Isabella stated with a smile, patting his cheek maternally and placing the money back in his hands. She then whisked away and headed for the door.
"But what do I do?" Draco yelped after her.
The housekeeper turned. "Think!"
Thanks for being so bloody specific, Draco thought as Isabella left Grimmauld Place. A cold breeze suddenly swept over the left side of Draco. He shivered and checked the tattoo on his left forearm. Mirroring the actual weather, the leaves on the tree were colored in red and orange ink and they were slowly falling. The small breeze came again and more leaves plunged to the foot of the trunk on his arm. Draco moaned. Time was ticking.
Draco plopped himself down at the foot of the stairs and covered his face in his hands. He decided to take Isabella's advice and just think about Granger. Although, it made absolutely no sense. The only things that would come out of thinking would be the basics; Granger was an eighteen-year-old witch, she was incredibly clever, her nose was always buried in a book, she loved Butterbeer, and-
Hold on. Draco sat up and chuckled to himself. This "thinking" thing had just helped Draco with a plethora of things that interest Granger! Everything about her just seemed to stick out in his mind. It's probably because she was so... odd. But maybe that was a good thing. She's nothing like Pansy or any other girl Draco had been with. They were all like plastic dolls, having similar interests and physical features. But they were also like dolls because they were fake. Granger, on the other hand, was real. No wonder she had hated the gifts he had gotten her. He was trying to woo her as if she were just another plastic doll. But now he realized that he needed to woo her as herself.
What can I say? I'm substance over style. Draco again thought of the words Granger spoke in the office.
He stood up, a grin stretching across his face. He knew exactly what to do. He had figured out Plan C.
Take three. Draco stood outside Granger's door holding a case of bottled Butterbeers in one hand and a Muggle book entitled Pride and Prejudice in the other. Yes, these were still gifts, but they were gifts with actual thought and care. Draco remembered how Granger was drawn into The Three Broomsticks by the scent of Butterbeer that one night in Hogsmeade, so he knew of her love for the drink. And the book was a no-brainer. But what was special about it was that it was a Muggle book. And a classic one at that. The bookshelf in her room was stacked entirely with books by wizard and witch authors. Draco assumed that maybe she'd appreciate something different and something that would bring her close to home, considering her family. Not to mention, Pride and Prejudice was a love story. And, as much as Granger would have liked to hide it, she was clearly a romantic. He remembered her swooning over sappy, soppy, long-hang love letters on Halloween night, and her skipping around Hogwarts castle and dancing through Hogsmeade. The evidence was clear.
Draco slid the book between his other arm so he could knock on the door. But this time, he wasn't going to drop the gifts and run. He was going to stand there and wait for her to face him... Well not exactly. He had on his Death Eater mask, despite what Isabella and William advised. He held his breath as he softly knocked on the door. He continued to hold his breath as he waited for Granger to open it. But she never came. Draco deeply exhaled and inhaled to catch his breath, confused that she didn't answer. He then knocked again, louder this time. But still, no Granger came to the door. Draco grunted in annoyance and placed his ear to the door. He could hear the girl talking to herself, but he couldn't make out what she was saying. She was clearly too distracted to hear the knocks at the door.
Draco's eyes flitted to the door knob. Could her door possibly have been unlocked? There was no harm in trying unless she put a jinx on it or something. But he already placed his hand on the cool metal and then successfully turned it clockwise. His heart skipped a beat in surprise and he quietly pushed the door open. He peeked inside, and he noticed that Granger was pacing around the room as a quill was writing on a piece of parchment by itself on her nightstand. It seemed that she had placed a charm on the quill to write what she was saying.
As Draco slowly entered, her words came in more clearly. "This whole thing is just a huge mess. I miss everybody, I miss lunch with you, Seamus, and Neville. And Hogsmeade and the library, school, and everything that made me, me. And it's entirely screwed up, Ginny! He thinks that he can just give me a couple of presents like that fixes everything." She continued to pace erratically as Draco came fully into the room.
The pale boy braced himself, but she hadn't noticed him yet. She was still ranting. " And yes, I know it's just for a little while but I'm hating it! I hate not fighting back. I hate Harry. And I just hate... hating. And I know it's for my safety, but honestly, I can protect myself! I don't need to be saved by some tattooed ex-Death Eater or even 'The Boy Who Lived'! I just-"
Suddenly, Hedwig squawked from her perch upon sight of Draco in a mask. Bugger! He forgot about the bloody chicken. Granger's eyes darted to Draco and she gasped in terror. Draco jumped and dropped the contents in his hands as Granger threateningly stretched out her wand to him.
"Merlin!" Draco shouted, holding his hands up in defense. "What the bloody hell is your problem?!" he lashed out.
She was shooting daggers at him through her eyes. "Well, what the 'bloody hell' is with the Death Eater mask?!" Granger bit back caustically.
"I didn't want to freak you out!"
Granger's raging expression softened to bewilderment as she slowly put her wand down. "Sure! The Death Eater mask didn't freak me out," she responded facetiously. She exhaled with exasperation as she threw her wand on the bed and looked back at the intruder with the same confused look.
Draco recalled the purpose of his breaking-and-entering and he picked up the peace offerings. "I uh, got you some Butterbeer and a book." He clumsily ran and put them at her feet and then quickly backed away against the door. It was almost like attempting to lure a dangerous animal.
Granger moaned in irritation. "Again, with the gifts? I don't want-" Granger's eyes fell to the contents on the floor and stopped talking. She examined the gifts closely, and her expression softened faintly. But she didn't take them. She looked up and demanded, "Can I ask a question? Why am I here?"
"Because you need to be protected."
"But I can take care of myself. You don't even know me!"
Draco stammered, "But uh, I work for Dumbledore and Potter-"
"-whom, for some reason, trust you. I mean you broke into Hogwarts and hurt a student. Not to mention, you're a Death Eater!"
Draco opened his mouth to counter, but he bit his lip when he remembered his fake identity as an Ex-Death Eater named Aiden. He would have to get used to the fact that if Granger would be falling in love at all, she would have to be falling for Aiden and not Draco. "Potter wanted you to be with someone and somewhere that couldn't be traced. Yes, I still have the Dark Mark, but the Dark Lord believes that I am dead so he wouldn't think of tracking me in the first place. Plus, this wretched place is surrounded in wards that keep you from being tracked by the other Death Eaters."
Granger's face softened even more which prompted Draco to carefully advance toward the witch. "And Potter planned this all out because he is scared out of his mind that something will happen to you. Because of how much he loves you." He recalled that morning in the Hospital Wing. Potter was grasping Granger's delicate hand and soaking her with his tears. He was making a sacrifice for Granger out of love, knowing that she would loathe him for it. Draco didn't know why and maybe the situation was making him go soft, but he thought he might as well ease the girl of her blind hatred for her best friend.
She stared at Draco quizzically. "Really?" she asked quietly.
He nodded.
It was silent for a few moments. Granger cast her eyes down. She was obviously thinking about Potter but Draco didn't know if she was even more angry, confused, regretful, or even grateful after hearing what he said about Potter. But she looked up at him with a smile. It was small. But still there. "I've always wanted to read Jane Austen. Thank you."
Draco's stomach fluttered. "You're welcome," he replied. He watched her pick up the Butterbeers and book, her smile growing ever so slightly.
Draco left her room and threw off his mask, barely containing his excitement. Plan C worked! It bloody worked! He flew downstairs and into the kitchen where Isabella was.
"How did it go?" the housekeeper asked, surprised by the usually broody bloke beaming from ear to ear.
"The 'thinking thing' killed!" Draco grabbed her shoulders, laughing. "KILLED!"