At 12 o'clock sharp, Hermione apparated to the gate of Malfoy Manor. She had spent the whole morning angrily pacing her flat. Any thought of how she would make Malfoy's life a living hell and tear him into a thousand tiny pieces vanished when she saw him standing there waiting for her. He looked dejected and determined at the same time. When she entered, he took a step back as if in front of a wild, unpredictable animal that might lash out at any time. Raising his hands as a sign of peace, he immediately said, "Please listen to what I have to say." This oddly reminded her of his first attempt to make amends. Merlin forbid, this attempt ended like the first one. She gave him an angry look before walking past him towards the manor without so much as a word of greeting.
Malfoy escorted her to his study, where he gestured for her to sit down. He looked tense as he handed her a document across the desk. It read Clarification .
"What I did last week was a mistake, I know that. After the pregnancy scare, I let my anger get the best of me. However, a childish, petty war will not help either of us." He sighed deeply and rubbed his tired eyes.
"I have prepared a letter to Witch Weekly to clear up the series of misunderstandings that are causing us such headaches. Before I send it, I want your permission."
The letter included a complete timeline of published articles about him with corresponding explanations. Both Pansy and his mother had never talked about relationships, but about his business. He explained his intrusion into the backroom by saying that he wanted to leave the shop unnoticed so he could attend an appointment in Muggle London on time and unobserved. Up to this point, Hermione had to assume that it was true. What followed, however, was a lie. He justified her visit to Malfoy Manor by saying that, as the daughter of two dentists, he had asked her for advice. It was a good lie and certainly more believable to Witch Weekly than the real reason. Denials were all too readily presented as feints by the magazine.
His actions over the past week were all connected to his business. At Gringotts, he had discussed further investment steps for possible expansion and accordingly diverted income from other parts of Malfoy Industries to the new venture. He had instructed the family lawyer to take a closer look at the Statute of Secrecy, in case magical products should also be offered in Muggle pharmacies. Even the visit to the jeweller was purely business. The jeweller in question not only had contacts with goblins for making the finest magical artefacts, but also offered simpler things. Malfoy had commissioned a design for the wax seal of his new company and was there to approve it.
Having finished reading his clarification, Hermione looked up at him. His fingers lightly drummed on the surface of his desk in anticipation of her judgement.
"I assume my visit today was also to discuss Muggle oral hygiene?" His shoulders relaxed and he smirked.
"Any comments or additions?" Hermione shook her head and handed the document back to him. He had done a really good job. She especially liked the last paragraph. In it, he had made it clear in flowery but unmistakable words that he would devote himself entirely to his business and that further unfounded rumours would result in a lawsuit.
After Malfoy had attached the letter to his eagle owl's leg and it disappeared into the vastness of the blue sky, Hermione stood up, offering Malfoy her hand.
"I guess that's it, then. A pleasure doing business with you, Mr Malfoy." Her little reference to his lie about her visit brought a smile to his lips. Malfoy slowly stood up and took her outstretched hand.
"You have quite wonderful teeth, by the way." This comment elicited a laugh, making his white teeth gleam. She had never seen him so at ease. So much had changed about him since he first sought shelter in her store a couple of months ago. While he still looked down upon her - he was quite taller than her, after all - Malfoy no longer had that derogatory look in his eyes. It was replaced with a kind of keen interest as if she was a riddle he wanted to solve, a challenge he would like to take on.
Instead of letting go after their handshake, he continued to hold her hand and gave it a quick squeeze.
"Have lunch with me." Even though it was not phrased as a question, Hermione clearly heard his hope that she would not refuse it. He looked at her so seriously that she found it hard to refuse. She remembered the afternoon tea with his mother and how pleasant he had been, how she had wondered what a friendship with Malfoy might look like. Like he had done before, she returned the squeeze to his hand briefly and answered with "Okay."
In the dining room, the table was already set for two, which clearly indicated that Malfoy had planned this. What else did he want to talk to her about after he had sent off the clarification? Did he really want to talk to her about dental care? Hardly.
He pulled out the chair for her, a true pure-blood gentleman. As soon as Malfoy sat down, their glasses filled with wine and a plate of soup appeared in front of her. It smelled wonderful. They spent the first course in agreeable silence while Hermione tried to guess what else he wanted to talk to her about. While outwardly looking composed, Malfoy did not seem as at ease as he usually did. She caught him time and again sneaking glances at her when he thought she was not looking. Malfoy was behaving weirdly. Multiple times he took in a breath like one did before saying something, but nothing came. What was he so nervous about?
When the empty soup plates disappeared and were replaced by roast with potatoes and carrots, he finally broke the silence.
"Hopefully, after the clarification is published, the reporters will finally let us go."
"I don't think you've given them much choice." She smirked. A lopsided smile settled on his lips and his eyes twinkled with amusement.
" We 'll have more privacy again." The way he said we made another meaning resonate. Not we in the sense of both being separate from each other, but we in the sense of being together.
"Yes..." Unsure if she had just imagined it, Hermione did not quite know what to say.
"Even though the articles were far-fetched, they made me think. About this." He pointed back and forth between them. "About us ." Hermione took a healthy swig of her wine. So she had not imagined it. Nervous about what he was alluding to, she pushed the carrots around on her plate.
"We'd be a good match." Hermione snorted. Had anyone told her just some years ago that Malfoy could possibly think of them as a good match, she would have gotten them admitted to the psych ward of St. Mungo's immediately.
"Good? Do you mean beneficial, Malfoy? You with the money and me with the sodding Order of Merlin? At least, that is what I remember from the article."
With the reminder of the article, Malfoy took a generous sip of his wine.
"No. I don't need you to polish up the Malfoy image. I will do that myself. And I think you'll do just fine without my money. There would be plenty of people lining up to give money to whatever cause bears your name. What I mean is, that despite our past differences, we fit together."
"Don't be ridiculous! As if you're interested in me."
"Interested enough to have lunch with you. Interested enough to want to go out with you to see where it leads." He was dead serious. The determination in his eyes made her reach for her wine. A little liquid courage could do no harm. In her mind Hermione replayed all her encounters with Malfoy. Could she have seen this coming? When had he changed his mind?
"This isn't a date." Malfoy could not get the wrong idea about their lunch together.
"No, it isn't. This is a negotiation." Hermione was speechless.
"Tell me your terms for dating me and I will meet them." Malfoy left no doubt of his seriousness about this date. For him it was just a matter of when and not if . She swallowed hard, captured in his gaze, unable to look away. Was this Malfoy trying to be considerate? Merlin, he had said that he was interested, but also willing to comply with any demands she had made it all the more real. Draco Malfoy wanted to date her.
"No dates in public. Once in the tabloids was enough for me." The words left her mouth before she even realized what she had said. She could not believe she was actually going for it.
"Dates? As in multiple? Good to know. What else?" Hermione could have slapped herself. It had only been a slip of the tongue, but it had made Malfoy so smug. Worse, it might have been a Freudian slip as her brain was already trying to figure out how to best date Malfoy in private.
"No date in wizarding London." Hermione tried to correct her slip from before.
"Nice try, Granger, but I won't let you back out of those dates. I insist." Malfoy shot her his charming smile and winked at her. Heat crept into her cheeks as Hermione quickly averted her eyes. The stem of her wine glass had become very interesting to her as she could not find the courage to look up at him again. The silence indicated that he was waiting for more terms from her so she wrestled with her brain for ideas.
"A Muggle restaurant would be good. We won't be recognised there." There was a little Italian place she liked. If he said no to that, she already had a few alternatives ready.
"Your choice, then. Just tell me the day and time and I'll book a table. What else?" She almost asked him if he could really manage that, but then she remembered that he had also managed to bring Muggle products into the wizarding world.
"We should stop calling each other by our last names." The test run for first names they had during the afternoon tea had been quite enjoyable. Also, Hermione could not picture them still walking around calling each other Malfoy and Granger when… if they started dating… no, not dating, giving this a try.
"Whatever you wish, Hermione ." The way he purred her name made Hermione blush. It was bordering on erotic. Any other demands she had thought to reply left her mind to refocus on the way he had said her name just now over and over again. Why was she suddenly so embarrassed? Were those butterflies in her stomach?
"All right, Draco ." If he was affected by her calling him by his first name again, Malfoy did not show it.
"So it's settled." He raised his glass to toast her.
"To making the articles come true." That was a little too enthusiastic for Hermione after all.
"I won't marry you."
"Not yet." Malfoy had a fit of laughter, so funny did he find his retort. Hermione did not find it particularly funny and glared at him. Why did he have to be so quick-witted?
"I'm sure our child will be as smart as a whip," he said while wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes.
"I'll dress it completely in red and gold." Hermione hoped that would make him stop laughing, but he just smirked.
"Then we'll just make a second one, so we can each have one for ourselves. My mother will be delighted." Even though it should shock her that Malfoy could imagine having a child with her, multiple even, Hermione could not stop herself from giggling as well.
With a roll of her eyes, she announced, "Well, we're off to a good start."
Just like they had planned, Witch Weekly rectified the situation and, even better, drew attention to another wizard for witches to swoon over.
~ Witch Weekly Issue 30/2005 ~
The Last in His Line?
It is with a heavy heart that this Author has to deliver bad news. As it seems, and as Mr Malfoy has assured us with strong evidence, there is no relationship between him and Ms Granger. According to his clarification, he had merely called her for advice on Muggle oral hygiene.
What complicates matters further, however, is that according to his letter, Mr Malfoy will be devoting himself entirely to business for years to come.
Entirely!
For years!
It even read as if he had completely dismissed the idea of marriage and family planning. Does the last heir to the Malfoy line want it to end with him?
With this general lack of interest, the honourable Readers should probably turn their attention to the number two most eligible bachelor, Mr Blaise Zabini.