Hermione had quickly decided that her new favourite pastime was watching her boyfriend assess desserts.

Draco started by taking over the ordering, flaunting his newly acquired credit card with a Cheshire grin. She rolled her eyes, but internally, this new, confident Draco was making her heart flutter.

After carefully examining the display, he ordered nearly a dozen different treats, both sweet and salty, that he was now in the middle of tasting. He made Charlotte cut everything in half, so they could share the experience. At one point, he even sneakily hand-fed her a piece of chocolate cake, which she accepted without hesitation, only realizing what happened when she saw the Frenchwoman's eyes light up in excitement. She blushed deeply and made a point of refusing his next offering. They were in public, and somehow the act felt… very private, especially with his intense, darkening eyes and caresses on her cheek. The wizard relented and now enjoyed the desserts on his own.

It was like a ritual, the same repeating steps Hermione had the opportunity to learn. She watched as he gently lifted a profiterole, and twisted it in the light like he was evaluating the chocolate coating. Then, with a barely noticeable movement of his nose, he sniffed it. This, Hermione found, was the first breaking point. Some desserts never even made it into his mouth.

This one passed the test though, and she watched in fascination as the blond bit into the pastry, then closed his eyes in contentment. For the desserts he liked the most, he would make a barely audible purring sound that sent goosebumps down her back. Hermione had to close her own eyes and take a deep breath, just to get herself to stop thinking about licking the leaked cream off his lips.

In fact, she thought, having a conversation would probably get her mind off of this.

"So, how is our first date? Does it meet your expectations?" she asked, and Draco looked at her like he was coming out of a trance. He took his sweets very seriously.

He contemplated for a bit before giving her his answer. "I must say, when I first saw your agenda, I was sceptical. But now, that we're nearly done visiting the - how did you say, touristy spots? - I'd say it was hectic but fun. Although-" He finally licked that bothersome cream off his lips, letting her think just a bit clearer. "If you tell me another piece of random Muggle trivia, my head might explode."

Hermione giggled. The anxiety she had about this day was slowly seeping out of her with Draco's every joke and sly comment.

"Think of it as getting an unfair advantage over the other students," she replied, but he clicked his tongue.

"Tut-tut, you can't use my own words to convince me, princess," he said with a wink, then continued appraising his profiterole.

—

They were now onto the last remaining dessert, the highly anticipated apple tarte they couldn't try last time. Charlotte mixed her offered sweets regularly, choosing to work with seasonal products and flavours. Thankfully, Hermione had the foresight to send her a message, asking for the tarte, and she complied without hesitation, making Hermione grateful.

Now, hearing Draco's telltale purr made her eternally so. A thought popped into her head about making sure to get her wedding cake from Charlotte, but she quickly chased it from her mind.

Draco finally spoke, voice filled with reverence. "This tarte is amazing… so many layers of flavour. How is this even possible?"

It was her turn to smile conspiratorially. She knew it would be good, even without tasting. After all, it did make Charlotte win the biggest baking contest in the country. Not that Draco had to know this.

"Do all Malfoys have a sweet tooth or just you?" she asked, grabbing a forkful of the famous dessert. It was, indeed, phenomenal.

Draco answered quickly between two bites. "Father does, mother just likes to spoil us."

That was a good thing to know about the elder Malfoy. Hermione was determined to at least make peace with the man, and she needed all the intel she could get.

She decided to push a bit more. "So, do you think we should get some to go, or would your father throw my Muggle sweets in the fire?"

Draco frowned, no doubt imagining the tartes go to waste in such a manner.

"Good question. I think we should bring some. Although, it's not a traditional gift, and I know you want to show off your expertise," he concluded, giving both her and the dessert a sad look.

"What if you bring it? That way it's not a gift," she offered, but she wasn't entirely sure if it would work or not. Theo has given her many books about the subject, but they were all either outdated or too nonspecific. She even wrote some letters to Molly to help clear things up, but there were huge differences even between pureblood families. At this point, she felt like she knew even less than when she started. She wanted to sigh in surrender.

To her surprise, the wizard snapped his gaze at her, stopping his glooming. His eyes were now twinkling, as he stood up, making his way to the display once again, but stopped at Hermione's side, and kissed her cheek.

"That should work," he flashed her a smile. "My brilliant witch!"

Hermione was as red as a beetroot.

—

"So, will you tell me what you got for my mother, or will I have die of curiosity?"

They finally arrived back at her flat, changing into their wizarding clothes once again. At Ginny's recommendation, Hermione wore one of her favourite dresses. It was made of silver silk with many shades of blue stripes running the length of the dress, breaking the monotone grey in a way that always reminded her of the moon's reflection dancing on the ocean waves. It covered her arms and reached the floor, and apparently, it passed pureblood inspection as Draco was literally at a loss for words when she entered the living room. Now, he was helping her into her coat and finally found his voice once again.

She could hide it a bit longer, but he'd see it soon anyways So, she told him. "A flower. It's a special Muggle breed with golden petals."

She turned and stuck her chin up, daring Draco to make fun of her, but the man only raised a single eyebrow.

"Hmm, meanings of joy and friendship," he mused. "Very Gryffindor, but it could work."

Hearing his confirmation made her feel a thousand times better. She was ready to face Narcissa Malfoy, and she swore she wasn't just trying to convince herself internally with this declaration.

"Let's go then before I change my mind."

Draco grabbed her hand, and this time, he was the one Apparating them, due to the wards around the Manor. This way, they didn't have to walk all the way in, but landed right at the huge front doors with ominous, snake knockers. Not that they would need to knock with all the ruckus from the Apparition.

This was it, Hermione thought, now or never. She tried to calm herself by listing her goals. She wants to be here. She wants to know more about purebloods. She wants to get to know Draco's parents and be accepted by them. It was a lot to ask from a first visit, but she had to make sure it would be the first of many willing visits, not the first and the last one.

Draco seemed to sense her tension, and pulled her into a tight embrace, caressing her back in languid circles.

"Are you sure you're ready to go in? I could ask mother to move to the greenhouse. It's her pride and joy. I'm sure she wouldn't mind," he whispered. By now, she recognized when he was giving her an out, and she was determined not to rely on it.

"Thank you, but…. I'll have to face my demons sooner or later. I am your girlfriend now, how would that look like if I couldn't even enter your home?" She joked, but he just pulled her even closer, and she snuggled into his chest. She hasn't even noticed before how tall he's gotten.

Draco rested his chin on the top of her head. "It's that Gryffindor bravery again, huh."

She frowned and nearly snapped her neck as she looked up into his grey gaze.

"Don't you dare trash talk my bravery! It got us together, and it will get me through this."

The snake was clearly amused by her resistance like he expected her to obey him without question. He'll soon have to learn that he was dating Hermione Nott now, and sometimes, she was the one not willing to budge. This pigheadedness was one of her best and worse qualities at once.

"I offer you a compromise," he said after a minute of contemplation. She had the urge to tell him to stuff it, but the rational part of her brain screeched at her to at least hear him out.

She tried to step away, and to her surprise, Draco did not try to forcefully keep her in place. He simply took a step back as well and waited for her answer with a mask of indifference on his face.

"Do tell."

There was a drop in Draco's shoulders as the previously built up tension released.

"How about we avoid that drawing room for now, and just deal with mother."

That sounded a lot like running away, so Hermione protested instantly. "I want to-"

"Face your demons, I know," he interrupted, earning an angry glare. "Still, should you learn a bit about the manor first, and acquaint yourself with the residents… I think we just might stab those demons in the back."

In moments like these, Hermione truly appreciated Draco's cleverness. He was right. Many of her troubles came from the fear of the unknown. She knew she could defend herself. The newly appointed DADA teacher and many Death Eaters could attest to that. But he might have just found the source of her anxiety. She was completely in the dark. She saw the traps and jinxes hidden in Grimmauld Place, and she could only assume the Malfoy Manor was much, much worse.

If he could lead her around, if she could plot the layout, the doors and windows where she could flee if necessary…

She grinned at him. "What an utterly Slytherin solution."

Draco bowed theatrically. "For you, only the best."

—

A/N: So, I lied. No Malfoy visit yet. Sorry. I just wanted to show a bit more of the date. Still, I hope you enjoyed reading!

Next time: Tea, gifts and lessons (hopefully on Wednesday)

Love,

LydieBerry