Draco watched in awe as the rugby match was played. They were close enough that he could see clearly, but far away enough that Hermione was relaxed. She still winced every time that someone got tackled. Draco had no doubt that if they were closer she would have been a nervous wreck.
"This is so cool," he said.
"Even cooler than quidditch?" Hermione asked.
Draco shook his head. "Quidditch players can fly."
Hermione laughed. She hadn't expected Draco to agree with her teasing question. In even her mind, quidditch was much cooler than rugby. Flying sports were practically in another category from muggle ones.
"I must admit," Lucius drawled, "this sport is rather entertaining."
"I guess that muggles can do something right," John Granger said.
"More than just something," Lucius said. "Your daughter has opened our eyes to a world that we ignored because we didn't understand. I'm ashamed to say that if it weren't for Hermione, I might have gone my whole life without realizing my mistake."
"Honestly Lucius," John said, "I keep thinking this isn't real. That I'm dreaming or that Hermione is playing a joke on me. Or something. But then, something always happens where I have to admit that everything is real again."
Lucius chuckled. "Guess we're just two old men stuck in their ways. And our children, without meaning to, took it upon themselves to open our eyes."
"You make it sound like Romeo and Juliet."
"Perhaps," Lucius shrugged. "At least we're smarter than old Capulet and Montague."
They watched the teams scrimmage for a few more moments in peace. Well, as much peace as anyone could experience at a rugby match.
"Do you think I could learn to play?" Draco asked.
"I don't know Draco," John said curiously. "Do you think your father will let me teach you?"
Draco looked up at his father, silently supplicating for the chance to learn the sport. Lucius, who had never really said no to his son, found it impossible to say not to the pleading look on Draco's face. Instead he shifted the question.
"Only if Hermione agrees to learn how to play quidditch," he negotiated.
Hermione, though gaining confidence on a broom, had never been as enthusiastic about quidditch as Draco. Which was likely normal, since Draco was obsessed with the sport. But his attention did frequently shift, as evidenced by his desire to play rugby.
Hermione looked at Draco. "Sure," she agreed. "It could be fun."
She wasn't sure about that at all. As far as she was concerned, she wasn't sure that she would ever play quidditch for more than just fun with friends. But Draco would be so disappointed if she said no. She couldn't do that to him.
Draco smirked. He loved quidditch. Absolutely loved it. And he was fairly sure that Hermione would also love it. It just might take a while, a good long while if her first flight was anything to go by, to get her used to playing.
Hermione was a decent flyer. She was incredibly good if everything was taken into consideration. Muggle parents and a fear of heights were both reason that some magical folks didn't like quidditch. And they were valid reasons too.
"I thought you were super against playing," Draco teased her.
"At Hogwarts," Hermione retorted. She elbowed him in the side. "I can't believe I'll have time to trounce your grades and be on the quidditch team."
"Not that first years are allowed on the team anyways," Lucius added.
"So I have a whole year to figure out how to get the best grades and be on the quidditch team," Draco said.
"Which will only make it easier to be the best," Hermione said triumphantly.
Their fathers watched them bicker over who was going to get better grades. They weren't even in the same school, though they had agreed for Hermione to have after school sessions with some of Draco's tutors. It would make fitting in at Hogwarts much easier.
"With an attitude like that, she's sure to be in Slytherin," Lucius muttered to himself.
"I imagine you'd know better than me," John said. "Having never been, I can't say."
The match ended and they drove back to the Granger's house while Draco talked and talked about the game. Hermione hummed at the appropriate points, but was mostly tuning him out. Their fathers were halfway listening, but mostly so that they didn't miss anything important.
They needn't have worried. Draco talked, hardly pausing to take a breath, for the whole ride back. He didn't have any trouble with the fact that no one else had anything to say, much less the time to say it.
When they got to the Grangers' house, Draco ran through the door yelling.
"Mother! It was amazing! They tackled, and hurt each other. Some of the guys got bloody noses, but they didn't stop playing. It was like a whole team of beaters."
Narcissa smiled at him, but not before she shot a look at Lucius. "Sounds like you had fun."
"He did," Hermione said. "We all did."
"Even you?" Helena asked.
"Even Hermione," Draco said. He was a little louder than necessary. "She didn't like it when they crashed into each other. But she still had fun. And Father's going to teach her how to play quidditch."
Both Narcissa and Helena looked at Hermione. They knew that flying wasn't her strongest suit. And they weren't necessarily going to push the issue. Helena was nervous with Hermione flying at all. And that was without any of the added complications of quidditch.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Helena asked.
Hermione shrugged. "I'm sure Mr. Malfoy won't go too fast. And Dad's going to teach Draco how to play rugby."
The blood drained out of Narcissa's face at those words. Hermione and Draco didn't notice, but Lucius did.
"What did you agree to?" Narcissa hissed at her husband.
"I said yes when Draco asked me if he could learn to play rugby," Lucius answered as calmly as possible.
"We are going to have a word when we get home," Narcissa promised.
"Just you wait," Lucius said. "That girl is going to be a great chaser. Just you wait."
Narcissa shook her head. "For your sake, I hope she is."