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KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
Hermione rolled over in her bed and burrowed herself further under her warm blankets.
KNOCKKNOCKKNOCKKNOCKKNOCK!
"Go away!"
The knocking at the door continued, growing louder and more insistent and Hermione groaned as she threw her blanket back with annoyance. She slid out of bed and snatched her robe up throwing it on as she moved down the hall toward the front door.
"Hermione Granger, you open this door right now before I force my way in and drag your stubborn arse out of bed! My-"
Hermione wrenched open the door to see Pansy Potter, hand in the air and looking indignant at being left on the porch. "May I help you?" She asked the dark-haired woman.
"As a matter of fact, bitch, you can! Move your petite little arse and let me inside. Salazar, what the hell were you doing that took you so long?"
Hermione rolled her eyes and moved to the side allowing her friend entrance into her dark living room. "Oh, I don't know Pans...sleeping? You know, that thing that we normal people do?"
She closed the door and waved her hand, wandlessly lighting the room and padded into the kitchen to make coffee. Pansy dropped her bag onto a nearby table and followed Hermione to the kitchen, eager for her own cup.
"You look like shit, Mia. Seriously, your hair looks like it could attack me at any moment."
Hermione looked unimpressed as she puttered around the kitchen. "Har har. Merlin, Pansy, you are such a cow. I don't know why I put up with you."
Pansy's laughter rang out in the quiet kitchen and she winked at Hermione. "You love me and you know it. It's a good thing I showed up early, it's going to take hours to make you presentable, so hurry up."
"What are you even talking about, Pans? It's bloody six o'clock in the morning - just what exactly do I need to get up and ready for?" Hermione whined as she slid Pansy her cup of coffee.
Pansy watched, amused, as Hermione brought her cup up to her face and inhaled deeply. Maybe after some caffeine, her frazzled friend would remember the reason for today's activities. In lieu of an answer, Pansy mimed taking a photograph and smirked when the woman placed her cup on the counter and buried her face in her arms. Her muffled "I don't want tooooo" caused Pansy to chuckle as she jumped down from her chair.
"Come along sunshine, let's get this day going!"
Hermione looked up with a frown. "You are an evil witch."
Pansy just shook her head and grabbed Hermione's hand to drag her to the bathroom.
Pansy strode down a barely visible trail, camera hanging from her neck and bag slung over her shoulder. She had worked for three hours to get Hermione looking like she belonged in the land of the living. It had been a bit of a fight but, inevitably, Pansy had won and Hermione's hair and makeup were now flawless. She considered it a bonus that she'd managed to get the woman into a flowy dress and wedges.
"How much longer are we going to go traipsing through the woods Pans?" Hermione was resigned to this task; she had agreed to be the photographer's guinea pig, after all. She knew it would make her friend happy but that didn't mean she was happy about it.
Pansy shook her head and continued on with a smirk, thinking of what was to come. She fancied herself a matchmaker and was determined to find Hermione her perfect man. While she knew that Hermione thought it was silly, Pansy could see that the woman was lonely, and so she had set her up on a few dates. Unfortunately, every single one had all ended in some kind of disaster or another, and Pansy reluctantly agreed that they were a bust.
When she had presented Hermione with this new idea the previous month, the stubborn witch initially turned it down, but Pansy had eventually convinced Hermione to hear her out and explained the idea: a couples photoshoot between Hermione and an unknown male. She explained that it would be a test to see if she was a skilled enough photographer to be able to capture love between strangers. Of course, she didn't tell Hermione that it would double as an attempt to find her friend's match.
Hermione huffed. This was crazy… how in Merlin's name was she supposed to take couples photographs with someone she wasn't with?! Pansy promised she would choose someone she truly thought Hermione would have chemistry with and had begged for her help in furthering her career. That was how she now found herself wandering through these Merlin-forsaken woods after enduring hours of torture. She was convinced that Pansy had used the Imperius on her to get her into this dress and these awful shoes.
Pansy glanced over her shoulder and rolled her eyes, "Quit your whining, we're almost there."
Just as she said, they arrived in an open meadow a few minutes later and Hermione followed her friend into a beautiful clearing full of wildflowers. Pansy left Hermione on the edge of the clearing to pull a blanket and picnic basket from her magically extended bag.
Hermione could see the scene her friend was setting and wondered, not for the first time, who her mystery partner would be. This wasn't a date by any means but her mind still wandered back to the previous men Pansy had introduced her to and she could only hope that whoever he was, he wouldn't question her the entire time about the war or Harry.
Groaning to herself, Hermione voiced her concerns, "Pansy, please tell me you didn't find another Harry Potter fanboy who will be begging me for an introduction."
Pansy cackled and shook her head, "What can I say? My husband is a desirable wizard!"
Hermione chuckled as she thought about her best friend and the Slytherin princess. Their relationship had been unexpected, but they truly brought out the best in one another. Harry's breakup with Ginny hadn't gone well, the redhead leaving him at a time he was at his lowest, unwilling to be the light in his darkness. Pansy had waltzed into Harry's life not long after with her no-nonsense attitude and pulled him out of his depression, sweeping the man off his feet in the process.
"Pansy…"
"Okay, I wouldn't call him a fanboy per se…"
The sound of grumbling from behind her caught Hermione's attention and she turned to look over her shoulder, curious to find out the man's identity.
Her eyes widened as she took in the tall, lithe figure before her. His hair was messy in a carefree way that was completely unfair and he looked both comfortable and elegant in his muggle jeans and T-shirt. She huffed when he met her eyes, his signature smirk firmly in place, and she fought the blush rising in her cheeks.
"Pansy Potter, you have got to be fucking kidding me!"
A chuckle sounded behind her and she crossed her arms petulantly.
"Nice to see you too, Granger."
"Oh, shut up Malfoy," she said, turning back to the other witch. "Pansy, really? The fanboy of the century?"
"Oi! I'm no fanboy!" he said as he walked toward her to poke her in the ribs. She squealed and tried to jump away but he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and leaned down with a mischievous grin. "Who is it I'm a fan of?"
Hermione smirked up at him, "Harry, of course."
His face was indignant as she pulled out of his embrace and flounced toward Pansy.
"Okay, now Draco, lean in a little and- yes! Mia, stop making that face, you look constipated."
Hermione gasped indignantly. "I do not!"
Draco burst into laughter but stopped abruptly at the death glare Hermione sent him. He held his hands up in surrender and Hermione smirked, all the while Pansy snapped photo after photo with a cheeky smile. She had known when she planned this shoot, that Hermione would be annoyed by Draco's presence as her imaginary lover, but the latter had jumped at the chance to irritate the little witch.
Draco and Hermione had formed a tentative friendship over the last year, forgiving each other and agreeing to start fresh. They still argued like cats and dogs and often annoyed Harry and Pansy with their constant picking but it was obvious to anyone with eyes that the two of them were perfect together. She hoped that forcing them into a faux relationship for the photoshoot would spark something more between them.
So far she had had them share a meal in which they talked comfortably, using the time to catch up. As they conversed, Pansy instructed them to sit or lay in several poses which were becoming more intimate as the shoot went along.
The two were now arguing about the stick Draco was convinced Hermione had shoved up her arse and Pansy watched in glee as Hermione stuck her fingers into the pudding beside her and smeared it down Draco's cheek.
Time seemed to stop as Draco stared at Hermione in shock. She sat still, biting her lip to hold back the laughter that was trying to escape and Pansy click-click-clicked away, capturing the moment. Quick as a flash, Draco reacted and Hermione's squeal of surprise rang out in the meadow as Draco dug his fingers in her sides. Her loud laughter spurred him on and soon she was begging him to have mercy on her.
Pansy shook her head at the two of them as she adjusted her lens and decided to up the ante a bit. So far they'd agreed to sweet embraces and kisses to the cheek or forehead. Their playful banter was perfect for candid shots but she wanted to see some passion. "Okay you two, let's try something new. Stand up and face each other."
Hermione sat up, chest heaving as she caught her breath and stuck her tongue out at the smug man beside her. Deciding to wipe that look off of his face, she leaned over and ran her finger through the chocolate on his cheek and brought it to her lips. She watched his eyes widen as she sucked the chocolate off of her finger and stood up waiting for Pansy's next instructions.
When Hermione looked over to her friend, Pansy was staring at her with raised eyebrows. Hermione just shrugged and looked up at Draco who was using a handkerchief to clean the rest of the dessert from his face.
"Alright… Draco, wrap your arms around Mia's waist and pull her in close. Perfect, okay now Mia I want you to rest your cheek on his chest and look directly into the camera. Yes, just like that…"
The camera clicked a few times before she directed Draco to kiss the top of Hermione's head and then for them to look into each other's eyes. "Okay. Now Draco, caress her cheek… oh, that's lovely. Alright, Draco, I want you to kiss her."
Hermione stood frozen in his arms as Draco's face inched closer to hers. She had known this was a possibility before but had been so distracted by the identity of her partner that she hadn't thought about it since. Her heart pounded in her chest, was he really going to do it? Her cheeks flared under his hand and in a flash, his lips were on hers and her body was on fire.
Draco wrapped his arm around her tighter, pulling her as close as possible while his hand moved from her cheek into her hair. He felt her hands slide up his chest, exploring him as she leaned into the kiss. He relished in her touch, forgetting all about the other woman in the clearing.
Pansy watched in smug satisfaction as the two got lost in their first kiss, a kiss she was thrilled had been caught on film and after a couple of minutes of snogging, she cleared her throat. She smirked as the oblivious couple remembered she was there and abruptly stepped back, looking anywhere but at each other.
"Alright, I think I've got enough! We should head back, Harry is expecting me for lunch."
The two nodded to Pansy and after an awkward "Thank you" from Hermione to Draco, the former disappeared with a crack.
Draco sat in a chair across from Harry, a glass of firewhisky in hand. His thoughts were focused on a certain bushy-haired witch and the rather steamy kiss they had shared that morning. It wasn't until Harry snapped his fingers in front of Draco's face that he was brought out of his reverie.
"Godric, you've got it bad Malfoy. Why don't you just tell her you fancy her already?"
Draco's eyes widened and he shook his head. "Are you taking the piss? She would hex me before I finished the sentence!"
Harry raised an eyebrow.
"What? You got something to say, Potter?" He gestured to the other man. "Well, go on and spit it out then."
"I think you're afraid. I don't know why though, you and 'Mione have been friends for a year and it's obvious that she fancies you as well."
"I'm not afraid," he said petulantly. "I'm being realistic. Yes, we kissed this morning and she certainly wasn't pushing me away, but it wasn't real. Pansy told us to kiss. She does not fancy me."
Pansy breezed into the sitting room and perched on Harry's knee. "Bugger off, you prat. If you don't get out of my house and owl her rather than sit here and pout to my husband I'm going to go and tell her myself!"
Throwing the last of his drink back, he set the glass on the table and stood. Harry reached out his hand and Draco shook it before leaning down to drop a kiss to Pansy's cheek.
"Seriously Drake, I wouldn't have set up the shoot if I thought she didn't have feelings for you. She's just too afraid to put herself out there after all of the other failed attempts at finding someone who would love her for her. Just owl her…"
Draco sent her a quick nod and whispered his thanks before stepping into the floo and calling out for his flat.
"Do you think he'll do it?" Harry asked as he snaked his arms around his wife's waist.
Pansy shrugged. "I don't know. I hope he does, they're crazy about each other. I've finished the photos and I'm going to send them to Mia in the morning."
"Speaking about being crazy about someone…"
Pansy chuckled as Harry nuzzled her neck and leaned into his touch. She had her happily ever after, and she wanted more than anything for Draco to have his as well.
Hermione woke the following morning to tapping at her bedroom window. What was it with her friends, and now these creatures, insisting that she get up before the sun? Sighing, she sat up and groggily walked to the window to allow the owl entry. She was surprised to see that not only had she received the morning paper, but also a letter and a package.
After paying the Prophet delivery owl, she closed her window and brought her deliveries back to bed with her. She set the paper aside, her curiosity getting the better of her, and opened the first letter on the stack.
Mia,
Thank you so much for helping me out yesterday, you have no idea how much it means to me. After looking at the photographs, I do believe I accomplished my goal! I've sent you copies and I hope you are happy with them as well, you and Drake were fantastic.
Pansy
Unbidden, a small smile had formed on her lips and her mind went back to the kiss she had shared with the blonde man. She reached out and plucked the package off of her blanket holding it in her hands but not opening it. Did she really want to see these photos? With a decisive nod, she ripped off the paper before laying it to the side and slid the lid off of the box. She turned the box over, the pictures nestled inside falling into her hand and sat the box to the side as well.
Her smile widened as she looked at the first picture in the stack. She sat on the quilt laid out for them, her arms crossed, body facing away from the man beside her. She watched as Draco said something with a smirk and her head whipped around to face him with an annoyed look. Draco threw his head back and laughed causing a ghost of a smile to form on her face and then the image looped back to the beginning.
Hermione laughed and shook her head as she flipped to the next one. She went through each picture examining the way they interacted. The small touches that seemed unconscious and the way they looked at each other when the other wasn't looking… She wondered if Pansy had sent the photos to Draco as well. Her heart stopped as she reached the very last picture, Draco sweetly trailing his fingers along her cheek before leaning down to capture her lips. Her cheeks burned and her belly filled with butterflies as she witnessed the moment.
"Wow…"
Slowly, she added the last picture back into the stack and nestled the photographs back into the box. Her mind was still flustered as she picked up the second envelope and broke the dark green seal.
Granger,
I know that Sundays are usually reserved for visiting with Harry and Pansy but I wondered if you might spare some time to meet with me. I'll be at Witches Brew at eleven, I hope to see you there.
DM
Draco sat at the small cafe table in the corner, tapping his fingers on his knees. His eyes darted up to the door each time the bell rang signalling a new customer, only to drop in disappointment.
Sipping his tea, he scolded himself for his ridiculous behaviour. Yes, he hoped she would meet with him, but if she didn't...well he'd cross that bridge when he got there. The bell rang once again and though he tried to stop himself, his gaze shifted up hoping to see wild curls.
With the realization that she was finally standing there, he gasped and his eyes widened as the liquid he had been drinking was inhaled. His chest burned and his eyes watered as he bent forward coughing violently.
"Draco! Dear Merlin, are you alright?"
He felt her hand rub circles on his back as he continued to cough. He nodded his head and sat up, pulling in deep breaths while he dabbed his watery eyes and any tea that may still be on his chin. His ears burned in mortification. What a way to start, he thought to himself.
"Well…" he cleared his throat and sat up straight in an attempt to regain some composure. "That is not how I intended to start this meeting. Did you want some tea?"
"Yes, please." She giggled.
He found himself smiling in return, shaking his head at his blunder as he poured her a cup of tea.
"So, how did the rest of your day go yesterday? I went home and gleefully threw those heels to the back of my closet. I'm not sure how Pansy talked me into wearing them."
"She's very persuasive," he chuckled. "For what it's worth, they made your legs look fantastic."
She raised a brow, a cheeky grin forming on her lips and he couldn't help the warmth that filled him. Little witch had no idea what she did to him.
"Been looking at my legs much, Malfoy?"
Deciding not to answer, he smirked before taking a cautious sip from his cup.
"My day was spent looking over product proposals. I have a few companies I may be investing in depending on how these products do in the coming weeks. Afterwards, I went over to Harry's."
"Sounds like a productive afternoon. Will you be at Harry and Pansy's tonight?"
"Oh, um… I'm not sure." Depends on how this conversation goes.
"So what did you want to talk about?" She sounded confident but he noticed the way Hermione fidgeted with her napkin before picking up her teacup. She was nervous.
"I felt that after we… after the photoshoot, we should maybe talk about it." He said, his tone coming out a bit harsher than he intended.
"Oh."
He watched as she focused on her hands, her ears turning pink.
"Listen, Malfoy… it wasn't that big of a deal. Pansy asked us to help her out and we did."
Draco's eyebrows creased in confusion as her playful tone from earlier was replaced with one of embarrassment.
"Wait… You-"
"No, it's fine, you didn't have to ask me to tea to clarify anything." She looked up then, walls fully erected and pulled a box from her bag. "I, um, I made copies for you. Anyway, I have to be going. Thanks for the tea, I'll see you later Malfoy."
"Her-Wait, I…"
He watched in bewilderment as she pushed away from the table and swept out of the cafe before he had a chance to finish. What the hell just happened? Running a hand through his hair, he stood and made his way out of the cafe. That had not gone at all how he'd expected and though he wanted to go after her, he knew she'd already be gone.
"Are you sure, Hermione? Because that doesn't sound right to me."
"I'm sure, Pans! He was fine, flirty even until he said he wanted to talk about the shoot. Then he got all harsh and he looked uncomfortable."
Pansy huffed, crossing her arms. The two of them were going to drive her to insanity.
"Did you ever think that maybe he was just nervous? You saw the pictures Hermione, you cannot fake passion like that. He was more than bloody happy to be kissing you. I think you should talk to him."
"I don't know, Pans."
"Stop it. I know you're afraid, okay. I understand that, and you have every right to be cautious based on the relationships you've had in the past. You deserve someone who loves you for you. But… you'll never know that love unless you let someone in."
Hermione released a heavy sigh. "And you think that this someone is Draco."
"Don't pretend you don't fancy him, you can't fool me. I'll bet you've harboured a crush on him since you finished Hogwarts." Pansy sat up and took Hermione's hand. "Mia, please just give him a chance. You bolted on him the moment you thought he was rejecting you. Go talk to him, and this time allow him to say what he needs to say before you leave. Well… if you leave."
Pansy winked at her flustered friend and cackled when Hermione shrieked, slapping her arm.
"I'm serious, Mia. Get out. Go get your man!"
"Oh for the love of Merlin…" Hermione grumbled but deposited her empty glass in the sink and after a quick kiss to her cheek, she left Pansy's and headed home.
Tap tap tap.
Tap tap!
Draco pushed the window open and watched as a small brown owl flew in and dropped an envelope on the table before flying right back out again.
"Well alright then…"
He had been home for most of the day trying to figure out where he'd gone wrong with Hermione. After fighting his feelings for so long, he had really wanted to get everything out into the open this morning.
She had been a light in his otherwise dark and shitty world during their last year at school...not that he had shown it. She had no idea that her kind words and her acceptance of him, even after everything he'd done, had caused his heart to warm toward her. They didn't become friends that year though, both much too focused on getting their N.E.W.T.S finished and moving on with life. It wasn't until last year that they really got to know one another. She was the same swotty bookworm she always had been, but there was more to her than he realized.
Now that he knew her, the real Hermione, who was not just a brilliant and beautiful witch but was also funny and sneaky and not at all a morning person...it hadn't taken him long to become enamoured by her. She made him want to drop his walls and be the man she said he could be.
Right, well you've buggered that up now haven't you Draco.
Walking over to his couch, he sat down and reached for the envelope. It had no return address and he curiously ripped it open. When his eyes caught on the bright floral patterned dress floating in the breeze he quickly pulled the picture from the envelope and smiled. This one had been a favourite of his...they hadn't even known Pansy was taking pictures at the time. Hermione stood, her hands fidgeting while he looked down at her with a smirk. He couldn't even remember what he had said but a smile spread across his face as her mouth dropped open and she clearly called his name in reprimand as she smacked his shoulder. He watched as he threw his head back in a laugh and she joined in.
He watched the scene loop a few times, taking in every detail, before turning the picture over only to find Hermione's loopy script.
Can we start over?
It was her turn to nervously wait...she had spent hours overthinking everything until finally coming to the conclusion that she needed to put on her big girl pants and deal with her feelings.
Now she sat in her flat nervously wringing her hands and glancing at the clock. She had paced for the first half-hour, pulling out wine and putting it back, making tea and setting up a tray with biscuits only to put it all away as well. What if he wasn't in the mood for a drink? It was after dinner so he probably wasn't hungry either...
Groaning, she rubbed her eyes and covered her face. What am I even doing?
The floo chimed, startling her out of her self degradation and she stood quickly wiping her hands on the front of her dress. He stepped out looking a little disoriented and she felt her stomach flutter at the sight of his slightly dishevelled state.
"Hello!" She blurted out and cringed at how loud her greeting had been.
He looked up then, smiling at her and her heart melted...why did he have to have such a perfect smile? It was so unfair.
"Hey…"
"Right. Would you like to sit down? I have tea...I could make some."
Fidgeting nervously, she looked away from him as she tried to control the blush making it's way from her neck to the roots of her hair. After taking a deep breath she turned back to him only to find that he had stepped toward her, almost touching but not quite.
She tilted her head back, her eyes seeking his and was startled by what she found there. He lifted his hand and she held her breath as he softly trailed his fingers across her hot cheek and into her hair.
"I don't want any tea, Hermione."
Her gasp was audible as his lips met hers and she whimpered when he expertly coaxed her lips apart deepening the kiss. Her mind was a jumble of thoughts and she fought to regain control of her senses as he worked his magic to rid her of all of them.
When he finally pulled away leaving one last peck to her now swollen lips, she sighed and slowly opened her eyes.
"Merlin and Morgana…"
"I've wanted to do that for quite a long time...well do that again but I don't count the last one."
His lopsided grin filled her heart with warmth and she giggled before taking a step back. "Draco, I'm sorry for running off the other day."
"Hermione, you have nothing to apologize for." Closing the distance between them once more, he took her hand and led her to sit beside him on the couch. "Honestly, it was all a misunderstanding and I'd like very much to start again like you asked me to. So…" He held out his hand, waiting for her to take it. "Hello, I'm Draco Malfoy."
Hermione shook her head, laughing as she took his outstretched hand. "Hermione Granger, a pleasure to meet you."
"I would be honoured if you would join me for a mediocre cup of coffee in the cafeteria tomorrow morning before work."
"I would love to have mediocre coffee with you Draco."
2 years later
"Alright, now spin her...yes! Ugh, the two of you are disgustingly adorable."
Pansy smiled as she knelt in the grass of the clearing, now filled with the warm colours of autumn. The couple before her danced barefoot in the middle of the clearing to the sound of Draco's off-key singing which only caused Hermione to laugh merrily.
"Okay, Mia. I want you to wrap your arms around Drake's waist, Drake you stay facing away from me, I want to get a shot of that ridiculous ring."
Draco shook his head and kissed his bride soundly before pulling her into a hug. Pansy's camera clicked behind him and he looked down into Hermione's eyes, happier than he could have ever imagined being two years ago. Hermione smiled up at him and rolled her eyes exaggeratedly when Pansy began barking orders once more.
When the shoot was finally done, the bossy witch hugged them both and wiped her eyes. "I'm just so happy we're finally here...that you both found your happily ever after."
Hermione smiled at her emotional friend laughing when Harry came forward and took his wife's hand. "Alright preggers, you've got all of the shots you need, how about we go get a slice of cake?"
Pansy sniffled and bobbed her head allowing Harry to take her bag and camera and lead her back to the tent on the other side of the clearing.
"Well, Mrs Malfoy, I think we've mingled enough. The cake has been cut, the bouquet has been thrown...I think it's high time we use that portkey."
"Will you tell me where it's going to take us?"
Draco smiled sweetly before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss, thoroughly distracting her. "Not a chance, love."