Chapter Text
It was the noise that drew them.
Hermione hadn’t been in this corridor since the night she sent Duane away, but the sounds of raucous shouting had been impossible to ignore.
“What is it?” Lavender whispered, wedging her head beneath Hermione’s chin in the small gap between the door and the jamb. With her free hand, Hermione swatted at the place where Lavender’s hair tickled her nose, careful not to open the door any further.
It looked to Hermione to be some kind of home movie theatre. Rows of high-backed recliners, each row elevated higher than the last. The wall they faced was covered entirely in a projected screen, which, to Hermione’s shock, showed some kind of muggle video game. More peculiar still, nothing she saw explained why it smelled like a chip shop.
“That’s them?” Lavender whispered. “You really are a lucky witch.”
The last time Hermione had seen them all together as a group, she wasn’t sure they’d ever be in a room without bickering. Men, it seemed, need only find a common enemy to overcome their differences.
“Shoot him, what are you doing?” Luca shouted as he aggressively pressed buttons on a gaming controller. His whole body moved with the motion. “If you are using a handgun right now, I swear I’ll kill you myself.”
“It’s good for close range, I know what I’m doing!” Garrett yelled back.
“You both are going to be dead like that one in a second if you don’t hurry and get out of there.” Malfoy jerked his head, and Hermione followed the direction to see Xaden looking from the screen to his own controller and back with offense. “They’re coming.” Perched on the very edge of his seat, Malfoy’s elbows were braced on his knees. Hermione tracked his fingers moving deftly over the buttons. He had the same look of concentration that appeared when he was lost in reading: brows furrowed, lips slightly parted. The word adorable came to mind.
“Where?” Dobby shrieked, so invested in the game that he was standing on his chair holding his remote at the tip of his nose.
The sight was too outrageous. Hermione laughed, drawing four sets of eyes to the brilliant spies in the doorway. They both straightened at being caught, and Hermione nudged the door wider with her foot in a poor attempt to appear natural.
Dobby was the only player whose focus didn’t falter. “They’re sniping!”
Seconds later, an automated voice echoed through the room. “You have failed Operation Duff”.
A round of groans and dropped remotes followed. Dobby grabbed his ears and pulled them down towards his chin.
Hermione grimaced. “Sorry. We didn’t mean to interrupt.”
You’re a welcome respite, darling.
She gave Xaden a grateful smile. “How often do you all do this?”
“Garrett mentioned missing video games. And since the room recently became available, we went to Salisbury and grabbed everything we needed.” Malfoy rotated his wrist to check his watch, “That was four hours ago. How’s this one compare, Garrett?
Garrett gave no indication that he had even heard the question, his eyes glued to where Lavender stood.
Hermione registered Xaden’s voice chiming in, but she interrupted anyway.
“I’m sorry, we? You’re saying you went to muggle Salisbury?”
Malfoy would never do anything as boorish as rolling his eyes, but somehow he managed to convey the same meaning with a subtle tilt of his head. “I have been to the muggle world before, Granger.”
Impossible. Draco Malfoy would have to be dragged kicking and screaming to set foot inside anything muggle related. “When?”
“Plenty.”
“You.” Maybe if she kept repeating it, it would make sense.
Hermione thought she saw irritation flash over his features, but it passed too quickly before his eyes glittered with a familiar challenge. “Surprised I didn’t burst into flames?”
“Shocked.” It was intended to be a playful jab, but the way his eyebrows furrowed made her fear too much truth had bled into her voice. She had recognized very early into this arrangement that she had misjudged Malfoy. She shouldn’t continue to be surprised to learn something that endeared her further to him. But learning he had a penchant for freeing house elves and replacing priceless stolen eggs was one thing, imagining him in any sort of muggle establishment was a bridge too far. She wanted to know everything about it. What were his thoughts? Did he enjoy it? Did they share any favorite places?
A subtle nudge to her side from Lavender brought her back to the present moment and her eyes widened. She had been staring at him for too long. He looked at her now with a soft expression, the smallest hint of a smile. Like he had read every thought in her head. Hermione cleared her throat and lifted the plate of brownies in her arms, “Well, we’ll leave you to it – “
“Stay.” Garrett’s single word was at once forceful and pleading.
“Next time, promise.” She hefted the serving platter of malt brownies in her arms. The cooling charm had done nothing to dull the smell of rich warm chocolate, and she let it soothe her. “We just wanted to drop these off for Dobby.”
The past week had been a good one for Hermione. She had earned top marks on all her exams, the Great Hall had started serving pumpkin juice for the season, and she had made a breakthrough in her potion development; it should have occurred to her immediately, but incorporating aspects of Polyjuice Potion should give her own the individualistic properties it required. She had been obsessing over each ingredient ever since the revelation. In celebration, she had invited Lavender over for a girls’ night. They would bake, watch muggle romantic comedies, and talk too late into the night. Her room at the manor was gorgeous, but Hermione had missed talking to Lavender before they went to sleep. This night was overdue.
Dobby was before her immediately and she transferred the plate to his waiting hands.
“Dobby loves them!”
“You haven’t tasted one yet” she said indulgently, happy to see she was forgiven for botching their game. She wanted him to know that all his efforts to make her, and the lot she brought with her, feel comfortable were appreciated.
The elf looked at her with a serious expression. “Dobby will never have anything more delicious in his life.”
“I did the frosting” Lavender’s body tipped forward as she spoke, unbridled pride in her voice. Hermione had to admit, the pink and purple hearts frosted on did give them a more personal, home made touch.
“Thanks for letting me stay over, Draco” Lavender said.
“Anytime, Lavender. It’s good to see you.”
Hermione’s ribs squeezed tight.
Draco.
Lavender.
Hermione looked back and forth between them.
Had they always been so informal with one another? They had only shared a handful of classes over the years that Hermione could recall. But for weeks Malfoy had been a constant figure in her life. They spent their shared free periods together in what was no longer her secret alcove of the library. They spent all day every Sunday together, and there was always a vanilla latte waiting. On more than one occasion, it was he who kept her company in the kitchen when she was unable to sleep. She knew that he had a shameful sweet tooth and that he favored his phoenix feather quill. She found herself looking forward to spending time with him. The clarity was startling. Over these weeks, when she wasn’t paying close enough attention, Draco Malfoy had become her friend.
But she was still Granger. Would she always be? And why did the thought make her feel as if her chest was in danger of caving in?
She pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth and tried to find a place to look. Anywhere but towards the pair of grey eyes she could feel assessing her. When her gaze connected with Luca’s, he was looking at her with narrowed, watchful eyes. Knowing.
Her heart began to race. All this furniture made the room feel so small. “Right, then”. She looked at Xaden when she spoke and refused to let her eyes wander elsewhere. “Enjoy your bloodshed. We’ll be off.”
Even to her own ears, her voice was too high. She couldn’t leave the room fast enough. The second she crossed the threshold she gathered her loose curls and yanked them into a bun where they belonged. One thing was certain, she would not be the first one to cross the name barrier between them.
“Hermione…” Lavender said carefully, struggling to keep pace with her.
“I’m thinking we go with the Kate Hudson classics tonight, what do you think?”
“What I think is that —“
“Cara mia, a moment.”
Hermione stopped and closed her eyes. Her heart was beating too fast. The stairs had been so close.
She plastered on her most appeasing smile before turning around, her brows raised in silent acquiescence. Luca’s steps were confident and unhurried as he grew nearer. Lavender, she noted, had stilled several paces back.
“There’s something I wanted to discuss with you.”
“Oh.” Hermione gestured towards Lavender. “You see, it’s just that I haven’t spent much time with Lavender lately. I’ve girls night to get back to. We could talk tomorrow?”
He closed the remaining distance between them, forcing her to tilt her head back to keep his gaze. His head lowered, and Hermione shivered at the soft brush of his lips against the shell of her ear. “You can spare a few minutes,” he whispered.
Hermione swallowed.
Any further objections she may have voiced died at the unmistakable hunger in his expression. It was almost enough to make her forget her unexplainable jealousy. It didn’t matter what Malfoy called her. Not when the man before her called her my dear and looked at her with a promise of something that she suddenly desperately needed.
Hermione looked past his shoulder at Lavender until a hand gripped her waist and Luca removed whatever distance remained between their bodies, bringing her attention to the strong column of his neck. The stubble lining his jaw. A full lower lip.
Hermione leaned past him enough to give Lavender an apologetic grimace. “I’ll just be a second?”
“Oh” Lavender blinked. “Sure. No, that’s fine. I’ll just, uh, go back in there for a bit.”
Luca’s other hand snaked around her back before Lavender would have had time to exit the hall. Not knowing where else to put them, Hermione placed her hands carefully on his chest.
“I didn’t thank you properly for the gift,” he said.
It took Hermione a moment to understand his meaning. She hadn’t noticed until now that he was wearing the tie she had given him. His was the last welcome gift she purchased, and the one she was least proud of. She had had the hardest time thinking of something meaningful he may enjoy, and in the end had chosen a tie simply because the man was always wearing a suit. Always.
Her fingers wrapped around the silk blue fabric. She didn’t want to talk about the tie. What she needed was the slithering feeling beneath her ribs to go away.
She gave the tie a yank and their mouths collided.
His kiss was brash and demanding, and Hermione responded in kind. His arms tightened around her, the motion lifting her onto her toes. She wrapped her arms around his neck for stability and kissed him with a frenzy she didn’t understand, only knowing that she wanted this. She poured everything she had into matching his intensity. When she turned her head and broke their kiss to steal a breath, his stubble felt like sandpaper against her cheek.
Hermione took a shallow breath and tried again. She peppered him with soft kisses to gentle the pace. Reading her well enough, Luca loosened his hold. The hand behind her back moved to cup her face and she leaned into the touch with a sigh against his lips. This. This was exactly what she wanted.
His hand moved to the back of her head, fingers threading through her hair. Hermione felt a tug on her scalp when her curls gave resistance and her lips parted. Sensing an invitation, he deepened the kiss. His lips were harsh and brutal. Suffocating.
. Hermione pushed his chest with the minimum force necessary to rip her mouth away.
Between panting breaths she whispered, “Too fast. We’re moving a bit too fast.”
He stilled but for his chest heaving beneath her hands. “Too fast,” he echoed in a rough voice. He let out a deep breath that fanned the side of her face. She remained still as his thumb swept across her cheek. Unable to look him in the eye, her own remained closed. “Goodnight, dolcezza.”
She gave a hum of acknowledgement. The chaste kiss he pressed to the corner of her mouth lingered. He stepped away and the absence of his body against hers loosened her breath. The second he was out of sight she let her head fall back against the wall. She wanted nothing more than to let her body slide down the wall and sit by herself awhile, but she fought the disappointment trying to pull her under. Her imagination had always been a touch overactive. Her expectations of what kissing Luca would be like had just been too high. That’s all it was. That was a perfectly acceptable snog. She had no reason to feel so discontented.
Her hands tightened into fists. This only proved her theory; her feelings were not wholly reliable. This was the motivation she needed to double her efforts and focus on her exhibition potion. By the end of this year, she would have her dream job and her dream partner. Her magic had never once let her down, and this would be no different.