||Now It's Just Us||

Chapter 45

Blaise and Luna hadn't been in contact with Hermione over the past few weeks. She had been hoping to hear from them, but knew better than to try to contact them first. She respected their privacy. At the same time, she couldn't help how worried she felt occasionally.

"You look like my grandfather."

Hermione snapped out of her thoughts and looked up from the book she hadn't really been reading, "What?"

"You look like my grandfather," Draco repeated, snapping his book shut and standing.

"Abraxas Malfoy?" Hermione mused.

"Precisely," Draco nodded with the air of a teacher who had received a satisfactory answer from a student.

"I'm worried," Hermione said without hesitation, "about Blaise and Luna."

Draco's teasing nature subsided in an instant, and was replaced with one of graveness, "As am I."

"He said he'd write to me," Hermione said, twiddling her fingers in her lap, "I know that I shouldn't be prying or anything, but I'm still, you know, concerned."

"I know what you mean," Draco said, "I hope Luna didn't actually spew all the rubbish Blaise claimed she did."

"She would never," Hermione vehemently shook her head.

"Let's just hope we hear from them soon," Draco said, trying to sound hopeful, "now, quit worrying."

"I can't, worrying just happens to be my hobby, I'm exceptionally great at it," Hermione said, draping an arm over her face in an exaggerated manner.

"Come on, I want to have some fun," Draco said, "I leave the planning to you."

"I'm terrible at planning events, ask Ginny," Hermione said, "she'll tell you about the movie night I organised. It was so boring we all ended up asleep. Then there was that rubbish double date."

Hermione was proud of herself.

She didn't flinch at the mention of Ron anymore. Her breathing stayed normal, her head didn't spin, she didn't feel like she was being sucked into a dark vortex of misery. The development was one of relief.

"Go on, think of something," Draco nudged her shoulder.

Hermione removed her arm from over her face and looked up at him.

He was looking at her with those stupid storm colored eyes.

His face was full of adoration and sprightliness. Anticipation rippled off him. His hair was tousled, his sleeves rolled up, and his face was like that of an eager child.

To think that one day she might never see him again...no, no...she'd do anything he wanted....

"I may have an idea," Hermione smiled.

"Great, I'll get my coat," Draco said, nodding eagerly.

In about an hour, they were walking down the sidewalk of a busy street of muggle London. The cars whizzed past, pubs threw out random bursts of music, people walked past them, laughing and talking, and some were dressed in uptight formal wear. Music blared from a car window as it drove past them. The men inside it wolf whistled at Hermione as they drove past.

"Ignore it," Hermione told Draco, placing a hand on his wrist to restrain him. The car drove away.

"Pathetic, uncultured idiots," Draco muttered.

"Oh, oh!" Hermione was suddenly bubbling with excitement. She had spotted a photo booth.

"What?" Draco was perplexed.