Sang Sacré

Chapter 14

The nightmare seemed to bring about progress in a way nothing else had. They got along easier, opened up quicker, and started getting to know each other better. Since that night, Hermione had taken to calling him by his first name, though he'd yet to return the sentiment.

"Draco," she called, startling when a mug of tea was thrust in front of her eyes. She'd expected him to still be in the kitchen, where he'd been preparing them both a mid-morning cuppa, not centimeters away from her where she sat on the couch. "Oh, thank you."

A crooked smirk was her response. He fell onto the couch next to her before kicking up his heels on the coffee table and thumbing through the Daily Prophet. "What did you want to show me, Granger?"

She sighed internally at the impersonal reference before remembering her original train of thought. "Look at this cottage, isn't it just the cutest?" she queried dreamily, thrusting the magazine into his hands over the newspaper. "You know, I've always imagined myself living somewhere like this. Somewhere out in the country, with a big back garden, and plenty of privacy."

"Where is this?" Draco grabbed the magazine and moved in closer as he looked at the pictures. It was featured as a model home for an interior design magazine. A large kitchen, multiple bedrooms, and a huge attic space. It seemed to be out in the middle of nowhere, offering a lot of privacy. Draco ran his tongue over the inside of his cheek pensively.

"Not far," Hermione sipped at her tea, smiling when she realized he made it just to her liking. She snatched the magazine back from his grasp. "It's just a dream anyway. What about you? Have you given any thought to where you want to live?"

"What's wrong with the flat?" Draco asked absentmindedly and turned his attention back to the newspaper.

"Nothing, of course. It's close to everything and there's enough space for both of us. I'm just saying, well, wouldn't it be nice to have a garden? We could grow our own potion ingredients. Or our own library?"

Draco chuckled and turned the page to quidditch scores. "I bet we wouldn't even have to buy any books to stock the shelves. You'd have that covered, right?"

A twinkling laugh caused him to look up, enraptured at the reaction he'd caused. "Definitely. Tiberius had to add a few shelves into the library at the Manor just for my collection."

Hermione hesitated a minute before continuing, sounding uncertain. "You still like brewing though, don't you?"

Draco faced her, surprise evident on his face. "Yeah, I'm considering pursuing a Potion's mastery actually. How did you know?"

"You forget how close our stations were in Potions," she said, rolling her eyes playfully. "I don't think I ever once saw you mess up. You have a real gift for it."

He sat up a little straighter and rolled his shoulders back at her praise, the slightest hint of pink dusting his cheeks. "I didn't know you'd noticed. It's always been my favorite, honestly."

"Well, if we ever move," Hermione looked at him pointedly, "A potions lab is non-negotiable."

Suddenly, Theo's head popped out of the fireplace. "Hey you two," he winked, eyes lingering on the small space between them on the couch. "Come over the manor later. Snake Night, everyone's already confirmed."

At her nod, Draco smirked at the floating head in front of them. "We'll be there. Need us to grab anything?"

"Nah, just bring your sexy selves. Mia, maybe bring a movie too. Blaise won't stop complaining about his bachelor status and we might need a distraction," Theo replied before terminating the connection and his visage dissolved.