Unplanned

June 13, 2003

"Well, well, well, boys, look who the kneazle dragged back to England," Theodore Nott drawled to his two best friends over the growing Friday evening crowd at the Leaky Cauldron. "How's my favorite head girl?"

Brown, bushy curls whipped away from the waiting bartender and towards the sound of the familiar voice. "I better be your favorite head girl, considering I was your only." Hermione Granger laughed, before she threw herself into Theo's waiting hug, her head practically colliding with his chest. The faint smell of his outrageously expensive cologne transported her back to their shared eighth-year quarters at Hogwarts. The nights they had sat up together, neither wanting to sleep alone. The time they had used to rebuild themselves and each other after the war.

"You're still the best roommate I ever had, Granger," Theo said, as he finally broke away from her overly enthusiastic hug.

"I put up with your snoring for six and a half years," interrupted Blaise Zabini, the second man in the trio, who faked offense before turning towards Hermione. "Welcome back home, ragazza d'oro. The boys in the states treat you well?"

Hermione greeted the man with another hug, although less bone-crushing than the one she gave Theo. "It's good to be home. The boys were nice, but none of them flirted with me as well as you do, Zabini."

Blaise winked at her. "I've gained some fantastic new material while you've been off playing tourist for four years, darling. Just wait until you hear it."

"You'll have to buy me a drink first, preferably several, so I don't have to remember your awful lines the next morning."

"While you're at it, Blaise, buy them for all of us. I don't want to remember that either," the third man said, drawing Hermione's attention towards him.

"Malfoy."

"Granger."

Feeling obligated, Hermione went in for a hug at the same time Draco held up his hand towards her in a handshake. The two both paused for a minute, before trying to change their greeting to match the other. As Hermione cringed internally, they settled on an uncomfortable handshake, loosely holding the other's hand.

"Awkward," sang Blaise, before he drained his firewhiskey and motioned towards the bartender for another.

Finally, Theo had had enough. "Okay. Here's the deal you two," He started. "Hermione's back for good. We all now work together. Tonight, you're going home together. Talk, yell, hell fuck each other for all I care. Do what you need to do to make sure that next Friday, this won't be awkward anymore. Understood?"

They both nodded in agreement, like two toddlers that had just been scolded by a parent.

"Good, glad that's settled. Now, cheers."

As the night progressed, Theo went out of his way to force Hermione and Draco to spend time together. He slid into the booth next to Blaise which left the two to awkwardly sit next to each other. Whenever Draco would get up to buy another round for the table, his thigh pressed up against hers. When Theo decided it was time to move on to a pool table, he paired himself up with Blaise. Theo claimed that he and Draco on a team would be unfair, and refused to acknowledge any other partner situation.

"Nice shot," Draco said with a nod of approval as Hermione pocketed her first of the night. Theo and Blaise had broken and started the game. "I thought Theo said you were bad at this?"
Hermione shook her head yes before she took a sip of her wine. Her tongue darted out to lick the drop she had missed which drew Draco's stare to her lips. "Then I spent my weekends playing pool in dive bars in the states. He hasn't seen me play since Hogwarts."