Infinity [D.M x H.G]

04. In which offers are made

"And these are the files for the Mulciber case. There's been an uproar in activity near the giants hideouts too. There's notes on what the Auror department feel about this inside the file but I might as well just tell you... Hermione?" Harry knocked on his best friend's desk noticing that she had slipped into some reverie. She looked up at him in surprise, shaking her head. "Yeah Harry? I'll take a look at these files don't worry." she mumbled.

"I know you will but are you okay? You seem disturbed." he asked.

"I'm fine Harry, don't worry. Can I ask you something though?"

"Of course you can!"

"Well suppose you had to to fake-date your worst enemy in order to make someone you love really happy, would you do it?" she said, "all of this is totally hypothetical of course." she added.

Harry raised his eyebrows at her, trying to get her to tell him the entire truth. When she refused to budge he spoke, "Well hypothetically I'd ask this enemy of mine if they'd be willing to help seeing as I've landed them into this mess without their will. Why do you need to know anyway?"

Hermione hid her hand under her desk so that Harry wouldn't notice her fiddling fingers and point out her lie. She took a deep breath and staring intently at the files on her desk began telling Harry the truth- well part of it anyway. "Oh it's nothing Harry don't worry just this Muggle novel I'm reading. The main character tells her parents that she's dating someone so they'll stop fretting about what she'll do at her cousin's wedding. When they ask her the name of the person, overcome by pressure she blurts out her enemy's."

Harry chuckled lightly pushing his unkempt hair out of his eyes, "Best not let Ginny see that book, she'll become far too invested. Oh and Hermione, from what I can make out of this character, she clearly has some unsolved feelings for her enemy."

Harry gave her  a peck on her cheek as a parting and walked out of her office leaving behind a gaping best friend. He walked back to her door, smirking "Have a look at the files okay?"

She nodded dazedly, mind racing with what Harry had said. Did he know what she had done?

"Dear Merlin, I need a break. Maybe some coffee." she muttered to herself, getting up and arranging her desk. She told her assistant Sofia that she'd be back in around a half hour and took the elevator down to the Ministry's exit.

To her horror, the one man she'd been wanting to avoid stood there, stepping out at her level. Just as she was about to get in, determinedly avoiding Draco's gaze, he said something that stunned her, "Erm... Granger I need to talk to you. It's important."

She did a double take, staring at him as if to make sure it really had been him. "You. Want to talk. To me?" she repeated.

"I think I just said that Granger, only faster."

"Well I'm off to have a cup of coffee at the minute, can it wait? Unless you'd like to join a filthy mud-" she asked.

"Don't. Don't call yourself that." he muttered, stiffening almost immediately. "I'd like to have a cup of coffee, if you don't mind that is?"

"No, I don't. Come on then" she replied.

They stepped into the elevator, both reaching out to press the button at the same time. Draco's palm brushed briefly against her wrist, sending a warm fuzzy feeling all through him. He retracted it immediately scratching the back of his ear in unease. "Sorry." he whispered.

Hermione smiled a little, "Your ears have turned pink," she said, "that happens to Ron too when he's embarrassed."

"I don't care how closely you examine Weasel King. And, for the record, I am not embarrassed."

"Who said I was keeping record?" Hermione countered.

Draco groaned. 'How does this woman manage to infuriate me every time' he wondered.

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Sunrise Roast was a small café, discreet and airy. Apart from the buzz of the streets around, it was an otherwise quiet place, one of Hermione's favourite places in London, that provided her clarity and calm. She had never shared this spot with anyone, not even Ron and Harry and so found it a little odd that the first person to accompany her here would be Draco Malfoy. 'Well better that than what I'm about to ask him.' she thought.

She took her seat in her usual spot and Draco sat opposite her, loosening his tie as the heat got to him. Watching him, Hermione noted that he could pull off a suit. She would be lying to herself if she said he didn't look good in the fitting navy blazer and white undershirt. Of course that was something she'd never tell him for it would inflate his already large ego.

"You said you wanted to speak to me. The thing is, um, I do too." she said.

Draco raised an eyebrow, "Did I hear that right? The brightest witch of our age wants to speak to me! Draco Malfoy?" he drawled.

Hermione smiled and nodded, "I do, but since you've come all the way here with me, you first."

"Shit. Well you can say no if you'd like and I wouldn't take any offence at all Granger but see the thing is, wouldyoufakedateme?" he asked, jumbling up his words.

"Sorry, what?"

"Will you fake date me?" he pleaded.

"Yes."

"Okay no problem, I knew you' refuse and I'm sorry I- wait what!" he looked at her dumbfounded.

"I said, I will fake date you. I have my reasons and I'm sure you have yours. However, I need a favour from you too. You have to attend my cousin's wedding with me as my boyfriend. It's also a family reunion of sorts so we may need to extend our stay."

Draco nodded, "I'll do that don't worry. I suppose I owe you an explanation to this sudden request. I mean I would never have asked you this but my mother has been nagging me to find myself a partner and I lied to her that I was already seeing someone so she would stop. But then she asked for a name and I took yours." he explained.

"Well I did something similar, I told my parents I was seeing you so that they wouldn't be worried about me turning up to our family reunion all alone and thus bear the brunt of my relatives' nose poking."

"Guess we're sailing in the same boat then."

"I suppose so. Oh and Malfoy.."

"Yes?"

"I have some ground rules to this arrangement."

A/N: So I finally made them ask each other out albeit for deceit. I absolutely loved this chapter, no clue why even though I feel like their conversation was a bit rushed and sloppy. Next chapter will be heavily derived from TATBILB (remember Peter and LJ's rules) but I'll try make it as different as possible. We also hit 100 reads so thanks a ton for that <3

Vote and comment if you liked, it really does help. Constructive criticism is always welcome :)

Thanks for reading, stay safe.
lots of love,
writinganewtale ✨