Shades of Grey

Chapter 15

Why was she so bloody worried on what to wear to a casual date with Malfoy and Mini Malfoy?

This was not an appointment, not her consulting on a case, not helping him order takeaway... simply dinner between two adults and a baby.

And yet she'd thrown together three different outfits on her bed and chose none of them.

🪳🪳🪳 We'll be waiting inside Flourish and Blotts.

H: Okay.

🪳🪳🪳 Don't get too excited now, save that for later.

H: I'm never changing the cockroach photo ID.

🪳🪳🪳 :(

Hermione snorted with laughter at Malfoy using an emoji as the brick wall in the Leaky Cauldron moved to make an entrance and she stepped out into the cobble streets of Diagon Alley.

She hadn't been back here since Harry sent the patronus about a body being found.

Briskly making her way to the bookstore, Hermione was stopped a few times for handshakes and once for an autograph for a young witch. She didn't venture outside her job and flat into the Wizarding world as often as she once had. There was simply too much gossip with politics and publicity, if Rita Skeeter finding her at the pub a few months ago was anything to say about that.

So, she stuck to Muggle London more than not. She wondered if Malfoy - Draco - had truly explored outside his well endowed neighborhood.

Taking a deep breath, she finally made it to Flourish and Blotts, breathing in the familiar scent of old books and parchment.

Hermione returned the smile to the manager behind the desk, making her way to where she suspected the two ferrets would be.

Her assumption was correct, finding them in the children's section, but couldn't help observing them from afar as Malfoy spoke in too low of whispers for her to hear.

He adjusted his son on his hip and straightened the crooked green bow tie under his son's chin. Malfoy was dressed in casual robes; however, Scorpius was fashioned in adorable braces fastened to brown trousers and a white button down top.

Scorpius noticed her first, his icy blue eyes widening. "Da! Grey!"

"Grey's coming, Scorp," she heard him say, reading the titles in the new non-fiction section.

Scorpius frowned and Hermione had to muffle her laughter.

"Grey!"

Malfoy hummed in agreement, earning a scrunched up expression from Scorpius which she thought might be his attempt at a scowl.

"Your son is far more observant than you, Auror Malfoy," she commented off-hand nearby, pretending she was also perusing the children titles.

"Bloody he- hippogriff."

Hermione smirked, biting her lip to hold back a laugh at his near slip.

It was enduring how nervous he looked.

Malfoy narrowed his eyes and she nearly forgotten his uninhibited legilimancy.

She merely flashed him a cheeky grin, bending down to reach for an odd title that caught her eye: Muggleborns for Children.

"Grey has a great bum," he whispered loudly and she straightened to see his eyes glittering in amusement. Scorpius was nodding in agreement though she knew he didn't understand.

Hermione rolled her eyes and returned the book, noting to search for the title later. If it was complete rubbish, she'd write her own.

"Grey!"