~Asphodel~

chapter 12

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.
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A/n
Hey peeps 💕
⚠️ this chapter is the longest I wrote sorry I didn't wanna break it up⚠️

They landed with a soft "oomph" from both parties. Hermione was immediately aware of Draco's arm wound tightly around her waist and was shocked to find she didn't mind it. It doesn't mean anything, she told herself firmly. "Where have you taken me?" she asked Draco, at the same time glancing eagerly across the green landscape. A smile rose to her lips as the sweeping green fields and stately house before them confirmed what Narcissa had told her.

"Syon Park," said Draco, removing his arm from around her waist. Hermione furiously quelled the sting of disappointment she felt from loss of contact.

"Wow," breathed Hermione earnestly admiring their surroundings. "Draco, this place is beautiful!"

Draco snorted. "I am capable of impressing a girl now and then, Granger."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Trying to impress me, Malfoy?"

Draco immediately scowled, and Hermione felt the satisfaction of irking him. "As if," he said, a bit flustered. Hermione smirked. She liked teasing him. As her eyes once again roamed the large park, a thought came to her.

"Draco!" she said suddenly taking hold of his arm. "Don't you need an appointment to visit this place?"

Draco raised an eyebrow at her and looked down at her hand on his arm. Hermione blushed. Why did I do that? She thought and released his arm as though burned. "I'm a wizard. You're a witch. We'll "magic" ourselves some passes." He gave her a strange look. Hermione resisted the urge to do a face plant. Duh, Hermione. Call yourself the brightest witch of your age, hmm?

"Right," she said, blushing again. Why do I keep doing that?

Draco smirked and the two of them fell silent. Hermione glanced around the park again. It really was a beautiful place. The air was warm, still clinging to the last bits of summer. Some of the trees and shrubbery across the grounds were just beginning to change color, their leaves of yellow and red contrasting sharply against the remaining green foliage. Hermione felt the silence between them begin to lengthen awkwardly. For a moment she considered taking a leaf out of the Ministry hag Umbridge's book and making a soft "ahem" to get Draco's attention, but thankfully he broke the silence, sparing her the indignity.

"Uh, I suppose, do you want to walk for a bit, Granger?" Draco asked, slipping back into his habit of calling her by her surname. Hermione sighed. They weren't going to get very far if he couldn't even call her by her name. Shouldn't he be a better actor then this? She decided to make it easier on him.

"Yes, please. And perhaps we could find a spot to sit for a while? I brought some books so we can continue our research..."

The awkwardness vanished at once. Draco's smirk returned. "Of course you did."

Hermione bristled at his tone. What's that supposed to mean? "I thought you wanted to get out of this mess," she bit out.

Draco held up his hands in mock surrender. "Calm down. Of course I do. But only you would bring a book on a date." She glanced sharply at him on his emphasis of the word "date" and decided not to dignify his remark with an answer. Instead she sniffed and pushed past him, starting down the gentle slope towards a large ornamental lake that spread out before them.

Draco groaned. What was with Granger? Why does she have to be so damn temperamental? The answer came to him almost immediately. Because she's pregnant, you dolt. Deciding it was probably best not to tick off a hormonally unbalanced witch who had been known to smack him on more than one occasion, he took off after her. "Granger! Wait!" He cursed to himself when she picked up speed. "Hermione!" he shouted.