Meet Your Match

20. Living With It

It had been a few days since Draco’s nightmare, but Hermione was still hesitant to bring it up. He hadn’t asked her to talk about her nightmare he’d witnessed, but, of course, he’d known what that was about.

She had an idea about his. He’d been clutching at his Mark when he’d woken her with a scream. 

Merlin, that scream. She’d never heard anything like it, and she hoped she never would again.

Her eyes traced over the skull and serpent as Draco rested his arm on the kitchen table. She should just ask him. The worst he could say was that he didn’t want to talk about it. She would respect that.

Hermione had just opened her mouth to speak when she heard the unmistakable sound of a key turning in the lock of her front door. She froze.

“Hello! Anyone home?”

“Oh, my god,” she breathed as Draco’s head jerked up to look toward the voice in the hall.

“Greetings from Australia!”

Draco turned a confused look on her as she got to her feet. She was painfully aware that she was clad only in her knickers and his shirt from last night. It covered her easily, brushing halfway down her thighs, but still.

The Grangers entered the kitchen with wide smiles on their faces. Those smiles turned to comical o’s of shock as they took in their daughter and the man in his underwear at her kitchen table. Hermione snatched up her wand and quickly transfigured a linen napkin into a t-shirt for Draco.

“Mum, Dad, what a surprise!” Hermione said weakly, going to greet them.

They each hugged her rather loosely, keeping their eyes on the stranger.

“Sorry to barge in on your breakfast, dear,” her mother said, looking embarrassed. “We never expected that you wouldn’t be alone.”

“It’s no problem,” Hermione said, turning to Draco and giving him a look that was equal parts apologetic and pleading. He seemed to shake himself out of a stupor and quickly got to his feet. She cringed sympathetically as he pulled on the shirt and tugged the legs of his boxer briefs further down his thighs.

“Mum, Dad, this is my boyfriend, Draco. Draco, this is my mum and dad, Drs. Jean and David Granger.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, son,” David said warmly holding out a hand.

“The pleasure’s mine, sir,” Draco said as he took it. “I’m sorry to be so... underdressed for the occasion.”

“A boyfriend, Hermione. You could have mentioned that,” Jean admonished as she shook Draco’s hand.

“Mum, please,” Hermione groaned. “Why don’t you both grab plates. We’ve only just started.”

“It looks wonderful, dear,” Jean said as she looked over the bacon and eggs.

Hermione and Draco sat back in their chairs, poking idly at their plates.

“What do you do, Draco?” David asked as he and Jean took their seats.

“I’m a full-time student right now, sir, at University College London.”

“Oh, that’s very impressive!” Jean said brightly. “Is that where you met Hermione? Did you have a class together?”

“No, Mum,” Hermione said quietly, not meeting Draco’s questioning look. “I work for the Ministry, remember? In the Muggle Liaison Office.”

“Oh, of course,” Jean said, with a little shake of her head.