The Muggle Shop | HP

-Chapter Three-

It was Saturday when Draco and Delia grabbed butterbeers in the late afternoon. The Leaky Cauldron was dark, other than the small patches of light that came in from the windows. Draco was a bit nervous to be taking his first active step in defying the ideology that he was raised around. But he was excited to finally feel like he was making his own decisions about his life. He became a Death Eater because of his father. He only hung around pureblood families because of his father. He joined the ministry because of his father. For the first time in his life he was doing something for him. He was talking to a girl he had liked in sixth year because he wanted to and it didn't matter that she was a muggle-born. Not anymore. Not to him at least.

"So... I guess we should get to know each other?" Delia smiled while her leg bounced anxiously under the table.

"Yeah, well, what do you wanna know?"

"I don't know, what's your favorite color?"

"Green, I guess."

Delia scrunched her nose at his response. "You know you're allowed to have a different favorite color. It doesn't have to be green just because—you know?" She didn't know whether he wanted to talk about Hogwarts times. It was rough on everyone, even if he was on the wrong side of it all. She knew enough to be certain that he was affected by it too.

"Yes, I know. I like it because... well, my house growing up had never been the homiest. We had a lot of grey and white and everything was tidy. Even the gardens outside were perfectly trimmed all the time. But on the back of the house, there was this ivy that grew. And I don't know if anybody tried cutting it down and it just grew back. But it was the only thing I ever saw that wasn't perfect and orderly. It couldn't be controlled by my parents, by anyone, really."

"Oh. That's really cool then..."

"Well, what's yours?"

"Orange. I don't really have any good reason... I learned that not a lot of people like orange and I felt bad and it's been my favorite color ever since. Well... I guess a lot of my favorite things are orange. Sunsets, oranges, Mrs. Weasley's pumpkin bread, the Weasleys in general. Well. Their hair..."

"I reckon they're not gonna like you hanging out with me."

"Probably not, but they're forgiving people. Especially if they see that you've got a good heart."

"I don't even know if I have a good heart."

"Well, I don't either. But give me some time and then I'll be able to vouch for you," Delia shrugged. "You're choosing to be kind now, just keep making that choice."

They spent the next hour there talking and slowly becoming less reserved. By the end of the meet up (date?), Delia could confidently say that she was enjoying herself and that she wouldn't mind doing it again. That day, she walked back to her shop alone. But after a few minutes, she heard tapping on her window.

Delia walked over to where the owl held a message for her:

I had a good time. Tell me when I can see you again and I'll be there.

-Draco

All of a sudden, Delia heard Ginny's voice in her head. Maybe Draco did have a thing for her. It was an exciting thought. But also nerve-wracking. So it was easier to just ignore it.

***

Delia and Draco had met up three times more before it was brought up between her and George. She didn't wanna admit to herself that he had feelings for her, but she knew he wouldn't respond well to it. But yesterday afternoon with Draco, he had asked her to get dinner and she had agreed happily. Today at lunch with George, he was asking her the same thing. The conversation was unavoidable.