Hermione was nearly shoved to the ground by Malfoy when they arrived at her flat. He threw her a sheepish look.
“Sorry.” He said, extending his hand to help her out.
“S’ok.”
He looked at her awkwardly, as if he were trying to say something but couldn’t quite formulate the words.
“Grang-”
“It was fun.” She cut in, smiling.
A look of relief spread across his face.
“We should do this again when we have another day off.” She said hopefully.
He nodded, trying to conceal his excitement.
“Well, I’d best be off to the burrow… they’re going to wonder where I am.” Hermione said miserably, hating to think of the wrath that would be unleashed upon her when she arrived.
“Just tell them where you were, I’d love to see Potter try to do something about it. As for
Weasley, well, maybe I’ll get a little bit of a stutter out of him.” Malfoy sneered.
Hermione swatted his arm with her book, giving him a stern look.
“Draco, don’t you try to start anything, now.”
He scowled and looked away.
“Don’t know why you always have to come to Potter’s rescue.” He said Harry’s name with outright distaste, a vindictive gleam appearing in his eye.
“What do you STILL have against Harry? Honestly, Draco, after all these years I’d have
expected you to grow up a little.”
He snapped his head back to her.
“Not to be rude, Hermione, but you honestly don’t know how much that damned half-blood has cost me.”
Hermione didn’t say anything. Malfoy sighed and looked up at her.
“Sorry – he’s your friend. I get it.”
“Well, Draco, you’re my friend now, too. So don’t think I wouldn’t stick up for you if Harry and Ron said something, because I would.” A defiant look crossed her face when she said the words.
A newfound confidence was budding inside of her. If she could stand up to Draco Malfoy, surely she could stand up to her own friends if they got out of hand. Hermione reached out for Malfoy’s hand and touched it gently. He jumped a bit at the contact, not expecting it. Her amber eyes were filled with joy. Malfoy felt like smiling at her, just because he knew that HE was the one to make that emotion appear.
“Well, you’d better go. Your bodyguard boyfriends will be wondering where you are.”
He hesitated for disapparating. Hermione was turning to go inside of her flat. He put his hand on her shoulder to stop her and spun her around to face him. He put his arms around her waist and held her, trying to squeeze as much as he could out of the moment.
“Er, Draco?” Hermione’s muffled voice came.
“Sorry.” He laughed nervously and let her go.
“See you at work, Granger.”
Hermione smiled and waved.
“I’ll see you.”
Before he disapparated, Hermione swore she could see an ear-to-ear grin playing at his face. She shook her head fondly and walked into her flat, trying to find her wand. She hoped that
