"You're not wearing that, are you?" Rose placed her hands on her hips as she looked at her mother. Her mother was dressed in black dress pants and a white blouse, it was not the kind of outfit to wear to a fancy dinner party.
"What?" Her mother looked down at herself. "I look fine."
Rose shook her head, exasperated. She went to her mother's closet and rummaged around until she found something better suited for the event. She went back into the bedroom and handed her mother a long champagne colored dress.
"I can't wear that."
Rose gently laid the dress on the bed. "You can, and you will." She should be ashamed that she was speaking to her mother like that but she had seen the way her mother had joked with Scorpius's father, and the way that he had looked at her. Rose missed her father and would never want him to be replaced but she didn't want her mother to be sad anymore. She was actually happy to play matchmaker for the two single parents, even if Scorpius wasn't too keen about it.
When they had arrived home that day from the train station, she had owled Scorpius about her suspicions. He had of course denied it. She later found out that he wanted his dad to be happy, he just didn't want him dating his girlfriend's mother. It would be strange but if it made everyone happy then it would be worth it, she would just have to figure out how to get Scorpius on board.
. . .
Draco stood in the corner of the large room. Noisy, chattering, happy couples surrounded him. Not a single person tried to start up a conversation with him, and now, he was exactly where he didn't want to be.
She had stood him up. Hermione, his supposedly friend, had let him down. If she wasn't there then that meant that she would never come because she was never late. He laughed silently at how completely opposite Hermione and Astoria were in that aspect. Hermione loved to be on time while Astoria had always been late even when she tried to be on-time. It was weird how he thought about his late wife, she's rarely been on his mind as of late.
The chatter died down as everyone grew quiet. Draco saw that something or someone at the entrance had grabbed their attention. He turned and did a double take. Standing in front of the doors with her hands clasped in front of her was Hermione. Instead of wearing the dress pants and blouse that he had figured she would have worn, she was dressed in a floor-length champagne colored dress. Its long, tight sleeves hung off of her shoulders. Her long, curly hair was thrown into a high ponytail and painted across her lips was a light pink lip gloss. He found his mouth suddenly dry at the sight of her.
Hermione looked nervously around the room until her eyes landed on his. He saw her visibly straighten her shoulders before she made her way over to him. She didn't relax until she reached him. He could hear the sigh that left everyone, Hermione willingly walking over to Draco Malfoy was something that they never saw coming.
"I thought you stood me up." He teased. In truth, he really had thought that.
Her lips curved into a lopsided smile. "I would have been here sooner but Rose insisted on me changing into this," She waved her hand down her side to indicate the dress. Draco would have to thank Rose, he now had the most gorgeous girl in the room talking to him.
He was about ready to compliment her when someone shoved into him. "Hermione!" Red hair blurred his vision as Mrs. Potter hugged her friend.
"I didn't think you would ever come back here." Harry walked over behind his wife. Draco practically snarled on the inside at being interrupted.
Hermione smiled and hugged him after Ginny pulled away. "I wouldn't have if Draco hadn't asked me."
He noticed Ginny looking at him, a blush tainted her cheeks. "I'm sorry to have interrupted you two." She turned and grabbed her husband's arm, dragging him away.
"What was that about?" He mused outloud, unfortunately hearing Harry asking the same question.
"I'm not sure. Sometimes it's hard to tell what's going on in her head." Hermione admitted with a sigh. She lifted her head up and her brown eyes sparkled. "Now, where were we?"
Draco grabbed her hand and pulled her out to the dance floor. "We were just about to show everyone my mad dancing skills and your beauty." He saw her cheeks turn pink at the compliment.
They walked out onto the dance floor just as a waltz started playing. A few other couples joined them but most stayed near the walls, silently watching the odd couple. "You know, I think I forgot to mention how great you looked tonight." Her voice was quiet with the music playing.
Draco winked at her. "You did, and yes, I look like an entire meal." His voice was light and joking though his heart was beating frantically at the unexpected compliment. He looked down into Hermione's eyes, feeling his eyes pulling down toward her lips.
He stopped dancing and dropped her hand as realization struck. He hurried back toward an empty wall and out onto the balcony. There was no way he could be by Hermione at the moment. When he was around her, his palms became sweaty, his mouth became dry, and his heart always beated faster. He had a crush on Hermione. Hermione Jean Weasley-Granger, his ex-boss, his friend, and the mother to his son's secret girlfriend. How could this have happened? How could he do this, to Scorpius, to Astoria?
"Draco?" Hermione put a concerned hand on his shoulder. "Is everything alright?"
"Is everything alright?" He laughed dryly. Whirling around, he turned on her. "How am I supposed to be bloody alright with this!" He gestured frantically between them.
Hermione cocked a confused eyebrow. "What do you mean? Our friendship? I thought we were getting along great." Her voice sounded hurt and it hurt him that she sounded like that. He instantly deflated.
"That's not what I meant."
Hermione put her hands on her hips and practically glared at him. "Then what did you mean?" Her lower lip stuck out, calling to him. Oh, bloody hell, she was going to kill him! Even with that thought blaring through his head, he leaned down. He gently put his lips to hers. Her lips parted open in shock but she did not move. Growing courage, he brought his hands to her hips and slowly, gently moved his lips against hers. Her arms came up and wrapped themselves around his neck, her fingers tangled in his hair. He deepened the kiss.
"Yes! About bloody time!" A squeal startled them. They jumped back several feet to find a redhead smiling happily at them.
"Oh, my God, what have I done?" Hermione's hand flew up to her lips. Before anyone could stop her, she pulled out her wand and apparated away.
Draco groaned before shooting a death glare at his boss's wife. Ginny's smile fell away. "Sorry."
"Ginny, what's the matter?" Harry came over to investigate. "Did he do something?" He stared pointedly at Draco. Draco shot him his own glare back.
"No! No, no." She rapidly waved her hands. "Unfortunately, I got too excited and screw things up."
"Screw what up?"
She put a hand on her husband's chest. "I'll tell you later, if you promise not to throw a fit."
Draco snorted then apparated out of there before he could hear Harry's response. He was in no mood to deal with them, not after just screwing everything up with his one and only friend.
YOU ARE READING
A Second Chance
FanfictionIt's been one year since Hermione had lost Ron. She's growing tired of friends and family treating her as if she could break at any second. All she wants to do is be there for her daughter, Rose. As life would have it, she gains a new friend, and ma...