The Babysitter (Dramione Fanfiction)

The Last Day

"How's your mother?" Hermione asked, as she strolled into his study uninvited, with a cup of steaming coffee for him.

Draco looked up from the reports he was reading and gratefully took a sip from the black liquid. He silently watched as Hermione comfortably stretched onto the couch opposite him and waited for his answer.

Normally, he would have snapped at anyone who intruded his personal room. Even Theo knew he shouldn't drop off into his room at any time he liked. True, he'd snarled at her and her daughter most of the time when they came barging in without his permission. But seeing Hermione here in his study, comfortably seated on his couch, made his stomach oddly flip with dangerous thoughts he desperately pushed aside.

"She's been discharged from St. Mungo's last night," he finally said, which also explained why he disappeared before having dinner with the mother and daughter. "Healer Matthews already gave me a set of new instructions, which I relayed to her House-Elves."

When she still expectantly looked at him, he sighed and said, "Yes, yes, I apologized to Healer Matthews." She gave him a pretty smile of approval, prompting him to roll his eyes. "Must you always be so pushy, Granger?"

She casually shrugged and absentmindedly brushed her curls away. "Anyway, do you have anything urgent to finish tonight?"

He eyed her suspiciously. "As of now, none," he slowly replied. "May I ask why you are asking my schedule?"

"Rose and I will be leaving tomorrow," she reminded, prompting him to scowl. "And, well, I just thought maybe you'd want to get out of your flat for a while and roam around with Rose and me."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "And where do you plan on bringing me?" he inquired.

A strange smile appeared on her face. "Now, where's the surprise in that?" she vaguely answered. He still looked highly distrustful. "Come on, Draco, you've been cooped up inside for days! I think all you need is some fresh air and may perhaps help you with your mood swings."

"I don't like going outside," he said, scowling at her jesting. "Anyway, I've changed my mind and declaring myself busy for the whole day." He made some shooing motions at her general direction. "Now go, before you make me kick you out."

She pressed her lips into a thin line and resolutely shook her head. "I'm not leaving until you promise to come with us later," she said, eyes glinting with sheer stubbornness that was very her.

Draco knew he didn't really have any choice, but refused to back down just yet. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and leaned closer to the brunette. "And what, pray tell, are you going to do to make me?" he asked in a deep, low voice.

"Is that a challenge, Malfoy?" she bit back, mirroring his expression by raising her own eyebrow. "I think you're quite forgetting that I'm a major bossy know-it-all, yeah?" Then, with a speed of light, her wand was at hand and his hair had turned into a brilliant shade of green with red spots all over.

Mortified, as he saw his reflection in the mirror behind Hermione, Draco threw daggers at the chuckling brunette. "What the fuck, Granger!" he growled, grabbing his own wand to retaliate, but Hermione had already put up some barriers to shield herself from whatever spell he would hurtle towards her.

"It's a handy spell taught to me by the George Weasley  and it's a fairly new one," she explained, eyeing his shocking hair with mirth. "Meaning, only a selected few know the counterspell."

Draco made a feeble attempt to Finite the spell, but the spell didn't wear off.

"I suggest you promise to come with us to save your glorious hair," she said, before gracefully slipping out of his study.