The bells on the door handle of Clearwater's Coffee jingled merrily as Hermione entered the cozy establishment. Stopping by for some coffee and a conversation with Penelope Clearwater, the shop's owner, had become Hermione's Saturday morning routine.
"Hi, Penny!" she called out, waving to the witch, who was busily arranging loaves of freshly baked bread in the display cases. Penelope glanced up and waved. "I'll have the usual, please."
Hermione had been to Clearwater's Coffee so many times that Penelope had memorized her order: a latte with extra foam and a buttered croissant. She always prepared the drink and pastry so that they were ready as soon as Hermione arrived. Her Saturday morning visits had become a pleasant routine for both of them, and it was nice to catch up on random news with the other girl every week.
Penelope smiled as she handed Hermione a steaming hot cup of coffee and a croissant that was still warm.
"It's nice to see you!" Penelope replied. The two had become friends because of how many times Hermione frequented the shop, and Hermione often spent her Saturday mornings there reading a book or simply thinking.
This Saturday was different. Hermione needed to get a certain smirking blond wizard's face out of her head, and if getting started on the Goyle case would get him off her mind, then she would do just that.
"You too," Hermione replied as she sat down at her usual spot—a table tucked into the corner of the shop. The witches talked about their week until another customer came in and Penelope left to take their order.
Hermione had brought a sizable stack of old Daily Prophets that ranged from a week after the Battle of Hogwarts to six months after it with her to sift through while she drank her coffee. Her logic was that perhaps somewhere in the newspaper, whether it be in the various articles or in the moving pictures placed sporadically throughout the Prophet, there would be some mention of Goyle. It wasn't much to go on, but it was a start.
She mindlessly flipped through paper after paper without finding the slightest allusion to Goyle or his whereabouts. It was frustrating, and there was a certain someone who kept making his way into her thoughts and distracting her.
Hermione sighed audibly. Even when they weren't together, Draco managed to distract her. What really bothered her was the fact that her old feelings for him were starting to rekindle. Damn him and his beautiful eyes, she cursed.
Ever since her fifth year, she had harbored a secret crush on Draco. No one knew, except for Ginny, who had forced it out of her after a few shots of Firewhisky. Every part of it was just wrong. He was her childhood bully. Draco had done so many horrible things to Hermione and those she cared about.
And yet.
The pesky voice in her head that whispered, He's changed. That, combined with Ginny's constant nagging about fate, was enough to keep the lingering sparks that were her attraction to Draco alive. His ideologies had shifted after the war. Maybe—
Penelope's voice snapped her out of her Draco-induced reverie.
"What's wrong?" she asked gently. Hermione had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't realized how much time had passed. Her coffee was cold, and all that remained of the croissant were a few crumbs.
"Nothing," she replied, rather unconvincingly. The other girl laughed and slid into the chair across from Hermione.
"Let me guess... guy problems?" Hermione nodded as she anxiously played with the almost-empty coffee cup in front of her. Was it really that obvious?
Penelope stood up from the table and returned with a mini gingerbread man. She had chosen it from the assortment of special holiday treats the coffee shop baked as the result of Christmas drawing near.
"When you get mad, you can bite off its head and pretend it's the head of this guy you're so worked up about," the other witch suggested, eyes twinkling with mischief. Hermione laughed in spite of herself as she took the cookie.
"Thanks," she replied gratefully. "He and I... we'd never work as a couple. I thought I was over him, but work brought us together and now we're going to be seeing each other every day."
"Well, that doesn't sound too bad," Penelope said. "Maybe things will get better as you spend more time together!"
"Oh, and I'm pretty sure he hates me," Hermione added, furiously taking a bite out of her gingerbread man's arm.
"That could be a problem" the other girl laughed. Hermione began to respond when the bells on the door jingled. They both glanced up, and Hermione's words caught in her throat when she saw who it was.
Draco.
Penelope, unaware of the crackling tension between the two, went to greet Draco and take his order.
"Can I get a latte with extra foam? And a warm croissant," he added, smirking as he reached into his robes, pulling out a few coins to pay for his order. Hermione's order.
A flash of realization crossed Penelope's face as she hurriedly prepared and handed Draco the drink and pastry. She wiped it off her face it a matter of milliseconds. It was gone as quickly as it came.
"Why, fancy seeing you here, Granger," Draco sauntered towards her, lip curling. He sat down at the table next to her and placed his coffee and croissant on the tabletop.
"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" she hissed, viciously biting the head off of her gingerbread man.
"I don't know, maybe I just wanted some coffee," Draco replied snidely in that devil-may-care drawl of his. His grey eyes bored into Hermione. It was as if he could see right into her mind, full of daydreams of him.
"Well, I'd prefer to not see you unless it's at work. So I'd appreciate it if you left me alone," Hermione snapped angrily as she began to gather her things and shove them into her purse.
"Oh, really? That's surprising. Most witches would be practically drooling at the thought of spending more time with me, Granger," Draco smirked.
"How nice. Maybe you can ask one to go on a coffee date with you. It would be a better use of your time than bothering me," Hermione retorted.
"Thanks for the coffee, Penny," she called out as she walked towards the door.
Penelope gave her friend a quizzical smile as her brain began working to piece together what she had just witnessed.
"See you on Monday, Malfoy."
And so, for the second time that week, Draco watched Hermione leave, the ghost of her name on his lips.
✧ ✧ ✧
The rest of the weekend passed slowly for Draco. It wasn't his fault. It was hers. No matter what he did, Hermione's soft caramel eyes and shy smile wouldn't leave him alone.
Draco's thoughts of her addled his brain so much that he lost to Blaise when they played wizard's chess on Sunday. And Blaise was, to put it kindly... completely shit at the game.
The thought of requesting a different witch or wizard to work with had crossed his mind. Many times. Anyone could be bribed, even the prick of an Auror who had chosen Hermione to work with him.
But Draco wouldn't do it. Because requesting a new partner meant that he would lose. To her. And Malfoys didn't lose.
AN: We love stalker Draco ❤️ I made a TikTok account for Harry Potter stuff! You should go follow it @ robpattinsonsbae
As usual, please let me know if there are any grammar/spelling errors so I can fix them :) it's appreciated!
See you guys soon for the next chapter! The mystery aspect of the story will be more emphasized in it.
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Found | Dramione
Fanfiction[✓] ❝ Draco Malfoy tasted like the tears of a fallen angel and granted wishes, like dangerous promises and exquisite poison, like sweet nectar and the whispers of sweet nothings ❞ Two years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Draco and Hermione are assign...
