Chapter 6
Saturday, July 7, 2018
“What’s this?” Hermione asked.
“I figured you wouldn’t bring extra clothes to work today, but I didn't want you to have to stay in your dress while we talked.”
“Thank you,” Hermione smiled, grabbing the sweats that Draco had neatly folded clearly left on the counter before he left. He was thoughtful to the point of danger, honestly. For her melting heart if nothing else.
“What took so long? Votes ended over an hour ago.”
Didn't she know it.
“Tonks wanted me to look over her press release before she sent it after the last of the bills passed today. James had a ton of edits on the release and added a note to the section on defense appropriations that just said 'add local flavor here,' so she was panicking a bit.”
“She doesn’t seem very competent,” Draco noted. “Maybe you should take her job.”
Hermione looked back with an eye roll as she stepped into his bathroom to change out of her clothes. “Never. Ever. And Tonks is fine, just a bit scatterbrained and unorganized.”
“From my experience, your boss is basically the same, so maybe his press person should be a bit more put-together.”
“That’s what Remus is for!” Hermione called back as she pulled on Draco’s large, blue t-shirt that declared her a Tar Heel for the world to see. It was silky soft, as were the sweat shorts that he’d given her. The man was rather thin, but she still had to roll the pants a ton to make them fit her 5’2 frame.
“Good?” Draco asked.
“Way better,” Hermione smiled, dropping her neatly folded dress and tights into her Kate Spade bag. “Every time I take my tights off I feel like a new woman.”
“Women are champions for wearing those every day, especially in the summer. I can’t imagine.”
“You get used to sweaty thighs after a while."
“So I figured we can have a bit of an open forum here,” Draco smiled as they headed to the family room, lying down on the long part of the couch that was clearly his favorite. “Ask what you want, and I’ll do the same. Ladies first, of course.”
She saw that he’d already brought two glasses of water and a bowl of grapes into the room and placed them on the table in front of them; the man really was thoughtful.
Hermione rolled her eyes, “Of course. Was there ever a point where you questioned your parents’ beliefs?”
“Absolutely,” Draco nodded. “I remember being nine and having a girl come up to me on the playground to ask why my family didn’t want her dads to be together. Looking back, I understand that her parents were probably just cursing the uber-conservative Malfoys as anti-gay, but it hurt. I was confused, and remember my mother telling me that she would let father explain when I was home. Which he did, but that didn’t really change much in the way of being judged by children for actions that weren’t my own.
“As a general statement, my father is far more rigid in his beliefs than I am, which is why I think the Senate suits him so well. He can take hard votes without really having to think twice since he has a six year term. People like to lump us all together, but grandfather, father and I are very different."
Hermione jumped in with a followup before Draco could ask her a question.
“Why do you consider yourself a conservative?”
Draco held up a hand, “Well first, I don’t consider myself a conservative, I consider myself a republican. I believe that the government messes up more than it fixes with shameful bureaucratic slog, the constant misuse of federally appropriated funds, and spending money that we don’t even have to rack up trillions of dollars owed. Generally, I am a believer in supply side economics…”
“Socially?”
Draco nodded. “I believe that people have the right to love who they love… the Supreme Court has spoken, gay marriage is the law of the land. But I believe in the religious freedom of churches when it comes to allowing couples to be married in their church.
“The right to bear arms is as American as anything, and I believe that adults who pass stringent background checks should be able to own weapons to protect their homes.
“Let’s see… What am I missing?”
“Immigration. Abortion. Health care.” Hermione was mentally taking notes of everything she wanted to say, doing her best not to burst.
“Bringing it back to bureaucratic slog and inefficacy, there is a very real need for seasonal immigrants to help out on our farms and in our fields all across the country, but these people are held up in the same queue as everyone else. Immigrants who have skills we need should be prioritized, but there should also be room for conversation on granting asylum, especially for children and vulnerable populations.
“Abortions are legal in North Carolina, and we have Planned Parenthoods that perform the procedure in my district. My heart says that abortions should not be legal; it’s anti-biblical, it’s murder. But logically, I know the real struggles that women who receive abortions face and taking a safe mechanism for the procedure away will do nothing but cause people to suffer.
“So the long and short of it is that we need to work on a micro-level to support our communities and local governments so they can provide sexual education to young people and resources to those having kids, be it well-funded adoption centers or childcare.
“When it comes down to it, I will vote in support of any abortion bill on the House Floor that involves banning the procedure when there is a hearbeat. Yes, near-total abortion bans are draconian and do more harm than good for public health, but I will vote for the protection of life at the end of the day if it’s a partial measure.
“What else… health care. Kingsleycare is an overreach of Congress’ constitutional powers and completely undermines the role of states in providing health care to its residents. I believe we can do better, and that involves abolishing the Affordable Care Act and putting the power back into the hands of states.
“Premiums will go down and then we can have funds to increase Medicaid and Medicare pools for those who actually need it, rather than relying on health individuals to pay the way of everyone. It’s incredibly short-sighted as the American population grows older and sicker, even though dems have branded it as increasing access to care for all people.”
“It’s like you do this for a living or something,” Hermione smiled absently, thinking through everything Draco said as he took a long sip of water. “What about assault weapons?”
“They shouldn’t be publicly available, but Democrats flailing around in front of microphones screaming about going into people’s homes to take them away does nothing but drive people to the right. And to the stores to buy more guns, actually. Automatic firearms are weapons of war, and Congress can and should pass a law banning them from public sale.”
Hermione felt the knot in her chest loosen at Draco’s answers. She knew his voting record was more conservative, but it wasn’t radical; and he wasn’t a member who was always in the news or blasted on Twitter for his ridiculous comments. This made the path forward far more clear, so far at least, than when she’d been up late last night thinking about how it would go.
“What personal positions of yours differ from the way you feel you need to vote to please your district?”
Draco let out a breath, “That’s a good question. I’d say most Dem-led environmental bills have poison pills in them for the people of North Carolina that I can’t have on my record. Our state has eight military bases, so anything defense related, no matter the exorbitant cost and my personal opposition to running up the deficit, will be a yes vote on my part. Those two are top of mind.”
“Isn’t it a bit hypocritical to spend over $700 billion on the military, but shove everything else off as the responsibility of states and the free market?”
Draco looked more amused than annoyed at her questioning, Hermione discovered. She’d weighed the best way to handle the conversation, and found out that her plan to listen to Draco without any immediate pushback wasn’t working. Her mouth didn’t seem to want to follow along with the agenda.
“You’ll have to remember that our defense budget includes funding for the VA and veterans’ health care, which continues to skyrocket.”
Hermione interjected, “Due to the number of troops coming home injured and in need of physical and mental assistance, mind you.”
“Not wrong, but our historic role in peacekeeping doesn’t just allow us to slash a budget and magically send troops hope. We have treaties to fulfill and strategic interests in other nations overseas.”
“Don’t you find it a bit concerning that our entire nation’s identity is based on being superior to others?”
“The United States is superior to all other nations.”
“Then why can’t we show that in more than just pomp and circumstance and foreign intervention? Why can’t we just have the mind to say that nations can resolve their own problems? Why did we need to involve ourselves as the gatekeepers of free maritime trade? Why are we the sole defenders of Taiwan's freedom?”
“These are all important questions, but they’re all guided by historic precedent. If we pulled ourselves out of everywhere that we have troops or established our authority, the world might very well crumble.”
“It’s just ridiculous. We raise our children up to think that dying for a conflict their great grandfathers thought it would be good to enter into is valiant. There’s no valiance or bravery in starting and propagating meaningless wars.”
“I’m not inclined to disagree with you, Hermione, but unfortunately this is where we are. The United States is a central figure in maintaining international peace, and that isn’t going to change. So the best thing Congress can do is send our troops off to war prepared with the training and equipment necessary to survive and fulfill their missions and ensure our national security and intelligence experts remain first class.”
“What a copout,” Hermione replied, unable to not roll her eyes.
“Democrats shoot themselves in the foot by pretending to fight the ubiquitous nature of the United States military then voting to pass over $700 billion in funding through the NDAA every year. If we presented a bipartisan front, we might be able to actually knock heads and withdraw American troops from some regions by investing in other militaries,” Draco shrugged.
Hermione nodded. “I guess that makes sense, it is a bit hypocritical.”
“Just a bit,” Draco smiled gently. “My turn?”
“Have at it.”
“What are your immovable positions?”
That was easy. “Anything that stabs at the dignity and autonomy of others. The right for people’s marriages to be recognized by the government and receive the benefits that come with a legal covenant. Women’s abilities to govern their own bodies.”
Draco cut in, “Do you consider religious freedom to be the autonomy of others?”
Hermione cocked her head, “I think the invisible line between bigotry and the wielding of your religious beliefs is far too blurred to ever become clear.”
“So what does that mean? How did you react to the Supreme Court’s cake shop decision?”
“Well, the case wasn’t truly a ruling on freedom of speech or free exercise of religion, but I was sad. I don’t think I really have an eloquent thought on it. I’m frustrated that people would be willing to turn someone away when they are hoping to celebrate an extremely happy occasion and provide them business. But I also know that there are ways I adhere to my faith privately that others would find fault with too.”
“That’s a perfectly political non-answer and much more subdued than I’d expect from you, my sweet spitfire,” Draco laughed.
“My job has really shown me the beauty in humility,” Hermione smiled wryly. “One of my earliest memories is catechism class when I was six or so, and I just remember the word HUMBLE being written by Mr. Jack on the board. He was annoyed because I kept asking for specific examples on what humility means rather than a biblical explanation of it, but he couldn’t give me any.
“Now that I’m here… I think that Congress as an institution could be a bit more humble. If we didn’t come to the table with our hackles raised thinking that we already know everything, couldn’t we work in that empty space to find compromise?”
“We could, but I don’t know if your mature and hopeful thinking will ever truly take root in a body of mostly privileged individuals who have grown up thinking they’re God’s gift to men,” Draco replied honestly.
Hermione frowned. “What is the point of working for a body and suffering through a governmental process that you seem fairly cynical of?”
“That’s a fair question that I’ll have to give you my politicky answer for, because it’s one I truly mean. I believe in the goodness of people, and I believe that we should work for a future that harnesses our ingenuity and optimism. I really do believe that America is the best country of the world; you’re not going to find me in American flag cargo shorts, but I will defend the merits of our nation. Public service is something that I was raised to believe in as a sacrificial service for my neighbors.
“It’s hard to explain until you see it, which I’m sure you will when you’re back in Seattle with James right before the election. My childhood was spent waving to crowds then watching people cry and crumble as they thanked my father and grandfather for their work or scream and point fingers in their faces for what they voted for or against. People are always going to be angry at what you do and will always wish you did more. That’s just a fact that I have to come to terms with every single time someone asks why I couldn’t get Dumbledore to take a bill to help veterans up on the floor or why I voted against an environmental bill that was severely flawed, but could’ve helped their small business.
“You’ve already alluded to it, Hermione, but most people have only a basic understanding of politics. To most Americans, red is good and blue is bad or vice versa. Malfoys are either politicians ordained by God or crooks that should be tossed in prison. As much as I’d like to sometimes, I can’t get back in someone’s face and tell them that they don’t understand the intricacies of political negotiation. So I’ve become content with the fact that no one will agree with me on anything, and my role is simply to serve as the voice of my district.”
“You make it sound really easy,” Hermione sighed, wishing that Draco was closer than a few inches apart from her. “My temper gets the best of me on some of these calls, people just want to complain and blame someone for their problems, even if Congressman Potter isn’t their Member of Congress.”
“Not to play the age card, but… that will come with time. Even when hiring staff, something that I look at is someone’s seasonality. Have they lived through serving in the majority and minority? Have they worked in Congress during a presidential administration of a different party? All of those factors and experiences will provide you with more of a mental shield to the calls and conversations that get to you now. So… if I look heartless to you, know that I’m not. It’s just a defensive system that we all need so we don’t lose our minds working in this city.”
“I wish I had that now,” Hermione replied.
“It’ll come with time, sweetheart. I promise you. Any other worries that you want to get out there?”
“There are many,” she smiled, drawing a warm laugh out of Draco. Why was he so far away? “Honestly, I just worry a bit that you’ll find me immature or emotional because this is all so new to me.”
Draco pulled her hand onto his lap and covered it with his own, as though he needed she needed his reassurance. Honestly, he probably did; he had the uncanny ability to read her fluctuating emotions so far. Hermione scooched a little closer to him so her arm wasn’t stretched uncomfortably before Draco spoke up again.
“And I worry that you’ll find me jaded or old-fashioned,” Draco replied, his smile a weak, wary thing. “This is not going to be easy or seamless. You always have towards a healthy relationship, but when I’m twice your age and the ethical lines are already this blurred? We’re in choppy waters.”
“So why did you do it? Talk to me?” she asked quietly, the question that’d been on her mind for weeks.
“I couldn’t help myself,” Draco replied. “I’m a man of great restraint. My friends think I’m far too cautious. And here we are… a sweet thing like you comes into my office, demanding an audience with me and I felt my defenses just break down. My worries are still there, Hermione. That isn’t going to change… it’s just that I believe you’re worth the fear and the potential ramifications that are a ways down the line.”
“What if your career is ruined?”
Draco let out a huff of laughter. “It would take far more to ruin my career than a relationship with a younger woman, I can promise you that. I’m more worried about the internal politics and judgements, but even those can be navigated with a well throughout plan. That’s a ways off, though, if it’s something you’ll even consider.”
“I feel comfortable with the pace we’re moving at,” Hermione agreed. “The past few weeks have been a bit of a self-discovery, you know? I’ve realized that not disclosing our relationship publicly doesn’t have me questioning how you feel about me. This is too new and your career is too important to be hasty.
“So as long as you keep me apprised of, you know, when or if you feel that you don’t think this is going to work, I’m okay with following your lead. I just want you to be honest with me when it comes to us.”
“That’s good to know,” Draco nodded, running a hand through his hair. “I think you’re going to wish I was a bit less direct at times, but I’m not going to stop asking how you’re feeling and if you’re comfortable with how things are going. I’ve said it quite a few times already… your consent is important to me, and that means physical and emotional well-being and general comfortability with where we’re at. I know that keeping this quiet wouldn’t work for everyone, so I’m relieved that you are okay for the moment.”
“I will let you know when that changes,” Hermione let out a relieved giggle. “This was less painful than I thought it might be.”
“Oh yeah?” Thankfully, Draco looked amused and not offended.
She was a bit glad that the public didn’t see this side of Draco, the indulgent, playful softie that he was. She’d be fighting everyone in America for him, republican and democrat, if they knew what was under his public mask.
“One hundred percent. Pansy made it sound like I was heading to war.”
“If we were both a little less genial, that may have been the case. But that doesn’t mean that we won’t have new hurdles to face moving forward.” Draco’s thumb continued to rub her hand, which was nothing less than comforting. “So, to confirm… nothing has you running for the hills?”
She shook her head.
“No, I think for me… it comes down to your respect for the inherent dignity of others. Do I have to worry about you storming up to a pair of men kissing at another table while we’re on a date? Do you spit on homeless people asking you for change? It’s… incredibly complicated, politics. So I’m trying to extend some grace to both you and myself throughout this, though I know that I’m still going to get mad at you and your voting record.”
Draco’s laugh confirmed what she was finding to be true; there was a real chance they could work through this rather than just patching holes as they appeared.
“I would certainly never treat someone poorly because of who they are, though I’m not foolish enough to believe others in my party wouldn’t. And I can’t tell you I’m not going to rib you for some of your beliefs and try to understand your arguments and preferences for certain policies I find ridiculous. All we can do is continue to get to know each other and go from there, if you’re willing.”
Hermione nodded. “I am… thank you, for making this feel as easy as it can.”
“The feeling there is mutual, sweetheart. Now… would you be averse to taking a nap?”
The laugh that bubbled up in her was one of joy and shock and a weird feeling of normalcy.
“I don’t think I’ve taken a nap since I was four,” she replied.
“Then c’mere and let me show you the beauty that a mid-afternoon snooze can bring into your life.”
“Sounds good,” she smiled.
It may have been a bit naive to think about how nice life with Draco was as she closed her eyes, his front pressed against her back as they laid on the couch, but there she was. For now, without overthinking it, life with Draco was a good one.
xxxx
Hermione woke up to a knee in her back, letting out a groan at the sharp kick.
“Shh, sweetheart,” Draco said, running a hand through her tangled hair as he leaned over her. “I need to take this call, just close your eyes.”
“Mother, how are you?”
Hermione’s eyes were wide open. How was she supposed to sleep through that?
“I’m well, just trying to rest after today’s votes. No, I had Blaise fly home and attend in my place, which they were pleased about. I figured I’d stay through the weekend and work on my stump speech since we vote next week.”
Draco’s hand continued to run through her hair, and Hermione hated the awkward way he was now laying down on his back instead of spooning. So as quietly as she could, she scooted up his body so that she was laying with her head on his chest and a leg possessively draped over both of his.
Much better.
The man continued speaking to his mother, but his hand drifted down from her hair to her bum like it was no big thing, fingers dancing beneath the loose legs of the shorts.
“Dinner? Tonight?” Draco asked, voice tight. Hermione couldn’t feel shame at the way she pushed back against his hand, nuzzling her head happily against his chest as he kneaded her flesh in a way that had her more aroused than tired.
“No, mother, I can move my plans around,” Draco sighed.
Well, Hermione thought… looks like fancy Chinese wasn’t happening.
“I love you too. Yes, I can wear red. See you then.”
Draco dropped his phone on the floor before using his now free hand to pull Hermione up completely onto his body like she was his favorite life-sized teddy bear.
“You okay?” she asked, voice muffled in his chest as he squeezed her to him in a tight hug.
“Fine. Father’s back home, but mother had to stay for a heart disease dinner with some donors. He suggested she take me in his stead, so I’ll have to postpone our dinner. I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
“Don’t apologize,” Hermione replied, turning her head to the side so she could breathe. “I’m sorry for you, I can’t imagine wanting to go schmooze after this week.”
“Part of the job, unfortunately,” Draco sighed. “It’s a lot easier when I know the crowd is full of my constituents or at least North Carolinians, but tonight I’m just dealing with rich Washingtonians.”
“Sounds like a nightmare,” Hermione said honestly, getting a kiss to her hair.
“At least it’s at the Ogden’s house rather than a hotel. That pretty much ensures the food will be edible rather than overcooked hotel chicken.”
“Small victories. Do you need to get ready?” she asked, sitting up so she was straddling him in a position that was reminiscent of last night. The thought made her blush.
She noticed that even though he was laying down with throw pillows supporting his head and neck, Draco had no chin rolls. The man was a marvel of modern men; who didn’t have chin rolls when they laid down?
“I do,” Draco frowned.
Hermione couldn’t stand the look on his face, and leaned forward to kiss him.
It was a short, tender kiss, but one that had him smiling fondly and caressing her cheek like she was something precious.
“I needed that,” Draco sighed. “I’m sorry about dinner.”
“Don’t apologize. I’ve been putting off seeing a friend for a while, so I think this might be reason enough to grab dinner with him.”
Draco raised an eyebrow at her sullen tone.
“I… have a weird friendship of sorts with Congressman Potter’s son, Harry. He’s obsessed with Pansy which is probably why he wants to see me, but I feel bad telling him no every time he asks to get together.”
“I know she’s your friend so I’m not going to say he has bad taste in chasing after her when he knows you, but…” Draco shrugged.
“That in itself is a long, horrific story for another time that involves a lot of wine. It’ll be fine. Text me how it goes?”
“Yes ma’am,” Draco replied. “I actually have something for you before you leave, it finally came in from North Carolina.”
“Oh?” Hermione asked, standing up on shaky legs. “Let me change first.”
“No, sugar,” Draco replied, shaking his head. “Keep my clothes, okay? They look better on you.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, eyes wide. She was in a very baggy shirt and shorts; there was nothing about it that was attractive outside of maybe just the concept of her in his clothes.
“If I had time I’d let you know just how good I think you look,” Draco smiled, all teeth. His large hands brushed from her shoulders down to her bum, causing a tingle to roll through her as he glanced over the tender sides of her breast. She could only fantasize about what would’ve come next if she didn’t have to leave.
“Thank you,” she smiled.
“I’ll be right back, let me grab it from my office,” Draco replied, taking two steps at a time.
He came back with a brown mailing box that was already open, putting it onto the kitchen counter and pushing it towards her.
Inside was what looked to be everything she could ever need to keep her safe.
“Pepper spray,” Draco explained as she picked up the black plastic tube. “There are four canisters in there, I figured you could give one to Pansy. The gentleman I purchased from said it’ll spray up to 18 feet away.”
Everything else she was completely unfamiliar with.
“That’s a TASER, which means you don’t need to have direct contact with your attacker to take them down. I got one that’s innocuous looking, so you can take it into work with you.”
“Am I actually allowed to take it into the office?”
Draco made a motion with his hand. “No one will say anything since it looks like a flashlight and not a gun. Just shove it under your other belongings and don’t bring it into the main Capitol building, just the office buildings.”
“Draco!” Hermione laughed, putting the dangerous weapon down.
“Honestly, though, if anyone tries to confiscate it then I want you to call me.”
“You’re going to out us over allowing me to bring a weapon into a government building?”
He nodded, looking all too serious. “I absolutely will. Moving on, the black sticks are kubatons or self defense sticks. Just put them on the outside of your different bags and hold them in your hand as you walk. You can stab any sensitive spot if someone gets that close without you being able to reach for your spray or TASER.”
“I have one bag, Draco,” Hermione smiled, amused at the fact that he’d bought over a dozen sticks, like she had that many bags.
He shrugged sheepishly. “Give some to Pansy then… or we can get you more bags?”
She shook her head.
“Thank you, but no thanks. This bag is the only one I need.”
Draco smartly kept his mouth shut as his eyes roved over the years old Kate Spade tote. She was even more fond of him because of it, knowing how much judgement was in his eyes.
“Last, that has six self defense keychains in it. You hook it on your bag and pull the large plastic piece off if you need help and the alarm will blast.”
“Thank you so much, Draco. I am grateful you care enough to buy all of this,” unlike my dad who doesn’t even know where I’m living or what I’m doing, she left unsaid.
His eyes flicked up. “Of course, sweetheart. This was a selfish buy, but I want to know that you’re safe and you having these doodads will give me a little peace of mind.”
“Doodad is the most southern thing you’ve ever said.”
“If only it was southern; I think it may be old English.”
She shrugged, “Anyways… thank you. I’m going to reorganize my purse tonight and make sure Pansy knows how to use everything.”
“Good girl,” Draco praised, bringing a now familiar blush to her cheeks and hotness to her skin. “Give me a kiss and then I’ll walk you home.”
Walking with Draco in the light of day was an exhilarating thing; they only saw a few families, but still. There they were, out in public where anyone could see. And he looked just as happy as he did in the confines of his home. His fond smile was the same, the way he teased her, the way he had eyes only for her, even when two little ones rode by on matching pink tricycles. It was a heady feeling, especially for a girl like her who’d never experienced such an intense attraction before. It felt good.
xxxxxxxxx
“Mione!” Harry smiled, a glass of beer already on the table in front of him.
“Hi Harry!” she replied, hugging him back. His hip hit the table as he pulled her towards him, causing the beer to almost tip over.
“Oops,” he shrugged. “Might’ve gotten started early today. Had a late brunch over in Dupont with some new friends.”
“Yeah?” she asked as she sat down, hanging her bag that was adorned with a keychain alarm, TASER, pepper spray, and self defense stick on the chair behind her. She was armed to the brim, come what may.
She’d requested Harry meet her at Tunnicliff’s Tavern, a divey restaurant and bar on Capitol Hill that she’d come to favor. “How have you been meeting people?”
“Bit of a weird story, actually. I was waiting in line at Safeway with a rotisserie chicken, you remember how much I like those, and a guy just started asking me about my music since he could hear it through my AirPods. It was nice out, so we just went to Stead Park, smoked and ate chicken together. Turns out his younger sister lives here, and they have a ton of awesome friends who welcomed me into their crew!”
Hermione laughed, shaking her head. “Is there anyone you can’t charm?”
Harry’s face dropped. Shit, wrong thing to say.
“Well,” he slumped his shoulders, looking far too much like a glum cartoon character for his own good. “I’ve tried contacting Pansy Parkinson a few times and she hasn’t replied. Did you know she’s in DC working for Draco Malfoy?”
Welp. Hermione was hoping she’d at least have a drink in hand before having this conversation.
“I did,” Hermione replied, holding up a polite hand to grab the attention of a passing server. The fun about places like this was how casual it was, servers wandering around looking to see who needed another drink. But the bad part about places like this was how casual it was, that she had to really work to get a drink or food.
After her drink and food order were placed, and Harry confirming he already had tater tots and chicken fingers on the way, she looked back at him.
“Don’t be mad, okay?”
He smiled, “About what?”
“Pansy and I are living together.”
Quick, like a bandaid, was always the best approach. Right?
Harry had the decency to cover his mouth as he choked on his beer. At least some of his etiquette lessons seem to have stuck.
“You’re living? With Pansy?!”
“I am,” she replied. “I just got out of a pretty bad living situation, my apartment was awful and my roommate was worse. She was living alone in a place her dad bought and asked if I’d move in.”
“Aw, shit, Hermione! Why didn’t you tell me or at least have a housewarming party so we could have a casual encounter?”
“Because I hate parties!”
“But for me,” he pouted, the look one that was used in the past to have her stay up all night helping him with his coursework. No longer.
“Harry, I love you, but I can’t make Pansy love you as well.”
“Can you make her like me, though?” he asked, eyes the same green as his mother’s behind his glasses.
Hermione had asked once why him and his dad wore the exact same frames, and he smiled goofily and told her that they promised when he was little to always match, and a Potter never broke a promise. She had no words for that one, but the men did look uncannily alike, thought Harry was a bit more conventionally attractive due to his sharper jaw and buffer, taller frame.
She had no idea how, after the shit he’s put her through, but Harry Potter was her platonic kryptonite.
“What if you come over for dinner this week?” she relented.
“Yes!” Harry replied, almost knocking over his beer and her glass of wine and water as he grasped her hands gratefully.
“What night works?”
“Any,” he replied automatically. “There’s nothing I can’t move.”
“Harry… I saw that you have your family birthday dinner Tuesday night on your dad’s schedule since he’ll be in Seattle on the 31st.”
“Yeah, but they’ll be fine if I move it.”
“Okay, so here’s the thing… Pansy does not like how weird you’re acting. It’s fine to think she’s pretty and cool, okay? But incessantly texting her and moving your life around like you already are in love with her is weird and invasive.”
“Fair point, I just find it hard to play it cool. She’s like… the only girl who has made me want to fall to my knees and kiss her feet, you know?”
Hermione shook her head. She definitely did not know that feeling.
“Oh! What if I bring my friend who I met at Safeway? Not as a double date or anything, but I think you’d like him.”
Hermione weighed the options in her head; she couldn’t very well tell Harry she was uncomfortable with a man she didn’t know in her house because she was dating Draco… so she nodded. Anyone who was friends with Harry couldn’t be that bad.
“Cool! Ron is awesome, I’ve been telling him about you.”
Hermione did not feel reassured by Harry’s judgment, but she smiled anyways and let him go off on an argument he’d had with his father on keeping weed in the house. It was predictably Harry, and right now, that’s what she needed after a long week and intense conversation with Draco.