Dress
Hermione-Dress
Everyone thinks that they know us
But they know nothing about
All of this silence and patience, pining in anticipation
My hands are shaking from holding back from you
All of this silence and patience, pining and desperately waiting
My hands are shaking from all this
Say my name and everything just stops
I don't want you like a best friend
Carve your name into my bedpost
'Cause I don't want you like a best friend
Only bought this dress so you could take it off
“I’m worried about Theo” were the first words out of Hermione’s mouth as they sat down at the fancy dinner table. It was a lovely set up, they had ventured into muggle Paris for tonight and she was grateful to get a break from the wizarding world. But thoughts of her friend had been plaguing her for days.
“Hermione, my girl” Draco started, “I love my best friend just as much as you do, but this is our first date-”
“Technically we’ve had plenty of dates” Hermione interrupted, her swotty voice in full swing.
“Technically, spending all our time with the twins unless we’re going to sleep doesn’t count as formal. Therefore this is our first formal date” Draco huffed, his tone matching hers. How she found someone to match her in swottiness she wasn’t sure. The jury was still out on if she was proud of Draco for matching her energy or more annoyed when he proved her wrong.
Hermione pursed her lips, gearing up to argue. “We have gone out multiple times now with just the two of us”
“A quick lunch date where we both scarf down our food before you have a class and I have to get back to Potter also don’t count” Draco deadpanned. The waiter interrupted, taking their orders quickly, but also giving Hermione more time to figure out another defense so she could bring up the original topic again.
“I’m not sure why you’re complaining Mr. Those lunches just mean you get to share a meal with your girlfriend and your work wife” Hermione said, nonchalantly taking a sip of wine. Sometimes Harry would join them, and while the lunches were quick, she very much enjoyed them.
Draco’s nose immediately wrinkled and it reminded her of when Crooks would hiss, usually at Ron. “Do not refer to Potter like that, he and Theo will latch onto that quicker than a niffler with a galleon” Hermione definitely would be doing so now. She’d noticed Harry and Theo loved to tease Draco in such a manner and the blonde did not make it easier on himself with his reactions.
At the mention of Theo, Hermione zero’d in. “Speaking of Theodore” she adopted her best Pansy impression and looked down at her pale pink painted nails.
“Oh for Merlin’s sake!” Draco dramatically face palmed before straightening back up, “For the record, you one hundred percent should’ve been in Slytherin and when my sons get placed there in the future I want no push back from your arse because you’re just as bad as my mother” with what Hermione had deemed the ‘Malfoy flourish’, Draco took his own swig of wine before putting the glass down.
“Theodore” he said, motioning for her to continue.
“He’s been locking himself up even more” Hermione said as she fidgeted with the napkin in her lap. Her and Draco had been caught up in their whirlwind romance, and she would be delusional to think neither Theo or Harry hadn’t noticed she(and Crooks) had been missing from her bed every night. And while she wasn’t home at night very often, she tried to spend as much time as she could at the NottPotts during the day.
“Well you have to agree that his attitude has gone down significantly” Draco argued in his friend's defense.
Hermione nodded, “Yes, he has, but Draco he’s been straight obsessed with whatever he’s doing in that lab of his. I don’t think it’s healthy” Their food was delivered, but neither of them even looked at it.
“It’s probably not” he agreed, “but trust me when I say he needs to figure this out. He’s been working on it for years and he’s close” Draco tried to comfort her, squeezing her hand from across the table.
“Can’t you tell me what it is? Don’t think I haven’t noticed you sneaking up there yourself, leaving Harry to do paperwork alone!” Hermione narrowed her eyes, finally taking a bite of her food.
Draco followed her lead and gave her a sheepish smile over a spoonful of mashed potatoes. “ I took a vow, but I promise you that both Theo and I will explain when it’s finished. Trust me when I say Harry has handled Theo through worse than this episode now” It was weird to hear her friend talked about like he was known better by someone else, but then she remembered that for the past couple of years, others had known him better than she.
“Okay” she breathed, the words not one’s she was particularly happy to say but chose to trust both Draco and Harry in the handling of Theo.
“On to other news, mum wanted me to let you know she would like you two to go dress shopping together” he said, his eyes fixated on his plate.
Hermione sat her fork down, “And when did she tell you this?”
Draco cleared his throat, “Tuesday” he said quietly, probably already knowing the onslaught of ire that was coming his way.
“Tuesday! Draco Lucius Malfoy, it is Friday night!” Hermione screeched, garnering a few looks around them. Hermione paid them no mind, all her focus was on the giant blonde idiot in front of her.
“I got distracted!” Draco quickly said, though his eyes flickered to her fist on the table. Good, he should be scared of her fists of fury after his delayed game of telephone.
“You see me every day you twit! You just were hoping Narcissa would forget” Hermione hissed, knowing from the way his left brow slightly raised that he was lying.
Draco sputtered, “Well, she’s- my mum is a lot, you know that”
“You know what else I know?”
“What?”
“That her son is a giant idiot!” Hermione huffed, “Draco, she’s your mother, she’s not going anywhere and she’s the boys only living grandparent” she was not counting the Greengrasses after Draco told her how they had treated Astoria’s funeral. “This might surprise you since you’ve already won over my only family member, but I would appreciate your mother actually liking me”
“What do you mean? She already likes you” Draco looked entirely confused and Hermione wondered how someone so smart could be so dumb when it came to the girl world.
“Your mother not fully subscribing to pureblood ideals and hating her imprisoned husband does not mean she’s jumping for joy at the idea of our relationship” Hermione held her hand up when Draco opened his mouth, “Her liking Harry doesn’t mean anything either” she shook her head, “You beautiful, daft man”
Draco pursed his own lips, “I’m choosing to listen to that first adjective and not the second”
“What you’re choosing to do is bowling your mother when we get home and accepting her invitation. And explaining that you ‘forgot’ to tell me until tonight” Hermione instructed, her impression of Draco’s ‘dad voice’ strong. Draco grumbled into his spoon but smartly agreed to her demand.
“Great! Now what are we thinking of getting the boys for Christmas?”
xXx
“Marcella, that color is absolutely dreadful on her skin tone. Do make sure to not come back until you’ve found something not entirely garish, dear. Perhaps a lovely green or even a plumb”
Hermione stood on the podium and watched in the mirror as Narcissa insulted both herself and the sales associate in the same breath. Though as she took herself in, Hermione had to agree with Narcissa, this pale pink was washing her out big time. Marcella scurried off, either in a hurry to please the fashionista Narcissa Black or to cry in the bathroom.
“I’d suggest we just charm the color of this one, but I don’t want you to hate me all over again” Hermione half joked, both as an ice breaker but also because she and Narcissa hadn’t had a true conversation since they’d left Draco’s house.
Narcissa took a small sip of the tea sitting in front of her before giving a small chuckle. “Well I’m glad you know how delicate such fabrics as these are. Harry is an absolute lost cause when it comes to formal wear” she wrinkled her nose and it caused Hermione to let out her own small laugh.
“And to answer your question,” Narcissa then raised a brow, signaling she’d caught Hermione’s jest, “I do think I owe you an apology” she then stood and made her way closer to Hermione. “I have encouraged my son to think for himself all his life, but that does not mean I did a good job of protecting him nor other children such as you, from my husband and other family”
Hermione shifted her weight from one leg to the other, she was a fidgeter through and through and it wasn’t easy to stay still in her discomfort. With a melancholy sigh, Narcissa put a warm, dry hand on Hermione’s shoulder. “I am so sorry for the interactions we had before now. As you’ve probably been told, I never fully subscribed into the Pureblood idiocy, but I never outwardly went against it either. That day in the Manor-”
Narcissa paused, her lashes fluttering as she blinked away a rogue tear. “I not only failed as a mother, but I failed as a woman. To sit and hear Greyback make threats I knew he was good for, to allow my own blood to almost kill you, I will never forgive myself for not protecting you. You are such a bright young woman and I cannot begin to express my gratitude for you wanting to be in my sons and grandsons’ lives”
Hermione gave Narcissa’s trembling hand a small squeeze, “I believe when the media starts to smell blood in the water, your support will be enough repayment” she smiled in the mirror at the older lady, willing no tears to spill at the apology.
“I’m not quite sure I’ve ever heard the saying, but I understand the sentiment” Narcissa raised her chin and released her hold on Hermione’s shoulder.
She took a deep breath as she finally turned away from the podium and looked to Draco’s mother as she took her place back on the couch. Narcissa hadn’t invited her out just to be nice, and frankly Hermione had some reasons of her own for accepting the invitation in the first place. Now was the best chance she’d get, so in true Gryffindor fashion, she blurted “Do you truly support it? You can tell me if you don’t and I won’t tell Draco. I won’t probably respect you or stop our relationship if you don’t, but I would like us to come to an understanding of sorts”
“And what understanding would that be, Hermione” as she took Narcissa in, Hermione noted that the woman almost looked…proud?
“That you’re the only grandparent the boys have left and you’re Draco’s mum. Both of my parents are dead and I have no extended family I wish to be in contact with. Andy wouldn’t be in good standing with you if she didn’t believe you weren’t at least a halfway decent person, and Harry wouldn’t have been so kind to you at the twins party” popping her knuckles, Hermione continued, “I have no plans on leaving the boys soon, all three of them. I-I missed my chance at a relationship with Draco once, I won’t do it again”
“And you believe I don’t support this endeavor?” Narcissa asked calmly, her demeanor giving nothing away.
“I’m not sure what to believe. I don’t believe you hate me, but I’m still not sure you wouldn’t prefer a pureblood in my place” Hermione was starting to feel sweat beading at her hairline and cursed herself for doing this while still in some uppity dress. “I had eighth year with Draco to reconcile his past behavior, he wants his support from you Narcissa. I’m never one to beg, but please let us have this, don’t make us have to fight you when we’ll already have to defend our relationship against the rest of the wizarding world”
Narcissa looked at the floor before setting her tea cup back down on the table. “And are you prepared to fight, to defend your relationship?”
Hermione’s answer was instant, “Yes” she pursed her lips, feeling another wave of determination washing through her, “Everyone thinks they know us, they think they know every facet of my life because I helped my brother end a war that should’ve never been ours. They all think they know Draco because of his mistakes, grievances that I know he has repented for. But they don’t know us” she put emphasis on her last word, driving her point home.
And it was true. No one but her and Draco knew about the silent pining, the anticipation that had the both of them questioning so many things. Only they knew the years of patience that it had taken for them to be here now. It was like they had left marks on each other, a secret promise for them to find the other again when the time was right.
Hermione looked down at her locked fingers, “He says my name and it’s like everything just stops, you know, and I just wonder how it’s possible to ever want him in any other way than how I do and-” she looked back up to find Narcissa gently smiling at her, and Hermione felt her cheeks flood pink.
“I think we’re on the same page, my dear. Now let’s find a dress that fits a woman of your status” Narcissa said, accepting a handful of garments from Marcella.
“And what status would that be?” Hermione challenged, still feeling antsy.
“The woman who loves my son,” Narcissa said simply before turning her attention to different colors of silk and chiffon.
Oh.
xXx
Draco was already in bed by the time Hermione peeked her head into his bedroom. He had a book cracked open and black rimmed reading glasses that he swore were only needed during late night reading and small print paperwork.
“Is that my shopaholic girlfriend?” he said, not looking up from the page.
Quietly, Hermione shuffled into the bedroom and shut the door. She set Crooks down and he wasted no time scampering up onto the bed, curling up by Draco’s feet. After eighth year she had thought Crooks was getting sick, after a visit to a magizoologist she had been informed that he was just down in the dumps. Hermione had always thought he might’ve just missed being at the castle and hunting stray rodents, after reuniting with Draco though, she had a sneaking suspicion that the little orange beast had simply missed the bigger blonde beast.
“Firstly, your mother was the one who kept us out so late. Secondly, Harry and Theo send their regards for kidnapping me for dinner” she had dropped her dress off and gathered more night clothes before Harry and Theo insisted she stayed for dinner, dropping all pretense that they didn’t know where she was sneaking off to.
Draco pulled the blankets on her side of the bed up and she wasted no time crawling in, already having changed into her pjs before leaving Theo’s. “Do you think they’re still going to go with the false surprise act?” he said as he placed his book on the nightstand.
“When we show up at the house dressed together or when we tell them we’re officially together?” she asked as she nestled into the pillows, staring at Draco’s naked chest. It was criminal they hadn’t taken that final intimate step together yet.
Draco chewed his lip, “Mmm both I suppose”
“Well they are two of the most dramatic men we know” She laughed before going quiet. Hermione couldn’t shake Narcissa’s words at the dress shop. Did she love Draco? Surely it was too soon. They hadn’t even had sex yet! Though she had to admit that the dress she had bought, was bought with the specific intention of his taking it off.
Mistaking her silence, Draco slipped an arm around her waist and squeezed. “We don’t have to come out with our relationship yet. It’s just another ministry gala, I have no problem going stag or with mum”
Hermione turned around and pecked his lips before he could get another word out. “We don’t have to do anything. I want to, Draco. I want to be able to go out with the boys, I want people to know I’m yours and you are definitely mine” she raked her eyes up his form scantily.
“I don’t deserve you” he whispered, his eyes closing. She relaxed further into his hold, letting her tired eyes rest too.
“That’s one of your worst lies yet” Hermione whispered back, only to hear faint snoring in return. Letting the noise of Draco’s rising and falling chest lull her to sleep, Hermione couldn’t be happier knowing she’d be waking by his side again.