Date Night
Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat outside at a bar enjoying their drinks. This was their favorite way to kick off the weekend these days. They lived together, but they didn’t see each other as often now that they were working, and Hermione decided they needed a weekly date night on the calendar. After all the time the three had spent building their relationship, she refused to let anything ruin it, and that included the mundane drifting apart that seemed to afflict so many other young adults. Quality time had to be a priority. Harry and Ron, of course, were happy to go along with whatever she planned. She’d long since demonstrated her knack for emotional intelligence and intuition. If Hermione said they needed a weekly date night, they believed her, and they ended up really liking those chill Friday nights. They got to flirt and laugh and tell each other about their weeks. As Hermione expected, Harry loved the peaceful domestic routine of going out together. She and Ron were always on the lookout for more ways to support Harry’s mental health and wellbeing. He was traumatized as fuck after the war. Well, they all were, but especially him.
Ron casually reached over to grab Harry’s hand. He caught Harry’s eye and winked, which made Harry blush. Ron loved making him blush. They rested their hands on the table between them, fingers intertwined. Hermione continued telling a story about her coworker. She talked with her hands in an especially energetic manner when she was tipsy. Harry loved that about her. She had such a strong presence. Being around her made him feel safe and at home.
Hermione stopped abruptly, eyes widening, and quickly took a sip of her drink.
“What’s wrong?” Ron asked, concerned.
“Draco is here,” Hermione whispered with a note of panic in her voice. “He saw us and he’s coming over here, ohmygod.”
Harry’s heart started racing. He tried to pull his hand away from Ron’s, but Ron tightened his grip, determined not to let Malfoy get to him. Harry felt a mix of anxiety and gratitude for Ron’s confidence. It had been over two years since they’d seen Draco. He looked broader in the shoulders, but everything else was the same, including his fair hair, blue eyes, and haughty air. The trio tried to act normal as Draco approached.
“Well, if it isn’t Potter, Weasley, and Granger,” he said, smirking. “Is this a reunion, or are you always together?”
“We live together,” Hermione answered curtly.
“How nice. Are congratulations in order? I see Potter and Weasley have finally come out.”
“What do you want, Malfoy?” Ron asked. “If you’re just here to talk shit, you’d better leave. We’re not interested in your stupid mind games.”
“What mind games? God, you’re paranoid. As if I’d still be holding onto a schoolboy grudge. I don’t give a fuck about that anymore. I was trying to be friendly, but I guess you lot aren’t mature enough for that yet.”
“Oh, please,” Hermione scoffed. “Just leave us alone. You heard Ron, we’re not interested.”
“You hurt me, Granger,” Draco answered, placing a hand on his chest.
“Either sit down or get out,” she snapped.
“Thank you for the invitation,” Malfoy said. To their surprise, he pulled up a chair to their table and sat down. “How are you all doing these days?”
Harry and Hermione shared a confused glance. Why was Malfoy trying to be so buddy-buddy with them? Was it really a coincidence that he was there? Could he actually have grown out of his bigoted, bullying youth?
They managed to make stilted small talk for the next ten minutes or so until Draco glanced down at his watch.
“Lovely seeing you all, but I must get to my next engagement,” he said, effortlessly elegant as he rose from the table. “Perhaps we’ll meet again soon.” Draco inclined his head in a gesture of farewell before turning and walking away. The others remained speechless and stunned until he turned the corner and disappeared from view.
Harry quickly called the server over and paid their bill. Ron opened his mouth, clearly about to go into a full throttle rant, but Hermione shook her head and told him to wait until they got home. She wanted to make sure they had complete privacy before discussing this - she didn’t trust Malfoy at all, and he had to be up to something. Malfoy’s behavior had been strange, but not completely out of character, she reflected. And she had to admit that he looked gorgeous. His hotness had always been overshadowed by his shitty personality. If he really was trying to make amends, that would make him way more attractive. Hermione shook her head. How could she let her hormones take over at a time like this? She needed to be vigilant and guarded! This was not the time to fantasize. Besides, she already had two wonderful, handsome partners, who would probably never get over their hatred for Draco long enough to admit that he was objectively attractive.