“I already told you, I’m not going to that shit show.” Draco huffed as his best friend, and work colleague prodded him for what must have been the sixth time today.
“Yet you still haven’t given me a proper reason why not.” Theo crossed his arms and eyed Draco.
“You want a reason? I’ll give you a fucking reason.” He huffed under his breath and stood from his desk, meeting Theo at eye level. “One, Hermione fucking Granger is going to be there, and I already have to deal with her annoying, high-pitched voice enough with her being my work partner and all… Second, Pansy fucking Parkinson is going to be there because she works at the fucking diner where their having this shit show.” He took a breath. “Third, you’re going to be snogging your fucking girlfriend the entire time in the washroom, and I’m going to be left there to sit on my ass and listen to Granger talk all night.”
“Well… me and you both know you would love to be in the presence of a liquored up Hermione Granger seeing as she is less bitchy towards you... Not to mention you don't actually think her voice is annoying and high-pitched. You just want everybody to think that so they don’t find out you-”
“Theodore? I swear to fucking Merlin, if you finish that sentance, I will tear you limb from limb and eat you for-”
“-fancy her.” Theo finished.
Draco jumped at Theo from behind his desk and Theo bolted down the hall… Draco hot on his tail. They played this game of cat and mouse until Theo backtracked and ran into the office that was across the hall from Draco’s. Hermione Granger’s office.
“Hermione! Fucking help- he’s-” Theo ran behind Hermione’s chair and gripped onto the back.
Draco’s hands held firmly on the edge of her desk as he kept his eyes trained on a soon to be dead Theodore Nott as he kept his jaw locked.
“Wha- Malf-” Hermione was at a loss for words.”What the hell is going on?” She stood from her chair, eyes wide and ink spilled over the memo she had been in the middle of writing when she was interrupted.
“He’s a fucking mad man! That's what's going on!” Theo teased, knowing this would end in his favour no matter the outcome.
“If I’m a mad man, then that makes you a dead boy.” Draco scoffed, easing his jaw and removing his hands from Hermione’s desk.
“I- what?” Hermione couldn’t take this. It was like working with children. “How long has he been chasing you?” She turned to Theo.
“Fucking felt like forever, hell if I know!”
“How long have you been chasing him?” She turned to Draco, sighing, or- maybe huffing? Don’t know… it’s hard to tell…
“Well… that depends, how long do you think it would take two grown men to sprint around the entire floor?” Draco smirked, seeking her eyes widened .
“You two are ridiculous.” She huffed. “What started this- fight? Could you even call it that?”
“No.” Draco said.
“Yes.” Theo said, at the same time as Draco. “I asked him why he wasn’t coming to the Diner tonight. Then he fucking attacked me!”
“Ok- first of all, that's not why I went after you, and you know it-” Draco’s eyes darkened, and not in a good way.
“You're not coming to the Diner?” Hermione froze and looked up at Draco.
“No. He’s not.” Theo smirked, safe behind Hermione’s chair, her back to him.
“Why not?” She asked.
“Well- I-” Draco cleared his throat. “I don't have any reason to go. Theo is bringing his girlfriend and I already have an ongoing bet with Blaise that he would spend the night snogging her in the washrooms.”
“And Theo is your only reason for going? Malfoy- the Diner is a department tradition. It's a bloody Muggle Diner. Nobody is going to bother you, if that's what-”
“No- Granger. I’m not afraid someone is going to spit in my fucking food because of my last name, or because I’m a former Death Eater, if thats what you’re getting at.”
“Draco Malfoy. You know damn well, that is not what I meant.” She scolded. “You’re coming to the Diner and you will enjoy yourself, do you hear me?”
“And? If I don't come?”
“If you don't, then you have to plan the next department outing. Understood?” She was clearly proud of herself.
“So, you're going to make me sit there by myself for four hours?” Draco raised an eyebrow.
“No, you can sit with me. That is if Theo doesn't end up in the loo all night.”
“So, what you’re telling me is… I’m going to get shit-faced, by myself at a fucking Muggle diner. Brilliant.” Draco huffed and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
“You can drink with Wyatt.” She said happily.
“Who the fuck is Wyatt?”
---------------------
Turns out, Wyatt is her fucking boyfriend.
“You’re fucking kidding me, right?” Draco groaned.
“Draco, it won't kill you.” Theo’s girlfriend, Sammie, consoled Draco by patting his shoulder.
“Well… this is definitely an excuse for getting yourself piss drunk at a family diner now.”
“Theo, if I have to tell you one more time-”
“I don't fancy Granger,” Sammie and Theo said at the same time.
“Mate- give up the act. Everyone knows. Everyone has known, since fifth fucking year.” Theo rolled his eyes.
“Was that my name I heard?” Hermione came over with, who Draco could only assume was Wyatt, hot on her tail. “Draco! You came!” She said happily, throwing her arms around his neck, causing him to go still as a fucking statue.
“Granger? Are you already drunk?” Draco whispered, making sure nobody else heard. Sure, he absolutely despised the Witch, but he isn’t a total arse-hole.
“And if I am?” She giggled back in his ear, sending involuntary chills down his spine. She pulled away and laced her fingers in Wyatts. “Draco, Theo, this is Wyatt.” She smiled, meeting Draco’s eyes. “My boyfriend.” More chills, only not the good kind that makes your blood run south…
“Nice to meet you, man. Hermione, this is Sammie, my girlfriend.” Theo smiled as Hermione threw her arms around the blond.
“Nice to meet you, Sammie.” She beammed. “Oh, you're beautiful.”
Sammie laughed. “Thank you. As are you.”
“She’s had a few, in case you couldn’t tell…” Wyatt said with a sense of annoyance in his voice. “I tell her not to drink, but here she is, getting drunk twenty minutes into this thing. Piss faced.”
“Should you be talking?” Draco spits before he can stop himself.
“Excuse me?” Wyatt scoffs. Draco is at least half a foot taller than this guy… he shouldn’t be an issue.
“Well- you're over here criticising Granger having a few drinks, meanwhile we all know she fucking deservs a break after all the work she does, yet- you’re the one holding a beer?”
“And your point is, blondie?” He takes a step forward. He’s also drunk.
“My point is that you shouldn’t be running your mouth, especially when it's talking shit about a friend of mine.” Draco stuffs his hands in his pockets, shrugs and takes a step forward.
“You calling me a drunk?” He scoffs. “You speaking from experience?Take one to know one, you know.”
“You mother f-” Draco lifted his fist to shoot a punch right into this guy's nose, but someone, who he assumed to be Theo, held him back instantly.
Draco easily brushes him off and lands a punch into the middle of Wyatt's face.
“Malfoy!” He can hear a voice call out, but he doesn’t give a shit, not right now. Not when he’s just got punched in the jaw and managed to pin Wyatt down within twenty seconds.
Draco’s bottom lip was cut open and there was blood dripping from his mouth.
He pinned Wyatt’s arms down with his knees and sat on his chest. “You wanna keep talking shit? Huh?” Draco punched him again, and hard.
“Shit- Malfoy! Stop!” That same voice called out.
-
“Should we call the cops?” One of the servers came over to ask Theo.
“No!” He shouted quickly. “No, just- keep everyone back. We’ve got this. No cops, you understand me? Tell the rest. No fucking cops.”
-
“She’s a fucking slut!” Wyatt shouted, spitting blood in Draco’s face. That earned him another punch in the face. “I know it! You know it-” Another. “You saw the way she threw herself at you as soon as she-” And another.
“Don't-” Punch. “Fucking-” Punch. “Talk-” Punch. “About- her.”
Wyatts nose was gushing blood and his lip was busted open, same as his eyebrow, his nose was most definitely broken.
But that didn’t stop him.
What stopped him was feeling small, petite hands pulling at his shirt, and a small, aching voice saying, “Draco, stop. It’s ok, it’s ok…”
She managed to get him off Wyatt and it was only then that he realised that there was a ring of people surrounding himself and Wyatt.
“What? That’s-” Wyatt made to get up, struggling, but eventually, he succeeded. “That’s all you’ve got?” He chuckled. “And here I thought you were all tough-”
Draco stood to meet his eyes once more. “Listen here, Wyatt. Cause I dont wanna have to repeat myself. You're the one with the fucking broken nose, not me. You're the one with fucking Hermione Granger at your arm, and yet youre treating her like absolute shit, and that was only what I’ve seen! It took me less than a minute to figure that out, and who fucking knows how much worse it is behind closed doors! She doesn’t deserve you! Get that through your thick fucking skull!”
“And she deserves you?” Wyatt scoffed.
“I never said she did.” Draco answered blankly. “You better get the fuck out of here before I rip every single one of your limbs off. And trust me, I will do it. I nearly did it to him this morning,” He pointed in Theo’s direction. “The only reason I didn’t was because of Hermione. Now get the fuck out of my face before I have time to think up something better to do to you, and believe me, I will.”
He contemplated himself for a moment. “Come on, Hermione.” He said, grabbing his jacket from his chair, pushing through the crowd of people.
But… Hermione didn’t move.
He got to the door before he turned back to look her in the eye. “Fucking come on!”
Everyone was watching her.
She took a few steps forward, slow steps. And then stopped…
She stopped beside Draco, grabbing his upper arm with one hand and interlocking her fingers with his with her other.
“I’ve put up with your bullshit long enough, Wyatt. I’m done.” Tears were coming down her cheeks and her makeup was running.
“You're really going to stay here with this guy? Don’t you see what he did to me?” He shouted, coming a step closer.
“Don't you dare come any closer-” Asif it were a reflex, Draco took a small step forward, in front of Hermione, blocking her from Wyatt.
“Yeah, well… at least he didn’t do it to me.” Hermione said quietly. Flatly. Not breaking her eye contact with Wyatt.
He froze, wet completely quiet.
Draco snapped his head to look at her, his brows furrowed and anger building again. Hermione squeezed his hand.
“Leave.” She said.
And he did.
---------------------
Hermione set her keys on the table and sighed. “Theo, Sammie, do you think you guys could go upstairs for a minute so we can talk?”
“Of course.” Sammie squeezed Hermione’s arm.
“Um- there is a library down the hall to the right with a sitting area, you guys can hang out in there.” Hermione smiled.
The couple nodded and quietly made their way up the stairs and down the hall.
Hermione took a seat next to where Draco was sitting on the couch, with his head in his hands.
“Fucking typical.” He laughed.
“What?”
“You have a room dedicated to books in an apartment that's the size of a single dorm at Hogwarts.”
Hermione rolled her eyes. “I quite like my apartment, thanks.”
“I never said I disliked it. I just made a comment on how typical it was of you, Hermione Granger, book-worm and Brightest Witch of Our Age, to have a library, which is presumably a former guest room, in a two bedroom apartment.” He shrugged, meeting her eyes. It was quiet for a moment. “How long?”
She didn’t answer, he was certain she knew what he was talking about.
“How long, Granger.” He said, sounding firmer.
“I don’t know-”
“Fucking hell, Hermione! How long was he hurting you?”
“We were together for seven months before tonight… five of the seven he- he um…”
“Fuck.” He huffed, pulling his hair from the root and resting his elbows on his knees. “You should have told me.”
“And how would I have done that?” She asked, sounding annoyed. “Hey, Malfoy. I know you hate me and all… but my boyfriend has been hurting me and I need your help. Do you think you could ruff him up a bit? Make him leave?” She sighed. “How do you think that would have gone, Draco?”
“Well… first of all, I wouldn’t have let you finish you fucking speach, I would have been at his doorstep in less than five minutes.” He met her eyes again. There was more silence. “And, I don't hate you.”
“I know, Draco. I know.” She sighed, running her hand through his hair. “Thank you.”
“You didn’t deserve him, Hermione. You don’t deserve him.” His voice became softer as he held back his tears. “I couldn’t sit there and listen to him talk about you like that. I’m sorry.”
“Don't apologize.” She brought him to lay against her, his face hidden in the crook of her neck and she rubbed her hand up and down his back, her other hand was tangled in his hair. “Don't you dare apologize.”
---------------------
Draco was scared awake by hearing footsteps coming down the stairs. He subconsciously pulled Hermione closer to him and peeled his head over the back of the couch to see who had come down.
“Hey, sorry… Did I wake you?” Theo asked, coming to sit on the arm chair next to the couch.
“No, you're fine.” He rested his head atop Hermione’s messy, curly, adorable, rats nest and his eyes fluttered shut.
“Looks like you’ve come to your senses.” Theo smirked.
“What do you want, Theo?” Draco whispered.
“I came down to talk to Granger, but it looks like she’s asleep…”
“Out with it, Theo. I’d also like to be asleep right now.”
“Ok- um… Sammie fell asleep upstairs and I was wondering if we could stay the night, but she’s asleep so, it’s fine. I’ll go wake Sammie.” Theo stood from the seat.
“What time is it?” Draco asked, keeping his voice low as possible.
“Nearing two in the morning.” Theo answered, matching Draco’s volume.
“I’m sure Hermione won’t mind if we stay the night.” Draco answered. “Infact, I think she’s hoping for it, she seems quite fond of Sammie and I think it would be cool for them to hang out, especially after what happened today.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“Tell her thanks when she wakes up, yeah?” Theo smiled, although Draco could only see half his face due to the moonlight coming in the room, he still knew he was smiling.
“Yeah, yeah.” He chuckled and rested his chin back on Hermione’s head, pulling her in closer, if it were even possible…
Theo went back up the stairs and closed the door to the library behind him.
“Draco?” Hermione’s soft voice filled Draco’s ears and his head shot up, eyes flying open.
“Hey,” He smiled down at her. “How long have you been awake?”
“Since Theo came down…” She said, sitting up.
Draco groaned internally, instantly feeling cold. He sat up too. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“I wanted to see what you would do.” Hermione shrugged.
“Were you testing me, Hermione Granger?”
“I wouldn’t call it a test-” Hermione teased.
Draco practically jumped her, right there and then. Grabbing her by the waist and pulling her against him, their lips connecting.
Their soft, slow kiss quickly became a hot and rough one. Their tongues meeting for the very first time and their teeth scraping against each other's lips.
Draco was the first to pull away. “I’m sorry I didn’t-”
“What is with you and apologising?” Hermione cut him off smirking, and grabbed him by the back of his neck, pulling him for another, longer, deeper, kiss…
THE END