Disclaimer: I don't not own any of JK Rowling's characters.
A/N: This is a sequel to my story Curious, another one-shot. The characters will be more familiar, then.
"I invited some guests to dine with us," announced Sophie suddenly. Her blue eyes twinkled mischievously as she leaned her elbows on the table towards her friends.
They were in the middle of a posh new restaurant, Cherry, near Covent Garden. At a table set for nine were four young ladies and one gentleman. Anna and Rob were sitting next to each other, looking tired but happy, after months of wedding plans, a huge festivity, and a honeymoon that lasted a fortnight. Sophie, Chloe and Hermione were all gathered around the couple, passing around photos of the honeymoon. Livvy, unfortunately, had a huge case and couldn't attend.
"I was wondering why we were sitting at a table with so many empty seats," muttered Chloe, flipping through pictures of Anna and Rob in the south of France.
"I've been seeing this guy, and I wanted to invite him out with us," explained Sophie, her voice catching. "I met him a few weeks ago, at the bachelorette party."
Hermione's tawny brown head shot up. "What did you just say?" she asked, pausing in her perusal of the photographs.
Sophie smiled shyly. "Actually, you know him, Hermione. You went to school together. Remember those guys that we met up with later in the night?"
Hermione nodded, dreading the words coming out of her friend's mouth. She remembered that night very vividly, despite her inebriated state. Sophie had been dancing with a guy, a Slytherin in fact.
Sophie didn't seem to notice her friend's unenthusiastic reaction. "Well, I met a guy that night, and we've been seeing each other since then."
Hermione's unfroze. "Do you mean to say that you have been seeing Gregory Goyle?" She couldn't keep the shock from her tone.
Sophie smiled brightly, her eyes shining. "Yes," she said enthusiastically. "Do you remember him?"
Hermione gauged her friend's reaction. She couldn't very well say that he had been an adversary of hers. It wouldn't sound right, considering it had been grade school. But, it had been different in the wizarding world. She couldn't explain it.
Hermione answered carefully. "Yes, I know Greg. Not real well, but he is an acquaintance." She smoothed her cloth napkin over her lap, not meeting Sophie's gaze.
"That's what he said about you. You were an acquaintance of his. He said that you were really smart, got top grades in all of your classes." Sophie sipped from her rum and coke. "Even Draco mentioned how clever you were one night."
It took a ton of effort for Hermione to refrain from rolling her eyes. She couldn't say anything. She was afraid of what would come out of her mouth.
Luckily, Gregory Goyle showed up at that moment, saving Hermione from saying something that she shouldn't. Smartly dressed, a rose in his hand, Goyle walked up to Sophie. He dropped a kiss on her cheek and handed her the rose before greeting the rest of the group.
Everyone stood, the photographs of the honeymoon forgotten.
Sophie, ever the social butterfly, began the introductions. "Guys, this is Rob, Anna, Chloe, and you know Hermione." She glanced over at the small group of men assembled by the table. "This is Greg, Vince, Blaise and Draco."
Hermione wanted to groan. She really did. It took a lot not to do so. There, in front of her, was Draco, the man she had left four weeks ago, in bed, by himself, in the early light of dawn. Mixed feelings swirled through her. Slight embarrassment, slight satisfaction, and quite a bit of dread.
She chanced a glance at him. Draco was not looking at her. Instead, he was staring into space, a resigned, moody expression on his face. He greeted the others at the table very civilly, purposely avoiding her.
Hermione nodded at Crabbe, Goyle and Zabini before returning to her seat. Sophie began to rearrange the seating to accommodate her. Goyle placed himself next to her, clasping her hand firmly in his. Zabini managed to seat himself next to Chloe. Crabbe and Draco were left with the last two seats at the table, one of them happening to be next to Hermione.
Draco raked his gaze over her form. She wore fitted black pants and a deep purple strapless top. Her hair fluttered around her face, wild and untamed. Hermione knew she looked good, despite his search for flaws. She lifted her chin defiantly, meeting his stare. His eyes narrowed and he smirked.
He wouldn't, she thought. Oh, yes, he would. Draco Malfoy plopped himself right next to the object of all of his childhood hatred, Hermione Granger. He gave her his back and proceeded to converse with Crabbe.
Hermione rolled her eyes at his immature behavior and started to shuffle through the photos in her hand once again. After finishing with the stack, she handed them back around the table to Anna and Rob. Picking up the menu, she decided upon her entrée for the evening and then put it down. She looked around.
Everyone had broken into a tête-à-tête. Anna and Rob were discussing their wedding with Sophie and Greg. Chloe and Blaise were in a deep conversation. (Chloe was blushing a deep pink.) Malfoy and Crabbe were talking about a band they had seen the weekend before at a bar down the street.
Hermione wasn't sure what to do. She had turned her head to join in the conversation with the two couples when she felt a distinct push on her right leg. Her brow furrowed; she looked down. Draco had made himself more comfortable; his right foot was draped over his left knee, and he had spread out considerably. With a violent push, she shoved his shoe off of her leg. It didn't budge. He didn't even turn to look at her. His foot was now in her personal space, permanently, it seemed.
Hermione groaned softly.
In time, their dinners arrived. Having gotten used to Draco's foot pressed into her thigh, Hermione was unprepared for his next attack. She picked up her fork, speared an asparagus, and brought it to her mouth. At the same time, Draco used his left hand to do the same thing (a seasoned piece of potato being the tempting food from his plate). His elbow knocked into hers, smashing the asparagus into her cheek, instead of her mouth.
Hermione glared in his direction. Instead of acknowledging her, Draco continued to talk animatedly to Crabbe, something about football and a favored team. Hermione was seething. He was infuriating, and his behavior was frustrating. Every time she raised her right arm to feed herself, his left arm would rise to bump her elbow. After numerous times, Hermione resigned herself to measuring when she could bring her fork to her mouth, only lifting it when Draco was drinking out of his wine glass or directly after he had put food in his mouth.
It wasn't until he started making comments about her body that she truly retaliated. He mentioned to Crabbe that he preferred women with a bit more ass to hold. He mentioned that skinny little girls did little to satisfy him. He had even given another one a chance last month.
Hermione was fit to be tied. She had had it with Draco's behavior and decided to act. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Draco brought the glass of water to his lips. With a little flick of her index finger underneath the table, the glass tipped a little more than it should have.
Water spilled down his front, soaking his fine silk shirt. "Shit," he muttered, trying to wipe it up with his napkin. The stain on his shirt inched out a little more than necessary.
Amusement danced in Hermione's eyes and the edge of her lips curved upwards ever so slightly. Across the table, Zabini cocked his head towards her and raised his eyebrows. She gave him a barely noticeable shrug and continued to chew on her salad.
Draco was oblivious to the whole exchange. Excusing himself, he stood and headed towards the restroom.
Malfoy smiled to himself. This night was going much better than he had expected. He had only agreed to accompany Greg to dinner because it would have seemed very strange otherwise. He had figured that he could sit far away from Granger and not even have to acknowledge her the whole evening. Sitting next to her, torturing her in small subtle ways was so much more fun.
He headed into the loo. Looking around to make sure no one else was in there, he walked into a stall. Grabbing his wand from his back pocket, he engorged it to its correct size with a simple spell. Then, he applied a small drying charm to the water stain. It immediately disappeared. He shrunk his wand back down and tucked it into his back pocket once again.
Turning around, he walked out of the stall and over to the urinal. He might as well use it while he was in there. As he relieved himself, Blaise walked into the room. They were washing their hands at the sink when Blaise spoke.
"So, Malfoy, what really happened between you and Granger a few weeks ago?" Blaise asked bluntly.
"I already told you guys. Nothing," replied Malfoy. "I took her back to her flat, made sure she was tucked into bed, and left." He turned off the water and dried his hands.
Blaise barked a short laugh. "I don't believe you. There is no way in hell that you would be acting like this, and there is no way Granger would be breaking rules to get back at you." He crossed his arms and leaned his hips on the edge of the sink, crossing his ankles.
Malfoy paused. "What do you mean by that?"
Blaise nodded and stared at the front of Malfoy's shirt. "Nice little fix to the shirt. How did you do that so easily?" he asked pointedly. He knew exactly how Draco had dried the water.
"Granger wouldn't dare," Malfoy said, beginning to suspect there was more to the water spill than just his clumsiness. "Not in public."
"You wouldn't think so," said Blaise, "but then, how do you expect her to act after all the things you've done to her this evening? She can't eat her food because you keep bumping her, she is squeezed into that little space between Rob and you, and she was currently being insulted about her looks." Blaise grinned, thoroughly enjoying himself.
Draco grinned, meeting his friend's eyes. "Okay, but you have to swear not to tell any of the others."
His smile faded. "The other weekend, she and I both ended up back at my flat. She found out what I had been trying to do all night. She knows that we come over to this side of town to pick up women. And, I let it slip that I had had my eye on her the entire night. One thing led to another and we ended up in the bedroom."
Blaise was on edge, ready to hear every juicy detail. To find out what Hermione Granger looked like under the enormous robes at school had been more than one Slytherin's boyhood fantasy.
"Sorry, Blaise," said Malfoy, shaking his head. "I'm not going to give you details. Let's just say that what's underneath all of those clothes is even better than the wrapped package."
Zabini's face fell a little, but he quickly recovered. "Why the animosity between you two now, if the act was mutual?" He stood up and asked accusingly, "Did you kick her out?"
Draco shook his head and looked away. "No," he said shortly. "She was gone the next morning." He stared at his friend, daring him to say something.
"Your pride is bruised," he said knowingly. He burst into laughter. "You haven't had a girl leave you in the morning in over five years. You're always the one who takes off."
"Shut up," muttered Draco, heading towards the door. "Like I said, don't tell anyone."
"Oh, don't worry, I'm not going to tell a soul," said Blaise, amusement still dancing across his face. "This is too much fun."
The two men headed back to the table. Most of the dishes had been cleared away. Blaise greeted Chloe again, who smiled up at him. They resumed their conversation almost immediately. Draco slid himself back into his seat. Instead of ignoring Hermione, he slung his arm around the back of her chair and drew her closer to him.
Hermione swung around. "Kindly remove your person from my chair," she demanded rudely.
"No way, Granger," he said. "I think you like being near me."
"If I were you, I wouldn't presume to know anything about me, Malfoy," Hermione ground out.
Draco leaned over and bent down to whisper in her ear. He could smell the fruity shampoo that she wore and the scent of her skin. He wanted to taste it again. Instead, he murmured, "I know that you like to have your nipples teased while I play with your cli…"
Hermione wrenched herself away from him. "Shut up," she stated very succinctly. She turned away from him and yanked the check from the table. Scanning its contents, she quickly figured out how much she owed and rummaged through her purse to find the correct bills.
Draco smiled. He was finally getting to her. He wanted to push her over the edge, and he had a sneaking suspicion that she was very close.
"I liked the other shirt better, Granger," he whispered, making no means to hide that he was currently staring at her chest. "I could see all the way down to your belly button in that one."
Hermione stood suddenly, knocking over chair. She slammed down the bills on the table, yanked on a black sweater that had been hanging over the back of her chair, and slung her purse on her shoulder. Her companions had stopped what they were doing, and were staring quietly at her sudden outburst.
"Get over it, Malfoy," she hissed. "We had a one night stand. Just because we played by my rules instead of yours, you seem to have your knickers in a twist. Get over it."
She stormed away, her head erect, her eyes gleaming with fire.
No one spoke for a full minute. They just stared at Hermione's retreating form and then at Draco Malfoy, who had the decency to look mildly embarrassed.
Finally, Anna broke the silence. "You slept with Hermione?" She sounded more surprised than anything else.
Draco nodded once, twice.
"Thank God!" cried Chloe. "It's about time she got over him."
"Over who?" asked Blaise. All the men were staring at her curiously.
"That guy from high school," said Chloe. "Ron, I think his name was. She hasn't been out with anyone since they broke up four years ago. She refuses to even think about dating someone, much less sleeping with someone. She really needed a good shag."
Blaise burst out laughing. He couldn't help himself. Vince and Greg shared a mutual look, before joining him. Draco didn't seem to be too upset about Hermione's outburst anymore.
"Don't worry about her," said Sophie, nonchalantly. "Hermione will come around. She just needs to deal with the fact that she slept with someone who wasn't her fiancé."
Draco groaned and covered his eyes. Little miss innocent was exactly that. Innocent. She had no idea how the game was played, and she didn't know how to separate the act of sex from the emotional attachment she had always had to it.
He rose from his seat, took out his wallet, and threw down some bills. "I'm going to go make sure she is all right," he said quietly.
He left the party still discussing Hermione's relationship with Ron and exited the restaurant. He asked the maitre d' which way the young woman had headed and then followed his directions.
He found her several blocks down the road, muttering to herself. "Stupid pureblood prick. Rude bastard. Merlin, I hate him." He approached her from behind, a little afraid to make his presence known. It was loud on the street at night, cars honking and tearing down the street. He could just disappear. She would never know. But his conscious remained in the forefront of his mind.
He sighed. They were coming up to a light. They were going to have to stop to cross the street. There were too many automobiles.
His hand fell heavily on her shoulder. "You really shouldn't talk to yourself, Granger."
She whirled around, wrenching his hand off her person. "What the hell are you doing here, Malfoy?" Her eyes were flashing, her cheeks were pink. She was still fired up.
"I wanted to make sure that you were okay," he explained tightly. He was beginning to realize that he should never have come after her. Let her get mugged out here, it would be her own damn fault.
"Well, I'm fine, so you can just go back and finish your dinner," she said, pulling her sweater tighter around her and turning to leave. She had only gone five steps when she heard him.
"Sophie told us about you and Ron," he called.
She whirled around and marched back to him. Stabbing her finger into the center of his chest, she warned, "Don't you dare pretend to know anything about my relationship with Ron. Don't you dare." Draco stepped back once, twice. She followed, her eyes narrowed to slits. She was furious. "You don't know anything about me. You never wanted to know anything about me before. You just wanted to believe all the crap that your family taught you. Well, guess what? That's fine with me. My life was fine before you returned to it. It will be fine when you get bored and get out of it. The sooner, the better. Get the hell away from me." She spun around and ran across the street. The light had turned green again.
Draco, more than a little irritated, followed her. He grabbed her shoulder again when he caught up with her. "You know, Granger, what the hell is your problem? I finally try to be nice to you, and you can't stop…"
Hermione shoved him away from her. "That's exactly the problem, Malfoy! Why the hell should I be nice to you now that you've decided to be nice to me?" She struck a pose and snapped her fingers. "What? Snap?! And everything between us has changed?"
She shook her head and crossed her arms, leaning into one hip. "I don't think so," she said. "One night of really hot sex isn't going to change a damn thing. Stay out of my life, stay away from my friends. I'm done with you." With a cry of frustration and a quick look around, she closed her eyes tightly and murmured, "Deliberation, Determination, Des.."
Draco realized what she was doing at the last moment. He lunged for her, wrapping his long fingers around her wrist. He felt a familiar sensation, one of his whole body being squeezed through a straw. With a POP, they both landed inside a home.
She wrenched away from him. They both started screaming at each other at once, drowning out the other's words.
"How dare you screw up my apparation?" cried Hermione, dropping her purse to the floor. "I could have splinched myself!"
"What the hell were you thinking, Granger, apparating in the middle of a public place?" yelled Draco. "We could both be fined for that!"
She tore off her sweater and flung it over the back of the sofa. They had ended up in her flat, in the living room. "I told you that I'm done with you."
"Well, I'm not done with you," ground out Draco, angrily swiping at the blond hair that had fallen in his eyes. "And in case you hadn't noticed, I can't stay out of your friends' lives. Sophie and Goyle are glued together."
She threw up her hands and walked around the other side of the couch, placing a rather large piece of furniture between the two of them. She grabbed a pillow and hugged it to her. "What the hell was that about anyway? Why couldn't you keep the two of them apart?" She glared at him, as if their friends' relationship was entirely his fault.
He stormed around the couch and pushed his face very close to hers. She didn't budge an inch. His voice was tight when he spoke. "For once in his life, Goyle is happy. And, he's making the person with him very happy, too. I'm not going to ruin it for him."
"Those innocent girls, my friends, don't even know what you guys are capable of. They don't even know that you're wizards. They don't even know I'm a witch. They have no idea that there are people out there who could kill them with a simple flick of their wand." Her whole body was still, her voice taut. The heat between them was building and becoming unbearable.
Draco pulled back, confused. "Wait," he said. "You are telling me that those girls don't know you are a witch?"
Granger shook her head. "Why should I tell them? I live in muggle London; I have a muggle job. I don't even have a wand anymore."
Something clicked inside Draco's head. "So the little stunt you pulled with the water glass tonight was done without assistance?"
She sneered. "You deserved it."
Draco was starting to understand just how powerful of a witch Hermione was. He didn't say anything. He just stood for a moment, taking in every feature, from her tangle of tawny curls to her deep brown eyes to her full lips and bare shoulders.
"I think it's time you left," she said, walking to him and shoving the pillow in his stomach. She passed him and walked to the door of her flat. She swung it open and stood there. "Here's the door. Don't let it hit your ass on the way out."
With a flick of his hand, the door slammed shut. He smirked, and said lazily, "I don't want to leave yet." With those simple words, he had changed the entire mood. With another movement, he cast another spell.
Hermione felt just a little bit frightened. Suddenly, she felt like an invisible rope had wrapped itself around her waist and was pulling her towards him. She started to wriggle in its grasp. "Get it off me, Malfoy. You're a sick mother fucker, did you know that? Trying to intimidate me so that I'll sleep with you again?"
When she was close enough for him to grab, he released the spell and lunged after her. She twisted away, falling onto the couch. He fell on top of her, only to have her escape from underneath of him. She was struggling to get up, crouched on her knees, when he managed to snatch her ankle. She twisted onto her back to try to push him away. He fell off the couch, onto the floor, and pulled himself on top of her.
Draco spread himself over her, almost moaning as he felt every last one of her curves underneath him. They were both panting from their chase, and their breaths mingled with each other's. He struggled for a moment to get her hands over her head, and the movement pushed her breasts upward.
They lay there for a second, not speaking, trying to catch their breath. A slow grin spread across Draco's face. "You know what, Granger? I have to admit something to you. Earlier tonight, I lied. I don't think your ass is too flat."
She gasped in shock and started to struggle. "You arrogant prick. You stupid bastard. Get off me!"
The only result was that Draco slid more comfortably between her thighs. Pushing her firmly into the carpet, he leaned down to crush his lips to hers. She tried to bite him at first, but he merely pulled back and laughed at her attempts.
He leaned down next to her ear, and whispered, "Even you admitted it, Hermione. We were good together. It was some of the best sex that I've ever have. So stop trying to deny yourself and give into me."
Hermione stared at him for a second in shock. Her heart was pounding in her chest. A liquid pool had settled itself between her thighs. Her whole body was crying out to be touched by him. For the second time in her life, she made a completely irrational decision.
She closed her eyes and pushed her groin against his. She moaned and let herself go. He knew the moment she changed her mind and released her hands. Wrapping her hands around his neck, she pressed her whole body against his.
The built up fury from the entire evening evolved into a passion, which overwhelmed both of them.
Fifteen minutes later, they were both lying on the couch, their clothes strewn around the room, their bodies relaxed after a very satisfying experience. Hermione was spread across Draco's chest, and she snuggled closer to him. The air had cooled; she shivered slightly.
Draco pulled a throw blanket from the back of the couch and laid it over them. He stroked her hair and pushed a curl from her face. "Are you still mad at me?"
"Yes," came the reply from underneath the mane of curls. She was too relaxed to put up a fight at the moment so she didn't expand on her feelings.
Draco chuckled and wrapped his arms tighter around her. He was silent for a moment. He said seriously, "I think you should tell your friends about Hogwarts. And about your magic."
Hermione raised her head and searched his face. "I don't know if that is a good idea."
Draco sighed. "Look, if you don't, Goyle will. He is head over heels in love with Sophie. The subject is going to be brought up. I think your friends will be rather hurt to hear it from Goyle, who they have known for a month, rather than you, who they've known for years."
"I guess it is time," she agreed quietly. She placed her head back on his chest, turning her face to the side.
"Hermione," said Draco hesitantly. "What… what did happen between you and Ron?" He had to know.
She closed her eyes and explained quietly, "Not much. We were engaged when Harry died. Ron didn't handle it very well. He slept with Lavender Brown. I broke it off. I disappeared into muggle London. The last I heard, Ron was on his way to France."
"Why haven't you dated anyone since then?" Draco knew he was pushing it, but she was so malleable right now that he had to take advantage of it.
She shrugged. "It took me two years to get over Ron, to mourn Harry. I was at university, for muggles, and trying to get through as quickly as possible. I found a job right out of school, and had to establish myself there. Work took precedence, and I just never really took the time to develop a relationship with anyone. I mean, I dated. But, nothing ever went any further than a few dinners."
Draco nodded.
She pulled herself up onto her elbows to stare at him. "Look, I know that we are going to run into each other again. As you pointed out, Sophie is dating Goyle. I'd just appreciate a little more respect next time."
Draco smirked. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I forgot," she said wryly. "I'm talking to Draco Malfoy, muggle-hater." She slid her feet off the couch onto the ground, starting to roll off him.
He sat up and pulled her into his lap. "Hey, I have something to say to you. And you're going to listen." His tone was very serious. She paused and waited for him to speak.
"I said a lot of things at school that I shouldn't have. To you, to Weasley, to Potter. To a lot of people. I can't take back the past, but I can try to change what I do in the future. While you were busy growing up, so was I. In case you haven't noticed, I don't call people mudbloods any more. And, whether you believe me or not, I hang out at muggle clubs because I like being around those people.
"Goyle was attracted to Sophie because she's Sophie, not because she has pure magic running through her veins. And I'm attracted to you because you're …"
Hermione waited expectedly for him to finish his sentence.
"Because you're Hermione." He tightened his arms around her. "You're feisty, you're intelligent, and you're one hell of a witch."
Hermione managed a small smile. "Thanks, Draco, but I'm not sure if I'm up for a relationship."
"I'm not asking for a relationship," he said lightly. "I'm asking for a friend with benefits."
Hermoine punched him in the upper arm and Draco grunted. He rubbed the bruised spot and smiled at her.
"Okay," he said. "I'm kidding. Maybe I do want to try a relationship. Slowly."
Hermoine nodded, considering the idea. "I don't know what to think at this point, Draco. There's a lot I need to think about, a lot I need to adjust to. I need time."
He shifted her off of his lap. "That's fine. Just think about it." He stood and began to gather his clothes.
She watched him, sitting on the couch, wrapped up in the blanket. "Where are you going?" The question slipped out of her mouth before she could stop herself.
Draco pulled his pants on and zipped them up. He shook his hair out of his eyes. Snatching up his shirt, he pulled it over his head. "I figured you'd like to be alone. It's been a rough evening, and I'm not sure if I can take much more."
Hermione chuckled. "I guess it wouldn't be too smart for you to stay the night."
Draco shook his head. "No, probably not." He finished tying his shoes and stood up. Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her up to fit against his body. Gently, reverently, he slid his hands over her arms, around her back. He kissed her softly and released her.
"I'll be in touch," he said. He stepped away from her and apparated back to his own flat.
Hermione sighed and pulled the blanket tightly to her. Her emotions swirled within her, but a sense of forgiveness and satisfaction mingled with the confusion. It had been years since she had seen Ron, but not a day went by when she didn't think about him, about Harry. Maybe it was time to put the past behind her, and look towards the future. She'd talk to Chloe tomorrow.
Silently, she pushed herself off of the couch and made her way into her bedroom.