A/N: This is silly and fluffy and I apologize. Happy birthday, Natalie! x

Heroes

Draco held up the flimsy book by its back cover, watching as the thin pages fluttered in the breeze entering through the window in the drawing room. He didn't understand the Muggle fascination with such pitifully constructed reading material; since he'd been old enough to read—and he'd started early, as his mother had proudly told anyone who would listen until he'd persuaded her to stop around the time he'd begun attending Hogwarts—he'd been given sturdy hardback volumes, often first editions. What would he want with this tiny thing? It appeared to be primarily pictures, anyway.

"What is he wearing?" asked his mother, leaning over to pinch the corner of the booklet Draco held and raising a blond brow as she examined its cover. The man pictured was clothed in some sort of blue bodysuit resembling long pajamas with a red cloak and an "S" emblazoned on his chest.

"No idea," said Draco, shaking his head. They sat on the sofa, boxes of Hermione's possessions stacked in front of them. She was in the process of moving in, and Draco had taken the liberty of picking the item he held off the top of the nearest box while she sorted through one in the corner. "Hermione, what is this?"

She looked up from where she sat on the floor, and her cheeks flooded with color. "That's a comic book. Don't worry about it, love."

"Would you care to elaborate?"

Draco looked up at the sound of his father's voice from the doorway as he brought in another box and set it in front of the nearest armchair before taking a seat beside his wife.

"It's not something we've seen before," Lucius continued.

Draco raised a brow. Hermione wasn't easily embarrassed, and he had to admit, she was adorable when she blushed. He flipped open the book to a random page and began reading, though he found he had absolutely no idea what was happening or what "kryptonite" was.

"They're about super heroes," Hermione explained. Her voice was soft, and Draco glanced up from the comic book to see that her blush had deepened. "People who have special powers."

"Magic?" asked Narcissa.

"Sort of. Except that while magic is commonplace in our world, most of the people in the comics are Muggles and only a select few have the abilities. They use them to save the world, generally speaking."

Draco glanced to his mother to find her with her brows drawn, clearly pondering. He half expected her to reach for the book he held.

"Where do you want these?" Hermione pulled a stack of antique plates from one of the boxes, and Narcissa stood and strode over to take them from her carefully. Lucius hurried to her side and grabbed them from her hands, and they started for the door.

"We'll be back shortly," said Narcissa, laying a hand on his arm as they left the room.

Hermione let out a sigh and rubbed her temple. "That was mortifying."

Draco smirked, pushing himself to his feet and making his way over to sit on the floor beside her, sliding an arm around her waist and resting the book beside him. "Why's that?"

"They'll think I'm mad," Hermione muttered, resting her cheek against his shoulder.

"Actually, I think they think you're fascinating. It's all new to them. I know I find you fascinating." He laid his hand on her cheek and lifted her chin enough to allow him to meet her lips gently as he gave her waist a squeeze.

"Thank you," she said when she pulled back, smiling. "If your mum wants to read them, though, I'll give her Batman to start with."

Draco blinked. "He's a bat?"

"No, no." Hermione chuckled and ruffled his hair. "He's a man who dresses like a bat. He's wealthy and brooding and trained in combat."

"Ah, good choice."

"I'm partial to Superman, though." She pulled the book Draco had been examining closer.

"What does he do?" Draco asked, resting his chin on her shoulder as she flipped through the pages.

"Well… he's incredibly strong and fast, and he flies."

"I fly."

"That's true." Hermione grinned. "I didn't exactly mean on a broom, but I suppose that counts as a special ability. It's one I don't possess." She leaned close to meet Draco's lips once again, and he found his heart racing as it always did anytime she was near.

He twisted a lock of her hair around his finger and watched her face, admiring the brown of her eyes. "So I'm like this… 'Superman,' then?"

Smiling, Hermione laid the book on the floor and slid her arms around his neck. "You're better." She returned her lips to his, and pride swelled within him as he kissed her tenderly.