A/N: I can't believe it's been almost a year.. Time flies by so fast when you're a busy adult. I'm so sorry for the wait you lovely readers, I really appreciate all of you reading, reviewing and following this story.
I'll make you a promise; even though I might take my time uploading, I will NEVER give up on my baby It's Like Magic. Pinky swear!
Big love to my awesome beta xTheLastLynx, who sticks by my side no matter what, LOVE YOU.
Enjoy this chapter lovelies, see you next time! xx
Ginny's team won the game. All the Slytherins attending had been stiff and alert the entire time, but when the group left their seats without any trouble and no signs of Death Eaters, they started to relax. Hermione hooked her arms through both Luna's and Pansy's, earning a smile from the latter.
'I never thought I would enjoy watching women's football,' Pansy said as they walked ahead of the boys and towards the locker rooms where they were supposed to meet Ginny.
'Personally, I think playing football makes woman look hot, and the team spirit is just as good if not better than with men,' Luna grinned.
Pansy laughed and poked her head around Hermione to look at the blonde girl.
'I did miss the eye candy a little bit, but I absolutely agree with you. Ginny looked very fierce today, did you notice?'
'Hey! Don't you dare start hitting on my girlfriend,' Harry called from behind them.
Pansy chuckled. 'I'll do whatever I want, Potter,' she threw back over her shoulder, 'but don't worry, I promise I won't steal her away from you.'
Neville halted and turned around with a frown on his face.
'How are you guys handling this so well?' he asked no one in particular. 'This Greyback person is supposed to be in prison for murder. What if he and these other creeps start hunting you or us down for revenge?'
Everyone went quiet at his words and immediately the merry atmosphere changed. Hermione looked at her friend, his hands toyed with the hem of his shirt nervously and he kept scanning his surroundings. She couldn't really blame him. The entire game she had to force herself to smile, to forget what had just happened, so she could support Ginny and enjoy a day out with her friends.
'He won't do anything in public and Blaise already contacted my father; we're having a meeting about this tonight. Just... try not to travel alone until we come up with a solution for this problem,' Draco said.
He moved closer to Hermione and grasped her hand in his. She knew he was trying to ease their anxiousness, but it wasn't really working for the non-Slytherins. Pansy and Daphne seemed more angry then scared, but Harry, Ron and Neville had this look in their eyes that told her they were worried and nervous. Luna however looked quite calm.
'I'm sorry we dragged you into this war between us. If we would have known, we'd been more careful,' Theo added as he pulled Luna against him.
The girl wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against him to kiss his cheek.
'You couldn't have known, love. I think, I speak for all of us when I say that we don't blame you,' she said.
Ron was the only one ready to disagree, but before he could open his mouth Daphne was right there beside him, intertwining their fingers. He mumbled something under his breath, but didn't say anything else. Harry sighed and ran his fingers through his messy black hair, something he used to do when he was nervous about something.
'Just let us know what you dad says, alright?' he said to Draco. 'I'm going to find my girlfriend and try to forget what just happened. I would appreciate if you won't mention anything to her until at least after the celebration.'
Everyone nodded and Harry disappeared towards the locker rooms. Lost in thought they waited for the couple to return. Hermione leaned against Draco and watched her friends. Daphne and Ron went to get drinks with Blaise, and Pansy had made herself comfortable on a wooden bench with Neville beside her; they were talking in hushed voices. Luna and Theo stood a couple feet away, holding hands and smiling at each other. They were unbearably cute.
'Are you okay?' Draco whispered into her ear after a few minutes.
Hermione nodded and turned around in his arms to look at him.
'Are you worried?' she asked.
A muscle in his jaw clenched and he nodded slowly. Hermione appreciated his honesty, but a part of her wished he would have lied to her.
'Fenrir is a dangerous man, Princess. I would be a fool if I said he and his little group of Death Eaters didn't worry me. You, however, should try not to worry too much, we will keep you safe, I promise,' he dropped a kiss on top of her head and pulled her a little closer to him.
Hermione sighed. Easier said than done.
When Hermione awoke the next morning, her head was pounding. She blamed it on the alcohol Ginny had basically poured down her throat at the victory party last night. After the Slytherins had left for their meeting regarding the Greyback issue, she and Harry had dragged her and Luna along to Ginny's to meet up with some of her teammates. At first, Hermione had planned to leave after one drink, but as the night carried on her friend kept slipping her drinks, and Harry kept making everyone snacks, begging her to stay and help them eat up.
Slowly, Hermione slipped out of bed and forced her legs to move towards the shower. The hot water made her feel a little better, and after a couple of painkillers and a cup of tea she felt as good as new. Her parents left a note saying they went to visit Hermione's aunt today and wouldn't be back until later that night, so it was up to Hermione to make herself breakfast.
'Cereal, cereal, where are you?' she mumbled as she went through the cupboard in search for food.
Just as she saw a box of coco pops, someone knocked at the door. Hermione quickly grabbed the packet and brought it with her to the door. For a moment she hesitated. She expected no one, and after yesterday she felt a tad paranoid to just open the door. Shaking her head, Hermione pushed away her mistrust; if she started second-guessing everything she was doing, she would allow those bastards to control her life. It could just as well be Harry, wanting to check in on her.
After taking a deep breath, Hermione slowly opened the door.
A smiling Draco Malfoy stood in front of her.
She let out a relieved sigh.
'Hi there, handsome,' she said before quickly pulling him inside and closing the door.
Draco raised his eyebrows at her greeting but before he could say anything about it she leaned forward to kiss him.
'Good morning, Princess,' he breathed against her lips.
Melting into his touch, Hermione relaxed. He smelled good today, like sandalwood and polished leather and a hint of something else she couldn't quite place.
'Is there any particular reason why there's a box of cereal between us?' Draco asked with an amused glint in his eyes.
'Oh, er, no not really. I was looking for food when you rang the bell,' she laughed and to prove her words, her stomach rumbled.
After another kiss Hermione lead Draco into the kitchen and began preparing her breakfast as he sat down at the table.
'So what are you doing here?' Hermione asked as she grabbed a bottle of milk out of the fridge.
Draco watched her pour it over her cornflakes before speaking.
'I actually wanted to ask you something, but I'm not sure if you're up for it,' he said, biting his lip as he followed to spoon to her mouth with his eyes.
Hermione blushed under his stare and quickly chewed on her bite of coco pops. When he hadn't continued when she swallowed, she noticed he looked nervous. Why was he nervous? Was it something about yesterday? About the meeting he had with the Slytherins?
'What is it?' she asked, putting her spoon down.
Draco moved around the table and took a seat next to her.
'Will you join me for dinner with my parents tonight?'
'You want me to meet your parents?'
Hermione had not expected him to ask her this so soon. It felt like a big deal for their relationship, and even though he called her his, she still told everyone they were just going out. Even though she felt as if she had known him for a lot longer than two weeks, she didn't want to go too fast. Draco probably saw the look on her face as her being scared cause he put her hand in his and squeezed it comfortingly.
'It's not a big deal, princess. They know we're still taking things slow, but since I'm not planning to let you go any time soon and we got this Death Eater threat hanging above our heads, they wanted to meet you. Mother especially is very excited to get to know the girl who captured my attention, and Father is curious to see if you're as feisty as when he first meet you,' he said with an enigmatic smile.
Hermione felt the blood rush to her cheeks. She had almost forgotten she had basically met his father already, although you couldn't really count it as a real introduction. She remembered the man with long blond hair now; he had smirked at her before ordering Draco to come with.
'I, uh-' Hermione started, not sure what to say.
'It's totally fine if you're not up for it, Princess. I'll understand,' Draco said.
Hermione shook her head.
'No, it's not that. I want to come with you, I just… I like you Draco.'
He opened his mouth to reply but Hermione stopped him by placing her hand against his lips.
'No, let me finish. I told you before that I was scared, and I still am, but I'm also excited. I love the way I feel when I'm around you, I can be myself with you, and you make me feel safe even when the biggest criminal in town is on the loose. It's just that I don't want to go too fast, and I want you to realise that.'
'Relax, I'm not asking you to marry me. Not yet anyway.' Hermione shot him a look and he held up his hands in defence.
'I'm kidding. I hear you, princess. As long as you know your mine, I'm fine with no labels and taking it slow.'
She nodded and smiled as he continued.
'One of the main reasons why I want you to meet my parents, and after that most of the Slytherins as well, is because I think it will keep you safe. I want them to know you, and I want you to see them for who they are. Of course meeting my parents, is a little more important to me for obvious reasons, but I want you to not stress it. I want you to feel comfortable.'
'This means a lot to me, Draco. Thank you.'
'Anything for you, Princess. Now eat your cereal so we can move along.'
'You want to go now?'
'Yeah, I thought we could get some coffee on the way and I want to show you around the manor before you meet my parents. We got some ground to cover, so we might as well start early.'
'The manor? You don't live in castle, do you?' Hermione joked.
Draco chuckled and shook his head.
'Not really, although you might feel like it. We have a lot of room and
Hermione's eyes widened at his words.
'Your cat Dobby must love that, I know Crookshanks would.'
As if the orange cat knew they were talking about him, he prowled into the kitchen and jumped on top of the table to meow at Hermione. She grinned at the creature and scratched his ear. He purred and dropped on his back, presenting his tummy.
'That thing is your cat?' Draco gaped at the orange furball in front of him. Where's his nose?'
Hermione scowled at him
'Crooks is beautiful! Besides, what are you talking about? He has a nose, it's just a little different because of his breed.'
'Alright, I'm sorry for insulting him, Princess. I didn't mean to,' Draco smirked.
'I'm sure you didn't,' Hermione huffed at him, still lovingly stroking her pet.
She knew he wouldn't win the price for most gorgeous cat, but to her he was perfect. As if he could read her mind, Crookshanks let out a soft purr and pressed his head against her hand. She smiled down at him and picked him up to cradle him against her chest. Draco watched them with amusement, but didn't say anything else until she started pressing kisses all over Crooks head.
'Okay you can stop that now, before I get jealous of a cat,' he said, extending his arms to grab the orange cat.
Hermione laughed when Crooks hissed at him and jumped out of her arms himself. The look on Draco's face made her laugh even harder, and while she was still giggling she grabbed the colour of Draco's shirt and pulled him towards her. Her lips touched his before he could even react and his hands found her hips in an instant. She smiled against his mouth and moved her fingers across his neck and into his blonde hair, making him shiver slightly. When she softly bit down on his lower lip he let out a low moan and pressed his pelvis against hers, aching for more contact.
'What was that for?' he panted when they disconnected their lips to catch their breath.
'You looked like you needed a little bit of TLC yourself,' Hermione grinned up at him.
'Oh, I certainly didn't mind,' Draco replied, his fingers sneaking under the hem of her jumper.
She gasped and grabbed his hands before they could go up further.
'Your hands are cold,' she squeaked, only partly lying.
His fingers were indeed cold, probably from the ride to her house. But she knew if she let him touch her like that, they would never leave her house, and he just asked her to meet his parents. She would gladly make out all day, if it wasn't for that.
'Let me get ready for your parents, okay?' she said, backing up slowly.
Draco watched her walk away with curious eyes, but she just smiled at him and jogged up the stairs. First she looked at herself in the mirror and decided that her outfit had to change. Hermione switched her leggings for a black skinny jeans and her oversized jumper for a dark green blouse. She hesitated between a denim or a leather jacket, but decided to go with the leather. She was dating a gang member, so she would dress the part. She kept her makeup light, and added only her silver watch and some earrings for jewelry.
As she turned in front of the mirror, she thought of the manor and the impressive grounds Draco had told her about. She suddenly wondered if his parents would expect her to wear a dress. For some reason she expected his mother to be absolutely perfect. She just knew the woman had to be beautiful, and she probably dressed like a real lady too. What if she was underdressed? What if they'd disapprove of her looking like she was part of the gang. Should she change into the denim jacket?
'Draco?' Hermione called downstairs.
'Yes? Are you ready yet?'
Hermione bit her lip before replying.
'How should I dress?'
She could hear his footsteps on the stairs and her eyes widened. It took Draco only seconds to walk into her bedroom and when he saw her, his eyes did a quick take of her clothes before they settled on her anxious looking face. Hermione felt absolutely stupid, she had never really cared about clothes, or what other people thought of her.
'You look amazing, Princess. Wear those boots, and you're all ready to go,' Draco said, pointing at her black Dr. Martens.
'So I'm not underdressed? Are you sure? Cause I only get to meet your parents once.'
Draco chuckled and bent down to pick up her shoes.
'I think it's cute you want to make a good impression, Princess. I knew you liked me enough to-' he stopped talking when Hermione glared at him.
You will fit right in, I promise.' He said, handing her the boots.
Hermione quickly finished getting ready before writing a note to her parents, in case they came home earlier, and followed Draco outside. He handed her a helmet and got on his bike with an easy movement. Hermione placed herself behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.