Chapter Text
Walking into the Silver Chalice felt oddly like coming home, to Hermione Granger.
She looked about at the familiar club, ruby light spilling from the black chandeliers and the onyx tables spaced evenly throughout. The red velvet booths and chairs were occupied with drinking witches and wizards, listening to the thumping of the energetic music. Hermione couldn't help but smile.
Turning, she caught sight of Draco following closely behind her, wearing his usual white button up folded to the elbows, his black trousers, and his infuriatingly amused smirk.
Hermione had worn a little black dress, much to Draco's delight. It had been the twin of the red one she had worn at the speed-dating event.
When he caught her looking back at him, he winked, making her cheeks redden.
"Hermione!" Came Ron's voice, as he waved them over to a large table in the corner of the packed club.
"Did we have to invite the weasel." Grumbled Draco behind her, letting his hand linger on her back for a second.
Hermione rolled her eyes. She knew he was only trying to get under her skin, joking about Ron that way.
He grinned in response.
When they approached the table, Harry and Ginny were already there with Ron and Lavender. There were two open chairs for her and Draco between the Potters and the Weasleys.
Today, Hermione and Draco were going out with their friends for the first time as a couple.
A week ago, they had told Harry, Ron, and Ginny that they had started dating.
Understandably, they'd all been shocked.
Shocked, though surprisingly supportive. They had all been crammed into Harry's office, and Ginny had squealed her delight. Ron had stood dumbfounded for the entire conversation, looking back and forth between the two of them, his mouth agape.
Harry had just nodded and kept saying, "Wow, alright."
But now that they were all here together, Hermione was incredibly nervous.
"Malfoy!" Harry greeted him, standing and clapping him on the back. Hermione's eyes connected to Ginny's, noting the absolute devious delight on the witch's face. She was clearly way too invested in their getting together.
Draco returned the sentiment, his affection showing in the way he gripped Harry's shoulder.
Hermione ran to Ginny, who was standing to hug her best friend, sporting a gorgeous emerald green dress, her red hair smoothed back in a sleek ponytail.
"This is so exciting!" Her friend whispered, and Hermione blushed as she pulled back. "You look incredible, by the way!" Ginny added, and Hermione smiled, gesturing to Ginny. "Is that a new dress? It's stunning!"
She hugged Ron and Lavender as well, though she felt more reluctance from the Weasley's than from the Potters. They weren't hostile, but seemingly quite confused why Hermione would want to date Draco Malfoy.
They all sat down at the same time and ordered their drinks. Draco, Harry and Ron ordered Firewhiskey and the girls ordered different fancy cocktails, clinking their drinks together before taking their first sips.
"I have to admit, I was worried you'd never be able to stand in the same room as one another, let alone be in a relationship." Harry stated, and Hermione felt Draco grip her hand beneath the table. "I'm thrilled, don't get me wrong, I just thought you two..."
"Hated each other?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah." Ron chimed in, sipping from his tumbler, his red hair glinting in the light of the chandelier.
"When I sent you on that assignment I was half worried you'd off each other." He chuckled.
Hermione blushed, "Well, it's a bit of a convoluted story," She began. However she was interrupted by none other than Theodore Nott, owner of the Silver Chalice.
He came sauntering up, his brown curls as impeccably styled as his all black robes, and waved at them. "Draco, is that you? Merlin's beard, I haven't seen you in weeks since you started seeing this one!" Theo grinned mischievously. "Hermione dear, how are you?"
Hermione stood and hugged Theo, who she hadn't seen since she'd visited the club the night after the Speed-dating event. Draco only huffed in annoyance, though the twinkle in his eyes betrayed his affection for his friend.
"Evening Theo, I heard you owned this posh new club, had to come check it out for ourselves." Harry drawled, as Hermione slipped back into her seat.
"It's been a dream for ages," Theo beamed, glancing around. "I'm thrilled to have it up and running, finally. Thanks for popping in! What's the occasion?"
Draco frowned at the question, and one might assume him hostile towards the club owner. But the truth was, Theo and Draco were close friends. And as such, he knew Theo to be a meddlesome creature who thrived off dramatics, and though a splendid friend, he could easily give away too much information about how Hermione and Draco really began their relationship.
Information that they had agreed they didn't want to divulge to the group.
"We're here celebrating Hermione and Draco's new relationship." Ginny grinned, lifting her mostly empty drink in a cheers, and taking a swig.
Hermione felt her heart drop into her shoes as Theo put a dramatic hand to his heart. Draco rolled his eyes lightly, as if saying 'here we go'.
"Well, how fitting!" Theo gushed. "The site where you first took a chance on each other. Perhaps I should say Draco took a chance on you, eh Hermione? You were just here for my big event." Theo smiled, seemingly unaware that Hermione and Draco seemed uncomfortable, as the rest of the table now listened in disbelief and curiosity.
They had divulged exactly zero definite details on their story, only telling their friends that they had gotten together after their work assignment.
Which was true... If not completely accurate. But now, it seems they would have to tell them at least some of the truth.
He leaned down towards Hermione, whispering far too loudly for discretion. "Glad I could be of service with the cufflinks tidbit." He winked.
Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief. Peering up at the devilish smile on Theo's face, he had known the entire time!
"Oh, fuck off now, would you?" Draco frowned, sighing defeatedly when his friend bounded off saying, "Next round is on the house!"
Hermione felt everyone's eyes on them then, and Draco gripped her knee affectionately, and gave her a sidelong glance that seemed to be encouraging her to tell their story.
"What's this about an event?" Harry asked, emptying his drink.
"Yeah, 'mione I thought you said you got together after your work assignment?" Ron looked permanently confused, and Lavender seemed much the same, frowning into her Pina Colada.
Ginny was the only one who knew the full story. Well, Ginny and Theo, that bastard.
Hermione sighed, ignoring her bestfriend's obvious glee, as she delved into the real story. Leaving out the explicit details, of course. Draco even added a few tidbits here and there, and by the end of it they were both smiling at each other fondly.
"Draco Malfoy, you git!" Harry rubbed his scar absentmindedly. "Are you telling me you used a Ministry paid work assignment to shag my best friend!" Harry looked ready to hex Draco, who seemed too shocked to say anything in defense of himself.
It was Hermione who spoke up. "Of course not, Harry! What do you take me for?"
She sniffed, "We were professionals-"
"I'm not buying that for a fucking second!" Harry huffed, setting his empty tumbler down with a clink, just as a waiter brought a tray of refills from Theo.
What marvelous timing, she thought.
"Blimey! 'mione!" Ron interjected. "On a work trip? You never mix business and pleasure!"
"They were in love, and sexually attracted to one another, that doesn't mean they shagged, Harry!" Ginny said defending them, then ruined it by giving Hermione a saucy wink.
Hermione's face burned and her knuckles were white from how hard she gripped Draco's hand.
"Ah, Gin! We don't need to hear that!" Harry made a face.
Godric, this was a disaster. Looking over at Draco for support, she saw a self-satisfied smirk on his face. He was bloody thrilled they thought he'd shagged her senseless their entire work assignment!
Hermione pinched his leg under the table, but all that did was turn his heated silver eyes onto her.
She felt her blush deepening.
"Well I think it's lovely you two have gotten together." Lavender said, seemingly smacking Ron beneath the table when he looked at her in disbelief. "We both do, right honey?"
"Ah, yeah." Ron said, his voice sounding unsure, "You still haven't told us why you stopped hating him, though. I mean, it was years that you refused to get drinks if he was invited."
Hermione felt a tightening in her chest, a tinge of guilt for how she had acted during all those years.
"Yeah, you didn't quite answer that question." Lavender chimed in.
"She did hate me, and for good reason." Draco said, "Once I owned up to what I did, I think it was much easier for both of us to put the past in the past." He smiled, his eyes never leaving hers. "And start looking towards the future."
Ron now looked quite disgusted, but Lavender smiled, nodding. Ginny looked positively giddy with happiness, and Harry just looked exhausted.
"We had some... things we needed to work out, and his apology helped a great deal." She took Draco's hand beneath the table again, and smiled at him. "And I had some apologies of my own to make." She added and he smirked at her.
"Yeah, like why in Godric's name would you ask to be obliviated, 'mione! That's daft!" Ron snorted, chugging his firewhiskey.
Hermione rolled her eyes, and her friends chuckled.
"Why do you think the Obliviation charm didn't work? Do you think it wasn't cast properly?" This was Lavender, looking pensive.
Hermione and Draco both had given it a great deal of thought. The only time the charm has ever been reversed was through torture, and since that clearly hadn't happened, they'd determined that Draco simply hadn't done a very strong one, or had somehow created a failsafe, by accident. None of these answers really explained what happened, and Hermione had been determined to figure it out, in the beginning. But now she was doing her best to be okay with perhaps never knowing why she had remembered that night without any negative side effects whatsoever.
She may never learn why it had failed, but she was glad that it had.
"I'll bet Malfoy didn't do it properly." Ron taunted, spilling his firewhiskey as he brought it to his lips.
"A bit rich coming from you," Draco drawled good naturedly, "the bloke who puked up slugs when his own spell backfired."
"My wand was broken!" Ron sputtered, "You try and cast with a broken wand, Malfoy, see how easy it is then!"
"I could do it wandlessly, with my mouth taped shut." Draco bragged, clearly enjoying torturing Ron.
The table roared in laughter as the two of them argued.
They drank and talked for hours, Hermione's heart filled to the brim with joy and contentment as her friends and Draco, got along swimmingly. She shouldn't have been surprised, since they'd been going out with him for years, always asking her to join and her always declining.
She didn't want to think how many years had been lost because of her stubbornness and judgemental attitude towards him. She had decided that she wouldn't dwell on the things she couldn't change, she could only focus on what lie ahead.
And Hermione couldn't see anyone except for Draco, for her.
He caught her gaze in the dim lights, the din of their friends laughter around them, and he smiled softly.
***************************
"Malfoy, let's have a smoke." Harry stood to his feet as everyone was finishing their last drinks.
Draco looked to Hermione, seeing that she was talking with Ginny, Lavender, and Ron, and squeezed her hand as he stood to join Harry. When Hermione looked up, she waved him off.
So, Draco followed his friend out of The Silver Chalice to Diagon Alley.
The sun had set hours ago, and the night was dark all around them. The street was illuminated by the magical street lamps, and the fog of late evening had given everything a gray haze.
Harry leaned up against the brick exterior, lighting up a cigarette, it's end burning a bright orange in the dim night.
Draco followed Harry's movements and leaned back against the brick next to him, it's rough exterior scratching against his clothing.
"Want a light?" Harry asked, and Draco shook his head, though his mouth was watering for one.
"I quit." He said, by way of explanation.
"When? You smoked in my office just a few weeks ago!" Harry sounded surprised, and Draco shrugged.
"That day, actually."
Harry eyed him, his green eyes calculating.
"I don't need to give you the talk, do I?" He asked, his tone holding a thread of promised violence.
Draco knew immediately that this was about Hermione and his intentions with her.
She didn't have any family since she had obliviated her parents during the war, and Harry was the closest thing she would ever have to a brother.
Draco understood why Harry would need to bring it up at all, and he respected him even more for it.
"I think i'm going to ask her to marry me." Draco said instead, and watched the cigarette almost fall from Harry's lips as they opened in shock. He caught it, returning it to his mouth.
"Does she know?" Harry looked at him with something akin to skepticism.
"She doesn't know." Draco said quietly, his chest tightening. "I know it's too soon, I just... I know she is it for me."
The words hung between them, and Harry remained silent for a beat.
"You don't have to rush things." He said after a moment, blowing out smoke towards the stars. "Hermione will want to take things slow."
Draco scoffed at that, he knew she would want to think through things, and be thorough before she made a decision.
"I know. I wasn't planning a proposal tonight or anything." Draco huffed out a breath, "I just wanted you to know how I felt." His eyes burned just thinking about her.
"You know I love Hermione, we all do. We want what's best for her." Harry eyed him, taking a drag of his cigarette.
"I know." Draco swallowed, feeling a bead of sweat trickle down his spine.
"I see the way she looks at you, she's smitten."
Draco sucked in a breath.
"And I see the way you look at her." Harry continued, casting him a sidelong glance. "Like she hung the bloody moon." He huffed a laugh and Draco did too. It wasn't untrue.
"I love her." Draco choked out, staring down at his feet, blinking furiously.
Harry didn't say anything for a few minutes. Then he put out his cigarette and gripped Draco's shoulder. "I think she knows, mate." He assured him, "and whenever the time is right, I'd be glad to call you family."
With that, Harry stalked back inside.
Draco stood out under the stars, blinking up at them and wondering how he could have gotten so lucky.
His past decisions and failures had set him up for a life that was full of pain and death and destruction. But he hadn't let those thing define him.
Instead, when he had finally seen the error of his ways, he had done the best he could to right his wrongs, just hoping to gain some semblance of a normal life, not expecting much, in all honesty.
A decent job with people who would tolerate him. A place to live.
Instead, he'd gotten so much more than he could have ever dreamed of.
He had a job he loved, with people who respected him.
And he had gotten her.
And with it, an entire new family, it would seem.
He swallowed, pushing back the fears that always tried to creep in. He knew he didn't deserve her, or any of this, and he thought that any day she might realize it.
Instead, she kept choosing him, and he kept striving to be worthy of it.
Draco pushed off of the wall and headed inside The Silver Chalice, again. He bid farewell to his friends and Hermione waved as she clung to his arm. On Diagon Alley, they waited for Harry and Ginny to apparate away, and when they were finally alone, he turned to her.
"Are you ready?" He asked, "We're going to apparate to your flat."
Hermione looked confused. "We can't apparate into my flat, remember?"
Draco fought his grin. "Yes, but do you remember how I left work early the last few days when you were working late on the Centaur legislation?"
She looked suspicious. "Yes..."
"Well, I had your wards repaired." His eyes held hers, and saw her surprise morph into excited disbelief.
"What- How- why did you do that?" She sputtered.
"Because, I didn't like the thought of you having to walk home in the dark everyday. Especially since you don't always let me walk with you." He glared at her.
"Because It's unnecessary and you're supposed to be working late, sometimes." She reminded him.
"See, that's exactly why I couldn't let it be any longer." He held out his arm, Hermione eagerly gripped it as he apparated them into her flat.
When the street disappeared and the flat took shape around them, Draco couldn't wait any longer. He grasped her by the hips and pulled her to him, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. Her arms came up around him, and she kissed him back with ardor.
When he pulled back, he gently caressed her neck with his lips. "That, and I wanted to be able to apparate into your bed anytime I please." He said into her skin, and Hermione laughed.
The sound reverberated throughout her flat, and Draco savored it and the way it made his heart feel it like it might burst from joy.
"I love you, Draco." She gazed up into his eyes, playing with the hairs at his nape. "Thank you."
His stomach flip flopped at her words. It wasn't the first time she'd said it, but it still made him weak in the knees every time.
"I love you too," He answered back, lowering his lips to hers again.