~Accidentally on Purpose!~

~20~ ~ABYSS~

Don't worry. I don't own anything. It is the world of JK Rowling. We are just living in it ;) And none of the art except the cover page belongs to me. HAPPY READING!

That day Hermione waited till Draco came back from the date. Just to ask him how that went. Nothing else.

"He is still not back yet."

"I'd say that's a pretty good sign," Susan replied bouncing her eyebrows and tilting her head to the side."

"Yeah, yeah. I guess so." Hermione sighed and took a seat on the sofa.

"What do you mean you guess?" Susan enquired as she was pretty confused by her demeanor and the reply. "Are you having second thoughts?"

"No, oh no. Of course not. I'm just..." she took a deep breath and tried to continue. "I just have never had so much riding on a positive outcome, this whole business and it's more than that."

Susan was now intrigued, she turned off her laptop and sit facing her directly giving her the full attention.

"I've gotten to know him, watched him grow, open his cold heart to the world and I am happy to be wrong for the first time about a person. It's not like he has changed to Harry or the most righteous person in London, but he is not the Draco Malfoy I knew in school."

"Or maybe, you never actually knew him."

At this Hermione paused and let that sink in. Was Susan right? 

"Okay, here's what I think and I am not picking any sides, just so you know. Like now, you knew about him after spending time with him and if, a person who tortured you and your best friends in school has managed to change your perception of him in such a short time, maybe what he ever needed was a chance to be heard."

There was dead silence in the room except for cackling bonfire.

"I guess you are right, Susan. People have circumstances and they act accordingly. Maybe, if I was a Malfoy or even a rich Slytherin for the sake of argument and my father was practically in feet of Good old Voldy, maybe I would've acted the same minus the snobbish remarks on someone's hair."

Both of them burst into giggles at the last anecdote.

"He's a good man, he deserves someone who loves him and makes him a better person," Hermione stated more for herself than for Susan.

"As you do?" questions Susan with a raised eyebrow and a knowing smile.

The silence was back again until Hermione realized what she had just uttered.

" Like I do what? Love him? Is that...." she was tongue-tied now. "Are you saying that I love him?"

 Hermione started laughing and it suddenly turned into a maniac mess of emotions on her face ranging from surprise to disgust of a sort?

"It's completely ridiculous, I mean I hardly know him." She took another breath and went on to justify herself and Susan was simply not buying it. 

"But you know, we have spent some time together so of course, naturally.... Why do you say that?" she suddenly turned the question to her.

"No reason." Susan was enjoying riling her up. She knew it was just seconded remaining for her to go into her panic, defensive mode and if she did, her hypothesis was correct.

"I mean I care about him, but I care about all my clients. You know that I care about them. That's what I do, I invest in my clients and that would be completely inappropriate for me to develop romantic feelings for a client."

Here we go, there is your ranting phase, Susan thought.

"That's just, I mean people put their trust in me not to do things like that. That notion is completely outrageous." Hermione scoffed.

"And he is Draco Malfoy, Susan. I mean who lives in a palace like this, look at these all fancy and vintage rugs," she said kicking the floor under her to abstain herself from looking in Susan's scathing and judging sight. 

Hermione stood up and raised her voice, "THEY SHOULD NOT BUILD SUCH FIREPLACES THIS BIG IN ROOMS, IT'S VERY HOT IN HERE."

Aaaaand she was gone out the door with a slam.

"I believe you!"

***

It was time for snickers. 

Hermione was frustrated and embarrassed. She went down the lobby chanting, "RiDiCuLoUs".

As she was nearing the staircase, her hopes to take a stroll in the garden shattered when she saw none other than Draco Malfoy himself, all in his glory climbing upstairs.

" Hermione!" he called out when he saw that she had taken a sharp U-Turn at his sight.

She sighed, composed herself, and put on her work smile.

"Why are you traipsing around the Manor in your pajamas?" he asked furrowing his brows at the sight of her attire.

Huh, she didn't love or even like him and his sneering self."

You are right, I am sorry. I should go to bed." She made up an excuse to prevent herself from more embarrassment. The previous dose was more than enough for a single day and a single lass.

"Aren't you going to ask me how it went with Natasha?"

"Mmmhmm, yes. How did it go with Petra."

Draco strode towards her and stood too close for her liking and took her hands in his, a gesture they both felt familiar with.

"Great," he let out a breath "I-I couldn't have asked to have gone any better. I mean, we were just talking half the time."

He stuttered and maybe it was a first for them both – her to experience it and his to initiate it.

"And I can't believe I am saying this but I think she's one special girl."

"She is, she absolutely is. That is why I kept her for the big surprise." Hermione fake smiled when she could actually hear the sound of something breaking inside.

"Do you think she might be the one for me?"

"I wouldn't have sent you up if I didn't."

At her reply, he visibly seemed to be more relaxed and she was once again assured that her confidence, both real and fake are amicable.

"Okay", he replied, "so, I'll take your leave as I have a lot of thinking to do."

"You do? Oh! You do." She didn't know what got inside her but she almost slipped. "Yes, you do."

"Which is a good thing," he raised his brows to get a confirmation from her.

"YES, we could not have done any better."

"Okay well, Good Night Ms. Granger." He took her hand in his own again and then she realized that mid talk he had let go of her hand and she did not even notice and placed a little peck on her knuckles and then looked at her, directly into her deep hazel orbs. 

This was the perfect moment and then he winked and she could visibly see the Malfoy she knew coming back into his actual smirking and annoying form.

Scratch that perfect moment fiasco.

He was a complicated man and no one could ever guess what he would do the next moment. But he was a good man. That she was sure.

She sighed again and lost count of how many times she did so in this single day and went to her room to retire for the night.

A/N ~ Don't forget to comment and vote if you like the story. Stay safe. Love Yourself!

~ gK