A Second Look - A Dramione Story

Chapter 21

Warning: This is not my story. It is from RiverWriter on ao3.

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As she approached the Malfoy table, Draco, without needing to turn around, seemed to know she was coming and swiftly rose and pulled her chair out for her. When she was seated he turned to her. He appeared some combination of worried and confused.

"What the hell was that?" He leaned in and asked in a low voice. "You go to the loo, Brown follows you, Pansy and Daphne follow her. Then Brown comes running back out here looking like she's been struck, and you come back all chummy with my former sister in law, and then, you go, what? Visit my ex?" He'd initially appeared somewhat distressed but by the end of his little speech he appeared to be struggling not to laugh.

"I went over there for Harry," she sniffed. "Astoria and I didn't speak. I'm not certain what we would even say to each other, we've only ever exchanged greetings."

"You're right, she wouldn't know what to say to you. You're like some kind of foreign species to her, Granger, and not because you're a muggleborn. You're strong and independent and that baffles her," he smiled fondly at her but then his lips curled and his expression turned mischievous. "Now tell me what you said to Brown to put that look on her face."

"Nothing that wasn't true," she answered with a sniff. "I'll give you the details later."

"And you and Daphne?"

"She wants to dance with you later."

"And she was, what, getting your permission?"

"Not exactly, she wants to talk to you without making a scene."

"Why?"

"She wants to ask you if she can see Scorpius."

"No!" He winced as soon as the word left his mouth and she could tell that he'd spoken much louder than he'd meant to. He lowered his voice again. "What do you think?"

"It's your decision, Draco."

"I want to know your opinion," he insisted.

She shrugged. "I think it couldn't hurt to hear her out. She seemed sincere and she's the only aunt he's ever going to have. Not to mention, you don't have to decide tonight. You can talk to her then think it over." She

He nodded and they finally turned back to their meal. The rest of dinner was just as uncomfortable as the first part had been; the elder Malfoys practically radiated disapproval. Draco's aunt and uncle were moderately more polite, but it seemed forced- which it probably was. And while Claire and Luc made a real effort to get to know her, the situation was otherwise too tense to be enjoyable. But Draco never flinched. He behaved as it his parents opinions didn't matter at all, and while she hated that for him, she took comfort in his resolve.

When she was finally, finally in his arms on the dance floor he kissed her temple.

"You are magnificent."

She chuckled. "I don't recall doing anything magnificent."

"Hermione, you just sat through a dinner where my parents were barely civil to you and you're still here. My aunt and uncle weren't much better, though they at least had the decency to seem somewhat embarrassed by it. Claire is mortified, by the way."

Hermione supposed Draco knew his family a lot better than she did, but she'd noticed none of that except for the fact that his parents were clearly displeased by their relationship.

"You're worth it, you and Scorpius," she assured him.

He pulled her close to his chest, probably more intimately than was strictly appropriate for such an occasion. However, despite the fact that she could feel eyes on them, she couldn't bring herself to care too much. She knew what they were thinking: it was one thing for her and Draco to attend this event together, but the way they were holding each other would leave nobody in any doubt that they were truly together.