Dramione: stop calling me Malfoy

9. Draco has a fan club

I must admit I was worried about Draco going to work. I didn't think he would do anything stupid, but he might accidentally use magic. He had been pretty good about not using magic around my parents, who got a little jumpy around it, though they liked not having to get out the super glue every time my father dropped something. But I feared Draco might slip up and do a charm. When he returned from work however, I found my fears were irrational.

"How was your first day?" my mother asked over dinner. He looked up from cutting his stake.

Yes, how does it feel to be a working man?" my father added with a smile, before going back to drowning his meal with A1.

"It went really well!" Draco said. I looked up, surprised, a bite half way to my mouth. "Yeah, the manager really liked me, she said I had potential." I led the fork to my mouth and chewed a little rougher than was actually necessary. She? My god, was I jealous? Wow...

"Good," my mother said. "Congratulations!" My father nodded in agreement. I smiled at my boyfriend half-heartedly. I was turning into Lavender Brown.

0o0o0o0

I visited Draco at work the next day during lunch. The place was nearly empty, except for three teenage girls in the corner who were giggling and eyeing him longingly. I sauntered up to the counter where he was standing.

"Hey sweetie," he said when he saw me, and I could feel the glares from the girls behind me on my back. Pride ran through me. I had never been envied by anyone! Well, that wasn't true, in fourth year when I had "dated" Victor Krum I had been envied, but I hadn't really liked him. He was shallow and not really all that smart. Draco, how ever, was smart, and perfect, and really, really, really hot. Swoon! I couldn't talk to Victor like I could with Draco. He wasn't a meathead, and I couldn't love a meathead.

"Hey," I said back, then lent over the counter and kissed him. Behind me I heard the girls storming out of the shop. He pulled away and ran his fingers through my hair. "Looks like you have a fan club," I said, motioning to the door swinging shut behind me. He laughed, and his hair fell into his face.

"What can I say, I'm prettyful!" For once I found his cockiness attractive. "They were here yesterday during my interview. So much for the no-carb diet," he said. I laughed.

"Since when do you know about muggle diets?" I whispered curiously. "Cause you really don't need one."

"Shelly told me, she's my manager." I felt the worry from last night spread through me. Draco could see the hurt spread across my face. "Oh, no no no, it's not like that." He cupped my face in his hands, and then kissed me again. Then he turned around and yelled, "Hey Shelly?" A pudgy blond woman in her late thirties bustled out of the kitchen wearing a pink apron that said Bagel Works. "Shelly, this is my girlfriend Hermione," he said. Shelly looked me up and down, but she smiled and waved to me in one big sweeping gesture.

"Hello there, so you're the girl Draco's been raving about?" He blushed, and began rifling through the display case.

"Well I don't know if he's been raving about me but I guess that's me." She nodded.

"I better keep cooking, the mad one o'clock rush is coming." With that she puttered back through the kitchen door. I looked at Draco, confused at her sudden exit. He shrugged.

"She does that," he said. He placed both hands on the counter and leaned on them. "So wha da ya want?" he asked, a perfect impression of the flight attendant from the plane. "On the house," he added.

"Nothing, thanks. Listen, I was wondering if I could have Harry, Ron, and Ginny over for New Year's Eve. My parents are going to a late party." Draco's face went cold. He went back to organizing the display case.

"I thought we discussed this last night," he mumbled. I sighed.

"I know we did but this is a big secret to keep from them. Plus, I haven't seen them in a while and I miss them." He nodded and moved a tray of muffins around nervously. "I know you don't like them, but they're my friends. The longer I hide this from them the madder they'll be."

"Okay, but I don't want to be there when you tell them, for my own safety. Plus, they might feel like we're ganging up on them." He dropped a tray and scattered muffins on the floor. One by one he dropped them into the trashcan.

"That's fine. If Ginny's there, hopefully she can control Harry. Ron's the only one we have to worry about."

"We can distract him somehow," Draco said, his brow knitting together as he placed more muffins on the empty tray.

"How? Judging by his feelings for me," I felt my cheeks burn at the thought, "he's going to be pretty hard to distract."

"We can buy him a Firebolt, it's not like he can get one himself." I didn't laugh.

"Seriously thought." Draco stopped working and stood up. Looking me in the eye he took my hand.

"If he's such a good friend like you say he is, then he should understand and not give you a hard time." I nodded, but I wasn't sure.

"I've got to go get groceries for my dad, I'll see you tonight?"

"Sure," he said. As I left and the door swung shut behind me I heard him yell, "Shelly? We need more muffins!"