𝐂𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐄 | 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦

five

Draco and Luna owned a little flower shop downtown. It turned out that they were cousins (had to have gotten that blonde hair from a common ancestor), and they had become friends quite quickly despite their differences. Ginny would often stop by the shop to chat with Luna and ended up talking to Draco instead, or at least until Luna showed up. Odd, really, that Hermione hadn't seen Draco since Hogwarts, even though Luna was his business partner. Perhaps because she never visited Luna at the shop.

Ginny had been asking Hermione to go visit with her, but Hermione was always busy with work, or with Ron, or something. Maybe she'd take Ginny up on her offer, though, she mused to herself when she woke up the next morning. 

She padded into the kitchen and started the coffeemaker. When she got it happily chugging along, she took a quick shower and got dressed.

She'd figured out how to easily keep her hair sleek and non-frizzy with her wand, something she wished she'd known at Hogwarts. It would have saved her hours of time and bottles of Sleakeazy's.

Her phone rang, and she picked it up, answering without looking at the Caller ID.

"Hello?" she asked, trapping the device between her ear and shoulder.

"Hello?"

"Oh, hey Luna," Hermione said, putting on her shoes. "How are you?"

"Fine. Listen, I was wondering if you wanted to go out tonight? Draco and I just finished renovating and wanted to have a little party. Just us and Ginny and Blaise."

"Sure. That sounds fun," she responded. "You sure that you don't want anything bigger?"

"Do you know me?" Luna asked with a little laugh.

"I was just pulling your leg," Hermione answered, laughing with her. 

"Alright, Blaise's supposed to come 'round to get you. I've got to go, but I'll see you later?"

"Yep! I can't wait."

"Goodbye, see you!"

"Bye!" 

"Hermione?"

She glanced up from her work at the Slytherin leaning against her doorframe. "Hey, Blaise."

"You ready?"

"Uh, sure," she said distractedly, recalling the party Luna had called about, shuffling all of her papers into a pile. "When?"

"Now. I can Apparate you there if you'd like."

"That would be great actually, thanks, Blaise."

Blaise and Hermione had been assigned as partners to work on a project during the first part of 7th year. At first, they had been very standoffish, barely speaking to each other. After a mishap with a memory charm, they had reluctantly called a truce. Soon the sneered 'Granger's and 'Zabini's turned into just 'Hey, Hermione, want to meet at the lake later? I found a great passage and I think we could use it for our presentation' and 'Blaise, I swear to Merlin if you're on your fourth glass of wine I will-' They'd even dated for a bit before deciding that they were better off as friends.

They ended up in a glassed-in garden. Colors exploded left and right, little multicolored plumes of pollen sprouting into the air. Walkways crisscrossed all over. Hermione let go of Blaise's arm, staring in wonder at the bright colors around her.

"Where are we?" she asked in awe.

Blaise grinned. "Someplace Draco and I used to go when we were little. His mother started the project- this was where he got his love for nature."

"It's amazing," Hermione breathed. She'd never seen anything like it.

"Hermione Granger, speechless," a familiar voice said from behind them. "Never thought I'd see it."

"Shut up, Malfoy," she said, greeted by his familiar smirk as she turned.

"Hello," Luna said serenely, peeking out from behind Draco.

"Hey, Luna," Hermione said, a grin on her face. They started to walk together, Blaise and Draco following behind.

"It's good to see you," Luna said, hugging her. "I haven't seen you since Ginny left."

"Speaking of the Weaselette, when will she be back? I need to ask her about a color palette," Draco said. Hermione noticed Blaise fidgeting and wondered why.

"Uh, this week. I think the day after tomorrow," Hermione answered.

"Good," Draco said. "The arrangement is set for Friday."

"Is it the Mendozas'?" Luna asked.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Tricky customers," Luna informed Hermione. "If they deem even one flower out of place, they'll send the whole thing back."

Draco rolled his eyes. "It's just a waste of flowers, really."

Luna patted him on the arm. "I'll deliver the arrangement this time. They like me much more than you." He scowled.

"I like you more than him, too," Blaise said.

"That's lame, Blaise," Draco said, rolling his eyes.

"Like you could do better!" Blaise snapped.

"Sure I can." He cleared his throat. "Even if there wasn't gravity on Earth, I'd still fall for you," he said, looking directly at Hermione. He threw in an exaggerated wink, and she laughed at him even as her cheeks warmed.

"That was awful," she said.

"See!" Blaise exclaimed pointedly.

"How about, 'you're in my mind so often, I should charge you rent'?" Luna asked.

"Better than Malfoy's," Hermione said. Draco exclaimed in indignation.

They were having a picnic that Luna had brought with her and offering up their best pickup lines. Blaise and Hermione looked absolutely ridiculous in their work clothes, lying about in the grass.

"Well, here I am," Blaise said suddenly. "What were your other two wishes?"

Hermione laughed good-naturedly. "That was a good one."

"What? I still say mine was better," Draco said, scowing.

"Hm... no."

"Hey, Hermione? Can I tie your shoes? Can't have you falling for anyone else," Luna said in a serious tone. Blaise laughed, and even Draco grudgingly smiled. "That was good."

"It's all in the delivery," Luna informed him.

"Ginny's the best at them," Hermione said.

"Really?" Draco asked. "I would not have pegged her as the pickup line type."

"Oh, she is," Luna said, chortling.

"She only uses them with people that she's really into," Hermione said. "She's honestly really smooth with them."

"I don't think 'pickup line' and 'smooth' are allowed to be in the same sentence," Blaise said.

"But 'you' and 'I' should," Luna said mildly.

Draco gave a surprised laugh, and Blaise stood up and walked away. "That's it! I'm done!" he said, throwing his hands up in the air.