Draco slid an arm under the restaurant table, resting it on his date's knee. She blushed, smiling at him.
"Hey," he whispered to her. "What do you say we get out of here?"
The girl, named Eleanora, nodded, grinning. Draco waved a waiter over, telling him he'd like the check as soon as possible. The waiter frantically ran away, getting the pure blooded and wealthy man his check. Though Draco was only nineteen, he always got what he wanted, when he wanted thanks to his name.
He quickly signed his name, leaving the waiter a generous tip.
Eleanora rose, allowing Draco to slip her coat around her shoulders. He slid his on too, subtly looking at her. Tall, blonde, pale, and green eyed. She had perfect, light pink lips that framed her pearly whites. Her short hair was always perfect, straightened like a knife to below her jaw. Dressed in a white dress sprinkled with green and pink flowers, she was nothing short of stunning. She eased her arms into the long, cream blazer of hers, glancing at Draco to give him a wink.
Draco smirked, not feeling it, but still doing so. She was his sixth date in his, well, his moving on process.
He had fallen head over heels for a girl that, in truth, saw the best in him. They were a spitfire together, and he enjoyed every part of her. She was the one person who saw him like nobody else. Who loved all of him with all of her heart. She was his twin flame. The girl, who goes by Hermione Granger, loved him right back. Sadly, an argument had ended it all. He had left her for her own safety, but she never knew of it until he told her at graduation. They had had an eventful evening that night, but when morning came, both of them knew that they had to put everything behind them. It just wasn't meant to be, and they weren't ready to fight for something so new when they only just got a break from the violence. They would remain friends, but they still had to move on nonetheless.
Now, the fall after said graduation, that's what Draco was doing. He was desperately trying to forget the girl that invaded his thoughts so often.
He let Eleanora slip her arm through his, leading him out of the nice restaurant. As they walked, Draco eased into her stride, making her feel more comfortable. They passed all sorts of shops and cafes, memories passing through Draco's head as they continued through.
Draco heard a bell jingling, looking over at the store that it came from. It was a warm, cozy bookshop with a coffee place next to it. He knew that store. He knew it like the back of his hand. And there she was. Standing right in the doorway, discussing something with a friendly old woman.
Hermione Granger in all her glory. Her wild curls that Draco adored pulled back into a messy bun, a brown v-neck sweater that nearly covered her fingers, a softer grey skirt to just past her mid-thigh, the infamous brown leather boots she wore so often that they were faded and worn, and the satchel he had gifted her. Her other bags wouldn't hold all of the books she insisted that she keep with her. Most of all, he could still see her features in the dim light of the store. The splash of freckles that danced on her nose, the charming doe eyes, the full pink lips, the neat eyebrows that never ceased their emotion, the tip of her button nose, and all the little things in between.
When Draco had heard the bell, he had stopped to look at her. Eleanora had tripped at his sudden stop, her purse falling with the contents scattering the rocky road.
Hermione whipped around, hand near her tight skirt. She quickly realized it was just a girl, and she was immediately there to help the stranger, not looking at the man beside her who gawked at the sight.
The girl who he was still in love with helping his date pick up the mess he made.
He quickly snapped out of it, leaning down to help. As he scooped her many sickles and galleons into her purse, he noticed how Hermione didn't bat an eye at the amount of riches the pure blood girl had, merely conversing politely.
"Thank you so much," Eleanora gushed, holding Hermione's hand as the two stood together.
"Oh, really, it's not a problem," Hermione smiled, flashing her brilliant smile. Draco chuckled at the memory of the time he had messed it up in fourth year.
"I think I know you from somewhere," Eleanora pondered aloud. "I'm Eleanora Rosier, and this is my date, Draco Malfoy."
Hermione's face fell for just a second as she looked into Draco's eyes for the first time in months.
"Yes, I'm Hermione Granger."
"The Hermione Granger?!" the girl exclaimed. "That is so amazing! Draco, didn't you two go to school together?"
Draco smirked for a second, catching Hermione's gaze. "Yes. She's quite the competitor for grades."
Hermione blushed. "Well, it was very good to meet you Eleanora. I hope you have a nice rest of your evening." She looked smartly at the man next to her. "Draco."
She turned and walked away on her heel, heading around the corner and out of sight. In the ten seconds that took her, Draco felt all those familiar feelings rush right back to his chest, making his head spin.
Even once she was out of sight, Draco still stared after where she had last been. He missed her. He missed every little thing. From how she made her coffee to the way her nose would scrunch up when she laughed, he missed all of it.
"Draco!" he heard, making him snap out of his trance. He glanced down at his date, who looked at him with an exasperated smile. "Finally! You were zoned out for quite a while!"
He looked one last time at where Hermione had left.
"Sorry about that. Just thinking."
