Remain Nameless

Chapter 8

November 2007

He could do this. He could totally, completely do this. It was absolutely within the capabilities of Draco Malfoy to ask Hermione Granger if she would like to grab dinner some night this weekend. He would be the height of casual when he asked. As friends. Well, almost friends. What would you call the pair of them?

It was Draco's monthly appointment and Healer Browning had finally convinced Draco that this was becoming ridiculous. It of course didn't prevent him from lashing out at the older man.

"If you think I'm acting childish, then bloody well say so!" Draco seethed at him.

Browning merely raised an eyebrow over his spectacles and met Draco's furious glare with one of patience.

"Do you think you're acting childish?"

Draco threw up his hands in frustration. "Well I don't fucking know, that's why I come to you! All I want to know is how I'm supposed to ask her to dinner!"

Browning met him with another calm stare, not once giving in to Draco's emotional outbursts. "You use your words Draco, a simple, straightforward question."

"But I don't want her to think this is uh, a... date or anything..."

"You don't?"

"No." Liar.

Wait, what?

"No," Draco repeated firmly, ignoring the little voice in his head. "A platonic outing. I want to see if she's open to that... because you know, we spend all those mornings together and it feels odd that we haven't... progressed beyond that." Because apparently progressing in friendship with Granger is something I want now. I am in control of this.

Scratch, scratch, scratch went the floating quill.

"Well Draco, I have to admit I think this is a phenomenal step forward for you. Inviting someone out for an activity without a guarantee that they will accept shows a willingness to be vulnerable."

Draco shrugged and tried not to shudder at the healer's mention of vulnerability. Because that's exactly what Draco was in the presence of Hermione Granger. Overwhelmingly vulnerable.

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Monday morning came and went. Every time Draco opened his mouth to ask Hermione about dinner on the weekend, some stupid, banal question popped out instead.

On Tuesday, Granger commented on how tired he looked and bought him an extra cup of coffee unprompted, but did he thank her and ask her to dinner then? No, he snapped at her like a surly prick to mind her own sleeping habits, and mulishly drank the coffee she brought him. To her credit, she only briefly smirked when he quietly thanked her as they walked to work.

Wednesday was definitely the morning that Draco was going to pose the question of a weekend dinner. But then Hermione went into one of her passionate monologues about using her Ancient Runes knowledge in studying and relating to some of the oldest Mer-people tribes in the Mediterranean and Draco found himself rapt with attention as she chattered all the way down the street. By the time she waved goodbye, he remembered that he only had two days left in the week to accomplish his seemingly simple task.

And now it was already Thursday and Draco still hadn't asked Hermione about her weekend plans.

"Have you ever visited Venice?"

Her question interrupted the inner pep talk he was giving himself and sufficiently distracted him for the moment.

"This upcoming spring there's an academic conference on the communication methods of magical civilizations and you have to submit a formal proposal for your attendance. They usually don't send someone from my department, you know, because Merfolk liaisons have their own office in the Department for International Magical Cooperation, but given my interest in Ancient Runes—"