Chapter 2: For Want of Some Cufflinks
Harry walked through the door only seconds after Hermione had pulled out of the fire.
"Hermione, where are you?" he called from the kitchen as he placed the case of drinks on the table.
"I'm just in the bedroom changing, I'll be out in a second!" she called back to him, quickly brushing a few stray ashes back into the fireplace. She then turned to the mirror and began to muss up her hair and spread some mascara along her eyelashes with her wand.
She had gotten a whole heap of make-up spells from `Witch Weekly', and since then had hardly bought a Muggle
cosmetic product.
"Rosincto" she plainly said, and a rosy glow covered her cheeks.
"Alanta" she gained shimmery pink eyes, and
"Phosphore," her lips took on a healthy, glossy glow.
As Harry walked into the room she transfigured her sensible slacks into a flowing hippie skirt and twirled to meet
him.
"Well hello, Sunshine!" Harry laughed as he held Hermione's waist
She poked his nose with her wand, turning it momentarily orange, then tucked her wand back into the top of her
skirt.
Harry reached for his own wand to retaliate, when he saw it in Hermione's hand. "You always were better at
non-verbal spells!"
Hermione looked at him mockingly. "That wasn't a spell Harry; I took it from your pocket about 4 minutes ago."
With a wink he put both his arms around Hermione and took his wand back. She giggled and he lifted her up onto his shoulder and spun around, laughing.
Abruptly, the doorbell rang, and Harry put his wife down and called, "Coming!" as he opened the oak door, only to find Ron standing outside.
"Ron? What are you doing here?" Hermione asked, puzzled by the appearance of her best friend.
"I need to talk to you about my sister Hermione" he said in a decidedly forced tone.
"Ron? What's all this about?" Harry asked, looking as well as sounding extremely puzzled. "Hermione?"
"You'll find out later honey!" Hermione said with a strangled smile as she led Ron into their living room and sealed the door with a silencing charm.
"Why is Ginny so damn happy? She is prancing round the bloody house without a care in the world! And when I asked her why she was so happy all she could do is say your sodding name and I want to know why!" Ron said all this in one breath, in a deadly calm voice.
"Look, Ron, nobody is supposed to know this except me, so you can't tell anyone!" Hermione warned him, "but Ginny is not dating a Muggle, in fact she's not even dating a half-blood." Here Hermione paused as if unsure about what she was about to say. `She's... she's dating Draco."
"Draco!" Ron exploded, "as in Malfoy? I'll kill him for putting his nasty little paws on my sister! Who does he think he is anyway?"
"RON!" Hermione shouted at her friend, "calm down alright!"
"NO! That bloody prat is going out with my sister!" he shouted back "How can you are telling me to calm down?"
"RON! Listen to me!" she said in a forced calm voice "I was at headquarters before, and he was under the influence of Veritaserum, and he said that he was in love with Ginny, and I can't see him hurting her if he says he loves her!" Hermione explained to her fuming friend, again, all in one breath.
Resigned, Ron flopped onto the couch. "How long have you known about them?"
"Since he asked her about a month or two ago" she said, waiting for him to explode in her face again, but he didn't.
"Why didn't she tell me? I'm her sodding brother and she can't tell me that she's going out with sodding Malfoy?" he said to no one in particular.
There was a loud pounding from outside which meant that Harry had taken the silencing charm off the door.
"Hermione, come on, it's getting late and Ginny will be here soon!" he shouted through the door.
"Ginny's coming over tonight?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, and she's bringing Draco, so you better go before they get here or you will tear Draco's' head off."
She walked to the door and swung it open, to find Harry sitting on the couch with his face in his hands. He looked up at the pair.
"What's going on?" he asked them suspiciously.
"Nothing honey, you'll find out soon" Hermione reassured him with a, somewhat false, smile.
"Sooner then you think, as well" Ron muttered under his breath.
"What's that suppose to mean Ron?" Harry questioned.
"Don't worry, I got to go, see you guys later" Ron said and with that he apparated out.
"Bloody hell! What is that man on about Hermione?"
"I wouldn't worry about him Harry, you know what Ron is like, always worried about some thing or another. Anyway, can you get the butterbeer and wine out please and set them on the table with some glasses."
"I suppose," he replied with a sigh and went to the task his wife had set him.
Just as Harry had finished laying the drinks and glasses on the table, the doorbell rang.
"Coming!" Hermione called out as she rushed to welcome her guests.
"Ginny! Come on in and have a seat!" she said as she saw the young redheaded woman and her beau standing at the door. She closed the door behind them, Hermione was thankful that Harry had gone into the bedroom to change when the pair entered and took their seats. Ginny was still glowing with happiness after the recent events of the day, and her and Draco, if it was possible, seemed even closer.
"So Ginny, how was your day?" Hermione asked the redhead with a smile.
"Fantastic," she said, knowing Hermione would know why. "How about you?"
"Fine, although your brother paid me a visit about half and hour ago, wanting to know why you were so damn happy. Now please don't get mad, but Ginny, I had to tell him about you both, otherwise he would have thought something was up." Hermione rushed out, and instead of yelling and screaming at Hermione, Ginny laughed instead.
"I said your name because I knew that Ron would come here and ask you what it was all about, and I knew that you would tell him." Ginny smirked knowing her plan to avoid her brother's rage had worked.
With raised eyebrows, Hermione continued the conversation. "And how are you Draco?"
"Still recovering from that Veritaserum, but I'm sure it will wear off soon" he replied. This was certainly not the Draco Malfoy that Hermione had known in her Hogwarts days.
As Hermione was opening the butterbeer and wine, Harry stepped out of the bedroom and came face to face with Draco. There was a pause, and Harry abruptly said, "Forgot my cufflinks, I'll just get them." Before turning and walking straight back into the bedroom. He didn't seem to realise he was wearing a t-shirt.
"Hermione dear," Harry's voice floated back into the room. "Could you help me have a look for those cufflinks?"
Hermione sighed and walked into the bedroom she shared with Harry. He looked up at her from his seat on the queen-sized bed. "What is Draco sodding Malfoy doing in our sitting room?" he said through clenched teeth.
"Look Harry, I know that this is probably not the best way to tell you this but Ginny and Draco are dating, that's why Ron came around before, because Ginny was on a high because when she was a Headquarters before, Draco was under the influence of Veritaserum, and he said that he was in love with her and wanted to marry her, and look, don't go getting mad with Ginny about this, because she is happy with Draco and he treats her well and everything, so there is really no harm being done here Harry." Hermione explained in one breath. "Now, you will go out there and be nice to Draco and at least act like you want him to be there. And if you are... there might be a reward." Hermione said with a sly look on her face.
"Promise?" Harry asked with puppy dog eyes.
Hermione sighed. "Promise"
"Thank you" Harry smiled, opened the door of the bedroom and waltzed out into the sitting room.
A/N. I decided that since I had the second chapter written that I may as well upload it while I was doing the first one. Please review and don't flame. More coming soon!
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