Blood Boundary [A DRAMIONE fanfiction]

16 | Hermione's Birthday Part 1

16 | Hermione's Birthday Part 1

19th of September 2001, a.m.

"Mum says we should head back to the Burrow by dinner," Ron informed her. The three of them exited out of the lifts, making way through the Atrium. They were to head out for lunch outside, in some quaint new restaurant that Luna Lovegood had apparently been raving about since it opened.

"Dinner time?" Hermione asked, stopping in her tracks. People shoved past her, muttering complaints under their breaths.

"Is there something you need to do by that time?" Harry asked her.

I wanted to go to the Manor as early as possible.

Hermione shook the thought away. Malfoy couldn't possibly have something prepared for her, right? He clearly doesn't have a care in the world, let alone care for her birthday.

She turned to Harry and Ron. "No," she said, plastering a smile.

Ron nodded. "Brilliant," he said. After a second, he leaned in forward, about to whisper something to her. "Listen, Hermione—"

"Granger!" Someone shouted.

Their heads snapped to where the voice was coming from.

It was Blaise, desperately trying to catch up to them. "Wait up, Granger!"

Harry gave Hermione a weird look, to which she reciprocated.

Blaise finally caught up to them, his lungs desperately trying to get for air. He straightened his posture and gave her a charming smile. "Happy birthday!"

"Uh, thank you?" She tried to give him a smile.

"No problem. How old are you now?"

Harry laughed heartily. "Mate, you don't just go around and ask women how old they are."

Ron and Blaise shared his laugh.

Hermione folded her arms defensively. "I'm twenty-two," she deadpanned, pursing her lips.

"Ha, cheer up, dear."—Blaise tapped her nose twice—"You aren't ancient, yet."

She raised her chin up and opened her mouth to retaliate, but the Slytherin cut her off.

"For you," he announced, holding up a small paper bag in front of her face. She gingerly received it, her eyebrows raised in confusion. "You get to eat the other half later."

Eat the other half of what?

The three of them stood in the middle of the Atrium, gobsmacked, when Blaise had left them. Hermione looked down curiously at the paper bag. Half a muffin was inside it, carefully placed inside a little box. She opened the small card that dangled from its handle. Inside it were nothing but two letters:

D.M.

Against her logical reasoning, she found her face lighting up at the sight of those initials. Her heart leaped unexpectedly, and her brain quickly judged her for her reaction. And so, she masked it with a smile and tucked her guilt inside her pocket.

"From whom is it?" Ron asked, trying to peek from her shoulders.

She quickly closed the card and held the bag in her other hand. "It's from Blaise." She cleared her throat, tucking a piece of hair behind her ears. "Come on, I'm famished."

"Same here," Harry announced.

And so they went.

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