Kissing Frogs

200 Galleons

Hermione didn't mean to smell the warm coat that was dropped over her shoulders but she accidentally did. And now she could pinpoint exactly what Draco Malfoy's cologne smelled like... but there was something so familiar about it...

She was now back at her apartment with just James. Dean had walked them home and left with a lingering look but Hermione had not invited him in. She didn't really know why but she just didn't feel like the company right now. Her godson was the only person she wanted to be with right now.

She could take the coat off now- but the coat was comforting and awfully familiar. Still she shook her head before looking at James who was starting to blow saliva bubbles and giggling, promptly causing a lot of drool to drench his outfit. He had been by far the dryest one of them all. Now he was starting to look like he too met a downpour.

"Bath time for you."

James' last bubble dribbled down his chin as he looked earnestly at Hermione.

Hermione deposited James in the bath that had been spelled to be the perfect temperature. "What did you think of today Jaime?" Hermione asked the babe.

He muttered some incoherent gambles as he let Hermione soap his hair.

"Dean Thomas... I don't know yet Jaime. I feel bad that I said I have to think about it after he got up the courage to ask me out after that disaster."

Draco strode to them without a word. Dean almost stepped in front of her protectively but Draco stopped him with a bored look before taking off his mostly dry jacket and extending it to Hermione. When it didn't look like she was going to reach out and take it, Draco made a noise at the back of his throat. He did a spell so it flew to cover Hermione up. Then he promptly turned around and grabbed Daphne who looked at him coolly as unfazed as ever but the look she flicked towards Hermione and the jacket now resting on her shoulders, betrayed the lithe woman's aloofness. They apparated away before Hermione or Dean could hear her ask Draco why he gave his jacket to Hermione Granger of all people.

"Would I be crazy and arrogant if I said that I thought Draco Malfoy is stalking me?" Hermione said aloud as she washed James' hair. Molding it into a mohawk.

"It can't be a coincident that Draco Malfoy keeps popping up at the most inopportune times." Hermione tried to find the word but really she was talking to a toddler that couldn't even walk yet. "Seriously how many times can one man be present for that many horrible dates before it starts to look suspicious. At least he wasn't there for that-" Hermione wasn't even sure she call those two a couple. "And I guess this was the most mundane of all the dates he could catch me on, even if I didn't know it was a set up to start with... but ugh Merlin strike me down. Dean Thomas and Draco Malfoy have both now pretty much seen my nipples!" Hermione buried her head in her arm.

James tilted his little head, soapy mohawk and all before reaching out to pet his godmother's head.

!-!-!

Harry Potter could count on one hand the people he was genuinely scared of. It so happened one of them was his wife, the other his friend... who he had helped set up a date with said wife's ex-boyfriend.

"I cannot believe you set up Hermione with Dean, my ex-boyfriend!" Ginny ranted. "I told you that I will handle this, I know Hermione's type! Better than you! And Dean Thomas of all people!"

Harry winced. It really seemed like a great idea at first...

"How would you like me to set up Cho Chang with a friend of yours?"

"Gin, that, she, she hardly counts."

Ginny turned to look at him, her eyes narrowed.

Harry avoided her gaze, he really should stop talking now. What did Bill tell him the other day?