Aconite - Dramione/Blinny

Ch. 16

"So, let me get this straight..."

Draco smiled as she gathered her thoughts together from the other side of his kitchen table. They had decided that it would probably be best if they didn't go out to eat lunch in the public due to what they had told Ron, and since Hermione didn't have anything yet to cook a decent lunch, Draco offered for them to eat at his place.

"The only reason you hated Harry in school was because he snubbed your handshake first year?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It wasn't just the handshake," Draco explained. "It was the idea behind the handshake. He and I being allies. My father pushed me towards it because he wanted Harry on our side. And I actually did want to be friends with him. I met him in Diagon Alley before we even got on the train."

"Really?" Hermione asked in surprise.

Draco nodded. "Of course, I didn't know who he was. I just knew he was going to Hogwarts since he was getting fitted for robes. It was in Madam Malkin's."

"That's pretty funny, actually," Hermione said with a smile.

"I suppose," Draco said, returning the smile. "But yeah; my father wasn't happy that I didn't become friends with Harry."

"I'm surprised he didn't push you to keep trying," She said.

"I somewhat am too, but once the Malfoy name is snubbed, that person is no longer seen as worth it in my father's eyes," Draco shrugged.

They were silent for a few moments while they both took bites of their food. Hermione noticed that Draco was eating nearly double the amount that she was, but she chalked it up to the werewolf side of him. Most of her clients saw an increase in appetite, but everyone was different in the amount of increase.

She looked around at the kitchen then and said, "I'm honestly shocked that it's not dark and dreary in here."

He laughed at that. "You're thinking of my parents' manor. I was tired of living in a dark house so I made sure that there were plenty of windows to let the sunlight in."

"I noticed that you did that with my houses too," She said.

"I figured you wouldn't object to it," He smiled.

"Of course not," She smiled in return. "Though I am probably going to get it fitted with electricity soon. I'm not really a fan of gas lamps and candles; they just aren't practical."

He gave her a confused look. "What is that?"

"It's what muggles use to power their homes," Hermione explained. "We've been using it for years."

"You'll have to show me once you get it done," He said. "I'm rather interested in that."

"Really?" She asked, surprised. "You're interested in muggle things?"

"I have changed, you know," He laughed.

"I know, but I didn't think you had changed that much!" She retorted with a grin.

He shrugged. "It's a work in progress."

"That's good though, you should always be a work in progress."

"What do you mean?"

She finished chewing her bite of food and explained, "You should always find ways to better yourself as a person. If you don't think you need to change, then you aren't growing and you're just going to be stuck in your mindset or skillset."

He thought that over for a few moments before saying, "That's really smart. Did you come up with that?"

She laughed at that. "I'm flattered, but no."