Of Libraries and Love.

Sixteen. Conversations with Granger.

"Okay, I think I would love to be a teacher."

"Hmmm, I could see that. You would make a good teacher." In his head, her being his teacher took a different form of good. It went beyond good.

"What about you?"

"I think I would love to be an Auror. I could be a nice one too, I guess, but I don't think anyone would trust me enough with the work," he said honestly. She just looked at him with a weird, sad expression. She wiped off the expression of her face as soon as she realized he was looking at her.

"I am sorry," she mumbled.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"For all the pity we show you," she explained.

"It's okay, honestly, sometimes I think I wouldn't survive without your pity," he said with a small smile.

"You are weird, Draco," she told him with a grin.

"You love me for it, Grangie."

"Yes, I do."

OH MERLIN.

Draco pretended to look at his phone, trying hard to hide his blush. Luckily, he succeeded.

"What do you want to do for dinner, Draco?" Hermione asked standing up from her spot and heading to the kitchen.

"I don't know, do you have any idea?"

"Well, someone told me you make a mean fried chicken, maybe you could make me some?" she said looking back at him with a pout.

"Well, of course I can, but first I have to kill Harry Potter for spreading my secrets," he replied and stood up to follow her to the kitchen. He noticed her walking with her usual sway, thanking the world for tight skinny jeans.

The two of them made dinner together. Together meaning that Draco did all the cooking, while Hermione sat sexily on a stool, although he didn't think it was intentional, sipping on Butterbeer.

"Where and when did you learn to cook?" she asked him.

"Um, I learnt when I was fourteen, right before fourth year, actually. I learnt it at the Manor from one of our elves," he replied looking up from the bowl he was peeling vegetables in.

"Your father didn't notice?"

"I usually learnt it when he was out for work," he said, placing quotation marks in the air when he said work.

"What about your mother?"

"Thankfully, mother was, still is, a much gentler person. She is strict, horribly strict at times, but she adores me. She proved it that she could go to any extent to protect me," he explained.

"That's sweet. Narcissa does love you a lot," Hermione said with a light chuckle.

"What?" Draco asked her with a questioning look.

"I just remembered what she calls you," she said laughing.

"Oh God," he groaned.

"Little dragon, aww, so adorable," she teased.

"Grangie, please, spare me!"

"Ha ha! Look at you, you are all red!" she pointed.

"Of course, I am embarrassed!"

"Oh, Draco, you are hilarious to tease!"

"Don't worry, I will get back at you!" he said threatening her but failing because she laughed harder than before.

"I wish you all the luck!"

"Thanks, but no thanks!" he grinned back.

The rest of the evening passed in bantering and talking about different things. For example, while he was cooking, they talked about Mandrakes, moving on to discussing their favourite movies. The conversation during dinner took a more serious course, where they discussed the current politics of wizarding Europe before debating whether the French were better at cinema or the German. For Draco, this was the best evening he could have wished for. He got to know Hermione so well and be with her all alone. Both of them liked talking about serious topics as well as funny things, and never found themselves running out of topics. He knew Hermione was intelligent, heck, the entire magical world knew that, but sometimes she just amazed him with her brilliance. So, for Draco, this evening was one of his top five favourite moments, and that was saying something because he had been lucky enough to meet several influential people in his lifetime.

"So, this was fun," he said while they were clearing the dinner table.

"Yes, it was! I am really glad I came over!" she replied handing him a bowl. Oh, Hermione, you don't even know the beginning of glad.

"Me too, let's do this soon."

"Alright, although I will cook you dinner next time."

"I didn't know you could cook!" he said looking at her with surprise.

"You don't know a lot of things about me, Draco," she replied.

"Well, will you give me a chance to, Hermione?" he asked fixing her with an intense stare. He noticed her thinking, could almost hear her thinking, before she gave him a big, yet shy smile.

"Yes, Draco, I will."

SCOOOOOOOOORE.

"I think I should leave now," she said, collecting her things after they finished all the chores.

"Okay, thanks for the wonderful company, Grangie," he said, seeing her to the door.

"Thanks for the wonderful dinner and discussion. I love that combo!" she said flashing him a huge smile. "Goodnight, Draco!"

"Goodnight, Grangie!" he said giving her a side hug. She hugged him back tightly before leaving. As soon as she left, he started smiling and blushing like an idiot. Merlin, thank you for this evening, thank you for making Hermione Granger, and thank you for making me smart enough to make her like me, he thought. Next time, I am going to gather some of that Gryffindor courage and ask her out. Moreover, didn't she just say she would give me a chance to get to know her better? What better way than a date, he thought with a small smirk.

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Love,
M.