Unexpectedly

Chapter 8 - Déjà Vu

Friday, 17th August 2001

The next morning, Hermione emerged from her room, heading to the kitchen to prepare breakfast before work. To her surprise, Draco was already seated at the kitchen bar. She hesitated, unsure of how to address the events of the previous night. Could a simple kiss mean something more to Draco? Determined to keep things casual, she greeted him.

"Morning," Draco replied, sipping his tea. Hermione attempted to maintain a sense of normalcy as she made herself a sandwich with strawberry jam.

"Want a jam sandwich?" she offered, and Draco declined. An awkward silence lingered, each of them engrossed in their own thoughts, pretending the other didn't exist.

Breaking the silence, Draco began, "Hermione..." It was the first time he addressed her by her first name, his voice soft. He took a deep breath, preparing to discuss the events of the previous night.

Cutting him off, she said, "Yeah, about that, I want to say I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Draco furrowed his brow.

"Yeah, I'm sorry for kissing you and asking you to stay in my room," Hermione admitted. "It's been a rough day for me, and you were there to calm me down. So, thank you for being a good friend."

"Friend?" Draco snickered, a sly grin on his face. Before Hermione could inquire further, he abruptly stood up.

"Yeah, okay. I think I'll go to work now," Draco announced while magically cleaning the dishes. "Urgent meeting," he added before exiting, leaving Hermione with unanswered questions.

Later that evening, Thea called Hermione, explaining that she couldn't make it to dinner due to work commitments. Pansy suggested moving the celebration to Hermione's apartment and instructed her to invite Thea as soon as she was available. After dinner, the group reconvened at the apartment to catch up on recent events. In the living room, Ginny and Pansy gossiping about models, while Harry, Ron, and Blaise waited for drinks at the bar. Draco and Theo, posing as bartenders, entertained the group with their attempts at Muggle tricks. As the lively atmosphere filled the room, a knock on the door interrupted the festivities.

"It's her!" Hermione exclaimed, leaping off the couch and hurrying to the door.

"Thea!" she greeted her twin with a hug.

She guided Thea to the center of the living room and announced, "Everyone, this is Athena Grey, my twin sister." The expressions of shock on their faces were evident.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Theo, joining Hermione on the couch, remarked, "Your twin sister is a pain in the ass, really, Angel."

Hermione laughed, asking, "And why is that?"

"She kept on arguing that America is the best country in the whole world," Theo replied, clearly annoyed.

Laughing, she inquired, "And where is she now?" Scanning the room, she couldn't find her sister.

"The balcony—with Draco," Theo pointed towards the balcony.

Her gaze followed the direction, discovering Thea and Draco engaged in a lively conversation. A pang of discomfort settled in her heart. Why did the idea of Draco and Thea enjoying themselves together bother her?

"I think I need some water," Hermione told Theo before excusing herself. In the kitchen, she contemplated, "Relax, Hermione, you need to calm down," muttering to herself. Taking a seat on a stool at the kitchen bar, she rested her head on the table and closed her eyes.

"What do we have here?" Draco's voice disrupted her thoughts. She knew it was him.

"Shove off, Malfoy."

"Déjà vu, don't you think?"

"No," she lifted her head, "No, I'm not drunk like the other night," she clarified.

"Ah, so it means I'm not getting a kiss from you then."

"What?"

"You heard me." He walked out of the kitchen.

She stood up and blocked his way. "You think I only kissed you because I'm not sober? Really, Malfoy?"

"You're the one who said that it was a mistake."

"Well... maybe."

"Yeah? Maybe what, Granger?"

"Maybe—Uh—Ugh! I'm not the one who's planted a kiss on every person I met, Malfoy."

"Said the one who's spending all evening flirting with Theodore Nott." He took a step forward.

"I. Am. Not! You're the one who's flirting with my sister all evening!" She stepped backward.

"So what if I'm flirting with your sister? You say that we're only FRIEND. Or maybe now you're jealous?" He advanced.

"Rubbish! I'm not jealous." She took another step back.

"Really? So why are you blushing now?" Draco approached.

"I'm not blushing." With her back against the wall, she couldn't retreat further.

"You are." Draco moved closer.

"No, I'm not, Malfoy."

He pressed her against the wall. "Well then, maybe this will." He kissed her passionately, biting her bottom lip. She opened her mouth, and their tongues engaged in a fierce struggle. Draco eventually stepped back, both of them panting heavily. He grinned at her.

"Now you're blushing." And with that, he left her alone.