Thin Lines

14.

Draco woke the next morning to wonderful smells. He opened his eyes curiously, looking around. Almost everyone was up, Neville and Hermione in the small kitchen in the corner where Draco assumed the smells were coming from and Harry and Ron talking on the next couch over.

The only people still asleep were now Daphne and Tracey. Tracey had her head resting in Draco's lap, the rest of her body curled up in the fetal position, filling in the remainder of the couch. And Daphne was on his other side, leaning into him, her head resting on his shoulder and her arms snaked around his body.

He had one arm laying over Tracey's middle, keeping her tucked safely against the back of the couch so she would not roll off and the other was wrapped around Daphne's waist.

"What time is it?" Draco groaned.

Ron smirked at him, "probably shouldn't have stayed up all night watching movies. It's a quarter past ten."

Draco groaned again. So maybe it was a bad idea to stay up all night watching movies.

Daphne and Tracey did not move and once again Draco found himself stuck simply because he did not want to wake the girls laying on him.

Neville chuckled from the kitchen, "you always find yourself in this predicament?"

"Not until recently," came his response.

Neville carried a cup of coffee to him, handing it over. Draco lifted his hand from Tracey's middle, though eyeing her to make sure she wouldn't fall off and received the cup. "Thanks," he muttered, taking a sip. "What's that smell?"

"Well, 'Mione figured she would make breakfast for everyone."

Draco looked over to the kitchen in interest. Hermione was busy at the small stove, her back to him. Neville returned to the kitchen, continuing with his conversation as she cooked.

Draco nursed his coffee.

It was fifteen minutes or so later when Hermione was walking over, two plates in hand. Draco raised his eyebrows in surprise, he had thought she was avoiding him because of her embarrassment about the last morning. He figured she had gotten over it though with seeing him now cuddled between Tracey and Daphne.

She held a plate out to him, and he grabbed it with the hand at Daphne's hips, holding it there as he placed his almost empty mug between his legs. "Good morning, Draco."

"Good morning, thank you."

She nodded softly, a small smile playing at her lips.

"It smells delicious." At his words, Daphne shifted, waking up. He and Hermione watched as she opened her eyes, looking around.

"What smells so good?"

Hermione smiled, "I made some breakfast if you'd like some. Help yourself."

"That would be great." She climbed to her feet, careful not to knock into the plate in Draco's hand, moving to the kitchen. "Thank you, Hermione. Hey, wake up Tracey for me Draco. She'd be pissed at not getting any food."

Draco looked hesitant, before shaking her softly with the hand at her waist. "Tracey," he spoke softly, giving her another nudge. She groaned, rolling a little as she rubbed her face still half asleep. Draco grabbed her quickly before she could fall off of the couch, "easy there, Tracey, don't fall."

"Why'd you wake me?" She asked, sitting up carefully.

"Hermione made breakfast," Daphne called out from the kitchen.

"Thanks Hermione," Tracey smiled sleepily and wandered over to Daphne.

Hermione smiled back, before looking down to Draco. Draco looked up at her, after placing his mug on the table. "Are you going to eat, too? Or are you just going to stand there and stare at me?"

Hermione blushed a little before sitting down next to him, though careful to leave a little bit more space between them than she normally did. Draco decided to forget that as he began to eat the food.

"This is really good, where'd you learn to cook?"

Hermione shrugged a little, chewing her food before answering. "I used to cook with my mum a little."

Draco paused, no longer chewing the bite in his mouth and his fork an inch away from the plate. He frowned softly, thinking deeply about the words that had just left Hermione Granger's lips.

He could count on both hands the number of times he had felt jealous. Honestly, what was there to be jealous about? Anything he could ever wish to have, it was his; all he had to do was ask his parents and he would have it by the next day.

Though, in this moment, Draco was suddenly at a loss for words with how exactly he felt. He had never once cooked with his mum. Hell, he had never even seen his mum cook.

As if sensing the internal struggle Draco was having, Hermione spoke once more. "I could show you one day, if you want, that is."

And slowly, the edges of his frown lifted. "Yeah, I'd like that."