-!-!-
Hermione had James in his stroller as she strolled down the avenue, the two headed to the park for a picnic.
"It's too nice a day to not be outside. Right Jamie?" Hermione asked the tot, even though she knew he wasn't quite able to talk to her yet. He garbled back at her, trying to look for her although his chubby neck wasn't quite useful yet. "It's just a little bit further up."
Meanwhile another occupant of Amor Est Vitae Park was also trying to enjoy his day although he did not know how he got himself in this situation. The little boat was rowing on its own as Draco sat on one end while his female companion sat on the other, her delicate features protected by a sun parasol. Her dark brown hair was pinned back so that nothing obstructed the view of her aristocratic cheekbones.
"So how's my sister?" Daphne Greengrass asked nonchalantly but Draco knew better. Blaise was not all right when he said that the two sisters were complying with their odd triangle docile. Astoria was the docile one, and in Draco's opinion, almost too sweet for him to believe she had ever been a Slytherin. Daphne on the other hand had been in all their classes without raising too much attention on herself, and yet she'd been known as their ice princess. Beautiful but cold... and calculating.
"She's your sister, shouldn't you know?" Draco asked.
"She doesn't want to speak about you to me, and avoids me most of the time. Such a strange creature, my sister that is, she's the one who proposed this whole situation." Daphne said bemused.
-!-!-
Hermione had found her favorite spot in the park, it was just in the shade of the cherry blossom tree that was spelled to bloom all year and overlooked a field of yellow tulips. However... someone was already in her exact spot. Someone that looked strangely familiar, at least the back of his head did.
Hermione made a face as she couldn't believe that someone had managed to snag her spot before she got to it. That never happened. And this time she even had baby James with her. The shade from the tree would've been perfect to prevent too much sun exposure on the infant. She tried not to huff out loud at the thought, but it seemed, almost like as if he could feel her glare, said someone looked back over at her. It was Dean Thomas!
"Hermione?" He asked loudly.
"Hello Dean."
"It is you," He smiled handsomely, his pearly whites almost glistening. Age had agreed with Dean, a lot.
"Well, uh yes," Hermione said awkwardly, feeling quite under dressed compared to Dean's bottom up, the rolled up sleeves giving a glimpse of the muscles underneath and a pair of muggle jeans. She'd been almost late to pick up James from his parents- causing them to almost be late to Ginny's event. So she'd forgone brushing her hair and had thrown on a pair of cotton shorts with a plain white gypsy like top. The top was a few sizes too big for her figure but utterly comfortable.
"Is it just you two?" Dean asked as he stopped right before Hermione and the stroller. He bent down to James' level. "Hey there buddy. You're a cute one aren't you." He greeted the tot. "Would you like to join me? I'm by myself and it's a little lonesome on such a beautiful day." Dean asked, still on James level so that the babe could grasp the big hand of Dean's with his chubby fingers. However his eyes were locked on Hermione.
Hermione's lips parted, however nothing came out. "I, I mean, I'm supposed to be taking care of James." She explained.
"This peanut can't be that hard to look after, plus I think two set of eyes are better than one." Dean smiled even wider. "Come on, Hermione, for old times sakes. We can even pretend James is Harry. We'll talk while he does his own thing."
That actually made Hermione laugh as she remembered their years at Hogwarts. Dean's words weren't far off from the truth, not that Harry had no reason to be preoccupied.
"Okay," Hermione said, smiling despite herself. "I guess its not everyday that one runs into an old friend by chance."
-!-!-
Draco and Daphne spoke some more small talk, inquiring about each other's parents. "Do you remember the first time we met?" Daphne asked as she twirled her parasol.
"I think so but whose ball was it again?"
"I believe it was Millicent," Daphne said, her voice soft as she got lost in the nostalgia. "Her mother was... enthusiastic. She always told my mum and I that Millicent would be a late bloomer and yet, every birthday, she threw overly extravagant birthdays and stuffed poor Millicent in two sizes too small dresses, putting all the attention on her and her baby fat."
Draco just hummed. He didn't really remember all that much from those parties. But he did remember Theodore Knott telling him and Blaise about a girl their age that was prettier than even a Veela. The besotted chap had been in love with Daphne Greengrass since they were eight, when they had all met at Milicent's birthday, and yet she could never seem to remember that his name was Theodore and not Edward.
"You wore a suit, an exact replica of your father's black suit, but in a silver that matched your mother's dress." Daphne murmured.
Draco looked up sharply. How did she remember that? He didn't even remember until she said it.
-!-!-
Hermione and Dean sat beside each other on Dean's blanket as James played with the automatic bubble maker that Hermione had made for the babe. His delighted giggles as bubbles landed on him, echoed around them as the two caught up.
"I thought you had gone into acting?" Hermione said when Dean revealed that he was now working in the Department of Mysteries.
"I did, right out of Hogwarts but I lost interest." Dean said although his voice faded at the last word. "I didn't feel like I was doing anything with my life but waiting for an opportunity."
Hermione smiled softly, that she could relate to.
"What about you? Last I heard, your fortune had just surpassed Harry's. He said that your inventions, potions and such, are all now in every witch and wizrds' household as necessities."
"Harry said that?" Hermione asked.
"Of course, you'd think Harry was your father the way he brags about you, even when he bragged that he was now pushed down to fourth richest because of your smarts, no family inheritance needed."
Hermione blushed. Since Harry became a father- he'd become such a dad, and it seemed both she and James were victims of his new title.
"But actually speaking of Harry, I need to make a confession." Before he could finish however, a downpour of rain surrounded them. Dean quickly said the spell to repel rain but the spell only worked for so long barely five minutes, depending on the strength of the caster. Hermione swept James up into her arms and threw everything into her bag. Dean grabbed both his bag and his. He lifted the blanket over James and Hermione as the two began to run towards the gazebo in the middle of the park.
-!-!-
Daphne dropped her parasol as she leant forward, her green sun dress brushed Draco's legs as she got so close he could smell her perfume, and still she still got closer so that her lips were millimeters away from his. "My little sister is not going to get the first boy I ever had a crush on." She whispered as she closed her eyes. However before her lips could touch his, rain poured down on them.
Draco was too shocked by Daphne's confession to cast the rain repellent charm fast enough. Both were drenched in a matter of seconds. As Draco's brain began to work again, he quickly apparated them to the gazebo in the middle of the park.
-!-!-
Hermione got a towel out of her Mary Poppins bag, and began to dry James, even though out of the three of them, he was by far the driest. "Dean what was it that you were going to say before it rained?" Hermione asked as she patted James' cheeks, causing the tot to giggle.
Dean ran a hand through his hair as he out his other hand in his pocket sheepishly, not yet looking at Hermione since they got to the gazebo. "So, uh you know how you said its not everyday that one runs into an old friend by chance?"
"Yes?" Hermione asked looking away from James to look at Dean, now almost alarmed.
"So it was actually,"
A pop could be heard, indicating that people had just apparated to them.
"Harry told me that you'd be here today with James." Dean blurted before he finally looked at Hermione, a blush instantly coloring his dark skin because he'd just finally noticed one of the reasons why Hermione had been embarrassed about her lack of dress.
"Draco, I think we interrupted Hermione Granger's date again." Daphne Greengrass said, making their presence known to the other two adult occupants of the gazebo.
Draco however didn't even notice Dean Thomas as he was now staring at Hermione Granger's transparent white top that did not hide the shape or size of her bosom.
-!-!-
One update down! More to go!