She Drives, He Walks- Chapter Fifteen

She Drives, He Walks – Chapter 15

Draco opens the door of Hermione's cottage, his head feeling twice its usual size. He places the key Hermione made for him on the side table, and as soon as he does, he hears her.

“Hey, come to the library!”

For a second he wonders if all the women in the world got together just to drive him nuts. He hopes not. Draco goes to the library at a tired and cautious pace. As soon as he reaches the middle of the room, Hermione's head appears from the upstairs room. She gives him a small, careful smile.

“Come up.” And she disappears.

He sighs. Maybe they do want to drive him nuts.

...

Hermione continues to tidy up his clothes in his wardrobe. She wonders if she can hint him to dispose of them. Twisting her nose a bit at a leather vest and floating it to a pile of other vests with her wand, she figures she will definitely tell him about it.

She hears steps on the floor behind her turns her head at him. “Hello. How was everything?” And continues waving her wand and guiding his clothes.

She wonders why he looked at everything she is doing with a frown on his forehead...

“It was all right. Maggie isn't upset I'm out of business, and had a few ideas for me.” His voice sounds tired.

“Really? Such as?”

“Me, going to a gourmet college or working at a restaurant.” He blurts out in one breath.

She stops dead in her tracks. Hermione turns to him. One raised eyebrow. “A cooking job? Do you even know cooking?”

He stares at her. Sighing, he walks to the bed and falls on it ungraciously. “What was I supposed to say? I thought cooking is basically the same as potions, which I'm sure you remember I was really good at, and she is a muggle, so I said cooking. The only thing I ever cooked was those- What the hell are they doing here?” He says, sitting up, for Hermione has levitated two cup noodles in front of his chest. He grabs one of them and looks at her, a little bit amused and mad. “Why the hell did you bring this?”

She shrugs at him. “I like those. Can I keep them, then?” And she giggles softly.

He scolds at her, throwing it lightly so she can catch. She openly laughs a bit when she sees a small grin on his lips. He nods, still smiling. “Very funny. Anyway, what was I supposed to say? Then she got all excited, said she would help me, that I would have to get all my documents to do it and in the end I have a terrible headache. I said I was going to think about it.” And he lies back again.

She pauses in her self-appointed task of storing his clothes again. “I didn't find anything like that at your place.”

“That's because I don't have any.”

Hermione gaps at him. “... Oh Merlin.”

Grey eyes gaze at her. “What?”

She points at him. “Merlin. You don't exit in the muggle world, Draco.”

He frowns. “What?! Why?”

“You don't have muggle documents. Birth certificate, for example. You could be thrown out of the country!”

He stands up in a jump, and walks to her, almost screaming in confusion. “WHAT?”

She nods, gulping. “It is true. You probably won’t get in college or any simple job without these documents- You don't exist. You're nobody...”

...

Draco keeps gazing at her. Lowering his head, he lets his hair cover his features. His hand goes up to his forehead. Damn headache... “...Fuck.”

He can see Hermione change her weight from one foot to another. He can smell her perfume also. Things are so fucked up. He feels one small hand close to his left shoulder, a bit hesitant. It touches him with extreme carefulness, and when he doesn't shrug it off, it squeezes him lightly. Her voice is very gentle.

“Draco.” He doesn't look at her. Her touch is warm... “Draco. Look at me.”

He sighs. He looks.

She had that same determined expression in her eyes, and she looks straight at his. “It is a difficult situation, yes. But you can get the documents. We'll see it tomorrow, okay?” And she smiles, reassuringly to him. “Besides, I think cooking might be a good idea. It is quite like potions.”

Strangely, he feels more confident after her statement. “Really?”

She nods. She squeezes his shoulder again, and lets go, turning to his clothes again. “Yes really. You have a good amount of savings, which should help with anything you might need. It would be good if you had a job. We can say you work as my housekeeper or something... Oh! That’s a good idea. Wanna work for me in exchange for living here?” She is looking at him again.

“Doing what?” He misses her hand on his shoulder...

“I dunno... Cleaning up, making my dinner, you know. I will teach you.”

He looks at her. He looks at his hands. It is not fair, he figures, to stay here at her place without doing anything. If he works, then it won't be charity anymore... “All right.”

“Good. I will see about getting some books on cooking for you, also; I might have one around, and you will probably have to study in order to take your education documents too... Oh, there is a lot of stuff to do!”

She seems excited. He smiles. Looks like I'm Hermione Granger's next project. He is so lost in contemplation that he barely hears what she says next.

“... and I couldn't find it. Is it with you?” She is glancing at him.

He blinks. “Sorry, what?”

She frowns. “Your wand. I couldn't find it in your apartment. Is it with you?”

... Damn. “No.”

Her frown gets worse. She looks a bit angry now. “I knew it! Harry didn't return it to you, did he? That's so stupid! I'm so owling him tomo-”

“NO!”

She practically jumps. She turns to him.

Draco suddenly feels very tired, a bit sick too, and much older than he really is... “Potter did return my wand.”

“... But-”

“A month later I snapped it in half myself.”

They both stare at each other. Hermione is frozen. Draco is breathing slowly.

... Downstairs, someone knocks on the front door.