Muggle Things | By : RavieSnake Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 54521 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 8 |
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the concepts or characters from it. I make no money from the writing of this story. |
A/N: Thank you HG4eva, Trelweny, Missus_G, colao, cpetnm, nikki13088, Nicole-Hermione, ChaosLady, pickles87, Victoria, Monkemom, starr, FieryPhoenix, and ^.^cat for the lovely reviews!!
They are like finding money in an old jacket pocket.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I thought you wanted top quality?" Hermione huffed as she stuffed the dress Draco had handed her back onto the rack.
He frowned a little. "I do."
“Then you might want to stop trying to get me to purchase clothes that will make me look like a streetwalker," she said, glaring disapprovingly at the rack.
"I think it looks nice," Draco said with a shrug.
"Draco...it would barely cover my arse, it's backless, and…tight. I don't think so."
"I still don't see the problem," he teased with a grin. Hermione shook her head at him.
"You are impossible."
"And you are no fun," Draco said with an exaggerated pout. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him and then suddenly yanked the dress in question back off the rack.
"Fine," she snapped, "I'll try-on the bloody, stupid hooker dress. Happy?"
“I think I will be after you try it on,” he answered as he followed her toward the changing rooms. Hermione rolled her eyes as she took the stack of clothes Draco was carrying from him.
“Could you perhaps stop with the suggestive comments?” she asked with another huff.
Draco looked sideways at her. “Do they make you uncomfortable?” he asked. Hermione shrugged beside him.
“They might if I thought you actually meant them,” she said, looking down to count the items she was holding. “I simply don’t think they’re appropriate for a working relationship.”
A smirk spread across his face. “You think I don’t mean them?”
Hermione made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a snort.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Draco asked, raising his eyebrows at her. Hermione shook her head as she went to a free changing room, set down a stack of clothing and began hanging some on a hook.
“You’re a bit… out of my league, as they say,” she answered as she arranged the clothes.
“Who says?” Draco asked, leaning back against a wall and crossing his arms. Hermione’s hand stilled momentarily on its way to hang another garment.
“You,” she answered quietly. She placed the last hanger on the hook and then turned to face Draco. “I’ll try not to take long. You can start browsing the swimwear if you like. I’m sure one of the saleswomen will be happy to help you.”
Draco made a show of settling himself more comfortably against the wall. “No, I’m good here. Can’t very well see you model from out there.”
Hermione grumbled something as she closed the door and Draco laughed. “Did you really think I’d let you get away with just trying everything on without showing me?”
“Insufferable,” Hermione said behind the door.
“I heard that,” Draco called back. “Besides…I’m paying you to help me shop, not some sales twit. And try that dress on first.”
A minute later, Hermione emerged.
“I said to try on the dress first,” Draco said with a frown. Hermione walked out and turned before the mirror to admire the designer jeans and blouse she’d changed into. She ignored Draco as she ran her hands over her hips.
“What do you think?” she asked, eyeing her reflection. Draco tilted his head as he examined the outfit.
“I think your arse looks incredible in those jeans,” he said with a playful grin. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him in the mirror.
“Prat,” she mumbled, moving her hands to cover her bum. He laughed.
“You’re getting that. Next.”
Hermione quickly disappeared into the room. She came back out after a bit wearing another casual ensemble.
“Getting it. Next,” Draco said before she could even come before the mirror. Hermione frowned at him and he smirked. “I know what I like.”
Hermione’s frown deepened. “What if I was about to say this was uncomfortable and didn’t fit right?” she asked challengingly.
“Is it uncomfortable or unfitting?” Draco responded sincerely. Hermione relaxed her frown.
“Well, no.”
“Then why are you bitching? Next.”
Hermione rolled her eyes and backed back into the room.
Half an hour later, Draco returned to the changing area after giving the woman at the counter the fourth pile of approved clothing for Hermione. “How many more have you got to try?” he asked through the door, “I’m starting to get hungry.”
“Only a few,” Hermione answered as she opened the door and stepped out. She went to the mirror and turned about.
“I quite like this one,” she said, smoothing her hands over the beige pantsuit she had on.
Draco wrinkled his nose. “That’s a no.”
“What do you mean it’s a no?” Hermione asked, looking over herself. “This is really nice.”
“It’s boring. If you want to be boring then get it, but you won’t be wearing it around me. Next.”
“Jerk,” Hermione muttered as she slammed the door behind her. “Tell me again why I’ve agreed to help you?” she called through the door as she changed.
“Because you think I’m sexy,” Draco called back. He started to laugh when he heard her curse under her breath, but was stopped by the pantsuit flying over the top of the door and landing on his head. He grabbed the outfit and chucked it aside with a satisfied grin. He leaned back again and picked at his nails as he waited. “When did you even sneak that boring suit into the pile?” he shouted.
Only labored breathing and muttering answered him and Draco squinted his eyes at the door. “Are you quite alright in there? In need of any assistance?”
The door suddenly swung open and Hermione marched out and over to the mirror wearing the skimpy dress Draco’d picked out earlier.
“How’s this for boring?” Hermione snapped with a scowl as she tugged self-consciously at the very short hem of the dress. She went to the mirror right away, missing the way Draco straightened up and his eyes widened.
“Damn,” he said quietly.
“I know,” Hermione said as she grimaced at her reflection, “this is ghastly.” She turned and looked over her shoulder at her backside. “I would never be able to wear this anywhere.”
“This,” Draco said firmly, his eyes roaming over her form, “You are getting this.”
“I am not getting this dress,” she said, attempting to pull the low neckline up higher to hide her cleavage. Doing so brought the hem of the super-short dress up exposing the bottom of her bum. She hastily tried to pull it down again and whimpered when it caused the neckline to replunge dangerously low. “Draco, this dress barely covers anything.”
Draco didn’t respond and Hermione finally looked up at him to see him staring at her arse like he was in a trance. “Hey!” she said, snapping her fingers at him.
Draco slowly moved his eyes up to meet hers. “You are getting this dress,” he repeated flatly. Hermione gave him a guarded look as she continued to tug at the top and bottom of the dress.
“We won’t be learning anything that will require this, Draco,” she said in a small voice. “I could never wear this in public.”
“I think we need another opinion,” Draco said, taking Hermione by the hand and tugging her towards the sales floor.
“Draco!” she protested, trying to pull against him. “No, please. I don’t even have shoes on!”
He ignored her as he scanned the floor for another person.
“Miss?” Draco called out to a saleswoman just to their right. “Would you be so kind as to give us your opinion on this garment?”
The woman stepped up to them and Hermione’s face burned red as she looked her over.
“Well I could certainly never pull something like this off,” the woman said tilting her head as she studied Hermione in the dress, “but, honey, with those lean legs and that slim waistline you were practically made to wear this.”
“Well, there you have it,” Draco said turning to Hermione. “I like it and she likes it. You’re getting it.”
“She has to say that,” she hissed at him, “She’s a saleswoman.”
Draco shrugged and smiled kindly at the woman. “We have some other items waiting to be purchased at the counter. Will it be alright for us to step out for a quick meal and return to finish our shopping afterward?”
“You are the Malfoy order?” the woman asked eagerly. Draco nodded and the woman gave him a toothy smile. “Take all the time you need, sir. We will have your order ready whenever you are. And if I may make a suggestion, there is a lovely café on the floor below that has a wonderful selection.”
“Splendid,” Draco said tugging at Hermione’s hand again. “Thank you.”
“Not at all,” the woman said, bowing her head slightly. “My name is Sophia. If you need any further assistance please do not hesitate to ask.”
Draco returned a nod to her and then turned to Hermione. “Want to try the café?”
Hermione simply yanked her hand free from his grasp and stalked off toward the changing area. Draco followed after her and quirked an eyebrow at the way the dress began to ride back up as she walked.
“How many colors did that dress come in?” he asked with a grin.
“Keep it up and I’ll quit,” Hermione said as she pulled at the hem again and threw herself into the changing room.
Draco blinked at the closed door she’d slammed and pressed a hand to the front of his jeans.
“Damn,” he repeated to himself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ordering here was easy,” Draco said as he read over the menu in his hands, “This menu looks remarkably similar to one I might find in a Wizarding establishment." Hermione nodded and then gave a quick glance around at the other patrons to see that they weren't eavesdropping.
"Yes," she answered leaning forward on the table, "Food seems to be one of those things that somehow Muggles and Wizards have managed to do almost entirely the same. They even call most dishes the same names. It really only starts to differ when it comes to beverages and sweets."
Draco hummed as he set down the menu. "How do the sweets differ?"
"Well...Muggles don't have access to magical ingredients. So their candy is much more about tasting good rather than about say, having it make you float or snapping at you."
"I'm rather fond of sweets," Draco said as he let his eyes drift about to people watch.
"I think I remember that," Hermione said with a small smile. "You used to get chocolates sent to you all the time at school, didn't you?"
"My mother would send them," he answered with a nod.
"So, would you be interested in visiting a Muggle sweetshop?"
Draco shrugged. "Sure. I suppose a man can't call himself a true candy connoisseur until he’s tried everything."
"You call yourself a candy connoisseur?" Hermione asked with a smirk.
"I'm a connoisseur of many things,” he replied with a waggle of his eyebrows. Hermione shifted a bit in her chair but simply shook her head at him.
"Well we know fashion isn't one of them," she said, leaning back.
"I don't know why you're so against wearing that dress," Draco said, picking up his glass of water and swirling it slightly. "It really did look gorgeous on you."
Hermione's cheeks flushed and she cleared her throat awkwardly. "I...ah...I'm just not used to wearing so...little," she replied as Draco sipped at his water. "I tend to choose more conservative items."
"Conservative as in that boring pantsuit?" Draco asked with a sigh. Hermione frowned at him.
"That suit was lovely."
"No," he said surely, "Sunsets are lovely. You are lovely. That pantsuit...atrocious."
Before Hermione could respond the waitress returned to their table with their lunch. She set their plates in front of them.
"May I bring you anything else?" she asked politely. Draco looked to Hermione to answer but found her staring at her plate apparently lost in thought.
"Uh...we're fine for now. Thank you," he answered and the woman gave a weak bow and left. Draco watched Hermione for a moment.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, picking up his sandwich. Hermione snapped from her daze and looked up at him.
“Nothing,” she sighed, poking at her own sandwich, “Just trying to figure out when I slipped into this alternate universe where Draco Malfoy so easily compliments me.”
Draco smiled and then blocked his mouth with his fist as he spoke around his bite. “So what have you been up to since we graduated?” he asked, avoiding her statement. “Did you go to the Ministry right away?”
Hermione gave him a small smile as she picked up her sandwich and shook her head. “Not right away. I did some traveling first.”
“Where to?” Draco asked, giving an impressed look to the sandwich he’d set back down.
“Australia,” she answered.
“I’ve never been. How is it there?”
Hermione hesitated for a moment and then nodded. “The area I visited was quite beautiful.”
“Would you go back?”
“I go back once a year actually. My parents live there.”
Draco gave her a mild look of surprise. “Really?”
Hermione gave an affirmative hum as she chewed. “I contemplated moving there myself,” she added after she swallowed, “but the wildlife scared the shite out of me.”
Draco choked on the sip he’d just taken. “What?” he laughed, “Why?”
“The spiders there are the size of dinner plates. Regular spiders. They eat birds, Draco,” she said emphatically.
“Jesus,” he said, leaning back. “Are you afraid of spiders then?”
“Not particularly, no,” she answered, “but I think even Hagrid would be wary of the ones out there.”
“So what are you afraid of?”
Hermione shrugged. “I’m not very comfortable with flying…it’s not really the heights that scares me. I don’t know…something about being on a broom that high just makes me uneasy.”
“So no romantic moonlit broom rides. Got it,” Draco said with an impish grin. Hermione simply picked up her sandwich again.
“Muggles don’t ride brooms, so I think we’ll be fine avoiding that particular scenario.”
Draco hummed for a moment. “Okay…so you traveled. What then?”
“Then I came back here and began an internship at the Ministry while working to start S.P.E.W. I’ve been managing its affairs ever since.”
“And outside of work?” Draco pried. “What do you do for fun?”
Hermione twisted her mouth a little as she focused on her plate. “I have dinner with Harry and Gin once a month. Talk to my mum on the phone. Play with my cats. Dabble a bit in experimental potion making.” She shrugged again. “You’re the most exciting thing that’s happened in a while.”
Draco’s mouth quirked up into a smirk. “If you think I’m exciting now, just wait until I model the swimwear.”
Hermione gaped at him a moment and then shook her head at him again. “Have you always been this cocky?”
“I could make a really filthy double entendre right now,” he replied.
“Oh Merlin, please don’t,” Hermione laughed with a hand to her forehead. Draco laughed back as he picked up his glass and tilted it toward her.
“To an entirely inappropriate working relationship,” he toasted. Hermione gave a resigned sigh and lifted her own glass.
“To learning Muggle things,” she offered in return. Draco tilted his head forward in acceptance and winked at her as they sipped.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Why do they call these trunks?” Draco inquired as he held up a pair that Hermione had handed him.
“I’m not sure. I’ve never looked into it,” she answered, taking another pair of swimming trunks from the display and tossing them to him. He caught them and frowned at her.
“You don’t really expect me to try all of these, do you? They all look the same but for the color.”
“You’re pale…color will be important,” Hermione answered, still rifling through the display. “I’ll need to see how they look on you.”
“You just want to ogle me,” Draco teased. Hermione lifted a blue-plaid patterned pair of trunks up and smiled at them.
“Yes,” she said nonchalantly, “I totally do.” She turned to face him then and laughed at the startled look on his face. “What? Oh, so you’re the only one that gets to be inappropriate?” she asked playfully, holding the pair up to him just out of his reach.
Draco took a step forward to grab the trunks from Hermione’s hand. “Did you mean it?” he asked with a smirk. Hermione simply motioned to the women’s section.
“Come help me pick out suits that match the ones you’ve got.”
Draco swiveled his head around to see the racks full of colorful swimsuits and bikinis. “Gladly,” he said.
Hermione led him over to them and picked up a hanger in each hand. “This one,” she said holding up a two-piece suit, “is called a bikini or two-piece. I will not wear one. Don’t bother picking them out for me.” She held up the other hand. “This one is a one-piece, just like we have in the Wizarding World. So long as it covers the midsection you can pick out any style of these for me to try.”
Draco looked back and forth between the two types of suits and cleared his throat. “Um…wouldn’t it be more…educational for me if you wore the two-piece since it’s unique to Muggles whereas the one-piece is not.”
Hermione placed the bikini back on the rack. “Nice try,” she said, “But no. You’ll pick from one-pieces and be glad I’m even allowing that.”
“But…”
“I’m not joking, Draco,” Hermione interrupted, “If you so much as hint about me wearing a bikini again, I will leave you here and you’ll never see me again.”
Draco held a hand up in surrender, “Okay, okay. No bikinis. Yeesh. No need to get tetchy.”
Hermione directed her attention back to the suit still in her hand. “Now, then…what do you think of this one? It’d match that blue pair I just gave you.”
Draco nodded in agreement as he started perusing the selection of swimsuits. “It’s nice. Here,” he said handing her three more suits he’d already picked off the rack. Hermione took them from him and he darted over behind another rack. “Oh, you are so trying this one,” she heard him call out excitedly.
“You’re eagerness is frightening,” Hermione replied anxiously as she peered around the rack to see him swinging the hanger with the suit he’d found back and forth on his finger in front of him.
“You have got to be kidding me,” Hermione laughed as she looked at the green, snake skin patterned suit. Draco grinned ear to ear.
“Hey…it’s one-piece and it covers the middle,” he said smugly.
“So it does,” Hermione sighed, taking it from him. She looked at it a moment and then placed it back on the rack.
“Hey!” Draco said angrily, “You said I got to pick.”
Hermione furrowed her brow slightly as she grabbed another suit in the same style and added it to her per pile. “I was only getting the correct size,” she replied. “Who’s tetchy now?”
“Oh,” Draco said sheepishly. He quickly shrugged away the awkwardness and reached for another suit. “How about this one?”
Hermione wrinkled her nose. “Please, no,” she said, eyeing the metallic gold, fringed suit, “It’s tacky.”
Draco put it back and chose another. “This one?”
“This one I like,” she said, taking the vintage style, polka dot suit from him. She checked the size and placed it over her arm with the others. “Grab me two more and let’s get modeling.”
Draco quickly grabbed two random suits and then took Hermione’s hand. She laughed as he nearly tugged her arm out of the socket as he pulled her to the changing rooms.
“Anxious to get this over with?” she asked with a grin.
“Are you joking?” Draco replied as they arrived at the changing area, “I’ve been looking forward to this part all day.”
“You’ve wanted to try on swimwear all day?” she asked amused. Draco snorted and went to an empty room.
“You in this one,” he said, pointing. “And I’ll go in this one.”
“You want to try them on at the same time?”
He nodded and Hermione shrugged. “That’s a rather good idea actually. It will save time and we’ll get to see how we look toge…”
“Less talk, more changing,” Draco interrupted disappearing into his room. “And try on the snake one first!”
Hermione rolled her eyes and went to the room directly across from his.
“Are you ready?” she heard Draco call out a minute later.
“Almost,” she called back as she adjusted her breasts evenly behind the tight spandex of the suit. She looked down at herself in the snake skin pattern and shook her head with a chuckle. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she whispered to herself before shouting out again. “Ready!”
Draco and Hermione both opened their doors at the same time and stepped out. They both stopped in their tracks when they caught sight of each other.
“Wow,” Hermione said quietly as she looked over Draco who had changed into a solid black pair of trunks.
“Holy fuck,” Draco breathed as he raked his eyes over Hermione.
They both stood, staring at each other for a minute until another shopper entered the area. The elderly woman stopped when she saw them. She immediately noticed Draco’s Dark Mark and looked at it pointedly with a disapproving scowl. She muttered something as she shook her head and slipped into a room. Draco quickly tried to cover his arm with his right hand and started to back away into his room.
“It’s okay,” Hermione said gently, stepping forward and taking his hand in hers. She tugged him back out and led him over to the full length mirror.
“You…you said they wouldn’t know what it was,” Draco whispered uncomfortably.
“They don’t,” Hermione assured, “they’ll just think it’s a tattoo. Unfortunately some Muggles find tattoos distasteful. Apparently she was one of them.” Hermione frowned at the closed door of the room the woman had gone into.
“I... I think I‘ve had enough learning for today,” Draco said, still trying to hide his arm.
“Okay,” Hermione said softly. “I don’t think we need to bother trying anymore suits on anyway. You’re getting these,” she said, tugging at the waistband of his trunks. Draco quirked an eyebrow and smirked at her in the mirror despite himself.
“And you are definitely getting this,” he said, running a hand over her hip. Hermione shivered slightly and then gave him a playful shove.
“Go change,” she ordered, “so we can go spend the gross national product of a small country purchasing all this.”
Draco gave her a smile and nodded and then went back into his changing room.
Hermione looked sadly at his door and then glared at the door of the old woman’s room before sighing and going back to her own.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“So when shall we meet again?” Draco asked as he and Hermione stepped up to the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron.
“Our purchases are all supposed to arrive at my house by Friday morning, so I think Friday night you should come over and help me sort it all,” Hermione answered.
“You want me at your house?” Draco said with genuine surprise. Hermione nodded.
“You already have the address. I’ll keep my Floo open so you can come in that way. I should be home from work around five. Will that work for you?”
“So, you want me to come over Friday night and help you sort clothes and shoes?” Draco confirmed hesitantly.
“Yes…I’ll get take away and put on some Muggle music while we work so you’ll still get some learning in as well,” she said enthusiastically.
“Okay, then,” Draco said with a slight nod, “Friday at five. Your place. Sorting. Take away. Music. Got it.”
Hermione gave him an encouraging smile. “I had fun with you today,” she said quietly. She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “I’ll see you Friday…and thank you for lunch and the clothes.”
With that she entered the pub, leaving a stunned Draco on the sidewalk rubbing reverently at his cheek.
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