Here it is.
Thank you to AngelwithDirtyThoughts for the title suggestion. also to VictoriaEnchanted for the same chapter title only a day later.
you to were the only ones to give a title name and they were the same lol.
Like or hate it, read and review so I know.
Thanks to Brink for the beta that I so desperately needed!
I'm sure everyone will thank you too for not having to sit through my atrocious spelling for another 18 chapters. Lol.
And to all of you who want a smarter Hermione, give me time and you'll get her.
Outerhouse Relations
Chapter 1
Draco Malfoy had a long line of family members who were prized for their lack of emotion. And Draco, although not as emotionally inept as the rest of his family, had grown up ignoring what bit of feelings he did have. Being under the impression that the strange way his body reacted to certain things, was a badge of shame.
More to the point, his dad would constantly berate him if his face so much as showed an inkling of what he was thinking.
It wasn't until years later that Draco realized his father had no right to chastise. His father was an emotional beast himself; he may not have stressed his facial features, but Lucius Malfoy had shown, in plenty of ways, that he too had emotions.
Luckily this revelation humbled Draco to the fact that Malfoy's, no matter the stories, or the stony faced portraits of past ancestors lining the halls of his manor back home, were all human.
He forgot about his fathers idealism and embraced the fact that he was going to feel things. Things that he hated, things that hurt and things that pissed him off. Mind you, he still did a decent job of concealing it, but none the less he felt.
But apparently, he'd been having less control over that in the past few weeks, all of the hell he had gone through with Hermione. As proof of it, he was just about ready to punch Blaise in the face.
He was jealous, he was human, and he was going to kill Zabini.
After sitting through hours of the insufferable car ride to Potter's, where Blaise occupied conversation with his new girlfriend the whole way there, they'd finally made it to the apartment. Naturally, low and behold, Blaise had something in his room that he wanted to show to Hermione.
Hermione, being so utterly Hermione as she was, followed him with a smile. Blaise then proceeded to grin at Draco before closing them away.
Now he was standing awkwardly at the door with Potter at his side, listening to Hermione and Blaise's muffled laughter.
Harry gave him a pat on the back and then dropped the luggage he was carrying on the carpet beside the door.
"Don't worry about it," he said with a shrug. Draco looked down at him in surprise, "I'm sure by now you know Hermione. She wont think anything of it." Harry laughed and then pointed to where he'd set Hermione's things. "Go ahead and leave your stuff right here for now," he continued, sitting himself on the sofa with an exhausted sigh.
Draco put his things down and sighed, agreeing with Potter about his words on Hermione's dismissive attitude toward Blaise. Though the fact that she wasn't thinking anything of it was part of his problem.
He gritted his teeth when Hermione laughed again, and then he walked into the living room, stiffly sitting down in an armchair.
Draco was usually pretty cool in awkward situations, but as he and Potter sat in silence, one tapping his foot, the other surveying his surroundings uncomfortably, Draco was uncharacteristically uneasy.
Why the hell would she leave him here with Potter?
Draco looked around the apartment, trying desperately to ignore the fact that Potter was staring at him, and laid his eyes on anything that could possibly pull him away from the dreaded forced conversation.
Please, please, please don't let there be forced conversation, god help him if he was forced to-
And then Potter attempted conversation.
"So…" he said in that long drawn out way that people do when they don't really have anything to say, but are going to try anyway, "Hogwarts huh? How is it?" Harry mustered and Draco wanted to just stand up and leave.
This was too much. He took a deep breath. If not for Hermione, he wouldn't even try. But as it were, he had to at least attempt being civil.
"It's a good job I suppose," he said with a shrug, not looking at Harry. Draco rested his eyes on a black lamp, attempting to appear that it interested him more than the conversation itself. Of course, anything could be deemed more interesting than the poor excuse of a conversation they were sharing.
"Oh…" he answered and then the silence went on until finally Harry tried again. "Auror training at the Ministry's tough, but worth it," Harry added.
A futile attempt, but Draco gave points for trying.
"Yeah…?" Draco asked, trying to sound mildly interested.
"Yup…," Harry responded and then let the quiet stretch on again for some time. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, but had only been a few minutes, Harry stood up and stretched. "You know what?" he started, "think I'll go see what's going on with Blaise and Hermione." Harry hurriedly walked out of the room, leaving Draco alone and bringing the sad attempt of a conversation to an end.
Draco relaxed a little. He hated uncomfortable situations and he was readying himself for a whole lot more of it in the coming weeks. He would just have to suck it up.
Five long minutes later, they still hadn't emerged from Blaise's room, and Draco was trying not to get too frustrated with the current situation. Where were Hermione's perfect manners and etiquette, leaving him out here like this?
Just as he was about ready to get up and barge in there, they emerged looking cheery and still in the midst of conversation.
"It sounds like fun," Hermione smiled.
What sounds like fun?
Why was she smiling?
"It will be," Blaise assured, a rather proud smile spread across his face.
Why was he smiling?
"So aside from that," Harry chimed in, "you too are on dinner duty right?" Hermione looked up at Blaise to see if that was okay with him. Blaise simply put an arm around her shoulders, steering her to the kitchen with that same smile.
"Sure," he said louder than necessary for Hermione or Harry to here, being that they were right beside him. "Last time was such a blast, and you looked so cute in my clothes, it felt like we were a married couple," Blaise joked and Hermione blushed.
"Stop it," Hermione mumbled, "I know I looked ridiculous, you don't have to remind me."
Draco watched the events play out, still seated in his chair and all too aware of what Blaise was trying to do. Well it wouldn't work. If he got pissed now, it would only feed Blaise's childish antics.
And it was in good faith that he keep up his nonchalant façade. Once Blaise got whiff of any weakness, he ran with it. He couldn't let them find out how vulnerable he was when it came to Granger.
Draco smirked at Blaise's disappointed face. He had obviously hoped to get a reaction. But then Blaise smirked back. Harry, seeing the exchange and feeling the pure testosterone levels rising at an alarming rate, cleared his throat and addressed Hermione.
"So… what are you making?" he asked and Hermione shrugged.
"Guess I'll see what you've got." she said, moving away from Blaise and searching through the fridge and cabinets.
While Hermione did that, Harry tried to play mediator.
"I haven't been shopping for a bit" Harry started carefully, thinking as he went along. "So Malfoy," he went on, "why don't you suggest what you'd like since it'll be your first time having Hermione's cooking." he tried. "Blaise and I will go out for ingredients at the market down the street," Harry looked at Blaise who sighed and then shrugged.
Hermione turned to him giving him the 'I couldn't put you through the trouble' look, so Harry continued. "While we're out it'll give you time to get things squared away," he added and Draco, not bothering to hide his annoyance for the first time, spoke up.
"Sounds perfect," he said, and Hermione shot him a glare, offended by his lack of manners in someone else's house.
Draco didn't seem to notice.
"Don't worry about it," Harry said, quickly shooting a look at Blaise. When he didn't answer, Harry nudged him. He sighed heavily.
"Yes of course," Blaise said sarcastically, "It'd be our pleasure." Draco was unsure whether that was directed toward him, Potter, or Hermione. Draco could only hope it wasn't the later.
Draco, also having not missed the exchange, decided he had a bit more respect for Potter. Hermione huffed, looking deflated.
"If it's really okay…" she started and Harry smiled at her. She looked across the room to Draco. "Well?" she inquired.
Draco thought it over for a moment before answering.
"How about fetta?" he suggested and Hermione smiled, nodding in agreement.
"Sounds great," she said. Harry took Blaise by the arm, pulling him to the door, eager to kill the high level of hostility already raging in the room.
"Right," Harry said as he pushed a disgruntled Blaise out and then entered the hall himself. "Be back in thirty," he waved before shutting the door.
"Finally," Draco breathed as soon as the door was shut. He got up from the arm chair and closed the distance between them in a few quick strides and pulled Hermione into his arms with a wicked smile on his face.
"Draco," Hermione started in shock, but Draco place a finger over her mouth and continued.
"You left me out here with Potter, and -" he started.
"You should really call him Harry," Hermione interrupted pulling his finger away from her face.
"Potter," he continued, "and I think I deserve a bit of compensation." He smiled down at her, causing Hermione to blush.
"Stop it," she whispered, a tad embarrassed by Draco's action. They were, after all, at her best friends house. "We need to get our stuff put away."
She tried to pull away from him, but it was, as always, impossible. Draco picked her up by the hips and sat her on the counter top with ease, then pulled her close to the edge pressing himself against her.
She bit her lip, looking down at him with dilated eyes. He smirked, knowing he had her right where he wanted her. And just as he expected, she pulled him to her for a rough kiss.
She'd get her senses back soon enough and realize that they were on her best friends counter top, but until then, he didn't mind taking what he could get before Zabini returned with his childish games.
She fisted his hair and kissed him with a needy hunger. Then just as he was slipping his hand up her shirt to get a hold on one her glorious breasts…
"Anybody home?" came a voice from behind them, causing both to react. Hermione quickly pushed Draco back, jumping from the counter and patting her hair down, fixing herself up just in time for the ginger to come into view, dusting soot from his clothes.
Draco flinched as Hermione let out a high pitched scream of excitement before, to his dismay, running into Weasley's arms.
"Hermione!" he said picking her up in a bear hug.
Draco leaned back against the counter giving Weasley a curt nod when Ron finally noticed Draco standing there.
Weasley. Draco couldn't help but wonder if he had fallen asleep on the armchair, thus making this unwanted visitor nothing more than a figment of his imagination. But he wasn't so lucky, and Draco watched in dismay as the redhead quickly approached him.
"Malfoy!" Ron said loudly taking Draco's hand and giving it a firm shake. Then he looked down at Draco, being that he was a good two inches taller than the 5'11 Draco Malfoy, and gave him a dark smile. "Good to see you."
Draco could tell that, contrary to his words, he wasn't all too happy to see him. In fact, judging by his dark tone, it was quite the opposite.
"You too," Draco said coolly with a smirk. This was just like the good old days. He and Potter sitting on the couch making small talk, no. But this, this was the way it was supposed to be.
Then, for the first time that Draco could remember, Hermione seemed to sense the mood that was building.
"Ron," she said suddenly, grabbing his arm and pulling him into the living room. "Tell me all about the shop. It's been too long." she smiled up at him.
Draco smirked at her and she gave him the 'be nice' look before sitting beside Weasley on the couch and starting up a conversation.
Draco sighed, running a hand through his hair. Finally got rid of Zabini and in turn he got something five times worse.
He took a seat back in the arm chair, his now designated seat, and watched as his girlfriend chatted and laughed with another bloke, feeling like this hellish vacation would never come to an end.
Damien had endured the muggle friendly radio car drive, in the stuffed mini van, with them all singing to the songs at the top of their lungs. He'd even, at the request of Danielle, taken the middle seat, sitting between Spencer and Flores so she could sit with her new best friend Jasmine. But this, this was unacceptable.
"Excuse me?" He asked in disbelief.
"It's a tradition Scott," Tanner said and Danielle laughed.
"When we get back from Hogwarts, we take a swim. It's been like that for years," she explained.
"During winter and at night," he asked skeptically. Spencer came up behind him and gave him a friendly shove.
"Come on mate, who are we to wreck a tradition," he smiled and Jasmine nodded her head in agreement.
"Besides," Tanner added, "the pool is lit and heated, and we also have a Jacuzzi." He waggled his eyebrows and Danielle gave his arm a smack.
While those two argued about Flores's perversions, Spencer leaned in close to Damien.
"Just picture it," he started, "Danielle, in her two piece, splashing around. We might play some chicken with the ladies and then head to the Jacuzzi to relax our tired muscles." He chuckled suggestively. "Now, imagine sitting it out and watching me take your place…" He smiled as Damien shrugged Nix's arm off his shoulders.
Spencer laughed and then became serious. "Two piece," he said.
"How would you know?" Damien questioned annoyed.
Spencer discreetly pointed to the sofa where Danielle's bag lay unzipped and her tiny purple swim top already pulled halfway out.
Damien took a moment to deliberate with himself. A wonderful opportunity lay ahead of him, but there were always pro's and con's to every choice being made.
Be in a pool with these insufferable prats and maybe get a chance to make a move on Danielle.
Or sit out, avoiding the annoyance of the other, but be forced to watch Nix and his shameless hands all over Danielle.
Either way, he lost.
Tanner opened the sliding door and headed out to the back yard, letting Jasmine test the water with her foot, and Nix followed kneeling down and putting in a hand.
"Damien," Danielle spoke from beside him and he looked down at her. "Come and feel the water," she said, taking his forearm and pulling him outside.
She rolled up her pants and sat at the edge then patted the floor beside her. Damian copied her movements, rolling his pants up and sitting right beside her.
"We're going to get changed," Jasmine said excitedly, running back into the house with Tanner and Spencer close behind.
"So you're really not going to get in?" Danielle asked annoyed. Damian sighed at her obviously upset tone.
"I'm still thinking about it," he mumbled.
"Well," Danielle said happily, abruptly standing up, "times up!" She laughed, putting a foot in the middle of his back and shoving him off the edge and into the pool with a splash.
Damien surfaced in shock, watching her laugh it up. He swam to the edge and looked up at her with murder in his eyes.
"I'm going to give you until I get out of this pool," he said warningly and she smiled at him.
"If you think you can catch me." she said with a laugh before running into the house.
Damien smiled. He was going to make her pay.
When Tanner and the others returned they were met with a soaking wet Damien dragging a laughing Danielle out of the back doors, holding her around the waist.
"What the hell," Tanner asked. Spencer laughed when Danielle manage to break away from him.
She made a run for it but didn't get far as Damien soon had a hold of her again. He dragged her closer to the poll, holding her tight as she continued to struggle, trying to free herself once more. Then, without hesitation, Damien jumped into the pool, taking her along with him.
"Suicide," Tanner laughed and then picked up Jasmine, who shrieked in surprise, and jumped in after them.
Spencer smiled. This would be good for Damien. His best friend needed some fun in his life. Contrary to what Scott may believe, he was meant to be around people. As long as he wasn't being a total ass, Damien was a good person who deserved to have a good time just as much as anyone.
When everyone emerged from the water, the two girls coughing and Damien smiling and actually accepting a high five from Tanner, he knew it was the perfect time.
"Bludger!" he shouted before jumping into middle of the group, legs pulled up, with a huge splash.
Eventually, Damien and Danielle changed into proper attire and the night was overall one of the best that any of them had ever had.
Draco had been sitting in the same chair now for 20 minutes, not moving the slightest, staring at the same lamp, being ignored, before Weasley finally had the decency to address him again.
"So, Malfoy," he started and Draco could tell that he was in a considerably better mood than when they'd started off. Maybe all the brute needed was his Granger fix. Draco winced inwardly at that disgusting notion.
He turned to the red head, nodding his head in recognition before Ron continued.
"Just wanted to congratulate you on the catch," he smiled genuinely and Hermione blushed, "we thought our dear old Hermione would never give a bloke a real chance." He continued and Hermione nudged him roughly.
Draco's interest peeked.
"What do you mean?" he asked in a leveled voice and Ron turned to Hermione with a smile.
"Well, for a while she was accepting any offer she got." he explained, Hermione glaring at him. He continued; "one date with a guy and they were kicked to the curb." He let out a chuckle. "She'd come back telling us that 'this' was wrong with the guy or 'that.'"
Then he looked quizzical.
"I'm sure I can find something wrong with you even if she can't," He stated flatly and Hermione punched him in the arm. Ron stood from the sofa with a chuckle. "No, I'm only joking. Looks like we'll be putting up with each other, yeah?"
He walked toward the hall then turned back to Draco one more time with his usual grin spread across his freckled face. "Welcome to the group Malfoy. If Hermione likes you than I suppose you can't be all that bad. I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to get to know you better." He laughed before disappearing around the corner and shutting the bathroom door.
Hermione quickly jumped in to make amends.
"Draco," she started apologetically, "Ron can be a pain, but he's just kidding, really." Draco sighed.
He was pretty sure that the words Weasley had said were a round-about threat of sorts, but it was pointless trying to get Hermione to see that. So instead he smiled at her and shrugged.
Hermione smiled back and then the air thickened as she caught his eyes and nibbled her lip. Draco smirked at her. Ever since last night, every time she looked at him he could tell she was replaying their lustful events in her head.
He wanted to have her again. Now.
And from the looks of her, she was on the same page.
But of course the mood was trampled on as the front door opened and Hermione hurried over to help with bags. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes tight. Why?
Ron emerged from the bathroom and there were greetings going around and Draco, ever the outsider, sat and watched as they all started putting groceries away while laughing and chatting like a big happy family.
He sat in the armchair, thinking that he sure as hell didn't belong here.
Draco sat in that seat for another hour while Blaise and Hermione cooked dinner together, having a good time, and while Potter and Weasley talked about the shop and about Teddy and about other trash he didn't really understand.
When dinner was finally done, and he worked up the strength to pry his weight from the chair to seat himself in a new one at the dining room table with everyone. He hadn't even been granted the mercy of sitting next to Hermione.
He took up residence between Potter and Blaise, looking on as Hermione talked excitedly about her favorite students and about the muggle camp; Terry's, that had become part of the Hogwarts curriculum.
After suffering through dinner they all migrated to the living room, talking about plans for tomorrow.
"The mall will be packed with only ten days left before Christmas," Harry complained.
"But we're having an all muggle holiday, remember," Hermione sighed.
So apparently when Blaise had pulled her away earlier, he'd suggested gift shopping at the local muggle shopping center. And being that Hermione thought it was a good idea, there was no getting out of it. For any of them.
"Sounds…," Ron trailed off, thinking it over and then shooting a look at Draco, "fun." He put an arm around Hermione's shoulders. "In fact Hermione," he continued, "you should sit this one out." He smiled down at her and she looked up at him with an eyebrow raised.
"Why," she asked suspiciously and Draco, for once, was thankful for her skepticism. Ron looked at the other males in the room as though passing them a secret message that Draco didn't get.
"Well," he started, "it could be a guy's day thing, you know?" He smiled cleverly. "Besides, Malfoy probably doesn't want you around when he gets you a Christmas gift and neither do any of us," he said and Hermione searched Blaise and Harry's face.
Then she looked at Draco, sitting in his armchair, who was all too aware that this was some sort of set up for him. But he wasn't about to beg for her to come along, so he sighed and answered her silent question.
"Sure, why not," he asked, defeated. He wasn't going to give Weasley the satisfaction of getting to him.
Hermione deliberated for a moment before sighing.
"I guess," she said, shrugging a bit. Ron and Blaise smiled at each other.
Draco gave Potter a questioning look, the other man shrugging in response. Draco found it strange to think that his most trusted ally here would be Potter, of all people.
Blaise stood up and yawned.
"Looks like it's lights out time if we want to beat the traffic tomorrow," he said and Draco could here the experience of "muggling it" in Blaise's voice. "How are we splitting this," he asked and Harry shrugged before answering.
"Well Ron usually gets couch, so I guess Hermione will stay with me in my room and Malfoy in yours," he said and Draco couldn't believe this was happening.
"Wait," Blaise said in outrage, "why do you get Hermione?" Everyone but Draco laughed. He wasn't about to let her sleep anywhere but with him.
Everyone started to disband and it was like no one here understood what was wrong with this at all.
As Hermione followed behind Harry, Draco caught her arm.
"Really," he whispered to her, willing her to understand.
"I know Draco," she answered solemnly and he was at least glad that she was thinking the same thing. "But it's Harry's place and I'm not going to kick him out of his own room." She frowned at him. "Besides, the two of us," she lowered her voice even further, "you know we can't be in the same room." She blushed and he smiled down at her. She had a good point, but still.
"You know," he said with a rueful smile, "they're doing this on purpose." He sighed and she looked at him in disbelief, then chuckled.
"Right, they're all conspiring against you," she laughed lightly. "Don't be so paranoid, Harry seems to like you and Ron will come around," she comforted before giving him a light kiss on the lips and waving him goodnight.
Draco watched as she entered another man's room for the night, laughing at whatever Potter had said to her before closing the door on him.
He was wrong to think that Potter was an ally, he was in on the scheme, just like the other two.
"Hurry it up mate," came Blaise's voice from beside him, "Or I'll leave you out here to try and get some sleep through Ron's snoring." He laughed and ducked whatever Ron tossed at him.
Draco sighed in defeat, entering Blaise's room. How was he supposed to fight when it was three on one. He couldn't. Or at least not yet.
He would just have to go along with this, bide his time until he found what he needed to get the upper hand on all three of these wankers.
After Blaise was done with Draco's makeshift bed on the floor, he then subjected Draco to lots and lots of talk about how he couldn't believe what a sexpot Hermione was and about how Draco was lucky he put a claim on her before she got here.
Which wasn't stopping Zabini from flirting with her mercilessly Draco noted.
And Blaise always seemed to know just how far to push Draco before he reached the point of no return, stopping his rude and distasteful comments just before Draco gave up on ignoring him and was about to deck him in the jaw. One so hard they'd have to wire his mouth shut and Draco could get some peace for the rest of his trip.
Hermione had been right, he thought. Draco had a lot more patience than he credited himself with. He'd seemed to learn a great deal more over the past few weeks with her, and this trip was apparently meant to teach him plenty more.
Finally though, there was silence and Draco, not wanting to think of what he was in for tomorrow, forced all thoughts from his mind and fell asleep.
Hermione was wide awake listening to the soft snoozing from the floor beside the bed.
She felt terrible. It wasn't until just now that she'd realized how she'd treated Draco.
She'd been so glad to be with her friends that she had completely neglected him. Lost in her own good times.
She replayed the day in her head and realized that he'd spent most of it sitting in that arm chair. She asked him to come here, knowing that he would be uncomfortable, and then isolated him.
Not to mention that he may not be all wrong about the others conspiring against him. Her mind worked to remember all the conversations and stopped on the outing to the mall tomorrow.
She'd thrown him to the wolves. Not that she really thought that they were going to do anything outside of thoroughly annoy Draco, but she could have helped prevent it a bit.
She couldn't invite herself now could she? Not after he'd sucked it up and told her that it was okay. Would that be like stepping on his manly pride or something? He decided to put up with them on his own but she wanted to come to his rescue.
Either way, she wouldn't let it happen again if she could help it. These boys and their ridiculous antics.
She got the feeling that Draco wouldn't ask her for assistance if he needed it, so she would have to stop being so lax around them and keep an eye out for trouble.
She wanted him to enjoy his vacation here and have a good time with everyone. By the end of this trip, she was sure that no matter what, they'd all be friends.
Hopefully…
I don't think I have to mention to review. Oops I just did :P
Do you guys want to guess what they're going to do at the mall?
Also for those of you wanting more Nate and Tiffany, let me know because I wasn't planing on writing them in but I can amend that!