Chapter Text
Tuesday.
Draco took a long drag of his cigarette in a familiar alleyway of Diagon Alley. He used to run these streets when he was a child with his little gang of friends. Stealing things. Vandalizing storefronts. Spitting at unsuspecting patrons. He never got in trouble really. At the time, he thought he was invincible. In retrospect, he knew better.
He’d been back in England not 48 hours and his father pushed him out of the manor to start work.
“No son of mine will be a laze-about. You’re going to work from the bottom and rise to the top,” Lucius drawled as he stood at Draco’s door. The witch he had bedded in a drug and alcohol-induced fever the night before scrambled to get her clothes on.
“Father, I just came back from Bulgaria. Yesterday was my birthday. Couldn’t you allow me a moment’s rest?” Draco groaned.
The older wizard sneered at the witch as she ran past him out the door. “I think you’ve got plenty of it.”
The elder Malfoy sent Draco to Durmstrang instead of Hogwarts due to his quote-unquote unruly behavior. Unfortunately for Lucius and Narcissa, the time away from England’s polite society only further solidified his rebellious spirit. The bleak cold environment made Draco into a nihilist which of course made him want to live every day as if it was his last.
After barely graduating, he returned covered in tattoos and a cold smirk. His mother nearly fainted. What did she expect when sending off her only child to the strict school that upheld pure-blood ideals?
“Draco, I don’t know where we went wrong with you but this attitude stops today. You are to go visit a new business that opened in Diagon Alley with Theodore. You’re to learn how we make acquaintances,” Lucius continued.
“And if they refuse our help?”
“They never refuse.” Lucius paused before leaving. “And look respectable.”
So, now Draco was there smoking his muggle cigarette. He was wearing his most obnoxious sky-blue suit and muggle high tops. His white-blond hair was parted off-center and fluffed on the sides, which drove his mother barmy. He wore eyeliner to further emphasize his grey eyes and his carefree style.
“Alright, mate?” Theo asked as he walked up.
A sly smile curled onto Draco’s face. Theo went to Hogwarts and enjoyed a more lenient life due to his father being in Azkaban for participating in a dark artifacts trade. Lucky bastard. However, since graduating from Hogwarts last year (Durmstrang stupidly had an extra year in their curriculum), Theo has been working for Lucius.
“Alright.” Draco pulled Theo into a hug.
“Supposed to show you the rope, am I?”
“Can’t we skive off? Aren’t you father’s star employee?” Draco bemoaned. His shoulders sagged in a dramatic fashion.
“We’re just visiting a few businesses. And then we could go flying or go chase some skirts. Whatever you want.” Theo started walking out of the alleyway.
Draco trailed behind him. Suddenly, Theo stopped.
“Oi, mate!” Draco exclaimed as nearly collided with the gangly brunette wizard. He followed his eyeline to see a redheaded witch entering the Leaky.
“Sorry, you go introduce yourself. I’ll meet you there,” Theo said, distractedly. He waved his hand toward a café across the way from them.
Theo stalked off to the Leaky Cauldron, leaving Draco to his own devices. He leaned his head back and dramatically groaned. After slapping himself with both hands and taking his final drag on the cigarette, Draco walked up to the café. He felt a strange push away from the door. Possibly some sort of unseen, repelling ward.
Inside Draco realized it was partly a café and a bookstore. It was strange. There was already Flourish and Botts. So, it made sense that there were no patrons at the time. As he walked through the stacks, he realized what was different. The bookstore was stocked with muggle books. He recognized a couple of titles.
Draco picked up the copy of The Picture of Dorian Grey. He smiled thinking back to the time he secretly read it on holiday with his parents years ago. He found it haunting. Though the lesson was to not pursue hedonist ideals, he still did as he pleased. Sensual fulfillment was the only way to live for Draco.
As he leafed through the book, someone started softly humming. No doubt it was the owner of the place. The sooner he finished his work the sooner he’d get his fill on hedonism. He set down the book and followed the melodic sound. It didn’t take long for him to find the source.
Maybe he’d get his fill sooner rather than later.
Draco felt his face form a wolfish grin as he took in the sight.
There in the back corner was a witch. She was dressed in a heather grey jumper and plaid skirt. Half of her brown curls were tied up in a bow. She had a muggle contraption covering her ears and humming as she replaced books on the shelf.
Draco smelled his breath before he approached her. After clearing his throat for the third time, he realized she couldn’t hear him. So, he leaned on an elbow against the shelf to her right. Her pretty face turned to see him smiling. She screamed and fell backward. She landed on her bum. Her hands scrambled to remove the strange earmuffs.
“You scared me!” the witch exclaimed. Her beautiful brown eyes rounded in shock.
Draco noticed that her skirt road up ever so slightly above her tanned knees. She probably charmed her skirt to be modest at all times like a good girl.
“I’m so sorry,” Draco laughed. He leaned down to help her up. Her slender hands fit so well into his.
He noticed the front of her jumper. It read Hogwarts.
“It’s alright. I was the one that didn’t notice you, at first,” she said with a sheepish smile.
Her eyes looked down at their hands, still held together. Draco had no intention of letting her go. Something about their skin contact was natural to him. She felt soft and warm.
“Sir, I kind of need my hands,” she giggled.
Still not releasing them, he realized that he enjoyed her laugh. He desperately wanted to hear more of it.
“Draco,” he responded. “You can call me Draco.”
“Oh! Like the constellation?” She tilted her head.
“Yes. Like the constellation,” he repeated with a grin.
Draco suddenly felt something large press up against his legs. He blinked and looked down to see a monstrous orange furball weaving between his legs.
“Oh, my. Crookshanks likes you!” The witch looked up at Draco like he was the sun. “It’s so rare that he likes anyone.”
The last shards of ice dislodged from his heart. This foreign warmth enveloped his whole being. He had never felt this way about anyone before. And yet here, in the middle of this dusty bookshop full of muggle books, Draco was feeling it with the profoundly most beautiful witch he had ever laid his eyes on.
The bell on the door jingled.
“Well, Draco. I really need my hands now,” she said playfully.
Draco frowned but he acquiesced. He watched her turn towards the incoming patron. Crookshanks as she named him sauntered after her.
“Granger?”
“Oh! Theo!”
Draco’s eyes widened. No! He was going to demand money from this sweet girl. He raced to the front to see Theo leaning against the counter and the Granger girl on the other side.
“Weren’t you abroad? When did you get back?” Theo pressed.
“Oh, yeah,” Granger said as she traced circles on the counter. “Recently.”
Draco cleared his throat. They both looked up.
“Draco, I see you’ve met Granger,” Theo said.
“Yes, we spoke already,” Draco said with authority. He silently told his friend to back off of this one. It seemed to have worked.
“With that big brain of yours, I thought you got into St. Mungo’s healer program,” Theo said to her.
Suddenly, Granger looked sad. Draco didn’t like that very much.
“Oh, I had a change of plans. Anyway, what brings you here? Don’t tell me you saw Ginny leave. She’s moved on and you should too.” Granger placed her hands on her hips.
“Don’t tell me, she went back to Potter.”
“I’m not telling you anything,” Granger laughed. She turned her gaze to Draco. “So, how do you guys know each other?”
“We’re childhood friends,” Draco chimed in. He stretched his tall lithe body over the counter. He propped himself up on one of his elbows.
“He went to Durmstrang instead of Hogwarts,” Theo said.
“Oh! Did you come for the Triwizard tournament?” Granger asked.
“He was on academic probation. So, he wasn’t allowed to come,” Theo chortled.
Draco grimaced at Theo’s admission.
“Oh, that’s too bad.” Granger scrunched her adorable nose.
“I don’t really ascribe to the idea that intelligence is measured by stuffy old structures,” Draco sniffed as he tapped his rings on the counter, still leaning over the counter to get close to her.
“Don’t say that, mate! Granger here was the top of our class. I’m almost certain that Potter and Weasley graduated because of your intelligence.”
“Well,” Granger said. She looked down at her hands and smiled shyly. She must not be used to praise.
“Since Draco spoke with you already, we must be off,” Theo announced.
“Oh! Would you like a pastry for the road, on the house, of course,” Granger said as she reached off the pastry case.
“No…We shouldn’t…” Theo unenthusiastically said. His eyes were glued to the lemon bars.
“Nonsense, I baked them fresh this morning.” Granger rolled her eyes as she pulled out two lemon bars. She stuffed them in paper bags. “Take them.”
“Are you sure?” Theo sang as he pulled the bag out of her hands.
Without waiting for her response, Theo started for the front door while digging into the pastries. Draco was still at the counter staring at Granger.
“Shouldn’t you be off?” Granger asked with a sweet smile. She tilted her head down at him. She was so close that he could count all the freckles on her nose.
“I suppose. But I’d rather be with you.” Draco gave her a rakish smile. He was pleasantly greeted with a pink dusting across her cheeks.
“Draco!” Theo called through the door.
“You’re being summoned,” she hummed.
Draco groaned, which made Granger giggle. He stood at his full height. She had to adjust her head upwards. Draco backed away from the counter.
“I’ll see you again, Granger,” Draco announced with his arms outstretched.
“Will there be another outrageous colored suit?” she mused.
“Draco! We have to go!” Theo yelled.
He placed his hand over his heart. “I promise.”
Before he exited the shop, Draco bowed, which made her giggle again.
Outside Theo wrapped his arm around Draco’s shoulders. “I’m assuming you didn’t sell her on our protection?”
“Theo, I’m in love.” Draco clasped his hands in front of his chest.
“You don’t even know her first name,” Theo said, scandalized.
“We have the rest of our lives for me to learn it,” he swooned.
“Don’t tell Lucius. She’s a muggleborn.”
“Even better! She’s sweet and she’d piss off my parents,” Draco exclaimed. Brimming with excitement, he grabbed Theo by the collar.
Theo pushed the pastry bag into Draco’s chest. He happily tucked into the sweet treat. He savored the baked goods. She was an incredible baker.
“Draco, I’m putting on my serious hat. She is the nicest person I’ve ever known. Your lifestyle might scare her off.”
“I can change!”
“That’s what you said with, what’s her face, Ivana!”
“That’s different. I found her in bed with another bloke. Then I promptly joined them. I ended it because he was a terrible fuck,” Draco said thoughtfully.
“Greta the milkmaid?”
“She’s not as innocent as she seemed. She was too friendly with the cows.”
“Hilda?”
“Theo! I am serious this time around. Something about Granger stirs something within me. I want to be better for her.”
“Once a hedonist, always a hedonist, I say.”
“Don’t tell Father. I’ll just cover her protection costs,” Draco said.
“He’ll know because he monitors your personal vault.” Theo looked incredulously at the blond.
Draco tapped his nose. “I’ve known that since they opened my first vault. That’s why I’m using my Black vault I inherited from Grandmother Drusella..”
“That’s not how we make money,” Theo mused.
“We’re rich already. One less act of extortion towards a shop, wouldn’t be so bad.”
“Fine.” Theo reached down and picked something up that Draco hadn’t noticed as they were walking up. It looked to be a palm-sized stone with a rune on it. Instantly, the store seemed more inviting.
Theo turned back to the white-blond. “Let’s go collect money so Lucius knows we’re actually working.” Theo pulled him towards a palm reading shop.
For the rest of the day, Theo carted Draco around parts of Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley. The Malfoy turf was the North quadrant of the magical enclave. Theo explained that the MacNair family controlled the Southern part. The Lestrange brothers controlled the east. With Draco’s aunt still in Azkaban, the alliance between Malfoys and Lestrange seemed to wane. The western part had gone unclaimed due to the downfall of the head of the Yaxley family. There had been a temporary truce among the families as they decided who would take over control.
“I’m not paying,” the snot-nosed wizard spat. He was the new owner of a food stall. Apparently, he won it in an illegal poker room, which was part of Malfoy Enterprise.
“Did your predecessor not tell you how your new business worked?” Theo asked with a cold smile.
“Yeah, but I’m not paying.” He spat on Theo’s expensive dragon hide shoes.
Theo vanished the spittle. His smile grew wider but never reached his eyes. “Since this is my associate's first day on the job, I’d like him to talk to you.” He turned to Draco, who rolled his jaw.
Draco reached into his pocket and pulled out his trusty butterfly knife that he won in a game of poker from his friend at Durmstrang, Kento. The two became fast friends due to having similar strict crime families.
The food stall wizard flinched when he saw Draco playfully flip the knife open.
“What are you going to do? Stab me in the middle of the day?” he stammered, looking wildly around for any onlookers. No one bats an eye at the trio.
“Why, yes. I am going to stab you. Maybe a trip to St. Mungo’s will get it through your thick skull,” Draco said with a genuine smile. His eyes crinkled at the edges.
“Okay, okay. I’ll pay!” The wizard pulled out a bag of galleons and handed it to Theo.
The brunette wizard shook the bag. “This is half of the amount owed.”
“I- I played a few hands of poker last night. I’ll get the rest to you tomorrow.”
Theo tsked. “See that you do. I wouldn’t want this fruit stall to be closed while you’re recovering at the hospital.”
The wizard nervously eyed Draco as he hypnotically flipped his knife between his fingers. “Yes, of course.”
The rest of the day, they collected protection money from a number of businesses that understood the protocol. Draco hardly was paying attention. All he could think about was Granger. After some needling of Theo, he found out her first name was Hermione. A beautiful name for a beautiful witch. He also found out that she wasn’t in a relationship presently.
Theo told him that she had been linked to a Weasley for a time. His friend could only assume it was Ronald. It made no difference to Draco because he didn’t really know the Weasleys other than whatever his father complained about them. If they pissed Lucius off, they were good in Draco’s book.
His friend went on to say that Granger suddenly left London a few months into her healer program. At the time, Theo was seeing Weasel’s younger sister, Ginevra. She told him that Granger went to Australia because of her parents. Theo didn’t know when the curly-haired witch came back to England. He had assumed she just stayed in Australia.
“Draco, darling, don’t slouch at the table,” Narcissa admonished. “And take your elbows off the table!”
After a moment of not removing said elbows off the table, Draco howled when a stinger hit his knee. He reached down and rubbed at the sore spot.
“Sorry, mother! That’s how we ate at Durmstrang.”
“I highly doubt that,” Narcissa countered.
“Draco,” Lucius said over the Evening Prophet. “How was the first day? Were you able to make the acquaintance of the new shopkeeper?”
“Yes,” the younger Malfoy said eagerly. “I believe I’ll be seeing a lot of her. Collecting money and such.”
“A witch? Is she appropriate in age?” his mother chimed in hopefully. Narcissa had been trying to marry Draco off since before they shipped him off to school. All in the hopes of making him a proper wizard. He’d either scared the witches off due to his foul attitude or hedonistic lifestyle or him being the heir to a crime empire. But ever the optimist, Narcissa still hoped her only son would finally enter into a heterosexual, monogamous marriage.
Boy, was the pure-blooded matron in for a shock.
“Surprisingly, she graduated with Theo from Hogwarts,” Draco said with a grin on his face.
“Oh? What family is she from?”
“Granger.”
“As in Dagworth-Granger?”
Draco exaggeratedly shrugged. “All I know is she’s pretty and very smart.”
Lucius groaned. “I don’t care about all that. I just care that she pays on time and in full.”
“I’ll make sure of it, sir,” his son said with a mock salute. He went back to eating his lamb, without his elbows on the table.
That night Draco lay naked on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He had never felt this way before about anyone. Sure, there were occasional flings that burned hot and fast but fizzled with witches and wizards. But none of them burrowed into his heart quite like this. He was truly and thoroughly in love with Hermione Granger.
It wasn’t lost on Draco that he had never been in love with anyone before. He was most definitely in love with himself. Merlin knew he was handsome, smart, and witty. If he had a time-turner he’d go back a day and fuck himself. That’s how much Draco loved Draco.
And people have claimed to be in love with him. Most of the time they were in love with his above-average cock or his money.
Suddenly, he sat up. He needed to figure out how to get her to love him back. She was too sweet and innocent to be lured in with mind-blowing sex. On the other hand, money didn’t seem like an issue for her, being young and owning her own business. Draco had to just charm her with his winning personality. Then he’d keep her with mind-blowing sex and his wealth.
With a satisfied smile, he laid back on the bed. The courting of Hermione Granger started the next day.