Mastering Temptation

CHAPTER FOUR: Dinner With Friends





Hermione went straight from work to meet Harry and Ginny for dinner. Just as she was leaving she received an owl from Draco saying he would meet her at the restaurant a little later. She knew Harry wouldn’t be too happy about that, but her friendship with the Malfoys was something he was going to have to come to grips with sooner or later.





As she approached the table she could see that they had already ordered starters, and from the looks of it the pregnant Mrs. Potter had already eaten the majority of them.





“Hello, you two!” Hermione said, leaning down to kiss Ginny’s cheek and then hugging Harry when he stood to get her chair.





“Hello to you.” Ginny smiled, reaching for another helping of bruschetta. “How was your first day?”





“It was interesting; the students won’t arrive until the day after tomorrow so Snape took me on a tour of the castle and introduced me to the staff members who came after we left.” She said, setting her purse and satchel on the floor at her feet. “Oh, and just so you know, Draco is coming later, so be nice Harry.”





“I’m always nice, just wary. I have a hard time believing he has changed is all.” Harry said.





“So how was old Snape?” Ginny asked, wanting to get Harry distracted from the topic of Draco Malfoy. Ginny found him quite funny even if he was a bit impish most of the time. “Still as dark and mysterious as he was when we were younger?”





“Well, he looks exactly the same as he did when I saw him last. I expected him to seem older, maybe a few more lines on his face or even some gray hair, but he hasn’t changed a bit other than his hair is a tad longer.” Hermione said.





“And how was he with you?” Harry asked. “I bet he was a real git wasn’t he?” Harry wanted to hear that he was right so badly he could taste it.





“No, actually, though he was a bit strange. He wouldn’t really look at me; I found that a little odd. I’ve never worked for someone who refused to look at me before. I don’t quite understand it.” She said. They were interrupted by the waiter briefly. Hermione went ahead and ordered for Draco, she knew what he liked and by the time the food arrived he should be there.





“Maybe he wasn’t prepared to see you all grown up.” Ginny said, a naughty smile on her face.





“What is that supposed to mean?” Hermione took a sip of the sweet red wine the waiter had brought her.





“Most likely he was expecting the image in his head and the last time he saw you, you were seventeen. Let’s face it hon, you really didn’t grow into your body until you went to university and now you are a little hard to ignore.” Ginny said, staring pointedly at Hermione’s bountiful breasts. “And let me tell ya, once you learned to tame those curls you looked like a completely different woman.”





“Well you can thank Lucius for that. He can be an arrogant jerk at times, but the man knows a thing or two about hair care.” Her fluffy curls had annoyed the persnickety wizard to the point that he had pulled her aside to teach her a spell that turned the frizzy nest of curls into cascading fall of silky ringlets. “And you can just get your head out of the gutter right now Ginerva Potter. I think he’s just uptight about the new school year. You know he doesn’t particularly like children.”





“Just a thought……oh look, here comes Draco.” Ginny said, waving at the blond making his way over to their table.





“Hello, Potter, Ginny.” He said, taking the chair beside Hermione and leaning over to kiss her cheek. “Hello, darling.” He said, a little too cheerfully for Hermione not to suspect something was up.





“Hello, Draco, and I told you before, I am not your darling.” She said. “What are you so happy about, did you takeover another company?”





“No, I was having a drink with father and Uncle Sev.” He said. “Well, I should say that Uncle Sev was drinking while father and I observed.”





“Wow, Mione. You drove him to drink on the first day?” Harry laughed.





“I didn’t do anything to drive him to drink.” Hermione said frowning slightly. “I told you, he seemed a little stressed today because of the upcoming school year.”







“It’s not the school year that has him stressed.” Draco said, reaching for a piece of bread.





“Oh, is something wrong with him?” Hermione asked.





“Nothing that won’t work itself out in time. It’s a personal issue.” He said. “Is that what you wore to work today?”





“Yes, why?”







“Just curious. So how was it? What do you think of Uncle Sev?” Draco asked.





“It was fine, and I haven’t had a chance to form an opinion of him yet.” She said as the waiter set their food on the table.





“Oh, thank you for ordering for me, darling.” Draco said, unfolding his napkin into his lap.





“Stop calling me darling.” She snapped.





“Hermione said he wouldn’t look at her.” Ginny said around a mouthful of pasta.





“Oh he looked. Trust me.” Draco muttered, digging into his meal. Hermione gave him a curious look, but she knew better than to come between Draco and food if she wanted an honest answer.





“Alright, enough about Snape and whether he looked or not. It doesn’t matter and has nothing to do with my job. The man was simply over stressed, I feel a little sorry for him.” She said, picking at her own meal.







“You could help him with that.” Draco said. “Maybe give him a massage like you used to do for me.”







“Somehow I don’t see Snape as being very receptive to a shoulder rub, Draco. Besides it was different with you, we were friends and were used to personal contact. Snape isn’t my friend and the man would likely leap out a window before allowing any personal contact with me.” Hermione reached over and snagged a piece of beef from Draco’s plate with her fork.





“Don’t count on it, and stop stealing my food!” He said, smacking her hand.







“You are going to torture me about working for him too aren’t you?” Hermione asked, staring at Draco.





“Yes, but I also intend to torture him as well.” Draco smiled. “Even more so than father and I did earlier.”







“What did I ever do to deserve such sadistic friends?” Hermione asked as she focused on her dinner.





“Just lucky I guess.” Ginny laughed.





Hermione finished her dinner and enjoyed more teasing conversation with her friends before allowing Draco to see her home. He kissed her cheek and said goodbye at the door. She went inside and readied herself for bed thinking she would try and make Snape’s day a little less stressful tomorrow.