Coffee, Tea or Me?

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters belong to JK Rowling.

Draco strolled the crowded streets of Diagon Alley, the morning air was crisp and the little birdies were singing happily. He had recently returned to his job with Gringotts after spending over a year searching for the famous Oak Island Treasure. He had come up empty handed and came to the conclusion that it was just a fictitious story some jackass had made up. What a waste of his precious time!

On his first day back, he had over heard some of his fellow employees praising a little book cafe that they frequented during their lunch breaks. He thought that maybe he would give it a try this morning before he went to work, after all, he could always use a cup of coffee and a muffin.

He spotted the green and white awning that they had described to him and he rushed across the street, eager to see what all the fuss was about. As he got closer, he read the name of the cafe, 'Granger's Goodies'. Draco stopped in his tracks, one foot in the air comically. Surely it couldn't be! After all these years, to see Granger again would be- well it would be a little scary.

He walked up to the tinted window and peered in. Sure enough, there she was, smiling and serving some customer a cherry turnover. As he watched, she wrapped it in paper, put in a bag and thanked him. She then conjured a rag out of thin air and proceeded to wipe down the counter. Draco was wavering between going in or just turning around and running away. "You bloody coward!" he said to himself. "It's only Granger, for Merlin's sake!" He took a huge breath and pulled the door open. A small tiny bell tinkled and he was sure Hermione would turn around and tell him in no certain terms to get the hell out and never come back... that he was not welcome here.

Instead, she didn't even look up, but turned around and started to make blue berry muffin batter. He studied her for a minute. It had been ten years, but she still looked the same. Her hair was a disaster- done up in a messy bun with loose strands sticking out all over. She kept trying to blow some of it out of her face, but it was hopeless. She was wearing Muggle clothing, a pair of very tight faded jeans that hugged her very nice buns, a light pink T-shirt and a green apron. He found himself entranced as one of her hands came up and swiped at the hair in her eyes, leaving a white streak of flour across her cheek.

He tore his eyes away from her, realizing that at any second, she could turn and see him. Looking around, he saw an empty sofa in the corner and headed towards it. He almost fell over the coffee table that was in front of it in his haste to get there before anyone else did. He had just managed to sit, snatch up the Daily Prophet from the table and hide himself behind it, when someone asked him if he would like a cup of coffee.

It wasn't Hermione's voice, so he peeked around the paper and said. "Um...yes. black coffee and a... what kind of muffins do you have?"

The girl sighed in exasperation. She was forced to recite every kind of muffin they sold at least 500 times a day. "We have bran, banana walnut, blueberry, lemon poppy seed, orange cranberry, chocolate chip, strawberry rhubarb, chocolate peanut butter chip." She took in a breath and continued, "Raspberry, cinnamon swirl, triple berry, apple cinnamon, tropical fruit..."

Draco interrupted her. "Okay, I've heard enough. Damn, how many kinds of muffins can there be?" He smiled at the poor girl. "I'll have a lemon poppy seed, thanks."

The girl smiled back at the handsome customer. "I'll be right back!" She bounced away and Draco saw her speak to Hermione, who looked over at him with narrowed eyes. He screamed with panic in his mind as he saw her clean of her hands and come around the counter. He brought the newspaper up to his face again in a desperate attempt to hide.

"It's no use, Malfoy, I know it's you."

He slowly lowered the paper and grinned at her. "What gave me away?"

"For starters, that Malfoy family ring you're wearing."

Draco looked at the ring finger of his right hand. "Oh, right!"

Hermione stood there, flour all over herself, her hand defiantly on her hip, holding a wooden spoon and frowning.

"Happy to see me?" he asked her, smirking.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, waving the spoon around. "I thought you were in the States or something?"

"Keeping tabs on me, Granger?"

Hermione's frown returned. "Like I would ever care about where you were or what you were doing! I happened to have over heard some patrons from Gringotts talking about you."

"I bet you were all a flutter when you heard my name."

"Actually, I was hoping they would say you had fallen over a cliff and died, but no such luck."

"Here is your black coffee and your muffin, sir." The waitress handed them to Draco, and stood there, uncertain.

"Thank you, Katrina. Would you be so kind as to check the cookies? They should be just about done."

Katrina looked at Draco curiously and then turned and went back behind the counter.

"She's a hard worker, but she does love to chit chat a bit too much with the customers."

"Like you're doing right now, Granger? Chit chatting with me? Don't you have work to do?" He sipped his coffee. "Damn that's hot! I think I took three layers of skin off the inside of my mouth!"

"Good. Now hurry up and drink it and get the hell out."

"Your customer service abilities are horrible, Granger. Perhaps I should sue you for burning my mouth with your bitter, scalding... is this suppose to be coffee?"

Hermione gripped the spoon so hard that her knuckles were white. How dare this man come in here after ten years and insult her. Wasn't it enough that he had made her childhood a living hell? "Leave now, Malfoy. Take you muffin and vamoose."

"No. The only way I'm leaving is for you to throw me bodily from your establishment." He blew into the mug and took another sip of his coffee. "So unless you want to cause a scene, I suggest you take your little behind back behind the counter and finish mixing you muffins."

Hermione glared at him hatefully. "Are you ever going to grow up, Malfoy?"

"Never. It's too much fun to be childish." He broke the top of his off the muffin and shoved the whole thing into his mouth. He chewed a bit and then smiled at her, muffin falling down the front of his robes.

Hermione rolled her eyes at his extremely infantile behavior. "That is so bloody attractive!"

He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she turned on her heels and stomped away. "I hope you choke!" she said under her breath.

Two days later, Draco decided to pay Hermione's cafe another visit. He reached to open the door and noticed a sign that was hung in the window. "No Malfoys allowed" it said. Draco laughed out loud and went in anyway.

Hermione looked up as he sauntered in and took a seat at the counter. "Can't you read?" she asked sarcastically.

"You don't mean that sign do you?" Draco said, "I though that was your attempt at humor, Granger."

"Listen, Draco, either order something...to go, or I'm calling the authorities."

"I'm starting to think you don't like me Granger!"

Hermione held up the spatula she was using to take her snickerdoodles off the cookie sheets, and held it up to his face. "I have never liked you, in fact I detest you. If you think coming in here and harassing me is cute, Malfoy, think again!" She slapped the counter top with the utensil. "Now order or get out!"

Draco was shocked by her violent outburst. "Okay! Fine! What do you recommend?" he asked scanning the menu behind her head. "I need something with a lot of caffeine..."

"Then I suggest you try a Hammerhead."

"What's that?" Draco asked.

"It is this drink the American's created. It's very strong coffee poured over two shots of espresso, topped with whipped cream."

"Sounds dangerous. I'll have one." Hermione glared at him. "To go." He couldn't help but smile as she turned around and fixed is drink, banging and clanging things in anger.

"Here, now please go away never come back," she said, handing him his Hammerhead forcefully.

Draco took the cup and as he walked out the door, he yelled happily to her, "Have a good day, I'll see you tomorrow!"

Hermione huffed angrily and bit into a hot snickerdoodle. "I really, really hate that man!"

Come back he did, every day for two months. He would show up every morning at precisely seven o'clock, rain or shine. He would pick up the Daily Prophet for reading material, and then take his seat at the counter. Everyday, he ordered some kind of coffee drink and he and Hermione would argue. It became something they both looked forward to; the fighting, the teasing, the flirting... it was fun.

"So, what'll it be today?" Hermione asked.

"I'm tired of coffee, Granger. What kind of tea do you have?"

Hermione was taken off guard. "Tea?" she asked. "But didn't you just say the other day that tea was for homosexuals? You said that real men don't drink tea!"

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "Well, maybe I've changed my mind. Tell me you never changed your mind about anything, Granger."

Hermione knew for a fact that she had recently changed her mind about something but never in her life would she tell him what it was. "I guess I have one time or another."

"Let's see... What's a Cinnamon Toast?"

"Its vanilla flavored tea, cinnamon syrup and steamed milk."

"Sounds good, I'll have one of those." He opened the Daily Prophet and scanned the articles. "Did you know that Oliver Wood was admitted to St. Mungo's last night?"

"No! What happened?" Hermione asked, looking over her shoulder. "It's not serious is it?"

Draco chuckled. "He and his teammates got sloshed and decided to play a game of Quidditch during the storm last night. He and another idiot crashed into one another and he smashed into the side of a building."

"Is he all right?" Hermione asked, placing Draco's tea down in front of him.

"Well, he won't be playing for Puddlemere anymore and you should see how messed up his pretty boy face is!" He showed her the gruesome photo. "Serves him right!"

Hermione sat a plate of scones on the counter. "Whatever! You were always jealous of him!"

"I was not!" he said indignantly. "He is a mediocre drunk of a Quidditch player who is to dumb to know when to get out of the rain!"

"Well that's true!" Hermione glanced at the photo again. "Still it's too bad his face is messed up, he was always so handsome!"

Draco rolled his eyes. "You like those girly looking men who love their broomsticks more than they love their women?"

"Maybe."

"I always took you for one of those birds who like rugged rich men who knew how to treat a lady."

Hermione had to laugh at that. "Are you referring to yourself? You? You know how to treat a woman? Now that is too funny!"

Draco took a drink of his tea. "Damn, that's pretty good!" He took another taste. "You don't think I know how to make a woman feel special?"

"Well, I wouldn't know, now would I?" she said. "All I've ever gotten from you were dirty looks and insults."

Draco smiled. "Are you saying that when I called you a filthy Mudblood, it didn't make you feel special?"

Hermione's jaw dropped. "Wha...how dare you!" she took the tea from his hand, spilling it all over the counter. "Get out now!" she said angrily. "And I don't care if you ever come back!"

Draco stood up and wiped the tea from his robes. "Actually, I wanted to tell you that I'm leaving for a few months. I have to go to South America and I don't know exactly when I'll be back."

Hermione's heart sank, but she didn't want him to know that she would actually miss him. "Good, I hope you get eaten by Piranhas, I hope the natives stick a spear up your..."

"I get the picture!" he said with a smirk. "I just wanted to say goodbye and that I'll miss you."

Hermione's heart was beating very fast. He was going to miss her! "Well I won't miss you at all! In fact, It'll be nice to have peace and quiet around here again! I never thought I ever get rid of you!"

Draco's smirk faded from his face and he turned to leave. "I hope to see you soon, Granger," he said as he pushed the door open, the tiny bell tinkling.

"I hope to see you never!" she shouted and threw a banana muffin at his head. He ducked and it flew out into the busy street.

"Never the less, will," he said and walked away.

He was gone for six months, six very long and lonely months. Hermione stopped looking up every time the bell tinkled over the door. She was tired of thinking about him, tired of wishing he would come back. Maybe he had returned and just didn't want to see her. After the way she treated him the last time, she wouldn't blame him if he never set foot in her cafe again.

She started to get depressed and her attention span was next to nothing. Numerous times she burned her desserts and had to evacuate the customers after the cafe had filled with thick black smoke. Katrina helped as much as she could and even Harry, Ron and Ginny came by to offer their assistance. They tried to tell her that she was better off without him, but she knew better. She had fallen in love with him during those precious few weeks they spent together in conversation and now he was gone.

"I'll close up, Katrina," Hermione told the girl. "You have a good night, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Are you sure, Hermione?" Katrina said, concerned. "I can..."

"You just go ahead." Hermione watched the exhausted girl get her cloak on and leave and then when she was alone, she sat on the sofa in the corner and cried her eyes out. After a few minutes, she wiped her eyes and went behind the counter to clean up. It was no use, they kept welling up with tears until she got so angry that she started to pick up the pans and slam them on the ground. She grabbed the bag of flour and shook the hell out of it, sending white dusty clouds into the air. She screamed in frustration and anguish as she snatched up tray after tray of cookies and muffins and tossed them across the cafe. Finally, she broke down and collapsed on the counter, a lemon poppy seed muffin in her hand. "Why won't you just come back!" she cried and threw the muffin.

The bell clanged against the glass window as he opened the door. His arm went up automatically and he caught the projectile muffin easily in his hand. "Hello? Am I interrupting something?" He glanced around at the mess. "Having a nervous breakdown are we?"

Hermione looked up, her tears making clean streaks on her face where it was covered in flour. "Am I dreaming?" she said, coming around the counter.

Draco smiled. "I take it by your smiling face that you're happy to see me?"

She started to ran to him, but stopped. "Where the hell have you been?" she asked.

Draco took off his cloak and tossed it onto a chair, sending puffs of flour into the air. "I love what you've done with the place!" he said. "Shall we sit down? I'd love to tell you 'where the hell I've been'."

Hermione walked back around the counter and took out two clean mugs. Draco took his usual seat. "What would you like coffee or tea?" she asked, placing them on the counter.

He reached over and put his hand gently on hers. "I don't want coffee and I don't want any tea. What I want is you."

Hermione stared at his hand. "Me?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Draco lifted her chin. "Yes, you. I want you." He leaned over the messy counter and kissed her. "And your muffins!"

THE END.