The clear blue sky seemed to be mocking her heart as Hermione stood next to the deep grave. Tears streamed down her face as the casket of her best friend and true love was slowly lowered into the dirty resting place. Harry had his arm firmly around Hermione as he fought hard to hold back his tears but even he couldn’t help it. The dam that was built up burst as reality settled in him. Ron was gone for good.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was during the Final Battle that it happened. Harry had been vehemently battling Lord Voldemort. All around, members of the Order were fighting Death Eaters. Hermione and Ron were prominent in the fight taking down Death Eater after Death Eater. Hermione had quite a few scratches and bruises from her encounters but seemed to be holding up very well. Ron had disappeared in the skirmish and she hadn’t noticed where he went since she was so engrossed with fighting a man she believed to be Nott.

Slowly the number of Death Eaters began to dwindle to less than the members of the Order. Various spells were easily heard throughout the clearing. Shouts of Protego, Petrificus totalis, and even the Unforgivable Curses were heard. Harry and Voldemort were still locked in battle but there wasn’t anything anyone else could do for either combatant. They had to take care of themselves because that’s what the prophecy ultimately called for and everyone there knew that except Voldemort.

When Hermione finally finished off the last of her attackers she began to look around for the fallen Order. She checked on each person on the ground to see who was in need of immediate help, who could manage for now, and who was beyond help. Lupin, Tonks, and Kingsley Shacklebolt began to round up the Death Eaters who were still alive to send them to Azkaban. The Order did have a rule to not kill when at all possible. However, some instances did require the use of the Killing Curse. The bodies were also rounded up so they could be identified and eventually, put to rest.

However, among all the dead Hermione could not find the one person she hoped to reunite with. Ron was missing from the body count. This left Hermione in a sort of limbo of emotion. She could neither rule him dead or alive; however, she prayed for the latter. She could not find him and told herself that he had just moved far away in a huge fight. Last she saw him he was fighting Bellatrix Lestrange. Hermione knew this couldn’t be good news since her last encounter ended with Sirius falling through the veil and never returning. After ten minutes of searching Hermione became very frightened and alerted the others to the situation.

“Remus,� Hermione summoned, “I can’t find Ron anywhere. Have you seen him at all?�

“Sorry, Hermione. I haven’t seen him anywhere but I’ll keep an eye out.� The look on Lupin’s face seemed to tell Hermione that the chances of Ron still being alive now were slim to none. She refused to accept the possibility and immediately began her search again. At any sign of red hair she perked up but since most of the Weasleys were in the fight, red hair was quite abundant in the place; but none of it seemed to belong to Ron.

Hermione couldn’t believe it; she and Ron had been together since the Christmas of their seventh year at Hogwarts. That made this Christmas their four year anniversary. Since the death of Dumbledore in their sixth year all three teens matured very quickly in their search for Horcruxes. They experienced things most wizards and witches never dreamed of experiencing in their life and in this growth, Ron and Hermione had put aside all their usual squabbling and realized their feelings for each other. Harry, while remaining single the whole time, still kept a place in his heart for Ginny when all of this was over.

It wasn’t until Voldemort lay dead on the ground that the group finally found Ron. Harry had miraculously defeated the Dark Lord by actually using the Sectumsempra spell he learned from the Half-Blood Prince, or Snape, years before. The excessive loss of blood Voldemort received didn’t immediately frighten him. He simply laughed at Harry thinking that he still had at least one Horcrux left but when he noticed the still body of Nagini, his beloved snake, fear burned through his eyes as the pain and reality set in. And thus, the Dark Lord was defeated on the spot lying in a pool of his own blood and the fear of morality still lingering in his cold, still eyes.

A group of Order members were a few yards away from the corpse of Voldemort. They were gathered tight together, grabbing each other for support and whispering to each other. They seemed full of sadness and shock, but also they were hiding something from one of their number. Hermione was curious as to what could be more fascinating to look at besides the body of Voldemort so she silently approached them. She could distinctly make out a body on the ground and could’ve sworn there was a shock of red hair visible.

“What are you guys looking at?� she inquired.

“Oh, Hermione!� Tonks exclaimed, a look of compassion and pity etched on her face. “I’m so sorry!�

She stepped back to reveal the body of Ron. He ironically was lying next to Bellatrix. They seemed to have cursed each other to death at the same time and fell right next to each other in a scene that made them look like fallen comrades instead of enemies.

Hermione felt like she had the breath knocked out of her and fell to her knees; right there she felt her heart shatter into a million pieces. No one standing there quite knew what to say. The other Weasleys approached cautiously and instantly felt Hermione’s pain. Arthur and Molly gripped each other, Molly’s worst fear coming true. Fred and George stood stoically staring down at their baby brother. Bill held Ginny as she buried her face in his chest and cried at her loss and Harry fell down at Hermione’s side to comfort her. He reached into Ron’s pocket and pulled out a small, black box.

“Here, Hermione.� He tentatively handed the box to Hermione indicating that she should open it. Hermione hesitated but after seeing Harry’s insistence she pried the box open to reveal a gorgeous platinum and diamond ring. She gasped and put her hand to her mouth as she admired the exquisite beauty of the ring and as its significance dawned on her.

“He was going to ask you to marry him. I felt it only fitting that you should still have the ring. He really loved you. I know he’d want you to know.� Tears streamed down Hermione’s cheeks. She couldn’t think of a single response and just stared from the ring to the limp body of her true love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione spent hours after the funeral just kneeling by the grave. Everyone had left soon after to ease the raw pain they all felt. Harry had initially insisted on staying but Hermione urged him to be with Ginny. Right after the Final Battle, he declared his still present love for her. After watching his friend die he didn’t want to waste another moment not being with the one he wanted. Their relationship just went up from there as they seemed to pick up right where they left off years ago.

“Why?� Hermione screamed at the sky. “Why did it have to be him? He was loyal, caring, and loving. Why did he have to go so early? There’s so much he wanted to experience. We were going to start a life together.� At this musing she instinctively looked at the ring that she wore on her left hand. “How can I go on?�

When night fell, Hermione finally decided she had to leave. The air got chilly and the shivering seemed more than she could handle. To top it off the grave-diggers had shown up to finally cover up the casket that held Ron and Hermione just couldn’t stand to watch him be buried. She walked to another tombstone that stood real high and could easily hide her. With a loud crack, Hermione left the graveyard and found herself standing in the living room of her parents’ home.

“Mom! Dad!� she yelled, “I’m here.� Since she usually arrived by floo powder she wanted to make sure her parents knew that she wasn’t a burglar. It was apparent that they were getting ready for bed as they descended the stairs still pulling on robes and tightening the belts.

“Sweetie, what’s the matter? We weren’t expecting you. Is everything okay?� her mom implored her. She immediately registered the puffy eyes and runny nose and pulled her into a loving hug that only moms know how to give.

“I just…It’s just…Do you remember my friend, my boyfriend, Ron?�

“Yes, dear. You wrote about him. Oh, did he break up with you honey?�

“No, mom, it’s not that. He’s…he’s…� Hermione just couldn’t seem to bring herself to say it. She had gone weeks without saying the words out loud and now her throat stuck. She took a deep breath and said, “He’s dead.� Hermione burst into tears and buried herself in her mom’s arms. She couldn’t hold back anything; she thought she had been all cried out until this new wave of completely acknowledging her loss came over her.

Her parents were at a complete loss for words. They had no idea this had happened and didn’t know of anyway to comfort their baby girl. Her dad went into the kitchen to warm up a cup of tea to hopefully calm Hermione or at the very least give her something to do as she slowly stopped crying. He put a bit of Brandy into it in hopes of also calming her down enough so she could get some rest.

The warmth of the drink did wonders for her body and mind as Hermione felt so weak from all the crying and the mental strain on her self. She eventually felt the full affects of fatigue. “Thanks, mom. Thanks, dad. I’m really tired though. Do you mind if I crash here for the night?�

“Of course not!� her dad insisted. “You can stay as long as you like, honey. This will always be your home.�

“Thanks.� Hermione gave both her parents big hugs and wished them goodnight as she made her way to her old bedroom. The room hadn’t changed at all since she moved out after completing Hogwarts. Her job with the Order required her to be closer to London so she bought a flat in the suburbs. She preferred to deal more with the wizarding world with the war going on. However, coming home always felt special. She ran her fingers over the many volumes of books she had, Muggle and Wizard written alike. They covered an entire wall of her bedroom. A few dolls and stuffed animals were here and there. The only pieces of furniture were her bed, desk, and dresser. She fell onto her soft and inviting bed and due to her exhaustion from the day and week before she immediately fell into a, thankfully, dreamless sleep.

In the room next door, the Drs. Granger stayed up a few more hours discussing the heartache their daughter was going through. They weren’t sure what to do about it or what could ease their only daughter’s pain; all they knew was that it killed them to see her in this broken and vulnerable state. However, in the early hours of the morning they had a plan to help Hermione to take her mind off her loss and to hopefully set her on the road to move on in life. They fell into an easy sleep awaiting the morning to present the plan to Hermione.

Rays of sun danced over Hermione’s face in the early hours of morning. With their increased brightness burning through her eyelids, she slowly began to wake up. The warmth of the comforter and the softness of the pillow momentarily comforted her until she realized the harsh reality of the day before. The day Ron was laid to rest forever in the cold ground. However, unlike the mornings of the past week, tears didn’t stream down her face to comfort her loss. She was all cried out.



Turning over to look at the wall and shield her eyes from the glaring sun, Hermione realized where she was at. The familiar smell of wood furniture and the wafting smell of cinnamon rolls from the kitchen brought back the familiar feelings of comfort. She was at home again, her parents’ home.



Hermione immediately got dressed and made her way down to the dining room. She paused for a moment as she took in the peaceful scene before her. Her parents, both dentists, sat at opposite ends of the table. Her dad was reading the newspaper as he sipped his morning coffee; her mom was eating a cinnamon roll and flipping through a garden magazine. She found it so comforting how unaffected they were by the war in the wizarding world.



“Morning, mum. Morning, dad.� Hermione sat down between the two and reached for a cinnamon roll.



Her dad lowered his paper and her mom looked up from her magazine. “How are you feeling, ‘Mione?� her dad began. A look of concern and pity was etched on his face. Her mom reached over and affectionately tucked a stray hair behind her ear. Even though Hermione was 21 she was still happy to have her parents fulfill their parental duties.



“Well…it hurts…a lot.� Hermione was always honest with her parents. With their support through the years she couldn’t owe them anything less. “I think I’m done crying for now but the pain…it’s just…so raw.�



“It’s okay honey, we understand. Just take it easy for a while. Stay as long as you like.�



With a smile and a nod, the family finished their breakfast in silence. Hermione insisted on doing up the dishes afterwards; she really needed to do something with her hands. It was a Saturday so there wasn’t much for the family to do. They mostly sat around all day and watched television or else read a book of sorts. Hermione had a tendency to just get up and walk around trying to find something to do; she eventually just settled in with a good spell book. However, it wasn’t lost on Hermione the furtive glances that her parents gave each other every so often.



It wasn’t until they sat down for dinner, a steak and kidney pie, that the Drs. Granger divulged their plan to Hermione. “’Mione,� her mother began tentatively, “your father and I understand the pain you’re going through. However, we don’t think you should be wallowing in your sorrow like we predict you’ll start doing. You’re going to have to move on.�



Hermione was shocked by the words she was hearing. They seemed so harsh. He’s only been dead a week, she thought. I just had to bury him. What more do they want from me? Despite these thoughts, deep down she knew they had her best interest at heart. Therefore, she grudgingly listened to what they had to say.



“With that in mind, we were thinking that since the summer holidays are approaching and you’ll be taking a break from your teaching position, maybe you’d like to go to France for some time. You know, to clear your head.� Her mother finished with a look of happiness crossed with concern. She was unsure how her daughter would take this advice in her delicate state.



However, Hermione began to ponder the proposition. France! She thought. That’s one of my most favorite places to be. The sights, the sounds, everything is just wonderful there. A slight smile played on her lips for a moment before she came down from her reverie. She seriously considered what her other possibilities could be and they didn’t ease her mind as much as the thought of France did.



Her mom was right about the break. Hermione had been teaching Transfiguration for a year now. McGonagall had been in desperate need for help after taking the job of Headmistress plus losing another Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but Hermione wanted to take some time to advance a bit more. So she took a couple years off and then returned to take up the position while the war raged on. However, she wouldn’t have her job to bury herself in until September and it was only the end of June. All of the options she had seemed slim and only the thought of France eased her mine again.



Another thought came to mind which Hermione immediately voiced: “You don’t think this would seem like I’m running do you?�



“Running?� her father intoned. “No, not running. Your thoughts and feelings have no choice but to follow you to France. We can’t stop that. But since you love France so much we just thought that the atmosphere would soothe you better. You might also get a chance to meet new people and explore other experiences. We just want you to continue growing, and that includes facing your emotions head on.� Dr. Granger finished and placed his hand on Hermione’s. His look told her that he had faith in her and knew she would make it through this troubled time. The only thing he, or anyone else for that matter, didn’t know was how long it would take.



With the assurance of her parents, Hermione decided to take their advice. After dinner she went to her room to gather her belongings she had with her. In the morning she would Apparate to her flat near London and then continue on to France. Hermione rested easy that night with the pleasant thoughts of France in her dreams instead of the usual corpses that haunted her.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Since she didn’t know her exact destination and she was an abysmal flier, Hermione decided it best to take Muggle transportation to Paris. As the plane soared through the air she gazed out the window at the scenery below. The moving cars and trucked looked like little ants bustling about. Now being on the other side she often marveled at the way Muggles got by that wizards and witches took for granted. The clouds were so fluffy and serene looking, Hermione just wanted to jump on one and fall asleep for a very long time. And in the distance she could see the beautiful silhouette of the Eiffel Tower growing closer.



Hermione sighed contentedly. She had growing doubts about coming to France, from separating herself from her friends and family. As the city of Paris loomed nearer though, all doubts slid away. This is it, she thought. This is the new beginning, the new start, I need. As the plane descended to the airport a huge grin played across her face as the first smells of Paris hit her and she knew she could do this.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



The loft she was renting for the summer was conveniently placed above a book store. It was owned and run by a happy, old couple, the Bontecous. Hermione immediately recognized the couple to be magical. After a little probing, she found that Mr. Bontecou was indeed a wizard but his wife was a Muggle. They operated a Muggle bookstore in the front on the busy Parisian street but their well-known wizard book store was operated in the back. This helped the couple bring in a lot of customers and they each had ties to their roots.



Hermione really liked the couple and knew that they would help her out if she ever needed anything. Lupin had recommended the couple to Hermione after her parents notified the Order what her plans were. They had been good friends of Dumbledore so she hoped to hear some good stories during her stay. They also offered her a job at their bookstore while she was in Paris which Hermione gladly accepted. She really wanted something to occupy her time.



The loft apartment seemed quite barren for the time being. There was one wall covered in windows giving a breathtaking view of the Eiffel Tower. Hermione couldn’t have asked for a better location. Boxes and furniture were stacked haphazardly to one side. The apartment was just one big room; the bedroom, living room, dining room, and kitchen all opened to each other. The only closed off space was a closet and of course the bathroom.



“Perfect,� Hermione sighed as she took in her surroundings. Her furniture and belongings had been sent ahead of her and were already brought up. The room just begged for her attention and the wall screamed for decorations. Hermione couldn’t wait to turn this loft into her summer home.



With much use of magic all the furniture was put into place. The clothes were hung up and put away and the bed just made itself. Hermione had just finished a quick dinner of a cold sandwich and a coke. She collapsed on her couch as the dishes clinked and cleaned themselves in the sink. Crookshanks immediately jumped on her lap and fell asleep.



As Hermione stroked the ginger cat she reflected on her day. She was surprised that up until this point she hadn’t really thought much about Ron’s death. She had thankfully been occupied by her duties of sorting out her house and the stress of traveling. Now that she was done she couldn’t help but let the thoughts rush over her again.



This time around she was prepared though. She wasn’t ready to start crying all over again. Hermione set herself to be rational when she thought about the loss. After all, he did die fighting for what he believed in. This was a slight comfort to her. She knew she could accept the reality much easier with the fact that he knew what he was doing.



“What do you think, Crookshanks?� Hermione asked her cat while gently stroking his fur. “Do you think Ron was brave? Do you think I’ll be okay without him?� Crookshanks looked up at Hermione and purred in agreement. After the whole Scabbers incident was cleared up, Crookshanks took a lot more kindly to Ron and they had actually enjoyed each other’s company. After all, they both shared the love of Hermione.



He even took Bellatrix with him! Hermione grinned slightly at the thought that he took a Death Eater down too. Right then she felt so proud of her Ron and all that he accomplished in his short life. He had matured so much after school. The jealousy he usually felt for Harry being the center of attention ebbed away as he actually realized the threat that he faced every day. This actually gave Ron more respect for his friend and steeled his loyalty even more. Hermione had admired this change so much in him.



She looked over at the side table and stared at his picture. The grinning Ron waved at her from his frame. “I’ll always love you Ron.� And with that Hermione got up and went to bed where she was visited with dreams reminiscent of her school days and anticipating the adventures that awaited her in the city of Paris.

Chapter Three: A Glimpse



The next day dawned very bright indeed. The rays from the morning sun playing on Hermione’s face are what woke her up. She was left with happy visions of better times on the Hogwarts Express. Her, Ron, Harry, Ginny, Neville, and Luna, all playing Exploding Snap and Wizard’s Chess while the train zoomed towards their beloved castle.



The smile didn’t leave her face when Hermione realized where she was at. I’m in Paris! Hermione thought excitedly. She bounded out of bed and ran to her windows to look at the already busy city below. She couldn’t wait to begin exploring the streets and to start people watching.



After taking a refreshing shower, Hermione dressed in blue jeans and pink tank top. The Parisian weather was very warm so she also donned some pink flip-flops and put her hair in a bouncy ponytail. She ate a quick bagel and grabbed her purse to head downstairs.



The Bontecous were already up and their store had been open for an hour already. Customers came and went, each time a bell dinging over the door. Hermione however, made her way towards the back of the store into the wizard part. When she went through that door she was greeted with a very busy store. Wizards and witches were talking in rapid French about different books and news going on in their lives.



She found Mr. Bontecou talking to an old witch about a cooking book. Hermione hung back a minute waiting for their business to be done before she addressed him. “Oh, Hermione!� Mr. Bontecou exclaimed in a very thick accent. “How did you sleep?�



“Oh, I slept great!� Hermione exclaimed. “That loft is amazing. I absolutely love it!�



“I’m so glad, cherie. Do you have any plans for today?�



“I don’t know. Did you need any help around the store today? I could start working if you need me.� Hermione didn’t want to impose immediately on their hospitality even though she was eager to explore.



“It’s your first day and you shall not work. I won’t hear of it! No, no. Go explore the city. But if you would like, me and Bridgette are eating at Café Phillippe at noon and we would love for you to join us. We want to learn more about you.�



“And I, you. That sounds great.� Hermione was excited to be able to talk to this couple. She could tell she had much to learn from them.



“Magnifique! Here’s a map so you can find your way around and to find the café for lunch. We’ll see you later then.� Mr. Bontecou handed Hermione a map of Paris and then continued with his work as he noticed a small child trying to extract a picture book from a high shelf.



Hermione stepped out onto the Muggle streets of Paris. She decided to tackle wizard Paris another day. There were so many people walking around and shopping. She caught bits and pieces of conversations having a knowledge of the language. She didn’t really have a plan so she took a right in front of the store and just started walking.



She took note of shop names and street names just so that she could find her way back easier. She just went into random shops that seemed interesting. One shop was full of antique mirrors. Hermione looked around at all of the mirrors and they were so gorgeous. She stood in front of a large one for a while just admiring the antique frame and the way the light had shown off of it.



A little ways down from the mirror store was another book store. This book store specialized in English translation books. Hermione decided to remember where this store was since the one the Bontecous owned was mostly in French. Another shop she went in was a clothing boutique. The store had some interesting clothes but Hermione didn’t think they were really her thing so she left without trying anything on.



After about an hour of looking in stores Hermione found a bench and decided to people watch. She loved to do this in London as well. She formulated little theories as to where these people were going and where they came from. She liked to think that some people were going to meet secret lovers or that another was a government agent on a top secret mission.



Before Hermione knew it, it was a quarter to twelve and she had to rush to meet the Bontecous. She wasn’t sure where the café was so she consulted her map and found that a route had been marked already from her current location. She figured the map was magical and was very thankful for that. She found no problem in finding the place and found the couple already seated. Hermione collapsed in her chair out of breath and immediately began apologizing.



“I’m so…sorry…I’m late,� she gasped as she clutched her heaving chest.



“Don’t worry about it. You’re not late.� Bridgette motioned for a waiter to come and take Hermione’s drink order.



By the time their food and drinks were brought out to them, Hermione had caught her breath. Now that she had some time with the couple there were so many questions that she had for them that she didn’t know where to begin. She wanted to know all about Paris and the wizards that lived here and she really wanted to know some stories about Dumbledore.



“So Hermione,� Mr. Bontecou interrupted her thoughts and beat her to the conversation starter, “how are you doing lately?�



Hermione was a bit taken back by this question. It must have shown on her face because Bridgette responded by saying, “Yes, dear, we know all about what happened to you. And we’re so sorry for your loss.� The sincerity was evident in her voice and Hermione was very glad that they already knew so she wouldn’t have to explain it again.



“I’m doing very well actually.� Hermione meant it too. She hadn’t really thought much about Ron’s death all day. She had been way too busy exploring the city and observing others to wallow in sorrow. “With the settling in and exploring I haven’t really thought much about it today.�



“That’s good dear,� Mr. Bontecou added reassuringly. “You should keep busy to ease the pain.� He took a sip of his tea and went on, “You know, Albus was right about you. He said you had incredible courage and strength. I can tell he was very correct.� Mr. Bontecou gave Hermione a very endearing smile like a grandfather would give his granddaughter.



“You know Professor Dumbledore?� Hermione asked with a bit of surprise but she had pretty much guessed this to be true anyway. She was very excited to have it confirmed though. Since his death the man had intrigued her thoughts. She spent countless hours looking him up in books to find out his mysteries but to also help Harry with the horcruxes.



“Me and Albus go way back,� Mr. Bontecou said fondly. He had a distant look on his face that came into focus in a second. “We met during our fifth years during the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Which I heard they brought back a few years ago…but that’s beside the point. Me and Albus were both trying to get Belle to go to the Yule Ball with us.� Mr. Bontecou began to chuckle at the recollection. Hermione couldn’t imagine a young Dumbledore; she could especially not imagine him trying to get a date.



“Belle was exactly what her name implied.� At this Bridgette harrumphed and looked offended. “Nothing compares to you though, dear. But at that time she was perfection to us. Well, as you can imagine, me and Albus got into many fights over her. We made quite the pair of fools to tell the truth. She ended up going with some boy named Dirkov from Durmstrang. Neither of us found a date either. We ended up making nice and became friends since then. We never fought over a woman again.�



Mr. Bontecou placed a loving hand on top of Bridgette’s hand. “Besides, I found Bridgette which is a much better choice than Belle would’ve been. I saw a picture of her a few years back. Not the best looking girl anymore.� He blew out his cheeks and held his hands in a round gesture indicating that she had gained a lot of weight. Hermione and Bridgette laughed at this.



Lunch continued in quite the same manner. The Bontecous told Hermione a few more stories, mostly from their youth as they ate their way through three courses. They were sitting there finishing their pie as Hermione looked around the café. She noticed the cute little tables with their umbrellas which made it all very picturesque. As they waited for their check, Hermione turned to her favorite hobby of people watching.



She watched as various waiters and waitresses cleared the tables from the lunch crowd. It had dwindled quite a bit since their party took a long time to eat. When she was watching she noticed one waiter who had vividly blonde hair. I know that hair, Hermione thought quickly. That looked like the trademark Malfoy hair. It was platinum blonde and kept long. It wasn’t slicked back like Malfoy usually kept it but the similarity was uncanny.



It can’t be him, Hermione thought. Malfoy would never work at Muggle café. Or would he?



The look of confusion must have shown on Hermione’s face because Mr. Bontecou asked, “Hermione? Is everything okay?�



Hermione looked at the couple in front of her. “It’s just that waiter over there. He looks very familiar.� As she turned to point at him again, he was gone. Hermione looked all around but couldn’t see that hair anywhere. “Well he was right there. I don’t know where he went.�



At that moment, their waitress showed up with the check. After much deliberation, the Bontecous paid but Hermione swore to take them out someday to which they agreed. Hermione still didn’t see that waiter again as they left. But it was all she could think about for the rest of the day.



Hermione spent the rest of the day into the evening on a bench watching people. She half hoped to see the same waiter again but didn’t hold out too much for it. She mostly just wanted to feel like she wasn’t alone. She just sat there and watched people until it got dark.



After dark she made her way back to the loft. When she entered and sat on her couch, Crookshanks immediately jumped into her lap for attention. Hermione absentmindedly started stroking his ginger fur, lost in thought.



If that was Malfoy, what was he doing here in Paris of all places? I haven’t heard anything about him since shortly after sixth year. And why is he a waiter at a Muggle café?



These and similar thoughts filled Hermione’s mind as she got ready for bed. Even as she began to fall asleep, she was still thinking about Malfoy and what really happened to him after that fatal night on the Astronomy Tower. Only two living souls knew what happened on that tower and Hermione was sure that one of them was now living in Paris.

Chapter Four: Chance Encounter

Hermione went the rest of the week without seeing the waiter. Being curious as she was, she even made it a point to wander past the café at least once a day often eating there with hopes of him waiting on her. However, she was disappointed.

At the times she wasn’t keeping watch of Café Phillippe, Hermione spent her time working in the bookstore. She was given the option of which section she wanted to work in but Hermione chose to work in the wizard part. She was very interested in learning more about Parisian and French wizards in general. She also got to interact with visiting wizards as well.

Hermione loved working at the bookstore because the days were never the same. So many different faces would come in and out of the shop that Hermione’s people watching habit was satisfied at work. Business was booming, too, so her pay check wasn’t too shabby either.

One day Hermione was in the back of the shop stocking books in the Defense Curse section of the store. Every so often she would crack one open just to see what the different authors had to say over the same things. Some, Hermione could tell, were genuine and really worth the money. Others she saw to be just like the old Lockhart books and tended to stack those in a corner or on the bottom shelf so people would find the good books first.

While perusing one of the books, she was tapped on the shoulder. The sudden interruption caused Hermione to jump and send the book flying down the aisle. Luckily, nobody was hit but Hermione clutched her chest as her heart raced.

“Sorry, dear.� It was only Mr. Bontecou. “But there is a British customer who would appreciate your assistance in the Healing Potions aisle.�

Hermione was very curious to find out who needed her help. As she turned down the aisle, she saw the blonde hair and stopped in her tracks. An audible gasp escaped her lips as Hermione clamped her hand over her mouth. The person in need turned around at the sound and Hermione could clearly see that he was indeed Draco Malfoy.

It became obvious that Malfoy didn’t expect to see Hermione come to his aide either because a brief flash of surprise crossed his face before he reset his features into a stony, unreadable expression.

“Hello, Granger,� he said as she just stood there. “Fancy seeing you here.�

“Malfoy.� Hermione acknowledged his presence but didn’t make an attempt to move closer or to make conversation.

“I didn’t know you worked here.�

“I just started.� Curiosity was screaming inside of Hermione. There were so many questions she wanted to ask but, since he was keeping it short, she would too. “What do you want?�

The question came out harsher than Hermione meant it. After all, she was at work and she needed to be amiable to her customers no matter who they were. “I mean,� she began again, “how can I help you?�

Malfoy noticed the attempt at friendliness and decided that he wouldn’t provoke her despite the smirk that played on his mouth. He did need her help after all. “It seems I have started to come down with what Muggles call chicken pox. I asked the shop owner if he knew anything about it and said he had an employee who was Muggle born that could help me.�

He looked at her expectantly, waiting for some assistance. However, Hermione was hung up on him having a Muggle disease and wondered how he got it. “How did you get chicken pox?�

Malfoy sighed at the question. He didn’t really feel like going into the story. Nor did he really want to admit to his once enemy about his living conditions for the past five years. “A child who lives near me gave them to me.� Malfoy decided to keep it short and impersonal.

“But you had to have been quite near him to catch it. I mean I had chicken pox when I was little and my neighbors never caught it. It’s highly contagious but you need to be in close proximity to get it.� Hermione looked at Malfoy curiously, her head cocked to the side. She wondered why he was hanging around Muggle children; he hated Muggles.

“Is that really important?� he asked. “I just need a cure.� He unconsciously itched his upper left arm and then behind his ear. Hermione smirked at the sight. She knew how bad chicken pox could be. In fact, it got much worse the older you were. She imagined him lying in bed and itching uncontrollably and whining about it.

“Well?� Malfoy broke her out of her day dream. Despite their animosity, Hermione knew a cure and decided to not let him suffer.

She looked along the aisle and found the book he needed. She slid it from the shelf and flipped the pages until she found the right one. She pointed at the directions with her finger. “That’ll help you out. It’s quite easy to brew too. All of the ingredients are easy to get a hold of and it only takes about an hour to make. You should be cured in no time.� She decided to add a little more information just to help him out. “You are also immune to the virus from now on.�

Malfoy started scanning the potion. “Thank you,� he said as he started towards the counter to buy the book. Hermione was again shocked. Malfoy said “thank you� to her. She didn’t know what to say. She finally managed to get a hold of her senses and she weakly said, “You’re welcome.� However, Malfoy was halfway out the door by the time the words left her mouth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night Hermione sat quietly in her room contemplating the encounter. She still couldn’t figure out how Malfoy caught chicken pox. It wasn’t very common in the wizarding world after all. He must be very close to some Muggles, Hermione thought.

Hermione’s thoughts soon turned to the past and the very limited information she had on Malfoy. She hadn’t seen him since the day Dumbledore died. However, word traveled fast among the Order so she had caught snatches of information about him. That night when he fled the tower, he had been chased by Snape and Harry saw them both Disapparate outside the school grounds. Everyone assumed he headed back the Lord Voldemort. To everyone’s surprise, he showed up at the Ministry of Magic.

The papers said a new Death Eater turned himself in with critical information on Voldemort’s whereabouts and immediate plans. Soon the Order raided Voldemort’s hiding place. They caught a lot of Death Eaters but Voldemort wasn’t seen until that fateful night when Harry finally defeated him.

Hermione occasionally heard news that Malfoy was in hiding. She never knew where he was living, just that he wasn’t in Britain and constantly on the move. The Ministry felt that he was in danger for divulging such important information and they were constantly hiding him.

Hermione figured that it would be easier to hide him among Muggles and maybe that was how he got chicken pox. He was working at a Muggle café so it sort of fit in the puzzle. She just had so many questions; like why he turned himself in. She could never get around that thought. He was never her favorite person and he never showed a liking for Dumbledore but something happened on that tower and Hermione was dying to know what. So Hermione did the thing that she always did and decided to find out some answers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The day dawned just as gorgeous as it always did in Paris. Hermione was starting to wonder if there was a spell on the city to keep it from raining. The perfect day seemed to mirror the perfect opportunity for her to do some research because it happened to be Hermione’s day off. She worked six days out of the week and usually had Fridays off. So Hermione seized the opportunity and found the nearest wizard library.

The Bontecous directed her to one that was within walking distance. It was only about five blocks away but Hermione decided to take the scenic route and walk past that café, just in case. However, she was disappointed by not seeing a blonde head waiting on customers.

Slightly disgruntled, Hermione almost walked right passed the library. She had to do a double-take to make sure she saw right. The library was hidden quite like the Leaky Cauldron in London. Most pedestrians just walked right by without noticing it but Hermione stood and stared at the dilapidated building for a moment. She took a deep breath and walked through the double doors that separated the knowledge within from the unknowing people outside.

The entrance hall and circulation desk was in a huge room. Again, she was reminded of something from Diagon Alley, Gringott’s. The floor was marble and the ceilings were high and her footsteps echoed loudly around her. Using her knowledge of French, Hermione consulted the floor chart on the wall by the circulation desk to find where they kept old newspapers. Hermione hoped that they would carry some British papers since she didn’t really know too much French.

The newspapers were kept on the bottom floor of the library, which just so happened to be about five floors down. Hermione couldn’t fathom how many books were kept in this library because it went five floors down and then five floors up from the main level. Though she was itching to dive into some of the texts she had to focus on the task at hand, which was finding out what happened to Malfoy.

Hermione laid her bag on a big table and then went to consult the archives. She was very excited to find that the library carried the Daily Prophet but was a little sad that that was the only British wizard paper that they carried. Deciding that she would do the task justice, Hermione grabbed all of the papers from two weeks ago to five years ago from the end of that school year.

Hermione started to scan all of the headlines and not just the ones on the front page. Anything that looked like it might offer a nugget of information she read. Soon the table was covered with discarded papers that she tried to keep in order. She tried to hold it together when she saw the article that proclaimed that Voldemort had been defeated but as she scanned the list of the dead she just couldn’t hold it in.

Hermione silently cried as she stared at the laughing picture of Ron that had been taken a few months before that his parents gave to the newspaper for the article. Her fingers brushed the side of his face in the picture as he happily waved up at her, not knowing that he was no longer around.

She tried to hold in her tears and continued her search. She went back a lot of months until she finally saw the name of Malfoy in a headline. It read: Malfoy Succumbs in Azkaban, Funeral on Friday. A small part of her felt some sympathy for Malfoy to lose his father like that but another part knew that he deserved to die in Azkaban.

The article said that he died from madness more or less. Narcissa had died the year before from grief. It had been the year after Draco disappeared. Lucius and Narcissa were both buried in the family graveyard at Malfoy Manor. The only mention of Draco was that he was the only family member left and that he would inherit the property but they didn’t say when he would or where he was.

It took a while longer but Hermione finally found something about Draco in the newspapers. The article had come out a month after the night on the Astronomy Tower and didn’t really divulge too much information. The title read: New Information on You-Know-Who Comes to Light.

The article told that a former Death Eater came to the Ministry of Magic to give out new information on Voldemort (though the paper still used You-Know-Who) and his whereabouts. The article didn’t blatantly use Draco’s name but Hermione just knew it was about him because it mentioned something about Dumbledore’s death. The article said that Malfoy was in protective custody and would soon be moved to a new, undisclosed location.

Hermione wondered if he had been living in Paris all these years without anyone knowing. She wondered if he had to live with Muggles all these years too and maybe that’s how he got chicken pox. But Hermione’s thoughts were interrupted as a shadow fell across all of the newspapers and startled her out of her thoughts.

Chapter Five: Biting Words

Thoughts of Death Eaters attacking her in the secluded section of the library raced through her head as Hermione clutched her wand automatically. She took in a sharp breath and whipped her head around with her wand hand following to point at the shadow-maker.

“Excusez-moi,� came a small voice with a thick accent, “but the library is closing.�

Hermione quickly lowered her wand as a pink color rose in her cheeks; she seemed to have frightened the librarian. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll just put these away.� With a sweep of her wand, the papers flew back in order from where they came from and Hermione gathered her things. She couldn’t believe that she had spent so much time in the library; although, during her school years this had been a common occurrence.

When Hermione got outside she noticed that the sun was setting so she made her way back to the bookstore and her apartment. All that she had found whirled around in her head that she could hardly make sense of anything. The one thing that she could make sense of was that she didn’t know what happened to Malfoy.

Part of her brain registered that someone had given information, valuable information, about Voldemort. Obviously it was someone from the inside but Hermione couldn’t quite grasp that it was Malfoy. She was more likely to believe that it was Snape, but even that seemed far-fetched. But a small voice in the back of her mind said very assuredly, It was Malfoy.

“It couldn’t have been,� Hermione said out loud. A few people gave her furtive glances and picked up the pace as they passed her muttering to herself. Noticing their looks, Hermione decided it best to not talk to herself until she was alone and quickened her pace back to the loft.

When she got home she just raced up-stairs without speaking with the Bontecous. All she could think about was Malfoy; it felt like an obsession. Hermione immediately started pacing around her living room while she flung her bag onto the couch, narrowly missing a disgruntled Crookshanks.

After a couple of hours of pacing, Hermione finally collapsed on her bed and fell into an exhausted sleep. She hadn’t really made any revelations in all of her musings. Her brain seemed to be fighting with itself. Half of it was saying that Malfoy gave up the information; but the other half said that it couldn’t be possible because he had tried to kill Dumbledore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next few weeks flew by in a blur. Beauxbatons was preparing to return to school so the book store was constantly flooded with students and their frantic parents. Hermione proved to be a very good help when the Muggle-borns came in for their books; especially, when they came in through the Muggle section of the store. When that happened she had to usher them to the back into the Wizard store.

Hermione had to work in the store for most of the day all week, running between the two halves because Muggles were going back to school as well. She was always so exhausted at the end of the day that she usually just had a light dinner with the Bontecous and then went straight to bed. All this excitement left no time to wonder about Malfoy and his disappearing act.

Finally, a Friday rolled around and the two stores were practically empty. Hermione was in the back of the Wizard half, stocking books when Mr. Bontecou came up to her again. Hermione half thought that he needed her help with a Muggle again like usual.

“Hermione,� he said as she stood up from her place on the floor, “you should take a break.�

“No, it’s okay. I don’t mind helping out. I’m just stocking books during the lulls.� Hermione had a bright smile on her face. She really didn’t mind helping and she really enjoyed the distraction.

Mr. Bontecou held up his hands to stop her protests. “No, no. I insist. Go take a nice long lunch break and rest.� And with that he scurried off to help a customer before she could protest any more.

Hermione sighed resignedly and picked up the box she had been working from and put it in an out-of-the-way place. She waved a good-bye to Mr. Bontecou and headed out into Muggle Paris to get something to eat.

Unconsciously, Hermione took a familiar route to find a good place to eat. She hurried along the sidewalk and looked up at the swirling grey clouds above. It was barely drizzling but the sky seemed ominous and she just knew that it was about to pour. She finally reached a café and didn’t even look up to see the sign that read Café Phillippe as she headed in out of the moisture.

Because of the impending weather, she was seated inside at a little table by the window. The place was pretty busy and seemed more crowded because nobody was seated outside. Right after Hermione had taken her seat, the rain started to lash against the window. The sound managed to drown out some noise and gain much of Hermione’s attention; so much so, that she barely noticed the waiter that had come to take her lunch order.

“Excuse me, miss,� came a voice with a distinct British accent that seemed slightly familiar.

Hermione looked up to answer the waiter but as soon as her head turned her jaw dropped and she couldn’t find any words.

Malfoy’s face hardened from the soft expression he usually gave customers into the one he used to wear at school. “You again,� he said with much exasperation.

“You are a waiter!� Hermione exclaimed.

“Well spotted, Granger.� The trademark smirk crept up on his face. Hermione huffed at his remark and inwardly groaned at seeing that smirk again. She couldn’t count how many times that smirk had laughed in her face and called her a Mudblood and she didn’t want to see it again.

“What are you doing here?� Hermione asked incredulously. She instantly regretted asking it because she knew he wouldn’t answer the question the way she wanted. She would get some sarcastic and snide comment instead.

“Working, of course. A couple years out of school and you’re already losing it, Granger. And you were the top witch? I always knew the teachers were cracked to think that.�

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.� Malfoy always had a way of getting under Hermione’s skin and he was doing it again. Her already frizzy hair from the moisture in the air seemed to crackle with electricity as she steeled herself for an argument.

“I know, but it’s much more fun to irritate you than to give you what you want.� There was a happy glint in Malfoy’s eyes as he watched Hermione squirm in discomfort. He also smirked as she tried to find something witty to say in return.

“I meant, why are you a waiter here?� The conversation had only lasted a couple of minutes but Hermione felt like it had been hours. Thinking about it, she glanced down at her watch on her wrist to make sure she wasn’t running late to get back to work. But however brief she thought it was, Malfoy noticed the action.

“Got a hot date, Granger?� Malfoy smirked again at the idea of her on a date and then figured he’d do it justice. “You and Weasley come on a vacation or what?�

At this, tears rose up unwanted into Hermione’s eyes. The sudden and unexpected mention of Ron was not one that she wanted hear and it only angered her even more. Especially, since it was Malfoy who brought it up.

“Shut up, Malfoy!� she said with a deathly glare in her eyes. “I thought you were supposed to be kind to the customers.�

“I thought I was by even hinting that you, of all people, might have a date with someone besides a book.� Malfoy knew that it was easy to agitate Hermione but he couldn’t really understand why she was on the verge of tears right now. He didn’t think he’d said anything to make her cry.

“You know you’re just as cold and heartless as your father.� Hermione stood to meet Malfoy’s gaze as her lip trembled as she tried to hold in the sob that was pushing to escape.

“What does my father have to do with anything?�

“I thought that since you brought up a dead loved one of mine that I’d bring up one of yours.� Tears started to splash uncontrollably down her face as she made to move around Malfoy but he reached out and grabbed her arm in a vise-like grip.

“What did you say?� A surprised look had crossed Malfoy’s face and a hard glint was coming to his eyes that matched the sky outside.

“You deserve the same end as he got,� she said in a cold whisper, “rotting away in Azkaban until you go crazy and die.� Hermione wrenched free from his grip but not before she noticed the look on his face. She couldn’t figure out if it was anger, confusion, sadness, or – maybe – relief.

“He’s dead?� Malfoy’s voice sounded almost normal without any sarcasm or coldness to it. It was completely vulnerable and Hermione didn’t know what to do. She brought her hand to her mouth in surprise as she suddenly realized, He doesn’t know! And with that realization she bolted out the door into the pouring rain and ran all the way home, leaving Malfoy standing there dumbfounded with his new revelation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night Hermione lay in bed for half the night without falling asleep. She couldn’t believe that Malfoy didn’t know his father was dead. She had also figured that if he didn’t know that Lucius was dead then he probably didn’t know that Narcissa was dead too.

Even though Hermione despised Malfoy she knew it must’ve been hard to find it out today. And especially hard to hear it from your worst enemy who said it with glee and even wished the same fate on you.

Hermione slammed her fists down on either side of her as she lay there staring at the ceiling. Why was I so mean? She thought to herself.

Well that seemed obvious: they hated each other and they were fighting at that moment. Besides, her head said, you didn’t know that he didn’t know. It’s not really your fault.

“Yes, it is,� Hermione said out loud. The sudden noise made Crookshanks hiss and dig his claws into the sheets as he moved into a new spot. “What am I gonna do?�

The strapless white dress flowed gracefully down her body. The lace at the bodice and around the bottom gave it a classic edge that made Hermione fall in love with it immediately. A simple silver chain adorned her neck to match the simplistic beauty of the dress.

A small, ancient tiara (just like the one Mrs. Weasley lent to Fleur) perched on her head to hold onto the delicate lace veil. Hermione’s hair hung in elegant curls around her head.

As Hermione gazed in the mirror her chocolate brown eyes brimmed with tears of joy. She was marrying Ron Weasley!

Then, she was walking down the aisle of an outside wedding. The sky was a perfect blue color with the barest traces of cloud in the sky. It felt like a fairy tale to Hermione with birds chirping and the animals (even the gnomes) came out to rejoice with her.

The veil obscured her face from onlookers but she could see around her perfectly. All her friends from school were there as well as her Muggle family members, who looked slightly on edge because of the strangely dressed people on the other side of the aisle.

She could see Ginny and her other bridesmaids aligned at the front wearing dresses of the palest blue she could find. Ron’s groomsmen were lined the same in robes of black with ties that matched the dresses.

It seemed like a lifetime until she reached the front where her parents tearfully gave her away. But as a hand pulled the veil over her head, she noticed a sneering, pointed face where the grinning, freckled face of Ron should be. Instantly, black clouds filled the sky like someone had magically called them. A clap of thunder sounded, threatening rain.

“Why did you kill my father?� the groom, Draco Malfoy, yelled at her. “I can’t marry you now!�

“I didn’t mean to,� Hermione pleaded. “It was just an accident. Please, Draco! Marry me!�

Hermione fell to her knees just as the clouds opened up and started to pour out a hard rain. The wedding guests had all disappeared and it was just Hermione kneeling in front of an angered Draco, her white dress turning a muddy brown.

His hard face stared down at her as he raised his hand to strike her. “I’ll never marry a filthy Mudblood like you!�


Hermione woke up just as a loud of clap of thunder shook the loft and lightening lit up the room. She gripped the sheets around her and tried to catch her breath as her eyes darted around the room to check for danger.

It was hard to believe that it was a dream; it had seemed so real to her. The effects of it left Hermione shaking slightly with chills, like she had been out in the rain. She started to rub her temples to get rid of the horrible images that still seemed to burn in her mind.

And then all the questions flooded her mind. How, Why, When did she kill Lucius Malfoy? Did she really kill him? Where was Ron? Why did Malfoy take his place?

But above all – Why did she want to marry Malfoy?

It all seemed so overwhelming and the circling questions eventually lead to a deep sleep. When Hermione woke up in the morning, she had a hard time putting the pieces of the dream back together, but another long day of work helped to push it further from her mind.

To avoid Malfoy altogether, Hermione worked long hours at the two stores and then usually fell asleep immediately after dinner because she was so exhausted. Occassionally, Mr. Bontecou would make her take a day off when he saw how tired she was all the time and how many hours she put in.

She avoided Café Phillippe like an Unforgivable Curse whenever she took her walks around the city. She would sometimes even take a longer way around just to keep from passing in front of the place.

This went on for a few weeks in which Hermione hoped that Malfoy had forgotten about her.

One day Hermione was working in the Muggle half of the store. She often liked to stay in this part because there wasn’t as much to remind her about Ron. Sometimes she’d be stocking auto books or how-to books that dealt with electrical problems and she’d think of the Weasleys but that didn’t happen very often. Each time it did it hurt a little less as time went on though.

She had just finished with a customer when Mrs. Bontecou tapped her on the shoulder. “Hermione,� she said, “Mr. Bontecou and I feel like you’ve been working too hard.�

“What?� Hermione interrupted. “I really want to work as much as I do. I really enjoy it. I need this.�

“I know you don’t mind doing the work, Hermione. That’s not the problem.� Mrs. Bontecou looked concerned. “We’re just worried that you’re working too much.�

“I promise, it’s okay,� Hermione pleaded. She really needed the work to occupy her time.

“Well, either way, we decided to hire someone to help out around more. He’ll be working in this half of the shop and you’ll probably work in the wizard half more often.�

“Okay, then.� Hermione felt a little dejected but she could understand that help was needed. Besides, it wasn’t her store or her decision to make. “When does he start?�

“Right, now. I’d like you to meet George Westerfield.�

And around the corner came a familiar blond head with that unforgettable smirk. Hermione’s jaw just dropped as she stared at the face of Draco Malfoy. But it seemed like every time she saw him a million questions flew through her mind. This time the prominent question was why he was called George Westerfield.

Mrs. Bontecou looked confused by Hermione’s reaction. “Have you met George before?� She looked between the two but Hermione couldn’t quite find her tongue or gather her thoughts just yet.

It was Malfoy who answered her. “No, Mrs. Bontecou, we’ve never met before. But it’s really nice to meet you.� And with that Malfoy hitched on a contemptuous smile and held out his hand to Hermione.

His words and tone triggered something in Hermione and she quickly shut her mouth. A steely glint entered her eyes as she lifted her hand to shake Malfoy’s. “Likewise� was all she said before turning back to her work.

Mrs. Bontecou and Malfoy walked away without another word while Hermione started to pretend to stock books. She couldn’t believe that he was there and that he had a job too. What happened to being a waiter? She wondered. And why here? He knows I work here!

Hermione’s brain switched into overdrive, analyzing the situation and trying to figure everything out. Malfoy always seemed to stump her. Even in school, she thought she had him figured out all the time and every now and then he’d throw a curve ball and she’d totally be knocked down. But ever since she came to Paris they just became harder and harder hits.

She practically jumped when she looked over and saw him leaning casually against the book cases, arms folded. There’s that smirk, she thought. That smirk plagued her nightmares when she was younger. She never admitted it but Malfoy used to scare her. He came from such an evil family that she never knew how far he would go to uphold traditions and hate.

But she wouldn’t let him see her sweat, not now anyways. “What are you doing here, Malfoy?�

“I thought that’d be obvious. I work here.� He started to walk to towards her so that they could keep their voices down and nobody would hear them.

“But why are you working here?� Hermione really didn’t feel like playing games. For once, she just wanted him to answer her straight and not play around with riddles.

“Well, for one,� he held up one slender figure to count, “a certain bushy-headed witch got me fired.�

“What?!� Hermione practically shouted. “I did not get you fired.� The thought of her causing this made the dream come to mind, in which she was accused of killing Lucius.

“Actually, you did. It seems that the Muggles frown upon their employees arguing with customers.� His smirk turned down into a slight frown at the recollection.

Hermione was also brought back to that day and she anticipated the next reason that he would count off.

“And two,� he held up another finger, “I want some answers and you, Granger, have them.�

Hermione started to feel very uncomfortable with him standing so close all of a sudden. Her dream of their wedding floated to the surface and she felt the urge to run away from him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,� she said and turned on her heel. She headed towards the store room where the stair case to the loft was located.

“I’m not done, Granger.� Malfoy tried to reach out and grab her but as soon as she stepped across the door’s threshold to the back he retracted his arm.

Hermione spared him a curious glance but quickly said, “Well, I am.� She started up the stairs, half expecting him to follow her but he stayed where he was with his feet firmly planted in the Muggle store.

“I’ll see you at work tomorrow then.� And he turned around as well and walked out of the store.

Chapter Seven: Civil?

The next week passed pretty uneventfully. Hermione stayed on the wizard side of the store. She expected every day for Malfoy to come barging in to interrogate her but he never did. She also avoided going out much because she didn’t feel like having a confrontation with him. But as the week progressed her curiosity was starting to get the best of her.

On Friday morning Hermione went down to work and was about to step into the wizard side when Mr. Bontecou stopped her.

“Hermione, I need you to work in the Muggle store. We got in a huge shipment of books that need to be stocked and that new boy doesn’t work near as fast yet. He’ll need your help.� And with that he turned around and went back to work.

A slight grimace crept across Hermione’s face as she groaned inwardly. Today was the day when it would all come out, she was sure of it. Hermione braced herself and walked into the store.

She didn’t Malfoy anywhere at first and immediately got to work in pricing and stocking the books. Mr. Bontecou was right in saying there was a huge shipment. Hermione saw about ten boxes out in the store but also knew that there were more in the stock room that had to be put out.

Hermione checked her watch; Malfoy should’ve been at work ten minutes ago. “Just like at school,� Hermione said out loud. “Always fashionably late.�

“Well I’m glad you think I’m fashionable, Granger.� Hermione turned around and saw that he was standing right behind her. She wasn’t really in the mood to argue or talk at all.

“Will you just get to work, Malfoy? I’m here because you work slowly and there’s a lot to do.�

“I’ll get to work if you stop calling me Malfoy.� He had a hard, but seriously look on his face and the usual sarcasm wasn’t in his voice.

“And what, pray tell, shall I call you then? I can think of a few that all involve little rodents.� Hermione was starting to get irritated that he still hadn’t started to stock books so she was trying her best to irritate him back.

“My name is George Westerfield so call me by my name.� Malfoy was really started to look angry and a little anxious that Hermione wasn’t cooperating.

Hermione was starting to have a little fun so she decided to see if she could press him further. “But that’s not your real name.�

Malfoy slammed his fist on one of the stacks of boxes. “Yes, Granger, it is.� His voice was a forced calm but Hermione smiled inwardly at finally getting an emotionally response out of him. Malfoy clenched his fists in an attempt to calm himself down. He breathed in deeply for a second and as he forcefully exhaled he said one word that Hermione had never heard him utter before. “Please.�

He kept his eyes closed tightly as he said this as if he anticipated the smile that spread across Hermione’s features. It seemed like it pained him so much to say just one tiny word but Hermione felt so much satisfaction from hearing it.

“Sure thing,� she paused and dramatically finished, “George.� And with that she picked up a box and went to the other side of the store to stack books away from Malfoy.

The hours ticked by and Hermione looked up just as Mrs. Bontecou and Malfoy walked towards her. “Hermione I think you and George should go ahead and take a lunch break together. About an hour should be fine and then you two can come back to work.�

Hermione and Malfoy both flashed each other looks but didn’t say a thing. Instead they both nodded and filed out of the store.

Hermione got outside first and took a left to distance herself from Malfoy but his footsteps soon caught up to her. She didn’t look at him and after a few silent minutes he spoke up. “So where are we going?�

“We? What do you mean ‘we’?� She eyed him suspiciously.

“I already told you I want some answers, Granger. This seems to be the perfect time to get them.�

Hermione mulled this over. She knew it was coming and figured she might as well get it over with; she couldn’t avoid him forever anymore. “Fine, but that means I get answers to my questions too.�

Malfoy nodded slightly and they made their way to a small deli where they could have some privacy from being over heard.

After ordering some sandwiches and drinks they both sat a little awkwardly; they each waited for the other to start. It was Malfoy who again broke the silence.

He seemed to steel himself up for it but he finally started, “Tell me about my father.�

Hermione was taking a sip when he stated this and choked slightly. After a small coughing fit she regained her composure. “Well,� she started, not sure how to say it, “he…um… Well he died in Azkaban…from madness.�

There was a moment’s pause in which Malfoy processed the information. His face didn’t betray any emotions he was feeling. Hermione wasn’t sure if she should say something.

“And my mother?�

“The papers said she died from grief. It happened a year before your father died. They’re both buried at Malfoy Manor.�

“That was expected.� Malfoy paused again, this time a look of sadness swept through his eyes as he stared down at his food, but the look was quickly gone.

Hermione decided to try and fit in one of her questions now. “The papers also said that you inherited the property.�

Malfoy waved it away. “I know but I haven’t been there in years.�

“They didn’t mention where you were or what happened to you.� Hermione decided to go out on a limb. “A lot of people thought you were dead.�

“I might as well be,� he muttered to himself but Hermione caught every word.

“Where did you go?� she practically whispered to him.

Malfoy looked up and stared into her dark eyes; he seemed to be sizing her up. “Do you know what happened up in the Tower that night?�

Hermione sat up straighter; this was it, this was what she had been waiting for so many years for. “I know what Harry told me and what I read in the papers. You were supposed to kill Dumbledore but you didn’t, Snape did. Harry chased the both of you out to the gates where you guys Apparated.�

“Do you know what happened after that?�

Hermione was a little confused; she wasn’t sure what he meant. “The papers never mentioned what happened to you. We all assumed you rejoined Voldemort.� Hermione’s voice shook slightly as she said the name but she wasn’t as scared as she used to be.

“Well you know what happens when you assume,� Malfoy started. “And you’re wrong; you did read about me in the papers.�

“I would remember your name being the papers, Mal – George.� Malfoy nodded in approval that Hermione had corrected herself.

“I was the anonymous tip.� Malfoy took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. “Up on the tower Dumbledore offered me protection if I came over to his side. I knew I wasn’t really cut out for killing people. I always thought I was.� He smirked at the thought.

“That’s why I couldn’t do it. I started to really think about taking his help but then the other Death Eaters came up and I couldn’t turn right in front of them. That would mean instant death. And when Snape came I knew there was no escape up there.�

Hermione was on the edge of her seat. This was the most information she had received about that night and she was hanging on every word. She had even forgotten that she was sitting across from her childhood enemy.

“When we arrived outside of the gates and Apparated away, we were all supposed to go to a designated spot to meet up. If someone didn’t show up, it was assumed they were dead or captured. I took my chance and instead, I Apparated to Ministry of Magic.�

At this admission, Hermione gasped aloud. She had no idea this had happened and suddenly she had to reevaluate the person sitting in front of her.

“Wow� was all she could get out. The gears in her head were turning as she processed all of the information she had just received. It also struck her as odd that they were having such a civil conversation; this had never happened before and she wasn’t sure how to take it.

It seemed that the same revelation struck Malfoy at the same time. He cleared his throat and stood up abruptly. He opened his wallet and let a few bills drop to the table to cover their tab. “I guess it’s time to get back to work.�

Hermione sat there for a second, “But I have more questions.�

The smirk crept back on his face. “You made me wait, and now it’s my turn to make you wait.� He strode out the door and headed back to work.

Hermione huffed and followed after but by the time she got to the shop he was already working on a new box. Rather than keep him from actually working Hermione decided to go ahead and wait. She had a lot to think about and wanted to get the most out of him the next time they talked.

Chapter 8 - Unexpected Exchanges
After their discussion at lunch, there seemed to be an understanding between the two. Hermione didn’t press Malfoy for information because she knew deep down that it would come out eventually. Hermione figured that she was about the only acquaintance that he had. She had so many questions for him but decided to be patient and let them come out in their own time.
But one piece of information stood out to Hermione the most: his new name. Why did he have it? She had a feeling that the answer was something quite obvious but couldn’t put her finger on it.
A few days went by with Hermione working in the wizard store. The Bontecous didn’t know that Malfoy was a wizard so he stayed in the Muggle half. Hermione found this quite ironic and often chuckled to herself at the thought. She also wondered if Malfoy had come to the same realization.
It was this thought that made all the pieces click together in her mind. A huge smile crept on Hermione’s face as she realized why he had a different name. Hermione immediately dropped the book she was trying to put away and ran into the Muggle store.
“George!� she yelled, trying to find Malfoy. “George!�
She rounded a corner and saw him stooped over a box with an annoyed look on his face. “What do you want, Granger?�
“I figured it out!� Hermione was practically jumping up and down, a little reminiscent of her school days.
“Congratulations,� he drawled and continued stocking books without looking at her.
Hermione felt a pang of annoyance herself at his disregard of her. “I know why you have a different name…� At that Malfoy moved swiftly and immediately covered Hermione’s mouth before she could utter another word. His eyes darted around the store before resting on Hermione’s confused face.
“Would you keep your bloody mouth shut?� he whispered dangerously. He slowly removed his hand from her mouth but gave her a piercing look that said he would do anything to silence her if she said the wrong thing.
Hermione hesitated for a second before she replied, “We need to talk.�
“I realize this,� Malfoy smirked. “But not here. We need to go somewhere private and secure.�
“Well,� Hermione started. She figured they could go up to her apartment but her old prejudices die hard and she was having a hard time letting hers go. She shifted around a bit before she continued, “I guess we can go up to my flat.�
Malfoy took a glance towards the back room and frowned. “I can’t.�
“Why…� Hermione started but stopped when Malfoy shook his head.
He seemed to be struggling with his decision too. Finally he said with a pained expression on his face, “My flat. Tonight at 8:00. I’ll give you directions.�
Malfoy wrote them out on a piece of paper quickly and handed it over to Hermione. She looked over the paper and knew she could find the place. When Hermione turned to go back to work, Malfoy grabbed her arm and she turned around.
“Don’t lose that,� was all he said as he let go and went back to his own business. Hermione wasn’t sure why he was acting this way but she knew it would come out tonight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At 7:30, Hermione decided to head out. She wanted to make sure she could find the place and didn’t want to show up late. However, the directions were easy enough to follow and Hermione found herself staring up a decrepit apartment building, wondering if maybe she had read them wrong.
She reread the address scribbled at the bottom and decided she hadn’t made an error. She walked in the front door and went up a couple of flights of stairs to apartment 306. She hesitated before she knocked on the door, not sure of what would be on the other side.
As soon as she knocked, she heard a bit of grumbling on the other side and then the metal clicking of about four dead-bolts being unlocked and the rattle of a chain being unhooked. After all of this ceremony, the door opened a crack and Hermione could see a sliver of Malfoy’s annoyed face. But as soon as he noticed who it was his face softened a bit and he opened the door wider to allow her entrance.
Once inside, Malfoy locked up the door again and turned to face Hermione who was quickly surveying her surroundings.
It didn’t take long to see everything in the apartment. Like her flat, his was one big room with only the bathroom blocked off. However, his flat was about one-fourth the size of hers and much dirtier. To her right was a couch with pillows and blankets stacked next to it which gave the impression that it had a fold out bed. There were also two ragged chairs across from the couch to give it the appearance of a living room.
The kitchen had a gas stove, a little refrigerator, and a sink which Hermione would find out produced brown water. The cabinets were very worn and some of them didn’t have doors on them.
The bathroom was equally small with a simple sink, toilet, and shower only. Hermione thought she saw bugs running around the base boards but dismissed the idea so she wouldn’t scream and try to run away.
“Home sweet Home,� Malfoy said sarcastically. The smirk on his face proved his disgust for his living quarters but also betrayed his arrogance that he deserved more. “Have a seat.�
Hermione hesitated before she picked her way carefully to the couch and sat down cautiously.
“It’s not going to bite.� Malfoy walked into the kitchen where he grabbed a couple of glasses. “Would you like something to drink?�
“Water would be nice,� Hermione said as she still stared warily around her, wondering how Malfoy was reduced to this life.
Malfoy returned to the living room and handed her the glass of water with a smirk. Hermione almost drank it until she looked down and noticed the muddy colored liquid. “Ugh! That’s gross!� she said before she could stop herself. She quickly remembered not to insult him and stuttered out an apology. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean…It’s just…I’m fine, thanks.�
“It’s alright,� Malfoy chuckled, as he took the glass and handed her a bottle of butterbeer instead. “I don’t drink that stuff either without boiling it. I just wanted to see your reaction.�
Hermione started to blush but gratefully accepted the butterbeer. There was an awkward silence while they both took sips of their drinks and stared around aimlessly.
“You must love this,� Malfoy said suddenly, a dark look in his eye.
“Love what?� Hermione wasn’t sure what she did to entice this emotion from him.
“Seeing me like this. Reduced to living in a filthy flat among Muggles, having a job, coming to you for help.�
“I don’t enjoy seeing you like this!� Hermione practically shouted. She didn’t know what brought this on but it made her angry for him to say these things. “Granted I did think you were always too arrogant for your own good, but I wouldn’t wish this upon you.�
There was another awkward pause in which Malfoy tried hard not to look at Hermione. Hermione felt very uncomfortable but eventually ventured to start the conversation again.
“This is a far cry from the Malfoy Manor though, isn’t it?� she said meekly. “I mean I’ve never actually seen it before but I’ve heard about it. But I promise,� her voice started to gain a little strength, “that I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.�
“I’m sorry,� Malfoy said equally meekly. “I’ve never had any one over and I wasn’t sure what you were thinking.�
“Since when did you start caring what a Mudblood like me thought?�
“Don’t call yourself that.� Malfoy was almost pleading with her. “I’ve made mistakes and I’m trying to change.�
The pair drifted into yet another silence, yet this one was not as uncomfortable as the previous ones. Each one was reevaluating the other. They each realized that the other was not who they thought they had been. They both had changed and they both knew that war changed everything.
“Speaking of change,� Hermione ventured again, but this time distinctly more lighthearted, “I know why you have a new name.�
“Oh yeah, why?� Malfoy picked up on the game and gave Hermione a genuine grin instead of the usual smirk.
“You’re in some kind of witness protection program, aren’t you? Just like the Muggles have.� Hermione was smiling broadly; sometimes she surprised herself with her own brilliance.
“You really are the smartest witch.� It wasn’t a question. “The answer is, yes, I am. After I went to the Ministry to turn myself in, they immediately shipped me off into hiding to keep me from the Death Eaters. I haven’t been in England since, and I haven’t seen anyone I know, until you, of course.�
He said this last part with a pleading look. Hermione wasn’t really sure where to go from here. He seemed so desperate but Hermione wasn’t sure what he was desperate for.
“So is that why you’ve been living with Muggles?� Hermione ventured.
Malfoy sighed heavily like it was such a burden to him. “Yes. Anyone would notice the Malfoy good looks in the wizarding world after all.� He had hitched his smirk back onto his face and leered at Hermione.
“Well, I guess some things never change,� she huffed, slightly annoyed at his vanity.
“And why would you want them to? I mean, I am pretty handsome and why would you want to change this beautiful face?� His smirk had widened into a full out grin that when Hermione paid attention, actually did make him look pretty nice.
“You’re impossible!�
“Impossibly good looking?�
All Hermione could do was shoot daggers out her eyes but then picked up a ratty pillow and threw it at Malfoy’s face. When it smacked him, it let out a big puff of dust that started him coughing and sneezing. It also caused Hermione to fall in a fit of laughter at his situation.
“Think that’s funny do you?� And with that Malfoy picked up his nearest pillow and threw it in Hermione’s face. But since she was so overwhelemed with the giggles she didn’t have enough to stop it before it sent out a cloud of dust and started her sneezing and coughing.
Pretty soon, the living room turned into a battle field of flying pillows and dust. Hermione and Malfoy were both laughing so hard that they were crying which didn’t help the sneezing at all.
Their battle continued for a good ten minutes before it was interrupted by a sharp knock at the door. Both got immediately quiet and stared at the door for a second. The knock came again and Malfoy went to the door and started undoing all of his dead bolts. He eased the door open to check who it was.
Hermione guessed that whoever it was, was a friend because Malfoy opened the door a little wider and she was able to get a glance. Although the sight that met her eyes was not one that she was expecting and her mouth gaped open.

Chapter Nine: Unexpected Visitors

A red-headed boy of about ten years old peeked his head around Malfoy’s form to look at Hermione. A huge grin spread across his face as he asked, “Are you on a date, George?�

Hermione felt the heat rise in her face. She couldn’t believe that someone just suggested that she was on a date with Draco Malfoy! Apparently, Malfoy was thinking along the same lines too when he replied with a very forceful, “No!� He glanced back at Hermione whose mouth was still gaping open. “She’s just a co-worker. Now what did you want?�

Hermione finally realized to close her mouth as she tried to listen to the conversation. Malfoy’s voice had that usual hard edge to it when he was speaking to who he thought was his inferior. It was tinged with annoyance, but Hermione thought it also had a bit of sympathy.

She immediately brushed that thought away. After all, this was Malfoy; he didn’t have a sympathetic bone in his body.

“Mom wants to know if you can baby-sit me tomorrow night.� The boy was looking eagerly up at Malfoy and Hermione could tell that he was getting uncomfortable.

“Uh…� Malfoy started, clearly trying to come up with an excuse. “I can’t, I have to work.�

Not missing a beat, Hermione chimed in, “I can work for you if you want me to.� A huge grin spread across her face as she tried to look as angelic as possible.

Malfoy’s head whipped around to glare at Hermione who still smiled sweetly at him. “No, I really think I should work, I’m sure they need me at the store.� He tried to give Hermione a meaningful look to back off but she wouldn’t.

“It’s no problem, you can baby-sit tomorrow!�

Malfoy tried to put on a smile as he turned to look at the boy but it came out as a grimace. Through gritted teeth he said, “Fine. Tomorrow.� And then he very ungraciously slammed the door in the boy’s face and locked it up.

Hermione was still smiling in triumph when Malfoy came back to take his seat. He was staring daggers at Hermione but she didn’t pay attention.

“So who was your little friend?� Malfoy could see through her obvious attempts at innocence.

“One,� Malfoy ticked off on his fingers, “he’s not my friend; he’s my neighbor. Two, I needed the money and I’m the only one in the building besides him and his mum that speak English. And three, if you tell anyone I’ll curse you into the next century.�

Hermione didn’t really doubt his threat but found the whole situation to be very entertaining. “Who would I tell? And honestly, who would believe me if I did? Draco Malfoy baby-sitting a Muggle child; it’s just unheard of.�

“Good point, Granger. I don’t know why but the kid likes to be around me too. I try to keep him away but he’s like a pet; he just thinks it’s a game and comes right back.� Malfoy shook his head in aggravation.

“Well, I knew you couldn’t be doing it out of the kindness of your heart. But I suppose that’s where you caught the chicken pox.�

“Bloody kids,� Malfoy murmured to himself. “I really can only stand him in small doses. He just gets irritating. And he always reminds me of Weasley.� Malfoy noticeably shuddered at this comment and Hermione’s back instantly stiffened at the mention of Ron.

She hadn’t been expecting that name to be brought up. It was the second time he brought up the name and the first time it didn’t end so well with Hermione screaming at Malfoy. Malfoy seemed oblivious to Hermione’s quick change of demeanor though.

“Well, Henry does hang around me like Weasley hung around Potter. Maybe he wants to be my sidekick.� Malfoy actually laughed out loud of the idea but Hermione’s eyes just narrowed as she glared at him. But still Malfoy rambled on. “Like I’d let that Muggle be my sidekick. He’d be worse than Weasley.�

Malfoy finally looked up at Hermione and saw the angry look across her face. “What’s got your knickers in a twist?�

Hermione really didn’t want to go into it with Malfoy over Ron but she couldn’t help herself when she burst out, “I thought you said you had changed?�

Malfoy was a bit taken by surprise with this comment and took a minute to answer. “I think I have changed.� He paused a little longer. “Some, anyways.� He shrugged this off as if it didn’t really matter but to Hermione it did.

“What makes you think you’ve changed? I don’t see any great improvements, except for the fact that you haven’t cursed me or called me a Mudblood.� Hermione felt she was getting a little carried away but she really needed answers.

Malfoy was starting to harden at these assumptions she was making. “You have no idea what I’ve been through.�

Hermione couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped her mouth but it seemed to inflame Malfoy a bit more. “Why don’t you enlighten me then?�

“You really want to know?� Malfoy was starting to breathe heavily like it took all his strength to say what he wanted. “I haven’t seen a recognizable face in over five years. I had no idea my parents had both died. I’ve been forced to live like a Muggle and among Muggles. I’m not allowed to perform magic unless absolutely necessary and I’m not even allowed to enter the magical community unless it’s extremely important or unless I’m contacted.

“Nobody knows where I am and I have no friends to talk to but Henry here. Not that I had friends in school because half of them are probably dead as well.� Malfoy seemed to really be getting worked up. “Not to mention that the majority of the wizarding community hates me because they either think I’m working with the Death Eaters or they are Death Eaters and know I betrayed them.

“Now tell me, Miss Know-it-all, how do you think you would be if all of this had happened to you?�

Hermione was quite taken aback at his abruptness. She hadn’t really expected him to answer her at all, let alone give a brief account of what he’s been doing. All of the information seemed jumbled in her head as she tried to work it all out.

Malfoy had gotten to his feet by the end of his speech and was trying to find something to focus on to control the emotions that were pulsing inside of him.

Hermione didn’t quite know what to say but what she did manage to say didn’t help the situation at all. “I think I would’ve done just fine if I had been you.�

Malfoy didn’t like her response in the slightest and yelled, “That’s because you’re a Muggle-born. Of course you would do just fine! I’m a pure-blood and I don’t know anything besides the wizarding world! What do you expect from me?�

Hermione immediately felt embarrassment at what she had said and stammered to say something else, something a little more helpful but couldn’t think of anything.

“Out!� Malfoy shouted as he pointed to the door. “We’re done tonight. I want you out!�

Hermione shakily got to her feet and could barely look into Malfoy’s livid face. She murmured an almost inaudible, “See you at work,� but Malfoy didn’t respond. He unlocked the door and practically shoved her out of the apartment and immediately locked back up.

Bewildered, Hermione stood outside of his door for a minute while she gained her bearings. She couldn’t understand all of the mood swings that they both experienced in such a short amount of time. She was starting to think maybe they weren’t so different.

After all, they both felt pretty alone in the world. And, as was obvious from this encounter, they both were set off by certain subjects. Hermione just wasn’t sure if she could take another night like this. But she knew her curiosity would over-come in the end.

For now, Hermione figured it would be best to give Malfoy some room. She didn’t feel compelled to be around him and didn’t think he’d object. They both needed to calm down and work out their own problems.

The night air did nothing to break Hermione of her reverie. What had started out as a warm summer had turned into a brisk fall that did nothing to improve her mood. She paid no attention to her surroundings but made the trek back to her loft. Hermione was so caught up in her own thoughts and feelings that she didn’t even notice a light flickering underneath her door as she fumbled with her keys to unlock it.

She swung the door open and hastily locked it back up and threw her coat on the kitchen counter. It wasn’t until she tried to turn on the lights that she noticed something was amiss. The lights were already on.

A swift turn found Hermione face to face with her intruders. She had her wand pointed directly at their chests but immediately dropped it in shock.

“Well, now, that’s a poor defense if we were Death Eaters!� A grinning Ginny jumped up and hugged Hermione who was still frozen with shock at her guests.

“Yeah, what would Moody say if he saw you do something like that?� As soon as Ginny had stopped hugging Hermione, Harry swooped in and took over. He gave a more stiff, but firm hug as if trying to keep Hermione upright.

When Harry pulled away, Hermione finally caught up with the situation. “What are you guys doing here?� she stammered.

Ginny bent down and picked up her wand and handed it gingerly to Hermione. “Well, we haven’t heard from you in ages.�

“All summer in fact,� Harry added.

“We just wanted to make sure you were okay.� At this Ginny placed a consoling arm around Hermione and led her to the sofa so they could make themselves more comfortable.

“We talked to your parents and found out where you were at. We figured if we wrote you’d tell us not to come so we just came anyways.� Harry looked a bit sheepish at this admission but Hermione knew he was right. She wouldn’t have wanted them to come but she was glad they were here anyways.

“Well,� Hermione began, “I’m doing alright, I guess. All things considering.� Ginny and Harry looked a little sad at what Hermione was saying but she hitched on a smile despite their looks.

“Honestly, I think this has been good for me to be here. I’ve experienced so much already and I’m constantly busy which keeps my thoughts…occupied.� Hermione was trying her hardest to keep the conversation light. She didn’t want her friends’ pity and she didn’t want to bring down the mood with the topic of Ron.

Hermione looked around the room to try and change the focus off of her and what she’d been through. She noticed some dishes on the coffee table and scraps of food left on them. She gave her friends a grin and said, “I guess you two had no problem making yourselves at home did you?�

All three were relieved when they broke into easy laughter. Hermione felt like it had been ages since she’d really laughed like that. The appearance of her two best friends helped to lift the burden she had been feeling all summer. It also helped to erase her night with Malfoy from her mind. She could deal with him later; right now she was content with reconnecting with her friends.

Chapter Ten: Not Ron

The clanking from the kitchen pulled Hermione from her hazy sleep. It only took a minute but the events from the night before came racing back to the forefront of her mind. Hermione just lay in bed a little while, listening to the soft talk of her friends.

Hermione guessed that Harry and Ginny were cooking breakfast, the smell of bacon started wafting into her room. She tried to drive the night with Malfoy out of her mind. She couldn’t believe she had been such a prat with him.

The sudden clanging of pots falling on the floor jolted Hermione up. Then the light giggles of Ginny helped her to forget about Malfoy. Hermione got out of bed and got ready for the day. She put on some jeans and black t-shirt; she figured that the Bontecous wouldn’t miss her help for a day. In fact, Hermione was pretty sure that they let in Harry and Ginny.

Hermione walked out of her room as she was pulling her bushy hair up into a bun. Harry and Ginny were hugging and laughing together. It looked like they had just had a sort of fight because Harry had flour in his hair and Ginny had some batter on the tip of her nose.
Hermione just stood and watched with a smile on her face. She loved seeing her friends so happy, it almost felt like everything was still perfect. She half expected to see Ron sit up from the couch and yell at Harry for touching his sister.

But Ron didn’t show up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The three friends finished their breakfast with a lot of jokes and stories of the summer. Harry and Ginny told Hermione how big Bill and Fleur’s daughter was getting. And they also revealed how big Fleur was getting with the new baby she was expecting.

The twins were both doing well in their business. Their expansion to Hogsmeade was doing very well with the restart of Hogwarts and they were already thinking of building another shop somewhere near Durmstrang.

Charlie was off in Russia somewhere searching for dragons, but Ginny had a feeling he might have a girlfriend. Or at she was hoping fervently.

Ginny also confessed to the side that she hoped Harry would propose soon. And if he didn’t propose, she definitely would.

Hermione related her involvement in the bookstore and the various sites she had seen. However, she avoided the topic of Malfoy altogether, not quite sure if she should mention it.

At around ten o’clock the three friends put on light jackets to combat the onset of fall and decided to do a little sight-seeing. They trampled down the stairs that led to the storage room.

“You know,� Ginny started when they reached the landing, “I’ve always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower.�

Hermione turned towards the door that led to the Muggle store but upon seeing a bright blond head she maneuvered into the doorway, blocking the store from sight.

“Actually,� Hermione felt a bit flustered, “I was thinking we could go see wizarding Paris. It won’t be too busy at this time of day. We can see the Tower another day.�

And with that she unceremoniously ushered Ginny and Harry into the wizarding store. They exited the store and were met (thankfully) by an almost empty street. Most of the witches and wizards were at work so it left the shopping area free of traffic.

“Perfect!� Ginny exclaimed. “I’ve always wanted to see what kind of French fashions there were in robes!� Ginny squealed in delight as she raced over to the nearest robe boutique. Harry groaned and sent a glare at Hermione. Hermione shrugged and followed Ginny; at least they didn’t think she was hiding anything.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione almost regretted her decision of taking Ginny to the robe shops. They spent all day watching her try on robe after robe after robe. Hermione had to admit they were quite beautiful but it was very boring.

Harry often had a glazed look over his eyes but would always jump in to tell Ginny how beautiful she looked before he drifted off again. At the last store, Hermione found some entertainment in putting all kinds of hats and boas on Harry when he was in one of these states. She wished she had a camera to take pictures of it but soon Harry woke from his trance and started throwing the items back at Hermione. It wasn’t long before the store owner kicked them out.

They had to wait almost another hour before Ginny emerged from the store looking a little angry but laden with many purchases so the mood didn’t last long.

By the time they made it back it to the apartment, the book store was closed, much to Hermione’s relief. They trudged up the stairs with all of Ginny’s purchases and Hermione made them all a light dinner.

They talked late into the night before turning in to bed. Hermione lay awake wondering what she was going to do with the Malfoy problem. She hoped fervently that it wouldn’t be a problem at all, but she wasn’t that naïve to believe it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione got lucky for the next few days. She successfully convinced her two friends to stay in wizarding Paris and visit all of the shops. A few times she caught a glimpse of Malfoy in the bookstore. She wasn’t sure if he noticed her or not but she never had a chance to find out.

It was late one night, nearing midnight, and Ginny and Harry were going over the finer points of Quidditch with Hermione.

“I just don’t get the intrigue,� Hermione said exhaustively. She was getting tired and the conversation did nothing to stifle her yawn. “It’s just a game.�

Ginny gaped at Hermione with an incredulous look on her face while Harry melodramatically clutched at his heart. “You hurt me,� he winced. “I thought we were friends?�

Hermione cracked a smile at his antics and threw a pillow at his head. Soon they were lobbing pillows and cushions at each other.

They had all fallen on the floor in a fit of giggles (just like at Hogwarts, Hermione mused) when they heard some yelling.

“Hermione! Her-Hermione!�

Hermione knew that voice but Harry and Ginny both clutched their wands and jumped up from the floor.

“Who or what is that?� Ginny asked cautiously.

Hermione had to think fast to avoid suspicion and to keep her friends up in the loft. “It’s probably just a delivery or something for the store. In fact, I think it’s one of the employees.� Hermione hoped this was convincing enough. “I’ll just go down and check.�

Harry made to grab her arm but stopped.

“I’ll be fine, Harry. Don’t worry.�

“Just call if you need us.�

They gave her reassuring smiles but Hermione knew that there wasn’t any danger downstairs and as she reached the landing and saw her late-night caller, she knew she was right.

“Malfoy!� Hermione whispered. “What are you doing?�

Malfoy looked through bloodshot eyes at the girl before him. It seemed to take him a while to comprehend what she just said but he soon slurred out, “Why are you avoiding me?�

“I’m not avoiding…� Hermione started but recognition dawned on her face. “Are you drunk, Malfoy?!�

“I’m not dr-dr-drunk,� Malfoy took a pause, seemingly to gain his thoughts and then he burst out, “Quite changing the subject!�

Hermione glanced up the stairs to her apartment and then decided she couldn’t risk this conversation to be heard. She grabbed Malfoy’s arm and dragged him outside of the store. There was an awning above the front of the store that shielded the two from the windows above. Hermione hoped that their voices wouldn’t carry.

“What do you want?� Hermione asked, a trace of a smile playing on her lips. She was trying very hard to not laugh at Malfoy in his disheveled state. His blond hair lay limply, framing his face. And his clothes looked distinctly rumpled like he had slept on the ground. The two were standing were standing close so they would keep their voices down and Hermione could smell the Firewhiskey on his breath.

He looked slightly vulnerable and that gripped at Hermione’s heart. She could see pain in his eyes, pain she had no clue about. She could also see some desperation, which she had seen so many times during the war.

“Why are you avoiding me?� Malfoy repeated. He was still slurring his words but a slight clarity was coming to his eyes from their close proximity.

“I’m not avoiding you,� Hermione’s eyes shifted away as she lied to Malfoy. She wasn’t really sure why she was trying to protect him.

“Don’t lie!� Malfoy shouted. “I know you are.�

“Shhhhhhhhhh!� Hermione tried to hush him and pulled him a little closer, urging him to keep his voice down.

“Fine, you’re right,� she conceded. “Harry and Ginny are visiting and I didn’t want them to see you.�

With this statement Malfoy sobered up some more. “They’re here?� he whispered, fearing they could hear him.

Hermione put a comforting hand on his arm, feeling his muscles tense up at the touch. “They don’t know you’re here, don’t worry. And I’m not going to tell them, Draco.�

Malfoy stood there in silence for a moment, contemplating a decision. Hermione could see the fight going on behind his eyes but didn’t want to press his thoughts. She was busy wondering why she called him Draco and not Malfoy.

The silence stretched on before Malfoy finally looked up and locked eyes with Hermione. “Will you meet me for lunch tomorrow?�

Hermione tried to read his thoughts but had trouble because her mind was reeling with this proposition. She already was planning on how to get rid of Ginny and Harry to meet him. “Yes.�

They stood there a little longer and neither broke the eye contact. Draco’s vision was still a little blurry and they were standing closer than they ever had before.

Before Hermione knew what happened, Draco had leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. She closed her eyes at the gesture. It seemed to feel so right and it had been so long since she’d been this close to anyone.

But as soon as she stepped in towards Draco, a freckled, grinning face with clear blue eyes swam to the front of her consciousness.

Ron.

Hermione quickly broke the kiss as tears threatened to pour down her face. Draco looked at her questioningly. All traces of drunkenness seemed to have evaporated and he regarded her closely.

“Hermione?� he asked tentatively.

But Hermione just shook her head and backed towards the door. “You’re not Ron,� she said as her hand slid across the door trying to find the knob. “You’re not Ron,� she repeated as she swung the door open and slammed it in his face. With a click of the lock, Draco was left alone on the doorstep.

Hermione slid down the back of the door and pulled her knees close. She hugged her arms around herself and could no longer hold the tears back. They poured freely down her face and she did nothing to stop the torrent.

She hadn’t kissed anyone but Ron since he died. She knew it was silly; it had been months since his death. Ron would want her to move on. But not with Malfoy, a small voice said.

There by the door is where Hermione finally cried herself to sleep while a battle raged inside her mind and heart.

Hermione woke early in the morning. She hadn’t slept well due to her uncomfortable position against the door. When she stood, it felt like all of the bones in her legs and back popped and cracked under the stress. She quickly stretched out the kinks and raced up to her apartment, praying that Harry and Ginny were still asleep.

When the door swung open soundlessly, she was greeted with a dark room; they hadn’t stirred yet. Hermione decided to jump in the shower and wash off all of the feelings from the night before as well as the tracks left on her face from the relentless tears. She focused on scrubbing her hair and skin to keep from thinking about Draco.

By the time she emerged from the bathroom in jeans and a sweater, her visitors were just waking up. They were quietly whispering in their transfigured bed (that used to be the couch) and planted soft kisses on each other. Hermione would have found this endearing but the thought of last night just made her want to vomit.

“Morning, ‘Mione!� Ginny greeted, her red hair was sticking up almost as bad as Harry’s. “What happened last night? We waited for you to come back up but decided to just go to sleep.�

“Oh, well,� Hermione paused, frantically wracking her brain for a solution. She definitely couldn’t mention Malfoy, Harry would probably explode. “One of our workers left his wallet and I helped him look for it. It took a while to find.�

She turned towards the kitchen so they couldn’t read her face as she prayed for their acceptance. Hermione always hating lying to her friends. As she started breakfast cooking, she tried to think of an excuse to get out of spending time with them this afternoon. She felt like this sneaking around was becoming a pattern with Malfoy and she wasn’t all too comfortable with it.

“So about today,� Hermione started, still trying to think of a good excuse: work, errands, pretending to be sick all raced through her mind.

“Yeah, about that,� Harry interrupted. “We figured you probably have to get back to work, huh? I mean we’ve kept you for a few days now, I’m sure your bosses are irritated with us.�

What perfect timing! Hermione thought as she filled each plate with eggs and bagels. Harry had a perfect excuse for her.

“After all, we did show up uninvited and you probably had plans that we ruined.� Ginny seemed sympathetic. If only she knew my deceit.

“We’ll let you get back to work today,� Harry said as he filled his mouth with eggs. “We have plans to go to the Louvre anyways. I’m sure you’ve seen it about a hundred times already.� He tried to grin but his eggs just spilled out of his mouth causing Ginny to laugh hysterically.

“Please, Harry. It’s too early to make me lose my lunch!�

Hermione couldn’t help but laugh along with her friends. It was so good to see them. She really loved that they surprised her. It gave her hope that she could happy again. Already, her stay in France had changed her. And not just into someone who sneaks around her friends. But she became more independent.

She always felt headstrong when she was younger, but at Hogwarts it was always so easy to get caught up in being a part of the “Golden Trio� that sometimes she felt a little lost on her own. And then after school, during the war, she was a part of the Order of the Phoenix. More importantly, she became part of a couple, Hermione and Ron. She rarely did anything without him.

Now as the weather changed into fall, Hermione realized she hadn’t remembered to return to Hogwarts to teach again. How strange, she thought. I never gave it a thought. I’ve become so involved in my work here and with the mystery of Malfoy, I never even wrote to Professor McGonagall. Things have changed.

Ginny offered to do the dishes and with a swish of her wand they started clinking in the sink. Harry pulled out a map and spread it out on the counter. Hermione’s first thought was that it was the Marauder’s Map, detailing the passages and inhabitants of Hogwarts. But as she leaned in, she realized it was just a Muggle map of Paris.

“So Hermione, where is the Louvre located?� Harry asked after about ten minutes of scanning all the intersecting lines with their tiny labels. Apparently, he couldn’t read French.

Hermione glanced at the map and immediately placed her finger exactly where the Louvre stood. “It’s right here, by the Seine.� She looked at Harry assuming she had helped him as he nodded in agreement.

“Right,� he paused, as he looked up at her. “And where exactly, are we?�

Hermione laughed out loud. Harry was being his usual self. She left her first finger and traced a route backwards with her other hand and pointed to where the bookstore would be. “We are right here.� She left her two hands so Harry could better gain their locations, but Hermione could tell he would easily become confused.

To ease his troubles, Hermione pulled out her wand and performed a navigation spell so that the map could tell Harry if he was going in the wrong direction. She explained that all he had to do was find a destination on the map and it would guide him there (The Muggle version of this is known as a GPS).

Hermione decided it was time to go to work, and to also divert Harry and Ginny in case Malfoy was already downstairs. As she made her way down the stairs, Harry ran to catch her. “Hermione wait up.� He glanced back upstairs to make sure Ginny wasn’t within earshot.

“Umm…� Harry looked uncomfortable and started to turn slightly pink like he was embarrassed.

“What is it Harry?� Hermione was a little confused but expected some kind of confession from him. He kind of looked the way he did when he confessed he still had feelings for Ginny.

“I just wanted to tell you not to wait up for us tonight. I have something planned and I just don’t want you to wait around for us for dinner or anything.� After the hesitation, Harry ran through this admission quickly.

Hermione grinned back, she had a slight inkling of what he could be referring to but she didn’t want to steal his thunder so she played innocent. “Okay, Harry. Take all the time you need. Paris is rather beautiful and a bit magical, as well.� She gave him a wink as she continued downstairs, confident that her two friends might be changing their lives forever tonight.

After a quick check in the back, Hermione made her way to the Muggle half of the store to be on the lookout for Malfoy. She didn’t see anybody except a customer in the back corner with dark brown hair. She was relieved because not a minute later Harry and Ginny came through the store and wished her a good-bye.

The store seemed absolutely empty and Hermione checked to see if perhaps Malfoy was coming down the street. A quick check confirmed that he was no where in sight. She made her way to the back of the store. She figured she might as well help the only customer since it seemed Malfoy might not show up at all.

“Excuse me, sir. Can I help you find anything?�

“Well, Granger. Decided to come back to work did we?� Hermione was shocked as the face and voice that greeted her belonged to none other than Malfoy. She gave him a brief survey as she took in his brown hair and slightly tanned complexion. It definitely didn’t look like him. Except for the steel grey eyes and slightly pointed features of his face.

“Decided to use last names again?� Hermione met his mocking eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. But at Hermione’s words, Draco looked a little uncomfortable.

“About last night,� he started, but when he was unable to continue Hermione interrupted.

“Good job with the hair. I didn’t recognize you so I’m sure my friends didn’t either.�

“Yeah, well, Potty was never the sharpest bowtruckle in the bunch now was he?� Hermione narrowed her eyes at him; she still didn’t appreciate his insulting her friends. But Draco just ignored the look and smirked back. “So are we on for lunch?�

He tried to be as nonchalant as he could but Hermione could feel the unease from him. Neither of them was really looking forward to another confrontation and Hermione wasn’t entirely sure he remembered last night’s events. He did seem awfully smashed during his visit.

“Yeah, Harry and Ginny will be gone all day. But we should probably stay away from any paths towards the Louvre.� Hermione didn’t like keeping things from them, but she just couldn’t let them find out without her telling them exactly what was going on. She knew they’d be hurt much worse that way.

“How original,� Draco tried to mutter under his breath but Hermione still heard. “I know the perfect place. It’s out of the way and always crowded, but I’m in good with the owner so I can get us a spot in back where we won’t be disturbed.�

Hermione had a fleeting thought that she was walking into a trap but she immediately felt silly. Draco didn’t have a wand and she did; besides, she had punched him before hadn’t she?

“Fine just let me know when you’re ready.� And with that, she turned on her heel and made a beeline for the stock room where she could work on inventory and not be disturbed, but she was also within shouting distance when Malfoy was ready to go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Right around noon Draco’s voice echoed through the stock room to where Hermione was busy counting inventory. At first she thought about just pretending she couldn’t hear him but after she realized she had counted the same books twice, she decided to just quit.

The pair left the shop together with Draco slightly in the lead. His long legs stretched out so Hermione had to almost jog to keep up. “So where exactly are you taking me?� Hermione wondered as they ventured farther into a neighborhood she’d never been to.

“Relax, Granger,� Draco glanced back and smirked when he saw her rapid movements to keep up. “I’d tell you to trust me, but given our past, I don’t expect it.�

Hermione snorted at the thought, “That’s a bit of an understatement.� Although once she started to think about it, she did almost trust him. She trusted that he was telling the truth about the past five years and that this wasn’t some big set-up. In fact, the thought hadn’t even crossed her mind until just now. “Huh.�

“What’s that?� Draco asked. He slowed down to keep pace with Hermione.

“What? Oh, nothing.� Hermione didn’t realize she had spoken out loud and quickly averted her eyes. She definitely didn’t want to bring up the fact that she had unwittingly trusted him all this time.

“Still a nutter then? Always talking to yourself and muttering under your breath.� Draco started chuckling, but it was more genuine than when he made fun of Harry. It was more like friendly banter than cruel jokes, which seemed to shock the both of them into silence until they reached their destination.

The dilapidated front and the falling sign, which read “The Laughing Llama,� didn’t do much to ease Hermione’s mind as they entered the dimly lit restaurant. Although the room was dark, it was crammed full of people in business suits and tourists. Hermione tried to not let the shock show on her face as the host lead them to the back to a partially secluded table.

“Will this do Mr. Westerfield?� the waiter asked in an American accent.

“This will definitely work. Thank you, Zach.� Draco took his seat and motioned for Hermione to sit as well as he started to peruse the menu already laid down.

Hermione looked at her own menu and realized this was definitely not French food. There were cheeseburgers, steak sandwiches, fried chicken, and something called okra. She could order fries, which she knew as chips. Or order chips, which she knew as crisps. “What is this place?� Hermione asked baffled.

Draco chuckled as he put down his menu. “It’s owned by a couple of American blokes. A couple of cowboys, hell-bent on making the French population fat.�

The waiter returned to take their order; Hermione order fried chicken and Draco ordered a cheeseburger.

“I’ll tell you one thing,� Draco started, “those Americans can sure cook. Even if they are just a couple of Muggles.�

After the waiter left, there was a bit of an awkward silence. Hermione was busy staring around the restaurant. They had the strangest decorations; she could’ve sworn there was a stuffed armadillo on the wall wearing a bandana and a straw hat.

Draco was busy watching Hermione. After a while, he decided to interrupt her inventory of the place. “So when are we going to talk about the other night?�

Chapter Twelve: Lost and Found

Hermione instantly blushed scarlet. She had no idea what to say. She had hoped he had forgotten since he’d been drunk.

“Umm,� she started; her eyes darted around the restaurant as she tried to find something – anything – that would make this go away. “I’m sure it was an accident,� she said with absolutely no conviction.

“Well, sort of, I guess.� Draco felt confused but continued, “I really didn’t mean to blow up at you. You just don’t know what its like to be cut off from everything you know. And then, of all the people I could meet, it’s Miss Know-It-All; the person I was taught was inferior to me but was constantly compared to.�

Hermione had not made a sound through his little soliloquy; she didn’t even blink. Maybe he has forgotten about the kiss, she thought.

Draco continued, “And it’s a lot of information to get all at once.�

Hermione thought he had finished and was feeling relieved. She was ready to forgive him and get this conversation finished but…

“So about last night now.� Draco smirked as Hermione’s face flared again. This time she pursed her lips tight waiting for the onslaught. But Draco’s smirk fell as he continued to look at her.

“Between your outbursts and what you said,� he paused slightly, “last night, I’m starting to think that things didn’t work out between you and Ron.� The look on Draco’s face was intense like he was looking for a signal that he was wrong about his assumption.

For the third time, in less than ten minutes, Hermione was shocked. She thought he would pin the kiss on her or the alcohol. She really thought he would write it off entirely and pretend it hadn’t happened himself. Just the idea of the Prince of Slytherin kissing a lowly Griffyndor must have made him sick. Surely, the thought appalled him.

What she didn’t expect was for Draco to bring up Ron. And with such a sympathetic tone.

Hermione hesitated for just a second, wondering how much to tell him. But she realized they’d both been honest the whole time. So she decided to tell him everything.

She started with the Final Battle right before their food came. She told him about their struggles to defeat the Dark Lord and about Harry’s success. She told about them gathering their fallen comrades and rallying those who survived. Sometimes Draco would interject with a question; usually wondering the fate of a former classmate or Death Eater. She told how Ron’s final act was killing Bellatrix Lestrange.

When their food was cleared away she was finishing up with the funeral and how Ron would have proposed. “And after that, I came here and you know what happens next.�

Hermione looked down at her hand on the table. The ring still gleamed on her left ring finger. To the rest of the world, it looked like she was engaged but she knew the truth. As she looked at it a long pale hand reached out and covered hers, blocking the ring from view.

Draco’s hand was warm. Hermione didn’t know why but she always expected it to be cold. They didn’t say anything for a few minutes until the waiter came with the check.

They immediately pulled back their hands and refused to make eye contact, each one wrapped up with their own thoughts. Draco quietly paid the bill and thanked the waiter. Still in silence, they left the restaurant and headed back towards the bookstore at a slow pace.

“I hate being in hiding,� Draco suddenly burst out, effectively breaking the tension. “I mean, just look at my hair. It’s absolutely ridiculous!�

He pulled on a piece of black fringe and eyed it maliciously.

Hermione started to chuckle. “Well, aren’t we a little vain? Maybe you shouldn’t go shouting that you’re in hiding. Doesn’t that defeat the purpose?�

“I suppose. I’m just tired of it and I miss magic.� Their walk was a little easier as their conversation lightened up. The streets weren’t too busy with activity since most people were eating lunch still.

“After all, you didn’t hex me the moment you saw me, so maybe it’d be safe for me to return to England.� He broke a branch off of a nearby tree and waved it around a bit. “I really miss the feel of my wand. I haven’t even seen it in so long.�

Hermione started to laugh hard. She thought Draco looked like a little kid waving that twig around like something might happen. She could also tell that he really hoped something might happen too. That thought made her feel sad for him. She could barely remember life before magic and she definitely never wanted it to be taken away.

“I wouldn’t be so sure that Harry wouldn’t hex you.� They both knew that’s why they were avoiding him.

“Well maybe we should make my presence known.� Draco said eagerly. “If old Scarhead doesn’t kill me then I should be safe right?� He meant it as a joke but then seriously wondered if Harry might kill him. He almost did once during sixth year, now he’s got an even better reason.

“I don’t know if that’s the best idea,� Hermione bit her lip as she thought about it. She would like to stop lying to Harry and Ginny but didn’t know if this would really help the situation at all. It might make things worse, but she knew that Harry wouldn’t kill Draco out right. “I could tell him about you before you come in contact.� She mused out loud.

“Merlin, I can’t believe I want Potty’s approval. It makes me sick but I guess I am getting pretty desperate.�

“You know, if you want my help or Harry’s help, you should really stop with the name calling.�

“Yeah, yeah. But he’s not around right now, so I should be good. I’ll be on my best behavior when and if the time comes.� The grin that spread across his face just added to the little boy image Hermione had in her mind. They could both feel the easing of tension as they strolled down the road.

Shops passed by as they made their way through the streets of Paris. Their pasts seemed to melt away as they took in the city. Any one passing on the street might have thought they were lifelong friends, rather than childhood enemies brought together by chance.

It must have been the sense of ease that caused Hermione to not pay attention to her surroundings because as they approached a corner she didn’t even bother to check traffic before stepping off into the street.

She was suddenly pulled and spun around as Draco grabbed her and pulled her back. Not a second later, a small car zoomed by with an aggravated honk. Draco had his arm around her waist to support her, which was good because Hermione felt faint.

It wasn’t because she had almost been hit by a speeding car. No, it was mix of being saved by the infamous Draco Malfoy and the sudden closeness she felt. Their bodies were pressed close and Hermione could smell his skin. This felt much more intimate than their brief kiss the night before.

The rush of feelings almost overwhelmed her: excitement for being so close, guilt for enjoying it, confusion for feeling it, and grateful for being alive.

Only one emotion flashed across Draco’s face, and that was concern for her well-being which just added to the confusion rushing around the pair.

After a few seconds, Hermione regained her bearings and was able to stand on her own. Draco finally removed his grip from her waist, almost reluctantly. “Are you okay? You might want to be a little bit more observant.� Already, he was trying to relieve the stress of the situation.

“Yeah,� Hermione felt dizzy. “Thanks for…that. I guess I owe you one, huh?�

“I guess you do.� Draco smirked at the idea too. “Maybe you can keep Harry from killing me.�

Hermione started to laugh. “I can try anyways. He did kill Voldemort and all.� And with that they finally arrived back at the bookstore and got back to work. Each was left with their own thoughts and feelings to puzzle over.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione had been working diligently and didn’t even realize how late it had gotten until she was bowled over by a mess of red hair. Ginny had toppled over Hermione and was squealing quite loudly.

“He proposed!� she practically screamed in Hermione’s ear as she waved a shiny diamond in her face. “And I said yes!�

Ginny’s enthusiasm was quite contagious and a big grin spread across Hermione’s face as she hugged her friend. “I can see that! Congratulations!� Hermione’s suspicions from the morning were confirmed. “Tell me everything.�

“Well, he took me around Paris all day and we saw all of the sights. The whole time I was complaining because I wanted to see the Eiffel tower and we hadn’t gotten near it.�

Harry poked his head around the shelves. “You have no idea how annoying it got.� But the grin on his face showed that he really found it more amusing than annoying.

“Anyways,� Ginny got right back into the story and Hermione was eager to hear the romantic tale. “Finally, we started to head towards it and I was so excited I was practically running for it. But the whole time Harry walked slow and held my hand tightly. And right when we got underneath and I was staring up to the top, he took both of my hands and got down on one knee right there, in front of everyone!�

By now, Ginny was close to jumping up and down for joy. “Will you be my Maid of Honor?� she blurted out.

Hermione was a bit taken about but quickly became excited. “Of course! There’s so much to do!� And the two girls started planning the wedding right there.

Harry became impatient. “Uh, Ginny? Sorry to break this up, but we have reservations at this restaurant and if we’re late, we’ll lose them.�

“Okay, hold on a second.� Ginny just brushed him off as she continued describing her dream dress in exacting detail.

Harry gave up trying to coax her to leave, they could afford a few more minutes. After all, she was pretty excited. Instead, he decided to wander around the shop and look at the books. Not that he really enjoyed books, but it seemed a little more interesting than which shade of white would be best for Ginny’s skin tone.

It was when they were discussing the various nuances of the wedding march when they heard a loud thump and shouting going on.

“Oh, no!� Hermione shouted as she realized Harry must’ve found Draco. She jumped and raced through the store, following the loud cursing and threats. Ginny followed close behind with her wand drawn.

When the girls found the ruckus they saw Harry with his wand pointed directly at Draco’s heart. Harry’s hand around Draco’s slender white throat which was quickly turning red from the grip as his lips turned blue.

Hermione looked at Ginny to find out what they should do but Ginny also had her wand pointed at Draco. She was aiming at his head. “What the bloody hell are you doing here, Malfoy?!� Harry shouted.

All Draco could do was sputter and gasp for air as his airway became more constricted. Hermione could tell he wouldn’t last much longer. She decided to just jump in front of Harry and tried to push him back.

“Harry! Stop it! You don’t know what you’re doing!� Hermione tried to pry his hand away but the rage kept Harry’s fingers tight.

“Hermione get out of the way. I know exactly what I’m doing.� Harry’s eyes blazed as he stared down Draco. For five years he had anger building up inside for the boy who had ultimately caused the death of Albus Dumbledore.

Hermione didn’t know what else to do so she pulled her own wand out and aimed it at Harry. “No, Harry, you don’t know what you’re doing. Put your wand down and I can explain everything.�

“This is Malfoy we’re talking about! I can’t believe you’re sticking up for him!� Harry really was confounded at this turn of events. Ginny looked equally confused as her best friend stood up for Draco.

“If you’ll just calm down and stop shouting, I can explain everything,� Hermione pleaded. “You have to trust me.� She looked deep into Harry’s eyes willing him to believe in her.

Harry’s will started to falter. “It’s not you I don’t trust, Hermione. It’s him.�

“I know it’s hard. Just please.�

Slowly, Harry released his grip on Draco which caused him to slump to the ground, drawing in deep gulps of air. Harry and Ginny both kept their wands trained on him just in case, although they pointed at less vital areas instead.

Relieved, Hermione helped Draco to stand. She wasn’t quite sure how much the pair would believe what she had to say, but she was going to do everything she could to try. Granted, she really didn’t have a clue why she was helping him so much.

“Let’s go find a private place to talk,� Hermione started. “I’ll tell you everything.�

As the group left the shop, they headed towards Draco’s flat. It was the only logical choice since he couldn’t go to Hermione’s.

As soon as Draco could form the words, he whispered softly, “We’re definitely even now.�

Chapter 13: Trust Between Enemies

The trek to Draco’s apartment was a long one and he didn’t catch his breath the whole way which didn’t help Hermione at all. She had a hard time trying to figure out what to say to Harry about all of this. He walked close behind and Hermione could tell that his hand was still firmly gripped around his wand, though it was out of sight. Ginny was walking a little behind, lost deep in thoughts. Nobody said anything until they were actually in the apartment.

The day was growing dark as Hermione ritualistically locked all of the dead-bolts and chains on the door as she had seen Draco do before. Draco collapsed on his dilapidated chair and was finally able to breathe easier. Harry, wand back out, and Ginny both stood uncomfortably near the door, not sure what to do.

“You can sit down,� Hermione pointed towards the dirty couch. “This might take a while.� She felt exhausted and wasn’t sure why. It was probably because she knew this would take a lot of effort and still wasn’t sure where to begin.

“I’ll stand, thanks,� Harry said tightly. His knuckles were starting to turn white from gripping his wand so hard. Ginny, on the other hand, took a seat at the end of the couch farthest from Draco. She still didn’t say anything.

Hermione also sat on the couch and looked back and forth between her companions. When she caught Draco’s eye, he gave her a nod signally she could start their story.

She took a deep breath and began. “Well, it really all started the night on the Astronomy Tower.�

At this Harry flinched and narrowed his eyes. He remembered that night all too well and was not anxious to hear it over again.

“I obviously wasn’t there, but between your story and Malfoy’s story, it seems that he wasn’t able to perform the task given.� Hermione did not want to say what that task was. There was no reason to drudge up that image for anyone. “After fleeing the castle, Malfoy explained that rather than Apparating to their original destination, he went to the Ministry of Magic.�

Harry’s eyes grew big as he looked between Hermione and Malfoy. “Are you kidding me? You believe that rubbish?� He looked ready to take Malfoy out at that second but Hermione quickly jumped in.

“Yes, Harry, I do.� She said quickly. “Do you remember that anonymous tip that helped bring down most of Voldemort’s plans?�

“Of course, I do. It was all over the Daily Prophet.�

“Well,� Hermione eyed Malfoy, “that was him.�

“You seriously believe him?� Harry was still skeptical. Hermione knew it wouldn’t be easy so she trudged on.

“Ever since that night, nobody has heard about him nor seen him. He’s been in hiding all these years. He doesn’t have a wand and he can’t go into the wizarding world. His only contact is when the Ministry contacts him.� Hermione was rushing through and not sure if Harry would be able to take all the information in. “Malfoy has been living and working as Muggle for years. He didn’t even know his parents died until I told him a couple months ago.�

By now, Hermione was standing up. She was getting so caught up in her explanation that she barely realized she was becoming so passionate about this. She really wanted Harry to trust Draco the way she had come to trust him. But she still wasn’t sure why she trusted him so much. She didn’t know when everything had turned upside-down on her. There’s no turning back now, she thought, I’ve made my bed.

Harry was deep in thought trying to piece this story in with the events he knew had happened. He was also trying very hard to forget his old prejudice like Hermione seemed to have done, but it was hard. Very hard. He had dropped his arm down and was no longer trained on Draco.

Slowly he looked up and faced Draco once again. “What do you have to say about all of this?� His eyes were narrowed and lips still formed a scowl.

For once, Draco did not return Harry’s look with a smirk or a sneer. Instead, he looked Harry dead in the eyes and said seriously, “It’s all true. Every thing Hermione said is true. That night, Dumbledore offered me redemption and I took it. After failing the Dark Lord there was nothing I could do to save myself anyways.�

“So you were just trying to save your own skin, is that it?� Harry raised his wand again as well as his voice. “You were just taking Dumbledore’s trust for granted so you could be safe?�

Draco raised his arms defensively. “That’s not it. Well, honestly, that’s part of it. I definitely didn’t want to die. But I also didn’t want to kill Dumbledore that night. You were there, you saw everything. I had no options except to go to the Ministry and turn my back on everything I’ve ever known.� Draco was defiant and willing to show anybody that he had changed, even if it was Harry Potter.

“Dumbledore offered him forgiveness, Harry,� Hermione was timid. “The least you can do is to offer the same.�

“He treated us like crap in school, Hermione. He did everything he could to make us miserable. You most of all. He thought he was better than us, smarter than us, and worthy of being a wizard more than us. And you can just leave that in the past now.�

“It was hard to look past all of that for me too. We all did some awful things in school based on our prejudices. But we’re all adults now. I know none of us are the same little kids from Hogwarts. We’ve seen things and done things we never would have dreamed of. He’s giving us a chance.�

Hermione was hoping she was making an impression. From the looks of it, Harry was getting close to at least putting his wand away. They would never be best friends like him and Ron were, but they hopefully will tolerate each other as acquaintances.

“Potter,� Draco spoke up, “haven’t you noticed that you three have wands and I’ve got nothing?�

Hermione didn’t think this was the time to be cheeky but that was Draco. Malfoy, she mentally kicked herself.

“Though it pains me to admit it, I have no defense and am at your complete mercy.� Draco had brought back a hint of his smirk. It was really ridiculous that the tables were turned like this. He, the proud pure-blood, had nothing against the half-blood, the blood-traitor, and the Mudblood.

“It’s ironic isn’t?� he laughed. “It might surprise you to know that blood quality means little to me anymore. We all bleed regardless.�

Hermione was a little surprised by his epiphany. She had no idea he’d really come so far and after being around him for sometime, she could see the sincerity in his speech. The thought brought a big smile to her face.

But all this time, Ginny hadn’t said a word. She kept face neutral through it all and just watched as the conversation jumped around the room. She wanted to trust Hermione’s judgment but knew it would take a while for Harry. But when she saw Hermione’s smile she couldn’t keep quiet any longer as a strange question bubbled to the surface of her thoughts.

“Are you seeing each other?� she blurted out accusingly.

Hermione and Draco did a double-take, looked at each other and began to profusely deny it while talking over each other.

“Of course not,� Hermione started.

“Absolutely false,� Draco denied.

“How could you think such a thing?�

“Ridiculous really.�

“No idea where that came from.�

“Complete rubbish!�

“Honestly!�

Ginny tried not to laugh at their sputtering responses but knew she asked it seriously. The tension between the two seemed different than ever before. She could tell something had happened between them but knew that they would never say anything especially in front of Harry. He would definitely go ballistic.

Hermione hoped she hadn’t turned scarlet. Something had definitely changed between them but she wasn’t sure what happened or how. And admitting to anything beyond tolerance for the former Slytherin would make Harry lose any grip at acceptance he had.

Ginny was still eyeing the pair but Harry seemed to have other things on his mind and quickly dismissed the question. He had thoughts of his own. “How can we really trust that you’ve changed? And if you have changed, what do you want from us?�

“That’s the funny thing,� Draco mused. “You just have to trust me and Granger that I’ve changed. And all I want is to go home and have a wand again.� He felt defeated. The honesty with which he spoke really pained him as he realized what he really missed.

He missed England and everything about the wizarding world. He now understood the obstacles Muggles had worked hard to overcome through the centuries. He appreciated his luck at being born into a wizarding family and having the great opportunities growing up. He didn’t miss his friends for they weren’t really friends anyway.

Surprisingly, he didn’t really miss his family; he just missed the idea of having a family. They were never a close-knit, share-your-feelings kind of family so that special bond was never there. Draco just missed companionship and being able to be himself.

Harry finally took a seat. Hermione could tell he was thinking through the entire conversation they just had. Though he never worked hard while at school, Harry was a very intelligent man. As he grew up, he realized certain situations called for thought and reflection. It was this change that made Hermione proud. He had grown from a brash, passionate boy into a thoughtful, but still passionate, man.

The similarity between the two men before her almost made her laugh at loud. They had both learned to reflect on situations and assess them fairly. And each struggled everyday to overcome preconceived ideas and learn new truths.

After about five minutes of this silence, Harry finally stood up and spoke. “Okay,� he said plainly, locking his emerald green eyes with Draco’s steel grey ones. “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. I’m mostly trusting Hermione’s judgment on this one.� He gave a quick smile to Hermione. “But if it turns out that you’re lying, I will not hesitate to do whatever is necessary to keep my girls safe.�

Harry’s eyes blazed with the threat, but Draco didn’t look away once. “I understand.�

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as the tension in the roof lifted slightly. She had passed one hurdle but there were still more ahead. They had to contact the Ministry of Magic and see if they could persuade them to let Malfoy come back to England.

The gears in her head were already starting to turn as she thought of various approaches and who to contact when there was a knock at the door. Everyone’s head snapped and stared at the worn door.

“It’s probably just Henry. My neighbor who likes to annoy me,� Draco said as he went to the door. He slowly unlocked each bolt down the side of the door and eased it open.

The crash of the door falling to the ground along with the strangled scream from Draco made Hermione jump to her feet. It was definitely not Henry.