As she shuffled about in her seat, Draco couldn’t help but smile at Louisa. She was trying hard to really pay attention to the puppets. She didn’t want to miss a single word. When the audience laughed, she shushed them so she could hear the puppets unimpeded. She was leaning so far out of her seat, Draco worried that she might fall out of the box. Hermione had certainly given them wonderful seats for the show. He and Louisa had an entire compartment to themselves, just above and to the right of the stage. He was glad that he’d sent some fresh wildflowers to her this morning to thank her again for the tickets.
They weren’t the only ones enjoying the show, either. Hermione was sitting in the box across from Draco and Louisa. She had angled herself behind a family of four. She couldn’t really see the puppets, but she had a great view of a certain blond haired man and his beautiful daughter. She had braided her own curly mop and worn large glasses as a disguise. She really didn’t want Draco to know that she knew his secret- at least, not yet.
Then when, she asked herself. Why should I tell him, anyway? Why does it matter? Hermione had no answers for herself. Though Draco had long stopped his snide remarks to her, he had never indicated that he’d even wanted to know her. Technically, she hadn’t interacted with him since their Hogwarts graduation, four years ago. He’d dropped by Order Headquarters from time to time, but never when she was there.
I’m a bloody stalker, she mused. She always came back to this point. Though she felt uneasy and even guilty about how she followed the two of them around, she couldn’t seem to make herself stop. She felt drawn to both of them in a way that she just couldn’t explain. Oh, it’s like a project- I’ve helped him for so long with her, how can I not care? she thought. And furthermore, there are still so many unanswered questions about this little girl…
At that moment the curtains dropped, signaling the end of the show. Louisa jumped up out of her seat, vigorously clapping her little hands together. Draco leaned down to retrieve her little purse and jacket which had spilled onto floor. Hermione stifled a giggle while watching Draco pick the contents of a five-year-old girl’s purse. The lights came up in the house, and then she realized that she was being watched. Louisa was staring right at her. After a few seconds, she waved at Hermione, giving her one of those glorious toothy grins. Hermione held her breath, feeling a tremendous warmth flood through her body. How had she known to look over at me? But the moment passed as Draco helped Louisa with her jacket and Hermione ducked behind the family once again.
She watched Draco and Louisa leave the Grand Theatre. She pretended to be looking at the various street notices affixed to the parking lot gate while she watched Draco and the child walk down the street towards the park. Keeping a good distance between herself and the two she felt drawn to, she followed them. Once at the park, she saw Draco quickly pull out his wand and mutter the Disillusionment charm that she’d sent him. Had she not been so enthralled with watching the two of them, she might have thought to perform her own disillusionment spell. For Louisa’s sharp gray eyes continued to sneak glances at the lady following them.
As the afternoon wore on, Draco and Louisa tired themselves out playing, giving no heed to Muggles around them in the park. Indeed, the Muggles certainly took no notice of a lovely child zooming around with her father on a shiny new Firebolt broomstick. They didn’t discern when the swings and slide seemed to almost fly up in the air when a cute brown haired little girl was playing on them. And they definitely didn’t see a petite brown owl flying out of the sky to gently perch on the arm of the tall handsome blond man. Only one other person knew of their day’s adventures and she kept her distance by sitting on a bench at the edge of the park.
I don’t even know this child and I am smitten with her, Hermione thought. It was not the first time she’d thought that, either. For that matter, she mused that she might be just a bit taken with the child’s father, too. He’s certainly changed since Hogwarts, she thought. She watched as the father and daughter began to pack up their belongings. With another flick of his wand, Draco transfigured his Firebolt into a miniature replica and placed it into the pocket of his muggle suit. He whispered something to the little owl, which then took off, heading down the street towards Louisa’s home. Hermione sighed rather contentedly. It had been a wonderful day. She felt some of that warmth that had overwhelmed her earlier when she remembered meeting eyes with the little girl.
Just as Draco leaned over to pick up his daughter, Louisa waved to the woman sitting by herself at the edge of the park. He didn’t notice her wave or the woman. But Hermione saw. Tentatively, she waved back, feeling like her heart might just explode.