22 years ago
A head of dark hair ran through the woods of the small town of Black in North Carolina, tightening the single stick in his hand as he continues to look back behind him.
He quickly hid by a big trunk of dead tree lying by a big boulder. He silently pants behind the dead trunk as he peers from the trunk, trying to find familiar figures running around the trees.
After confirming that no one was there, he slowly slid down onto the ground and let out a relieved sigh, not noticing a sneaking blond making his way with a stick in his hand.
"Give it up Potter, I've got you cornered!" yelled the blond, making the raven haired to quickly stumble on his feet and clutching the wood next to him.
He looks a little flustered as he points his stick to his foe"Malfoy!" he yelled in surprise, looking around sketchily as if trying to find someone
The blond smiled smugly as he finally had his foe cornered, after months of losing to him, finally Draco Malfoy is going to finally win this time, "any last word Potter?" he asked smugly
The raven haired looks over Draco's shoulder and silently smirks as he caught the glimpse of a bushy brown head running about, he locked his gaze with his friend and says arrogantly; "hope you're fine with losing again"
"What the hell does that-,"
Draco didn't even finish his words when he felt a harsh slice on his back, he quickly turns around and sees a small brunette holding a stick too with a victorious smile on her lips, his mouth hang open in shocked as the boy behind him laughed in victory.
Draco glared at the brunette in front of him; "What- That is not fair! This was supposed to be an individual quest, you guys don't get to band it over on me!" the young blond whined as he stomped his feet angrily as the raven haired went to the brunette and slung his arms around her shoulder.
"You should know by now Malfoy," the round-specked wearing boy gloated annoyingly, "You should never played between me and Hermione"
"Oh shut it Harry," the brunette that is named Hermione hushed as she shrugs the hand off her and pulls the taller pouting blond close to her, "And even you know Draco, that Harry will always lose if Ronald was here"
The two boys rolled their eyes in annoyance, "Oh please 'Mione" Harry scoff incredulously, "Ron will always win if not Draco didn't kill him first"
"Yeah," Draco agrees as he checks his nails, "I mean seriously, why are we friends with him again?" he ask Harry jokingly as the two snickers at that, but clearly Hermione didn't appreciate it.
Hermione Granger rolls her eyes annoyingly at them. But it still didn't stop the small smile that's forming at the end of her lips. She has known these two boys since she was a baby, well mostly she known Harry from baby, but Draco came along since he was close to the Potters, making them tight as ever.
With an addition of a certain red head, the four of them are a band of mischief that could run teenage James Potter and his friends for their money. They run around their neighborhood causing mischief that could makes the former Marauders blush.
With Harry and Ron being the doer and Hermione being the brain, they easily could always make as many mischief as they wishes, although they were slightly annoyed that Draco calls himself the leader while they all know that he is the face who always get away; and sometimes without them as well.
But they were having slight changes as Ron had to move back to England because of his father's job at the ministry. But he still kept in touch with them by writing letters to them and sometimes, at the end of the month, he would come over to North Carolina with his family to just visit them.
After all, their parents are the closest friends. It wasn't like James with his other Marauders friends, but they are close enough to keep having some get together every month.
Except maybe the Malfoys and the Grangers.
The Malfoys are the one of the richest families next to the Potter. They run one of the biggest shipping companies in USA and UK, named Malfoy Inc. meanwhile the Potters are manufacturing their own technology using their brands; Pottermore.
The Malfoys; specifically Lucius Malfoy, isn't really fond of the Grangers; especially Richard Granger. Since they never really stand the same level with each other in economy and with a ridiculous argument they had back in high school. But they still had to face each other since they have the same friend.
Lucius will never accept them, especially Hermione, since she is the most closest to the Potters than Draco is. She would go to their house every Wednesday morning for some breakfast and she would spend most of her time with Harry until either Draco or Ron appear to play together, making Harry and Hermione more closer than they are with the other two.
"Whatever, come on," Hermione turns around and pulls them to follow her out from the woods, "it's almost dark time and we do not need some search team looking for us"
"Oh please Granger" Draco scoff as he lets himself being pulled, "You can be so melodramatic sometimes" he says haughtily as Hermione send a glare on his way from her shoulder as Harry chuckles.
"Yeah, said by the kid who had a panic attacked when I wore white socks with black shoes"
"Oh please Potter, stop killing fashion with your presence"
"Well, you should stop air pollution by using your sickening cologne then! Geez Malfoy, we're only 6"
"Haven't you heard of first impression Potter?"
"Oh please-,"
Hermione completely tune them out as she continues to pull them out of the woods. but that didn't hide the small smile that is forming on the side of lips by their usual banters.
XoXoXo
22 years later
A 28 year old Hermione Granger looks out to the cloudy sky of New York, looking much more broody than before. She taps her nails on the wooden table of the café, ignoring the sweet scent of coffee that usually brings her some sort of comfort, but right now, all she wished at the moment is everything just goes to hell.
Well maybe seeing the people that are running from the now pouring rain, had just comfort her a little, but it still didn't help the sickening feeling in her guts by the news that the man in front of her just brought.
"'Mione? You okay?"
Hermione lets out a sigh before bringing her gaze back to the cool emerald eyes, "And what made you think I'm willing to go back to that hellhole?" she says coldly as she silently wondering on how she still have that English accent after years living in America.
"Oh come on Hermione, everyone is going to be there!" he says, with his English accent easily rolled off his tongue as well. Then he continues; "Pansy is going to be there, as well as Ron and Blaise and-,"
"And Malfoy too" she says, her voice turns venom as she said his name. clearly upset to have said his name. the name that used to mean so much to her and the others, the name that she kept dangerously at the back of her head.
"Of course Malfoy is going to be there Hermione, he goes there too"
"Then, that means I've just made myself clear, good bye Harry" she quickly stands up on her feet, trying to get away as fast as she could, but is stop when Harry caught her arm, stopping her from moving
"Come on Hermione," the messy haired man plead as his emerald eyes sparkle from behind his still round glasses. "Don't you miss everyone?"
"Harry-,"
"No, Hermione," he cuts her off, "it has been almost 10 years now, what happened has happened, so why are you trying to dwell on the past?"
Hermione sets a hard look over his way as she pulls her arms away from his grasp and quickly crosses her arms, putting up a strong front to Harry. "I do not dwell on the past Harry, I've left it just like how it is" she says sternly as if trying to prove a point.
A point that she doesn't know exist.
Harry sits back in his seat with an amused look over his pale feature as he, too crosses his arms across his chest. "Oh really? Then why don't you just come with me on this reunion then?"
"I mean Hermione Granger, the girl who always spew about bravery to others and always teach others on how we must stand up to others, is scared of a Malfoy and we're not talking about Lucius Malfoy, we're talking the heir, his son; Draconis Lucius Malfoy"
"Harry James Potter, I swear to God-,"
"And maybe who knows? Maybe they were right, you haven't moved on from him yet" he says with a proud smirk adjourning his lips
Hermione grind her teeth hard as she squints her gaze on the glasses wearing man, she knows this, and she know this game he is playing all so well. He has been playing this since they were kid and he is playing her right now; he is daring her to take his bait, to accept his invitation to go to their high school reunion.
But she's not doing that this time.
"No" she says finally, making the smirk on Harry's face to falter by it and it brings a grin on the brunette face when she sees the fluster look on her best friend face.
"What-?"
"No matter what you say Harry, I will never set my foot there again, nor will I ever meet him again" she says smugly before making her way to the door that lead to the kitchen of the café.
"You know you'll have to face him someday right?"
Hermione stop in her tracks by that. She bit the bottom of her lips, not letting it quiver, not a bit. But that didn't stop the single image of a small 6 year old blond at the back of her head, smiling the brightest smile she had ever seen and the smile she had silently misses the most.
She closes her eyes as she feels a big boulder crushing her chest, she clench her hand into a fist, making her knuckles turns white from the action. She swallows the lump that has been forming in her throat and opens her eyes slowly, revealing the cold hazel eyes of hers.
"That didn't seems to happened for the past 10 years didn't it?" and with that she left.