NOTE: For reference, this story is post Deathly Hallows, ignoring the epilogue!
Disclaimer: As the website title states, I'm just a fan writing fiction… I don't own any of Jo's characters or world!
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Two men sat in a dark pub.
One was abnormally tall. His slimy hair stuck to his dirty face and a shaky smile showed his chipped, yellow teeth. He obviously belonged in the bar; his shady persona matched those of the suspicious people mulling around him. He blended in with the prostitutes and the drug dealers and the gang members.
No, it was the other man who didn't belong. His clean shaven face and clean curls seemed to shine through the shadows. His posture was perfect, and he eyed the room with an arrogant confidence, but there was weariness twitching fingers. The only trait of his that didn't clash with the atmosphere was his sinister sneer.
The clean man passed a picture to the tall man. The tall man glowered at it for a few moments before lifting his eyes up, not quite meeting the other man's icy glare.
"This girl." The clean man pointed to the picture. "I want her."
"Dead?" The other man grunted.
The clean man rose to his feet, eyeing the particularly troubled beings hovering around him with a condescending disgust. "No."
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If there was one thing Hermione Granger hated more than ignorance, it was the tabloids.
As she shoved her way through the horde of bodies, she promised herself she wouldn't snap again. The rabid journalists loved to follow her around because they knew she could never resist snapping some foul remark that they immediately published. Half of the Wizarding world thought she was a terrible person and the other half thought she was humble enough to not enjoy the publicity.
Oh, how she hated it all.
She should have apparated straight to the market instead of choosing to enjoy the autumn air. This is what she got for expecting a quick run for groceries.
"Miss Granger! What is your opinion on the Court's refusal to pass your House Elf Rights Bill?"
"Hermione! What do you have to say on being Witch Weekly's Least Sexy Woman alive?
"Granger! Care to comment on Pansy Parkinson's most recent accusation?"
Hermione could see her apartment building's front door and she pushed harder, confident that she could make it this time in silence.
"Miss Granger! Care to answer the question that's plaguing us all- are you and Ron Weasely officially back together?"
She saw her landlord step out onto the front porch. He was a big, muscular man who had barely spoken to Hermione in the three years that she lived there, but he always helped her escape the journalists and for that, she was grateful.
The closer she got to the building, the thicker the crowd was.
She couldn't help it. "Oh, for the love of all that is holy!" She shouted, stopping. Silence fell over the crowd as the soaked in her scandalous words. "Would you nosy buggers just leave me ALONE! I am a PERSON, not a piece of gossip you can shape! YES, I think the Court's decision was rubbish. NO, I do not care what that horrible Parkinson is saying about me, much less what's she's publishing in that disgusting paper of hers. No, Ron and I have been friends for years and I am the BRIDESMAID at his wedding this weekend! Now LEAVE ME ALONE before I CURSE all of you!"
The silence was deafening.
A short man grinned, his quill already copying her words onto his pad. "That's all we need, Miss." With that, the entire crowd disappeared, leaving Hermione in the middle of the street, alone.
"Oh, bugger," She muttered, rubbing her aching temple. This comment was almost as bad as the one following her father's untimely death. Somehow, they had found out and she'd shouted herself hoarse.
Hermione felt Dan's hand pat her back gently. "Do you need any help, Miss Granger?"
"No, I'll be fine. Thank you, Dan."
She walked into the small building and made her way up the stairs.
When she entered the serenity of her little complex, she made herself a cup of warm cider before laying on her couch and letting out a long sigh.
Her stomach churned as she thought of the direction her life was heading in.
The only places she'd been in the past few months were her office in the Ministry and her little home. The venture to the market today only proved that her and public places were not a good combination.
Ron and Harry dealt with the journalists with ease, which surprised her. Ron was strong enough to push his way through them, and they were scared to get too close. Harry managed to ignore them effectively and the only statements they'd ever received from him were generic phrases that didn't reveal anything personal.
She, on the other hand, was shit when it came to them and she felt like her whole soul was laid in front of them to tear apart.
Not only were they not bothered by publicity, their lives seemed to be perfect in every other way possible.
Harry and Ginny had married about a year after the war ended. They were deemed as the Wizarding World's "Cutest Couple" and they were always happy. In the beginning, Harry had nightmares every night following the war, but Ginny's presence and love had soothed them to a near nonexistence. They had a beautiful boy named James and were expecting another baby in December.
Ron and Hermione had initially attempted a relationship, but they hadn't even made it to half a year. Their school crushes had been more curious that substantial, and they were now easy friends. Ron had met a foreign witch named Reilly a couple of years ago while on a business trip, and they complimented each other perfectly. Not only was Reilly beautiful and clever, she had managed to help Ron mature. All of his impatience was gone and he was a very pleasant person now. When they announced their engagement six months ago, they were met with nothing but happiness.
Hermione loved her best friends, but she couldn't help resenting them for their perfect lives.
She was a fierce insomniac, and whenever she did manage to fall asleep for a few hours, intense nightmares jolted her back to reality. For some reason, she couldn't shake the terrifying battles or Voldemort's eyes.
Her appetite was non-existent. She didn't seem to be able to hold anything down, and she'd spent many hours vomiting in her small bathroom. She wasn't bulimic; everything just seemed to taste like some terrible poison and her body rejected it. Apple cider, saltines and vitamin pills were what she survived on.
Even her work life was shit. Despite the fact that two wars had broken out over blood prejudices, very few wanted to save the elves. The worst part was the elves themselves didn't want her help. All of the cruel masters had been killed or captured in the war, and the elves that were still enslaved were done so in complete peace. Their masters were kind and treated them fairly. The only being that seemed to want to fight for their rights was Hermione herself.
But she would have been able to make it through all of this if she didn't feel so alone. She wept at night with no one to dry her tears. She left in the morning with no one to kiss goodbye. She watched her television shows with no one to lean up against. The only pictures that hung on her walls were those of her friends and their children.
Hermione was utterly alone and it was breaking her.
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Draco stroked the feathers of his owl.
"I suppose it's time, isn't it?" He asked the bird.
The bird nipped at his fingers affectionately and cooed.
"I'm not ready for this."
The bird shook its feathers and leapt into flight, soaring out of the open window.
Draco had been sitting on a wooden bench for hours. He stood, stretching and made his way over to the cluttered desk in the corner. A small breeze blew through the studio and rustled the papers strewn throughout the room. He looked at the tumbling hills and thought.
He'd been preparing himself for this moment for years, but he was no more prepared for it now than he was when he first realized that it was come.
He sighed.
Yes, he was royally fucked, but he had no choice. He'd stopped having a choice years ago, but while his freedom was now restricted he did not regret the choice that led to this. It was the best choice he'd made in his life.
"Merriam!" He called through the windows and his owl soared back.
It was time.
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A/N: Well, hello!
This is my first story, so I have no idea how it'll be received!
I'm a long time lurker on FF, and I've finally plucked up the courage to write an idea that's been turning in my head! I haven't seen a story quite like this, so I hope you guys are interested!
Thanks so much for reading this… While you're at it, why don't you go ahead and leave a review? :)
Also, I know there seems to be a disproportionate amount of Hermione content to Draco content, but I promise, more Draco is coming! I just didn't want to reveal much…
Oh, and I know OC's can be a pain, but just hang in there!
Thanks again, and please review!