This is my second Dramione fic, and I would like to note that it has no relation to the first. The idea popped in my head one day, and it was supposed to just be a christmas one shot, but I couldn't stop typing and the time frame changed.
Please review if you read it, I would love to hear your thoughts on this plot! Just for information, I am not planning on making this story super angsty or over dramatic. Rated M for later chapters because there will be light smut (this won't be a porno) and I tend to use strong language a lot...
Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Harry Potter. If I did, my laptop wouldn't be a shitty as the one I'm typing on now. - Valerie Ann
It had been 4 years since the war. As Hermione was walking down the snow clad Hogsmeade in the chilly first days of January, she couldn't help but absorb all its beauty and how much had changed since the defeat of Voldemort. It had been 3 years since she moved out of England, and at the time she thought it was for good. She finished her last year at Hogwarts after the battle, was Head Girl and top of her class, but didn't want to stay in England anymore, and took the first job offer she could manage that was out of the country. She began to recall the last time she was in England.
"Hermione, you don't have to go. We could be together you know, and stay like this forever." Ron pleaded with her.
"We both know I can't stay anymore Ron. Why don't you come with me?"
"Don't you see it? We're immortalized here. We can have any job we want. Why would I leave all this? This is my home."
"Well it isn't mine anymore Ronald, and I am sick of seeing my own picture in the Daily Prophet every day. I'm annoyed with people only wanting to be close to me because of what we've accomplished. I want to work for what I have in life. I want to rightfully earn it and I can't do that here." Hermione paused solemnly, then in an assertive voice asked, "Are you coming with me, or not?"
"I can't believe your running away from all of this. Fine, go ahead and leave. You obviously made up your mind beforehand without even thinking of me, or Harry and Ginny. We're done here Hermione."
"Well you can stay then. Go ahead and grovel in your fame here Ron. If seems like you've already forgotten that this isn't a tale of heroes. Our story is one splattered with death and deception. There are too many reminders of that here. You of all people should understand that," She retorted.
"What exactly are you implying?" Ron asked harshly.
"You're too focused on yourself, you bastard. The only reason Harry is staying is cause of Ginny. Do you know why Ginny wants to stay though? Because your family needs her right now. George needs both of you right now but you're too busy being smug in the press and living in your short lived days as a horcrux hunter. Just remember, I didn't leave you first. You left me a long time ago." And with that, Hermione dissapparated to her new job as head of the Commission of House Elves and Equality in Ireland.
Hermione was pulled out of her reminiscence when a man grabbed her shoulders from behind the bench, "Well look what the cat dragged in? Did you think no one would recognize you with your short hair? You'll always be that little bushy haired intellectual to me," said a friendly and recognizable voice.
She turned to see who the man behind her was when she immediately recognized the short ginger hair, nice suit and missing ear. She ran around the bench and pulled him into the tightest hug she could manage.
"George!" she leaned away from their embrace to take in his familiar features. He didn't look very different from the last time she had seen him. "I heard you opened another Weasley's Wizard Wheezes in Hogsmeade and its bustling even more than the Diagon Alley store!"
"I'd say I'm doing pretty well, yes. Didn't you hear? I'm an engaged man now." George replied with a smile spreading across his face.
"Yes I did, Angelina is a lucky woman!"
"Why haven't you visited, Hermione?" George asked, the seriousness of his question portrayed in his features.
"Well I-I've been busy George. Being the head of the CHEE in Ireland isn't the easiest job in the world. And I just couldn't come back. I wasn't ready." She sighed, finishing off her sentence with a truthful statement.
"You could've owled, or flooed or anything and you didn't. Well if you're in town for a bit, would you mind visiting my mum? I'm sure she would be quite upset if she found out you came in town and didn't stop by the Burrow."
"I'll see what I can do George. It was great to see you, but I really must finish my shopping. Per chance, would you have any idea what I should get Harry and Ginny as a wedding gift? I am clueless."
"Just go visit them Hermione, I'm sure that would be more than enough." And with that he had walked around the corner and into the new WWW.
Hermione waved off the fleet of emotions that had surrounded her at running into one of her childhood friends, and decided to stop in the Three Broomsticks and took a two-seat table all to herself. Madam Rosmerta met her at the table. "Hello dear, may I take your ord- wait a tick. Hermione Granger? Well it's been a while since you walked into my shop. I heard you skipped town a few years back. What are you doing in ratty old Hogsmeade?" Rosmerta asked with a smile on her face.
"I just figured I'd come and visit my family instead of dragging them to Ireland every holiday. Could I have a butterbeer please?" Hermione asked sweetly, trying to keep the conversation short.
"Sure sweetie, I'll be back in just a moment." Rosmerta said as she was already walking back to the counter.
Hermione let her head rest on her hand. She knew that she would run into many people from the past. She thought it may be more difficult to recognize her with her pixie cut and make-up, which she never wore before she left. She had evolved physically and had more of a woman's physique rather than that of the stick straight and curveless body she used to have. Apparently her physical change could only fool people for a moment or two. It was only a matter of time before the story spread that she was back in town and in The Daily Prophet or the Quibbler again.
She wasn't even sure why she was in town. Hermione hadn't even told her friends or family that she had come into town yet, just the precious night she had packed up and booked a room at the local inn on a whim. She figured she just wanted to see how well the Wizarding World in England had recovered over the last 3 years with her own eyes. It wasn't as if she was daft on the subject of the repairs and the anti-corruption campaign in the Ministry, but she needed to see it for herself. Over the last 3 years she had the Prophet sent to her every day, under an alias of course. Every day, she would see small mentions of Harry and his daily life, boastful stories and recounts of the war from Ron, and articles about various Death Eaters caught and tried since she had left.
Madam Rosmerta dropped Hermione's butterbeer off at her table without a word, then went to the next table over to take their order.
"Well darling, it is sure nice to see your face. The usual, I'm assuming?" Madam Rosmerta asked the customer, with a flirtatious tone in her voice.
"No thank you Rosmerta, I'm trying to stay off the firewhisky. I'll take a butterbeer today," said a voice Hermione recognized, but couldn't quite put her finger on.
"No problem dear, I'll be right back with that."
Hermione wanted so badly to look behind her and see who the possible familiar face was, but she was scared it might be another person she wasn't ready to run into.
As Rosmerta returned to the man who Hermione had her back turned to, they began mumbling to each other in words so quiet, Hermione couldn't understand what they were saying. She really wished she had an extendable ear from George's shop at that moment, because she was curious.
She heard their murmurs quiet and the sound of a chair sliding across the floor and footsteps coming in the direction of her table. Hermione quickly acted as though she was really interested in the wall tapestries, still unsure whether she wanted to see this person who was most likely from the past.
"May I sit down?" said the familiar voice, who now had a hand on the chair across the table from Hermione.
She looked up to see a young man in a neatly pressed grey business suit, and a black shirt underneath with the top two buttons undone. His light blonde hair was combed back but not slicked.
"If you wish it," Hermione said with an uninterested expression, not wishing to be rude. It had after all, been years since she had seen Draco Malfoy.
"Well fancy seeing you here as well!" Malfoy replied sarcastically, taking the seat across the table.
The last time Hermione had seen Malfoy had been on the final day of Hermione's re-do year at Hogwarts. Draco had actually gone to Hogwarts for their actual 7th year, but as part of his probation after the war, he was required to return until he had taken his NEWTS, which were obviously cancelled the previous year, since the war that tore their school apart, took place a month before the last day of classes. Their last year in school together, they weren't quite on friendly terms, but the torments and curses had stopped. They gave each other courtesy nods in the halls and occasionally had very short chats about school assignments if they ran into each other.
Hermione pulled herself out of her thoughts realizing that Malfoy was staring at her. "I'm sorry, is there a problem?"
"No, not at all. You've sure changed since I saw you last. How long has it been now?" a friendly smile played across his face as he asked that question.
"Just over three years," she answered softly.
"Well then, it seems like you have a story to tell!"
"A story, what story?" Hermione asked, confused.
"About what in Merlin's name you've been up to for the last 3 years. Go on."
"Malfoy, why in the world would you care what I've been up to?"
"Is curiosity so wrong?" he inquired with a smirk on his face. It wasn't the demeaning smirk he used to cast in their school days, but rather a sarcastic and friendly smirk that seemed more inviting.
"Well fine, if you must know." Hermione started, she then told him a very summarized version of her years in Ireland. Vaguely mentioning small details of her job, her cottage on the country side and how beautiful Ireland is. She had kept her narrative very short, and left out those agonizingly lonely nights, where she would think of Ron and what a git he had become. She also left out how she tried to never focus on anything but her work, or the books that filled her library at home. They helped her leave her world, if just for an hour or so each evening, and enter one that had a much happier ending than she had, had after the war.
"You've been gone for three years, and all you can say is you work for CHEE, you own a cottage and the land is pretty?" he asked sarcastically. "Really, I was hoping for some adventurous accounts."
"Well I'm sorry, my adventure days ended 4 years ago." Hermione added, with a bite in her tone.
"Aren't you going to ask me what I've been up to?" Malfoy asked, keeping his friendly tone and acting as though they had a good history.
"Should I be interested?"Hermione retorted, her spite showing through her tone of voice.
"Really now, Granger? I'm being as affable as I can be and you aren't even attempting to make civilized conversation!" Draco said, his voice low but clearly full of frustration.
"Why are you even trying to make conversation with me in the first place? It isn't as if you and I have ever been civilized towards each other." She bluntly stated.
"Well since you obviously aren't going to ask what I've been up to, I'm going to tell you anyways." Draco said, changing the subject. "A few months after school ended, I was still living with my mother at the manor having my own personal pity party. I was jobless and had absolutely no ambition, that is until one day, The Chosen One himself showed up at my doorstep; not on his own accord might I note but at the demands of Kingsley, and asked me to join the Auror training program."
Hermione stared at the man before her, noting that Harry had never mentioned that in his monthly owl. A letter she receive every third day of the month, but would rarely ever reply to.
"It took me a few more weeks to decide but I ended up joining the Aurors," he continued, "and I now run the small sub department that investigates current and created spells concerning the dark arts because unfortunately, I was the one who went into the program with the most knowledge of them." He ended sarcastically.
"So what you trying to tell me is, you're an Auror now?" She asked with a cynical tone in her voice.
Draco set his forearms on the table and sat straight up. "I believe that is what I just said Granger."
"Why is it that I am having trouble believing you?" she pressed on.
"Honestly, do you think I'd come into pub where people easily recognize me, and boast that I partake in a profession that I am not actually into? You obviously don't take me for very much," he scoffed in reply.
"Well it's just that Harry never really mentioned you."
"Sorry to say darling," he said while leaning closer to her, across the table, "but he never really mentioned you either."
"Do not use that condescending tone with me!"
"I see even though your looks have changed, your personality has not." Draco said, a smirk rising on his face.
"And I see you're still a cocky git." Hermione said as she mirrored his actions by laying her forearms on the table, leaning forward and smirking.
Malfoy feigned a glare at her but he could no longer manage that stone cold, emotionless face that he had perfected years ago and ended up smiling at her over exaggerated imitation. He leaned back and took a sip of his butterbeer, measuring up Hermione as he did it. Since the war, he had been able to find out who he truly was and forget his childhood. He actually had time to have fun and do things he would have looked down on as a teenager. The end of the war and his defection had lifted a weight off his shoulders. It took him a couple years to get used to being able to think for himself, but he figured later was better than never.
Hermione was also swallowing her drink now as Draco still studied her under his gaze. He couldn't help but wonder if she was happy. She looked different, but in a positive way. She was able to pull off a short hairstyle and still look feminine, even beautiful more so. He couldn't help but wonder her reasoning behind leaving. Draco was on decent terms with Harry now, the occasional poker night with the other Aurors and friendly chats in the Ministry, and Hermione was never a topic of discussion. Ron was also an Auror, and they weren't exactly on the friendliest terms but they would occasionally chat about daily life, and Ron's consisted of repeated and over exaggerated stories from the war and the commonly told accounts of his evenings with his slag of the month. Merlin only knows what these women found attractive in the weasel.
"If you're just going to sit and stare at me, you're more than welcome to do it from across the room. You're beginning to disturb me." Hermione said with a smile on her face, bringing Draco out of his thoughts.
"Err… sorry," Draco replied unsurely, "I sort of zoned out. One of those moments, you know?"
"Oh sure, one of those moments." She said in a sarcastic tone.
"Well who knew goody-two-shoes Hermione Granger would turn out to be such a mocker?"
"You don't know me anymore Draco," she said with a straight face. "My thought process has changed even though you wouldn't like to believe so."
"Mine has as well, yet I'll forever be judged by my actions at sixteen. In fact, you've probably been summing me up already?" He paused his serious accusation to look for her reaction. "Hence your surprise to find out I actually do a respectful job going against all the people I grew up with."
Hermione just gaped at Draco realizing the truth to his statement. She still saw him as that lost boy at the final battle, who didn't know which side to fight for, so he simply didn't fight for either. She closed her mouth and tried to maintain her composure back to its normal state. She was used to hiding her feelings by now, but her face had deceived her in that moment. For the past few years, she had been hiding from all these emotions and realizations, yet coming to England had slapped them all straight back into her pathway.
"I guess three and a half years is quite a long time isn't it?" she asked softly, letting her eyes wander away from Draco's and look at the mug before her. "It's hard to grasp change when I've been gone so long. This isn't the same place I left it."
"Well I'm glad you caught on to that." Draco said acerbically, rising from his chair to leave as he spoke.
"Draco, wait," Hermione insisted.
The suited up man turned back to look at her, an annoyed look placed upon his face.
"Would you please sit back down? I'd like if you would tell me what I've been missing out on for the last few years, and maybe we can get to know each other as well… be civil."
He raised an eyebrow at her, neither moving nor speaking at her request.
"C'mon, next butterbeer is on me." Hermione said as a smile rose on her face.
Draco shrugged at sat back down. "Okay then, what is it you want to know?"
"Everything." She replied.
Hermione and Draco spent the next few hours talking about the changes in both the wizarding world of England, and themselves. Draco told her all the details of the rebuild that the Daily Prophet had left out such as exactly how much corruption there was in the ministry and all the Death Eater activity that continued even after the war. It was as if they couldn't give up on the idea that they had not won, and some of them would just go on batshit crazy killing sprees leaving innocent people in heaps on the streets. He told her about his difficult time in the Auror program and how they seemed to be constantly testing his loyalty at first, as though he would run to a dark force that no longer existed. He was constantly taunted by the other trainees, but later earned their respect when they realized how useful his knowledge of the dark arts really was.
The brown eyed girl soon felt her admiration for the man before her rise as he continued. He didn't seem boastful, but more like a man who wasn't afraid to admit his past wrongs, and showed pride in the person who he had become.
She felt a little insecure when he began asking her questions about her life, hoping to get more out of her than he had in the first moments of their meeting. She continued with her vaguely detailed accounts of her daily life hoping it would deter him from asking anything else, but then he said it. The question that she had been dreading the most.
"Why did you leave, Hermione?"
"I-I just, I wanted…" She took a deep breath, regaining her equanimity. "I needed a change of scenery, is all."
Draco squinted at her for a moment before releasing the tension in her facial features. "You're lying."
"I am not!" Hermione said, noticeably quick, her voice raised.
"Honestly, I am an Auror trained in interrogation and you think I can't tell a little white lie?" He said as he chuckled, "I didn't even have to look far into it. You were stumbling all over your own words."
"So a little stutter suddenly means I am a liar?"
"Not exactly, but your denial does. So why is it so hard to say why you left?" he pressed on.
Hermione sighed, knowing if she didn't give him anything he would continue to badger her about it.
"You think it'd be glorious being a part of the golden trio right?" she started, "but in all reality it wasn't glorious at all. The only reason I stayed after the war in any sense, was to finish my NEWT's and the day after graduation I just knew this wasn't my place anymore. I couldn't force myself to feel at home when there were cameras constantly snapping at me, people always asking questions and they made all my travels seem so wondrous…"
This was the first time Hermione had even slightly mentioned anything about the truth as to why she left since her final conversation with Ron the day after graduation. Yet once she started, she couldn't seem to stop. Draco didn't interrupt, but just let her release all her pent up emotions at once.
"I was always being followed, either by ministry workers keeping me from Death Eaters who had not defected, or by fans and the press. There was no such thing as privacy. They acted as though Ron and I were the perfect teenage couple who fell hopelessly in love in times of darkness." She ruffled her short hair, then ran a finger under each eye in hopes to prevent those deceitful tears from escaping.
"But that love was short lived and it soon became a relationship where I gave it my all, and Ron just stood by my side in press photos before going off to flirt with some school age war fanatic girls. They all looked to him like he was a hero yet I still resented him for deserting Harry and I. I tried so hard to get over it and in the end, I realized I was the only one trying to make our relationship work. Do you know what it is like?"
"Know what is like?" Draco asked, leaning forward and leaning on her crossed arms on the table.
"What it is like to have everyone want a piece of you, yet you have nothing left to give?" Hermione asked, her voice soft from her mental exhaustion.
"I think I can relate to that." He replied matter of factly.
"How so?" she hauled on.
"At least you could leave. As part of my probation, which might I mention was revoked two years ago, I couldn't leave." He said in a low voice. Hermione hadn't known that piece of information before now, she just thought that the idea of leaving hadn't occurred to him.
"I had to stay here and deal with the cameras and people as well. The difference is, they were all admiring you when they followed you. Yet, I could hardly walk out my front door before I started training without having a jinx thrown at me or the Prophet spinning around my normal day to day activities as if they were all part of some dark plan I had. As if I was attempting to bring all the old Death eaters together with me as their leader." He scoffed. "Oh, and even when I didn't leave the house, the howlers from people I had never met arrived at the manor by the ten, then the hundreds."
Hermione looked at him with sympathy in her eyes, for she noted that she never really thought about what people beside those in the order, had to go through.
"I am so sorry Draco, I-I didn't know."
"Well I don't regret staying now, but when I'd learned you had left and the mentions of you in the media became more and more rare, I was pretty jealous that you had that ability… to just pick up and go."
"So if you could have left, you would have?"
"In a heartbeat," he said, not looking at her but instead staring intently on his fingers as he twiddled them. "Do you ever regret leaving?"
"I guess that depends on the day that you ask me."
Draco stopped entwining his fingers and looked up at her brown eyes. "Well what is the answer today?"
"More than I ever have."
They stayed and talked for the next hour until Rosmerta shooed them out so she could finally clear up all the tables and close the pub. Hermione paid the tab, as she had promised. She and Draco walked out the door side by side in silence that wasn't awkward, but more reassuring, as though nothing needed to be said.
Hermione began to turn left out the door when she realized Draco was no longer at her side and she turned to face him where he stood, only a few feet in front of the pub.
"Well… it really was lovely chatting with you Draco. Thank you for listening." She put her hands in the pockets of her pea coat, noting the chill in the air and looked down at the ground. "Y-you won't tell Harry about all this, will you?" she asked with the innocence of a child who might get in trouble for their actions.
"I wouldn't dream of it Granger."
Hermione looked up at the smiling man a few meters away and smiled back. "Goodnight Draco," and with that she turned on her heels in the direction of Hogsmeade Inn.
"Wait Hermione!" Draco said and he closed the space between them in just a couple long strides. "How long are you in town for? I'd really like to meet up again, we could discuss our modern world more." He said with that friendly smirk of his crossing his face.
"I'd love to," she said with a sincere smile, and she started stepping back down the road backwards "I'm thinking about sticking around town for a bit. I'd like to see all you talked about for myself!"
"How about I owl you tomorrow, I could show you around, point out the changes."
"I would like that." She turned away from him, "Goodnight Draco!" she called out behind her.
"I'll be seeing you tomorrow Granger!"