*Disclaimer
I don't own anything not even the plot!!
Enjoy your favorite Harry Potter characters in this retelling of the 1950's movie 'Sabrina' with Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart.
Chapter One: Onward! To Paris!
Once upon a time, on the north shore of Long Island, some 30 miles from New York, there lived a small girl on a large estate. The estate was very large indeed and had many servants. There were gardeners to take care of the gardens and a tree surgeon on a retainer. There was a boatman to put the boats in the water in the spring and scrape their bottoms in the winter. There were specialists to take care of the grounds; the outdoor tennis court and the indoor tennis court, the outdoor swimming pool and the indoor swimming pool. And a man of no particular title took care of a small pool in the garden for a goldfish named George. Also on the estate there was
a chauffeur by the name of Granger who had been imported from England years ago,together with a new Rolls-Royce. Granger was a fine chauffeur of considerable polish, Like the fifteen cars in his care. And he had a daughter by the name of Hermione.
It was the eve of the annual six meter yacht races and, as had been traditional for the past 20 years, the Malfoys were having a party. It never rained on the night of the Malfoy party. The Malfoys wouldn't have stood for it. There were four Malfoys in all - father, mother and two sons.
Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy had been married over 40 years ago in Sussex. Among their many wedding presents was a town house in New York and this estate for weekends. The town house has since been converted into Saks Fifth Avenue. Severus, the elder son, graduated from Yale where his classmates voted him the man most likely to leave his alma mater 3 million dollars. His brother, Draco, went through several of the best Eastern colleges for short periods of time, and through several marriages for even shorter periods of time. He is now a successful six-goal polo player and is listed on Draco's tax return as a $300 deduction. Life was pleasant among the Malfoy's,for this was as close to heaven as one could get on Long Island.
"Come on down from there, Hermione Granger!" her father, called.
Hermionie was perched on the top of an old oak tree watching the couples dance, eyes fixed upon a young man dancing with a beautiful girl in a blue dress with curly blonde hair. Hermione's own long brown hair was twisted up in a bow, and her long oversized dress was full of burrs and leaves from the shrubbery around the tree.
" Come on," he called again, " You'd better finish your packing."
" Who's that girl, Father, dancing with Draco?" Hermone dug her nails deep into the tree bark, eyes still fixed on the boy.
" Her name is Lavender Brown. Chase National Bank." her father said shortly. They both jumped as the girl let out a loud giggle. Hermione turned away.
" I hate girls that giggle all the time." Hermione mumbled
"You hate every girl Draco looks at, " her father sighed. "You can't go on like this about Draco. You've got to get over it."
Hermione's eyes welled up. "Yes, Father."
" It's good you're going away. I only hope it's far enough."
"Yes, Father."
" Come along, Hermione." he firmly stated
" In a minute, Father. You go ahead. I'll be up soon."
After a few more songs, the boy whispered into the curly blonde's ear and they disappeared from the dance floor. Hermione hopped down from her spot in the tree and looked at the moon. It was beautiful. She had lived here her whole life. She and Draco would play together in the sand when they were 4. 17 years later he rarely said hello when he saw her. As she walked back to her room above the garage, she was tossed to the floor as Draco ran past, two wine glasses and a bottle of wine in hand. He turned, slowing down a bit, but then speeded up again as he saw whom he had run over.
" Oh, it's you, Hermione"
" Hello, Draco" Hermione said sheepishly
" Thank goodness! I thought I'd hurt somebody." He said as he ran off to the outdoor tennis court."
She stood and watched him run until she could no longer see him in the distance.
" No, it was nobody."
Hermione continued to the garage and began to pack the rest of her things. She had very little. A few modest dresses she had made herself from old maid uniforms that were to be thrown out, some pictures of her mother and father, her journal, some stationary so she could write to everyone. Her room was smaller then Mrs. Malfoy's shoe closet. She had seen it once when everyone had been ordered to hunt for her favorite mink coat. Even Mr. Malfoy was forced to join in the hunt. It was found 3 days later in their winter home in Prague.
Though her life was modest, Hermione could see herself no where else. She and Draco had been the best of friends, and when Mr. Malfoy's patience had grown thin of it, he sent him to boarding school until his 16th year when he was expelled for hanging the Head master's underwear on the rooftops of all the buildings. He had written her everyday in the beginning. After a while it was every week,then every holiday, and by the time he had returned he hadn't spoken to her in 4 years and kept calling her by the wrong name. He now had grown into a handsome boy, and Hermione knew the small boy who liked butterflies and said they'd marry when they were older was still inside him somewhere, even if the maids said he was shallow and spoiled.
Many said Hermione was a bright girl who had loved school and had many friends. She was bussed to a local public school where the other children's parents had similar jobs and were as poor as she. School was not hard, for everyone assumed the children would take up the same carriers as their parents. Stable housing in a good area, good food, and a paycheck- it was more then anyone poor could ask for in New York. So while daughters of maids were to be maids, son's of butlers were to be butlers, what was Hermione, who hated cars,to be? As she got older, she thought she might love to learn to cook like her mother had when she was alive. Maybe even go to school for it. As graduation loomed near, she learned that the cost of school was too great for them to afford.
After she graduated, she fell into a depression and for weeks did nothing but sleep and sulk around the grounds at night. One night Draco ran into her, as he did while sneaking out to borrow Severus's Jaguar, gave her one of the roses in his bouquet as a kind gesture. After this she did nothing but work on cars with her father and follow Draco around the property. Her father said she could be a detective or a spy; she was so good at sneaking about. But yesterday her father sat down and told her he had called a few old friends of her mother's, pulled a few strings, and now she was going away to school. Hermione almost passed out.
So now Hermione packed her things with a heavy heart. Leaving Draco was almost too great to handle. She stuffed the letters he had written her all those years ago in her pocket. All of a sudden the door flung open and her father appeared, upbeat and smiling.
" Hermione!" he cheered
" Yes, Father?
" Don't leave your passport tomorrow...."
" No, Father."
" It's not every girl that's lucky enough to go to Paris! And it's the best cooking school in the world! If your mother were alive, she'd be happy you were going there. She was the best cook on Long Island.," Hermione sat on her bed and looked at her feet. Her father followed and rested his hand on her shoulder. " I'm not saying you have to be a cook, as she was, or that I want you to marry a chauffeur like me. But you know how your mother and I had a good life together. We were respected by everyone. That's as much as anyone can want. Don't reach for the moon, child."
"I won't, Father."
" Besides, it never hurt a young girl to learn how to cook, did it? " he nudged Hermione and let out a chuckle, but she said nothing. He sighed, " Well then, I'll wake you at seven. The boat goes at noon. Good night love"
" Good night father."
Hermione watched him go, and thought of her mother. How hard it was being young and not having her here to talk with. She would have known just what to say, just what to do about Draco, about father and cooking school and everything. She loved her father so much, but Paris? Alone? Did her father not want her around anymore? She didn't want to go to Paris, she wanted Draco! Would he miss her? Would he know she was gone? Hermione didn't believe so. She didn't even think he knew she was alive and that she loved him so.
Hermione stood up and decided if she were to take a trip, it would be to see her mother and not to some cooking school in Paris. As quiet and as sneeky as a spy, she quickly made her way to the garage where Severus's cars sat. Severus was well asleep by now, and wouldn't return until 8 a.m sharp where he and her father would find her.
As she turned the keys of each car, tears streamed down her face. Draco, Father, oh how she would miss them. When they were all up and running she begain to feel light headed and slowly drifted off to sleep and didn't hear the cries from a very annoyed Severus.
" What's going on in here? Hello? Who is that"
Hermione open her eyes to see Severus staring back at her
"What are you doing here Hermione?" he huffed
"Just...checking the exhaust pipes" she thought quickly as she rubbed her eyes. She'd much rather have exclaimed her love for Draco and how she couldn't live without him but it was sounding rather silly at this moment."
"The what, girl?"
" Father was worried because a exhaust pipe was leaking. I wanted to find out which one it was."
"So you started the motors and closed the doors?"
" I didn't want to disturb anyone"
"You might never have done so again. Does your father know?"
"No! I wanted to..." Hermione stood up so fast she toppled over into Severus's arms
" We'd better get out." he picked her up and carried her outside. Hermione was coughing violently.
"There now. Breathe deep. That's right. Now, deep breath." the room started spinning, she closed her eyes and when she opened them Severus was sitting at the foot of her bed where she lay.
"What happened?"
"You passed out."
" I was fine, you didn't have to carry me."
" Of all the idiotic things! Haven't you ever heard of carbon monoxide? It kills people. "
" It does?" she pretended to ask as she stood and glared the corner, arms crossed
"What would have happened if I hadn't come along?"
" I'd have died." she said flatly
" And fast." Severus walked over to her and spun her around. Hermione looked up at his face. It seemed to show worry. She could never tell though, with him.
"Eight cars! One would have done it. Good thing Mrs. Brown asked me to drive her home"
"Mrs. Brown? Lavender's mother?" Hermione asked. Severus nodded. "Why didn't she drive her home?" Hermione regretted that as soon as it came out of her mouth. Even Severus must have noticed the jealousy in her voice.
" We can't find Lavender." Severus said. Hermorie jumped up and begain to point to the outdoor tennis courts when she stopped herself.
"Oh-nevermind."
" Ok well, The next time you start a car, leave the garage doors open. Understand?"
"Mm-hmm"
"A chauffeur's daughter should know better."
"Yes, sir."
Severus left, and Hermione gave up and decided to go on and drift off to sleep. It seemed like she would be going to Paris in the morning.
