Author's Note: Hm... I love Hermione/Draco Romance. Enjoy :)
Disclaimer: tear I don't own these characters expect the ones not mentioned in the books.
Chapter One
Her mind felt heavy as she waited at the red light. Her temples were throbbing and her eyes were sore. It was the price of being one of the most famous writers in the wizardry community. Hermione Granger wrote the facts; she researched ancient witches and wizards and exposed the truths that were long forgotten. She hunted down myths and tracked down legends. There wasn't a thing Hermione couldn't figure out. She loved her job. It offered her a challenge and she was always learning something new, and both of those things she has loved since she was at Hogwarts. She graduated top of her class, as Head Girl. All of the professors said the same thing about her; she was driven. At only twenty-three, she had written ten books and forty-five articles.
As much as she loved her job, it was also stressful. She would spend countless nights pouring over old books and records, not stopping until dawn. She had to travel all over the world and never seemed to be at home for very long. She constantly had to argue with her peers and publisher over how she wanted her books to be published. And she was always putting up a fight with those who wouldn't let her research certain topics, the topics that were forbidden. But, no matter what, she never gave up trying to find truth. It was her obsession.
The light flashed green and she sped up the car across the intersection. Her light brown hair was hung back into a messy ponytail and her face was slightly pale from lack of sunlight. She spent many hours hunched over her desk in her home office. She was wearing a white blouse with black dress pants and black heels. She preferred to look as professional as she could, except her hair. She was never the one to have fancy hair. She still had the pictures of her when her hair was a bush, she was grateful it had tamed some since then.
Hermione hadn't spoken to her schoolmates in awhile, not since the war had ended. It was their seventh year at Hogwarts, and her best friends Harry Potter and Ron Weasley faced the most dangerous wizard in history; Lord Voldemort. He had spread his terror over the wizardry world for what seemed like forever, until he made the mistake of messing with Harry. In a failed attempt to kill a baby Harry, Lord Voldemort was left as just a ghostly and weak figure. Harry's parents were dead, and Harry was left with only a scar of a lightening bolt on his forehead. In their years at Hogwarts, the trio faced life and death on a daily basis. They fought Death Eaters, betraying professors, dragons, a three-headed dog, a very large snake, car-sized spiders, a tempered tree, Dementors, and death itself. The three of them were very close, but after Harry has successfully gone up against Voldemort and won, they went their separate ways.
Harry became a researcher in the Dark Arts. He tracks down users of the art and stops them before things get nasty, like with Voldemort. He became a very talented wizard, and very powerful. Many fear him, and think he might turn out like his greatest enemy. But Hermione knows that Harry would never turn against them. His love for their beloved Dumbledore and what he believed in ran too deep for Harry to just turn evil. Dumbledore taught Harry many things about how to be the best he could, and for that, Harry will always love him. Harry eventually found love in another person as well, Ginny Weasley. She's the only sister of Ron and had always loved Harry. Their marriage was two years ago. Ginny was a very sweet girl and she gave Harry everything he needed. She also kept him in line with his temper. Ginny was one year younger, but she always proved much more mature then Harry. They lived happily together in the town where Harry was born.
Ronald Weasley was the second boy Hermione thought she had fallen in love with. The first was a Quidditch star named Viktor Krum. Both of these relationships ended with the boy not being ready for commitment. Ron had told her after she finished her first book that he wanted time to learn who he was in society, but Hermione knew better. Ron had become obsessed with Quidditch after being accepted on the England team. He played as Keeper, and never once let anyone forget it. True, he was a gloat, but he deserved it. She remembered the long hours he would practice, and how many times he would go to therapy to calm his nerves before games. He would stuff good luck charms in his socks and pray to every God in every religion. And it paid off, he became a very talented player. But in this whole process, he forgot about his feelings for Hermione, and left her. He now lives in London, alone.
After her breakup with Ron, Hermione had simply put men aside. She put her loneliness to work, using it to fuel her determination. She slowly forgot the feeling of wanting and loving another. Her friends at her publishing office had tried to set her up for dates, but most of them were disasters. She just had lost the desire of being in a relationship.
She pulled her blue Mercury into the parking lot of London's best spa and salon, Madam Moon's Star Bath. She climbed out and locked her car. She checked herself in the mirror and frowned. She was starting to hate being so plain and simple. She walked up to the door, a slogan was printed in cursive across the entrance. Madam Moon's Star Bath, where you're bathed in stars. She started coming here a year ago when her and her new best girl pal, Lana Feathers, dragged her here for a makeover. Hermione kept the business card, but got rid of the fake nails, highlights, and pumps that were included in her makeover.
"Hermione! Oh, sweetie, I heard about your adventure in Romania. I can't believe they wanted to throw you in jail for meddling with government documents." A chubby woman with bright red hair and rosy cheeks came hustling towards Hermione. Her eyes were heavenly painted with blue eye shadow and her lips were a deep red. She wore layers of flower printed silk and open toed sandals. Her wrists were drowned in beaded bracelets and her fingers were all wearing at least one ring. The only jewelry Madam Moon didn't like was earrings and necklaces.
"But I was meddling with government documents, Madam Moon." Hermione bent down to the shorter woman and placed a kiss on her cheek. She smiled at her as she took her hand and led her to the desk.
"Such a risk taker, my Hermione is." She smiled proudly at the young blonde behind the desk, who gave Hermione a sweet smile.
"What will it be today, Ms. Granger?" Her hair was dyed to a golden blonde and her eyes were a mixture of gold, green, and brown. She had a soft tan with a wonderful figure. Her nails were a pink with white moons painted on them, and of course she wore a very fashionable white dress with a blue hem. Every man instantly fell in love with Dora Moon, the only daughter of Madam Moon. She was two years older than Hermione, but no one could tell. Her face was flawless, and she honestly didn't need makeup. But she still wore soft toners and lip-gloss.
"I want a private room with my usual bath and massage."
"Coming right up! Sally, will you take Ms. Granger to the back to get dressed and ready?" A very skinny brunette shyly came up to Hermione and smiled.
"This way, Ma'am." Hermione followed her into a room filled with white robes and towels. The girl was much too skinny, but Hermione said nothing. Her hair was pulled up into a tight bun with chopsticks crossing through it. Hermione fitted herself into the fluffiest robe she could find. This spa was the only place Hermione found peace and quiet.
Back at the front of the spa, Madam Moon leaned over her daughter's desk and smiled. "That poor dear, she has so much potential. She could really be something."
"If she would let us." Dora replied as she penciled in an appointment. The salon wasn't as busy today as usual. Most of their costumers were wealthy wizards and witches, the ones who made a name for themselves.
"She needs a good man. Someone who will give her that challenge she loves so much. Someone who won't bore her, like those yuppies she always sets herself up with." The soft sound of scissors could be heard as a young man leaned over his client. The smells of shampoo and styling gel filled Madam Moon's nose as she breathed in a sigh. "If only the right man would show up." Dora smiled dreamily.
"Hermione really does deserve true love."
Draco Malfoy glided through the afternoon traffic without a care in the world. His blonde hair was slick back while he covered his gray eyes behind black sunglasses. His black Mercedes shone in the summer sun, as he drove one handed. He wore a black suite made from the finest designer, Draco loved everything and anything if it was the best. A cocky smile etched itself on his smooth face as the latest rock music blasted from his custom made stereo system. He loved to gorge himself in the finer things in the life, after all, he could afford it.
Draco came from a very wealthy pure blood wizard family. His mother, Narcissa, was a very quiet woman and didn't like attention much. She mostly kept to herself and didn't like to leave their mansion. She only came out to support her son. She lived on her own with the house elves, but she was doing better than Draco thought she would. His father, Lucius, wasn't very liked with his recent change in profession. Lucius had decided to become a mindless follower of Voldemort, while Draco choose to be a Quidditch player. Lucius was thrown into Azkaban prison and eventually put to death by Dementors. Draco still found himself enjoying life, whether his father was dead or not. He actually found life much more pleasant. Draco was assigned to the England team after he graduated Hogwarts. He played Seeker like he did for the Slytherin team. The only thing that seemed to be a cloud on his rather sunny life was he had to deal with Ron Weasley, who was also on the team.
In Hogwarts, Draco never got along with Weasley, or his friends. They were rivals in both Quidditch and school work. He would often tease the three of them, but only because they made him squirm. He didn't like all the attention Potter received just because he didn't die. He found Potter to be the most annoying wizard he ever met, besides Neville Longbottom. Then there was Hermione Granger, the only girl Potter and Weasley didn't drool over. Hermione was the smartest witch in their year, she made Head Girl while he had made Head Boy. He remembered how easily angered she got when he called her Mudblood. Their last year had been the most chaotic year any of them had had. He was grateful when the year was over.
Draco had many friends now that his face was plastered all over the place. But he never really found that one special girl that made him weak in the knees. He had thought Pansy Parkinson would make a good enough wife, she was pure blood and came from a wealthy family, but there was a small problem with the fact Draco couldn't stand her. She had a way of getting under his skin till he wanted to take a knife and peel it all off like a snake. He finally got rid of her after he made it big in Quidditch. He decided he would rather be single and famous, then tied down to the whore. He was still looking for a girl, despite his new career. He must have had a new girl in his bed before he could remember their names. He had many one-night stands and drunken love, but his heart still longed for that one special girl, his one true love.
He sped into the parking lot of Madam Moon's Star Bath. His tires squealed as he slammed the brake to a stop. He thrust open the door and placed a polished, black leather shoe on the pavement. He twirled his key chain on his index finger and he strutted into the spa. He winked at a few giggling teenage girls and walked to the front desk. Madam Moon and her daughter Dora smiled at him. He pulled his sunglasses down and gave Dora a smirk.
"Hey, beautiful." She blushed at him while Madam Moon stood up to him.
"Draco! Look at you! You're getting more like a man every time you enter my little shop!" She cooed over him for another couple minutes before Dora asked what he would like.
"My usual. I feel extremely tense after that win over Brazil." He gave her another cocky smirk and she blushed slightly as she wrote on her note pad.
"And what a win that was! I was there when you caught that snitch!" Madam Moon was like everyone's bragging grandmother. She treated all her costumers like family, and maybe that was why so many celebrities or other famous wizards came to her spa so often. The atmosphere felt like home.
"Eh, it was nothing." He shrugged his shoulders and leaned his elbow against the desk. Dora snapped at Sally who came blushing towards Draco.
"This way, Mr. Malfoy." He gave her a wink and followed her down the hall to the changing room. Madam Moon watched him leave with a silly grin on her face.
"He's such a confident young man. And why shouldn't he? He has the world at his polished feet." Dora put her pen behind her ear and leaned over the desk to her mother.
"But he's still alone. I read in the magazines he was seen with three different girls in the same hotel. I bet they were all one night stands." Madam Moon snorted.
"That's no way to live, playing with your heart like that. He needs a good, strong willed girl to put him in his place! That boy needs to know he can't get away with anything, and I bet a smart girl could do that." Dora sighed as she leaned against her arm.
"There isn't a girl in the world who can handle that man." Madam Moon rubbed her chin in thought, then smiled rather devilishly.
"I know a girl who can, but she'll need a little push."