Dark Wind

*Chapter One*

by Ashley





Draco looked at himself in the mirror, almost despising himself. But why? He was, afterall, as handsome as any man could wish to be. He had silvery blonde hair, an excellent build, a flawless complexion, and eyes that shamed the blue sky. Actually, his eyes changed color frequently from silver to gray to the stunning blue color. He also found that whenever he got mad, his eyes would become and eerie, almost glowing, bright purple.



He stared at himself square in the large antique mirror. He knew very well why he nearly despised himself- he was the heir to the Dark Lord`s throne. His father, Lucious Malfoy, had long arranged plans for him. So many plans; all of which Draco inwardly detested.



He expects me to fill Lord Voldemort`s place, continue the Malfoy name and become betrothed to the shrew-of-a-girl Pansy Parkinson. HA. It will be the last day I live where my father puts Pansy in my bed and tries to get me to rule the Dark Empire. I despise all that is my burden and most of all, my father. I am twenty two years old and four years out of Hogwarts. I can very well make my own decisions.



Draco Malfoy gave a finally distinctive nod at his mirrored self and stepped out of his enormous bed chambers. He was going to Hogsmeade to get something new in his life before it was over.







Hermione sat in the Three Broomsticks lazily trying to hold a conversation with Ginny Weasly. She would have preferred talking to Harry or Ron, but neither was available at the moment.



As Ginny babbled on about her new column in Witch Weekly, Hermione looked into her butterbeer, reflecting on what had happened earlier that day. She had been fired from her job as a cashier at Flourish and Blotts. She, Hermione Granger, Head Girl of her class, was an unemployed underachiever. She sighed miserably.



Ginny must have noticed her depression and stopped talking about her column. "What`s the matter, Hermi?" she implied.



Hermione collapsed her head onto the table. "I`m a failure..." she mumbled sadly, "I got fired today..."



Ginny took instant sympathy. She patted Hermione`s arm and said, "You`re not a failure, Herm. You`re just a winner who got pointed in the wrong direction.



This did not help Hermione. She broke into sobs and all in between, things like "Head Girl and all..." "Miserable person..." "I never should have" and "the shame of the wizarding community..." could be heard.

Just then, Madam Rosemerta, the owner of the pub, came by to fill up their drinks. Taking a cautious glance at Hermione, she said , "Oh my, dear, what is the matter?"



"She got fired." Ginny stated plainly. Hermione`s head lifted, revealing her scorning brown eyes directed angrily at Ginny. She sighed in exasperation, laying her head upon the table once more.



Rosemerta placed a comforting arm around the sobbing heap that was Hermione. "Is there anything I can do, dear?"



"Not unless you can get me a job..." she cried.



"Now, it just so happens that I need a bartender. Old Bernie Welsh retired today. How would you like to be the Three Broomstick`s new bartender?"



Hermi`s head shot up. "Really?"



She nodded, smiling. "You can start today!"



Hermione was so happy that she nearly knocked her butterbeer over while getting up out of her seat. She quickly said goodbye to Ginny. Ginny nodded and explained she was late for an appointment anyway.



Not more than a half hour later on the job she met tons of new people and reacquainted herself with some old. These people included Parvati and her third husband, Lee Jordan, Lavender, Cho, Hagrid and his wife Maxime, the Weasly twins who owned a joke shop just down a block, and Sirius Black whom she had a wonderful chat with.





It was getting late and people were leaving constantly. Soon, there where only two people left who seemed to be engulfed in a very serious game of poker.



Just when she was about to close the bar, the bell on the door rang and in walked a strikingly handsome young man who seemed vaguely familiar.



He sat down at the bar. "Hey bartender," he said, not looking up from the wine menu in front of him, "I`ll have a scotch." She nodded and made him one. When she set it in front of him he looked up at her curiously.



"You seem very familiar," he stated, taking a sip from his scotch.



"As do you." she said stiffly, making her own scotch. She wasn`t supposed to be drinking on the job. However, it was after hours so she figured it wouldn`t matter.



"Let me see..." he pondered, studying her. "Brown eyes...curly alburn brown hair...not too tall... Nah, couldn`t be."



"Couldn`t be what?"



Her sighed. "Oh, and old school enemy- Hermione Granger. Perhaps you know her?"



"Oh, yes. Very well indeed."



"Do you? How is that Little Miss Perfect? Is she Headmistress yet?"



"Oh, she`s not doing as well as you may think."

"And why the bloody not? She has everything. Brain wise, anyway."



"You are terribly mistaken. She believes herself to be an underachiever."



"Her? An underachiever? As I recall, she was always top student. Head Girl of our class. And a Gryffindor, none the less."



"That is so. But she is that was presently. You see, I am Hermione Granger. An you, you are Draco Malfoy."



Draco nearly spat his scotch all over himself. He stared at her in disbelief. "You? Granger?"



"I`m afraid so..."



"BUT YOU LOOK SO DIFFERENT!" he bellowed.



"Yeah, I know. You too..."



"Married Potter yet?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously. "Have you married that little prat? He`s the head of the Light Side and you`re a bartender? What a bloody arse! You didn`t have his kids, did you?"



Hermione tried to keep her calm. "No, I didn`t marry him. Nor do I have his children."



"So, you do have children? Are you married? To whom? What does he do?" he asked, finishing off his scotch.



"I am NOT married-"



"Are you a single mother?"

"NO!"

"Go on, then."



"I do NOT have any children. I am single... I don`t even remember the last time I had a date..."



"YOU? Not remember? As I remember, in our seventh year, you had the boys from all houses swooning over you. You dated most of them; a different one every week or so."



"Don`t you dare insult me, Malfoy. You were just as bad as me!"



"Why shouln`t I insult you? You made my life a miserable hell. I always was complained about at home for not having the highest marks. My father... well, he..." Draco looked up from his empty scotch glass just in time to see Hermione run out the door. Should I follow her? He asked himself, not sure what to do in a situation with an emotionally imbalanced woman running away from him. He bit his lip nervously...



Hermione ran to the bridge over looking the small river just behind the infamous pub. She looked down from the bridge`s great height and wondered if she should jump. It would be easy...

What am I thinking? Hermione`s mind screamed. Her eyes were flooded with tears. Maybe I should jump... she thought, trying to convince herself. After all, what do I have? I haven`t even seen Harry Potter in two years since he became an Unspeakable. I wonder what he does in that office he works in... where ever it is... or if he even works in an office? And Ron...Well, what is there to say about Ron? He was living his life on the road as a single and famous comedian. The last time she saw him was when he stopped by her little apartment before leaving for a tour through Great Britan. And I, Hermione Granger, straight-A student and Head Girl, am a newly hired bartender. My only friends are disgustingly famous and who knows where they are...To make matters even worse, Draco Malfoy, my enemy, just strolled in on the first day of my new job and begins to insult me, she thought.



She sobbed even harder, not wiping the tears away. Her tears filled her eyes so much her vision became blurred. She heard someone coming up behind her and, not looking or caring who it was, turned around, grabbed hold of them and cried into their chest.