Love Potion Number Nine

Chapter 1: Renewed Encounters

Hermione touched her hair gingerly as she made her way through the crowded streets of London for work. She was coming back from her favorite coffee shop, deciding that she had a few minutes to spare before work. The day was cold and wet, and she clenched her spring coat closed as she swung open the door to the Leaky Cauldron. With a silent nod, she greeted Tom, and saw Harry and Ron sitting in the corner drinking from steaming cups. Immediately, Harry's eyes met hers from across the room, he broke into a toothy grin and stood to run over to her. Throwing his arms around her whole body, Harry lifted her from the ground and twirled her. She deeply flushed out of embarrassment and tucked a brown curl behind her ear girlishly.

"Hermione! Where the hell have you been? It's been a year since we've last heard from you!" Ron exclaimed, giving her a tight hug. Harry nodded in agreement to the question.

"I'm so sorry guys. I needed time away, that's all…" she said, staring at her feet. She wanted to run away as soon as she tossed her witches hat in the air for graduation. After graduation, Harry went off to become a Quidditch player, so not only is he a hero to the wizarding world; he was also the best seeker the English team has ever had. Peering into his green eyes, she saw a trace of love. The occasional- What ifs and where would we be- came across her mind. Harry had asked her to come away with him after graduation. That he was in love with her, and that he wanted to be with her forever. Frightened, she gathered her stuff and never talked to Harry again, until now. But that wasn't totally why she had bolted from him.

"We understand Herm. But wow…it's so good to see you again, I've missed you…so much," Harry whispered, holding her hand. Ron coughed loudly and eyed her up and down.

"You look good Hermione! What have you been doing? Working out?" he asked. Harry's eyes suddenly dropped down to her body. To be honest, she had taken up tennis and tai chi to relieve her from stress after graduation. As she twirled for them she grinned. She suddenly gasped and checked her watch.

"Oh bloody hell! I have to go, I'm late for work!" she cried, fixing up her coat and briefcase. Harry's eyes shot up.

"That's right, you work. Where do you work?" he asked.

"Oh, the Charm and Correctional Agency, you know, in that new city area of Diagon Alley. It's rather exciting. My job is to find the right to every wrong curse in Wizarding history. And the business trips are exciting also," she said proudly. Ron gave a huff.

"That sounds like how the ministry used to be," Ron said. Hermione shook her head.

"No. The ministry used to fix the accidents wizards did in front of muggles. I just exercise the theory that every spell and curse casts can be reversed. The ministry was filled with scams and stupid people. Thank god after the defeat, the ministry fell," she said easily. Ron gave her a cold glare and she remembered that Mr. Weasley and Percy used to work there. She apologized, shuffling her feet. Harry gave her a warm smile, and stepped aside so she could continue her way on to Diagon Alley. He asked her if they could walk with her. And she nodded.

Hermione tapped her wand on the bricks to enter Diagon Alley. As soon as the wall melted away, people came flooding out. Harry, Ron and her battled through the crowd, and once in a while Harry was stopped and congratulated on this or that. She wanted to go to work to meet her new colleague. Her boss, Charles Bradley, had told her that she would be getting a partner soon to help her out with the large assignments given to her. She was quickly rising at her job, she was known for her hard work, accuracy, and determination. She was making three hundred thousand galleons a year. She lived comfortably in a pretty flat right in the heart of the New Diagon Alley- city area. She smiled as she looked up at the high-rises and pointed at the building she worked in. Harry nodded and asked her if they would like to have lunch together. She gave him a polite smile and said that twelve thirty would be fine. Ron shoved his hands in his pockets and tried to avoid contact with her eyes. She knew that he was overcome with different feelings toward her. She was becoming a powerful witch, and she had turned her back on her two best friends.

"Please forgive me Ron," she said softly, loud enough for only him to hear. Ron gave her an uneasy smile.

"You hurt us Hermione. We thought about you so much. We sent owls to your parents and they told us you had them swear that they wouldn't give your location to us. We missed you and blamed ourselves for your sudden disappearance. We love you Hermione," Ron said tearfully. She threw her arms around his neck to embrace him. She hugged Harry and entered the building.

Flashing her I.D card, the security guard checked her wand for any dangerous spells that were performed prior to her visit. She was clean and allowed to pass through the lobby. She took the elevator to the sixtieth floor, where her large and tidy office awaited her. As she opened the door, her boss came up from behind her and tapped her shoulder.

"Good morning Hermione. I have a wonderful thing to tell you! Your partner is here, he's waiting for you in my office, so a brief meeting is required in about five minutes," Charles said. He was a tall man, about thirty. His hair was light brown and extremely curly. He always came to work in a crisp white shirt, with crazy ties. Today he was wearing a tie with dancing brooms.

"Okay, I'll be there soon, I just need to put my briefcase up, and check my messages with Macy," she said hurriedly, opening the door. Macy was Hermione's personal secretary. She usually had Hermione's messages jotted down on a parch pad. Macy came whizzing down the hall, Hermione's parch pad in her hand.

"Oh, Miss. Granger, I have your messages right here ma'am, excuse me for my lateness," Macy said looking over the pad.

"How many people called?" Hermione asked, staring at the pad.

"About a hundred ma'am," Macy said.

"That's it?" Hermione asked. She usually got over three hundred messages from professors, artists, doctors, and concerned witches and wizards. This low number surprised her.

"Yes ma'am. But most importantly, a young professor from Amsterdam has stopped by for you. He said that the counter for the Boil burns was successful, and that he'll be sending you your bill immediately for the remedy and blue prints," Macy said with a smile, she leaned in closer, so Charles wouldn't hear. "He also said that dinner with you would be rather uplifting for him,"

Hermione blushed.

She remembered when she traveled to Amsterdam to see the Professor who was having problems curing an outbreak of Boil Burns that were being spread. Silly school kids who were angered by teachers, bullies, and parents decided that boils would be fun to terrify people with. Soon, half the magical people in Amsterdam were suffering from the boils and turned to the famous professor for a cure. However, he did not have a cure to the disgusting plague. So he called for her. She came to Amsterdam immediately to observe several patients, and to test some potions on people. Coming to the conclusion that a counter could be produced, she left Amsterdam to come home and create one. But, the three week stay in Amsterdam with the Professor became a torrid love affair. He gathered her heart and mind in less than two weeks. When she left, she had broken Henry's heart. Telling him that she would come back soon, with the cure and her heart, he reluctantly let her go.

But Hermione didn't keep up her end of the deal. She became wrapped up in work and family, that she didn't return to Amsterdam, but sent the potion via owl, and sent a forbidding letter of sorrow to her lover. He had replied politely, which made her become even more upset. She would have accepted a hateful letter, but a man like Henry, would do nothing of the sort.

"Hermione?" Charles shook her slightly. She came from out of her trance.

"Yes…Macy, find out what hotel he's staying at, and that I want to have dinner with him tonight. Reply to all my other calls, and if it's an emergency, put them straight through to my office," Hermione said walking past Macy with Charles. He led her to the meeting room and opened the door. She gasped at the person leaning back in the chair with his legs crossed and arms behind his head.

Draco Malfoy.

"What the bloody hell is this?" She asked angrily. Charles gave her a surprised look and grinned.

"Your partner Hermione, this is Draco Malfoy," he said, lightly pushing her through the door. She plopped herself down in a chair across from Malfoy and glared.

Malfoy had put her through hell for the seven years she attended Hogwarts. He almost killed her in seventh year, when one of his many pranks for Ron and Harry turned into a wand duel. The spell Malfoy used had hit her instead of Ron and had her thrown from out of a window to meet a cold death. She could still feel the window's glass break with her back and the wind blowing her hair and shards of glass cutting her face, arms, and hands. And then she remembered floating up, into Harry's arms where he held her as she cried into his chest.

"Malfoy…" She growled. He looked up at her, his cold silver eyes burning a hole into her. She wanted to tear her eyes from his, but couldn't let him win.

"Draco, this is Hermione Granger, the top researcher here at CCA. She's in need for a partner, so I have hired you. You are assisting her in research, your background work seems magnificent, and I believe that you will make an excellent colleague for Hermione," Charles said with a happy gleam in his eyes. Her eyes went wide at his stare.

"Hopefully she will allow me to be a proper colleague," Draco said, standing to shake Charles's hand. Charles laughed and pumped Draco's hand. She abruptly stood, her eyes still angrily met with Draco's. She only dropped the gaze when Charles opened the meeting room door so she could lead Draco to her office. He would be staying in the same office as her, and she hated it. Charles left them alone when her door closed behind Draco. She pointed to the desk diagonally from hers. The space between their desks was extremely large, but she felt crowded. Malfoy gave her a cold look and sat behind his chair to unload his brief case and duffel bag. He sat pictures, paper weights and little antiques on his desk. He uploaded his computer, which surprised her. Realizing that he could use a computer, she gave a grave laugh at his hypocrisy. He despised anything or anyone that dealt with muggle characteristics. He began to type.

She searched her desk and saw a yellow posted note on her agenda book.

Miss. Granger, I found Mr. Henry van der Tohn and he is located at the Leaky Cauldron room 216.

-Macy

Her heart fluttered as she picked up her phone to dial the Leaky Cauldron. After the defeat, the Wizarding Committee (the remake of the ministry) decided that muggle phones be used in large areas in Hogsmeade, and Diagon Alley. And now that Diagon Alley had an urban area, it became even more necessary.

"Hello Tom, I'm fine, how are you? Lovely…I was wondering if you could connect me to room 216, yes, Mr.van der Tohn," she said. Malfoy's eyes left his screen to stare at her. He had an eyebrow raised.

"Hello Henry," she said tearfully. She turned in her chair so the back was facing him. "I've missed you so much; I never wanted to hurt you. I'm sorry I didn't come back. I was so busy Henry, I was…I swear it. Dinner tonight would be amazing. I'm at work, yes things have been fine. To tell you the truth I saw them today, at the Leaky Cauldron. It was so unexpected, I was hugged and greeted. They were so concerned for me…I almost cried, just because they loved me, and it was somewhat reassuring. I think I want to be in their lives again, I mean, I was there for them for seven years," She whispered into the phone. Realizing that Malfoy had started typing again, she made for an attempt to be intimate.

"I think…I think we might have something…if we just worked at it, I think we could have a very promising relationship…Henry? Yes, I know I was abrupt, no; I'd never do it again. Why? Because I love you," Hermione said closing her eyes. She could not believe that slipped from her mouth. She only knew him for a few weeks, this scared her. There was silence on the phone, and silence in the room, Malfoy had stopped typing, and was now listening, but she didn't care.

"Well, I like you too Hermione," Henry said over the phone.

She knew it wouldn't last.

"Okay Henry, I'll see you at dinner, I'll come by and pick you up," she hung up the phone, her hand lingered over the receiver. And then she leaned back in her chair and exhaled a long awaited breath. She turned to stare at Malfoy's face. He was staring directly back at her.

"What the bloody hell do you want Malfoy?" She snarled. The corners of his lips slightly curled.

"Nothing Granger, and your little boyfriend wants nothing to do with your bushy head or body too," he said laughingly. Her face scrunched up and she banged her fist on her desk.

"That's enough of your silly bullshit!" She bellowed. "If we're working together, you will not talk to me as you please Malfoy! Never will I give you so much freedom," She turned to see that Malfoy had totally ignored her and was silently humming to himself and typing. She turned to her own computer and started it. The monitor blinked awake, asking her for her password. She typed it in and her work opened before her eyes. She started to read over blue prints for a recent curse.

Hermione's phone blinked and she pressed the line one button.

"Miss Granger? I'm sorry to disturb you ma'am, but you have a visitor," it was Macy.

"Who is it?"

"Ma'am…it's…the famous Harry Potter…" Macy whispered eagerly. Hermione sighed.

"Lead him to my office immediately, he's here to take me to lunch," she hung up the phone and straightened her clothing. Harry popped up at her door with an overly excited Macy. Her blonde head appeared behind Harry and she smiled and closed the door when he had entered. Harry stared at her for a long time until-

"Hello Potter,"

Harry turned to see Draco leaning back in his chair. Harry scowled.

"What is he doing here?" Harry asked, glaring at Draco. Draco shrugged.

"Granger here fancies me; she sought out for me so I can become her partner and lover," Draco said smoothly. She jumped up to protest, but Harry stopped her.

"Don't Hermione…I know it's a lie," Harry said, he took her hand in his and led her to the door.

"Right Potty…tame your girlfriend," Draco shouted.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Hermione exclaimed, blushing. Harry shot her a hurt expression.

"Well Harry, you're not…" she whispered. Draco gave a loud laugh and waved her out of the room.