Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, the song Calling Dr. Love by Kiss, or any other recognizable material!
Hello! It's me, with another request! 18 sent me this message about doing a story request, in which Hermione and Draco go to the future to where they are married. It was very much open to interpretation, and this is what I got.
Now, this story isn't going to be continued until I finish writing Beautiful Disaster, but that shouldn't take too long. So, this is just a bit of a teaser, the first chapter, in which Hermione visits a very strange man who claims he can help her with her relationship problems...
...
So if you please get on your knees
There are no bills, there are no fees
Baby, I know what your problem is
The first step of the cure is a kiss
So call me (Dr. Love)
They call me Dr. Love (calling Dr. Love)
I am your doctor of love (calling Dr. Love), ha
They call me (Dr. Love),
they call me Dr. Love (calling Dr. Love)
I've got the cure you're thinkin' of (calling Dr. Love)
Calling Dr. Love-Kiss
...
Hermione found herself in her favourite place once again. An old abandoned corner of the library, filled with hundreds of magazines and books that no one ever wanted to read anyways, so she was always completely alone.
She had just stormed off after another fight with Draco. They seemed to be happening more and more lately, and Hermione was beginning to wonder whether or not their relationship was going anywhere.
Was it worth it? Were they going anywhere? Would they end up married like she hoped?
Sighing, she closed her eyes and ran her finger across the spines of the thousands upon thousands of books that hadn't been touched in years, searching for something to lose her thoughts in.
As soon as she'd counted to seven, she stopped and pulled out the book her finger had fallen on. Upon further inspection, she found that she hadn't pulled out a book at all, but an old catalogue. Curious, she took it to her spot in the dusty window sill, curling up and flipping to a dog-eared page.
The advertisement had obviously been turned to on numerous occasions, if the pages falling out and fading gave her anything to go by. Intrigued, she leaned forward to better see what the page said.
"Dr. Wetherby Love," she whispered. "'Having trouble with your true love? Visit me, Dr. Love. I've got your cure, and it comes at a very easy price! Just stop by the Tinsel House in Hogsmeade and call your doctor of love!'"
Hermione wasn't so sure. The man sounded a little dodgy, if you asked her. And this advertisement would have had to have been from years ago-there was no way the man was still in business. Why, he looked to be at least eighty in this picture, and only Godric knows when it had been taken.
But something told her she should try. She didn't know what it was-maybe her desperation for answers-but it was enough for her to tear the page from the book and shove it into her backpack. She pushed the magazine back into the correct spot, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and rushed from the library. She didn't feel like reading anymore. She needed something much stronger to keep her thoughts under control-sleep. She wanted to be fresh and awake for when she visited Dr. Love the next morning.
On her way out the door, she slammed into someone, falling back onto her bottom.
"Oh, sorry, I-"
"Hermione!"
"Draco?"
He grabbed her by the arms and pulled her to her feet before enveloping her in a large hug. "Oh, Hermione. I'm so sorry. You were right and I was wrong...let's never fight again, okay?"
Hermione nodded against his chest. "Okay," she whispered, hugging him back. But she knew it was only a matter of time before a new reason for arguing sprung up.
Draco walked Hermione back to her dorm. The entire time, she felt as if Draco had suddenly developed x-ray vision, and had the ability to see right through her bag and directly at the advertisement. She felt a little guilty, but justified herself by saying that it was only to save their relationship.
...
The next day, Draco asked her what she wanted to do in Hogsmeade that afternoon.
"Actually..." Hermione said awkwardly, tucking some hair behind her ear. "I have an appointment somewhere. With...er...Rita Skeeter. Yeah, she wants to run her next article by me, to make sure it's up to my standards. It was really last minute, sorry; it must have slipped my mind until now."
Draco's eyes narrowed slightly. He had a way of knowing when Hermione was lying, but he begrudgingly let it slide, and nodded.
"Alright. What time will you be done so we can have lunch together?"
She smiled and sighed internally. "Erm, how does noon sound? At the Three Broomsticks?"
He nodded. "Good. See you then." And he kissed her forehead and left her.
Her stomach a nervous wreck, Hermione walked in the opposite direction, headed towards the Tinsel House, a building which, until now, she had believed to be abandoned. It was in an area no one ever came to anymore, except for a few delinquents and such witches and wizards.
It was rather cold out, and Hermione felt herself having to constantly steady herself against slipping on the slick ice coating the street.
She approached the Tinsel House with extreme caution. One can never be too cautious.
She knocked once, twice. "Hello?"
"A customer?" The accent was French, and was quickly followed by a crash, and then slow, almost graceful footsteps. The door opened, and before Hermione stood a man who appeared to be older than Dumbledore himself. He was short and crooked, and held an old, many times repaired cane. His beard went down to his knees and was tangled with his hair, both an equal shade of dirty snow. He tried to give her a sophisticated smile through the bush.
"Hello, Ms," he said in an old, creaky voice. "I haven't had a customer in years."
"I didn't even really expect you to be here," Hermione confessed. "I just found this old advertisement in an ancient catalogue in the library at Hogwarts, and I just thought..."
He smiled. "Ah, I see you are troubled in love. You've come to the right place. Come in, come in..."
Hermione looked around herself nervously before she stepped off of the cold, slippery ice and into the surprisingly warm, firmly floored shack. He led her across a disastrous room to a back room, where he had her sit at a cluttered table. He pushed everything onto the floor, eliciting a harsh creaking from the ancient wood, and set up a teapot and a plate of Godric knows how old cookies, which she politely declined.
Dr. Love sat down across from her at the table. "Now, what seems to be troubling you?"
"Well...I'm just concerned, that's all."
He nodded understandingly. "Are you concerned his affections may be waning? May be turned towards another?"
Hermione shook her head. "Oh, no. I know he loves me. I'm just worried that...well, we've been arguing a lot lately, and I was just wondering if there was a way that I could sort of...figure out if our relationship will be stable enough for us to stay together in future. Or a way to at least ensure such a thing."
He nodded, again understanding just what she meant.
"I have just the cure for you, miss..." he said.
"Hermione Granger," Hermione answered.
His eyes grew wide. "Ah, the young Miss War-Hero."
Hermione smiled humbly. She'd been nicknamed that by some writer of Witch's Weekly, and now everyone seemed to be using it.
"Well, Miss Granger," he said, hoisting himself up and walking to the other side of the muddled room. "I do believe I can help you. They don't call me Dr. Love for nothing."
"I was under the impression that Love was your legitimate surname," Hermione said conversationally.
"Of course it is," he said, winking. "And that's exactly my point."
Hermione didn't point out that what he'd just said made absolutely no sense. She simply watched him shuffle through his cupboard, soon procuring a small, woven pouch. He dropped it on the table before her.
"Go ahead," he said, lowering himself into his seat. "Open it."
Hermione did as she was told, undoing the draw-strings and peering inside. What she saw confused her. "It's sand."
"They weren't lying when they said you were smart!" he announced.
Hermione couldn't tell if he were being serious or sarcastic. "What's the sand for?"
"Why, to help you with your problem, of course!" replied Dr. Love. "It's simple, really. Just the two of you inhale it at the same time, and you will know for sure whether or not it's meant to be. In one way or another, the message or sign will find its way to you."
Hermione stared into the pouch for several moments before she pulled tightly on the strings, the ends of which were adorned with wooden beads in the shape of animals that could be found in Africa.
"How can I pay you?" Hermione asked him. "I've got money with me, but I'm afraid I don't have much else..."
"My payment is simple," said Dr. Love, grinning at her.
"What is it?"
"I require that you pay me in the future, by bringing your love to me happy," he replied. "Having lovers around my products enriches them, so they work better when sold on the market."
That seemed easy enough. Getting to her feet, Hermione held out her hand to the man. "It's a deal," she said. "Thank you very much, sir."
He shook her hand and laughed. "Of course, Miss Granger."
"I'll see you again."
He nodded. "I'm sure you will."
She nodded and smiled softly before leaving.
Glancing at her watch, she saw she had five minutes before she was to meet Draco. She quickly said goodbye and hastily stepped outside, slipping a little on the ice.
"Hermione!"
She glanced around, and a grin spread across her face as she saw Draco walking towards her swiftly. She briefly wondered how he could walk so gracefully when on such slippery ice, but she sped up just a little.
She saw Draco's eyes grow wide as her feet fell out from under her, and as fell towards the ground in slow motion.
The last thing she saw before everything went black was Draco's worried face, choking lightly on the sand. She wondered briefly why her nose was suddenly filled with such grit, and then she closed her eyes and saw no more.
...
This is what I interpretted the story as! ^^ Tell me what you think! In the next chapter, she'll wake up in the future, just like my requester wanted, and she'll be confused as heck. I'll post here when I'm going to make an actual story out of this! ^^
