Disclaimer: The characters are (or course) JKR's, but the storyline, plot and any additional characters that I may slip in are mine. Mine, mine mine!
She walked into the bar and he filled with shock. Was it really her? No, surely not.
'Malfoy.'
'Granger.'
Their voices were curt and cold.
He was surprised. How was it possible? The last time he had seen her, she had been the same as ever. Brown bushy hair, a bucktoothed grin and a tendency to be a complete know-it-all. Now, well, she was just stunning. Her hair was now shiny and sleek, ringlets falling over her shoulders, her teeth, now as straight and as perfect as could be. And when she talked….her voice was clam and….well, beautiful.
'So, Malfoy, what do you want to do about this?'
'About what, sorry?'
'Your father.'
'Oh. Ummm…I suppose I could talk to him for you.'
'No Malfoy, not for me, for everyone else.'
'Right. Yes.' His father was being a pain, kicking up a fuss with his old-fashioned ways of thinking. He didn't care anymore about whose blood was the purest, but apparently his father still did.
'I will assume we will talk later, then? Thank you for doing this, Malfoy. You know how disrespectful your father is to me. He wouldn't listen to a word if I tried.'
'Draco, if you please. We don't need to continue the old ways of enemy formalities like we did at school. It doesn't matter any more.'
'Okay then, thank you Draco. I will see you soon.' And she departed. She was fit for her job, he thought. With those brains anybody could do well in the Ministry. He only wished that she was not ordering him round. On the plus side, he would now see her often. Not something that he had wanted before, but on seeing her and noting how calm and collected she was, how her personality had differed from their school years, his opinions had changed. Did he love her? Surely not, not after only meeting her for half an hour. Did he like her? Maybe. He shook the thought away. No, he didn't. Like when he met other girls, he had a tendency to….what was the word? To be blunt with himself, he went for looks in girls. Nothing to be ashamed about it, plenty of guys did it. Look at Ron, who went for Lavender in sixth year. You have to kind of feel sorry for him. Not all guys have that bad judgement, he thought. But he knew that Hermione was soft inside, even with all of that spew stuff that she was obsessed with.
He had tried calling into his old home, the awful, drafty cold Manor, but his Mother wouldn't let him come in.
'Why, Mother? It is my old home, I just want to see my father.'
'About what Draco? Are you going to bother him with more complaints from the Ministry?' Narcissa said. She found it hard being so harsh with her son, so handsome now. Yes, she would have loved it, had Lucius not given his orders.
'Mother, I just want to see him.' He did not deny it, and he was sure his Mother could tell.
'Another time, Draco.' She said, and shut the door.
He apparated home into his warm lounge, where his house elf had kept the fire stoked. Enslaving house elves was not the proper practice anymore, and now all were free, but still chose to care for wizards, as was in their hearts. All thanks to Hermi…..Granger. It had taken a while to get used to, especially the elves, who were distraught at first but had now accepted it to be for the best. Gosh, she was a little genius. And now a very beautiful one.
There was a small pop behind him. He turned to see Hermi….Granger's head in the fire. No. He mustn't start calling her Hermione after all this time. She would think he had banged his head.
'Draco.' Ah. She had remembered.
'Granger.'
'Why, don't you just call me Hermione, Draco, seeing as you did ask me to be on first name basis with you, so why not with me?'
'Sorry. Just habit.' She frowned at this, after all, it was not a compliment.
'Anyway, did you talk to your father?' She asked, letting his comment pass.
'No. Sorry. My Mother wouldn't let me in the house.'
'Why? You are her son.'
'I know, I know. She seemed to think that the only reason I wanted to see him was to "bore him with more complaints from the Ministry".' He imitated his Mother's voice.
'I see. Just try, okay? That's all the Ministry asks.'
He smiled. 'Sure Hermione. I'll see you later.'
She too smiled, at the use of her name. ' Okay, Draco.' And with that, she disappeared with a pop.
A/N: Please read and review! I practically live on those things!
