Hi Guys! This is my new fic that I will be working on alongside my other fic, All Good Does Evil. I don't like to have set days that I update but I normally post at least once a week. This is my take on the classic soulmate fic. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not have the joy of owning anything. All recognisable characters and places belong to JKR.
Chapter 1 - Birthday Surprises
'In regards to soulmates, it is common knowledge that between the ages of 10-17, a young Witch or Wizard may experience pains their soulmate is ailed with, to help bring the pair together. In some cases, this can go on for the rest of their life.'
Hermione could remember the first time she had read this very extract from the book, A Wizarding History. She'd read it on the evening of her first trip to Diagon Alley when she was snuggled up in bed at the young age of eleven years old, nearly twelve she'd have you know. Hermione had wanted to learn all she could about the Wizarding world after receiving her letter to Hogwarts and her parents had been more than happy to buy her as many books as they could afford. A Wizarding History was a much loved book to Hermione, only second to Hogwarts, a History.
The idea of soulmates interested Hermione more than one could possibly imagine. She'd wonder all the time about when she would experience her first 'soulmate pain'. It wasn't until her Third Year that she thought she'd experienced her first one. There was a dull ache in her arm after a long day of learning, it felt as if she had banged it but couldn't recall doing such a thing. She was in awe, could this possibly be her soulmate's pain?
The night herself and Harry had saved Buckbeak and Sirius of that same year, she felt her second pain. She was in bed when she noticed a throbbing pain underneath her eye, there was no bruise to speak of and she couldn't remember hitting it in the chaos of that night. She surmised that it was her soulmate's pain again. Hermione cradled her upper cheek and felt a soft smile grace her lips, feeling close to her soulmate.
Hermione experienced many aches and pains that were not her own over her School years but none were as note-worthy than just before her Sixth Year. She was reading in bed after a day out in London with her parents when she felt a searing pain on her left forearm as if she had poured boiling oil all over it. That night she yelped aloud as she looked at her perfectly fine arm and then cried over the pain for hours. She didn't sleep well that night at all. The pain lasted for days after.
XXX
Hermione was getting ready for work, she'd just showered, got dressed and dried her hair with her wand, her hair now hung in tight ringlets instead of the gigantic, frizzy mess it used to be. All thanks to Ginny, of course, she'd had an intervention with Hermione about her hair about a year ago and gave her a list of hair taming spells - Hermione would always be thankful for those. Of course, she wasn't one to care about her appearance but it was nice to have hair that didn't frustrate her on a daily basis. Hermione applied a tiny touch of mascara before grabbing her beaded bag and disappearing with a loud crack.
Hermione appeared outside of her very own bookstore in the middle of Diagon Alley. She'd taken a leap when Flourish and Blotts had closed down a couple years prior and decided to open up her own bookstore to replace the much loved shop. All funded from her crazy 'thank you' money from the Ministry for a job well-done in the War, of course. She loved her store, being surrounded by books was obviously her happy place and helping Students going to Hogwarts find knowledge was the most enjoyable thing to her.
Hermione dropped her bag and keys on the chair behind the till desk as she busied herself opening up; turning on all of the lights, starting up the Muggle coffee machine and booting up the cash register. By the time she poured herself a cup of coffee, Ginny was walking through the doors shouting a loud, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY 'MIONE!"
Hermione looked up at one of her bestfriends and shot her an annoyed look but she couldn't hide the smile that graced her lips. Ginny enveloped her in a hug and asked cheekily, "so how does twenty-two feel?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, "not much different than twenty-one. You're late by the way."
It was Ginny's turn to roll her eyes, "aren't you bored of telling me I'm late? Every bloody morning you say it."
"Aren't you bored of being late? Every bloody morning you are." Hermione retorted, she still couldn't vanish the smile from her face though.
Ginny waved her hands as if waving the conversation away, "pour me a Coffee, would you? I need to find your present," she said as she rummaged through her handbag.
Hermione did as she was so rudely asked, obvously used to Ginny's behaviour. She poured the coffee and dumped in two sugars and a dash of milk before handing the mug to her red-headed friend. Ginny gulped at the liquid before handing Hermione a small box with a red ribbon tied around it. "This is just from me. Harry's going to pop in on his lunch break to give you his present."
Hermione opened the box slowly, just to annoy Ginny who was famously impatient when it came to gift giving. Inside was a delicate silver locket, decorated with a tiny silouhette of an Otter. "Ginny, this is gorgeous, thank you." Hermione opened the locket but there wasn't anything inside. "I'll put a picture of us four in it."
"Absolutely not!" Ginny reprimanded her, taking the locket away from her and placing it over Hermione's head until it sat around her neck, the Otter sitting just beneath her chest. "This is a promise, Hermione. By accepting it, you have promised that you will find your soulmate before you turn twenty-three! I'm sick of waiting! On your twenty-third birthday, if there isn't a picture of your soulmate in this locket, there will be hell to pay."
"Not this again," Hermione sighed, "I don't need a soulmate." Ginny had been going on about Hermione's soulmate for exactly five years (since Hermione's seventeenth birthday). Harry and Ginny had found each other. Ron had found Lavender. Neville had found Hannah. Luna had found Dean. In their core friendship group, she was the only one soulmate-less. When she was younger, she could remember obsessing over her soulmate, wondering when she would meet him and what their life would be like. However after experiencing the awful burning sensation just before Sixth Year, the idea scared her. Something felt awfully wrong about that pain and it had plagued her ever since. It also didn't help that she was one of the unfortunate souls that could still feel her soulmates pain, it hadn't stopped at seventeen for her. She hadn't mentioned this to her friends though, letting them believe that it had stopped just like theirs had. But, no she still felt pains all over her body for no apparent reason, she'd experienced awful hangovers when she hadn't even drank the night before, and her joints hurt her a lot more than was necessary for her age. A trip to St Mungo's had concluded that she was perfectly healthy - none of those ailments her own.
"How do you expect to ever be fully happy if you don't find him?" Ginny asked with a pink tinge gracing her cheeks.
Uh oh, Hermione thought, tell-tale sign of a Weasley outburst. "But, I am happy, Gin."
Ginny let out a sigh, trying to calm herself down, "imagine how much happier you'd be if you were in love, because that's what will happen if you find your soulmate."
"Gin, please just drop it for today. It's my birthday and I don't want to fight." Hermione held up her hand as if blocking her friends words.
"Fine." Ginny huffed out, "but it's coming back tomorrow with a full vengeance!"
Hermione couldn't help but let out a small giggle, she could count on Ginny Weasley to never, ever let anything drop. Ever!
The two girls had been busy all morning dealing with a delivery of a new Magical Cooking with Audrey Templesmith - a best-selling cookery series loved by House Elves and house wives alike. Harry walked in to the cosy shop at midday, calling a merry "Happy Birthday, 'Mione."
"Hey Harry!" Hermione gave her best friend a hug and accepted his big square-shaped, red-wrapped gift. Hermione tore off the wrapping paper to reveal a wooden box, decorated in intricate carvings of trees and flowers.
As Hermione assessed the box, Harry spoke, "it's a Library. Here," he took the box from her hands and placed it on the floor in front of them, he opened the lid and inside were steps leading down to a massive wooden room with shelves lining every wall, a plain desk and chair sat in the middle of the room. There was enough room to have all of her books in her apartment in here, and then some!
"Harry, this is too much! Where on earth did you get it?" Hermione looked at it in awe.
"You have to accept it, it didn't cost me much at all. George owed me a favour and when I came to him with this idea, he was more than happy to help. It's really a present for me, I've fallen over the books in your apartment too many times to count."
Hermione hugged Harry with tears in her eyes, honestly, what a thoughtful gift, she thought to herself. "Thank you so much."
Harry stayed with the girls for half an hour before he had to head back to work. He was an Auror but with the War over and the Death Eaters all locked up in Azkaban, most of his time was spent in the office so they got to spend lunch breaks with him quite often. "See you tonight," he called to them as he walked out the door.
When Hermione got home that evening, she changed it to a black dress, it had a high neck line and sinched at the waist before falling in to a flowing skirt that reached just above her knees. She put on a pair of black heeled ankle-boots to match and applied a layer of red lipstick. She was going out to dinner with Harry, Ginny, Ron and Lavender to celebrate her birthday. Ginny had organised the whole thing of course and she probably had a surprise in store for Hermione that Hermione would absolutely hate but she was feeling cheerful nevertheless.
Hermione apparated outside of the restaurant to a cheer of "happy birthday" from her four friends. She waved at them and walked in to the gorgeous restaurant. It was a new place in Hogsmeade called Baletino's. The decor was very posh, candle chandeliers hung all over the ceiling, the tables were decorated with fresh flowers and the furniture was deep mahogany. A waiter showed them to their table, a round booth in the corner to ensure privacy and intimacy. It really was a lovely restaurant and the food was delicous but Ginny hadn't dropped her bombshell surprise so Hermione felt quite anxious despite the lovely company. Ron and Lavender had bought her a pretty silk scarf that had flying birds all over it. Hermione held back a snort, remembering the time she had sent enchanted birds at Ron in Sixth Year for kissing Lavender.
After paying the bill, which Hermione absolutely wasn't allowed to do - "Our treat," Harry said with an angry stare when Hermione pulled out her purse - they stepped outside of the restaurant when Ginny announced it was time to get the party properly started. Hermione sent her a grimace when she said the word 'club.' Hermione really wasn't a big drinker so she wasn't looking forward to a loud, dark place filled with smashed people. She could not argue with Ginny Weasley and expect to live though.
The club was playing a fast beat as they walked in. Hermione was showed to a private booth by Harry as Ginny ordered a round of drinks for them all. "Try and have some fun, 'Mione." Harry snickered in to her ear.
Hermione bit her lip, at Harry's taunting tone she decided that tonight she was really going to show them how much fun she could be. As Ginny placed the drinks on the table, Hermione grabbed hers and downed it quickly, not even arguing or asking what it was. It was sour and Hermione couldn't help but screw up her face as the liquid slipped down her throat. She'd had two glasses of wine at dinner so was already feeling brave. "I'm going to dance. Gin?"
Ginny tried very hard to keep the shocked look off of her face but she wasn't too successful, she followed Hermione on to the dance floor and joined Hermione in swaying her hips to the beat. Hermione felt herself relax a little as the drink took effect. Time to let loose, she thought to herself. Lavender joined the girls and danced with them for two songs before they all decided to get another drink.
Hermione sat down at the table cradling a pink drink, Ginny suggested, trying to cool herself down before dancing some more. Harry and Ron were whispering to each other and at Hermione's inquisitory glance, Ron gestured across the room where a group of Slytherin's from their year sat in a booth identical to theirs. Hermione looked at the faces and recognised a few, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott and Draco Malfoy. She shrugged her shoulders at the boys and decided to ignore the Slytherin's and carry on enjoying her night. Seriously, what was the point with house rivalries? Especially now that they were grown up.
Hermione finished her pink drink and got up to get another, asking everyone what they wanted. She went to the bar and waited to get someones attention. She ordered the drinks when she felt an elbow nudge her. She looked up in to the eyes of Theodore Nott. "I went to school with you, didn't I?" He had a goofy smile on his face and his eyes seemed a bit glazed. Hermione nodded her head, smiling slightly up at him. "You're the muggle-born that's saved Potter's life more than once, right? Granger?"
Hermione's smile grew a bit wider at his use of muggle-born instead of the other M-word. "Yeah, Hermione." She held her hand out for him to shake.
"The name's Theo Nott," he said as he took her hand and placed a chaste kiss on her knuckles.
Hermione felt her cheeks warm a tad at his gentle peck, "I remember."
"Say, Hermione, once you've delivered those drinks I've just paid for to your friends, would you like to dance?"
Hermione looked at the bartender, noticing that he had taken money for the drinks without her noticing. "Thank you for paying for those drinks, that's rather kind." Hermione smiled up at him. "I'd love to dance with you."
Theo helped Hermione carry the drinks to the table. Hermione told her group that he had kindly paid for the drinks, they all thanked him apart from Ron who quite clearly could not grow up and let the past be in the past. Harry shook Theo's hand and introduced himself, even though Theo obviously knew who he was. Harry would never get used to his fame. Hermione walked on to the dance floor with Theo, her hand enclosed in his. They started moving to the music, Theo placed his hands on her hips as they swayed in time. Hermione was really enjoying herself. She felt happy with the alcohol swimming through her system and she was truly having a lovely time dancing with someone other than her friends. It felt nice to have someone interested in her. After a couple songs, Theo asked Hermione if she'd like to say hello to her old school peers. Feeling brave and ready to start anew, she said yes.
Hermione grabbed her drink before walking over to the Slytherin table with Theo. She sipped on it quickly, trying to make herself feel a little less nervous. Theo said to the group, "guys, you remember Hermione Granger, I'm sure?"
Hermione smiled slightly at the group, Blaise Zabini stood up and took her hand to place a chaste kiss on it. These pure-bloods are so proper, she thought to herself. Pansy Parkinson sent a lazy though not un-friendly wave in Hermione's direction. Others that she did not recognise or remember at the table smiled or waved at her. Draco Malfoy sent a tight-lipped nod at her. She smiled at him, hoping to goad him in to a better reaction. She didn't get one though. Blaise invited her to sit down beside him and Theo sat on a stool beside her. She got sucked in to conversations with them about what they were doing these days. Blaise was happily running his family businesses and travelling as much as he could. Pansy Parkinson was working in the Obliviator Headquarters which Hermione found very interesting. Pansy seemed to warm up to her at Hermione's obvious intrigue, she even offered to get Hermione her next drink which Hermione accepted with a bright smile. Theo worked for his Father's company though he said he didn't want to talk about it as it bored him half to death. Hermione laughed at that.
Harry and Ginny joined her after a while, fitting themselves in to the conversations going on around them quite easily. Harry ended up in an intense discussion with Blaise Zabini about some Quidditch team Hermione had no clue about as Ginny chatted with Pansy about some of the girls they went to school with and what they were up to now. Hermione looked over at their own booth to see a grumpy Ron and a bored Lavender. She rolled her eyes at the pair of them.
"They don't seem to be enjoying themself much, do they?" Malfoy said looking in the same direction as Hermione. He had a sneer on his face but she thought it seemed as if he was trying quite hard to appear nonchalant.
Hermione smiled, "Ron will grow up eventually," she waved her hand, talking mainly to herself "forget them."
"Why are you Gryffindork's out tonight? I can't say we've ever seen you here before and we come here quite often?" Malfoy closed his mouth quickly realising that he had insulted the group.
Hermione snorted, "Gryffindork's? Wow, that brings back some memories." She smiled at him, showing that she was just teasing. "We're celebrating my birthday."
"Well, happy birthday Granger, let me buy you a birthday drink." He stood up and indicated for her to follow him.
"You don't have to, I've had so many drinks bought for me tonight!" She tried to count the drinks in her head but found it quite difficult. Answer... she'd had enough. She followed him to the bar anyway.
"One more won't hurt." Malfoy said as he gained the attention of the bartender. He ordered her another pink drink and himself a Fire Whiskey on ice.
"Thank you, Malfoy." Hermione sipped at her new drink.
"It's also an apology drink. I'm sorry for everything that happened during the War." He looked rather uncomfortable and wasn't meeting her eyes.
Hermione held up a hand, "the past is in the past. It's nice to simply enjoy a conversation with you, there's no need for apologies." Hermione took another sip of her drink and assessed Malfoy. He still held his eyes away from her and she could see a pink blush across his cheeks. He was dressed in an expensive looking suit, he was taller than she remembered him and definitely with more defined muscles. His white-blonde hair wasn't gelled back like it was at school, instead it was parted at the right side and layered short. It suited him.
Hermione was about to ask Malfoy what he did for a living when someone pushed in to her back quite hard and she was crushed in to Malfoy's chest. "Ouch," she whined as the same person kicked her leg. Malfoy placed his hands on her shoulders to steady her, when she regained her balance, he let go and nudged the person behind her. It was a guy who must have been around the same age as them. He was in a very rowdy group of men.
"Watch it!" Malfoy yelled over the music.
The guy turned around and looked Malfoy up and down. "You what? Who the fuck do you think you're talking to Death Eater?"
Malfoy nudged Hermione out of the way and he squared up to the man before him. "Watch yourself! You just pushed and kicked this Witch here!"
The man pulled back his fist quicker than Malfoy or Hermione could do anything and punched Malfoy on the nose. A loud crunch sounded as Malfoy's nose broke. Malfoy and Hermione let out yelps of pain at the same exact moment.