Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters.
Written In The Stars.
She squealed to herself and grabbed the book off the shelf with lightening speed. She had been saving for this book for weeks. When it first came out you couldn't find a copy anywhere! The library had a waiting list a mile long and she just couldn't wait that long to read it. So she had saved a little every week to get her own copy. On the cover was a picture of a man with white blonde hair, and piercing grey eyes. His name was printed across the top in bold silver lettering: Draco Malfoy. The background was a dark, eerie mansion surrounded by a pitch black sea. The waves were crashing against the sides, and dark storm clouds were looming overhead. The title was printed in the bottom, right hand corner. Now or Never. It gave her the chills.
"Can I help you Miss?" She glanced up to find the very unhelpful looking older woman glaring at her from over her spectacles. She sobered quickly. She hadn't realized she had been grinning so goofily until now. She straightened and answered politely.
" No thank you, Mrs. Hinklemann. I have found what I need." With that she took her treasure to the corner of the little bookshop and curled into her favorite chair to read. Hinklemann's was her favorite bookstore. It was rather old fashioned, probably because they had been in business for the last thirty years. Herb and Gladiss Hinklemann had been running the bookstore for as long as she could remember. Her earliest memories were of her mother taking her for an ice cream, then to Hinklemann's for a book. Now a grown woman of twenty-four, this was still her favorite place in the world. The smell of old books, the endless possibilities of all the books around her. They really could take you anywhere. A romance blossoming in nineteen twenty, dinosaurs roaming the world in the jurassic era, or a pair of misfit teens solving crimes in today's world. She simply loved to get lost in a good novel. Draco Malfoy's were her favorite though. Not only were his books the best, but he himself was so mysterious as well. She had researched him after finishing his first novel and it was simply a dead end road. All she had learned was he wrote his novels, published them at PenMan's, one of the largest publishers in the world, thank you very much! Then they were distributed from there. No bio, no backstory, not even a p.o box for fanmail. Whoever this man was, he really wanted his privacy. She pictured him living alone, in a little cottage in the woods, probably by a lake or something. Away from everyone. She shrugged and opened the book to the first page.
Her guess was actually pretty close. Draco Malfoy did live alone, away from everyone, but it wasn't because his privacy was important to him. His privacy was everything to him. After the war Harry and the golden trio had cleared his name, but his father was sent to Azkaban and his mother was put under the watchful eye of the Ministry. Draco just wanted out. A fresh start, somewhere where he could start again. Where he could be just Draco Malfoy, not Lucius's son, not Draco the Death Eater. Somewhere where no one even knew about Hogwarts or Voldemort, and they didn't chase him down Diagon Alley to quote him in the Daily Prophet. After twenty-nine years of being everything that everyone else wanted him to be, he just wanted to be himself. He wanted to be happy.
So he talked things over with his mother, who reluctantly and tearfully agreed after making him promise repeatedly to visit her often. She too was ready to get out of the media's watchful eye. He sold Malfoy manor and set his mother up in a lovely country cottage she chose herself. It was off the main roads, had a lovely little stone path leading to the door, and was surrounded by wildflowers. Gone were the dark black dresses and furniture she had when he was growing up. She had dozens of bright colored sundresses, she let her hair grow out to its natural blonde color again, and she had even gotten a tan from all her gardening. Narcissa Malfoy was making a full and happy recovery.
Draco had settled in bright, sunny Florida. He had bought a beautiful beach house on some private land. The house was wonderfully modern with no expense spared. Like his mother, he was ready for some light and cheer after years of darkness, Death Eaters, and war. He had always loved writing, even though his father had forbidden it when he was young. His mother had encouraged his talent and when he settled on the beach he began to write again. He turned the third floor of his home into his private library and writing room. The entire north side was a glass wall facing the beach. Some nights he would stay up all night writing and see the sun rise up over the ocean. It was magnificent. Then he would grab a steaming mug of coffee from the kitchen, muggle coffee tasted so much better than when made by magic, and enjoy it on the patio before heading to bed. The fresh salt air would always clear his head and help him fall asleep. When he was finished with his novel he would send it in to his agent, the only person he really had any personal contact with. He would handle all the legal matters for him and payments were made to his bank. Not that he really needed the money. Most of it he sent to his mother to assure she she anything she wanted. He would wire it into her bank privately since his proud mother would never accept charity from her son, especially money. So he had the money added under the name Lucius Malfoy, and she thought it was simply business profits from her husband.
Draco stretched, and looked down at the box from his agent. He would drop this box of his latest book off at the bookstore in town. Normally his agent would handle it, but Draco had volunteered because he wanted to visit the little shop himself. He rarely ventured to town, only to purchase necessities. But a good book was an irresistible temptation, so here he was. He used a glamour spell to conceal his identity, turning his snowy hair to midnight black and his grey blue eyes to chocolate brown. Living by the beach for two years had turned his pale skin a nice golden tan like his mother's. Satisfied he wouldn't be recognized he made the delivery.
"Ah, do you have my delivery?" A happy faced older man asked from behind the counter. He had thick glasses, probably from years of reading, and grey hair. His eyes were still bright and cheerful though.
"Yes sir. You must be ." He answered, shaking the old gentleman's hand.
"Well that's what they tell me!" He laughed good naturedly. Draco relaxed. Years of avoiding people had made him nervous in public, but the old man's good humour set him at ease. Draco browsed the shop while the old man checked his order. The shop wasn't large but it was well stocked and spotlessly clean. No dusty or worn books in sight. He found a few right away that interested him.
"Better double my order for next time." The old man called, catching Draco's attention. "Malfoy's books never stay on the shelf long." He pointed in the direction of a small display near the back wall. The sign above it announced: Draco Malfoy New Release. Sure enough, the shelf was practically empty.
" !" He called. Draco turned to see a young woman about his age reading in a chair near the window. She started. Apparently she had been lost in her reading, a sure sign of someone who loved to read. She smiled at the storekeeper.
"I just got Draco Malfoy's new novel in. Want the first peek?" He called, holding one up for her to see. Her eyes widened in surprise and she rushed over.
"His number one fan, that one." The old man laughed. Draco smiled and watched her. She had long, brown hair that fell to her waist in soft curls. Her blue eyes were bright and intelligent. Her little nose was sprinkled with freckles. She was dressed smartly, but simply. A black dress, a turquoise scarf, and matching turquoise platform heels.
"This is the sequel to Now or Never!" She said excitedly. "It'll reveal whether they escaped the island or not! Oh I can't wait to read it!"
"That Malfoy, he can make a story out of a bottle cap." The old man laughed.
"Oh! but he wouldn't make it just any old bottle cap! It would be a magical bottle cap! And if you found the lost bottle it would take you back in time to a picnic where a couple broke up and you have a chance to change it so they end up together. And when you do it will change history!" She said. Draco just stared at her in amazement. This was one smart muggle.
"That… that was actually very impressive." He stuttered. She blushed.
"It was just an example. Mr. Malfoy is the impressive one." She handed the book back.
"I'll see you next time Mr. Hinklemann." She smiled. "Nice to meet you sir. Please give my highest compliments to Mr. Malfoy." She nodded to Draco and left. Draco looked at the book for a minute puzzled. If she liked it why didn't she…? Realization dropped in his stomach like a stone. There at the top of the cover was the price tag. $39.99. She couldn't afford it. He ripped the tag off and ran after her. She was nearly out of sight. How did she walk so fast in those heels?
"Ms. Motson! Wait please!" He called. She stopped surprised. " .." He panted. "You forgot this." She took it from him, blushing to the tip of her ears.
"Thank you but.. you see I.." She struggled to find the right words. He held a hand up to silence her.
"If Mr. Malfoy heard I let his biggest fan leave without a copy of his new book in hand, he'd never forgive me." He smiled. "Besides, this one is pretty special." He whispered a wandless charm. When she opened the cover she nearly fainted in surprise.
"What.. how.. when?"She stammered. There on the front page, in his own handwriting was written: To my number one fan, Abrielle Motson. Best Wishes, Draco Malfoy.
"Thank you so much!" She squealed. Then she shocked him by giving him a hug. She pulled back shyly.
"I'm sorry." She said softly. "I don't know what came over me, I was just so surprised and excited." He smiled.
"No need to apologize. Now go home and write down that bottle cap idea. It was good."
"I'll do that. Thank you again, this means a lot." She gave him a little wave and turned to go.
"I'll pass that hug along to !" He waved. He stood watching her for a moment. For some reason he couldn't wipe the silly grin from his face. He needed to stop writing these romance novels, they were messing with his head.