Six years is a long time to be gone,she thought miserably, things are bound to be different.Hermione Jean Granger stood at the mouth of Diagon Alley, having just come through the secret entrance from The Leaky Cauldron. She looked up and down the bright, cheerful street and couldn't help but feel like she had missed out on a lot. It had been seven long years since The War ended, and six since Hermione had up and moved to New York City, USA. She gave an involuntary shuddered; just thinking about the war and the year after was enough to drive her to tears. I've missed out on so much, the whole rebuilding of our worldshe thought glumly, wishing that she could go back and change time.
"Ronald, I love you" Hermione said breathlessly. They'd been together numerous times, but to her each time was different – like being with a new lover. "Ronald Weasley, you're my future." She whispered.
Ron looked down at the beautiful brunette in his arms. "I love you to 'Mi, but I need to talk to you about something important." Ron replied in a rather serious voice.
Hermione's breath got caught in her voice. She couldn't help but think 'this is it; he's going to ask you to be his wife...' "Go ahead and say whatever it is you need to say Ron, though I'm sure I know what it is." She smiled up at him warmly, lovingly.
"Hermione," Ron started, "I think that we should just be friends. I don't feel the same for you as I thought I did...and to be frank, I've met someone else. I haven't really spoken to her, but I think she might be the one. I'll just leave and let you think, I've very truly sorry for the pain I have caused you." And with that, he was gone, leaving Hermione to cry herself to sleep hoping that this was all just a cruel dream.
After 7 months of dating, she was not expecting to be left broken hearted. Nor did she expect Ron to go off and marry Daphne Greengrass, of all people. It took three months of seeing them together to drive Hermione towards the idea of leaving everything behind. No one should have to watch the person they love fall for someone else, that's just a cruel thing to think. Hermione felt a small tug on her arm, ripping her out of her thoughts, and looked down. She felt a wide grin spread across her face as she looked into a pair of big ocean blue eyes. Sienna always had the ability to make her happy; Hermione wasn't sure what she would have done all these years without her daughter. Four years old,thought Hermione, she's gotten so big. I cannot believe tomorrow is her birthday.
"Well, my darling, let's get to Pansy's Parlour to meet Uncle Harry." Smiled Hermione sweetly, taking her daughters hand. The small girl simply smiled at her mother and started off towards the ice cream parlour. It was hard to think that she was only four years old, though she was very small, Sienna was a very quick learner. She was already able to read, write and articulate well at the small age of four. It frightened Hermione to think what her daughter would be like in 7 years when she went to Hogwarts. She shook that thought out of her head, the last thing she needed was Sienna disappearing on her so fast. They walked up the alley in silence, Hermione absorbed in her thoughts and Sienna absorbed in the world around her. This was, in fact, her first time in London – let alone Diagon Alley. "We're here my love; now let's find your uncle."
"Hermione Granger is that really you?" sounded a painfully familiar voice from behind her. Hermione spun around and was at a loss for words. Pansy Parkinson was, for lack of a better word, different. Granted it had been 7 years since Hogwarts, but the changes this witch had gone through truly amazed Hermione. Pansy had let her black hair grow out, now it fell just above her hipline. She looked nothing like that pug-faced Slytherin Hermione remembered. Her starburst golden-green eyes were highlighted by a simple line of black liner, and that was it for the makeup. Not even lipstick. Not that she really needed it, she looked simply radiant. "Close your mouth Hermione, you look like a fish gasping for water!" Pansy laughed, in her tinkling laugh. "Harry just floo'd me, he said to tell you he would be a little late. He just needed to make another stop then he will be right over, so about an hour." She smiled and gave Hermione a small hug and with that she was gone back to work. The parlour looked amazing. After the war and after Pansy had finished her schooling, she had purchased Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour (renaming it Pansy's Parlour in the process) and restored it to its former glory.
"Mummy, I know you're thinking, but I was just wondering if we could go to the book store. I would like a new book, please?" Said the four-year old, as sweetly as she could, looking up at her mother with hope glinting in her big blue eyes.
"Yes, I think that would be a lovely thing to do until Harry arrives. Let's go darling," replied the mother, smiling back down at her daughter. Hand in hand, Hermione and Sienna made their way to Flourish & Blott's – Hermione's favourite shop in Diagon Alley.
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Draco Malfoy had been gone from London for six long years. 6 years is far too long to be gone from such beauty,thought Draco sourly. He wouldn't have left if it hadn't been what his parents insisted upon, he would much rather have stayed and helped Father clear the Malfoy name. It had been Mother who, in the end, convinced him that leaving a while would be best. Draco had moved to Washington, where he got a job working in the US ministry – in the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Things were going good, and the only honest reason he moved back to London was because the London Ministry offered him an offer he couldn't refuse. Draco Malfoy was going to be the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. It was a job that he had been working towards for 6 years; he wasn't just going to let it pass him by. Draco walked down Diagon Alley, looking at all the stores, part of him wishing he could have been there to help rebuild it all. As he walked down the rather crowded street, Draco decided to visit his favourite shop, Flourish & Blott's. It was filled with books, shelves upon shelves. He remembered coming here in his childhood years just to waste away the time and soon found himself wandering the shelves. He hadn't been in there more than five minutes, when he heard a small whimper. Draco looked around, but no one was in sight, so he continued to walk around. A second, a louder whimper sounded, followed by "Mummy?"
"Hello?" called Draco, when he got no response, he continued to walk. Suddenly he felt a small tug on the pant leg of his trousers. Draco looked down wide-eyed and found a pair of the biggest, bluest eyes he had ever seen. When Draco realised that the little girl was in obvious distress, he knelt beside her on the ground.
"Hello miss, my name is Draco, are you alright? Where are your parents?" he asked calmly, truly worried about the small doe eyed girl. He took a minute to look at her. She had huge blue eyes, and curly chocolate brown hair. As he looked at her, the small girl stared back at him completely unafraid. Blast, he thought, she can't be more than 3 years old! Where are her parents? So he asked again "Miss, where are your parents?" The small girl merely shrugged, she looked down at the small teddy she was clutching in her hand then back at Draco.
"Hello, Mr. Draco, my name is Sienna" she said in a small voice, "I seem to have lost my mummy, will you help me find her?" With that, her big, vulnerable eyes filled with tears as she looked into his silver ones. Draco couldn't help it; he drew the small girl into his arms and got up.
"Well, Miss Sienna, let's go find your mummy. Where do you suppose she may have gone?" he asked politely, with a small smile the girl simply shrugged again. "How about we go find a clerk and ask them if they have seen your mother? That seems like a fairly good place to start."
"SIENNA? WHERE ARE YOU? SIENNA, COME TO MUMMY!" a shrill voice screamed.
"MUMMY!" exclaimed the girl, struggling to get out of Draco's arms. "Are you coming Mr. Draco? Mummy is calling for me." With that said, she grabbed his large hand with her small one and all but dragged him towards the sound of her mother.
"Oh Sienna!" gushed the girl's mother, running and pulling her daughter into her arms. "Oh Godric, where have you been? You've worried mummy so much! Don't do that again, do you hear me?"
"I'm sorry mummy, I was looking at a story book and when I looked up you were gone! And then Mr. Draco found me and he was helping me find you." replied Sienna, in a very calm matter-of-fact manner, something Draco found familiar. Draco took the time during the exchange to look at the mother of Sienna. She had similar brown curly hair, a soft complexion and a petite frame. She is rather beautiful, thought Draco. However, Draco did not get to observe her for long. As soon as the words had left her daughter's mouth, the strange witch spun towards him. He started to open his mouth to introduce himself, but he was interrupted by the witch.
"MALFOY?" The woman exclaimed, her brown eyes growing wider with shock.
"I'm sorry, do we know each other? I daresay, I don't think I would have ever forgotten someone as beautiful as you." He answered as her shocked eyes took him in. "What, may I ask is your name?"
"You've got to be kidding me!" She exclaimed throwing her hands in the air, "how on earth can you not even remember who I am? You only made my life a LIVING hell our whole time at school" she said in a shrill voice.
"Mummy," the small girl giggled, "you said a bad word!"
"You can give me a punishment when we get home, Sienna. I have something to deal with right now, Go sit at that table and look at this book" answered the mystery woman, handing her daughter a book called "Sleeping Beauty"
Before taking the book, the small girl put her eyes on Draco and pulled on his sleeve, trying to get him to kneel down so she could whisper something to him. "Mr. Draco, I thought you should know I don't have a daddy." she whispered in his ear. With that, she let go of his sleeve, grabbed the book and went to sit at the table her mother pointed at.
"Now Malfoy," sneered the woman, grabbing Draco's arm and pulling him into an aisle of bookshelves - her touch gave him goose bumps, even though his dress shirt. "Would you like to inform me what the hell you were doing with my daughter and where exactly you were taking her?"
Draco surveyed the woman, he liked how her cheeks were red from anger and worry, and he liked the way she spoke to him. It was as if she didn't care that he was Draco Malfoy. Or perhaps, that's why she is talking to me like that, thought Draco. "Well, I was walking through Diagon Alley and decided to come in here," he started "as I was walking between the shelves, I heard someone make a small whimpering sound so I looked around, and that's when I saw Miss Sienna. She tugged on my pants and asked me to help her find her mummy, which I am assuming you are. So I took her in my arms and was about to take her to find an employee and get their help, then you showed up saving us time." he stated. Now it was her turn to look at him. My, oh my, thought Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy sure grew up while he was in America. I don't ever remember him being this handsome. She looked him up and down, stopping on his left hand. No ring? That's strange, she thought. She then heard him cough, attempting at disguising a laugh very poorly.
"You're staring at me Miss...I'm sorry; I still don't know your name." Draco started.
"Oh come on Malfoy, look at me. You must recognise someone you bullied at Hogwarts for 6 years." Hermione stated calmly, trying not to sound too haughty as she crossed her arms over her chest frowning slightly.
Draco pondered what she had said for a moment, and it hit him like a bag of bricks. He hadn't seen it before, and if she hadn't mentioned Hogwarts, he probably would never have. "Hermione?" he said in disbelief. Hearing Draco Malfoy say her first name sent shivers down Hermione's spine and made her short of breath. Afraid of speaking, she simply nodded. HOLY CHRIST, thought Draco,she is nothing like I remember. Where the hell is the buck toothed little girl from school? How the hell did she change into this beautiful woman in front of me?"I cannot believe it, the little muggleborn is all grown up" he said in voice of awe.
"I could say the same about you, Malfoy." she muttered, scrutinizing him with her big brown eyes. "When did you even come back? Last I heard you were all the way in America." she added, refusing to give away the fact that, she too, had run from everything
"I've only just got back a few hours ago, to be honest. I'm more interested to know how you came to be a mother and where your husband, Weaslbee I'm assuming, is?" Draco retorted, knowing from what the little girl told him, she wasn't married.
"Ha, Ronald and I? Sienna is not his daughter, nor is he my husband. You sure have been out of the loop for a while." she rolled her eyes. "Sadly, I do not get to be the one to fill you in Draco; I must be off to meet Harry at Pansy's ice cream parlour," she added, forgetting that he didn't know that they were friends. All hate between the "good" and "bad" had been long forgotten.
"Pansy, as in Pansy Parkinson… Since when are you and Pansy on a first name basis, let alone speaking at all," scoffed Draco.
"It seems to me like someone needs to be filled in on a lot" replied Hermione taking him by the hand and dragging him over to her daughter, rolling her eyes and ignoring the chills she was getting all the while. "I must be going now, I'm already late. It was…uh, good to see you Malfoy."
Smiling, Draco took a deep breath and looked at the woman in front of him. It's hard to believe I used to torture her when we were children,he thought and sighed to himself,I wonder if she would give me a chance to show her I changed. Taking a deep breath, he took her hand in his, and brought it up to his lips. As he kissed it softly, he simply replied, "Goodbye for now, Miss Granger." With that, he turned on his heel and was gone as quickly as he had appeared, leaving Hermione to stare after him with wide eyes
