Author's Note
Numbers in [brackets] denote footnotes, which you can find at the bottom of the chapter.
Nothing from the wizarding world of Harry Potter is mine.
~ Refictionista, June 27, 2016
§ Alpha Centauri §
the journey to a new home
Earth that was[1]. A regrettable memory of polluted water, extinct flora and fauna, and squandered natural resources.
Wizarding kind saved the human race. At least, they did like to say as much. With some refinements to Apparition, magic enabled ships to be capable of interstellar travel. Bubble Charms developed into the protective force fields around those fragile spacecraft. Finally, a combination of Petrificus Totalus and bewitched sleep put the majority of passengers and animals into suspended animation.
Only select Muggles knew the truth, as the Statute of Secrecy still applied. Wizards may not have built the arks, but they made Project Exodus possible.
Lt. j.g.[2] Draco Malfoy was one of the few who remained awake for the journey to humanity's new home in the Alpha Centauri system. The multiple star system may be the closest one to the Earth's solar system, but the journey was still going to take the ark ships fifteen years.
He had never realized how long fifteen years was until he found himself stuck on the same vessel day after day, undergoing the same routine.
Draco had been chosen to be a member of the crew for his proficiency as a Potions Master... and the knowledge of Dark Magic that he earned during the Wizarding War of 2493. The wizard thought it was odd that they wanted someone with the... skills he learned while serving under Overlord Voldemort... yet the savior of the wizarding world, Harry Potter, and his brilliant sidekick had insisted.
Who was to argue with the brightest witch of their age?
"Galloping gargoyles, speak of the witch herself," Draco muttered. He watched from his station on the command deck as the only other wizarding crewmember on the ship not sleeping in a hibernation pod stepped out of the access conduit.
Unlike some of her female Muggle counterparts, Lt. Hermione Granger never seemed to wear anything that defined her as feminine. Her blue Project Exodus uniform was the same sexless coveralls that the rest of the crew wore, and those were utterly boring. Each day, her hair would be pulled back into a sensible bun, with only the few stray wisps of curly hair escaping from the tight coil.
Still, there had always been something about the way she moved. Draco had stopped trying to ignore the Muggle-born witch these past few months.
It might have been that he had no interest in Muggle women, and that he no longer considered Hermione to be one of them. Outdated, pureblooded notions that caused the final war be damned. This was a new age... and soon a new planet would be their home, far away from the bigotry of his past.
"Lieutenant Malfoy," she said as she walked past him and sat down at her station. Her greeting was neither friendly nor dismissive, but the corner of her mouth twitched.
"Lieutenant Granger," he replied with a nod.
He did a subtle double take: Hermione looked different. It took him a moment to figure out the change.
"You look... nice. I see you finally used the Sleekeazy's Hair Potion I made for you," he said with a hesitant smile.
"I did." She touched her hair and smiled back. The soft curls pulled back into a loose chignon made her face seem softer. "I know it was a hassle to recreate the formula, but you did an amazing job."
"It was hardly a hassle. I had to cut down on my storage and had an unnecessary excess of Asian dragon hair. It seemed a prudent way to use up some supplies." He chuckled. "Well, that or tossing them out the airlock. What prompted you to finally try it?"
"I had to do some repairs on the exterior shielding again. For some reason, the pressurized suit made my hair even bushier than usual. It was impossible to tame using the sonic showers. Then, I remembered your potion. Thanks again for making it."
"You're welcome, Granger." He turned back to his console, missing the disappointed look she gave him as if she had wanted to continue the conversation.
Their shifts didn't share the same rotation on the command deck for another two weeks, and Draco resigned himself to not seeing her again until then. However, Hermione showed up in the galley, two days later, seating herself directly in front of him.
"Mind if I sit here?" she asked.
"Go right ahead, Granger."
"You know," she said, shaking out her napkin, "you could call me Hermione when we're off duty."
She was smirking; he returned the expression.
"Only if you called me Draco," he replied nonchalantly.
"I'll do that... Draco."
"Then I'll call you Hermione." He paused. "Are we going to be friends now?"
"I want to be," she said, shrugging.
"You do remember who I am? What I've done?"
Hermione looked at him, not blinking. It was a moment before she replied, "I know that you served your time on Azkaban Station." She looked out the porthole into the inky blackness of space, twirling her fork between her fingers. "Everyone here is hoping for a clean slate when they reach Alpha Centauri, but that will only happen if we all agree to forget and forgive the past. As far as I'm concerned, you've earned your redemption."
"Is your fiancé as understanding?"
She turned back to Draco. "Ronald and I aren't engaged anymore. Why else do you think he is serving on the NCC Griffin[3] while I'm here on the Phoenix?"
"I assumed the Golden Trio wanted to keep an eye on me, and that you or Weasley would Portkey over to visit each other."
"We could, but we don't."
He watched as the witch opened her mouth as if to say something and then closed it.
Just before he asked what was on her mind, she said, "I'm more interested in who is in front of me."
Draco's eyes widened, and he smiled back at her.
Perhaps the next fourteen years wouldn't be so long after all.
§
Footnotes:
[1] Firefly quote.
[2] Lieutenant (junior grade) - I've used US Navy ranks for this fic, so Draco ranks above ensign and below lieutenant. This is equivalent to a first lieutenant in the other US military services (the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force) and sub-lieutenant in the Royal Navy.
[3] Taken from ship designations in the Star Trek universe. NCC was a three-letter prefix first used on Earth starships, then eventually used for ships in service with Starfleet.