Hey all! This is my first published Dramione, and I am super excited for it! Thank you to beatlechicksteph for editing, no matter how many copies of the story I throw her way. Shout out to CJRed for being my test reader and encouraging me to publish!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. The photo I used for this fic was commissioned by lewandallons-y, and drawn by Little Chmura—thank you to them both for giving me permission to use!
Seamus had been begging her to go on a date with him for the past two months. Annoyed by his constant nagging, she finally gave in hoping he would stop his crazy antics. Throw in the towel so to speak.
So far, Hermione had to admit that she was somewhat enjoying herself at the Wizarding carnival Seamus had brought her to. He had played skee-ball and won her a giant teddy bear, which he now had slung over his shoulder. They were now seated at a picnic table near the food vendors with the Deep Fried Oreos he had purchased for them. Enjoying her treat, she thought back on the night she told her best friends about the date.
When she had told Harry and Ron about her date with Seamus, they were happy that it was a fellow Gryffindor and close friend. She rolled her eyes remembering the conversation.
"That's great, Mione! Seamus is a great bloke," Harry said.
"Yeah, he's been talking about you forever," Ron added.
Hermione internally groaned at their responses. She almost—no, she wanted them to be revolted at the idea. "He might be, but I just really don't want to date him," she told them, icily voicing her disappointment.
Ron did offer suggestions to get Hermione out of the date, but she knew he had ulterior motives and was doing it for completely selfish reasons. After their kiss during the Battle of Hogwarts last year, he made it clear that he wanted more. She would never date Ron either—it was too difficult to hold an intellectual conversation with him. 'That was rude,' she thought, but Ron just didn't think things through clearly which was obvious when he tried to help Hermione out of her date.
"You could pretend to have a broken ankle," Ron suggested.
Hermione huffed, "Ronald, I am a witch remember? I can fix that almost immediately."
"Oh right…"
"I am only going with him so that maybe he'll stop conveniently marching himself into the Auror office pretending to be there on important ministry business, but really anticipating to see me or speak to me," Hermione said accepting defeat.
What she said still stood true—she was only doing this so he would leave her alone. It wasn't the best plan, but she had never been good at relationships, especially when fending off unwanted advances. As much as she didn't want to be on the date with Seamus, she was hoping the press wouldn't see them out together and start a controversy. Looking around, she saw Rita Skeeter and her posse wandering around the carnival looking for trouble.
Tossing her Deep Fried Oreo into the trash, she formulated a plan inside her head. Seamus wouldn't like it because it included ditching him, but she didn't intend on letting him in on the plan.
Turning to Seamus, her mouth dropped. He was waving at Rita Skeeter to join them. While they were both distracted—she took her chance.
Sprinting away, she heard her name being shouted, but she didn't turn to see who it was. Hermione knew she was being followed, and needed to get away quickly. Reaching the gates of the carnival, but unable to concentrate to apparate, she sprinted towards downtown where she could hide within the walls of a business.
The first business she came to was a department store and it was closed, however the next one she came to was hopping with night life. She briefly saw the sign out front stating The Piano Bar, but she didn't hesitate and rushed inside.
Not wanting to draw attention to herself, she made her way to the restroom to freshen up and spend some time regrouping.
Looking in the mirror, her hair had lost the sleekness the Sleekeazy's Hair Potion had provided her bushy locks. Not having a brush, she combed her fingers through her hair as best she could, and placed it in a bun at the nape of her neck.
The rest of her appearance was fine, but carnival attire was probably not appropriate for The Piano Bar. Skilled in Transfiguration, Hermione transfigured her shorts and tank-top into an appropriate summer dress, and her trainers into gladiator sandals that wrapped up to just below her knees. Her scar bearing her blood status was still out in the open, but she was long over hiding it with glamour charms.
Pleased with her appearance, Hermione decided she needed a drink and made her way to the bar. As she was still in Wizarding London, she needed to keep a low profile in case that cow Rita Skeeter was still looking for her. Ordering a pint of firewhiskey, Hermione took a corner seat and felt the liquid burn down her throat.
Glancing briefly at the tables nearby, she saw several familiar faces, but none of them paid her any attention and that was fine by her.
Never being in a Piano Bar before, Hermione took a moment to take in her surroundings. She noticed there were booths lined against the walls, and two-person tables scattered throughout the space. The lighting throughout the bar was scarce; she assumed it had been dimmed to set the mood. In the corner directly across from her, there was an elevated stage with a black grand piano.
At that very moment, a thin and balding man stepped onto the stage. The chatter died down, and Hermione noticed the excited looks on the patrons' faces.
"Welcome, welcome to the opening night of The Piano Bar," the man said. "My name is Edmond Carver, owner and operator of The Piano Bar. I would like to thank each and every one of you for supporting us in this endeavor. Tonight, I would like to welcome English classical composer, pianist and teacher, Vincent Fawley."
Hermione applauded lightly with the rest of the crowd and allowed the man to continue speaking.
"Fawley attended Manchester Academy until he received his Hogwarts letter in the early summer of 1964. At Hogwarts, Fawley had a deep interest in the arts and found his niche in The Frog Choir. Wanting to continue his musical pursuits after Hogwarts, Fawley studied at the in magicis universitates musicorum. Fawley's melodies, musical development, use of modulation and texture, and characterization of emotion set him apart from his influences, and heightened the impact of his early works. Without further ado, please welcome Mister Vincent Fawley."
The crowd gave a roaring applause, Hermione joining them. After that introduction, she was extremely curious about the wizard. In all her studies she never once came across him, although he seemed to be quite accomplished and well-known in the wizarding world.
She was mesmerized as he started to play, watching his fingers float across the keys. He was a passionate player, with a slouched posture, head down and eyes closed—almost as if he was visualizing the music behind his eyelids.
So immersed in the music, Hermione did not notice the stranger approaching her booth with determination glinting in his eyes.
"Fancy seeing you here Granger," the stranger drawled.
That shook Hermione out her trance—she had heard that voice before. Slowly moving her head to face the stranger, her jaw dropped.
She would recognize those grey eyes anywhere. How could she forget the look of hatred that crossed them many times throughout her years at Hogwarts? She was looking into the piercing eyes of Draco Malfoy.