A/N: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, it's characters, and plot. She has always owned it and will always own it. We own nothing but the plotline to this fanfic and the Original Character(s). The end and enjoy!
Chapter One: Welcome to Castle Rock!...Sortof
Hermione
I stood before the beautiful little log cabin. 'Why was I here again?' I wondered. Oh yeah, Dumbledore. I sighed and gathered up my belongings. As I made my way up the steps and onto the porch, I recalled the conversation I'd had with the head of the Order of the Phoenix last week.
I was washing dishes after dinner at the Order's headquarters when Dumbledore entered the kitchen. I could feel his piercing blue eyes boring into my back.
"You look tired, Hermione." He commented. I wrung out the wash rag and hung it up to dry. Then I dried my hands on a towel before turning to face him, leaning against the cabinets, "I am."
"Take a vacation." He said suddenly. I frowned, taking a vacation had never crossed my mind before I was to busy and there was so much going on. I didn't have time for a vacation. Besides, I couldn't afford one. Dumbledore must have sensed my hesitation. He smiled.
"Hermione, dear, Ron and Harry are gone on a mission, you're staying here because your parents are wearing on your last nerve, but you're lonely here." He reached into the pocket of his robes and pulled out a pamphlet. He handed it to me. It was for Castle Rock, a tourist resort. I had been there several times as a child, but it was way too pricey for me. I opened my mouth to say I didn't have the money, but Dumbledore held up his hand for silence, I shut my mouth.
"Don't worry yourself, dear; I'll take care of it." I started to protest but he interrupted, "No, no I've already made arrangements for a reservation and a down payment on a cabin. You leave next week."
So here I was. Standing in a quaint little cabin, so I could 'get away from it all.' I certainly was away from it. I was willing to bet I wouldn't see another witch, wizard or magical being for the next few weeks. I actually smiled. That sounded really pleasant; no magic, no Harry or Ron, who could be bothersome at times, no Voldemort and his nonsense, and best of all, no Malfoy, who had been insufferable the last few months of our 7th year. He'd also been by Headquarters several times to talk with Snape, and it almost seemed like he'd gone out of his way to be a jerk to me.
I made my way down the small entrance hall after setting my bags to the side, pictures and paintings of beautiful landscapes hung on the walls. I opened the first door on my left to discover a small den. There was a large stone fireplace with a blue throw rug before it. A soft orange and brown couch faced the fireplace; an end table with a lamp was on the left. I grimaced at the clashing colors until my attention was drawn to the right wall where a large empty bookcase sat next to a desk. The left wall had a bench between two large windows, and that was it. I was happy to see the bookcase because I had brought an entire trunk full of books. I exited the den, leaving the door open and went across the hall to another door, behind which was the dining room.
It was pretty small, and it didn't take long for me to walk around the room. I went around the little four-seater table to a swinging door in the corner. After going through that door, I was in a small, but sensible, kitchen. I was pretty good at cooking, so that pleased me. I passed through the kitchen and went back into the hall through another door. Between the door to the den and a door that I assumed led to the bedroom was a bathroom with an adjoining door. Behind that door, and might I add that I was getting very tired of doors, was the bedroom. Surprisingly enough, the bedroom was the biggest room. It had a king-sized bed with lots of pillows, and a large wardrobe, dresser, vanity, and at the foot of the bed, a chest.
The last room of the cabin was at the very end of the hall, next to the kitchen. It housed nothing but a washer and dryer.
I was famished, so I decided to unpack later and instead headed down to the mall to look around and eat.
The mall was pretty small, just like the rest of Castle Rock(1), but I didn't care. I had bought some bourbon chicken from a Chinese place in the food court. It had been yummy and I was content. My birthday was next week and nothing could spoil this vacation! And then I walked into someone, knocking his hat off. I had been window shopping so I didn't see him. I picked up his hat, muttering my apologies, and handed it back to him. When I saw his face I froze.
Platinum-blond hair, a strong nose, cold gray-blue eyes. The tall young man before me was the person I hated almost more that Voldemort himself. He was the last person I wanted to see and the last person I expected to see at a muggle tourist resort.
"Malfoy." I said coldly, "What are you doing here?" He didn't answer for a while, just glared at me. Then he smirked.
"I was about to ask you the same, mudblood." He sneered. "I'm guessing you just couldn't stay away from me, perfect pureblood that I am."
I laughed, "Yeah right, Malfoy. Keep dreaming. It's none of your business why I'm here. And I've decided I don't care why you're here." With that I left him standing there. I headed back to my cabin in a foul mood.
Draco
'Great!' I thought as the pretentious mudblood stormed off, 'Not only am I stuck in a damn muggle resort, now I've got to deal with her!' The light outside was filtering to orange and the muggles were filing in, so I decided it was time to go.
I went back to my quiet cabin. There were other around it, all of them built in the same cookie cutter form. I knew because I checked to see if anyone was "living" around me, no one was here and no one had arrived in the three days I've been here. I liked it that way. I didn't have to deal with any mudbloods, so I was able to use magic, and I had enough space to think.
Thinking…it was the whole reason why I was here, and I had done it….a lot. The part that bothered me most though was that I still didn't have any answers to the questions that have been driving me mad.
'Should I join my father, the man I hated the most, and help Voldemort rise to power, thus becoming one of the deluded Death Eaters for the rest of my life? Or should I help Snape, a respectable man, and assist the Order, going against everything I had been raised up to be? Do I abandon my mother to the whims of that hateful bastard I call Father? Do I ignore my gut and do as I'm told? Which do I hate more, Potter and the Order or my father and Voldemort? What's the best outcome? Who will get hurt in the process? What am I supposed to do?'
I stopped in front of my door and leaned my forehead against the cool wood, closing my eyes in order to help my thoughts stop from whirling around my head. I opened my eyes and stared at my feet. Something was off. I blinked and realized that a stream of light was shining across my shoes. I turned my head following the path of light to its origin. The cabin next door had its den light on, but the curtain was closed, so I couldn't see in. I scowled at the intrusion and opened my door. 'Guess someone moved in after all.'
[1 This is not Castle Rock, Colorado it is still in England, and is just the name of the resort they are staying at. Sorry if there was confusion.