Pancakes at Dawn
Chapter Two


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All original characters are my own creation and any relation to any persons living or dead is simply coincidence.


"Did you just say Granger?" asked Theo, who was now staring at Draco in confusion. "As in, Hermione Granger?"

Draco ignored him and continued to stare at the woman in front of him. He still couldn't believe she was standing here. Hermione Granger had been missing for the past three years and a large operation had been spearheaded by the Ministry for her safe return, headed of corse by the golden boy himself, Harry Potter. There had been no sign of her and by now, many magical folk had assumed she was dead. He knew that Potter had never given up hope of finding her and to this day, there were still posters of her face as she had been when he had last seen her, young ,barely eighteen with a head of bushy brown hair. The woman in front of him looked completely different to the girl in those pictures. Her hair was sleek and her face was full of make up however he could still see her. He gave her a smile and offered her his hand.

"Care to come for a chat?" Draco asked her, genuinely interested to hear where she had been and what she was doing here. She looked at him for a few seconds in silence before shaking her head.

"I'm not sure that is such a good idea, Malfoy."

"I'm asking for a chat, Granger, not your bloody hand in marriage."

He smirked at her when she laughed despite herself, shaking her head at him.

"Hermione? Is everything alright?" asked the brunette woman behind her, now looking at him with a strange expression on her face.

"Everything is fine, love." Theo assured her from Ashleigh's side, glancing between Draco and Hermione with strange fascination..

"Hermione?" pressed the tall brunette, looking concerned for her friend.

"Everything is fine, Becks." Hermione gave a small smile and took her hand, giving it a small squeeze of reassurance. Once her hand was free, she lifted her purse from her bag, Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a twenty pound note and handed it over. "Go grab some drinks for the girls. I'll be over in a minute."

"If you're sure you'll be okay?"

"I'm positive," Hermione replied with a nod, glancing back at Draco.

"Ash, you coming?" the brunette asked the blonde who shook her head.

"I'll catch up, Rebecca." replied Ashleigh, tucking a strand of stray blonde hair behind her ear as she continued to stare at Theo with a flirty smile. When he grinned back at her, charming as ever, she spoke. "Now, about that drink?"

Rebecca cast a final glance at Hermione before wandering down the bar to find a member of staff who wasn't already occupied.

Draco's eyes were still locked on Hermione, watching as she smoothed down the front of her blood red dress. She glanced up at him and sighed.

"If you want to talk then we can talk, Malfoy but not here."

"Where?" he asked, offering her his hand once more.

"Outside." she said. This time, she took his hand and began to walk, leading him towards the door.

"Keep an eye on Theo. I'll be back." Draco muttered to James on his way past, giving him a pat on the shoulder as a parting gift.


"What the hell are you doing here, Malfoy?"

Hermione had dragged him into the alley behind the bar where it was quiet, only the distant thumping of the music could be heard from inside the building. The minute she had let go of his hand, she span around and crossed her arms across her chest, raising an eyebrow at him. He thought she looked delectable like this, arms crossed, legs slightly apart and those heels-

"Malfoy!" Hermione's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"I don't think my being here is the strange thing, Granger." He responded with a pointed look. "Or am I missing something? Have you not been missing, presumed dead by the Ministry of Magic for the past three years?"

"That's not your concern." she snapped.

"I'm betting Saint Potter would be shocked to see you here, alive and perfectly well yet somewhat tipsy. What do you think he would say? His golden girl running off to get drunk in some muggle club."

"It's not your concern so leave it, Malfoy." Her teeth were ground together now and she looked like she wanted to clock him straight in the jaw.

"Relax Granger." said Draco. "I'm not about to turn you in. If you want to live your life away from Potter and Weasel, who am I to judge?"

She seemed to soften at his words and she let out a small sigh, screwing her eyes closed for a second. When she opened them, she found his deep grey ones staring back at her intensely.

"I just wanted to be free." she said simply, looking at the ground, angry at herself for even being here in front of him. Draco understood her words more than she knew.

"Don't we all." he replied, cocking his head to the side as he continued to stare at her.

"It wasn't to do with Harry and Ron, for your information. It was the wizarding world but it's a long story and something I would rather not discuss with the likes of you." barked Hermione.

"Ouch." chuckled Draco, hand on his chest feigning chest pains. "How about you come back inside and I'll buy you a drink?"

"No thank you. I think I'll just stay out here and get some fresh air."

"Is that a good idea?" Draco glanced warily around them, the alley dark and unnerving.

"I can take care of myself." she insisted with a shrug.

"I don't doubt you can, Granger." He said with a smirk. He bent down to the ground and picked up a small rounded pebble. He cast a quick 'Scourgify' before he transformed the rock into a black suit jacket, something very similar to many he had in his wardrobe at home. He took a step closer to her and placed it gently around her bare shoulders. She reached up and pulled her hair from inside the jacket, looking up at him. "It's cold out."

"Thank you," mumbled Hermione and he nodded his head.

"When you're ready, I'll be inside."

With that, he turned and began to walk away. After a few steps, he turned to look at her while walking backwards, a small smile creeping onto his face.

"Oh and Granger?"

"Yes?"

"You look bloody fantastic."

His smile turned into a smirk and he left the alley, leaving Hermione to stare after him. She could feel her cheeks burning and she knew she was blushing. Letting out a breath she didn't even notice she was holding, she pulled the jacket tighter around her. He was right, it was cold out. A small smile emerged as she thought of him and she felt her stomach flutter. Looking up at the night sky which was clear and full of stars, she sucked in a breath and followed after him.


Hermione stepped back inside the buzzing bar, glancing around through the sea of people for a face she recognized. She found his blonde head quicker than she wanted to and let out a sigh. She noticed he was surrounded by a group of men on bar stools and in the middle of them was Ashleigh, her closest friend who had seemed to take a liking to one of Malfoy's friends. She wandered across the crowded dance floor and heard her friend shout across to her.

"Hermione! There you are!"

"Ash? Shouldn't you be back with the girls?"

"I probably should but they're all having way too much fun over there." She pointed over to the table where her four other friends were laughing over a shared cocktail pitcher. "And I was having way to much fun with Theo over here."

"Evening Granger," he smirked at her and Hermione noticed him for the first time. Her best friend had taken a fancy to Theodore Nott, pureblood Slytherin.

"Theodore." she answered stiffly to which he rolled his eyes.

"Please, it's Theo," he insisted. "Only my father calls me Theodore.""

"Very well."

"Theo was just telling me how you know each other from school and Draco-" Ashleigh began but was cut off.

"-Has got you a drink," A deep voice from her left side said and she turned her head to see Draco handing her a glass filled with red liquid and ice. She took it from him, looking up at him with a confused look.

"Vodka and Cranberry?" she asked and he nodded.

"Ashleigh told me it was your favourite."

"Thank you," she said, a shy smile making it's way onto her face.

"Come and sit down with us," Ashleigh said to both of them. "There is plenty of room in our booth."

"We wouldn't want to intrude and our friends are probably waiting for us to move." said Draco, motioning to the three men who were now slightly further up the bar who were mid-conversation.

"Don't be silly!" the blonde replied. "They're more than welcome to join us too. The more the merrier, right Hermione?"

Ashleigh turned to Hermione and looked at her pointedly, clearly nudging her head in Theo's direction. Hermione took a sip of her drink and rolled her eyes at her friend attempting to be subtle. She glanced across in Draco's direction for a second before nodding her head.

"Of corse." she agreed, smiling at both Draco and Theo.

"Great! Then it's settled." grinned Theo, slipping an arm around Ashleigh's slender waist. He turned his attention to his three other friends. "Oi!"

James looked up first and hopped off the bar stool, his drink sloshing in the glass as he did."What are you shouting about?"

"Grab your drinks," said Theo." We're moving."

He pointed to the booth where the four women were sitting. Jack, Andrew and James squeezed between Draco and Hermione and began to follow Theo and Ashleigh through the crowd of grinding bodies. Draco began to walk until he felt a hand grab at his arm. He looked around to see Hermione gripping him.

"Granger?"

She took a step closer to him.

"They're muggles, Malfoy." She said in a low voice which he struggled to hear over the pounding music. "They don't know about me."

He nodded. "Understood. Like I said before, Granger. I'm not here to disrupt things. I'm just here to enjoy a drink with my friends."

"Ash seems to have got rather attached to Theo-"

"Granger, you have nothing to worry about. He's a flirt but he is harmless. He won't hurt her."

"But he's a pureblood and she's a-"

"A muggle?" he said, raising his eyebrow. Hermione's eyes drifted down to the ground. "Do you think if that mattered we would be here in a muggle bar? He doesn't believe in that bullshit any more. I don't believe in that bullshit any more."

Her eyes trailed up to meet his once more and as she stared, she felt herself getting lost in them.

"I'm not the same man I was. That's not how I think any more." He reached down and tucked her hair behind her ear with a small smile, his fingertips ghosting across her cheek.

"I can see that." she said quietly, her mouth curving upward.

"Now come," said Draco, slipping his hand into hers. "I'd like to meet the rest of your friends."

With a small nod, she took a sip of her drink before she began to negotiate the crowd, trying not the spill any liquid from her glass with Draco following close behind her.


Here is Chapter Two. Let me know what you think by leaving a review.

-Dreamer