Authors Note: First off, I'm REALLY SORRY that I didn't update sooner but after I published the first chapter I admit I didn't really want to write, I was just lazy. Then I was in the beautiful city of Prague with my English course and when I came back my parents told me that my grandmother had died while I was away, needless to say I felt very bad for having such a good time while my family was grieving. Now, five weeks after the funeral, I've started getting some ideas and have finally gotten around to writing. I ope you will enjoy this and stick around. Bear with me people!
Thanks SO much to all of you who have reviewed, you helped me a lot with this chapter and would love it if you continue this and point out the mistakes i may have made.
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Hermione looked around in amazement, over the years Diagon Alley hadn't changed much. It still looked pleasant and inviting, up ahead she saw the amazing architecture that was Gringotts. She felt drawn towards it – she still had her account in that bank, she never got around to closing it before she went into hiding. Pondering over the possible choices only a second she decided to enter, she knew for a fact that a wizards account wasn't deleted, even after their death. She gasped as she saw the monumental entrance hall, it always amazed her how these goblins could have built this extravagant building. She briskly walked over to the counter and looked up at the tiny goblin sitting there.
"I'd like to visit my vault, please." She said confidently "Hermione Granger" and she showed him the key that has always been attached to her key chain.
He looked at her a moment, slightly astonished to see her after all these years. Hermione was a fairly prominent witch in England after helping Harry (along with Ron, of course) fight against Voldemort numerous times and then disappearing, the goblin wasn't fooled by her changed appearance.
"Very well, Miss Granger. Follow me." The goblin said and gracefully descended the steps that led towards the carts and eventually to Hermione's vault.
The ride didn't take long and they were soon coming to a halt in front of vault number 752, oh how long she hasn't been there. The door swung open as she turned the key, her heart beat slightly faster. There before her was more gold than she remembered owning, surprised, she looked at the goblin. He gave her something that resembled a crooked smile.
"Your friend Harry Potter put money in your vault every year on your birthday since you have been missing, he thought you could use it if you ever decided to come back, he was one of the few who did not believe that you were dead, Miss Granger." He said solemnly and cleared his throat. "I will leave you alone now, if you wish." Hermione shook her head.
"No, thank you, I will just grab a sack of gold and then I'm done here." She replied giving him a smile. She was astonished that Harry would do such a thing, she felt a sudden pain in her heart for leaving her friends – who obviously still loved and missed her very much – without a goodbye. She grabbed a sack of gold and they made their way up.
As she stepped into the sunlight again she saw a flash of red hair – it must have been one of the Weasleys – there wasn't anybody else with hair that color. Hermione craned her neck and saw Ginny Weasley walking towards 'Madam Malkin's', without thinking Hermione followed the red-haired witch. As she got closer, she saw that Ginny was carrying a toddler of about a year and a half in her arms. Hermione's jaw dropped, she had missed so much! Ginny was a mother!
Inside the shop, Ginny was browsing the racks of robes and Hermione got a good look at the two. She was thinking about who Ginny could have married when the child turned to look at Hermione, she could only gasp at the little girl's raven black hair and bright green eyes. Harry. This child can only be Harry's. tears sprung to her eyes, she felt bad and guilty all of a sudden. She hated herself for running away but at the same time she couldn't bring herself to say anything to her.
Ginny heard a gasp and turned to look for the reason of it. She saw a woman about her age that was staring at her daughter. Ginny cleard her throat and Hermione loked up like a deer caught in the head lights.
"Oh, I'm sorry." She stuttered "I didn't mean to be rude or anything." She quickly averted her eyes, for she had forgotten to wear contacts today, even if the chances of being rcognised were very slim. Ginny looked at Hermione with a thoughtful look on her face 'I've seen this woman before.' She thought
"Do I know you?" she asked, looking at Hermione closely. Hermione looked down further and mumbled something along the lines 'No, I wouldn't know where.' And hurried away. Ginny stared after her and realization hit.
"No." she breathed "It can't be her." She put a hand to her head, rubbing her temple to fight the oncoming headache. She decided to try her luck, she just had to know.
"Hermione!" she called after the woman, she didn't turn around, but ginny saw her freeze for a moment before she ran, before ginny could react, she was gone. And ginny felt a rush of sadness overcome her. Had this really been Hermione? And if it was, why didn't she say anything? Why did she run away again? Deep in thought, ginny tightly heldon to her daughter and apparated home.
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"Harry!" Ginny called as she apparated into their living room. As soon as her husband heard his wife calling so frantically he bolted into the living room to see what was wrong. Ginny set her daughter down and met her husband in a tight embrace in the middle of the room.
"Harry" she said faintly, looking up into his deep green eyes "I saw her, I really saw her!" Harry looked bewildered, but only for a moment.
"You saw Hermione?" he asked, clearly astonished but glad that nothing bad had happened. Ginny only nodded.
"In Diagon Alley. Shewas staring at Melinda and I was kind of rude when I caught her staring… oh Harry! What if I scared her away?" she sobbed into her husbands broad chest. Harry stroked her back soothingly.
"No honey, you didn't scare her away, I'm sure of it. But what does bother me is why she turned up all of a sudden and why she hasn't contacted us." Said Harry as he pulled his wife closer.
On the thick rug on the floor, Melinda was playing with a toy wand and gurgled happily, oblivious to what her parents were going through at the moment. Harry pulled his wife onto the couch and sat down next to her.
"No matter how, but we have to find her, we can't let her run away again." He said sternly. Ginny nodded numbly.
"She looked so different, Harry. But it was her, I just know it."
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Draco Malfoy was sitting on the black leather couch in his living room with a glass of rum in his hand. He had gotten home from his appointment several hours ago and quite frankly, he was bored out of his mind. He started to read a book but his thoughts kept wandering to a certain witch and at one point he gave a frustrated sigh shutting the book with a 'snap'. Draco threw the book onto the coffee table before him and ran a hand subconsciously through his platinum blonde hair.
He got up and walked over to the book shelf and pulled out his graduation year book from Hogwarts, if she was in his year at Hogwarts then he would find her in this book. He started to flip through the pages every once in a while he would stop and look at a picture more closely but dismissed them after a few seconds. About halfway through the book he spotted a picture that usually he wouldn't have stopped to look at.
It was a picture of the muddblood Granger, what bothered him most was the fact that she winked at him, granted it might have been directed towards the person taking the picture but it seemed otherwise. There was a slight similarity between the two but he dismissed that thought almost as soon as it came. Granger was a loyal supporter to Potter in the fight against Voldemort, she despised everything that had to do with the Dark Arts – a Gryffindor . That and the fact that she had been missing for about five years and most likely dead by now – there's no way that it could be her.
"It would have been too easy if she were in my year at school." Draco muttered and put the book back into place. He glanced at his watch and groaned again, it was only five o'clock, at least four hours until he could see her again.
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Hermione ran towards the wall that separated her from the 'Leaky Cauldron' with tears clouding her vision. She leaned against it panting from her run. 'Oh my god.' She thought. 'I can't believe she recognised me! I can't let them find me.' "I can't." she said faintly.
"Excuse me, ma'am, do you need any help?" asked a man that appeared next to her. Hermione whipped around to face him. It was Seamus Finnegan.
"I – I lost my wand, could – could you open up the gate for me?" she asked with a smile. The wizard smiled at her with concern apparent on his face but complied nonetheless. She gave him one last grateful smile and hurried through the pub and back into muggle London, fully ready to go back home and sleep for hours and hours.
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Harry, Ginny and Ron sat at the Potter's kitchen table and talked about Ginny's discovery. Ron's jaw practically hit the table in front of him.
"You saw Hermione?" he asked dumbfounded "My Hermione…" He added quietly. He rested his head in his hands, this was becoming too much for him. Ginny reached out and put her hand over his to tell him that they were both there for him as it would probably hardest for him.
Before Hermione disappeared she and Ron had been dating for close to two years and Ron had been close to asking her to marry him. He had been heartbroken and didn't speak to anybody for several months, after he had supposedly gotten over her Ginny started to set him up with one of her friends every now and then but that never worked out, according to Ron, nobody ever compared to Hermione – his Hermione.
"We'll find her, Ron. I know we will." Harry said and gave him a reassuring smile, even though he wasn't so sure himself.
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It was nearing ten o'clock and Hermione started to get ready for the club. She was exited about meeting up with Malfoy again, she was absolutely sure that he would show up. But Hermione decided not to look too anxious to meet him again, she would have fun tonight – she needed to stop worrying about Ginny and the fact that she had probably informed all of her old friends by now and they would start looking for her again.
Hermione decided on a black denim skirt that stopped at mid-thigh and an emerald green halter top, the color fit well with her hair now that it was black. She pulled her raven mane into a messy ponytail, a few strands escaped the tie but she decided against re-doing it – it had a little edge to it now, she thought. Silver hoops, a silver necklace with a ruby as a pendant and the same hells as the day before completed her outfit. She was already out the door when she went back to get her wand out of her drawer. Hermione hesitated for a few moments in front of the open drawer but then reached out and grabbed the long wooden stick. It had been over three years since she had last touched it, as soon as her fingers grasped the wooden material she felt a wave of energy surge through her. She smiled, it felt as is she had never stopped being a witch. Now she was ready to go, a quick glance at the clock told her that it was almost 10:30 and she hurried out the door.
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Draco Malfoy sat at the bar of 'The Hot Spot', glancing at his watch nearly every ten minutes. He scowled as he ordered yet another tequila, he didn't even know why he drank that stuff, he preferred fire-whiskey. 'But SHE drinks tequila' a nagging voice in his head told him. He was about to yell at the stupid voice in his head as he saw her enter.
She spotted him right as she entered, she even smirked at him, he had already gotten up and started to walk over to her when a rather tall and gangly looking guy with mousy brown hair asked her to dance with him. To his horror she said yes! He was sure that she only did this to annoy the heck out of him, he took her as the type of woman who does not want to get involved with lame guys like the one she is currently dancing with and has the guts to tell the bloke. He scowled at her and retuned to his seat, watching her as she danced closely with the guy in front of her.
In the middle of the third song Draco couldn't take it anymore, he waltzed up to the pair and tapped the bloke on the shoulder. He turned around only to be met with the most menacing stare and scowl Draco could manage, he didn't need to be told twice and hurried away.
Hermione looked up at him with an eyebrow raised. "He was touching your ass!" Draco exclaimed. Hermione chuckled.
"Jealous, are we?"
"No!" he huffed. "But you promised me we would meet again tonight."
"I didn't promise you anything, Malfoy." She drawled "I merely said that I would be here tonight." She smirked and Draco was about to retort when she cut him off. "I'm thirsty, I haven't had my tequila yet." And with that she walked towards the bar with Draco following her, she needn't look around to know that.
So, what do you think? I've started the next chapter, I just wanted to get this out really bad!!!
XoXo
Imke
Review please??? Pretty please with a cherry on top???
