Chapter 2! I haven't gotten any reviews yet :( so please please review! I would really like it if you did, and besides, the review button is feeling neglected.

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Chapter 2

Whatever activities Draco Malfoy planned that day, running into Hermione Granger was not one of them. Hermione Granger, the Know-It-All mudblood who he had despised for seven years straight. Of course, he should have at least thought about running into her, going into a muggle bookstore and all. It was funny, if someone had told him two months ago that he would be going into a muggle bookstore anytime soon, he probably would have hexed them into oblivion.

Draco was still in the park after having yet another run-in with Granger. He climbed the tree that she had recently jumped down from and sat there for a good ten minutes thinking.

His father had kicked him out of the house when he had refused to join him. Lucius was planning on taking over Voldemort's place of becoming all powerful and wanted Draco to follow him. He had many bruises that were scattered across his stomach and arms from where his father had beat him when he refused to take his side.

So Draco fled. He got as far from Lucius as possible, which had eventually led him to a small flat in a small town, secluded where his father could never find him. He was actually going to the bookstore to get something to put in his near empty flat, and had seen Granger there. He was definitely surprised and was mulling over how he didn't recognize her at first. How couldn't he recognize her?

He had to admit she looked a lot different now. Taller, leaner, hair not as bushy and untamable. But she was still the same Granger he knew, so why didn't he recognize her?

Draco sighed and jumped down from the tree, no longer having a reason to be sitting up here. And when he thought about it, he didn't have a reason to be up there in the first place.

Seeing Granger made him think about school starting in a week's time. He had been selected as Head Boy, and Granger had no doubt been selected as Head Girl. Even though he despised her to no end, he still had to admit that she was in fact the smartest witch of their age. He didn't think she knew, or she would have brought it up. She was very straightforward; he knew that much from their fights. He was happy that he would be safe from Lucius at Hogwarts, no longer having a threat hanging over his head twenty four seven. His mother, Narcissa, was away having made up with her sister Andromeda, and wasn't around to talk Lucius out of kicking Draco out. She would be absolutely livid when she found out, but she was staying at Andromeda's for another three months, so it would be a while before anything happened.

Draco looked at his watch. One-thirty. He turned in the direction of his house, while taking out the book he had just purchased. It was just some muggle fantasy story that he really had no interest in buying, he had just wanted to get out of that store and away from Granger.

Skimming through the pages, he decided he would give the book a try when he got back to his flat, having nothing better to do. He couldn't get a job, he barely knew how muggle things worked, and he wasn't in the mood for publicly humiliating himself anytime soon. It wasn't as if he needed the money, his family had enough of it and he could just take it straight out from under Lucius's nose. His father wasn't the most observant person when it came to money, he just had it, knew he had it, and loved to flaunt that fact.

It had been a while since he had called Granger a mudblood, and it had felt good at first to do so in the bookstore, but now he felt slightly guilty. Guilty of all things! Merlin he was going soft.

The war had changed his views. Seeing how Voldemort ruthlessly killed muggles and mudbloods—muggleborns—alike, he was no longer prejudice against them. There was no point. Just because their blood was different, it gave him no reason to hate them. Being raised his whole life to hate anyone who wasn't a pureblood, he hadn't known what else to do except live up to his father's example and hate them. Granger especially. Lucius had been very, very angry when she had surpassed him with her grades for the first time. So he had hated her. Hated her for being better than he was. He was always second when it came to him and Granger. And hated her for becoming best friends with Harry Potter, instantly making her famous because she was part of the "Golden Trio". Not that he wanted to be part of that, but they still surpassed him in everything, and he hated it.

Now he had not as many reasons to hate her. Now that the war was over, he didn't have to worry about picking sides, but he still disliked her out of habit.

Coming up to the door of his building, Draco pushed it open and felt the blast of cold from the air conditioning and was instantly grateful. He had always liked the cold, it was always comforting. More comforting than heat. Nodding respectfully at one of his neighbors, he walked inside the lift, and pressed the button for the fourth floor. Counting the numbers of the floors under his breath, he tapped his foot impatiently as the lift moved with an agonizingly slow speed. Once he reached his floor, he walked down the long hallway to the eleventh flat, and turned his key in the lock. Walking into his flat, which was considerably colder than the rest of the building, he turned all the lights on and put a kettle on the stove to make tea.

Tea had always calmed him when he was distressed. His father was after him, he knew. Despite kicking him out of the house, Lucius still needed followers, and his son would be the perfect example. Draco had no intention of joining his father however, because he had no desire to be evil. Self-centered and arrogant wasn't as bad, not good, but not evil. Being truly evil was something that he never desired and would never desire.

Sitting down on the couch, he picked up the remote to turn on the television. The television was one of his favorite muggle inventions. He liked to have it on as he wrote—he had started becoming interested in writing books—because he decided that he enjoyed the background noise. Pulling out his notebook that he had made himself, he continued writing a story that he had particularly liked.

Soon, after writing furiously for about an hour, he unknowingly nodded off to sleep.

Hermione

Hermione woke up from a dream that she already couldn't remember and rubbed her tired eyes. Looking at her watch, she saw that it was around seven-thirty in the morning, and could hear her mother downstairs bustling around in the kitchen.

Sitting up, she reached over to her bedside table and picked up her contact lenses container. Once she had put her contacts in, she put the container back on the table and dragged herself out of bed. She headed to the bathroom to put the daily spell on her hair to make it smooth. Once she was done, she walked downstairs and was greeted by the smell of eggs and bacon that were being served on the table.

"Good morning, Hermione," Jane said greeting her daughter. "Did you sleep well?"

Hermione just nodded and sat her place at the table, pulling her plate towards her and starting to chew on a piece of bacon. Jane sat down in the seat across from her and eyed her curiously.

"Are you okay, dear?"

Hermione nodded again and mumbled something that sounded like "Tired" and continued to eat. Her mother smiled fondly at her and started to eat her own breakfast. Hermione looked around and noticed that her father was not with her.

"Where's dad?" she whispered, her voice cracking from lack of use. She spoke quietly and at first wasn't sure if Jane had heard her, but when she looked up, her mother responded.

"He had to go to work early, he'll be back later."

Hermione nodded and quickly finished her breakfast. Putting her plate in the sink, she thought about what she would do that day. She considered going to St. Mungo's to try to apply for an internship, but she didn't know if she would have time. Jane walked up next to her and put her dishes in the sink before turning to her.

"I'm going to be at work until late tonight, so feel free do just hang around the house. See you tonight sweetie," her mother kissed her cheek quickly before getting her purse from where it hung off of one of the chairs. She said another quick goodbye to Hermione before walking out the door and it slammed shut behind her.

Hermione sighed and sat down at the table again. She supposed she should have been used to this, being alone frequently. Due to the awkwardness of not talking, and just the general distance she put between herself and her parents, she really shouldn't be surprised at her parent's lack of attempts to get closer. She couldn't help being a little disappointed, however. They were her parents after all.

An insistent tapping on the window broke through her thoughts. Looking over, she saw that Pig, Ginny's owl, was flapping his wings crazily, in an attempt to stay airborne. Chuckling lightly, Hermione decided to put the poor owl out of its misery and opened the window and held out her hands for him to settle in. Closing the window again, Hermione got a bowl out of the cupboard and filled it with water, setting it, and Pig down on the counter. While Pig drank gratefully, Hermione untied the attached letter from around his leg and opened it, grinning when she saw that it was from Ginny.

Hermione,

I just got your letter, and I'm sorry about what's going on with your parents. Mum says it's just a matter of opening up to them, and I agree. Maybe telling them a little about the war will let you get closer. Just a thought.

And on the subject of you coming early, we would love to have you! Without you with us it's not the same. Harry and Ron say the same thing, we all miss our best friend! I need some new clothes as well, so we'll definitely have to go shopping together. Would today be alright?

On the matter of me and Harry… we're not together yet officially, but we're working on it. He's been really focused on his studies, working on the summer assignments from the school. Shocker huh? Harry actually studying?

Anyway, I'll see you soon—hopefully today to fix our whole clothes ordeal—and remember what I said about your parents!

Your friend,

Ginny

Hermione smiled as she ran up to her room to get some parchment, and scribbled down a reply about how she would love to go out for clothes that day, and that Ginny should come by at noon. She tied the letter to Pig's leg—he had already finished off all the water—and sent him off out the window.

Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was ten-thirty, and it was time for her to get ready. She ran up the stairs and into her room and threw on her favorite green t-shirt and a pair of jeans, and then ran to the bathroom to run a brush through her hair and hastily brush her teeth.

When she heard the pop of someone apparating coming from downstairs, she grinned and ran downstairs to find a girl a little shorter than herself with fiery red hair.

"Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed, throwing her arms around her friend. She let her mute façade fade away now that she was with her friend.

"Hey Hermione," Ginny said chuckling, while hugging Hermione back.

" I haven't seen you in forever!" Hermione said when they had pulled away.

Ginny rolled her eyes, "It's only been three weeks."

Hermione shrugged, "I know."

Ginny grinned, "Now, where are we going to start?"

Hermione grinned back at her and practically dragged her out the door, listing store name after store name.

When Hermione finally returned from her long day out with Ginny, she set down the many bags she had in the living room, and went into the kitchen where she saw her mother bustling around in the kitchen, but her father was nowhere to be found.

"Where's dad?" Hermione asked as she got some dishes out of the cupboards and put them on the table.

Her mother sighed, "Another emergency at work."

Hermione stared at her blankly.

"Mum, he's a dentist," she said. "What kind of emergency could possibly be going on?"

Hermione watched, concerned as her mother put the pot of macaroni and cheese on the table and then sat down.

"Mum?" she asked. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, Hermione, everything's fine," Her mother replied shortly.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

They ate dinner in silence. Hermione was mulling over what could possibly be keeping her father away from the house, and what had her mother so upset. They couldn't be… no. Her parents were too close to be separating now.

About ten minutes after they started dinner, her mother excused herself, once again leaving Hermione alone along with her almost full bowl of macaroni. Hermione sighed and picked at her food. Was she the one driving her parents apart? She shook the thought away immediately. If she was the problem, her parents surely would have talked to her about it by now. So if it wasn't her that was the problem, what in the world was?

Hermione sighed for what felt like the millionth time that night and began putting the dishes away, and putting the leftovers in a plastic container in the fridge. She walked slowly up the stair and stopped by her mother's room. The door was open and her mother was currently watching TV… or looking in that direction anyway.

"Mum?" Hermione asked tentatively.

Her mother slowly looked over at her and Hermione's heart ached when she saw a torn expression in her eyes.

"Um… I'm going to the Weasley's earlier than planned. Tomorrow actually."

Her mother just stared at her.

"Okay?" Hermione asked. "Mum?"

Her mother just shrugged and turned back to the TV. Hermione walked into the room, closing the door softly behind her, and sat next to her mother on the bed and took her hand.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing, Hermione."

"Well it's obviously not "nothing" if it's affecting you this way."

"Hermione, please just let it go."

"Let it go?" Hermione asked incredulously. "Mum you're upset, and you know I hate seeing you upset."

"Hermoine!" Her mother snapped, and Hermione winced. If her mother was so upset she resorted to snapping at her, something was seriously wrong.

"I need to be alone for a while," Her mother's voice was gentle again.

Hermione sighed, but nodded and got up, and just when she was going to open the door, her mother spoke.

"Have a good time with the Weasley's."

Hermione looked back and smiled gently.

"Thanks mum," she said. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay," her mother replied. "I love you."

"I love you too."

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