Chapter Two
Hermione
After that weekend, Hermione was relieved to return to the order at her office in the Ministry. She sat behind her desk, took a deep breath and began to work on the stack of documents in front of her. The Ministry had created a new department after the war, The Department of Magical History. She was pleased when her rotating internship brought her here. She had been a part of recent history, and the history of Magic had always fascinated her. Today she was working on the influences of the wizarding world in the medieval Muggle society. She was, of course, an expert on the more recent wizarding history, but she didn't want to face that today. It would make her think too much Malfoy and after about this weekend's encounter, all she wanted to do was forget that strange night and even stranger morning. She had even sent his clothes back as soon as she returned to her apartment Saturday morning.
Absorbed in her work, she thought of nothing other than English and French Muggle history, trying to discern any wizarding influence. Around mid-morning, a package was delivered to her office. It was wrapped in brown paper and addressed in an unfamiliar hand. She opened the package and her clean clothes from Friday spilled out. Oh, she thought, Malfoy. She picked up the clothes to move them to her desk drawer and a note fluttered out.
"Granger –
Your clothes, cleaned as promised. I was serious about the bill for the shoes as well.
Malfoy"
Why did Malfoy give her shoes a second thought, she wondered. The Ministry job hadn't made her rich, but she could afford new shoes and she felt insulted. Was Malfoy flaunting his money again after all this time? She had turned down his money once before, whether he knew it or not.
After the war, the Malfoy family, as part of their punishments, had been ordered to pay reparations to the people they had hurt. Hermione's share had been quite large, but she had absolutely refused to take one Knut. She would buy her own damn shoes. Feeling angry and more than a little confused she tried to return to the medieval world.
Draco
After he had sent off the package with Granger's clothes, Draco was at a loss for what to do with his time. The Cauldron wasn't open yet and he had no fire whiskey in his house, so drinking was out. He had no friends or even acquaintances to pass the time with anymore. Everyone had shut him out after the war and the following trials.
He sat on his couch and tried to read Friday's Daily Prophet. He skimmed the headlines, but couldn't concentrate on what any of them actually said. He stood up and began to pace his living room. What the hell was that with Granger this weekend, he thought to himself. Why had he even bothered getting her clothes back to her? He should have just thrown them out, that's what Draco Malfoy would do. But he didn't feel like Draco Malfoy anymore. He felt empty and defeated. The aristocratic Malfoy family name meant nothing anymore. He wanted a drink so badly right now he was almost shaking. He needed to get out of this tiny, bleak apartment. He decided to take a walk to try to calm himself until the Cauldron opened.
Hermione
Some old habits die hard and Hermione had never lost the desire for the Muggle drink cappuccino. After the package with her clothes arrived, she struggled to regain her focus on the historical documents on her desk. She read and re-read passages from a parchment dated 1091, but she just could not concentrate on history anymore. She decided a coffee and some fresh air were just what she needed. She told Angelina she was leaving and headed out of the Ministry.
The day was bright and sunny and Hermione slowed her pace as she left the Ministry's doors. She meandered, almost aimlessly through the streets near the Ministry. Her head was beginning to clear and she could already smell the wonderful scent of coffee drifting into the street from her favorite café. The she snapped back – the smell of coffee also was reminding her of the debacle on Saturday morning. Why, she angrily asked herself, why am I finding Malfoy at every turn today? True, the strange night was in her most recent memory. But she had spent the last two years forgetting him, and had done a bang-up job. She really hadn't thought about him at all before Friday night. She sighed, shook her head as if that would clear her mind and stepped into the café.
Draco
He wandered the bright streets, squinting even though he had his dark sunglasses on. The cursed Muggle things, he hated them at first. But his frequent hang over's necessitated something to keep the sun from making his eyeballs explode. They had now become a habit.
As he passed through a particularly bright and cheerful patch of sun, he closed his eyes. And ran right into someone. He opened his eyes and was looking down at none other than Hermione Granger. Again. He removed the sunglasses and tucked them in his side pocket.
Hermione
She left the café, sipping her cappuccino. The coffee was having the desired effect and she was feeling calmer and clearer. She turned a corner, raising her cup for another sip and ran smack into someone who obviously wasn't watching where he was going.
"Hey, watch out!" she said as the cappuccino spilled down the front of her shirt. She tried wiping the coffee with her hand but only succeeded in smearing it across her shirt and now her sleeve.
She stepped back from the man she had run into and looked up at him. Malfoy. Ruining her clothes again.
"Malfoy-"she began
"I've spoiled your clothes again, Granger" he said. Was there a hint of smile in his face? Of course there was, any time he could harass her was probably still a good day for him, she thought.
"And no extra sweatpants or tee shirts in sight" he finished. He grasped her elbow and pulled her into a side street that was practically deserted. He pulled his wand from his inside coat pocket, pointed it at her shirt and muttered a charm that appeared to suck the coffee from her clothes into the wand.
"There, all better" he said as they walked back to the main avenue.
"Th-thank you" she stammered. Malfoy gave her a half grin and raised one eyebrow. Then he turned and walked away. The whole encounter had happened so quickly she barely had time to digest it. But the whole walk back to the Ministry, her elbow seemed to burn where he had touched her.
Draco
After his run in (literally) with Granger he headed straight to the Cauldron. Even if it wasn't open yet, he supposed there were plenty of places in London where he could drink, and if he ever wanted a drink, now was the time. In that alley way, he hadn't just wanted to clean Granger's shirt. As he pointed his wand at her chest, he felt an insane desire to push her against the wall and kiss her until she fainted in his arms. Not good. Not good at all.
That night, as he had done the night before, he slept curled around the tee shirt she had worn. He could still smell her scent on it. And, as had happened the night before, the nightmare never came.
Author's note
The ideas are pouring out for now, I hope they keep up! Thanks for the reviews and follows, they are much appreciated for a first effort! I am trying to stick to canon pre DH epilogue, if you spot mistakes, please let me know.
