Pavartienteredherown bedroom, determined to start her spell to talk with Harry. She knew what she was about to do would be considered breaking the rules of disturbing the deseased. But as she thought before, Harry would want to know what was going on with Hermione. She gathered her spell book from Hogwart's forbidden portion of the library. Soon, she was concentrating on and repeating the incantation to bring Harry's spirit to communicate with her.
"Harry? Are you here?" Pavarti was growing nervous. Had she said the words correctly? Then, as she was about to give up hope, his ghostly self appeared before her.
"Pavarti? What is it? You know this is against the rules, correct?" He didn't wait for her to respond before continuing, "I know you think Hermione is in trouble. I listened very carefully today when she said she's thinking of becoming friends with Malfoy. I think it would do her some good to speak to someone like him. I've seen him watching her, concern etched on his face. I must go now, Ron would like to know, as well as Ginny, if she's all right. The answer to your unasked question has been decided. She will become his friend and we'll be watching. Continue to be a good friend to her, Pavarti. She needs you more than you suspect. Good bye for now." With that, he was gone.
Pavarti felt the tears cascading down her face. He looked just as he had five years ago. His black hair messy as ever, those green eyes piercing anyone's soul who looked into them, and his lightening bolt scar was there, though she suspected it didn't hurt anymore. Pavarti put away her spell book and climbed into her full bed. Covering her body, she fell into a dreamless sleep. She thanked Merlin and Harry before her eyes became so heavy.
Hermione was finishing another chapter in yet another book she'd been reading. Her eyes were so heavy as she thought about the events of her day. It had started out like any other day, reading in the library after her day at the Magic Works Bookstore where she worked. She had read Peter Pan for the millionth time. That's where she'd seen him, Draco Malfoy, the boy who used to give her and her friends hell while going to Hogwart's. He had been so nice to her, she couldn't have pictured it ever happening, had she not experienced it herself. Then going to his muggle home, that still made her mind work harder to figure out why? He had never been interested in her way of life before, and yet, here he was; living as a muggle, working a muggle job. She guessed by the way Pavarti had described his being in the music store on Pince Avenue. She was curious, was that his place of work? She would definitely check it out come afternoon.
Hermione dreamed as she always did, of her life before the war. She could see herself there with Ron, Harry, and Ginny. They had had so much fun until that unfortunate day upon the grounds of Hogwart's; that had quickly become the battlefield for the biggest wizarding war the world had ever seen. She thrashed in her sleep as she re-lived it over, and over again. Voldemort and his Death Eaters entering the gates at school. She and her fellow D.A. members were standing in a line together, preparing for what was inevitably coming…war. She peered to her right where Harry Potter stood, oh so heroically. To her left, Ron Weasley stood, stone faced like she'd never seen him. As she looked left then right, she saw all her friends: Pavarti and Padma Patil, Ginny Weasley standing close to Harry, Luna Lovegood and Nevelle Longbottom standing holding hands, and then the last person she ever expected to be on their side, Draco Malfoy. He had just killed his father, that's when it happened. The death curse flew so close to her, hitting Harry as he had thrown the same curse to Voldermort. That's when she screamed his name, then looking to the rest of the Golden Trio and at Gnny whom had fallen only moments before Harry. She saw them falling, one by one as Death Eaters cast spell after unmerciful spell upon her friends. The last thing Hermione had seen was the ground. Someone had knocked her to the ground, a boy with platinum blond hair. Draco had saved her, she hadn't remembered that. She must have blocked that from her memory. With another painful scream, she saw the Death Eaters coming towards her. That's where the dream ended. Until, tonight, that had been where it always ended with the Death Eaters coming towards her without Draco saving her.
She woke with a jerk, almost falling out of her bed. She felt her forehead, clamy with cold sweat. Why hadn't she remembered that unlikely hero before now? It must have jogged her memory, seeing him earlier that day at the library. Hermione left her bedroom, walked into the kitchen and got herself a cold drink of water. She'd have to go see him tomorrow or was it today? Either way, she'd have to go to the music store and ask why he saved her, the mud blood. She walked back to her darken room, throwing herself beneath the quilt she had grown accustomed to sleeping with. Hermione finally slept a full night with no more disheartening dreams.
Pavarti awoke to the sun peeking through the lavendar drapes of her bedroom windows. Had she dreamed seeing Harry the night before? No, of course not, you broke the rules. You better hope the Ministry of Magic doesn't catch wind of this. She thought to herself. He had said that it was a good idea to let Hermione be friends with Malfoy. Pavarti guessed he knew better than she. He was in the afterlife, able to visit the living to check up on his loved ones. If it was fine with Harry, then it was fine with her. She would tell Hermione as soon as the bushy haired girl appeared to Pavarti. Just as she normally did, Pavarti walked into the kitchen to see Hermione already up, making breakfast before the women had to go to work. Pavarti decided to tell Hermione that she'd had a dream of Harry telling her the information she was about to disperse, that way, Hermione would be none the wiser.
"Hermione, dear. How did you sleep last night?" The witch in question looked up from the frying pan and told her friend of the dream she'd had the night before. This was a morning ritual the duo had developed in the few years they'd lived with one another.
"I can't believe I didn't know that Draco saved me from harm. He threw me to the ground, only the dream revealed this last night. I'd have never known, had he not come up to me in the library." She finished, waiting for her counterpart to speak of her dreams of the night before.
"I dreamed about Harry. He told me that you should be friends with Malfoy, that it would be good for you to finally let go of the past." Pavarti winced as if Hermioine had slapped her when she saw her roommate's facial expression.
"What? I don't think you should tell me that I should move on. You know better than that, Pavarti. I can't let go, no matter how hard I try. And I'm pretty sure you didn't dream that. You have been dabbling in the forbidden spells again. Haven't you?" Pavarti's utter surprised expression was enough of an answer for Hermione. She finished cooking, made plates for herself and Pavarti, then sat down to eat before she was to leave for the bookstore. Pavarti was going to protest, but didn't see the point. As Hermione would never give in to that sort of behavior. The two ate in silence, then both left for their places of work. Hermione to the Magic Works Bookstore and Pavarti to the muggle's clothing store.
Draco Malfoy awoke to the silence of his bedroom. He sat on the edge of his double bed, stretched, and got up to start his morning routine. He walked into his bathroom, took his shower and stepped out. He still became frustrated every time he stepped out and his mirror was fogged. Muggles and their stupid non enchanted mirrors. How he missed the enchanted ones of the manor. They were magiked to not fog when one was enjoying a hot shower. Still, he would probably never go back to the Malfoy Manor. He didn't like being there without his mother. He missed her so much, he hadn't imagined that he would as much as this. The feeling of loss was too much for him some days. But he had Hermione to look forward to, seeing her would make his day. Even though she was unaware that he was there. He knew one day he'd be able to tell her his feelings for her. But he didn't see that day coming anytime soon, she wasn't even willing to be his friend yet. But all in good time, he kept reminding himself. Draco left his apartment, heading toward the music store he was employed. He could appreciate all kinds of music, a feat his mother had instilled in him. He enjoyed his job immensely and never thought he'd enjoy working without magic. But the job kept him coming back each day. He could learn, listen, and even began to play the music he worked with every day. As soon as he arrived, he got ready to greet customers. It was his job to run the register and help any whom asked, even those whom didn't. But today, he thought, would be the day he got Hermione Granger to be a friend. He had a feeling that destiny was about to step in, little did he know that destiny was coinsiding with Harry Potter, his once sworn enemy.
The lost loves and friends he and Hermione had to live without kept a watchful eye upon the two. Even working together to bring the two to a friendship. Blaise, Vince, and Gregory worked hard with Harry, Ginny, and Ron to keep their left behind coherts, happy. It was Blaise who decided to step in to navigate Draco to watch Hermione in the first place. Harry had protested only slightly, he knew Hermione needed Draco as much as Draco needed her. One of the things Ginny had seen to was Pavarti becoming Hermione's flat mate. She'd dabbled a bit in the persuasion of the two women. Hermione and Pavarti had never been close friends in school. But Ginny saw to it that they became such as soon as she'd figured out how to control the sub-conscious minds of people, at least to an extent. As the muggle saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink. She could lead these women to each other, but it was they whom determined the outcome. Luckily, they'd come to the agreement of being roommates. Her accomplishment earned her seeing powers, she was able to watch her friends anytime she liked.
Hermione entered the bookstore, wearing her own clothes for once. The manager was ecstatic. He had always asked Ms.Granger to wear clothes that were appropriate for her job description. Hermione had ignored him, though, seeing Draco made her want to look more like her former self. Instead of the shell she'd become. Hermione loved her job, anything that had to do with books was right up her alley. She sold books, and on her breaks, she read them. She was able to recommend good titles to her regular customers. Those people were like her soul mates in books. She loved learning about their lives as they talked. She could hardly wait to leave today, though. She was eager to learn why Draco had done what he'd done the day of the last battle. She said goodbye as she walked out of the bookstore. The music store wasn't far from her, just a few blocks away.
She entered the music store deciding to look around before she actually talked to Draco. Though, he was the first to notice her, he'd been in the back putting away some compact discs. He walked up to her, looking her up and down. She was wearing her own clothing. He noticed her feminine curves, in all the right places. She had a beautiful figure, he wondered why she even hid it to begin with. But remembered she was still in mourning, hence the black slacks she doned. Her hair was loosely hanging down her back in waterfalls of brown curls. The shirt she wore dipped only enough to tease any whom dared look below her radiant neck. She was concentrating on a particular albumn when he quietly spoke to her.
"Find anything you like, Granger? You should listen to it before you buy it." Hermione jumped slightly as she felt his warm breath just behind her left ear.
"Malfoy, do you make it a habit to sneak up on your customers?" She asked playfully. She wore a smile, like she had when she'd seen him the first time.
He grinned as he answered her, "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sneak. I just saw you and thought I'd say hello." Draco moved a piece of his silvery hair from his right cheek. His cheek bones were still high, and glowing with warmth. She blushed when she realized she'd been staring.
"That's all right. I actually came here to see you. Pavarti told me she saw you here yesterday. I took a guess this was your place of employment." She looked taken aback as he stepped closer. There noses mere inches apart.
"I thought I saw her. So is she your flat mate?" He stepped to the side to adjust the shelf beside her. Brushing her arm as he did so. She felt electricity course through her being, what was that? "Yes, she is. So, can I ask you something? It's somewhat stupid but I must know." He looked intrigued, his steal grey eyes bore intoher chocolate orbs.
"Go on, out with it Granger." He stopped his work on the shelf so his body faced hers.
"Well, last night I had a reaccuring dream about the last battle. Only, something came to me that I suppose I blocked. A vision of you pushing me to the ground in order to keep me from harm. Did…you do that?" Hermione felt the blood rush to her cheeks.
He took a moment to think, had he? "Yes, I did. I'm sorry you never knew before. I was afraid to lose all the people I knew. Does that answer your question?" He took a deep breath, he knew that wasn't the end. This was Hermione Granger, she absolutely had to know every detail.
"Why? I'm a mudblood. Why would you even care enough to see me live?" Hermione's eyes fell to the hollowness again. Draco didn't know what to say. Should he tell her? He had even felt badly as soon as mudblood passed over her gorgeous lips.
"Because, Mione, I wanted to see you live to have a life. One separate from the boy who lived and the bookworm everyone knew. I wanted to give you the chance to be something more than another face in the shadow of Harry Potter." Draco spoke the truth from the depths of his soul. He willed Hermoine to get it, just once. To understand he was in love with her. To his dismay she only uttered 'oh'.
"I guess, that's what I came for. I'll see you around, Draco." She gave him a quick hug before bolting for the exit. She had not been so overwhelmed with emotion since losing the world she had known for so long. Draco Malfoy had just told her he'd wanted her to be somebody. Not just another faceless person in Harry's shadow. But she'd never felt that way, had she? She supposed once or more she may have. But she didn't regret being in Harry's corner. She's rather enjoyed being there for him through all their years at Hogwart's. Hermione rushed home as fast as she could. She needed to speak to Pavarti. She'd never had this urge before, but she felt she couldn't contain the questions running over her already full mind.
Pavarti had just settled down on hers and Hermione's couch when the front door flew open to reveal a delirious Hermione. "What happened? Are you okay, Mione?" Pavarti was concerned, she had witnessed a lot of changes in her friend since the war, but this confused look was a new one.
"I just came from the music store where Malfoy works. He said he saved me because he wanted me to be somebody, some one other than a faceless person in Harry's shadow. What does that mean? I don't understand. He seemed so sincere and even had an air of caring in his voice." Hermione looked even more in distress as she saw the knowing look spread across Pavarti's pretty face.
"Mione, are you that thick? The man is in love with you." Hermione fainted with this information. Pavarti quickly got her a glass of water. Hermione pushed it aside, as she sat up. She looked at Pavarti as if she would kill her for even saying those ridiculous words, and retreated to her bedroom. She had to think, was that the real reason he'd saved her? Hermione had never thought about someone being in love with her. Of course, she had dated Viktor Krum and Ron Weasley. But never had those words been thought, let alone shared. What the hell?
