I would like to thank everyone who expressed their sympathies for my grandfather. I would also like to give a special thank you to Ravencries for your review. I think you're the first reviewer to realize, or at least tell me you realize, that The New Chick is really Hermione. Hurray for self discovery!
On with the story!
XFrom Last TimeX
"Hello, long time no see," was all she could muster as silver eyes met brown.
He smirked sexily. "Ain't that the damn truth?"
Chapter 3: Reunited
Hermione couldn't help but smile back. The glint in Draco's eye was infectious. He had always had very powerful eyes: the slightest hint of arrogance or disdain could fuel Hermione's anger while any mirth could make her smile. Draco's eyes were slightly guarded tonight, but he seemed in relatively good cheer.
"How've you been, Draco?" Hermione sat down across from her former lover, still not breaking eye-contact.
"Alive. And you?" Draco replied shortly, sipping his drink.
Hermione took a moment to do the same before responding. "Fine. Surviving. Had you heard that I was the Minister's assistant?" She blushed slightly with pride.
"Of course."
"Then you know the gossip? What they write in the papers?"
"What gossip? I don't read the papers."
"Then how do you know my job?" Hermione stared at him keenly.
"I have friends within the ministry," Draco responded mysteriously. Hermione rolled her eyes. "But what is this fascinating gossip you speak of?" He was smirking again.
"Same old garbage. You remember those lesbian rumors?" He nodded. "Those are still around. And for some reason the Daily Prophet likes to theorize about my love-life, lesbian or heterosexual."
"So you're seeing someone then?" Draco couldn't stop the slight frown that escaped the otherwise strong control he held over his facial expressions.
Hermione smiled at his disappointment. "No. Are you? Did you finally marry Pansy?" She smirked at his disgust. "Then do you have a girlfriend?"
He simply shook his head. He was staring at her intently and Hermione felt as though his eyes were burning into her. There was a slightly awkward silence for a moment as they stared at each other. Then Draco surprised Hermione by breaking the silence suddenly. "Would you like to dance?"
"Yes," was all that she could say.
They stood in unison and he took her small hand in his own larger one. They walked forward together, still looking at one another, and took up a place on the dance floor. It was, of course, a slow song. If any of their former classmates found it odd to see Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy dancing together no one said anything. Even if they had spoken, the couple wouldn't have heard; Hermione and Draco felt cut-off from the world. They floated in their own world, eyes seeing only the other, ears hearing their matched breaths. Hermione could barely even feel the floor anymore: all she could feel was his body pressed up against her own.
"You've certainly stayed in shape," Hermione murmured after a time, hand lightly squeezing his biceps.
"I have a lot of free time. You've lost weight," He tightened his grip around her slender mid-section, drawing a squeal from the surprised Hermione. She slapped his arm gently.
"Are you implying, Malfoy, that I was fat before?" She raised an eyebrow at him, making sure he knew to answer the question the right way.
"Not fat, merely a little bit more... voluptuous," Draco answered carefully. "Either way, you looked good then and great now, that's all I meant to say. Honestly, a man can't even give a simple complement anymore." Hermione rolled her eyes, but they were both smiling.
"You never answered my first question properly," Hermione stated after a few more moments of silence. "It's obvious that you've been alive, but how are you really? You know all about my life and I know nothing about yours."
"That's a difficult question to answer. More difficult than I'm sure you intended it to be." Hermione looked at him questioningly. Draco decided he felt like clarifying. "Well, overall I guess I've been alright. After all, like I said before, I have been alive, so I guess in that respect I've done fairly well. But I haven't been happy," he said it frankly, in a matter of fact tone which made it clear how serious he was. At this time he was studying a lock of Hermione's hair which he had twisted around his finger, carefully avoiding her searching gaze. "I don't have a job to throw myself into, I haven't got any real friends, only acquaintances, most of whom I can't really stand. The only family I've got is my mother, and you know how I feel about her. So I alternate between boredom and loneliness." He paused, took a deep breath, and continued carefully. "And I spend a whole lot of time thinking about you, and us, and why things didn't work and what life might've been like if they had." At this he looked into Hermione's eyes.
She could hardly breathe. Those silver eyes were full of such open sadness that Hermione could hardly bare to look into them. But bare it she must, because Hermione knew for a fact that that pain was her own doing and that she must confront and accept it. So she didn't flinch and she didn't look away. She did, however, tighten her grip on Draco, holding him as close as she could and letting him know, without words, that she understood.
"Draco, I–" she began, but she was cut off by a loud bang as some slammed open the main doors to the Great Hall.
"Well, as I live an' breathe!" Shouted someone in a loud, fake southern accent. "Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy, dancin' in each otha's arms. Well, who'da believed such a blessed occurrence could take place here, in these hallowed halls? I mean, I sho did, but how could anabody else without my gift o' prophecy? Lode knows, even I am slightly winded by this discov'ry."
Pulling out of Draco's arms, Hermione whipped around to see a most welcome sight: the elusive Jule stood on the lintel of the Great Hall, staring intently at Hermione and smiling broadly. Hermione yelped in delight before racing over to greet her old friend.
"Jule, you look wonderful!" Hermione cried, embracing the American witch.
Most of the former students in the Great Hall that night would beg to differ. Jule's hair was vibrantly purple and worn in a short, spiky mohawk. The rest of her head was covered in short, brown stubble. Her ears were as covered in metal as ever and she had the new decorations of a nose ring, an eyebrow ring, and a lip ring. She positively glittered. Her lipstick was deep red and her eyes were outlined darkly in her usual black eyeliner. Her bare arms and upper back held several tattoos: a golden lion rampant, in honor of Gryffindor no doubt, covered her upper left arm. A large bat was tattooed in black on the back of her neck and her right upper arm was encircled by a black, Celtic band.
In contrast to her rather peculiar general appearance she wore an elegant, long black ball gown. It was much finer and more classic looking than Hermione's own dress, which she liked to think was rather fabulous. But, true to Jule's nature, when she held up her skirt to step forward the same black boots she had worn all through school adorned her feet.
"Did you get that dress at GemKay?" Hermione asked casually, leading Jule across the dance floor towards the table she had shared with Draco. Draco, lurking over by the wall now, scowled at this interruption. There he was, baring his heart to the only person he had ever loved, and her lesbian best friend stole her away as always.
"Darlin', I am GemKay," Jule answered flippantly. "Started out on a cart in the wizarding part of the Village (A/N: for those of you who don't know anything about New York, the Village is a part of downtown Manhattan where weirdos such as Jule tend to hang out. Unfortunately, most of those weirdos also happen to be poseurs. I also personally believe that any New York Diagon Alley would most likely be located there.) and just sort of sprouted from there."
"The name certainly fits," Hermione smiled.
"I did think I was awfully clever when I came up with it," Jule had dropped her southern drawl. "But let's ignore my fabulous success and talk about yours! Little miss future Minister of Magic. That's pretty exciting, eh? And dancing with Mister Draco Malfoy. You two married yet?"
"Actually we broke up right around graduation. He finally figured everything out."
"That's what happens when friends fall out of touch," Jule announced. "You're always about five years behind the news. So, anyone else interesting in your life?"
Hermione faltered here, considering her options carefully. She had always been extremely honest with Jule, and even though five years had passed she felt as close to her as ever. But should she reveal the secret she had kept, even from Harry and Ron, for the five years since graduation?
"You could say that," she eventually said.
"Ooh, a man?"
"No."
Here Jule's interest was really sparked. "A woman then?"
Hermione, smiling and laughing softly shook her head. "Not exactly."
"Well, who then?"
"You'll find out eventually, if you decide to stick around long enough." Hermione looked Jule up and down. She looked so similar and yet so different. Happier, for one thing, and healthier besides that. "You are going to be here for a while, aren't you?"
"Well, if I'm asked sweetly..." Jule trailed off. Hermione batter her eyelashes at her and smiled winningly. "Who could turn down a request like that?" Jule laughed.
"Jule?" Harry's voice came incredulously from behind Hermione's head. She turned around to see him and Ginny, holding hands, and staring at Jule.
"Harry Potter, I do declare. And accompanyin' the young Miss Weasley, how absolutely charmin'," Jule was drawling again. "And look, anothah original GemKay design. Ya'll certainly do spoil me."
"Excuse me?" Ginny smiled in polite confusion.
"Might I present," Hermione began by way of explanation. "The creator of GemKay, Jule McKay."
"Congratulations, Jule!" Harry slapped her back exuberantly. Clearly the days when he might try to give her a "congratulatory" kiss were gone.
"Why thank you, my dear," Jule replied flippantly. "And where is the other darlin' Weasley?"
At about that time Ron and Ariel, holding hands, came wandering over. "Jule!" Ron exclaimed. The whole exchange was basically repeated with few minor differences.
"So, Jule, seeing anyone lately?" Harry eventually asked. By this time they had all taken seats around the table and Harry was nestling Ginny's head under his chin. Ron was rubbing Ariel's flat stomach and Hermione was drinking. Jule observed all this with a rye smile on her face.
"Darling, I'm seeing everybody. They just don't all know it yet," she smirked.
"And that works how?" Ron raised an eyebrow, still rubbing his wife's stomach.
"Well, if you don't know, I won't tell you," Jule's nose pointed up into the air. This, like about everything else Jule had ever told him, confused Ron immensely. But he let it go, more interested in kissing Ariel's hands than getting clarification.
Hermione, despite the slight loneliness she always felt, smiled around the table. This was as it should be, all of her best friends sitting around a table, catching up on old times. But one face was missing, and she turned to seek it out in the crowd.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Draco was still scowling at Hermione's back, but by now he had moved to the bar. He was sipping a scotch when Hermione turned around to return his look. She was smiling softly and actually looked happy. Well, good for her, Draco thought bitterly, tossing back his drink in one gulp. At least one of them should be happy.
What was Hermione doing now? Draco knew he was slightly buzzed, but not enough so to be hallucinating, surely? She was waving someone over and Draco got the distinct impression that that someone was him. But she was with her friends, what could she possibly want with Draco? Shrugging, Draco grabbed himself another scotch and a martini (Hermione seemed fond of those for some reason) and made his way towards the table.
"Mind if I join you, Golden..." he took a moment to count them all. "Sextet. Well look at that, you've doubled."
Potter and Weasley looked rather confused. Potter was about to say something when Hermione interrupted him. "I'm sure we would all be delighted if you would join us Draco. Is that for me?" He nodded as Potter and Weasley, and now the Weaslette as well, opened their mouths in shock.
"Are we all delighted?" Potter asked dubiously. Harry wasn't sure how he felt about this. He had gotten over hating Malfoy sometime before but he sure as hell wasn't fond of him.
"Well if you're not, I am," Hermione nibbled her olive delicately. "What about you Jule, are you delighted?"
"I'm positively ecstatic," Jule replied dryly, grinning at Draco. He decided to grin back. Even if Jule had been in love with Hermione when they had been together, she seemed decent enough.
"The three of us go way back," Draco explained to Potter offhand. "Jule here taught Hermione and I how to be animagi."
"By the way, did you two ever figure that out in the end? I'm afraid I wasn't much of a teacher," Jule, as was her way, was neither apologizing nor fishing for compliments with this statement. It was merely the truth and Draco knew it.
"No, you weren't," he agreed. "McGonagle taught us in the end. Then, after a very... interesting evening, Hermione and I finally figured it out for ourselves."
Hermione smiled secretively, remembering the night he spoke of. The memory no longer stung, although it did throb slightly. That had been the night he had lost his trust in her, not that she deserved his trust. But it wasn't like he had deserved hers either.
"Excuse us, but what are the three of you going on about?" Ron asked eventually. He, Ariel, Ginny, and Harry were staring in open confusion at the threesome at the other end of the table.
"Nothing you really need to know about," Draco replied somewhat snidely. He doubted Hermione really wanted her friends to know everything about their past. His guess was proved true as Hermione glanced away in slight embarrassment. But Draco didn't care. He didn't need people to know how he felt as long as Hermione did. Right now it was enough just to be this close to her.
"It was a long time ago," Hermione muttered to her friends, hating her own cowardice. She justified it by telling herself that even if she did tell them the truth, now was not the time, not like this.
"Hermione, could I speak to you for a minute?" Draco startled everyone by asking. "In private, I mean."
Ron still looked as clueless as ever, but Harry raised an eyebrow and shared a look with Ginny. Ariel seemed to be sensing the same thing they were; things were not as they seemed.
"Uh, of course," Hermione rose falteringly from her seat and followed Draco away from the table and towards the exit. When they had gained a little distance from the others he reached out his hand to hold Hermione's, causing Harry's brow to shoot up higher.
"What's all this, eh?" Ron asked, gesturing at the hands.
"They were dancing together earlier," Ariel told him.
"What?" Harry and Ron demanded in unison.
"Ron was in the bathroom and you and Ginny were kissing in that corner over there," Ariel waved her hand absently. "I guess you all missed it. I didn't think much of it earlier, I just figured it was some old friend of Hermione's."
"Not exactly," Harry frowned in puzzlement.
"That's what you may think," Jule smirked.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Hermione let Draco guide her out the front door and into the gardens. Everything was peaceful and dark; crickets chirped gently in grass and Hermione heard the hooting of owls in the distance. They found a nice bench to sit on and Draco guided her onto it, sitting inches away from her and twisting to look into her face.
"Is there something you wanted to discuss?" Hermione asked nervously. It was different to be alone in the dark with him like this.
"Only what we were talking about earlier," Draco was gazing earnestly into her eyes. "You were about to say something when Jule arrived."
"Oh, that." Hermione looked down. She couldn't look at his eyes. "I was going to say that I think a lot about us too. About what might've been. About what could be..." This last part was all but whispered, but in the still night air Draco heard her perfectly.
"Could be?" He found himself smiling tentatively, lips twitching nervously. Looking down he found that his hand was shaking. Taking Hermione's once more he felt hers shaking as well. He clasped it tightly in both of his own.
"Isn't that why we're both here?" Hermione smiled tremulously at him, meeting his eyes. Her eyes seemed watery, almost glassy.
Draco had no answer but to kiss her. He pulled Hermione forward in a sudden flash of movement. Although he was bodily moving her closer, his touch was gentle and Hermione found herself cradled in his arms. He leaned down, savoring the familiar feeling of being this close. He gently brushed his lips against hers before immediately deepening the kiss. They kissed with an urgency that neither had really known they possessed. Hermione felt herself melting into his arms and would have been content never to move again. But eventually the kiss did end and Hermione drew in a shaky breath. She was trembling even more than before.
"I've missed that," Draco murmured lazily, kissing her jawbone as he traced circles on her bare arm with his finger. "I've missed a lot of things, as a matter of fact."
"So have I," Hermione breathed.
"Wanna get out of here then?"
"Of course."
And, hand in hand, they walked out of the gardens and away from Hogwarts, moving towards Hogsmeade where they could apparate away.
TBC...
A/N: So they're kind of back together, and I know it's only been three chapters, but no worries, there is much more plot and intrigue to come. Hermione's keeping secrets again, and a million dollars (or at least my love) to whoever can guess what they are.
