Disclaimer: All characters and the whole world of Harry Potter belong solely to J.K. Rowling. I do not earn any money writing this fan fiction.
Nature and Life Changes
by xtyj
Chapter 3
Draco sat fidgeting on a couch covered with small white flowers in the living room of the Grangers. Harry and Ron were perfectly at ease, but he certainly was not. After the introduction in the hall, Hermoine's parents became very cold towards him. But proper manners had made them hospitable for so far the atmosphere now was considered hospitable.
Her mother Jean came out of the kitchen with a tray of tea and poured everyone a cup. Her father was staring at Draco with an intense gaze like he wanted to kill him. It made Draco uncomfortable. He took the lead because the two morons on his left were silent and by the looks of it they weren't going to help him. They looked too comfortable. The weasel was already stuffing his mouth with the cakes Mrs. Granger placed on the table. Cringing inwardly he turned to the two other adults in the room.
"Mr. and Mrs. Granger I don't know what you all have heard about me, but since our school days I have changed and I apologise profusely for what I have done to Hermoine. I have apologised to her as well, I hope that both of you also could forgive me." He said with sincerity, better start with a clean slate.
Using all the years of being a Malfoy, he tried to make them more friendly towards him and easily started explaining the situation he was in and automatically explaining the situation Hermoine was in. The three boys still didn't know where she was, but it was clear to them that her parrents knew where she was, so being kind was the only way to find out.
"So that is why we have to find her." Draco finished.
Just like the time explaining it to Harry and Ron, this time too the room became eerily silent. Draco could see that Jean Granger, somehow liked the idea of her daughter having somebody, some kind of soulmate. But Draco knew from the beginning that it was the father that would be the problem.
"Let me get this straight, you want to 'mate' with my daughter? Suddenly, without an explanation?" Mr. Granger said in a deadly silent voice.
"Not suddenly, it's in a veelas nature to find the one person that is perfect when he or she turns twenty-five and I accept that. It's in my blood." He tried to explain. How could he make it more clearer to a muggle? "And I'm quite sure it's Hermoine, being here, makes me at ease. I can smell her here." He took a big sniff to emphasize what he said.
He did not lie about the scent, it was faint, but she had been here in the last couple of days. He liked it, it was fresh and had a faint scent of strawberries. Smelling it, made him start wanting her, longing after her, even if it was only a slight yearning. He could handle it, although he was sure the yearning and longing would increase in the coming weeks and months.
"Oh wow, she was just here Monday and you can smell her!" Mrs. Granger said incredulously.
Draco nodded in confirmation.
"Mr. Malfoy, Hermoine is content for the moment and I've decided to let it be that way for now. Until it is not safe anymore that she is away, I will tell her to come back." Mr. Granger said.
"That means she's away?" Harry spoke up for the first time.
"Yes, she's travelling, I don't even know where she is now. She told us, she would call occasionally. I must say that she needed it, she did not look happy the past few times she visited." He gave a stare to Harry, indicating he knew that it was also partially Harry's and Ron's fault she wasn't happy.
They both lowered their gaze, ashamed that they have neglected their friend.
"But can't you contact her?" Draco asked again, not sure why. He wanted to see her, something, just anything that would get him in contact with her.
"No she doesn't have a cell phone and she didn't want to be bothered. We will hear from her when she is ready." Mr. Granger stood up after saying that. "Enjoy the tea, I've some work to do in my office, thank you for coming by Harry, Ron, Mr. Malfoy."
After he exited, Jean Granger immediately jumped at the chance getting to know the young man better. "So Draco, I heard from Hermoine you are like royalty in the magical world?"
After that, countless questions came. The woman was very friendly and he could talk to her without being on his guard. He tried to explain more things about his family and his veela heritage. He could see that Hermoine has inherited her curiosity from her mother. After a time they made their excuses to leave, but not after Jean promised she would contact him if there was news from Hermoine.
***
Hermoine visited Paris for a week and after that she travelled through to other big cities in Europe. With the instant train connections from city to city, was travelling the muggle way very easy and relatively cheap. Apperating to every city would be easier, but she wanted to have the experience of travelling the muggle way. She felt like a muggle student, making a trip through Europe with minimal baggage and money.
After visiting Berlin and Amsterdam for a couple of days she travelled to Italy. She was excited, because Italy was a dream come true. She took her time discovering the wonderfull city of Rome and made a visit to the Vatican. She was not a religious person, being a witch and all, but it still intrigued her. She travelled further, more to the Mediterranean Sea, she was away for a month now.
Now Tuscany was on the agenda.
Being away from the stifling ministry halls and away from the bad weather that ruled England, she felt more and more refreshed. Still there was something she missed. It was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind, it first started when she was on the plane to Paris and since then it grew worse. But she could live with it, she thought it was something small, something insignificant, something she maybe forgot.
She decided to call her parents, to ask if everything was fine at home and to update them with her travels. Maybe, after calling them, the nagging feeling would go away.
"Hello?"
"Mom, it's me."
"Hermoine! How are you?"
"I'm in Tuscany mom, everything is fine, I think I'm going to stay here for a while, I like the landscape and the people here are friendly enough. Plus the food is delicious, the two days I've been here already have a negative effect on my weight. It's really nice, we should visit together someday."
She heard her mother chuckling on the other end of the line. "Well, at least you are enjoying yourself, dear. Can I ask when you maybe will return?"
She was considering the motion of going home, but it did not appeal her so much.
"I'll think about it, but it will not be for in the immediate future. Is there something wrong maybe?"
"No!" Came the abrupt answer of her mother.
"Okay... then I'll leave you to it, call you soon mom and give dad a kiss from me."
"Good-bye honey, don't wait to long to call again!"
After hanging up the phone in the telephone booth, she still had that nagging feeling. And instead of feeling better, she felt worse. Her mother sounded not right. It was something, she could not come up with it. It was on the tip of her tongue. Her mother was hiding something. But what?
She let the issue go for now, she was going to read a book and enjoy her stay in Tuscany. Finding a cosy authentic cafe in the centre of Tuscany, she took out a book and ordered a coffee. This was heaven.
Engrossed in her book, not noticing the traffic the little cafe had, she did not notice the dark skinned man entering. Also not noticing the man was heading to her table in the back and finally not noticing that the man had adressed her with her name.
After some unsuccessful attempts of just calling her, the man knocked on her table and waved in front of her head. Snapping out of her concentration, she looked up and came eye to eye with the Italian man/wizard in front of her. Too shocked to say hello, she sat there with wide open eyes staring.
"Well you could say hello Granger," the only nice Slytherin -as far as she can remember-, Blaise Zabini said.
"H... hello." She stuttered.
AN: In comes an Italian, what will Draco think?
GRTZ