Tomorrow is another day
Chapter 2
Angela couldn't move, she couldn't breath and for a moment she thought she'd lost all mobility in her limps. She saw the flock of white blond hair and the pointed face beneath it. She could almost see the beautiful grey eyes that were now hidden from her sight. And as soon as those eyes caught sight of her, she wasn't the only one unable to move. The man before her was no other then Draco Malfoy. Older than she remembered him, yes, but the same man, there was no doubt about it.
They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, the world around them was still (or so it seemed anyway). It wasn't until Draco started speaking that the sounds and images came rushing back and Angela remembered they weren't alone and that this was not a dream. She had dreamed about seeing him again, so many times. Bit this was nothing like her dreams. This was reality. And reality never turned out as pretty as dreams did.
"Angela?" he said confused as a woman, Angela figured would be his wife, tried to drag him along.
"Draco" Angela replied, not really knowing what to say. She was only just grasping onto the fact that this was not her dream. He was not going to take her in his arms and everything was not just going to be all right. And it wasn't just them two, well three with Cassy, to consider. He was married now.
"Draco, darling, who is this?" his wife asked with a cold tone in her voice. She eyed Angela as if the woman was pure venom and Angela could not blame her. She wouldn't want her husband to be so shocked to see some other woman. If she ever got a husband that is.
"Astoria this is Angela, Angela this is Astoria, my wife" Draco mumbled, not leaving Angela's face.
Hermione looked at her new friend and knew she had to do something, Angela was obviously not wrapping her thoughts around this new encounter. She needed some time. And Hermione needed some explanations. How could Angela know Draco Malfoy of all people.
"Well this is certainly a surprise," Hermione started, "I wish we could stay and chat, but we've got to go. Perhaps we could all catch up soon." She added and grabbed Angela's hand, pulling her along.
Behind them they could hear Astoria's forceful questions and Hermione just looked at Angela's face. It seemed to be set in stone. As if the shock locked all her muscles and this was how it would always be. Only the hand Hermione was holding showed signs of life. Angela was holding on for dear life, painfully pinching Hermione, but she was not about to speak of it. She hardly felt it through the confusion consuming her.
When they reached the exit of the station Ginny got the remaining kids together before she called the men.
"We're going home, Hermione will take care of this" she told Harry and Ron, while they just stared at their new acquaintance in surprise.
"What did just happen?" Ron asked and Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Well we don't know yet, now take Hugo and apparate to our house." Ginny said and Ron just shook his head. He held onto his son Hugo and focused on the house of his sister.
"If she knows Draco, are we sure we can trust her?" Harry asked and Ginny scolded at him.
"This is not the time, all right!" she whispered and pulled Lily towards her, before apparating herself. Questions were swarming through her mind, but she knew Hermione would work it all out and inform her. If she could anyway. Hermione already considered Angela a friend and Ginny knew she would not betray her trust. Still Ginny just trusted everything would be explained.
Hermione stood still next to a still unmoving body of Angela. She shook her lightly and Angela began to cry.
"Now don't cry. It can't be that bad!" Hermione said but Angela shook her head.
"It's worse!" she muttered and Hermione wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"hold onto my arm, I'm going to get us out of here" Hermione said and apparated them to her own humble abode. Angela looked around, nausea overcoming her. She wondered how they got here, and what here was exactly.
"I'm sorry, I thought it would be better without a warning. Sit down" Hermione said and gently pushed Angela down on a chair and went to fetch some tea. All the while the tears didn't stop coming. Slowly Angela raised her eyes and looked around the house. The room she was in was small and cosy. And it smelled like freshly baked cookies. The walls were littered with drawings of children and in a bookcase she saw pictures. She just didn't have the energy to get up and inspect them. She felt completely drained.
"Here you go, it'll calm your nerves a bit" Hermione said handing Angela a cup of tea. Angela just smiled gratefully and took a few sips.
"Thanks for getting me out of there" she said softly and Hermione just nodded, before sitting down as well.
For the next few minutes they sat in complete silence. Hermione waited patiently, while Angela gathered her thoughts. Angela knew she had to tell her new friend something. She just didn't know what to say exactly. She still didn't understand completely.
After the last time she'd seen Draco, she tried to make herself believe it had all been a dream. And though since then she received quite some proof that it had all happened. It hadn't been a dream. She never imagined seeing him again. Years ago she had decided that it would be foolish to wait for him. He'd been honest all along, after all. He warned her, she'd probably never see him again.
Still she had hoped the first two years after he left, that he'd regret leaving and come back. Even though she knew he didn't leave her because he wanted too. He had too. At least that was what he had told her and she had never once doubted his words. There was never any reason too.
When Hermione poured a second cup of tea, she knew she had to say something. She could not keep silent much longer. Her curiosity would eventually get the better of her. Still she also knew, she'd have to be real calm and unbiased about this.
"so you know Draco" Hermione stated and Angela looked up. She had almost forgotten that Hermione was with her.
"Yes, sorry about all of this." Angela quickly uttered and Hermione smiled.
"Don't worry," she said, "Just know that you can talk to me". Not it was Angela's turn to smile.
"Thank you, I'm just trying to work this out for myself as well" Angela replied, earning her a nod.
Again minutes ticked by while Angela thought of how she could explain this too Hermione. She had never told anyone about Draco. Only Cassy and even then she didn't mention a name.
Taking a deep breath Angela braced herself. She'd have to start somewhere, right.
"I don't really know what to say or where to start" she apologised to Hermione.
"That's all right, take your time!" her new friend offered.
"I met Draco a long time ago. About twelve years ago I believe" Angela started and Hermione just sat back, nodding for her to go on. She was not about to interrupt Angela. She figured the woman had trouble enough finding the words as it was.
"We were so young then. And he was enthralling. Mysterious and different. And of course very handsome. And was such a gentleman, to everyone around him". Hermione fought to control her face and she nearly snorted at the last comment. That was not the Draco she had known all those years. Still she had seen him be a better version of himself over the past few years and she knew she had to give him a chance here. Or at least give Angela a chance to tell her story.
"I remember I was baby-sitting and my niece ran onto the street while I wasn't looking for a second. And there was a car coming and all I could do was scream. I seemed to be frozen to the spot. Luckily Draco wasn't. He grabbed her just before the car could hit her. Of course little Sarah started crying and he just comforted her, while taking her over to me. I was instantly in love" Again Hermione was fighting the urge to say something, but she smoothed out her face and nodded again to show she was still listening.
"I was such a kid back then," Angela chuckled, " he handed me Sarah and just walked away again. Giving me no chance to thank him, or to even ask his name. I was convinced I'd never see him again. I called after him, but he didn't turn around." She sighed a little.
"After that I kept looking around, hoping to see him again. And apparently he had a room in the hotel I worked at that summer. Because one day I was walking the third floor, cleaning up, I ran into him. Quite literally too" again she chuckled. Seeing the scene play out before her eyes again.
"He was about to say something, probably a profanity, but he stopped when he looked at me. I figured it was because he remembered me. He later claimed he didn't have a clue I was the same girl from a few days earlier. So, anyway. I kept coming back to that floor, hoping to see him again. And the first time I did, I asked him out."
"And he said yes?" Hermione asked, feeling as if she was being read from a novel.
"No, he declined. But I didn't give up that easily. I pretty much stalked him after that. Tried to talk to him whenever I could. And eventually he gave in. We had a blast that first date."
"First date?" Hermione asked, feeling she could interrupt Angela now, she seemed to have found the words now.
"Yes, many followed after that. Though he always made it clear, he'd have to leave at some point. I just didn't really care. I was falling in love for the first time and didn't think about what would happen if he left. And when he finally did, I was heartbroken. Knowing I would never see him again."
"How did you get over him?"
"I don't think I ever really did. I just tried to make myself believe it had all been a dream. That he had never been there. Of course about nine months later, I got myself a permanent reminder" Angela said and Hermione could not help but gasp. She had not thought of that at all.