Chapter 3:

It took all of three seconds for Ginny to convince their boss, Mr. Aidan Thicknesse, that they needed to be sent home early, he had no problem with it since it was a Tuesday and not very busy. Aiden and his Fiancé Tamsin loved closing the shop together, and it always felt like the books themselves knew that their was a couple in love sharing their space.

Hermione quickly bought her book, then walked out with Ginny towards their flat. As they walked the short distance Hermione started to go over what had happened that day.

How could she have accepted a date from Draco Malfoy? Everything he represented she had ardently fought against ever since she started at Hogwarts. Even after the war she has been constantly involved with continued acts of bigotry towards muggle borns, half bloods, and magical creatures. She had been a key testimony for rights in almost 30 Trials in the past year.

After Harry, Ron, and her had received their Order of Merlin awards she was offered a position at the Ministry, and she had to admit that it was a very tempting offer, one that she had been working towards while she had been at Hogwarts. With Harry and Ron as Aurors it would make sense for her to go with them…She had always thought that one day she would even become Minister of Magic, make a change.. a difference, but after the war, everything changed.

She had decided that life was short. She wanted to be happy, and being at the ministry (although fascinating) wouldnt allow that. She wanted love, she wanted acceptance, she wanted a life void of anymore unnecessary death.

Thats what brought her to F&B, she loved books, and she loved helping people.

She was walking past the shop one day, having just completed a very stressful case at the ministry involving some Death Eaters that escaped to Scotland. The case had been so complicated and trying, she hadn't slept in days. She had already decided that this would be her last case for the ministry, now she just needed to figure out what she wanted to do after. She heard a noise from the shop and she stopped, grabbing her wand by instinct. She looked in the door and saw something that will forever change her life.

There, in the shop, was a little girl, her nose stuffed into a book, not even caring about what her mother was saying to her.

"Trisha, you have to put the book down now honey, daddy is waiting for us."

The little girl, Trisha, looked at her mother and rolled her eyes.

"Mummy, I have to keep reading or I will never be as good as Peter at Hogwarts!"

Her mother laughed, "Honey, you still have another two months before you leave, you will be just fine if you wait another month to bury your face in books."

Trisha just rolls her eyes and puts down the book.

"Okay mummy, can we come back tomorrow?" She looks up at her mother hopefully, and smiles triumphantly when her mother nods. They walk out of the shop past her, not knowing they changed her life. She went in right after that, and applied for the job for her and Ginny. Ginny had been feeling left out of the loop, and what better way to get back in than to have a job with her best friend. Luckily for her, she had agreed right away.

Her mind strays back to the issue of today, what keeps him coming back to the shop? Coming in and just reading… not talking to anyone, day in and day out..

…Could he love books as much as she? He HAD always been right behind her at school. Their was even a time in their fifth year, she was forced to study for an extra five hours. She had overheard Snape tell Draco that he only needed a few more points to beat her. She had taken the test the next week and aced it, whereas Draco, who hadn't taken Snape's encouragement seriously, had only managed a passing grade.

She smiled at the memory.

"Once again, our top score goes to Miss Granger. I wonder Miss Granger, do you think showing up your peers is what you are meant to do with your overachieving life?" Snape had said, he looked over the room with a more than slightly annoyed expression and dismissed the class.

Her fellow Gryffindors had all patted her on the back as they walked out, Harry and Ron rushing past her to get out of the dungeon as fast as possible. She had turned to leave and bumped right into someone.

"Well done, Granger, looks like you're on top once more…"

She looked up at his face, "SOME of us want to make something out of their life, Malfoy,"

She remembered the look on his face as she had said that.

He looked stuck up as usual but their was also something in his eyes that she hadnt paid attention to that day. Was it was anger? No…it was softer than anger...pride maybe?-

Ginny stopped her before she ran into a lamp post on the street, "Whats going on inside that head of yours 'Mione?"

She blinked, what was going on in her head?

"Oh, um, tired I guess. Its been a long day."

I've got to stop thinking about Draco, before Ginny catches me.

"Uh-huh," Ginny smiles at her knowingly, "Lets get you up stairs, want some hot cocoa? I think that sounds like a lovely way for you to tell me what happened with Draco."

She pushes her into the building and over to the stairs. Ginny already has her wand out when they reach their door, she performs the counter wards, and they head into their home.

Hermione smiles as they walk in, she cant help it, every time she walks into her home she loves it even more.

There was nothing special about the flat; simple two bedroom, two bathroom home, a small kitchen, and an even smaller living space. But she absolutely adored it.

Over the last year, they had added some couches to the living area (more like love seats), and even painted the kitchen a nice yellow. Harry had hated the color, but what does he know? It reminded her of the sunflowers by the house she grew up in, how during the day it would seem they were watching the sun cross the sky. She didn't care what he thought, her kitchen was happiness.

Ginny pushed her over to one of their small couches and went into the kitchen to get them some hot cocoa. As she came back in, Hermione had already taken off her shoes, grabbed a blanket, and started reading her new book.

"You know, Min, I think Harry is going to propose tonight. Its funny how he thinks he's being sneaky." She giggles a bit as she hands Hermione her mug.

Hermione starts laughing along with her friend and sets down the book she was probably going to be reading the rest of the night, "How do you know he's proposing?"

"Oh, come on 'Min, its HARRY." She smiled fondly, "Besides, when I had him in the choke hold I saw the ring box in his robe pockets." Ginny winks at her, and sips her hot cocoa.

"Well, just let him think it was a surprise then, he's been waiting for weeks to propose." Hermione smiles at Ginny,

'Maybe that will be enough to change the subject effectively for the rest of the night.' she thinks to herself.

"I know Min, he isn't the only one who has been waiting. I just wish he would do it someplace not so public… after everything we've been through? I just want him to swoop me away to someplace quiet and tell me he loves me."

Hermione smiles at her friend, "Well, you don't know what he's planned, it could be lavish…which really isn't Harry's style. Or, he could take you to dinner and then do exactly what you just described. He knows you honey, he wont embarrass you."

Ginny smiles at Hermione and nods. She's about to say something when the sound of their floo catches their attention.

They look over to see Hermione's favorite person in the word, walk into her living room.

"Hiya, Hermione."

"Ron!" She rushes over to her best friend and pulls him into a bone crushing hug. He chuckles a bit as he looks over Hermione's shoulder to his sister and winks at her.

She steps out of his embrace and looks up at him, it had been a month since she had last seen Ronald. He had been sent away on mission by the Ministry, no contact with family or friends, and she had missed him terribly. He looked tired, a bit ruff around the edges, like he hadnt slept more than an a few hours a night the last month, but he looked happy to see them.

"When did you get back?" She asks him as he walks over to the spot next to Ginny.

He plops down and kisses his sister on the cheek, "Just got in, I figured I'd come see my girls first. Well, after stopping in to see mum and dad, they deserved to know I wasn't dead." He laughs a bit then spots the mug of hot cocoa and reaches for it.

"Well, although it kills me to know I'm second to mum, I'm glad that your here. We were beginning to think you'd never come home. Isn't that right, Hermione?"

Ron and her had dated briefly after the war, adrenaline and all that, but had decided to stay friends. While they still had feelings for each other, he knew she wanted nothing to do with the ministry in her new life, and she understood that he wanted to dive further in. Though they werent together anymore, they had never been closer.

"Of course, your just in time to see Harry pop the question!" She winks over at Ginny as Ron starts to choke on his hot cocoa.

"Woe! Isn't that supposed to be a surprise?" He looks at Hermione in confusion.

"Well it would be, if your nosey sister hadn't figured it out already."

"Hey!" Ginny says standing up taking Rons' cocoa from him, "Its not my fault Harry Potter is as sneaky as a bludger!"

They all start to laugh when a tapping comes from the window.

"I don't recognize that owl, do you Gin?" Hermione asks her.

Ginny shakes her head as she walks over to open the window. In swoops a stately looking owl, gray feathers with dark undertones. If she looked fast enough it almost looked like the owl was wearing a tuxedo. She was about to say so when the owl lands right on her shoulder.

"Who do you think it belongs too?" Ginny asked while she got some treats from a cookie jar they kept by the window for such an occasion.

Hermione didn't answer as the owl was staring at her intensely. He was quite a beautiful bird, she observed, a nice yellow beak, and large black eyes that seemed to look straight into to your soul.

"Looks like a tosser, if you ask me." Ron said, eyeing the owl suspiciously, the owl looks (or sneers, depending on your point of view) over at him and hoots angrily.

"Maybe you should go Ronald? Have you seen Harry yet? He'll be wanting his best friends advice before tonight." Hermione says as she takes the still sneering owl over to a post next to the window. He looks like he'd rather claw out someones eyes than leave her comfortable shoulder, but he hops on and starts to nibble at the treats Ginny is handing him.

Ron grabs her arm and guides her over to the fireplace, "I wanted to talk to you, could I come back later? Its important Hermione."

She looks up into his eyes, he always did have lovely eyes, sometimes blue as the sky, and other times as green as a leak.. if she wasn't careful she'd fall right into those eyes. He was serious right now, which surprised her, but their was a bit of something softer in his eyes.

"Of course, Harry picks up ginny at seven, want to come by and we can have dinner? I'll make your favorite?" She smiles as he gets a stupid grin on his face.

"Yes, thats perfect, I'll see you at seven." He leans down and kisses her cheek, then goes into the floo shouting "Grimmauld Place!"

Turning to Ginny, she realizes she's smiling a little to broadly, and turns her attention back to the mysterious owl.

Walking over to the post she notices that her friend already had taken the letter from his claw. Not really caring about it, she reaches out to touch the side of his face, and stopped, if he wanted to be loved he would come to her. Apparently thats exactly what he had been waiting for, he slowly pushed his head into her hand and hooted.

"Looks like I'm going to die happy!" Ginny said all the sudden. The owl screeches and swoops out of the window.

"Ginny! You scared the life out of that poor owl!" She scolds her friend as she looks out the window to see if she could spot him.

Ginny rolls her eyes and tossed her the letter she had already opened. "Its Draco's owl, he couldn't wait I guess," she winks at Hermione, "I'm going to take a shower, than I expect to FINALLY be told what happened in the shop today."

Hermione isn't paying attention and starts to read.

Hermione,

I cant seem to get you out of my head today... how are you finding "The House Elves Time Turner"? I assume you didnt want anyone else to have it and you bought it before you left. I had hoped you would, if you havent I would hope you see the error of your ways soon.

These past three months I have been trying to gain some courage and talk to you, but talking to someone after being a complete arse to them for seven years is not as easy as one would think.

I would like to get to know you.. and hope you would want to get to know me… have a fresh start, as they say.

What do you say Hermione? Would you like to have breakfast with me?

I'll be at Madame Zahre's cafe tomorrow at 8:30, I sincerely hope to see you there.

Draco

Just as she was finishing the letter, Dracos' owl swoops back in with a package in his tallons. She smiles at him and rubs his head,

"Your master is an interesting fellow..."

As she picks up the package she spots a note on the front:

Herimone-

This is Cornelius by the way, he likes to think that he helped pick this out for you, but don't listen to him. I'll see you tomorrow…

Draco

P.S.

Happy Christmas…

She smiles as she starts to rip at the brown packaging.

And there, in her hands is the book she sold Draco that very same day, "The Creature Inside"…