Hello everyone. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the appriciation. That really made my day.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
I entered my favorite café humming the tone of my favorite song 'she will be loved'. I was prodigiously happy today because i made up with my best friend Ronald today, though we are still awkward but at least we are talking, in fact it happened thanks to his fiancée. I had no intention whatsoever of going to Weasley household since Ron and I broke things up but Ginny and Harry's constant nagging were starting to get unendurable. Ginny spent half of her time today texting me from her room after i snapped her in the living room to stop nagging me and I cursed myself for introducing her to the muggle cell phone. Harry texted too but he was more like doing emotional blackmailing than nagging and I gave up. Ginny squealed when told her and Harry texted back saying he is glad and i am doing a good thing and Mrs Weasley would be pleased.
Well pleased she was. The way she embraced me when I crossed the threshold of the house of my ex fiancé, it left every doubt hanging out here in their garden and I entered without it in the house I spent so many vacations in. It was one and a half year prior since I last set foot in the Burrow and I wondered how did I survived that long without it. I stopped by a few times after Ron & I broke up and stopped altogether when Pansy and Ron started dating. Pansy was usually present at the meals which I was always invited but I avoided going. Because I knew in my presence Pansy would struggle to get the Weasley's attention and it wouldn't be fair to her. Ron made himself clear when he left me that there's no way back for us but the Weasley clan was not of this opinion. They thought we would fall back if they throw us together more often. They tried to drag me sometimes to the meals and it was more than awkward for Ron and I especially Pansy, who was already of mind that she can't replace me in Weasley's eyes. So I forbid them to do this to her and Ron. I wanted them to live in peace no matter how much it hurt me to see Ron moving on so fast but I had to do it.
Some good did came out from the forced meals they made me have at the burrow that Pansy and I became good friends despite our awkward link. Ginny was already in love with her and I did too soon after. What can I say, I think she was hard to dislike when you really get to know her. I was surprised at how much nice she really is when all she did at school was act like a bitch. When I voiced that she laughed loudly and said that it was a requirement and self preservation at its best, and i agreed she did preserved herself from her stupid housemates. If she had been herself, the nice and kind with a hint of cunning and cleverness, she would have been an outcast.
When I arrived at the Burrow this afternoon Ron was already there. I avoided even looking at him. After supper we went to sit in living room, Mr Weasley listening to Cristina Warback and everyone chatting and laughing contently. Whereas Ron and I sit stiff and discontent from being in each others proximity after such a while. After about an hour Pansy stood up and scorned us like kids telling us to drop it and to grow up. I was surprised at her bold move, I mean she was making his boyfriend befriend his ex again. That girl had some balls, figuratively of course. Everyone went quite when she made us stand up and shook hands, it finally broke the tension doing this childish thing and we end up huging and laughing. We never spoke about anything, Ron just said 'i missed you 'Mione' and I knew I can't stay mad at him. It was a good day all in all.
I sat at a corner table near window and sighed happily. A waitress came and took my order and I ordered a latte. I started humming again looking out of the window, when someone sat down in front of me. I caught the platinum gold color of his hair when he sat down from my peripheral vision.
"If it isn't Draco Malfoy again" I said chuckling. Now I looked at him, he look a little smug and a little complacent and couldn't guess why.
"If I was a believer I would say fate is playing a trick with us" He said sounding amused.
"Are you not?" I asked. He considered my question for a moment then shook his head.
"Never had a reason to." Then looking strangely at me he added "Before"
"And now you have?" I asked. I was a little unnerved by his look.
"Our meetings in a very short span of time contradict my beliefs." He said taking his chin in his hand.
"It can be a coincidence." I tried to reason.
"Not very likely, I have never met same stranger twice in my life like that." He gestured between us.
I didn't really understand what he was trying to comply. Was he saying that our meetings are co-occurrence. That somehow fate wanted us to meet like that for some reason. I was unable to wrap my head around this theory.
"May be it is fate, but only trying to make a believer out of you. It doesn't really have anything to do with me." I suggested. Malfoy's and my fate being linked was an idea quite intimate to me.
He shook his head as if he had it figured out quite a bit. "I don't think so. I think whatever it is you completes the equation" he said softly.
I opened my mouth to negate this point but my latte arrived and the waitress asked for his order. He looked at her smiling politely and suddenly I noticed the girl was quite pretty, with blonde locks and pale skin and a perfect figure. No more than 19 years old looking. And I wanted to tell her to get lost. I looked at Malfoy closely when he asked for his earl grey looking for any sign that if he noticed how pretty the waitress is, but saw nothing other than politeness and civility. Somewhat annoyed I cleared my throat and it deverted his attention to me. What was I doing, it was plain childish to do something like that.
Gulping my tasteful latte I inquired "So what brings you here?"
"Why my love for coffee of course" He said sounding like its obvious.
My eyebrows shot up my hairline "You like coffee this much that you can tolerate muggles for it?" I asked not believing him.
"Well coffee is a muggle invention and if I can toletrate something that muggles made than I think I have to tolerate muggle to get it" He said smirking. I took a sip of my coffe so he wont see the heat that crept up to my cheeks.
His order arrived and the lovely waitress placed it with a brilliant smile on her face, making her look more younger and beautiful. I stole a glance at Malfoy who was also smiling and nodding at her. I felt something twitch inside as I felt something close to jealousy of the lovely girl. I loured and put my cup down with much more force than necessary and it produced a sound far more loud than I intended. I was glad the cup didn't broke in half. The bang caused both Malfoy and the lovely girl to look at me instead of each other, of which I was happy, but Malfoy was smirking at me and the waitress looked sheepish. She hastily ran off to do whatever she was meant to do and i was relieved. But the look on Mlafoy's face was making me blush. I felt like an idiot and grabbed my cup to drink my coffee and to save myself from further embarrassment.
Malfoy looked down at his cup. His shoulders shook a bit like he's laughing but I couldn't be sure because when he looked up again clutching his cup he looked serious again.
"So" he started "When I finished my meeting I went to your departments yesterday but i found out that spew is closed for the day and I couldn't find you at Muggle relations because of course I didn't knew your name. But I looked around hoping to find you. Well of course I found nothing more than Potter lurking about, so I dispensed my search there." he looked at me shamefaced.
I was stiff with tension and amazed to discover that he put that much effort in finding me. But I was strained ay the idea of him knowing who I am. I can't comprehend why. Maybe I like the way he treats me anonymously because cause I know that with him not knowing who I am I can be what I truly wants me to see me as. I decided to try and not to snap at him again just because I am disappointed to know that even if someone had sent him to my office he would have believe it was me for he sign on the door would be saying 'HERMIONE GRANGER' in bold italics. So instead I decided to twist his own words at him.
"So you met Harry Potter today. why ever do you do not sound thrilled on meeting a celebrity." I teased.
"Oh don't make me choke on my tea please. The day I would be thrilled to meet Potter would be the day the hell freezes over." He said with a snort.
And I was glad to see the old Malfoy back. I wondered when exactly did I started missing the old teasing and taunting him. But I did.
I smirked at what he would think about hell freezing over when he discovers that he is spending time with the said Harry Potter's best friend. He took my smirk wrong.
"Oh you don't believe me do you." He started but i was giggling by this time "Well laugh all you want but it would never happen" he scoffed and crossed his arms in front of him leaning into the chair, looking like a displeased child having a tantrum.
I sniffled some giggles finally answering him "No I wasn't laughing at you. I was just picturing you asking for a autograph from Harry or maybe even taking a fan picture." I said giggling some more.
He gave a faint smile but huffed "Saying the one who works with and under her favourite celebrity not only in one but two departments" He muttered.
My laugh subsided quickly and my smile altogether vanished from my face. I didn't understand how come we always end up talking about her... I mean me. Oh God I feel you dual identity superheroes. Now I get how much difficult it is. But the matter at hand was of my own personal integrity and self respect not my identification.
"I don't work with he just because of her. I work in Muggle relations because I know muggles and in S.P.E.W because I care about elf rights." I said heatedly.
He snorted "Now you even sound like her."
I was taken aback " Well you wouldn't know how she sounds like. I hear you guys weren't anything like friends back at Hogwarts, more like enemies." I retorted.
He looked lost for a moment there like he's remembering something "She was too loud and loquacious for her own good and sometimes it was hard to tune her out." He said quietly.
I gulped feeling awkward. What did he mean did he used to listen to me from a distance. Well he never spoke to me directly, if ever he addressed me was to make fun of me and to call me off on my blood status. And if I ever tried to talk to him even to insult he made it quite clear that I not worthy of speaking to him. Then why did he remember after all this time that how did I sound like but did not remember how did I looked like was beyond my just when I was about to ask something. He beat me to it.
"What did you mean you know muggles?" Suddenly looking interested and suspicious.
I was surprised by the question so I took my time answering or more like gathering words so not to give my bloodline away "I took muggle studies at school and got an E on it so I made it my subject of research afterwards."
"why?" He asked suddenly in an urgent tone.
"Um" I was uncomfortable. This lying all the time is straining my energy "Thsy fascinate me" yes. There is an good enough reason. I petted myself on the back mentally.
"That much that you took a job concerning them?" He was totally suspicious now. Of what I was not sure.
"Yeah.. So? I fidgeted in my seat.
"Well muggles fascinate me too but you didn't see me taking a job at Muggle relations just because of that" He pressed.
I was surprised by hi confession but the I thought about what he said about coffee earlier and I understood.
"Only because you have your own business to run" I answered with much more confidence than before."
"Well that too but if I hadn't I wouldn't have taken it. May be I'd be an Auror or something like that" He replied.
"Well everybody have their priorities set up don't they?" I quipped.
"You don't understand, What I am trying to say is that" He sounded passionate "Do you have any link to muggles that helped you gain knowledge about them or because it became your fascination."
"What are you on about?" I asked skeptically.
"I mean family or lineage." He asked carefully. looking me dead in the eyes.
"So what if I have?" I became suddenly defensive.
"Are you ashamed of it?" His question caught me off guard do did his tone like he's disappointed in me.
"Should I be?" I refused to back down.
"You should be if you can't own it" He said shaking his slightly.
"I am certainly not ashamed of it" I snapped.
"Then why was the reason behind hiding it?" GOD! he was pushy.
"You wont understand" I said smoothly.
Really now?" I sensed the sarcasm dripping from his words.
No, not really I really don't think you would but I can't take the risk . I thought sadly. He stood up and put a handsome tip on the table for the lovely waitress I supposed with a pang. I looked up to him to see him watching me closely.
"Well good night. How strange it fells doesn't it me leaving before you." He chuckled but became serious with a heavy sigh. "You shouldn't be ashamed of it."
"I am not ash-" He cut me off. "Even if you don't. Whatever your reasons were. You shouldn't be ashamed of your blood. Blood, lineage and heritage are nothing with the contrast to the personality , wit and spirit." He smiled at me and left me with a pounding heart.
I was furious. How can HE of all people say that to me. Even though he doesn't know who I am but the beliefs and ideals that he always pursue were the ones that were equal for all muggle borns especially me. I didn't fathom his change of heart and mind. Where were those beliefs when he called said mudblood every chance he got. When were they when he said I should be the next dead muggle born in second year. When were they when his aunt was torturing me when she carved my hand with that offensive term, which still haunts me when I look at it, When he was standing on the sidelines, watching. Where were these oh so mighty views then. Why didn't he helped me that day in his drawing room, when I was screaming and begging. When I was getting punished brutally just because of my 'Blood, lineage and heritage'. No one saw my 'Personality, wit and spirit' then.
I think they were always there at some extent when he lied about recognizing us. But that didn't change anything Lucius identified Ron and Narcissa recognized me from madam Malkin's shop. But that didn't matter it was inevitable, what matters is that if he was even a little bit inclined on helping us he should have helped us physically somehow. after all it was his house. But he did nothing, because he too like his father wanted to remain in Voldemort's good graces and helping his enemy, a blood traitor and a mudblood would have put their already shaken position in jeopardy.
I snorted and let out a chuckle that was equally sarcastic.
You what Malfoy now you have no right to be advising me to never be ashamed of my blood status. Because well ever since I set foot in this world, my blood never did me any good. I constantly had to prove myself to everyone, been called most worst names. I was petrified, tortured and had people hunting me like animals just because of the blood that runs in veins. So you can take your preaching and shove it I know better than to better. I exhaled angrily and left the café leaving the smallest tip.