A/N: I'm so thrilled reading your reviews, please do send more, it really lifts the author's spirits ;)

BTW, I changed the category from Romance/Drama to Suspense/Drama, but don't worry, there will be love in the air ;)

Disclaimer: I own only the new characters and the story


Chapter 3 - Denial

12 Grimauld place was covered with the scent of cinnamon as Ginny was baking a couple of cinnamon buns in the oven for their brunch. Harry was seated on a couch near the fireplace, reading the latest issue of the daily prophet.

The couple had renovated the place soon after Harry got the position of Head Auror and decided that it was time that they moved in together. The flat was repainted in light hues of beige, peach and cream. Old couches were replaced by modern leather ones. Cook wares were also upgraded as Ginny seemed to love making their food. The grand piano in the sitting room was also repaired. However, the portrait of Sirius' mother still hang on the wall of the house due to it being casted a permanent sticking charm. All Harry can do about it's continuous shrieking was put a permanent silencing spell on it as well as a permanent sleeping charm.

Kreacher was all against it, however, he reassured him that it would be best to put Walburga Black in that state to create peace in the home and for her as well. He added that the idea of silencing her wouldn't mean that he's completely against her, but was just trying to help her rest her vocal chords. The old house elf bought it, since the war, he had become loyal to Harry due to his earnest belief in defending house elves.

"Harry, it's done!" Ginny called out from the kitchen.

He folded the newspaper and placed it on the table. "Yes, coming!" He replied as he walked to the dining room. "Kreacher, let's eat!" He called out.

The house elf apparated in the dining room and sat on his high chair Harry specially devised for him. He gave Harry a cinnamon bun on his plate, "Thank you master, but master Harry need to eat first before Kreacher." The elf smiled as he hopped back to his chair.

"Thanks Kreacher" Harry replied, "Gin, could you pass the jam?"

Ginny laughed as she passed the jam, "You're so weird, Harry. I've never seen anyone eat a cinnamon bun with jam."

"Well...I just like it like that" He said.

The three ate silently until Kreacher stood and asked to be dismissed for he have other chores to do.

Ginny looked up to Harry with a serious look on her face and said, "Hey...can we talk?"

"What is it?" He turned to her and replying nonchalantly.

She placed her fork down and leaned on the table, "..about...what Malfoy said last week.." she said.

Harry sighed and stopped eating as well. "I told you..It can't be her." he replied, frustrated at the thought that Ginny kept asking about the same topic for the past week. And Ginny too was upset that Harry won't talk about it with her.

"I mean..If it is Malfoy, he would be sure right?" She edged on, "Come on, Harry. Wouldn't you be happy to see her?"

Harry's eyes narrowed and looked to her angrily, "This is the end of this topic, Gin." He stood up and turned his back on her, "Hermione is gone, and she will never come back!"

"Harry—!" She stood up as well but hesitated on following him and returned to her seat again.

She was confused, it may not seem like that before when Draco first informed them that he saw Hermione. Yes she was shocked but not enough so as to react like her brother. She was more hopeful than surprised that the thought of Hermione turning up in London would mean they would be able to talk again, that they could bring back the old times.

But how is it possible that Harry is not overjoyed by this news and kept denying the fact or the possibility of Malfoy seeing her. He was her friend, wasn't he? They were like brother and sister.

Ginny pinched her eyes in deep thought and realized what she must do in order to find out the truth.

"Kreacher?" She call out, and the house elf apparated in front of her within seconds, "Would you be so kind as to clean this up? I need to go somewhere as soon as possible" She said.

"Kreacher will do as what master Harry's fiance asks, Kreacher will." He replied and started cleaning the table.

Ginny gathered her things and thanked Kreacher before disapparating from Grimauld Place.

##############

"Ronald!" Molly yelled at her son. "Your father told me you've not been going to work for a week now!"

Ron covered his ears as his mother kept shouting at him in his flat's living room. She was enraged that her son is lazying around his flat this whole time while there are still many dark wizards at large.

"I was sick.." He lied and tried to avert her eyes.

"In no way you are sick!" She yelled in reply.

Ron looked tired and failed to respond to his mother's protest. He slumped his body on his couch and raised his forearm over his eyes. He really wasn't sick. He just had a lot to think about for the past few days since Malfoy broke the news to them.

For a moment, he couldn't hear his mother's yelling. He imagined Hermione in London like she was before. Happy, confident and overly smart. He missed her. He still loved her even though their relationship suddenly ended a few months after the war and he never saw her again. Until Malfoy mentioned seeing her in Brent. He thought he had forgotten about her and was able to move on. Instead, here he is again, mulling over her to what might have been hadn't she disappear.

He sighed and stood up, completely ignoring his raging mother as he disapparated from his flat, leaving her dumbfounded that her son left her without a word.

##############

There were two loud cracks as Ron and Ginny apparated in the dimly lit living room of Draco's flat. They looked to each other, confused to why they both arrived just seconds from one another.

"What are you doing here?!" The asked in unison.

"I asked you first!" They both exclaimed again.

Ginny looked infuriated, Ron was irritated.

"Let me ask you again, Ronald" Ginny said first, "What are you doing in Malfoy's place."

He smirked at her sister, "I could ask the same thing to you, I was here first!"

"I came to talk to him about Hermione, I presume you did so too" She replied smugly.

Clearly the siblings have the same thing in mind and was preoccupied by the same thought this whole week. But looking at their surrounding, it was surprising that Draco hadn't come out of his room yelling at them for just barging in his flat.

Ginny went over to his room to check, however, found nothing.

"Malfoy!" Ron shouted. "We're here, sorry for intruding!"

Ginny went over him and kicked his shin, "Shush, Ron!" She exclaimed, "He isn't here!"

Ron knelt down and massaged his shin as a jolt of electricity caved in due to Ginny's kick. "What the bloody hell, Gin!"

"He must have looked for Hermione..." Ginny thought aloud.

"...In Brent..?" Ron continued.

"..Possibly..."

Without hesitation, the two disapparated from One Hyde Park to Brent borough.

##############

Draco traversed the snow covered streets of Brent borough since that morning of Saturday looking to find Hermione. He had been doing so for the past week now as he also looked for traces of magic from Rookwood. He sent Harry reports at the end of each day and continued on his personal mission.

He looked for her in the library, book shops, shopping center and even the park, but to no avail. The weather was also not cooperating as it became colder and colder in the afternoon. His thick tench coat, sweater, jeans and winter boots were no match for the weather. He insisted on not using magic to keep himself warm. He need Hermione to not get suspicious again if he met her.

Seeing it more difficult to move as he felt his insides freezing, he decided to apparate back to Brent shopping center.

He entered a Starbucks coffee shop and ordered a cafe americano and a roasted vegetable panini. He had not thought of hunger until he went in the shop. Thinking back on it, he was so intent on finding Hermione that he skipped breakfast and lunch altogether. He looked to the wall clock on shop wall and it read past 2 in the afternoon. He paid his bill and waited at the claiming area for his drink and meal.

"For Mr. Malfoy!" called the barista.

At the same moment that he acknowledged the call, he heard a gasp behind him and he immediately turned to look at who it was.

And she was there, wearing a dark blue trench coat, its hood inlaid with fur, black leggings and a knee high black suede boot with fur. She had a matching dark green woolen muffler and beanie on her and her hair was braided on onr side. She had her hands over her mouth the moment she gasped upon hearing the name Malfoy.

He was as perplexed as she was that all she could say was, "Hermione..."

"For Hermione!" The barista called. And that left no doubt in Draco's mind that she was facing Granger once more, that given the confusion and fear from her face, he knew she had been the one he met before.

Draco looked at her as she took a deep breath and retrieved her order from the claiming area. He was amazed that she turned and stopped in front of him and said,

"...um...you..can..can we talk?"

He was at a total loss for words. 'She really asked me, right?' he asked himself, still can't comprehend what is currently happening before his eyes. He watched her take a seat on a couch by the window and placed her tray down the table. He soon followed suit after a much deliberation with himself.

"..Uh..hey..." He greeted as he placed his tray down.

"..um..Malfoy...right?" Hermione asked, "It's what you said your name was last week.."

He nodded in response, still baffled.

"Um..." Hermione started while grabbing her caramel macchiato. "..You said before..that you know me.."

Draco plastered a nervous smile on his face, "Yeah..I did.." He replied, "Have you remembered me now?"

Hermione shook her head, looked down to her mug and sipped a little bit of the coffee, "..Firstly..I want to apologize for what Caleb—my fiance did to you last time.."

Draco felt a his insides tighten as he heard the word fiance. His smile also was replaced by a sudden jaw drop which he immediately controlled as he bit his lower lip. 'Fiance my ass...' He thought, 'Granger, with..with that man?!'

"..I tried to stop him...I'm sorry...secondly..I apologize for threatening you..I...I actually wasn't able to capture your photo that time..." She continued and looked up to him.

Once again, he plastered the nervous smile on his face and said, "No..it's alright. It was my fault for frightening you."

She smiled weakly and he felt his insides tighten more.

"..lastly...I..I don't know how to say this.." She set her mug down and moved her hands over his.

Her hand was warm due to the coffee but he felt himself shiver at the feel of her skin against him.

"..I..I need your help Mr. Malfoy.." She said to him intently.

However, outside of the coffee shop. Ron and Ginny were glued to the ground they were standing on as the scenes unfolded in front of them.

"T-That's Malfoy, right?" Ron asked stuttering.

Ginny tightened her grip on the arm of her brother and gasped, "Ron...It's Hermione!"