I woke up this morning to Kai jumping on my stomach, "Wake up, sleepy head!" I rolled over and shoved my head underneath my pillow. I felt a weight jump off my bed. I peeked out of the corner and saw Kai at the end of the bed preparing to pull of the covers.
"Don't you dare," I mumbled not fully awake.
Deciding to ignore me, the little girl ripped off the covers. "Gosh, you're harder to get up then Draco."
"Why are you waking me up?" I asked sitting up.
"We are going shopping," Kai told me excitedly. "Hurry, hurry!"
I sat up and straightened my pajamas. "Fine, give me twenty minutes," I said somewhat grouchily as I walked towards the bathroom. When I came out again dressed in jeans and a green t-shirt, I hurried downstairs. I walked into the dining room and saw Kai eating Fruit Loops. Draco was sitting across from her writing something.
"Good morning!" I said brightly.
Kai looked up and smiled, while Draco just kind of nodded focusing on his work.
"What are ya doing, Draco?" I said grabbing a piece of toast.
Kai was the one that answered, "He's studying."
"Studying?"
Draco put his stack of papers neatly in a bag sitting next to him, "Yes, studying. I'm working on becoming a specialty healer."
"Healer?" I asked grabbing orange juice.
"Yep, yep. Draco works at St. Mango's," the little girl next to me said.
Smiling adoringly at the curly blonde, Draco said, "Yeah, I'm an employee of Mangos." I suppressed a laugh, and he stood up, "I got to go. Tests," he explained playfully shuddering.
Kaida giggled, and left the table to hug him. "Bye, Draco."
When Draco had Flooed to St. Mungo's, Mrs. Malfoy entered the dining hall. "Hermione, are you ready? I have to disguise you before we go." I nodded and followed her into a big bathroom. "Sit there," she said pointing to a vanity chair.
I sat down slightly nervous, "what are you going to do?"
"Don't worry, I'm excellent with disguises." She grabbed her wand. "Let's start with your eyes," She had me stare straight ahead and not blink. "Okay, eyes are done." She got this teenage girl look on her face, "Close your eyes. I want it to be a surprise." I followed her directions and after a couple of minutes, she announced that I was finished. She stood me in front of a mirror, while I kept my eyes closed. "Open your eyes."
Slowly, I peeled my eyes open. The first thing I noticed was that my normally dark brown eyes were blueish-green. Next, I glanced at my hair. It was an exact replica of Kai's except longer. I pulled one curly, blonde trestle to see if it was real. My eyes widened, but I realized that she had only changed my eye and hair color. The rest was me even the frizzyness of my hair.
"Do you like it?" she looked worried, "This was how we were going to make you look for the party. The story is that you're a distant cousin of the Black family."
I swallowed trying to find my voice, "it's interesting." I examined myself in the mirror again waiting to see my brown hair come back.
"You know, Hermione, I have a special shampoo that helps with frizzyness." I nodded still shocked. "Well, let's go shopping," Mrs. Malfoy said leaving the bathroom. I followed at a slower pace.
After an hour of torture, or what Mrs. Malfoy referred to as shopping, the older blonde announced that she had to go meet Andi and Dora for preparations for the party.
"But, mommy, I don't want to go." Kai complained.
"I could watch her, Mrs. Malfoy. Take her to get some lunch or something," I said. For the last three and half-weeks, I had been stuck inside the Malfoy Manor. While not entirely unpleasant, it was nice to get out of the house.
"Are you sure?" Mrs. Malfoy asked not wanting to inconvenience me.
"Yeah, we can go get some ice-cream afterwards." Kai's eyes got bright. "I've been craving some coffee flavored ice-cream."
"Ewww….coffee's disgusting!" The four and a half year old said. "Strawberry is so much better!"
"Well, if you're sure." I nodded, "That's good, I had been worried about what she was going to do since Teddy is out with Remus today." With a kiss, Mrs. Malfoy said goodbye to Kai. She waved to me and then disapparated.
"So, where do you want to eat?" I asked as Kai grabbed my hand and started pulling me towards Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. "We'll get ice-cream after lunch."
She paused, looked deep in thought, and then randomly asked, "What time is it?"
"Um…" I glanced at my watch, "Almost one."
"Can we meet Draco for lunch?" She asked giving me puppy-dog eyes.
I sighed, knowing I'd let her have anything she wanted. "Okay. He's at St. Mungo's, right?"
"Uh huh," she pulled on my hand again and we started walking towards the Leaky Cauldron to use their Floo.
We arrived in the St. Mungo's visitors' lobby a few minutes later. I hated traveling by Floo powder, I grumbled soundlessly as I picked myself off the fireplace floor. I never could Floo somewhere and land on my feet.
"Come on, come on," Kai said energetically dragging me forward. "I've never visited Draco for lunch. He always comes home to eat with me. He'll be so surprised."
A though came to me out of the blue, "Kai, want to play a joke on Draco?" She looked at me confused before a large smile lit up her face and Kai nodded eagerly. I whispered my plan in her ear, and she started giggling. "Don't forget to play along." She nodded again and quickly smothered her smiles and giggles. I picked her up and walked up to the reception desk. "My daughter and I are here to see my husband for lunch. I don't know where his office is," I said flipping my fake blonde hair over my shoulder and readjusting Kai.
"Name, please?" The receptionist looked up.
"Draco Malfoy," I replied.
She gave me a weird look, and mumbled something about not knowing he was married, "One second, please." She pushed a button on the desk, and it asked her for a name: "Draco Malfoy."
"Malfoy, here," a voice said I recognized as Draco's.
"Mr. Malfoy, your wife and daughter is here to see you for lunch." I heard a biting tone in her voice.
"My wife?" Kai giggled, "Are you sure?" He sounded completely lost.
"Yes," the receptionist snapped. 'Hmm…I wonder why she's so angry' I thought to myself.
"Um…I'll be down in a second, I guess." He said still not having a clue. "Than-" He was cut off when the receptionist released the button angrily.
"He'll be right down." She said glaring at the button. Kai and I took a seat across from the hallway.
"He's going to be so surprised!" Kai said again happily watching for Draco to come down the hall, while I flipped casually through a magazine. "DADDY!!!" She said getting out of her seat and jumping on Draco. I laughed when the force of Kai's hug almost knocked him over.
"Daddy? Kai?" he asked. "What? Huh?"
"Mommy said," Kai continued with the charade, "that we could take you out to lunch!"
"Mommy?" He looked kind of cute with a confused look on his face. Cute? Where had that thought come from?
"Over here, sweetheart!" I called giddily standing up and walking towards them. The perplexed look on his face deepened, when I gave him a kiss on the cheek. I heard an audible scowl coming from the receptionist, and Kai giggled at our act.
"Sweetheart?" He was examining my face try to figure out who I was. You could almost see the wheels in his head turning as he took in my new hair and eye color, but then recognition dawned on him, "Hermione?"
"Yes, honey?" A humongous smiled spread across my face.
"What are you doing?" He asked setting Kai down.
"Daddy, we wanted you to eat lunch with us." Kai grabbed both of our hands and went to the exit doors of St. Mungo's. "We are going to get ice-cream after we eat. Mommy wants coffee ice-cream!"
"Coffee ice-cream?" he repeated in a daze.
"It was so nice to meet your daughter and your wife," the receptionist said venomously.
"Daughter? Wife?" He said still not grasping what was happening.
"Come on, hubby; don't want to keep our daughter waiting." I said stepping out into the London air.
It wasn't until later, while Draco chewed me out, that I discovered he had asked the receptionist out on a date. Oops! I had been wondering about the attitude. Well, I guess that explains it.