Just a warning I am Dyslexic so my stories will not be perfect but I now have one Beta reader to help me along the way :D
Thank you so much to Roshelle Diall for offering to work with me :)
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"Does that feel better?" she couldn't believe this was the same person. Draco Malfoy squatted before her. His body was no longer slender, he had gained tone and muscle. His sleek white-blond hair was slightly longer than she remembered and fell softly in his eyes. His eyes were like grey liquid mercury never seeming to stay the same colour as his emotions made them dance. He still had the same pale complexion and had grown more handsome with his rather sharp, pointed features.
"Hello" she muttered slowly as for the first time ever, Malfoy smiled at her.
"Hello Granger." he replied as he waited for an answer to his question.
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" the shout was Ron's. He was standing on the stairs with a beautiful dark- skinned, dark- haired woman. As all eyes on the landing turned to them, Ron was bright red to the tips of his ears and roots of his hair. The loud shout made Hermione's ears ring slightly as Ron whipped out his wand.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!" he shrieked as he pointed his wand at Draco, then Blaise.
"This isn't what it looks like Weasley. Be a good boy and put down your wand." Draco said placing his wand on the floor in Ron's view." but Ron was past seeing Red as he glared at the three Slytherins before him.
"Ron, darling you're being rash." the pretty woman said as she tried to lower Ron's wand. But Ron had never been known for being able to control his temper as with a swift movement he sent a curse between Draco and Hermione. The three Slytherins were quicker though. With a swift
"Excuse me" Blaise tugged Hermione backwards onto his lap as Draco jumped backwards grabbing his wand, pointing it at Ron as Gregory did the same. Ron was instantly unconscious. Strangely he didn't collapse, but stayed suspended as his arms came towards his body slowly. His legs were together and then lying backwards as if on a stretcher. Not a word had been spoken, but Hermione was impressed by this swift, subtle magic.
"Sleeping?" she questioned as Draco nodded.
"Yes, just a simple knockout charm." she nodded back and said nothing more as the tall dark- skinned beauty sighed,
"Well Blaise, how are you?" she asked smiling at the man Hermione suddenly realised she was still sitting on. Jumping off she stood a little shakily,
"Hello, Liz I'm great thanks! You?" Liz moved her wand, muttering as the box Hermione had been carrying and the spilt contents came back together and rested on Blaise's lap.
"I would be better if I didn't have to watch Draco knock my date out. I suppose it can't be helped, carry that box like a good boy." she walked up the last few steps past Ron and Draco and stood before Hermione smiling kindly.
"I hope these three hooligans haven't been bothering you Hermione. This isn't how I would have chosen to meet you but under the circumstances, Hello! I'm Lizzie Lega and I've heard a lot about you." she held out a hand and Hermione shook it, recognising the name of the woman Ron loved instantly. She could see why: her dark brown, almost black hair sparkled. Her skin was dark like Blaise's but she had the most beautiful blue eyes, plump lips and a model figure.
"No, well I don't believe they meant to. They were actually helping me when Ron...exploded shall we say." Lizzie laughed. A very pleasant sound, Hermione thought as she took Hermione's arm in hers.
"Well boys, let's get Hermione up to her new apartment. Ginny and Harry went up in the lift with your owl cage and crookshanks, hence why we took the stairs." she smiled again and led the way up the stairs with the 3 men plus the floating Ron followed as Blaise carried Hermione's box.
"Oh God, what happened?" Harry asked, shaking his head as their strange procession came into view.
"Small bump on the stairs. My cousin literally Ran into Mione, knocked her over they were helping her up when Ron blew his top." Lizzie answered in short as she smiled at Harry and Ginny, still clutching Hermione's arm as they approach them both. Hermione just smiled at Harry's goldfish impression as he looked at the 3 Slytherins and Ron on his invisible stretcher.
"God, I need a drink!" Harry muttered throwing up his arms. He just wasn't going to ask. The scene before him just seemed too surreal.
"Come on Mione, let's open up your new place and sit down. We can get Kreacher to get us some drinks, I think the situation requires it." Hermione just smiled and nodded. Her head no longer hurt, but there was still a very slight ringing in her ears. Still, she felt unusually calm as she reached into her jeans pocket, pulled out the two keys and opened the door.
"On the wall to your right." Gregory commented as Hermione reached out to the wall and found the light switch. Harry threw a questioning glance at him and he swiftly explained,
"I live downstairs and all the apartments are laid out the same." Harry nodded and Hermione saw her apartment for the first time. It was large and spacious: the floor to ceiling windows covered the entire one wall with double doors opening out onto a balcony. The apartment was already tastefully furnished, a large Plasma TV hung on the wall above a large fireplace, a brown leather 3 piece suite sat comfortably around the oak coffee table. The floors were all polished wood, but there were large soft brown shag pile rugs. In one corner there stood what looked like a polished tree, the trunk was glossy and the foliage a deep shade of green standing on what looked like a large silver tray. It wasn't until she saw the large eyes of Beau staring out at her that she realised it was an Owl perch, a very beautiful and expensive one by the look of it.
The Kitchen to her left opened out onto the lounge but was separated by an Island which doubled as a breakfast bar. All the appliances were shiny and new and she was happy to see a large stove and oven. 3 doors led off the main room plus a hallway where she could see 3 doors further down. Malfoy came up next to her,
"The door next to the kitchen is the utility room, the door on the left is an office and the door next to it is normally empty so you can do as you please." she nodded.
"There are two bedrooms and a bathroom down the hall." she started looking around her new home as Lizzie and Ginny started looking through her kitchen cupboards for glasses. Blaise as his way to say sorry for knocking her over, floo'd out to get them all some lunch. All of the flat was tastefully decorated, the guest bedroom was in creams and light browns. There was an office with shelves full of books and the utility rooms had all new appliances plus towels, bed linens and everything she would need.
The spare room that Draco had indicated was a welcome surprise to Hermione. It turned out to be a potions laboratory, well stocked with everything she could ever need. It was much like a smaller version of the lab she had worked in for so long, to create the anti-obve, or as she and her friends fondly called, it the brain burst potion.
The last room she checked was her own room. She walked in expecting the same neutral colour scheme as the rest of the apartment and was pleasantly surprised the walls were a light lilac with deep purple curtains and bed linens to match. On the large four poster bed, the rugs were a lavender colour and there was a large vanity table and a walk in closet. On one of the bedside tables there was a large bouquet of flowers ranging from roses to tulips all in different shades of purple. She walked over to the beautiful arrangement and noticed a folded piece of purple parchment leaning against the glass vase. Sitting on the edge of the bed she broke the quill seal and began to read the letter within,
Dear Hermione,
I hope you find your new home to your liking.
I asked a friend of mine to decorate and furnish it on your behalf
and hope you are happy with the results.
Please do not think you owe me anything for the apartment,
and rent has been covered for the next 5 years though you are welcome to leave at anytime.
You have probably already noticed I have made ready work spaces for you. I've stocked them with all the needed necessities for your healer training including reference books and ingredients.
I still hope you will write me and tell me of your progress with your training,
as I have grown pretty fond of your letters.
They give me hope in what for me was a very dark time full of fear and anguish
after the war, your achievements are like little rays of sunshine,
on what otherwise would have been an overcast sky.
I am reachable as always, just leave a letter
and it will always find its way to me.
There is also a little housewarming present for you
in the top draw.
Happy New Home,
Hermione
Yours faithfully,
Quills
xxx
She read the letter through twice and smiled. As she reached over and pulled open the top draw on the bedside table, inside was a blue velvet bag. Pulling it out of the draw, she unfolded the velvet to reveal a golden necklace with the healers in training symbol of a wand and bone crossed. She read the little purple note inside the folded velvet,
Wear this with pride,
future healer Granger!
She picked up the delicate chain and slipped it over her neck, allowing the charm to fall just above her chest and smiled.
"Thank you, Quills" she whispered into the air and she hoped he would hear her.
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They were sitting laughing and joking when Ron slowly came around from the knockout charm Draco had used on him. He stumbled out of the guest room where Greg had placed him and looked at the strange company laughing and joking around Hermione's table.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!" he roared for the second time that night as Lizzie stood up.
"Excuse us a second." she said smiling as she walked over to Ron, grabbed his ear and dragged him back into the guest room, shutting the door behind them. Though it didn't block out her raised voice entirely, it did deaden the noise a little, Hermione decided. Her and Ginny looked at each other, smiling before bursting into laughter as they listened to Lizzie berate Ron soundly,
"I have never been so embarrassed in my life. What on this earth has gotten into you, attacking an unarmed wizard like that? You clearly watched him drop his wand in a sign of faith and still you try to blast him! Ronald Weasley, I never thought I would see the day you turned into someone like those death eaters you so bravely fought during the war. But I suppose now I have seen everything! And for your information Ron, one of those men just happens to be a cousin from my mother's side so don't you dare say I don't know what their like. I know them all, hell all three of them have seen me naked for heavens sake!"
she continued on like this as Hermione, Harry and Ginny turned to the 3 men seated with them.
"So you've all seen her naked?" Ginny asked smiling as all three of them blushed.
"We were all kids back then, Ginny" Blaise stated as he looked at Greg and Draco who all nodded in agreement to his words. They were looking everywhere but at the smirking Ginny who was thoroughly enjoying herself at their expense.
"When we used to go and stay at my parents villa in Italy, we would all bathe and swim together, we were kids" nothing else could be said as the guest room door opened at that moment and a very red Ron and the calm and collected Lizzie strolled out and to the table, where Lizzie looked at the three Slytherins.
"Ron has something to say to you all." she pushed him forwards and he fixed his eyes on the floor as he mumbled something unintelligible. As Lizzie smacked his shoulder and glared at him, he tried again.
"I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions, I was wrong to do so." he said quietly but this time they could understand what he said. Draco looked for a moment as if he was going to sneer at Ron, but Hermione watched as his features relaxed and he nodded at Ron.
"Thats OK, Weasley I suppose from past experiences you have never had a reason to trust any of us. But please let me tell you now. none of us seated here are who we used to be. And though you may never like me or trust me if you ever raise your wand in violence towards me again, I will be hitting you with more than a knockout charm." Ron looked like he was going to argue with Draco but again Lizzie hit his shoulder and he sat down, not speaking a word as conversation resumed.
Hermione was seated between Draco and Ginny, as Ginny continued her conversation with Lizzie that they had been talking about before Ron's interruption. Harry was chatting with Blaise and Greg about quidditch. Hermione turned to Draco,
"What was the spell you used on my head?" she asked softly as he looked up at her from his goblet of wine.
"Oh just a simple anti-concussion charm, I healed the bruising and the swelling first I hoped it hadn't knocked you around too much, but when your eyes weren't focusing I decided it was necessary." his answer was simple and to the point, she smiled at him.
"Thank you, I definitely think it was necessary, otherwise I think I would still be sitting there now." he gave her a small smile in return.
"Well it was our fault being reckless. No one normally uses the stairs so we do tend to much around there. In the future, we will be more careful." they lapsed into a comfortable silence as Draco looked at her, he noticed the glittering charm around her neck and smiled.
"What's that?" he asked gesturing to the healer training symbol around her neck.
"Don't tell me the, cleverest witch of our age, who has just made history with her obliviate reversal potion is becoming a healer." he said it with a sarcastic tone, but she felt no malice in his words as she picked up the charm and held it in her palm.
"Well, its a needed job and I've been working so much with potions for care purposes, it just seems like a good place to start my life again. I've been in limbo the past 3 years working on the brain burst potion. I needed a new challenge and I think healing will be that challenge." he nodded and took a sip of his wine before replying.
"Well it certainly is a challenge and what the hell is a brain burst potion, I thought you had been working on the anti-obve?" she smiled as she too took a sip of her wine.
"It's just a nickname George Weasley came up with for the potion one day, when i was explaining about reproducing the brain cells at an accelerated rate." she looked back up at Draco and realised what he had said.
"Are you a healer, Draco?" she asked already realising the answer after how he had tended her fall and concussion.
"Yeah I am, I qualified the end of last year. We all work for St. Mungo's," he added gesturing to Blaise and Greg,
"Blaise deals with the legal work when bringing in muggles, and any legal cases against the hospital. Greg is a porter there." Hermione nodded and was quietly impressed though she wouldn't say anything. Draco was used to this now.
"After my father's arrest, the ministry thought it wise to keep all Slytherins in the eyes of the public at all times, giving us jobs that get us out there and in view at all times." Hermione didn't really want to ask about it now, so she let it slide as she redirected the conversation.
"Do you like it?" she asked as he turned and for the second time showed her a true smile.
"Best job in the world, Granger."
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so we will now slowly get to know each suspect. :)
Hehe I think Ron needs a firm woman,
to hold him down a little.
Thank you for reading :)
Neh xxx
Comments and reviews please, I will happily reply to PM's and questions.
Roshelle's space.
I'm looking forward to this.