A/N: Thankyou everyone who've extended their support to this attempt.
sarenia: Your wish has been granted in this chapter. I hope you'll like it, Thanks.
White Bishop: Thanks for a great review. I'm extremely thankful for the suggestions you've mentioned. Your thoughts about a particular skill-set for a character were intriguing. If you ask me they can definitely mold the story into the direction intended to. I'll keep them in mind while developing it. Your reviews are always great. Please consider my thanks as a symbol of my gratitude to your skill, knowledge and time and it was not my intention to pressurize you to write a review. You've been gracious and I'm very grateful for that.
Guest: We'll get there soon.
SVowles: Thank you so much. I'm trying to build the story block by block. So it may take a few chapters to get to know what exactly happened on missing day, thanks.
pgoodrichboggs: I'm sure Hermione is going to try each and every way now, thanks.
ASJS: I know. I hope this chapter will give you some answers about that. Thanks.
LuckyMascot: Oh thank you so much. I'm glad you liked so far. Hopefully, you'll like it how it's going to proceed. Thanks
There are few parts in the chapter, that happen in a memory. I've differentiated the lines by italics. I hope it's not confusing.
The missing day
Chapter 7
"It's really not bad, for a muggle restaurant," Draco said looking at his surroundings with an appraising glance.
Hermione rolled her eyes and put the menu down. "Thanks for coming, Malfoy. I wasn't sure if you would be willing to come."
"Why wouldn't I?" Draco asked leaning back into his chair.
"Somehow, you never gave me the impression that you're interested in muggle things," Hermione said as if it was the most obvious thing.
"You are the personification of all things muggle, and I find you deliciously interesting," Draco said giving her a wink. "And this place is not so bad. We've limited options with wizarding things, so one should definitely venture out."
Hermione couldn't help when a gentle shiver traveled through her spine at his words. She cleared her throat and answered his smirk with a pointed glare. "I've something very important to discuss with you and I think it's best to have that discussion here instead of Diagon alley, who knows what kind of bugs are hovering over you."
"So you know Skeeter's secret?" Draco said, "Impressive." He lazily waved for the waiter without moving his eye from her. "Do you come here often?"
"Sometimes, usually for lunch. I didn't know why you insisted on breakfast." Hermione said as the waiter approached the table. Hermione simply ordered a simple assortment of various fruit with English breakfast tea. And Draco gave an elaborate order of his choice and topped it off with coffee.
"Wow," Hermione muttered, as their order was placed in front them. "That does look delicious," she said eyeing Draco's platter.
"I would offer to share but, I don't want to mess your healthy routine," Draco said with a sarcastic tone taking a healthy bite.
Hermione smiled and shook her head. "It's not like that. I'm all for hearty breakfasts, but my body still hasn't recovered from yesterday. And Theo insisted on Chinese takeout last night. So I'm just watching."
She saw a twinge of concern and then followed by something else, passing through his clouded eyes. He nodded his head and chewed on his food silently. "I was a bit surprised to receive your owl, in Theo's handwriting. Does he stay the night often?" Draco asked and Hermione didn't miss the light sneer in those words.
She bit back the retort on the tip of her tongue. After all, the man in the front did save her. "I was answering Harry's floo call and Theo was just helping out. Coming to Theo staying over, I don't think I need to make it clear to you, what I do with Theo is my business."
Other than a moment of lapse in his eating, there was no change in his demeanor. He finished his bite and looked at her. "There is a reason for my insistence on a breakfast meeting," Draco said dabbing his mouth with his napkin. "Theo mentioned you were going to Diagon alley in the morning." When Hermione nodded her head in confusion, "Can I trust you that you've secured this place?" He said motioning around him with his finger.
"You can," Hermione said her brows still bunched.
"Well, I suppose I can you give you this," Draco said taking a familiar thing from the inside pocket of his almost black tailored suit.
Hermione gasped and immediately stretched her hand to take it. "I understand this was the reason you were going to Diagon alley in the morning," Draco said twirling a long stick between his fingers.
"That is my wand," Hermione almost yelled. "Where did you find it?" Hermione tried to reach for it but Draco just lifted his fingers a little higher making it unreachable for her fingers.
"What is this? No great words of gratitude or anything? I expected at least some kind of sophistication from the brains of golden trio. Alas! You can have it." Draco said with a mock disheartenment sliding the wand into her waiting hand.
But Hermione didn't hear anything. The awareness of her wand between her fingers renewed the strength and vitality she had been missing since yesterday. A tiny tear escaped the confines of her eye and rolled down. She haphazardly brushed it away and whispered, "Thanks." She lifted her eyes to look at him and found him gazing at her with an intense look. "Where did you find it?"
"I went back to look for it. I guess those bastards haven't cleaned up after and I was lucky enough to find it." Draco said sipping his coffee. "Did you find out anything about that person?"
Hermione bit her lip in thought. Ron and Harry's doubts came to her mind. Their doubts are taking deeper roots with this new development. How exactly did he get her wand? With that doubt still lingering in her mind, she thought it would be safe to hide the identity of her captor. She looked at him and shook her head.
But Draco gave her a pointed look. It seemed like he caught her hesitation. He just nodded at her after a minute of his perusal.
"I really am grateful for your help," Hermione said sincerely. "I was handicapped without this."
"Any time Granger," he said with his arrogant smirk returning to his face his eyes locked on her fingers that were caressing the piece of wood. "You have beautiful fingers."
Hermione felt a tiny shudder as his scrutiny and cleared her throat for a good measure to capture his attention. "I wanted to talk to you."
"I'm all ears," he said with a voice that made her voice tremble.
"You were talking about umm.. a kiss," she said the words as quietly as possible looking at a particular circular pattern on the table cloth, but they definitely reached his ears.
"Not a kiss. It was the kiss," Draco said his voice going down a decibel. Hermione could actually swear that the room might have got a lot hotter with those words.
"Are you sure, it was me?" Hermione asked simply refusing to meet his gaze.
"Very much," Draco said her fingers now tracing the same pattern Hermione's were locked on a moment before.
"I don't remember it," Hermione spoke quickly and finally looked up to meet his eyes.
There was clear confusion in his face, now. "That had never happened to me. My partners describe their experiences with me as exceptional," he said haughtily. "Nevertheless, we could correct it right away."
"Malfoy, that wasn't an insult. I believe your words," She replied. "I don't know how to say this but something has happened."
"Ok," Draco said drawling the word.
She clutched her head and looked at him. The warmth had vanished from the room and in that place, a deadly silence was ringing around them. "I'm missing a day from my life."
Draco was looking at her with a very befuddled eye so she went on further with her explanation. "Do you remember the night we met at the pub? I don't remember what happened next. When I woke up, what I believed was the next day, it turned out to be the day after. I have no clue where I've been or what I did?"
"So you don't remember a thing?" Draco asked.
"Yes. The only clue I could find was you," Hermione said. "I need your help. What happened with us?"
"Wow, this is one of the most embarrassing things," Draco huffed. "Here I was thinking, you've finally noticed me. And you just had to go pour a glass of iced water on me."
"Finally noticed," Hermione scoffed. "You were always there, Malfoy. It's hard not to notice you."
"Yeah, I do my homework," Draco said with an arrogant smile.
"Malfoy, please if you could tell me what happened that time?" Hermione said with a pleading look.
"I've got a better idea," Draco said with a mischievous look.
"What's that?" Hermione asked with a doubt.
"I can show it to you," Draco said signaling the waiter the end of their breakfast.
"I called you, let me pay for the breakfast," Hermione said as Draco reached for his pocket. "Do you even have any muggle money?"
"You insult me, Granger," Draco said taking the correct amount of money and slipping into the pouch.
"I have a pensieve at my place. But I can understand if you don't want to come there." Draco said rising from his seat.
"Oh! I usually go to the ministry if I needed to use one," Hermione said. "But I don't think it is the right place for us now. Can I make another request?" She asked looking at him.
"Go on," he replied curiously.
"You could bring it to my place. I don't think I'm ready to come to your home. It's really not an ideal place for me right now," she said with dejection. Showing her weakness to the least person who could understand was definitely one of the lowest points of her day.
But she felt she might have been wrong, looking at the concerned look on his face. He quickly composed himself when he caught her looking, "As I said I understand."
"Great. I'll open the floo for you," she came closer and unconsciously pulled him down by his shoulder and whispered her address. Through the midway of her whisper, she realized her mistake. She slowly moved back and mumbled, "Sorry."
"Feel free to do that anytime. I don't mind." Draco said rubbing his earlobe where her hot breath still lingered. He then opened the door and waited for her.
They moved to a hidden alley and with a final nod to each other both of them disapparated to their respective locations.
Hermione didn't need to wait for a long time. Draco was ingeniously quick. He had set up the pensieve on her coffee table. He slowly the extracted the memory out of his head and swirled the contents into the silvery surface. She was sitting there anxiously rubbing her hands together. She didn't know what to expect. No, that's not true. She might have an idea what to be expected and that's what made her nervous. And this is her first clue in unraveling the whole mystery surrounding the day that had mysteriously vanished from her life.
"Trust me, Granger. It was a remarkable experience. Just for one stop analyzing everything and enjoy the ride." He extended his hand to her and gestured her to take it.
"You want to go in there with me?" She asked pointing to the pensieve.
"Obviously. Why did you think I'd miss an opportunity like this?" he said wagging his eyebrows.
"I suppose not," she said taking his hand. "Here goes nothing," she muttered and lowered her face to the cool surface. She was tumbling into a swirl of activities and finally let a breath out when her feet found ground. She felt another presence beside and knew that Draco had landed.
"Wow, this was that night at the pub," she mused taking in her surroundings. There was a lot of activity going on the around them. "That was one hell of a night."
"Yes, it was," Draco replied.
"Where am I?" Hermione asked peering onto the dance floor. She remembered one thing about that night. There was a lot of alcohol and a lot of dancing.
"This is my memory. So you should be looking for me." Draco said pointing to a table in the lone corner. And Hermione indeed saw Draco there with another woman.
"So what happens now?" Hermione asked following Draco's steps but her eyes still fixed on the dance floor.
"You get to see the whole show, Granger. Have some patience," he said moving along.
"Do you want to dance?" Draco asked the woman in front of him.
"No thank you, I don't want to get my dress dirty," She replied haughtily giving a disgusted look at the crowd.
Hermione pursed her eyebrows at Draco's date and asked, "She seems familiar." She was very beautiful except for the scrunched expression on her face.
"She's Pansy's cousin. I don't know, what Pansy thought when she introduced me to her? She said the girl was into pub culture. That's why I decided to come here," the Draco beside her replied. "It was as dull as watching the paint dry. Who comes to a pub just to watch?"
Hermione chuckled and asked, "How's Pansy?"
"She's coping. It's not everyday you fall to your death. Lucky for her, you were there," Draco said with a smile.
"Draco, I'm going to powder my nose," the woman rose abruptly and declared.
"By all means," Draco said pointing in the general direction.
"Anytime, now," Draco said with a nostalgic smile.
Before Hermione turned in the direction Draco was looking at, her eyes went wide. There she was stumbling her way through the crowds. Hermione gasped at the state she was in.
"Draco," she cooed slumping in the empty chair across the table.
"Granger," Draco asked with a shocked expression. "Are you alright? Where's Theo?"
"Shhh," she said placing her finger on his lips and whispered in his ear, "I'm hiding from him." She was half lying on the table and was trying desperately to keep the other half in the chair.
"Why are you hiding from him?"
"He wants me to send me home. And I don't want to go home. I want to have so much fun," she giggled as she gave up her attempts to keep her seated on the table.
Hermione looked around in panic, searching for anybody who is witnessing her outrageous display. But luckily for her, Draco's table was sealed away from the usual sights. She visibly relaxed, turned around and shrieked. "What's wrong with me."
Draco was totally amused, "Oh! It gets better."
"Granger, what are you doing?" Draco was asking Hermione who made herself comfortable in his lap. "It's not that I'm not enjoying it, but I'm here on a date."
"Poor Draco! I'm sorry," Hermione giggled again but never made any attempt to get down from his lap. She was looking intensely into his eyes. She lifted her hand and ran her finger over his cheek. "You have beautiful eyes. Not the traditional kind. Yours are soul piercing, awakening something that has been buried deep within and not to forget, so sexy." She slowly lifted herself from his lap and placed her lips on his closed eyelids. Draco sat there frozen at her actions. His hands were hanging on both his sides limply. But Hermione didn't stop. Her eyes were now on his lips and she was staring at them like a thirsty person looking at the water. Her tongue darted out wetting her lips, "I've wondered what's beneath this."
"This?" Draco murmured.
She laughed then, "Yes, beneath the mask you wear."
"Granger, you are drunk," Draco spoke trying to maintain his position on the chair, as Hermione pushed him into the backrest.
"Yes," she breathed and traced her thumb across his lower lip. "But your eyes tell me everything."
Hermione had to move closer to the pair to hear their words as they were coming out as a mere whisper. But Draco stayed there admiring the pair.
"Do you want to know, what they're telling me now?" Hermione asked encircling him with her legs. Draco mutely nodded his head. "They're telling me that you want to kiss me."
Draco made a low grunt at her words and Hermione now looped her arms around his neck as her lips were hovering near his. "Do you?"
Before he answered her question she pressed her lips against his mouth.
Hermione banged her head on the table, just as the sounds of slurping and hissing permeated the air.
"Do you want a real feel of what's happening there? I can give you a demonstration." Draco said cockily relishing in that experience. "You have a very talented tongue."
"You're clearly enjoying this aren't you?" Hermione yelled angrily. "You're taking advantage of me."
"The evidence is right in front of you. You were at my table, you approached me and you were sitting on me. Need I remind you that I've already told you about my date."
"Then why didn't you push me away?" Hermione asked in a high tone.
Draco rolled his eyes and pointed to the snogging pair at the table.
"Granger," Draco managed to muffle as he gently nudged her. Hermione winked at him, with his lower lip still caught between her lips. "This isn't the right time," he said anxiously looking towards the ladies room.
She released his lip with a pop and leaned her head on his chest. "Your heart's racing," she giggled again.
"Hermione," another voice called her.
Hermione whirled around to see Cormac Mclaggen approaching the pair in urgency.
"What are you doing here?" he came closer and roughly dragged Hermione down from Draco's lap.
"Mclaggen, Watch it," Draco got up with a sneer and steadied Hermione. "You alright there, Granger."
"Tonight's so much fun," she squealed and gave Draco another kiss on his cheek.
"Hermione, don't touch that death eater scum," Mclaggen yelled again possessively draping an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, we'll continue our date at some place else. We're going home."
Draco stopped them and moved into their way. "Did you come with him, Granger? I thought you came with Theo," Draco asked in suspicion.
Hermione was watching the interaction with a rapt attention, trying to catch any kind of clues of what might've happened next.
"Theo's with Luna. They look so cute together," Hermione mused dreamily.
"Come on Hermione, Let's go. You don't need to answer him," Mclaggen said maneuvering her away from the table. Hermione went along but her eyes remained fixed on Draco.
Draco tried to follow but the woman he was with chose that moment to enter the scene, "Draco, who're you looking at?" She asked trying to follow his gaze.
"No one," Draco mumbled resuming his place at the table but his eyes fixed on the dancing girl on the floor, who was slowly disappearing into the crowd.
Hermione was about to ask about what's going to happen next, but she was thrown out of the activity around her. In the next minute, she was back in her living room with Draco beside her.
Both of them sat quietly for the next few moments. Hermione was staring at the wall unable to find words. She got up from the chair and started pacing around the room.
"Is that all happened?" She voiced her doubt looking at Draco finally.
"Yes. You vanished with that Mclaggen. I haven't seen you after that," Draco answered.
"What could've happened?"
"I have few theories, but we need more proof," Draco said running his hands through his hair. "So you don't remember any of that?"
Hermione shook her head and came closer to him, "I'm sorry to jump on you like that."
"You don't need to say sorry. Even though you don't remember it, it was a very memorable experience for me," he said. "But I would've been happier if both of us were in our right state of minds."
"Agreed," Hermione said and sat on the chair. "I thought these marks happened with you," she said running her fingers over the small healing indents behind her ears.
"What marks?" Draco queried.
"Umm these," she said moving her hair.
Draco remained silent, "Did you think, you got these from me?" Hermione nodded stating her approval. "Sorry break your bubble, Granger. These aren't some sweet remembrances, princess. It looks like you've been mauled."
Hermione's heart sank into her stomach at his words and she managed to squeak out, "What?"
"They are some serious marks of an injury," Draco declared. "Trust me. Somebody even managed to heal them hastily and made them look like some nail bruises."
Hermione's head started swirling. She had been under the impression that, she and Draco might have had a drunken night together. But his statement pushed her into a new state of panic. Hermione's head dropped into her hands and let out a sob. She felt an awkward hand on her knee and heard Draco's words. "Whoever had done this, is going to suffer. We'll get to the end of it, Granger."
A/N: I know apart from the kiss, Draco said nothing had happened. Do you think Hermione should believe him?
