Chapter 10

Flourish and Blotts

Hermione exited the shop, looking for her muggle parents, no doubt they'd be lost in a place like Diagon Alley, when she saw Harry and Hagrid walking towards her, she ran at them, a smile on her face and if the look on Harry's was anything to go by, he was just as happy to see her, but if that was the case, why had he stopped writing all of a sudden? She berated herself for being so foolish, she knew Harry's Uncle Vernon was a wizard-hating fool, he'd probably stole Harry's letters in a frail attempt to rid the poor boy of anything magical.

She greeted them both, looking up at the huge ground's keeper who returned the favour in a very proud, fatherly manner, she turned back to Harry, to find him covered in dirt and his glasses broken. Why was it the most famous wizard of all time, the Boy-Who-Lived and then stopped Voldemort in his first year at Hogwarts, somehow always unable to arrive to school unscathed? She wouldn't have it any other way though to tell the truth, she was just glad she was going back and that Harry wasn't in a huff with her.

"Oh, it's so good to see you." she said barely able to contain her excitement,

"It's great to see you too." Harry replied, she couldn't help but notice him taking in her new look.

She was wearing a blue jumper, underneath her school robes, and a cream pleated skirt, slightly shorter than usual, black knee high socks and pumps completed the look. It was more girly, more grown up, and she liked it that way.

Despite both her mother and her muggle friends telling her to cut her hair, she had left it long, tiding it up by pulling some of it back into a clip to reveal more of her face. It had nothing to do with the fact that Draco had said in one of his letter's that he liked her hair long.

"What did you do to your glasses?" she pulled a face, not only was he a mess, he'd ruined his glasses too, she sighed, pulling out her wand, just like last year, his glasses mended themselves, the cracks vanishing, even the lenses were cleaner, he still seemed as stunned as he had their first day on the train,

"Definitely need to remember that one." he mumbled, taking off his newly fixed glasses to inspect them, he gave her a sheepish look, of course, Hermione had never had a spell backfire on her in her life.

"You'll be alright now then, Harry? Right. I'll leave you to it." Hagrid nodded, eyeing Harry wearily, the boy had a knack for finding trouble.

They watched the half-giant retreat back in the direction he'd come, when he was gone, Hermione grabbed Harry's arm, dragging him into Flourish and Blotts, it was dark yet inviting, maybe it was the air of mystery or the fact that it was a bookshop, one of her favourite places, or maybe it was because today they were holding a book signing for Lockhart's newest auto-biography, Magical Me. Hermione just hoped no-one thought she'd changed her clothes for him, she hadn't, though she had to admit she did feel rather lovely, it was merely a bonus that she was in the front row where Lockhart would be able to see her. She didn't even mind the photographers pushing past them to get a picture of the stunningly beautiful man, because from here she could see his eyes, his smile, breathe in his expensive, heroic scent.

She had never seen a man so refined, so suave, she had never read of one so brave, he was perfection solidified, he was a true Romeo, she was so consumed in Lockhart, she hardly noticed him calling Harry up to be photographed with him or Draco staring at her from the staircase overhead, a bitter look on his face. More pictures were taken, flashes going off here and there as the Boy-Who-Lived stood, uncomfortably in the arms of the most wonderful man on earth, or at least that's what most witches in the shop made of it. Afterwards, Lockhart sent Harry off, taking his seat and grabbing a quill, Ron's mother told them to hurry along and wait outside while she got their books signed.

Hermione was in an almost trance like state as she thought of Lockhart's dreamy smile, sighing in content, she followed Harry to the exit, then she saw Draco standing on the staircase, setting down the book he'd been reading when he noticed them coming, he hurriedly stuffed a piece of paper into his pocket and half-ran down to pounce on Harry,

"Bet you loved that didn't you, Potter?" he spat, looming over him, Hermione couldn't believe how much he'd changed over the summer, not only was he at least a head taller than her now, while last year they'd been the same height, the definition coming into his jaw, even his voice had changed, it was rougher, more raspy, she blushed without meaning to, "Famous Harry Potter. Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page!"

She frowned, a whole two months and the first thing he notices is Harry? She didn't like that he was tormenting her friends again, she also didn't like that he seemed to enjoy it so much that he barely saw her standing there.

Ron's little sister moved forward.

"Leave him alone!"

"Oh, look, Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend." the grin was wiped right off his face when the silver snake head of a man's walking stick was placed on his shoulder, gently brushing the blonde boy aside,

"Now, now, Draco, play nicely." the tall man with equally white blonde hair said, though his was much longer, "Mr. Potter, Lucius Malfoy. We meet at last."

Harry shook his hand; he was polite, after all, even if it was Draco's father,

"Forgive me..." he abruptly pulled Harry closer, moving his hair out of the way with the head of his walking stick to examine the scar on his forehead, "You're scar is legend. As, of course, is the wizard who gave it you."

"Voldemort killed my parents." Harry said, defiantly speaking the name, "He was nothing more than a murderer."

It was then that Hermione finally managed to escape the throng of wizards and witches all clad in black robes that pushed past her, she stood on the stairs beside Draco, giving him no choice but to notice her, as well as her new look, she could feel his eyes on her as his father spoke,

"Hmm, you must be very brave to mention his name...Or very foolish." he added, smiling deviously.

This was the first time Hermione had ever met Draco's father and she knew she didn't like him, there was something off about him, something that frightened her,

"Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself." she said, ignoring Draco's lingering gaze, Lucius turned his attention to her now in a look she could only call bemused, as if she were some mute child who was trying and failing miserably to form a sentence, it was a pitying, dubious look,

"And you must be...Miss Granger." he glanced at his son for conformation, the boy nodded, "Yes. Draco has told me all about you-" her hearted fluttered for a minute, then it went cold, "-and you're parents."

Hermione gave a quick peek to her parents, who were now talking to Ron's father, laughing and joking,

"Muggles, aren't they?" Lucius continued, she was fuming, her fists clenched and sweaty, she almost wanted him to say it, just so she could kick him in the shin or something, but he didn't, he wouldn't in front of all these people. Hermione's frown was dark and brooding, she hated that word, the one he was thinking as he looked at her, it was bad enough having to endure Draco throwing it her way once in a while, it hurt more so from the likes Lucius Malfoy, from people who meant it, it made her feel like she ought to be ashamed of herself and her parents when she knew neither she nor her family had done anything wrong. It wasn't a crime to be a muggle-born, though if Draco's father had his way. It would be.

Soon Lucius had moved on to ridicule Ron and his family. She wasn't listening though she was too tied up in her own thoughts, not to mention Draco's fingers gently caressing her own, silently asking to hold her hand, she looked away, not wanting him to see the tears in her eyes, however he already had and decided to hold her hand anyway. It was a comforting gesture though it pained her as well. Of all the things Hermione knew of friendship, she never realised it held so many contradictions. How could someone make you feel at ease and yet they were the ones who caused the blasted butterflies? Butterflies with razor sharp wings that tore you apart when they glared at you. She snatched her hand away from his, not missing the bewildered and slightly hurt look he gave her, she was angry, at him, his father, everyone, she was fed up with all the scheming, like he was ashamed to be associated with her.

When she looked up again, Lucius and Ron's father were having a quiet tiff over what disgraces a wizard's name, then the blonde man told him he'd see him at work. Draco seemed to take this as his cue and brushed past Hermione to glower at Harry,

"See you at school."

Her brow knitted tightly together as she stared at him, he caught her eye, holding her gaze for an all too fleeting moment, she swore something passed between them then, something wonderful, but it was gone as quickly as it'd came, he raised an eyebrow at her, seeming rather upset but hopeful, he gave the faintest of nods as a goodbye before he left.

Hermione had no idea what she saw in that boy or why she'd ever wanted to be friends with him, she only knew that she couldn't just turn away now, he was awful to Harry and Ron and practically everyone else too, but something kept pulling her back to him and she couldn't fathom what. She didn't want the feelings she had for him because whatever they were they were agonising, with a mere grin he could light up her day, with a frown he could torture her in ways dark wizards like Voldemort never could.

She couldn't imagine not having him as her friend, she just wished she didn't feel like it was all one big game to him, she was still anticipating the day that Draco Malfoy properly sneered at her and laughed as he told her it was all a joke. She wanted to know that the boy she knew was real but there was an inkling of doubt in her mind, which she hated. She supposed she'd find out sooner or later.