Like I said, I'm back ;P

The Moonlight Glares

Liza Lew

Disclaimer: I don't own any of JK Rowlin

g's wonderful world or characters. I own my own characters and the plot only.

Chapter 24

Hermione zipped up her last bag carefully. She couldn't believe the amount of luggage she had accumulated in the last month. She had more than seven bags – and she had come here with one. There was a knock on the door.

Draco peeked his head around the door. "Need any help with the last one?" he said.

"That would be great," Hermione said, letting Draco take the suitcase down the stairs in front of her.

An hour later Hermione found herself stepping out of a cab looking up at her old house. Nothing much had changed in the month she'd been gone. The yard still looked tidy, and the red brick was still spotless. She turned around as Draco stepped out of the car behind her, with several of her bags. She was carrying two.

Draco looked up at the house for a minute, "This is kind of nice," he said, "for a muggle residence."

Hermione glared up at him and then just shook her head as she saw the joking look in his eyes. Draco smiled and Hermione smirked this time before running up the walk ahead of him.

"Hey! Wait up!" Draco said, running behind her. Draco stopped short, however, as the door ahead of them opened to reveal two stern-looking people standing before them. The man directed his gaze at Draco while the woman looked down at Hermione. Immediately her expression softened into a smile.

"Hermione!" Jane Granger came forward and embraced her daughter. Frank looked at Draco a moment longer before going down to hug his daughter as well.

"Let's get you inside!" Jane said, breaking away from Hermione. She looked over Hermione's shoulder, "Oh? Hermione, who's your friend?"

Hermione turned and walked back towards Draco, bringing him forward. "Mum, Dad, this is Draco Malfoy. He's going to help me move some things."

Draco nodded and stuck out his hand for Mr. Granger to shake, "Nice to meet you, sir."

Just then there was a yell of "MIONE!" and suddenly crashing through Mr. and Mrs. Granger into Hermione came a streak of brown hair as a little boy embraced his sister.

Hermione smiled, "Hi Johnny."

Mrs. Granger's face lit up, "Let's go inside, shall we?" So the four Grangers turned and walked back into their house followed by Draco Malfoy.

Hermione worked quietly as she re-arranged her closets. She was focusing on her decision yet again. Had it been the right one? Would she ever change her mind, and if so would she go back? She was sure her family would accept her if she decided to. . .

She was jerked out of her thoughts by Draco saying something. "Hmm?" she said, looking towards him. He set down a stack of folded clothes and repeated it.

"Your family here seems very nice."

"Yeah, they're the best," said Hermione, smiling, "Mum is always finding ways to do her job and take care of Johnny, me and Dad, and Dad is doing his job and does is always there to help, he does all the cooking you know."

Draco held Hermione's chin and looked her in the eyes, "Are you sure that you made the right choice?"

Hermione looked to the side, "I'll never be one-hundred percent sure, but it's my choice, right? I'll still have both sides, right?"

Draco sighed and continued to help Hermione get everything organized.

The dinner table was crowded that evening in comparison to the Lanes' Mansion. The small table had every place filled and even an extra place pulled up. The dinner was delicious, Draco even complimented Frank on it, who gave Draco a stiff nod in return. Hermione smiled a bit seeing Draco being polite, and return to her chicken.

Johnny was so exuberated to have his big sister back he was talking without cease. He was going on and on about Kids' Club, and everything they had done in the last month, from field trips to the Zoo to trading the newest Pokémon and Yugi-Oh! cards with the others boy (and apparently one girl) during free time. His chatter made the feeling around the table a bit easier and more relaxed.

In the few breaks of Johnny's constant chatter, Jane Granger would exchange a few words with Draco, whom she seemed to be very interested in. She verified that he went to Hogwarts and was taking NEWT level classes newt year, that he was also a 6th year student. During these short exchanges, Hermione's father would look out the window and focus on the rosebush just outside it.

Hermione knew exactly why her parents' behavior was so odd, and it made her blush. They suspected that Draco was her boyfriend – which made her mother excited and her father nervous. As soon as the dinner concluded, Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. Imagine their reaction if she actually had to tell them Draco was her boyfriend.

As the family cleaned up the dishes and put them in the sink, Johnny resumed chattering once more, this time about Power Rangers. The clock chimed as he detailed how the Red Ranger was in fact the son of the White Ranger.

"Oh dear, it seems we've eaten longer than usual. It's time for the news. Hermione, would you mind finishing the dishes while your father and I watch? There's a story on modern dentistry we don't want to miss."

"Oh course mum, go ahead," said Hermione, turning her attention back to the dishes in front of her as he mother, brother and father scooted off into the other room. She felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her as her yellow rubber-maid gloves put down a plate.

"Draco, my parents can see," Hermione said quietly.

"No they can't, they're involved in their TV," he said, "besides, I didn't just tag along to help you organize everything."

"You know if my dad could hear you, you'd be dead."

"Let him kill me then," Draco held Hermione a bit closer and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"We need to finish the dishes," she said, looking up at him.

"Fine," said Draco, withdrawing his arms, "Now where's another pair of those yellow gloves?"

The next morning Hermione came downstairs to find Draco and Johnny sitting at the table, eating pancakes.

"Your mum left a note," Draco said, motioning towards a Post-it stuck on the fridge. Hermione went over to it.

Mione, it read

Your dad and I had to go early to work this morning. Pancakes are in the freezer. Could you walk Johnny down to Kids' Club for us? You remember where it is, down in the Elementary School? Thanks, you're a great help. We're glad you're back.

From, Mum & Dad.

Hermione noticed the plate of frozen pancakes on the counter and popped it into the microwave. Looked like she was going to have a few more things to do before finishing organizing everything.

"Bye Mione!" Johnny yelled, waving furiously from the Kids' Club room. Hermione smiled and waved back before turning to Draco.

"Come on, I want to show you this park," she said, dragging him off down the sidewalk. As they came to the edge of the park, Draco surveyed it.

"It looks pretty normal," he said, "Just a muggle park with a field, a play set, and some trees in the middle."

Hermione shook her head, "Nope. You need to come into the trees to see it." The two entered the small cluster of tall trees and Hermione smiled as they came to the center to the mini-forest. There, at the top of one tree, was what looked to be a few planks across two strong branches.

"My first tree house."

"Tree house?" said Draco speculatively, "It looks unsafe."

"Come on," said Hermione, climbing up the tree. Draco looked once more at the "tree house" and began climbing after her.

"Are you sure this thing will hold us?" he asked.

"Positive," said Hermione. She got up to the platform first and pulled herself up. "Perfect, just as I left it," she said.

Draco raised an eyebrow and brought himself right below it. What could there be to protect there? It was a couple rotting planks of wood… He pulled himself up over the edge of the planks and then saw why Hermione loved this thing so much. It was magiked.

Where what appeared to be a couple rotting planks was actually a nice little polished wooden house complete with a kid-sized table and tea set. Hermione was sitting over near the window looking out.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she said. Draco came up beside her and the two sat there for a very long time.

It had begun to rain on their way back to the house that afternoon. Somehow, everything was grey and muddy. The rain came down in sheets so thick they couldn't see more than a few feet. It was at this time that Hermione and Draco were standing at a cross-walk waiting for the light to change.

Hermione squinted at the light through the rain. "I can't tell what's going on!" she yelled, "We've been here for ten minutes, it must have changed!"

"I'm going across," Draco yelled back, and he stepped out into the street. What Draco didn't see was the bus coming from his left. Hermione yelled out and Draco turned just in time to see the bus and jump slightly out of the way – but not enough to avoid it completely.

So, I haven't written a good author's ramble in awhile (for obvious reasons). I want to start by saying I am sooo sorry I didn't update in a long time. I had writer's block, and then my schedule got full... and suddenly it was over a month since I'd updated!

At any rate I have a few announcements:

First, I can no longer respond to individual reviews. I LOVED answering your questions and responding to your comments, but I barely have time now to write the fic let alone respond to reviews.

Second, Thank you SOOOO much to all the reviewers who returned last chapter. I got 25 reviews in a week, and you all came back after over a month! Thank you!

Third, there will no longer be any trivia questions or polls, sadly. Again, time-cosuming.

And Lastly, You all should send out a shout to FLO, my beta, who kept nagging me to update! Thank you Flo!

I'll be back next week... hehe. hope you enjoyed the cliff hanger/gets ready for flames about hurting Draco./