Chapter-2: Introduction

I am extremely sorry for such late update. My father passed away a few days ago. Please pray for him so that his soul may rest in peace. I was busy with his burial works so I couldn't find time or the heart to write. I thought of stopping my writing. But then I thought this writings were the only thing I found peace in doing. I couldn't leave it. So here's the next chapter...

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does and always will. Fortunately, I own the plot even if not the characters.

Draco screamed as he talked feeling the lady wouldn't be able to hear him. "Hi. Are you Christina Hopper?" Hermione had to practically stretch her hand as far as possible so that she could avoid deafening her ears. When she realized the person on the other side of the phone had stopped talking, she brought the phone to her ear and heard the man in the other side breathing heavily, of course from his excitement and screaming.

"Hi... I am sorry but I am not Christina Hopper. By the way, why are you screaming like insane? Talk normally." Hermione said. "It's like a wizard suddenly picked up a habit of using mobile phone like...like a muggle." With that she busted into laughter. Draco momentarily lost his own voice hearing her laughter. It was like heaven was singing to him. He felt something shift inside him. God what was happening to him?

Draco never felt like this before while speaking with a girl. Especially, just hearing a girl's voice and laughter never did anything like this to him before. Then why did hers? "I am ah...um..." He trailed off. "Oh my God, you are really a wizard and this is your first time using muggle phone." Hermione stopped laughing and exclaimed in a surprised tone. It wasn't a question rather a statement. "I um..." Draco trailed off again. He couldn't find a possible way to get out of this. He started again, now thinking of being truthful.

"Yes, I am a wizard. This is my first time using a muggle phone or muggle anything." Draco told her sheepishly. "I have to say that you are quite lucky that you actually didn't call the person you intended to. Or that person would have thought you are off your rockers." Hermione said laughing. This time Draco laughed along with her feeling quite embarrassed at his own behavior. "I think I am lucky."

"Next time when you call someone try to speak in a normal voice. Okay?". Hermione advised laughing. "I'll keep that in mind from now on." They were both silent for moment before Hermione spoke. "Hmm... So I guess this is goodbye. It was nice talking to you." "Yeah. It was nice talking to you too." Draco said. He didn't want to hang up so soon. He wanted to talk to her more. Wanted to hear her voice more.

"Wait. Could you tell me more about this metal thingy? Please." He added after a moment thought. Only then he understood how stupid it sounded. "About the mobile phone?" Hermione asked laughing. "Yeah, sure. I would love to. But I really can't talk right now. I'm having guests in a few hours. I am really really sorry." "No no. You don't have to apologize. I totally understand. I don't waste any more of your time. I'll hang up now. Goodbye." Hermione didn't miss the small amount of accusation and sadness and hurt at being ignored under his calm voice. Hermione felt immensely guilty.

Draco was about to remove the phone from his ears when he heard her say something. "What? I didn't hear you." Hermione sighed and repeated her question. "How about I call you tonight after dinner? If it's ok with you?" Draco felt a sense of deja vu. "No no. It's alright. I am free after dinner." Draco said nonchalantly. He was having a hard time to keep the happiness out of his voice.

Hermione smiled at his response and said, "Later then. Goodbye, Mr..." Hermione paused and again started. She said, "I don't think we have been introduced, have we now? How rude of you, sir?" Draco chuckled at Hermione's mocking at their lack of introduction. He started, "May I introduce..." Draco trailed didn't want to tell her his real name. Even though he was quite popular with ladies and its been two years after the war. But still some people both men and women hate Malfoy's guts, meaning hated him. He liked this girl and in no way Hell he wanted her to hate his guts because of something he couldn't change.

"So may I introduce Drake Maguise. I am the head of my company. Is my pleasure to meet you miss..." "Heylie Glinda." Hermione offered. She didn't want to tell him her real name because of the fear that he would become a stalker too. She knew it was a silly reason to lie and the guy seemed quite nice. But she couldn't take anymore for the past one and half year, the reporters and her admirers made her life hell. Whenever she went out on street, reporters or admirers would stalk her anywhere she went. After coming home from work, she would find a huge pile of letters from both reporters and her admirers. Some asking her for interviews about her personal life that she hated to discuss publicly and some actually proposing her as she was still single.

Sometimes she hated being the best friend of the Boy Who Lived or War Heroine or the Brightest Witch of Her Age. That didn't mean she regret her friendship with Harry or something like that. She was just too tired of all this drama and popularity. She just wanted a simple life, simple relationship and everything in it simple. Apparently, life wasn't just black and white and her life was complicated to say the least. She knew that if she wasn't so famous and people just knew that she was just a normal; muggle-born, then they wouldn't glance towards her twice. And that's what hurt her the most.

Hermione practically had to change her house twice, had to put strong wards to keep them away and had to apparate to the ministry directly from her home. At one point, she got so depressed over this matter that Harry had to set up aurors around her house to make her feel safe. From then on, Hermione stopped going outside without any cover. Whenever she went out, she would cover herself or transfigured her hair and face. She hated to go out like this but she had no other options.

And so she lied to him even though she felt wrong lying to him but her fear of being stalked overpowered her rightness. "So goodbye Mr. Maguise." "Goodbye." Draco replied. Hermione hang up the phone. Draco heard a click and understood the that she had hung up. He removed the phone from his ears and got to his work as Hermione went to kitchen to finish her cooking.

Interesting meeting...

I hope you guys like it.

So until then...

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