Disclaimer: I, as always, own nothing.
"And it turned out that I'd had the wrong person the whole time!" Hermione finished. She had just told Draco about how she had gotten lost once and followed a woman around thinking it was her mum. Draco began to laugh. "Shut up! I was only four!" Hermione protested, but she was laughing too.
"But how could you not know!"
"When you're that age, everyone looks the same from the knees down!" Draco laughed and shook his head. He glanced around and took in the sights that were muggle London. There were people everywhere, talking on little boxes, carrying bags full of things. Cars rushed up and down the streets as London came alive with the nightlife.
"They're cell phones," Hermione explained about the little boxes. "Everyone has a separate set of numbers on their phone and when you want to talk to someone, you punch in their numbers on the keypad and then you can speak to them through the end with the little hole in it. Here we are," Hermione stopped out side a large store. Draco took a step back and read the large letters 'HMV' at the top.
"What's in here?" he asked.
"Cds," Hermione answered and pulled open the door.
"What are cds?" Draco called after her and followed her inside.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Here, listen to this one!" Hermione said, passing him the headphones. Draco listened for a moment and then smiled.
"Nice," he said. "I really like it!" He couldn't believe what a great time he was having, especially since he was with Hermione. They had been in HMV for almost an hour. After Hermione had explained the concept of cds, Draco now wanted to hear everything. This was one of the most fantastic things he had ever seen.
"I'm just going to go and pay, ok?" He nodded and watched her go to the cash. After a few minutes, she motioned for him to follow and he slipped off the headphones and headed for the exit after her. "Ready to go back yet?" Hermione asked as they began to walk down the street.
"No! I mean, not if you're not," Draco shrugged carelessly.
"Come on then," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him after her through the busy streets.
"What's this?" Draco asked as she pulled him inside.
"It's an Internet Café and Bookstore."
"A computer, now I do know what that is," Draco said.
"Oh?"
" My mate had one while he was working in London for the Ministry one summer."
"You mean," Hermione gasped. "You had friends!"
"Oh you're funny Hermione, you-what?" Draco asked. She had stopped suddenly and was starring across the table at him in shock. "What? Is there something on my face?!" Draco hesitated and began to run his hand nervously across his face.
"You said my name," she said softly.
"So.?"
"So, you rarely say it! It's usually mudblood or Granger or, well, I was just.surprised, that's all," she concluded. Hermione excused herself and left Draco alone with his thoughts.
'What the HELL is going on here!' his mind was all a buzz. What had gotten into him? Somehow, being in London made him feel different, like he was just another boy and Hermione was just another girl, nothing special or different at all. Sometimes Draco wished that he was just a muggle, as revolting as the sounded, at least he would be free of so many attachments and responsibilities that came with his name. But the idea was absolutely insane, he was a Malfoy! He should be proud of his name and ashamed for thinking such thoughts. And yet.he wasn't. Who would have thought that something as small and meaningless as a name would have so much power over his life. He decided that he should just enjoy this time, and be that boy who's life he yearned to live, just for those few precious hours.
His thoughts were interrupted when Hermione arrived back at the table.
"Try this, I think you'll like it," she smiled, handing him a steaming mug. He hesitantly took a sip.
"That's really good, what is it?"
"It's a cappuccino, they're my favourite, but I can only get them when I come to London."
"So," Draco said, gesturing towards a computer. "What else can I do with on of these?"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Bloody hell! Look at the time!" Hermione shrieked. "We have to head back."
It was nearly 10 o'clock, she and Draco had been on the computer, looking at books, talking, and, of course, drinking more cappuccinos. Draco was almost sorry that he had to return to his life at Hogwarts, he wished he could escape like this more often. It made him wonder if this was the way the rest of the world lived.
He and Hermione had decided that her cd player would now reside in their common room so that Draco could listen to her cds whenever he wanted, or to his own, once he got some. They got another set of cappuccinos to go and left the Café.
"I thought the train thing was the other way," Draco questioned.
"Oh it is, but we're talking another way home."
Before he knew what was happening, he was sitting on the second story of a bright red double decker bus.
"So, do you, uh, do this kind of thing very often?" Draco asked.
"Ummmm, no, not too often. Just when I, you know, need a break, or a new cd," Hermione laughed. "So, what did you think of London?"
"Interesting and not quite as vile as I anticipated," Draco smirked. Hermione frowned at this, just when she thought they had reached level ground with eachother.
"Can I ask you something? What is it about me that disgusts you? I mean, I may not be as pretty as some of the other girls at school, but I'm not ugly," Hermione stood up and turned around, as if to prove her point. "Well, tell me, what is it?" Draco had to appreciate her honesty, and part of him knew that she was right.
"Nothing," he said without thinking. "I wouldn't change a thing."
Hermione was shocked, that was the last answer she had expected. As if realizing the slip he'd just made, Draco turned away, gazing out at the bright lights and shops as they passed. Hermione slowly sat, and seeing Draco's discomfort, she decided not to press the matter any further. She picked up the conversation, talking about the Yule Ball. Spirits were high again as the bus slowed to a stop and Draco watched as Hermione swung off the pole and lept onto the sidewalk, off the stairs of the bus. Draco sighed and followed her down the stairs, back into his reality.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Author's Note:
Hello my dear and faithful reviewers! I am soooooooooo terribly sorry for how long it has been, but I do have good reasons for my absence. A friend of mine passed away quite suddenly the day after I wrote the previous chapter and then I was right back into school and I've been quite ill since school started, I'm just now starting to get better. Anyway, I'm very sorry about the wait, I hope the longer chapter makes up for it! Please forgive me and keep reviewing! I will try to be faster, I promise! Thanks again, forever and always!
Ciao!
~*Arwen5*~
"And it turned out that I'd had the wrong person the whole time!" Hermione finished. She had just told Draco about how she had gotten lost once and followed a woman around thinking it was her mum. Draco began to laugh. "Shut up! I was only four!" Hermione protested, but she was laughing too.
"But how could you not know!"
"When you're that age, everyone looks the same from the knees down!" Draco laughed and shook his head. He glanced around and took in the sights that were muggle London. There were people everywhere, talking on little boxes, carrying bags full of things. Cars rushed up and down the streets as London came alive with the nightlife.
"They're cell phones," Hermione explained about the little boxes. "Everyone has a separate set of numbers on their phone and when you want to talk to someone, you punch in their numbers on the keypad and then you can speak to them through the end with the little hole in it. Here we are," Hermione stopped out side a large store. Draco took a step back and read the large letters 'HMV' at the top.
"What's in here?" he asked.
"Cds," Hermione answered and pulled open the door.
"What are cds?" Draco called after her and followed her inside.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Here, listen to this one!" Hermione said, passing him the headphones. Draco listened for a moment and then smiled.
"Nice," he said. "I really like it!" He couldn't believe what a great time he was having, especially since he was with Hermione. They had been in HMV for almost an hour. After Hermione had explained the concept of cds, Draco now wanted to hear everything. This was one of the most fantastic things he had ever seen.
"I'm just going to go and pay, ok?" He nodded and watched her go to the cash. After a few minutes, she motioned for him to follow and he slipped off the headphones and headed for the exit after her. "Ready to go back yet?" Hermione asked as they began to walk down the street.
"No! I mean, not if you're not," Draco shrugged carelessly.
"Come on then," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him after her through the busy streets.
"What's this?" Draco asked as she pulled him inside.
"It's an Internet Café and Bookstore."
"A computer, now I do know what that is," Draco said.
"Oh?"
" My mate had one while he was working in London for the Ministry one summer."
"You mean," Hermione gasped. "You had friends!"
"Oh you're funny Hermione, you-what?" Draco asked. She had stopped suddenly and was starring across the table at him in shock. "What? Is there something on my face?!" Draco hesitated and began to run his hand nervously across his face.
"You said my name," she said softly.
"So.?"
"So, you rarely say it! It's usually mudblood or Granger or, well, I was just.surprised, that's all," she concluded. Hermione excused herself and left Draco alone with his thoughts.
'What the HELL is going on here!' his mind was all a buzz. What had gotten into him? Somehow, being in London made him feel different, like he was just another boy and Hermione was just another girl, nothing special or different at all. Sometimes Draco wished that he was just a muggle, as revolting as the sounded, at least he would be free of so many attachments and responsibilities that came with his name. But the idea was absolutely insane, he was a Malfoy! He should be proud of his name and ashamed for thinking such thoughts. And yet.he wasn't. Who would have thought that something as small and meaningless as a name would have so much power over his life. He decided that he should just enjoy this time, and be that boy who's life he yearned to live, just for those few precious hours.
His thoughts were interrupted when Hermione arrived back at the table.
"Try this, I think you'll like it," she smiled, handing him a steaming mug. He hesitantly took a sip.
"That's really good, what is it?"
"It's a cappuccino, they're my favourite, but I can only get them when I come to London."
"So," Draco said, gesturing towards a computer. "What else can I do with on of these?"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Bloody hell! Look at the time!" Hermione shrieked. "We have to head back."
It was nearly 10 o'clock, she and Draco had been on the computer, looking at books, talking, and, of course, drinking more cappuccinos. Draco was almost sorry that he had to return to his life at Hogwarts, he wished he could escape like this more often. It made him wonder if this was the way the rest of the world lived.
He and Hermione had decided that her cd player would now reside in their common room so that Draco could listen to her cds whenever he wanted, or to his own, once he got some. They got another set of cappuccinos to go and left the Café.
"I thought the train thing was the other way," Draco questioned.
"Oh it is, but we're talking another way home."
Before he knew what was happening, he was sitting on the second story of a bright red double decker bus.
"So, do you, uh, do this kind of thing very often?" Draco asked.
"Ummmm, no, not too often. Just when I, you know, need a break, or a new cd," Hermione laughed. "So, what did you think of London?"
"Interesting and not quite as vile as I anticipated," Draco smirked. Hermione frowned at this, just when she thought they had reached level ground with eachother.
"Can I ask you something? What is it about me that disgusts you? I mean, I may not be as pretty as some of the other girls at school, but I'm not ugly," Hermione stood up and turned around, as if to prove her point. "Well, tell me, what is it?" Draco had to appreciate her honesty, and part of him knew that she was right.
"Nothing," he said without thinking. "I wouldn't change a thing."
Hermione was shocked, that was the last answer she had expected. As if realizing the slip he'd just made, Draco turned away, gazing out at the bright lights and shops as they passed. Hermione slowly sat, and seeing Draco's discomfort, she decided not to press the matter any further. She picked up the conversation, talking about the Yule Ball. Spirits were high again as the bus slowed to a stop and Draco watched as Hermione swung off the pole and lept onto the sidewalk, off the stairs of the bus. Draco sighed and followed her down the stairs, back into his reality.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Author's Note:
Hello my dear and faithful reviewers! I am soooooooooo terribly sorry for how long it has been, but I do have good reasons for my absence. A friend of mine passed away quite suddenly the day after I wrote the previous chapter and then I was right back into school and I've been quite ill since school started, I'm just now starting to get better. Anyway, I'm very sorry about the wait, I hope the longer chapter makes up for it! Please forgive me and keep reviewing! I will try to be faster, I promise! Thanks again, forever and always!
Ciao!
~*Arwen5*~