A/N: I saw Save the Last Dance last night and was inspired. I really need feedback on this. If you would be so kind as to read my Harry Potter: The next generation series I would appreciate it.
Disclaimer: Oh you know Harry, Ron, Hermione, etc. all belong to J.K Rowling.
* * *
"You guys have got to be there. This is the most important day of my life." Hermione Granger pleaded with her best friends Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.
"Look Herm, we know how much it means to you, I mean you are graduating from the best college in the wizarding world, but we've got really tight schedules. I'll do everything in my power to get there, but you know that it's the NAOA (national association of aurors) meeting." Harry was desperately trying to calm her down.
"Yeah, same here, as soon as my game is over, I'll be there. Don't worry, we'll be there."
A smile slowly spread over her face. "Thanks guys."
* * *
Hazel Goodman woke with a start. She was sweating badly. That was the third time this week she had had that dream, the dream she knew so well. She knew what would happen next and she tried to stay awake, but she was losing the battle. Sleep finally overcame her…
* * *
"Hermione Granger."
Hermione stood up from her seat with the rest of the graduates and walked up to the stage. There was a polite applause and Hermione could see Harry standing in the back of the auditorium. He was clapping louder than anyone else was. She smiled to herself, but couldn't help thinking, where's Ron? She shook her professors hand, got her diploma and sat back down in her seat on the aisle, still no Ron, he had missed it.
Next were the speeches by the teachers, she only half listened to them. I am so happy, she thought, I just graduated from the best Wizarding College in the world, and now I can start my new life.
Suddenly she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see a young man, presumably a security guard of some sort, holding a clipboard.
"Are you Miss Hermione Granger?" He whispered as he glanced down at it.
She nodded.
"Please follow me."
Hermione, having no idea what this was about, got up and followed him out of the auditorium and into the lobby. As she passed through the double doors the scene made her stop in her tracks. Harry and all the Weasleys were there. Harry turned around to face her. His eyes were red and his cheeks were wet.
"Oh, Hermione…" He whispered.
"Harry, what happened?" She asked, maybe a little to forcefully.
He didn't answer right away, just stared at his shoes. "Ron, he was, he was crossing a street, and a, a car, it hit him. Oh Hermione…"
"But he'll be ok, won't he?" Hermione was feeling angrier now then sad. Harry didn't answer, just looked up at her with his emerald eyes that she knew so well. But she had never seen this expression before. It was of ultimate sadness. "NO!" She screamed. "NO IT CAN'T BE! HE CAN'T BE…" Her anger was then replaced with a realization. This was her fault. She had pushed him to get here. She took one last look at Harry and ran out the front door. She never went back.
* * *
Hazel woke again, this time she was crying. Even now, six years, 3,000 miles, one name change, and countless hair dyes, the dreams haunted her. That last look that she had ever seen in Harry's beautiful green eyes, played over and over in her mind. She had tried forgetting it, but nothing could change the fact that those seven years at Hogwarts and four years at college had been the happiest time in her life. She sighed and rolled over. There was no replacing Harry and Ron, not even her best friend now, Sarah Idelle, who she shared an apartment and worked with, was the same.
Hazel glanced at her alarm clock with read 5:56 in florescent green numbers. It would go off in four minutes. "Might as well get up now" she muttered under her breath.
Thirty minutes later she was in her jeep driving to work, sipping coffee, and singing along with the radio. It was playing "Beautiful Stranger" by Madonna.
If I'm smart then I'll run away
But I'm not so I guess I'll stay
Haven forbid,
I take my chance on a beautiful stranger,
I looked into you your eyes and my world came tumbling down
You're the devil in disguise
That's why I'm singing this song,
To know you is to love you
And everywhere I go
And everybody knows
To love you is to be part of you
I paid for you with tears and swallowed all my pride… beautiful stranger….
If I'm smart then I'll run away
But I'm not so I guess I'll stay.
Haven't you heard?
I fell in love with the beautiful stranger
I looked into your face my heart was dancing all over the place,
I'd like to change my point of view
If I could just forget about you
To know you is to love you… beautiful stranger…
She thought back to her past. She did this often. Had she made the right choice? Hermione had walked out of the building, apparated home, grabbed some stuff, apparated to the first place that came into her head, Salem MA, USA, gotten herself a job as an assistant dentist and changed her name.
"Hello Hazel." Called Sarah, who being a secretary, had to be there before Hazel.
"Hiya Sarah!"
"Someone's in a good mood. Which is good because you have got a full day. Your first patient is here. He's new, twenty-seven, and single. Something about his tooth hurting. You'll look at him first then I'll send Roger in." Roger was the real dentist. All Hazel did was look at the patients and kill time until Roger, or Dr. Roosevelt, could look at the patient and make the real decisions. As for being in a good mood, she was although she didn't know why. She had awful dreams abou her best friend dying, and hardly gotten any sleep, but she was in a good mood.
"Right, I think I'll go freshen up."
"Why?"
"You said he was single."
* * *
"Hello my name is Hazel Goodman, I'll be looking at you before Dr. Roosevelt. What's you name?"
"Andy James."
"Ok Andy, now please take a seat in this chair. What seems to be the problem?"
"I woke up yesterday with this pain in my tooth."
"Please open up." Hazel adjusted the light above his head and inserted several metal instruments into his mouth. "So, Andy what do you do for a living?"
"I'm a Lawyer in England. I'm only here on work related things."
"That's interesting. I love England. I've visited there many times."
"Really? Yes it is a lovely country." They continued to have a pleasant conversation. Hazel found herself liking him more and more.
"I'm all done. I'm going to have Dr. Roosevelt look at you now."
"Hey Hazel was it? Do you want to have coffee or something with me, sometime?" Hazel looked at him closely. His hair was a light brown with the tips bleached. It was short with the front sticking up in that ski jump style. He had blue eyes and a smile that reminded her of something that she couldn't remember. The song that she heard on the radio came into her mind, heaven forbid, I take my chance on a beautiful stranger…
"I'd love to."
"How about today? After you're done. When do you finish?"
"Around four."
"I'll be here then." And I walked out the door to get Dr. Roosevelt.
* * *
"You seem even more perky now what's with you today?" Sarah questioned Hazel as she came out of Andy James's room.
"I just got myself a date."
"With that hottie. You lucky duck. It's about time you started dating. I haven't seen you go on a date this whole time I've known you."
"I know, but this guy he's different. Something was telling me to say yes. I don't know. I didn't get to much sleep last night. It might have something to do with that."
* * *
A/N: So do you like it?