NONE OF THE HARRY POTTER CHARACTERS BELONG TO ME. THEY ARE OWNED BY J.K. ROWLING AND THE HARRY POTTER BOOK SERIES. OK, YOU MAY NOW READ ON.
IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE FIRST CHAPTER OF "FAMILY BUSINESS", READ THAT FIRST. OTHERWISE, YOU WILL SOOOOO NOT UNDERSTAND THIS.
Chapter Two
Flashes of light. Father. Hermione crumpling to the floor.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!" Draco woke up in a cold sweat, shaking. It had al been a nightmare. Maybe it was a sign that he should tell Hermione soon. Not being able to go back to sleep, Draco got out of bed. It was 4:31 A.M. Frustrated and having nothing else to do, he got out what the Muggles called a phone book. He knew quite a bit about Muggles. His father had forced him to take Muggle Studies in his seventh year so that the information could be used for the company he would start. Well, it had come in handy, then and now, but not just for the business. Since Hermione lived in the Muggle world, she'd most likely be listed. He scanned his finger over the G's and came to three or four Granger listings. Finding Hermione's, he took out a quill, jotting down her address and phone number.
He let out a deep sigh. Now that he knew where she was, he didn't know what to do next.
Should he call her, or just mysteriously arrive at her doorstep?
They had been taught the use of the telephone in Muggle Studies, but after three years, he didn't really remember much. And anyway, he didn't even have a phone! He could borrow one from his father… he collected Muggle things just like that disgusting Weasley… but no, his father would become suspicious. So he would have to go to her home. But wait. She would think he was some freak that was stalking her. What was he to do? He could send an owl… but an owl in a Muggle neighborhood? No. He could mail her the Muggle way, he sort of remembered how. It would take too long though.
"Ugh! Why me? Why does this have to be me?" he called out to no one.
He had to get it out. He couldn't stand it any longer. He grabbed his invisibility cloak (Hey, Harry wasn't that special. Draco had bought his own with his hard-earned money.) and broom. He knew he could just apparate, but he felt like a good fly. Once out on the patio, cloak on, the address clutched firmly in his hand, he kicked off and was headed toward his love.
Chapter 3
It only took Draco about ten minutes to arrive at Hermione's duplex, but it seemed like hours. He checked his watch. It was now 5:56 A.M. and Hermione's windows were dark. It was bad enough she wasn't expecting him, but to wake her up too? That would be too much.
So he waited.
Draco sat there for two whole hours before a light went on in the house. It was a small little duplex, but it probably worked for Hermione. He could tell she had never really liked "living big". He waited another thirty minutes for her to get dressed. Finally, at around 8:35, he pulled together all of his courage. He took off the invisibility cloak and his broom under it in the corner of her porch, then memorized where he put it so he wouldn't lose it. Gingerly, he rang the doorbell and put on his best smile, or at least attempted to. I mean, he hadn't truly smiled in over three years!
Hermione got up from her coffee and newspapers, both the Muggle one, and The Daily Prophet. Who could be over here so early? Maybe it was the landlord. She was a little behind on the rent… She opened the door and a look of puzzlement fell across her face.
"Hello, Hermione," greeted the beautiful woman. "You may not remember me, but…"
"Draco…" she spat, cutting him off. Her look of puzzlement turned into a look of disgust. "Have you come over here to insult me after three blissful years without you? Because I'll just refuse to listen to it!" And she slammed the door in his face. He pressed his face to the window, pounding on the glass.
"No, no! That's not it! I'm sorry I startled you, but there's something I have to tell you!"
"If it has anything to do with my descent, I'm gonna smash this door right into your "pretty", little, pointy nose. You understand?"
"Yes, Hermione, yes. I… I…" he sort of blushed. He could keep from being embarrassed by insulting her and losing all his chances, or he could risk his entire reputation and tell her his feelings. "You're not what you used to be. Or at least what I used to think you were."
"I… don't understand. What do you mean?" the look of puzzlement returned.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is…" he felt like kicking himself. He was going to sound so juvenile. Like a first grader confessing a crush. "I sort of… have come to… to…
"Hurry, please, Draco! Please! I'll be late for work!"
"I have come to like you," he blurted out. It was like lifting ten tons off his chest, and mind.
"Psh, yeah, sure," Hermione chuckled. "Really, what was it you were going to tell me?"
And then the dropping back on of ten tons. He, Draco Malfoy, Mr. Tough, felt like crying.
"No, really. I'm serious," he said in a hurt tone.
Hermione's laughing smile disappeared into an uncomfortable look.
"Um, uh, well… that is interesting…" she looked at her watch. "Oh! Gotta run! Can't be late to work!" She shuffled past him after locking the door and got in her car that was parked in front. She drove off to her Muggle job.
"Wait!" he called after her, but he was too late. Much too late.
Chapter 4
Hermione couldn't concentrate that day at work. She was a receptionist for a Muggle law firm and every man that came in that just happened to have blonde hair reminded her of Draco. It was too weird. Why, how could he feel like that? I was just, just so new and different. She couldn't stop thinking about it. The same questions kept running through her head: Why me? Why him? Why now? Why?
At the end of the day it felt good to go home and get away from the bustle and clutter of the office. She had time alone to think and write. Even though she was an adult, Hermione still kept a diary. She rarely used it though, except on odd occasions like this. She got the deep, midnight blue diary out. Twinkling stars lay across the cover from when Hermione had put a charm on it five years ago. She wrote. And wrote, and wrote, until it seemed as if her whole life had spilled out on the pages before her, but she had mainly focused on her day. She put the diary back in her drawer. If only that morning hadn't happened. Now she felt like a confused little girl. So much that she was even sitting on her bed hugging a stuffed white bunny with floppy ears and a button nose. She was an adult hugging a bunny. That's just how tired, confused, and frustrated she was. She hated not knowing the answers to questions. Questions that she had so many of. It was only 5:00, but she was so tired. Her mind was so tired. She layed back and shut her eyes, only to have dreams.
Confused dreams that made her feel weird in her sleep. Dreams that made her dream about the different paths that different answers would take her to. They were all foggy and swished together. Toghether as if they meant there was only one answer. But that answer just couldn't be, didn't seem to be the correctt answer . But her dreams were right. The answer was right. An answer that had been hidden all of her life.
Chapter 5
Draco woke up, still devastated about Hermione. He should have known. She was probably in love with one of those stupid twits she called her friends.
"Harry always get the goods. Isn't it my turn now?" He had that horrible fire in his blue-grey eyes. Without Hermione, the change in Draco could not take place. He would become evil all over again. He went outside in his bathrobe to pick up The Daily Prophet. Harry, which was not uncommon, was on the front page. Draco went back inside. He let out a low, evil laugh as he threw the front page into the fire in his living room, the smiling, winking Harry turnoing to ash. Malfoy already had plans. Evil plans. Plans to kill whomever got in the way of his fight for Hermione. He watched Harry disintegrate, the dancing flames reflecting on Dracos eyes, a sly grin spreading across his face.
"This shouldn't be too hard," he thought aloud. "The only drawback is if anyone finds out who did it." He pondered some more and came upon an idea. "My invisibility cloak. No one has a clue I have it." He thought it over again though. "But if Hermilove ever comes over, she might find it. Or we might need it." He was starting to get frustrated. "Damn. Well, I'll just have to do it when nobody's there but Harry. Then I'll do the same with that Weasley wretch."
IS IT GOOD SO FAR? I'M REALLY WORKING HARD ON THIS. I'M BEGINNING TO LIKE THIS ONE BETTER THAN MY FIRST ONE… ANYWAY… IF YOU COULD REVIEW THIS YOU'D MAKE MY DAY! AND IF YOU TOLD YOUR FRIENDS TO COME CHECK OUT MY STORIES THAT'D MAKE MY DAY EVEN MORE! THANX!