Chapter 14 - Draco visits the Muggle world
Draco turned the steering wheel and stepped on the gas pedal. Both of them were silent.
"Hermione, are you okay?" Draco asked finally.
Hermione nodded, looking oddly calm, though Draco knew she was pretty much feeling the opposite. After what she had gone through... Even he had to cringe when he recalled the memory.
Hermione leaned in, with the intention of kissing Ron's portrait. All of a sudden, Ginny Weasley wrenched her hand away from behind. About everyone there was surprised. Hermione was Ginny's best friend, wasn't she?
"You cheated on my brother," Ginny murmured heatedly and pointed at Draco. "With him?"
Charlie Weasley, who had always been a brotherly figure to Hermione, stepped forward. "Hermione, I'm afraid I would have to ask you to leave."
Hermione looked around. No one made a move to stop her. Not Lavender, whom love life was sorted by Hermione; not Seamus, who used to ask her about homework; not Cho, the girl whom Hermione had always respected. Yet, nothing hurt her more when she saw Harry standing in front of her, hands limp by his side, staring at her with the look of total betrayal.
Draco was as shook up as Hermione when he saw the look of loathe on each of the Weasleys. His heart pained when he thought how Hermione might be feeling now. All this would not have happen if not for him.
Draco pulled Hermione away from Ginny's grip. "Let's go," Draco said loudly. "This is time-consuming." He knew certainly, that every eye was on them until they were just a small dot, too difficult to be seen.
"Hermione, why don't you lie down for a while?" Draco suggested when they finally reached the Manor.
Hermione shook her head. "I'm not tired," she answered tonelessly. "Neither am I hungry," she added when she saw Draco open his mouth to suggest breakfast.
Draco simply kept quiet in the end and leaned against the wall to watch Hermione. He felt helpless not doing anything for her. If only...
"I can't wait to go home," Hermione said suddenly, taking on a bright tone. "Just five more days!"
Ouch. Hermione had might as well slapped him. Draco would have reeled back if it was not for the wall. Instead, he choked in surprise and then, hurt.
"Excuse me," he muttered gruffly, slamming the door to the bathroom while one foot was still in there. His right foot was painfully caught in between, and since he used a lot of force, it truly hurt, though not worse than his emotions. Draco let out a series of curses once he was safe inside the bathroom.
A soft but audible voice was heard giggling.
"It's not funny," Draco said crossly to the thumb-sized faerie.
Azura covered her mouth. "Sorry," she squeaked, sounding not at all apologetic. Draco could tell she was trying hard not to laugh.
Azura landed on Draco's shoulder. "Master, I know you are affected by what she said but- "
"I am not," Draco interrupted sulkily.
Azura giggled. "Yes, you are. Master, don't deny."
Draco sighed. "She still likes Weasley, even though he's dead. I doubt she ever loved me."
"Yes she does," the faerie spoke up without thinking. "She didn't exactly say so in words but I can see it in her eyes."
"Please. You can't judge- " Draco stopped abruptly. "Wait a minute. When have you seen her? When did I say you can see her?"
The faerie gulped, loud enough for Draco to hear. She realised her mistake but it was too late. Azura pretended to cough. "T-that was your hallucination, Master. I said no such thing."
Draco picked the faerie up from his shoulder, nearly crushing her wings. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Oh yeah?" Draco snarled threateningly. "You bet that was funny, didn't you?"
Azura grimaced under Draco's glare and booming voice. "Master, she found me herself! She nearly stepped on me!"
Draco eyed her suspiciously and finally let go of her. Azura may have fell to her death if not for her alert senses. "I didn't tell her anything you said, Master, such as her parents- "
"Enough," Draco cut in. "Stay out of sight and keep quiet." When he was back in the room, he was thankful that Hermione was no longer standing still with a glazed over look on her face. She was at her desk this moment, writing.
"Draco," she called from the desk, without turning back. He walked over carefully and slowly. "Could you hand this to my parents? Please? I know you said no communication to the outside world is allowed but I really want to tell then not to worry."
Draco stared blankly at her and quickly erased that look. Of course. She doesn't know what happened to her parents. Again, Draco could only blame himself for the cause of Hermione's problems. "Sure, Hermione, I'll see to it."
Hermione brushed her lips against the folded parchment. "Thanks, Draco," she whispered. "It really means a lot to me that my parents receive this."
Draco nodded. "I will deliver this right now." With that, he went out.
Once safely away from Hermione, he opened up the folded parchment and read it. It was short and simple:
Dear Father, Mother,
I can just imagine the worried looks on your faces right now. It has been a year, almost, and I have just started my first letter to you. I'm sorry for not being able to write earlier but I was too caught up in recent events. I might become a reporter. Anyway, I'm currently overseas and will return in 5 days or so. Please do not fetch me from the airport. I believe someone will drive me home.
Love, Hermione
Draco stood outside a bungalow with a paper, consisting an address, and Hermione's parchment on the other. This is Mrs. Granger's house, Draco realised. He rang the doorbell and waited patiently. A blond girl, around the age of sixteen, opened the door. Her jaw dropped when she saw Draco, but recovered quickly.
"Hello, handsome. Not lost are you?" she flirted, fluttering her eyelids and eyeing his neck. She vaguely reminded Draco of Pansy Parkinson.
Draco started to think that this was a really bad idea. "May I speak to your, uh, stepmother?" he asked politely, ignoring the suggesting looks she gave.
She giggled. "You don't need to ask for permission to date me. My parents won't mind."
Draco concentrated hard on not puking. "I'm here to give her something," he replied, showing her the parchment. Thankfully, he took his hand back in time just as the girl reached out to snatch it.
"She's not home," she said, pouting. "You can wait here if you want."
Draco desperately wanted to run back into his car for shelter. He wished he could just throw down the parchment and leave. Instead, he decided to play it cool and nodded. He invited himself in, sat down on the couch and crossed his legs.
All of a sudden, about eight girls stumbled out, giggling.
"... major hottie..."
"... mysterious eyes..."
"... he's such a hunk! ..."
Although flattered, he was feeling slightly panicky. He had not counted on having a dozen girls in the same room as he was. Well, nearly a dozen. Being left alone with so many fans of his was less than safe. He just hoped they would not attack him to quote get a piece of him 'cos he is just sooo sexy unquote.
"My name is Blanda," said the girl who opened the door. "What's yours?"
Blanda, Draco reflected. Means seductive.
Suits her, it seemed.
Draco, definitely, had no plans of telling Blanda his name, start to get to know her, date her and get married.
Though he planned on running away.
Pulcheria Allen opened her house door and got a shock. She had told her stepdaughter not to let any boy or man in. She should have known Blanda would not have listened. Pulcheria was pretty disgusted that by the way her stepdaughter and all her friends swarmed around the blond boy like he was some priceless jewel.
"Mrs. Granger?" the boy called out, sounding mildly relieved.
Pulcheria blinked. It had been quite a few months since someone had actually called her Mrs. Granger. She knew, then, this boy must not have known a lot about the Granger family.
"Mrs. Allen," she corrected icily. "What may I do for you, young boy?"
He looked insulted. "I'm twenty, Mrs. Allen," he answered in the same tone Pulcheria used. Blanda and her friends were now eyeing him in a different way. Definitely has a car. Certainly boyfriend material.
Pulcheria eyed him suspiciously. "Well, then, untangle yourself and come over and talk to me." She could see he was trying hard not to strangle her.
"Mrs. Allen," he said. "I have a letter from your daughter."
Pulcheria's eyes widened. Her daughter? Hermione? She could feel Blanda looking at them curiously. Of course, she never told Matthew about her first daughter, so naturally, Blanda did not know.
Pulcheria snatched the letter from the blond boy's outstretched hand eagerly. She opened it and her face dropped. She had addressed the letter to Jarette and Pulcheria Granger.