Author's Note: BUMBA DA DA DA DA DA
DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!YAY!!!!!!! All Chapters
up to this point are now ready plus I have added in new content! WHOO
WHO!!!!!!!!!PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"I had to modify Rick's memory, but luckily only slightly. He seemed extremely confused by my little spell, but other than that. . ." Hermione shrugged. Draco nodded and padded off to his room with a little wave, and closed his door behind him.
"So-"Janet began.
"Later mum, I'm too tired to deal." She grabbed a pillow and sheet from the linen closet and slay down on her couch. It was some time before her thoughts settled down enough for sleep.
Hermione sniffed the air, it smelled like, like. . .
"Good Morning Hermione! I made your favorite, blueberry muffins and raspberry smoothies," Janet called form the kitchen. Hermione rubbed her eyes.
"So it wasn't a dream?"
"Unfortunately no, are you ready for breakfast? I knocked on Draco's door but he didn't answer. Maybe you should try." Mrs. Granger motioned vaguely to his door while wrestling with the blender. Hermione knocked on Draco's door and low and behold the door opened.
"Breakfast," Hermione said simply.
"Sure, any coffee?" Draco looked around owlishly. Hermione blushed and shook her head no. He couldn't possibly understand her pink tinged face and for that she was thankful.
"So, now is anyone willing to tell me what's going on?"
"I'm sorry Mrs. Granger, but it's uh, a little classified." Draco looked like he wanted to say more but thought it was better to just leave it at that.
"Please call me Janet or Ms. Kiefer, or even possibly in the future mum." Janet beamed a grin, reminiscent of Hermione's (who was blushing ten times darker by this time). Draco looked at Hermione, he smirked at her uneasiness.
"Hey, listen, *mum*, we have to go- Hermione and I have, uh, things to do."
Janet raised her eyebrows," Please tell me it doesn't include a bed and breakfast stop."
Now Draco blushed, recovered quickly and winked trying to keep his 'I'm oh so hot....but really I promise not trying to seduce your daughter' look. "No- it has a bit to do with- oh hell there is no way to explain this without breaking protocol so I'm not even going to try." He pulled out his wand said to Hermione, "Meet me at Ado Park after you've eaten."
"What was that about?"
"As Draco said, we can't tell you. But you know how we have a ministry of magic in out world? Well they need me right now. That about all I can tell you, sorry."
"Whatever, that fine darling. Just hurry up and eat your breakfast."
Draco sat in the park. What was he doing? What the hell was he thinking?
"Lord," he muttered. Draco was not a deeply religious man, but right now he needed someone to talk to. Everything inside of him screamed that here right now was the chance to warn Hermione off. To tell her that yes, this was very dangerous- much more so then it sounded and to just forget it. He knew of course he would never do it though; he hadn't been lying to Harry when he had said Hermione's powers were weakening.
A breeze ruffled his shirt, and kicked a paper into view. "MURDERED: MAN AND WIFE STABBED BRUTALLY" he read the headline. A pigeon landed next to it. He shook his head, and remembered the first curse his father had taught him:
Lucius bent over the small seven year old and held up a bird. "You see this Draco?" The pale haired boy nodded, and Lucious brought it closer, " here you go son, feel it's soft feathers?" Draco reached out a hand and touched the bird's breast. He felt it's tiny heart beating madly. Draco had a bad feeling about this. Lucious pulled out his wand and handed it to Draco, "Now son, this wand is mine so you might not be able to do anything but just try. Now hold this up and point it at the bird. And say Merde."
Draco held the wand in his hand, and followed his father's instructions. 'Nothing will happen to it, nothing will happen to it,' he hoped silently.
"MERDE!" he said loudly, and the bird let out a piercing shriek. It's eyes opened pleading with Draco. Draco watched as the pretty bird's gray breast turned a bright red. The breast he had felt, the heart beating. Draco looked at his father.
Lucious had an a proud smile on his face, "Perfect Draco, you having an amazing aptitude for the dark arts." Draco kept his tears at bay, he knew better than to cry in his father's presence. He smiled, and looked up at his father, "Father, tell me about this curse." He had to know. What kind of torture he had put that helpless bird through . Beaming Lucious said, "That is the "Curse of the Damned" most can't master it until they have been training a year, but you.You are going to be great."
Draco didn't want to here that, he wanted to know, "But what does it do?" he said impatiently.
"It stabs, it stabs without a knife, my boy. A knife that fits into the heart perfectly. Congratulations. Let's go upstairs and celebrate." Draco shuddered. You are going to be great, echoing in his mind.
Draco shook himself from his reverie. He looked around the park. He was safe from that now; he fought that sort of evil. At first he had been revolted. He had thrown up shortly after his second cursing. Eventually, he had just excepted as children often do. By the time he had entered Hogwarts, he was already far more advanced then most 7th years when in came to curses.
He had believed what he was saying, when had had called Hermione a mudblood, had meant what he had said to Harry about being on the losing side. . . Had thought that he was in the right, and everyone else was wrong. Until that meeting. Draco shuddered again, and pushed the thoughts of the anitiation meeting into the darkest corner of his brain. No one could understand the thing he had seen. The pigeon was literally child's play when it was compared, but that first encounter still stood bold in his memory.
__________________________________________________________________________
Hermione checked herself in the mirror for the umpteenth time. It's not that she cared what Draco thought. It was that, uh, she....um....wanted everyone else to see how good she felt! Yeah that was it! She had decided today to go with something classic and alluring, a long black sundress, and sun pendant with her hair tied back with gold hair sticks. She felt good.
Walking down to the park she inhaled the scent, it was nice like someone was baking nearby (she was so enraptured by *something* she failed to notice the bakery on her right). Turing she saw Draco brooding on the bench. It was extremely unfair that he should look so hot when he was just sitting there. Unfair to her and unfair to women everywhere.
He jumped a little when she sat down beside him, like she had startled him. He shook his head and rubbed it lightly. He smiled at her then stood up.
"Ready?"
"Sure. What's up today? Kick-boxing classes, shooting range, more undercover education?"
"No, shopping." He said dryly. He seemed mildly amused by her shocked face. She followed him like a puppy to what she knew as 'that old junky mansion', that the mothers of the town warned their children to stay away from.
"Um, Draco?" She asked questioningly.
"Yeah?" he sounded amused as if he was guessing at her thoughts.
"Nothing." She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
He smiled and continued to the decrepit old building. Hermione peered at the rotten wood, expecting it fall in over her shoulders as she entered the threshold. She followed Draco up a circular staircase that seemed to never end. He finally stopped in a room with a sagging floor and creaking boards. He stopped and looked out the window. Now she had to swallow her pride and ask him what the hell he was doing.
She cleared her throat and was about to begin, when he cut her off, "all right this is the right room. Hermione did you bring your wand?"
She fished through her bag and pulled out the wand. It was shiny from last nights polishing. Draco pulled out his own, "All right now say Bibbity Bobbity and twirl your wand once." The words seemed completely absurd coming from Draco's very grown up mouth. She giggled a little and he frowned.
"What?"
"Haven't you ever seen Cinderella?"
"What you mean that infamous slut of the seventeenth Charming dynasty? I resent you think so slightly of me. "
"No, the children's story made into a Disney Movie."
"They made a children's story out of that woman?"
Hermione stopped trying, obviously Draco was not going to get it. She said 'Bibbity Bobbity' and twirled her wand. Nothing seemed to happen, she looked at the man beside her expectantly. He was already going down the steps. She felt like all she was doing today was following an extremely lost male. But to her great surprise as she stepped out of the ancient structure, she found herself looking at the bustling Diagon Alley.
"Were here."
"Here." Hermione repeated looking at the crowed street (or rather I suppose Alley). She fought a huge temptation to run up and down the streets singing "Be it ever so humble there is no place like home".
"Draco, how much money are we going to get to spend?"
Draco pulled out a large bag, "16 hundred galleons and 500 sickles and hole bunch of Knuts." Hermione made a B-line for Flourish and Blots.
"It's for clothes and shoes and things normal women want." Draco pulled the collar of her shirt, "This way."
"Are we going to Madame Malkins?"
"Well..." He stopped in front of a huge granite building, it looked like a muggle strip mall. On the front it said, "Madame Malkins- Clothing for all occasions." Hermione stepped inside and saw five different rooms. Each room with a title in a different font.
"So the muggle world has finally caught up with you?"
"Somewhat. It seems muggle clothing is all the rage right now. The last time that happed was way in the 1860's. Damn history for repeating itself."
Hermione, picturing Draco in a tux smiled and, " Oh I don't think it's that bad."
"Where to first?" Hermione hated shopping, unless it was in a bookstore, so she just wanted to get this over with. He shrugged and pulled out a list, "It says you need to have numerous cocktail dresses, four fine dress robes, regular "outing" clothes..." he continued there was an extremely long list.
"How long am I undercover again?"
"Two weeks, at most."
"So am I supposed to change every hour?"
"Pretty much."
Next was the shoe store, then the hat store then the underwear store, which Draco refused to enter. Hermione tried to pull him in.
"Oh come on darling, I want you to help me pick it out." When he still refused to budge she found a way around that. She grabbed a pink teddy with little feathers hanging off it, and a black leather lace-up (that looked very kinky) and held them up for him at the window. She pointed and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. She stepped to the door.
"Which one, I want your expert opinion." Draco glared at her and turned away. Pink flaring up slightly. Teddies still in hand she stood up to feel his forehead, "Oh poor baby, do you have a fever? Here this is cool silk just rest your head..." Draco jumped away from her (and the pink teddy) and headed for the nearest pub, Hermione laughed. A lady standing close by with her young son glared at her.
In the end she just got normal underwear for the most part. She did splurge a little and get a bra and panty set that changed color to blend in with the out fit you wore and just for fun the kinky black lace-up. She wondered if Draco liked leather, and then instantly chided herself.
She came out loaded with bags, this was the most fun she had ever had shopping.
"Were next O' Captain, My Captain?"
"Were done. Go home."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------
Uneasily Hermione adjusted her hair. She was having trouble adjusting to the blonde highlights-they looked great, but they were very different. She looked well to say it completely bluntly normal. She had supposed that when you became a "spy" you would be dressed in all black, have your hair in a high ponytail, and have hidden gadgets all over you. She on the other hand, was wearing a short gray skirt, and a periwinkle top. Her hair had been pulled back in a sophisticated bun. She looked like a businesswoman. And she had no gadgets, damn it!
She got out of the taxi and looked up, London International Airport. The guy they were monitoring had decided to spend his holidays in America. Hermione didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing. It had certainly made the ministry upset. They had to change things all around to make this work. Hermione got onto the plane without incident.
She was headed to the little town of Eureka Springs(*Author: I don't know if anyone on fanfiction lives there- but this is the cutest town! It's hell to get there though all kinds of windy roads. I'm gonna live there someday*). She had never heard of it but it sounded like a nice place. Draco had gone over the instructions carefully.
"When you get there you will be staying with the Hudsons, they are old friends with you and your parents. Your "parents" by the way are at a Tibetan retreat. We have created a profile on you, Hermione Rowland. Here it is, so that should he look you up...Here's what he would find," Hermione picked up a relatively thin folder. There were a few newspaper articles. The London Times had a tiny bit mentioning her marriage, one about her birth and there was a Daily Prophet article about her graduating from Brocklehurst Academy. There were divorce papers and a few pictures of her. It was amazing it was Hermione, only not her.
Brockelhurst was a teeny tiny academy that had only about thirty graduates a year; she had been shown pictures and educated about it. And finally there was a marriage picture. It was one that had originally been one she and Ron had taken together (in their 7th year) now it was Hermione Keller and Hugh Keller. Weird.
She couldn't help but wonder if Ron would like being called Hugh, it was never a name he'd been incredibly fond of.
"We have a whole folder on "Hugh Keller" also, just to tie up lose ends.
"The key to this is keeping a low profile. Be subtle. Also stick to what you know which is why there are so many parallels to you past life. Some other information, why you are divorced is Hugh was having an affair. People who went to your academy you wouldn't remember real well because you spent a majority of you time getting you degree in researching transfiguration. You were top of the class, and dated Hugh who was a muggle all through your Brockelhurst days and married him after you graduated. You gave up your promising career as a transfiguration technition to be a normal muggle wife and Librarian. Good enough?" All this information had bombarded her, she had taken it all in and memorized it as she had her potions.
At the time she had thought this was going to be simple as pie, but now that the plane was off she was a more little worried...
Hermione closed her eyes, she couldn't look. The roads seemed to curve in the most impossible ways and there wasn't a single railing. The driver seemed to be driving at a most insane speed, and all she could think of was to pray for her life. Why had she taken taxi?
Why?! The Ministry told you "We can send you by floo" but no…you had to do it the muggle way, Hermione snapped at herself.
Finally after a final lurch she was there. On top of a giant hill where a very large and very class looking hotel sat. "We're here miss."
She handed him the money and got out feeling seasick. While checking in she faced her first real test.
"Name please," said the lady. Her green suit and sallow face made her seem especially threatening for some reason.
"Hermione Gr-owland."
"There is no Grawland in the computer- there is a Hermione Rowland."
"Oh you'll have to forgive me, I am told I have the most awful accent. I do apologize."
"Quite alright ma'am, may I please see your credit card and identification." Hermione handed them over, grateful when the ordeal was finally over.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------
Ginny Potter, beloved daughter and at this moment angry wife, was ready to kill. Tonight was the night that they, Harry and her, always celebrated tonight as their real anniversary. She couldn't believe he wasn't here. He had promised he would get the whole day off, but that option was nixed do to "unavoidable problems."
So he had said, "I'll make it all up to you this evening." He whispered sweet nothings until she sighed and forgave him, as always.
Now she was here. Alone. Watching "Sleepless in Seattle." In a pink terry clothe robe that clashed horribly with her hair. She saw lights pull into the drive. She crossed her arms, and was ready to attack.
"Harry James Pott-" The man getting out of the car was not Harry.
Her eyes grew big and she tried to run back into the house, but the man stopped her.
"NO! NO! HARRY!"
Harry pulled into the drive. He had decided to pick up roses for Ginny, he hoped this was enough to make her feel better. He was mad at himself for getting so caught up in work, and mad at himself for not thinking of Hermione's feelings, and mad at himself for pulling away from Ginny. Tonight he was going to start making amends. He'd start with Ginny.
He walked into the house. It was dark. Very dark. On the television was Sleepless in Seattle, "Damn, she must really be mad." Anytime she rented old American Romantic comdedies he was in deep trouble…
He listened for her, ready to have her fly off the handle on her. He crept into the bedroom, "Ginny, Hon, I'm so-" He cut himself off. She wasn't in the room.
"Ginny," he called. Heart pounding he ran to her closet. He took a sigh of relief to see that her clothes were still there, but then realized this didn't mean anything really.
Maybe he should owl the Weasleys to see if she was there. Or Hermione, wait Hermione was in America. Harry paced back and forth for some time. He jumped when the phone rang, he grabbed it off the receiver in the blink of an eye, "Ginny?"
A cold hollow voice said, "No. Ginny is with us though. We can do a lot with a pretty little witch like her around. 3.5 million galleons, by Tuesday,"
Click.
Harry sat down heavily. They, who ever they were, had Ginny.
"Oh god, let her still be alive."
"I had to modify Rick's memory, but luckily only slightly. He seemed extremely confused by my little spell, but other than that. . ." Hermione shrugged. Draco nodded and padded off to his room with a little wave, and closed his door behind him.
"So-"Janet began.
"Later mum, I'm too tired to deal." She grabbed a pillow and sheet from the linen closet and slay down on her couch. It was some time before her thoughts settled down enough for sleep.
Hermione sniffed the air, it smelled like, like. . .
"Good Morning Hermione! I made your favorite, blueberry muffins and raspberry smoothies," Janet called form the kitchen. Hermione rubbed her eyes.
"So it wasn't a dream?"
"Unfortunately no, are you ready for breakfast? I knocked on Draco's door but he didn't answer. Maybe you should try." Mrs. Granger motioned vaguely to his door while wrestling with the blender. Hermione knocked on Draco's door and low and behold the door opened.
"Breakfast," Hermione said simply.
"Sure, any coffee?" Draco looked around owlishly. Hermione blushed and shook her head no. He couldn't possibly understand her pink tinged face and for that she was thankful.
"So, now is anyone willing to tell me what's going on?"
"I'm sorry Mrs. Granger, but it's uh, a little classified." Draco looked like he wanted to say more but thought it was better to just leave it at that.
"Please call me Janet or Ms. Kiefer, or even possibly in the future mum." Janet beamed a grin, reminiscent of Hermione's (who was blushing ten times darker by this time). Draco looked at Hermione, he smirked at her uneasiness.
"Hey, listen, *mum*, we have to go- Hermione and I have, uh, things to do."
Janet raised her eyebrows," Please tell me it doesn't include a bed and breakfast stop."
Now Draco blushed, recovered quickly and winked trying to keep his 'I'm oh so hot....but really I promise not trying to seduce your daughter' look. "No- it has a bit to do with- oh hell there is no way to explain this without breaking protocol so I'm not even going to try." He pulled out his wand said to Hermione, "Meet me at Ado Park after you've eaten."
"What was that about?"
"As Draco said, we can't tell you. But you know how we have a ministry of magic in out world? Well they need me right now. That about all I can tell you, sorry."
"Whatever, that fine darling. Just hurry up and eat your breakfast."
Draco sat in the park. What was he doing? What the hell was he thinking?
"Lord," he muttered. Draco was not a deeply religious man, but right now he needed someone to talk to. Everything inside of him screamed that here right now was the chance to warn Hermione off. To tell her that yes, this was very dangerous- much more so then it sounded and to just forget it. He knew of course he would never do it though; he hadn't been lying to Harry when he had said Hermione's powers were weakening.
A breeze ruffled his shirt, and kicked a paper into view. "MURDERED: MAN AND WIFE STABBED BRUTALLY" he read the headline. A pigeon landed next to it. He shook his head, and remembered the first curse his father had taught him:
Lucius bent over the small seven year old and held up a bird. "You see this Draco?" The pale haired boy nodded, and Lucious brought it closer, " here you go son, feel it's soft feathers?" Draco reached out a hand and touched the bird's breast. He felt it's tiny heart beating madly. Draco had a bad feeling about this. Lucious pulled out his wand and handed it to Draco, "Now son, this wand is mine so you might not be able to do anything but just try. Now hold this up and point it at the bird. And say Merde."
Draco held the wand in his hand, and followed his father's instructions. 'Nothing will happen to it, nothing will happen to it,' he hoped silently.
"MERDE!" he said loudly, and the bird let out a piercing shriek. It's eyes opened pleading with Draco. Draco watched as the pretty bird's gray breast turned a bright red. The breast he had felt, the heart beating. Draco looked at his father.
Lucious had an a proud smile on his face, "Perfect Draco, you having an amazing aptitude for the dark arts." Draco kept his tears at bay, he knew better than to cry in his father's presence. He smiled, and looked up at his father, "Father, tell me about this curse." He had to know. What kind of torture he had put that helpless bird through . Beaming Lucious said, "That is the "Curse of the Damned" most can't master it until they have been training a year, but you.You are going to be great."
Draco didn't want to here that, he wanted to know, "But what does it do?" he said impatiently.
"It stabs, it stabs without a knife, my boy. A knife that fits into the heart perfectly. Congratulations. Let's go upstairs and celebrate." Draco shuddered. You are going to be great, echoing in his mind.
Draco shook himself from his reverie. He looked around the park. He was safe from that now; he fought that sort of evil. At first he had been revolted. He had thrown up shortly after his second cursing. Eventually, he had just excepted as children often do. By the time he had entered Hogwarts, he was already far more advanced then most 7th years when in came to curses.
He had believed what he was saying, when had had called Hermione a mudblood, had meant what he had said to Harry about being on the losing side. . . Had thought that he was in the right, and everyone else was wrong. Until that meeting. Draco shuddered again, and pushed the thoughts of the anitiation meeting into the darkest corner of his brain. No one could understand the thing he had seen. The pigeon was literally child's play when it was compared, but that first encounter still stood bold in his memory.
__________________________________________________________________________
Hermione checked herself in the mirror for the umpteenth time. It's not that she cared what Draco thought. It was that, uh, she....um....wanted everyone else to see how good she felt! Yeah that was it! She had decided today to go with something classic and alluring, a long black sundress, and sun pendant with her hair tied back with gold hair sticks. She felt good.
Walking down to the park she inhaled the scent, it was nice like someone was baking nearby (she was so enraptured by *something* she failed to notice the bakery on her right). Turing she saw Draco brooding on the bench. It was extremely unfair that he should look so hot when he was just sitting there. Unfair to her and unfair to women everywhere.
He jumped a little when she sat down beside him, like she had startled him. He shook his head and rubbed it lightly. He smiled at her then stood up.
"Ready?"
"Sure. What's up today? Kick-boxing classes, shooting range, more undercover education?"
"No, shopping." He said dryly. He seemed mildly amused by her shocked face. She followed him like a puppy to what she knew as 'that old junky mansion', that the mothers of the town warned their children to stay away from.
"Um, Draco?" She asked questioningly.
"Yeah?" he sounded amused as if he was guessing at her thoughts.
"Nothing." She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
He smiled and continued to the decrepit old building. Hermione peered at the rotten wood, expecting it fall in over her shoulders as she entered the threshold. She followed Draco up a circular staircase that seemed to never end. He finally stopped in a room with a sagging floor and creaking boards. He stopped and looked out the window. Now she had to swallow her pride and ask him what the hell he was doing.
She cleared her throat and was about to begin, when he cut her off, "all right this is the right room. Hermione did you bring your wand?"
She fished through her bag and pulled out the wand. It was shiny from last nights polishing. Draco pulled out his own, "All right now say Bibbity Bobbity and twirl your wand once." The words seemed completely absurd coming from Draco's very grown up mouth. She giggled a little and he frowned.
"What?"
"Haven't you ever seen Cinderella?"
"What you mean that infamous slut of the seventeenth Charming dynasty? I resent you think so slightly of me. "
"No, the children's story made into a Disney Movie."
"They made a children's story out of that woman?"
Hermione stopped trying, obviously Draco was not going to get it. She said 'Bibbity Bobbity' and twirled her wand. Nothing seemed to happen, she looked at the man beside her expectantly. He was already going down the steps. She felt like all she was doing today was following an extremely lost male. But to her great surprise as she stepped out of the ancient structure, she found herself looking at the bustling Diagon Alley.
"Were here."
"Here." Hermione repeated looking at the crowed street (or rather I suppose Alley). She fought a huge temptation to run up and down the streets singing "Be it ever so humble there is no place like home".
"Draco, how much money are we going to get to spend?"
Draco pulled out a large bag, "16 hundred galleons and 500 sickles and hole bunch of Knuts." Hermione made a B-line for Flourish and Blots.
"It's for clothes and shoes and things normal women want." Draco pulled the collar of her shirt, "This way."
"Are we going to Madame Malkins?"
"Well..." He stopped in front of a huge granite building, it looked like a muggle strip mall. On the front it said, "Madame Malkins- Clothing for all occasions." Hermione stepped inside and saw five different rooms. Each room with a title in a different font.
"So the muggle world has finally caught up with you?"
"Somewhat. It seems muggle clothing is all the rage right now. The last time that happed was way in the 1860's. Damn history for repeating itself."
Hermione, picturing Draco in a tux smiled and, " Oh I don't think it's that bad."
"Where to first?" Hermione hated shopping, unless it was in a bookstore, so she just wanted to get this over with. He shrugged and pulled out a list, "It says you need to have numerous cocktail dresses, four fine dress robes, regular "outing" clothes..." he continued there was an extremely long list.
"How long am I undercover again?"
"Two weeks, at most."
"So am I supposed to change every hour?"
"Pretty much."
Next was the shoe store, then the hat store then the underwear store, which Draco refused to enter. Hermione tried to pull him in.
"Oh come on darling, I want you to help me pick it out." When he still refused to budge she found a way around that. She grabbed a pink teddy with little feathers hanging off it, and a black leather lace-up (that looked very kinky) and held them up for him at the window. She pointed and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. She stepped to the door.
"Which one, I want your expert opinion." Draco glared at her and turned away. Pink flaring up slightly. Teddies still in hand she stood up to feel his forehead, "Oh poor baby, do you have a fever? Here this is cool silk just rest your head..." Draco jumped away from her (and the pink teddy) and headed for the nearest pub, Hermione laughed. A lady standing close by with her young son glared at her.
In the end she just got normal underwear for the most part. She did splurge a little and get a bra and panty set that changed color to blend in with the out fit you wore and just for fun the kinky black lace-up. She wondered if Draco liked leather, and then instantly chided herself.
She came out loaded with bags, this was the most fun she had ever had shopping.
"Were next O' Captain, My Captain?"
"Were done. Go home."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------
Uneasily Hermione adjusted her hair. She was having trouble adjusting to the blonde highlights-they looked great, but they were very different. She looked well to say it completely bluntly normal. She had supposed that when you became a "spy" you would be dressed in all black, have your hair in a high ponytail, and have hidden gadgets all over you. She on the other hand, was wearing a short gray skirt, and a periwinkle top. Her hair had been pulled back in a sophisticated bun. She looked like a businesswoman. And she had no gadgets, damn it!
She got out of the taxi and looked up, London International Airport. The guy they were monitoring had decided to spend his holidays in America. Hermione didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing. It had certainly made the ministry upset. They had to change things all around to make this work. Hermione got onto the plane without incident.
She was headed to the little town of Eureka Springs(*Author: I don't know if anyone on fanfiction lives there- but this is the cutest town! It's hell to get there though all kinds of windy roads. I'm gonna live there someday*). She had never heard of it but it sounded like a nice place. Draco had gone over the instructions carefully.
"When you get there you will be staying with the Hudsons, they are old friends with you and your parents. Your "parents" by the way are at a Tibetan retreat. We have created a profile on you, Hermione Rowland. Here it is, so that should he look you up...Here's what he would find," Hermione picked up a relatively thin folder. There were a few newspaper articles. The London Times had a tiny bit mentioning her marriage, one about her birth and there was a Daily Prophet article about her graduating from Brocklehurst Academy. There were divorce papers and a few pictures of her. It was amazing it was Hermione, only not her.
Brockelhurst was a teeny tiny academy that had only about thirty graduates a year; she had been shown pictures and educated about it. And finally there was a marriage picture. It was one that had originally been one she and Ron had taken together (in their 7th year) now it was Hermione Keller and Hugh Keller. Weird.
She couldn't help but wonder if Ron would like being called Hugh, it was never a name he'd been incredibly fond of.
"We have a whole folder on "Hugh Keller" also, just to tie up lose ends.
"The key to this is keeping a low profile. Be subtle. Also stick to what you know which is why there are so many parallels to you past life. Some other information, why you are divorced is Hugh was having an affair. People who went to your academy you wouldn't remember real well because you spent a majority of you time getting you degree in researching transfiguration. You were top of the class, and dated Hugh who was a muggle all through your Brockelhurst days and married him after you graduated. You gave up your promising career as a transfiguration technition to be a normal muggle wife and Librarian. Good enough?" All this information had bombarded her, she had taken it all in and memorized it as she had her potions.
At the time she had thought this was going to be simple as pie, but now that the plane was off she was a more little worried...
Hermione closed her eyes, she couldn't look. The roads seemed to curve in the most impossible ways and there wasn't a single railing. The driver seemed to be driving at a most insane speed, and all she could think of was to pray for her life. Why had she taken taxi?
Why?! The Ministry told you "We can send you by floo" but no…you had to do it the muggle way, Hermione snapped at herself.
Finally after a final lurch she was there. On top of a giant hill where a very large and very class looking hotel sat. "We're here miss."
She handed him the money and got out feeling seasick. While checking in she faced her first real test.
"Name please," said the lady. Her green suit and sallow face made her seem especially threatening for some reason.
"Hermione Gr-owland."
"There is no Grawland in the computer- there is a Hermione Rowland."
"Oh you'll have to forgive me, I am told I have the most awful accent. I do apologize."
"Quite alright ma'am, may I please see your credit card and identification." Hermione handed them over, grateful when the ordeal was finally over.
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Ginny Potter, beloved daughter and at this moment angry wife, was ready to kill. Tonight was the night that they, Harry and her, always celebrated tonight as their real anniversary. She couldn't believe he wasn't here. He had promised he would get the whole day off, but that option was nixed do to "unavoidable problems."
So he had said, "I'll make it all up to you this evening." He whispered sweet nothings until she sighed and forgave him, as always.
Now she was here. Alone. Watching "Sleepless in Seattle." In a pink terry clothe robe that clashed horribly with her hair. She saw lights pull into the drive. She crossed her arms, and was ready to attack.
"Harry James Pott-" The man getting out of the car was not Harry.
Her eyes grew big and she tried to run back into the house, but the man stopped her.
"NO! NO! HARRY!"
Harry pulled into the drive. He had decided to pick up roses for Ginny, he hoped this was enough to make her feel better. He was mad at himself for getting so caught up in work, and mad at himself for not thinking of Hermione's feelings, and mad at himself for pulling away from Ginny. Tonight he was going to start making amends. He'd start with Ginny.
He walked into the house. It was dark. Very dark. On the television was Sleepless in Seattle, "Damn, she must really be mad." Anytime she rented old American Romantic comdedies he was in deep trouble…
He listened for her, ready to have her fly off the handle on her. He crept into the bedroom, "Ginny, Hon, I'm so-" He cut himself off. She wasn't in the room.
"Ginny," he called. Heart pounding he ran to her closet. He took a sigh of relief to see that her clothes were still there, but then realized this didn't mean anything really.
Maybe he should owl the Weasleys to see if she was there. Or Hermione, wait Hermione was in America. Harry paced back and forth for some time. He jumped when the phone rang, he grabbed it off the receiver in the blink of an eye, "Ginny?"
A cold hollow voice said, "No. Ginny is with us though. We can do a lot with a pretty little witch like her around. 3.5 million galleons, by Tuesday,"
Click.
Harry sat down heavily. They, who ever they were, had Ginny.
"Oh god, let her still be alive."