Chapter 03
So the sun set and the moon rose, and Hermione sat on her balcony watching the sun rise and the cycle begin for yet another day. The streets of muggle London were just beginning to stir and the sounds of people walking to their early jobs could be heard from the fourth floor of Emerald Square, Hermione's apartment building. She looked out onto the urban settings and closed her eyes, imagining she was in some place far away. Far away from her job at 'Crime Investigation', or London.
" Good Morning," and voice from behind her yawned. She turned around to see Draco Malfoy, stretching in his boxers.
" Sleep well?" she asked uninterested.
" Yea, your couch is much more comfertable than a staircase," he replied taking a sip from a cup of coffee. Hermione rose from her lawn chair and re-entered her apartment, brushing past Draco as if trying to ignore him.
" Where are you going?" he asked.
" I don't think it's any of your business, but if you must know, I'm going to a place that normal citizens call "work". Maybe you've heard of it?"
" Well, someone's a bit pissy this morning," Draco remarked.
" You live under my roof, you're going to have to put up a better attitude than that," Hermione spat at him, " I'll be back at five o'clock." With that she left the house and Draco feeling quite satisfied about her attitude this morning. She finally had a chance to pay back all the cruel snobbishness that she had received from him a few years earlier, and it felt great.
As she headed down the busy streets of muggle London, she noticed something different about the air today that she just couldn't point out. She stopped at her usual bagel shop and then merged back onto the path she took to work. She found herself staring up at the sky. It was the strangest color she'd ever seen, like some color bomb had exploded. She was so concentrated on the sky that she didn't notice the dark hooded figure about to run into her.
" Hey!" she shouted as she was knocked to the ground. She looked up to see a oddly familiar looking man dressed in a dark cloak. He bent down and whispered in her ear,
" Watch where you're going, Miss Granger." Then before Hermione had a chance to speak, he was gone, leaving Hermione to herself wondering where she had seen that man before, and how he knew her name.
Hermione spent the rest of the day in a daze at work. Completing everyone's tasks and forgetting completely about the pure blood wizard in her house or the dark hooded figure that she had run into this morning. At five o' clock she was greeted by the familiar voice of Harry,
" Working hard today, Mione," Harry acknowledged.
" Yeah," she replied, evidentally not in the mood for small talk.
" So, would you join me for dinner tonight?" he asked casually. Hermione met his gaze, exhausted, but felt that she could not blow him off again.
" Of course," she said with a fake smile.
" Ok then. I'll pick you up at seven, is that alright?"
" Sure." she replied. They both said goodbye and Hermione headed home. She entered her apartment and was immediatley greeted by the familiar smell of snickerdoodles baking in the oven. She was about to call out to Draco when he stepped out of her kitchen with a couple of mugs of a famliar liquid that brought Hermione back to her days at Hogwarts.
" Butterbeer?" he asked casually, handing her a mug. She took it and as she took a sip a dozen memories floated back to her mind. She closed her eyes in ecstacy and then abruptly floated back to the present.
" Am I smelling snickerdoodles?" Draco nodded and explained,
" I had nothing else to do, so I got carried away," Hermione chuckled and then caught a hold of herself.
" Well next time, would you mind asking before you go destroying my house with that awful smell?" Draco looked taken aback and quickly took back her butterbeer.
" What is wrong with you? Why the hell did you offer me a place to live if you're going to be this bitchy? If you hadn't noticed, Hermione, I'm not the same Draco I used to be," Hermione stared in disbelief. She had no idea what to say.
" Draco, you made life hell for me at Hogwarts-"
" Yeah, I'm sure I did. I gave up all my riches, all my power, to live on the streets of muggle London. There is not one drop of the old Draco left in me. I sacrificed my whole life for everyone elses, so don't give me that bull. I deserve to be put on a bloody throne,"
Hermione stared blankly at Draco for the longest time. It seemed like a neverending awkward silence. Eventually she broke the silence with a pathetic gesture,
" Draco, I'm really sorry," She reached her arm out to his shoulder but he backed away quickly.
" Maybe I should go," he said turning away and heading towards the door, " I've only caused trouble here,"
" Draco, no, I didn't mean-"
" Goodbye Hermione." he turned away and sped out the door, leaving a torn Hermione Granger to sulk in her guilt.
So the sun set and the moon rose, and Hermione sat on her balcony watching the sun rise and the cycle begin for yet another day. The streets of muggle London were just beginning to stir and the sounds of people walking to their early jobs could be heard from the fourth floor of Emerald Square, Hermione's apartment building. She looked out onto the urban settings and closed her eyes, imagining she was in some place far away. Far away from her job at 'Crime Investigation', or London.
" Good Morning," and voice from behind her yawned. She turned around to see Draco Malfoy, stretching in his boxers.
" Sleep well?" she asked uninterested.
" Yea, your couch is much more comfertable than a staircase," he replied taking a sip from a cup of coffee. Hermione rose from her lawn chair and re-entered her apartment, brushing past Draco as if trying to ignore him.
" Where are you going?" he asked.
" I don't think it's any of your business, but if you must know, I'm going to a place that normal citizens call "work". Maybe you've heard of it?"
" Well, someone's a bit pissy this morning," Draco remarked.
" You live under my roof, you're going to have to put up a better attitude than that," Hermione spat at him, " I'll be back at five o'clock." With that she left the house and Draco feeling quite satisfied about her attitude this morning. She finally had a chance to pay back all the cruel snobbishness that she had received from him a few years earlier, and it felt great.
As she headed down the busy streets of muggle London, she noticed something different about the air today that she just couldn't point out. She stopped at her usual bagel shop and then merged back onto the path she took to work. She found herself staring up at the sky. It was the strangest color she'd ever seen, like some color bomb had exploded. She was so concentrated on the sky that she didn't notice the dark hooded figure about to run into her.
" Hey!" she shouted as she was knocked to the ground. She looked up to see a oddly familiar looking man dressed in a dark cloak. He bent down and whispered in her ear,
" Watch where you're going, Miss Granger." Then before Hermione had a chance to speak, he was gone, leaving Hermione to herself wondering where she had seen that man before, and how he knew her name.
Hermione spent the rest of the day in a daze at work. Completing everyone's tasks and forgetting completely about the pure blood wizard in her house or the dark hooded figure that she had run into this morning. At five o' clock she was greeted by the familiar voice of Harry,
" Working hard today, Mione," Harry acknowledged.
" Yeah," she replied, evidentally not in the mood for small talk.
" So, would you join me for dinner tonight?" he asked casually. Hermione met his gaze, exhausted, but felt that she could not blow him off again.
" Of course," she said with a fake smile.
" Ok then. I'll pick you up at seven, is that alright?"
" Sure." she replied. They both said goodbye and Hermione headed home. She entered her apartment and was immediatley greeted by the familiar smell of snickerdoodles baking in the oven. She was about to call out to Draco when he stepped out of her kitchen with a couple of mugs of a famliar liquid that brought Hermione back to her days at Hogwarts.
" Butterbeer?" he asked casually, handing her a mug. She took it and as she took a sip a dozen memories floated back to her mind. She closed her eyes in ecstacy and then abruptly floated back to the present.
" Am I smelling snickerdoodles?" Draco nodded and explained,
" I had nothing else to do, so I got carried away," Hermione chuckled and then caught a hold of herself.
" Well next time, would you mind asking before you go destroying my house with that awful smell?" Draco looked taken aback and quickly took back her butterbeer.
" What is wrong with you? Why the hell did you offer me a place to live if you're going to be this bitchy? If you hadn't noticed, Hermione, I'm not the same Draco I used to be," Hermione stared in disbelief. She had no idea what to say.
" Draco, you made life hell for me at Hogwarts-"
" Yeah, I'm sure I did. I gave up all my riches, all my power, to live on the streets of muggle London. There is not one drop of the old Draco left in me. I sacrificed my whole life for everyone elses, so don't give me that bull. I deserve to be put on a bloody throne,"
Hermione stared blankly at Draco for the longest time. It seemed like a neverending awkward silence. Eventually she broke the silence with a pathetic gesture,
" Draco, I'm really sorry," She reached her arm out to his shoulder but he backed away quickly.
" Maybe I should go," he said turning away and heading towards the door, " I've only caused trouble here,"
" Draco, no, I didn't mean-"
" Goodbye Hermione." he turned away and sped out the door, leaving a torn Hermione Granger to sulk in her guilt.
