SHATTERED GLASS
by o
supported by sPECTARE, cUPERE, cAPERE, part of aGAINST aLL rEASONS
part two: the mission.
the phone rang as hermione was cutting up cucumber to add to her salad. she answered after the second ring.
'hermione,' lavender's voice said urgently. 'we need you here. now.'
'i'll be right over,' hermione said, trying not to sigh. so much for a calm night. would she ever get one again? 'what's the problem?'
'can't explain it now. just get here.'
'all right. i'll apparate in as soon as i can.'
'how long?'
'no more than a couple of minutes. is that ok?'
'yes, yes. just hurry. please.'
hermione rolled her eyes and hung up the phone. lavender always made such a big deal about work in the ministry. it was probably nothing. a fight between two teenage wizards about a witch.
hermione almost smiled ... but then the rest of the story fell into place, and she remembered the ending. she took the cucumber slices, stuffing them into her mouth. thank God she wasn't very hungry. she'd eat when she got home.
^ ^ ^
'i'm here!'
'hermione! good to see you, love!' lavender came walking (at as fast a pace as was polite for a secretary in the ministry of magic to walk) towards her, holding a large folder under her arm. 'you're meeting in there.' she pointed to a door behind hermione. 'give this to luna please.'
lavender knew how much hermione despised luna lovegood, though lavender never found out why.
no one honestly knew, besides luna and hermione. they never worked together. up until now, at least.
hermione tried desperately to keep her voice calm when she said, 'luna's running this?'
lavender nodded, studying hermione almost piteously. 'she seemed to think it was her duty to lead this mission or something.' lavender shrugged.
'lavender, what's going on? what mission?'
'i have to go; luna and - well, they'll tell you everything.' lavender smiled and hurried away.
hermione sighed and opened the door slowly.
luna was sitting at the end of a long, wooden table. next to her, a glass of water in front of his slumped body was ...
draco malfoy.
hermione stood in stunned silence for a few seconds before both she and him snarled, 'what the bugger are you doing here?'
and then, 'lavender told me to come' in unison. they glared at each other.
'hello, granger. take a seat, please,' luna said. 'i'll explain everything as soon as you're sitting.'
it was suprising how much luna had changed. true, every one hermione knew was different than they had been at school, but luna had changed the most. she wasn't the space cadet she had been before. her hair was pulled up in a tight knot at the top of her head, and she was now one of the most serious people in the world.
but that wasn't why hermione hated her.
tossing the folder to luna, hermione sat down a few seats down the table, as far away from the two people she despised most in the world as was polite.
'what did you call us here for luna,' malfoy drawled.
luna folded her hands in front of her on the table. 'something very important,' she said seriously. hermione and draco both rolled their eyes. 'very important. the Glass of Shattering is gone.'
draco sat upright. 'wait a minute. so the Glass of Shattering - it's not a myth?'
luna shook her head, reluctantly? 'it's not a myth,' she repeated. 'we've been trying to keep it in hiding. but someone found its hiding place and ... well, they stole it.'
'so what does that have to do with us?' hermione couldn't make any connection.
'we need you two to find it.'
hermione and draco both exploded with protests. 'she's got a bloody broomstick stuck up her ass!' 'he's a wanker!' 'no way!' 'i am not working with that wally!'
luna raised her hands, silencing them both. 'i'm sorry. if it was my decision, i wouldn't have it this way, either.'
'so you wouldn't have to feel your bloody guilty conscience,' hermione mumbled to herself.
luna looked away. 'we have a lead that the Glass of Shattering is located in venice. but for all we know, it could be anywhere.'
'that's where we come in,' draco concluded.
luna nodded. 'i'm not going to lie to either of you; this is very risky. screw up even once, and you are going to be hunted down until you are dead.' luna studied them both. 'be careful.'
draco sighed. 'when are we leaving?'
^ ^ ^
luna's directions filled hermione's head.
apparate to venice, italy. make sure you apparate to the dark alley i told you about. there, you will find a tall man. his name is sonny. he will give you your next instructions, your hotel location, and anything else.
"this is very strange," hermione thought to herself as she closed her eyes, letting the wind whirl around herself and draco. "very strange indeed."
they landed shortly after that, and hermione nearly gasped.
lights. crowds. shops.
but it was the lights that got her the most. more lights than she had ever seen. it was ... incredible.
draco didn't care about the lights. his eyes darted around, looking for the tall man luna had mentioned.
he was in the corner. tall. very tall.
'oy! you be that malfoy chap?' the man had an incredible gruff voice, suprisingly so, as the small amount of light that filled the alleyway shone on his face. he was a clean-cut man; no facial hair. closely shaven head. skinny. incredibly so.
hermione turned around at his voice.
'and you must be miss granger,' the man added.
hermione nodded. 'are you sonny?'
'aye,' the man said, walking towards them. 'you'll be staying at the hotel danieli.' he handed draco a large packet of papers, and hermione an even larger folder.
'the hotel danieli?'
sonny nodded.
'and what about clothes? money? anything?'
'taken care of. look through the papers. instructions are in the front.'
'will we see you again?'
'that's up to luna. now go to the hotel. we need you to get started.'
draco opened his mouth again, but sonny shook his head. 'no more questions. just read the papers, all right?'
'let's GO, malfoy,' she hissed, pulling him out onto the crowded street. they were both blinded by the light.
hermione continued to hold draco's arm, dragging him for a few minutes before finally slowing down. but for some reason, she didn't want to let go of his arm. for some reason, she felt warmth spreading through her body, and it seemed to be coming from where her fingertips touched draco's trench coat.
draco looked down at hermione's hand, gripping his upper arm. it took him a few seconds to understand exactly what was going on. why did it feel ok to have her arm there?
'um, granger?' he finally said, almost reluctantly.
hermione pulled her hand away. 'wanted-wanted to make sure you weren't going to leave. we can't get seperated, you know. neither of us knows this place.'
'right. ok. so how are we going to actually find this hotel?'
'ask?'
draco rolled her eyes. 'women. you give up to easily,' he muttered. 'come on.' this time, he grabbed her arm, pulling her along with him, pushing through the swarms of people as his eyes darted from left to right.
^ ^ ^
half an hour later, draco finally slowed, his eyes blinking furiously. his hand remained on hermione's elbow, though he wasn't exactly sure why.
'men. you just can't ruin your pride,' hermione said. 'i'm going to ask that lady over there.'
'you don't speak italian,' draco reminded her.
'maybe she speaks english,' hermione said calmly. 'it's a better plan than yours.'
she turned away from him, tapping the woman on the shoulder. 'excuse me? do you speak english?'
the woman shrugged. 'little,' she said. 'what you want?'
'do you know where the hotel danieli is?' hermione spoke her words slowly and clearly as draco came up behind her.
the woman nodded, pointing down the street. 'there,' she said.
'ha,' draco said triumphantly as the woman walked away. 'i wasn't that far off.'
'but we probably wouldn't have found it had you been any more stubborn,' hermione pointed out.
they began to walk down the street, in almost complete silence. hermione yearned for his warmth, although she wasn't exactly sure why it made her feel so good.
draco's fingertips were tingling, and he couldn't exactly describe it. something about touching the flesh on her elbow ... something about touching her skin ... there was something that had made him feel good.
something he couldn't explain.
a/n: you're probably all slightly confused right now. why does hermione hate luna? it will all be explained.
by o
supported by sPECTARE, cUPERE, cAPERE, part of aGAINST aLL rEASONS
part two: the mission.
the phone rang as hermione was cutting up cucumber to add to her salad. she answered after the second ring.
'hermione,' lavender's voice said urgently. 'we need you here. now.'
'i'll be right over,' hermione said, trying not to sigh. so much for a calm night. would she ever get one again? 'what's the problem?'
'can't explain it now. just get here.'
'all right. i'll apparate in as soon as i can.'
'how long?'
'no more than a couple of minutes. is that ok?'
'yes, yes. just hurry. please.'
hermione rolled her eyes and hung up the phone. lavender always made such a big deal about work in the ministry. it was probably nothing. a fight between two teenage wizards about a witch.
hermione almost smiled ... but then the rest of the story fell into place, and she remembered the ending. she took the cucumber slices, stuffing them into her mouth. thank God she wasn't very hungry. she'd eat when she got home.
^ ^ ^
'i'm here!'
'hermione! good to see you, love!' lavender came walking (at as fast a pace as was polite for a secretary in the ministry of magic to walk) towards her, holding a large folder under her arm. 'you're meeting in there.' she pointed to a door behind hermione. 'give this to luna please.'
lavender knew how much hermione despised luna lovegood, though lavender never found out why.
no one honestly knew, besides luna and hermione. they never worked together. up until now, at least.
hermione tried desperately to keep her voice calm when she said, 'luna's running this?'
lavender nodded, studying hermione almost piteously. 'she seemed to think it was her duty to lead this mission or something.' lavender shrugged.
'lavender, what's going on? what mission?'
'i have to go; luna and - well, they'll tell you everything.' lavender smiled and hurried away.
hermione sighed and opened the door slowly.
luna was sitting at the end of a long, wooden table. next to her, a glass of water in front of his slumped body was ...
draco malfoy.
hermione stood in stunned silence for a few seconds before both she and him snarled, 'what the bugger are you doing here?'
and then, 'lavender told me to come' in unison. they glared at each other.
'hello, granger. take a seat, please,' luna said. 'i'll explain everything as soon as you're sitting.'
it was suprising how much luna had changed. true, every one hermione knew was different than they had been at school, but luna had changed the most. she wasn't the space cadet she had been before. her hair was pulled up in a tight knot at the top of her head, and she was now one of the most serious people in the world.
but that wasn't why hermione hated her.
tossing the folder to luna, hermione sat down a few seats down the table, as far away from the two people she despised most in the world as was polite.
'what did you call us here for luna,' malfoy drawled.
luna folded her hands in front of her on the table. 'something very important,' she said seriously. hermione and draco both rolled their eyes. 'very important. the Glass of Shattering is gone.'
draco sat upright. 'wait a minute. so the Glass of Shattering - it's not a myth?'
luna shook her head, reluctantly? 'it's not a myth,' she repeated. 'we've been trying to keep it in hiding. but someone found its hiding place and ... well, they stole it.'
'so what does that have to do with us?' hermione couldn't make any connection.
'we need you two to find it.'
hermione and draco both exploded with protests. 'she's got a bloody broomstick stuck up her ass!' 'he's a wanker!' 'no way!' 'i am not working with that wally!'
luna raised her hands, silencing them both. 'i'm sorry. if it was my decision, i wouldn't have it this way, either.'
'so you wouldn't have to feel your bloody guilty conscience,' hermione mumbled to herself.
luna looked away. 'we have a lead that the Glass of Shattering is located in venice. but for all we know, it could be anywhere.'
'that's where we come in,' draco concluded.
luna nodded. 'i'm not going to lie to either of you; this is very risky. screw up even once, and you are going to be hunted down until you are dead.' luna studied them both. 'be careful.'
draco sighed. 'when are we leaving?'
^ ^ ^
luna's directions filled hermione's head.
apparate to venice, italy. make sure you apparate to the dark alley i told you about. there, you will find a tall man. his name is sonny. he will give you your next instructions, your hotel location, and anything else.
"this is very strange," hermione thought to herself as she closed her eyes, letting the wind whirl around herself and draco. "very strange indeed."
they landed shortly after that, and hermione nearly gasped.
lights. crowds. shops.
but it was the lights that got her the most. more lights than she had ever seen. it was ... incredible.
draco didn't care about the lights. his eyes darted around, looking for the tall man luna had mentioned.
he was in the corner. tall. very tall.
'oy! you be that malfoy chap?' the man had an incredible gruff voice, suprisingly so, as the small amount of light that filled the alleyway shone on his face. he was a clean-cut man; no facial hair. closely shaven head. skinny. incredibly so.
hermione turned around at his voice.
'and you must be miss granger,' the man added.
hermione nodded. 'are you sonny?'
'aye,' the man said, walking towards them. 'you'll be staying at the hotel danieli.' he handed draco a large packet of papers, and hermione an even larger folder.
'the hotel danieli?'
sonny nodded.
'and what about clothes? money? anything?'
'taken care of. look through the papers. instructions are in the front.'
'will we see you again?'
'that's up to luna. now go to the hotel. we need you to get started.'
draco opened his mouth again, but sonny shook his head. 'no more questions. just read the papers, all right?'
'let's GO, malfoy,' she hissed, pulling him out onto the crowded street. they were both blinded by the light.
hermione continued to hold draco's arm, dragging him for a few minutes before finally slowing down. but for some reason, she didn't want to let go of his arm. for some reason, she felt warmth spreading through her body, and it seemed to be coming from where her fingertips touched draco's trench coat.
draco looked down at hermione's hand, gripping his upper arm. it took him a few seconds to understand exactly what was going on. why did it feel ok to have her arm there?
'um, granger?' he finally said, almost reluctantly.
hermione pulled her hand away. 'wanted-wanted to make sure you weren't going to leave. we can't get seperated, you know. neither of us knows this place.'
'right. ok. so how are we going to actually find this hotel?'
'ask?'
draco rolled her eyes. 'women. you give up to easily,' he muttered. 'come on.' this time, he grabbed her arm, pulling her along with him, pushing through the swarms of people as his eyes darted from left to right.
^ ^ ^
half an hour later, draco finally slowed, his eyes blinking furiously. his hand remained on hermione's elbow, though he wasn't exactly sure why.
'men. you just can't ruin your pride,' hermione said. 'i'm going to ask that lady over there.'
'you don't speak italian,' draco reminded her.
'maybe she speaks english,' hermione said calmly. 'it's a better plan than yours.'
she turned away from him, tapping the woman on the shoulder. 'excuse me? do you speak english?'
the woman shrugged. 'little,' she said. 'what you want?'
'do you know where the hotel danieli is?' hermione spoke her words slowly and clearly as draco came up behind her.
the woman nodded, pointing down the street. 'there,' she said.
'ha,' draco said triumphantly as the woman walked away. 'i wasn't that far off.'
'but we probably wouldn't have found it had you been any more stubborn,' hermione pointed out.
they began to walk down the street, in almost complete silence. hermione yearned for his warmth, although she wasn't exactly sure why it made her feel so good.
draco's fingertips were tingling, and he couldn't exactly describe it. something about touching the flesh on her elbow ... something about touching her skin ... there was something that had made him feel good.
something he couldn't explain.
a/n: you're probably all slightly confused right now. why does hermione hate luna? it will all be explained.