It was the day Draco moved in, and they were unpacking his belongings. Stacks of cardboard boxes littered Hermione's living room, filled with Draco's stuff. While throwing out another empty box, she came upon a photo album that was underneath a bunch of Draco's socks and accounting books, and old newspaper clippings with stocks printed upon them. She picked it up blowing off the dust that was upon the surface. The dust flew off as if it was snow. She lowered it into her lap, running her fingers around the letters " My Family Album" that was imprinted on the cover, in a gold print. Flipping through the pages she saw that most of the pictures were black and white, some looked as if they were from Draco's father's time. She bumped into wedding pictures, reunions, and birthday pictures, as well as family vacations, school pictures and others. Hermione smiled coming across a picture of Draco as a small child-cuddling a teddy bear. Draco had the same rugged features-the crystal blue eyes, and the shabby dirty blond hair. He looked cuter than ever- with the childish smile upon his face within the picture. However the picture was black and white- with some yellowing upon the rim of the picture. Turing to the next page a piece of folded stationary fell out of the two pages. She carefully picked it up seeing that it was very delicate-since the parchment was quite crumbled upon the edges and the ink was wearing away. She looked closer at the letter and saw that it was a letter from Lucius (ack…forgot how to spell his name) Malfoy-Dracos father…. For the handwriting was very elegant, yet quite scratchy and sort of hard to read. Stunned, she heard footsteps from the opposite direction- it was Draco….
" What do you have there?" he asked a bit cheerfully handing her a cup of tea.
" Oh-uh…" Hermione said, fumbling for the correct assortment of words. However instead she just stared at the tea, as it gave off an eerie steam from its surface that illuminated the living room with the smell of chamomile.
"uh…" Draco said staring down at the photo album lying in Hermione's lap.
"Sorry….I found this however…" she quickly said handing him the piece of parchment. Draco taking it with a puzzled look upon his face looked at the piece of parchment and then nodded his head in comprehension.
" Er-this was what my dad had written me in order to tell me that he had gone bankrupt…when the day had come for when the ministry had come to their senses in that he was a death eater…." Draco explained as the cup of tea was shaking in his hands- as if the letter had aroused bits of a nightmare back within his memory.
" Oh…?" Hermione said trying to seem interested-even though Ron had told her about the whole bankruptcy thing.
" Yeah, I think I have some things to catch up on…." Draco stammered as he scratched his forehead and let out a sigh.
" Here…take a seat" Hermione said picking up the pile of socks and placed them in the laundry basket, and the newspaper clippings and threw them in the garbage can; which allowed a clean spot on the rug to form( in order for Draco to sit). Draco then sat down on the rug next to Hermione, glanced at her and then at the photo album, not knowing where to start-and holding the tea, which was now cold.
" uh…why don't I help you out there at take that cup of tea for you," she said
" Its for you-the tea" he replied as he looked up at the ceiling
" So-er, tell me Draco-what happened since we met, as in your life…I need to know…" Hermione said brushing her cheek against his trying to set a comfortable setting.
"Okay-well after hogwarts, I went home-after the ceremony…and when I came through the door-uh, my father was upon the couch rubbing his forehead. I asked him what was wrong but instead he just kept quiet. I drew near to him wondering if he needed anything-like a sandwich or a serving of tea or maybe several biscuits, usually that's what we ate whenever we needed to talk about something. When I went closer to him- that's when he stormed out of the house- and that's when I never saw him again….
I had never heard from him until the next day, when I had gotten a letter in the mail box, it was sealed with the Ministry of Magic Emblem upon the back, and I opened it quickly- thinking it might inform me about my fathers whereabouts. However, to my surprise-it was from him, it stated that he had gotten kicked out of the Ministry, which meant that we wouldn't be able to support ourselves, my mother had left that instant, she didn't like the fact of being unstable. I just stood there in the living room, staring at the goodbye at the bottom of the letter were my fathers signature followed. A tear had ran down my check regretting the fact that I didn't even say goodbye. I went up to my room, more like stormed up to my room…I took out my broomstick, and my trunk. Carefully, I packed several outfits, and soap as well as the money I had saved up over the years. I also took my wand of course and stuffed the letter in my cloak pocket, however there was a lump in the envelope-I quickly jerked for it and pulled out some money that my father decided to give me. It was at least ten thousand dollars in American money, since the currency in London was a bit higher at the time, and several galleons scattered at the bottom of the envelope. I placed the galleons in my back pocket, and the rest of the money next to the letter in my cloak. I looked around at my home-the one I grew up in for the last time and walked near the mantle, I stared at the pictures, arranged in an unorganized fashion; there I saw pictures of my mother and father as well as myself- when we were a content family, but however quite boastful. My mother had this look in her eye in several of the pictures, as if she was taking a chance with my fathers habits-his thinking-and his relations with the Dark Lord…. even though I don't think she knew that at the time…." Draco stopped took a sip at Hermione's tea, and proceeded.
" With that, I decided to go to my first instinct-go back to Hogwarts, however, I didn't want the professors knowing about my personal life…since I was still stuck in my ways then I suppose my ego was a tad to high…" Draco said with a slight chuckle within his voice.
" Anyway…instead I went to Gringotts, and withdrew all the money I could find that was under my fathers name, for he left the key with me, and had informed me several times whenever there might be an emergency-I should withdraw the money…and this was definitely an emergency…After that, I went strait to the train station, and decided to proceed into the muggle world, maybe go to their schools called universities and get the thing called a college degree. So, I did just that…majored into business as well as accounting, and then went into the New York Stock Exchange…That's where I met ol' Ron, his Pa, wanting him to go into the muggle world-so he could go back to Hogwarts and teach muggle studies to the students….However Ron didn't feel like going back, so he decided to stay in New York, and so did I…I hit big on a stock that I had bought one day, so I had enough money to rent an apartment that was quite good quality-however Ron wasn't doing too well when I saw him, so I decided to let him share my place…Besides, I needed company-I tried getting a dog, but it was too much work, and I tried to er- improve my er-"love life" but uh, things didn't work out as I planned…Until I met you at the reunion…and here we are…." Draco smiled
" here we are…." Hermione repeated and placed a kiss upon his cheek.