Disclaimer: All Harry Potter and afilliates are copyrighted to Mrs. J.K.Rowling. I do not own anything you recognize.
Author's Note: Yeah, another chapter! I got some wonderful reviews, thank you! Give a round of applause to my WONDERFUL Beta, Guardsweetie! She edits every chapter of mine very carefully, so she has as much dedication to this story as I do!
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CHAPTER - It's the Moon's Fault
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The mood of our favorite young witch was brought up brilliantly after the little visit to the Metamorphmagus. Although Hermione contantly felt self-concious about her eyes, she was relieved that no one but herself took the iris color change into serious considerations, even if they had noticed. Despite that she still feared change, her thoughts were tossed behind for just enough time to be alight.
After gathering the changed clothes and bath towel in the bathroom, Hermione ran merrily back into her room. In there she found an awoke Oliver Wood standing next to the bed, mesmerized in the blanket he was holding.
"Hello, Hermione! What took you so long to bathe?" Oliver questioned casually, as he realized the prescense of Hermione. His intense gaze was still fixed on the blanket that he was holding, "Fell asleep in the tub?"
"Of course not," Hermione answered, who was trying fetch an excuse in her brain, "I just came across a nasty acne, so I decided to get it off with the Muggle method. It didn't work very well, I still used my wand to get it off in the very end." Hermione forced a fake chuckle.
"Well, that explains it." Oliver said inattentively, he continued staring at the blanket. Hermione felt relieved that he didn't question any further, but she was confused by the boy in front of her and the blanket.
"What are you doing, Oliver?" Hermione asked, walked toward him.
"Oh, nothing. I just want to fold these blankets in a Muggle way. I always used magic to make my bed, clean the mess in my room, but I want to learn how to fold these blankets." Oliver replied, smiled half-heartedly at Hermione.
"Why?" Hermione asked curtly.
"Oh, I just want to be a good husband after you graduate from Hogwarts..." Oliver smirked at Hermione as the witch playfully slapped him on the back.
"I wonder who would that be..." Hermione said. Still, Hermione patiently taught Oliver one of the simple Muggle way to fold blankets quickly but neatly.
As the folding session finished, Oliver sighed heavily. "I need to go back to my room in Leaky Cauldron now."
"Why can't you stay? Don't you want to?" Hermione asked, slightly confused.
"Nah," Oliver replied curtly, "I don't want your best mates to find out that their friend is having some romance with their former Quidditch Captain." Hermione giggled quietly. "I don't feel secure without my Phoenix Hair(A/N: See Author's Note at the end) with me, so I will Apparate back now, sure you will visit?"
"Of course!" Hermione answered as something popped into her mind, "I will go to Diagon Alley today. Harry and Ron reckoned that they will play some Quidditch outside today (A/N: some careful reader might remember that I mentioned that they can't go out the house? Read Author's Note at the end.) So I will have sometime alone. I will go to with Ginny to do some shopping, and I need another book to kill my time. So see you later!"
"Bye!" said Oliver as he gently placed a kiss on Hermione's lip. With a "Pop", he Apparated back to his rented room in Diagon Alley. Again, the room was deadly empty as the night before. Hermione sat down on her rosewood chair, but before she had a chance of opening her book, Molly Weasley's voice rang through the hall.
"Children! It's time to have breakfast! Ginny and Hermione, would you two mind if I tell you guys to serve the toast?" Mrs. Wealsey's voice shouted.
"Of course not," Hermione and Ginny's voice came simultaneously from two different rooms, "Mrs.Wealey", "Mum".
Hermione ran out from her door, as her eyes met a pair a periwinkle ones. Hermione and her best female friend greeted each other warmly with a hug. "Good morning, Hermione!" Ginny said as she smiled mischievously. "Had a good night with Oliver?"
"How do you know?" Hermione blushed, but kept cool to demand an answer.
"Well, I have my own ways..." Ginny smiled mysteriously, "You didn't answer my question yet..."
"We didn't do anything!" Hermione playfully slapped Ginny on the back as she did to Oliver, "Well, at least not any sorts of rubbish on your sick mind!"
"You will never know when you will do the rubbish on my mind..." the red-headed girl muttered under her breath. Hermione cocked her eybrows.
"What was that? I didn't quite catch it." Hermione asked, not expecting an answer.
"Nothing! Let's go down to the kitchen before my mum explodes..." That ends Ginny's sicko mind conversation, as the two walked down the great staircases. Chatting animately as the steps they took.
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Draco Malfoy slipped the parchment he was writing on along with a chapter of his story into an ornamented envelope. This letter was addressed to his penfriend, Egyptian Penguin. He walked toward the cage his owl –Hermes—was resting, and woke the owl gently. Hermes seemed very distubed by Draco's action, but he still stretched his legs for Draco to tie the envelope onto.
"Send this to Egyptian Penguin," Draco commanded his owl, "Just stay there until she's finished with her letter. Aphrodite can go as well, if you two both want to." Hermes hooted with ecstasy by the name of Aphrodite, who were still in deep slumber next to him. He pecked gently for to wake the cream-owl, and they both fluttered out of the cage.
"Have a safe trip." Draco said calmly as two different colored feathers—brown and cream—fell down on his carpet. Time to go to Diagon Alley. Draco thought to himself. With a "pop", he was gone from his study. (A/N: Apparition is surely useful...)
The next moment, he felt the blazing sunlight hitting him instead of the cool breeze in his study. He was in Diagon Alley, a hidden street full of Wizard Shops in the central of London. It took his pupils a moment to focus on the blinding light, but soon he found his way to "Oddity of Pets". He was greeted by the usual toothy smiles of the owner, Madam Juinegre. Not that he personally know her, she just smiles at every customer that enters her store.
Ths store wasn't a large place, in fact, it was quite infitesimal compare to the big ones such as Gladrag. Nonetheless, this little store attracted many attentions from the Hogwarts students, for its great variety of animals stretching from cuddley little mice to intimidating eagle owls. Draco's purpose for here, of course was to buy another owl for his school owling purpose. He glanced at all the owls he could find, as a motherly voice startled him.
"May I help you," Madam Juinegre spoke in a loving way, "Young mister? Correct me if I am mistaken, I believe you are the one who came here two years ago and bought the fine chocolate Persian owl? You seem to be troubled at finding yourself an owl."
"Yes," Draco answered with the emotionless mask that he wears to everyone but himself, "to both of your requests. Perhaps you may help?"
"Perhaps I may," Madam Juinigre reassured him with another welcoming smile, "First of all, what is the purpose of your owl, may I ask?"
"Purpose?" Draco asked back, amused, "What is the purpose of an owl if it is not for mailing?"
"Oh, you are surely a novice at choosing pets?" Madam Juinigre spoke as merrily as always, unaware of the poisonous glance that Draco shot at her, "Owls are for many more important purposes. For example, petting-"
"Petting?" Draco smirked, "Isn't that a bit... childish perhaps?"
"Oh no no no..." The woman said patiently, despite the interuptions of the young wizard, "Many people uses a pet for comfort, when they are feel very alone by no one but themselves." Perhaps someone like me... Draco thought bitterly, but face still emotionless. "This is a very major role for this shop, actually. Many aged witches and wizards who had lost their spouse were the most visited customers here. But considering that you are of course not one of the particular, let me suggest you some of the other owls who are very stable for mailing. Perhaps this one..."
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"Where do you want to go now?" Hermione asked, while holding a bag that contains her new robe for the upcoming year of which she just purchased from the wizarding clothing shop, Gladrags. She was walking down the crowded Diagon Alley with Ginny, who had just gotten her Apparition license a few days before. "I was planning on going to the Flourish and Blotts, for that I almost finished the book I'm currently reading."
Hermione is Hermione, Ginny thought to herself, She only has the word "book" on her mind, doesn't she?"
"Actually, since that I already bought my robe," The red-headed witch replied, "I will go back to Grimmauld place to play some Quidditch with Harry and Ron. I want to practice my Chasing skill a bit. I'm sure that you don't want me to be with you when you visit Oliver."
"I won't mind really, Ginny," Hermione answered, looking at the younger witch, "I'm sure Oliver wouldn't mind either. He's really understanding."
"You see, Hermione, you just don't get it. The principal is that a boyfriend should spend some time with the girlfriend alone, not with another person. I do read Witch's Weekly, unlike you."
"But I will be lonely—" before Hermione could finish, Ginny Disapparated back with a quiet "pop".
"Oh, joy." Hermione muttered to herself as she walked to the wizarding book store in Diagon Alley, The Flourish and Blotts. She always liked here, it was quiet, filled with rows and rows of book ranging from baby-books to romance novels, and it was always scented with the refreshing smells of the pages. The two comfortable cushioned chair near every end of the rows could always satisfy her lust for reading. As usual, not many people were in this store, just an occasional witch who was flipping the pages of some cooking books.
Hermione walked toward the Romace Novel section, and started looking through the backs of the books. Many of them were very huge, just how Hermione likes them. Her eyes stumbled upon a book named Forgetting. It seemed to be a nice book after Hermione read the summary on the back of them, and it contained 2134 pages. She walked toward the cushioned chair that no one occupied at the end of the rows, and settled herself into deep reading. Unaware of the door creaked open.
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"You may keep the Sickles." Draco waved his unocdupied hand casually at Madam Juinigre, a cage on his other hand.
"You are very generous indeed, young mister." The shopkeeper spoke gently as she waved her wand at the silver changes, "I sincerely hope you may come again."
"I will, of course." Draco said coldly as he stepped out of the pet shop. The blazing sunlight was shining on his platinum blond hair again, as he thought to himself, I will go to Flourish and Blotts now, to get another book to inspire my writing.
He found his way to his favorite wizard book store, and walked to the section where he always visited. He was both amused and surprised when his eyes met a head of bushy brown hair.
"Fancy meeting you here," He said with his cold drawl, drawing the witch's attention, "Mudblood..."
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Author's Note: I need to ask you guys a few things on the shop of Diagon Alley. What's the pet store and the shop owner called where Hermione bought Crookshanks from in the third book? And also, what's the robe shop where Harry bought his first robe? If you know, please tell me in the reviews. Thank you in advance.
Here are the explanations for the Phoenix Feathers. This is a kind talisman which Dumbledore had given out to most of the wizards to protect themselves from the Death Eaters. Yes, they are Fawkes' feathers, and they are also enchanted by Dumbledore. They of course can't work against Voldemort himself, but it's not likely that he will appear on the middle of the day. So that's basically it on the Pheonix Feathers.
SKIPPABLE: For today's little bit of time, I want to talk about my decision of putting Oliver into this fiction. It's pretty simple, really. I want Hermione to have a base boyfriend before she and Draco falls for each other (Don't worry, they will!). Why choose Oliver Wood? You may ask. Well, I have read many interesting fictions with Ron/Hermione as a base before Draco/Hermione. No, they weren't bad, in fact some of them were great fics. Personally, I don't like Ron/Hermione as a pair, and I think Harry/Hermione won't do very well. I want this to be original, so after planning, I think Oliver is a good choice. If you could remember my description of how Hermione and Oliver got together, you should remember that Oliver felt bad when he graduated. That's pretty neat, too. So that's basically the reason why I chose Oliver as Hermione's first boyfriend. For my Draco/Hermione readers, don't worry, Oliver and Hermione will break up. But before that, you need to bare some fluff between them!
IMPORTANT: Well, another thing is that I want your guys to review. I only got six reviews for the whole story so far, and I already updated 3 chapters excluding this one. I will continue writing even if you guys don't review, but the chapters will start to get bad since that I don't have any modivations to continue. Six short reviews aren't that successful... I just wish that if you click on any of my chapters, after you are done click on the bluish button and send a review. Even you don't like it, just say your thoughts. I really can take any types of reviews, but mainly contributions. I'm running out of ideas here, so I need your supports.