Signed, Sealed, Delivered
"Last chance, Hermione." Hannah warned. "Are you absolutely, positively, one hundred percent sure that you want to do this?"
Hermione drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes, bracing herself for her own answer. "Yes, I'm positive." She answered, still sounding slightly unsure. "I mean, it's just a meeting, right? It's not like I'm accepting his offer. I'm just curious is all."
Hannah pursed her lips but said nothing. She continued to watch Hermione pace around the common room, thinking that Hermione probably did not even notice that she was doing so. Sadly, they were not in Ron's company. He had completely blasted Hermione for not telling him about Ace, even though Hermione tried to explain that she had only found out that he was back at Hogwarts the day before he did. Ron was still extremely angry, though. He was most likely brooding in his bedroom, thinking up creative, painful ways to make sure that Ace could never return to Hogwarts. Thankfully, he was still on speaking terms with Hermione. Hermione, on the other hand, was not too worried about their friendship at that moment. The day of the Hogsmeade weekend had arrived, and everyone was excited and raring to go. Except for Hermione, however. She was still debating whether or not she wanted to actually keep her end of the deal and show up at the Three Broomsticks; after all, she probably wouldn't take the money anyway. What was the point of going?
"Well, let's just hope that what he has to say is crap and that it won't entice you any more than it already seems to have." Hannah said.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, pretending to read her Arithmancy book. "I'm not at all enticed."
Hannah raised an eyebrow, clearly saying whatever.
"Okay fine, maybe I'm a little enticed. But who wouldn't be? Its six hundred dollars, Hannah. That's a lot of money." Hermione pointed out.
"True." Hannah sighed. "Just remember the kind of person Ace is, though. Is the money worth making you work with someone who you despise?"
Hermione thought about that, but before she could answer, Ron appeared in the common room. Hannah arose immediately and raced over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a deep, sensual kiss.
"Wow!" Ron cried as they pulled apart. "What was that for?"
"To make sure that you're in a good mood for the Hogsmeade trip." Hannah said in a hopeful tone.
Ron laughed. "Well, mission accomplished. You just totally lifted my mood. Are you both ready to go?"
Hermione sighed, still indecisive. "Yup, we're ready. Let's go."
…………………………………….
What is wrong with me? Why am I here? I hate Ace. Hate him. He's the biggest prick in the universe. Every time I look at him, I think of Draco. Draco hates him, too. He wouldn't be happy at all if he knew that I'm planning on doing this. But it's business! Total, complete, 100 business! Nothing at all to do with the past and everything to do with the future. The future of SPEW. I just need to concentrate on that. But… Draco would still be pissed. No matter which way the top spins, Draco would not like this at all. I shouldn't be here. I can find some other method of finance. I have to.
Standing outside of the Three Broomsticks,Hermione finally made up her mind. Neither Draco nor herself liked Ace, and having to be around him all the time in the SPEW business would just be horrific and almost not worth the money that Ace would be giving her. Almost, Hermione thought. No! I'm not doing this. I'm leaving. Turning to leave, Hermione immediately bumped into a person on their way into the Three Broomsticks. Her wand dropped out of her pocket onto the cold, stone floor.
Bending over to pick it up, Hermione apologized repeatedly to the stranger. "I'm so, so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was-" Stuffing her wand into her pocket and standing back up straight, Hermione finally noticed the person who she had bumped in to. "Ace!"
"Going somewhere?" Ace smirked, folding his arms across his chest and observing Hermione's sudden franticness.
"No!" Hermione exclaimed. "I was just-"
"Going inside?" Ace supplied, slipping his arm around Hermione's waist and leading her towards the Three Broomsticks entrance. "Brilliant. That's where I was going."
"Okay, I think we need some rules." Hermione ordered as they walked inside, where they were immediately hit with a blast of hot air and a delicious whiff of Butterbeer.
"Uh-oh." Ace said, pretending to be scared.
"I only have one rule for the moment." Hermione continued. "And that rule is no physical contact." Hermione pried Ace's arm off of her waist"None at all. Got it?"
"Got it, babe." Ace agreed, taking a seat in a small, cozy table towards the back of the room. "Now, let's get down to business."
"Yes, let's do." Hermione agreed, taking a seat opposite of Ace. "Now, what exactly do you have in mind with this financing?"
"Be more specific, please." Ace asked, politely. Hermione glared at him. As kind and professional as he sounded, there was a slight tone in his voice that made him sound as though he thought the whole thing was a joke. Hermione certainly did not want anyone working for her who was not serious about SPEW.
"Say you loan SPEW the six hundred galleons." Hermione began. "What exactly do you expect in return?"
"I believe we've already gone over this." Ace replied, grinning. "I want a position in SPEW. Does president sound alright to you?"
"No!" Hermione exclaimed. "I am the founder and president of SPEW, got it? There's no way I'm letting you be in charge of it."
"Yes, I was expecting you'd say that. Okay then, I want to be vice." Ace negotiated.
"Vice-president?" Hermione asked, horrified.
"Yup. Vice-president. I don't care if you've already promised the position to Weasley or Abbott. I want it. I want a big office in the SPEW building, and I want the big sign to say 'founded by Granger and McGonagall', not just Granger. That's the deal. Take it or leave it."
Hermione's jaw dropped. Ace's proposition sounded like hell! She'd have to see him every single day. People would ask how she and Ace came to finding SPEW together. It sounded just horrible. But the thought of actually having a SPEW building…
Hermione sighed. Unprofessionally, she dropped her head into her arms on the table, the wheels in her head spinning. She had two choices: take the money and deal with Ace for the rest of her life, or decline his proposition and be right back at square one. Oh god, square one sounded so horrible.
Hermione sighed once more, then lifted her head up from the table. Glaring at Ace, she stuck out a hand. "You've got yourself a deal, Mr McGonagall. Just don't make me regret it."
Grinning malevolently, Ace took Hermione's extended hand and shook it. "Don't worry. You won't."
……………………………..
"No…not again…please…"
"Not my children! Anything but my children!"
"Get away from me… don't come any closer!"
Frustrated, Draco picked up the tiny pillow from his bed and wrapped it around his ears. He then flung himself onto the thin, uncomfortable mattress on his bed and shut his eyes as tight as he could, trying to block out the cries and pleas of his fellow inmates. They were all older than Draco, and most had been in Azkaban for years. Those who had been in for longer periods of time were much quieter and withdrawn; it was as though they accepted their fate and gave up any hope, and that made it seem as though the Dementors did not affect them. However, Draco could tell that that was not true; the Dementors affected these people just as much, and if not more than they did everyone else.
Draco had not sunken to complete depression, yet; the Dementors were free to suck any happy thoughts from him, because there were not that many happy thoughts to begin with. Draco had never thought about it before, but his life had been pretty miserable. Only in Azkaban did he begin to realize how extremely lucky he was to have Hermione at the time that he did. Hermione was one of the only happy thoughts that Draco had, and as hard as the Dementors tried, Draco would not allow them to take these thoughts away from him. No way in hell would he let them. Hermione was his, his thoughts with Hermione were his, and the Dementors, or anyone else for that matter, were not going to take any of it away from him. Perhaps that was what made Draco so strong in that prison cell: the thought of being together again with Hermione one day.
Draco opened his eyes and sat up, tossing the pillow aside. We will be together again, he told himself. One day, we will.
But what if Hermione had already moved on? What if she was at Hogwarts at this very moment, cozying up with some ugly, zit-faced seventh-year who showers her with love and security, the things that Draco just couldn't give her anymore? What if –
Suddenly, a Dementor appeared outside of Draco's cell, snapping Draco out of his mind-wandering. The Dementor unlocked Draco's cell.
"What's going on?" Draco asked, confused.
But of course, the Dementor did not reply. Instead, it placed a scaly, rotting hand on Draco's shoulder, sending a cold chill down his spine. Shutting his eyes, Draco allowed his feet to carry him to wherever the Dementor was taking him. Once it stopped, Draco opened his eyes. There, in a small, darkened room, stood the one lady who Draco hadn't even given a second thought to since he was thrown into Azkaban: Narcissa Malfoy.
"Mother!" Draco cried, shocked beyond belief. How had he forgotten all about her? She was only the woman who brought him into the world! Since his father died, Narcissa was all that Draco had. Until Hermione came along, that is. She had clouded his mind so obscurely that he had forgotten all about his own mother. But now that she stood there, silent tears running down her pale, petulant face, Draco could not have been happier to see her.
Without smiling, Narcissa strode across the small room and wrapped Draco into her arms; even though Draco was at least six inches taller, Narcissa still rocked him slightly as though he were her baby all over again.
"Mother." Draco whispered. "Please."
Narcissa released her son, though still gripping his arms tightly. She glanced over his shoulder at the two Dementor's standing near the entrance; obviously they were not going anywhere anytime soon. So, she pulled Draco as far away from the Dementor's as possible.
"What…is…the…matter…with…you?" Narcissa asked, slowly and steadily.
"Mother, please-" Draco repeated.
Instantly, he was interrupted. "It hasn't even been a year since your father died!" Narcissa exclaimed in a hushed, angry voice. "All I have now is you, son. And what do you do? You go and commit murder. And why did you commit murder, huh? For a mudblood!"
Narcissa raised her hand and backhanded Draco across the face. Draco immediately clutched his face, shocked at his mother's violence.
"Have you not seen what killing does to people? It kills them in the end. Have you not seen what mudbloods do to people? They kill them, as well! Your father died because of mudbloods and muggle-lovers! Where did I go wrong, son? Where? You were so perfect, and now you're just the same as them. A muggle-lover. Disgusting."
Draco hung his head in shame. He had continuously told himself that no one would make him feel shame regarding Hermione; after all, she was the most prized possession that he could ever have. But now, the harsh words that his mother said, it was all Draco could do but feel shamed. Shame on the family name.
"Why are you here, mother?" Draco asked, quietly.
"Isn't that obvious?" Narcissa replied. "I'm here to think of a way to get you out of here."
"Ha!" Draco exclaimed. "I think you're a little too late for that. I killed someone, mother. I'll be in here for a little bit longer, you mark my words."
"Consider them not marked." Narcissa retorted. "You listen to me, son. I want no negativity. It is not right for a Malfoy to be behind bars! Even though your father is dead, I still have the Malfoy name. I will get you out of here, son. You mark my words."
Draco grinned, the same evil grin that only a Malfoy could do. "What do you have in mind, mother?"
"I have one question for you, Draco." Narcissa replied. "Have you ever heard of SPEW?"
…………………………
Two weeks later, Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table eating breakfast with Ron and Hannah. She had sent out a request for the building in Diagon Alley, and so far she had not heard anything from them. Her biggest fear was that someone had already gotten it. That would have been horrible, seeing as she had already made the deal with Ace.
Speaking of Ace, Hermione had not heard from him since their meeting in the Three Broomsticks. No one, Ron especially, was pleased that Ace would now be working with them. Ace was basically a name that was tossed on the floor and spat on in the eyes of all of Hermione's friends. But now that he was to become vice-president of SPEW, it was only fitting that they try to be a little nicer towards him. Ron, of course, did not see it that way.
"Hermione, he is a scum-bag." Ron said slowly, as though Hermione were stupid. "A good-for-nothing, son-of-a-"
"Ron." Hannah warned, sharply.
Suddenly, a loud screech of owls told Hermione that it was mail-time. Sure enough, looking up into the high rafters of the Great Hall, Hermione could see hundreds of owls swooping into the Hall, each one dropping off letters and packages to its recipient. A tanned, rather smallish owl dropped a letter in front of Hermione. Surprised, she picked it up and tore it open. After reading it to herself, she grinned from ear-to-ear as she read it aloud to her friends.
"Dear Ms. Granger." Hermione began, a huge smile plastered across her face. "We have read over your request for the 42 Main St. location in Diagon Alley, and we are pleased to inform you that the former applicant for the premises could not afford the land. So, we hereby proclaim this premise to you and your new business, SPEW, and we hope that your business is a great success."
Following this was a list of rules (such as needing to make a certain income in order to keep the building), a form that Hermione would have to sign stating that she still wished to own the building, and the list of names who owned Diagon Alley. All Hermione had to do was sign the form, and other than that, the building was hers!
"That's so wonderful!" Hannah cried, throwing her arms around Ron.
Ron grinned, pleased to see that Hermione and Hannah were so thrilled. "So when can we 'move in'?" He asked.
"As soon as we want to." Hermione replied. "There are only a couple months left of school. Once we've done our NEWTs, we're free to begin the SPEW business!"
"And what is it that we're doing, exactly?" Ron asked, grinning.
Hermione whacked Ron's arm. "Don't be stupid! We're promoting Elfish welfare! Soon enough, we'll be an agency where house-elves will be coming to seeking jobs. It is going to be wonderful! Guaranteed!"
Hermione was so delighted that Ron could not bear to tell her that as long as Ace was around, nothing was going to be wonderful. Now that was guaranteed.
……………………….
Later on that night, Hermione was practically skipping down the dark, deserted corridors, obviously still thrilled at the news. She felt so… so powerful. This was all coming together, and soon enough it would be perfect. If only Draco could have been there to do this with her. She laughed quietly. Draco would have hated this. He would have said 'fuck the house-elves'. It was just in his nature. But still, having Draco by her side while she was bringing SPEW together would have been so much better for Hermione. Sighing, Hermione's smile faded. Having Draco by her side would have made everything better. But he wasn't by her side. He was thousands of miles away, locked behind bars in a cell in Azkaban. And he would not be released for years. Sighing again, Hermione realized that she would just have to face reality. It was so hard, though –
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the little mudblood." A familiar voice drawled.
Looking up, Hermione was disappointed to see Blaise Zabini coming down the corridor opposite of her. He was smirking insufferably, which caused a sudden rush of anger in Hermione.
"Go fuck yourself." Hermione said, turning and heading in the opposite direction, trying to get as far away from Blaise as possible.
Suddenly, Hermione felt a hand grab her wrist. She turned to see Blaise standing right behind her. Damn, he was quick.
"Let go of me, Zabini." Hermione warned in a threatening voice.
Blaise laughed menacingly. "I'm so scared, now. What's the matter, mudblood? We haven't had one of our heart-to-heart's in a while, now. Don't you think it's about time we did?"
"No!" Hermione exclaimed, suddenly jerking herself in an attempt to escape from Blaise's unnaturally tight grip.
Blaise's hold on Hermione's wrist suddenly loosened. She looked into his eyes and noticed that they were wide with shock. Looking over his shoulder, Hermione saw Harry Potter standing at least ten feet away from where she and Blaise were, holding out his wand and aiming it at Blaise. He must have cursed him, because Blaise began levitating a few feet off of the ground, completely immobile.
"Harry?" Hermione said as she pried Blaise's fingers off of her wrist.
"One day I will blast that thing to hell." Harry said, walking over to Blaise and looking as though he would have loved nothing more but to kick him. However, he refrained himself.
Hermione sighed. "Thank you, Harry."
"Whatever." Harry replied. He turned to leave, but feeling guilty, Hermione stopped him.
"Uh, Harry?" Hermione ventured timidly, a little intimidated by what his reaction might be. But to her surprise, he just turned around and waited expectantly. Clearing her throat, Hermione said, "I want to apologize for being so bitchy over the last few months. My behavior is totally uncalled for, especially since we used to be such great friends. Maybe…" She inhaled a deep breath, then exhaled anxiously. "Maybe we could be friends again."
To Hermione's great surprise, Harry grinned like he had never grinned before. He looked like the old Harry, before things got all messed up. Suddenly, he walked up to Hermione and threw his arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. Hermione smiled; she had not planned on making up with Harry, but she had to admit that it sure was nice to have her old friend back.
"Hermione?"
Pulling away from Harry, Hermione turned around to see Ron standing behind her, looking confused. He clued in suddenly, though. Then, totally unexpectedly, he strode over to where Hermione and Harry were standing and held out a hand towards Harry, obviously wanting to make amends.
Grinning, Harry took Ron's hand and instead of shaking it, he pulled Ron into a hug that looked even tighter than Hermione's. A tear rolled down Hermione's face. She had her friends back. It would be just like old times. Her, Harry and Ron, and now Hannah of course. Things were going to be great. SPEW was going to take off and give house-elves homes, she would be out of Hogwarts in a few months time, and now the three amigos were together again. Everything was just perfect.
Hermione turned away from Ron and Harry and sighed, thinking about the snowball fight that she had had with Draco that one day in Hogsmeade. She realized that everything was not perfect. Not even a little bit. If it were possible, she would have given everything up, just to have Draco in her arms again.
Another tear slid down Hermione's cheek. But this time, it was for a whole different reason.