Taking Over

Chapter 3

AN: Well I'm on the most boring vacation ever and found this and decided to continue it. That and I can't stand leaving a story unfinished if I'm going to write another and I just got an idea for one. I might try to do two at once but I'm not too sure how that will work out. Anyways, here's your forever awaited chapter.

Hermione resumed that position in her mind where she was able to simply watch her life go by. She vaguely realized it was because her parents were getting a divorce but she couldn't grasp on to that though long enough while thinking as she was. As she looked at her surroundings, her body stood from its position on the floor against the hard brick wall of the restaurant. Her hand wiped the tears still lingering in her eyes and then turned to re-enter the building she had just exited. Shoving her way past the waiter who had just watched a dramatic change in the girl, she made her way back to the table where her parents were sitting.

"Alright, if you two are getting a divorce, I need to know what's going to happen to me. Do tell me you did bother to think about that," told Mi to the two people sitting at the table in front of her. They gave her a wary look as she had been using a voice louder than needed for a situation as given.

"How about we talk about this after lunch," Mrs. Granger suggested trying to avoid making a public scene.

"No, I have the right to know what's going on. You two chose to tell me now and I'm going to find out now." Mi paused. "When is it going to take place?"

"Within the month," replied her father shortly, looking around at the other customers in the restaurant.

"Oh wonderful, who am I going to stay with for the remainder of the summer? Let me say I do hope that I can stay with my mother rather than your worthless self," she told her father bitterly. He quickly rose from his seat.

"I will not have you speak to me like that young lady! That's it we're going." With that he gathered his things leaving his wife and daughter to do the same else be stranded in the restaurant. Of course, the latter of those two preferred that.

"You can go, I'll stay. I seem to still be hungry and awaiting my food." Jake fumed. Unable to produce words he figured the better punishment would be to leave her. Hermione sat from the back of her mind trying to push her way back out. She did not want to have to find her own means home. No, no just go with them. Come on… she tried to convince "Mi" who was in control.

"Alright honey, let's go. We'll let her do as she pleases and see how she likes it." He stormed out of the restaurant with his wife reluctantly following behind. As the car took off, the waiter approached the table with the food.

"There's only mine to worry about now. My parents seemed to be in a rush to leave," she commented coolly to the young man standing in front of her. Although she had received her food, the waiter still had not moved.

"Don't you have elsewhere to be?" Mi asked him bitterly. Hermione mentally made a note to apologize if she were ever to see him again. He turned and exited back behind a door presumably leading to the kitchens, mentally scolding himself for not leaving sooner. The reason he hadn't, though, was because Hermione was not the only person who had recognized the other. As soon as he saw her he planned on resorting to his old attitude towards her, but that was quickly being reconsidered. Apparently that girl had changed and he was definitely finding improvement in it.

As Mi went to pay the bill for her meal, her waiter was standing near the cash register. After she finished paying, he grabbed her arm as she exited the building.

"You don't have a ride home?" Hermione listened to this and was grateful for the opportunity. No, tell him no and just get a ride, it will be so much easier she insisted to Mi.

"Obviously not if you heard anything that happened early. Why?" she inquired.

"Well I'm got off five minutes ago and could offer a ride home. Where do you live?"

Mi thought of where she was the night before and answered, "About 15 miles south of here."

"Well, that's right on my way," lied the waiter. "Let me take you. I won't take no for an answer," he said resolutely. He took her out to his small black car and climbed in the driver's seat as she went to the passenger's side. They drove for a minute or two in silence when he simply said "Hermione."

Mi, choosing to attempt some normalcy for the girl left the name at that, but still demanded, "How do you know my name? Who are you?"

The young man next to her tried to decide whether or not to break his cover. He gave in as he had little to lose and doubted much would come from it. "Draco," he replied softly.

Mi pooled Hermione's memory to find what she could and reacted as she saw fit. "Draco?" she exclaimed. "What are you doing in the Muggle world and why am I in a car with you?" she asked with an untrusting voice.

"My father, escaped from Azkaban, has my mother under the Imperious curse. After insuring she could do nothing, he disowned me for refusing to beat her when she did not obey, that bastard. I'm here as a last resort of a job for survival. He threatened that if he ever saw me once in the wizarding world he would not hesitate to kill me. Do you think I want to be here surrounded by…these people? I feel that I can hardly wash the scum off my skin each night," he said menacingly. He glanced at her. "And I know you have distaste in you, too. I saw it today."

"Whatever," she replied wearily and sat the remainder of the ride in silence. Hermione sat amazed in the back of her mind and tried more than ever to push out. Finally as they neared her house she pulled over Mi with much difficultly. She let out a sigh of relief, though Draco took it to be one of boredom. "This is my house," she instructed him as he pulled in. As she climbed out of the vehicle, she turned back grateful Mi was out of her mind. "Oh and Draco, I'm sorry for any rudeness earlier, I was reacting badly to my parents' news. Thanks for the ride." With that she walked off leaving Draco dumbstruck at the news and somewhat regretting having taken the bushy haired girl home.

Hermione made her way up to her bedroom, sneaking past her parents' room to avoid any more confrontation. She found three owls sitting on her window sill impatiently pecking at the closed window. Quickly crossing the room, she allowed them in and took their letters. She recognized Hedwig as one of them and another as the Weasleys' new owl, but was curious as from whom the third was from. Untying the letters she allowed them to drink from the small bowl of water she left on a dresser of her room for owl post, as they waited for her to return them to their senders. First she opened the letter from Harry, which was quickly written.

Hermione,

What's wrong? My pendant has had a faint pinkish tint from you saying you were immensely vulnerable and maybe even weak. It did this last night though I though it may have been a trick of the light, but it did it again this afternoon. I see the pink fading now, but what's up? I'm worried.

Harry

After scanning through it and finding that the contents of Ron's were similar, she realized after a few minutes of thinking that it had to be from the chameleon. She wasn't sure she liked the changes that it brought and was thinking of trashing it. Her mind pulled to her father, though, and decided to wait until after the divorce was final, just in case. Thinking about it now, Hermione realized how strange it was that afternoon. She hadn't even thought about the chameleon, let alone about using it. It was almost as if the change started a bit before causing her to reach for it. She shrugged the thoughts aside remember she had to reply her worried friends.

That brought her to a halt. Everyone she had ever known knew nothing of her small troubles with her parents at home. She supposed it wasn't anything drastic, but had become accustomed to no one knowing all those years and it just didn't feel right spilling it all out now, even to her best friends. Instead she quickly thought up an excuse and pulled out the two pieces of parchment from her friends. She grabbed her quill and ink and neatly wrote identical responses on the back of them.

My allergies were acting up last night and a bit today. That might have something to do with it. And then I found out this afternoon that my parents were getting a divorce. They haven't been getting along and it's been coming but it upset me, and you know how I am prone to being rash when upset. These are probably just really sensitive to emotions I would guess. We haven't exactly had much chance to mess with them, have we? I hope you're well.

Hermione

After sending the letters back with their respective owls, she turned to the last letter she left lying on her bed. She unfolded it and her face lit up with delight upon reading it. It was from her friend Mary asking her to lunch one month from that day. Glad to have something to look forward to, Hermione wrote back an acceptance and sent it with the large owl whose feathers were colored that of golden autumn leaves. She thought of the beauty of it as she watched it get smaller into the distance.

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The next month passed quickly and fairly uneventfully. The divorce went through and true to Hermione's wishes, though they were influenced by Mi, she stayed in the same house with her mother. Although they would be getting money from Jake, her mother still had to find a job. At the end of the summer there was only a waitress position at the restaurant where they told Hermione of their divorce. She highly regretted the overabundance of dentists in the area that resulted in her being laid off from her job with her ex-husband. There was nowhere within fifty miles that was in need of a dentist. Luckily, though, the restaurant produced a fair amount of money with good tips.

Hermione realized with glee as she woke that it was today that she was to go to Mary's house. As she climbed out of her bed and walked over to her closet, she realized she had not visited her friend's house since she was 10 years old, before leaving for Hogwarts.

Looking at her assortment of clothes, Hermione chose a conservative grey flowered knee-length skirt with a white cap sleeved top. She laid them on her bed and snatched her robe to take a quick shower. After cleaning and twisting her hair up with a clip, still wet, Hermione grabbed her things and simply put on a coat of mascara to look presentable to her friend.

Grabbing a piece of toast on the way out, she almost called out where she was going when she realized her mother was at work. Laughing at herself she grabbed the keys to her car and drove to Mary's house. As she approached she realized gratefully it was the same as it had always been. Of course there were minor changes that would come over seven years like different plants in the front and new lawn chairs, but nothing drastic. She felt as if she were a kid again.

Mary came to the door and greeted her friend with a squeal and ran out to embrace her in a big hug. She stepped back and Hermione noticed her blonde hair in a ponytail and a simple green top and jean shorts clothing her friend. Mary beckoned Hermione to follow her into the house. The first thing Hermione noticed was on the large beige couch was the back a brunette boy's head.

"Who's that?" asked Hermione curiously as Mary was an only child like herself.

"Oh, he's rooming here, but he's also become my summer boyfriend while my parents have been out of town for the past week." She grinned cheekily. "His name's Draco. Oh yeah, he said he goes to Hogwarts too, you know him?"

Hermione's face dawned with astonishment as her blonde friend called out the boy sprawled on her couch. He turned around and saw Hermione.

"Hey Mudblood," he said coolly with his signature smirk on his face.

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AN: Thanks for the reviews. Well I hope you liked it and I have the next chapter started already so it should hopefully be up soon, so see you then!