Sooooo sorry people! Haven't been able to upload a new chapter for sooo long! I've just been so busy. And I wouldn't have uploaded this one now, either, except that my friend kept bugging me about it, so you really have her to thank for it! Anyway, now no promises. I will just upload when I can. But to make up for the delay, I've tried to make this chapter interesting and tried to fill in some holes. Enjoy!

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Chapter 3 – Old Friends, New Lives

Hermione woke up late the next morning and still looked very groggy. She hadn't slept too well; though she had collapsed on her bed almost immediately on coming home, all the memories and good times at Hogwarts had kept her awake till the wee hours of the morning. She had also thought about the train ride home and the game with Draco. She had wondered about the barrier that had formed between them and whether it would always be there. Why couldn't they discuss their love lives? Why was it so hard? She knew that in her case, it was her attraction to him and also a suspicion that she had never liked anyone as much as she had (and, unknowingly, still did) like him, but what was his problem? Could he also feel the same way as her? She doubted it, but could find no other explanation.

"G'morning," she said sleepily to her father. "Good morning, pumpkin! Did you sleep well?" he replied in an overly cheerful voice. Hermione shot him a dirty look and said nothing. Her parents knew she was upset about leaving Hogwarts and they had been trying since the previous night to cheer her up, unsuccessfully. As she sat down to her breakfast, there was a peck-peck at the window. She turned to find the big eyes of an owl staring at her and ran to open the window. The owl was a small one, very business-like and fast. She untied a piece of parchment from its legs and gave it some Owl Treats. Then she read the letter:

'Dear Ms. Granger, We wish to inform you that you are welcome to join our Daily Prophet office at your earliest convenience. We trust you have reached your residence in good health and are eager to start work with you.
As you may already know, your column, entitled 'Current Issues', shall be published in our newspaper every Sunday on the first page. If possible, we would like to begin publishing it from the next Sunday, that is, the 25th of June. Your working quarters are ready here and we are eagerly awaiting your joining us.
Regards, Loretta Kamfield
Editor-in-Chief
The Daily Prophet'

Hermione groaned. Why did she have to start so soon? She needed a break. Well, she would just have to start as late as possible. She finished her breakfast and the phone rang. "Honey, I'm finishing up some work, can you get it?" came her father's voice. Hermione picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Hermione! How're you?" came a male voice from the other end.
"Harry! I'm okay. How're you?"
"Good, great. Just packing up all my stuff."
"Oh, yes! When are you shifting?"
"Tomorrow. I'm just moving most of my stuff in today and that's what I'm calling about. I wanted to know if you'd like to meet up at Plusha's Café today – then you could see my place, as well."
"Sure, I'd love to! What time?"
"Around four. First we'll see my place, then go for a coffee and a chat. But we'll meet up at Plusha's."
"Great. I'll see you then. Bye!"
"Bye!"
Hermione put the phone down and smiled. This was just what she needed to cheer herself up – meeting Harry when he was finally moving out of his Aunt and Uncle's place at Number Four, Privet Drive. He had looked at the apartment near Diagon Alley the previous year, but had drawn up the contract only a few months previously. It was a really big step for Harry to move out of Privet Drive and one that he had been longing to take for ages. Hermione was happy to share this time with him. She knew that it was very important to him and would only strengthen their friendship. However, it was not really necessary to strengthen their friendship, as it had already survived every possible test. They had been through everything together – Harry, Ron and Hermione. No matter how close she became to Draco, Hermione would never forget or neglect her best and oldest friends. Though she did not easily open up to people, once she did, she was fiercely loyal and very committed.
She had found the same qualities in Draco and had thus strived to be friends with him, once he had moved away from the dark side. The change in him had taken place slowly, but it was evident. It had started during his early teenage years, when he had, as a normal teenager, started rebelling against what his parents wanted him to do and this natural rebelliousness had, in turn, led him to question their faith in Voldemort and their faith in what he was doing. As his father had only flown into a rage at his suggestion that perhaps Voldemort's way was not the best, his in-built stubbornness had acted up and he had rebelled even more, declaring that he would not support the Death Eaters or play any part in the downfall of Harry Potter. However, he did all this merely because he was being stubborn and rebellious and not out of any real feeling for Harry. He disliked Harry on a very personal level for reasons of his own. He hated the fact that Harry was so popular and famous, he hated all the attention he got and he hated that he was a hero. Draco Malfoy was, in fact, jealous of Harry Potter. Very, bitterly jealous. Therefore, once he had stated his decision in front of his father, he had been even meaner to Harry to make up for what he had decided. He tormented him a great deal more than he normally did. There had been fights, curses, duels, hexes and lot of detention, but I won't get into all that. However, it was at this time that Voldemort rose dramatically in power and planned his big attack on Hogwarts. It was a dreadful attack and Draco had seen his own housemates and friends almost killed in it. His loyalty had made this unacceptable to him and so he stopped supporting Voldemort completely. Though he didn't support Voldemort, he didn't fight against him either. He had generally been a spectator, but had helped his friends. And the fight had changed him. Subtly, gradually, it had changed him. That was because it had changed everyone who had seen it or taken part in it. Then he had been appointed Head Boy and had become friends with Hermione.

Hermione thought about all this and then went for a shower. After her shower, she lazed around the house, brooded about leaving Hogwarts, eaten her lunch, brooded some more, until, finally, it was time to leave. She caught a taxi to the alley from which she tapped on the bricks a certain number of times, in a certain sequence, and got into Diagon Alley.

It was packed, as usual, with witches and wizards of all kinds. There were old, stunted witches with knowing and experience in their eyes, there were young, carefree lovers enjoying the sunshine and each other's attention, there were teenagers rushing here and there, comparing purchases and gossiping, and there were little children tugging at their parents' hands, pointing at toys, tools and all kinds of fascinating instruments. It was a very picture-perfect scene that lay in front of Hermione and she took note of it. Maybe it wasn't so bad to leave Hogwarts, after all.

She had to go away from the main street to reach Madame Plusha's Café. It was less crowded there and the rich smell of coffee was floating through the air. Hermione's nose could have guided her to the Café if she hadn't known the way. The Café itself was a quaint, pretty little building, with hand-painted walls and chairs. Bright colours were everywhere and Hermione had loved the place the moment she had seen it. She looked around and saw an empty table for two. It was not an overly popular Café, but Madame Plusha liked it that way. She said that she wanted quality in her customers and not quantity. Hermione agreed completely with her, though that was mainly because she didn't want crowds to spoil the warm, personal atmosphere of the place. She glanced at her watch to find that it was 4.05. She would wait two more minutes before she declared Harry late. As two minutes after two minutes passed, she began feeling chilly. She was thankful that she had remembered to bring her lovely black overcoat, which Ron had given her for her birthday the previous year. She wrapped it around her along with her scarf and decided to order a coffee.

As she went through the menu, a shadow emerged in front of her and someone said, "Studying the menu?" She looked up, surprised and said, "Draco! What are you doing here?" "Probably the same thing as you; waiting for someone," he replied. Draco was clad in a long grey overcoat and expertly tailored black trousers. The colour combination suited him perfectly and everything about him seemed to be perfectly coordinated, right down to his suddenly- sophisticated voice. In fact, he seemed more like a man than a seventeen- year-old boy and Hermione wondered whom he could be meeting to be so sophisticated and elegant. "Right, I'm waiting for Harry. He's shifting most of his stuff into his new apartment today, so I'm going to help him with that, then we're planning to have a coffee here." She said. "Oh." He replied. "Who're you waiting for?" she asked him, unable to contain her curiosity. "Just a friend, Marissa," he waved the question off impatiently. "Let's keep each other company till our friends arrive." "Sure," she replied. "So, how's your first day away from Hogwarts been going so far?" he asked her, sounding more like his usual self. "Oh, it's been fine, except that there's nothing to do, so I keep brooding over the whole thing," replied Hermione. "Why isn't there anything to do? What about your column?" asked Draco, while Hermione's coffee arrived. "Well, they did send me a letter, saying I should join them at my 'earliest convenience', but you know that's not really what I want to do," she said. "I know, but you have to start somewhere," he said. "Yeah, I suppose so. And this way I get to educate people about the plight of all the beasts, so maybe I can get some supporters when I actually start an organisation to help them or something," she said, sipping her coffee. "Hmmm," replied Draco. He seemed a little distracted.

An awkward silence reigned between them for a few seconds, when the door of the Café swung open and a young girl walked in. She was, undeniably, very attractive, but she had an air of coldness and arrogance that hit you as soon as you saw her. Maybe it was from the way she held her small nose in the air or from the way her blue gaze saw through people or from the way she tossed her golden hair. I don't know exactly what it was, but Hermione didn't like her even before she came over to Draco and started talking to him. She saw him and gave an arrogant smile and walked over to him.

"Well, hello, Draco," she said, with the hint of a French accent. Draco got up and took her hand. "Hello, Marissa, you look as lovely as ever." She laughed a fake, coy laugh and recoiled her hand. "Oh, Draco, you naughty boy! But who is this...?" She looked at Hermione with threatening eyes and an expression Hermione couldn't understand. "Ah, this is Hermione, a good friend of mine from Hogwarts. Hermione, this is Marissa, she is the daughter of a very good friend of my father's," said Draco. "How do you do?" said Hermione. "Charmed, I'm sure," replied Marissa. "Oh Draco, darling, can't we sit at that table away from the crowds? I have sooo much to tell you!" "That's all right, I was just leaving anyway. Draco, I'll see you soon and it was nice meeting you, Marissa," said Hermione, getting up. It was almost five o'clock and she did not want to keep waiting for Harry in a Café where an arrogant rich girl was obviously trying to get her claws on Draco. "Hermione," began Draco, but just then the doors of the Café swung open again and Harry's tall frame came in. "Hermione! I'm so sorry! You have no idea what's been happening!" he rushed to her, completely missing Draco and Marissa. "The movers called and they had mixed up my stuff with someone else's and there was a big mess and it took so long to get sorted out! I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting. Should we go now?" "Yes, let's go, you're forgiven," she replied, putting a few coins down on the table and leaving with Harry. She was glad he had come; the whole situation had made her feel pretty uncomfortable.

So they left the Café together and Hermione didn't glance back to see the envious look Draco cast Harry.