La la!
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"No! I need someone who's hot but isn't too attached to me after. Remember the girl last time? She clung onto me and thought I was serious during the shoots." Draco Malfoy hit the table with his fist.
"Man, you know how hard it is to find a girl like that? With your looks and charm, they'll believe anything!" Blaise Zabini retorted back.
"My, you flatter me so."
"Get real, Draco. Either get yourself a real girl or tell Sandy you're gay."
"I don't lie like that."
"Oh, and so taking photos with a random girl and pretending that is your girlfriend is not a lie?"
"Yup."
"You're bloody mad. I give up. I can't find a girl that fits all your expectations." Blaise argued.
"How about your sister? She hates my guts."
"And which is why she'll do it. Yeah, SURE."
"Isn't there ANY WAY?"
"Nope. Sorry. You're just going to get the least possessive girl out there."
Groaning, Draco opened up his phone book that was titled "Whore-ish girls" and called up a number by the name of Sara Lee.
"Sara? Hey! Sara! It's me, Drake." Pause. "Oh… wow, I've been gone for 6 months? That long?" Pause. "And I haven't called. My, I'm so sorry, dear. I've been busy." Blaise snorted. "What?" Pause. "Oh, yeah. Hey, Sara. I'm back! Yeah- listen. I want to meet you up. Is that possible? How about now?" Pause. "No, dear. You don't have to run. I'm… uh… I'm not at my flat right now." Pause. "Well, I don't think it'll be nice to give you the address of my friend's house." Pause. "Of course I love you." Pause. "Oh. Uh… why don't we just meet at a café and I want to take some pictures with you." Pause. "Why? Because I want to cherish those pictures forever and ever." Pause. "What? Oh… Uh… I love you too." Pause. "Oh, you don't have to die for me…" Blaise was now on the ground, silent laughter filling up his lungs.
"Okay, Sara, sweetie. I have to go now. Meet me in five minutes okay?" Draco hung up.
"Is- that- SERIOUSLY- the- best- you-have?" Blaise asked quite breathlessly.
"Shush."
"She'll-DIE-for-you!"
"Shush."
"That-was-one-helluva-laugh."
"Shush. I'm going now. You know a good photo place?"
Blaise gained his composure. He didn't hesitate to answer. "There's a new one I heard of. The pictures are okay, but the photographer isn't just any chick. Plus she's cheap. It's down where the bakery with the pink haired, belly button pierced girl used to work. Too little customers."
"Aw, man, they closed that place down?"
"Yeah- that counter girl was one helluva-"
"DON'T tell me more. Bye."
"Have fun."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
There, Hermione sat at the counter of her Photo shoot store daydreaming.
First, it was cupcakes.
And then, the thought of cupcakes reminded her of milk. Then, she thought of the supermarket. Then, she thought of pumpkin juice. Then, she remembered… Hogwarts.
Harry had kept to his word and not returned to "Hogwarts" if there even was one. The board was convinced by teary and passionate veteran teachers of the school who persuaded them to keep the school open for Dumbledore's sake and if at least one student entered, the school would be open for just that one student.
To her surprise, Hermione actually enjoyed herself the last year when they were supposed to be cramming for NEWTS and stressing over their future. She and joined Ron and Harry in the endless search for horcruxes… and tried to have fun at it too.
Hermione remembered that she and Ron had so desperately tried to get a quick snog while Harry wasn't watching. That was quite fun- especially when they were caught. Harry would always have the funniest facial expression- somewhere between a barf and a laugh.
No matter how dangerous and stressful their work got, they would always spend holidays heartily at the Burrow.
Hermione remembered the first Horcrux they found together- by accident. It was the Hufflepuff cup. Although Harry had severely disagreed, the threesome had spent their last year at the Gimmauld Place. Harry never wanted to go there again, but it was the safest spot that they could find. The three were lounging around, Harry absorbed in a book. It was a cold winter day, around Christmas time.
Suddenly, there was a loud roar. Ron and Hermione didn't even move, however. They were used to it.
"KREACHER!" Harry yelled out loud.
Crack "Yes, master?"
"GET ME A GLASS OF COLD ICE WATER. AND DON'T YOU DARE DO ANYTHING TO IT."
"I shall get water for you, master." replied the House elf rather hastily.
Harry threw the book down and when Kreacher came with his water, he swallowed it. "TAKE THE CUP BACK AND WASH IT. HEY- WHILE YOU'RE AT IT- GET ME THE HUFFLEPUFF CUP TOO!" Harry exclaimed.
"What's wrong, Harry? Book's no use?" Hermione asked indifferently.
"Not ONLY is it no use. It's rather STUPID."
"How come?"
"I have a feeling the author fancied Hufflepuff just too much. And he had a fetish for rambling about his hair."
He was interrupted by another crack.
"For heavens sake, what is it Kre- oh my goodness."
"What?" Ron turned to look over at Harry staring at his house elf in disbelief.
Harry held up the Hufflepuff cup. The horcrux.
His two friends dropped their jaw. Immediately, Harry asked Kreacher, "Where did you find this?"
"I won't say! I won't say!"
"KREACHER!"
"I WON'T SAY! I WON'T SAY!"
"I DEMAND YOU TO TELL ME WHERE YOU FOUND THIS!" Harry bellowed into Kreacher's face.
"Harry- calm." Hermione whispered softly.
"Ahh!" Kreacher banged his head on the ground and muttered "Malfoy house! House of pureblood! Mistress loved Malfoy house!"
"Did anyone see you, Kreacher? Did they catch you?"
"Who cares, Harry? This is bloody brilliant! Hey, Kreacher! Go find all the other Horcruxes!" Ron cried out.
"NO! KREACHER WILL NOT LISTEN TO ANY OTHER MASTER! ESPCIALLY MUDBLOOD LOVING MASTER! NO! NO! I WILL NOT!"
"KREACHER SHUT UP! Go… sweep the floors." Harry said, waving his house elf off.
"Could it be for real, Harry?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know. I don't know…"
"Excuse me? Hello? Drake- do you think she's alive?" a high pitched voice cut through Hermione's peaceful daydreaming like a knife.
"Huh? Oh! Hello. Welcome. How may I help you today?" Hermione asked sleepily to her customers.
"We'll like to take some couple pictures."
"Sure thing. Why don't you pick a background? We have all these possibilities." Hermione said, pointing at the display.
The girl in abnormally high heals and girly hair-do poured herself over each one. The man stood back, eyeing Hermione.
"Blaise was right- she's a piece of work." He muttered, just loud enough for Hermione to hear.
Blaise… that hit a nerve.
There can't be many Blaise's in the world.
Hermione studied the man.
Blonde hair, Gray-green eyes, a slightly turned up nose…
"Do I…"
"Drake! Darling, this pink one is just to DIE for."
Drake.
Huh. That sounds a lot like…
"Draco Malfoy?" Hermione asked only a notch above a whisper.
Draco looked up. "Do I know you?"
Hermione just stood there, jaw dropping and staring.
After about 10 minutes of complete silence, Hermione spoke hoarsely. "If you… if you remember my horrid bushy hair and my 'know-it-all nose always stuck in a book' as you put it… yeah. Yeah, I think you may know me."
Draco squinted.
"But you can't be…"
"Why can't I?"
"Drake? Who is this? Do you know her?"
"You're too…"
"Too… what?"
"Drake? Answer me!"
"Granger?" Draco stared open mouthed at the girl in front of him.
"Malfoy?" Hermione laughed, mimicking the shocked boy. What- was he too surprised that she had caught him in the muggle world he SOOO hated?
A light bulb flashed into his head. And then, he did the unexpected.
"HERMIONE! THE LOVE OF MY LIFE…" Draco said, pulling her into a hug.
Certainly not the reaction she expected. Maybe he mistook her for another…
How many Hermione Grangers were there on the planet?
"What…Malfoy!"
"Drake? What do you mean? Love of your life? I thought I was!" Sara pulled Draco from the side.
"Play with me. Please? Get me away from that ridiculous woman!" Draco whispered sultrily into Hermione's ear.
"Psh- no!" Hermione tried to push off him, but his large arms rebelled.
They stayed together like that long enough for Sara to burst into tears and stalk off.
"Great, Malfoy. You've just lost me a customer."
"Now you're poor too! Weasley rubbing off you?"
"Do you need a rag, Malfoy? So you can wipe off the Mudblood germs off of you?" Hermione asked sweetly.
"Maybe something bigger than just a hankerchief, please."
Hermione grinned and walked into the back walk in closet. She came out with a broom and threw it at him. "Maybe this will help you brush up."
Draco had fallen on the floor with the broom. "OW! DAMN! GRANGER! WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WAS THAT FOR?"
"I was only doing what you asked for, love."
Draco lifted himself up, rubbing his forehead where the broom had smacked him.
"Look. I was wondering if you can take some pictures of both of us. I've been invited to a wedding of one of the girls who fell for me, but I'm not very interested in going. Could you take some pictures with me?"
"No. And if it's Sandy, I took her wedding pictures."
"DAMN."
"Why don't you just go to her wedding with a wedding date?"
"That's cold."
"Oh, and rejecting an invitation by faking a photo with a random girl isn't?"
"Nope."
"You're impossible. Now, if you don't have any more business in this studio, please leave."
"Aww…"
"LEAVE!"
"Then… good bye. Have a great day."
"Uh huh." Hermione replied, closing the door behind him.
Men.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"How was it?" Blaise Zabini asked when Draco came slumping into their flat.
"Horrid. Hot babe is Granger. I tried using her but turns out she took wedding pictures for… what's her face- Sandra. I'm stuck with going to the wedding."
"Aww, my poor baby."
"Horrid girl, that Granger. Kicked me out, throwing broom at me."
"Why didn't you take it then? Golly, we really DO need some brooms to sweep up this mess of a flat."
Draco threw a glare at him. "Did Constantine call yet?"
"No. Why don't you just forget about her? She hasn't called you for weeks now."
Draco scowled. "I'm making tea."
Blaise laughed.
"Draco, you need to get yourself a girl."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Have you had something to eat, Ron?" Ginny's head asked in the fireplace.
"No. Not really."
"It's one. Aren't you planning to eat at all?"
"Yeah. I guess." Ron had dark bags under his eyes. He didn't look at Ginny, who was quite frazzled at Ron's behavior. That was who she lived with for years now.
Ginny threw her long wavy hair over her shoulder.
"There's frozen food in the freezer. Eat, okay? I'll be home by about 5. I have yoga today."
"Okay."
"For heavens sake, Ronald. Go do something with yourself at Fred and George's shop or something. You're a complete mess."
"Thanks sis."
Ginny waved and pulled back into her Auror office and blew her bangs away from her eyes. She began to pace around the room. For six years, she had to live with that brother of hers. Her family tried every day to try to make him get up and do something with himself. He would land himself with a job and get fired the very next. He ended up just helping out has his brother's shop… once in a while.
All because Harry died.
Harry's death had taken a toll on her too. She lived in zombie-liked ways until slowly; she began to recover herself and worked her ass off becoming an auror.
Ron never recovered.
Hermione had fled months after his death to the states, sending OWLs once every year or so at Christmas or birthdays.
'Hermione… where are you when we need you?'
Suddenly, a light bulb flashed in her head.
She stuck her head back into the fireplace.
"Ronald? Would you feel better if you met Hermione?"
"I don't know." Ron said indifferently, but he shifted in his seat.
"Do you want to come to the states with me to find her?"
His eyes perked up. "Now?"
"No. Once you clean yourself up and become something."
Ron's shoulders slumped slightly.
"I'll think about it."
"Okay."
Ginny retreated once more.
"Miss Weasley, there is a visitor here to see you."
"Bring him in."
Her secretary opened the door as a tall dark man came strolling in leaving a trail of cologne in his path.
"May I help you, Zabini?"
"Now now. I've just come from the states. I have a proposition for you."
"And how do I come in?"
"I know where your friend… that mudblood Granger is."
Ginny's eyes grew wide. "Where is she? How is she? What's she doing there?"
Blaise Zabini smirked and circled her numerous times. He could practically see the steam bursting out of her ears. Weasleys never had patience.
"This is where my proposition comes in."
"God damn, Zabini."
"My pureblood girlfriends have married off. I need an heir. If only you could."
"No."
"Come on, Weasley. I've been asking you every week now! Can't you just give up already?"
"Why don't you give up, then, huh?"
"Because true Purebloods don't give up."
Ginny put her hands on her hips. She wasn't over. "If I'm not a true Pureblood, then I don't qualify to marry you. I would never ever think to even touch you."
"Then how about one date. One week of dating me and I'll tell you where your precious muggle is."
"You don't understand. I can find Hermione herself, thank you."
"Not if I tell you she's bound to go to a wedding in a few days now. You think you can find her by then?"
Ginny dropped her jaw. She didn't know whether he was kidding or not, but the year she'd known him, Blaise Zabini never lied because the truth was dreadful enough. It worked well with him, that dreadfulness.
"Sh-she never told me she was…"
"She is, dear. So how about you come with me as a date. If we start the whole dating thing today, the wedding would be on the last day of our week."
Ginny frowned.
"Or we could just have sex and produce an offspring. We don't have to get married."
"NO. NONONONONONONONONO."
"I didn't think so." Blaise smirked.
"So… Weasley. What do you say?"
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Bad chapter, I know. I wrote it last minute because I wanted to have a chapter before school started. Sigh. School. But I'm glad I've got an idea to put Blaise and Ginny together. Because I enjoy reading them being paired off when I'm reading and Dramione. Other wise, I like Draco and Ginny together too. Haha.
THANKS TO MY AWESOME REVIEWERS. I'M SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT. I STARTED LIKE 293874923 OTHER STORIES BECAUSE OF MY ADD. SORRY GUYS! REVIEW THIS CHAPTER TOO, MY LOVELIES! HEHE.
Ta ta.