- A/N: Well here it is. The Sixth Chapter! This has not been edited by my beta. Ying, don't kill me….-
- In the apartment-
The sound of a Porsche driving off could be heard through the thick-paned windows of the trio's shared apartment. Ron was no doubt having fun with the car while Harry sat in one of the chairs at the breakfast table. He yawned. Thank goodness to day-offs. He had really needed one. Work was catching up to him. He hadn't really told Remus about his day off, but it wasn't as if he would be sorely missed. He had finished all of his assignments and all the paper work that went with it. He poured himself some orange juice and smiled to himself. While he was at home, relaxing, Ron and Hermione would be caught up at work.
- Somewhere at Work -
Hermione yawned. She really didn't know what was wrong with her. One moment she felt so energized and the next, well she felt she had been flying on a broom for about ten hours straight. She rubbed her eyes. Perhaps she hadn't got enough sleep last night. Though she was pretty sure she had about eight hours of sleep. She laid her heavy head on her arms that were on the table. She closed them. 'Maybe if I just close my eyes and rest them for a bit, I will become a little less sleepy…' she could think no more since she had promptly fell asleep.
Ronald Weasley paced up and down in his cubicle. Draco had pushed the task of putting the next note in Hermione's cubicle. How could he do something so impossible? He knew Hermione always was working hard in her room and would notice it anything were amiss. She was just that sort of person. He could always slip the note into her cubicle when she went out to lunch, but there was always that possibility that she would lock her door. There were so many things that could go wrong!
A shiver went down the man's neck. What if Hermione were to somehow catch him in the act of placing the letter in her room? That would be a sheer disaster. Hermione would get the wrong picture and may think that he was cheating on Luna! He shivered again. Ron opened his cubicle door and poked his head outside. It was deserted. Well, it should be, it was lunch. Damn it! Draco was probably enjoying a nice hot lunch while he was stuck here with a big problem and an empty stomach! The world was certainly coming to end…
-In a café-
The café was full with muggles and wizards alike. It was a well-known café this one, both in the muggle and wizarding world. Draco had told Ginny to meet him here for a quick bit. 'Or maybe not that quick of a bite, since Ron was stuck with task of delivering the next letter to Hermione,' Draco thought. It seemed he would have to stay as long as possible to prolong the torture of Ronald Weasley. He grinned a mischievous smile at the thought.
"Draco? What are you doing so early? I thought you said you and Ron had some unfinished business to do?" The voice of Ginny Weasley broke through the delicious thought in Draco's mind. Draco quickly looked up to see Ginny sitting opposite him at the table he had managed to grab. It was quite a scramble to get a good seat, especially here.
"Well love, I thought about it for a while, and I realised that it wasn't really unfinished business at all. It was really Ron's business in the end," Draco said with a nice thought of Ron wringing his hands in frustration. He nearly smiled at the thought but he knew that Ginny would suspect something if he smiled. He kept his face placid, with a lot trouble.
"Hmm, as long as you are here. How is work?" Ginny had picked up one of menus and was running her finger down the list, trying to choose what she would have.
"Oh you know, the same. The Sperry case is a bit of a drag and it is really taking a bit longer than necessary. I think, other than that, everything is fine. How are you?" Draco followed Ginny's example and tried to pick out what he would order.
"Fine. You know, ministry is trying to catch up on all the paperwork."
"Really? Sounds a bit messy to me."
Ginny was obviously putting all of her attention to the menu in front of her. "Mmm," was all that could be drawn out from her.
Draco, still having the cunning heart of a true Slytherin said slyly, "I forgot to add, Remus offered me a case with Harry and Hermione. Knowing both of them, I'm thinking of turning it down. You know how boring it is with both of them on a case."
"WHAT?" Ginny looked up with her eyes nearly popping out.
"Well I'm an exciting man. I need to have interesting people around me!" The man with blonde hair said with a touch of arrogance. He prided himself in such acting. He really could trick Ginny…
"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU NEED AND DON'T NEED, DRACO MALFOY! YOU ARE A GROWN MAN WHO CAN WITHSTAND A LITTLE BORING TIME! THIS IS A CHANCE THAT YOU MISSED YOU BIG DOLT! WE COULD HAVE BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER, AND WHAT DO YOU DO? YOU THROW IT AWAY!" Ginny's ears we going red. Draco looked at her, she really did look like her brother in many ways.
"Relax Ginny, I was just kidding. Gosh, you can such a toad sometimes. I'm not as stupid as some…" He broke off. He nearly had said Ronald Weasley but that would have been suspicious to what he had made him do.
"Hmph. I suppose you accepted Remus Lupin's offer then? You did, didn't you?" Ginny looked at Draco with slitted eyes, filled with suspicion.
"Of course, my dearest heart. I would not have thrown such a chance away. Come, let us stop talking and eat like proper individuals who don't yell at each other. Then again, it wasn't me who was shouting…" Draco said all this in an amiable voice.
"Oh Draco Malfoy, you can be a real prat most of the time." She sniffed. "I don't know what you would do without me, keeping you in line…"
-Some hours later on the balcony of the Trio's apartment-
It was a nice afternoon. It was warm and sunny, surprisingly. Harry had wasted no time in enjoying the warmth of the day by spending his day out on the balcony. The sun warmed him up and made him relish his day off. He idly looked around lazily and his eyes caught on the envelope that was still quite a mystery.
It looked actually quite innocent, in its plain white envelope, and yet it made his mind spin with the sheer mystery that surrounded it. Who had sent it? Why had they sent it? The same questions filtered through his mind.
The man sighed. He hated mysteries. He wished the whole world could be simple without any of enigmas. He sighed louder and sank deeper into his own thoughts.
There was the loud sound of doors slamming and the rather rhythmic sound of heels striking cement. Those footsteps sounded strangely like… Harry went over to the balcony's edge and leaned down. His eyes picked up the figure of Hermione. His eyes squinted in the effort to see an object that was in her hands. What was in the hands of his friend? Could it possibly be…? The sun had been out and reflected its rays off the shiny white envelope that was in the hands of Hermione Granger. Harry's eyes went round. It was an envelope!
Hermione frowned deeply at the envelope in her hands. She had received another one these letters! Her fingers itched to slit the flap and peer into what was inside.
'Self control Hermione! Self control! If I open the letter here, I may get seen. I should open it in the privacy of my bedroom. Think straight Hermione! Think! I will wait, yes, I will wait," Hermione thought to herself. She almost rushed to the door of the apartment. When she reached the inside she nearly ran to her bedroom and closed the door as quickly. Inside, she opened the letter and read what was inside. Her eyes grew big at what the letter read.
Ginny and Luna had been very careful not to be seen by either Harry or Hermione. They both knew that their Operation Matchmaker was at a very important stage now. They could kill two birds with the one stone. With Harry and Hermione thinking that the other was giving the letters to one another would be heavenly. It would be so simple and easy. If only they could post Harry's letter with exact timing, all would be perfect.
"I just saw Hermione go in! Let's go!" Luna whispered quickly.
"Oh my goodness, we have to be really fast. I just saw Harry getting down from the balcony. Come on!" Ginny pulled at Luna's sleeve and both ran from the rather convenient bush that was situated right next to the apartment. Both women ran very quickly to the letter front door of the apartment.
"Hurry up Ginny! Put the stupid envelope in! Harry needs to see it when he comes down the stairs!" Luna whispered furiously to Ginny. Ginny meanwhile had her tongue out in concentration, trying to shove the envelope under the door. With a whoosh, the envelope slid under the door onto the inside of the apartment. Ginny and Luna could both hear the heavy footsteps of someone coming down the stairs. They quickly ran away to the next street and got into the car that was awaiting them there. Both women scrambled into the car.
Draco and Ron turned around to face the slightly puffing Ginny and Luna. Both men had cheeky smiles plastered onto their faces.
"So darling, do you feel slimmer? I think the run should've done you good!" Draco said mischievously to Ginny.
Ginny promptly slapped Draco on the arm. "Hmph. You two are going to do that next time, won't they Luna?"
"Oh yes Ginny. I simply think Ronald has been getting slightly tubby lately, I think he could do with the exercise," Luna said with a dab of affection.
Ron, Draco, Ginny and Luna all felt one thing in common, success. Harry and Hermione were nearly there! Soon they would be mooning over each other as if there was no tomorrow!
-Inside the apartment-
Harry came down the stairs and was about to go towards Hermione's room until a certain white object caught his attention. He ran and dived for the envelope. He knew it! Hermione had come and placed the envelope for him! She had been bringing up an envelope and deposited this in the hallway, in plain view for him to see! He just knew Hermione was the one sending the letters! He now had proof!
The letter was soon opened and read.
To My Dearest Harry,
I want to see you so much. Do you want to see me too? Let us meet each other. I will tell you when and where next time.
From Your Dearest Admirer
Harry felt his heart beat faster. He was going to meet her! Finally! It was almost too good to be true. He was hoping he wasn't imagining all of this. It would too hard to bear if this was all but a dream…
-A/N: Well with that chapter done, I hope all of you enjoyed it. I actually would like to thank all of those people who took the time to review my story. It really pushed me on. Thank you.
I would like to say thankyou to Passivor too. She is my dear beta who has edited all of my stories that I have written. Without her I think I will still be a mess. Even though I didn't give this to her edit, Thankyou!