Tea With A Bit More Sugar

-or-

Conversing With The Living IS The Best Way To Gain Enlightenment

"Well?"

"Well, what, Malfoy?"

"You're becoming redundant, Granger."

"I am, aren't I?"

"Yes, and I'm beginning to doubt your… health."

"I am not sick, Malfoy. And neither am I completely nor slightly nutters."

"Good to know I'm not spending tea time with a, ah, never mind."

"I do believe this is the first time you've stopped yourself from offending someone."

"So you're not just a master of redundancy, but of the obvious as well!"

"Oh, do shut up."

"I believe I won't."

"Shut your trap, Malfoy or I'll guillotine you with my bare hands and feed your bleeding carcass to my cat!"

Stunned silence, then: "More tea?"

'God help me!' An irritated sigh, then: "Yes please, and a bit more sugar, thank you."

"I like mine a little strong."

"Yes, I can see—taste that."

"Hmm."

Silence.

"How have you been, Granger?"

"I… I've been spending a year in Muggle London now."

"I see. Married?"

"No. I think I'll find time for marriage a bit later."

"Good, good. I've always thought you were one to focus more on your career. That is, of course, if you have one?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. I worked as an assistant to my father; he's a dentist."

"A what…?"

"A dentist… he takes care of people's teeth. Repairs them, straightens them, and, well, extracts them."

"What a gruesome profession!"

"It's not that bad, Malfoy. It's a high paying job. My mother is also dentist. So was her father."

"I see. You said 'worked'. What do you do now?"

"I'm a professor now, at Cambridge University. I also own a fairly large bookstore."

"Well then, congratulations, Professor Granger, on being quite successful."

"Err, thank you, Malfoy. And yourself?"

"I manage my family's business. And no, it has nothing to do with the Dark Arts. Despite the fact that my father was a Death Eater, he was also quite an entrepreneurial sort of man. My mother, though essentially as evil as he, insisted that we kept the outside of our closet clean, if you catch my drift."

A nod. "So what exactly is this family business of yours?"

"Running this museum and two others in France… As well as several Wizarding hotels in Asia and in the Caribbean, and a resort in Spain."

"Perhaps you should congratulate yourself as well?"

"No. I'll pass up the chance to gloat this time."

Hermione Granger blinked. "And I simply won't pass up the chance to ask 'why'. So why?"

"I'm doing something I never wanted to be a part of. Despite how I was in school, I've always had this… thirst for adventure. And apparently, sitting in a desk reading through and signing papers is not my idea of an adventure. I'll paraphrase you though: I know I'll find time and the right sort of adventure later. Or it will find me."

"I never expected you to be so deep, Malfoy."

"And since when was I shallow?"

"I never said you were shallow. I just never saw you as deep."

One golden eyebrow shot up. "In plain English, please."

"Now you sound like Harry."

Silence.

"How disturbing."

More silence.

"He really did like you, Malfoy."

"I repeat: how disturbing."

"I didn't mean it in that way."

"I was being dramatic, Granger."

Silence.

"Can I… ask you something, Malfoy?"

"If it makes you look less constipated."

A sigh, then: "…do you think that, even after such a long time, Harry would be able to forgive me?"

"For nearly killing him?"

"No… for… ever doubting him regarding certain issues."

"Am I to be corrected in an insulting way if I were to say 'issues regarding his choice of… then new friends'?"

"No."

"Good. Now let me ask you: was he the sort to hold a grudge? I mean against people who unintentionally caused him pain?"

"No."

"Then a 'yes, Granger, he would be able to forgive you' would be a plausible answer… however…"

"Stop pausing for effect, Malfoy. Just, tell me please."

"I paused to take a sip of my tea! Why are you asking me anyway? You knew him longer."

"Because I think, in a way, you knew him better."

"Oh. I… well then… that's…"

Silence.

"Well, what were you going to say?"

"I think he's already forgiven you, Granger."

"Hmm, that's funny…"

"What, pray tell, is?"

"Out of all the people to tell me that, you are the only one who made me actually believe that."

"I'm glad then, because he was your friend, and he certainly wouldn't want you to worry 'til the end of your days."

"Hmm…"

A sip of tea, then: "Granger, what makes you think I knew him better?"

"Harry… he was special because he wasn't so extraordinary after all. Sure, he had powers that far exceeded even that of Dumbledore's, and people knew him and looked up to him as Saviour of the Wizarding World, but they never saw anything else past the scar and the name: they never knew he had a big heart that had space for everybody, even those most of us usually never even cared about. That and they never knew he actually had many different sides to him. Aside from being an incredible Seeker and a top student in DADA, he was also an artist. And even though I was one of two best friends, I never could fully appreciate that side of him. Ron was just Ron. He was the one who had the heart for sports. I was the one who had a passion for books. And even though Harry often showed me his sketches, I knew that he only did so because he knew I'd be sensitive enough to give an honest opinion and not just say 'that's nice, mate'. No one saw much and understood that side of Harry, until you came along. And that made you understand him better, because you could appreciate him wholly as a person."

"I still wish I knew him longer."

"You had the chance. Everyday was a new day to start over. You just messed it up until that night. But…"

"Now look who's pausing for dramatic effect?"

"But I think you're timing was perfect."

"I try my best."

"Be serious—"

"No need to raise your voice, Granger. I know what you mean. I just don't want my museum flooded. Here, a tissue."

Silence.

"So shall we unveil it?"

"You know what, Malfoy? I came here to look at something, but instead I got something I've been looking for."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"Since you're so certain about my forgiveness… enlightenment."

"Ah. To what, I'll no longer ask… so I take it you'll wait until the 'world premiere'?"

"Yes. I'll see you then, I suppose?"

"My gods, Granger, attached already?"

"No. I just want to see more of the friend I just made."

Draco Malfoy, in an unexpected act of civility, held out his hand…

"Until then, Hermione."

Which Hermione Granger took without hesitation.

"Hmm, until then, Draco…"

"You don't seem ready to leave."

"I was just curious… about Harry's last wish."

"Ah… I suppose you want to know what it was."

"Yes… Err, no. Not anymore. If Harry wanted me to know, he most certainly would have told me."

"Good point. Well what about Harry's wish?"

"I just want to know if you've already gone about fulfilling it."

"I… haven't had the time, really."

"Oh."

"Well, well, what do you know…"

A fine eyebrow shot up. "What?"

"I'd never really thought anyone could make me feel ashamed of myself. I really ought to start 'fulfilling it', eh?"

"You should. After all, you were the one he told, thus giving you the responsibility to act on it."

"Honour, Hermione, not responsibility. We are talking about The Harry Potter's last wish."

A laugh, another handshake, then: "I'll see you next week, then."

"Of course."

Clicking of heels.

"Oh, Hermione? If it's not a burden, could you, perhaps, bring a book about dentists?"

"Alright. Good day, Draco."

The wooden doors closed.

"Good day, friend."