Disclaimer: It's mine! MINE! ALL MINE! J.K. Rowling? Who's that? HARRY POTTER BELONGS TO MEEEEEEEEEE! I wish…wow, so that's what comes out of a bottle of coke this early…only the idea is mine…sadly enough…
A/N: It's the question on everyone's mind…who exactly is Wendy Weasley?
Will anyone ever find out?
You'll find out either on this chapter…or maybe (probably) the next one…wherever my writing takes me.
June W is on the right track with one part of her review, if you want to go read it…
Speaking of that, thank you reviewers!
And also, Ron IS in the picture. He just hasn't appeared quite yet. But he will inthe nextchapter.
Now, without further ado, I give you…
Whatever This Is
Chapter 2
"HERMIONE GRANGER!" A voice yelled out through the street as aforementioned witch quickly followed it, smiling awkwardly at people who were gaping at her.
"Ginny! I'm right here!" Hermione called back when she finally saw the petite red-haired witch standing outside a restaurant. She rushed over to her.
"Well, you were late. Thought you might've been wrapped up in some of those fans of yours." Ginny smiled mischievously as they both walked into their favorite Diagon Alley café, Susan's Place (owned by the trio's fellow graduate Susan Bones).
Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I had to wait for Draco to come over. He's taking Wendy riding today." She grimaced at the thought of Wendy loving to sit on horse's backs and gallivant around.
"He spoils her, doesn't he?" Ginny asked, sitting down at a small table for two.
"Well, don't we all?" Hermione replied. "So what's Harry doing today?"
"Working. He really didn't want to this morning, but they needed him to keep searching for the infamous what's-his-name. You know, the robber." Hermione nodded, and looked thoughtfully over Ginny's head before smiling slyly.
"So, you stayed at Harry's again last night? You're practically living at his place now, you know."
Ginny smiled slightly before replying.
"Well, you'll be the first to know this, but we're thinking of just moving in together."
Hermione beamed.
"Ginny, that's wonderful! It's about time. But, well, I know everyone else is nagging you two about this, and I just…"
Ginny's faced darkened considerably. "Then don't, Hermione. Don't." Hermione frowned slightly.
"You didn't even know what I was going to say." She said quietly. Ginny narrowed her eyes as if saying 'Yeah, right.' "I might've said that I know everyone else is nagging you, but I wondered if you've decided to throw a birthday party…for me." Hermione cringed slightly and Ginny looked as if she was about to laugh.
"Well, we are planning a birthday party for you, but of course, it's going to be a surprise. So, if that's all you wanted to know?" She glared at her, but Hermione wasn't about to give up.
"Actually, I was wondering one more thing." Ginny shook her head warningly. "Gin, you guys are perfect for each other. You've been engaged for four years; don't you think it's time?"
Ginny looked down at her plate that had just appeared on the table with her usual meal on it. She looked up and smiled her thanks to Susan at the front counter before mumbling something to Hermione about 'our jobs'.
"Oh, don't give me the 'our jobs' thing. Harry's job is fine. Your job is fine. You're both completely settled into your jobs, and happy there. Don'tyou want to get married?"
Ginny finally looked up sharply with a determined glint in her eye.
"Of course I do Hermione! I want him as a husband, I want children, I want everything! But he's just…still…I don't know how to bring it up to him. I don't know if he still wants to get married, after postponing it all these years."
"Are you kidding me? Of course he wants to get married! He loves you, Ginny, and has always wanted a family. I'd bet anything he's thinking the same thing you are. One of you just needs to bring it up."
Ginny's eyes turned hopeful and she smiled slightly.
"Thanks, Hermione. I could bring the same thing up with you, you know."
Hermione groaned.
"We're not even engaged, Ginny. Marriage is a long way off. We have Wendy, we both have wonderful jobs, and I'm happy with our life. You should understand."
"I understand that you and Ron aren't married, and neither are Harry and I. I'm just not sure that you have the same reason that I do."
Hermione looked into Ginny's eyes pleadingly.
"Just drop it, please? It isn't the time to think about this stuff. Let's just eat."
Ginny nodded reluctantly and continued eating.
"Hello? Anybody home?" Hermione called out as she walked into her cottage's front door after lunch.
"In here, Hermione," came a deep voice from the kitchen. She followed it to find Draco Malfoy cooking at the stove and Wendy sitting at a stool at the counter.
"Afternoon, darling," Hermione said to Wendy, dropping a kiss on her head. "How was riding?"
Draco answered her question.
"It was wonderful. Wendy pleaded with me to let her come live at my place and ride horses all the time, but I just couldn't do something like that to my dear Hermione." Wendy giggled and Hermione smiled slightly.
"Yes, I'm sure. What are you making? And don't you have house elves to do all your work for you?" Hermione asked mockingly, sitting next to Wendy and placing her elbows on the hard granite counter.
"Well, of course I do, love. I couldn't expect them to come to this dump and cook for us. I figured Wendy was about the right size, but she told me she couldn't cook." He shook his head at her disapprovingly and Wendy giggled. "And I'm making pasta a la Malfoy. It's my specialty."
Wendy leaned over to Hermione slyly and whispered, "He means macaroni and cheese."
Hermione laughed and Draco glared mockingly at Wendy. The doorbell rang suddenly and Hermione jumped slightly.
"I'll get that. It's probably Ginny; she said she might come over. Are you staying for tea, Malfoy?" She asked, turning her head to look at him as she walked towards the front room.
"Stay, Draco!" Wendy pleaded with him.
"Well, my house elf has decided it for me. Tell Ginny she's welcome to have some pasta a la Malfoy!" He said back to her as Hermione walked into the front room. She laughed good-naturedly and opened the door with a smile.
A tall figure was standing on her doorstep, wearing black robes with a hood, hunched over slightly to hide its face (she couldn't tell if it was a man or woman).
Hermione's wand was immediately out and pointing in the general vicinity of the figure's throat.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
A shaking hand with long pale fingers rose up and pulled the black hood back. Hermione gasped, struggling to hold onto her wand, which has suddenly started to slip in her sweaty hands.
"Aren't you taking the 'never trust strangers' thing a bit far, Miss Granger?" He asked (for she definitely knew that it was a he now). Hermione tried to take control of her voice and finally asked,
"What are you doing here? Who else is there? Malfoy, Lestrange?" She asked, masking her voice and making it sound steady.
"Do you honestly think I would tell you if I had back-up, Miss Granger? Glad you didn't go into the auror business. I'm alone, anyway. And I'm not trying to kill you, although you most likely don't believe me."
He straightened slightly and looked down at her with an eyebrow raised as she remained speechless. She was still glaring suspiciously at his face, and periodically looking down to make sure he didn't have a wand in his hand.
"Well? Aren't you going to invite me in?"
"Give me one good reason, Snape."
He smirked and opened his mouth to most likely say some sarcastic comment, changed his mind, and closed his mouth. He looked pained for a moment, his mouth twisting into a grimace. His breath suddenly turned ragged. His mouth opened again.
"I need..." He got out with his teeth gritted, "your help." He finished. "I need your help," He said again, quietly.
Hermione couldn't help it, her eyes widened slightly in pity. She thought to herself for a moment, before narrowing her eyes and finally just looking at him. His black robes that had always been meticulously clean during school were ragged and dirty. She realized that he had not been hunched over to hide his face. He was just hunched over. She saw that one of his hands was gripping a large stick posing as a cane, and the other was at his side, still shaking. Hermione finally looked back at his face. It was pale, more than the remembered. It looked…shaken, tired. Desperate, careful, hurt. Even the best actor couldn't make a face like that. It was his face that decided her.
Hermione cast a quick spell to check if he was armed. He didn't have a wand. She looked at his face again, the black eyes desperate, and nodded.
"Come in."
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