DISCLAIMER: The author does not own any recognizable characters, features, or anything regarding the Harry Potter series.

Chapter 2

Hermione slowly rose from the couch and rubbed her eyes once more, before making her way to the kitchen. Absentmindedly, she started to make some coffee to stimulate her brain. It was a Saturday, so she didn't really have to do anything, but she wasn't exactly looking forward to staying in her apartment right after her birthday. At least she could try and pretend she was happy. Being a doctor, she made quite a bit of money, so perhaps it would be fitting to spend some of it. Maybe on some more books. . .

The only problem was, the books she wanted the most were wizarding ones, and those weren't found anywhere but in Diagon Alley. But for years she had been making peace with the fact that she wasn't a part of that world now. She hadn't visited the Wizarding World ever since the incident with Ron, and she wasn't so keen to start now. She had removed all evidence of that world in her apartment, and she only had a handful of galleons and sickles leftover rotting away in the corner of her bedroom.

Normally, the idea of going back to the Wizarding World would have been crossed off her list without a second thought, but Hermione was getting tired of her boring life; the way she spent her birthday last night was proof of that. She didn't want to spend the rest of it locked up in an apartment like some kind of dungeon. Perhaps her 25th birthday had been some sort of wake-up call for her, but today she could feel her Gryffindor courage seeping back inside of her, the first time ever since she had her heart broken.

This meant that Hermione would have to go into the Wizarding World disguised, grab her books, and hopefully slip out without anyone recognizing her. Of course she would love to stay and explore if no one was watching, but her books would have to suffice for now- or for the rest of her life. And the more she thought about it, the better an idea it seemed to become. She already owned probably all of the books known to muggles, but had only her Hogwarts' textbooks filed away with her galleons and wand. Even though she disliked the people of the Wizarding World didn't mean she had to abandon the information of it. And information was always something she could use.

Mind made up, she finished making her coffee, and sat down on the counter, sipping it quietly and wondering exactly how she was supposed to pull her plan off. A million things could go wrong, not to mention what would happen if someone saw her. It would be just her luck to meet Rita Skeeter in Flourish & Blotts, and within the second, have her face plastered all over the front page of The Daily Prophet. If only there was a way to be invisible. . .

Suddenly Hermione jumped up, spilling her coffee all over the table and herself as she internally smacked herself on the head. She was a witch for heavens' sake; she could cast a Disillusionment Charm! Rushing into her bedroom, she unpacked the bag stuffed in the dark of her closet, and took out her 10 ¾ inch wand. Thankfully, seven years of being the top wizard in all of her classes in Hogwarts had not been wasted. Quickly cleaning up the mess her drink had made, she grabbed the bag, full of sickles and some galleons. Casting a Disillusionment Charm, she then apparated, for the first time in 3 years.

Landing in the middle of Diagon Alley, Hermione was surprised to see that not much had changed since she had left. Everything looked almost exactly the same, save for the few new inventions that she didn't keep up with- the newest Quidditch broom for example. She knew that would have caused an uproar in the Wizarding World. A small smile gracing her features, she realized how much she truly missed the place. It made her feel more at home than when she was working in the hospital or lounging around in her apartment.

Walking towards Flourish & Blotts, she took in the lovely sight she had yearned to see for so long, and silently opened the door to her favourite bookstore. She knew she could stay inside for hours and still find reasons to stay for a while longer. She could search for any type of books about whatever she found interesting, from some of the most exotic magical creatures that even Hagrid, her Care of Magical Creatures Professor wouldn't have heard of to the history of all of the various charms she had learned over the years. Browsing through the shelves, she ended up lurking in the back, piling up more books than she could carry until she was about to crush under the weight. It seemed she was a bit late though, because as soon as she tried to steady herself, the books came crashing down on top of her, and she fell to the floor.

Unknown to Hermione, her Disillusionment Charm had come undone by another wizard, one who had witnessed multiple books being pulled out of place. He had seen the entire façade unfold and his mouth was wide open, his gaze never leaving when realizing who it was. Standing up, she managed to collect all of her books once again and froze when her chocolate eyes met silver orbs and an unusually pale face, staring in shock at the girl before him. Even after all this time, she still recognized the person in front of her.

Draco Malfoy.

Thanks for the reviews and follows everyone! If you don't like anything I have in the story, you can always review it and I'll try to fit it in later in the story. For example, someone reviewed they would think Harry and Ginny would have stood up for Hermione after Ron cheated on her, and I have a plan to make that happen in the end.

Plus, I might update faster if I get more reviews! :)

Also, I updated this chapter early, so don't be surprised if the next update isn't this Sunday, but the next one: December 4th