Chapter Four – Meeting Hermione
The summer following his first year teaching at Hogwarts he bought a small one-room house in Appledore overlooking the beach. That same summer, he met Hermione Granger while vacationing in France. They met at Perraudin shortly after lunch. They began talking, despite the fact that they did not get along at Hogwarts.
"Hello," said Draco as Hermione sat next to him at the bar.
"Hello," replied Hermione, smiling.
"I'm Draco Malfoy. What is your name?" asked Draco, unaware of whom he was talking to.
"Hermione," replied Hermione, surprised to learn of whom she was talking to. She was surprised that Draco didn't recognize her. They hadn't seen each other since they had graduated, more than fifteen years, but still, had she changed that much? Draco had. He had grown a moustache and beard and he was in the very beginning stages of balding, as she could see from his very, very slightly receding hairline.
"I knew someone named Hermione at my old school. I wasn't very nice to her, though. She probably hates me. I regret being the way I was."
"She most likely doesn't hate you. Why were you mean to her?"
"It's a long story."
"It's because I – I mean – she is a muggleborn, isn't it?" asked Hermione very quietly keeping in mind that they were in a muggle restaurant and didn't want the many muggles around to hear the wizarding terms that she was using. Hermione's use of the word 'muggle' made it clear that Hermione was a witch.
"Yes. She is. My father taught me that muggleborns were beneath me, and that I was their superior. I don't believe it now. Too much has changed since then for me to believe that anymore."
"That's good."
"For a minute there, you said I. Are you muggleborn?"
"Yes, I am."
"Strange," said Draco, shaking his head.
"What?"
"How old are you?"
"Thirty-four. Why? What's strange?"
"Nothing. It's probably just a coincidence, but you're a lot like the Hermione I knew at Hogwarts."
"Why?"
"Well, you guys are both muggleborns, you're both brunette, and you both wear glasses. Not to mention, you're the same age."
"Oh."
"But it's probably a coincidence."
"Actually –" Hermione began, but was cut off by the bartender.
"Hello, what will you be having this lovely day?" asked John, the bartender.
"I'll have a merlot wine," replied Hermione.
"And you?" asked John, looking at Draco.
"I'll have a Shirley Temple," replied Draco.
"Okay, I will be back with your drinks soon," said John.
"Anyways, what were you going to say?" asked Draco.
"Oh. Nothing," replied Hermione. She was going to tell Draco the truth that she was the Hermione that Draco knew at Hogwarts, but lost her nerve. If I tell him who I am, he'll freak out. He won't want to talk to me anymore, thought Hermione. I don't want to ruin this conversation. She quickly changed the subject to avoid talking about it anymore. For about an hour, they talked about their lives, their jobs, Paris, and other items.
Very soon, the conversation turned to their personal lives, their relationships and living arrangements. "So, do you have a boyfriend?" asked Draco.
"No, actually," replied Hermione. "I recently broke up with a guy I had been dating, named Ron."
"Oh."
"And you?"
"I haven't had a girlfriend since college."
"Why?"
"It's a long story."
"Oh. You said that you teach at Hogwarts?"
"Yes."
"Are you enjoying it?"
"Yes, I enjoy teaching a lot."
"What is the best thing about teaching?"
"Umm... seeing my students improve in their studies. I cannot tell you how neat it is to see a student of mine who started out having no clue how to defend themselves gain confidence in their ability to do so. Although I have to admit, there is another great thing about being a professor!"
"What's that?"
"The fact that I only work during the school year! I get the summer to relax and travel."
"Yeah. That would be a good thing. What's the worst thing about teaching?"
"Disrespectful students and students who think that they know everything."
"Do you have many?"
"No, not really. Students are usually respectful."
"That's good."
"What about you? What's the best thing about working at St. Mungo's?"
"Seeing the patients recover and get better and knowing that I helped them to do so."
"Yeah, that's neat."
"The worst part, which doesn't happen very often since I work with kids, is when I have to tell a parent that their child has an illness that's incurable or that they have died."
"That would be hard."
"Yes, it is. Especially when you do all you can to help the child, but it doesn't work."
Draco didn't say anything. He couldn't imagine what it was like for Hermione. He didn't want to know. The things that Hermione had mentioned being the bad things about being a Healer were exactly the reasons why he would never consider being one.
"Well, I have to go, because I'm meeting some of my friends at the Eiffel Tower. It was really nice meeting you, though. I would very much like to talk to you again," said Draco, looking at his watch.
"We could meet here again tomorrow for dinner if you'd like."
"Yeah, I would. What time?"
"8:00?"
"Yeah, that sounds good. Bye!" said Draco and he left. Does she like me? Draco wondered.
Hermione followed suit. Does he like me? she wondered.