Last Chapter: Hermione turned to the blonde in wonder, the smirk on his face even bigger now. Noticing that her mouth was open, she closed it slowly, then licked her lips as she watched him flick his wand one more time and everything was back to normal. "How… did you-"
"You have searched your whole life for a different world because you felt like you didn't belong in the one you're living in now. The reason you have felt like this is because you were right. You don't belong here Hermione Granger."
"Then where do I belong?" Hermione asked slowly.
"In my world. You, Hermione Granger, belong in the wizarding world."
Hermione didn't know how long she stared at the man in her apartment who called himself Draco Malfoy, but for some reason, she couldn't pry her eyes from him. Her brain had been turning its gears, trying to figure out a logical explanation for what she had just seen and what he had just told her, but she just couldn't figure one out.
She ran a hand through her hair slowly before exhaling a deep breath and making her way towards the table. Sinking down into the seat, she finally averted her eyes from the blonde as they landed on her tea cup still steaming from the tea she only put in a mere five minutes ago. Reaching her hand to the tea cup handle, she grasped it and slowly brought it to her mouth, taking a sip and allowing the hot liquid to burn her throat as she swallowed it. Placing the tea back on the table, she turned to the blonde and finally spoke. "This is unbelievable."
"I can image what's going through your head right now." Draco said kindly, taking a seat across from her.
"No I mean it really is unbelievable. I don't know how you just did what you did with that… stick, but I just can't believe that there is a 'wizarding world' out there. I mean, it's impossible, somebody would have to find it eventually." Hermione said determined to prove the man wrong.
"We blend in pretty well and we have our ways of keeping the muggles from findi-"
"Muggles?" Hermione interrupted.
"It's what we witches and wizards call non-magic folk." Draco stated calmly as Hermione just stared at him like he was an alien from another planet. "And besides, we have a Ministry of Magic that keeps the muggles from finding out about us."
"So what are they going to do with you?"
"Excuse me?"
"For telling me about this 'world'? What is your punishment going to be?"
Draco laughed. "Right now, it's a bit more complicated than that. But that's the reason we need you, Hermione Granger."
"What could you possibly need me for? I'm just a writer for a crappy newspaper." Hermione crossed her arms and leaned back against the chair.
"No… you're a witch who had her life tinkered with so that you wouldn't be able to go to Hogwarts and become one."
"No!" Hermione yelled frustrated. "I'm a writer!"
"No, you're a witch." Hermione grunted and closed her eyes, running a hand through her hair. "Look, I still have a lot I need to talk to you about but I can't do it if you don't believe me about the wizarding world."
"Darn right I don't believe you! Who the bloody hell would believe something like this?"
"It happens every year Hermione. Muggleborns get letters from Hogwarts, people exactly like you who have never heard of our world except in fairy tales, and our Ministry has to go and persuade them that they belong in our world."
"Then how come you're here and not the Ministry?" Hermione snapped.
"Because the Ministry has forgotten about you. When you were eleven and your letter to Hogwarts was stopped from getting delivered to you, the Ministry just assumed that you didn't want to attend Hogwarts."
"Then how did you find me?"
"I found you because we need you to help save our world." Hermione couldn't help but laugh at how serious he had become and how much she seemed to be stressing him out. "Please, if you still don't believe what I'm telling you, then get your coat on and follow me." Draco stood up suddenly and started walking towards the door.
"Follow you where?" Hermione asked, standing up as well and glancing at him waiting for her at her front door.
"We're in London already so were not far from the Leaky Cauldron." Draco said more to himself them to Hermione.
"The Leaky what…?"
"Cauldron. Now come on and get your coat on."
Hermione stared at the blonde as she bit her lower lip. She wanted so much to believe him. Believe what he was saying just meant that she had always been right about her feelings. It meant that something else really was out there and she was meant to be a part of it. It was missing her this whole time just like she was missing it. But could she really believe him? She was right with what she said. It was unbelievable. A whole other world out there filled with magic and who knows what else, and she was supposed to be a part of it? Did she really want to take the chance to find out if he was lying to her and was probably some criminal who escaped from the crazy house, or did she want to take the chance and for once have faith in what her heart was telling her to believe in, no matter what kind of jam it got her into?
Shaking her head she slowly approached the blonde then turned towards her closet and grabbed out a light wind breaker. Placing her arms inside the holes she turned back towards Draco. "I must be crazy." He just smiled at her and led the way out her door, down the hallway, and then the two flights of stairs that followed.
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They had walked for about half an hour. Hermione feet were killing her from the heels she was wearing she glared at the back of Draco's head, cussing at him under her breath for him not telling her that the walk would be this long and that she should change into more comfortable shoes. Draco suddenly took a turn to the right and Hermione glanced up at the street sign that said: Charing Cross Road. She exhaled a deep breath and had to pick up the pace to catch up with the long legged blonde. "Where in the bloody hell are you taking me?" Hermione asked.
Draco made a sudden stop, causing Hermione to bump into the back of him. He glanced up a broken down old shop with boarded up windows and a sign that looked like it was about to fall from its hinges. He lifted his arm and pointed to the building. "Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron." Draco said kindly before walking towards the door and stepping inside the building. "You coming?" He asked, still holding the door open for him. Hermione bit her lip and glanced around the street. It was nearly deserted and nobody was really paying them any attention.
She nodded slowly and made her way towards Draco. He smiled at her and walked inside, Hermione close on his tail. When the door shut behind them, Hermione couldn't believe her eyes. Inside was what appeared to be a little bar and a dining room set to the side. There were few people inside, but the few that were, all wore the same kinds of clothes that Draco wore. Hermione allowed her eyes to wander the room as Draco stared at her with a smile across his face. "This is crazy." Hermione said, watching a guy at a table near where they were sanding flip the pages of his newspaper without even touching it.
"It's a famous place- the Leaky Cauldron. It's normally a lot busier then this… but these days-" Draco stopped in mid sentence and turned towards the man at the bar, nodding his head. The man didn't return the gesture but just glared at Draco. "Come on." Draco said, walking towards the back of the room.
Pushing through a set of doors, Draco led Hermione out into and small alleyway with nothing but a trash can sitting in the corner and a brick wall. Draco approached the brick wall and Hermione stood behind and watched as he picked his wand out from his pocket. He grasped the handle of his wand and pointed it at the brick wall, tapping the bricks in a clockwise motion, three up then two across. Hermione couldn't help as her mouth fell to the floor and the brick wall peeled away, revealing an archway that led to another path with what appeared to be colorful shops.
Draco turned to face Hermione and allowed a laugh to escape his lips at her surprised expression. Without having to be told, Hermione slowly stepped forward through the archway and almost fainted at what she saw before her. Shops stood against every wall, selling things that Hermione didn't even know could be sold. Owls hung from large cages while rats and toads sat in small ones, books holding potions and spells lined the window shops, and even little telescopes and quills were sitting in carts outside of the stores. "What is this place?" Hermione asked, finally turning to Draco.
"It's called Diagon Alley." Draco said nodding, glancing around the place with a frown on his face.
"It's amazing." Hermione said, entertaining herself by watching a cat jump on top of a trash can and glare up at a huge barn own in a cage.
"Yeah. You should see it when people aren't afraid to come out of their homes." Draco said under his breath.
Hermione turned to him confused. "Why would people be afraid to come from their homes?"
Draco turned to Hermione slowly. "Do you believe me now, about the wizarding world?" He asked quietly, approaching Hermione.
"I would have to be crazy not to." Hermione said with a small smile. "But… you never answered my question."
"I can't answer that here. We need to go back to the Leaky Cauldron. It's too dangerous here." Draco said turning on his heel and heading back through the still open archway.
"Too dangerous?" Hermione repeated under her breath, following Draco back inside the pub. The archway closed behind them and Draco led Hermione to the back of the pub. They sat at a small table, hiding in the shadows in the corner. "Why are you so secretive?" She asked cautiously.
"Because this world isn't what it used to be. Diagon Alley is usually so crowded with people that you have to force your way through the crowd. It's usually covered in laughter and little kids begging their moms and dads to buy them brooms. Bells that hang from the doors to the shops used to be always heard in the distance, people constantly going in and out. Our bank never used to the be the only reason that people came to Diagon Alley, and when they did come, they didn't run with fear into the shops, only staying a couple minutes to grab the things they need them run out. People are scared." Draco finished seriously, now resting his arms on the table.
Hermione gulped, not liking the way he talked about the used to be Diagon Alley, a place she just saw and found to be amazing. "Why are they scared?" She asked cautiously.
Draco looked around the room slowly, making sure the few people in there weren't paying attention them, before turning back to Hermione and allowing one word to escaped his mouth in a whisper that Hermione could barely make out. "Voldemort."
Mean cliffy! I know, i'm sorry.
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