"...You insufferable gentleman! "
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" G'day to yer, Miss Granger! " the old, portly grocer greeted her as she breezed into the small store.
" Morning Mr. Jenkins, " she smiled. " How's your wife? " She heard a shrill voice.
" Martin Jenkins! Get your arse up here right now! "
Mr. Jenkins smiled sheepishly. " Still alive, that woman, " he replied as he left.
Hermione laughed and proceeded to the produce section. She saw a mother and child picking some oranges.
" How about this mommy? "
" You see that there? It's got a bad bruise, pick another one. " The mother caught Hermione's gaze and smiled at her.
Hermione smiled back. And wondered what it would've been like to be a mother. Then she shook her head and busied herself picking on apples.
As soon as she had finished doing her groceries, she proceeded to her car and placed the groceries at the trunk. Hermione got into the driver's seat and turned on the car. She had just bought a vintage red Volkswagen and was fiercely proud of it, as she had spent the last few months or so renovating it into a convertible.
It was a sunny, windy morning, and she decided to leave the top down as she drove for her flat. She lived at the second floor, a newly constructed building with seven rooms for rent. She was one of the first tenants. She had lived in this suburb, about twenty minutes traveling time from London, for more than a year now. She worked two jobs, keeping herself busy most of the time but still able to spend some time with Hogwarts friends, especially Ron and his siblings.
Ron was working full time as an Auror, Ginny as a Daily Prophet writer and the twins running their own successful novelty shop, and was a fierce competitor with Zonko's in the wizarding world. Her purely wizard friends had successfully crossed over to the muggle world with her help (and Harry's of course), a few months after they had graduated from Hogwarts. They could now use muggle artifacts without much trouble.
She remembered the first time Ron had seen a digital camera and was so amazed at it; he took images of himself the whole day.
As she drove away from the small shopping center, Hermione passed by a new quaint neighborhood with identical townhouses lined with trees done in bright Mexican-like colors.
She remembered someone again, and with a little frown she tried to shove the thought off. Her cellular phone rang. She reached for it inside her handbag. It was Ginny.
" Ginny? Hi, " she said cradling the phone on her shoulder. " Where am I? I'm heading for home- If I got a gift? Oh! Blighty! Thanks for reminding me! I can't believe I forgot that! " She laughed.
" You know, it never crossed my mind when I woke up this morning, but I did write her name on the calendar as a reminder- why yes, eight o'clock? Okay, I'll see you! "
She sighed. " I can't believe I forgot to buy a gift! I'll head for a mall later on…I wonder what Mrs. Weasley will like-I gave her a porcelain tea set for her last birthday-" she mused.
Then she heard a tiny popping sound.
" Oh no, " she muttered, resting her head on the steering wheel as one hand reached for the key. One of her tires, most probably. She got out and inspected the tires one by one.
Yep, a flat tire, just as I thought, she said to herself. She sighed and frowned. "Why? Someone hates me up there! " she muttered again. And she had not carried along a jack or a crowbar!
A silver colored Jaguar roadster stopped behind hers. The man wearing designer sunglasses looked ahead, seeing a seemingly pretty, wavy haired woman in heels, a black skirt and plain white long sleeves. She had her back turned and apparently had car problems.
He got down. " Can I help you? Miss? " he asked approaching her.
" Well as a matter of a fact- " she spun around and her eyes widened.
His eyes widened. " Do I know- " he began. The man had light blonde hair, wore a blue polo shirt with a few loose buttons and shiny leather shoes.
She stepped back and stared at him. " M-Malfoy? "
He took of his sunglasses off and stared at her. " Granger? " he said in an awed voice.
There was a few seconds of awkward silence. He opened his mouth. " As I was saying, need some help? "
She nodded, still unable to get over the fact that Malfoy was standing in front of her. She hadn't seen the 'ferret boy' in years! And he was riding- no driving- a muggle car! Wearing non-wizard clothes! Standing in front of her!
He took out a jack from his car. " Here, " he said giving her the jack.
She held it with two hands. Confused, she looked up to him.
He looked at her. Didn't she know? She was a muggle for Pete's sake! He sighed. "Set the jack up under a solid part of the side of the car, " he began. "Don't raise the car off the ground yet- "
Hermione, with a bewildered look, complied like an idiot. " Why the hell- " she thought.
" Okay, pry the hubcap off. Use the crowbar- Yep, that's it- " he said as he stood over her. "Now you can take off the lug nuts- Yes, that's right- Keep your feet away from under the car- we don't want those heeled female feet pinned in case of an accident- "
" If you're so demanding, why don't you do it your- "
" Do you want help or not? " he said. " Besides- I – "
" What? I'm the one needing help- "
" Then do as I say, " he told her.
She was infuriated. This was not something to do for a woman in a skirt and heels! But she set to work, keeping her anger down.
" Okay, jack the car up- jack it up just enough so that the tire is off the ground and you can slide it off- " he said as Hermione pumped the jack. Okay now- Take the old tire off, put the new tire on, tighten the lug nuts a bit, then lower the tire and finish tightening the lug nuts until you can't turn them anymore- " he said.
After they were done; Hermione, with dirty hands, gave the jack and crowbar back to him.
" Here," she spat out. " Thank you! "
" You're welcome, " he said unaffected by her sarcasm.
She glared at him and opened her car's door. Without so much of a word, she proceeded to get in, and then she dropped her keys and cursed. " Merlin's balls! "
He laughed and Hermione looked up to him. She had never seen him laugh before, in all her Hogwarts years. And it was; it seemed sincere laughter at that. Her eyes widened in surprise. He dropped down to get her keys.
" Still haven't forgotten about the good old wizarding days, Granger? " he asked jangling her keys infront of her.
" No! " she spat out. " I'm still committed to it and thank you, you insufferable gentleman! "
She drove away as Draco stood on the road, smiling until her car disappeared from his view.
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"Mum, " he said. " Well, I'm kind of settled down, I just bought a house, townhouse actually, of course I'll visit- mum- " he said over the phone. " Please don't get melodramatic on me- "
" It's quite strange really, me using this silly muggle contraption for communication when I could just apparate or use the fireplace or have a portkey- "Narcissa Malfoy began. " So, how's the house? "
He looked around and laughed. " Bare- like me. "
" Draco Malfoy! "
" I'm serious mum, I'm wearing only a towel- you called in a most convenient time- " he laughed.
" And believe me; you phoning with this silly muggle contraption has worked wonders. "
" I just don't get why you had to get a job so close to those muggles- we do have a successful life back here- "
Successful was an understatement. Despite Lucius gone, Narcissa had survived the ordeals along with Draco, from losing large amounts of money, to gossip and to humiliation with the aristocratic wizarding society. She had pulled through. There was the Black blood within her that would never die despite being buried in Lucius' shadow for a long time. She had used the last of her remaining galleons to open an antiques shop just near Diagon Alley (along with Draco's help) selling off a few of the Malfoy heirlooms first and then some of the heirlooms from her family, the Blacks.
He knew that his mother was alone, except for a few servants, in their manor. But he had to get away from it all. He just had to.
" You'll still visit-? " her voice sounded strained.
" Of course, mum, " he replied. " I am after all a sort of mediator between this world and ours. "
After his mother had put down the phone, Draco sighed and proceeded to dress himself. It had been a fairly interesting day. He had just moved in the neighborhood, since he liked how quiet it was and homey, a new atmosphere to him, a contrast to the coldness and aloofness of his own home, a manor his mother would never leave.
The day had gotten far more interesting when he had a little reunion from Hermione Granger, the Hogwarts paradigm of virtue and brilliance. She and her boyfriend had been quite a pair. And now, he had seen her, after so many years. How long had it been? Five years? She had changed a lot. Perhaps the boy-who-lived transformed her into a rather dazzling young adult. Perhaps. But it had been a surprising moment, seeing her with a vintage car and in heels and a short skirt in the suburbs of London.
He glanced at his dresser and saw a long rectangular leather box on top. He placed a hand over it and felt warmth running through his fingertips. He hadn't held his wand in months. He had sworn not to." Not until-," he sighed.
He had a lot of muggle work to do- like decorating his new house. Without magic. Without something he had been used to since he had been pooping in diapers. He had learned to drive an enchanted car, when he had been fourteen years old, using his wand. Driving it with his own bare hands was something he'd never have done, not until his father had gone.
As soon as he had dressed, he decided to take a drive to London, to get some new things for himself and for his mother. Her birthday was coming up in a few days. "What should I get her?" he thought as he combed his hair carelessly.
Draco went downstairs. " What else should I get? " he asked himself as he surveyed the almost empty living room.
" I should get a life. "
TBC...?
Disclaimer: I don't own Volkswagen or Jaguar (although I wish I did!), nor do I own the Coldplay and Nat king Cole lyrics found in the previous chapter. I upload fast, don't I? Hope you liked this! I guess I was just daydreaming too much when I thought I would actually get more people to read this story, but at the moment, i don't mind at all.
Oh yeah, this is how I imagine Draco to be, so don't mind me referring to the flashiest things, after all, a rich wizard deserves only the best in the muggle world! haha!