I'm sorry about the wait for this chapter, but it's a whole two pages longer then the average chapter (five pages instead of three). Plus my mom was on the computer a lot, and my birthday passed. I also had to go get my back to school supplies, and had to wrestle with writers block on this chapter. But it's done. And by far my favorite chapter.
Disclaimer: I own nothing! It's all JK Rowling's. I'm just expanding my creativeness by writing fanfics. (and my own fics, but you can't place them on here).
Remembering Hogwarts
Hermione smiled unconvincingly as she slide back into the booth, a menu in front of her, she opened it absently not really hungry.
"Are you ok Minnie?" Miranda asked.
"Fine," Hermione said.
"Mommy, should I get the speget…seget… the gettie or the pizza?" Laura asked. Smiling Hermione turned to help her pick, but Draco cut it.
"Pizza's great, but spaghetti is messier, and more fun to eat. Though the mess is not so good, and pizza is guarantied not to splat on your face," he said, he also mumbled something under his breath but Hermione didn't catch what he said.
"No, just on your close," Hermione said back kindly, "which one do you want dearest? You always get the spaghetti, so maybe you might want to try the pizza."
"No, I'll have the gettie," Laura said confidently. "What are you getting Mommy?"
"I hear the avocado fettuccini is good," Draco cut in before Hermione could respond.
"I think I'm just going to have the chicken salad," Hermione said, choosing to ignore Draco's cut it.
"But that's what you always get," Laura complained.
"And you always get spaghetti," Hermione said back evenly. Laura pouted for a moment, but seeing that Hermione wouldn't be moved to getting some other dish, she went back the colouring sheet the waitress must have brought her while Hermione was still in the washroom.
"So Hermione, what; may I ask; do you do for a living?" Draco asked casually.
"I'm the secretary for the dance studio that I own with Miranda," Hermione replied. "What do you do?"
"I run most of my fathers companies that he left me, as well as a few that I own myself," he said almost smugly. "Me and my associates thought that it would be best to have a company in the electroonicks area, that is why I was on the camputter. Normally I don't go on such a contraption."
"Mommy," Laura whispered.
"Yes dear?"
"What's electroonicks?"
"Electronics hunny," Hermione said with a smile.
"And a camputter?"
"Computer. I think," Hermione said before looking up at Draco, "you meant computer right?"
"Yes, computer," he said with a laugh.
"You've never been on a computer?" the waitress, having just showed up, asked in shock. Hermione looked at her startled. "Sorry about that, I just came to see if you were ready to order." Everyone gave their orders, and the waitress left. Hermione looked at Draco and repeated the waitress' question.
"Of course not," Draco said in shock, "my parents did not believe in using electroonicks, and neither did the school I go to. It was my first time on the camputter, computer you said? Never mind. It was my first time on that thing when I found the dating camputter object. I haven't dated much since I got out of school and thought to try it just for fun. That's how I met your friend Miranda here who showed me a couple pictures of you. I just had to meet you, and your precious daughter." The waitress came with the food, handed it out, and left.
"The dating camputter object is actually a website," Laura said matter-of-factly taking a bite of her spaghetti.
"Is that so?" Draco asked. Laura nodded. The meal progressed well, Draco would try to talk to Hermione, and Laura would ask or say something. Miranda looked slightly uncomfortable, but oddly pleased.
"Hermione," Draco said at the end of the meal, having graciously paid for the four of them, "do you think it would be possible to spend some time together alone today? I won't take up much of your time, a half an hour at the most."
"Well," Hermione said looking down at Laura, she hated leaving Laura out of her dates. She assumed that that was why she always got sick around guys. As well, her weekends were devoted to her little angel.
"Don't worry about it Minnie," Miranda said, "I'll take Laura with me to help get everything we'll need for the sleepover."
"Ya Mommy," Laura said brightening up; as if she wasn't bright enough; "can I go please? Oh please?" Her eyes got really wide, and a begging puppy-dog look came to her face.
"Oh, how can I say no to that face?" Hermione asked pretending to wilt in defeat, "I guess."
"Yeah!" Laura squealed hugging Hermione, "I'll see you latter Mommy!"
"I'll see you later baby," Hermione said planting a kiss on the top of her daughter's blond curls. She looked back up at Miranda, "I'll meet you both back home."
"Have fun," Miranda said taking Laura's hand and exited the restaurant. Hermione walked by Draco, and he led her to a local park with a fountain in the center and trails that could comfortably have two people walking side by side. They walked down one that had trees on either side, the branches dipping over the trail, and pink flowers bloomed between the leaves. Draco's arm linked into hers. She quickly withdrew her arm, smiling shyly at him. Reaching across with her other arm she grasped her elbow and looked down at her feet slightly embarrassed.
"I'm sorry," Draco said, "I shouldn't have done that."
"It wasn't your fault," Hermione said quietly. They walked in silence for a couple minutes, and Hermione was about to say something when the sun hid behind a cloud casting shadows through the tree's, and in the distance a twig snapped from someone walking across it.
"No centaurs ever made a slithering sound before," a gruff voice said. "Oh what's that about now, you two stay here, I'm going to go check on them."
"What do you think that was all about?" Hermione's voice said.
"I don't know," a voice, Harry's probably, said, "probably Malfoy playing tricks. If he hurt Neville, so help me…"
"Violence will do nothing but get you expelled," Hermione's voice replied sharply. A few more crunching sounds were heard, before some hard breathing.
"It seams Malfoy here thought it would be fun to sneak up behind Neville and scare him," the gruff voice said, "and Neville shot off the sparks in alarm." There was a sigh like sound, "Harry, I hate to have to do this, but I know Malfoy won't be able to scare you."
"Of course Hagrid," Harry's voice replied.
"Hermione," a voice called to her. She shook her head slightly, she had never lost sight of the tree's that were around her, though they did seam darker; and no new people had appeared or disappeared, and Draco had never left her peripheral vision. But all sounds of the trail had faded as she listened to whatever she had been listening too.
"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Hermione asked pressing one hand to her eyes and then ran in down her nose and mouth, trying to keep from making a fool of herself.
"I asked if you were alright," Draco said looking slightly worried, and his arm was twitching as if he wanted to put his arm around her shoulder.
"I'm fine," Hermione lied shaking her head slightly, mostly to shake out the doubt, "I just didn't sleep well last night."
"How come?" he asked, finally placing his arm around her shoulders. She used her arm closer to him to remove the arm.
"Odd dreams," she said with a small shrug, "nothing that important."
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Positive," Hermione said starting to walk again. "Anyway, enough about that. You said you were in business, what kind?"
"Lots of different kinds," he said evasively, his face blank of any emotions. "But I don't really want to bore you." That piped Hermione's curiosity, but before she could ask a question Draco put in one of his own. "So tell me about Laura. She told me how old she is. But what else about her? Who's her father, and why would he leave such a beautiful wife and child behind?" Hermione actually blushed at that.
"I don't know who her father was," Hermione said softly. "I was out one night with Miranda and one thing led to another, and there was some guy, I don't remember much, and don't really want to talk about it." She sighed. "Laura though, she's my little angel. She loves to dance. Sweet, innocent, perfect in every way."
"Until she does something wrong?" Draco added jokingly.
"My daughter," Hermione said with a fake gasp, "do anything wrong. Heavens forbid, no." Draco let out a small chuckle. "Well maybe a few things wrong, but hey, nobody is perfect. She doesn't like reading as much as I do, though at her age I didn't like reading that much either. She has a real chance at being a great dancer when she's older."
"And how does she do in school?" Draco asked.
"Fairly well," Hermione said, "she struggles a bit with math, but manages to do well in her other subjects. She likes school, mainly just to see her friends though. Her favorite subject is social studies, except when they're learning geography." A tinkling sound from her purse ended anything else she would have said, and she would have. She could talk for hours about Laura. She dug around in her purse and pulled out her silver phone. Recognizing the number she answered it, "Hello."
"Mommy," Laura's voice floated through, "my tummy hurts. Can you come home?"
"I'll be right over hunny," Hermione said with a small smile, "until then get Auntie Mandy to make you some warm milk and honey ok?"
"OK," Laura said and Hermione could almost see the pout her daughter would have on her face. "I love you."
"I love you too sweetie," Hermione said, "and I'll see you in a couple minutes, OK. Bye."
"Bye Mommy," Laura said, and Hermione hung up the phone.
"Problems at home?" Draco asked.
"Tummy trouble," Hermione said placing her phone back in her purse. "I'm sorry, but I have to go." And she turned from him, rushing down the path, thinking only of getting home.
"Hermione!" Draco's voice called after her, and she could hear his footsteps racing toward her. He caught up quickly and grabbed her arm. She was still focusing on home when she whipped around to tell him to remove his hand. The minute she was facing the opposite direction the world went back, and she felt like she was being pushed through a small tube. Her eyes felt like they were going to pop out of her eye sockets, and she could hardly draw a breath. And then, just as suddenly as the feeling came over her it went away, and she could see again. Taking deep breaths Hermione to calm her racing heart Hermione went to pull her arm out of Draco's hand when she realized she wasn't in the park anymore. She was on her front doorstep.
Hehe, that was a fun chapter to write. But I have to admit, with what happened at the end, I didn't think of until I wrote it. But I like it. And the next chapters will have more memories in it too. And possible Draco, I haven't decided how much he'll be in the next chapter. And don't worry people, romance will eventually; hopefully; blossom between the two.
Thank you for reading.
Thank you for all your reviews. (That's one thing I hate when I don't update enough, is the period of slim to no reviews that eventually happen. Motivation to keep writing)
Please review.
Rebellion Author.