Disclaimer: I woke up this morning and I thought: "Damn, Joanne... this is one good day". And then I realised my name is Ingeborg and that it's frankly, not that good of a day because I will definitely not be making any money off this hobby-basis fanfic.

A/N: Well well. Without spoiling too much, this is Enter: Malfoy. I hope the OOCness isn't too bad or annoying, but you know... it's been years, people change. Change is in fact one of the key elements in this entire story...

Chapter 3 // The Meeting

She tumbled through the door finding a scarcely populated room, dimly lit and slightly buzzing with low chatter. A pub. How very fitting for her current mood. She paused in the doorway for a second, but then realised a drink was exactly what she needed. Damn Ron and his stupid, sneaky ways to get into her head. She didn't want him there. She wanted to get over him, put him behind her.

Hermione was so wrapped in thought as she stepped up to the bar that she didn't notice the lower part of a coat flowing onto the slightly dirty stone floor. Within seconds her foot had tangled in the fabric and she shot forwards, only to fall harshly against the counter. Luckily, she had managed to grip onto it, and keep herself standing. Growling at her own clumsiness, she pulled out one of the tall stools and hoisted herself onto it.

"Granger," someone drawled mere inches from her. "Graceful as always."

Her head whipped around in horror and met just the steely grey eyes she had feared. There was no mistaking that voice, and her eyes widened when she realised what it meant. He was here, in her town, in her sanctuary. This cannot be happening, she cried silently within the frames of her own mind.

"Malfoy," she finally replied. "A pain in the arse as usual."

"Now now, Granger," he said, the oh-so-familiar smirk gracing his features just for her. "Aren't you happy to see your old war-buddy?"

"So happy I'd like to go drown myself in that fountain dedicated to Meveron the Not-so-Tall," she quipped as she watched him tip the glass back towards his lips.

It reminded her painfully of her own need for a drink.

"A firewhiskey, please," she ordered dully, and realised her mistake too late as the barman rose his eyebrow at her.

"What the brightest kid in school is trying to say..." Malfoy interrupted loudly. "Is that she would like a whiskey on the rocks."

Hermione put up an innocent smile, and rolled her eyes at herself. "Silly me. I forgot firewhiskey is just an American phenomenon."

Malfoy turned to look at her, as she shrugged and smiled sweetly at the barman.

"Weird that you should be so caught up in an American phenomenon, considering you've been residing in London for years," he commented dryly when the barman was out of earshot.

She gave him a cold look just as he signalled for another drink for himself.

"What do you know about me, anyway," she said coolly. "You disappeared after the war. None of us ever saw you again."

He quirked his eyebrow at that and she growled.

"Not that I'm complaining," she added fiercely. "It's been quite a treat to not have to deal with your tantrums and your childish displays."

"So everyone's happy."

"Definitely."

"Is that why you're sitting in a small town in the North of England, ordering whiskeys at 5 o'clock in the afternoon?"

She just gave him a scolding look and gripped the drink being pushed into her hand by the barman. She had no reason to tell him anything. So what if he had been on their side in the war? He was still an arrogant, pompous, self-righteous arse.

"Yes," she replied in a biting tone, making it clear that she refused to explain the answer any further.

"Granger, how's this for a way to greet an old... well... enemy?" he asked, clearly becoming rather amused.

"Fine, I'm on holiday," she said vaguely and tipped the glass towards her lips. The alcohol slithered down her throat, leaving a burning trail in its track. Just what she needed.

"You don't go on holiday."

"I am on one now, so that would prove you wrong, wouldn't it?" she replied with a triumphant smirk, not looking in his direction at all.

"You're on holiday alone," he commented, forming it rather more like a question than a statement.

"Seems so."

"Trouble in Weasel-Paradise?"

She forced her eyes to stay locked on the wall across the room. Do not give anything away, she told herself hastily. He didn't need to know. Draco Malfoy did not need to know how she had been tossed aside for some tart. She shuddered at the thought of the insults, the taunts. It was too soon for that.

"Everything is quite fine, thank you," she said with a fake smile. "Why are you up here anyway?"

"I live here," he replied simply, drinking the last of his glass.

She turned to look at him in disbelief, taking in the picture of the Draco Malfoy she had known for years. He looked the same, but yet different. His hair was still silver blond, but instead of being slicked back and meticulously kept, it fell into his eyes, and seemed to have grown longer since the last time she saw him. He still wore the pale skin, but his face bore a slight stubble of one who hadn't shaved the past couple of days. It looked out of place on him, and it made him seem less regal. Hermione noticed he looked older, and while they had all grown older, he seemed to look more experienced and distinguished.

"Yeah right," she laughed harshly. "Like you'd ever leave your enormous Manor for anyone or anything. No really, why are you here?"

"I live here," he repeated, as if she had never drawn the statement into question.

"Whatever, Malfoy."

He just shrugged at her obvious denial, drank the last of his drink and put the glass down with a loud thud. As he got up from the barstool, she plucked up the courage to shoot him a last look. He was swinging his cloak over his shoulder and it tousled his hair slightly, making it stick out a bit above his ear. She disguised a smile, wondering why on earth she even had a smile to cover up. To compensate, she scowled angrily at the figure standing mere inches from her.

"Well, I guess I have to run into you sometime later, Granger."

"Let's hope not," she replied icily, and she was certain she saw the corner of his mouth twitch.

"I will definitely try my out most to stay clear," he promised with a smirk.

"Good."

Her trip home was taken in a total haze. A somewhat drunken haze, in fact. But the alcohol didn't affect her quite as much as the sudden ache for Ron to be with her, and definitely didn't overshadow the total shock she felt at finding Malfoy of all people in the local pub. She fixed her eyes on the ground as she walked, not quite as straight as she would have liked, and admitted to herself that life would probably never show her mercy.

She scowled angrily and kicked a small stone with the tip of her shoe, making it bounce several times on the gravel road before it disappeared into the grass on the other side of the road. All she had wanted was a little peace and quiet. Just a little time to figure things out. And how in the name of Merlin could she do that when she would be running into Draco Malfoy every which way? That infuriating git. So alright, they hadn't been that foul to each other during the war, but it didn't change anything. He was still annoying, he still looked down on her, she still wanted to kick him off his pedestal and step over him as he lay there in the mud struggling to get up. He wasn't supposed to be there, not in her safe haven. It was all wrong.

The following morning Hermione received the first visit from Hedwig, the always beautiful, snowy white owl. It was a less pleasurable experience than she had anticipated. She knew she should tell Harry and Ginny about what had happened since she got here, but she found herself writing the normal pleasantries about being fine, and how the weather was fabulous and the town was so charming. Just to be sure, she avoided using any words starting with the letter M. You never knew, right? Harry was too perceptive for his own good. She sent Hedwig away with the letter, before settling down into her couch, wrapping herself in a book.

Hermione found herself being ripped from the comfort zone of her book by a loud tap on the front door. Confused as to who would visit her in a town where she knew no one (well... She liked to pretend she knew no one, anyway), she scrambled to her feet and ran her fingers carefully over her clothes to remove the creases. Plastering a smile on her face, she opened the wooden door and came face to face with a middle-aged woman who smiled cheerfully at her from over a basket.

"Why hello," the older lady beamed. "I'm Miranda Alm. I live right across the street."

Hermione swallowed her surprise and widened her smile just a tad bit more. After all, she was a professional at being nice to people. It was all she ever did. Well, with one exception.

"Oh, so great to meet some neighbours," she said and held out her hand towards Mrs. Alm. "I'm Hermione Granger, so nice to meet you, Mrs. Alm."

The older lady snickered, making her sound much younger than she really was. "Oh don't be silly. Call me Miranda."

"I can do that," Hemione smiled. "Want to come inside?"

Miranda took her up on the offer and stepped inside the house that was probably quite identical to her own. Hermione showed her into the living room, and the older lady started talking at once. The words came too fast for Hermione to even listen. She caught something about the neighbours to her right, about children and a dramatic wedding that they had all attended last year, but she couldn't quite follow.

"Oh," Miranda suddenly exclaimed. "I nearly forgot. Your neighbour to the left is a wizard too."

Hermione's mouth fell open in an instant, and she had troubles making it snap shut again. She had not expected to be talking about anything related to the wizarding world with this sweet lady.

"Don't be so shocked, dear," Miranda chuckled. "I saw the owl this morning. After all, I am a witch myself so I should know what owls flying straight into your living room means."

Hermione relaxed visibly and was suddenly relieved at having met another magical person in the small town. It gave her a sense of security, knowing someone else who kept the same secret as her.

"So, he's a wizard?" she asked conversationally, shifting a bit in her seat.

"Oh yes, a very good one at that, I believe," the other woman winked. "And he's such a nice young lad. Always offering to help out with anything us old ladies should need help with."

Hermione smiled at this. "He sounds really sweet"

"And he's so handsome too. All my friends have tried to set him up with their daughters, but it hasn't worked so far."

Miranda gave a shrilly laugh and shook her head. "Should have known it would never have worked, they should. You can tell from afar that he's a proud man that wouldn't let anyone pick a woman for him."

"Well, I can't wait to meet him," Hermione said in utter sincerity, and wondered quietly if she had met him before. "Do you know if he went to Hogwarts?"

"I do believe he did. I've met very few wizards or witches who haven't attended Hogwarts, well... British wizards of course."

"True," Hermione pondered. She couldn't really remember any handsome, sweet and nice men at Hogwarts. At least not anyone who would help older women with whatever they needed. He must have been before her time.

"Oh dear, I must be going. My son and his wife are coming to visit," the lady next to her suddenly exclaimed before reaching into her basket. "I brought you a house warming gift."

"Thank you," Hermione beamed and took the plate into her hands.

"It's just a pumpkin pie, my dear."

"Thank you so much, I really appreciate it."

"Oh, nonsense," Miranda chuckled before giving a small wave.

Hermione looked after her with a small smile gracing her features. She felt oddly comfortable in this new neighbourhood, and wondered if it was actually possible to live in such an idyllic place. You'd think there would be something wrong with it. Beautiful scenery, beautiful houses, nice neighbours... she couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy at this thought.

She went into the kitchen and cut herself a piece of the pumpkin pie, and grabbing the book on her way out, she opened the door with difficulties. The sun was gracing them with its presence still, and she slipped outside to fall into one of the chairs outside. After a few moments she heard noises from the other side of the hedge and was immediately intrigued, remembering Miranda's words from earlier.

Putting the book down, she got up from the chair without making a sound and slipped over to the tall hedge. It reached almost to her shoulders, and it was just low enough for her to peer over. Her neighbour was bending over what seemed to be a rosebush, or something else of the likes... she never was much of a gardener. She smiled, watching the t-shirt cling to his back as he bent even further down.

"Hey," she tried carefully. "I'm Hermione Granger. Your new neighbour."

To her surprise, he didn't look up immediately. He just gave a short wave, still with his head buried in whatever he was doing.

"Nice to meet you," he said in a muffled voice, and it sounded a bit strained, oddly enough.

"Look, this is going to sound so forward and it's going to sound like some lame attempt to seduce you, but assure you it's not," she said quickly. "But Miranda told me that you always help them out, and one of the feet on my bed is really wobbly, and I'm scared it's going to just cave in one night."

She heard him mutter something, but she couldn't quite catch it.

"I was just wondering if you could help me out, but if you're busy that's alright," she smiled.

The man suddenly straightened up and brushed his hands against each other. He muttered a spell and they cleaned instantly, but Hermione didn't notice. All she could see was the blond hair gleaming in the afternoon sun.

"Sure, Granger," he said, his lips pulling into a mischievous smirk.

Another A/N:

I'm not going to be one of those people who scream: "REVIEW OR I'LL NEVER FINISH THIS STORY", cause I primarily write my stories for myself. But reviews are always nice, and I really appreciate any words you'd like to leave behind for me to read. I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed so far. You guys are great!