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Chapter Five

Dumbledore and Minerva had taken her to the house when she came back from her walk with Abraxas. The house was on the large side, and sat on the outskirts of Hogsmead amongst several trees. The house was made of white brick and had a solid dark oak wood door.

The inside was done in all earth tone colors and reeked of the sixties with all of the wood paneling anywhere that there weren't painted walls. It was then that Hermione really began to see that she was back in time.

The first floor consisted of a small den, large kitchen that the house-elves were ordered to keep stocked with food, living room, and dining room. The next floor contained two massive bedrooms that were identical to each other. Each bedroom had their own equally massive bathrooms, closets, and a nice balcony that gave a good view of all the trees in the back yard that surrounded the house.

The house was spectacular and Hermione thanked Dumbledore and Minerva repeatedly for letting her stay there. They waved off her gratitude and let her know that they would be in touch. With a hug from them both Hermione was alone and since the house-elves had already unpacked her things she decided to take a long shower before she curled up underneath the black sheets of the king sized bed and went into a dreamless sleep.

For the last five days Hermione had began a routine and she had grown bored. She had exercised because when or if she got back she would go back into Auror training and she refused to get rusty on her skills. She had explored everything in the house, she could have watched T.V. but the house didn't have one. She had read all the books she had bought, and even cleaned out her old beaded bag. She needed to get out of the house; the only thing she was afraid of was running into Abraxas.

She didn't want to lead him on, only to leave him. Plus she didn't want to disrupt anything in the timeline, but she needed to get out and get some books so she could stay out of sight.

Surely he wouldn't be at Flourish and Blott's. He has to be doing something else other than sitting in a bookstore sipping coffee right? She knew Draco loved books, but he wouldn't spend that much time in a bookstore if he could be flying or doing what other boys his age did. Well, if you see him you can always just avoid him. You need to practice on your stealth anyways. Oh who am I kidding? Hermione groaned inwardly as she grabbed her bag, wand, and headed out the front door to Hogsmead.

Flourish and Blott's was strangely quiet for a Saturday afternoon and Hermione was thankful. She had managed to get to the bookstore without running into a certain someone and was now scanning the shelves for books to occupy her mind. She found a few and figured it was safe to sit and scan them to make sure she really wanted to read them before she bought them. She found a table and set her stuff down and began to get lost in the world of books.

That was how Abraxas had found her, hunched over with her nose in a book, biting her lip, and fully engrossed in what she was reading. He found it utterly adorable, and averted his eyes to check her out discreetly. She was wearing a plaid short-sleeved shirt tucked into her flare jeans and she was wearing tan sandals. Her hair was braided and pulled to the right side of her head that showed off her lovely profile. This sight once again spurred his cock to life. Shit! He sighed, this seemed to happen now every time he saw her, he felt fourteen again and it pissed him off immensely. This woman seemed to call to him and he needed to get to know her.

He had waited five fucking days to see her again. After their walk together he had gone to Flourish and Blott's everyday and waited to see if she showed up. And Malfoy's didn't do waiting… not for anything. He had never had to pursue a woman before, the few women he had been with he had met at his parents' functions; they clearly had only wanted him for his money and his looks. So when he bedded them and never returned their messages it had never been a problem. Well, except Penny Parkinson, he had never and would never sleep with her, but she was just a deranged stalker.

So now here he was behaving like his own stalker, and staring at her beauty. Abraxas had been thinking about her ever since he left her at Hogwarts. He had thought about the way she had blushed rose after flirting with her, about her love of books, and wondering if there was someone back home waiting for her. If there was someone he was a lucky man. But that was why he was here, to get to know her better. He stepped forward and broke her concentration.

"Well Hello there Hermione fancy meeting you here." Abraxas said with a Cheshire cat smile.

Hermione's entire body froze at hearing the achingly familiar voice of the one person she had been avoiding. Stupid! You should have left when you had the chance! She glanced up to meet her maker and her jaw dropped as she looked over the man in front of her.

He wore a buttoned down white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his muscular upper arms, which showed off his pale alabaster skin, it was tucked into black dress pants that flowed over his black dress shoes. His thick black hair combed back and looked like he had run a hand through it a couple of times. He looked delectable. "Do close your mouth Poppet. You run a risk of catching flies." Abraxas said with a smirk as Hermione blushed and quickly closed her mouth.

"Hello Abraxas, yes fancy meeting you here as well. "Hermione said as she tried in earnest to not stare at the man who would become Draco's grandfather.

"So tell me are those books for show or do you intended on reading those four encyclopedias." Abraxas pointed with his chin at the four very thick books sitting on the table. If she was, he didn't expect to see her for days, which for some reason had become a problem for him in only the short amount of time that he had known the woman.

Hermione laughed, "Encyclopedias? Oh please, Abraxas they're not that big, and trust me I've read bigger."

He smirked and tried to decipher if that was a metaphor for something but saw the sincerity on her face and banished the thought. Judging by the blush on her cheeks when he caught her staring, he must have some affect on her and decided to keep that tucked away for when he needed it.

"Judging from the looks of those books I don't doubt that. Now can I buy you a coffee or some tea while we talk?" Abraxas asked. He knew women usually fawned over him when he bought them a drink.

"No it's fine I can buy my own, but thank you for the offer. If you want coffee or tea though don't let me stop you from ordering some." Hermione said in the hopes that maybe he would get the hint and leave her alone before something bad happened.

Abraxas brow furrowed, "You know witches usually love when I buy them drinks." This woman continued to confuse him. There was something about her that called to him to try to figure out who this woman was. "I guess you're different from all the woman I've met."

"You have no idea. "She replied. Hermione had been through hell and back. Had stared death in the face and came out on the winning side. She had seen her friends die and she had been tortured. She absentmindedly rubbed the faded scars on her left arm. She didn't gush over wizards because she wasn't that kind of woman. Unlike other witches her age, she had to grow up faster and was never one to drool over a man.

"You are a complete enigma to me. Are you going to let me figure you out?" Abraxas asked.

"Abraxas I am better left an enigma. I don't want anyone to as you say 'figure' me out." Hermione said crossing her arms in front of her chest. Why doesn't he just take the hint? I'm sure there are plenty of other women that are dying to be with him. Why me?

Abraxas stared into the brown eyes of the girl who sat across from him and mirrored her stature. Maybe she just likes to play hard to get or enjoys the thrill of the chase. I hate chasing, but once I catch her I bet it would be worth it all.

"So what is it then? Do you like to play games or is it just the thrill of the chase?" He asked with a deadpanned expression.

Hermione sighed and continued to stare at the handsome grey eyed man across from her. The man wouldn't get the hint that nothing could happen between them. She couldn't start a relationship with him and then leave whenever that time came. It would ruin her. He was so unlike anyone she had ever met. Sure he resembled Draco in bone structure and their eyes were similar, but they were not the same. Draco was her brother, but Abraxas evoked feelings in her that were in no way familial.

"No I don't like games, so please don't start any. As for the chase, I don't believe in that either. I want someone who is up front with me about things and talks to me. If we cant agree on something then we should talk it out. I need someone that it if the going gets tough, the man gets tougher." Hermione said as her thoughts of what had happened with Ron flashed in front of her eyes.

He saw sadness flash across her face, but before he could ask she changed the subject. "So what are you doing here besides harassing me?" Hermione asked with an amused tone.

"I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd see if you were here. I'd been hoping to see you since our last encounter. So now here I am." He said with a smirk of his own. Here I am and here I shall remain until you decide to leave. He would walk her home and then ask her out to dinner. She was the one that said she wanted someone to be forward; well her wish is my command.

Hermione frowned, so he had been waiting for me? Oh this is so confusing. Wait shouldn't he be at a job or something? Please tell me he doesn't just lounge around all day. I have a reason, he doesn't. Shouldn't he be working for the family business?

"Shouldn't you be at work? Or something?" Hermione asked, blushing at the sound of his laughter. Damn, if only he wasn't so attractive this wouldn't be so hard.

His dick strained in his pants at her blush. Shit, this woman is driving me mad and I haven't even touched her yet. " Well, it has to be at least eight by now so I don't think many people are at work Hermione. And no, like you I am taking some time off before I start working for my father. I have until May and then it's off to work with daddy dearest." Abraxas said.

Eight? Have we really been sitting here that long? Well now is as good as ever to leave without it being terribly rude. Hermione checked her watch, and it read a quarter past eight. She sighed and looked back up at Abraxas.

"Well I'm glad you get to have some time off before entering the working world. Now it really is late and I should be getting home. I'll just check out and be on my way." She rose from her seat and gathered the books in her arms and slung her beaded bag across her shoulder

Abraxas rose to stand in front of her and watched as she gathered her books and slung a weathered beaded bag across her shoulder. She turned to face him, and neither was aware of just how close they were each other until that moment. Hermione stared at the muscular chest in front of her and inhaled the intoxicating smell that was Abraxas Malfoy. She blushed as she tilted her head upward to look at the steel grey eyes looking down at her.

Abraxas looked down to see her angelic face staring right back at him with her big brown eyes. He inhaled the mouthwatering scent of her and fought the urge to groan. She smells like heaven. He smirked at her blush. I must be affecting her just as badly. Hmm. "Well Hermione, please allow me to escort you home. After all it is the gentlemanly thing to do."

Hermione was about to protest that she would be just fine without him but he put a hand over her mouth before she could get a word out. She narrowed her eyes at him as he began to speak again.

"No Hermione I am going to escort you home. I don't know how it is in America, but here times are beginning to change and not for the better. It isn't safe for any witch to be out alone at night. So I will be escorting you. Now check out and let me get you home." He said with a look that told her not to try to argue with him, and lowered his hand.

"Oh alright." She said as she turned to the check out with Abraxas in tow.

After she checked out at Flourish and Blott's, they headed out the door. Abraxas silently offered her his arm that Hermione smiled and took as she apparated them to her temporary home.

Once at the house Abraxas took a look at his surroundings and continued to walk Hermione to the dark wood front door. With a wave of her hand the door opened and she turned to face Abraxas. So she could do wandless magic? Impressive.

Hermione looked at the handsome man in front of her and began to speak. "Thank you for walking me home and making sure I got in okay. I had a nice time today." Now all you have to do is say good night and it will all be over.

"Hermione have dinner with me tomorrow night." Abraxas blurted out. It was now or never. Just don't let her say no.

Hermione was stunned. Her mouth opened but no words came out. This was the proof that whatever this thing that was pulling the two of them together had gone too far, since he was now proposing they have dinner, which could only lead to more after that. Now she was beginning to get scared because for some reason she really didn't want to turn the man down. He was just too handsome to say no to. His grey eyes accentuated by his thick but shapely eyebrows and his smile that made her weak at the knees.

Abraxas took advantage of her stunned expression and inched closer to her. He grabbed her hands and intertwined them into his larger warmer ones. This broke her from her inner musings and early stages of panic.

"Please Hermione." He said in a pleading voice and looked deeply into her whiskey colored eyes.

Her resolve broke when he pleaded with her. She knew what happened to him in the future, and she couldn't bear to cause him any more pain than he would already go through. He would be forced to serve someone he hated and his family threatened for years. She saw what Draco had gone through and it killed her now. She couldn't deny him some happiness before the darkness would overwhelm him and his family entirely. Oh mother of Merlin please don't let me regret this decision.

"Okay Abraxas we can have dinner." His face was one that resembled a small child on Christmas morning as his smile widened and eyes twinkled. " So come over tomorrow around seven and I will make us dinner. I don't enjoy eating out in public, and I am happy to make us both a meal. So please just let me." Hermione said while still holding his hands.

After the war it was almost impossible for her and her friends to go out into public, much less eat out. So she began to learn how to cook from Mrs. Weasley and had actually became quite good at it. She also enjoyed it, to her it was a lot like potions but she didn't have to worry about blowing up a classroom if she wasn't paying close enough attention.

So she agreed to have dinner and she wants to cook it? Odd. I've never had a woman cook for me before. This should be intriguing. He had always had house-elves make him food from the time he was born. He couldn't remember anyone ever making him food before.

"Okay I will be here at seven. Good night Hermione." He said as he pulled both of her hands up to place a kiss between them and gently let them go. He opened the door for her and gave her a small smile.

"Good night Abraxas." Hermione said as she turned and went into the partially lit house. She heard the door softly close and she took a deep breath. Now she needed to figure out what she was going to cook him.

The next evening found Abraxas getting ready to leave for dinner. He couldn't find his wand, and then remembered dropping it under the bed. So he walked over to the bed and bent down on all fours in search of his missing wand. He was too busy in his search to hear his door open and footsteps pause at the other side of his body on the floor.

"Abraxas what the devil are you doing?" The voice asked above him.

"Fuck!"Abraxas spat as he slammed his head against the underside of his bed. He got up off the floor and glowered at the man across from him.

"What in the name of Merlin are you doing? You scared me half to death Jack!" Abraxas yelled.

Jack's face remained unchanged as he assessed his best friends attire. Hmm. He must be going out to bag another conquest. "Getting to ready to go out and conquer another witch, eh?" Jack said with a sneer and a raised eyebrow.

"No I am having dinner with a woman I met a few days ago." Abraxas answered. "You would have known this if you had answered any of my owls. Where have you been Jack?"

Jack stood at the same height as Abraxas; he had shaggy dirty blonde hair with matching eyebrows that framed his deep green eyes. He was wearing a tattered rock t-shirt of Johnny Cash, and dark colored jeans that were frayed over his black dragonhyde boots.

Jack and Abraxas had been friends since their first year of Hogwarts together. Jack was a half blood and it made no difference to Malfoy family, they welcomed him with open arms. The Malfoy's believed that blood was all the same it was magic and manners that mattered. Purebloods were a dying breed and they liked the tradition but knew it was inevitable that one day their Pureblood heritage would be no more.

Jack and Abraxas had been inseparable over the years. The other friends they had were Pureblood and most all of them were prejudiced bigots. Jack was an exception to the prejudice because of how smart and powerful he was in school. Jack had ended up being head boy and the top of their class only a few points away from Abraxas. Over the years they had bonded over their love of potions, books and Quidditch. They were as close as brothers and would always look out for each other.

"You still didn't answer my question 'Brax. What were you doing underneath your bed?" Jack said, ignoring Abraxas question and pressing on with his own.

"If you must know I was looking for my wand. I dropped it under there and was looking for it." Abraxas said shrugging.

"So you suddenly became a muggle while I was gone?" Jack replied, flicking his hand, and felt Abraxas' wand slap into it. He smirked as he watched Abraxas' face grow angry.

Abraxas growled and snatched his wand out of his best friends hand. Jack let out a dark chuckle.

"Oh shut up will you? I've been nervous about this dinner all fucking day. So excuse me for being too distracted to remember my wandless magic."Abraxas snarled at him.

Abraxas nervous about a date? This is an unusual development. Jack thought as he watched the man who he considered a brother cross his arms in front of him.

"Nervous? You? I didn't think Malfoy men had that emotion. Wait until I tell Caelum, he'll be just as shocked as I am." Jack said as he ran a hand through his hair and shoved the other one into his jean pocket.

"Must you be so snarky this late in the day?" Abraxas asked with a ghost of a smile on his face.

"It is a part of my charm brother, you know that. Now tell me who is this woman and why does she have your knickers in such a twist?" Jack said smirking.

"Her name is Hermione Green, she's Dumbledore's niece from America. She was born here but had to go live in America when her maternal grandmother became ill. So now she's back and taking a vacation from her studies. I met her when I went to a board of governors meeting with father." Abraxas said. He doesn't need to know about seeing her at the bookstore first and then arranging to see her again that day. He'll think you've gone mad.

"You willingly went to a governors meeting? No I don't think so, try again 'Brax and tell me the truth there has to be more to the story." Jack said, reading Abraxas face like an open book. He knew when his best friend was leaving part of the story out. What isn't he telling me?

"Fine. I saw her at Flourish and Blott's before at Hogwarts. I listened to a conversation between her and McGonagall and then I arranged it so I would meet her that night. There, Happy?" Abraxas asked, annoyed that his brother knew him so well.

"Not quite. If you had asked her out to dinner whenever you met her, then your first date would have been several days ago and not today. So what have you been doing between that dinner and today?" Jack asked.

Abraxas sighed. Dammit, why can't he let this go? So he told Jack all about his experiences with the mysterious Hermione Green and just how there dinner date came to be.

Jack was quiet and listened in shock as his best friend told him how he was actually pursuing a woman. Abraxas had never been one to want to have a girlfriend. The few women he had been with, he had run out as soon as he woke up the next morning and never owled them back. From what he was saying about the witch she dabbled more in spells and books, more than makeup and hair like the usual witches he had been with. Maybe an actual relationship with a woman of substance would be what Abraxas needed.

"Well brother I hope she's worth all the effort, but I will give you some advise. Don't play games with her, if this is all for a good shag then end it now. If it isn't I'm glad, but you should be forward with her and don't keep things bottled up inside." Jack advised him.

"This isn't about a quick shag Jack and I wont play games with her. She's just… I can't explain it. She's not like any witch I've ever met and she doesn't respond to me like a normal witch would. Plus she's got these eyes that entice me just as much as her body, and her smell. Merlin she smell…"

"Abraxas." Jack said with amusement at watching his friend go doe eyed at thinking about this woman.

"Sorry. I just want this all to work and I don't want to fuck it up."Abraxas said, looking at Jack's amused expression. Bastard.

"As comical as it is watching you go all misty eyed over a woman, in all seriousness I do hope it goes over well. I trust I will meet her if this goes well?" Jack asked.

"Yes you will. Now I have to go or I am going to be late. Do not think you've gotten out of answering my question. I want to know where you've been. Can we do lunch tomorrow?" Abraxas asked with a serious tone.

"Yes lunch tomorrow. The Leaky at one. Good luck 'Brax." Jack said, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

"I'll be there and thanks Jack. See you tomorrow." Abraxas said. Then apparated away for his dinner with Hermione.

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