I hope I didn't take too long to update this. Thanks for everyone who reviewed, and keep supporting this story to keep it alive! And for my new readers, enjoy this fic and do your part by reviewing both chapters!

And so the story goes on

Chapter Two – A Pair of Old-fashioned Glasses

It was a Wednesday, and the weather was being just so unpredictable. Actually, the weather on Wednesdays always seems to be unpredictable. It had been a little blowy early in the morning, with a light gust in the wind. Then it became a little too hot, then there was a light drizzle of rain, followed by a shower from the skies at noontime. Finally, by three o' clock, it settled on a bit of sun, and just the slightest amount of breeze to make the whole weather comfortable.

Of course, with such horrid, random weather, one would hardly know what to expect next. Would it shine again, or would there be another thunderstorm? Nobody knew, and it was therefore rather hard to decide what to wear on such dreadful weather.

One young man was facing such a problem. He had been deciding what to change into for the past half hour, and had raged a war between him and his wardrobe. At first he put on a yellow plastic raincoat, before deciding that he looked silly and replacing it with a fishermen hat over his blond head. But then the rain stopped, so he took off one of his heavy coats and wore a breezy shirt. That was before he discovered there was a rather large hole on it. Finally he gave up, and he left his apartment defeated, holding a sleek umbrella in one hand and hiding a pair of sunglasses in the pocket of the light jacket he put on.

Tramping down the uneven streets Draco crossed the road and headed northwest. Swinging his umbrella in his hand, he continued heading in this direction for couple more minutes, before turning right. This was not a turn he usually made, not until two weeks ago, and yet he walked on so naturally it seems as if nothing was wrong.

He would have walked on further, had he not spotted a familiar curly head bobbing ahead. The brunette was wearing a red little hat, with little knitted flowers pinned on to her beret. She had smartly put on a tan light coat, where he could see the outline of a long, rod-like object in her pocket. Wand. She had swiftly entered a grocery store, and, patting the pocket of his jacket, Draco followed her in.

He however, saw no sign of her in there. It was rather crowded, and he saw no trace of her in the store. Twice he thought he caught a glimpse of her in the Tea Beverage aisle, but then when he turned to look again, the little curly head was gone. After checking out the ham counter and grabbing a home-made cherry pie from the bakery section, he paid the cashier four pounds twenty and left, thinking he must have been mistaken.

As he exited the shop he saw the cheerful red cap a street ahead, and he speed up to catch up with her. He saw her stop in front of a dusty little bookstore and peering at the display. And then, as if after a moment of hesitation, the girl entered, not before looking sideways to see if anyone noticed.

This of course caught his attention and he hurried to catch up. He paused in front of a little shop called Harris, and he tried to make out a female form through the window.

He spotted her immediately, near a corner shelf, and found out the reason why she was so worried someone would see her--She looked slightly different from what she looked moments ago. It was not only the presence of a bulky brown grocery bag that she was currently carrying that made her look funny. Besides the funny red beret she adorned, she had added another ornament on herself—a pair of glasses.

It was one of those slightly old-fashioned type of spectacles. It was horned rimmed, with thick round lenses, and a slightly thick frame to behold. Draco could see her pushing up those horn-rimmed glasses as she studied a large book interestedly.

So Hermione Granger was short-sighted, he thought, smirking only a little as he entered the bookstore. Bowing to the shopkeeper, he crept behind her, careful to make any noise against the squeaking wooden planks.

He succeeded with major success, for the brunette had not even taken notice of him. She was much too absorbed in books to care. Typical of her, he thought. She was just finishing scanning some heavy volumes on Ancient Runes and Mythology did she hear a rather deep (and amused) voice.

"Still into books I see."

She jumped, surprised from the sudden introduction of noise. Turning around, her heart still jumping ever so slightly, she was greeted with a sight of the young blond man. Not exactly a very pleasant sight, she decided, but not an unpleasant one either.

"Draco." Hermione acknowledged.

She would remain nonchalant about his presence, if not for the fact her glasses were slipping off again and she adjusted it. It was then she realized that she was wearing her glasses in front of Draco Malfoy, someone that she knew, and that they were rather awful looking on her. No one had seen her in a pair of glasses, not even Harry, and she suddenly became very self-conscious, and blushed as red as a poppy.

Draco had a vaguely bemused expression on her face, observing the girl opposite him with much amusement. She glared at him as she shoved the book back into one of the lower shelves.

"It's the glasses that you find funny, isn't it?" She asked, facing him.

"I never saw you in one."

"No one ever has. I try not to let anyone see me in them." Hermione sighed, leaning against the wall. Imagine being caught wearing her glasses!

"You are short-sighted?" Draco questioned, laughing.

"Rather obvious answer."

"You feel embarrassed wearing something like that in front of me."

"How would you feel if someone caught you wearing a pair of glasses that makes you look hideous?"

"Extremely good point."

"It's dreadful to wear them." She agreed in dismay, but no longer feeling as uncomfortable as she did a few minutes ago.

"You do oddly magnified in them. Actually, it reminds me a bit of Professor Trelawny." He told her honestly, knowing that the bespectacled girl had a great dislike for the Divinations teacher.

"I feel awful enough as it is, Draco," Hermione said testily, knowing that he meant to touch a nerve.

"I must say, you look rather charming in them."

"I'm going to continue browsing, if you don't mind." She nodded in the direction of her trustworthy books, whom she felt sure would never tease her about her glasses.

"Not at all. And I shall do the same too." With that, he disappeared behind several shelves.

Hermione spent the next fifteen minutes in peace scanning through several books, before taking a look at the clock and deciding that it was time for her to get back to her café. Remembering that Draco was still in the bookstore, she began searching around for him, at last finding him at the back of the store.

The sight of him surprised her again. He was fervently reading a thin volume of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, and looked rather absorbed with the play. It was not just his apparent love for great muggle literature that rather shocked her though. Draco Malfoy was also wearing a certain thick-framed old-fashioned glasses, rather much like the one that she was wearing right now.

The same thing he had been teasing her about moments ago.

"You wear glasses!" She hissed at him after he fondly put down the beloved volume, and two of them proceed to the exit.

"I never said I didn't," He replied smoothly as they left the store, opening the door for the angry lady, who feelings were slightly ruffled.

"You teased me about mine, and yet you are wearing a pair too!" Hermione told the man, who was pushing up his spectacles.

"I rather enjoy teasing you."

"You wear glasses!"

"I can see that."

"You wear glasses!" She repeated, but with a hint of smile on her face now.

"I dare say, you look much happier now that you see someone wearing the same awful glasses as you."

She was.

"It is so much better to see someone wearing the same hideous thing as I am, believe me! You can't tease me anymore, for you look rather funny yourself." Hermione admitted, struggling with her heavy bag of groceries as they crossed the road.

"Perhaps the reason I wear them is to make you feel better." He answered, looking at the grinning Hermione.

"Nonsense. You are a Malfoy. You wouldn't try to look ugly on purpose."

"True." Draco said, nodding.

"How dare you tease me then, for wearing glasses, when you are wearing one yourself!" She scolded playfully, teasing him back.

"Well, it was rather funny at that point of time." He replied, shrugging.

"I can't believe you tried to mock me about it!" She said, huffing.

"Like you are now?"

They had walked down several streets, with Draco taking long easy strides and Hermione trying to catch up. But her grocery bags were just too heavy, and it took her all her might not to struggle with them.

Draco may not have perfect eyesight, but he noticed his companion having trouble carrying her groceries. She was puffing, and definitely looking tired, though she tried not to show it. Seeing this, he chided himself for being so inconsiderate, immediately offered to carry her bags.

"You need help."

"Oh, it's okay! I can manag--"

It was no use though. The blond man had already relieved her hands of her brown bags, and she felt much lighter without all those weight burdening her. She wanted to protest, but the man was already strolling ahead, determinedly carrying her groceries.

"Thank you." She said politely to Draco.

"Not a problem. I can recognize a struggling lady when I see one. You just hold on to your red hat." He said, looking up at the sky. The wind was getting stronger. They continue to walk down the streets in silence.

"You know, you are the first person who seen me in these glasses." She said suddenly.

"Well, that makes the two of us."

"Really?" She asked, amazed.

"No, I walk around in these all day long." He told her sarcastically, rolling his grey eyes.

"I guess I have to let Harry and Ron see me in these sooner or later. My, what on earth will they say!" Hemione sighed, cursing the said glasses as they turned the bend.

"Harry wears them," Draco pointed out.

"But he looks nowhere near as bad as I am in them."

"I beg to differ." He muttered under his breath.

"Anyway he wears them all the time. Everyone is used to it."

"You should. Ouch, your bags are heavy. No wonder you looked as if you were struggling just now." Draco complained, re-adjusting the grocery bags, shifting its weight.

"I only bought a couple of cans of baked beans and corned beef and some vegetables. They're for dinner over the next couple of weeks." She told him.

"Why can't you just bewitch them to become lighter anyway?" He muttered, eyeing her right pocket which carried her wand.

"Muggles, Draco, you forget there are Muggles all around."

"But my dinner is not even that heavy." He grumbled, which earned him a poke from her.

They had reached her café sooner that they thought. They were at the entrance, and he had passed her those grocery bags. She muttered a word of thanks, and the both of them stood around the door awkwardly. Should she invite him? Thank him for his help? She didn't know what to say.

"Well, aren't you going to invite me in?" He asked her quizzically, and, without another word, he went in.

She rolled her eyes and stepped into the café. Looking around, she found him in a corner booth, reading the menu. She took a seat across him, and he looked up.

"Any drinks for you?"

"What do you recommend?"

"Coffee."

"Then that's what I will take." He said, closing the menu.

"No tea?" She asked, smiling evilly.

"No thanks. I saw you in the tea section of the grocery store today and I concluded that you didn't buy any." He scoffed.

"Smart. Two coffee, please" Hermione called out to one of the waitresses, who nodded back.

"You know, you really should stock up on some good tea leaves. I know a decent shop down the road from here. Reasonable rates. What would happen to those poor people who only like tea?" He said as the waitress set two cups in front of them.

"They will have to make do, then."

"What excellent service you have." He commented dryly.

"My pleasure. What's in your bag?" She asked, indicating to the little brown paper bag he had been carrying.

"Cherry pie." He replied, taking a couple of spoons of sugar and adding them into the coffee.

"What's it for?"

"My dinner." He took a sip of coffee. "Nice."

"No kidding!" She exclaimed, looking at the bag again.

"Nothing but the truth, Hermione."

"You weren't kidding when you said your dinner was lighter than mine, were you?"

"Nope." He said, chuckling.

"Is this all you are eating?" She asked curiously, pushing aside her coffee, having more interest in the man in front of her.

"I don't exactly have a dinner party every night, you know."

"Neither do I, but at least I cook myself a decent meal," She said, probing more.

"I can't cook very well."

"You can cook?" She said in awe.

"Not very well. Occasionally I burn the meat, or overcook the vegetables. I'm not very skilful with the frying pan."

"Wow. I can't believe I'm actually speaking to Draco Malfoy. Two years ago, I swear you don't even know what's a frying pan." She said, staring at him.

"I take this as a compliment?" He said, pretending to look offended, but feeling raher flattered.

"Trust me, it is a compliment." She assured him, as they both took a sip of their coffee.

Hermione took this time to observe him. He hardly looked like the suave Draco Malfoy that lorded over everyone. He didn't look that bad with those nerdy glasses on, just different. He looked intellectual, smart and even friendly. Almost…gentlemanly. Somehow the glasses still managed to bring out the steely grey in his eyes. He didn't even look awful in those thick frames, which Hermione thought was extremely unfair. Not even close. Hermione decided that he looked pretty good, a bit odd yes, but still handsome in an odd sort of way.

"Imagine what we look like to the rest of the world. We must look absolutely ridiculous with the both of us wearing funny big glasses." She commented out of the blue, a hint of smile on her face as she imagined how others might react looking at them.

"You know, you don't look so bad in those glasses." He told her.

"Neither do you."

"You shouldn't be afraid to wear them. They don't look that bad."

"Really?" Hermione asked, smiling.

"I'm surprised Potter doesn't suspect you have myopia, with your nose in the book all the time," He told her frankly, downing his cup of coffee.

"Well, he doesn't," she glared at him.

"Tell me, how is he? Still saving the world?" He asked, and their conversation about the dreaded pair of glasses ended just then.

Half an hour later, a rather peculiar old lady walked out of a small, tucked-away bookstore in Muggle London, congratulating herself for making a fantastic bargain as she swung her new shopping carrier emblazoned with the word 'Harris'. She walked no more than three streets and a turn before she arrived in front of a nearby cosy café, and decided to reward herself for her fantastic buy. Minutes later, taking a sip of her rather bland-tasting tea (while reading a copy of Hamlet), she couldn't help but to overhear a strange-looking couple, both oddly wearing old-fashioned glasses and their eyes oddly magnified, having a loud chit-chat over Muggles (at this she wondered if her ears are failing), glasses, and strangely, garden gnomes.

Weird, she thought, the things wearing odd spectacles can do to you.

There. The second chapter. I thought this was rather cute, and I hope you find it too. If you do, please please please review!!!