Chapter 6

Weasley's Wizard Wheezes

Hermione needed to hurry and grab the last gifts before she was supposed to meet the boys at George's shop. She didn't have time to ponder what Draco calling her Hermione meant or why she called him Draco.

Oh, she was so excited to see George. She raced around the alley getting the last of her shopping done and made it to the shop before she was supposed to meet the boys. She walked inside and immediately spotted George in the back helping an older lady get things from the upper shelves. She headed to the back while she was looking at the new things in the store. George had said that he and Fred had many ideas that they hadn't had time to test out, it looks like George found the time. She wasn't sure when though. She needed to tell George about Seamus and Dean. She was sure they'd love to help him out and George could use some new test dummies. George spotted Hermione and rushed over to her and picked her up and twirled her in circles. She laughed loudly.

" 'Mione it's so good to see you. It's been too long, lovely."

"I know, George. It's your fault, you're so busy. This place looks amazing and there are so many new things in here. This is amazing."

She said while he was still embracing her.

"It's not all my fault, you're the one studying to take those awful tests. Who needs those anyway?" George said while he was escorting her through the shop. "Things are going excellent here. I couldn't image things at the shop being better. This is exactly what Fred and I have been dreaming of since well, before we were born. He would be very proud of the store and everything in it. Many the new things are ideas we had in progress before the war and I went and finished them after the war. Some of them are my own ideas too. I've been working with Lee and I've hired some new employees to help run the store while Lee and I much of the testing and brainstorming."

"Fred would be proud of you and everything you've done here. This places never ceases to amaze me." Hermione said while things buzzed around her head and she stepped over gadgets roaming by her feet.

"Thanks 'Mione. I think he'd be proud too. Looks like double trouble is here," George screamed as Harry and Ron walked in.

The boys greeted one another and Hermione managed to talk George to going to grab some lunch while they were all in Diagon Alley.

They had a lovely lunch and all caught up on everything that had been going on. Hermione did tell the boys that she ran into Draco after they left. She made it very clear that he was pleasant. Ron called him a nasty name, but Hermione and Harry silenced him at the same time.

"We've been through a lot, Ron. He went through just as much as we did, but he was on the other side of it all. It doesn't mean he didn't have a hard time. He didn't turn me in, he didn't kill us when he had the chance. He lost people too. He lost his aunt, as evil as she was. His father is in Azkaban for the next 40 years. He's way of life has changed completely. I don't think he is evil. I think we need to forgive and not just him." Harry said.

This shocked George, Ron, and Hermione. Harry unsilenced Ron and Ron asked if he was bloody mad. Harry said that he'd been doing a lot of thinking and he really needed to forgive people if he was going to move on and ever be able to get past what happened. He also said Ron should consider doing the same thing. At this Ron laughed very loudly drawing attention to the table.

"Thanks Ron, now they are going to be reporters photographing us and trying to ask questions. We had done a good job of staying hidden until your outburst." Harry scolded.

Sure enough there were photographers outside the restaurant taking pictures as the four of them made their way back to George's shop. They tried to ask questions but Hermione put up a shield charm that repelled the questions and threw them back into the reporters face. Hermione saw Draco off in the distant and their eyes connected for a brief moment.

"Where'd you learn that spell 'Mione?" George asked. "I could probably work that into something in the store. Do you think you could teach it to me?"

"Sure thing, George. I didn't learn it. I was studying for my N.E.W.T.s and I was reading about two different charms and thought that if we could combined them into one that would be brilliant. So I started to research it and I went to Professor Flitwick and McGonagall and they helped me come up with it on my own."

"Blimey Hermione. You're even more brilliant than I thought." Ron said dumbfounded.

George laughed and said, "It doesn't take much to impress him, but that really is brilliant. You should get that into books or something. You sure you don't mind teaching me? Maybe you could help me adapt it to make it work in some of my products."

"That sounds great, George." Hermione said as they entered the shop.

Harry asked if she could teach it to him too so that he could ignore the reporters properly. Hermione readily agreed. The trio needed to get back to The Burrow to help Mrs. Weasley clean and get the house ready for Christmas. They said their goodbyes and apperated to The Burrow. The rest of the day they spent doing whatever Mrs. Weasley needed them to do. Christmas was Monday and everything had to be perfect. Mrs. Weasley wouldn't have it any other way.

After Draco ran into Hermione he spent the rest of the day thinking about why she had called him Draco and why he had called her Hermione. This rather unnerved him. He couldn't for the life of him figure out why. He would ask Roddy if he could bring Hermione in to help with the American murders. He knew he'd have to talk to Roddy about Hermione if he asked, but maybe he should just to get it off his chest. Maybe spending more time with her would be a good thing. He needed someone "normal" in his life. She was as close to normal as he was going to get, besides Roddy and Roddy was across the frickin' ocean. He needed someone who wasn't going to use him for his money or his name. She had her own name. He wandered around Diagon Alley hunting for something for his mother. She was so hard to buy for. She had everything. He had been looking for something for her for months and still had no idea. He finally walked into an antique store and saw a beautiful cherry hutch. It was huge and the wood grain was immaculate. The owner of the shop came up to Draco.

"It's lovely isn't it?" The owner said.

"This piece is amazing. It isn't sold is it?" Draco asked. He fell in love with it and it was going to be his mother's Christmas present. It would go great in the Manor. There were some older pieces his mother had been complaining about and this would let her get rid of them.

"No sir, it isn't. But it is very expensive."

"How much is it going to cost me?" Draco asked warily. He had plenty of money but he still didn't like getting duped.

"$5,000 galleons, sir."

Draco's jaw almost hit the floor. $5,000 Galleons for a hutch. He didn't know if he was willing to do that. "How about $3,000 galleons and you'll still make a profit on it." He said bitterly.

"Let me go in the back and talk to my husband about it, we will see what we can do for you." the lady said.

While Draco waited he walked around the store. This place has loads of really nice things. He wondered why he had never been in here before. He was mentally adding things to his list of wants when the old lady and her husband reappeared.

"My wife tells me you are interested in the cherry hutch."

"Yes, sir, I am. I am very interested in that hutch, but I cannot afford to spend more than $3,000 galleons." Draco replied. The man looked at his wife who looked like she was saying it's $3,000 galleons. Let him buy it, with her eyes. Her husband looked away and closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes he said, "Then young man, I think you've just bought yourself a hutch. By the way I'm Hank Miller and this is my wife Laura."

"Nice to meet both of you, I'm Draco Malfoy. I am very glad you were willing to work with me in the price of the hutch."

At the mention of his name the couple both lost some of the color in their faces. Draco sighed. "I'm not going to hex you or anything. I'm just in here to get a gift for my mother. Would you like my business or not?" Draco asked very straightforwardly. He needed to get away from this place and where everyone thought he was evil just at the sound of his name.

Hank apologized. Draco paid for the hutch. They made arrangements for it to be delivered to the Manor and Draco went to search for something for Roddy.

As he walking to Flourish and Botts he spotted two of the Weasels, Harry, and Hermione leaving a restaurant and getting bombarded by reporters and photographers. Hermione preformed some spell that he had never seen that sent the reporters questions right back in their face. That was impressive. He liked that. About that time Hermione looked up and caught his eye. They held gazes for a moment before Hermione and her friends moved down the street.

Every time he saw Hermione he was left with a warm feeling and the urge to befriend her. What was this? Why? Who was he turning into? He needed to owl Roddy. He was loosing his mind. He also needed some firewhiskey. He'd stop by a local pub after he finished shopping for Roddy.