Run

Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Harry Potter; it all belongs to the wonderful Ms. J.K. Rowling.

Hermione was thankful that after the run-in with the two reporters from The Daily Prophet, the summer went by without incident. With each passing day, she knew she'd made the right decision by coming to Daisy Springs. She couldn't believe how quickly the summer had gone by. Joe and Nancy were having their annual Labor Day bash this weekend. Hermione was looking forward to it, but she also felt a little bittersweet. It was going to be the end of the tours until the following year. She knew she wouldn't have time to dwell on it because she had a full schedule the following week. She and Pat, along with the rest of the year-round staff were going to do a thorough cleanup of the whole ranch. This including anything that needed to be repaired or replaced in the cabins and the grounds. Although she was going to miss leading the tours, Hermione was excited. She and Pat had been working on her barrel racing techniques over the summer and her time had really improved. She was planning on entering the competition at the local rodeo, which was going to be taking place in a few weeks. She probably wasn't going to win anything, but Hermione didn't care. She just loved the rodeo atmosphere and the adrenaline rush she got when she took off on her horse.

Draco sipped on his drink and surveyed the party scene in front of him. He was attending a cocktail party a local apothecary shop was hosting in Diagon Alley. The shop was promoting innovative potions which had just been developed. Draco sighed and looked around the room; he had a decision to make. As he thought about what he was going to do, someone sidled up next to him.

"Deciding who's going to warm your bed tonight?" Pansy Parkinson Chalmers asked sarcastically.

Draco grinned as he turned to his good friend and former Slytherin classmate. "You know me too well Pans."

"Draco, when are you going to settle down?" Pansy asked and sighed.

"Pansy not all of us want to settle down and start a family before we turn 20 years old. Maybe I'm still waiting for the love of my life," Draco chuckled.

"What am I going to do with you? It would be nice for my child's godfather to at least have a steady girlfriend," Pansy replied as she rubbed a hand over her expanding belly. She was eight months pregnant and couldn't wait to be a mother. She had met Roald Chalmers, a wizard who was a few years older, through her work as a potions mixer in the local apothecary. He was her supervisor and they fell madly in love. They had been married for a little over the year and were so excited for their baby. Pansy had dated Draco when they were still at Hogwarts, but as they grew older they decided they were better off as friends. She loved Draco like a brother and couldn't think of a better godparent for her unborn child. If only he wouldn't sleep around so much, Pansy thought as she watched him checking out Roald's fetching blond cousin, Desiree. She was relieved when Draco had slowed down in the last few months, not sleeping with any decent witch in their age range, but in the last few weeks he was back to his old ways. Pansy wondered what had spurred him into being a tomcat on the prowl again.

"I think I've found a suitable candidate for tonight," Draco said as he made a beeline for Desiree.

Pansy mentally shook her head as she walked back to her husband's side. She smiled as she listened to him excitedly describe a new potion to make headaches disappear. When he saw her, Roald pulled her close to him and kissed her cheek, as he continued to speak. Pansy watched as Draco made his way to Desiree's side. It didn't take long before Desiree's pretty face was flushed and she giggled at the things Draco was telling her. Pansy could've kicked herself as she watched this exchange because it just hit her that she would have to bear the brunt when Draco broke Desiree's heart. She wondered if maybe she could stop the exchange, but knew it was too late when Draco walked out with Desiree. Pansy just knew that she was going to receive an owl from Desiree at the end of the week, bearing news of not hearing from Draco and he wouldn't return any of her owls, blah, blah, blah. Oh would the Draco cycle ever end? Merlin knows it was going to be an extraordinary witch who could make Draco Malfoy finally settle down.

It was finally the day of the local rodeo and Hermione's heart was beating fast as she waited for her number to be called. She was at the gate astride her horse Treasure, and she was nervous as hell. She had watched the other barrel racers ahead of her and all of the young women did well. When her number was called, along with her name and Treasure's, Hermione briefly glanced into the stands and smiled when she saw Pat give her the thumbs-up sign. She let out the breath she was holding as she and Treasure shot out into the arena.

About an hour later, still shocked and stunned, Hermione couldn't believe she had placed second! All of the hard work with Pat had paid off. Treasure truly was a treasure of a horse; it was if she and Hermione were one. Pat, along with Joe and Nancy, were waiting for her as soon as she received a trophy and a cash award. They congratulated her and were ecstatic about Hermione placing in the event. They decided to celebrate at the local bar and restaurant, Tubby's Happy Trails. This was a rite of passage for Hermione because this was the first time she was going to be entering the establishment. It was a tradition for all of the local rodeo participants to go there to celebrate when the rodeo ended.

When they entered Tubby's, they were greeted by Tubby himself, as he led them to a table. Hermione took in the atmosphere around her and decided it wasn't too far off from that of The Leaky Cauldron or The Three Broomsticks, minus the wizards and witches of course! After they ordered food and drinks, Hermione excused herself to the ladies room. When she was done, she exited the stall and came face to face with the young woman who had beaten her time by 3 seconds. The young woman was applying lipstick as she stared into the mirror. She watched as Hermione washed and dried her hands, and then looked at Hermione, smirking.

"Ha, beat you bitch!" the young woman exclaimed.

Hermione put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Only by 3 seconds whore!" she exclaimed back.

The young woman grinned and grabbed Hermione in a bear hug. "I was so surprised when I saw your name on the roster! Are you at Daisy Springs?"

Hermione nodded and hugged her back. She explained to the young woman, Raylene Devlin, about how she was a permanent employee at Daisy Springs and was now living in the States. Raylene's family owned Devlin Farms which was located about an hour away from Big Sky. She and Hermione had come to know each other through the years when they showed up at barrel racing events. Hermione had always liked Raylene; she had meant to look her up when she arrived at Daisy Springs, but there was always something pressing to do at the ranch. Now that she had met up with Raylene, Hermione decided to put forth more of an effort. She missed having a good friend to hang out with and share secrets. They walked out of the ladies room together and chatted. The young women exchanged emails and cell phone numbers. They made plans to meet in Big Sky for dinner later in the week.

When she arrived back at the table, Joe and Nancy had stepped away from the table to dance. There was a country and western band playing covers of recent hits. As she sat down, Pat winked at her and rose from the table. He went over to a redhead he'd been eyeing for the past few minutes. Pat asked her to dance and the woman smiled, nodding as Pat led her to the dance floor. Hermione laughed to herself because she had been "abandoned." She decided to find Raylene.

Raylene was at the bar with a few rodeo participants, including barrel riders and bull riders. When Hermione walked up, Raylene grabbed her and introduced her to everyone. As she was trying to remember everyone's names, she was momentarily shocked when she came face to face with what had to be the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. Raylene smiled when she saw Hermione's expression.
"Hermione Granger, I'd like you to meet Rory Matthew. He placed first today in his bull riding division."

"Nice to meet you Miss Granger. I was watching you ride earlier, you did a good job," Rory said as he took a sip of his long-necked bottle of beer.

As soon as Hermione regained her composure, she answered him. "Good to meet you too. You were amazing on that bull," she answered and then could have kicked herself. She hoped she didn't sound like an idiot. Damn, I thought he looked cute from far, but I never would've imagined he was this freaking good-looking. He is one long, cool drink of water, Hermione thought. No guy had caught her interest since her ill-fated romance with Ron. Rory Matthew was sending flutters through her that she had not felt in a long time. He had wavy light brown hair that curled slightly on the ends and a movie star handsome face, along with dimples when he smiled. Pair that face with his 6'0 foot wiry frame that looked incredible in Wrangler jeans, Rory Matthew was probably what every woman dreamed of when she fantasized about a sexy cowboy riding off with her off into the sunset.

Rory nodded and smiled as took another swallow from his beer. When he was done, he placed the beer on the bar behind him. He smiled at Hermione and she thought she was going to melt. Is he going to ask me to dance? she thought excitedly. Her excitement faded when Rory walked up to a pretty platinum-haired cowgirl who was sitting a few stools away from them. Hermione watched as Rory said something right into the young woman's ear. The young woman smiled and rose from the bar stool, taking Rory's hand as she followed him to the dance floor.

Hermione mentally shrugged. Obviously Rory Matthew was way out of her league and sent out a loud and clear message that he was not interested. She went over to talk to Raylene and she introduced Hermione to her boyfriend, Dave Martindale. She loved the contrast between Raylene and Dave. Raylene was 5'2 feet tall and weighed about 100 pounds, with long, curly honey blond hair and expressive green eyes. Hermione guessed Dave had to be at least 6'2 feet tall and probably weighed around 220 pounds. With his jet black hair and eyes and tanned complexion, she wasn't at all surprised when she found out Dave was a descendent of the Blackfeet Indian tribe. His family had been involved with the rodeo circuit for a few generations. Dave was a bull rider like Rory. Like Hermione, he had also placed second in his division.

Chatting for a few more minutes, Hermione went back to her table. She was glad to see that the food had arrived. She enjoyed her meal with Pat and the Sanders. When they were done, they headed back to Daisy Springs. As they left Tubby's, Hermione looked towards the dance floor and saw Rory dancing with a different girl. Rory Matthew was definitely easy on the eyes and she would've liked to get to know him better, but he seemed to be quite the playboy. Hermione figured she'd be better off forgetting about some guy who would never be interested in her and concentrate on her barrel racing and ranch duties.

Draco woke up the next morning in an unfamiliar bed. As he looked around the room, he remembered going home with the pretty blond who was sleeping peacefully beside him. He carefully moved out of the bed and started to gather his clothes, which had been strewn in different corners of the room. As soon as he had his clothes, he stepped into the adjoining bathroom, closing the door carefully so he wouldn't make noise. He dressed quickly and exited the bathroom with his shoes in his hands. Draco tiptoed out and was relieved to see the young woman was still asleep. He managed to leave the apartment and as soon as he was in the hall, he slipped his shoes on. Draco left the apartment building and thought about the notch he just added to his belt. Desiree was a beautiful witch and he enjoyed their time together, but one night was as far as it would go. He sometimes wondered why he had so many one-night stands; it was as if Draco was looking for something when he encountered these women. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he held a belief that when the right woman would come along, he'd know instantly. Maybe he was setting his expectations too high and such a woman didn't exist. Part of him knew that Pansy was right and he couldn't keep having all of these one-night stands, but he just hadn't found any woman he could stand to be around longer than a few hours of meaningless sex.

It was Wednesday afternoon when Hermione received a text message from Raylene.

Do you want to meet for dinner tonight? I know it's kind of short notice, but I just found out we're leaving tomorrow morning for a horse show in Denver. Let me know!

Hermione smiled as she read the message and texted back.

No worries. How about we meet at 6:00 pm at Tubby's?

Within minutes, Hermione's phone beeped with Raylene's reply.

Great! I'll meet you there.

Since she started working at 6:30 a.m. every morning, Hermione's day ended at 4 p.m. so she had plenty of time to get ready for dinner. She loved the casual atmosphere of Daisy Springs and Big Sky. Hermione liked that she was able to slip into a pair of jeans and a green long-sleeved plaid button down shirt to go out to dinner. Western wear was definitely the uniform in these parts. She was able to borrow Pat's truck to go into town since the ranch was about 10 miles away. As she left Daisy Springs, Hermione decided she was going to have to look into getting her own vehicle. She couldn't keep borrowing Pat's or the Sander's vehicles.

When she arrived at Tubby's, Raylene was already there and she waved to Hermione. Tubby's was much quieter during the week compared to the weekend.

"Oh man, I couldn't wait for you to get here! I have something quite interesting to tell you," Raylene said excitedly.

Hermione gave a small grin and raised her eyebrows. "Okay, I guess I'm ready," she said hesitantly.

"Look at you! You look like I told you we were going to have to euthanize Treasure or something like that! I had the most fascinating phone call today. Someone was asking about you," Raylene said smugly and sipped on her frozen strawberry margarita as the waitress set one down in front of Hermione.

Hermione was a little startled to see the drink in front of her and mumbled a thank you to the waitress. Raylene noticed and patted her hand. "I hope you don't mind I took the liberty of ordering a drink for you. These margaritas are amazing!" Hermione shook her head as she took a sip. Wow I wasn't expecting to taste so much tequila in one sip, she thought. "Not at all," she replied as she put the drink aside. Hermione had to drive back to the ranch and couldn't risk drinking. "You're right; this is amazing and so refreshing! So who was asking about me?"

Raylene was one who loved dramatic gestures. She lowered her voice and flattened her hands on the table. Raising her eyebrows for emphasis, and looking directly at Hermione, she answered "Rory Matthew. You made quite an impression on him the other night."

Hermione sat back in her chair and began to laugh. "You've got to be kidding. Raylene, he only said a few words to me and then went off to dance with other girls. Nice try, but I don't believe you."

"I'm telling you I would not make something like this up! I was so shocked when he called me. I've known Rory for a few years and we're friendly when we see each other at the rodeos, but this is the first time he's ever contacted me at home. He wanted to know everything about you. I had to fight the urge to throw up when he kept going on about how sexy your accent was!" Raylene giggled.

Hermione had a look of disbelief on her face. "Really? I certainly was not expecting to hear something like this. I had written Rory Matthew off as a playboy. He looks like he gets around and can probably get any girl he wants."

"Well maybe you need to show him you aren't an easy catch. He wanted your number and I told him I didn't feel comfortable giving it to him until I spoke to you. There's something very sweet and natural about you Hermione and I think he picked up on that. Rory is used to women throwing themselves at him and that's so not you. So do you want me to give him your number, or I can give you his and you can give him a call," Raylene replied with a big grin.

Hermione blushed slightly when Raylene made the remark about her being sweet and natural. No one except Ginny, Ron's sister, Harry, and Ron knew that she was still a virgin. She and Ron had come close a few times, but something always held Hermione back. It just didn't feel right. Sometimes she wondered if there was something wrong with her. Here she was, 19 years old and had never slept with a man. She knew Raylene had lost her virginity a few summers ago because she had filled Hermione in on all of the details when they were 15 years old.

"I'm not calling Rory Matthew. If he's so interested he can call me," Hermione said. She couldn't believe she had caught the eye of the good-looking cowboy. She felt that fluttery feeling in her stomach again when she thought about his cute butt. She had no idea what she was going to do if he asked her out on a date.

"So it's settled. I'll give Mr. Matthew your digits and you can make a love connection, woohoo!" Raylene exclaimed.

"Keep it down! People are looking at us," Hermione hissed but was laughing.

Raylene snorted. "Pfft if people in this town aren't used to me whooping and hollering by now, then the hell with them," she said as she downed the rest of her frozen margarita.

The young women enjoyed the rest of their dinner. Hermione sipped on her margarita and eventually ordered a soft drink. She was driving back to the ranch and didn't want to be inebriated. She became concerned when Raylene started on her fourth margarita and thought she was going to have to bring her friend home. When they were almost done with dinner, Dave came in, greeted Hermione, and smiled when he saw how looped Raylene was.

"Okay darling, time for us to get home. Tomorrow morning will be there before you know it," Dave said as he helped Raylene up from her chair.

"For a while there I thought I was going to have to bring her home. Wow, for as little as she is she can sure throw back the alcohol," Hermione said in amazement.

"Hermione, you let me know as soon as you hear from Mr. Wonderful, I want to know every fucking detail!" Raylene said, slurring slightly.

Hermione nodded in agreement and watched as Dave held up her friend. Dave looked at Hermione and mouthed, "Just how many margaritas did she have?"

Hermione held up four fingers and raised her eyebrows. Dave shook his head and started to walk with Raylene to the exit. Hermione protested when Dave insisted on paying their bill and leaving the tip for their waitress.

"Dave, I can't let you do that," Hermione said as she tried to give him money.

Dave shook his head. "Put that money away darling. My treat. I'm glad that Raylene has someone to hang out with. Sometimes we get so involved with the horses and the rodeos, we forget what it's like to cut loose and enjoy life."

"Thank you Dave. I'm glad to be her friend and yours. I'm going to keep what you said in mind, that's a pretty cool outlook," Hermione replied and smiled.

"Yeah, I think that should be everyone's philosophy on life. Are you okay to get home?" Dave asked.

"I'm fine, I only had a few sips of the margarita. I suppose I'll see or talk to you later Raylene?" Hermione asked.

"Most definitely my friend. Come on my big sweet cuddle bear," Raylene said and giggled as she nuzzled Dave.

Hermione watched them walk out and smiled sadly. Dave and Raylene looked happy and comfortable together. Would she ever find that with someone?

She knew it was too good to be true. Hermione didn't really wait by the phone, but she kept checking her cell phone over the weekend to see if there were any missed calls. Not a word from Rory Matthew. Well the hell with that cheesy spaghetti western cowboy if he thought she was going to call him. Who was she kidding? Hermione would never admit this to anyone, but she sure was disappointed that she hadn't heard from him. When Raylene had returned from Denver on Sunday, she came to visit Hermione at Daisy Springs. Hermione was in a large barn putting out fresh hay for the horses and checking their stalls. Raylene followed her as she worked.

"You mean to tell me that asshole never called you? I called him Thursday afternoon and he sounded so happy on the phone when I gave him your number! I was positive he was going to call to ask you out this weekend. That vile sack of chicken shit!" Raylene said and expelled a few more colorful expletives.

"Raylene, it's no big deal. He probably changed his mind or maybe something came up. Come on how can we be upset about something that never happened?" Hermione asked and smiled at her friend who was still cussing up a storm.

Raylene quit cursing and huffed out a breath. "I'm sorry for all that but damn Hermione. Maybe something did happen, because Rory was sure gung-ho for your number."

"It's no big deal. I doubt I'll die of heartbreak because the Rory Matthew didn't call me," Hermione laughed as she rolled her eyes and put her hands on her heart.

"Well darling I sure can't have you dying of heartbreak, so I decided to come out here so I can get another look at those gorgeous brown eyes," Rory Matthew drawled as he walked towards Hermione and Raylene.

Hermione turned towards Raylene and mouthed "Shit," as her face reddened.

Raylene backed into an empty stall so Rory couldn't see her giggling. She and Hermione wondered how much of their conversation Rory had overheard. From the shit-eating grin on his face, he had probably gotten quite an earful.

Hermione turned to look at Rory and wanted to find a hole to hide in, she was so embarrassed. Not only because of what she and Raylene had been saying, but also because she was in her rattiest pair of jeans and an old long-sleeved T-shirt that had belonged to her dad. She decided to make the best of the situation, so she smiled. "Hello Rory, I sure wasn't expecting to see you."

Rory threw his head back and laughed. "I bet I was the last person you and Ms. Raylene expected to see!"

Raylene came out of the stall and grinned sheepishly. "Hey Rory, nice seeing you. I guess I'll be going now."

"I'll be right back Rory, I'll just walk Raylene out," Hermione said quickly as she walked out of the barn with her friend.

As soon as she was sure they were out of earshot, Hermione began to panic a little. "Raylene, what do I do? You never told me he'd come here!"

"I didn't know he'd show up either! I thought he was going to call you. Look, get back in there and just be you. You'll be fine. Call me as soon as you can!" Raylene said excitedly as she climbed into Dave's black late-model 4-wheel drive Chevrolet crew cab truck.

Hermione waved to Raylene and walked back into the barn where Rory was waiting. When she walked in, she was touched to see him affectionately rubbing one of the horses on its mane. He looked up when he heard Hermione and shot her that smile that made her "oh so weak" in the knees. She was nervous, but she decided to be straightforward with him. She approached him with a shy smile, hands in the back pockets of her jeans, and the toe of her right boot rubbing into the cement floor of the barn.

"Rory, to be honest I was shocked when Raylene told me you wanted my number. I truly thought you weren't interested in me when I first met you," Hermione said and looked him in the eye.

"Why did you think that? Is it because I didn't ask you to dance? When I think back on it, that was really stupid, but I was so afraid of saying the wrong thing or doing something stupid. I didn't want to get to know you at Tubby's bar or dance floor. I want to take you out on a proper date. Raylene tells me you're from London, but that you've spent quite a few summer vacations here."

Hermione relaxed. She was glad that she had taken the initiative to be honest; it definitely helped with the nervous flutters in her stomach that had been there only a few moments before. "Yes. My parents and I have been coming here since I was three years old. My mother and Nancy were classmates in London."

"I guess we're just meeting now since I'm originally from Texas. I'm working at the Essen Ranch about 5 miles from here. I've been there about a year, but I'm about to leave for the pro-rodeo circuit. I've been recruited to join a major corporate sponsor's team," Rory replied.

"That's great Rory! Have you always wanted to be a professional bull rider?" Hermione asked.

Rory gave that heart melting smile again and nodded. "Ever since I was 3 years old and I saw Pat riding, I was hooked! My parents weren't too thrilled, but once I got a taste of being on that bull, I knew this was what I was born to do!"

Hermione, ever practical and always thinking ahead, asked "What are you going to do when you can't ride anymore?"

"Well hopefully by the time I retire with what I hope is a winning career, I'll be able to take my winnings and buy a ranch of my own," Rory said thoughtfully.

Hermione nodded. "That sounds like a good plan. Do you want a ranch in Montana?"

"Nah, I have my eye on a ranch in my hometown of Amarillo, Texas. The couple operating it are about to retire and they have no children or kin to pass it down. If everything works out like it should, I'll probably have my ranch in about 5 years or so," Rory replied and grinned.

"You're pretty sure of yourself, Mr. Matthew," Hermione teased.

"You have to be in my chosen profession. So what do you say Ms. Hermione Granger. Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?" Rory asked.

"Yes I will Mr. Rory Matthew," Hermione answered as they smiled at each other. Rory stayed for about another hour and they continued to talk. Hermione was amazed at once she got over her initial nervousness, how easy it was to speak to Rory. He asked her plenty of questions about growing up in London. Hermione told him that she had attended a boarding school in Scotland; there was no way he could know about Hogwarts! She found out that he was 5 years older than she was, had grown up in Texas, and was an only child like her. Rory looked at his watch and sighed. He had to get back to the ranch; there was a cow that was about to give birth and he needed to be there to make sure there were no complications. He loved talking to Hermione; he'd never met anyone like her. She didn't seem to be as clingy and annoying as the women he usually met. He was really looking forward to taking her out.

They walked over to his older model white Ford pickup and he shook her hand before leaving. Hermione watched the truck leaving on the long gravel driveway of the ranch. Rory Matthew turned out to be everything she didn't think he would be-her dream guy.

Trust that there will be lemons later on, but for now I'm taking it slow with my heroine. Hope you enjoy it. As I said before, this one's been stuck in my head. Thank you so much for taking the time to read it. Love the reviews and alerts!