Draco thought he was losing his mind.
After all, there was no other logical explanation as to why he had seen Hermione Granger—not once, but twice!—in the last few days.
If he were still in London, he wouldn't have thought anything of it. Seeing her in the small town he lived in, however, made him question all rational thought.
It was impossible, let alone improbable.
But then, there were also the dreams he'd been having of the same witch for the past two weeks. They started innocently enough—The first was at Hogwarts where he sat in class and Granger was in front of him. In another dream, they were talking and she smiled at him. Then there was one where she kissed his cheek. In the latest one, they had done a lot more than kissing and he had woken up hard, frustrated, and in desperate need of a cold shower.
It unnerved him, seeing as how he had never thought of Granger in that way. He had been too busy being a pure-blooded prat to even think about her like that, then he was too busy doing what Voldemort had commanded he do in order to survive. There was a moment during the Yule Ball in fourth year where he thought she looked sort of pretty, but he didn't dare say it out loud.
As he drove home from the Farmers Market, Draco listened to his daughter talk excitedly about the sleepover she was going to have that night at her friend's house, while also keeping an eye out for that Granger-like woman, in case it really was her.
"And Dad... Dad! Did I tell you that Emma has three pets! A dog, a cat, and a bunny. Isn't that so cool?" Lyra asked from the backseat.
"Mmhmm."
"And Emma said that her mommy was going to get us pizza and we'll get to rent a movie from Blockbuster!"
"Sounds like you're going to have a great time, Princess," Draco said, glancing at his daughter in the rear-view mirror. She was all smiles, looking out the window as they passed houses in their neighborhood.
She looked just like him, with the same near-white blond hair and storm-gray eyes. But her hair was curly, and thankfully, her nose looked nothing like the patrician nose that countless generations of Malfoy men had sported—features she had inherited from her mother he assumed.
As soon as he pulled up into their driveway, she hopped out of the car and ran into the house.
"I'm going to go pack for Emma's!" she called out.
"Don't forget your toothbrush," Draco said after her and chuckled when he heard her groan.
He walked outside to check the mail, taking the stack of envelopes from inside the mailbox. He flipped through the papers, sorting the junk from the bills and tossed them on the dining table to be dealt with later that night as Lyra came back downstairs with a purple duffle bag.
"Okay, I'm ready!" she announced.
"You packed everything you need? Pajamas?"
"Check!"
"Change of clothes?"
"Check!"
"Toothbrush? Toothpaste?"
"Check, check!"
"What about Otis?"
Lyra pulled out her beloved stuffed otter from within the bag. "Check! Can we go now, Daddy?"
"I suppose you're packed up sufficiently. There's just one thing you're missing."
Lyra looked in her bag with her brows furrowed. "What am I missing?"
Draco scooped her up and squeezed her to him, swaying back and forth dramatically. "A hug for me, since I'll be all alone tonight."
Lyra giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed. "Daddy, you're silly!" she laughed.
Draco set her down and kissed the top of her head. "Okay, I suppose that'll do for now. Let's go wait outside. Mrs. Watt said she'll be here at two to pick you up."
Once his daughter was safely in her friend's vehicle, Draco headed to his shop to check on a few things. Being a shop owner, especially in a muggle town, was something Draco had never thought he'd be doing in his adult life, but, like many things, fate had a way of working things out.
When he had first arrived in Bar Harbor over six years ago, he had no idea what sort of job he would be able to do, and with a six month old in tow no less. He technically had no need for a job, since he had transferred a hefty amount of wizarding coin to American currency. However, he knew as a single father of an infant, one who moved to a small town where everyone knew everyone, it would have raised suspicion if he didn't work—and that was something he did not want to do.
What he wanted was a normal life for his daughter, away from the prying eyes and harsh whispers of his past that would undoubtedly follow them if he had stayed in Wizarding Britain.
The best thing about moving to the States was that no one knew the name Malfoy.
No one cared what he had done in his youth, in an effort to protect his family.
He chose Bar Harbor because his Aunt Andromeda, who had reconnected with him and his mother after the war, vacationed there years ago and mentioned the area as a place that was out of the way of the Wizarding community, but still reachable if needed for emergencies. Reluctant to live in the Wizarding community, in case rumor of his actions did follow him, Draco decided this would be the best course of action—live alongside muggles and raise his daughter without the same prejudices he'd been raised with.
Once he and Lyra had gotten settled, he decided to use a skill that he knew best as a means to start a business—potions.
Of course, he couldn't sell actual potions, but he could incorporate the principles and ingredients into items Muggles could use. He created candles that contained both calming and healing properties, teas that helped with headaches, remedies for hang-overs, soaps that calmed anxiety, lotions that healed wounds faster, and a variety of other odds and ends.
Initially, he had brought his wares to other shops, hoping that someone might like to display his products. Being a stranger though, meant everyone treated him with caution and therefore, no one seemed ready to take the risk.
That was, until he met Mr. Porter, an elderly man who owned an antique shop. He took a chance on Draco, first giving him a small display to sell his wares, which turned into a corner of the shop, given their popularity. When Mr. Porter was ready to retire, he'd sold the shop to Draco. Some remodeling and a name-change later, Draco now owned his own business, Stardust Apothecary.
Having his own shop meant he could take Lyra to work with him when she was younger, and he could work around the days when she was ill and not have to worry about childcare. Now that his daughter was older, and he'd come to know most of the residents of the town, he was more willing to hire the occasional babysitter, such as Natalie. She was Mr. Porter's granddaughter and married to a captain of one of the crab boats.
Over time, business for Draco had picked up and by the time Lyra started school, he hired on a few employees to help around the shop. These days, Draco left the shop in other capable hands when he picked up Lyra from school, but sometimes, when he was working on inventory—or in reality, making more potions—he needed a sitter for a few hours. On those days, Natalie was more than happy to watch after Lyra.
Such was the case the previous day, which had worked out in his favor when Natalie took Lyra to the park after school to release some pent up energy. Being cooped up because of the rain had been hard on the active girl.
Draco parked his car behind the building and entered the store from the back. His employees, Graham Miller and Melissa Thompson, two locals in their early 20's, were stocking shelves as he walked into the room.
"Hey, boss," Melissa said cheerily. "Lyra off at her sleepover?"
"Yes, though I don't know how much sleep she'll actually be getting tonight, given her level of excitement," he said with a chuckle. "How did sales go at the Market after I left?"
"We sold a good amount. We'll need more stock of the lotions and teas as those were a big seller this week. Receipts are on your desk upstairs," Graham informed.
"We also had a good flow in the shop up until about a half hour ago," Melissa added. "Though it'll probably pick up a bit after dinner hours."
"Good to hear. I need to do a few things upstairs for a little bit, then you two can head on out early. I'll close up tonight."
"You sure?" Graham asked.
"Yeah, we don't mind staying," added Melissa.
Draco waved them off. "Lyra's not home and I'm sure you two would rather be with your mates than working on a Saturday night. Just give me an hour."
He went up the stairs to the second story of the shop, which was one large, open area. On one side was a typical office setting, with a desk, computer, phone, and some filing cabinets. The other side served as his production area, where he made lotions, soaps, waxes, and everything else that was sold in the shop. He'd also Disillusioned a closet on the far end of the room, which stored the ingredients that were used to enhance the muggle products he sold.
Draco booted up the computer he had learned to use with Graham's help and set about catching up on the day. He checked on emails from vendors and updated spreadsheets until his time was up, then relieved Graham and Melissa. Only a few customers came in while he was there, but he managed two more sales before closing up for the night.
Business started slowing down this time of year as it got colder and the tourist season waned. Soon, all the shops in the area would start closing earlier until the following Spring, including his own. Draco didn't mind the slower season. He looked forward to having more time to come up with new product ideas for his shop.
As Draco drove home, he wondered how Lyra was doing at her friend's house, and even though he was grateful for a night where he could do whatever he wanted without interruptions, he also knew he'd miss his little girl terribly until he picked her up in the morning.
That night, Draco dreamed of Granger again. They were in a room, though the edges were vague and fuzzy so he couldn't pinpoint exactly where they were. He was preparing tea for the two of them—one sugar and a splash of milk for her, two sugars for himself—and when he turned to give her the piping hot mug, he found her asleep on a cream colored chaise lounge chair.
Affection for the witch bloomed in his chest.
He set down the mugs and conjured a blanket that he recognized from his dorm at Hogwarts. He covered her up then bent down and kissed her softly on the forehead, letting his lips linger for a few seconds.
"I love you," he whispered.
Draco woke with an ache in his heart, as if something was missing, and wasn't all sure if his dream had anything to do with it. One thing was for sure—he needed to figure out if Granger really was in his town, and what it meant if she was.