DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I own any other characters in J.K. Rowling's original series. I merely am here to demonstrate a different approach to the plot, characters, and overall experience in the world of witchcraft and wizardry.
Author's Note: I'd like to start off by saying hello to my old fans, since I know a lot of you have been looking forward to the Forbidden Necessities sequel. Well, it's finally here! Updates for this story may be a bit delayed due to my full-time job now.
As for those of you who are new to this whole series, welcome! I do recommend you read the first story, which is Forbidden Necessities (you can reach it by going to my profile), since this is the sequel to that story. However, this story isn't completely impossible to read if you haven't read the first story – it's just recommended.
I won't delay this anymore. I really appreciate you all being so patient and supportive for me to get writing this. As always, I appreciate feedback from you guys in the form of a review, and you can reach me through my email as well (on my profile). I really hope you guys like this, and I'm excited to get back into writing on here!
Chapter One
Star Crossed Lovers
It took Hermione Granger three hours to travel on foot from her home in London to reach this bar. Perhaps if the sudden snowfall hadn't caused her to take different paths, she would have reached it within an hour, and she refused to Apparate in the presence of Muggles. Her only reasoning for that was the fact she had caused a ninety-year-old woman to have a heart attack and then be placed in a psychiatric ward when she tried to explain how she had watched a woman just disappear in front of her eyes.
The bar was a dim, untidy one that had an odour which caused Hermione to cover her nose upon entrance. There was a homeless Muggle perched at the bar with a beer bottle in his hand, half of his body slumped off the stool and the other half just barely staying on. Grimacing, Hermione approached the bum and lifted him under his arms, steadying him back on the bar stool.
"Er... thanks," he muttered, sniffing at the neck of his beer bottle.
"You're welcome." Hermione grimaced as she realized her hands were damp from the sweat of the bum's arm pits. She hurriedly wiped them off on the back of her cloak and glanced around the bar before walking over to a lit booth that rested against the far wall. She shrugged her royal blue cloak off her shoulders and folded it neatly to rest beside her in the booth.
"Can I help you?" A waitress, who was wearing tiny black denim shorts (despite the cold weather outside), a see-through white tank top (no bra), and far too much make-up for any human being looked rather bored as she rested against the side of Hermione's booth, ready to take an order.
Hermione shook her head to clear her head. "Can I get chips and any red wine you have would be nice," she replied. The waitress rolled her shoulders back before turning to leave, smacking a huge wad of gum between her teeth as she slinked behind the bar.
Hermione rested her hands on the table, examining the glistening diamond ring that perched on her ring finger. She examined the sparkle that even the dimmest light in the bar gave the three carat diamond, and how it reflected her matured features in its white gold band as she spun it around her finger. Her light brown hair had grown significantly, where it hung down her back in very natural looking waves. Her dark brown eyes were not framed with wrinkles yet, and she wore only mascara and a light pink lipstick. She wore a black lace shirt over a white T-shirt and dark jeans tucked into ankle boots, clearly looking more dressed up than anyone else in the bar. Hermione was surprised that he hadn't arrived yet, considering she had been an hour and a half late.
Five years had passed since Hermione left Hogwarts. She had found herself a very fulfilling career in the Ministry of Magic as the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She traveled to work every day with her two oldest friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley – both who had become Aurors, and lived in a quaint little home on the opposite side of London, two streets away from Harry and Ginny. She had no real hobbies when she was not working, apart from reading and going out with Ginny and Luna Lovegood every now and then. Other than that, Hermione had kept herself closed off from the rest of the world – for multiple reasons. One of these reasons being the human being she was waiting for right then.
The waitress returned ten minutes later with a basket of chips and a wine glass filled with a ruby red wine, which was not one of the greatest that she had tasted. Hermione picked at a few chips between sips, glancing around the bar to make sure she hadn't missed him yet. However, his very recognizable face was nowhere to be seen in the bar.
About twenty minutes after receiving her second glass of wine, the bell above the door to the bar chimed and Hermione lifted her eyes to see a familiar face, the one she had been waiting for. She couldn't hide back the wide smile that spread across her lips as he approached her booth, his jacket snow-dusted and slung over his arm.
"I'm sorry I'm late," he said softly, bending down to place a gentle kiss on Hermione's beaming smile. "I got caught up in my work, and I didn't realize the time."
"I was two hours late as it was, so it's fine. I'm just glad you're here." She reached across the table to take hold of his hand, the hand that had a white gold engagement band over his ring finger. His hand was pale beneath her warm toned skin, and he smiled up at her in return.
The waitress came over to the table once more, which allowed him to order a Guinness. He reached up and combed his finger through his blonde hair, grinning over at Hermione the whole time.
"God, you are so beautiful, Hermione," he murmured, taking both of her hands in his. "How did I ever get so lucky to be engaged to you?"
Hermione grinned. "It wouldn't have happened if you hadn't asked me," she replied.
The two were interrupted once more by the waitress, who slid the Guinness in front of him slowly. Just as she was turning to head back to the bar, she paused and did a double take of his face. "Aren't you..." she started, her eyes wide.
"Yes, I am." He laughed and tucked a lock of stray hair behind his ear, trying to play it cool that he had been recognized out in public once more.
"Oh my God!" the waitress squealed, wiping her hands off on her shorts. "I have read all your books, listened to all your audio books. Can I get a picture with you?"
He glanced over at Hermione, who smiled before he nodded and stood up. The waitress called over the bartender, a thick, muscular man with a handlebar moustache and at least five visible tattoos. He took the waitress' mobile phone out of her hand and took a picture of the two standing together, his arm wrapped around her waist and her arms both wrapped firmly around his neck.
"I am such a huge fan! Can you sign this?" She handed over a dirty napkin and a pen that she had stuffed into one of her pockets. He modestly took the pen and napkin and swirled his signature on the napkin before handing it back to the waitress, who hurried off with an enormous grin on her face. He sighed and slid back into his seat, shaking his head.
"Can we go anywhere without you having a million fan girls after you? You'd think you were Justin Bieber or something with the kind of commotion you get wherever you are," Hermione remarked.
He smirked and winked at her. "I can't help it that I've sold 50 million copies each of every single book I've written," he said.
"My mother didn't believe me the day I told her I was marrying you," Hermione said with a laugh. "She said it must have been some kind of joke, but I swore on my life."
He wiped his hands off on the legs of his pants and laughed. "Even your mother is a fan girl."
An hour had passed with the two of them sitting there, enjoying the company of one another, when the bell above the door chimed again. No one paid attention to the man who had walked in, yet Hermione gave a side glance as he began to walk past their booth. Her heart stopped and sank into the pit of her stomach. Composing herself and maintaining the smile on her face so that he wouldn't see the reaction the man had given her, Hermione cleared her throat lightly and took another sip of red wine. That's when the man turned his head in her direction.
"Hermione?" The man asked in a voice so cool and collected that her body trembled to hear him say her name again.
"Draco." She smiled and lifted herself from the booth to stand in front of him. He looked better than she had remembered. His white-blonde hair was swept back and held in place with hair spray, keeping it out of his cool grey eyes. He wore a business suit underneath a black cloak, which swept around his feet on the floor.
Draco Malfoy paused before smiling back, reaching forward to give her a very tense hug. His chin rested on her shoulder and his own heart sank as he saw the man she was sitting with.
Hermione pulled back. "It's great to see you. You look good," she said, her voice quivering with emotion.
"You look great." Draco studied the expression on Hermione's face, his grey eyes searching deep into the depths of her own chocolate brown. He had to pull himself together and remove his eyes from hers when the man from the booth stood up and rested his hand on Hermione's hip.
"I don't think we've been introduced," he said, extending a hand to Draco. "I'm Austin Braves."
Draco took the hand and widened his eyes. "The author?" he asked.
Austin grinned a bright, white smile. "The very same. And who might you be?"
"Draco Malfoy." He shook Austin's hand quickly and dropped it, returning his gaze to Hermione.
"Austin is my fiancé," she explained, her voice quiet and her eyes remaining at Draco's chest rather than at his face. She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eyes. "And Draco is a friend I went to school with, Austin."
"Fantastic! A friend of Hermione's is a friend of mine," Austin said with a bright laugh, reaching over to clap Draco on the shoulder. "Why don't you sit and have a drink with us?"
"Oh, well..." Draco hesitated and glanced over at Hermione, who was gently chewing on her lower lip. The sight made him tremble, but he pulled it off as being cold. "I guess I could."
Austin slid into the booth once more and Hermione took the seat next to him, leaving Draco to sit across from the two. Draco couldn't help but notice how ridiculously charming and handsome Austin Braves was. His hair was golden blonde with light blonde highlights, his skin pale yet dewy, his eyes bright green and a dusting of dark blonde facial hair over his jaw and upper lip. He became furiously jealous of the man instantly – for having the one thing he wished he could regain.
"So..." Draco cleared his throat nervously. "How did you two meet?"
Hermione was obviously very quiet, so Austin smiled and took charge. "Well, I was doing a book signing about four months ago in a quaint little book store downtown when Hermione had come in. I immediately noticed her from across the store, and dropped all my things to go talk to her. She was just stunning; I knew I had to meet her." Austin smiled and wrapped an arm around Hermione's shoulders, causing Draco's heart to sink.
"You two have only known each other for four months?" he asked. "That seems quite soon to already be engaged."
"I had to make her my wife. I mean, look at her." Austin rested his hand under Hermione's chin, lifting her face to his and placing a quick kiss on her lips. "She's everything a man could ever want." Hermione pulled away, giving Austin a timid smile, but immediately dropping it when her head turned back in Draco's direction.
Austin rubbed his hands together. "So, were you two friends throughout your stay at Hogwarts?" he asked.
Hermione laughed quietly. "Not at all," she murmured.
"Hermione and I weren't very close until our final year," Draco explained. "We were from separate houses, rival houses – we were pretty much destined to hate each other."
"So what made you change your minds in the final year?" Austin asked.
"We were Head Boy and Head Girl," Hermione answered, her head still hung low. "We had to get along for the sake of the school. It eventually just turned into a real friendship."
Austin nodded slowly to show he understood. "Have you two had any communication since then?"
Hermione touched her bottom lip with her forefinger, noticing a drop of blood from chewing so hard. She took a napkin and dabbed at her lip before answering. "For about a year. Then we just... grew apart." She chose her words carefully and lifted her eyes to see Draco had turned his gaze to the floor as well, his eyebrows drawn together in frustration.
"Things happen." Austin clapped his hands together and smiled at the two of them. "Pardon me, I have to use the restroom." He lifted himself from the booth and walked over to the back of the bar, where the restroom was.
Neither Hermione nor Draco spoke for a good thirty seconds, both of them just staring at the floor, until Hermione chose to spoke. "You never wrote," she murmured.
"I did." Draco lifted his gaze to hers, his eyes glassy. "I promise you that I did."
Hermione seemed sceptical of his response, her fingers combing through the ends of her hair nervously. "Every night I waited," she said. "Every night, I would wait by the window for an hour, waiting for a trace of an owl in the sky with a letter for me from you. And every night, I was disappointed."
Draco rushed forward and grasped Hermione's hands, his body leaning over the table and his face directly in front of hers. "This is not the time to talk about that. Can we see each other soon? Have a discussion about it? I have so much to tell you." He nodded backwards towards the restroom. "And apparently, you have a lot to tell me."
Studying his face quietly, Hermione gently sighed and nodded slowly, her gaze lowering to their hands, which were clasped together. She found herself tracing a red scar along his knuckle, her finger drawing a line from the scar to the cuticle bed of his nail. She lifted her eyes and looked into Draco's, who looked confused and deeply upset. It took every ounce of strength in her body to refrain from kissing him, to familiarize herself with the same lips that had enchanted her the first time they kissed in the dungeons during the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor game. Although it had been five years ago, it felt as if it was just yesterday she had been wearing his engagement ring rather than Austin's.
"I will come see you," Draco said, combing through her the ends of her hair lightly with his fingers. "Where do you live?"
"I... I..." She paused as she noticed the restroom door open from the back of the bar, and gently pushed Draco forward so he fell back into his seat in the booth. He desperately mouthed the words again before Austin could sit down, but she had no time to reply as her fiancé slid into the booth beside her.
"Sorry about that," he said with a smile. "I'm sure you two had time to catch up, though."
Draco solemnly nodded, but forced a smile to come across his face. Draco had been the master at hiding his emotions – except for a few occasions. "Yeah, definitely." He glanced over at the clock on the wall, giving himself the opportunity to pretend that he was late for something as he hurriedly gathered his things. "I'm afraid I have to get going, I have somewhere else to be. It was great to see you again, Hermione." He reached over and gave Hermione's shoulder a gentle squeeze before shaking Austin's hand. "And it was good to meet you, Austin. I wish you two happiness and a long marriage."
Hermione gasped and opened her eyes, the bright sunlight from the windows temporarily blinding her. She lifted a hand to her forehead to cover her eyes as they focused on her surroundings, which were obviously not where she had previously thought. She was sprawled out on a king size four-poster bed entangled in luxurious silk and Egyptian cotton sheets, her long wavy hair fanned out around her head.
"A dream," she murmured, clasping her hand over her eyes. "It was just a dream." This was the second night she had found herself dreaming of him, her long lost love who she had lost touch with five years ago. This was also the second night she had been stirred awake suddenly by that one simple word: marriage.
"Hermione? Are you awake?" a male voice called from the hall. The same man that had been in her dream appeared in her doorway, his gold hair carelessly messy over his forehead and his face covered in scruff from not yet shaving. He was shirtless, exposing his well toned torso with the gold blonde trail of hair that lead from his chest and disappeared at the waistband of his navy pyjama pants. His reading glasses were perched on his nose and a book was in his hand, his thumb marking his place.
Hermione sat up and stretched her arms above her head before lowering them to her sides, causing a strap of her white cotton sleeping gown to fall off her shoulder. "Good morning," she said with a soft smile.
Austin returned the smile and walked towards her, sitting at the side of the bed and resting his book open on the page where he was on the sheets. "I look forward to waking up to you every morning," he murmured gently, placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Tea?"
Hermione nodded and smiled, watching Austin lift himself off the bed and exit the room once more. She took the time to slide out of bed and slip her feet into the woollen slipper booties her mother had knitted for her as a Christmas gift. She then went to stand in front of the vanity mirror across the bed and examine herself. Her wild mess of wavy brown hair was flattened on one side from sleeping, leading her to brush through her hair to relax all of it as well as she could. Her sleeping gown stopped at mid-thigh, exposing her goosebump-scattered legs and causing her to shiver at the sight. She grabbed the silk robe off a hook on the back of the door and slid it around herself before heading out of the bedroom.
Immediately outside of the bedroom of Austin's luxurious home was an enormous library. Every wall was covered in shelves and shelves of books that reached the ceiling, which stood approximately twenty feet high. Plus black sofas and chairs were carefully places around the room with mahogany tables placed beside or around them. A large fireplace stood in the centre of one wall of shelves, which already held a roaring flame in it.
Making her way out of the library, Hermione found herself at the top of the tall, winding staircase that lead down to the main foyer of the home. She stepped down the stairs and turned left to go into the kitchen, which had been newly renovated a few months ago and was very modern yet still old-fashioned to match the atmosphere of the rest of the home. Austin was standing by the stove and had put on a shirt to avoid his chest being splattered by bacon grease. A cup of tea was placed on the island in the centre of the kitchen, steaming billowing out of it, and the Daily Prophet lay next to it.
"Scrambled eggs okay?" Austin asked without turning, grabbing a plate from the cupboards.
"Of course." Hermione slid onto a stool by the island and glanced at the cover of the Daily Prophet. Since Voldemort had been defeated during their final year at Hogwarts, very few crimes and mishaps had occurred in the wizarding world, which caused the front pages of the newspapers to be rather dull. However, the election of a new Minister of Magic was currently taking place after the previous Minister had had an affair with a girl who was not of age, which had caused a lot of stir and the loss of his job. Therefore, the front page of the Daily Prophet this morning had a picture of three men, all in their forties, beaming at the camera and waving with their arms around each other. The headline read: "One Week Left: Who Will Overrule?"
"I have a meeting with my publisher this afternoon," Austin said. He appeared at Hermione's side with a plate of scrambled eggs, two pieces of toast, and some pieces of bacon. He placed it in front of her and gave her a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "You're welcome to come along, although you can't come in the conference room."
"I was thinking of looking at flower arrangements," Hermione said, gazing down at the enormous diamond ring that rested on her ring finger. "I was going to call up Ginny and ask her to join me."
Austin had proposed to Hermione two months ago, and very little had been done for their wedding yet, which was scheduled to take place four months from now. Hermione had only just declared Ginny Weasley to be her maid of honour, followed by Luna Lovegood, Fleur Delacour and her mother as bridesmaids. Austin had yet to pick his best man and groomsmen, which frustrated Hermione, and the guest list had not even been made up.
"That sounds wonderful. Perhaps Ginny and Harry would like to join us for dinner tonight," Austin suggested, returning on the opposite side of the island with his own plate of food. Austin had found an interest in Harry lately after the two had competed in a friendly game of Quidditch at The Burrow with Ron and George and had been the two most competitive, constantly trying to out-fly one another.
"I'll see," Hermione said with a soft smile. Suddenly, she was momentarily blinded by a vision in her head: her standing at the altar in a long, glamorous white dress that trailed down the stairs, her hands in the pale hands of another man, white blonde hair slicked back, steely grey eyes glossy with pure love for her. Suddenly, a flash of black, a scream, guests running to the exit and the white tent collapsing over them.
"Are you alright?" Austin asked, placing a hand on hers.
Hermione blinked and forced a weak smile. "I'm still tired, that's all." She removed her hand from his to lift her tea mug to her lips, her eyes glassy and tearing up. Pull yourself together.