Chapter 6: A Birthday Surprise

Hermione was not looking forward to morning. Tomorrow was her birthday, and it would be the first one in a while without her friends at Hogwarts and Without Ron.

She tossed and turned in her bed and wished the night would last a few hours longer. She regretted saying yes to Maggie's invitation to go out but she also didn't want to disappoint her. Maggie had given her a job and a place to stay when Hermione was going through one of the hardest times in her life—she owed it to Maggie to at least let her take her out. But the morning could wait if it wanted. She couldn't keep her eyes shut for more than a couple of minutes before slipping on her back and staring at the ceiling.

She sat up, feeling completely hopeless about getting any sleep. She got out of bed and went to the window. She could see the empty streets below in Hogsmeade. The world felt quiet and loud all at the same time. The roads were abandoned and street lamps splashed a beautiful warm glow over the cobblestone paths. She sat on the windows ledge and rested her cheek against the cold glass. Hermione's mind was getting blended around with thoughts and memories knocking into each other like a pinball machine.

She wondered if she'd ever see Ron again. Did she want to? Did he miss her the way she missed him?

With her cheek still against the window she didn't fight it this time. Tears drowned her cheeks as her breath fogged up the glass with every sob. She was hurt. She was mad.

"How could Ron do this to me?" She swallowed and tried to catch her breath, the tears only coming faster. "How could he believe everyone else over me? Doesn't he know me? Didn't he love me?" She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. She wanted to hate Ron. She couldn't understand how anyone could do something like that to the person they loved.

Hermione suddenly remembered Lucius Malfoy. With her body still leaning against the cold window glass, she thought of Lucius and Narcissa and the way Maggie and Mrs. Humphrey spoke about them. They were married for so many years, had a son, and probably went through so much together. How could someone do that to the person they loved and shared a family with for so many years? Then she thought of Ron. What if they had gotten married like they planned and the same thing happened? It would be utter agony compared to the heartache she was feeling now.

'Maybe Lucius really is crushed about Narcissa,' she thought, while the pain in her head began to pound with the beat of her heart. 'Maybe it was true that something so awful really could change a person.'

Her eyes started to feel heavy. There was a painful ache in her neck and head with her body resting the way it was, but she didn't care to go back to her bed. As she slipped into a deep slumber, her mind drifted around like leaves in autumn. And for the first time since she'd left Hogwarts, she fell asleep without Ron's face on her mind. Instead, she allowed her dreams to wander and pictured a heartbroken Lucius. Even with the throbbing pain in her head, somehow the idea brought her comfort, that a man so cruel before did have a human heart capable of breaking.

Hermione groaned and stretched her legs as she got up from the window. The sun slowly crept over the rooftops of the other stores, so she figured Maggie was still in bed. It was Sunday, meaning the store would be closed for the day so there was no rush for her or Maggie to crease any robes or refold any crinkled pieces. She massaged the back of her neck as she sat on the edge of her bed. Her head was killing her and her eyes felt stale like left-out bread. She fell back and rubbed her eyes, wondering how long she had before the birthday festivities would begin.

She managed to get another few hours of sleep, and when she woke up her headache was gone and she felt much more rested than she had waking up from the window seat. She slipped on a pair of black jeans and a blue blouse her mother had gotten her before she started her final year at Hogwarts. As she made her way downstairs she could smell the fresh coffee and bacon like she did every morning before. With Maggie's amazing hospitality and the warm smell of a fresh breakfast every morning, Maggie's Tailoring was beginning to feel like home.

"Hermione!" Maggie squeaked and got up from the kitchen table. "Happy Birthday!" She squeezed Hermione until she felt like she could pop.

"Thank you, Maggie." Maggie dished up a plate of jam toast and bacon with a hot fresh mug of coffee for Hermione. They both watched the streets fill with visitors as they ate their breakfast.

"So, what do we have planned today?" Hermione took a big bite of her toast, feeling all the tension from the night before drain from her body.

"Well I know you weren't planning on making a big celebration out of your birthday but I would love to take you to the Witching Hour!"

As Hermione sipped her coffee, her brows furrowed at the name. It didn't sound familiar, and she'd been to Hogsmeade over a hundred times during her years at school. But then again she never noticed Maggie's Tailoring before seeing the job post at the train station.

"It's a really neat place filled with all sorts of artifacts and antiques from the witch trials, combined with a wonderful restaurant and bar on the other side." Maggie finished her plate and got up from the table to wash up.

"Should I wear something a bit different?" Hermione looked down at the quick ensemble she threw together before breakfast. Without lifting her head from the sink Maggie said: "I thought it would be fun if we got a little dressed up. It's your birthday after all!"

Hermione smiled and went back to people-watching.

'She keeps saying it's my birthday,' Hermione sipped her coffee with Maggie's words replayed in her mind. 'But I didn't even want to celebrate it in the first place.'

She pushed the voice away and finished eating. She wants to stay positive but she was feeling like the biggest party pooper. But she couldn't hide from her true feelings; she wished more than anything that Ron was there to celebrate with her like he was all the years before. Now she was turning 22 with none of her friends to celebrate with her.

She made her way back up the stairs to her bedroom to change. She rummaged through her clothes and settled on a deep green peplum dress she had worn once to her cousin's wedding and a pair of beige heels. She ran her fingers through her hair and put on some light makeup. Before heading downstairs she did one final check in the bathroom mirror. Satisfied, she returned to the kitchen and found Maggie had changed into a black strapless dress that went to just above her knees.

She was gorgeous. Her brown coils were longer than Hermione had ever seen and she painted her cheeks with a beautiful rosy shade of pink. She had the figure of a woman who ate leafy green vegetables for every meal and jogged every morning. She was the embodiment of sexy.

"You look beautiful!" She looked Hermione over and suddenly Hermione felt she was underdressed.

"You look stunning!" Hermione couldn't take her eyes off Maggie's tiny waist and perky chest. She'd always seen Maggie in solid-colored T-shirts and her green apron and she'd always appeared average then. Now Hermione couldn't understand how Maggie didn't have a boyfriend or a husband. She never even mentioned a man's name.

Maggie spun in a circle and thanked Hermione. The day was leaving them behind as the sky was beginning to darken. Maggie hooked her arm through Hermione's and they headed out into the village. The streets were beginning to empty as the sun began to settle just above the rooftops. It had been too long since Hermione walked this far in heels this long. Her knees wobbled with every step as she desperately tried to avoid the cracks in the cobblestone road.

Maggie led her to the front of what looked to be an old bar. Hermione didn't think Maggie had this kind of place in mind. It looked nothing like the way Maggie had described. The outside looked like it could have been built with old driftwood, and the windows were covered in a layer of dirt. The stairs up to the door looked like they could crumble at any moment. Outside was an old rocking chair that sat against the fence that wrapped around the deck. The place looked abandoned, and Hermione certainly didn't expect anyone to be inside, let alone working there.

Maggie carefully led Hermione up the stairs. At first, she resisted, but Maggie just laughed and pulled her up the stairs and into the bar. The inside was even worse than the outside. As Hermione expected, they were the only two inside. There were a few tables tossed around the room and a few chairs still standing while others were knocked over and missing a leg. The place smelt was foul like something had died there hundreds of years ago and rotted beneath the floor boards, that were also covered in dust.

"Uhhhh…" Hermione didn't know what to say. The words caught in her throat. She never imagined Maggie would take her to a place like this for her birthday.

Maggie caught sight of Hermione's face and burst into tears of laughter. "No no no Hermione," she said, "this isn't the Witching Hour! This is where the portkey is."

She smiled a big toothy grin and pulled Hermione to the back of the bar. Behind a swinging door was a set of matching cabinets and an old beaten-down organ. Maggie brought the two of them over to a small table with an old teapot. She smiled and took Hermione's hand.

"Ready?"

"What are we doing?"

Maggie pointed to the teapot. "That is a portkey. You've used one before right?"

Hermione nodded and gulped. She always felt immense pressure and dizziness a few minutes after using a portkey as a means of travel, so it wasn't her first choice. Maggie led her and Hermione's hands and placed them on the teapot. Suddenly the sky was the floor and the walls of the dusty old bar swirled into a mixture of deep blues and grays. Hermione tried to suck in as much air as she could before the two of them plopped down in the middle of a wet sidewalk.

The sign above their heads said 'Witching Hour' in big bright yellow and pink neon letters. The streets behind them were filled with cabs and jaywalkers with umbrellas. Inside was music so loud that Hermione could hear and feel the beat outside. She followed Maggie inside the bar and shook the rain out of her hair.

The inside walls were covered with shelves and glowing potions. There were plaques and old antique maps from the Salem Witch Trials. On one side of the bar was a wall filled with famous wizards and witches from the past. In the middle of the bar was a lit dance floor with a DJ dressed in wizard robes while holding a pair of headphones to the side of his head. The place had to be completely full. Maggie led the two of them to some empty bar stools and ordered them a drink.

Hermione wasn't much of a dancer, but she was once she had a couple of drinks. After a couple of cocktails, she dragged Maggie to the dance floor and they spent most of the evening laughing and singing with each other. They drank and danced with total strangers, but it was the most fun Hermione ever had for her birthday. As the night carried on, her friends from Hogwarts…and Ron, drifted far from her mind.

The room was warm and Hermione's world was beginning to spin. Maggie helped her back to the barstool and ordered her water and a small bottle of bright green liquid that looked to have gold flakes swirling inside.

"What's this?"

"Trust me, drink it. It's a potion that you'll thank me for in the morning." Hermione shrugged, shot the small bottle back, and swallowed hard against its citrusy bitter taste. She stood up from the barstool and almost tumbled forward. "Are you sure you want to get up again? Maybe you should sit down a little longer."

Hermione shook Maggie off. "I just want to go outside and get some fresh air."

"Do you want me to come with you?" But without an answer, Hermione wobbled out the door. The cold breeze shocked her system to life and the ground was beginning to settle. She took a few big breaths and leaned against the outside of the bar, and even though she was beginning to feel miserable on the inside this felt like the best night of her life.

She pulled the sides of her dress a little further down her legs ready to go back inside to find Maggie, but her heel caught between the cracks of stone and she lost all of her balance. She threw her arms to the sky as she stumbled backward down to the sidewalk. She pinched her eyes shut and braced for the impact but something suddenly caught her. A pair of big hands in black gloves wrapped under her arms and steadied her waist and the sweet smell of pine and sandalwood filled the air.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to—

"Please, don't apologize." His voice was rich like honey and his eyes were a pale gray like rain clouds. It was Lucius Malfoy whose arms lifted her back to her feet. Her heart was racing. She couldn't believe this. How could she stumble into the same person twice in the most unlikely places?

She looked up and down the street as they both began to get pelted by rain. His cheeks were freshly shaven and the circles beneath his eyes were nearly gone.

"It's funny that we keep running into each other like this, but I'm glad I was able to prevent your fall this time."

Hermione couldn't believe her ears. Lucius was actually being nice to her! After years of petty insults and downright hatred for her and her family, it seemed like Lucius was different. She didn't know what to say. Her cheeks were boiling as she stuttered out a slurred "thank you".

He smiled and pulled out his wand and pointed it to the sky. A light in the shape of a raindrop flew out just above their heads and a nearly invisible umbrella was now protecting the two of them from the rain.

"I was wondering why I never see you at the school anymore and yet still see you in the village, and now in the city. It's interesting wouldn't you say?"

Hermione wanted to hide from the intensity of his gaze. Something about the way he looked at her gave her goosebumps.

"I'm—I'm no longer a student at Hogwarts." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Now the streets were silent. The only sound was the pitter-patter of rain and the beating of her heart.

'Why isn't he saying anything?' She thought.

"You were in your fourth year at Hogwarts."

"Yes, I know." Now she was looking anywhere but into his eyes. It felt embarrassing to tell such a high-ranking wizard like Lucius Malfoy that she was a dropout.

"Well, I'm sure a smart wizard like you must have had a very good reason." He gave her shoulder a small squeeze and something in Hermione crumbled beneath his grip. He looked around her into the Witching Hour and chuckled. "You must be here with friends?"

A gentle flush of pink painted her cheeks. "Sort of. I'm here with my new boss Maggie from Maggie's Tailoring. Today's my 22nd birthday."

Lucius' face changed from inquisitive to shocked. He looked back into the Witching Hour, then back to Hermione.

"Well, I hope you enjoy your night with your friend." He bowed to Hermione, and before turning to leave he flicked his wand and removed the umbrella above them. Now the raindrops were hitting Hermione's bare shoulders, making her shiver.

Lucius gave Hermione one last smile and continued walking, but for some reason, she hated to see him leave so soon. Blaming it on her drunken stupor, Hermione turned to head back into the bar to find Maggie, but before she made it to the door a small white rose caught her eye as it floated down from the sky and into the palm of her hand. She looked around, wondering whose magic could have done this but couldn't see anyone else outside. She rubbed the edges of the petals between her fingers. As she delicately brought the flower to her nose, the sweet aroma of sandalwood and pine enveloped her senses.

The smell made her feel warm and fuzzy like she was wrapped in a blanket fresh from the dryer. She tucked the small rose behind her ear and went back inside to find Maggie.