A little edit, señor.
_________________________________
"Miss me,Granger?"
Dumfounded. Stunned.
No words for what Hermione was feeling right now.
"Granger?... You have some nerve, Malfoy to come waltzing up to my house and call me by name."
"I thought after all that happened that day... A surname wouldn't hurt. And besides this is a muggle colony. You are staying at a muggle house with your muggle parents.",He said counting his arguments on his fingers.
"With all that in mind, I would like to conclude that no one around here would give a damn dragon dung about you being the Minister of Magic."
"Don't push it, Malfoy. Those funds from gringotts can find its way back just how it came!",Huffed the minister.
"No need to get feisty, Minister",sneered Draco.
"And Why don't you go by Weasley. Since your married to the daft idiot anyway."
Hermione, now positively fuming, was about shut the door on his face.
"Watch your mouth, Malfoy. I have no obligation to answer that anyway.
Not that its your business to start with."
Draco's strong hands stopped the door from closing possibly making a small crack in it.
"Your right, Minister. Not my business. But if you forgot I'd like to refresh your memory, we do indeed have unfinished business."
Hermione face hardened.
She looked away.
Draco sensed the fear.
His eyes softened.
"I didn't know that the war heroine got scared so easily.",
Draco said a bit teasingly.
"I didn't have so much to lose before. But now...",Hermione said as she looked somewhat distant.
Draco fisted his hands.
"So do I....."
Hermione looked and saw something that she didn't expect.
It wasn't just one thing.
It was mixture.
A mixture of stagnant regret,
forgotten innocence,
immortal grief
with a slight shade genuine sadness.
"You would almost pass for normal human now...Almost."
Draco looked up with surprised eyes.
She easily got lost in them.
Why didn't I ever see this side of him.
If I did, things would be so different now.
"I know, my charm has grown over the years, but not so much so as to please the eyes of the Minister of Magic." Draco said with that amused tone of his.
Is that a little blush I see? She thought.
She smiled.
"Get off your high horse, Malfoy. You might fall and get hurt pretty badly." She said with a cheeky glint.
He smiled too.
Nineteen years did make difference.
Not a big one.
But something along the lines.
"Well, we can play Romeo and Juliet whenever you please, but please have the courtesy to invite me in and not let me freeze to death.",Draco said again in that infamous amused tone.
"A wizard of high caliber, such as yourself, should think before saying that."
,Hermione shot back.
Draco sneered. "So the know-it-all does acknowledge the intelligence of others. I'm pleased." ,He said.
"Well ,you were pretty good at academics at school.",Hermione said thoughtfully.
"Quite good. Yes. But condemned to be second best. Second to the likes of you. Caused much disappointment to my old man."
Draco's voice showed clear the disgust he felt when he thought of his father.
Hermione was reminded of the old Draco.
The one that taunted her, haunted her, daunted her.
She mildly sympathized.
"Well, do come in, sir. Before you catch a cold.",Said Hermione using her sarcastic tone.
"Thank you.",Draco said as he entered.
Hermione closed the door behind them. They walked into living room, where Hermione's parents were sitting by the fire chatting.
Draco stopped walking. She bumped into him. Rubbing her forehead. Grudgingly she asked,"Why did you do that for?"
"You do seem to have wonderful parents. I think I'm quite Jealous , Minister."
She was surprised.
"Um.. Thank you. I appreciate it.",She said a little blush on her soft cheeks.
"What? My jealousy?",Draco asked quite seriously.
And then broke into a wide grin.
"You had to ruin it, didn't you?",She asked.
"Another One of my admirable traits, Minister.",he said.
I think I saw a little of self-loath in that statement. She thought.
"Anywho... come on in.",she invited him.
"Dad. Mum. This is Draco Malfoy. We were in the same batch at Hogwarts."
,She said.
"Yes. I recall a Malfoy. Quite Distinctly. You weren't on good terms with him or so...",Dad began. Her mum elbowed him.
"I'm sorry, Draco. He may look sixty but has the manners of a twelve year old." Mum apologized.
"Oh, no, no ,Mam. Please don't apologize. He is quite right. We weren't the best of friends. Were we, minister?",Draco's voice dripping with sarcasm.
"That's an understatement.",Hermione stated.
She walked over to her parents and indicated to her parents ,"This is my Mum and Dad. The Grangers.",
Hermione said with a grin
"So much I figured. Thank you.",said Draco.
Before Hermione could retort back, her dad began,"Well, its nice of you to stop by, Draco. I bet you have some business with the minister.",He patted her daughter's back proudly.
"So we'll let you get on with it. But do stay for supper. The Grangers go Grand on Christmas.",Her Dad said grinning broadly and proudly.
Both of them stiffened.
"About that Dad...He..I mean We will be leaving.. uh.. after lunch.",Hermione said with a hint of uncertainty.
"What do you mean we?",Her Mum asked.
"The Minister and I have an important matter to attend to, Mrs.Granger.",Draco spoke up.
"I'm afraid delaying it anymore is not quite an option.",He finished.
"Oh, alright. Will you be back before supper?",Her Dad asked.
Both of them exchanged glances.
Hermione could see the seriousness in his eyes.
"No, Dad. I'll be gone for a bit longer.",Hermione said.
"I won't be coming back here. I..uh.. Will return to The, uh .. Burrow on my way back...",She lied.
"Honey, you could have mentioned this before. We were looking forward to..." ,Her Mum began. But her Dad placed a hand on her Mums shoulder signaling her to stop.
"That's alright. Duty comes first. You better get packing now then. Go on.",hurt clearly visible through her dads voice.
"I'm sorry..",Hermione began.
Her dad put his hand up.
"There is no need, hun.",her Dad said.
Hermione's puffy eyes were on the verge of bursting again. She retreated to the hallway and up the stairs into her room.
"I'll uh.. help .",Draco said, not wanting to stay in the same room. Followed Hermione.
She had finished packing.
Well, it wasn't that hard for a wizard, was it? Just a swish of a wand.
She turned around.
"I'm not an eight year old, Malfoy...",
Hermione's words were cut off when something unexpected happened.
He hugged her.
What the...
Tall as he was, her head reached right at his heartline. She could hear it beating.
It felt soothing.
Her tears wetted his silk shirt.
He didn't mind.
He felt a sort of bliss, that he couldn't explain.
A sort of forbidden bliss.
It had been long since he hugged anyone.
She could feel that.
She was the broken one but he was the one who needed saving.
An old muggle song popped into Hermione's head.
Held on as tight as each of them could.
Who would have thought..
Draco Malfoy could hug...
She smirked to herself.
She pulled back.
"Thank you..",She said unsurely.
"Thank you to you too..",He said sadly.
Her eyes widened.
Remorse.
"And I'm sorry...",Draco began.
"Oh, its okay.. They had to know anyway.. And who knew Draco Malfoy could apologize." ,Hermione smirked how-much-ever she could through her tear stained cheeks.
"You'd be surprised of how much I'm human, Minister." Draco said with a small smile."You better change, about time we get going."
"In a minute..",She went into bathroom. Closed the door and leaned her back into it.
Her heart was beating abnormally fast.
Hermione, your married!
She ran her hand through her curls.
Sighed.
With a swish of her wand changed into her work clothes.
Another swish and her hair formed soft beautiful curls that fell till her shoulder.
One more flick and her face looked impeccable.
Like not a tear had flown through it.
Who are you trying to look pretty for?
She ignored the rational question her head asked her and went out to see Draco looking at her desk and the photo frames that hung on the wall above it with his hands in his pockets.
He turned at the creek of the door.
His eyes showed surprise when it roamed over her body.
"You look...",He began.
"Like how I do everyday at work... The Minister thanks Malfoy for his gracious approval.",Hermione said feeling quite amused.
Draco noticed he was staring. Looked away.
Not meant to feel this way.
" Um...books all around. Parchment covering most of the floor... Looks like I'm in Hermione Grangers dormitory.",
Draco said with a smirk.
"Watch it, Malfoy. You've never seen the inside of Hermione Granger's dormitory to..",Hermione stopped mid sentence to understand what she was indirectly implying.
Draco's eyes widened, as did his smirk.
"I didn't mean..",Hermione tried to cover her foolish mistake. But couldn't quite hide the pink in her cheeks.
"I'll let it slip this time, Minister.",Draco said as he walked towards the door. "Because time is what we lack."
Hermione followed.
Down the stairs. Into the dining area, where lunch looked magnificent.
"Thought we could do as much."
,Said her dad.
"Please take a seat, Draco dear.",Her Mum addressed him.
Hermione raised an eyebrow at the salutation but Draco didn't remark.
Quietly they both sat down.
No one spoke a word. It was as though all of them knew what was coming.
And it wasn't pleasant.
Without a moment's hesitation, the feast began.
Everyone munched on with out making a sound.
And it seemed, time flew past too quickly. Because soon dessert was over too.
Her Mum was clearing the plates. She was helping her, when her mum said,"I know your not telling us, because you want to protect us, like you always have. But we are here for you, okay Hermione? Remember that please!", She sounded hurt.
And Hermione couldn't take it. She hugged her.
But they literally couldn't do anything, could they?
"I know."
They both walked out of the kitchen.
Seeing her, Her Dad stopped talking.
"Well, you both should be off then",he said.
Draco looked a bit pale in the face. As though someone had threatened to murder Him.
Probably did.
They walked to the front. Said their goodbyes and walked out.
"It looked like I interupted something there. What was that about?",Asked Hermione.
"Your father just made it very clear what he would do if you didn't come home safely." ,Draco said with a shudder.
I wonder what....
"Oh my..."
Before them was a Rolls Royce.
Big. Beautiful. Statement piece.
"You have a Car?",Hermione asked incredulously.
"Have A fair few at home."
Her eyes widened ."You can drive?"
"No ,I just have a weird fetish for cars. Of Course, I Can Drive. Is that so hard to believe.",Draco sneered.
"Well, you hate all things Muggle. Can't see why you'd like them.",Hermione indicated towards the black beauty.
Such a stupid question indeed.
Draco looked down.
He looks sad.
"They help you run away at times when you can't. The sound of engine makes you forget everything else in the world."
Experience.
"I'm..uh..sorry... About Astoria.",Hermione said unsurely.
He didn't reply. He just smiled. As though saying thank you.
"Aren't you full of surprises ,Malfoy?"
"You can call me ...Draco."
With that he turned and got into car.
Leaving Hermione taken aback.
That was his way of saying, "let's be friends", I guess.
While In the car.
You just did not do that, Draco Malfoy.
He hit the steering wheel.
You blithering idiot.
Just then she opened the door and sat inside.
"Um.. we better get going then... Draco."
Draco looked at her. His eyes stung.
He held his tears back.
She sounds just like her. If not better.
Without a word, the car started and they were off.
Starting something that wasn't certain, that didn't seem real.
Something unforseen.
That would change everything
Significantly.
But boy ,was it just the start.