As she descended, the muted lights caught her skin in an unearthly glow. Her billowy purple dress fell behind her as she appeared to float down the grand staircase. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she scanned the crowd. Everyone was enchanted by her mere presence. Lowering her head slightly, the angel looked directly at me through her long dark eye lashes, catching my gaze for a few moments. A light blush began to form on her picturesque cheeks as she looked away, repositioning herself in Krum’s arms as they made their way down through the great hall.
The room was dark and the young man had found himself knotted up in his sheets. For years now, he had dreamt about her. Sitting up, he wiped the sweat off his face and ran his hands through his hair. He began to rummage around his bedside stand, being careful not to wake the woman beside him. Finally finding what he was looking for, he pointed the wand to his head and mouthed a silent incantation.
“No more dreams tonight.” He murmured sadly and closed his eyes, letting the wand slip out of his hand and onto the floor.
***
“Hermione!!! Wait up!!” Harry quickened his sleepy pace to match that of his curly haired friend walking hurriedly in front of him, his shoes hitting the stone sharply.
Hermione looked over her shoulder and gave a big smile. He couldn’t help but notice that her hair was pulled back lightly behind her shoulders and she wore a figure fitting black dress. She had grown slim, yet had curves in all the right places. Beautiful, as always, Harry thought.
“Harry! When did you get back? I have missed our lunches!” She threw her arms around the auror’s strong shoulders and whispered, “I am glad you are back.”
“Last night,” he murmured as they fell into a strong embrace. The smell of strawberries filled Harry’s nose and he closed his eyes and smiled – memories filling his thoughts. After everything they had been through together and all the changes, he was glad some things had stayed the same, for continuity, for his sanity.
Backing away from him still smiling, she looked at the large clock that hung above the fireplaces in the department of ministry.
“Bloody hell” she murmured. Taking another look at her carrying case on the ground next to her she sighed. “Sorry for the rush Harry, I have to get to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. We are working on another lengthy project and I am determined to get this done.”
Harry picked up the case and handed it to her. Hermione’s eyes caught Harry’s and she winked and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Spinning on her heels, she started walking down the hall.
“Hey ‘Mione, let’s do lunch, okay?”
Hermione turned, flashing a smile, and nodded.
Harry watched Hermione dart around the corner and disappear out of view. This is the way the cards had fallen. His smile sank a little. Hermione was his best mate, and nothing more. That was all he knew and possibly could handle. After the Second Great Wizarding War, Harry needed some regularity and wasn’t sure if he could handle any other major disturbances in his life. He fell back into a relationship with Ginny while keeping his two closest friends by his side.
“I didn’t fall back into a relationship with Ginny. I wanted to be with her. I love her.” Harry thought angrily. He kicked his foot against the wall he found himself leaning on and then straightened back up. Clearing his thoughts via the new founded pain, he made his way to the Aurors’ meeting chambers.
***
“Granger” The tall, fair skinned man sitting at the desk closest to the door said curtly, barely audible.
Hermione glanced quickly as she passed him. Hunched over, scrutinizing the documents before him, his white blonde hair was covering his hand that was supporting his forehead. She then noticed the dark circles, appearing as bruises under his silvery, dark eyes.
“Not sleeping either, are we, Malfoy? Wouldn’t have thought eradicating pure-blood laws was your top priority.” she scoffed as she took her spot in front of the window. She scanned the otherwise empty room full of book filled shelves and a scattering of desks; it looked more like a library then an office. Hermione loved it.
“I don’t know about you Granger, but I would prefer to keep my job.” Malfoy gestured at the papers in front of him. “If that means putting in extra work to an assignment, sacrifices have to be made. Besides, lawyers defend murderers all the time, and they do it because it’s their job. Quite the same thing to me.”
A shiver ran down Hermione’s spine. She glared at the broad back of the blonde haired man. Draco Malfoy would never change, no matter how much the ministry had said he had. They found him innocent of all charges during a closed trial and even gave him a job at the ministry. Probably in exchange for information she had thought. That, or he used dark magic to will his way on the court. Whatever the case, here they were working on reversing the very laws that the Malfoy family had helped create.
“Blimey prat.” Hermione said out loud. Blushing immediately at her mistake, she saw Malfoy’s shoulders tense up and a hand reach for his wand.
***
It was a beautiful spring day, and Hermione had been stealing glances out the window at the park across from the street all morning. Deciding that she would not spend another lunch inside today, she sent a letter to Harry through departmental mail to meet her outside with his lunch. After some wandering, Hermione found a perfect picnic spot that was surrounded by some bushes and newly sprouted daffodils. Smiling to herself, she spread out her blanket and laid back, looking at the sky peaking through the trees overhead.
“Perfect, just perfect”
“Hey, you can’t say that – wait until I sit down. Then things can be perfect.” Harry said laughing.
Hermione sat up startled, and then grinned at Harry.
Harry was poised in front of her, head to toe in black, the Auror’s trademark uniform. He had definitely gained some muscle through all the training he had endured for the job and looked less like the twiggy teen she knew from Hogwarts. Although he was quite attractive these days, to Hermione, he was still the same old Harry.
“Sit, Sit! So tell me, how are you?? How was the trip? Was Ginny excited to have you home? I knew you were talking about a ring, did you propose yet??” The questions spilled out of her mouth as she watched her friend’s gaze shift to behind her.
Hermione became silent as Harry stood up. She slowly turned around still sitting and looked up to a very old, white haired woman covered in dirt and rags, using a long stick for assistance.
“Mam, are you hungry? I am sorry we don’t have any money to give you – but we can offer you our lunches instead.” Harry stated calmly, with a small smile.
“No, No, No” the woman muttered as she violently shook her head with her eyes closed.
Reopening them slowly, she pointed a crooked finger toward Hermione. “You. It is you that I have been dreaming about, looking for.” She gave a toothless smile.
The old woman closed her eyes once more and began to chant…
Black, white, red. Love and hate are tricky things, so try not to end up dead. Thrice the gentlemen you will know, one will expire by your blow. As long as the secret is not kept, a lover, friend and enemy will be set.
“Crack!” A loud noise reverberated through the flowers and bushes as the old woman disapperated from the picnic spot.
Watching Harry look around and then begin to sit back down, Hermione dropped her gaze to her lunch bag and felt her face reddening. How was she supposed to focus on work now with this loony woman’s riddle sitting over her head? The crazies always had a knack for finding her. It was just nonsensical babble, right?
She groaned and grabbed an apple and began to eat. Slowly repeating the woman’s words in her head, she snapped her head back toward Harry.
He was sitting on the blanket, very pale, looking at the now empty space of the unwelcomed visitor.
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