15Old Flames Can Be Deadly
Chapter 1 – He's Back
Tears rolled down my cheeks relentlessly. I tried to wipe them away but more followed. I stormed through the empty streets but I stopped dead when I reached a crossroads, just like my life. To my right was a crowded road with pedestrians at every corner. But I turned left to a dimly lit street with only a limited amount of shops and pubs open at such a ridiculous hour.
I sighed and leaned against the brick wall, the tears in my eyes had tamed down a bit but the burning pain in my heart remained and refused to leave.
He was actually gone. After all the Death Eaters in the world chasing him and the most powerful dark wizard of all time going after him for years, he's actually dead. And it wasn't even some random psycho killer who murdered him, it was his best friend. Ronald Weasley killed Harry Potter.
I could see that headline in the Daily Prophet for weeks. Thankfully the now insane Weasley is already locked safely away in a cell in Azkaban for using the killing curse. But of course, it doesn't matter how he did it, murdering The Boy Who Lived is a pretty big crime.
I let a few more tears flow down my cheeks before continuing down the deserted pavement.
I was 28 and now with both Harry and Ron gone, I was one of the most accomplished Aurors in history. I was also wanted for questioning in nine different states about the disappearances of two families and a Squib, who all turned out to be cold-blooded Death Eaters.
I had finally gotten my well deserved winter vacation and yet I was wasting it away on the lonely streets of New York City.
As I stumbled along the rocky sidewalk, I spotted a pub across the road which only had a handful of people but looked promising enough to give her a few shots of un-poisoned tequila. I didn't bother looking left and right as I crossed the road; I knew that no cars would be coming my way.
I threw open the door to the bar and scanned the almost vacant room for a secluded spot where I wouldn't be bothered and found the perfect place almost immediately.
I strolled over to a corner booth and slid into a surprisingly comfortable chair. My eyes gazed around the room, taking in my surroundings without really absorbing anything. I was to busy thinking about how I'd never see my best friends again unless I went and visited Ron in prison which was very unlikely to happen.
I almost didn't notice the waitress who approached my table with a tray that had a single filled glass on it.
"Um, excuse me, miss?"
I lifted my head up weakly; my voice was hoarse and rough.
"Yes?"
"This is for you." The young golden-haired waitress placed the glass on the table.
"Me? But I didn't order this."
"Oh, the young man from across the bar ordered it for you."
"Okay, well, um, thanks." I gave her a wry smile and took a sip of the drink.
My body froze.
"Champagne. This is champagne." I whispered.
"Um, yes?" The waitress looked at me tentatively as if I were mentally challenged.
"There are three people in the world who knows how much I love champagne."
"And they are?" She really didn't look like she cared but I continued nevertheless.
"One of them is dead, the other is in prison for killing him," over-sharing. Major over-sharing.
"And the third?" She asked.
I shook my head, some of my chocolate brown curls falling over my face. "There's no way he's here."
"Well then maybe that blonde over there just guessed." She shrugged.
"Blonde?" The blood drained from my face. "What kind of blonde?"
The waitress turned around and looked back at me a second late. "Looks like you're about to find out soon. He's coming over here now."
My breath hitched and my body stiffened. The waitress leaned down and whispered in my ear.
"He's gorgeous, if you don't take him I will." She winked and left, not-so-casually brushing past the approaching male.
I looked down and prayed to god that he would walk right past me, no such luck.
"What are you doing here?" I snapped, keeping my eyes on the table as a shadow fell over me.
"Now, now," Draco Malfoy drawled. "Is that any way to talk to your husband?"
"Our marriage ended a long time ago." I said with a sour edge to my tone. All traces of weariness were replaced by pure bitter anger.
"Oh no, we are still very much married, Hermione." He smirked.
"Well fine then, but I sure as hell got over you a long, long time ago."
"Or so you like to tell yourself." Draco sat on the chair opposite me.
"Or so I know actually." I sniped back, Draco just smiled. I sighed. "What do you want, Malfoy? Are you like stalking me now or something?"
"Ooh, on second-name basis now are we? I bet Weasley would like that, wouldn't he?"
"Shut up, Draco! I know you know what happened so if you insist on making comments about it, be very careful what you say next, okay?"
"Oh you mean that he finally off-ed Potter? I gotta hand it to him, I didn't think Weasley of all people would be the one to kill The Boy Who Annoyed Everyone To Death." He smirked.
"That's it!" I lunged forward, whipping out my wand.
"Ah, ah, ah. You wouldn't use that in front of all these people, would you?"
"Watch me." I growled.
"Oh I will be, believe me. But so will she," He gestured towards the blonde waitress who kept throwing cursory glances at us.
I sneered but sat back in place, depositing my wand back in my pocket.
"Oh I'm sorry, was there something you wanted to ask me?" He leaned back in his chair.
"What are you doing in New York, Malfoy?"
"I could ask you the same thing, Granger."
"Well I asked first."
He nodded. "So you did." I looked at him expectantly. "Well I'm not stalking you, I'll give you that."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, right."
"No really. I was surprised as anything to see you walk in here." What bugged me the most was that he was actually sincere.
"What are you doing in New York?" I repeated through gritted teeth.
"What do you think? I'm hiding." He said as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
"But you're not wanted by the Ministry."
Draco simply scoffed. "The Ministry isn't the worst thing out there, trust me. If it were them who were after me, I wouldn't even need to hide; I could evade them no matter where I was."
"Yeah, and the fastest broom in the world wouldn't be able to circle around your ego without wearing itself out." A smug smile spread across my lips.
"Still with the insults, huh? And here I was thinking we were past all that." He rolled his eyes.
"Then who are you so scared of?"
"I'm not scared of anybody." He protested but I just raised an eyebrow. He sighed and continued. "It's The Dar – it's Voldermort."
"Oh you mean the same monster who you left me to join even after he landed your father in prison and killed your mother?"
His jaw clenched. "Yes, that monster."
"Who is it?" I asked knowingly.
"What?"
"Oh come on, Draco. Ever since sixth year when you backed out of killing Dumbledore, everyone knew that murder was your one weakness. You could do anything else your precious Dark Lord wanted, you could curse, you could torture, but you could never take a life, or get one for that matter." I sniggered, oh yes, I've still got it. "So unless you've grown out of that and have become a gull fledged Death Eater, tell me, who does Lord Voldy want you to kill?" I asked with a Bellatrix-like demeanor about me.
The youngest Malfoy sighed and looked up at me. "It's you. And Potter and Weasley but they're already taken care of, so just you."
My mouth went dry. "Why?" Was all I managed to gasp.
He let out a deep sigh, probably thinking that that was the end of my reaction, how wrong he was.
"He thinks that you're too much of a threat. He wants me to off you so he can go about his business and know that the world's best Aurors won't be coming after me."
"So why haven't you done it yet?"
"What? Hermione, listen –"
"No! You are stalking me, aren't you? That's why you're here isn't it? So you can get me alone and kill me." My voice was barely audible.
"Hermione, I just said –"
"Well you know what, Draco Malfoy? Go to hell. And take Voldermort with you." I grabbed my coat and stood up. "Thanks for the champagne, bastard." I muttered.
I all but ran to the door but I still heard coins clink onto the table, Draco's chair scrape back and his footsteps following me.
I rolled my eyes. This is going to be a long night.
AN: So what do you think? Reviews are MUCH appreciated! New chapter will be coming soon!
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