Ordinary Just Won't Do

"Ordinary Just Won't Do"

Ch. 1

 Twenty-seven-year-old Draco Malfoy walked down the hall of the International Confederation of Wizards in London a file in his slightly tan hands. He had just returned from an assignment in the South Pacific in which he returned with the spirits of three missing soldiers from the Great War.

The Great War had been over for five years, the war had reached every corner of the Globe Muggle and non-Muggle. Draco had fought in the war from day one, ten years ago, and had been involved with the effort up to this day. His job at ICWL was to find all missing spirits of soldiers or soldiers and bring them home ASAP. With his trip five months ago to the South Pacific all soldiers and spirits had been found, all except for one.

 As he opened his office and the face of his old, withering, boss met him, "Draco," George O'Hare grinned. "I see you have returned with a nice tan."

 Draco took it with stride, taking the old mans hand and refusing to smile. He had joined the light side right out of Hogwarts and had been 'cordial' to all ever since, "Yes. Well, both spirits were dwelling near the beach."

 "Mmm, the Battle of Ollei in Palau, I remember it well. Were you there?" George asked as Draco sat the file in front of him.

 Draco's face furrowed in thought before looking at his boss, "The Battle of Ollei? No, but that's where Cornelius Fudge died."

 George O'Hare scowled, "Traitor."

 "How can he be a traitor when he was never on your side, sir?" Draco mumbled loudly before stamping "Closed" on the file.

 "How true," George replied before sitting another folder in front of Draco. "Your next assignment, straight from the-boy-now-man-who-lived."

 "Potter?" Draco questioned with much distaste.

 "One and only, we are keeping this file open because of him and the others who wish to continue in the search," George replied shaking his head as a look of grief overcame him. "I fear she's dead but Mr. Potter will hear none of that."

 Draco slowly opened the file, settling his eyes on the pretty brown haired girl, who in the picture, was about twenty years old. He could still see a fresh wound on the base of her neck as if someone had used a Slitorious on her, her smile didn't reach her eyes, and the wind in the photo blew her soiled and tattered clothes.

 They had searched for her from the moment of the Dark Lord's fall five years ago. Harry Potter had destroyed Voldemort and lost the one who aided him the most. Hermione Granger had disappeared without a trace, there had been spells performed to determined her status of living and none had found her dead. There had been spells to locate her but all found her unplottable, all failures in the end, all leading most to assume her MIA. But many had decided she was dead long ago but some, like Harry, were determined she was alive.

 "I hate to send my best on a wild goose chase but you are the ONLY person Mr. Potter will allow to search for her. He is convinced that you believe she is alive somewhere," George said with a small chuckle. "So I promised that tomorrow you would be in a small town trying to find her and bring her home."

 "Where is she? We've been searching for five damn years! How did we find her now after we've located just more than a million others? How did she escape our charms?" he asked excitedly, Harry wasn't wrong, his heart told him she was alive somewhere.

 "This time we used Human Trackers to track her aura. My grandfather always said 'you can change your appearance but you can never change your soul.' And while you were in Palau we had the Human Tracker's track her aura the best they could. They reported that it was in southern USA in a small wizarding town known as Waving Wands, Louisiana. Population one thousand, the city is not completely unplottable, and her aura seems settled there," George replied placidly trying to calm the young man down.

 "You used means of Divination to find Hermione Marie Granger? She would laugh you to death right now," Draco laughed to himself, knowing what she thought of that 'gift'.

 "Well, I know you will be happy to get away from the spirits and let the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures Spirit and Being Divisions take over questioning all that were brought home. All except Hermione will be given over to them, Harry insists that you do everything," George O'Hare said to his employee as he stood turning for the door.

 "So I leave tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow son," George replied with a smile the left as soon as it appeared. "I just hope that you give yourself time to grieve if all this is a dead-end. You think I don't know how much this means to you -- but I do."

 Draco's grey eyes just stared at the man before a word was spoken, "Thanks George."

 "Good luck boy," George said before pulling open the door. "Accio Pen, see ya in a couple of months."

The moment the door closed Draco connected to his Fire Talking system, "Harry Potter?"

 "Yea, Draco you back already?" Harry Potter said as Draco's face appeared in his fire place.

 "Why did you REQUEST me to find her?" Draco asked cutting to the chase.

 "Because you believe she's alive, I know you do Malfoy, I know," Harry replied as if he should know that.

"What if I don't bring her back Harry? You're the bloody hero you should be gallivanting about searching for your dear little Mu--Know-it-all," Draco practically yelled, sending the flames into an uproar.

 Harry laughed softly at his attempt to insult Hermione, "I could find her Malfoy, no doubt about that. But I couldn't bring her home, only one person ever could and I have faith that he is going to Waving Wands tomorrow to find her."

 "Tell Ginny hello," Draco replied softly as his disconnected his system, he was full of fear, and his memories were betraying him. All he could see in his minds eye was her nursing him back to health, her taking curses for him, her using the Killing curse on his father after he was pulled down by the Cruciatus Curse.

"Mr. Malfoy," Hannah Abbot whispered opening the door a little, revealing Dean Thomas behind her. "Dean and I just stopped by to say we hope you find her, she was the true light . . . for all of us."

 "Good luck Malfoy," Dean said genuinely. "For your sake and mine."

 Draco nodded his thanks in a way that said it without words. He was tongue tied, his was heart in an uproar, and his mind was in circles. He had to find her, for himself.

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 Draco walked slowly through Diagon Alley past shops that were full of shoppers even now as the sun went down. He had lived alone for so long it seemed to the only way to be, the closest he ever came to having a roommate was his best friend Blaise. Blaise stayed over every now and then just give Draco a little company. And Blaise also took care his penthouse apartment while he was away on business.

 As he passed Ollivander's he heard a familiar voice call his name, "Hey Drake!"

 Draco turned to see the tall dark haired boy running toward him, "Blaise!"

 "How you doin' man?" Blaise asked as they gave each other manly hugs, complete with the back patting.

 Draco tried his best to muster his trademark smirk but it wasn't coming, "I'm OK, you?"

 "I just ran into Weasley over there with Pansy and they told me about your new assignment. I can't believe that you're taking it man, " Blaise rambled as people passed them quickly.

 "There are some things that a man just has to do," Draco replied as they started again toward his penthouse.

 "Trying to find Hermione Granger after five years? It's a suicide mission man," Blaise exclaimed as the wind blew his perfect black hair.

 "No, it's not Blaise, it's -- it's just something that I need to do, " Draco replied as they walked into his building that is right behind Gringotts Bank.

 "Did I tell you that Pansy's fathers auction was completely bought by Borgin & Burkes?" Blaise asked as they walked up the stairs toward his penthouse.

 "Every dark item in the house?" Draco asked looking for his key.

 "Yep, they are they only store in England that even sells Dark Items since the war ended," Blaise replied pulling his spare key from his pocket as they reach Draco's penthouse.

 "You and Potter will have their license yet, "Draco laughed as he stopped by the OWL POST in the building to pick up any stray mail that wasn't directly delivered.

 Blaise smiled as they entered Draco's lavish penthouse, "Potter and I don't even work together anymore. He works with Terry Boot now, and I work with Lavender Brown-Finch-Fletchley now."

 "The cute Gryffindor Lavender married that boring Finch-Fletchley boy?" Draco asked incredulously as he opened a letter from the Rich Wizards Society.

 "Even has a kid, word is Mr. Finch-Fletchley, who teaches Herbology at Durmstang, doesn't like his wife being so far away and being an Auror. So supposedly Mrs. Brown-Finch-Fletchley is being transferred to Durmstang in June, so I'll probably be working with Potter again or that Tracey Davis who is on maternity leave," Blaise replied jumping on Draco's imported couch.

 "Who did Davis marry? I remember our Slytherin days together, I always thought she was gay," Draco asked as he threw the letter from the Society of Wealthy Wizard Bachelors into the fire.

 Blaise laughed a little as Draco skimmed over a letter from his grandmother, "She married Flint last May."

 "Marcus?" Draco yelled, his mouth opened in surprise.

 "Yep," Blaise shuddered. "Imagine the children."

 "Don't scare me like that," Draco laughed finishing the letter from his Grandmother with a smile and sat it on his desk.

 After a moment of silence Blaise looked at his best friend, "So what do you know about her?"

 Draco looked up, confused, "About whom?"

 "Hermione," Blaise asked. "What do you know about her?"

 "Nothing," Draco sighed tiredly. "Except that she is supposedly in Waving Wands, Louisiana, US of A. I don't know what she would look like now or if she's had some magical changes to her appearance. All I have is what I remember of her."

 Blaise looked at him for a moment before continuing, "Which is everything, right? What do you forget about the woman you love? Even after five years."

 Draco closed his eyes, trying his best to keep his eyes from watering like they did every time he thought about her, "Look, Blaise, I have to get up early tomorrow I have to get to bed. I'll Owl you."

 "Yea," Blaise replied stretching as he stood his full six feet and four inches. "Good luck man."

 "Thanks," Draco said softly, closing the door behind his friend.

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 At eight A.M. Draco was awake and sitting his bags next to the door. He would have to leave in thirty minutes if he was to Apparate right over the Atlantic. He was nervous, his hands were shaking, and the coffee wasn't helping him at all.

 He glanced down at the clock on the wall and the hand was pointing to, "TIME TO GO.” He whispered a simple cleaning charm and sat the cup on the rack in the kitchen. He would have to Apparate now while he was fully awake, intercontinental apparitions are done by HIGHLY trained wizards, they even have to have permission on their license.

 Draco picked up his bags in one hand, his Owl cage in the other, and whispered, "Apparate Waving Wands, La."

 And in a blink of an eye he reappeared in a small shop, in a hallway that looked like it had been walked through too many times. It was the Apparition Hall, the only place in town where one could Apparate Intercontinentally. Draco levitated his bags toward the store counter and an old blue haired witch who looked twice Dumbledore's age when Draco began Hogwarts.

 "Why hello sir! I'm Miriam Hoddies and I own this here establishment," the woman said in a quaint southern accent. "I'll be happy to point you in any direction of this great town."

 Draco tried his best to smile at the old lady, "Mrs. Hoddies I'm here looking for a woman. Hermione Granger, would you know where she is?"

 "Miss Granger huh?" Miriam smiled. "A lot of men are after that one but never one so good looking or as foreign as you."

 Draco smiled at that, she was here, and she used her real name, "Could you point me in her direction?"

 "Sure could," Miriam replied walking slowly from behind the counter. "She should be over at the Cooling Cauldron with James Smith, having a drink."

 "Thanks Mrs. Hoddies," he replied as he looked across the small street teeming with witches and wizards.

 "No problem Mister?" Miriam asked looking Draco over with an eye of approval.

 "Malfoy, Draco Malfoy," he replied nodding his head as he'd been taught. "I assume that you know where I could find a place to stay?"

 "What kind of budget are you on?" Miriam asked as she opened an old battered book with Waving Wands flashing on the front.

"Money is no object, I want the best Waving Wands offers," Draco replied in that arrogant voice Hermione always hated but always found rather sexy.

 "Furry Fables Inn offers a suite for 155 Galleons, 9 Sickles and 12 Knuts a night," she suggested raising an eyebrow at the price of one suite.

 "I would like something like a flat," he replied thinking that price rather low for what he was aiming for.

 "A flat?" Miriam asked bewildered at his British talk.

 "An apartment, I want the VERY best Mrs. Hoddies. I promise my father, Lucius Malfoy, was extremely wealthy and MONEY is no object," Draco assured the flustered woman.

 "If you're sure," she whispered as turned to back of the book, "the Corner Tavern offers a suite for 3111 Galleons, 1 Sickle and 27 Knuts a night. Best in Waving Wands I'd say, not many have the privilege of even visiting there --"

 "I'll take it! Where would I find the Corner Tavern?" he asked levitating his bags once more.

 "Right next door," Miriam smiled. "Do come back now."

 Draco hurried out in the Louisiana heat and into the wooden building that looked like it was to be condemned in a matter of minutes. But when he stepped into the Corner Tavern it was a totally different atmosphere. There were haughty looking wizards and witches all over the place. The walls were decorated in shimmering diamonds and huge rubies hung off the chandeliers. The stairs and floors were lined in Gold and Ivory, the walls were full of paintings of long dead patriarchs, and rails and desks were of marble.

 Draco put on his best Lucius face and sauntered up to the check-in desk. The blonde haired girl turned to him with a courteous smile, "Good Morning Sir, and welcome to the Corner Tavern, I'm Jaden Simpson and I'm at your service."

 "I want the best room you offer, " Draco tried to reply as his father would have but Lucius was not in him as much as he had once been.

 "Ah, the Imperial suite, 3111 Galleons, 1 Sickle and 27 Knuts a night. It's only been used three times in the Tavern's history," Jaden replied opening the rooms book. "And who are you to be wanting to be the fourth? Can you possibly afford it?"

 "Of course I can, I'm Draco Xavier Malfoy, son of Lucius Caesar Malfoy XIV," Draco leered as his grandfather did, that he would never forget how to do. "I will be here on an extended stay, I don't know how long I will be here, bill me monthly, please."

 Jaden straightened up as she heard the coolness in his tone, but she lingered for a moment trying to associate his name with her memory, "Will do Mr. Malfoy."

 "Thank you," he said as she handed him the gold key and he threw her 6 Galleons, 4 Sickles and 23 Knuts the same as thirty dollars.

An emerald-robed elf appeared and picked up all of his bags, "Follow Itsy, Itsy will take Master to Master's room."

 The Corner Tavern only had four floors so it had to be pretty wide to have all the rooms that it claimed it did. Draco reached his room on the fourth floor to realize his room was the fourth floor. He whispered a word of thanks to Itsy before exploring his new home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 After putting all his clothes away and writing his mother, he walked back to Miriam Hoddies shop. He walked back through the door with a genuine smile and she met him with one in return.

 "Mr. Malfoy has you not met your lady?" she asked handing a little wizard a Chocolate Frog.

 "No," Draco replied watching the little wizard run out. "I had to check in, I was wondering where would she be now?"

 "Still at the Cooling Cauldron Café," Miriam replied with a smile. "Workaholic she is."

 "She works there?" Draco asked completely appalled that the smartest, most clever, wittiest witch he'd ever met was waiting tables.

 "She owns that place, bought it from Jaden Simpson's dying grandfather," she replied sitting out another box of frogs. "I'm sure you met Jaden over at the Tavern. Hermione really helped that old man."

 "Thanks, Mrs. Hoddies, see ya," Draco called as he headed for the door and the establishment that Hermione owned.

 He waked into the Cooling Cauldron Café to see a mellow sort of environment, the type that she'd always enjoyed. It was tidy, clean, smelt of cappuccino, and bustling with business.

 He stood in the doorway trying to locate her and there she was behind the bar, working, when she didn't have to. He maneuvered his way through the crowd and onto the stool right in front of her.

 Her hair was in the middle of her back, even now in a ponytail, the scar on her neck was like a dull brown necklace. She was more curvy than he had ever seen her and she was tan, but with the heat outside five years would give you the perfect tan.

 "What would you like sir?" Hermione asked without looking up at Draco.

 Draco smiled as she handed another man a drink, "Perfect Ten, two pieces of ice, half Butterbeer."

 He knew that she would recognize his signature drink if nothing else, and he was right, her head shot up, "D-Draco M-M-Malfoy?"

 "In the flesh," Draco replied without a smile, his eyes lingered on her neck, he shivered as he saw faint bruise marks along the scar.

 "What are you doing here?" she asked handing him his drink, her eyes dancing all over him.

 "I'm a Detective with the International Confederation of Wizards in London, I am in charge of finding . . . " his voice faded as he looked at her.

She was everything he remembered, her eyes were bright like when they were children, and skin was virtually scarless in his eyes. Hermione was still breathtaking in his eyes, she was the only witch in the town who was old enough yet young enough to have fought in the war. And she was like the war poster girl for veterans.

 Hermione stood looking at him, her eyes as wide as saucers, "Get out of here. Meet me at 89 Rosewand Road at eight o’clock. I have to finish out my friend’s shift here, please."

 He looked up at her, took a quick shot out of his drink, and stood up, "At eight then."

 Draco turned to walk out of the café but she stopped him, "Draco, please be there."

 He looked into her pleading eyes as she whispered three words he had waited to hear for so long. He didn't reply he just turned around slowly and sauntered out of the café. He would be there, no doubt about that, he would be there.