Hanging By a Moment - Stuck In the Past!

Hanging by a moment - Stuck in the past

Chapter 2: Nice to see you, Ms Granger!

Draco Malfoy! How could she possibly have been so blind in that stupid office? Hermione slowly shook her head when walking out of Lily's bedroom, completely irritated by her own stupidity. Of course it had been Malfoy, no other person looked like him at all!

When thinking about it longer, she got an idea of why she didn't recognize him. Of course he had smiled at her, it even was a little smirk, but not at all the little trademark smirk Malfoy was known for. He had smiled at her while holding little Lily, the daughter of Harry Potter, his worst enemy. She shuddered. God, she had let him hold her beloved child! And worst was, she had actually found him handsome! Another sigh and Hermione finally slipped into her own bed.

Of course Hermione had expected to run into someone who went to school with her sooner or later. But why did it have to be Draco Malfoy out of all people? And since when was he so nice? And looking so good?

She immediately felt ashamed of herself. Thinking like that about another man. Not only that, but thinking like that about your dead husband's arch-enemy. She felt tears build in her eyes, but ignored it. What would Harry say about it? Would he hate her for it? No, of course not, Harry couldn't really hate at all. But he'd probably be extremely disappointed or sad or something like this. Now the tears ran down her cheeks continuously. The cushion got all wet, but she didn't care at all. Sometimes she just had to think about Harry. And cry over him. And feel how much she still loved him. She often did this, it kept herself and her dead love close together somehow. Like always, she cried herself to sleep.

The following few mornings Lily would always wake her up, as usual jumping on her bed. And she'd smile at the sight and think about what an angel her daughter was.

"Morning honey!" she'd say to her, yawning deeply.

And Lily'd still keep on jumping up and down her bed, as if there was nothing better in life. "Morning mommy." It was always such a joy watching her. She was so full of life, so careless and free. Just as she herself had been, before... Hermione didn't think any further, didn't want to cry again. Not in front of Lillith. God, how had she become so pathetic?

Lily glanced at her curiously and beamed with anticipation. "Mom, what time we go to the big house?"

"What are you talking about, honey?"

"Where we were last week, mommy. When you changed our name."

Now it was her to glance it the young child curiously. "Why do you think we're going today, Lily?"

She smiled at Hermione with a somewhat proud face, and said, "I don't think that, I know, mommy! You wrote on the re-frid-ger-ator"

Her mother chuckled. She was extraordinary smart for a child, but long words like that made her sound so cute! Then she shook her head disapprovingly. "Lily, I told you, lying is bad, and you shouldn't do that! You can't read, honey."

She still beamed. "I learned it mommy! All by myself! Look," and with that she grabbed her little fairy tales book from under the bed and began reading "Cinderella" to her mother. Very slowly,and with many mistakes, but still! Hermione couldn't believe it. Her daughter had learned to read at the age of two! She was a lot smarter than she had been, certainly.

She hugged Lily and gave her a loving peck on her flushed cheeks. "I'm so proud of you honey! Now don't I have a smart daughter?" Lily hugged her mom back and just smiled happily. "Now, honey, you were indeed right, we're going there at 3 pm."

Afternoon came all too soon and they both were preparing to Apparate to the office building. In her stomach Hermione had this strange feeling of uneasiness. She somehow feared meeting Malfoy again, too. But then again it would be very strange, if he was there again, he had obviously had a random appointment last time, so why would he be there today?

But he was. As soon is she entered the office - this time she knew the way there - Hermione met a glance of perfectly silver-blue eyes in a shining white face, framed by streaks of sleek, yet a bit tousled silver-blond hair. Leaving his gaze she found his lips curled into that mocking kind of Malfoy smirk, still seeming more like a smile just like last time.

Her eyes drifted down to his other body parts and although she immediately felt that small amount of shame rise, she couldn't tear her eyes off him. He was wearing very tight green pants - how typical - and black robes, the black cloth with a little silver shimmer. God, he still dressed in full Slytherin pride! His robes couldn't hide his manly features either and that really surprised her.

She had always remembered Malfoy as the gangling, bony boy who always seemed a bit weak and thin, especially when being with his bulldog bodyguards Crabbe and Goyle. Now, however, he looked quite the opposite of it. Even through his black clothing she could clearly see he had achieved a nice muscled chest and probably - although she couldn't see that - nice abs and a six-pack too.

Finally her shamefull thoughts were disturbed by her very own daughter who excitedly ran over to the man she had studied the past two minutes. "Mommy look! Mr.Ghost is here again!" she cried out. Hermione cringed. As she knew Malfoy he'd get angry now. She remembered him threatening her, once, in third grade, because she told him his face was pale. He didn't show any anger, surprisingly. In fact he smiled. Hell, he smiled after being called a ghost! Lillith continued her horrifying babbling and looked at Hermione happily. "Mommy, are you listening! Look, the man with the white hair is here. Last time-"

"Lily stop it! You know you aren't supposed to-" her mother interrupted her, but was cut off by Malfoy himself who was smiling at Lily.

"Mr Ghost is actually called Draco, young Lady," he said, and Lily gave him his most charming smile and hugged him. How sick, she hugged Malfoy!

Hermione finally managed to calm down and called Lily firmly, "Come here, honey, I'm sure the young man has a lot to do." When Lily didn't react and Malfoy finally offered her his best trademark smirk, she eventually got angry and annoyed. "Lillith, you come here now! And leave Mr.Ghost alone". She emphasized the "Mr.Ghost" part, hoping to annoy him just a little bit as well, but he obviously didn't care.

Instead of getting angry he just smiled once more and got up, bringing her daughter back into her arms.

"Nice to see you again, Ms Granger!" he said in a mockingly polite tone and his nose twitched dangerously. "Or should I rather say Mrs Potter?"

How dare he! How dare he saying Harry's name in such a disgusting way! All Hermione wanted to do now was slapping him right across his damn ghost face. Hard. But she just couldn't. Not in front of Lily!

Instead she gave him her best cold stare. They stood there for quite a few moments, staring in each others eyes. It felt like old times. School times. Always when she had called him a slimy ferret,and he had answered with "filthy mudblood" they had stared at each other for minutes, just like now. She was furious and her eyes were probably the darkest possible brown and very fiery. His eyes however, a mixture of blue, gray and shining silver were really cold. As cold as ice. That stupid song starting playing in Hermione's mind and - deciding this was not the right time to think of some dumb song - she finally spoke.

"Malfoy, how dare you speaking my husbands name in a tone like that?" she questioned, trying to sound as calm is possibly.

She didn't get an answer. Malfoy simply smirked and placed his pale hand on her right shoulder. Hermione shivered at the touch and Malfoy's smile turned into a sneering grin. "Such lonely times, Ms Granger, isn't that so? Send me an owl and I'll take care of that! Like I said, nice to see you again and-" Another smile. Real smile this time. "Hope to see you soon, young lady." The last part had been directed to Lily and with that he left, leaving her absolutely bewildered and Lily extremely happy.

What in god's name had that been about?