the key to happiness - dramione

(2)

Hermione Granger, age 24, temporarily unemployed. Engaged to Ronald Weasley, lives in a small cottage by the sea.

Draco Malfoy, age 23, working at the ministry. Lives alone in Malfoy Manor.

- - - - -
When Ron came home that day she had already cleaned the house multiple times. Its late in the evening and the dinner on the table has already turned cold.
"Where have you been?" Hermione wonders concerned when they have sat down together in the dining room.
"I worked." Ron sighs and takes a big piece of food. Hermione answers with a nod.

They eat the rest of the course in silence. It's usually like that when they're both tired and Ron has come home late from work. Actually, it's been like that ever since they graduated from Hogwarts.

In other words, after the war. Obviously Hermione also had her own jobs. Multiple. But Ron, worked and working at the ministry had always been the one coming home late.

While thinking of work and being home ale one she remembers it.
"Ron." Hermione mumbles carefully. "Ehm... I got an idea. I don't know if it's stupid but couldn't we... Ehm.... Get a child?"

"Oh, Hermione... Uhm... maybe we should wait or... That's so.... Uh... Maybe you should start with getting yourself a job."

So then, it was ruined. No children in this house. And such a rude way to say it. Hermione knows she needs a job but she also doesn't know what she wants to work with anymore.

"Hermione, I don't want to sound mean. But don't you agree somehow?"
"Well... I guess I do but Ron, I'm 24 years old!"

"I'm 23."
"Shut it."
"Hey!"
"Alright, alright. So how was the meeting?"
"Oh, so it's a bit weird, I'm telling you. For starters Astoria Greengrass stepped out of the room when we went in."

"Daphnes sister?!" Hermione calls out. She and Daphne are pretty good friends nowaday. Daphne is nice and they used to work together at the same department at the ministry awhile back.
"Yes. Then we sat down and apparently we 'had all the time in the world' according to Malfoy."

"Okay?" Hermione mumbles.
"He asked how things were with us and so you won't believe it Hermione! But he wants to meet you."

"What the hell did you tell him about me?"
"Nothing. That's we're engaged? Or what?"
"Ron! You can't just walk around and tell people that I'm unemployment! I'm just not working right, right now."

"I did not say I said that.... Or uhum... Hey don't look at me like that! Fine... So I might've blurted it out."
"Oh my god Ron, come here." Hermione sighes.

He looks a bit worried but stands up and walks up to her. Then she starts smiling all of a sudden. What is really happening? Hermione also stands up and gently kisses him.

That's when Ronald Weasley realises how much he loves Hermione Granger. Loves her more than anything else in the world and that it was stupid even doubting it in the first place.

His house is empty. Empty, just like any other day. Draco's father is in Azkaban since after the war and his mother.... Nobody knows what she is actually doing or where she is but it's said that she lives alone in her apartment in London. That's all Draco knows, and it's all that everyone else knows too.

So now he is all alone in Malfoy Manor. Maybe he misses his family but it feels good to live alone. At least right now. Draco walks quietly in the corridor leading to the kitchen. It's filled with painting of Draco's old relatives. It's not unusual that they scream at each other or him when he walks by.

In the middle of a horrible loudly pitched scream from the paintint closest to him he hears a normal knock. A knock, clearly not coming from one of the portraits. He hurries back the other way and opens up the massive front door. Astoria Greengrass is standing there, smiling and about to knock again.
"Hello." Draco says.

He sounds a bit sorrowful. But Draco Malfoy has become a person filled with sorrow lately, so it's not something weird. He has a massive, lonely house and when the house is filled with people something is still missing. The sorrow that's usually in the walls ends up in Draco.

"Hi, how are you?" the girl asks. He shrugs his shoulders.
"Good." He replies and moves aside so that Astoria can enter the house.

The doors closes themselves when she comes inside.
"Draco, this might be really stupid." Astoria mumbles, and he doesn't know what he should say. He always enjoyed talking to Astoria, but was she really here to talk this time?

Her brown hair surrounds her face and she smiles. Draco doesn't smile. To be honest, he looks quite angry. Not because Astoria is here, it's good. She's good. But he hadn't expected any visitors. He just wanted to eat and sleep, nothing else. Astoria places a hand on his shoulder and smiles even bigger.

Draco shakes his head.
"Do you want food?" he asks.
"Sure." she answers and they start walking to the kitchen. The portraits on the walls starts screaming even louder this time. They even starts to fight and argue about Astoria. Is she a Greengrass? And what's she doing here ?