Only You (Hiatus)

Five

“Can I help you, dear?” an older woman asked gently from behind a counter Hermione hadn’t even noticed by the door.
Hermione smiled warmly and walked over. “Actually, I’ve just moved to town. I’ll be renting a small place near here and was just looking around, getting to know the town.”
“Oh, that’s exciting,” the woman smiled. “I’m Síofra. I own this little slice of heaven,” she chuckled, gesturing around the shop.
She studied Hermione for a moment, clearly noticing how she admired everything.
“It’s incredible, Síofra,” Hermione said with a smile, offering her hand. “I’m Hermione.”
Síofra shook her hand, her head tilting slightly. “Hermione… you wouldn’t be interested in helping out in the shop, would you?”
Hermione blinked in surprise. “Really?” She glanced around again, beaming. “I mean, I never thought of working in a shop like this, but it truly is incredible.”
Síofra laughed softly. “Well, that’s not a no. You can think about it. I don’t need an answer straight away. I just thought, new in town, you might be in need of a job, and I could use the help,” she smirked, lowering her voice. “But don’t tell my husband I said that.”
Hermione laughed and nodded. “I don’t really have anything lined up. I was going to start looking after I got settled.” She smiled, looking around again. “It makes sense. It feels like a good idea,” she added with a small chuckle. “If that makes sense.”
Síofra smiled warmly. “It does. I wouldn’t have said anything, but I suddenly got the feeling you’d be good for this place,” she laughed, then added, “and maybe even good for me. My husband says I work too hard. How about we meet for a coffee on Monday and go through the finer details, like pay and such? That way you can think about whether it’s the kind of thing you want, and I can put together a proper job offer instead of a spur-of-the-moment one.”
Hermione nodded, smiling. “That sounds like a great idea. Thank you, Síofra. I look forward to it.”
“Great. Shall we say Monday, 9:30 at Malone’s?”
“I’ll be there,” Hermione replied, then gestured toward the shelves. “In the meantime, I think I’m going to see what gems you have.”
Síofra chuckled and nodded.

Hermione wandered through the shelves, taking in row after row of incredible books before selecting one on the legends of Ireland. She brought it to the counter and smiled.
“I’ll take this, please.”
Síofra smiled as she rang it up, adding a small discount. “€18, please, Hermione.”
Hermione looked up, surprised, then smiled in understanding. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. We don’t get many new people around here, and it feels good to offer small kindnesses,” Síofra said warmly. “You’re only the second person to move here in the last decade. Most people in town were born and raised here. It’s nice to get a fresh perspective.”
Hermione hugged the book to her chest. “Well, thank you. Again.”
She waved as she left, chuckling softly.

Walking back toward the hotel, Hermione spotted Malone’s across the street from the bakery and smiled.
Day one, and she already had a job lined up.
The people here were so friendly and welcoming that it made the fear of change easier to bear.

When Hermione returned to the hotel, she could hear live music playing in the bar. It sounded good, just a man and his guitar, so instead of heading straight to her room, she detoured inside.
“Can I get a glass of rosé, please?” she asked as she took a seat at the bar.

The man playing sat on a small stage in the corner. His blond hair reminded her of Malfoy, making her chuckle.

Could you imagine Draco Malfoy playing music in a Muggle bar?

The thought amused her as she paid for her drink and turned back to the musician. He had a nice voice.

Wait… that’s an English accent…

No. No way. This was a Muggle bar in a Muggle hotel, and besides, this man wasn’t pale.
It was just a coincidence.

Shaking her head, Hermione sipped her wine as he began the next song. It was slower, softer, and she found herself listening to every word, recognising the bittersweet longing for a fresh start. She stared into her glass, letting the sound of his voice wrap around her.
As the song swelled, Hermione looked up.

The young man’s eyes were closed, completely lost in the music. She found herself truly seeing him then: the lean strength of his body, the sure movement of his fingers over the strings.
He looked free.

The song ended, and suddenly silver met gold.
The flash of recognition and dread left no room for doubt.

It was Draco Malfoy.

If he hadn’t recognised her, she might have convinced herself it was only a lookalike. But he had, and that only raised more questions.
Whatever the reason he was here, Hermione knew she couldn’t pretend she didn’t know him. So she stayed.
She ordered a second rosé and listened as he played on. To her surprise, she found she genuinely enjoyed it. His voice was lovely, and he played well.

Three songs later, the snap of a guitar case closing drew her attention. She looked up to see the blond man walking toward the bar.
“Nice set tonight, man,” the bartender said, handing him a Bulmers.
“Thanks, Nathan,” Draco replied, his tone unlike anything Hermione remembered. He took the seat beside her, bottle in hand, and his voice cooled as he added, “Come to drag me back to London?”
“Nope.”
He glanced around the room. “No backup?” he asked, suspicious.
“No need,” she replied calmly, taking a sip of her wine.
She felt the cold weight of his silver stare as she sat in silence.
“Rumour is you killed yourself or are hiding in your manor,” Hermione said at last, staring into her half-full glass. “Never thought I’d see you here.”
“Yeah, well, I’m sure you’ll let them all know I continue to disappoint them,” he said coldly before taking a drink. “I’m alive. And I burned that damned place to the ground.”
Hermione blinked in shock, but before she could respond, Draco continued.
“If you’re not dragging me back, then why the fuck are you here? You never go anywhere alone. Weaselbee doesn’t let you.”
Despite herself, Hermione tensed at the mention of Ron. She finished her wine and stood, summoning all her Gryffindor courage.
“I’m alone now,” she said quietly.
Then she turned and walked away.
“I guess I’ll see you around, Malfoy.”