Unfortunate Events

Event Thirteen: The End, Part One.

The instant Hermione flooed home she rang her mother, but there was no answer. Leaving a rather vague message on the answering machine (her father would be listening, after all), Hermione hung up the phone and began pacing the floor. She was so full of information and had no one to share it with. Still, something like this couldn't be kept inside.

"Draco Malfoy loves me!" she yelled to her apartment, earning a disdainful glare from Crookshanks as Widdershins scrambled behind her couch to hide from the crazy lady.

"Don't look at me like that, Crookshanks," Hermione scolded, scooping the orange fuzzy puff into her arms and pressing his squashed face to her cheek. "You should be happy for me. And we're going to need to work on your behavior towards Draco. No more sharpening your claws on his robes and leaving fur balls in his shoes, do you understand?"

Crookshanks wriggled out of her grasp and stared disdainfully up at her from the floor, grooming himself. Oh well, at least Widdershins loved Draco. It would have to do for now.

But while Hermione would settle for one out of two of her cats getting along with Draco, she had yet to reconcile herself to Draco still going on that date with Sharon. Remembering the name of the restaurant, she called Wizarding Information to find out more about the eating establishment. What was it like? Did the menu consist of chips and hamburgers? Was it the kind of place in which a person would conduct business meetings? All she got for her troubles was laugh and the answer, "Sorry, miss, but the closest thing to business meetings that happen there are those between a client and his favorite prostitute." That was only mildly reassuring. Sharon wasn't a prostitute (that she knew of), but it was clear that the restaurant had a much more romantic atmosphere than McDonald's.

Hermione knew she was being silly by letting Sharon get to her. If Draco loved Hermione, he couldn't feel anything for Sharon. They were two very different kinds of woman, and it was Hermione that he said 'I love you' to. That had to count for something, right? Hermione was just making a mountain out of a molehill, wasn't she?

Widdershins meowed in agreement. Well, that settled it! Draco deserved the benefit of the doubt, and she was going to give it to him. So in spite of a possible meeting-type-thing with someone who may or may not be a prostitute, Hermione slept like a baby that night. Not once did she wake up, which was most fortunate since she was visited by the best dream she'd had in ages, one in which she told Malfoy she loved him and he said it back before proceeding to make out with her. All over Sharon's desk.

As soon as it was daylight, Hermione sprung out of bed, completely refreshed. After eating breakfast, she took particular care in getting ready. One never knew if Draco might spontaneously appear at work, and she wanted to look her best.

Getting off the elevator with a bounce in her step and a song on her lips, the first thing she noticed was that Sharon was not at her desk. In her place was a much older blonde lady transcribing something onto parchment. What a wonderful morning surprise! If it turned out that Sharon was no longer in the employ of Malfoy Industries, Hermione would have to find some way to express her gratitude towards her boss. Perhaps all over Sharon's desk.

"Hello. Where is Miss Vernus?" Hermione asked, feigning disinterest.

Without glancing up, the lady replied, "I'm sorry, but she's out of the office until Monday."

Hermione fiddled with a quill on the edge of the desk, trying to keep her fingers from tightening around it. "And Mr. Malfoy?"

"The same."

Not such a wonderful morning surprise.

"You wouldn't...um, happen to know if they are together, would you?" Hermione asked with as much dignity as she could after accidentally snapping the spine of the quill in half.