Chimera

Chapter 9

Present Day...

Draco left the hotel after a long bath and a nap. He strolled through the streets of the Northern Irish town. He nodded at the passing locals, the seaside air blowing away the last remnants of sleep

The sound of children laughing and shrieking caught his attention. Smiling, he glanced over at the small park nearby. A few feet away, he saw Hermione sat on a bench, her shoulders hunched against the cold. Her hair whipped around her in the autumn wind. He walked towards her and hopped over the low fence.

Hermione looked up as his steps crunched through fallen leaves. A faded Gryffindor scarf was wrapped around her mouth and nose, her dark eyes peeking over the wool. She jumped up and glanced back at the children playing nearby. Draco stopped.

"Are you following me?!"

"Not at all," Draco said, putting his hands out placatingly with a teasing smile. "I was on my way to the coffee shop for our meeting."

"There's no meeting!" Hermione's voice rose.

They stared at each other in silence. The scarf slipped down, showing Hermione's full lips. They quivered slightly.  Her face was thinner than he remembered and her straightened hair made her seem deflated somehow. She still had a stubborn set to her jaw, though, and her eyes shone with an intelligence that the 'MISSING' posters never quite captured.

"Hey, mam!" A little girl bounced over to them, skipping across the muddy grass. "Come push me on the swings!"

She had coppery curls and a pointed, golden-brown face. Her grey eyes fixed curiously on Draco.  She cocked her head and looked from him to Hermione. A flush crept across Hermione's cheeks.

"Who's this?" The girl asked. Her voice was soft and she had a lilting, Irish accent.

"Come on, we have to go." Hermione took the girl by the hand and gently pulled her away.

"Aww, but mam, you said..."

"I know, but it's nearly dinner-time and your poor hands are freezing. Let's go."

Hermione hurried them out of the park, holding the gate open as the girl trudged through. She dragged her booted feet and stuffed her hands into her coat pockets. Hermione impatiently begged her to move faster.

Draco's brain had temporarily shut down.

"Hey. Hey kid!" Draco shouted after them, recovering slightly. "How old are you?"

"Five and a half!"

Draco sat down heavily on the bench.

"Who was that?" The girl asked, their voices getting quieter as Hermione rushed them away.

"No-one. We don't talk to strangers, remember?"

They disappeared around the corner, leaving Draco breathlessly counting on his fingers.