Ch. 7

Hermione's POV

We turned around to see Draco standing behind us, staring at Ginny's new cat ears. "What in the name of Merlin happened to you?"

Ginny groaned as she nodded her head back towards George's shop. "I was to help demonstrate my brother's new product in his joke shop."

Draco looked at the shop and then back at her before laughing. "I must say, they look good!"

I laughed as Ginny brought her hands up to her ears and felt them, asking, "You really think so?"

He simply grinned. "They match your hair."

Then he turned to me and asked, "How are you doing, Hermione?"

I shrugged. "Fairly normal for someone who's just broken off her engagement. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just getting an order for the apothecary here, making sure that they have everything they need," He said, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at the shop behind him. "Blaise and I own that shop."

"Big surprise there," Ginny muttered under her breath.

Draco missed her comment and then gave us a smile. "So what are you two up to today? I didn't think Diagon Alley would be where two witches go to have fun."

I frowned slightly while Ginny spoke up, "Oh, I'm making sure Ron can't find Hermione after the stunt he pulled earlier, so I thought I'd take her here since this is the last place anyone would expect us to spend a Saturday. I'm treating her to a girls' day."

Draco's brow furrowed. "What did he do?"

Ginny bit her lip as she realized her mistake and then looked at me as she said, "Well, Ron may have chased her around half of London earlier in a desperate attempt to talk to her."

"What?" Draco exclaimed, looking at me. "Are you serious?"

I nodded sadly. "He showed up in my apartment wanting to talk and wouldn't leave when I asked him to, so I apparated away and he kept following me. He's just been so unpredictable since the war, and I think the horcrux affected him the most out of him, Harry, and I."

Ginny nodded in understanding while Draco looked away, his jaw clenching from anger. I watched him take a deep breath before he turned back to me and said, "Do you think he'll try it again?"

"I don't know," I said with uncertainty. "I mean, I started putting up anti-apparation charms Wednesday night and just forgot to put them up today. And after I left him with Harry, he hasn't tried to find me. Though of course it could be that he doesn't know where I am."

He was silent for a few moments, just watching me. I shifted uncomfortably as I wondered what he was thinking about, but I didn't have to wait long.

"Maybe you need to move," Draco suggested. "Find a new place to live where he wouldn't know the location."

I looked at him and then at Ginny, who shrugged. "It's not a bad idea. Just to a place where Ron wouldn't be able to apparate to. If anything it can be temporary until this all blows over."

I bit my lip. "I don't know. I wouldn't even know where to go."

"What about your parents?" Ginny asked.

I shook my head. "I don't want to bring them into this if things get out of hand. They're already angry with Ron. I can only imagine what my father would do if Ron just all of a sudden appears in their living room looking for me."

"Good point," Ginny said, nodding.

"Well," Draco started hesitantly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just moved out of my place but the lease isn't up for another month. You could move in there temporarily while you find a new place."

"You're not living at the Manor?" I asked curiously.

He shook his head. "No, I moved into my own place shortly after Blaise and I took over the business. It's a nice apartment, and it's not connected to the floo network so he wouldn't be able to find you that way. It's actually not too far from the Ministry, either."

"I don't know," I said, looking at Ginny. "What do you think?"

She gave me an uncertain look but was silent. I thought it over, quickly trying to weight the pros and cons. Of course the biggest pro was that Ron wouldn't know where I would be so he wouldn't be able to pop in on me. And as far as cons, the only one I could think of would that it would be Draco's old place and he would know where I was, but at the same time that didn't necessarily come off as a con.

"I'll take it," I said suddenly without thinking.

Ginny jumped slightly at my sudden exclamation and Draco grinned. "Perfect. I've already cleared out my things so you can move in any time you'd like."

I looked over at Ginny. "I kind of want to move in today."

"Really?" She asked, before looking back at Draco. "Excuse us for a moment, will you?"

He nodded and walked back into the apothecary across the street, leaving us to our discussion. Ginny turned back to me and asked, "Are you sure you're okay with this? Moving into his old place? I mean, he's going to know where you live, and I know you two are civil now and everything, but that really doesn't bother you?"

I shrugged. "I thought about it and honestly no, it doesn't bother me. He was nothing but nice to me in our final year and has been very respectful ever since. And honestly, he even offered to help me with anything I needed this weekend."

"What do you mean?" She asked, her cat ears swiveling around on her head as she picked up random noises.

"I can't really take you seriously with those," I said with a giggle.

She scowled. "Just answer my question."

"Well after you and Harry left my office yesterday, he talked to me for a bit and it was as if we hadn't ever lost contact," I said, shooting him a look before returning my attention to Ginny. "He's easy to talk to now, and he gave me his business card, telling me to contact him if I needed anything."

Ginny stared at me with shocked eyes and then she looked at Draco, who was watching us from inside the apothecary. "I wasn't honestly sure if he was putting up a front or not, but if he's willing to go to this extent to help you, I can't help but like him for that."

I smiled. "So you're alright with me taking his old apartment?"

"Honey, your safety is the most important thing right now, and he's offering you a safe place," She said as she gave me a serious look. "You take it right now, because I want to make sure that you have the secure space you need to get over what has happened. You and I both know that Ron is unpredictable, and considering the fact that he's already proven he will try to follow you, we don't know what else he's going to do."

I frowned slightly, thinking her words over. She was right; I would never have thought Ron would try to follow me the way he did earlier, and the thought of him doing it again scared me. I nodded to her and then looked back at Draco, who was watching us carefully and caught my nod.

He made his way out to us and asked, "So, did you officially make a decision?"

"Yes," I said confidently. "I would like to take your old apartment. Today."

"Perfect," He said with a grin. "We can probably move your things after lunch. What are you ladies doing until then?"

"Well I was going to surprise Hermione with some clothes shopping after we got tea as a late birthday present," Ginny stated before sighing. "But with these cat ears I don't think that would be the best idea. We're already getting so much attention from them."

"They look adorable," I said with a grin. "I'm sure most of the looks are out of jealousy."

Ginny scowled at me while Draco raised an eyebrow at me. "Late birthday present?"

"A very late birthday present," Ginny said sheepishly. "Nine days, to be exact."

I rolled my eyes and looked at her. "You seriously don't need to get me anything."

She waved me off stubbornly. "You're getting things."

"Mind if I tag along?" Draco asked innocently, putting his hands in his pockets.

Ginny gave him a surprised look before turning back to me, as if waiting for my reaction. When I didn't give one, she looked back at him and said, "Sure, why not? After all, you're giving her your old apartment."

"Wonderful," Draco grinned again. "You said clothes shopping?"

Ginny nodded before gesturing up and down at my outfit. "She needs more than just jeans and sweaters."

I gaped at her. "You've never complained about my clothes before!"

"Because your clothes are cute!" She said defensively. "You just need more variety!"

"I think I have the right person to take you girls to," Draco said mischievously.

"Who?" Ginny and I asked at the same time.

He shook his head and said, "Best if I don't tell you immediately. I'll apparate you both there though."

Ginny and I gave each other a look before nodding. Ginny took my hand while Draco held his arm out to me with a smile. I laced my arm around his and he pulled me tightly against him before apparating us to an unknown place.

We landed in a large, brightly lit office that had floor-to-ceiling windows on one wall. We were clearly in a tall building as we looked out onto all of London, and I heard Ginny utter a small 'wow' from next to me.

"Oh, Draco, I wasn't expecting- "

I cringed as I recognized the annoying voice from so long ago, and all my hopes of never hearing it again flew out of the window. I slowly turned to see a face that I hadn't seen in years glaring at me.

Draco,  however,  simply  smiled  and  said,  "Hello,  Pansy."