Unknown Love

Chapter 1: Heartbreak

Hermione Granger was reflecting on how great her life was. It was a little over ten years since the final battle, where Voldemort was defeated. She had suffered so many losses and it had taken her so long to move on. But now she was engaged to a wonderful man, Aaron Sampson, who she had been dating for three years, and had a great job as a freelance potion-maker. She had made lots of money off her potions from the ministry. Most of them were specifically for aurors to make it easier to change appearance. Her first potion was to tame her frizzy hair on a permanent basis--now she had soft brown curls that cascaded halfway down her back.

"But enough about the past," she thought, "today is about the future." She was on her way to meet her best friend, Ginny Creevy, and her soon to be sister-in-law, Jess, to go wedding dress shopping.

Three hours and forty dresses later, they had finally found the one. It was snow white, with a satin strapless corset top, and the lower half draped artfully to the floor, spreading full out when she twirled. It showed off her buxom yet slender figure perfectly. Hermione bought the dress, and the three apparated to her and Aaron's flat to drop the dress off before heading out for a late lunch.

When they popped into the living room, the first thing they heard was laughter from the bedroom - female laughter. Upon opening the bedroom door, Hermione found Aaron in her bed. With his secretary.

At the sound of the door opening, he looked up and saw her face, a mixture of sadness, hatred, and revulsion all at once. Before he could even open his mouth to speak she was gone, and his sister and Ginny were peering through the doorway to see what had upset their friend so badly as to disappear.

Seconds later, Hermione was in the lobby at St. Mungo's. She walked up to the desk. The witch behind the counter looked up. Recognizing the tear stained woman before her, she spoke softly. "Go on in, Miss Granger." Hermione nodded, and started to make her way to the fourth floor.

When she got to the witches station in Spell Damage, the woman behind the desk smiled and led Hermione to the ward where Gilderoy Lockhart still was, though Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom had both died two years previous, never understanding that their son was now a decorated war hero who taught Herbology at Hogwarts.

Once the door was unlocked, Hermione walked across the room to a chair that was seated next to Ron's bed. She leaned over his potion-induced comatose body, her head in her hands. "Hi, Ron," she sniffled, "I saw Ginny today. She looks good, and she says the boys are great. Little Ron looks more like you every day." Tears were streaming down her face as she built up the courage to voice what she had walked in on less than a half hour previous.
She took a deep breath before she started to talk again.

"Aaron's sleeping with his secretay, Viola. I don't know how long it's been going on, and I don't really want to. The wedding's going to be canceled. I don't know what to do." She sobbed the last sentance, collapsing onto his chest, each successive sob racking her body. She didn't notice that anyone else had entered the room until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

When she looked up, it was Aaron she saw. "Not here," she whispered before turning back to Ron. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I love you, Ron." She kissed his forehead as she got up and left, not looking anywhere but straight ahead.

Upon leaving the hospital, Aaron spoke for the first time. "We need to talk." Hermione slightly nodded her head, and he took the lead into a muggle coffee shop, figuring there would be less of a chance of her hexing him.

"I'm sorry, " he started, making her snort, but she didn't say anything, her arms folded across her chest. He continued, "Honey it was a one time thing, I promise, it'll never happen again."

"It can happen as often as you want, we're through." He tried to cut in, but she kept talking, staring daggers at him. "I'm going home. I will be out within the next three days, and if in that time you show up, you will not like the consequences." At this, she stood up to leave and he got down on his knees.

"Hermione, honey, we can get through this, I can make it better, I -"

"I don't care for beggars," she said coldly, interrupting him.

"That's not what you say in bed," he replied with a coy look on his face, trying to make her smile.

"Good bye, Aaron," was all the response he got.

When she got to the flat, Hermione found that Ginny and Jess were still there, waiting for her. They came over and hugged her, waiting for her to speak first. "I'm going to leave for awhile, " she told them.

"Where?" Ginny asked at the same time as Jess asked "How long?"

"I don't know yet," was her answer to both women's questions. She then sent them away to give herself some time to think.

By the end of the third day, she had all of her belongings, including her potions, shrunken and packed into two bags. On her way to the airport in London, she stopped at Godric's Hollow to visit Harry's grave, right next to those of his parents.

"Aaron and I are finished. I'm going to go to the States for awhile, get my head straight. Try something new. I just need to get away. I know, I know, you're wondering where my Gryffindor spirit is. Really, Harry, don't worry about me. I'm looking at this as an adventure, a time for healing, not as running away. This is the bravest thing I can do. I'm not going to stay with him, and I know that my friends would be there for me, but I want something new. I need something new."

She then got up and walked away, her long wavy hair now the color of a raven, and her dry eyes blue as the sky.

****

Draco Malfoy ended his weekly staff meeting with the wave of a hand. Shannon, from accounting, stayed behind. Sitting on his desk, her long legs crossed to show them off under her tight skirt, leaned over, and spoke with a low, sultry voice. "Happy anniversary, Mr. Handsome."

"Shannon, how many times do I have to tell you? I don't mix business with pleasure. And the name's Hansen." He got up and walked to the door, opening it so she could leave.

Sitting back at his desk, he thought about all that had transpired since his days at Hogwarts. After he couldn't bring himself to kill the headmaster, he turned to the Order. Not for the reasons he told them; well, not completely. A large part was that they could protect him from the Dark Lord better than his side, who would have left him out to die.

When the war was over, the Ministry knew they didn't catch all of Voldemort's followers, and considering that Draco had helped them a considerable amount once he switched sides, they chose a different route for him. He was sent to Boston to work at the American Ministry. Since he had gotten here ten or so years ago, he had been only known as Jared Hansen, worker in the Ludicrous Patents Office. Just last year he was promoted to head of the department.

Before he left the office that night, he ran his fingers through his dirty blond hair, looking at his reflection in the mirror, still amazed that in the summer sun his skin actually tans. He still didn't believe that the man looking back was him. Darker skin, darker hair, brown eyes, he was Jared Hansen. Apart from the occasional sneer and uncalled for comment, Draco Malfoy no longer existed except in memories.

Sitting at a table at his favorite restaurant, he watched the people dining--well, the witches, at least. The place wasn't so extraordinary as to always need reservations, but it wasn't so cheap that just anyone could eat there either. He knew that any woman he chose here would be concious enough of herself to be well taken care of. Past experience backed this theory up as well.

Just as he was about to leave and go home, a slender beauty with dark wavy hair and striking blue eyes walked in, sitting herself at the bar.