Something Unexpected

Hi... I’m new to posting stories here on AFF. I just wanted to let you all know ahead of time that I tend to write as it comes to my mind. So I can’t say for certain when I will ever have chapters up. But I will try to make sure that the chapters are not few and far between. My story’s summary was hard for me to write, because I hadn’t thought ahead for it. Really bad habit of mine, and I hope to break it in the future. Thanks to my beta Ivory. This first chapter is for her. I hope you all like it. No flames please. I tend to be argumentative and defensive, so if I get flames, its likely I will get mad. So I don’t want to start a pointless fight with anybody. I only accept criticism that will help me better my writing. So unless the flames are bad enough to provoke me, I’ll just ignore them, because they aren’t worth my time.

Anyways, again, I hope you all enjoy it. Please read and review.
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CHAPTER 1


He walked the corridors of his lonely existence and sighed. Ever since the war had ended with the death of the Dark Lord 10 years ago, he had been living a solitary life, venturing outside his home only when he absolutely found he needed to. But for everything, such as the usual amenities that one needed to live with, he had his faithful house elf Tink. No, she was not named for the pixie from the famous ‘Peter Pan,’ film that was so popular amongst young muggle and wizarding children alike. No . . . No, she had named herself. And he had no problem with that.

On occasion, when he found himself in need of a certain ingredient for a potion, or if he needed a certain book, or any such magical item that a Potion Master such as himself found he needed, he would see to purchasing those things on his own, for items such as those were delicate and required care, and he trusted only himself with the care for such things.

Of course he made sure that his own manly needs were taken care of by courtesans. Nothing more, nothing less. Once he was done with them, he would give them their fee and send them on their merry way. He always took every precaution in making sure that they never saw his face.
As long as he paid them well, he would never be bothered about it.

He opened the door to his own chamber and let himself in. He closed the door behind himself and proceeded to a small cabinet where he kept his stash of alcohol and his bottle of Ogden‘s Old Firewhisky. He poured himself a generous amount of the amber liquid into a glass and walked slowly over to his fireplace.

Taking his wand from the sleeve of his jacket he pointed it at the fireplace and muttered the incantation ‘Incendio’ to start a fire. He sat down in his chair before the fire and drank deeply from his glass staring somberly into the flames. He could feel the liquid burn a path down his throat and he welcomed the numbing feeling that the drink gave him.

Tink could sense that her master had returned and winked to the hallway outside his chamber. Severus heard a light knock at his door and knew it was only Tink so he allowed her to enter.

“Tink sensed that master had returned home. Tink wants to know if master would like something to eat,” she said in her small voice. He said nothing.

It was only then that Tink noticed the look upon her masters face as he stared into the fire. He was in a mood and it had been happening quite often as of late. She quietly let herself out of his room because she knew it was best to leave him be when he was in a state such as this. There was only one person that he felt he could entrust with the secret of his existence and he had just attended the burial service of the person today.

Draco Malfoy had died at the young age of just 27. His godson was the only one who had ever known that the former Potions Master of Hogwarts still lived and had been very special to him. He had been the only person that he felt he could entrust with the secret of his existence and now he had no one.

He took another swallow of his drink. As he let the liquid flow down his throat, he began to think of his future. What would he do now that he had no one? No other human with whom to interact with. He downed the rest of his drink and levitated the bottle of whiskey from the bar to his hand. He started to refill his drink glass but decided to just drink straight from the bottle. He threw the glass into the fireplace and watched as it shattered against the black stone.
He rested into the chair and began to drink away his sorrows.
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Hermione Granger lay among the many pillows on her bed sobbing. After the war had ended and Voldermort was destroyed, she and Draco had become friends . . . Not good friends, just friends. Like it had done to so many others, the war had changed him . . . And it was something that most others chose not to see.

They would occasionally talk to each other on the phone. And usually that was only when there was something worth conversing over. She and Draco would also have an occasional coffee, or lunch date, with his wife Pansy and two small sons, Varick and Korvin. He had married Pansy Parkinson seven years after the fall of the Dark Lord and been living a very happy life. His boys were now three years old . . . and without a father. No, one to teach them what their mother could not.

The noise of more than one person apparating into her living room downstairs, roused Hermione from her sorrowful state. She wiped at her eyes with the hem of her sleeve and reached for her wand, on her bedside table. She crept to the door of her bedroom and opened it as quietly as possible. The only lights on in her home, were in her bedroom . . . not wanting to cast a shadow of herself upon the wall in the stairwell, she tiptoed back to her room and shut off her lights.

As she turned the corner to go to her stairs she bumped into something . . . or, rather someone.

“Ronald Weasley . . . You very nearly gave me a heart attack What on earth are you doing here at such an ungodly hour?” she hissed, looking at him with her signature glare.

“Easy ‘Mione, easy . . . We just wanted to see how you were fairing on your end? ”
As he said it, Harry and Ginny came up behind him.

“So you lot couldn’t sleep either I presume?” She said a bit more sarcastically than she’d intended.

“Sort of,” Harry replied stepping in beside Ron.

“Judging by your puffy red eyes, I’d say you’ve still been crying your eyes out.” Ginny moved to embrace her friend warmly. Which Hermione gladly leaned into.
Pulling apart, she looked to Harry and Ron.

“Well, it may be a bit early . . . But would you lot like a spot of breakfast?” she asked them all with a soft smile.

“Sound good to me ” Ron said emphatically. Harry let out a laugh, and Hermione and Ginny just smiled.

Hermione, grateful for the company, led them all downstairs. Where Ginny and herself cooked up enough breakfast to feed an army. They spent the morning talking about nothing in particular. Just random things that came to mind. And for the first time in several weeks . . . Hermione felt truly at peace with her surroundings. She only hoped that tomorrow would be even brighter.