Chapter 1

The bell of the bar rang. A man with his thick coat came in. He looked around the bar and his eyes wondered around. When it landed on a lady on the corner of the room—whose bobbing her head up and down he smiled to his self. 

 

It is going to be a fun shift tonight, the bartender thought and let his feet brought him to the employee room.

 

And the preacher said he was a good man
And his brother said he was a good friend
But the women in the two black veils didn’t bother to cry

Yeah, they took turns laying a rose down
Threw a handful of dirt into the deep ground
He’s not the only one who had a secret to hide

 

Music was blasting out loudly from her earphones. She kept on bobbing her head up and down like those people who watched rock band. She was seated on the corner of the room, hidden in the dim light. Nobody was going to give a damn to her though, since they wouldn't know who is she.

 

After all, she was in Muggle Paris.

 

The bell of the not too crowded bar rang again, signaling someone was coming. This time, two tall—breathtaking—blokes came in; one of them had a charming smile on his face, while the other one..... He had been wearing those frown since he stepped his feet in Paris.

 

"You call this fun?" the blonde man glared at his friend.

 

"Draco, man, I just need to greet my friend and then we can go to the club. Quit giving me those frown!"

 

Draco Malfoy rolled his eyes when he saw the bartender who just got out from the employee room. "Blaise! Long time no see, mate!" the bartender greeted and gave him a nod of acknowledgment.

 

"Can I have Mind Eraser?" Draco said to the other man who was supposed to have his bartender shift over already.

 

The man looked at his colleague who was busy talking with his friend; seems like they didn't plan to end the conversation soon. He nodded. "Want me to make it strong?" he asked as he noticed that probably Draco wasn't having a nice day.

 

"What would you do to it?"

 

"Rather than mixing it with Vodka and Tonic," he paused while taking the rocks glass, putting ice cubes to it and poured the coffee liqueur. "I'd rather mix it with rum and some Angostura," he said while pouring the liquid to the short glass and stirred it together, then served it to Draco.

 

Before Draco could speak, he cut him off, "I don't suggest drinking it all at once using a straw, nor daring you to slurp it down in one gulp."

 

Draco sipped half of the content and felt the burning sensation down his throat. "This is great, thanks."

 

He looked around the bar which was lighted with the dim lights. There weren't so many people at the time. Only few men and women; some of them were sitting alone, but the others were practically together.

 

When his eyes rested on a lady sitting on the corner, he almost told himself that his eyes had betrayed him. But the more he looked into the lady, the more he believed that it was her.

 

Draco strode to the corner of the room. He was concious that his heart rate was increasing with every steps that he made.

 

"It was the first and the last time they saw each other face to face, they shared a crimson smile and just walked away and left the secret at the grave~" she sang.

 

"Granger?"

 

"And the preacher said he was a good man~"

 

"Granger!" Draco raised his voice. However, the witch still singing loudly and was gathering some of the people's attention. He hissed and pulled out whatever that white-thing which was plucked to her ear. "Granger."

 

Her big doe eyes raised into his grey ones. Draco was preparing himself ready for any rude comments.

 

"Draco Malfoy!" Hermione's voice boomed happily. She chuckled and pulled Draco's arm down to sit on the chair beside her.

 

He was still in dazed and didn't quite recollect what had happened. He thought that the girl woman in front of him would shove him off and told him to go away as far as he could.

 

"I'm so sad and needed someone to talk to, you know. Good thing that you come! I've gone mad because of this man, he is cheating on me! And my life couldn't get any better when my mom told me that he would be a great husband and he was like 'Oh of course, I'd propose to her in no time!'

 

"Oh my God, what am I supposed to do, Draco? I can't marry him! Not after he's cheating with me! You know what? I really want to hex his balls and kill him after that, and-"

 

"Merlin, Granger!" Draco yanked his arm that Hermione had been holding on since then. "You blabbered more when you are drunk!"

 

Hermione looked him straight in the eyes. Malfor was scared that she might hexed him, but the thought gone when he saw tears shining in her eyes. Immediately she cried and nestled her head on top of the table, in her arms.

 

"I knew it, Malfoy! I knew it! You are here just to insult me again like years ago in Hogwarts. Just go away if you're not going to cheer me up!" She cried like a child wanting no other than a lollipop in this world.

 

"God dammit." Draco ran a hand through his ever so blonde hair which wasn't sleek to the back again. "Is this what I got after I see you again for four years?"

 

"Woah, what happen here?" Blaise stepped into the scene. "Granger?" He noticed the woman.

 

"Good timing, Blaise." Draco massaged his temples.

 

"You made her cry? Wow, what did you say to her now? Never in my life I've seen Hermione Granger cry because of an insult from you, mate."

 

Hermione lifted his head up. "Blaise!" the man raised his brown when he saw her state. "Malfoy is being a bastard towards me! He's giving me that shit when we've just met again for four years long!"

 

"Is she drunk? Merlin, I just knew that Granger can go drunk also." Blaise shook his head. "Anyway, let's go, man. We need to go to the club now."

 

Draco looked to his friend and then to the woman in front of her who was currently drinking her heart out. Not caring the liquid that spilled to her clothes, soaking it. "I think... I'll be staying here."

 

Blaise eyes nearly popped out, didn't really believe his ears. But seconds later, he smiled lightly. "Still can't get over it, huh? Good luck, man. I'll see you later... or maybe sooner," Blaise said and exited the bar.

 

Draco sighed. Hermione was still crying in front of him, although it had reduced to little sniffles. He touched her shoulder. "Granger, don't cry."

 

"Don't poke me!"

 

"I'm not poking you, Granger. I'm touching you."

 

Now that sounds wrong, Draco thought and shrugged it off seconds later.

 

"Let's go, I'll accompany you home."

 

As stubborn as a child is, she shook her head vigorously. Draco sighed again and had no choice then to wait for her to calm down. He walked to the bar and asked for some more drinks while waiting.

 

~ * ~

 

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