The Road

A Name Like Mary

Working at the book shop was nice and quiet, which Hermione was glad to accept. She spent most of her time reading at the register. Occasionally, a customer might come in and accidentally call her Mary. Abby showed her pictures of Mary and to be quite honest, she really did look like her. The same brown hair and body structure. Her eyes, however, were a lovely blue, while Hermione thought she had a yucky brown.

Although she understood that the town was still grieving, the name Mary started to be used more and more in the shop, specifically towards her. One day as she was cleaning the windows, a man in his 40s called her Mary and Hermione had had enough of it. She started wearing a name tag that said Hermione. Abby didn't really understand why since she was the only person working there, but she allowed it.

The only person who hasn't spoken a single word about Mary was Draco. Perhaps if he was really in love, he would still be grieving. One time while he wasn't looking, she searched the house (apart from his room) for pictures of some sort with Mary. He wouldn't really have any other pictures besides the one had from his muggle life. But still there were no pictures.

Every night, as she secretly watched him work through the offfice window, she wondered when would be the right time to bring up Mary. He had to know that Abby told her the story, but she just wanted to hear his side of it all.

"Draco?" before she knew it, she was already on her feet in front of her car.

"Yeah?" he spoke from under the car.

"Who's Mary?" the words spilled out of her mouth like water, and she wished she could just swallow the water and be done with it. Draco seemingly stopped working for a moment, before he went back to tinkering. "My ex-girlfriend," he answered quietly.

"Abby told me what happened," she sympatized, "I'm really sorry."

Draco dropped his tools and rolled out from under the car. She watched his face, he was firm but wasn't flaming mad. He stood and walked around the car. "Me too," he said.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," he said firmly, "It's none of your business anyway."

It was the answer she expected, but she didn't really want to accept it. "The townspeople said I look a lot like her," Hermione explained, "Even Abby agrees."

"You do," he also agreed.

"Was she special?"

"Yes."

"So you were in love with her?"

"I'm done talking about this!" Draco snapped and through his rag on the ground. "I'm not going to explain my life to you of all people. We aren't friends-"

"But we sure as hell aren't enemies anymore, Malfoy!" Hermione yelled back, "If we were enemies, why do you think I haven't told the Ministry where you're hiding? Why am I living in the same house with you and for the first time in a long time, actually feel safe to sleep in my own bed?"

Draco breathed heavily in and out through his nose. He looked mad now, but she wasn't sure what she said that made him this way. She remembered that he didn't want her to trust him, but how could she not. He said it himself that he's different now, so why not trust the new person he came to be?

Hermione and Draco stood firmly on a middle ground, and after a long pause they turned around and went back to what they were doing.

______

A child's perspective says more truth than an adult, who can riddle their truths with words and make it a lie. So she may as well ask the most truthful person she knew about Mary.

"What can you tell me about her?" Hermione rest her elbows on the kitchen counter and watched Molly eat the lollipop she was given. It wasn't bribery, she really just wanted a lollipop.

"She was pretty, smart, and lots of fun," Molly told her as she lapped at the candy, "Drake really liked her."

"And she liked him to, right?"

"Mm, not exactly," she spilled, "I could tell he liked her a lot more than she did. Mary liked to spend time with daddy and his friends a lot at night."

"Really?"

She nodded, "Drake and Mary broke up the night before she- well, you know." Hermione realized that maybe that's why he didn't want to talk about her. Was he guilty for breaking up with her? Did she stumble into the road because of the break up or the booze? "Thank you, Molly," Hermione thanked and lifted Molly off the counter and back on the ground.

"Drake talks about you sometimes too," Molly admitted with no shame.

"Oh yeah, and what does he say?"

"He said you've known each other for a long long time," Molly said, "I think he thinks you're pretty."

"What makes you say that?"

"He looks at you the same way he looked at Mary..." then Molly wandered off with the lollipop and out the door. Hermione paused to comprehend what she said.

Huh, maybe the truth isn't cut out for all kids.