Summary: Someone has been anonymously donating huge amounts of money to Hermione's library, and apparently only wants muggle books in exchange. Why would someone be interested in a small library. and why does Draco Malfoy keep on borrowing the books her secret benefactor requested?

Author's notes: Hi! To anyone who read the first draft of the chapter, I apologize. I'd uploaded the unedited version by mistake. Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and bear with me if I take too long to update.

Disclaimer: The story and the characters belong to JK Rowling.

Prologue

Hermione opened the thick envelope, her heart pounding against her chest. She knew what it contained even before she took a look inside. It was the same black woven envelope with gold trimmings.

She took a long breath and exhaled slowly. This the second donation this month, and the fourth of the year. She had been receiving tons of money from an unknown benefactor since February, and while she's grateful for the support, it was starting to make her anxious about the reason behind it.

She dumped the contents on her desk, frowning when a letter slipped from the envelope among the bills. Well, this was a first time it came with a note.

Ms. Granger,

You may have noticed that this month's donation is more than the usual. I do not wish to impose, but Abbreviamentum statutorum by John Lettou & William de Machlinia would be a nice addition to your shop. Please use the additional for your perusal.

It wasn't signed, as she expected. Hermione's frown deepened. She mulled over the request of her secret benefactor.

It's obvious that this man – she presumed he was male, from the handwriting and the tone – was filthy rich. Why does he need her to buy the book, when he can obviously procure it himself? At a library, no less, where anyone can just borrow it.

She had been intending to purchase the book, but was having doubts about its demand in her shop. Apparently someone does want it, and is even willing to pay for it.

It was a muggle book on English law.

She went to her office and made the arrangements to purchase the book.

.

It was well in the afternoon and Hermione was itching to get out the door and head on over to the Three Broomsticks to meet her friends.

However, Mr. Smith had just ordered his coffee and was just starting on a chapter in a booth by the window. She knew he had a lot of grandchildren to take care of at home, and that his afternoons were the only he had from the ruckus.

Rather than feeling annoyed, Hermione chose to feel flattered that he chose to spend time in her shop rather than anywhere else.

It was moments like these that were the gratifications for her decision to open her library-café, The Hiraeth. She knew opening a library in a small muggle town was risky, especially since there was already a local library by the town hall.

So Hermione made hers a little different. She called her library a community library, where customers were encouraged to donate books in exchange for three free drinks on the shop.

But her biggest asset that set her apart from the local library was the reading spaces. Ginny, bless her, came up with the idea. In addition to the usual tables, chairs, and sofas, she had reading nooks by the windows complete with cushions and pillows. She also made coffee and tea available to buy for anyone who wished to stay for a while.

The small town of Brighton took a while to warm up to her library. First, it was the occasional tourist, wanting to have coffee in the afternoon. Back then, she only had her own books to fill the library. One of her first local customer was Mr. Smith. He'd fallen in love with the quaint reading nooks, and since then he'd come every afternoon. Sometimes, he'd take one of his grandchildren with him.

Hermione never imagined her shop would make it this big in such as small town. In a span of three years, her library had become one of the tourist attractions in Brighton. Not bad for someone who's in their twenties. It was more than she could hope for when decided to move here.

She wanted to live in a small muggle town after the war. Although there were a lot of opportunities for her back in Wizarding London, she wanted a new start away from the horrors and the trauma. So she hopped on the train and landed in Brighton, an hour away from London where Harry and the rest of the gang were.

She sighed contentedly as Mr. Smith was making his leave.

"Have a nice day, Mr. Smith!" Hermione called out. The old man grunted in reply.

Hermione immediately went to put his mug and saucer in the dishwasher as she made to close the shop for the day. She was supposed to leave an hour earlier and let her assistant Penelope handle things from then on, but she was missing.

Making sure everything was in place, she closed her shop and headed for the nearest apparition point.

A/N: Well, that's it for the first chapter! Please let me know what you think, I would appreciate it so much!