~ Falling Rose Petals ~
Intro: This is a story about some of the HP characters getting together. Begins around their seventh and last year.
Hermione Granger sat on her bed, staring at the snow outside. It was a late winter afternoon, and her friends Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were having a snowball fight outside. They had asked her to join them, but she simply didn't feel like doing anything right now.
Except, of course, thinking of Draco. That's right, Draco Malfoy. She had hated the blond Slytherin boy a lot back in her first four years in Hogwarts, but just before Christmas in their sixth year, Draco had seemed to notice her in a good way. She still remembered how it had all happened.
[It was late afternoon and Hermione was sitting in her dorm, staring at her reflection. She had come a long way from the busy hair and buckteeth in her first year, and now had shiny brown hair that fell in waves to her shoulders. She had even put in blond highlights. Her teeth were much better now, and her figure. let's just say even Ron had noticed her curves.
Hermione glanced at her watch. She still had half an hour before her free hour was over, so she decided to go to the library. Despite her change in appearance, she was still quite studious. But she had lightened up a lot and went to Hogsmeade a lot. She had also become good friends with Lavender Brown, ever since Parvati Patil had left the school.
Hermione left the dorm and exited the Gryffindor common room. She was turning the corner when.
SMACK! She ran right into someone, and the books in his arms tumbled to the floor. "Oh, I am so sorry," she began, bending down to scoop the books up. She glanced up.into the face of Draco Malfoy.
Hermione cringed, anticipating the usual "Are you blind or something, Mudblood?" But there was none. Draco was looking at her in an interesting way. Hermione held his gaze, wondering what he could possibly be thinking.
"It's okay," he said at last. "Just watch where you're going." He grabbed the books and walked away quickly.
Hermione shrugged. Draco seemed to have changed. He wasn't as sinister and rude.
Over the next few weeks, Hermione caught Draco staring at her a few times in Potions. At first she just ignored him. But when she decided he probably wasn't scheming how to kill her, she dared to give him a small smile when Snape's back was turned. At once, Draco's face broke into a friendly smile, his eyes shining.
When class was over, Hermione walked out with Harry and Ron as usual. They were halfway up the stairs from the dungeons when she heard a familiar voice say, "Hermione, wait."
She spun around, and so did Harry and Ron. Draco was standing there. Crabbe and Goyle weren't with him. "Um. could I talk to you for a moment?" he asked. He looked almost.shy?
Ron looked warily at Herm, who shrugged. "Okay," she said.
"Could you two, like, leave us alone?" he asked. Harry nodded and prepared to leave, but Ron wasn't as agreeable.
"What're you going to do to her?" he demanded.
"Nothing, Weas-I mean, Ron," he quickly amended. "Please?"
Ron glanced at Harry. "Okay," he said. "But hurry, Herm. Professor McGonagall won't like it if you're late." Then he and Harry left.
Hermione looked at Draco. Maybe she was imagining it, but there seemed to be a faint blush under his pale cheeks.
"Erm..Hermione..the thing is.." Draco bit his lip and looked furious with himself. "WillyougototheYuleBallwithme?" The words came out in a rush.
Hermione stared at him. "Sure," she said. "I won't mind."
Draco relaxed at once, and he smiled again. "Great," he said. "I guess that'll be all. um. I think you're looking awfully pretty these days."
"Thanks," Hermione said in surprise. She felt herself blush. Was she getting a crush on Draco Malfoy?
"You're not too bad yourself," she added, taking in his blond hair and sparkling eyes.
Draco blushed. "Um, you better go. It's late."
Hermione gasped. "Professor McGonagall is going to kill me! See you!" Then she sped off.
After that, it was simply a case of how to impress Draco. Lavender had done Hermione's hair in a stylish French braid and put on a soft layer of makeup. Her dress robes were pale blue. She headed down to meet Draco.
Ron was going with Ginny, and he looked absolutely furious. Harry was going with Lavender, and he had an amused expression on his face. Herm sighed, remembering Ron's violent reaction when he found out Draco had asked her to the ball and she had agreed - "What? You're going with him? But he's been our enemy since forever! I can't believe you!"
Draco was dressed in black dress robes with silver trim. He looked kind of nervous but excited.
"Hey," he greeted her. "Hi," Herm replied. They headed off to the ball, and they danced almost every dance together, except once when Ron cut in. Draco looked like he wanted to punch Ron in the nose, but he graciously backed away.
Finally, it was the last dance. It was a fast one, and Herm was getting tired. Draco noticed, and led her out to the gardens. It was a beautiful night with the moon shining down on them. There were a lot of stars, all of them twinkling in the dark velvet sky. The fragrant scent of the rose bushes was overwhelming
Draco slipped his arms around her waist. She intertwined her fingers behind his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. They began to sway to an imaginary tune.
"Herm," he whispered into her ear. "Will you be my girlfriend?"
She tilted her head to gaze into his beautiful eyes. "Yes," she breathed. "I will." At this moment, she knew she couldn't deny it. She was in love with Draco.
And it was obvious he felt the same way when he gently touched his lips to hers in a soft kiss.
Ron and Harry took the news pretty well, considering. Ron's face turned really red but he didn't explode. Harry looked indifferent.
Hermione was on top of the world. She hadn't realized how much she had really liked Draco before this. And he had a thousand good points. He was sweet, romantic, funny, polite.
He smiled at her a lot during Potions lessons and walked her to her classes. Ron and Harry pretended not to notice. They couldn't sit together during meals, but sometimes they took their food outside to the lake and sat there eating. And she still remembered the first time he held her hand. It was at Hogsmeade, and they were walking to Zonko's. They were walking side by side, and suddenly he slipped his hand into hers. A chill ran down her spine, and she almost shivered. She beamed at him.
And then. it was all over. Shattered. When Pansy Parkinson had come back from a long spell in the infirmary, she had immediately started flirting with Draco, not letting him out of her sight. Hermione had no chance to get close to him.
She shot him sad, puppy-dog looks in Potions but he either pretended not to notice or looked at her sort of icily. Hermione went back to her dorm and cried endlessly, sobbing into her pillow. Lavender comforted her, saying he was just a playboy and it wasn't worth it to get upset over a Slytherin jerk.
Hermione thought she had just been a fling for him, someone he got sick of and threw aside. But then one morning at breakfast, when she was glumly eating porridge, a brown school owl had dropped an envelope into her lap. There was just one word on it. Hermy. That had been Draco's nickname for her. She fought back tears and opened the envelope.
There was a single piece of parchment inside. The words were written in that familiar handwriting, the same script that had adorned the dozens of love notes now stuffed in the bottom of her trunk. She read it quickly.
Dear Herm, I know I haven't been talking to you lately but I have a really good explanation. Will you meet me at the lake during tea? Love, Draco
She stuffed the parchment back into the envelope. She didn't pay much attention during the lessons, and during tea she rushed straight to the lake. He wasn't there yet. She sat down on the grassy bank, at their favourite spot. She saw a shadow approaching and turned around. Draco was trudging towards her slowly. He plopped down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders.
"Hermy, I've missed you so much," he whispered. That was all it took. Herm buried her face in his robes and hugged him tightly, pouring out all the pain of the past few weeks. "I've missed you too. I thought you didn't love me anymore."
"I do, Herm," Draco insisted. There were tears in his eyes. "But Pansy. she threatened to tell my father. And my father and Pansy's father are really good friends. If my father finds out about us, we're dead. That's why I had to be nice to her. I'm really sorry, Herm."
"It's okay. Now that you're back with me." Tears streamed down her face as Draco wrapped his arms around her.
"Draco Malfoy!" a voice boomed. Hermione wiped her nose and turned around. Lucius Malfoy was standing there with Pansy Parkinson by his side. Hermione wished she could wipe the triumphant smirk off Pansy's face.
Draco let go of Hermione and got to his feet. "What is it, Father?" he sounded defiant.
"I can't believe you! Having a relationship with a Mudblood!" he shouted. "When there's a perfectly good pure blood here for you. What's wrong with Pansy?"
Draco glared angrily at his father. "Nothing, except I don't love her. I love Hermione!' he declared.
Lucius nearly turned purple. "If you insist on carrying on with the Mudblood, I will disown you!" he yelled. "You are forbidden to talk to her anymore! I shall make sure of that!" And he strode back to the school, with a still smirking Pansy at his heels.
Draco turned around, but Hermione was gone.
The next day after Potions, Draco stopped Hermione in the hallway and started to speak, but Snape materialized at his shoulder. He was smirking. "Ten points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger, and it will be more if I catch you seducing Mr Malfoy again."
Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but Snape added, "And I shall personally make sure you are expelled if you talk back. I have strict orders to keep you away from Mr Malfoy, and I don't intend to disappoint his father. Draco, come with me." And he practically dragged Draco away by his collar.
After that, Hermione couldn't even get within five feet of Draco without being surrounded by protective Slytherins. Draco gave her a what-can-I-do look but he was helpless.]
And that was it. That was the whole story of how they couldn't be together. She missed him terribly, but she didn't want to be expelled either. They couldn't even send each other owl post because Snape had arranged Slytherin students to be on duty supervising Draco's every move at every minute of the day.
Hermione grabbed her pillow and sobbed. She wanted Draco so bad. She wanted him to hold her in his arms and tell her how much he loved her but there would be no chance of that.
She hated Lucius Malfoy. How could he destroy her happiness like that? Draco and Hermione deserved each other. She wiped away her tears. It was time to meet Harry and Ron for dinner. She blew her nose and made her way downstairs.
[A/N: So, what do you think? Romantic? There will be chapters about Ron and Harry and other people. And of course this isn't how it ends. Lucius Malfoy can't just stop them like that. Anyway, review! I know you want to. just click on it. go on.]
Intro: This is a story about some of the HP characters getting together. Begins around their seventh and last year.
Hermione Granger sat on her bed, staring at the snow outside. It was a late winter afternoon, and her friends Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were having a snowball fight outside. They had asked her to join them, but she simply didn't feel like doing anything right now.
Except, of course, thinking of Draco. That's right, Draco Malfoy. She had hated the blond Slytherin boy a lot back in her first four years in Hogwarts, but just before Christmas in their sixth year, Draco had seemed to notice her in a good way. She still remembered how it had all happened.
[It was late afternoon and Hermione was sitting in her dorm, staring at her reflection. She had come a long way from the busy hair and buckteeth in her first year, and now had shiny brown hair that fell in waves to her shoulders. She had even put in blond highlights. Her teeth were much better now, and her figure. let's just say even Ron had noticed her curves.
Hermione glanced at her watch. She still had half an hour before her free hour was over, so she decided to go to the library. Despite her change in appearance, she was still quite studious. But she had lightened up a lot and went to Hogsmeade a lot. She had also become good friends with Lavender Brown, ever since Parvati Patil had left the school.
Hermione left the dorm and exited the Gryffindor common room. She was turning the corner when.
SMACK! She ran right into someone, and the books in his arms tumbled to the floor. "Oh, I am so sorry," she began, bending down to scoop the books up. She glanced up.into the face of Draco Malfoy.
Hermione cringed, anticipating the usual "Are you blind or something, Mudblood?" But there was none. Draco was looking at her in an interesting way. Hermione held his gaze, wondering what he could possibly be thinking.
"It's okay," he said at last. "Just watch where you're going." He grabbed the books and walked away quickly.
Hermione shrugged. Draco seemed to have changed. He wasn't as sinister and rude.
Over the next few weeks, Hermione caught Draco staring at her a few times in Potions. At first she just ignored him. But when she decided he probably wasn't scheming how to kill her, she dared to give him a small smile when Snape's back was turned. At once, Draco's face broke into a friendly smile, his eyes shining.
When class was over, Hermione walked out with Harry and Ron as usual. They were halfway up the stairs from the dungeons when she heard a familiar voice say, "Hermione, wait."
She spun around, and so did Harry and Ron. Draco was standing there. Crabbe and Goyle weren't with him. "Um. could I talk to you for a moment?" he asked. He looked almost.shy?
Ron looked warily at Herm, who shrugged. "Okay," she said.
"Could you two, like, leave us alone?" he asked. Harry nodded and prepared to leave, but Ron wasn't as agreeable.
"What're you going to do to her?" he demanded.
"Nothing, Weas-I mean, Ron," he quickly amended. "Please?"
Ron glanced at Harry. "Okay," he said. "But hurry, Herm. Professor McGonagall won't like it if you're late." Then he and Harry left.
Hermione looked at Draco. Maybe she was imagining it, but there seemed to be a faint blush under his pale cheeks.
"Erm..Hermione..the thing is.." Draco bit his lip and looked furious with himself. "WillyougototheYuleBallwithme?" The words came out in a rush.
Hermione stared at him. "Sure," she said. "I won't mind."
Draco relaxed at once, and he smiled again. "Great," he said. "I guess that'll be all. um. I think you're looking awfully pretty these days."
"Thanks," Hermione said in surprise. She felt herself blush. Was she getting a crush on Draco Malfoy?
"You're not too bad yourself," she added, taking in his blond hair and sparkling eyes.
Draco blushed. "Um, you better go. It's late."
Hermione gasped. "Professor McGonagall is going to kill me! See you!" Then she sped off.
After that, it was simply a case of how to impress Draco. Lavender had done Hermione's hair in a stylish French braid and put on a soft layer of makeup. Her dress robes were pale blue. She headed down to meet Draco.
Ron was going with Ginny, and he looked absolutely furious. Harry was going with Lavender, and he had an amused expression on his face. Herm sighed, remembering Ron's violent reaction when he found out Draco had asked her to the ball and she had agreed - "What? You're going with him? But he's been our enemy since forever! I can't believe you!"
Draco was dressed in black dress robes with silver trim. He looked kind of nervous but excited.
"Hey," he greeted her. "Hi," Herm replied. They headed off to the ball, and they danced almost every dance together, except once when Ron cut in. Draco looked like he wanted to punch Ron in the nose, but he graciously backed away.
Finally, it was the last dance. It was a fast one, and Herm was getting tired. Draco noticed, and led her out to the gardens. It was a beautiful night with the moon shining down on them. There were a lot of stars, all of them twinkling in the dark velvet sky. The fragrant scent of the rose bushes was overwhelming
Draco slipped his arms around her waist. She intertwined her fingers behind his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. They began to sway to an imaginary tune.
"Herm," he whispered into her ear. "Will you be my girlfriend?"
She tilted her head to gaze into his beautiful eyes. "Yes," she breathed. "I will." At this moment, she knew she couldn't deny it. She was in love with Draco.
And it was obvious he felt the same way when he gently touched his lips to hers in a soft kiss.
Ron and Harry took the news pretty well, considering. Ron's face turned really red but he didn't explode. Harry looked indifferent.
Hermione was on top of the world. She hadn't realized how much she had really liked Draco before this. And he had a thousand good points. He was sweet, romantic, funny, polite.
He smiled at her a lot during Potions lessons and walked her to her classes. Ron and Harry pretended not to notice. They couldn't sit together during meals, but sometimes they took their food outside to the lake and sat there eating. And she still remembered the first time he held her hand. It was at Hogsmeade, and they were walking to Zonko's. They were walking side by side, and suddenly he slipped his hand into hers. A chill ran down her spine, and she almost shivered. She beamed at him.
And then. it was all over. Shattered. When Pansy Parkinson had come back from a long spell in the infirmary, she had immediately started flirting with Draco, not letting him out of her sight. Hermione had no chance to get close to him.
She shot him sad, puppy-dog looks in Potions but he either pretended not to notice or looked at her sort of icily. Hermione went back to her dorm and cried endlessly, sobbing into her pillow. Lavender comforted her, saying he was just a playboy and it wasn't worth it to get upset over a Slytherin jerk.
Hermione thought she had just been a fling for him, someone he got sick of and threw aside. But then one morning at breakfast, when she was glumly eating porridge, a brown school owl had dropped an envelope into her lap. There was just one word on it. Hermy. That had been Draco's nickname for her. She fought back tears and opened the envelope.
There was a single piece of parchment inside. The words were written in that familiar handwriting, the same script that had adorned the dozens of love notes now stuffed in the bottom of her trunk. She read it quickly.
Dear Herm, I know I haven't been talking to you lately but I have a really good explanation. Will you meet me at the lake during tea? Love, Draco
She stuffed the parchment back into the envelope. She didn't pay much attention during the lessons, and during tea she rushed straight to the lake. He wasn't there yet. She sat down on the grassy bank, at their favourite spot. She saw a shadow approaching and turned around. Draco was trudging towards her slowly. He plopped down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders.
"Hermy, I've missed you so much," he whispered. That was all it took. Herm buried her face in his robes and hugged him tightly, pouring out all the pain of the past few weeks. "I've missed you too. I thought you didn't love me anymore."
"I do, Herm," Draco insisted. There were tears in his eyes. "But Pansy. she threatened to tell my father. And my father and Pansy's father are really good friends. If my father finds out about us, we're dead. That's why I had to be nice to her. I'm really sorry, Herm."
"It's okay. Now that you're back with me." Tears streamed down her face as Draco wrapped his arms around her.
"Draco Malfoy!" a voice boomed. Hermione wiped her nose and turned around. Lucius Malfoy was standing there with Pansy Parkinson by his side. Hermione wished she could wipe the triumphant smirk off Pansy's face.
Draco let go of Hermione and got to his feet. "What is it, Father?" he sounded defiant.
"I can't believe you! Having a relationship with a Mudblood!" he shouted. "When there's a perfectly good pure blood here for you. What's wrong with Pansy?"
Draco glared angrily at his father. "Nothing, except I don't love her. I love Hermione!' he declared.
Lucius nearly turned purple. "If you insist on carrying on with the Mudblood, I will disown you!" he yelled. "You are forbidden to talk to her anymore! I shall make sure of that!" And he strode back to the school, with a still smirking Pansy at his heels.
Draco turned around, but Hermione was gone.
The next day after Potions, Draco stopped Hermione in the hallway and started to speak, but Snape materialized at his shoulder. He was smirking. "Ten points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger, and it will be more if I catch you seducing Mr Malfoy again."
Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but Snape added, "And I shall personally make sure you are expelled if you talk back. I have strict orders to keep you away from Mr Malfoy, and I don't intend to disappoint his father. Draco, come with me." And he practically dragged Draco away by his collar.
After that, Hermione couldn't even get within five feet of Draco without being surrounded by protective Slytherins. Draco gave her a what-can-I-do look but he was helpless.]
And that was it. That was the whole story of how they couldn't be together. She missed him terribly, but she didn't want to be expelled either. They couldn't even send each other owl post because Snape had arranged Slytherin students to be on duty supervising Draco's every move at every minute of the day.
Hermione grabbed her pillow and sobbed. She wanted Draco so bad. She wanted him to hold her in his arms and tell her how much he loved her but there would be no chance of that.
She hated Lucius Malfoy. How could he destroy her happiness like that? Draco and Hermione deserved each other. She wiped away her tears. It was time to meet Harry and Ron for dinner. She blew her nose and made her way downstairs.
[A/N: So, what do you think? Romantic? There will be chapters about Ron and Harry and other people. And of course this isn't how it ends. Lucius Malfoy can't just stop them like that. Anyway, review! I know you want to. just click on it. go on.]
