The grassy area in front of the Great Lake was overflowing with instant seats, assembled in orderly lines and full of proud parents with cameras, younger siblings, friends and family members that were there to watch their children finally become adults. Today was the day that the class of 2008 graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In front of the masses of chairs was a large wooden stage complete with a speech stand, long velvet curtains and the wizened old professors that had taught the young people behind the curtain all that they know about magic and their abilities for the future. Behind the curtain, a hive of nerves, will I be the one to fall? Do I have toilet paper stuck to my shoe? Is my bra showing? All were nervous and excited. But none more that Hermione Granger. Today she was leaving all that was familiar to her, all that she had spent the last 7 years with. She was finally ready to move out and live her own life. Today everyone was going to find out her secret. The one she had hidden from everyone for an entire two years. The secret that changed her life in so many ways than one. She was nervous to say the least. She felt like she was going to revisit her breakfast, lunch and dinner. She was not only nervous but afraid. What if no-one accepted her? What if she was completely excluded from her friends and the other people she came to love here at Hogwarts?
Her stern head of house was mustering and scolding everyone for the last time into a neat orderly line that alphabetised every person excluding herself and the other head student. They were to be announced last as they had to make a speech. She could feel the bile in her throat. She forced it down knowing that if she did puke that she would look even more worse on the stage talking to the hundreds of families in the crowd.
The first person took to the stage, receiving a diploma from their head of house and then shaking with the Headmaster while smiling at an unknown couple in the crowd presumably their family. They had gone through the Hufflepuffs and the Gryffindors, her house, were half way through. At the letter P everyone in the crowd started to hold their breath.
Finally Potter, Harry was announced and her best friend walked up onto stage ignoring the media photographers and instead smiling only for the select group of red heads accompanied by two shaggy males, one with long black hair and the other a sandy mop. Reaching over Dumbledore shook his hand and some choice words that made him blush and laugh at the same. Harry had recently defeated the greatest Dark Lord the world had seen in years and all before his own graduation. The press and all the people in the world loved him. He was a celebrity. However, in the eyes of Hermione, Ron and Ginny he was simply Harry the shy boy with always broken glasses and a curse of resting the entire world on his own shoulders.
The next Gryffindor that sparked the cameras was Weasley, Ronald, Hermione's other best friend. He had helped Harry as well as Hermione in discovering Voldemorts plans and eventually killing him in the last battle outside of the Riddle house. Ron's fiery red hair had been cut before the last battle and now instead of the mop he once favoured he had a more military cut. He said it was more practical in the field. Long hair got in your face and attackers could easily control him by pulling his hair because he had a sensitive scalp. His freckles still stood out; although he seemed to have grown into them make them more and more masculine as he grew. She had to admit that he was a fine specimen of male but she was no longer interested. Not since she had turned 15 had she been interested.
The Gryffindors finished and the Ravenclaws came next in their blue trimmed graduation gown followed shortly by the green trimmed Slytherins. The Slytherins were known for being the followers of Voldemort, even though people like the Dark Lord before him was a Ravenclaw. Hermione understood that anyone could become dark and that was why she had a secret. Anyone could be dark and anyone could be good. Unfortunately some were always associated no matter their own dispositions and opinions. She knew some of the Slytherins like dainty little Pansy Parkinson who's love for animals was overruled by her mother and father as a proper bride of a pureblood should not be interested in getting dirty and filthy for some animal. And then there was willowy Blaise Zanbini who was always cheerful an apparent anomalies among the Slytherins. And then there was Draco Malfoy Slytherin King. He was tall and slim whipcord muscles making up his body. He had been in line for becoming a death eater no matter what anyone said or did after Graduation. He had been enemies with Harry, Ron and Hermione since the moment they all met and had made their lives hell. But he was always rooting for them. He never wanted to be a death eater. It was his father's wish to give the Dark Lord his only son as a gift to pull himself and his cold wife up through the ranks. Draco Malfoy never went up with the Slytherins he was with Hermione as the male Head Student of 2008. She had half of the speech made up on little cards and he had the other half in the pocket of his graduation robes.
He no longer wore his hair gelled instead wearing it with no chemicals and letting the white locks fall natural around his square face, his jaw set in a straight line as he mentally prepared himself for his half of the speech.
Thinking about and watching the ceremony had calmed her nerves however now that she knew she was about to go out onto the stage and talk in front of everybody she was starting to shake. She felt a calm and cool hand slide into her and give a squeeze before removing it quickly. Part of the secret that she had kept from everyone but her parents, was their relationship. It was too dangerous with his parents being close to Voldemort and her being close to Harry to even consider telling everyone about them. They had met on rounds during the fourth year while prefects and started talking out of sheer boredom. Eventually she and he began to crave for the talks, to be able to be themselves with each other, to be free from everyone around them. They soon fell in love but were unable to tell anyone due to the dangers it would bring to them and everyone else in their lives. Stealing a quick kiss before mounting the stage the fell in step and walked up him behind her all the way. She could see the sea of faces looking towards the both of them. Looking out among the fleshy circles, she could hear faint cried for a mother and another person sneezing, eventually she saw who she was looking for. She felt a sigh of relief and continued walking to the pulpit with Draco.
Reaching the microphone she adjusted it to her height and started her speech.
"My name is Hermione Granger and I am Head Girl for the class of 2008 Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Over the years here I have learnt what friends, family and love is. The people you have all just witnessed walking on and off this stage have dealt what life has brought them together as a family. Although they fight don't all siblings? We are one family here at Hogwarts and I know I will miss my brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers when I am out in the big world fending for myself. I know I speak for all when I say thank you to everyone who has helped us to where we are today and thank you to all the parents who let us go for 9 months of the year for our studies and I hope we all make you proud." She finished with a smile.
Draco reached towards the now shortened microphone and readjusted it to his own height. "as my partner has just said we have learnt a lot from this school it is not all about houses and blood or what grades you get it's the people in it that matter the most. It's the relationships and friendships that you know will last forever. It's having a place where we all know we are welcome at anytime and for any reason. It was a home. Both Hermione and I are here today to say thank you to all the staff and teachers and even Mr. Filch and Mrs. Norris for making out last seven years here memorable."
A slow clapping started in the audience, as though one lone person not quiet sure what to make of it but clapping anyway. Eventually the clapping caught on and everyone was cheering and whistling the head students as then continued to stand their ground in front of the pulpit. People were still shock over Draco's words, mainly because he was a Malfoy and they were known to be cold and heartless, Voldemort's right hand family. His family had been one of the more blood obsessed families in the UK and the entire family being from Slytherin including himself he was supposedly destined to be the next Dark Lord.
The clapping finally wanned and they continued to stand there staring out into the audience, before finally Draco asked Professor Dumbledore if he could announce a few more things before handing over the podium. Of course Professor Dumbledore agreed with a twinkle in his eye and a curl in his beard.
Draco spoke once more directly into the microphone "I know many of you believe me to be evil and a replica of my parents but I would like to say that I am not. I am far from the supposed perfect Slytherin. I fell in love" he spoke clearly eyes shining out to the families. Many people gasps in shock, some literally stopped breathing and had to be hammered on the back to re-gain their breath, "However that is not the biggest shock yet. I fell in love with a muggleborn, Hermione Granger." He spoke lovingly looking down at Hermione her brown curls lifting in the subtle wind and tears in her eyes. She stood rooted to the spot. She knew they were going to announce their relationship at the Graduation ceremony but she realised that talking about it and doing it were two completely different things.
Hermione could see her family in the crowd. Her mother and father watching proud of Draco. They were always proud of Draco. She was proud of Draco. She knew what he was going through just saying that. Those words had probably just lost him 75% of his friends and contacts while I would lose none.
She stood herself on the tips of her toes and addressed the microphone "and I fell in love with a pureblood, Draco Malfoy." Some people in the audience actually fainted at their news. She could see Harry and Ron sitting stock still on their seats as well as the red head Weasley clan and Harry's two god parents.
Finally as the last straw she decided with a nod in Draco's direction that they were going to tell their secret the one that had been kept for two years, the main reason for their secret relationship. Draco leaned into the mike once again. "Helen and Rodger could you please bring up Alisa?" he asked politely. Many people were turning and craning around in their seats to see their mysterious Alisa, but all they saw was an aged man and woman who were both starting to go white at the temple and their faces starting to wrinkle walking down the aisle towards the podium. Once reaching the platform they climbed the stairs and handed over a child to Draco Malfoy's hand. The child in question looked to be one and was asleep sucking her thumb peacefully hang off him while he held her weight with one arm. She has short pixie cut brown hair and behind the sleeping lids molten silver eyes.
"This is my daughter", he stated clearly so that no-one could be confused, "her name is Alisa Jayne Malfoy and Hermione is her mother." Hermione later thought over the events and realised there was no real reaction due to the fact that they had already blown their minds. Apparently the most prominent pureblood line dirtying itself with muggleblood was seen as impossible, not to mention that the resident prude and bookworm was pregnant in the 4th year to the evil muggle hating Death Eater.
Hermione could still see Harry and Ron but they were no longer looking stunned they were catatonic. She was always annoyed when they treated her like she was the most innocent and pure person in the world and it felt like a good wake up call to them.
Hermione thanked the crowd and walked off the stage with Alisa in Draco's arm and the other wrapped around her.