Hello there! Thank you for clicking on this story! Now for some info on what these one shots are:
These one shots are written entirely around the howlers I write. All howlers are close to the original format of the one Mrs. Weasley sent Ron in second year (ah, the memories) and can contain a variety of characters and ships.
About this fic: Dramione. Possibly 6th or 7th year post-DH. Enjoy! :)
Hermione had noticed her boyfriend of three months-but apple of her eye for nine-had been acting oddly for the past two weeks. He had been missing their meetings in the library or various unused classrooms and completely blew her off during the last Hogsmeade weekend and she was determined to find out why.
"Draco, it's not even 9:30, how can you possibly be tired?" Hermione asked him in the library a week after she'd began noticed the odd behavior, tonight being no exception of the suspicious change.
"I just am Hermione; McGonagall chewed me out for talking to Blaise in Transfiguration and you know how much I hate her bitching." He replied annoyed and packing his things away to leave.
"I was in Transfiguration, Draco. It's one of the few classes we have together, remember?" she replied growing more frustrated with each ridiculous excuse, "And McGonagall didn't so much as look at you today so that's utter rubbish; I just want to know what's wrong."
"Nothing is wrong Hermione, I'm just tired. Damn." He replied sounding as equally frustrated as his disgruntled girlfriend.
"If nothing is wrong then why have you been ignoring me for the past week-and don't you dare blame it on schoolwork seeing as we have the same classes." She warned.
"It's just one of those weeks, I guess." Draco replied wearily and gave her a halfhearted smile, "I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" He stood up with his book bag over his right shoulder looking at her still seated across from him at the library table.
"Yeah." Hermione replied a little gloomily and Draco turned to leave but not before she asked "Not even a kiss, Draco? Very unlike you." This brought normal-Draco back slightly in his reply.
"Very unlike me indeed. I think I'll have to do something about that."
"Then why don't you come over here and do something about it?" She suggested leaning back in her seat.
"I think I shall." Draco replied taking two strides and bending forward to place a chaste kiss on Hermione's lips. "Until tomorrow."
"Until tomorrow." Hermione mirrored and watched Draco walk out of the library and head towards his common room.
She waited three minutes before following him out of the library.
Draco entered his common room and went straight to his dormitory hoping to be alone but feeling nothing but annoyance and disappointment when he opened the door and found Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini playing a game of Exploding Snap.
"Hello Draco," Blaise greeted, "didn't expect you to be back so early, weren't you supposed to be spending time with that girlfriend of yours?" Nott gave no indication he noticed Draco's presence as he was so focused on the game of Exploding Snap; their house of cards only at the beginning stages indicating they hadn't been there long.
"She felt ill." was Draco's only reply as he deposited his bag next his bed.
"Shouldn't you be by her bedside holding her hand and comforting her or something?"
"Do I look like a bloody Hufflepuff to you?" Draco sneered and turned around to find Blaise concentrating on the unstable game in front of him.
"On occasion." Theo replied taking the time to acknowledge Draco.
"Wanker." Draco shot back
"Now, now, Draco there is no need for name calling." Blaise chastised with his brow furrowed and eyes locked on the cards.
"Shove off Blaise."
"I should shove off?" Blaise asked "you're the one who interrupted our game; I think you should be the one to leave. Maybe go visit that sick girlfriend of yours-"
"Unless she's not sick and she's secretly screwing Potter-"
"Highly unlikely" Draco snorted.
"Then why don't you go and get some concrete proof instead of lazing about in our dormitory with your flimsy, unsupported sick girlfriend theories."
"You know what? I think I will. Solitude in the corridors is preferable to keeping company with the two of you." With that last insult hanging in the air, Draco walked out of the room, down the stone steps and through the portrait hole into the dungeons corridors; glad to have a reason to leave on time.
Hermione followed him all the way to his dorm. She was hidden in a poorly lit corner debating on whether or not she should leave or stick around to see if he leaves again this evening.
This is ridiculous, why am I acting like a paranoid girlfriend. It's just a bad week like he said, he's not cheating or anything. Hermione thought. He was tired and went back to his dormitory to get some rest, end of story.
He can bring girls up there, you know. A little voice in her head spoke up.
That's ridiculous she argued back, he went straight to his dorm; I saw him.
You mean he went straight to his common room, you didn't see him walk into his dorm. For all you know he could be snogging Pansy Parkinson right behind that portrait.
What a horrible thought! Draco wouldn't cheat, he isn't like that. Hermione reassured herself; the voice was getting to her more than it should.
Oh? The Slytherin Sex God is opposed to infidelity? Now there's quite a shock.
I can't believe I would think of that, Draco isn't that person anymore, he- But her thoughts were cut off when she heard the portrait swing open to reveal an annoyed Draco Malfoy walking swiftly and purposefully towards the staircase that led to the above ground floors.
I wonder where he's going. She thought.
Why don't you find out? The voice replied, and so once again she waited until he was nearly at the top of the stairs to follow.
He led them towards the moving staircases and rode them to the fifth floor. Knowing the castle well and not having the desire to get caught practically stalking her boyfriend, Hermione decided to use a secret passage on the second floor that led to a doorway concealed by a tapestry on the fifth.
She walked up the stairs and turned right to face a blue and silver tapestry with an eagle clutching an olive branch in its talons. Hermione pointed her wand at the leaf on the lowest branch and said "revelare tuum secreta."
The bottom of the ornate rug began to roll up and revealed a rounded wooden door behind it. She pushed the door open to find the hidden staircase to a secret passage on the fifth floor and started to climb quickly up the stone steps.
It took only twenty seconds to reach the opening behind the other tapestry. Hermione peeked out to see Draco turn right down the left side of the corridor. Discreetly, she slipped out of the passageway and quickly but quietly made her way down the hall to see a door disappear into the brick wall.
The Room of Requirement! She thought, That's where he's been going!
Hermione walked to the wall and stood there for a moment until she thought of what she had to think: I need the place Draco Malfoy secretly visits, I need the place Draco Malfoy secretly visits, I need the place Draco Malfoy secretly visits.
She opened her eyes and felt disappointment when there was nothing but a solid brick wall in front of her. She started to think of a different phrase when the door materialized out of the wall, inviting her to find out what her boyfriend's been up to.
What lay behind the door made Hermione gasp; the scene before her shocked her so completely she nearly fainted: the black-striped wallpapered room was softly lit with hundreds of levitating candles in the starry ceiling, beneath which sat a four poster bed with black silk sheets. On top of the aforementioned bed, a shirtless Draco Malfoy-her boyfriend-hovered over her also shirtless best friend Harry Potter. Harry's belt lay discarded on the floor three feet away along with both of their shirts as though thrown away in haste and both of the boys' hair was ruffled severely.
"What in the hell is going on here?" She demanded after regaining her ability to speak. Harry looked up with his jaw dropped slightly and Draco turned his head to gape at the unexpected but familiar intruder.
"I-" Draco started to say but was interrupted by Harry.
"You haven't told her? You told me you would tonight." Harry chastised, frowning at Draco for his dishonesty.
"Tell me what exactly? That my boyfriend is gay and happens to be sleeping with my bestfriend who is also gay?" Hermione retorted.
"Well, at least you know the truth now. Sorry, sweetheart." Draco replied feeling guilty for not telling her in the first place. Both he and Harry had sat up to face the girl in the doorway and accio'd their shirts as Hermione said sarcastically,
"Yes, because finding you straddling Harry without a shirt in the Room of Requirement was the most desirable way to find out."
"He did apologize, Hermione." Harry quietly reminded her.
"And you! We are supposed to be friends and you don't tell me you're screwing my boyfriend behind my back or least of all, that you're gay?"
"Well I-"
"You told me you had said something to her," Draco reminded Harry who also hadn't been honest, "guess that makes us even." He snapped his eyes into Hermione.
"But you aren't innocent in this game of deception either," He accused, looking at her sharply, "you followed me all the way here even though I stopped by my common room for at least 15 minutes. Waiting outside like a little detective to see what big, bad Draco was up to?"
"I-but-you." she spluttered.
"He does have you there, Hermione." Harry pointed out.
"I-" she started to say but clenched her jaw, spun on her heel and left the room leaving a cold air behind her. It was a couple of pensive minutes after she left when Draco's thoughts were interrupted by Harry.
"So...you're big and bad are you Draco?" Harry asked naughtily.
"I'll show you just how big and bad I am." Draco growled and pounced into Harry, thoughts of Hermione forgotten.
It was around ten in the morning when Draco woke up and noticed a blood red envelope addressed to himself and Harry laying on the mahogany bedside table.
"Harry, Harry wake up." Draco said nudging the sleeping boy's right arm as he lay on his stomach, face towards Draco.
"Hmm? What is it? You know I'm not one for a morning shag." He answered sleepily, not opening his eyes.
"As much as I am disappointed by that fact," Draco replied, "we've got a howler."
"Oh? From who?" Harry asked, opening his eyes and taking the glasses Draco held out for him.
"Hermione." Harry's eyes widened and looked at Draco like a lost puppy.
"S-should we open it?"
"Well it's either that or wait 'til it explodes." He reasoned, not liking either option.
"On three; one, two, three!" Harry said and Draco broke the seal to the verbal attack they knew awaited them inside the ruby envelope.
Harry Potter! How dare you steal my boyfriend! I am absolutely furious! I am debating whether to ever talk to you again and it is entirely your fault! If you don't apologize to me soon, I will send you something worse than a howler! Oh and Draco, congrats for coming out of the closet; though your timing is terrible and I wish you'd figured it out sooner.
Love from,
Hermione
Both boys remained silent as they let the last of Hermione's shrieks echo around the room and fade into a very vivid memory. Draco was the one who spoke first,
"Well, this is terrible."
"I know!" Harry replied, "I can't believe she mentioned nothing about me being gay, it was all about you!"
"No matter what team I play for, I am always a good shag," Draco smirked, "But I was referring to the threat to your well being and possible loss of a very close friendship."
"She did sound very upset, didn't she?" Harry asked worriedly with his head hung heavy with shame and his stomach knotted with guilt.
"Hey, look at me." Draco said gently, lifting Harry's head with two fingers, "She'll come around; you're her best friend after all" Harry, who softened slightly with these words of encouragement, gave his boyfriend a firm kiss.
"Thank you, Draco." he smiled
"But remember," Draco warned with a familiar glint in his eye, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."
So what do you think? Should I keep working on these or just abandon the idea? Let me know in a review. :) Suggestions are welcome!