Author's Notes: This is the last chapter of this fic and I'm kind of sad. I love being at Hogwarts again. I may have to write another Hogwarts: Dramione fic to make me feel better later. Thank you for taking time to read this fic and a hug for those who reached out to me :)
Several days passed since Draco last spoke with Granger in the corridor that night. They had exchanged a few furtive glances in class and in the Great Hall, but mostly, they kept away from each other.
Now they were in Potions together and Draco did his best not to stare at the back of her head. It was made difficult when she swept her hair over one shoulder showcasing the pretty line of her neck. God, he had it bad for her. It was embarrassing. He was a Malfoy, for Merlin's sake!
Still, his eyes were drawn to the soft skin just behind her ear. He bit his tongue and lowered his forehead to the table. It felt cool against his burning, humiliated skin.
"Mr. Malfoy," Professor Slughorn called out.
Draco snapped to attention. "Sir!"
"I take it you don't have any questions about the potion we will be brewing today?" the professor asked in his usual droll voice.
"Uh, no, sir."
Slughorn nodded his head like he didn't believe him. "Then how many times must you stir the potion after you add the bitter root?"
"Fifty times, sir. Clockwise," Draco said. "After that, 3 grams of crushed moth wings must be added. Then the potion must be stirred another fifty times. Counter clockwise, of course."
"Of course," Slughorn answered with a smile. "And what if you don't execute the steps properly?"
"I'm afraid it may catch fire, sir," he said. "Or, in some rare cases, explode."
"Excellent. Excellent," Slughorn chuckled delightedly. "Ten points to Slytherin!"
Draco's eyes flickered to Granger. Next to her was Potter and Weasley who were both scowling at him but she was looking at him...strangely, like she was impressed. Draco tried not to preen under her attention.
An hour later, the Potions classroom was sweltering and everyone was sweating over their bubbling cauldrons. Draco's bright orange potion was looking exactly as it should. He was silently congratulating himself when he heard a strange rattling sound.
He glanced up to see Neville's cauldron shaking violently. Everyone around it backed up. It rolled off its stand and fell onto the table. The potion didn't spill out. It was stuck inside, thick and congealed. A few people sighed in relief. Then the cauldron erupted.
The angle of the explosion hurled the thick, green potion right at Granger, splattering her jumper and skirt. She shrieked. Draco's heart stopped. Smoke sputtered off her clothing. The smell of burnt tar filled the room. Draco took a step toward her but Potter, always the hero, was already there with his wand, dousing her clothes with water.
She clawed at her jumper. "It's still burning!" she screamed. Weasley was now by her side, helping Potter pull off her jumper, tearing away her skirt. Draco could only stare in fascinated horror as she was stripped down to her bra and knickers. And there stood Granger, only in her simple, white-laced underwear and shoes, looking mortified and beautiful.
His eyes drank in the sight. He noted that Granger didn't look hurt, much to his relief but he was immediately distracted by the warm, golden color of her skin. Sweet Salazar, there was so much of it on display! His eyes trailed up the soft lines of her thighs, up to the curve of her hips then to the sweet dip of her waist and up to her—
The sounds of laughter shook him out of his trance. He glanced around the room. Everyone was frozen with the exception of the Slytherin girls who were whispering and giggling behind him. The other Gryffindor girls looked on in horrified sympathy. Professor Slughorn was standing as still as a statue, his hands covering his eyes. The boys, and notably a couple of the girls, were looking at Granger like they were seeing her for the first time. Even Potter and Weasley were staring at her in a way that made Draco want to curse them.
Granger raised her arms to cover her chest, her eyes darting around the room. She looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her up. Her lip trembled and that was enough to spur Draco into action. He snatched his robes from the back of his chair and marched toward her, shouldering past Weasley and Potter.
Draco swept his robes over her shoulders, taking care to cover her completely.
"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing, Malfoy?" Potter snapped.
"Being useful, unlike you gits," Draco sneered. He turned to Slughorn. "Professor, permission to take Granger to the hospital wing?"
Dazed, Slughorn nodded, muttering unintelligibly.
Potter took a step toward him, his expression hard. "I'm her friend. I should go with her."
"Yeah, me too!" Weasley butt in.
Draco gestured at Granger. "She's borrowing my robes. I want to make sure I get it back."
Harry opened his mouth to argue but Granger stopped him. "It's okay, Harry. I'll go with Malfoy."
Before Potter got a chance to argue, Draco placed a hand on Granger's back and led her out of the classroom without a backwards glance.
He dropped his hand the moment they entered the corridor. Granger gripped his robes, wrapping it tightly around her body.
He glanced at her worriedly as they walked in silence. She looked like she might cry.
"Are you okay?" he asked tentatively.
Granger's lips tightened and shook her head.
"Are you hurt? Did that stuff get on you?"
Granger slowed down and carefully brought her hand out from his robes. Draco took her hand gently and looked at it. The skin was red and slightly raised. His stomach clenched. He let go of her hand.
"The potion burned when it landed on my skin but only for a second," she said, sniffling. "It seemed to prefer my clothing."
"It still looks like it hurts," he said.
"It's not too bad," she said. "It feels really tender and tingly. Some of it got on my arms and legs."
"Oh, I didn't notice it on your..." He blushed. He just admitted that he got a good eyeful. "Well, Madam Pomfrey will fix you right up," he said encouragingly. "I have no doubt about it."
Granger opened her mouth then closed it and stared at the ground as they continued on.
There was a very strange sensation spreading in Draco's chest—a tightening inside his ribs he did not like. He glanced at Granger again, taking in her dejected expression and the tightening intensified. He wanted to say something—something that may ease her emotions but he was at a loss.
Granger broke the silence. "Everyone saw me..." she said. "In my...oh, god." She swallowed and turned her face away from him.
"It's not that bad," he said gently. "It could've been worse."
She stared at him. "How?"
"Well, for one, your knickers and bra stayed on. Imagine if you were completely naked." He blushed the moment the words came out of his mouth. "I—I mean, you know...if you..."
Granger nodded. "I guess."
"See? I'm right," he said.
She was silent for a moment then she took a breath. "It's just...I've tried so hard to excel here, to show everyone what a muggleborn could achieve and now..." She shook her head, "I'm just worried everyone will only remember me standing in my underwear in class."
"What?" Draco stopped dead in his tracks.
"They won't remember the things I've done, Malfoy, they'll just remember what happened to me in there," she said morosely.
It was partially true, Draco would definitely remember that moment and he would treasure the memory until the day he died but he nearly choked at the utter nonsense she was spewing.
"That's shite, Granger!"
She turned her heard, looking confused for a moment before she realized Draco was behind her.
"What! It's true," she protested.
He marched over to her. "No, it's not. It's rubbish!"
Granger straightened up. "Rubbish? It's not—"
He glared at her. "Did you or did you not arrive at Hogwarts as a first year, knowing nothing of the magical world and become the top student at Hogwarts?"
"Well, I suppose so—" she stammered.
"Did you or did you not face off with some of the deadliest dark wizards then got chased around in all of England? And then, did you or did you not fight in a bloody battle against the Dark Lord?"
"Okay, yes but—"
"And did you or did you not come back to Hogwarts after all that to finish your last year and dominate in every subject. Again?"
"Well, yeah but listen—"
"No, you listen!" He jabbed a finger toward her. "You've accomplished all those things. All of those things! And you think that all gets erased because a few people saw you in your knickers?"
"Well, when you put it like that! I...I don't know," Granger said shakily.
"You don't know? Salazar's Snake, Granger, has anyone told you, for a brilliant person, you're pretty dumb?"
Granger's mouth dropped. "Hey, now you're just being rude!"
"I'm a Malfoy, Granger. It's my lot to be rude," he said. "But I'm also being honest here. No one is going to think like that. And if they do? Who bloody cares! Are you really going to give a toss about what anyone thinks of you?"
"Well, I mean I guess not—"
"You guess not? Repeat after me: I, Hermione Granger, don't give a bullocks about what anyone thinks of me!"
"I am not going to say that!"
"Why not?" he said, exasperated. "Is it because I said bullocks?"
Granger huffed and stomped off.
"Merlin, just admit I'm right," Malfoy called after her.
"Fine, you're right!" she snapped. Draco smiled and caught up with her.
The rest of the walk was in silence until they reached the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey hurried over, demanding to know what happened. She nodded impatiently as Granger recounted the story then bustled them both over to a bed and had Granger sit down. Pomfrey drew the curtains all around them.
"I've seen these type of burns before, my dear," Pomfrey said, inspecting Granger's hand. "I have the perfect salve for them. Just wait right here." She glanced at Malfoy. "You may leave at any time, Mr. Malfoy." Then she swept past the curtains, her footsteps echoing loudly on the stone floor.
Draco stood there awkwardly. He stared at the white curtains around them. Should he go? He didn't want to but would it be weird if he stayed?
"I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will give me a change of clothes soon," Granger said. "Then I can give you back your robes."
Draco shook his head. "Don't worry about that."
"But you said you wanted your robes back. You said that's why you came with—"
"I only said that to get Potter off my back," Draco said. "He's a bloody menace."
Granger rolled her eyes. "He's not bad. Actually, he's quite wonderful—"
Draco held up a hand. "Please. Don't."
She smiled softly and then her expression turned sad. Draco's chest did that strange tightening thing again.
He nudged her arm with his elbow. "Hey."
She peered up at him. "I'm just embarrassed."
"Remember. Could be worse. Completely starkers."
Her smile returned and he felt a little lighter. They stared at each other for a long moment. Draco's heart beat faster. He cleared his throat and looked away. His face felt hot.
"I'll see if Slughorn gave us any homework," he said. "And maybe I can drop by later to—"
"We got that covered, Malfoy."
The curtains whipped open. Potter and Weasley stood there looking like they were two seconds from hexing his arse off.
Weasley crossed his arms, no doubt try to make his biceps look better. "Yeah, what Harry said." He jerked his head to the side. "Now go piss off, ferret."
"Ronald!" Granger hissed.
Draco glared at them before straightening up to his full height. "It's fine. I'll see you around, Granger." He shoved past Weasley and left the hospital wing with his head high.
He did stop by Slughorn's office to pick up any new assignments—there was one, an essay on the importance of directional stirrings in potions. A little late, Draco thought, but clearly still relevant. He debated on stopping by the hospital wing and letting Granger know about the assignment, even though Potter and Weasley insisted they had it covered. However, since Draco was convinced those two prats couldn't find their arse from their head, he thought it might be best to visit Granger anyway.
His heart thumped loudly as he entered the hospital wing and approached her curtained-off bed. He slid open the curtain. The bed was empty. She must have been well enough to leave. He was grateful for that. However, it didn't lesson the feeling of disappointment that sat heavily in his chest.
The next day was a good one. The weather was cold but sunny. It was the end of classes and he hardly had any homework and a few times throughout the day, he and Granger exchanged several friendly smiles—they were obvious enough for Potter and Weasley to notice and they glared at him spitefully. All in all, a very good day.
He was on his way to the library, when he heard a sound behind him.
Psst!
He turned and saw Granger peeking out of an alcove, gesturing for him come over.
He glanced around him to make sure she was talking to him.
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, you, Malfoy!" she whispered loudly.
He approached the alcove, glancing behind him again. She grabbed him by his shirt and yanked him in. Merlin, it was a tight space. His body brushed against hers and he felt his face explode with heat. He hoped it was too dark for her to notice.
"Are you...how's your," he stammered. "You feeling better?"
"Yes, yes," Granger said. She suddenly didn't look so sure of herself. "I just wanted to..." She shoved a black bundle into his hands. "Your robes."
"Oh," he said, his voice quiet.
"Thank you, by the way," Granger said in a rush.
"Of course," he said. He turned to leave.
"Why?" she blurted.
He stopped and looked at her. "What?"
"Why...did you help me?"
He knew why but he wasn't sure if he could say it out loud. "I couldn't have you standing in class almost naked. It seemed cruel not to help," he said instead.
She nodded once, her mouth twisting on one side. "It was not just in Potions. You were going to help me with Cormac."
"We've talked about this," Draco sighed. "He is to be referred as The Utter Wanker."
Granger smirked. "Right, sorry."
"And you didn't need any help with him either. Took care of him just fine on your own."
She shrugged indifferently. "You've been different with me this year," she said. "Considerate. Kind even."
"I've...learned a lot," he admitted.
She drifted closer to him, which was hard to do—they were so close already. She gazed up at him and Draco stopped breathing. Her eyes looked black in the darkness.
"So have I." She glanced down at the robes in his hands. "I'm grateful you helped me yesterday."
His stomach did a slow, steady flip.
"Did you see..." she started to say.
"What?" he asked softly.
She took a deep breath. "In the crystal ball, you saw us, didn't you?"
Draco swallowed hard.
"And it was...romantic, wasn't it?" she asked.
Draco opened his mouth but no words came out. Of course, she figured it out—brightest witch of their age and all. And what could he say? The truth? He was a Slytherin after all. But he felt it— the wall he so carefully built, already weakened by her—now crumbling before her steady, brave presence.
His heart was racing. "I did," he said finally. "But if I told you what I saw..." He looked down. "You would be disgusted."
"I don't think I would be," she said quietly.
His jaw fell open.
"Did you see us kiss?" she said.
He nodded.
Her face flushed adorably. "Anything more?" she asked.
He coughed and shook his head. Merlin, if he saw more than a kiss in that crystal ball he would've had a heart attack in class!
"No," he said.
"Was it this moment you saw?" she asked. Her eyes flickered to his mouth.
Wait, was she—did she want to kiss him? Right now?
"I'm not sure," he answered slowly.
"Why aren't you sure?"
"Well, what I saw happened so quickly," he said. "And I was already really shocked because right before that I—"
He clamped his mouth shut.
"What—what happened before that?" Granger asked. Her expression lit up with curiosity.
"I..." He took a deep breath, feeling suddenly brave. Maybe she was injecting some of her courage into him. "Well, I had just noticed how incredibly pretty you are."
Her eyes widened. "Oh."
He huffed a laugh. "Yeah, just...really beautiful." He dumped the robes he was holding and reached for her hand. "And then, in the crystal ball, I saw..."
"Yes?"
He took a shaky breath. This was what he was avoiding. He knew enough of crystal balls that if a vision was clear and straight-forward, it was probably going to happen. And what did that mean for him? What did that mean for Granger?
Draco's heart thumped hard in his chest. "I..."
She entwined her fingers with his, bringing him back to the moment.
"I can show you what didn't happen," he finally said.
Granger's eyes flickered down in disappointment.
"Because," he said, reaching for her chin with his fingers. He raised her head to look her in the eyes. "I don't want what I saw to be the only time I kissed you," he said. "I want it to still be in the future."
She blinked then smiled. "Oh, okay."
He smiled back. "In the crystal ball" he said, his fingers grazing her throat. "I didn't kiss your forehead like this."
He bent down a placed a light kiss just above her eyebrow.
"Oh?" she said a little breathless.
"And I also didn't kiss you on your cheeks like this either."
He leaned down and kissed her gently on both corners of her mouth. Granger's eyes fluttered closed.
"And when I kissed you on the lips," he whispered. "It was a little firmer than this."
He lightly touched his lips to hers, brushing them back and forth until he finally pulled away.
Granger sighed dreamily. He could relate. He felt like he could float away.
She blinked her eyes open. She looked so stunning it was making it difficult for him to breath.
Her hands reached up and gripped his shirt. "I like you, Draco Malfoy," she said with a smile. "I like you a lot."
He returned her smile, his chest now doing the opposite of that tightening sensation. It was expanding, like it was filling with light. This is what happiness must feel like.
He ran his fingers through her hair. It was as soft as it looked. "I like you too, Hermione Granger," he said. "I like you more than I thought was even possible."
She grinned up at him and pulled him closer. "Now, show me more of what you didn't see in that stupid crystal ball."
He laughed, and wrapped his arms around her then kissed her for real.
Several weeks went by and it was almost Christmas. The castle was bursting with festive cheer. A massive, glittering tree stood proudly in the Great Hall. The corridors glowed with twinkling fairy lights and sparkling snowflakes. A rather rambunctious mistletoe was wreaking havoc throughout the school. Draco was thrilled about that, any excuse to kiss Hermione was welcome but he was disappointed when the mistletoe mostly targeted people who were not couples.
And that's what Draco and Hermione were. Officially. A couple.
The entire school was shocked when they were spotted holding hands in the corridors a week after they professed their feelings for each other.
The Slytherins chalked it up as a smart play—public-relations wise—to date a famous war hero. It didn't hurt that they all saw or heard how incredible Hermione had looked under her clothes, a fact that no one brought up in front of Draco.
Potter and Weasley, on the other hand, and most of the Gryffindor house were apoplectic but their reaction was softened when it was discovered—in quite a scandalous way—that Ron had been hooking up with Pansy on the sly.
As far as being with Hermione, Draco had never been happier. They just seemed to click. She was brilliant, fierce, kind and tenacious. He admired her, respected her but, more than anything, he adored her. He could spend an eternity talking to her, kissing her. Sometimes it felt like time slowed down when they were together but the days seemed to be speeding up as winter break approached.
In a few days time, he would be back at the manor. He had informed his mother that he would be spending some time with Hermione during the holidays—a jaunt to a few museums in London, maybe a muggle movie or two and, most importantly, meeting Hermione's parents. His mother seemed happy for him and he didn't doubt that she was but he also didn't care if she was pretending. He was with Hermione now and that was that.
The corridor was crowded as he headed to Divinations with Blaise. Suddenly, someone grabbed his hand. He looked down and there was Hermione, smiling up at him. His heart fluttered—it still did when he saw her—and he grinned at her, lacing his fingers through hers. She offered a quick hello to Blaise and they walked to class together.
As usual, the Divinations classroom was muggy and stale with perfume. Draco glanced across the room. Weasley was sitting next to Pansy who was practically on his lap. It was still jarring to see them together but they looked happy. Next to them was Potter, who sat there stoically, like he couldn't believe his two best friends were dating the enemy but had to accept it anyway.
Draco snorted a laugh.
"What?" Hermione whispered next to him.
"Potter," he whispered back.
Hermione looked at Potter then waved at him until she got his attention. He smiled at her like he was in pain and gave her a feeble wave back.
Hermione smiled. "Poor Harry."
As class started, Professor Trelawney had informed them they would be working with crystal balls again. Draco nudged Hermione and they exchanged a small smile.
He wasn't partnered with Hermione this time, instead he was paired with Blaise. Harry looked somewhat mollified paired with Hermione.
After Blaise declared loudly that he saw nothing. It was Draco's turn. He gazed into the swirling haze of the crystal ball. A few long minutes and nothing happened. Draco decided the first time with the crystal ball must've been a fluke but then, a shadow darted in the mist. Draco froze, his eyes now straining. Shapes began to stir, solidifying in the fog.
Then he saw it—himself and Hermione. He was behind the wheel of one of those muggle automobiles in a deserted field. Hermione was beside him, talking a mile a minute with her hands waving wildly in front her. He nodded once, the look of excitement bright on his face. The automobile jerked forward then sped up. He whooped as they skidded in circles with Hermione clinging to the door frame.
The mist whirled. Now, he was in a glimmering ballroom, surrounded by friends on a dance floor. Next to him was Hermione, wrapped in his arms, looking gorgeous in a long, white dress. He pulled her into an embrace and lifted her off her feet, twirling her as she laughed breathlessly.
The clouds whirled again. He was in bed with Hermione, snuggling behind her, smiling as he nuzzled her neck. He gently turned her around to face him then kissed her slowly.
The mist continued to spin. It was him and Hermione peeking into a room. It was his old nursery. His mother was inside, rocking a baby with blond curly hair to sleep. She sang a song Draco hadn't heard since he was a child.
Again, the mist churned. He was walking on Platform 9 ¾, his mother by his side, her hand resting in the crook of his elbow. Ahead of them was a tall, blond boy, pushing a luggage cart. Draco glanced behind him and there was Hermione, walking beside an older muggle couple. On the other side of her was a girl with soft, blond curls pushing her own cart. The girl's large brown eyes met his and she grinned.
The clouds whirled one more time. He was now an old man, sitting in the gardens of Malfoy Manor. Next to him was Hermione, looking older with white hair and wrinkles but still beautiful. He grasped her hand and squeezed.
Several people gathered around them holding a cake with an alarming amount of lit candles on top. They were singing to him. Children gathered around, staring up at the cake excitedly. One small boy in particular looked disturbingly familiar, with unruly dark hair and glasses. I'll help you blow out the candles, grandpapa!
Then, just as suddenly, the mist went quiet, the images gone. Draco leaned back. His heart hammered in his chest.
He had seen...
He had seen...
"You okay, mate?"
Draco looked up and met Blaise's eyes.
He took a deep, shaky breath. "Yeah," Draco finally said. "Yeah, I am."
He glanced over at Hermione. She met his eyes and gave him a questioning look but he only shook his head before looking away.
If she noticed anything, she didn't mention it as they walked out of the classroom. There was still nothing out of the ordinary when he kissed her goodbye on the cheek and headed off to his class.
Draco had just gotten out of his last class and was heading to the library to meet Hermione when someone grabbed him by the robes and dragged him into a narrow, deserted alcove. He came face to face with Hermione who was looking at him closely, scrutinizing. Then she kissed him breathless.
She pulled away. "Did you see something in the crystal ball?"
"What?" Draco muttered in a daze. He could still feel her kiss on his lips.
She rubbed a hand on his chest. "Today. In Divinations. You acted like you saw something."
"Oh..." He wasn't sure what to tell her. He knew what he saw but he couldn't wrap his mind around it.
She gave him a look, a hint of a smirk on her lips. "And you better not lie. You're terrible at it."
He cracked a smile. "Only with you."
"Come on. Tell me what you saw," she prodded.
His smile faded. She looked at him worriedly.
"Was it...was it something bad?" she asked, her voice hesitant.
"No." He shook his head. "It was good. Really good but...but it was big." He looked at her. "Hermione, it was really big."
"Okay," she said encouragingly.
"I don't know how to explain without..." he said. "It was...a lot." He leaned back against a wall and watched her. "We were together and we were happy. Our family was happy."
Her eyes widened. "Family?" Her voice cracked.
"Yeah, see?" he said. "Big."
She nodded slowly. "Yes. That is big."
"Can we talk about it later? I just need some time."
Her lips tightened and he knew she was struggling not to ask a million questions. "Sure. I understand," she finally said.
His chest swelled. "Thank you, Hermione."
"Anything for you."
He quirked an eyebrow. "Anything?"
She rolled her eyes. "You're such a prat."
"But a prat you like?"
"Duh," she said, moving closer to him.
He reached for her face, his fingertips trailing down her cheek then sliding to the back of her neck. She smiled at him and he lowered his head then stopped. The most intense feeling of deja vu swept over him.
Hermione wound her arms around his neck, lifting herself higher on her tiptoes. She stared into his eyes as she slowly closed the gap between them. Her lips were soft and warm against his—just the lightest, sweet pressure. She turned her head and deepened the kiss before pulling away. His heart was stuttering as he gazed down at her.
"That was it," he breathed.
"What was?" she whispered.
"The moment I saw in the crystal ball," he said. "The first vision."
Hermione's eyebrows rose. "Really?"
He nodded, grinning at her.
"What happens next?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I don't know. That's all it showed."
She fiddled with the collar of his shirt and peered up at him, her brown eyes mesmerizing. "What do you think should happen next?"
He grinned, pulling her toward him. "Well, I think you should get a little closer to me."
She grinned back. "Okay."
"And I think you should kiss me again."
She laughed softly and kissed him lightly.
"More," he whispered.
"Always more with you," she scolded with a smile.
"Well, what can I say, Hermione, I'm just..." He stopped short. He had wanted to wait to tell her how he really felt about her on Christmas day. In fact, he had a small card tucked away in the present he got her, a first edition of Hogwarts: A History, with the three little words he had being dying to tell her for weeks now. He had wanted to make it special—memorable—but looking at her now, he realized this was the perfect time.
He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close and whispered the words in her ear.
She pulled away from him abruptly, staring up at him in surprise. His heart beat painfully in his chest. He thought he didn't care if she didn't feel the same but looking at her shocked face made him doubt everything. She had the power to crush him right now if she wanted.
Then her face broke out into a beautiful smile. He felt a warm rushing feeling in his arms and legs.
"I..." she started to say. "I feel the same way." She took a deep breath and hugged him, her breath hot against his ear. Then she whispered the words back to him.
I love you too.