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"Freedom is a package deal - with it comes responsibilities and consequences" - Unknown
Draco considered my words and seemed to be calculating a figure of some kind. He nodded at certain things that apparently were on his checklist and shook his head at other things, drawing it all out dramatically as if it were the most important decision ever made. After I gave him a look he smirked in return. A moment later he answered my question.
"Well I give it an eight point five out of ten." he replied and to any outside observer it would seem that he was being overtly critical. To me, I knew this to be Draco's teasing on my part. I raised an eyebrow at him in shock and took my own moment of thought. Surely the surprise effect cancelled any "errors" that could've occurred, in my opinion. Draco's scoring still left me puzzled.
"Where did I lose the one point five points?" I finally asked. "Oh do be a dear and tell me what color Ron's face is as well." He looked to my left and after taking a quick look at Ron explained his scoring.
"Red," he reported and I sighed. I knew either Ron's face would be red with anger or white with shock. In fact we both knew that most likely my entire house table was the same color. We expected that in a few moments Ron would be coming over to defend my virtue, and that prospect while touching wasn't exactly exciting. Draco gave me an understanding look but I continued to ask about the scoring. "You're wearing all Gryffindor colors, if you were going to pull something like this, you should've at least worn some green or silver." he smirked. I chuckled, always a Slytherin.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a green ribbon to put my hair up with. He nodded in approval and I knew he was secretly happy that I had brought a symbol that clearly marked me his. Men, I thought and resisted to roll my eyes at the thought while attempting to put my hair into a ponytail.
"Well you're biased." I pointed out while reaching for a roll. "Now do I have the full points?"
"Absolutely." He took my hand from across the table and kissed it as I probably smiled like an idiot. This act apparently snapped everyone out of their shock and I could hear movement. All of the Slytherins immediately moved as far as they could away from me and several looked at Draco like he had gone bonkers. I could feel several stares at my back and I knew that the pounding of the ground only meant Ron and Harry with Hermione shouting for the both of them to come back. Ron took one look at me and then Draco.
"What the hell," he said in a clear attempt to not yell at me, "are you doing with him?" pointing to Draco. I looked to Draco for any indication that he didn't want our relationship publicly announced just yet but he nodded at me encouragingly. Here we go!
"He's my boyfriend." I said simply and with that a scandal was started around all the tables and I imagined that before the day was out Rita Seeker would know. Hell the whole community would know if I wanted to be blunt. The headlines were already created in my mind. FORBIDDEN FRUIT!: HOW DRACO MALFOY TAINTED A WAR HERO!, A DAUGHTER'S BETRAYAL! WHY SHE BROKE HER FAMILY'S HEART!, A FAMILY ABANDONS THEIR DAUGHTER! It would be trash like most of her writings and completely untrue. While my family wouldn't be too pleased with my relationship they wouldn't abandon me outright. They may shout my ear off and shoot me looks of disappointment and shock, but they wouldn't throw me out on the streets. We may want to strangle each other sometimes, but we stick by each other no matter what. Everyone eventually found in it their hearts to forgive Percy so I felt pretty good about my outcome on the family end.
"He's your what?" he tried to say calmly but it was obvious that he was seething with anger.
"He's. My. Boyfriend." I said a bit slower and clearer for him to process. "Now pass me the butter."
"I am not going to pass you the butter!" he outright shouted at me and I flinched at his anger. At this Draco and Hermione attempted to intervene,
"Don't talk to her like-"
"Shut up Malfoy! You-you-you git!" he stuttered with anger turning to Hermione, "I'm handling this Hermione!" Once again he directed his words to Draco. "What have you done to her?"
"I have done nothing to her!" Draco defended but Ron didn't listen or believe him. Instead he grabbed my shoulders to turn me around to face him completely. "You're lying you ferret." he directed to him. "She wouldn't willingly go out with you unless hell froze over." Carefully he inspected my face as if to see if I were under some kind of charm. I held my tongue and let him frantically look me over to sedate him for the moment.
"It seems hells has frozen over then." Draco pointed out. "Really Weasley. You think I would force someone to date me considering the fact that I am rich, handsome, and have more influence than everyone else in this school combined." Ron continued to ignore him and turned to Hermione.
"Hermione come take a look at her, you'll know what charm he used." She looked at Ron like he was crazy. At his insistence she pushed him off of me and instead took one glance at me.
"She isn't under a charm Ron." she stated and Ron pushed her to look again. "I'm being serious Ron. She isn't under a charm." she lowered her voice so that only those close enough could hear. "Ron she loves him and he loves her. This is real." He looked at me hoping to refute Hermione's words but I only nodded.
"Please try to understand." I implored and I turned away so I didn't have to see his reaction. It would most likely be a combination of shock, hatred, and curiosity. This all couldn't be explained in this moment like he would want. He would get his answers on the train later today. Then came a loud thud and I groaned.
"He fainted didn't he?" I asked Draco, who was trying very hard not to burst into laughter. Suddenly the staff table sprung to life and rushed to where we were to presumably carry Ron off to the Hospital Wing. Hermione asked when we would be able to see him and if he'd be able to make the train. Someone answered that he'd be in and out within the hour with plenty of time to make the train. Instantly I felt pity for Harry because I knew he would have to take on the task of packing Ron's trunk. It was almost ritual that Ron would wait to the last moment possible to do so with the rest of us yelling at him to hurry the hell up. If I had the extra time I would go up and help him. No one should have to go through the jungle of Ron's possessions alone.
"It seems he has." I soon found myself catching Draco's laughter, even though I knew it was completely wrong. When we were done laughing, Draco's eyes shifted to the spot where Ron had been. It was a signal of sorts and I turned around to see Harry still standing behind me.
"What are you doing here?" I asked to him. He had strangely remained silent during the whole commotion. It wasn't a question meant to be rude, but a question of curiosity. A good portion of my thinking process assumed he had followed the teachers out with Ron.
"I'm your friend," he stated, "and I know how much you mean to Ron. I don't want you to get hurt." Apparently this had set off the alpha male nerve in Draco because he flew into the role of protective boyfriend.
"Potter, she's my girlfriend." My mind short circuited for a moment with it being the first time he had called me his girlfriend. He certainly put the emphasis on the word my. Harry looked to me almost at a lost. This was a bit unusual for me to see because he always seemed determined. Even if he didn't have a clue was going to happen he often could make up a plan on the spot to figure it out. Then it hit me: I had rejected Harry Potter. It was a historical moment to some because seemingly to anyone's knowledge no one had done so. I had gone off the course everyone had expected.
"I'm sorry." was all I could say in response. "I may be Ron's sister, but I'm not the girl at the Burrow who blushed at the sight of you. I'm not the girl who fell in love with you. The war changed me as must as it did anyone else. It's time you, Ron, Hermione and everyone else in this bloody school get it." I paused. "I didn't plan on it to be him, honestly. I thought he was someone I would avoid until my last breath you need to know that." Looking back at Draco I couldn't help but smile. "Harry I'm happy. I'm happy for the first time in years, surely you can understand what it's like to only want that." Harry took a moment, and looked from me to Draco and then Draco to me.
"You love her don't you?" he asked Draco. I was taken aback by the question. Draco and I had been together only a couple months and that was a rough estimate. I was sure about my feelings, but I didn't presume to assume his feelings. He was a male after all and it was common knowledge that it usually took much longer than a month for men to start declaring love about a girl.
"Yes." he said quietly. "Yes I do." he said clearer and bit a louder. I felt myself not knowing how to react, as Harry nodded his head, smiling a little.
"Take care of her. All we want is to see her happy, and if you make her...we'll understand someday. It won't be today, and it certainly won't be when Ron gets out of the Hospital Wing...but we will, somehow someway. Just bear with us as we try to figure this out." Draco stood up and surprisingly offered out his hand. Harry hesitated a moment but took Draco's hand to shake it.
I found myself standing and hugging Harry. "Thank you." I said, surprising myself with being able to speak. "That means more than you'll ever know." He returned my hug and then we said goodbye. As he walked off to take care of Ron's things I noticed the last person I needed to address.
"How did you know?" I asked Hermione in complete wonder. "How did you know and me not figure it out?" She smiled at me like she always did when she answered a professor's question correctly.
"When do I ever not know?" she countered and she had an excellent point. If anyone in the school would figure it out it would be her. I should've known that nothing got past her watchful eye. Finally I got to ask her the question I had been dying to ask since I had seen the article.
"Was it obvious?" Hermione shook her head no.
"You weren't. In fact you did a really good job." she lightly laughed. "But I'd come in late from the library on the weekends and notice you weren't in the common room doing your work. Then I'd notice your bed, while the curtains were drawn, had never been slept in. Yet you'd show up to breakfast with a clean uniform and clean hair. That's how I knew it was about a boy. The rest I figured out through body language."
"You're good." I complimented and she brushed it off. "Thank you for not telling the boys." I paused and then continued. "I know that couldn't have been easy for you. I also want you to know, as I told Harry, that I never thought this would happen."
"I know you wouldn't deliberately do something like this to hurt anyone. He's not my first choice for you, honestly, but if you're happy we'll accept it one day like Harry said. We aren't going anywhere. You're family." she promised me and finally I felt relief. My stomach finally had undone all the knots it had gotten itself into this morning. Everything was out in the open and it would be okay. "I should probably go the hospital wing for when Ron wakes up."
"Ah the duties of a girlfriend." She nodded.
"I'll see you on the train. I'll save you two some seats." she offered. I knew it wasn't easy for her to do something so generous, but it meant that she was at least trying.
"Sounds great." I replied and she turned to leave. Sitting back down I started to actually breathe again. "All in all that wasn't as bad as I was expecting."
"We're still alive so what happened is great compared to what I imagined would happen." I smiled.
"You didn't think they would kill you, did you?"
"Never underestimate big brothers when it comes to their sisters." he said as if he had learned this lesson before. It peaked my interest.
"Speaking from experience are we?" It wouldn't have surprised me if it were true. He certainly was no virginal figure by any means and it stood to reason that by being so he would've made some people mad.
"Not at all." he defended but I could read his eyes. They clearly were recalling some event where he had been the intimidated instead of the other way around. I tried to not laugh. "Well at least everyone knows you're mine now." He shifted gears in an obvious attempt to look more manly.
"Typical male." I said rolling my eyes at him while trying to grab what I could of the remaining food. Since I had already packed my trunk I could afford some spare moments to eat in the common room. The drama had taken up the majority, if not all, the lunch time.
"Stereotyping now are we, Weaselette?" he asked, his eyes amused.
"Maybe I am, ferret." I replied with the same amused tone. "Everyone is looking at us, aren't they?" Draco took a moment, and then about five minutes later asked me,
"How many students do you think there are in Hogwarts?"
"Beats me." I answered.
"Well I counted all the people who are currently sitting in the Great Hall, so minus Weasel, Potter, and Granger..." he paused. "Yeah...pretty much everyone is looking at us."
"Are we really that interesting?" I asked, surprised.
"Well this is me we're talking about, my dear." I rolled my eyes.
"Please don't suddenly get the inspiration to go on about your hair." I begged remembering how he explained his hair care ritual to me once when I had simply asked how he had gotten his hair to look so good one day. It had taken a good thirty minutes of explaining complete with demonstration using six different products.
"They're hanging on to our every word." he pointed out. Then I got an idea and very Slytherin one at that.
"Then we might as well give them something to talk about." Draco raised an eyebrow at me. I, then, reached over and grabbed the front of his robes towards me.
And in true form, kissed him.
"So why did you pick today to suddenly come out with our relationship?" he asked me a little bit later as we were walking towards the train. Chaos, owl feathers, and parchment flew through out the air above the platform. The smell of freedom for a couple weeks made even the most dedicated student smile. Everyone was pushing themselves into the line to board the train for the holiday break or rushing down the aisles to find where friends had saved seats. There were more than a few people who openly gawked at Draco and I's hand holding through the train windows, and while it was slightly uncomfortable it was pretty funny to laugh at their expressions.
Despite the unorganized mess of people there was a less crowded area of people saying goodbye to friends or significant others for the next couple weeks. We decided to walk over to that area, hoping to have less distractions around while talking about this subject. Taking stock of the time we decided to sit on a nearby bench for a few minutes.
"Are you upset that I did?" I asked concerned once we were settled. It was never my intention to make him uncomfortable, but at the same time I didn't regret doing what I had done.
"Not at all." he said quickly, sensing what what I was thinking. I was relieved. "Just surprised. Very surprised, actually. I would've liked some notice." he pointed out.
"Valid point. I could have done that." I agreed. "Although if I told you in advance, it would've been a production." I defended and when Draco tried to deny this I continued, "And you know it." It astounded me the length he would go to for things. Any kind of good news or announcement, in his mind, must be told to the world in the grandest fashion. While I had worked on toning that down I knew he would've insisted on something huge for our relationship announcement. He could only sheepishly shrug in reluctant agreement.
"Why did you though?"
"I know about your father Draco." I said quietly. His expression darkened a touch and his poised composure shell cracked just a little.
"Hermione pinned the article from the morning paper to my bed while I was sleeping today. I knew your father's death would change things either for the better or the worst. We've spent the past couple of months having a relationship while pretending it was just a game instead. I understood why we did that, for the sake of your father, but when that factor was out of the equation I was done pretending. I wasn't going to continue this as a game anymore and I needed to let you know where I stood. I've seen so many friends have casual relationships that just end once the Christmas break comes, and I wanted you to know that I was in this longer than that. I wasn't going to wait." He pulled me in closer for a kiss.
"I'm glad you didn't wait." he admitted. I hugged him as I whispered,
"I'm sorry about your dad. I know he meant so much to you." His head nodded against my shoulder. It didn't surprise me that when we pulled away that his face had returned as it was before: completely unreadable. I felt sad for him that he had to keep up this stiff upper lip facade and I didn't try to hide it from him.
"You're completely too bossy." he said in order to make me smile and to also make himself smile as well. Play fighting was something we had become fans of. Neither of us would actually mean the insults, but it was all about who could last the longest in the fight.
"And you're completely too cocky." I responded.
"Stupid red hair."
"Arrogant prick."
"Weaselette."
"Ferret."
"Lion."
"Snake."
"Merlin, we can't even think of good insults for each other." Draco muttered. I laughed, not at him, but with him. I had softened the ice prince and it was moments like this that I loved. His quick tongue slowed just a bit and it was nice to know I had that effect on him.
"Well who says our original insults were good to being with?" I pointed out and he gave a smile which meant I hadn't wounded his ego too badly.
It was then we both took the time to look around the platform. It was empty.
How did we not know the platform was empty?
"So I guess we have that effect on each other." Draco mused and I smiled.
"Yes I guess we do." I said as we hurried to board the train and Hermione saving our seats.
