Simple Magic Chapter 4: They Open, a harry potter fanfic

Alright people I think you should all know that I LOVE your reviews! No really I do! Trust me when I say I haven't smiled this widely in a long time. I have read many and found that some were questioning my stuff. I would like to take the time to address those right now…

SpiffinglyCorking: First I just want to say BRAVO. Now that is a review. You added praise with actual constructive criticism. Now as for the relationship with Harry/Pansy and Herm/Draco…well I have my reasons for doing that. First off let me say that chapters are so unfair. Why? Because reviewers question what happens without knowing why its put there. Now I know Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore seem OOC, but I thought that they would be funnier portrayed a little more lax. Thank you for the compliment about the rings. I do try. And again I am not one for fluff. There will be trials and tribulations. Check out my other stories to fully understand this concept.

Ccbchunks: Yes thank and no I don't know anything there has to do with WIKTT. Sorry. I hope you are enjoying the story. And as for the code…go to and there it tells you how to open it. I don't want to post it just in case I might get in trouble. BTW the clue to me anyway, is very confusing.

AislynShadows:Yes boyfriends are fickle things aren't they? I really hope you did enjoy this chapter I had a lot of fun writing it. I must say though that I get a lot of inspiration from my own honeybee. He thought it was rather hilarious too! Oh and I hope your boyfriend's nose its ok. Just to point out I am honored that he is the first one who I know of anyway, that I caused soda to fly out of his nose! As for how I come up with this…my dreams like my profile says! Weird ain't it?

Simply-Brit Yes you don't know how sorry you're going to feel when the next few chapters come out!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 4: They Open…

Sensations had run amok in her brain. Hormones, longing, and utter lust tore at her as she let this infuriating man harass her lips with his own. His skilled move movements caused her to grip him tighter around the neck. Hermione had gone further up to his flaxen hair rummaging through it and marveling at how it felt as smooth as air. Draco's arm was gripping her waist like a lifeline while the other hand as occupied holding her face in an angle more suitable for his tongue to enter.

He delved in relishing in the sweetness of her moist mouth, which was his newfound haven. Draco greedily sought out the shy occupant of the haven. The skilled, but shy angel that is her tongue met his timidly with a gradual crescendo of boldness. Hermione met his tongue with a fervor she hadn't known could exist within her.

She didn't know why she was in her current situation. She did not fancy this arrogantly charming snake nor did she find him to be the man of her dreams. One thing she knew for certain was she like the emotions that were emanating within her that conveniently only this man could produce. Draco was along the same train of thought.

He did not find this woman to e the love of his life, but he unlike her, did have a more profound interest. He wanted to unearth the real Hermione Granger. He wanted to know why he found this woman so intoxicating. He wanted to banish this galling curiosity of what about this witch gave him the abrupt urge to rescind the Malfoy name and be willing to beg for just an hour of her presence in his unworthy eyes. Why was it that twice this morning his head had eluded him and his nervous system was replaced under the control of his very skilled and experienced 'friend'?

As he heard a moan slip past the lips of the one who captivated his two heads, he felt something reveal itself to him. An epiphany had occurred in that he found himself wanting to be the only man who that could be charged guilty with the ability to fulfill the request that lied dormant in her honey eyes. Draco Julian Malfoy wanted to posses Hermione Granger. He in that single moment as their lips were joined, desired to be the only man who could cause the lioness to be in such a state.

Hermione felt Draco press her more closely to his body, resulting in her ability to hear his heart palpitate. She had to stop, she had to pull away from the one thing that she would have gladly liked to call her own. Draco felt the warmth of her lips depart from his own. Though she had left his lips, he didn't want her out of his grasp just yet.

Hermione had a feigned look of rage set upon her beautiful features.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" she asked indignantly.

"Preserving my sanity, you?" he shot back with a taunting smile.

"Making sure you lose it! Now let me go!" She pushed against his hard chest fruitlessly.

"Now why would I do that? I am very content with your present position, though I wouldn't mind shifting to a more favorable one," he said huskily. Hermione was getting sick of this. She knew he couldn't possibly harbor feelings that would lead to walks on the beach and dancing under the stars, so why was he doing this?

"Please Malfoy, let me go," she pleaded quietly. The meekness of her voice was responsible for his grip slacking.

"Why do you want to flee from me? If I were to allow that you walk out of here, what would you be going back to? Two gits that lack the intelligence to open up their eyes and see the deity before them?" he asked lightly stroking her wavy locks. Hermione's downcast eyes rose to his own. Tears were present in the almond pools of brown.

"Why do even care Malfoy? How could you possibly care what I go home to at the end of the day? You speak of things that you can do nothing about so why don't you just hush," she ended harshly. Her last comment had caused Draco to unconsciously pull her a little closer to his body.

"Because for some reason the radiance of what is you has reached my dark depths. Even if I don't actually care, I have no choice in the matter. Your brightness has been shrouded by something in my life and now it is gone; the cloud that hovered over you, trapping your essence, has dissipated."

Hermione gave a derisive laugh. "Could it be Malfoy, that the figurative cloud you speak of is one that you refer to as 'father'?" she said effectively getting him to let her go. Draco's gaze had hardened at the mention of his biological counter part. He turned his back to her and clenched his jaw and fists.

"I will take a page from your book and offer the same advice: You speak of something you know nothing about. So if you desire a day unspoiled by a brawl, hush," he said dangerously. Hermione spoke the next few words meticulously. She did not want to provoke the snake, but she did want to scare it off.

"Malfoy I will not blame your father for how blinded you are, for you added to it as well. All clouds are the same. They never change and can sometimes only serve to blacken a day than help it."

Draco turned to face her. He got her indication. She thought him no better than his bastard father. If anything, in her he was an exact replica of the currently decomposing prick. He knew he wasn't for he had strived to ensure it. And the fact that she thought this spurred an emotion, which he compared to the curse that inflicted pain; the curse was more merciful than what she had just uttered. It hurt him that she could not see past his genetically duplicated face.

"You're right Granger," he said walking towards the door, "I was mistaken in ever thinking of you as a beacon of hope shining to me when in fact there was no cloud shrouding you. You were never luminous in the first place, just dirty and revolting as ever," he said callously and walked out slamming the door behind him. Hermione thanked Merlin that her back had been to him or else he would have taken note of the tears pouring from her eyes.

Damn her. Why would he think that she would understand him? How could he not have seen it coming that she would think of him no better than that…that…Merlin, he couldn't even think straight! He continued walking down the hall damning her very existence, when turning the corner he bumped into someone. Draco looked ahead of him and saw Blaise Zabini. Blaise smirked down at Draco and stretched out his hand.

"A sickle for your thoughts?" he asked. Draco rose scowling at him, completely ignoring the offered hand.

"What the hell are you talking about Zabini?"

Blaise leaned casually against the corner, he calm demeanor never betraying him. "Well… I have known you for years. Never have I took you for the kind of man to not know where he was going. So something must be sizzling in that cortex of yours," he said nonchalantly.

Draco quirked a brow at his question. Yes true he had known Blaise for years, but never were they 'friends'. He was suddenly suspicious as to why Blaise was even talking to him.

"I just have a lot on my mind right now. You know normal people do have worries, though you wouldn't know anything about that," Draco bit back. Blaise stood from his leaned position and shrugged.

"Well I never thought to worry, it didn't seem like fun. You are wrong however….Certain things have made it possible for me to experience this thrilling emotion."

"Great. You're becoming human," Draco said sardonically.

"So care to tell me who has your brain addled?" Blaise queried discretely.

Draco felt that suspicion rise in him again. No matter what he knew for a fact that he couldn't trust Blaise. As for the question…Yes a certain infuriating brunette did occupy his thoughts at the moment. As to why he didn't know.

"Just some woman. You know, the usual," Draco responded starting to walk off. Blaise caught him before he could leave.

"Now why would Draco Malfoy have a problem with women? Unless of course the predicament wasn't in his favor…" with that said Blaise left Draco in hallway stumped. Why had Blaise said that? Draco continued to walk to his first class thinking about Blaise's comment and what to do about Hermione when he got back to their common room.

Hermione had gone a whole week without having to talk to Draco. The rest of the seventh years had been sorted into new rooms with two bedrooms in lieu of their project. This made it easier to hide in Harry's room or Ron's. As she walked around the school she would hear talk of how everyone was surprisingly getting along with their 'mate'. She almost envied them. Everyone else got someone bearable….Then again anything compared to Malfoy would be bearable.

As she walked into Harry's common room she put her bag down and slipped into the chair that she had staked out as her own. She had been staying in Harry's dorm for the past three days. Just the thought of going back to her own dorm irked her. She didn't want to have to see those gray eyes or hear that deep voice. She shook her head as if to get rid of the thoughts she was having. Why was she thinking of him?

All it was, was lust. Simply put. There couldn't be any actual relationship and Hermione knew that she wanted a relationship. But she also knew that Draco couldn't offer that for numerable reasons. She thought back to what he has said…

How could he possibly know? As Hermione's mind shifted into autopilot she didn't notice the opening of a door or the call of male's voice. It wasn't until a rather large hand was waved in front of her eyes that she budged.

"Oh Merlin Harry don't do that! Now what do you want?" she asked annoyed.

Harry grinned and sat on the couch across from her. "I kinda wanted to evict you from my dorm. Hermione you are no longer welcome here!" he said half joking. Hermione knew otherwise.

"Why? Why can't I stay Harry?" she asked standing hurriedly and slightly panicked. Harry laughed and waved his hands.

"Don't worry its not because I don't want you here. But Hermione face it; you need to talk to your 'husband' sooner or later. You can't just live in my dorm, or Ron's for that matter, for the rest of the year," he said pointedly.

Hermione sighed and sat back down. Yes he had a point, damn him. She couldn't just barricade herself in their rooms. She knew that she would have to face the gray-eyed snake soon. Hermione grabbed her nap sack and book and stood again. She hugged Harry as she made her departure.

She walked to the portrait door with Harry accompanying her. "Besides," he started as the portrait opened, "I have plans with Pansy tonight. She and I have to talk about our childhoods for the project."

Hermione stepped out and looked back at him. So that's the real reason why he evicted her. Of course Pansy. Why wouldn't he go out with a perfect stranger instead of helping his best friend of seven years? This simple fact wound itself into her brain making her conscious of the stinging sensation in her eyes. Tears, they threatened to pour out because of her best friend's neglecting.

"Yes of course. I should actually talk to Draco too. I'll just stop by Ron's to see how he's doing." Hermione turned to leave in the direction of her red haired friend's dorm when Harry called out.

"He's not there! He went out with Luna!"

Something within Hermione mutely snapped so that not even she was sentient of it. She found her fists clenching and her jaw following suit. So now Ron was ignoring her too? Were they getting sick of her? No. It had always been like this. They had always placed everyone and everything before her. Not that she asked to be the center of attention, but some sign from them to tell her that they knew she existed would be nice.

She turned and feigned a smile. "Alright thanks Harry! I'll go to my dorm then!"

As soon as she turned her face scrunched so that tears started to flow freely. She didn't know why this was affecting her so badly. Situations like this had arisen in the past where she was left with no one to talk to because of their lack of acknowledgement to her presence or feelings. She continued walking and the tears came without shame. She wasn't even conscious of the fact that she was still crying when she walked into her dorm.

She threw her nap sack against the wall and her book up the stairs where it made a grand thump. She was so frustrated. She hated the thought that she was practically blaming her friends for having a social life and that she lacked one. She sat on the couch and hugged a plush pillow to her stomach. She sank her face into it crying her frustration and anger out.

As she cried a very soft light started to illuminate the room.

A door creaked open and footsteps echoed lightly throughout the common room unbeknownst to Hermione. Eyes looked upon the rocking form of Hermione as she cried liberally into the pillow. Strong arms encircled her waist and pulled her shaking form to a strong chest.

Draco heard a something slam against his door causing him to shoot up from his bed. He then heard muffled sobs coming from the common room as he opened his door. He looked on towards the couch where a brunette sat rocking back and forth obviously crying. His heart clenched at the thought of Hermione crying. Though he had not talked to her in a week, he still felt…that was it, he felt.

That past week had been the hardest one of his life. She would come in only for clothes and then leave. No doubt she stayed in one of her lackey's room. Lackey's that didn't even appreciate the delicate being before them. Draco took note of the strewn nap sack and quirked a brow. She must be angry if she threw her sack. I wonder what caused this? As he approached her he couldn't help but notice her ring shining a little more that it should. He ignored it thinking it must be the fire.

He sat behind her knowing that she didn't notice him yet. He heard her sobs and felt his heart clench more. Why was it that he didn't want to see her suffer? He had been doing the insulting and torturing before and reveled in it, but to see her crying because some other ass had wounded her….The very thought made his jaw clench.

As if to soothe her he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. She didn't protest. She just lay in his arms shaking with tears. Draco ran his hands through her hair comfortingly and kissed the top of her head. What could possible have the heart to hurt such a sweet woman? A woman who drove him crazy with want just by seeing her…

After a while, Hermione's sobs began to reside. Draco had had his eyes closed the whole time she was in his arms until he felt a sudden coolness. He opened his eyes and saw Hermione smiling at him, almost gratefully. He smiled back propping himself up better.

"Thank you," she said timidly. Draco tucked a loose curl behind her ear.

"Thanks for what?"

"For being here for me. Unlike them…" she ended bitterly. Draco raised a brow.

"Them?"

Hermione shook her head. "Forget it. I know I want to. I don't want to talk about it either so don't start with me," she said softly with another small smile.

"Well you know a healthy person expresses themselves. 'Express not repress!'" he said chuckling a little along with her. (An: I'll reward someone if they can guess what movie I got that line from! D)

"Well its just…I know I haven't been here lately. Mostly because of you and also because I got scared. I went to stay with Harry and on some occasions, Ron. Tonight I was going to stay with Harry, but…" she died off looking away sorrowfully.

Draco put his hand comfortingly on hers. "But what?" he urged.

Hermione looked back up. "He kicked me out to go out with Pansy. I mean he didn't really phrase it like that, but I got the meaning. It's been like this whole time. Whenever I stayed with Ron or Harry they always paid attention to Pansy or Luna. Not that I mind I am used to this, or at least I should be. But tonight…It's like something snapped. I don't know I just couldn't take it anymore," she said with tears forming again.

Draco looked at her slightly angry and slightly with sympathy. 'I should be used to it,' she had said. Bullshit. She shouldn't have to be used to that kind of treatment. How could she allow those bastards to take advantage of her like this? It must have been going on for a while if she felt used to it. He looked at her analytically. There was something in her eyes that fit into all of this…Blame, guilt? Then it clicked.

"Hermione do you feel…guilt?" he said in awe of her condition. She looked away now with tears flowing silently.

"Yes," she professed softly, "I shouldn't feel so selfish. If they want to go out, who am I to stop them? It's not their fault that I feel this way. I mean they are entitled to a social life and-"

"-And you are entitled to some attention!" Draco protested angrily. "How the hell could you have let them do this to you?" he asked almost to himself. Hermione scrunched her brows.

"What are you talking about? Do what to me?"

"How could you have let them demean you like this? To the point where you blame yourself for their ignorance?" he barked angry with her for letting them do this and angry with them for doing this.

"I-I don't know what you are talking about! They care about me! They are just very busy!" she offered unsurely. Draco snorted.

"Come off it Hermione! You believe that as much as Dumbledore believing Voldemort wears a tutu! They aren't busy they are negligent! They pay as much attention to you as they do to professor Binns. The only reason why they let you hang with them is so they can copy your homework!" Draco shouted.

Hermione let the words sink in. Is this true? She didn't know. She had always thought the better of those two men. She sat back down and put her head in her hands still weeping.

"You may be right Draco, but who else do I have here? Besides them I am alone, utterly alone," she said quietly looking up at him through glassy eyes. Draco sank down to her standing on his knees.

"Bullocks Hermione," he caressed her cheek softly, "you have and will always have me." He didn't know he was saying this, hell he didn't even know when he started to care. All he knew was that he did care and with that emotion came the pain of seeing her in distress. Empathy is a bitch.

Hermione smiled at him. She yawned widely as she hugged him, falling prey to the Sandman while in his arms. Draco smiled and picked her up walked up stairs. He came into her room and placed her on the bed. As he took his leave, he turned one last time to see her. She looked so peaceful. His eyes failed to see the rings that pertained to their union glowing in unison.

He couldn't understand how such an awe-inspiring woman could be ignored so easily by anyone. His thoughts went back to Harry and Ron. He left her room and returned to his own. He swore on everything he owned he would get them back somehow for causing her pain…and causing him pain.

Minerva came into Dumbledore's office set on convincing him to tell them the truth. They can't go on not knowing that their union in genuine. She pushed open the heavy oaken door finding a tired Dumbledore asleep on his desk. She frowned pondering whether or not to proceed with her actions.

She walked over to his desk and pulled on his beard causing him to bolt upright in his chair. He stopped panicking and glared over at the witch who awoke him

"What was the meaning of that?" he queried annoyed.

"For my amusement. Now I have come set on convincing you to tell Hermione and Draco that they are really married."

"Minerva…"

"Albus you're going to have to tell them sooner or later. I prefer to tell them sooner. If they were to find out later I don't think your 'friend' would be able to survive!"

"Be that as it may, this is a delicate situation. I would need to tell them very gradually."

Minerva sighed. "Yes that it true. Even so them being married is not the worse part."

"On that I agree. How will I approach them about the rings?"

Minerva snorted softly. "I suggest you don't approach them," she muttered. Dumbledore smiled. Suddenly a faint glow appeared in the room. Actually it seemed the whole castle was iridescent. Minerva stiffened as the light dissipated.

"Oh no…." Dumbledore mumbled.

"More like we're in deep dragon dung," Minerva said in trepidation.

OMG!!!!!! So sorry for not updating! Its just that I was very sick for two weeks and my computer was down during that time….Then I started school.

Note one: I'm a SENIOR!!!!!! 05!!!!!!

Note two: I will be updating every Friday from now on. So expect that to happen!

Please remember. The more you review the sooner I update!

Please tell me if you all liked this chapter!

Flamewriter008