Chapter 5
"Well, erm… yes… isn't that just…" Minerva broke the silence first.
"It's always the quiet ones with the wildest ideas." Pansy added as she grinned like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland. "You know, Granger, if you ever want to make it a reality, I'm sure Draco would be amenable. He's always had a bit of a thing for you and I'd certainly be up for it."
Hermione's face was scarlet and she kept it parallel with her knees as she muttered, "Thanks Pansy; I'll keep that in mind for after the lobotomy I plan to schedule first thing in the morning."
"Hey, the Veritequila never lies and it was your fantasy."
Hermione didn't say another word, or lift her head.
"Next round then; strangest place you've had sex and who with?"
…
Draco had not uttered a single word. He had stared at Hermione with unconcealed shock, participating whole-heartedly in the stunned silence which had followed the declaration of her private fantasy – that involved him, a lot. As the initial incredulity had worn off, a smug expression had taken over his features, making Harry roll his eyes.
"I bet you weren't expecting that when you woke up this morning." Harry stated in an amused but hushed tone.
"I'm sure you weren't either, were you?"
When only silence was the reply from at his side, Draco turned to his fellow eavesdropper, looking suspicious… "You knew?"
"I've suspected she fancied you since third year – if she didn't have such strong feelings for you, she wouldn't have let you rile her to the point of muggle violence. I didn't really expect her to have such a kinky mind but I'm not overly surprised by that either to be honest. Hermione is an overachiever; in everything. It makes sense that she is in kinky shit as well."
"Well this day just keep getting better and better. What else can you tell me about her kinky side?"
Just then, as Harry was about to respond, Pansy's voice broke through their whispered conversation…
"…I'm sure Draco would be amenable. He's always had a bit of a thing for you and I'd certainly be up for it."
Draco cringed, rubbed a hand down his face and groaned. Realising he never should have confided such a thing to his gossiping gas-bag of an ex-girlfriend.
"Why do I tell her things?" he muttered to himself, almost inaudibly.
"I'm going to guess it's because even you need a real friend to confide in now and then; it doesn't pay to bottle these things up. Trust me, I know. I wouldn't mind stepping into such a role in future, if you feel the need for the less gossipy kind sometimes. And I know how to keep a secret, and avoid the effects of veritiserum"
"I'll keep that in mind." He said as he continued to scowl at Pansy. "It might be good to have a male confidant again. Blaise is off in Italy somewhere, Theo decided to join some cult and find enlightenment and it's not like I can talk to my father about anything meaningful."
"Harry Potter…" Harry held out his hand as if in greeting someone new. "All-round good guy, trustworthy friend and youngest and best Hogwarts seeker in a century. Pleased to meet you."
Draco rolled his eyes but took the proffered hand.
"Are you always gonna rub that in my face?"
"Probably and if you're going after Hermione, you'll just have to get used to it."
"It wouldn't bother you? Me and Hermione, I mean?"
"As long as you're good to her and she's happy, you have my blessing. Ron might be harder to convince."
"Like I care what Weasley thinks."
"I know you don't but Hermione does. At least make it look like you're trying to get his blessing. I doubt you'll actually get it but it'll mean a lot to Mione that you tried."
"Very sneaky Potter. With scheming like that you might have done well in Slytherin."
"Given up on calling me Harry, already?" Harry laughed. "Funny, you say that about doing well in Slytherin though; the Sorting Hat said almost exactly the same thing when I first got to Hogwarts. And don't forget, I did share my soul with Slytherin's psychotic snake-face heir for almost twenty years; at least it was only sneakiness that rubbed off."
Draco went very quiet at the mention of Voldemort.
"Draco," Harry began, noticing the sinking demeanour and mood of his new 'friend'. "It's in the past, a lot of what happened wasn't your fault, you were in an impossible situation and even though you were a git most of the time, you were also a kid and raised to believe a load of thestral-shit about blood purity. I don't blame you for any of it and neither does Mione. Next time you decide to slump your shoulders and wallow in self-pity over the shit you've done and been through, remember that you weren't responsible for the war, you were a kid just like the rest of us and a victim of the mistakes of our elders."
Draco had tears in his eyes and Harry was barely holding back his own. He placed a hand on Draco's shoulder and the blonde Slytherin nodded.
"Thanks Harry."
"Remember this too… you are forgiven; for all that stupid shit you put us through; you are always and completely forgiven."
Without warning, Draco threw his arms around Harry in a quick and far from masculine hug. The shocked, dark-haired recipient of Draco's out-of-character embrace stood stock still for a moment before patting the back of his embracer in understanding and clearing his throat.
Draco pulled back wiping a tear from his eye and also cleared his throat in a show of returning masculinity.
"If you tell anyone I lost my cool for a second, you'll regret it, Potter." He ground out the Harry's surname with all the venom that he had used for years before giving a conspiratorial grin and returning his attention to the room beyond the photograph at large.
"She forgives you too, you know?" Harry gestured toward Hermione. "She holds a grudge for a long time but she lets it go eventually. I think discovering that my mother never forgave Snape for calling her, well, you know, put things in perspective about that day you said the same thing in second year."
"Really?" Draco asked, sounding hopeful; not taking his eyes off the curly haired object of his affection.
"Yea, really. You've got it bad, huh?" Harry asked, watching Draco's eyes glaze over with admiration.
"More than I care to admit to."
"Want my help?" Harry offered.
Accepting help from Harry was always going to be a source of incredible discomfort, old habits did die incredibly hard, but Draco had to admit, he was out of his depth at convincing the Gryffindor Princess to give him a chance. Fighting his ego, Draco gave a sharp nod.
Harry laughed at the pain it caused Draco to accept his help. It was written all over his face.
"I'd say the best thing to do, just to put you on the right path is an apology."
"But you said she's already forgiven me. What's the point of apologising?"
Harry let out an exasperated sigh; this was going to be harder than he thought.
"She has forgiven you, mate but remember you're meant to know that. Not to mention, if you're really that into her and are truly sorry, then she deserves your honesty and remorse for hurting her. It's a sign of respect and will show her that you've grown up and moved past the misguided beliefs you held in the past."
Draco sighed.
"This isn't going to be fun."
Harry clapped a hand on Draco's shoulder again.
"I don't think it's supposed to be, mate."
"You're probably right. Oh Merlin, I hate being a mature, responsible adult. It sucks."
"Yeah, but apparently, if you're lucky… so does Hermione."
They both burst into hushed laughter and returned their attention to the party.
…
Forty-five minutes and two more rounds of embarrassing questions later, the crimson hue of Hermione's face had faded to a dusty pink. She was still mortified but other confessions had dulled her embarrassment.
Most of the Weasley women had huddled in one corner to discuss the upcoming nuptials of Lavender and Ron; the Hogwarts staff had swapped Veritequila for brandy and were laughing about how much their former students had grown up and changed; Hermione however was sat with Jo and Ginny near the fire place discussing a movie, the plot of which held a remarkable similarities to events of ten years ago.
"So was that when you started to have a thing for Draco?" Ginny asked. "In fourth year?"
"Gin, please give it a rest. I'm not ready to talk about this."
"C'mon Mione. You can't expect me not to want to know everything after a bombshell like that. I mean, c'mon it's Malfoy."
"She has a point, Hermione." Jo added. "You never even mentioned him to me in that way, you only ever talked about him as a… what was it you called him?"
"Oh, oh, I love that nickname for him." Ginny's excitement rising. "The foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach. Always the one with twenty adjectives just to drive home the point, huh Mione?"
"I was probably over-compensating a little but I did have a point with what he was like at the time."
"All the more reason for you to explain how you could go from that to… to…, well, wanting to suck him off to a Slytherin audience."
"Yeah, spill Granger." Came Pansy's voice as she sat down next to the party's very uncomfortable hostess, the Greengrass sisters following behind her, reminiscent of Crabbe and Goyle tailing Draco.
"Fine." Hermione gave in, there were just too many expectant faces closing in on her. "But I'm really not sure when it started exactly; it was so gradual and I hardly noticed at first. I think I'd have to say third year was my first inclination really, although I denied it even to myself. That day I punched him in the face, when I was lying in bed that night, I felt guilty; marring those perfect cheekbones with a great big bruise. I was rather proud of myself too though so I repressed the other feelings under the heading of 'he deserved it' which he did of course."
"Okay, well that's a rather innocent beginning. When did it become a bit more, you know… sexy?" Daphne asked.
"Yeah. Get to the good stuff Mione." Ginny added.
"Merlin, you lot must be desperate for gossip and scandal."
"It's my bread and butter." Pansy said nonchalantly.
"Well, I suppose I noticed him a little more after that. Looked at him more in the Great Hall, glanced at him in Potions… once we were in fifth year and that cow Umbridge was watching our every move I added another area to my glances… just letting my eyes focus on his rather stellar arse if I happened to be behind him in the corridors."
"Here we go; things are picking up. This would make such an amazing movie outtake." Came Jo's voice.
"Don't you dare!" Hermione glared at her ex-babysitter come biographer.
"As if I would; the story is already set but this would certainly change the epilogue a bit."
Pansy's eyes shifted between the two.
"What are you talking about?" She asked suspiciously.
"Nothing." They both said in unison.
At least four sets of eyes narrowed on Hermione and Jo but nothing more was said on the subject.
"So is that it?" Astoria asked. "A few stolen glances and drooling over his perfect arse?"
"No. There's more."
"Do tell, Miss Granger." Ginny offered in a remarkably accurate impression of Snape.
They all burst out laughing.
Hermione took a deep breath and continued.
"Sixth year, it changed. I'm assuming you all know what Draco's mission was from 'the dead one'?" Hermione asked to a round of nods. She smiled as she spoke her personally coined moniker for Voldemort; a nice way to remind herself he was gone.
"I noticed, through my near permanent staring that Draco had lost weight, his eyes were sunken and he looked so scared, so lacking his usual swagger. I didn't know why at the time but my heart ached for him. I was worried, so worried that he was ill or being cursed by the dead one, maybe beat up by his father, Lucius seems the type. As if the mental scarring of such a bastard father and shrew mother wasn't bad enough. I wouldn't wish such a thing on anyone but with Draco's character shrinking so much, I started to really care about what had caused the phenomenon, I started to care about him."
"You really did start to care about him then? Not just fancying him?" Pansy asked, surprised at how much Hermione was giving away.
"I honestly think it started before that but it's when I noticed it, accepted it. There was nothing I could do about it though until… well, when Harry almost killed him with sectumsempra, I was the one who went to get Snape. I had to save him, I couldn't let him die. I wasn't ready to admit what that meant but I just couldn't let him die."
"You're in love with him." Jo said, matter-of-factly.
"Shit." Ginny responded.
"Are you…?" Pansy began. "Are you in love Draco?"
"Yes… no, maybe. I don't know." Hermione wasn't sure.
"Well, I think it's safe to say you are, Hermione. Given the fact that your cheeks are redder than when you confessed your fantasy earlier." Ginny said confidently.
Hermione took a very deep breath and considered her situation. If they knew already what was the harm in confessing it. It's not like Draco was around to hear it, thank Merlin.
"Okay fine. Yes. Yes, I am in love Draco Malfoy." Hermione announced proudly, a little louder than planned.
All conversation from the room of seventeen witches died in an instant at Hermione's declaration.
"Did she really just say she's in love with me?" Came a very familiar and unexpected voice from somewhere near the fireplace.
Seventeen pairs of eyes, snapped to the Hermione's mantle as Draco and Harry froze on the spot.