Chapter Ten
Disclaimer: I still don't own anything related to Harry Potter, heehee!
Draco squinted his eyes and rubbed his temples. He forced his eyes open and focused on the stranger before him.
"Who the hell are you and how did I end up here?" Draco growled.
"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, considering what we did last night," Dorrie replied demurely.
"Whatever, I don't need to know your fucking name. All I know is that the last thing I remember was that I was drinking in the tavern with my buddies. Where you came into the picture is beyond me. I think I'll be going now," Draco answered and was a bit flustered. Had he had sex with this young woman? He hoped and prayed word of this didn't get out; this would devastate his relationship with Hermione.
"Are you sure you want to leave, when you can have a go at this again?" Dorrie said as she let her bath towel fall to the floor.
"I don't remember the first time so it must not have been too memorable, so I think I'll pass. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to dress and I suggest you do the same whoever you are," Draco said, disgusted by this young woman's behavior.
Dorrie hurt by Draco's remarks, picked up the towel and covered herself up. "You don't have to be so mean. Last night was nice; I was hoping we could see each other again."
"Are you delusional? I don't even know your name! I can't even remember what happened last night and I have a girlfriend, thank you very much," Draco said as he pulled on his clothes.
Dorrie only put her head down and started to grab her clothes. As soon as Draco put on his shoes, he left. Dorrie watched the door slam and smiled. Oh Draco Malfoy, you haven't seen the last of me, she thought to herself.
Draco took a floo network back to his bedroom at Malfoy Manor. As soon as he arrived, he took a shower and turned up the hot water, almost scalding himself in the process. While he was scrubbing his body, he thought about how he revolting the whole situation was. He couldn't believe he had slept with such an unappealing witch. Draco wondered if anything had happened at all, because he really had no recollection of having sex the night before, he was totally intoxicated. What a nightmare, but since this was the first time he'd ever laid eyes on this witch, the chances were probably pretty slim he'd never encounter her again.
When The Gryffs and Cecilia arrived in Los Angeles, Hermione was hoping Leo would pick them up in Jill, but there was a limousine waiting for them at the private hangar. The group left from the airport and sped off towards the city. Lane and Travis were dropped off at their parents' homes in Bel-Air. Hermione and Neville were staying with Cecilia at her home in the Hollywood Hills. Cecilia lived in an exclusive gated community. Her home was huge; it was considered to be East Coast traditional and had lush landscaping. She led Hermione and Neville into her home and they looked around them in amazement. There was a breathtaking view of the city below; Hermione had only seen such a thing in movies. She showed Hermione and Neville to their bedrooms with adjoining baths. The décor was light and airy, in light, calming blues and greens. There was a queen-sized bed with a duvet and pillows that were the same colors as the décor. It was obvious Cecilia had an interior decorator; it was all put together to look like a spread in a magazine. Hermione's room had a balcony and she stepped out into the cool December air. Night was falling and she looked out at the moon and stars. She wondered how Draco was doing. She missed him so much she thought as she hugged herself against the chilly wind.
Hermione spoke to her parents on Christmas Eve and they were disappointed they couldn't be together for the holiday, so they made plans to celebrate when Hermione would return. Neville's grandmother was a little sad too, but she was spending the holidays with her sister, so she wouldn't be alone. Hermione and Neville felt that they were really fortunate to have family that was so supportive and understanding.
Cecilia might have come off like a cold bitch to some, but once one was able to break beneath the surface of her brittle and hard-as-nails personality, she was a very warm and caring person. She knew that Hermione and Neville were homesick, so she made sure that they had a wonderful holiday. They were surprised on Christmas Eve morning when they saw Cecilia in the kitchen preparing pancakes. She was wearing red and green plaid pajamas and no makeup. She rolled her eyes at them when she saw them gawking at her.
"What? You've never seen anyone making pancakes before," Cecilia asked good-naturedly and smiled.
"I never pictured you as the domestic type," Hermione replied and laughed.
"You're just full of surprises Cecilia," Neville said and chuckled.
"Look guys, it's not often I get to come home and "chill." I love to cook and have my friends over when I'm here. As a matter of fact, I'm having a Christmas party here tomorrow night. Leo and a few friends are coming," Cecilia replied.
"That sounds fun. Are you sure we won't be in the way Cecilia?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, I sort of feel like we're imposing on you," Neville said.
"Look, if I thought you'd be in my way, the studio would've put you up in a hotel. I like having you little shits around. Make yourselves at home and come have some pancakes," Cecilia said and laughed. As she watched Hermione and Neville eat, she wondered if she should've taken the time to have a family instead of concentrating on her career. She quickly tossed that thought aside; she wouldn't change a thing. Cecilia loved her life.
Draco spent the Christmas holiday at Malfoy Manor. He had no desire to go out and possibly run into that sorry looking witch again. He shuddered with disgust when he thought about when she dropped her towel and that skinny, bony body was revealed to him. This contrasted sharply with Hermione's slim, yet curvy physique. Draco closed his eyes and let his mind drift to his lovely Hermione. He missed her so much and wondered what she was doing.
Hermione surveyed the scene at Cecilia's house on Christmas evening. If this was what Cecilia called having a few friends over, she'd love to see what was considered a full-fledged party. The house was filled with people; Hermione and Neville were introduced to so many of Cecilia's friends and music executives, it soon became too difficult to remember all of the names. Lane and Travis were there too, so they were able to hang out. They were sitting on barstools at the bar set up in Cecilia's spacious living room. Hermione was sitting next to Travis and all of a sudden he burst out laughing.
"What's the matter with you?" Hermione asked and chuckled.
Travis caught his breath, but was still laughing as he spoke. "I don't believe it, The Turd is here!"
"Who the hell is The Turd?" Hermione asked. Travis pointed towards the foyer and Hermione looked. She was shocked when she realized who The Turd was.
"No freaking way! Is that Jeremy Bustamante? Why are you calling him The Turd?" Hermione asked as she poked Travis in his ribs with her index finger.
"Ow! That's the name I gave him because he's an annoying little teenybopper. His music has absolutely no soul!" Travis replied, rubbing his side.
"Well, I don't think the rest of America agrees with you. His album has been #1 on for the past 3 weeks on the Billboard charts. I think you're jealous," Hermione said teasingly. Jeremy Bustamante was the current teen idol in the US and was taking Britain by storm too. Hermione wasn't a fan of his music; it was a bit too bubblegum pop for her, but she respected him as a musician. He was also gorgeous and had a decent voice.
"Nah, I'm not jealous. I just can't stomach that music he makes, those sappy songs. I mean when I hear that one song, 'I'll Be Your Puppy Doggie' come on the radio, I want to run to the toilet and take a crap man," Travis said.
Lane and Neville started laughing. Lane high-fived Travis and said, "Amen to that my brother from another mother! Yeah that asshole might be a millionaire, but his music is shit!"
"I can't believe how mean you guys are! I think I'm going to go talk to him," Hermione said as she hopped off the barstool and walked towards Jeremy Bustamante and his entourage.
"Suit yourself," Travis answered. When Hermione was out of earshot, he turned to the other guys. "How much do you want to bet she'll be back here in a few minutes?"
"Why do you think that?" Neville asked.
"Trust me, that dude is a prick. He'll be lucky if Hermione doesn't punch his lights out!"
"You're on. Hermione is looking foxy tonight. I bet twenty bucks she's going to have Jeremy Bustamante eating out of her hand," Lane said.
"That is going to be the easiest twenty bucks I've ever made. Gentlemen, synchronize your watches. Let's allow five minutes, but I think Hermione will be back sooner than that," Travis said smugly. He had to admit he agreed with Lane that Hermione was looking great that evening. She was wearing a fitted sleeveless black mini-dress with bandage pleats, paired with strappy black sandals with 4-inch heels. He watched Hermione as her hips swayed and her curls bounced as she made her way to Jeremy Bustamante. He noticed every male in the room turned to look at her. Hermione was truly dazzling, but Travis had to keep reminding himself she was seeing someone. He also remembered what Lane said about not "shitting where you eat."
Hermione walked up to Jeremy Bustamante and as he watched her approach, he stared at her with a bored expression. Hermione was a little put off by this, but she smiled anyway and held out her hand.
"Hi, I wanted to introduce myself. My name is Hermione and I'm in a band called The Gryffs-"Hermione started to say but was interrupted by Jeremy holding his hand up.
"Babe, let me save you some time. I'm here because my manager thought it would be a good career move. I have women throwing themselves at me all the time, so you're nothing special. I'm not interested in hearing about you or your band, so why don't you go back to wherever you were before you decided to bother me," Jeremy said.
Hermione only looked at him for a few seconds and then started to laugh. "Oh hell no. You need to get over yourself. Fuck you dude," Hermione said and walked back to her band mates, still laughing. She now understood why Travis called him The Turd! What a conceited fuckwit!
Jeremy could only stare at her as his mouth opened and closed a few times. He was flabbergasted; no one ever spoke to him in that manner! Who was that insolent girl?
Travis and the other guys watched as Hermione made her way back to them, laughing. He held out his hand to Lane. Lane flipped him the bird as he crumpled up the twenty dollar bill and threw it at him.
"No need for obscene gestures man, I told you Bustamante's a jerk. No one wants to listen," Travis said as he pocketed the twenty bucks.
"How do you know him?" Lane asked.
"Man, we were in the same year at wizarding school. He left during our last year because his career took off. All of the girls would fall at his feet and he thought he ruled the school. I was glad when he left," Travis said.
"I totally get why you call him The Turd! Trav, he is such a prat," Hermione said and laughed. She relayed to her friends what had happened with Jeremy. The guys wanted to kick his ass, but Hermione kept laughing and said for them to leave him alone. What a pity for someone like Jeremy Bustamante to be so cynical; the young man had the world at his feet. Hermione glanced back at him and saw that he was leaving with his entourage. Good riddance, she thought.
Hermione spent the rest of the party with her friends. Cecilia was working the room and periodically checked on them. She was glad to see The Gryffs had bonded. The real test was going to be to see how they did onstage at The Whiskey a Gogo the following night.
The following night Neville peeked out from backstage to look at the crowd. The Whiskey was packed and the audience looked like a rough bunch. They ranged from college-aged coeds to members of the motorcycle gang, The Hell's Angels. Hermione came up behind Neville and put her hand on his shoulder. He turned to her and smiled.
"Are you ready? This is what we've been working towards," Neville said.
"I think so Neville. We're going to give it our best shot. I guess it's time for us to go out there. Let's rock this place," Hermione replied.
Lane and Travis walked up at that moment and they smiled at each other. They decided to keep it simple that night and they were all clad in various T-shirts and jeans. Hermione had pulled her hair into a fishtail braid so it would stay out of her face. She was wearing a vintage Sex Pistols T-shirt and black skinny jeans with low-heeled black leather boots. Cecilia helped her with her makeup because it had to be thicker than usual since they were going to playing under a professionally lighted stage. Hermione hoped she didn't look like a freak.
Cecilia watched from the bar as they walked onstage and gave them thumbs up. She took a sip of her Kamikaze and anxiously awaited the start of the show. She was always nervous for a new band's first show, but something was telling her The Gryffs were going to be fine. Leo was sitting beside her and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
"They're going to be great Cecilia," Leo said.
Cecilia only nodded and downed the rest of her drink, signaling to the bartender to get her another one. Leo smiled; he was used to Cecilia drinking alcohol when she was nervous. Cecilia always got like this for the first show.
As they took their places on the stage, Hermione took a deep breath. She strapped on her guitar and immediately felt comfortable. Lane turned and winked at the band. This wasn't his first rodeo, but he knew the crowd at The Whiskey could make or break a new band; they needed to nail this. They started playing their first song, "Holiday" by Green Day.
From that point on, the crowd was hooked. Guys were a little wary when they saw the chick with the guitar on the stage, wondering if she was just up there to look cute and not really play. They were in for a rude awakening when Hermione played like she was Jimi Hendrix. The majority of the guys in the crowd were thinking not only was she hot, but she could hold her own on the guitar. The women in the crowd were equally enthralled with the young men in the band. Neville had even come into his own and was getting plenty of admiring glances. He was totally oblivious to them; his heart will always belong to Luna. The Gryffs even played some of their own songs and the crowd loved it, especially "Phoenix" written by Hermione. By the end of the set, some of the members of The Hell's Angels were yelling "I love you!" to Hermione. They had even been called back for a few encores.
The Gryffs made their way backstage and couldn't believe how well they were received by the tough crowd. Cecilia was waiting for them and she grabbed them in a group hug.
"Holy shit, you nailed it! Damn, this was better than I could've ever imagined. The owner of The Whiskey wants to speak to me, so I'll be right back," Cecilia exclaimed. She was so excited; The Gryffs exceeded all of her expectations.
Hermione entered the dressing room and guzzled down a bottle of water. It was such a rush being on stage. She let out a deep breath and was collecting her thoughts, when someone knocked on the door. Thinking it was Neville, she immediately said, "Come in." Imagine her shock when Jeremy Bustamante walked in.
"Oh I don't believe this shit! What the fuck do you want?" Hermione said with a scowl.
"I totally deserve that, I was such an asshole to you last night. I wanted to apologize to you if you'll accept it," Jeremy said hesitantly.
"I don't know if I want your apology. What's with the change in attitude?" Hermione asked wanting the superstar to grovel a bit.
"Look, it hit me after you walked away that you were Hermione Granger. I should be the one at your feet for what you and your friends did in the war. So you're in a band now? I was in the audience and you guys knocked my socks off. You were all truly spectacular. Don't be surprised if the record deals come flooding in," Jeremy gushed.
"Okay Jeremy apology accepted. Let's start over. Hi, I'm Hermione Granger, it's nice to meet you," Hermione said and smiled. He was really quite charming.
"Hi Hermione, I'm Jeremy Bustamante and I'm very pleased to meet you," Jeremy replied and smiled back.
Hermione brought him to meet the rest of the band and they were surprised by the transformation in Jeremy's personality but were polite.
"Travis, it's been a while since school. Excellent skills on the drums dude. I didn't know you played," Jeremy said.
"Thanks Jeremy. I'm glad your career is going so well. You're like a household name dude. You probably can't even go to the grocery store without being mobbed," Travis replied and chuckled.
"It's crazy. I'm so grateful to the fans because they're the reason I'm where I am today, but it gets out of hand. I had some girls trying to chop off my hair the other night, they even try to rip off my clothes," Jeremy said and laughed.
"I can't wait until girls want to rip off my clothes. Think we'll ever get to that point?" Travis asked as he looked at Lane and Neville.
"Keep on playing like you did tonight and I have no doubt The Gryffs will be a household name in no time," Jeremy said.
Jeremy spoke to them a few moments longer than his manager came to get him. Before he left, he took out a business card and scribbled his cell phone number on the back. He handed it to Hermione.
"I don't do this often, but if you need anything, don't hesitate to call me. Good luck!" Jeremy said as he walked away with his manager.
Hermione smiled and waved. She looked at the business card and was about to put it away, when Lane grabbed it.
"Hey Travis, I want my 20 bucks back! The Turd gave Hermione his digits! I told you she'd have him eating out of her hand!"
"Fuck you Lane. That bet was for the events of last night, tonight doesn't count. Good job making nice with The Turd, Hermione, I bet he can get us into some good clubs," Travis said.
"Come on guys, he was really making an effort to be nice. Stop calling him The Turd," Hermione said.
"He probably just wants to get into your pants Hermione. That is why he was being nice," Lane said.
"Whatever, you two are so cynical. Neville I hope you always stay nice, don't become as jaded as they are!" Hermione said and rolled her eyes.
"'Mione, I just stay in the background and go with the flow. I have no idea what that Bustamante fellow's intentions are, he seems nice enough. I wouldn't let Malfoy see that business card though," Neville said.
When Neville mentioned Draco, Hermione felt a warm feeling flow through her. She couldn't wait to see Draco again. No other man could compare to him. She was so glad that they were scheduled to go back to London the next day.
An airport shuttle picked up Hermione and Neville the next morning from Cecilia's home. Cecilia was going to spend the New Year in California. Lane and Travis were staying to spend more time with their families and would be returning to Hogsmeade after the New Year. Hermione and Neville grinned at each other. They were both riding high after the awesome night they had playing at The Whiskey. They also couldn't wait to get back to the loves of their lives, Draco and Luna.
The flight back to London was uneventful. Mr. and Mrs. Granger picked Neville and her up from the airport. They dropped Neville off at Diagon Alley so he could floo back to his grandmother's house. Hermione celebrated a belated Christmas with her parents; they exchanged gifts and had a traditional Christmas meal. She enjoyed being with her parents but her heart was aching for Draco. She sent her owl with a note to him that evening. The note stated:
I'm back.
H.
Draco was reading in his room at Malfoy Manor when he heard tapping at the window. He walked over and realized it was Hermione's owl. As he read the note, he smiled and hurriedly scribbled back a response.
Meet me in the lobby of the Four Seasons tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m.
I missed you.
D.
Hermione was surprised at how quickly Draco responded and was glad. Her heart soared when she read that he missed her. She couldn't wait until tomorrow night. She and Draco had a lot of lost time to make up.
It was Saturday afternoon and Hermione was preparing for her date with Draco. She wanted to look perfect for him. Her parents had asked if she was meeting Jon, but she made up an excuse that they were taking a break from each other and that she was meeting friends that evening. She hated lying to her parents, but she wasn't quite sure how to explain to them about her and Draco. Hermione was still trying to think of way to tell her parents that she had fallen for the bane of most of her existence at Hogwarts.
It was a windy and blustery cold evening, so Hermione opted for a long-sleeved black and gray sweater dress with thick tights and black boots. Now that she used Sebastian's hair products religiously, her hair fell in soft, smooth curls down her back, so she left her hair down. She took one last look in the mirror and almost skipped out of the room. Hermione was so eager to see Draco. She grabbed a thick coat out of a closet in the hall and put it on, along with a scarf and gloves. She kissed her parents goodnight and told them she was probably going to spend the night at Sebastian's, so they shouldn't wait up. Her parents accepted this and told her to have a nice time and to be careful.
Hermione hailed a taxi to the Four Seasons. When she arrived at her destination, she paid the driver and stepped out of the vehicle. She smiled at the doorman as he opened the door for her. As she entered the lobby, she immediately spotted Draco sitting in an armchair reading a muggle magazine. Hermione's breath caught as she realized how handsome he looked. He was dressed in a custom made navy blue suit with a crisp white shirt underneath and a pale pink silk tie. Draco looked like a male model on the cover of the magazine. Apparently Hermione wasn't alone in thinking this, as most of the women, young and old, admired Draco too. He paid them no mind. When he lifted his eyes from the magazine and saw Hermione standing there, his whole face lit up and broke into a smile. He tossed the magazine aside and stood up. Draco walked up to her and didn't say a word. He pulled Hermione to him and kissed her full on the lips, not caring who was watching. He had missed his girl.
Hermione felt that kiss all the way down to her toes. When they pulled apart, she and Draco smiled at each other.
"I take it you missed me," Hermione said.
"Oh love, you have no idea. Come, I've made dinner reservations. I want to hear about California," Draco replied.
Hermione checked in her coat at the restaurant in the hotel and the hostess led them to their booth. Draco sat as close as he could to her and held her hand, raising it to his lips and kissing the back of it. Hermione smiled at him and was enjoying all the attention from him. Who knew Draco Malfoy was so lovey-dovey?
They shared a bottle of wine and enjoyed their meal. Draco listened attentively as Hermione told him what had happened in California. She even told him about meeting Jeremy Bustamante and was shocked Draco knew of him. Apparently Draco had younger female cousins who were huge fans of the superstar. Hermione laughed as he told her how puzzled he was when he saw the little girls wearing T-shirts with Jeremy's face and singing the songs. It was interesting to know that Jeremy was as popular in the wizarding world as he was in the muggle world. Cecilia was hoping The Gryffs would be able to attain this level of popularity as well.
"Enough about me, what did you do over the Christmas break?" Hermione asked.
"It was quiet, I spent Christmas with my parents," Draco replied, inwardly cringing when he thought about his encounter with the nasty witch. He was glad that he was able to put that incident behind him. Draco still couldn't recall how he ended up in that room at The Three Broomsticks. Thank Merlin no one from Hogwarts saw him that night. He was thankful Hermione didn't question him further and they moved on to another subject.
When their meal was finished, they left the restaurant. Draco had reserved a room, but he didn't want Hermione to think he only brought her there for a quick shag. He was willing to take her anywhere she wanted to go that evening.
"The night is still young love, what do you want to do?" Draco asked.
"Actually Draco, I'm still a little jetlagged and the wine made me drowsy. I'm not ready to go home but I don't think I'll be too much fun at a club and I'll probably fall asleep if we catch a movie," Hermione said apologetically.
"Well, I reserved a room because I didn't feel like going home tonight. My parents are out of the country and it's a bit too quiet when they are out of the house," Draco said.
"Okay, why don't we go up to your room and relax. We can talk some more, I missed you so much Draco," Hermione said as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.
"I did too love. Come on, let's go up," Draco said as he took her hand and led her to the elevator.
About an hour later, their clothes were strewn about the hotel room. Hermione had her head resting on Draco's chest as he stroked her hair. She was quite content and thoroughly sated from their lovemaking, as was Draco. Draco thought if this was his last night on earth, there was no place he'd rather be than where he was at the moment. Hermione meant everything to him.
"I hope you don't think my only intention was to lure you here so I could take advantage of you, love," Draco said as he continued to stroke her soft hair.
"Maybe it wasn't yours but it was mine," Hermione said chuckling.
"Mm, seems like I've created a monster," Draco said laughing.
Hermione lifted herself off his chest and kissed him. "I'll show you exactly what you've created," she said as she moved herself on top and straddled him. She kissed him deeply and he responded, their tongues fighting for control. Hermione started to kiss his neck and started to move down his chest. She made her way down to his penis which had hardened as soon as she had started to kiss him. Draco gasped as she lightly kissed it and then put the tip in her mouth. Hermione was glad he was enjoying it since this was her first time giving a blowjob. Sure she had practiced on carrots and bananas, but it was nothing like performing the act on an actual penis. She had to be careful not to choke, Draco's girth and length was impressive. Hermione licked on it as if it were a lollipop or a Popsicle and giggled as Draco hissed. Suddenly Draco pulled her up to him and pushed her down onto to the bed. He got on top of her and entered her. Hermione wrapped her legs around his waist and thrust up her hips to meet his, matching his thrusts. This was too much for Draco; he came immediately. He collapsed on top of her.
"That was incredible love," Draco said, breathing heavily.
"I told you I'd show you what you created," Hermione said softly and grinned as she brushed aside the strands of hair that had fallen across his face. She was so glad Draco didn't wear his hair slicked back anymore; it looked so much better without all that gel in it. She loved running her fingers through his soft hair.
"Indeed you did," Draco said as he moved to the side of her. Hermione got on her side and Draco wrapped his arms around her as they fell asleep. He really wanted to tell Hermione he loved her but wasn't sure when the right time would be to announce this. No woman had ever affected him this way; Hermione was the only one for him.
As they year came to a close, Draco accompanied Hermione to a New Year's Eve party at Lane and Travis' house in Hogsmeade. They had a great time and Hermione was so relieved at how everything went that evening. Harry and Ginny had come, along with Ron and Sarah. Harry and Ron were a little shocked to see her with Draco, but they felt after what she had been through with Jon, she deserved to be happy. It was obvious to them that Draco and Hermione made a terrific couple. Pansy and Blaise showed up too and everyone was glad to see them. Hermione looked around her and was so elated that her old and new friends were getting along so well and having fun. It hit her as the clock struck midnight, ushering in the New Year, that this might be one of the last times they would be together like this. Merlin knew where everyone was going to be at this time next year.
When January arrived, everyone returned to their regular routines with school and work. Hermione and Neville went back to practicing with Lane and Travis. They were scheduled to play again at The Whiskey on the last Friday of February. The manager of the club was excited to hear their new material, so Cecilia figured this would give them plenty of time to practice and not interfere too much with Hermione and Neville's school schedule.
Hermione was thinking about how everything was falling into place when the shit hit the fan the first week of February. She had heard through the grapevine that Lucius Malfoy had pulled Draco out of class and left with him. Hermione was worried sick as she paced their dorm room. She hadn't heard from Draco and had no idea what happened. She didn't know if it was some sort of family emergency or what. She heard the portrait door opening and her heart leapt, thinking it was Draco, but it was Pansy. She had a strange look on her face as Hermione walked up to her.
"Pans? What's the matter? Did you find out anything about Draco?" Hermione asked frantically.
Pansy only nodded. "Hermione, why don't we sit down?"
"Pansy, I'm too nervous to sit! What did you find out?" Hermione asked.
Pansy put her hands down on the top of the couch and took a deep breath. "Hermione, some witch named Dorrie Overstreet is saying that Draco got her pregnant over the Christmas holidays. She's claiming they had a one-night stand."
"Whh-aa-tt? No, Draco wouldn't do something like that. She's wrong," Hermione said as she put her hand to her mouth, shocked at what Pansy just relayed to her.
Pansy came around to her and put her hands on her shoulders. "I have no idea how true this is, I'm only repeating what I heard from Blaise. Apparently her parents went to Lucius and Narcissa, they are insisting Draco does the honorable thing and marries their daughter."
"Pansy, this can't be happening! This is awful. Do you think Draco is capable of something like that?" Hermione asked.
"I think we need to find out more Hermione. I could see if it was someone we knew, but I've never heard of Dorrie Overstreet. Draco's never mentioned that name in front of me, if that' any consolation," Pansy said.
Hermione sat heavily on the couch and Pansy sat beside her. They talked a little more and Pansy tried to comfort her. When Ginny and Luna heard what happened, they came to Hermione's dorm room to offer their support too. The girls ended up spending the night, still not believing what was taking place.
"Draco, what the fuck were you thinking? You got a Squib pregnant! Have you never heard of Contraceptive Charms? I don't believe this," Lucius screamed.
"Father, please. You have to believe me. I have no recollection of what happened that night. I'm not even sure if anything happened with the girl, I was really intoxicated," Draco said.
"Well, Draco she's saying you are the father of her child. What the hell was she even doing in Hogsmeade? The Overstreets have always lived in muggle London because of their daughter's Squib status. You picked a fine one to impregnate son," Lucius said sarcastically.
Narcissa only watched from the sidelines. She felt terrible for Draco. Narcissa had seen Dorrie Overstreet when her parents had come to their home demanding to see Draco. Draco must've have been really intoxicated to have slept with such an unfortunate looking girl. Narcissa thought about how the young girl kept her head down and only looked up occasionally glancing at Lucius and Narcissa with her watery green eyes. That creature was her future daughter-in-law?
Draco went up to his bedroom and shut the door. He sat on the edge of his bed and cradled his head in his hands. What a fucking mess. He supposed Hermione had probably heard about this by now. How was he going to explain this to her? Draco couldn't have imagined that one night would lead to such fateful circumstances. How he detested that witch Dorrie Overstreet. He definitely wanted tests performed to find out if he was the father of her unborn child. There was something not quite right with this whole situation, Draco thought. He had never told her his name, how did she know where to find him.
When he returned to Hogwarts, Draco was in agony. Hermione refused to talk to him and had resorted to staying in Gryffindor's dorm. Draco had no idea of how he was going to be able to fix this, there really wasn't a solution. Unless he could prove nothing happened between him and the Squib, his life was fucked. Little did he know his luck was about to change in the form of a fifth-year Ravenclaw.
Jon O'Callaghan was ecstatic. His transfer to Bulgaria had come through and there was something else. Dorrie Overstreet had pinned her pregnancy on none other than that cocky little Malfoy bastard. The way Jon saw it; this was poetic justice for that bitch Hermione. She was getting what she deserved for humiliating him the way she did at the Christmas party. He'd love it if Hermione would come running back to him, just so he could have the pleasure of rejecting her. It pleased him to no end to know he had caused this chain of events because of that dumb broad Dorrie getting pregnant. He figured Dorrie would be too embarrassed to tell anyone that he was really the father of her baby after he had rejected her. Ha ha, Jon thought, life is good!
Pansy had a study period in the morning and she was in the study hall when she was approached by a younger student. The girl cleared her throat and Pansy looked up.
"Can I help you?" Pansy asked, thinking maybe the younger student had a question.
"No, but maybe I can help you. Aren't you friends with Draco Malfoy?" the young girl asked.
"Yes, but I don't understand what that has to do with you being able to help me," Pansy replied, a little confused.
"I can see how I'm confusing you. My name is Kara Overstreet and I'm a fifth-year in Ravenclaw. I'm also Dorrie Overstreet's younger sister," the young girl said.
"Oh, now I get it. What do you want? I mean Draco is in enough shit with your family as it is, do you have another tidbit to add? Let me guess, he got you pregnant too?" Pansy asked sarcastically.
"No, no, no. I wanted to discuss something with you. I don't believe Draco is the father of Dorrie's baby," Kara replied.
This got Pansy's attention. "Whoa, how did you come to that conclusion?"
"Duh, Dorrie is my sister and I see her often. The reason I suspect someone else is the father is because Dorrie hasn't had her period since before Christmas and she had been getting sick. She's been barfing every morning and this started quite a few weeks before she supposedly slept with Draco," Kara said.
"I don't get it, why aren't you backing up your sister? I mean, if the baby isn't Draco's, whose is it?" Pansy asked.
"Look, my family has made so many sacrifices for Dorrie since she is a Squib. We even had to move to muggle London so poor Dorrie wouldn't feel out of place. My parents bend over backwards for her and she is a spoiled bitch. I decided to say something because it is just plain wrong what she is doing to Draco. How can she ruin someone's life like that? She's taken it too far this time," Kara said heatedly.
"Well, how do you propose proving that Draco isn't the father?" Pansy asked, not quite believing this turn of events which could quite possibly be extremely favorable to Draco.
"Dorrie's been hiding something this past year. I was curious, so I followed her one day and saw her go into this muggle apartment building. She came back out after about an hour and she was clinging to some guy. I hate to say this because she is my sister, but the guy looked embarrassed to be seen with her. It was as if he couldn't wait to get away from her. I truly believe he's the father of her baby," Kara said.
"Do you even know his name? So I take it Dorrie has never mentioned anything about him?" Pansy asked.
"No, she never said a word. She just would go around with this goofy grin on her face. But, I did swipe her cell phone the last time I was home. Dorrie was always calling someone and would lock herself in her room when she was on the phone. I just figured she was just being a "space cadet" as usual and was speaking to a muggle friend. Now that she's turned up pregnant, I wouldn't be surprised if it's the guy I saw her with," Kara said as she handed Pansy the iPhone.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" Pansy asked.
"I wondered if you knew anything about operating this muggle device. I know that there is a way to find out who Dorrie called last or received messages from, but I don't even know where to begin," Kara said apologetically.
"Don't feel bad, I'm not sure either Kara, but I know someone who does. Follow me," Pansy said. This was so exciting, maybe they would finally be able to resolve Draco's dilemma.
Pansy knew that Hermione was in Potions class and went to get her out. She quickly made up an excuse about Hermione being needed in the library and Professor Slughorn excused her. Hermione stepped out of the classroom and gave Pansy a confused look and wondered who the young girl was.
"Pansy, what's this about? Am I really needed in the library?" Hermione asked.
"No, that was just something I made up. You've got to hear this. Come on, let's go in this empty classroom," Pansy said as she herded the girls in.
Pansy introduced Hermione to Kara and at first Hermione was apprehensive, but her attention was riveted when Kara told her what she told Pansy. She handed Hermione the iPhone. Hermione was quite familiar with the device and was quickly able to find what they were looking for. As she scrolled through the numbers, she sucked in her breath. She couldn't believe it.
"What? Did you find something?" Pansy and Kara asked together.
"Oh yeah, I found something. You'll never guess whose number keeps coming up on her recent calls," Hermione stated.
"Don't keep us in suspense! Who is it? Someone we know?" Pansy asked.
Hermione nodded. "It's Jon O'Callaghan." When Kara gave Hermione the address of the apartment building she had followed Dorrie to, Hermione was able to confirm that it was indeed Jon's building. Jon was even a bigger sack of shit than she had ever imagined. It was more than likely that he had gotten this poor girl pregnant and was going to let someone else take on his responsibility.
Kara nodded and absorbed this new information. "Okay ladies, I can take it from here. Thank you for your help and I hope this clears things up for Draco. For what it's worth, it was nice meeting you; I wish it would've been under better circumstances. I think I need to get home and have a family meeting. Dorrie has some explaining to do."
From that point on, the situation took a drastic turn. Once Kara confronted Dorrie, the truth came spilling out. She admitted that she had never slept with Draco; she was desperate. Dorrie told them about Jon and how he had rejected her when she told him she was pregnant. Herschel Overstreet, their father, sat and listened to all this with a stony look on his face. Dorrie was crying and kept apologizing over and over to her family. Kara felt sorry for her sister, but it wasn't right what Dorrie had been attempting to do. After a few minutes, their father finally spoke.
"Dorrie, the first thing you need to do is personally apologize to Draco Malfoy and his family. How could you do something like that? As far as Jon O'Callaghan is concerned, I think your uncles and I will pay him a little visit. We'll make things right," Herschel said.
"Daddy, please don't hurt Jon! I think I shocked him, that's why he reacted that way," Dorrie pleaded.
"Dorrie, I said I'll take care of it. We're going to go to the Malfoy's now. I still can't believe you took it this far. Why didn't you tell us about Jon in the first place? Oh well, we'll fix it the best way we can. Come on," Herschel said to Dorrie.
They went to Malfoy Manor and Dorrie apologized profusely. Draco and his parents accepted her apology and felt the weight of the world lifting off of his shoulders. Thank Merlin he had never slept with her! Lucius and Narcissa were relieved too. They were so glad that they were not going to have a Squib as a daughter-in-law.
Draco was home for the weekend from Hogwarts and had been moping around. This changed everything; hopefully he would be able to get Hermione back. As soon as Dorrie and her father left, he sent an owl to Hermione letting her know that Dorrie had come clean and nothing had occurred between them. He hoped and prayed Hermione would reply favorably and believed him.
With the Malfoy family taken care of, Herschel brought Dorrie home. He now had to deal with the putz that impregnated Dorrie. He contacted his brothers, Liam and Elfrid. Herschel met them at a muggle coffee shop and they made their way to Jon's apartment building. Herschel was quite imposing at 6'4 feet tall and had a powerful, stocky build. His eyes were green like Dorrie's, but Herschel's were sharp and not watery like hers. His brothers were as tall as he was and had the same build. They were quite imposing as they stood together. Jon O'Callaghan had no idea of who Dorrie's family was. They were in the shipping industry but that was just a cover up for their dealings with the London mob. Liam was a hit man and would have no problem getting rid of Jon if he didn't want to cooperate. No one was going to get his niece pregnant and think they were going to skip out on any responsibility. Liam was looking forward to meeting this asshole.
Herschel thought the meeting went very well. At first Jon mouthed off to him and his brothers, telling them to get the fuck out of his face and some other bullshit, but they were able to change his attitude. After he and his brothers took Jon to the roof and dangled him upside down by his feet at 20 stories, Jon admitted to everything. Jon agreed to marry Dorrie as soon as possible. He would also have to relinquish his position as an Auror and would work in the "shipping" industry with his new in-laws. Herschel couldn't have his son-in-law working in magical law enforcement considering all his "extracurricular" activities with the mob. Dorrie would get her "dream man" after all!
Hermione answered Draco's owl and they agreed to meet in London. They decided to meet at The Leaky Cauldron. Draco excitedly told her about Dorrie admitting to everything and how he relieved he was to find out absolutely nothing had happened between them. Hermione was so happy to have Draco back and was glad that everything had worked out. She explained to him about Dorrie's sister Kara putting everything together. Thank Merlin Kara had a conscience and made things right.
They were seated at a table and Draco held Hermione's hands. He was ecstatic to have her back. They talked more and sipped on their butter beers. Hermione was also pleased that she and Draco were back to normal. She was completely caught off guard when Draco pushed a small gift-wrapped box towards her.
"Draco, what's this?" Hermione asked, with a surprised look.
"Open it and find out love. Just a little something I picked up for Valentine's Day. I'm sorry we missed it this past week," Draco replied.
"You didn't have to do this," Hermione said as she started to unwrap the gift.
"I wanted to Hermione. I hope you like it," Draco said.
Hermione opened up the gift to find a small jewelry box. When she opened the box, there was a delicate gold chain inside with a diamond star charm. It was one of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry Hermione had ever seen. She held it up and gasped.
"Draco, this is so pretty! I love it," Hermione exclaimed softly.
"I'm glad love. Let me latch it on for you," Draco said as he stood and went to her side. Hermione lifted her hair and Draco kissed the back of her neck as he latched on the necklace. She smiled at him as he moved back to his chair and sat.
Hermione touched the stars and looked at him. "Thank you so much. I'll never take it off."
"When I saw it at the jewelry store in Hogsmeade, I immediately thought of you. You're my star, Hermione," Draco said as he looked into her eyes.
It was an unseasonably warm evening in London, so Draco and Hermione decided to take a walk after they left The Leaky Cauldron. They were sitting on a bench in a park and identifying the different constellations in the sky since it was a clear, starry night. It was at that moment something happened. Draco looked at Hermione as she was still staring up at the sky with a smile on her face.
"I love you Hermione," Draco said. He couldn't hold it in any longer. She had to know how he felt.
Hermione turned to face him and put her hands on his shoulders. "I love you too Draco. I have been for a long time."
Draco kissed her and pulled her closely to him. They snuggled on the bench and kept trying to identify the constellations. It was to be one of the best and most memorable nights of their young lives.
Jeez! I'm finally getting this up. It might sound like this story is complete, but there's more to it. Thank you for your patience and I hope you all enjoy this update:-D
Happy Mardi Gras to anyone celebrating it!