Hermione walked into their classroom to see Draco sitting there in his usual spot. She smiled. She'd thought a lot over the past few days about what she had planned to ask him to do. She took a steadying breath as she stepped up to him. "Hello, my love," she said to break his thoughts up.
"Hey," he said softly as he threw a piece of parchment into the trash bin beside the desk, as he greeted Hermione.
"What's the matter?" She asked as she sat on the desk beside him.
"My father wrote and told me to stay away for my own safety. He said if I came home, I could be killed." Draco replied before pulling out his wand and burning the parchment.
"I'm sorry Draco," she said. She paused a moment and reached for his hand. "I've been thinking about you going home. Or not, rather." She said as she chewed nervously on her lip.
"Yeah, and?" He asked with a eyebrow raised, not sure where she was going with her statement.
"I've already written to my parents and they've said yes. I had a feeling that after you helped Harry, you might not have anywhere to go, so I thought you might like to come home with me this summer. What do you think?" She finished as she looked at him.
"Well I don't have anywhere else to go, so why not. I've never spent any time with Muggles, so it'll be a bit adjustment, I must say, but with you by my side anything is possible," He replied softly. He only felt a little better than a few moments before. At least now he wouldn't be living on the streets for the summer.
"Okay," she said as she slid off the desk and into his lap. "I can teach you how to live with Muggles. It really isn't much different from living with your family." She said looking into his eyes. "Your father loves you, you know. He is only telling you to stay away to keep you alive and safe," she continued knowing her words to be true.
"I know." Draco said simply, as he rubbed his forehead in silence as the last 24 hours had been hell on Earth for him. "I just wish this was over already. That's all."
She wrapped her arms around him and placed her head on his shoulder. "Me too, baby, me too." She whispered. She simply sat there holding him and wanted nothing more than to make his pain go away.
"Well, we leave tomorrow. I guess we'd better pack." He said as he gave a slight smile into her neck.
She hugged him tightly one last time, then leaned back and kissed him. "I love you. Yeah, you're right. We should probably go pack and get ready to go." She responded softly.
The school year came to an end. Harry was alone as he got on the train early. He loaded Hedwig and his trunk into the luggage car and stepped into the compartment at the end of the train.
Daphne managed to get to the train early as well. She loaded her trunk and black cat, named Raven, into the luggage car. Her sister, Astoria, had already told her that morning not to wait for her. She would be riding with her friends. Since she was two years younger than Daphne, their friends did not overlap much. She stepped into the last compartment of the train and started to look through the compartments. She caught sight of Harry sitting alone and stopped, opening the door. "Hiya Harry." She said sweetly.
"Hey Daph, why are you here so early?" He asked her as he opened his pack to reveal a odd looking pie, and said with a chuckle "Hagrid made this for me. I wouldn't eat it."
She giggled. "I had nothing else to do. So, I figured I'd come sit and relax a bit." She said with a smile as she sat next to him.
"Hmm, so I guess I'm going home with you." He observed simply, as he allowed her to brush his raven hair softly with her fingers.
"That's the plan," She said with a smile as she slid closer to him. Dropping her hand from his hair, she took his hand.
He rubbed his scar with his other hand, before he kissed her cheek.
She turned her head and deepened the kiss,. "I love you." She whispered when they broke apart for air and looked deeply into his emerald eyes.
"I love you too." He said softly as he held her with his hand pressed against her cheek.
She rested her head on his shoulder, a beautiful smile on her face. They stayed that way the whole train ride, only moving when the food trolley came by.
Hermione followed her parents into the house, it wasn't an extravagant home, but it was home. She dragged her trunk behind her. She hoped Draco wasn't judging her too much. The thought of Draco made her blush a bit, even with her parents just in front of her.
Draco felt out of place as he dragged his trunk out of the vehicle, that he still didn't know much about. He had never ridden in a car and it had been an experience he knew he would have to repeat over the summer. The ride had been quiet. He appreciated that his father had warned him to stay away from home for his safety. He hated missing his parents, but he knew his decision to prevent a murderous sociopath to come back to the living was the right one. He had nowhere else to go that was safe, except to spend the summer with his girlfriend and her Muggle parents. Draco straightened his tie before he began walking awkwardly to the front door, dragging his trunk behind him.
Hermione turned to look back at him, feeling his presence behind her, as she walked through the door. Her parents had already gone in and started getting dinner ready. "Draco,you okay?" She asked softly.
"Yeah I uh- I'm just taking it all in," he spoke quietly, as he examined his surroundings. They looked different than the Manor, not nearly as opulent. It would take awhile for him to acclimate.
She walked closer to him, closing them space between them swiftly. "I love you so much, won't be as bad as you think. I promise." She kissed him softly and encouragingly.
"I know. Do you mind showing me to the guest room, please?" He asked her with a sheepish look. The concept of living here wasn't too bad, just a bit jarring.
"Of course, my love." She said as she turned and took her trunk and led him down the hall, to her room first to drop her trunk off, then led him to the guest room. "Here it is." She said, bashfully.
He nodded as he removed his tie and laid it on his bed before sitting up on the edge of said bed, looking quite conflicted.
Hermione sat next to him on his bed. "It will be okay. We'll do fun stuff this summer." She said with a smile.
"Yeah." He said softly as he put his hand on her thigh unsure of the turn his life had taken. For the time being, she was his only family. He knew he needed to make the best of this summer.
"Kids! Lunch is ready!" Hermione's mum called from the bottom of the stairs.
Hermione blushed and looked at Draco. "My room? Later tonight?" She whispered to him, looking hopeful.
"Mmm, sounds delicious." He replied with a devious grin, knowing they had to deal with protective parents and a lack of magic to silence the room. That would make an extra layer of intrigue to their summer.
She stood and took his hand with a smile. "Oh, it will be." She assured him with a quiet giggle. Then she turned to lead him to the kitchen.
Draco said nothing as he walked into the dining room and saw his girlfriend's parents. He simply sat down at a table and placed his napkin in his lap as etiquette required. He was aware that her father was staring him down like his father would, had Lucius had a daughter, and she brought home a boy. It was quite awkward.
Hermione noticed it as well. "Dad. Please stop staring at him like that. It's awfully rude." Her tone was unusually commanding toward her father. She normally wouldn't speak like that to her father, but he had said that Draco could join them for the summer. To treat him like a miscreant the whole summer would not be something she could handle.
"Im sorry, Princess." Her father acknowledged. Draco sighed, set his napkin back on his place setting and excused himself, before heading towards his room.
Hermione called, "Draco! Draco come back," She rose and rushed after him, but not before flashing her father a look.
Draco stopped at the end of the hall and smiled sheepishly, "It's okay, I'm not hungry."
"Draco, please. You haven't eaten since this morning." She pleaded with him. "I'm sorry about my father. He's usually not anything like this. You are the first boy I've brought home. He is overprotective. I will talk to him." She assured him, stepping closer to him as they stood there in the hall.
"It's fine. I'll eat later. Don't blame your father. My father would act the same way if he had a daughter." He replied simply as he wrapped her in his arms, "he's only trying to be protective. Something I think all fathers should be for their children."
She nodded, "Are you sure you won't eat now?" She asked as she hugged him tighter, her head lightly laid on his chest.
He nodded as he broke the hug and headed into his room before closing the door.
Harry was surprised at how big the guest room was. It was almost twice as large as the dorm room he'd shared with five other boys at Hogwarts and looked way too fancy. He even had his own private bathroom. He sighed as he heaved his trunk into its place at the end of the bed before placing Hedwig's cage on the ebony wood desk across the room. He opened the cage and window near the desk, letting her out into the large gardens surrounding the home.
Across the hall Daphne placed her things in her closet and searched for the perfect dress to wear. She decided on a knee length, silk, skinny strap dress that was the color of the deepest ocean. She knew her father would expect them for lunch soon so she she set off for Harry's room. She knocked on his door.
Harry, who was still wearing his school uniform minus the cloak, opened the door to see Daphne in her gorgeous dress. His eyes bulged slightly as he asked, "What's the occasion?"
"No occasion. Just lunch." She explained and blushed, remembering he wasn't used to seeing her dress so elaborately for something as simple as lunch.
"Just lunch?" He asked her with an eyebrow raised unsure about the dress code for "just lunch" being so dressy. It was the middle of the day for goodness sake. As far as he knew there wasn't a ball to go to at lunch.
"Umm, yes, just lunch." Her blush deepened. She felt her ring burn signaling her father's request for them to join him for lunch. "Lunch is ready. We should get down there." She said with a sheepish smile.
Harry nodded as he adjusted his sweater before closing his door behind him and making his way to Daphne's side.
Daphne smiled as she took his hand, "I love you Harry." She watched their feet while they walked, not needing to see where she was going. She knew the whole house like she knew the back of her hand. If she needed too, she could be blind and make it to the dining room.
The raven haired wizard looked around the massive home with a worried look on his face. He was intimidated at the massive home, so he held her hand tighter as they walked to the dining room
Daphne saw her father and sister already sitting at the table. She smiled at him. "Hello Daddy." She walked to his side and kissed him on his cheek. "Good afternoon, Astoria!"
"Good afternoon Daphne." Astoria responded and waited for everyone to sit to start lunch.
"Hello my darling." He responded to Daphne. "How was your train ride home?" He asked as he stood and hugged his beautiful daughter.
"It was great Daddy. I'm happy to be home. I missed you." She said with a very regal look upon her face.
He turned to Harry. "And welcome to our home Mr. Potter." He said extending his hand to Harry.
"Pleasure and thank you for allowing me to stay in your home. I truly appreciate it Mister Greengrass." Harry said as he shook the eldest Greengrass's hand with a soft but nervous smile.
Daphne sat in her waiting chair, while her father pushed her chair in, nodding to Harry to notice his movements. Silently guiding Harry to do the same next time. She waited patiently for her father and Harry to sit.
Harry sat nervously beside Daphne as he noticed how ostentatious the plates and cutlery were. He hoped no one noticed his nervous energy at how out of the ordinary this was for him.
Mr. Greengrass sat opposite them, with Astoria by his side, and waited for their food to be served.