A/N: DON'T SHOOT ME! Or inflict any other harm on me, please! I know I deserve it, but hear me out. My boyfriend and I have been toying with the idea of buying a house together for a while now, but he's suddenly decided we should seriously start looking like right now. Thus, the past month has been spent scouring the interwebs for our dream home, which (as all of you who have been through it know) sucks up time quicker than a black hole. If anyone has any tips they'd like to share, please do! We've been interrogating our families with a bazillion questions, so any advice is welcome. Also, my new compy came back from being repaired again and was still broken, so I just gave up and demanded my money back, which the company fortunately didn't even argue about because of all the crap I've had to put up with. Therefore, because of the above, I figured it'd be better to post asap, so that means I haven't worked in any of your answers to last time's prompts. As I read them over, though, I realized they'd all be better suited for next chappie, anyway, so there'll be no homework this time.
Now onto the reviews!
dead-is-the-cat - No, I don't think you have mentioned it. But I love you, too! By the way, your name is a Schrodinger reference, right?
Divess - I don't blame you. The only thing I can say in her defense is that, not only is my version of Hermione ridiculously stubborn, she is also emotionally damaged. I don't think it realistic at all that she would come through the other side of the Second Wizarding War without some type of crippling phobia. In this story, the trauma of the war amplified her fear of losing her friends to the point of dependency on Harry and Ron. Even though she has Ginny, Harry and Ron were with her from the very beginning, whereas her friendship with Ginny came a little later. Her boys are her pillars of strength, so without their approval, she's terrified of crumbling to nothing. It's irrational, yes, but aren't most phobias?
Kermit304 - You are absolutely correct, my dear, on all counts. As I said above, Hermione's flaw is that she's too emotionally dependent on her friends and family because of her fear of losing them and ending up alone. Rest assured that Draco is not the type to give up so easily, so he will give her a reason to fight against her fears! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
insomania - Please don't cry! I promise it'll get better! Take heart in that you're right; it had to happen, but only because it motivates Draco to stop messing around now. He's gonna start stepping up his game! Never fear, there will be more Dramione! Banter, especially.
DramioneObsessed - Thank you! I like how candid your username is. Obsessed and proud of it! Cheers! Thank you so much for reviewing!
HermionenDraco368 - Thank you! I like to think I understand their characters pretty well. The main reason I even started writing my own Dramione fics was because I read too many that I didn't think were as spot on as they should have been. Course, we can argue about the 'correct' characterization of Dramione until the cows come home but the fact remains that even if most of us did settle on one personality for Hermione and Draco, people would still break out of that mold because they think their version is better. I'm just one out of thousands of Dramione fans sharing what she thinks Dramione would be like, hoping that other people like reading it. Please keep reading and reviewing! I love reading other people's thoughts on my stories.
Soxylady - Thank you! I know the feeling, and I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting! Will this chapter tempt you to forgive me? I don't know how many more chapters there will be, but it's definitely not over yet!
Ambur - NOOOO! Please tell me I'm not too late! I'm sorry! The Headless Hunt isn't worth it! Don't do it! Seriously, though, I am sorry I took so long. But thank you so much! I'm extremely flattered you think so highly of this!
Finally, without further ado...
~~~\~~~
Step 10: Keeping Him Entertained
You would never know it from their impeccable table manners, but Malfoy men love to play with their food. They are the cat batting at the spider for its own amusement, watching it roll over and get back up, only to roll it over again for hours until something else catches their attention. In other words, when they are not chasing something, they grow restless. This is why most of them are promiscuous gits, relishing the conquest and feeling dreadfully bored afterward, anxious to leave and move on. This is also why this book is called How to Marry a Malfoy, as opposed to How to Sleep with a Malfoy or How to Have the Best Night of Your Life with a Malfoy or How to Make Every Other Lover Pale in Comparison to a Malfoy or How to Ruin Your Life Chasing After a Malfoy.
But I digress. The main quality a Malfoy looks for in a mate is entertainment value. Not that he isn't shallow as a puddle under the blazing sun; he still chooses only from the most beautiful of witches. But if, let's say, it's a choice between a buxom blonde who will let him do anything and everything without a single complaint, and a feisty brunette who argues with him over every little thing, he is much more likely to choose the brunette, not because she is more beautiful, but because arguing with her could amuse him for hours on end. But be careful not to argue just for the sake of arguing. If your argument fails to be logical, he'll swiftly talk you into a corner and make it painfully obvious how insipidly idiotic you are, which will make him lose interest in you. Therefore, if you want merely the best shag of your life, then you've already achieved it, so go find something else to waste your life on. But if you want the Malfoy to be devoted to you forever, find a way to keep him entertained, such as putting more distance and obstacles between you and declaring that you never wanted him anyway. Refer back to Step 2 and taunt accordingly. Remember how I said Malfoy men love a good chase? They love it so much, they're always eager to do it again.
~~~\~~~
Draco had honestly expected something to happen, someone to notice that she had been his mystery witch. It must have been so incredibly obvious that they had danced together so closely and he had donated an outrageous sum of galleons to the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, headed by none other than Arthur Weasley. Anyone with half a brain could have concluded it was Hermione Granger.
But nobody had noticed. Or rather, everyone had noticed and thought it nothing out of the ordinary, further confirmed by Hermione's dramatic exit. Apparently, the intensity of their conversation had come across as taunting and forced civility to everyone else, so they told themselves it was such a shame that school rivals could never quite get over their grudges.
Then again, what else should they have concluded, with Hermione Granger running away in tears after spending any amount of time exposed to Draco Malfoy? On second thought, it didn't seem so obvious after all.
"Botched it up again, I see," his aunt commented as he entered her personal drawing room. One hand was petting that bloody cat and the other was writing a letter.
Draco scowled. "I haven't botched it up. I'm just getting started."
Professor Morgana barked a laugh. "That's what you all say, you men. Everything that happens, you've intended all along."
He had never actually figured out how she had deduced his intention to pursue Hermione, but he was pleased nonetheless that she approved. She had casually mentioned after Hermione had left that the manor hadn't seen a ball in decades, and it was high time to have one. She had let him do the rest of the planning, but her smug demeanor gave him the impression that perhaps she had more to gain than bragging rights. There was a particular reason why she hadn't put up the tiniest fight. He already knew that she adored the Gryffindor as her own daughter, so perhaps she wanted to ensure that the two of them got along, as he was her heir. It would certainly explain why she had insisted on him passing along messages so often.
He suddenly remembered that very first day when he had arrived at the manor, and his aunt had demanded that he be the one to fetch Granger for breakfast. Then he recalled the seemingly unimportant comment she had made later that he could do worse than marry Hermione. He narrowed his eyes as the last piece fell in place, connecting them all.
The two of them had been set up! But was his aunt working alone, or were there others in on the conspiracy? He hadn't heard a single peep about marriage prospects from his mother in ages, but she could be content for the moment that he was busy trying to clean up his father's messes. Merlin knew she would prefer to have their reputation back to pristine condition before courting other influential families. There wasn't enough evidence to indicate one way or the other, but he couldn't stop the relief he felt at the thought that perhaps his mother would adore Hermione as well, muggle-born or not.
"Has Uncle Titus said when he is due to return?"
"Soon. Don't get too impatient, boy. I'm not dead yet."
Draco allowed his eyes to roll as she had her back facing him.
"Don't roll your eyes at me. Your mother taught you to be polite."
He only just held back a biting remark that his mother had also taught him not to respect half-bloods. Then again, that could have been only because his father had been listening.
"So what are you going to do about it?" His aunt asked bluntly.
"What?"
"The girl isn't going to catch herself. Are you going to languish over your failure, or are you going to fix it?"
Draco glared, familial respect be damned. "I didn't fail. It's merely a minor setback."
His aunt scoffed, which only irritated him further.
What the bleeding hell did she know, the cranky old hag?
He wasn't anywhere close to giving up on Hermione, anyway.
He had tried his best to be noble and proper about it, throwing a grand ball (several, actually) and donating loads of galleons, dancing with her and persuading her with sweet words, but that hadn't worked.
So, he'd just have to try a different approach.
Sheer perseverance would lead him to success. If his ancestors had simply given up every time they had heard the word 'no', the Malfoys never would have become as rich and influential as they had been.
She had said, 'I can't', not 'I won't', so she clearly wanted him just as badly as he wanted her; there were just obstacles in the way.
He had caught her once, and now he knew her better than ever. He could most certainly catch her again. He'd just have to be clever about it, rather than noble.
He smirked.
Let the second hunt begin.
***/***
"Do you want to talk about it now?" Ginny asked abruptly, reading the Sunday Prophet.
Hermione glared, but huffed sulkily at her morning hash. "I don't know."
Ginny sighed. "What did he say this time?"
Hermione shook her head miserably. "Everything. He said everything that I had been desperately hoping he would say."
Red eyebrows shot up. "Then what was all that rushing about to leave for?"
"Because it would never work! He was so perfect, standing there and telling me how much he wanted to actually try and I just froze. I could actually picture us together, but I couldn't see anyone else except you being happy for us. I can't lose everyone just because I'm twistedly attracted to my former tormentor!"
"Hermione, do you realize how much money he donated to my father last night?"
Hermione blinked. "What does that have to do with anything? He'd said he was going to donate loads of galleons, hadn't he?"
"Five million galleons."
"Five million?"
"Five million."
"But," Hermione spluttered, "that's..."
"More money than that office has seen probably ever. And do you know why he did it? Because he wants you to give him a chance. Don't you think it's worth a chance at least?"
Hermione bristled. "Oh, so just because a Malfoy threw some money around, I'm supposed to just forget everything he's ever done to me?"
Ginny snorted. "Oh, and you're such a saint? Remember that time you Confunded McLaggen so Ron would get the Keeper position? The time you brewed Polyjuice Potion just to sneak into the Slytherin Commons and interrogate Malfoy? The time you scarred Marietta Edgecombe's face for life because she snitched on the DA? You've impersonated a Ministry employee to sneak into the Ministry to steal the necklace right off of Umbridge's neck! You straight out lied to her at Hogwarts to lead her to the centaurs in the Forbidden Forest. And that's not even counting the fact that you started the DA, which was illegal."
"It hadn't started off forbidden!" Hermione finally protested.
"But you continued it even when it was," Ginny countered.
Hermione huffed.
"Look, I'm not saying you didn't do those things for a good reason, but maybe Malfoy had his reasons, too."
"Yeah, his reason was that he's a git," the brunette retorted petulantly.
Ginny laughed. "Merlin, Hermione, you're practically in love with him, aren't you?"
Hermione sighed. "Probably. Maybe. I don't know."
"The way I see it is, if everyone did accept him, you wouldn't be here right now, would you?" Ginny pointed out.
Hermione bit her lip. "Probably not."
"So what are you waiting for, then? He can't convince Harry and Ron that he cares about you by himself, you know. He'll need your help to keep them calm when they find out."
"But my father-"
"Will accept your decision if he truly loves you," her best friend scolded. "You don't doubt that do you?"
"Of course not!"
"Then what's the problem? He's an adult now, but he was a child once. He'll understand that boys will be boys, but men take responsibility for their own actions, as he must've gone through the change himself."
Hermione frowned. "When did you get so wise?"
Ginny shrugged, smiling. "I have six brothers, Hermione. I think I know the male developmental stages pretty well by now. If not from seeing them, then from the stories of them."
They sat in silence for a while, Hermione's brain trying to process all that Ginny had said and decide whether she was right.
"Thanks, Gin," she said eventually, fully appreciating how much Ginny cared about her happiness.
Ginny grinned. "You're welcome. Now are you finally seeing sense or do I have to continue to recount the long list of your indiscretions?"
Hermione blushed. "I still don't know about that, but what I do know is that I need to talk to my parents first. I need to go for a proper visit."
Ginny nodded. "Fair enough."
"Speaking of Draco, what did Lavender say about us this morning?"
"Nothing."
Hermione sighed. "Gin, don't-"
"Seriously, Hermione. Nothing. Not a single word of the article even implies that you were there."
The brunette frowned. "Let me see that."
She read the article carefully, and was astounded to see that Ginny was right. There wasn't a peep about her anywhere. All it did was speculate who the mystery witch was, because Draco had made the big donation.
"I don't understand," she muttered, completely at a loss.
"I think I do," Ginny ventured pensively. "Remember when you told me about Devon, and how you had escaped Malfoy in Diagon Alley?"
Hermione nodded. "Of course, I...told Lavender..."
"She owed you, in a way, for getting her that interview with him, and I bet this is her way of repaying you. You had been utterly embarrassed, and so she saved you by not saying anything."
"But why wouldn't she tell everyone that I'm his witch?"
Ginny grinned. "His mystery witch, you mean?"
Hermione nearly gasped at her slip, but stopped herself. Was it really all that surprising, when she'd felt all along that they were together?
"I don't think she knows," Ginny continued.
The brunette's jaw dropped. "How can they not? We were dancing so closely!"
"It wasn't all that close, actually. And your face was stone for most of it, until the very end when you dashed off. You both hid your association quite well."
"And not a single person heard us?"
"You were under Muffliato, weren't you?"
Hermione blinked. "It must have been him, then. I didn't cast it." She couldn't help but feel a little impressed that he had either cast it wandless and nonverbally, or he had been so sneaky with his wand that it was as good as. She hadn't heard him mutter a thing.
Not that she couldn't do wandless and nonverbal magic, but she was so used to Harry and Ron taking forever to master even the simplest spells nonverbally, let alone wandless...
It was nice to know Draco was just as clever as she was.
***/***
"Blaise, I need your assistance," Draco announced immediately the moment he stepped through the Zabinis' fireplace.
Blaise raised a dark eyebrow, smirking. "When do you not need my assistance? You can't do anything on your own."
Draco glared at the reminder of the war. "Yes, yes, you're my best friend forever and we can brush each other's hair later."
Blaise chuckled. "Alright, mate. What do you need this time?"
"I need you to feel out Weaselette."
Blaise choked on his drink. "Potter's fiancée? Have you gone mad? I don't have a death wish!"
Draco rolled his eyes. "Feel out, Blaise, not up."
Blaise settled back down into his chair. "Oh, that's not so bad. What for?"
"I believe she knows about Hermione and me, so I want to know if she's for or against."
"Ah, a very important diplomatic mission. Very well, I accept. I shall charm her at the next Ministry event and give you my findings then."
Draco relaxed. Blaise always got the job done one way or another, and hopefully the Potter-to-be wasn't poisoning Hermione's thoughts of him. He had been working too hard for too long to let her go just because the Weasleys had decided their prejudices were correct. He didn't want to reveal the surprise early if he could help it, but he was quickly approaching that point of desperation to get Hermione back for good. If his surprise couldn't convince her to stay with him, nothing would.
***/***
"Are you sure you don't want to come? I'll be awfully lonely without you," Ginny begged as she checked her makeup in the mirror.
"No, Gin. I can't risk seeing him there. It'd be...too much."
Ginny gave her best friend a stern look through the mirror.
"I'm telling you, you don't need to be so worried about what everyone else thinks! Draco's good, or else you wouldn't be in love with him. At the very least, go visit your parents like you said. I promise you're making it seem worse than it will be."
"But you don't know my father!" Hermione argued.
Ginny sighed. "We've been over this. Your father loves you. He'll understand that Draco has changed."
"But what if he hasn't? What if it's all one big joke?"
The brunette felt herself becoming more and more hysterical as the what ifs flew through her head at an alarming speed.
Her best friend stalked over and literally shook her out of it.
"Hermione Jean Granger, stop it!" Ginny shouted angrily. "What is wrong with you? What are you so bloody afraid of that you keep making up excuses as to why you can't let yourself be happy?"
Hermione looked up at the redhead and let the tears fall from her eyes uninhibited.
"What if he abandons me, too?" she whispered. "What if there really is something wrong with me?"
Ginny's face fell as Hermione collapsed into sobs. "I'm going to kill my brother," she said under her breath, before grabbing hold of her best friend in a gigantic hug.
A while later, Ginny got up and cleaned her new dress robes of tears and snot with her wand.
"Now listen here, Hermione. You are an amazing witch and an even better person. You have the Draco Malfoy falling all over himself to be with you, Harry bloody Potter as a best friend, and two loving parents who have supported you in every decision you have made. They hated that you modified their memories, but their love for you and their understanding of protecting loved ones has kept them tied just as closely to you all this time. I demand that you stop pitying yourself because it's disgusting how lucky you are! I refuse to listen to you whine any more about how it'll never work. The only obstacle standing between you and Draco is you!"
Hermione stared in shock, not sure whether she ought to be thankful for the honesty or offended.
"Now, I am going to the party and you have two choices. Either you are going into your room right now and getting dressed to come with me, or you are going straight to your parents' house to tell them you have fallen madly in love and want their blessing. So which is it going to be?"
"Parents."
"Alright then. Go make yourself presentable and we'll go to the Ministry to schedule a portkey."
Hermione shook her head and stood up. "No, you're right, Gin. I need to do this, but I should do it alone. Go to the party. Have fun. I'll see them tonight if I can. I promise I'm done hiding."
Ginny nodded. "Good. I'll see you when you get back."
Hermione hugged her. "Thanks, Gin. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Be utterly depressed and deprived," Ginny replied cheekily.
They shared a smile.
***/***
"Miss Weasley, may I have this dance?"
Ginny recognized the voice immediately and smiled.
"Of course, Mister Zabini."
She placed her hand delicately onto his outstretched palm and he led her to the dance floor. She kept the smile on her face, but her eyes searched his expression with the same intensity she used to tell whether her brothers were lying.
They danced in silence for a bit. She assumed he was sizing her up as well, and eventually she decided to get to the point, staring him straight in the eye.
"What would you like to discuss?"
He gave her a polite smile. "What makes you think I have anything to discuss with you?"
"The last time I saw you pull a Gryffindor onto the dance floor was when you spoke with Hermione, who ended up speaking with Malfoy and then ran off like a dementor was after her. You don't dance with Gryffindors unless you have business with them."
Zabini chuckled. "You Gryffindors are always so confrontational."
Ginny smirked. "Not always."
Zabini raised a dark eyebrow. "Indeed? Well, in this instance you happen to be correct. There is something I was curious about."
"And that is?"
"As you so astutely observed, Draco and Granger have had their issues recently, but I am curious about your perception of them."
Ginny narrowed her eyes slightly. It was rather easy to deduce that Zabini was on Malfoy's side, and he wanted to know if she was on Hermione's. What she didn't know was whether Zabini was acting alone as a concerned friend, or at Malfoy's request. Zabini had never struck her as a lap dog the way Crabbe and Goyle had been, but sometimes good friends could look like lap dogs because of the extent of their concern.
She decided that Zabini himself wasn't a threat to Hermione either way, so it would be alright if she put her cards on the table, so to speak.
"Are you referring to my perception of their relationship in general, or of their personal one?"
Zabini tilted his head almost imperceptibly. "Both," he decided.
"I think they're both being stubborn. They know what they want, but they're too afraid to reach out and take it," she said matter-of-factly.
"Both of them?" he inquired curiously.
She nodded. "Hermione, obviously, but Malfoy is being the same way, to a lesser extent. He knows perfectly well that she won't be won over merely with words or invitations to balls. He needs to show her that he cares about her as a person, rather than as an entertaining plaything. She has certain 'concerns' that Malfoy's affections are as arbitrary as they are intense."
The muscles around Zabini's mouth relaxed. "Your brother," he supplied.
"My brother," she confirmed.
"Does she have any other 'concerns'?"
"Not that she's said outright, but I know she won't know how to put his mother and her parents in the same room without sneering on either side. Her parents understand enough of pureblood prejudice to know that the Malfoy family in general don't deem her or them worthy, and are highly offended by it."
Zabini's eyes drifted to the side pensively before returning to hold her gaze.
"If you are amenable, I would like to extend an offer of mutual benefit, for us and for them."
"Go on."
"I happen to agree with you, and I think that together we can easily provide a nudge in the right direction without either getting too upset with us."
Ginny grinned. "What do you have in mind?"
***/***
"Hermione!" Jean Granger exclaimed warmly, opening the door. "How was your trip?"
Hermione stepped through the threshold and removed her light jacket. "Fine, Mum. I apparated, so there's no need to worry."
Her mother's lips pressed together just a bit and Hermione wished she hadn't mentioned it at all. She was so used to telling her mother everything that the truth usually came out without any filter whatsoever. Most of the time it wasn't a problem, but her parents' recent concern with magic made them more wary of any mention of it.
"Graham! Hermione's here!" her mother called up the stairs, then turned back to her daughter. "Are you staying for dinner?"
Hermione nodded. "I had planned on it, yes."
Her mother smiled again. "Lovely. It's been far too long, you know." She fussed with her daughter's hair affectionately. "How is your apprenticeship faring? You last spoke of a solution to bring back memories?"
Hermione grinned, happy to be back to the comforting gossip she and her mother often got into.
"Just perfectly! I've already completed the first recipe and sent it off to the hospital for them to test. And it doesn't actually give back the memories, so much as allow the brain to remember more easily by enhancing the feeling induced by déjà vu."
"Fascinating..." her mother commented interestedly.
"Pumpkin?"
Graham Granger stepped off the stairs and held his arms out. Hermione forced herself to walk over to him, instead of run. He always greeted her the same way, which evoked a nostalgia that made her want to run to him as she had when she was little. They wrapped their arms around each other and hugged tightly. He dropped a kiss atop her bushy hair.
"How are you? Not overworking yourself, I hope."
She shook her head as they separated. "Of course not, Daddy. Not too much, anyway."
He grinned. "That is the Granger way, isn't it?"
They made their way over to the living room to chat some more and catch up, but eventually Hermione's parents reminded her that she hadn't gotten the gift of intelligence all by herself.
"So, what brought about the sudden visit?" her mother asked.
Hermione bit her lip. "I have some...news that I'd like to pick your brains about."
Her father's expression darkened. "Good news, I hope."
The witch hesitated for a moment, but nodded. Yes, falling in love was decidedly good news, even if one's parents hadn't heard great things about the wizard.
"Yes, Daddy; it's good news."
"Then why do you sound uncertain?" her mother probed concernedly.
Hermione took a deep breath. "Because I'm afraid of your reactions, though I hope you'll be happy for me."
Her father's eyes narrowed. "There haven't been any...accidents, have there?" he asked suspiciously.
Hermione shook her head. "No! No accidents of any sort."
He relaxed. "Good. Then what is it, Pumpkin? It can't be that bad."
She gnawed on her lip. "Well, I...I've...fallen in love..."
Her mother gasped. "Hermione, that's lovely!" Then she paused. "But didn't you tell us you and Ron weren't working out?"
"Yes. Yes, we are only friends now."
"Then who is it? Someone we know? You said Harry was with Ginny, didn't you? Who else have we met, Graham?"
Hermione almost smiled, watching her mother try to guess before she could get the words out.
"Let her tell us, Jean; this is her news. Go ahead, Pumpkin."
Hermione swallowed. "Draco Malfoy," she rushed out.
Her mother's eyebrows shot up.
Her father frowned. "Malfoy...isn't he that boy you've complained about...the one whose parents don't consider us...their sort of people?"
The suspicious look was back with a sneer that was rather Malfoy-esque, but Hermione didn't dare comment on it.
"Yes, but he's stopped believing in all that blood rubbish," she mentioned quickly.
"And his parents?"
She opened her mouth, but couldn't think of anything good to say that would ease her father's fears. She was rather convinced his mother did still hate her.
"What does Draco think of that?" her father pressed angrily.
"Graham," her mother cautioned, placing a hand on his tanned arm.
"He..." Hermione started.
What did Draco think about that? They hadn't really talked about his mother since most of their interactions had been about him pursuing her. He had announced that he had a love interest in the Prophet, but her name hadn't been made public yet. Was that truly for her benefit or for his?
She suddenly found herself doubting his intentions again. Sure, he had said at the charity ball that he wanted to date her, but he hadn't said whether it would be publicly or privately.
"No. Absolutely not! Hermione, you are better than a hooligan who feels ashamed to be with you just because his snooty parents-"
"Graham!" her mother reproached.
"-are ignorant enough to believe that we created an incompetent woman! Arthur has assured me that everyone knows you're brilliant, so for those people to automatically dismiss you is-"
"Graham!" her mother repeated sharply.
"Yes, dear?" he finally asked irritably, breathing heavily from his emotional rant.
"You are completely missing the point," Jean stated. "Hermione, does Draco love you as much?"
"I..." she paused, "I think so, yes."
"You think so?" Graham scoffed.
Jean shot her husband a look before turning back to her daughter. "Why do you say that?"
"Well," Hermione fidgeted nervously with her beaded purse, "he's been...courting me for a while now and at first I didn't think he was serious about it. But now he's made it very clear he is, and would like to see me exclusively."
Saying it out loud made her realize exactly how arse-about-face they had gone about it. First they had shagged, then she fell in love, and now he wanted to date her. Thank goodness they hadn't gotten married first. That would have been an unmitigated catastrophe.
"But you're in love?" her mother pointed out.
Hermione nodded. "Yes. I know it seems...out of order, to be in love before the first date, but I've known him for about eight years now and I see first-hand how different he is. He used to treat everything with derision or disdain because of his father, but he's become his own person now. He has finally decided for himself who he wants to be. He's still sharp-tongued with a dry sense of humour, but he's indifferent more often than malicious, and when he has a mind to, he is very passionate and supportive. I've never seen him more sincere about starting over with me, but I wanted to make sure I have your approval first."
"Of course you have our approval," her mother said immediately.
Graham looked offended. "Now listen here, Jean-"
"No, Graham," his wife said firmly. "I understand your concern, but we have raised a brilliant and level-headed daughter. She clearly cares enough about him to give him a second chance, and we are only speaking of dating, here. They are not eloping tonight. He must have done quite a few somethings right to get her this far on his side. You remember how much she had ranted about him."
Graham grunted, conceding that was a logical presumption.
"Love, if you think he is worth another chance, then you have our blessing to see where it leads," Jean reiterated.
Hermione beamed, sighing in relief. She got up and kneeled in front of her father, hugging him.
"I know you don't like it, Daddy, but he's treating me well now and is making up for everything he did then. Mum's right. I wouldn't even look at him if he hadn't expressed any sort of remorse or apology. The Granger pride wouldn't have allowed it."
He smiled at her joke. "I love you, Pumpkin. I just want you to have everything you want and deserve."
"And I love you, too, Daddy. All I want is your patience, to see if he really is serious. You can give that little, can't you?" she wheedled.
Graham sighed. "Of course I can. You know I'd give you anything to see you smile."
Hermione rewarded him with an especially brilliant smile and kissed his cheek. "You're the best Daddy ever."
He grumbled but hugged her again. "I better be. But if he proves he doesn't deserve you-"
"Then the Weasleys and Harry will set him straight long before you can get to him," she assured.
"Alright then," he agreed.
~~~\~~~
When Hermione returned on Monday, she exited the hallway to the lovely sight of Harry and Ginny snogging on the living room sofa.
"Harry!" she exclaimed in shock at the back of his raven-haired head.
The couple detached and Harry turned to her, blushing. "Er, hi Hermione! I'm home!"
He and Ginny fixed their clothing before standing up, and Hermione rushed to hug him tightly.
"What happened? Did you lose?"
Harry nodded. "Yes, but I don't mind because I missed Gin too much." He looked at his fiancée adoringly.
Ginny beamed with so much love right back at him that Hermione felt her own heart ache for Draco. The reminder shocked her back into the present. How much had Ginny told Harry?
Hermione shot a discrete look at Ginny, who shook her head. The brunette relaxed. At least she could tell Harry when she was ready.
"So Ron hasn't bungled everything yet?" Ginny started, launching Harry into a detailed account of Ron's antics after she had left.
As Harry started talking, Hermione prepared herself to listen for a bit before making her excuses to go to her room. Ginny caught her eye and gave her an inquiring look. Hermione smiled reassuringly and nodded. Ginny grinned back smugly, before turning back to her fiancé with rapt attention.
~~~\~~~
"Remind me why I'm here, again?" Hermione asked Ginny as they and Harry strode through Diagon Alley the following Saturday.
"Because you spend all your free time cooped up in the house reading," Ginny admonished. "You're pale enough as it is."
Hermione rolled her eyes at the flimsy excuse.
"Because I want to spend more time with you, Hermione," Harry added.
The brunette raised an eyebrow. "You're going to spend all day in Quality Quidditch Supplies," she pointed out.
Harry blushed. "We're spending time together on the way there, aren't we?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Yes, I suppose we are."
"Besides, weren't you just telling me you needed a few new quills?" Ginny said.
"Yes, I did say that," the brunette agreed slowly, still not seeing the point. Surely Ginny hadn't so adamantly dragged her all the way out here for some sunlight and quills?
"Then go browse the bookstore after and we'll come get you when we're done," Ginny stated cheerily. She started pulling Harry down the right pathway before Hermione could even protest.
Hermione narrowed her eyes after them. Ginny was up to something, and it didn't look like Harry was in on it, judging by the way his fiancée was hauling him around.
For lack of something else to do, Hermione followed the redhead's advice. She stopped in the stationary store for some quills and parchment since she was there, then settled into Flourish and Blotts for some good old-fashioned bookshelf browsing.
She had just turned the corner of the Potions section when she bumped into someone.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you..." she trailed off as Zabini dusted himself off.
He smiled amicably, rearranging the few books in his arms. "No worries, Granger. It was my fault for walking so quickly. I was just checking on a few special orders and on my way out."
She raised an eyebrow. "You were checking for special orders in the Potions section instead of the front desk?"
His smile turned sheepish. "Well, alright, I was also going to see if any new Potions books came out this month. Draco's birthday is coming up and I need to plan months in advance. Classic case of what to get a bloke who has everything, you know."
The ache returned at the mention of his name before she was reminded of Ginny's words. Even though she had her parents' approval, she still wasn't jumping at the chance to tell Draco they could be together. She was being incredibly silly, she knew, but her insecurities weren't listening to reason. They insisted that if she never took Draco up on his offer, then she could pretend that he really was trying to court her properly, instead of possibly finding out some ugly, nasty truth about his intentions, or his shame, later.
She nodded automatically. "I feel that way with Harry sometimes. There aren't any new potions books yet, though there's one on improved antidotes for the more dangerous love potions I believe scheduled for next month."
Zabini nodded pensively. "Might be worth a look. Thanks, Granger." He paused as if something had just occurred to him. "Were you planning on buying it yourself?"
She shrugged. "I was thinking about it, but I'm not all that interested in love potions. Then again, it would be wise to stay up to date with antidotes for them."
"Then don't buy it, and I'll have Draco add it with these to the Library."
Hermione frowned. The way he had said 'library' made it sound capitalized, like he was referring to one specific place.
"I thought there were multiple Malfoy libraries?"
Blaise blinked at her. "There are."
"So which one are you referring to?"
"Blast! Draco's going to skin me alive! Just forget I said anything, Granger."
He made to move past her, but she blocked him. "What are you on about, Zabini? What library?"
"I really can't say."
"You already did."
"I can't say any more, then."
"I already know the gist of it, though. Hiding a few more details won't take it back."
The dark boy considered it, then shook his head. "No. I can't, sorry."
Before she could stop him, he was out of the aisle.
Then she remembered that he had implied he was taking the books he already had to the Library, wherever that was...
She knew Harry and Ginny would literally spend all day at the Quidditch store, so she figured it wouldn't hurt to follow Zabini for a bit. Worst case, he'd apparate so she couldn't follow him.
Surprisingly, he didn't apparate anywhere. Hermione was able to keep a safe distance in the crowds, but the streets weren't so busy that she lost him. Zabini led her to the Muggle side of The Leaky Cauldron, which intrigued her further. He had at some point shed his robes for Muggle business attire, so he blended in surprisingly well with those on the busy sidewalks.
She had stealthily followed him for no more than a half hour from The Leaky Cauldron, ending up in a rather upper middle class neighborhood. She only had time to notice it looked rather similar to her parents' neighborhoods, both in England and in Australia, before Zabini turned a corner. She hurried to keep up but then stopped dead.
When she had gotten to the end of the street, he had vanished. The only thing she could see was a rusting chain-link fence with faded white signs warning away trespassers in big red letters from the grassy field beyond it. She crept close enough to read the nearest one.
WARNING: PRIVATE PROPERTY
ENTERING BEYOND THIS POINT IS A HEALTH HAZARD. TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW IF THEY SURVIVE.
Hermione grinned. The diction sounded normal, so no muggle would look twice at it, but the snarkily doubtful comment at the end gave Draco away.
There was something here, alright. But how could she get inside? There wasn't any gate to open.
She thought about Diagon Alley and the time the Snatchers had dragged her to Malfoy Manor. Those places required magic to enter, so maybe Draco had made this act the same way.
She stepped closer, reached a hand out to a clean spot, and shook the fence. It felt perfectly ordinary, the chain-links rattling against the frame. She drew her wand, tapped it on the metal, then shook the fence again.
Still solid.
She pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes at the sign, reading it over again.
"A health hazard," she murmured. For some reason, her eyes kept returning to those words, as if they were some sort of clue. Was she supposed to curse the fence or heal it?
She read the entire first line again. At first, it sounded like the property was dangerous, implying chemical exposure of some sort, but the more she read it, the more it sounded as if the fence itself were deadly.
Deadly as a venomous snake, one might say.
Would she have to speak Parseltongue?
No, not even Draco could do that. That wouldn't make sense. There wasn't even a carving of a snake to talk to, anyway.
Maybe it had something to do with venom or poison. Was the rust lethal? No part of the fence had jagged spikes, so she hadn't pricked herself.
She gnawed on her lip. It didn't make any sense!
She read the sign yet again but couldn't glean anymore information from it.
So she turned to the fence itself.
There was no clear lock, hinge, or opening. Only the brown and red chain-links.
Hermione peered closer. It had looked like normal rust when she had glanced at it before, but up close it looked...abstract. Like an impressionist painter had tried to make the color copper by placing red and brown right next to each other, instead of mixing them.
The closer she looked, the more peculiar it seemed. The brown was a dark, thick, muddy brown, almost like caked sludge. The red looked eerily like...dried blood?
Why was most of the fence covered with mud and blood?
Hermione blinked. Mudblood? What? What the bloody hell was he getting at?
She read the sign again.
WARNING: PRIVATE PROPERTY
It was segregated from the rest of the neighborhood.
ENTERING BEYOND THIS POINT IS A HEALTH HAZARD.
Because a Mudblood had been here? Lived here?
TRESSPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW IF THEY SURVIVE.
If they survive contamination?
Hermione scowled. Hadn't he stopped believing in this shite?
There was a disgustingly thick clump of the two elements over to the left. Just out of morbid curiosity, she grabbed a small section of the clump and crushed it between her fingers. It was definitely mud, but she wasn't sure about the blood part. It wasn't flaky or crusty the way old and dried blood ought to be. It just looked like blood.
She decided she needed a bigger sample of the 'blood', so she took a larger chunk. As her fingers dug into the clump, the tips bumped against something metal and solid. She would have thought it the edge of the fence, except she happened to brush a corner that was a ninety degree angle. No part of that fence was a ninety degree angle. She yanked off the glob her hand was clutching and wiped away some more off of the shiny surface to reveal more metal.
She blinked in surprise, pointed her wand at the half-muddy mass, and said, "Scourgify!"
Nothing happened.
"Tergeo!"
Still nothing.
She put her wand away and removed the rest of the mud and 'blood' by hand.
There was the lock.
Hermione burst out laughing.
That had to have been on purpose. If a wizard wanted to gain access, he would have to dirty himself by removing the mud and 'blood' the muggle way, by physical touch.
All of a sudden, the sign seemed much more sarcastic than it had sounded before.
She read it again, imagining Draco's dramatic drawl as he rolled his eyes. 'If they survive,' he had tacked on.
She grinned. She could appreciate the humour much more now that she realized it was more of a defense of her than an attack.
She wiped her hands on her trousers and tried tapping the lock with her wand.
"Alohamora."
The lock clicked, disappeared, and the gate swung open on invisible hinges.
Hermione frowned. It seemed like such a weak defense to bank on a wizard not wanting to touch some mud. She'd have to talk to Draco about his security measures if he didn't want anyone snooping...like her.
She blushed, but strode onward through the gate, which closed and resealed behind her.
She looked around, but all she saw was mowed grass surrounded by a forest.
Now where was that Library Zabini had mentioned? The field was huge. She couldn't have taken so long to follow him that she didn't see him disappear. Maybe he apparated to the real location?
The brunette huffed. What if he had known she would follow and had led her here to keep her occupied?
Bloody Slytherins.
That was when she heard it.
There was a rustle of something a little ways behind her.
She clutched her wand tighter and glanced around, listening intently.
Whatever made the noise broke out into a sudden run, if the pounding on the ground was anything to go by.
Instincts kicking in, Hermione ran, throwing hexes over her shoulder and around her sides, praying one of them hit her mark.
None of them did, or something really foul was chasing her, like an invisible acromantula or a bloody dragon.
Something, no, someone tripped her with a jinx and she dived to the ground, trying to avoid injury. She rolled to face her attacker and noticed the moving outline of a Disillusioned person.
She threw a few jinxes of her own, but the person blocked them, giving her time to get up and run again.
She didn't get very far before the person tackled her from behind. She turned her body so they both hit the ground. She was momentarily pleased to hear a grunted 'Oof!"
The person was definitely male, which only intensified her fear.
She managed the counter to his invisibility with a rather forceful jab to his person before her wand was thrown away from her. He flattened himself against her, trapping her on her back.
As the veil on his body lifted, she stared up into the smirking face of Draco Malfoy.
"Have you ever wanted to shag outside?" he asked.
~~~\~~~
A/N2: In lieu of homework this time, feel free to let me know how you think Hermione is going to react. Will she snog him? Hex him? Which hex would be most appropriate? Slap/punch/physically maim? Laugh? Cry? Also, I've decided that I'm going to start giving you guys writing updates on my profile regarding when I expect to post next and which stories I'm working on at the mo. We're not supposed to do author note chapters on the stories themselves, so I figure profile updating would be the next best thing, as long as y'all are aware of it. As always, a special thank you to everyone who reads and reviews! Y'all probably don't even know how happy you make me! So, until next time, lovies...
