A/N - I know it has been a long wait. Almost four years, but here it is. i hope you like it. Let me know what you think!
The game began again and it took a moment before I took off like the rest of my team. Gryffindor quickly took the lead, but that change about half an hour into the game. I caught the Quaffle and as I flew toward the Gryffindor goalpost and Ron I could feel myself gaining strength and speed, because this was the time. Now I could really show Ron and the rest of my friends what they had missed by not letting me try-out. Ron looked torn, because of the situation, but his focus was on me and the Quaffle. He was not going to make it easy for me, but he forgot that I was one of the few people, who knew him best. I had a move planned I had wanted to use for some time and now was the perfect opportunity, because he would not expect it one bit, coming from me.
As I neared throwing distance of the goal and its waiting keeper, I lifted myself of the broom and stood tip-toe on its body with the Quaffle in my hands in front of me. The broom kept a steady speed as I leaned slightly forward on the broom and got ready to turn. I flew straight toward Ron and right before we would hit the broom shot upwards and turn around, as I locked my feet around its body and hung upside down with the Quaffle still in hands. As the broom had turn exactly 360 degrees I let go of the broom with my feet and push off and threw the ball in my hands towards the goal.
As the ball went through the hoop I could hear the Slytherins cheer and the entire audience gasp at my falling body towards the hard ground below. However, the gasps turned to cheer quickly as my broom soared past me, matched my speed and I mounted it again. I flew up instantly towards the Quaffle and flew straight past Draco, who looked quite shocked. Had he been worried about me? I did not let myself think about it too much and continued with the game.
I scored four more goals and with each one I could see Ron's face getting redder and redder with frustration. It gave me an odd sense of satisfaction, because we were ahead with 60 points, but against my own house. Then it was suddenly announced that the Snitch had been spotted and the chase had begun.
I had the Quaffle and was being chase by a bludger, but still managed a quick glance to where Draco and Harry was side by side trying to catch the Sitch. Right there, I came up with a somewhat dirty plan. With the Quaffle I flew toward Theodore, one of our beaters, with the bludger behind me and signalled for him to follow me, but leave the bludger to follow ahead of him. The Gryffindor chasers were coming in fast and with a backwards glance I locked eyes with Theodore and discreetly pointed towards Harry and Draco with my head and looked at the chasing bludger behind me. He nodded his understanding and then a devilish smile formed on the face as he flew closer towards the bludger.
The Gryffindor chasers was right on top of me, so I had to act fast, so I aimed right at the Seekers and at the same time as I shop upwards towards the Gryffindor chasers, I yelled "Now!" to Theodore and he knocked the bludger towards Harry, who was slightly ahead of Harry. I had on purpose made the aim a little higher, but he did not know that. As I had suspected, Harry saw the bludger in his peripheral vision and shot downwards to avoid it hitting him and so lost his lead. Draco had looked shocked for a moment at my voice, but kept focus and sped up towards the Snitch. He reached out with his hand and caught it gracefully in one swift movement, before Harry could even catch up to him.
As Slytherin's win was announced, we all landed on the ground again to celebrate and our audience cheered. Theodore hugged me and we shared a high five, like my other teammates did and told me how good of a job I had done. In the group of students, who had joined us on the group, and players I stretched to look above them all and find a certain seeker, but I caught no sight of his blonde hair. I made my way thought the group of people and when I finally got out I finally saw him.
"Draco!"
I started walking towards him, but stopped mid-step when I saw the look he was giving me as he shook as head at me and walked away, toward the castle. He almost looked disappointed. Tears started to form in the corners of my eyes, tears I had not been able to shed yet, before now. I mourned my broom started to make my way out of the pitch, away from everybody else. I flew up high and out of sight. I flew to the owlry and landed on the top. Is stood there for a little while and let the tears fall. It was then I truly realized that my feelings for Draco were deeper than pure friendship and how screwed up I had made things. Before too much time had passed I made my way down the tower and towards the castle.
When I entered the castle I was met by the girls and a very confused Daphne. We talked on the way to Gryffindor Tower, where I explained it all to Daphne and surprisingly she took it rather well. She was more impressed that a Gryffindor could pull something like that off, than anything else.
It was an awkward situation walking into the Gryffindor common room. I wasn't met by total silence, but I could sense that some didn't know how to feel about me. They understood my reasons for playing on the Slytherin Quiditch team, so they chose not the comment on it. I quickly spotted Harry and Ron by the fireplace and as I made my way to them people continued with whatever they were doing before.
As I reached them an uncomfortable silence settled between us. I decided to break it.
"Can we talk?", When they waited for me to continue I added, "Somewhere else, perhaps?"
"I think we should. Come on" said Harry as he and Ron both stood and walked towards the stairs to the boys dormitories. We did not talk until we were within the dormitory. I sat down on Ron's bed and they sat on Harry's, as they waited for me to start explaining. I told of how we had come up with the plan and why. Of how angry I had been and I had to prove myself. As usual, harry was the understanding one. He could see it from my side and apologized for how he had acted. Ron's was still somewhat angry because of how I had humiliated him in the game, but when I explained how humiliated he had made me, he calmed a bit down and apologized as well. I knew it would take time, but everything would be alright again, when everything had settled down again. I hugged them both and told the farewell, as I had promised the girls that we would celebrate after the game, and now that everything was out in the open Daphne had joined us.
I made my way toward the room of requirement and was lost in my own thoughts; when I rounded a corner and saw a group a Slytherins celebrate the game with cheers in the other end of corridor. They began towards me and went down another corridor across from me toward the dungeons. One, however, did not go down the corridor, but stopped when he stopped me starring at them. He did not say anything and torn whether or not he should follow his housemates. He decided to stay, as he locked his eyes with mine. I took a few steps towards him and when he did not back away I said. "I really didn't try and hurt you, I hope you understand that. It was never my intention. I just wanted to play Quidditch, I never excepted us to get close and how anxious I would be when we weren't" At the last bit I bit my tongue and stopped talking, because I had not realized what I was saying before I said it. His eyebrows had shot up at the same time in surprise, but quickly composed himself and looked thoughtful at me.
He took a step closer to me. We were now only inches apart. I looked into his deep blue eyes and almost got lost in the depths.
"Hermione, I…" he said as he brought his hand up to touch me cheek. I held my breath and waited for his fingers to reach me, but the connection was never made, however, because someone behind me called out my name.
"Hermione, there you are! We can't get started without you!" Daphne said as she walked toward us from the other end of the corridor. When she got close enough, she saw whom I was with and stopped whatever she was going to say next. Draco's hand had dropped to his side and he had taken a step back. He avoided my eyes, so he didn't see me begging him to stay.
"I have to go" he said and walked away. I continue to look at his retreating figure until he rounded the corner and disappeared from my sight. I kept staring at the spot for some time, until Daphne came up beside me and put her hand on my shoulder.
"He can't see just one of you. He sees both you and Blake and the same time. I do it myself sometimes and the more time that passes the more things I notice."
"Notice? What do you notice?" I asked as I turned to look at her. We began walking towards the Room of Requirement as we talked.
"The similarities. The little things. Things that just scream Hermione Granger and then I feel a bit foolish that I didn't see them before and recognize you earlier"
The rest was just chitchat as we reached the Room of Requirement. It was a whole night of gossip, goofing around and bonding with the girls. Such a night I had not had for a while now and had been greatly missed. However, I could not stop thinking about Draco and the girls could sense it.
"Hermione! Earth to Hermione! Would you come back and stop dreaming about a certain Slytherin!" Cho said laughing at my dream-like face. I woke up from the laughing.
"What? I wasn't thinking about Draco?" I said with a blush, which I try to hide.
"I was talking about Blake and how it is having him back for real" she said and winked at me. Everyone started to laugh at this and my face got redder.
"So, how is it going with him? Did you get to talk with him tonight?" Ginny asked, when the laughed died down.
"Well, I bumped into him earlier, but we didn't really get to talk" I said quietly. Daphne looked at me with an apologetic look. I nodded in response as to say that it was alright. "I don't think that he can separate me from Blake" I continued sadly.
"Then make him! Make him see you, for you, as the great Hermione Granger!" Cho said with much enthusiasm. The others nodded in agreement. I thought about it for a moment and then it stuck me like lightning, an idea: A way for him to see me as Hermione, by reminding him of a time where I was both. I told the girls I had to go and take care of something, but I would be back later. Daphne winked at me as I left the room.
I went to my dorm in Gryffindor Tower, since my things had been moved there right after the game. I found my costume from the Music Ball, remove the wings, since they were a bit too dramatic, and put it on. I did my hair a bit like it had been like that night and then headed for the dungeons. As I got to the corridor of the portrait hole to the Slytherin common room I could see it opening and out stepped Draco. He had not seen me yet and before I could make my presence known Blaise stepped behind Draco and started to talk.
"Mate, calm down, she'll show up. Her whole team is in there and she has to go get her stuff sometime"
"I don't know what you are talking about. I just went out here to get some air" Draco mumbled to Blaise as he turned around and looked at his friend.
"So, you haven't been sulking about for the few last hours, because a certain Gryffindor didn't show up for the celebrations?" Blaise said with a pointed look. When Draco did not answer he continued "I thought so. Why did you not talk to her at the pitch after the game?"
"Well, I did go back after I left, but she was nowhere to be seen, and besides what should I have said?" Draco said as he turned a half around so only his back was toward me "I can't stop thinking about you. I wish we could replay that moment over again. Or how about how I thought several times about kissing you in The Three Broomsticks?"
"Well, you know, if you would just…" Blaise started saying, but then spotted me down the corridor and changed what he was going to say "You could tell that to her, or, you know, to see her reaction to what you just said, as she just stands there in her black dress with her mouth hanging open" he finished as he tapped Draco on the shoulder.
"How do you know what she will be wearing or what her reaction will be? She doesn't know any of this?" Draco said as he looked sideways at Blaise.
"Given the fact that you just told her" He said, notched his head towards me and walked back through the portrait hole.
Draco froze for a second and then turned his head to look at me and then froze again. A took a couple of steps closer to Draco as Blaise shut the portrait after him. Draco turned towards me fully so I could see his full figure. His face had lost its initial shock at finding me there so suddenly and was now he wore a blank face as he looked at me. "You came."
"Yeah. I couldn't very well stay away, when we just had such a big win. I wouldn't miss the celebration" I said with a small smile.
"We?" he asked as we both stepped a bit closer to each other. We were now a few feet from each other.
"Well, yes. I am, or was, a part of the team, even if I am no longer a Slytherin" I took a small pause as we got within a foot of each other. "Is it true what Blaise said before?"
"It isn't the same without you. You played a huge part in our win and I kind of miss my roommate" he answered as he smiled warmly at me and lost his blank face, while he closed the gap between us and took my hand in his with a bit of a shake. He seemed a bit nervous.
I brought our intertwined hands up to my chest between us and in a whisper (for fear of ruining this moment) said "I'm right here. I didn't go anywhere. Same person, different outfit"
He leaned his head towards mine a bit and whispered back "I can see that now, but I much prefer this outfit to the other" his other hand found its way to my waist and held me closer "I haven't been able to stop thinking about the last time you wore it" His eyes asked for the silent permission to close the gap between us.
"Me neither" I whispered so softly I wondered for a second if he heard me, but then our intertwined hands separated and at the same time as his hand came to rest at my neck our lips connected in a sweet kiss. His hold on my waist tighten slightly and my hands quickly found their way to his shirt, where they fisted the fabric to bring him as close as possible. I lost myself in the kiss as I had done the last time and deep within me I felt a calmness I had not felt in a while and knew I had found the place for me, in Draco's arms.
A/N - That's it! It is finished. Wow, it took me a long time and when I started this story back in 2010 I did not think I would continue with it until 2015 and I am sorry for that. I hope you liked it and if you don't please let me know by leaving a review!