My loves! It's posting-Sunday :) It's also my mama's birthday! I'll keep this short, to get to the story- thank you for reading. Your reviews are the wind beneath my wings.
Much love to the incomparable tectonictigress, who gave me invaluable help in writing this chapter, and who is just the loveliest beta all the time.
Disclaimer: nothing is mine, but I wish that it was.
Ch. 25- On A New Year
Boxing Day came, and with it came Harry. He was delighted to finally have a friend he could share muggle sports with, and Draco seemed to be excited that the world of athletics offered more to enjoy than just Quidditch. Hermione giggled as the two hunkered down in front of the ridiculously large telly Draco had in their lounge, surrounded by muggle snacks courtesy of the house elves. She made herself busy throughout the day with school work and independent research, but stopped by several times throughout the day to check on them. She watched as Harry animatedly explained to Draco the various rules of football, and he was pleased when the Slytherin seemed to have eagerly caught on, and by her third time checking in on them, Draco was just as immersed in the match as Harry was. She chuckled as they quickly embraced each other in a masculine hug when Arsenal beat West Ham, breaking apart embarrassedly almost at once, but they didn't seem to even notice she was observing them.
The rest of the week passed in a blur. There were visits from friends and trips to the Burrow. Hermione and Draco brewed potions together, read together, and ate together. She loved spending time with him, but she was looking forward to a break. They'd gotten into a row on Tuesday when Draco had casually mentioned he was thinking of buying Manchester United.
"Draco Malfoy," Hermione scolded, hands on her hips and nostrils flaring in annoyance, "you do not need a football team. You've only just learned about the sport! Honestly, that's just reckless."
He rolled his eyes. "Money isn't an issue for me, Granger. We've discussed this. I thought you'd be pleased I was taking an interest in diversifying my financial holdings to muggle things as well."
"Just because you have money doesn't mean you should just go throwing it all about. That's obnoxious," she snapped, getting up from the window seat in the solarium, where she had been sitting next to Draco.
"You're being ridiculous. It's my money, and I can spend it on whatever I want," he lectured haughtily, turning up his chin and crossing his arms.
She laughed humorlessly. "Do you hear how spoiled you sound?" she bellowed. "Do you know how many people would benefit from the galleons that you're just throwing at a sports team? Quit being blasé about it, Draco. You're being a prat!"
"Maybe that's who I am, Hermione!" he shouted at her, catching her off guard. Even when he had maliciously teased her, he hadn't ever yelled at her. "Maybe I am a selfish, spoiled prat! You knew this was who I was when you decided to be with me."
"Oh, don't get started on this self-deprecating nonsense again, Draco. I'm tired of it," Hermione told him with a groan, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Maybe you're just sick of me, Hermione? This is who I am," he again stated, not backing down. He crossed his arms across his chest and levelled her with an angry stare. "If you don't like who I am, then end it, but stop trying to change me!"
"I'm just trying to help you!" she yelled back, storming through the glass solarium door and into the hallway. She heard Draco charging after her.
"I get it, Granger. You're a better person than I am." His voice was dangerously low and unnervingly calm, and a shiver ran through her at the cold look in the silver eyes. They hadn't looked so hard in a long time. "You're a good person and I'm a selfish, horrible bastard. I'm not going to apologize for who I am." He took off down the hall, and she knew he was going to hole himself away in his study.
"Quit being melodramatic, Draco! You're being a baby!" she called after his retreating back. Frustrated, she made an impulse decision and stormed off to the Floo room, headed for the Burrow.
She came through the fireplace, brushing soot off of her trousers and straightening her shoulders in defiance. Walking through the house, she made sure to call out every so often so as not to catch Mrs. Weasley off guard. The ground floor was suspiciously empty, and so she headed up the stairs to the Ginny's bedroom, pushing open the door to find it also empty. Sighing in frustration, as she was hoping to speak with someone and she wasn't allowed to go anywhere else, she settled down in Ginny's bed, grabbing a magazine off of the nightstand and burrowing under the covers.
Laying there with nothing else to think about, as Wonder Witch's "10 Ways to Wear Your Wand" just wasn't keeping her attention, she began to wonder about her case. She hadn't heard anything in weeks, and she wondered if there truly weren't any updates, or if Harry and Ron just weren't including her. She hated to think it was the latter, but the former scared her. No news sometimes meant good news, but if her would-be attacker hadn't done anything in awhile, it meant he or she was planning something.
Her thoughts returned to Draco. He'd been so protective since this whole thing had started. At times, annoyingly so. She wondered what had gotten into him today. He'd never shouted at her before, and he'd certainly never insinuated that he thought they should break up. Though, looking back, Hermione realized he had almost been challenging her. I don't think he really meant that I should break up with him at all… it's almost as if he just wanted me to tell him that I wouldn't. What a fussy prat.
At some point, Hermione must have drifted off to sleep because she woke to a confused Ginny calling her name. "Hermione?" she asked, coming to sit beside her friend on her bed.
"Hi, Gin. Sorry, I should have let you know I was here. Where were you? The Burrow isn't ever empty!" Hermione rushed out, sitting up in bed and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
"We went to Diagon Alley. Mum wanted to get some things for me before we head back to school, and then we stopped to see George," she explained flippantly, taking the magazine from Hermione's lap and tossing it on the ground. "Why are you here, 'Mione? Is everything okay?"
Hermione took in the panicked look on her friend's face and immediately felt guilty. "Everything is fine!" she assured the redhead, scooting over so Ginny could sit beside her. "Draco and I had a fight, and I just didn't want to be at the Manor right now. I'm rather limited on places where I can run off to, I suppose," she joked half-heartedly.
Ginny took her hand. "What did you fight about?"
Hermione sighed. "I don't know," she confided, squeezing Ginny's hand. "I mean, yes I do, of course. We were technically fighting over Draco buying a muggle sports team… Somehow I think we weren't fighting about that at the end." Hermione ran her hand down her face in exasperation, a habit she had picked up from Draco. Then, in a smaller voice, she continued, "He yelled at me, Gin. He's never really yelled at me before."
Ginny uncurled their hands and wrapped an arm around Hermione's shoulders. "He's just tense, Hermione. This is stress behavior- he's acting out. One little fight doesn't mean anything- you yell at him all the time and he doesn't go running off. Try not to overreact and listen to the context of what he's upset about. Any fool could see how much he cares about you."
"He told me he loves me," Hermione whispered, looking down at her lap so she didn't have to meet Ginny's eyes.
"He what!?" Ginny exclaimed, twisting herself in bed so that she and Hermione were face to face. "How could you not have mentioned that? When?"
Hermione swallowed. "On Christmas. And before you start in on me, I haven't told you yet because I've been processing."
"Oh, Hermione…" Ginny started, concerned. "You said it back, didn't you?" Hermione shook her head. "That's what this is about. He's feeling insecure."
"I actually don't think so," Hermione explained. "I mean, you're probably right that he's feeling insecure… but I don't think it has to do with me not feeling ready to tell him I love him. He told me he didn't care about that, and I believe him."
Ginny's face scrunched in confusion. "What's he insecure about, then?"
Hermione carelessly waved her hand in the air. "Who knows. He's always on about something. When he was shouting, he was talking about how I'm a better person than he is. So we're on that again." Ginny was about to respond when they heard the Floo go off downstairs.
"Hermione!" they heard Draco's frantic voice call from downstairs. They heard him moving around, knocking into things. Ginny leapt off the bed.
"She's up here, Draco," she shouted, calling down to him.
Thunderous footsteps charged up the stairs, and then he was burst through the door and pulled Hermione into his arms before she knew what was happening. He had his arms around her in a vice-like grip, burying his face in her hair, and Ginny quietly excused herself from the room.
"I thought you were gone," he told her shakily, placing a quick kiss over her pulse and pulling her even tighter into him, threatening to crush her with his affection. "I thought I'd run you off and they'd gotten to you."
She pulled away a little, taking his face in her hands. "I'm fine, Draco. I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was leaving. I just needed to cool off, and we weren't exactly speaking when I left…"
"I'm sorry, Hermione. I shouldn't have shouted at you," he apologized, and she felt her heart breaking at the pain so evident in his silver eyes. "I felt horrible as soon as I did it."
She shook her head. "I shouldn't tell you how to spend your money. If you want to buy a football team, then-"
He cut her off with a kiss. "No, you were right. You always are," he teased with a smirk. "I should wait until I know more about the sport before I start investing. In the meantime, I should put funds toward more charitable pursuits."
"Draco, I don't want you to do that because you think it's what I want. I don't want you to resent me in ten years because I wouldn't let you buy a football team or a yacht or whatever," she told him, lacing her arms behind his neck and pulling him to sit down on the bed with her.
"Plan on sticking around for ten more years, Granger?" he asked, a giant smile on his face and mirth in his voice. She blushed, and he continued, "I won't resent you, sweetheart. I'm not saying that I won't ever buy a sports team or a… yacht, whatever that is. But you're right that I shouldn't be so cavalier about it."
She kissed him, admiring the progress that he continually made toward being a better person. She knew that she was a good influence, certainly, but was pleased that Draco seemed to come to all of these decisions and ideas on his own. He was a good man, and she was so proud to call him hers.
"I'm sorry I worried you," she murmured, breaking away from his lips. Then, remembering Ginny's warning of Draco's supposed insecurity, she added, "I'm so lucky you're mine, Draco. I don't tell you enough how thankful I am for you."
His eyes warmed, and he leaned in to kiss her on the nose. "Let's go home."
Draco and Harry had decided to keep Draco's New Year's Eve gathering small to ensure Draco and Hermione's safety. Draco had worked tirelessly to plan a lovely but intimate affair with their close friends. The house elves had been working to make sure that the menu was perfect and had actually let Hermione help them in doing some preparations the morning of the party, much to her delight.
Their guests were set to arrive at seven o'clock. Draco checked the carriage clock above the fire in the sitting room that connected to the master bedroom- five till seven. Hermione had squirreled herself away in the master bath at half five, and he hadn't seen her since. Adjusting the lapel pins Hermione had given him for Christmas, he took a last look at their bedroom door before heading out of their wing and down to the ballroom, hoping Hermione would make her appearance before the party started.
Draco moved around, inspecting the ballroom with an air of authority that was fitting for the lord of the manor. His shiny, black Oxfords clipped across the floor, his hands situated behind his back in an obvious display of superiority, and his hair had that perfectly disheveled quality to it that he knew made Hermione swoon. He had picked up a knife from the long banquet table and was inspecting it for water spots when he heard a throat clearing from the doorway and turned to find Hermione.
It took him a moment to catch his breath- she looked like the picture of seduction. Her slinky, emerald colored dress wrapped rather tightly around her chest with a perfectly appropriate sweetheart neckline that didn't display too much cleavage and very thin, delicate straps. Like a Grecian goddess, the silken material flowed out from her waist, and a slit on the right side ran up to the middle of her thigh, exposing a rather sizeable amount of skin and making her legs look impossibly long for someone so small. She wore strappy silver heels that he was sure she'd re-enforced with balance charms, and her hair was smoothed out in long, sexy waves that ran all the way down to her arse. She made her way over to where he was standing, smiling at him with her kohl-darkened eyes, and held something out to him.
"Would you put this on me?" she asked sweetly, and it took him a moment to register that she had handed him the emerald necklace he had given her for Christmas.
He slipped the necklace around her neck, fastening it as she held her silky locks out of his way. "You," he whispered to her in a husky voice, leaning down to place a kiss just under her ear, "look positively edible. Let's cancel the party and ring in the New Year in bed."
She laughed, a light, tinkling sound, and spun around to wrap her arms around his waist. "You look quite handsome as well. I don't know how I'll ever keep my hands to myself tonight."
They heard the Floo go off, and she retracted her arms. "Who said anything about keeping our hands to ourselves?" he asked, taking a hand and placing a kiss on the back of it before lacing it through his elbow and leading her to the Floo room. "I have every intention of hanging all over you tonight like a bowtruckle on trees."
She tutted at him but smiled. They entered the Floo room, finding Blaise and a large portion of the Weasley clan dusting themselves off, clad in formalwear.
"Oh, Ginny," Hermione gushed, "you look lovely!" She took her friend in her arms, squeezing her tightly before pulling back to admire her friend's champagne-colored gown. Ginny did a twirl, showing off her exposed back and the intricate french twist that held her flame-red hair.
"What about you?" Ginny enthused, indicating Hermione do a spin of her own. The brunette reluctantly agreed. "I'm amazed Draco can stand with how breathtaking you look!"
Hermione rolled her eyes, and Draco came up behind them, murmuring his agreement. Hermione pressed kisses to the cheeks of Ron and Harry, who both complimented her dress. They still had issues remembering Hermione was a girl and lost themselves a bit when confronted with that reality. George dove in, sweeping Hermione into his arms and eyeing her in a comically lascivious way.
"Oi, Granger," he started, waggling his eyebrows at her, and Hermione tried her best to hold in a giggle. "What say you ditch the blond ferret and come home with me?"
She extricated herself from George's arms and looked over her shoulder to see Draco glowering at them. She chuckled. "I'm rather fond of my ferret, George, but if I ever decide to trade in for another weasel, I'll let you know."
George barked out a laugh, leaning in to speak a bit softer to Hermione. "He looks rather put out over there, trying not to rip me limb from limb. Shall I remind him that Angelina will be joining me here soon, or let him sweat it out a bit?"
Hermione shook her head at George's mischief. "You just stay away from him for now, unless you'd like to be hexed," she warned, and George gave her a roguish wink.
"He's going to kill someone tonight," she heard a deep voice murmur into her ear and grinned when she saw Blaise's warm smile. "You look quite lovely, and Draco doesn't share well."
"Thank you, Blaise," she told him. "You look very nice, too. Everyone does!" She smiled at the room, and Draco encouraged them all to make their way to the ballroom while he and Hermione waited for their other guests.
She felt the warmth of his hands on her hips through the thin material of her dress and chuckled when he grumpily pulled her back into his front. "Draco," she lightly admonished, "why are you behaving this way?"
He placed soft kisses on her exposed shoulders. "What way, love?" he asked, feigning ignorance.
"George was only doing that to get you riled up," she told him. "Angelina will be here soon, and the two of them have grown quite close, recently. He sees me like a sister."
Draco scoffed. "Hardly. He thinks you're beautiful." He nuzzled his nose in her sweet-smelling neck, inhaling her gardenia and pear scent for a moment before continuing, "And you are, so I can't fault him… but still. You're mine. I don't like it when other blokes forget that."
"Draco, you're being silly. I don't want to fight tonight. I'm not a tree you need to mark like a poorly behaved Crup."
He growled. "I'm sorry. I know you don't like that. I just… Sometimes I'm reminded that it's not just me, and that's a little jarring. You could have any bloke you wanted to, and that scares me."
"And you could have any girl," she told him, spinning in his hold to wrap her arms around his neck and look up at him. "But we chose each other. I'll continue to choose you, Draco. Every day, for as long as you don't piss me off," she told him with a wink.
"You're too good for me, and I certainly don't deserve you, but you'd better believe I'll spend the rest of my life trying to," he told her resolutely. He admired the emerald necklace that rested on her sternum, sparkling as it caught the lights overhead. From this angle, he could see just the faintest glimpse of her emerald green bra- the same one she wore the night of the Halloween ball. Memories of that wonderful night flooded his brain, and he instinctively rolled his hips into Hermione's, surprising her with his hardness.
She let out an involuntary moan before coming to her senses. "Draco!" she scolded, pulling away from him a straightening her dress. "Not now! That's hardly appropriate."
He smirked. "I didn't do it on purpose, love. I can't help my body when you're close."
She walked away from him, closer to the Floo. "You'll help your body, or you won't be coming near me for the duration of the evening," she chastised playfully before adding, with a smirk of her own, "Not to worry, though, I'm sure George would like to dance with me."
The Floo lit up, and several more guests came through in rapid succession, cutting off Draco's retort. First was Pansy, draped in plum silk, and Daphne, sporting a lovely scarlet frock that highlighted her honey-colored hair and hazel eyes. Theo Nott entered, a bit caught off guard to see Hermione greeting guests with Draco, but they couldn't chat with him too long because Angelina came through next.
"I hope it's alright I brought Cho," Angelina asked as the girl in question looked around uncertainly. "She didn't have plans tonight and I just couldn't leave her home alone."
Hermione nodded, and Draco said to her, "Of course, the more the merrier."
Luna came through the fireplace next in a wild, multi-colored fabric that would have looked ghastly on any other witch, followed by Neville and a bewildered Hannah Abbott, who clearly was shocked to find herself in the company of Slytherins at Malfoy Manor. Bill and Fleur entered next, presenting Draco with a bottle of wine that he took appreciatively, and extended Charlie's regrets, as a litter of baby Hebridean Blacks was born that morning, and he couldn't tear himself away from them.
Once they had ensured that all of their guests were accounted for, Draco escorted Hermione back into the ballroom. The doors opened, and Hermione surveyed the scene. A long, ornate table had been set up for their meal and fashioned with more plates and cutlery than Hermione had ever seen on a table. Their guests were milling about, talking amongst themselves, and the goblin band Draco had hired to perform for the evening was playing a gentle, classical tune in the background. Standing there in the doorway, with the gorgeous ballroom in front of her and her handsome boyfriend's commanding presence at her side, Hermione couldn't help but feel like the lady of the manor.
Dinner was wonderful. The first course, a French tian made with crab and prawns, was sumptuous. The elves had made a special crumbed camembert with cranberry relish for Luna, whose aversion to eating any creatures meant that she maintained a strict vegetarian diet. They enjoyed a soup course of roasted garlic and rosemary veloute. Hermione tried to contain her giggle at the puzzlement so apparent on Ron's face when they were served a blackberry sorbet for a refresher course, clearly not understanding why they were having dessert before their main course. She watched as Blaise leaned over to explain it to him, and he went quite red, but quickly ate the dollop of fruity sorbet with a pleased smile. The main course for everyone, sans Luna (who enjoyed a lovely stuffed squash), was a rich tournedos beef fillet in a dijon mustard cream sauce with a leek and smoked cheese quenelle and wild mushrooms.
Talk around the table was almost non-existent as they all enjoyed the food and wine, the Slytherins complimenting Draco's choice in the menu and the Gryffindors passing praise along to his elves. Draco's friends seemed quite confused that Hermione's were so appreciative toward the subservient creatures, but Hermione couldn't have been prouder and made a mental note that perhaps S.P.E.W. had actually made an impact. When dessert was served, a mango yuzu brulee, Draco stood up, holding his wine glass aloft to give a toast.
"I just want to thank everyone at this table for supporting me. Not many people would take pity on a former Death Eater, especially with the way I treated some of you." He glanced around the table at the Weasleys, Potter, and Lovegood, before resting his gaze on his beautiful girlfriend. "Malfoys aren't saps, so I'm going to cut this short… but just know I appreciate you all. Here's to another year of growth, prosperity, and heightened understanding- cheers!"
There was a chorus of 'cheers,' and then the group dug into their dessert. Hermione looked down the table to see Harry and Daphne talking, both with shy smiles on their faces. How interesting, she thought as she met Ginny's eyes across the table. The redhead smirked at her, flicking her gaze in Harry's direction and then wiggling her eyebrows suggestively at Hermione. Hermione stifled a laugh, trying not to call attention to Harry's attempts at flirting.
Draco called for Slinky, who materialized in an instant, and with a snap of his tiny fingers, the table and dishes disappeared. Draco took Hermione's hand in his own, leading her to the theater. They had arranged for their guests to enjoy a film as so many of them had little to no experience with them. Hermione prepared the film- Four Weddings and a Funeral- while Draco got everyone seated and settled. Pansy was complaining a bit, though Hermione suspected that was just because she was so obviously uncomfortable with anything unfamiliar, and Theo was scowling, but everyone else seemed quite excited. To her amusement, Hermione noticed that Ginny had maneuvered Daphne and Harry onto a sofa together, though it didn't appear as though it had taken much convincing for them to be thrown together.
"This is one of my favorite films," Hermione explained, and Harry groaned. She chuckled. "It's a bit more geared toward the ladies, but I think everyone will be able to appreciate it. It's funny." Turning to Harry she explained, "It was this or Trainspotting, based on what we had here that Draco hasn't seen yet. I didn't want them exposed to that side of the muggle world from the get-go."
Harry nodded and settled back in his seat, inadvertently scooching closer to Daphne. Hermione took her seat at Draco's side, looking around at her friends as the opening credits began to play. Everyone seemed to be coupled off except Pansy, who seemed too engrossed in the moving picture to care. She briefly noted that Theo was attempting to cuddle up to Cho, who was clearly uninterested in his attention, and that Daphne had boldly taken Harry's arm and wrapped it around her shoulders. Harry looked flabbergasted but not displeased, and Hermione felt unendingly happy for her selfless friend who always prioritized his friends over himself.
As the ending credits began rolling, Hermione got up to turn up the lights, taking in the entranced looks on everyone's faces. She was pleased that Draco's friends seemed so taken with films, just as hers had been, and hoped that they would join her for more cinematic girls nights after they all left Hogwarts. She envisioned girls nights, cuddled up under blankets with heaping bowls of popcorn, sitting with Ginny, Pansy, Luna, and Daphne... maybe Angelina, Hannah, or Cho would join them, too. Hermione smiled at the thought- she'd never really had a lot of girlfriends before, but welcoming the Slytherins into her life was so much easier than she had thought it would be.
Draco led the group back in the direction of the ballroom, chatting with Blaise and Theo, while Hermione hung back to converse with Harry. Daphne had been intercepted by Ginny, and Harry was looking nervously on as the rest of their group followed Draco out into the hall.
"You don't have to worry," Hermione confided, looping her arm through Harry's and ushering him along with the rest of the group, admittedly further behind. "Ginny is playing matchmaker- whatever she tells Daphne will only benefit you."
Harry gave her an incredulous look. "You don't think I should be concerned that my ex-girlfriend is chasing after a rather fetching, single witch who I have spent the entire evening talking to?"
Hermione threw her head back in laughter. "You and Ginny are hardly normal exes. You pal around with her new boyfriend all the time. I think she just wants you to be happy." She grabbed his arm, meeting his eyes with her own. "We all do."
Harry gave her a bashful smile. "She's so pretty," he told Hermione confidentially as they continued to follow in the direction of the group.
"She is," Hermione agreed with a grin. "And she's very nice. She's hardly what I would have expected of a Slytherin."
"I don't want to be distracted from your case, though, Hermione," he explained, taking off his glasses and cleaning them on his shirt. "I'll consider pursuing Daphne when it's all over."
"There's always going to be another important case, Harry," Hermione grumbled. "Don't use me as an excuse to not be happy. Ask Daphne out."
They entered the ballroom before Harry could respond. Draco, Neville, and Theo were standing around, clearly debating something. Ron was standing beside Luna, smiling at her indulgently while the blonde prattled on about something to an incredulous-looking Pansy. Hannah, Cho, Angelina, and Daphne were gabbing, a wine glass in each of their hands. Ginny and Blaise twirled gracefully around the dancefloor, joined by a significantly more subdued Bill and Fleur, who seemed to be lost in their own world, and a rambunctious George, who was attempting to demonstrate, through his flailing dance moves how the melodious, classical tune could be considered rave music.
Hermione met Draco's eyes, and he smiled at her, holding out an arm and beckoning her to his side. Before she left to join Draco, she leaned into Harry and whispered, "Go ask Daphne to dance." She smiled proudly when she saw Harry do just that.
The boys were discussing magical plants, a topic that held no interest for Hermione. Neville was going on about something called Niffler's Fancy, describing the benefits of cultivating it for horticulture's sake. Draco, it seemed, felt the plant was only valuable in relation to its potion-making potential whereas Theo saw it as a rare commodity that was worth only the galleons it could fetch. Their debate went on quite a while, and Hermione was thrilled when Pansy stormed away from Luna, joining their little group and shifting the conversation away from plant life altogether. Soon, the group of other ladies meandered over to join them as Ron and Luna disappeared into the garden.
"So, Hannah," Hermione started, "how is it going at the Leaky Cauldron?"
Hannah's face lit up in excitement. "I love it! Tom has been teaching me everything he knows. He seems to think I could run it someday."
"That's great!" Ginny added, smiling at the girl holding hands with Neville. She turned to Cho, an evil gleam in her eyes that made Hermione very nervous. Even though Ginny and Harry weren't still together, Ginny hadn't ever really gotten along with Cho. "What about you, Chang? I know you live with Angelina, but what else? Last I heard you were playing professional Quidditch."
Cho smiled. "Yes, I play for the Appleby Arrows. I'm Chasing now, but I'm the reserve Seeker."
Pansy perked up a bit. "I forgot you played Quidditch," she told the Ravenclaw, sizing her up. After a moment she continued, "Fancy taking a stroll through the gardens with me, Chang?"
Cho seemed to pause a moment, studying Pansy intently before a bashful grin covered her lips and she nodded daintily. Hermione studied Ginny's smirk, and Pansy's words from their slumber party echoed in her head. I like Quidditch players, she had told them, and suddenly Ginny's behavior became significantly more understandable.
She caught Draco studying her with an amused expression. "Excuse me, everyone, but I'd like to dance with my lovely date," Draco explained to the group, taking Hermione's hand and leading her to the dance floor. When he had her pulled against him, a bit closer than was proper for an elegant waltz, he leaned down to ask, "What are you and Red doing?"
Hermione smiled up at him. "Ginny's been playing matchmaker. Hadn't you noticed Harry and Daphne?"
He rolled his eyes. "Of course I had. Potter's about as subtle as Hagrid in a tea shop." He spun her around in an impressive series of turns before pulling her back into him. "But they've been over here dancing, so that can't possibly be what you two were just discussing with your eyes."
Hermione chuckled. "Were you staring at me?"
"So what if I was?" he told her with a smug grin. "You're rather lovely. I'll stare if I want to." He leaned down to kiss her quickly on the nose. "Now then, what did I just miss?"
"Pansy likes Quidditch players. Surely you knew that." she told him with a shrug.
He brought a hand off of her waist to lightly smack himself in the forehead. "Of course. How could I forget? She'll be seducing Chang in the gardens, then." He sighed dramatically, returning his hand to her waist. "I do hope she stays away from the birds-of-paradise… they're Mother's favorites. She'll have my head if Pansy shags all over them."
Hermione studied his handsome face for any signs of trepidation, and finding none. Clearly he wasn't nearly as concerned about his mother's release as she had recently realized she was. "Should we talk about your mother, Draco?" Hermione asked, seriously.
His nose scrunched in confusion. "Why would we do that?"
"She'll be getting out of Azkaban very soon. I'm sure she'll want to see you…" She looked up at him, and he could see the insecurity in her eyes. "What will she think of me?"
"Honestly? I'm not sure," he told her with a sigh. "If she makes me choose between you two, I'll pick you. I'd like to think she wouldn't make me choose because I love her more than I can say… but you'll always be my choice."
She reached up to stroke his cheek. She couldn't let him write his mother off for her. It would tear him to pieces. She studied the steadfast determination in his mercurial eyes. "Let's talk about this again after she's out, all right?" She didn't want to ruin the holiday.
He nodded. "Yes, very well." He pulled her close again, stroking a thumb on her hip and watching his friends. Blaise was holding Ginny close, and the two were whispering to each other and laughing intimately. Bill and Fleur were now sitting in the corner, but George and Angelina had joined them on the dance floor, ignoring the music completely and doing a ridiculous tango. Longbottom and Abbott were also dancing, much more reserved than any of the other couples. Ron and Luna had just returned inside, looking freshly snogged, and were chatting in a corner. Theo was talking to Potter, who was standing quite close to Daphne. Theo and Daphne had dated very briefly in fifth year, but Theo was known for his jealous streak, and Draco hoped he wasn't giving Potter trouble. Potter had been good to him, and the man took care of Hermione- he deserved a bit of happiness. Draco turned his attention back to her. "We'll be heading back to Hogwarts in two days," he said, gauging her emotions at their break ending.
"I know," she told him with a small smile. "I'm excited to go back because it's always felt like home… but I'd be lying if I said I'm not a little sad."
"Sad?" he asked, interest piqued. Does this mean she likes it here?
"We've had so much fun, just the two of us. When we go back to school we won't have this privacy anymore." She blushed. "I'll miss the Manor and the elves."
"Of course you'll miss the elves," he chuckled, momentarily distracted as it seemed that Harry and Theo's conversation was turning into a row- Theo hadn't ever been skilled with the subtlety so characteristic of their house. "You're welcome back here whenever you want."
Draco looked over to the corner to see Harry looking irate as Theo stormed out of the ballroom. Concern was etched into Daphne's features as she was obviously warring with herself over whether she should stay or chase after Theo. Before Daphne could make up her mind, Blaise interjected.
"Oi, Draco!" they heard him call, still wrapped around Ginny and clearly trying not to let Theo ruin the party. "Let's get pissed, mate- it's New Year's Eve!" Ron, George, and Ginny all loudly agreed.
Draco let out a tense laugh, attempting to come off as unaffected. "All right, you lot! Let's go to the library, then. It's where I hide the best booze!"
Bill and Fleur bid them farewell, heading out to spend the rest of the holiday together and leaving the teenagers to have their fun. The rest of the group trooped up the stairs, joined in the hall by a disheveled Pansy and Cho, and made their way to the library, where Draco doled out glasses of Lucius' best Firewhisky like it was free. Several drinking games and many bottles of Firewhisky later, they were all relatively drunk, when Luna pointed out that they only had three minutes to midnight. Racing down the hall and back to the ballroom, they gathered the champagne flutes that the house elves had left out.
"To a year with no war!" Neville exclaimed as they all checked their watches, counting down the minutes.
"To a year with my friends," Luna added as they all made their way out into the garden.
"To a year of new beginnings," Pansy chimed in, wrapping an arm around Cho's waist.
"To a year of peace and quiet," Harry grumbled, and everyone laughed.
"To a year with my love," Draco whispered for only Hermione to hear, and she blushed, raising her own glass.
"To 1999!" she cheered, and a moment later, the clock struck midnight.
Overhead, a loud display of Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs went off as everyone leaned in for their first kiss of 1999. Draco pulled Hermione close, enveloping her small body with his and kissing her with all he had. She was the best part of his 1998, and he hoped to keep her around for many years to come.