A/N: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. All I own is the plot.
Seasons of love- Rent.
Xxxxx
5 25, 600 minutes. 5 25, 000 moments so dear. 5 25, 600 minutes, how do you measure, measure a year? In daylights? In sunsets? In midnights? In cups of coffee? In inches? In miles? In laughter? In strife? In 5 25, 600 minutes, how do you measure a year in the life? How about love? Measure in love. Seasons of love.
5 25, 600 minutes. 5 25, 000 journeys to plan. 5, 25, 600 minutes, how do you measure the life of a woman or a man? In truths that she learnt? Or in times that he cried? In bridges he burnt? Or the way that she died?
Its time now to sing out because the story never ends. Lets celebrate, remember the year in the life of friends.
Remember the love.
Oh you've got to remember the love. You know that love is a gift from up above. Shout love, give love, spread love.
Measure your life in love.
xxxxx
5 25, 600 minutes. 5 25,000 memories both good and bad. 5 25, 600 minutes which Hermione was not sure she'd ever want to forget. It was times like these, in the lead up to the aftermath, that she wished she'd kept a diary.
The morning was perfect. The sun was out and slowly rising in the sky. She could hear the birds awake and greeting the new day. She didn't dare move to the curtain from fear of waking the sleeping boy beside her but she was ready to bet that there wasn't a cloud in the sky.
Today, all the seventh years, herself included, would face the next step in their lives – Graduation. Finally, all their years of education were coming to an end and they'd be expected to move out into the big, bad world on their own and have a go at building their own lives without the necessary aid of parents, professors or loved ones.
Although, on reflection, Hermione realised they'd all been making a lot of their own decisions without these people for the past seven years. Some of them had been big decisions too – Draco and Blaise had chosen to estrange themselves from their families, Hermione had sent her own family into hiding, Harry had chosen to stand up and face the fact that his only purpose in life may be to destroy the Dark Lord (although Hermione believe his purpose extended beyond that – no matter what Harry said) and now Blaise and Ginny were going to become a family all of their own. Indeed, some very big decisions had been made quite independent of those large influential people in their lives.
With a contented sigh, Hermione gazed down at the Slytherin laying beside her. If, at the beginning of the year, someone had told Hermione that she'd soon throw caution into the wind and take a chance at a beginning a new life with Draco Malfoy, she would have personally escorted that person to the Hospital Wing. The thought that Draco Malfoy could be anything more then a spoilt, cruel daddy's boy had never occurred to her before this year and it was a thought that Hermione had not willingly, in the beginning anyway, explored. To realise that the one person she'd been missing in her life would be found in her arch enemy made Hermione consider the possibility fate had a very dry sense of humour but a sense of humour none-the-less that she was glad she'd experienced.
Slowly, Hermione extracted herself from Draco's bed and headed for the shower. The day was not going to be a leisurely one. After breakfast, the seventh years were expected at their final dancing class before preparations for the Graduation Ball would begin.
The warm water ran over her and Hermione shivered as she finally began to feel her muscles awaking. The year had definitely been nothing short of interesting. The thought of everything Harry, Ron and herself had achieved this year alone still mystified her. Between their private lessons, school, their solo mission and everything else Hermione was glad their friendship had remained strong. Of course there had been a time where she'd thought her new relationship may have proved to finally be the weak link capable of destroying them but the boys had bounced back and Hermione had never loved them more.
Wrapped in a towel, Hermione made her way into her closet and picked out a strappy white summer dress which she pulled on before pulling her hair up into a messy ponytail. It was just a dancing class after all and the real glamorising would start later that day.
Xxxxx
The lack of warmth was what awoke Draco. Usually he woke to find Hermione snuggled up against him but this morning she was nowhere to be seen. With a groan he sat up and ran a hand through his bed ruffled hair.
"Hermione?" he called out.
The door to the bathroom opened and there she stood, already dressed and smiling.
"Why are you up so early baby?" he asked.
With an amused shake of her head, the Gryffindor moved into his room and pressed a kiss to his forehead.
"It's not early. We've got to get to the dancing class in an hour"
She went to straighten up but Draco caught her hand and pulled her down onto the bed.
"Draco" she laughed as he gently began placing kisses along her jaw line, "We don't have time"
He stopped and looked down at her smirking,
"I love how all I have to do is kiss you and already your mind is in the gutter
"and yours isn't?" she chuckled.
He shook his head, "Not at all. We don't have time Granger. There is no way I could ravish you in less then an hour and leave us both completely satisfied. What kind of sex-god would I be if I sent my half-satisfied girlfriend into the arms of her terribly proper parents?"
He leant down and placed another kiss on her throat,
"A very bad one" Hermione laughed.
Once more the boy stopped to watch her,
"It was a rhetorical question. Now are you going to shut up and let me kiss you or not?"
Holding up her hands in defeat, Hermione replied,
"Oh I have no more complaints"
"Good because you've already wasted precious snogging time"
That was pure Draco she mused as he kissed her deeply. He was by no means perfect but he loved her, cherished her and protected her – could a girl ask for anything more?
Hermione paused in her thoughts as a soft moan escaped from her lips. She felt him smirk against her lips as his hand came up to cup the side of her face. His kisses felt like oxygen to her at this point. Gently, she reached down and clasped his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as their tongues begun to battle for that ever glorious moment of dominance. However this morning Draco seemed to have other ideas. Instead of fighting her, as he usually did, he gave in, rolling onto his back and pulling her on top of him – never once breaking contact.
"Cheater" Hermione mumbled against him.
Pulling away, Draco gave a short laugh.
"How did I cheat?"
She frowned, "It's not a fair fight if you give in"
The boy grinned broadly, "Ah but don't you see baby? It was all a ruse to get us into the exact position we're in now"
With a smile, Hermione released Draco's hand and ran it softly up his chest. He shuddered lightly and retook her hand.
"Don't start what you claim we don't have time for Miss Granger" he said huskily.
The lust in his eyes was unmistakable as it shined up at her. Knowing that only she alone could provoke this feeling in Draco sent a rush of power through her body. She leant down and placed a gentle kiss to his lips,
"I'm very sorry Mr Malfoy"
He growled in frustration as she climbed off of him and stood beside the bed,
"I'll see you in the common room" she said sweetly before leaving him alone to shower and dress.
Xxxxx
Harry Potter was less than thrilled about being forced to attend another dancing class. Had the first one not been humiliating enough? Did Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore really think they needed to suffer through that again?! In Harry's opinion dancing was the least of their worries anyway. They were about to walk out of the Hogwart's grounds and never return again...where was the class to prepare them for that!
As Harry pushed open the doors to the Great Hall he was joined by Ron and his fellow dorm mates, Seamus, Dean and Neville.
"Excited lads?" Seamus asked sounding about as thrilled as Harry.
"Sure am" Neville replied quite happily as he dodged a swipe from Dean.
Ron rolled his eyes, "This is fucking stupid. We all know how to dance"
"Speak for yourself" Dean piped up.
"Well then you fucking take the class and I'll go back to sleep" Ron grumbled.
"Sorry that in fourth year we all didn't get tuition off McGonagall herself" Dean teased.
Most of the students were already there, Harry noticed, all lined up against the walls watching the centre of the room as if waiting for some horrible monster to suddenly appear. The only ones who seemed unfazed by the whole thing was Draco Malfoy and his group of cronies. Harry shuddered, beside Malfoy stood Hermione, her hand in his and chatting happily with Theodore Nott. What had the world come to that Hermione felt comfortable actually interacting with Slytherins such as Nott? Suddenly, Hermione looked over and caught Harry's eye. She sent him a warm smile that told him to be patient, the class would be over soon.
"Alright everybody let's get into it" McGonagall called over the prattle of the students, "everybody find a partner. Preferably your partner for tonight"
Harry watched, interested, as Lavender made her way over to Ron. So he had asked her. Well good for Ron, Harry thought.
"Are you stagging it too?" a quiet voice asked Harry and he turned to face Hannah Abbott.
He nodded, "I couldn't be bothered with all that partner rubbish to be honest"
She nodded shyly as he took her waist, "I suppose you would be. If I were you I'd be trying to leave here with as less friends as possible. The war would hurt less that way I guess"
Once more, Harry nodded. For a Hufflepuff this girl was surprising perceptive. The music changed and the rhythm became faster but Harry and Hannah just continued to pace in circles around the hall awkwardly.
"Will Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley go with you?" she asked him.
"I don't want them to" Harry replied truthfully, "but I don't have a choice in the matter"
Hannah looked confused, "Why wouldn't you want them? Haven't they been through everything else with you? Why stop now?"
Harry sighed, "That's just it. They have been with me through everything else. They need a break. They need to live normal lives. They need to live normal lives with the people they love"
They twirled before Hannah spoke again, "Surely you must need a break too Harry. I'm sure your friends would agree with me"
"I don't have the option" Harry muttered, "but they do. If Hermione would just let him I am sure Malfoy would take her away, out of England, away from the war and everything else that could possibly harm her. Ron too, he could just take Lavender and his family and just go. But – "
"They won't" Hannah finished, "I think its admirable really. It's the mark of true friendship when two people are willing enough to risk not only their own lives but the lives of those they love for you"
The music stopped and so did the dancing students.
"There is nothing admirable about it" Harry spat, "It's just pure stupidity. If I was in their position, I'd run"
"No you wouldn't"
Hermione now stood beside her friend.
"Harry if it was me or Ron in your position and you in ours you know you would stay. There would be no stopping you and there is no stopping us"
Her eyes were determined, her stance unyielding. Harry knew if he wanted to argue with her that he would be losing. Why was it that in the lead up the biggest battle that Harry would ever fight in his life, that he kept losing all the smaller battles? Was that perhaps a bad omen? That he couldn't even win a fight against Hermione, let alone Voldemort?
"Fine. Whatever. Thank you for the dances Hannah" he spoke shortly.
With a sharp turn, he shot a final glare at Hermione before hurrying from the Hall and back to the comfort and security of his own dorm.
Xxxxx
"What was all that about?" asked Draco as he caught up to Hermione in the hallway.
"Nothing" she sighed.
The boy rolled his eyes, "Let me guess, precious Potter is having another fit over something he isn't getting his own way about"
"Draco don't start" she replied fed up, "Harry is fine. Now I am going to go and find Lavender and Pavarti so I can let them into our common room"
Draco stopped walking, "Why our common room? Why can't they go to their own common room?"
"Because all the girls are getting ready together and I told them they could come to our common room since we've got the most room"
The boy had just opened his mouth to retort when he was interrupted by an approaching voice,
"Hey Draco, you coming?"
Blaise had arrived.
"Going where?" Draco sighed, annoyed.
"What are you sulking about" his friend asked confused.
"Hermione's decided to hold a friggan slumber party in our common room"
Blaise smirked, "Don't people usually sleep at slumber parties?"
"Fuck up Zabini" Draco snapped, "you knew what I meant. It's going to be bint central in my common room"
"Draco!" Hermione hissed. She hated that word.
Blaise laughed at Draco's face as Hermione told him off.
"Look whatever man. You're coming to get ready with us anyway aren't you?"
Hermione beamed at Blaise excitedly before turning to her disgruntled boyfriend.
"Well there you go Draco. You don't have to put up with all of us in the common room after all. You can go and hang out with the boys until all the festivities start"
"I'm not some stupid child that needs play dates organised for him Granger" he huffed, "but I guess I'll go and get ready at Slytherin but only because I don't want to deal with all the fucking giggling and make up and shit"
Hermione nodded and gave him a quick hug.
"I'll see you tonight"
"Bye baby" he said giving her a quick pinch on the bum.
Hermione gasped but both Draco and Blaise were half away across the hallway before it occurred to her to retaliate.
Xxxxx
"Oh Hermione look at you!" Lavender squealed as Hermione emerged from her room in her dress.
"The dress is gorgeous" Pavarti agreed.
"Where'd you get it?" Ginny questioned her. She'd been excused from her classes to get ready for the ball since she was Ron's sister and Blaise's fiancé.
After doing an excited twirl in the middle of the common room, watching how her dress flared out around her, Hermione stopped.
"My mum sent it to me. She wanted to give me something since she couldn't do all the pre-ball shopping with me"
The three girls all looked confused.
"Why would you go ball shopping with your mother?" Lavender finally asked.
Hermione blushed, "Oh well I guess it's sort of a muggle thing but, like here at Hogwarts, when muggle teenagers are preparing to leave school the event is marked with a thing called a formal – which is basically the same thing as a ball. Anyway, it's more common for muggle boys and girls to go shopping for their things with their mothers instead of with their friends. A lot of parents sort of look at it as a rite of passage I guess"
"I see" said Pavarti slowly, "well anyway the dress is beautiful and I think I've got just the style for your hair"
The excited squeals recommenced, the hairspray once more took to the air and laughter and chatter filled the energized silence.
Xxxxx
Meanwhile, in the Slytherin common room, Draco and Blaise sat upstairs in Blaise's dorm, each with a glass of fire whiskey in their hand.
"Its way to bloody early to be getting ready for this thing" Blaise had said.
Draco had of course agreed.
"So you're meeting the parents tonight" Blaise mused, "nervous?"
Draco snorted confidently, "Why should I be? Hermione and I have been together for almost a year now. I doubt there is anything they could say, or do, that would have any devastating effect upon our relationship"
Blaise took a sip from his glass before choosing to answer,
"I don't know mate. Girls are different. You or I, we've found two girls that we love and there is little anyone could do to end that but girls – well they think too much. They have to consider everyone's feelings on the subject. To be perfectly honest I was shitting myself when I met Ginny's parents".
"Ginny's different to Hermione" Draco muttered.
"How do you figure? They're both girls"
"Hermione's an only child where as Ginny's got six older brothers. Hermione's used to making decisions that affect her and only her but Ginny, however, she had to consider her other siblings too. She's grown up with them after all. I doubt she'd still be dating you if any of them hated you mate"
After a moment's pause Blaise shrugged,
"Perhaps" he said thoughtfully, but then he smirked evilly, "but only children have their downsides too. For example, you're taking any her daddy's only baby – you'd best hope he likes you enough not to kill you"
Xxxxx
Hermione was ready. Lavender and Pavarti had curled her hair and then pinned it up in an elegant looking bun and done her make up so that her eyes were smokey and her lips smouldering but natural looking enough to simply accentuate her already stunning looks.
"Well this is it girls" Pavarti sighed nostalgically, "the ending of our last school day and the beginning of our new, independent lives"
"Shall we face the music?" Lavender said holding out her hands to her friends.
Together, hand in hand, the three girls plus Ginny moved out into the hallway and began the walk towards the Great Hall.
Everything seemed to be moving so slowly, Hermione decided. She could see seven years worth of herself flashing before her eyes. From her first year when she'd so excited climbed from the Hogwarts Express and onto the boats, to her second year when she'd awoken, relieved, from being petrified, third year when she'd helped the boys save Sirus, fourth year and her short lived fling with Victor Krum, fifth year when she'd first begun to realise her feelings for Ron, sixth year when those feelings had quickly crashed and burn and now seventh year had swiftly pasted her by. Suddenly, she felt like she couldn't breathe. She stopped walking.
"Hermione?" Ginny asked concerned, "are you ok?"
She shook her head frantically, "I can't do this"
She could feel the girls watching her worriedly and she knew she was being stupid but Hermione had suddenly been grasped by a fear greater than anything she'd ever felt before. She couldn't do this, she couldn't graduate. It was that simple and that complicated.
"We're right around the corner from the Hall. Should we-"
Ginny nodded and the two girls continued on down the corridor.
"You're going to be ok 'Mione you know that right?" Ginny assured her.
Once more Hermione shook her head, "We're not ready to do this Gin. We just aren't ready"
"We?"
"Me, Draco, Harry, Ron and Blaise even...we can't leave school. We're not ready. It's ok for you Ginny. You've got another year to go. You can study more and learn more but for us...this is it"
She could feel it - the cold sense of panic which had wrapped itself around her heart and was slowly squeezing the life out of it. She needed to sit down or lie down or do something. Something to get her blood pumping once again, something that was going to keep her alive.
"I need to stop" Hermione whispered.
"Stop what 'Mione?" Ginny reached out and grasped her hand.
A new sound filled the hallway. The sound of rushing footsteps and Hermione felt Ginny turned to watch the approaching stranger.
"Hermione?"
That voice. Hermione knew that voice, she knew that voice all too well. Draco was here.
She felt Ginny release her hand and Draco's large, rougher hand replace it. She was sure she could hear Ginny leaving them.
"Baby? Are you ok?" Draco asked her softly.
Slowly this time, Hermione shook her head.
"I can't do this Draco" she breathed, terrified, "It's not time for us to leave yet"
Draco nodded, he seemed to understand. Gently he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms protectively around her - holding her for a moment.
"Yes it is Hermione" he whispered back, "It's time"
She shook her head but he shushed her,
"You're having a panic attack lion cub" he soothed, "but it's ok. It will pass in a second"
He tenderly began rubbing his hand up and down her back, telling her to breathe, to just take a moment, any moment, and to just stop and feel. So she did, Hermione took her moment. She forced air in and out of her lungs, clung tightly to Draco, who she knew would not fall no matter how much of her weight she expected him to support, and she felt.
"I just – It's all –" she sighed, "We're graduating"
She felt him nod,
"We are" he replied softly.
"We're going to be ok?" she whispered.
"Everything is going to be fine"
The cold sense of panic was beginning to leave her. She could feel it slowly fading away and her blood seemed to begin pumping again.
"I had a feeling you may panic" Draco muttered to her quietly, "You've been pushing yourself so much just to get to this point that I figured eventually it would all have to catch up with you"
Slowly, Hermione nodded. She pulled back from him.
"I'm sorry" she whispered, "I'm such a pathetic dork"
Draco chuckled, "A dork? No. Slightly high-strung? Maybe just a little. But I promise I'll love you anyway"
He took her hand and gently twirled her,
"You look beautiful Hermione"
Xxxxx
Amazement, awe, astonishment, admiration, wonder, bewilderment – Hermione's parents were not sure what to feel as they sat inside the Great Hall amongst the other parents waiting for the arrival of their children.
Dumbledore himself had arrived that evening to escort them to the school. This, they felt, was a grand thing. Living under the protection of magic had taught the Granger's enough about the Wizarding World to know that Dumbledore was an impressive man. He'd struck them as slightly eccentric but brilliant none the less and now they sat in the middle of a humongous hall where candles floated above them and the ceiling moved with the clouds that graced the night's sky. How lucky their daughter had been to have attended such a beautiful school for the past seven years.
Then, the large doors suddenly opened and through them walked the Headmaster Dumbledore and a lady Hermione's parent's assumed to be the deputy – she must be Professor McGonagall. The Headmaster gracefully made his way up to a podium and smiled down at the seated audience.
"Ladies, Gentlemen, Witches and Wizards. I'd like you to join me in welcoming our graduating class"
The applause rang out as Hermione's mother craned her neck to watch her beautiful daughter lead the student body into the hall hand in hand with a tall, blonde boy who she assumed must be Draco Malfoy, head boy and Hermione's boyfriend. Well her daughter had good taste at least, he was gorgeous. They crossed the room and took their seats in front of the parents looking up to Dumbledore to make his speech.
The Headmaster grazed down at them all proudly before raising his wand in a sort of half salute to them.
"Well" he begun, "what does one say at a time like this? Oh I am aware of the most obvious things that one should say at the graduation of his students but somehow for this particular graduating class that did not seem enough. Both individually and as houses you've been so different from those who have pasted before you and you will leave here and go out into a world which commands so much more of you then your fellow seniors ever did because you will walk right into beginnings of a brewing storm. There is little I can say to comfort you and there is little I can say to prepare you for whatever you may face but I have done my best to outline some of the many things I have learnt that I feel the need to pass along to you. So bare with an old man as he tries to teach you all one final lesson"
With one final smile upon the students before him, Dumbledore began,
"Youth. You're all in the prime of your youth - old enough to make your own decisions but young enough to suffer the consequences and learn from your mistakes. That is the power and beauty of youth but youth does not go on forever so use this most precious gift while you still have it or you will miss it when its gone.
Worry. Know that most of the things you worry about never happen and if they do then your worry has done nothing but increase your fear of something that was obviously inevitable. If you are destined to deal with the source of your distress then chances are you already hold the solutions. Fate is a most powerful mistress who will never do as you expect and it is foolish to attempt prediction.
Fear. Don't shy away from the challenges that scare you. Fear is one of the greatest emotions that will shape and evolve you. It is healthy to be scared every now and then. No great witch or wizard alive would deny fear's role in their success.
Words. Treasure people that compliment you – one day you may need them to remind you of the good in yourself. Do not tolerate people whose words mean to cause you harm. You are your best judge and their insults only serve to demean the person you are.
Choices. Every choice you make is a chance. Sometimes you will succeed and sometimes you will fail but both these outcomes are important. Know that your choices will affect other people but you can only consider others so much – in the end it all comes back to you.
Family. Don't discount your family. Families are found in all different walks of life and are not always strictly blood related but they are your best links to the past and the people most likely to remain behind, waiting for you, when you stray off the beaten path.
Advice. Cherish all advice you are given. Perhaps you won't apply it to all areas of your life but sometimes even the consideration of another's opinion is enough to send you in the right direction.
Finally, Love. Love always, love frequently and love unconditionally. Love is the greatest gift you can ever give or receive and it plays such a large role in all our lives – perhaps sometimes even bigger then we may ever know. With love by our sides – no matter what may happen – we will all be ok whether in this life or the next"
With a gentle cough to symbolise he'd finished, Dumbledore nodded in acknowledgement to his students and their parents and guardians before stepping away from the podium and allowing Professor McGonagall to take charge.
"Please stand"
Jane Granger watched as Hermione brushed the tears from her eyes and once more took the hand of Draco Malfoy. She gazed up at him lovingly and smiled when his eyes reflected her love. Jane's heart fluttered, she could almost feel it from here.
The chairs they'd all been sitting on suddenly disappeared and they found themselves – along with the other parents and students – standing in the middle of a large dance floor surrounded by small white tables and delicate looking chairs.
"Shall we go and find Hermione?" Steven asked.
With a small nod, Jane took her husband's arm and they begun to move through the crowd of people towards their beautiful daughter. It seemed like only yesterday she'd been the small little girl who'd held her mother's hand so tightly but now she was this beautiful, young woman who instead clung to the hand of the love of her life. She had everything Jane could have ever wished for her.
"Dad! Mum!" Hermione greeted them happily.
Steven watched as his little girl left the boy standing beside her to run into her parents awaiting arms. It felt so good to see her, to see that she was safe and happy. But where had his little princess gone?
"You must be Draco" Jane greeted the blonde boy.
He was nervous she could tell as he nodded stiffly and reached out his hand to her,
"Yes I am. It's nice to finally meet you Mrs Granger"
It was funny, Jane realised, that despite his obvious discomfort his voice didn't hold even a hint of anything less than pure confidence.
Her husband moved forward,
"Steven" he grunted.
The boy had a firm hand shake – that was good. It made him more trustworthy in Steven's eyes.
"I trust the journey here was a good one?" Draco inquired.
"It certainly was a fascinating one" Jane replied, "This school is very beautiful"
A waltz began and with an air of happiness, Steven held his hand out to his daughter,
"May I have this dance darling?"
Hermione nodded and took her dad's hand, allowing him to lead her onto the floor.
"Shall we sit?" Draco asked Jane.
He gently took her arm and brought her to one of the empty tables, pulling her chair out for her before seating himself.
"Well Draco I must say you certainly have impressed me. Steven and I were not sure what to expect from the boy who Hermione tells us has stolen her heart. Especially after we'd heard nothing but nasty things about you for six years previously"
Draco nodded slowly,
"I am not proud of my earlier years Mrs Granger. As I am sure Hermione's told you I have not come from the best family and we shared quite different views on people such as Hermione. I ah –"
He stopped for a minute.
"I assume you mean muggleborns?" Jane asked.
Draco nodded, "Yes. I was not a very nice person back then and Hermione unfortunately bore the brunt of my cruelty. To this day I am still trying to figure out just how she managed to forgive me for everything I put her through"
He was humble, Jane decided. Obviously his past had caused him much pain but she could see in his eyes that he had done, and was doing, everything he could to possibly make up for that including, Hermione told them, abandoning his evil family in favour of their relationship and a chance at a good life together. She could ask nothing more of him.
"Well Draco I can see your sincerity and that is good enough for us. Steven will, of course, want to talk to you himself and I am sure he is going to play the 'big, bad father' card but I can see that you love Hermione enough to bare it. Shall we?"
The boy took her hand and they made their way onto the dance floor to join Hermione and her husband.
Xxxxx
"So you really do love him?" her father clarified.
Hermione smiled, "Yes dad I really do. Draco is the best thing that has ever happened to me"
Stiffly her father twirled her; he'd never been a secure dancer.
"Well I'm still going to have a chat to him" he replied gruffly.
"Oh dad you're not going to interrogate him are you? I've told you and mum everything you need to know about Draco and his past. He's faced the consequences of his actions and he is trying so hard to be a better person then anyone in his family has ever been. Please don't try to scare him daddy"
Hermione watched her father nod, "Hermione what I wish to discuss with Draco has nothing to do with his family or his past. I just want to know his intentions with you"
A deep blush spread across her face, "Dad please don't. That is between Draco and I"
She'd put her foot in it. She knew even before her father raised his eyebrow at her in a suspicious manner.
"Just how serious is this relationship between you and this boy Hermione?"
Oh sweet Merlin this conversation was not happening.
"Daddy nothing serious has happened" Hermione lied, "but if it were to happen then that is not your business ok?"
"You're my daughter"
"I'm also an adult" she argued.
"Not in my world you aren't. Not yet anyway"
"Maybe not in the muggle world Dad but in the Wizarding world I am so please just relax and try not to tear Draco limb from limb ok?"
The music swelled to a grand climax and suddenly Draco was there,
"May I cut in?" he asked politely.
Hermione's mother took her husband hands and they moved off in another direction of the dance floor. Hermione was still bright red making Draco chuckled,
"He spoke to you about us didn't he?"
"Oh Draco I stuffed up so badly. He's really suspicious now. I still told him nothing had gone on but he's probably going to ask you every mortifying question imaginable"
"Don't worry about it baby. I'll handle it" Draco soothed taking her hand.
Xxxxx
The ball was finally coming to a close. Hermione had been dancing all night – she'd barely stopped in fact. All the while she'd been keeping an eye on Draco and her father as she'd danced with all the Weasley boys, including Arthur, Harry, Dean, Seamus, Neville, Blaise, Theo and even Nick. The music had been a mix of several waltz, some jives, some tangoish music – overall it had been very formal and not at all like the Triwizard Ball. Finally, there it was, Draco and Hermione's dad were moving off to stand alone in a corner.
Xxxxx
"What are you intentions with my daughter exactly Draco?" Steven asked tersely.
Draco sighed. He had, of course, been prepared for this protective father routine and Hermione's dad was certainly well rehearsed for someone Draco knew had never done this before.
"Sir I love your daughter" he replied honestly, "I have no intention to hurt her. I just want to make her happy"
Merlin he sounded like a sap, Draco thought.
Hermione's dad nodded, considering this for a moment before he spoke again.
"I know Hermione has all but forbid me from asking this but as her father I feel I have the right to know the degree of seriousness of your relationship with Hermione"
Ah the sex question. Draco knew Hermione's answer and he sensed that Steven Granger was not the sort of man to be entirely truthful with. In fact Draco suspected that this man would still be assuring himself of Hermione's innocence the day after her wedding night or when she popped out his first grandchild. No it certainly would not do well to destroy this man's little delusion.
"I would consider our relationship very serious sir" Draco spoke watching the man balk at hearing this, "but perhaps not the same kind of seriousness that you are assuming I am speaking about. Hermione is still, what you would call, innocent"
The older man visibly relaxed upon hearing this before giving Draco another sharp nod.
"Well good" he muttered, "see that is stays that way".
He turned and indicated to Draco that they should return to the dance floor where people had begun to gather to say their goodbyes.
Xxxxx
Hermione had tears streaming down her face as she hugged friend after friend, wishing them all luck and promising to try and stay in contact with them. They all knew Harry, Ron and herself were going to be leaving Hogwarts and beginning to prepare to launch an attack against Voldemort – hopefully the first and final attack against Voldemort – but Hermione was not going to take the chance of forgetting to say goodbye to anyone...just in case.
"Hermione darling" Mrs Weasley said to her softly, "you should go and say goodbye to your parents. We need to leave soon"
Sadly, Hermione nodded. She took a step toward where they waited for her with Dumbledore and stopped. How did you say goodbye to your parents knowing that you may never see them again? How could she just walk away when they were so ignorant to the dangers of the world she'd forced them to come and live in?
"You say that you love them and that you will see them soon" Draco whispered to her gently as if he'd read her mind.
"Will you come with me?" she whispered back.
He took her hand, "Of course. I'll always be with you Hermione".
She took a deep breath. Of course he would be. She knew that. So with the renewed confidence of having Draco by her side and the Weasley's, including Harry, right behind her, Hermione prepared to say one final goodbye to her parents and to Hogwarts. The life waiting for her outside these walls did not call to her with a irresistible, beautiful temptation, nor did it fill her with the urge to move on and move up. The life waiting for Hermione outside those walls only chilled her bones and froze her blood. But for now, at least, she was not alone. She had Draco, the love of her life, Harry and Ron, the two greatest friend she would ever know, and family whether that be the Weasley's, right behind her, or her parents, far away but never far apart.
Xxxxx
Xxxxx
A/N:
Hi everyone,
Don't be mad. I know I said the time would be shorter between this chapter and the last but I got caught up. Although you should be happy I did because I've managed to do some research (read other books for ideas) and draw up a final plan of how many chapters I've got left and what is going to happen in them. I am trying to become more organised.
So I hope you liked this chapter. It was very long and quite painful for me to write because I am sure no one wanted them to graduate less I did. Thank you to HarryPGinnyW4eva who became my little confidant and encouraged me to just keep writing despite my pain lol. So there you go, they are finally out of school and moving on to bigger and scarier things.
In case anyone is wondering, I needed a little help writing Dumbledore's speech so my inspiration for that came from Baz Luhrman's 'Sunscreen' song. That is why the ideals might be slightly familiar to people.
Anyway, a late Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!
Straight
xx