Story: New Events
Author: LadyLissaLight
Summary: "The Tri-wizard Tournament is to be held again" - "I could get any girl." "Even Granger?" "Yep." "I dare you to seduce her." "Done." - "Hermione, who are you going to the ball with?" "... Draco Malfoy." "WHAT?" Please read!
Ginny pushed open the portrait hole, and she and Hermione stepped through to see a very annoyed looking Harry sitting in one of the armchairs by the fire.
"Harry," Hermione said firmly, "The four of us need to talk. Where is Ron?"
"Writing to Blanche." Harry said, not looking at her.
"Well," Said Ginny, taking a seat opposite him. "Looks like it'll be just us three then."
"Ginny, you aren't really a part of this," Harry objected.
"I am as much as Hermione is. I have a crush on Blaise Zabini, you see." She said calmly.
Harry's eyes bulged. "You-What?"
"Remember when I wouldn't get back together with you? That was because I had feelings for Blaise. There isn't much of a chance of us being together anymore, but that doesn't lessen the feelings."
Harry stared at her in shock, and Hermione, in the face of Ginny's bravery, took her risk too. She clutched Ginny's hand, which was slightly sweaty with nerves, before saying, "And I happen to be in love with Malfoy – Draco. And he loves me too."
"MALFOY?" Harry exploded. "HERMIONE, HE'S OUR ENEMY."
"He isn't," she said unemotionally.
"I can second that," added Ginny. "Hermione and Draco," she emphasised his name, "Have been a long time coming, and she's told me everything about their relationship. He's good for her."
Harry sank into his chair again, shaking his head. "You're kidding," he said weakly. "You both can't be telling me you like Slytherins."
"Love," Hermione corrected.
"And it's Malfoy! After everything he's done to us, to you! I can't believe this! He must be playing you, Hermione. You've basically betrayed us, both of you. How could you do this?"
"I'm sorry Harry," she said curtly. "I don't want to hurt you, and that's why Draco and I aren't together. Because we're from two different houses that would never let us be together happily. So don't worry, I've put your feelings ahead of my own. I just thought, as my best friend, you should know." She got up, and walked upstairs to her dormitory.
XXXXXX
"Ginny, please say it's a joke," Harry said, pale.
"It isn't Harry!" she said fiercely. "To be honest, I had a crush on Blaise and Hermione was horrified at the beginning. But then she and Draco connected and he is so good for her. He reads the same things she does, they're both so smart, and he'd stick up for against anyone, he loves her that much."
Harry shook his head. "I can't believe she would do this to me."
"You are so selfish, Harry!" Ginny snapped. "Have you not noticed that Hermione hasn't been herself since she got back? She's been distant and quiet, and that's because she's without Draco! She misses him! And you don't even care. Some friend you are." She told him, before following Hermione up the stairs.
Harry sat there for a few minutes, before a noise made him look up. Ron was standing there, looking pale.
"Did you hear?" Harry asked angrily.
Ron nodded before sinking into an armchair. "I should have known," he sighed. "Hermione spent all her time with Malfoy at Beauxbatons. I mean, Zabini was there a lot too, but they were always together. I was angry at first, but I got over it eventually. Hermione seemed happy, and really, I was more preoccupied with Blanche than with Hermione being friends with Malfoy. But at the Yule Ball, the way they acted together was something else. If I hadn't known they weren't, I would've thought they were dating. But again, I was preoccupied with Blanche." A smile appeared on his face as he thought of his French girlfriend.
Harry stared at him in shock – this had to be the most thoughtful, lengthy, serious comment Ron had ever uttered. He'd never seen Ron like this before.
"And the first task," Ron continued, shocking Harry into silence, "She was worried out of her mind for him, it was crazy. And then the second task… They did the same kind of thing as last time with the hostages. Hermione was Draco's hostage. And they could choose to save the hostage or not this time, and I thought he never would if it meant finishing first, but he did." Ron sighed. "So I learnt to live with him."
Harry shook his head; still not quite sure he believed this was coming out of Ron's mouth. "But she hasn't talked to Malfoy since she's been back," he pointed out.
"Yeah… something happened between them and they stopped talking completely for months. Zabini too, actually. And Hermione was really unhappy most of the time. Blanche and that Anthony Goldstein bloke knew what happened, but they wouldn't tell me. Now it seems they're back on track, I guess." He shrugged.
"I can't believe you're so… accepting," Harry mused. Or so deep.
"Hermione accepted me and Blanche straight away, and that meant a lot to me," Ron said simply. "And like I said, I've seen that he cares for her as much as she does for him."
XXXXXX
Draco was surprised the next morning to see that Hermione was sitting with Weaslette down the opposite end of the table from Potter and Weasley during breakfast, when he did his customary glance at the Gryffindor table.
"What's up with that?" He wondered aloud, and Blaise, who was sitting next to him, glanced over too.
Suddenly, the darker boy chuckled. "Oh ho ho," he muttered to himself. "Looks like Hermy took my advice."
"What?" Draco asked sharply. "You've spoken to her?"
"Mhm," Blaise grinned. "And if I were to hazard a guess at 'what's up with that' it's that the little Gryffindork princess has told King Potter and the Royal Prince Weasel, that she's fallen for the enemy." He said proudly, wiggling his eyebrows at the end.
Draco froze, hardly daring to think it could be true. "What makes you say that?"
"I suggested to her that she should do it, as it will lead to her overall happiness," Blaise shrugged. "And then I told her she was ashamed of you two, and that seemed to get her attention."
"You did what!" Draco snapped.
Blaise shrugged. "Look what's happening," he gestured.
Potter and Weasley appeared to be going over to where Hermione and Weaslette were sitting. The two girls looked up at them and the boys talked for a while, and then Hermione stood up and hugged Potter, then Weasley. Draco was alarmed to see she was crying. The boys then turned to Weaslette, who folded her arms challengingly. The male weasel spoke at some length, before the red heads hugged, but Draco noted potter did not move to hug her. The four of them then left the room together, looking happy.
"Looks like they made up," he commented to Blaise. "Therefore, it couldn't be what you suggested, because Potter and Weasley would never accept me for Hermione."
"Sure they would, Weasley was already halfway there. And Potter would do anything for his friends. Typical Gryffindors," Blaise said stoically.
Draco wasn't sure whether to believe Blaise or not, but he got his answer soon enough.
The two of them were on their way to Defence Against the Dark Arts, when they came across Potter, Weasley and Hermione standing in the hallway. He caught Hermione's eye and she smiled at him. Smiled. In public. What was happening?
Potter and Weasley had noticed him too, it seemed, as they were eying him and Blaise. He braced himself for the anger, the yelling. Instead he got two nods, and a 'Malfoy.' From Weasley, before they continued on into the classroom.
Draco stood there. Shocked.
XXXXXX
Hermione was happy. Harry and Ron had come over at breakfast to tell her that they would support her if she chose to pursue a relationship with Draco. She had never loved her two friends more, and she'd burst into embarrassing tears.
But now the more pressing issue: did she want to be with Draco like that? Sure, her two best friends had accepted it, but the Slytherins were another matter. Draco had stuck up for her against Millicent when they were at Beauxbatons, but he was outnumbered now they were home again. That was if he even wanted to be with her.
She sighed, closing her eyes.
"Miss Granger," said Snape's cold voice almost instantly. "Would you care to tell us what you are day-dreaming about?"
She opened her eyes quickly, feeling embarrassed. She was in DADA! How could she not have been paying attention?
"Sorry sir," she muttered, expecting the usual loss of points from Gryffindor.
"I trust it won't happen again," Snape said curtly, before billowing back to his desk to continue lecturing on Dragon bites. Hermione felt shocked, why hadn't Snape been horrible?
She caught Blaise's eyes from across the room, and he gave her a questioning look which she immediately understood as him asking her if she'd told Harry and Ron. She nodded, giving him a small smile. He grinned and gave her a sneaky thumbs up.
XXXXXX
Hermione was in the library when he approached her.
"Hermione." His voice was firm, solid, unyielding. She knew it instantly.
"Draco." She lifted her eyes and met his, her stomach blossoming with butterflies.
"Did you tell Potter and Weasley about us?" he demanded.
"Yes." She nodded.
His expression changed; there was shock on his face mixed with what she was sure was love. He drew her to him, wrapping his strong arms around her, and a feeling of utter contentment settled in her. "My brave little Gryffindor," he murmured. "You once told me you could never give Mason any of 'those' feelings because they were all directed at me. Is that still true?"
"Yes," she whispered. "It always will be. Is it still true for you that I'm all you want?"
He nodded firmly. "Yes. I love you, Hermione."
"I love you too," she said, the words rushing out of her before he pulled her mouth to his.
His lips were achingly familiar, yet they ignited the same fire and heat that they had the other times they'd kissed, and she responded too eagerly, moaning softly into his mouth. "Hermione," he murmured against her lips, "Be my girlfriend. No. screw that, be with me forever, I never want to lose you again."
She pulled away from him, breathless. "Forever?"
"Yes," he said, his eyes glowing a harsh, bright silver. "Forever. Live with me, be my wife, have my children. Be my Hermione forever. Just… never go away again," he pulled her back to him and kissed her neck.
She gasped at his words. They were so extreme! They were only teenagers. But she knew she wanted everything he'd just described; she wanted him in every way possible. "Yes," she said faintly, and he pressed his mouth to hers again.
After a time they broke apart, both breathing heavily and even then Draco kept his arms around Hermione. "You're my prisoner now," he teased gently. "I'm never letting you go." He linked their fingers.
"I never want to go anywhere, so that works out," she smiled, leaning into him.
"I have to tell you something," he said suddenly.
"Yes?" she asked, her stomach fluttering.
"The necklace I gave you… It isn't ordinary. It's a Malfoy heirloom. It had magical powers. And…" he hesitated. "It's usually given by a Malfoy man to the woman he plans to marry or spend forever with... When I gave it to you, I didn't realise that was how I felt, but it just seemed right, so I did. And it can only be worn by the true owner at the time. I couldn't have given it to Weasley or Pansy, because I didn't love them. So now you know…"
She smiled softly, choosing not to tell him Blaise had already revealed this. "So that really was a proposal then?" she laughed a little.
His smile lit up the room around her, she thought, and he whispered "Unofficially, I think so… And you said yes."
"When you ask officially, I'll say yes then too," she squeezed his hand.
His eyes sparked with happiness, and she was fairly sure hers did too. "While we're on the subject of confessions, I have one too."
"Oh?" he arched an eyebrow.
She nodded. "Remember your potion… with the blood?"
He nodded.
"Well, it couldn't be just anyone's blood. The ingredients list said 'blood of a true love.'"
Draco looked shocked. "What?"
"Yeah," she fidgeted. "But I ignored that and made it anyway, because I didn't realise… you know. And it worked."
"Wow," he said, frowning.
"Are you angry?" she asked, worried for a second, although she couldn't see how the news could make him so.
"No," he smiled at her again, and kissed her lips slightly. "I've missed this," he said against them.
"Mmm," she agreed, before giving into the kiss.
A/N And… there you have it, ladies and gents (Although I doubt there is many guys reading this)! The chapter you've all nagged me into giving you – kidding, I love you all, and I hope you loved the chapter! I've decided it is my goal to make it to 1400 reviews for this story… so, could you all help out a little? Pretty please?
Lissa