Chapter 29: Nearing End of Term
O-o-o-o-o-o-o
The following Tuesday closed out their month on Patronus charms and nearly all of the third year and above students had mastered the spell, excluding Christian Crabbe who had chalked it up to having too many distractions, and Gabriel, who had laughed it off, saying his patronus just didn't want to hang around a classroom. The first and second years had been asking Patrick for pointers as they continued their work on the spell, a few of them mastering it as well by the end of the evening. After the meeting, Gabriel and Christian had both lingered behind the rest of the students on the way out that evening and Gabriel had struck up conversation with Draco as Christian joined in while the professors cleaned up the theater hall. Hermione had given them some space, going to the other side of the room to gather her things. Draco had casually offered to give them both private lessons a few minutes into their conversation and they had looked relieved, shrugging and agreeing that he would be up for it if Draco had the extra time.
Draco had heard back from Lucius at the end of that week and his words were no more kind than his first letter. He'd chided Draco on going behind his back to introduce Hermione to Narcissa and had warned him that a meeting between the four of them would not yield the results Draco was hoping for. He noted he would be speaking with Narcissa more in detail about his feelings on their relationship when he returned home and told him that if he did not decide to change his mind on having a meeting, they would similarly hear his feelings in person.
Hermione had narrowed her eyes as she'd read the letter, unbelieving that he could be so stubborn about an opinion that had landed him in Azkaban for six years. She'd agreed to still go through with a meeting, knowing both Draco and Narcissa likely had to witness it in order to accept his unwillingness to change and make an informed decision of their own on how to deal with Lucius.
Draco had responded, insisting that a meeting was in everyone's best interest and asking that Lucius try to put his bias aside and come into the conversation with an open mind. He doubted he would, but he had to ask. For his mother. Lucius would be out of Azkaban at the end of May, near end of term in approximately two months.
Narcissa had sent another letter along as well, reassuring Draco that Lucius just needed to return home and reacclimate to society again and he would come around. Her hopes were unfounded, but genuine.
Draco was ashamed, to say the least, having Hermione read the letters from his father, but he wanted them to be open with each other and she deserved to know what she was walking into when it came to Lucius.
She could tell he had taken his father's words to heart as he walked around lacking his normal spark. It wasn't Draco's fault, but it certainly wasn't the warmest welcome she could receive from her boyfriend's parents. It took a couple of weeks, but without another letter from his father, Draco eventually dropped his sour mood and returned to his normal, confident self around her, something she could tell was only feigned recently.
"Pansy's gotten back to me with their availability," Hermione said, sitting down next to Draco at the Professors' table on a Friday afternoon in mid-April.
Ginny turned from her seat, "So when do we get to dine with the elite, then?"
"Oh stop it," Hermione said with a laugh, "She suggested next weekend or the weekend after."
"Let's do last weekend in April," Harry poked his head around the other side of Ginny, "Last Quidditch match of the season is Friday night, it'll be a great way to celebrate Saturday night if Gryffindor wins," he shot an almost unnoticeable wink at Draco.
"Or wallow in your self-pity when Slytherin beats them to the snitch," Draco said nonchalantly, turning from Harry with a shrug.
"Alright, I'll let her know we'll meet her and Nev the last Saturday of the month," she turned to Draco, "Best get a reservation for six for dinner."
"I'll send an owl," he nodded.
O-o-o-o-o-o-o
April flew by as classes began reviewing material from the year to prepare for end of term exams coming up in May and June. Draco had been working with Gabriel and Christian the last couple of weeks privately on Wednesday nights and by the end of their third private lesson, Gabriel and Christian had both done it. Christian had gotten it first, an ox clambering out of his wand as Gabriel looked on with renewed determination. Another half an hour later, while Christian was on the other side of the room still watching his patronus rampage around, Gabriel finally found success. He'd cast the spell with everything he had, more focused than ever to make it happen and he'd watched almost unbelievingly as a Kangaroo hopped out of his wand and bounced energetically around the room, joining the ox, which ran towards it immediately, the patronuses doing a bit of a dance around each other. Christian whooped as he hopped off the desk, watching the opaque animals interact.
"Kick-ass kangaroo," he said to himself and Draco had laughed as Gabriel shook his head and looked over at him, not realizing how loud it had sounded in the small potions room, "Sorry professor, this is just really cool." He led his wand around the room as the kangaroo followed it until it hopped right up in front of him and he lowered his hand, the blue light fading as Christian lowered his, the ox fading similarly.
"Great job, Gabriel, told you it'd just take some practice," Draco commended the boy.
Christian ran over, raising his hand, "KICK-ASS KANGAROO!"
Gabriel laughed, high-fiving him as the boys immediately began talking about how they connected with their given patronuses and Draco looked on with a crooked smile. He'd somehow just aided in another Gryffindor/Slytherin friendship. They'd cast them a few more times that evening before they'd finally packed up and called it a night.
"Thanks for your help, Professor Malfoy," Gabriel said with genuine relief etched in his voice, "Zachary's been tearing the mickey out of me for not being able to produce one."
"Same with Fiona," Christian rolled his eyes, "Thanks, Professor."
"Of course. Happy I could help, you know, I'll actually tell you a secret, if you can keep it between us."
Both boys nodded, slinging their bags over their shoulders as they looked at him.
"I actually couldn't produce a patronus until a few months ago. I'd tried when I was younger and just — nothing. But Professor Granger helped me out when we decided we wanted to teach all of you and it finally clicked."
"No way," Christian said, "You're just trying to make us feel better."
"I'm being totally honest," Draco shook his head, "You both mastered this spell years before I did. So don't let them give you any shit — I mean grief. Don't let them give you any grief."
Both boys had already started laughing and Draco rubbed the back of his neck, knowing he should have watched his language a bit better, "Alright, alright, off to bed with both of you. Just remember, that stays between us."
They both nodded, agreeing full-heartedly to take his secret with them out of appreciation, thanking him again for his help and walking off together down the hall, still talking excitedly between them.
O-o-o-o-o-o-o
The last weekend in April had finally arrived and Hogwarts was abuzz with talk of the final game that would determine the Quidditch Cup. Gryffindor led for the cup by thirty points, so in order to win, Slytherin had to not only win the game, but win it by more than thirty points.
"So are you going to come sit on the Slytherin side of the stands?" Draco asked Hermione smugly as they walked down to the pitch with the rest of the castle.
"Absolutely not," she replied in a similar tone, "I'm head of Gryffindor house, can't be seen fraternizing with the enemy in such a pivotal match."
"Oh come on, you don't even like quidditch!"
"Don't have to, just have to support my students," she gave him a cheeky smile and he threw his arm over her shoulder, kissing the top of her head before putting space between them again, figuring a little affection here and there was no big deal, but she shot him a look anyway that was followed by a blush and a chuckle.
"Weasley - I mean, Ginny - seems excited for dinner tomorrow," Draco said casually.
"Yes, she mentioned you caught up with her after lunch the other day."
"Been meaning to for a while. Figured she's been nice enough the last couple of months and I owed her the opportunity to get out anything she's been holding in."
"And did she?"
"Oh yes," he nodded, "But I think we've been friendly enough that it didn't come out as angrily as I deserved."
"She hates your father much more than she hates you," Hermione commented, looking over at him to gauge his emotions, though he was quite good at shutting them down.
"Yes, she was articulate about that," he nodded, "I don't blame her one bit. But I'm glad we could put it on the table and I could apologize for some of the things she's been holding onto. Not that it takes anything away, but at least I'm cognizant of what she went through, specifically in regards to my family, and I can acknowledge those things and accept the brunt of it as she gets them off her chest."
"I'm glad you gave her the chance to do that," Hermione said, "She said she expected you to just hope the past went away with time instead of confronting it with her."
"That would be the normal Draco Malfoy way of dealing with things."
"I do think it helped," Hermione said with a small smile, "She said she felt some kind of weight lift to be able to hear a thoughtful apology for some of the things she's carried with her."
"I hope so."
"Hermione!" Neville was jogging to catch up with her from a bit further back in the crowd.
"Hi, Neville," she and Draco slowed as he approached.
"Sorry, been trying to find you," he said, breathing a little heavy as he greeted Draco as well, "Harry wanted me to pass along a message that Peeves unscrewed a whole bathroom of faucets that started overflowing a little while ago."
She groaned, of course Peeves would try to wreak some havoc before the biggest Quidditch match of the year, "Does he need my help?"
"No, he just asked if you could fill in for him on the Pitch for the pre-game speech Ron always has to give to the teams and coaches. He said you don't need to know anything, you just have to listen and nod. Figured since Malfoy would be heading to the pitch, you may as well stand in."
"Oh, sure, no problem."
"Great, well I left Luna wandering back up the hill — she spotted something off on the grounds she wanted to examine before the match starts. Can't remember what it was she saw but I told her I'd be back after I found you. Hopefully she hasn't wandered too far."
"Good luck!" Hermione waved as Neville turned to head back up towards the castle.
"Well, you're in for an invigorating pre-game speech," Draco grinned at her and she sighed.
"Neville said all I have to do is listen and nod and I can do that."
O-o-o-o-o-o-o
The game was a nail-biter as the skills of the chasers from Gryffindor far exceeded those of Slytherin. Gryffindor was up 160-50 an hour and a half into the match when Fiona, who played seeker for Slytherin, made a dive for the golden snitch, followed closely, but not closely enough, by Marcus, the Gryffindor seeker. She'd wrapped her fingers around the snitch, pulling up right before her broom touched the ground, and raised her arm in the air in victory. Slytherin had won 200 to 160, winning them not just the game, but the Quidditch Cup.
Harry had made it down to the pitch half-way through the game and Draco had made sure to gloat about a celebration dinner on Saturday as the group made their way back up to the castle. Ron had shocked everyone by commenting that Fiona was one of the best seekers he'd seen from any of the houses since they'd began their apprenticeships and Padma had wrapped her arm around his waist and commended him on his willingness to look past his house affiliation and he'd warned her not to expect him to do the same with professional Quidditch teams. "Canons or bust."
Draco and Hermione had climbed into bed that evening, pulling the covers up to their necks as they entwined themselves together to beat the chill from spending the evening outside.
"You think Pansy and Ginny will get along?" Hermione asked with a yawn.
"All three of you are strong-headed women so I don't know how any of you get along," he responded as she pinched his side, "Ow! It's true! Three alphas."
"We're all perfectly nice girls."
"Nice and stubborn. Ow!"
"You're stubborn," she countered.
"Correct. And you wouldn't have it any other way."
Hermione leaned up and kissed him soundly as he pulled her closer, "Tomorrow will be fun."
"Always is with you," he said sleepily, resting his head atop hers as his eyes drifted closed. Hermione smiled to herself at the airy comment before nuzzling into his shoulder.
"I love you, Draco."
"Love you too, Granger."
O-o-o-o-o-o-o
"You clean up nicely, Potter," Draco said as Harry and Ginny descended the stairs from Gryffindor Tower Saturday evening.
"Amazing how good you can look when your wife dresses you," Harry replied.
"I didn't dress you," Ginny slapped his arm, "I just picked out your suit and did my best to tame your hair."
Draco and Harry shared a look and Ginny rolled her eyes as they joined him in the Entrance Hall.
"You look nice as well, Ginny," Draco said with a grin.
As silly as she may think a swanky restaurant was, she was still clearly intent on playing the part. She wore a tight red dress that slanted around her knee, falling to the floor at one side. Her hair was voluptuously styled, and a string of pearls hung around her neck. An unnecessary gift from Harry, she mentioned as he eyed it.
"Hermione said she'd be right down, she was trying to find her shoes in one of the many unpacked boxes in the corner of her room," Harry relayed.
"Ah so we may be here a while."
"So you said Pansy's boyfriend is a Quidditch player?" Ginny asked, still unsure how she felt about hanging out with Pansy Pug-Face Parkinson.
"Yes, for the Wasps; Chaser I believe."
"Ron's going to be jealous," Harry raised his eyebrows at Ginny, "We're lucky it wasn't a Canons player."
"He's welcome to join next time, you know," Draco slipped a hand in his pocket, "Him and Padma, if they wanted to."
"I'll pass the message along."
"Ah, there she is," Ginny said, turning at the sound of heels hitting the stone steps.
"Sorry, just couldn't find these darn shoes," Hermione said, taking the steps a bit quicker than she should be, given her lack of expertise in wearing heels to begin with. She made it to the bottom without mishap, however, and Draco met her there with a broad smile, "You are delectable tonight," he whispered in her ear before kissing her on the cheek.
"Don't say things like that when we're just at the beginning of the evening," she chided him with a blush, smoothing out the creases on her dress that had bunched as she hurried downstairs. The dress was a deep forest green with a v-neck that was suggestive, but not provocative, and flowed loosely over her curves down to mid-thigh.
"Green?" Ginny sighed, "He's really gotten to you, hasn't he?"
"I just thought it was a nice dress," Hermione laughed with a shake of her head as she took the hand Draco held out for her and the group started for the doors.
"I think the color is quite perfect," Draco quipped.
Within minutes they were turning off the muggle streets of London and into the alleyway leading to the restaurant.
"Is this a trap?" Ginny asked.
Hermione chuckled, "I think I asked something similar the first time he brought me here."
"This is where I brainwash you all into Slytherins," Draco tapped his wand on the door with a wiggle of his eyebrows before he pushed it open, leading the way inside.
Pansy and Nev were already there, waiting on the sleek leather couches in the sitting area by the door.
"I'll check us in," Draco said as they waved and Hermione nodded, leading Harry and Ginny to the couches while Draco turned the other direction.
"Hi Pansy!" Hermione beamed, not hesitating this time to go in for a kiss on each cheek, "I'd like to officially introduce you to Ginny and Harry," she gestured towards them before moving over to Nev to greet him with a hug that he returned warmly.
"Ginny Weasley, nice to officially meet you," Pansy said smoothly, swooping in for a double kiss as Ginny reacted swiftly, "I heard all about you sixth year."
"Why would I have come up in Slytherin conversation at Hogwarts?" Ginny scrunched up her face in confusion as she stepped back.
"Blaise was obsessed with you, not that he'd admit it, but he brought you up all the time in conversation," Pansy grinned, turning to Harry, "Harry Potter, what a pleasure," she pulled him in for a hug and he awkwardly patted her back.
"Er… hi Pansy, nice to see you again."
"You Gryffindors are too polite," she sighed as Nev introduced himself to each of them with a firm handshake and a smile before Pansy slipped back in against him, his arm curling around her back, "So Nev, at Hogwarts we had four houses. Draco and I were in Slytherin and the rest of the lot were in Gryffindor. We were rivals. In all senses of the term, honestly. Draco and I were quite awful as kids. It's a wonder any of them will even step foot in a room with us."
"You couldn't have been that bad," his French accent was heavy but suave as he grinned at her.
"Oh no, they certainly were," Ginny nodded in agreement.
"Sorry about all of that, truly, I hope we can all move past the rivalry and reacquaint." Pansy said, her voice holding as much sincerity as airy confidence.
"Of course, we've all grown up," Harry said. They'd prepared for this meeting and he and Ginny had sat down and talked about it. They knew what dinner with Pansy meant, it meant giving her another chance like they had Draco and they were both here with open minds.
"Our table is ready," Draco said, as he walked over, greeting Nev with a solid handshake hug and Pansy with a double kiss.
"Lead the way," she said as the group followed him back to the host station where they were shown to their table.
Dinner was as decadent as ever that evening and conversation flowed more naturally than Hermione could have hoped for. Ginny was decently well-informed on the professional Quidditch world and had gotten Nev talking on the inner workings of the different teams in the league and why he'd gone to the Wasps. Harry could see a spark in Ginny's eye as she talked about her own interest in trying out for a professional team one day and Nev had suggested that she and Harry come out to a practice some time and they'd graciously agreed, though she'd made it clear it was the Harpies she wanted to play for.
Hermione assumed it helped, having someone neutral in the group like Nev to remove some of the uncertainty of having her friends spend time with Pansy. She could also see the admiration Nev looked at Pansy with as she talked about the panel she'd hosted for the International Confederation of Wizards. He was clearly as smitten with her as she was with him, and it made the evening feel comfortable as three very happy couples sat together, getting to know one another. She barely remembered what it had been like, before, to be the unhappy couple at the table that made a nice evening a bit more awkward. She had looked over at Draco at one point, whose arm was around the back of her chair as he recanted a thrilling Harpies game he'd been to as a kid, revealing it was what made the Harpies his second favorite team, behind Puddlemere United.
Draco had paid for dinner, something all five of them had vehemently fought him on before he told them he'd pre-paid for it at the host stand before they'd even sat and that there was nothing they could do even if they wanted to.
They'd gone on to the Alchemist Den from there, and the looks of wonder on Harry and Ginny's faces were worth it. Much like her, they'd never had a period to truly enjoy their youth before they'd been forced to grow up. They'd all ordered different drinks at the bar, taking recommendations from the bartender, who had greeted Draco and Pansy welcomingly as they'd approached.
They sat at a booth in the corner that had a soft leather bench with a back that rose to the ceiling, making it feel private and semi-enclosed.
"You missed a great time at the Den last weekend," Pansy said to Hermione with a mischievous look as she slid in next to her, Ginny sliding in on the other side of Hermione, "There was a big group of younger wizards and witches in town from Munich and at two in the morning they started a bucking broomstick competition," she laughed airily and Hermione cocked her head to the side.
"What's a bucking broomstick competition?" she asked, looking over at Ginny, who also looked like she had no idea.
"They charm the broom to hover in the middle of the room and you hop on and it tries to throw you off," Pansy elaborated excitedly, "I've been to a few cocktail dens that have an actual setup with cushions and all that. This was just a spur of the moment thing one of the rowdy newcomers decided to get going. At least ten or fifteen of us had a go on it before someone forgot their cushioning charm when they were thrown off and management shut it down. It was quite the party before that."
"Do you come here often?" Ginny asked.
"I used to come every few months or so, but Nev loves it here as much as I do so we're here a couple of times a month."
Hermione could tell she was holding back by keeping her expression in a grin, which was more in character, but her eyes lit up when she talked about him. Draco, Harry and Nev were on the other side of the table, currently fully engaged in a conversation on the novel Nev was working on, centered around Werewolves.
"He seems like a really good one," Ginny said genuinely.
The facade broke as Pansy's grin spread into a broad, gushing smile, "He is, isn't he?" she giggled before reeling it back in and pushing her hair behind her ear, "We met at a Ministry event. My boss is a big Wasps fan, and one of the largest sponsors for the stadium, so he'd gotten acquainted with Nev through events and introduced us at one of our twilight hour gatherings. I think he'd have been a Ravenclaw at Hogwarts," she said with a look over at him, cocking her head to the side, as though it was something that needed to be decided on.
"I agree, I thought Ravenclaw too," Ginny grinned back, "The novel was a dead giveaway, but I thought his personality perfectly fit as well. He seems very driven by logic. Like when he mentioned the statistics of the different teams' turnover as a major factor in his decision to go to the Wasps. Very calculated."
"He's such a great offset to my personality," she sighed, "Never afraid to gently disagree when I say something incorrect. Some of us need that. Especially with some of the drama that happens at the Ministry. Good to have someone logical to come home to, to talk it out and tell me when I'm in the wrong."
"How do you like Ministry life in general?" Hermione asked, she'd had an interest in several departments when she'd first finished her schooling, but teaching had felt like a calling when the initial notice was sent around that Hogwarts would be hiring.
"Feels second nature, honestly," Pansy said, "It's all politics - who you know, who you schmooze, what you attend. It's easy enough when you know the game. But I love my department. Working with all of the international witches and wizards is eye opening. Seeing so many different kinds of people together in one place for one purpose. Makes you consider things in a different way. I'm very happy where this role has taken my life. And what about you two, do you plan to teach forever?"
"I don't," Ginny said thoughtfully, "I really would like to try out for a professional Quidditch team in the next few years. But I think Harry would like to teach for a while. He's so great at it."
"No auror life in his future?"
"No, I think he's had enough excitement fighting dark wizards to last him a lifetime," Ginny said dryly, draining the last sip in her drink.
"And you, Granger? Teacher for life?"
"For a while," she nodded, "I'm definitely happy there right now. But I feel like I'm at an interesting time in my life where a lot of things seemed predetermined for so long and now I feel in control of the path again. I'm just very content letting life progress on its own because I like the direction it's headed in now that I've released the reins. When there's no destination, you notice a lot more just enjoying the ride."
"Hermione Granger, go-with-the-flow enthusiast," Ginny threw her arm around her shoulder and pulled her to her with a laugh, "I love it. Never thought I'd see it, but I do love it."
"It's the right attitude to take on life with," Pansy finished her drink, setting the glass into a square in the middle of the table where it disappeared.
"How did you do that?" Ginny asked, releasing Hermione and leaning towards the middle of the table to inspect it.
"Oh, it's a vanishing charm they have on each of the squares on the tables," Pansy pointed around the room where Ginny, and Hermione, noticed each of the tables had a similar space, "You just put your finished glassware there and it vanishes back to the kitchens to be washed. They like the tidy look and try not to have too many servers taking up valuable floor space."
"That's a very neat charm," Ginny said, grabbing her glass and placing it in the square, watching as it disappeared within a few seconds, "Very neat."
"I didn't even notice that last time we were here," Hermione said.
"They really do have some innovative charms they use at this place," Pansy nodded, "I guess I take that for granted since I'm here so often."
The lighting began to dim as the patrons around the room stood and the tables and chairs from the middle of the floor began to make their way through the back door. Ginny and Harry's heads perked up at the movement and Pansy and Draco shared an amused look. The short, veiled witch glided out from the curtains and began her crooning as Nev stood, holding out his hand for Pansy.
"Looks like the dancing has started," he said with a sweet smile and Pansy winked at Hermione before taking his hand and being led to the dance floor, Hermione, Draco, Ginny and Harry not far behind them.
"I don't think I've ever 'gone out dancing'," Ginny whispered to her, sounding excited.
"The music is great," Hermione told her, "I'm so happy you both came."
Draco had slipped his hand around her back and was pulling her to him with a devious smile that earned her attention, "Onto my favorite part of the night," he said, his other hand interlacing their fingers as they moved along the floor.
The group was out until the early morning, when Ginny finally pulled Hermione aside, "My feet, I can't do it. I've never worn heels this long in all my life!" her voice was slurred slightly, her eyelids heavy, but her eyes were still bright from the fun the group had had the last few hours.
"Yes, I'm ready to call it too," Hermione nodded, her head feeling too heavy for her shoulders as she smiled, turning her face up to Draco, who was behind her, hands on her hips, swaying to the music, "Time for bed!" she said in his ear and he grinned back at her, capturing her lips for one more kiss before he nodded as well.
They waved goodbye to Pansy and Nev, who had made it back to the booth in the corner and were talking very closely between kisses and had looked up just long enough for a smile and wave back.
The collapse in bed that evening was coupled with an exhilarated sigh and significantly more snogging under the covers before they fell asleep wrapped up together. Their heads would hurt in the morning, but the time together out with friends enjoying life made it all worth it. Besides, a vial of Revitalization Serum would cure the regret in no time.
O-o-o-o-o-o-o