Recap of chapter 42: Ginny overhears Hermione saying she fancies Harry, which is not true. Parvati suggested Hermione be brave and bold. Hermione struggles with reading runes as they cause her to end up in pain when she tries to read them. Hermione learns that Draco was ambushed by Theo, Crabbe, and Goyle. Dr. Augsen gives Hermione a less powerful version of dreamless sleep draught, Hermione is unaware as she is under the impression it is a stronger dose. Luna and Hermione become friends after Luna points Hermione in the right direction of what Theo had slipped her. Hermione reveals that she had made a deal with Lucius over Crewe's freedom. Hermione has a break through in her dreams and is able to read runes again.
Friendly reminder that Que is read as Cho.
TW: Mention of miscarriage, Torture, depression and self loathing thoughts.
Lucius nearly dropped to his knees seeing Narcissa's dead body.
What stopped him from doing so, was the swift movement of Voldemort kicking her side so her body rolled over and revealed that she died protecting two more people he could not fathom never seeing ever again: Draco and Hermione.
"She's always been so emotional." The dark Wizard said matter-of-factly. "She better not be pregnant again, if I return. I'll kill the little imp like I did last time. She's much too feral when she's with child. It gets in the way of my ability to control her."
If? Lucius' eyes darted to the open drawer of the letter cabinet he had been searching through just moments earlier. This isn't real. Held his breath for a fraction of a second, something he always did when needing to regain control of his emotions and shaking hands. Imagining his favorite childhood toy, Lucius raised his wand at Voldemort, something he would never do if the real Dark Lord was in front of him. "Riddikulus." The Voldemort boggart immediately turned into a Jack-in-a-Box that had a puppet Voldemort lightly bouncing on the end of the extended spring.
Not realizing that there was more than one boggart due to a boggarts ability to shape shift into several objects at once, Lucius watched with narrowed eyes as the bodies of Narcissa, Draco and Hermione gathered into two dark spirals before the boggarts settled on the image of an alive Draco and Narcissa. Draco was pressing himself against the wall, with Narcissa using her own body to act as a barrier between Lucius and their son. "Please Abraxas, he's just a boy!"
Abraxas? Fear stirred within him once more. Is that how she sees me? Is that how Draco sees me? Lucius would be lying if the scene was unfamiliar in more ways than one. While Narcissa had never put herself between Lucius and Draco like this before, there was once a time where Lucius was the one who cowered against one of the many walls of the manor with his mother trying to protect him from the wrath of his father. There was also another time where he actually had scared Draco into a similar position.
Lucius shook his head at the memories and aimed his wand at the non-beings once more, causing Draco to grab at his mother as she screamed. "Riddikulus." The second boggart turned into a stuffed Mooncalf, the most ridiculous creature Lucius had ever heard of. A brief bout of anger flashed through him as the last boggart morphed again, but he kept his wand at the ready.
"Lucius, stop!" Hermione cried out as she laid on the floor, too weak to stand as her muscles locked and released against her will. Her hair was clumped together by knots from her head rolling against the floor and her eyes were bright with tears. He saw this particular look on many muggles and muggleborns he had tortured in the past with the Cruciatus Curse. "Please," She whined. "The Order can help -"
Lucius stance faltered as he remembered a similar conversation with another witch long ago, an Alice Longbottom to be exact. He wasn't aware that some boggarts were powerful enough to completely draw from a wizard's memories.
"Crucio!" The curse sounded distant, but Lucius recognized Bellatrix's voice just before Hermione's screams started up again.
"STOP IT, STOP! PLEASE, AAHHHH!" The convulsions that racked her body turned into full on thrashing as she kicked the air and slammed her own fists into her head in an attempt to create new pain to distract her from the torture of the curse.
I need to make it stop. It was difficult, even for a seasoned wizard like him, but he was eventually able to conjure a pleasant enough item to turn the boggart into, over the sound of her blood-curdling screams. "Riddikulus." In the last boggart's place was a doll house. Lucius breathed a sigh of relief to know there wasn't one more boggart he needed to fight off.
Lucius banished the items and turned back to the letter cabinet he had opened, riffling through the grey envelopes almost carelessly. Soon, he found the three offending envelopes, the seals having been popped open. He sucked his teeth as he reapplied a sticking charm on the rest of the howlers that kept boggarts trapped within them before burning the envelopes he had withdrawn. He retrieved the normal black envelope he had initially opened the cabinet for and sealed his letter in it before he started his trek to the owlery. Usually, he would send Crewe to retrieve an owl for him, but considering what he had just witnessed, he thought a slightly lengthy walk might have done him some good. He tried not to think about what the boggarts had turned into, but it was difficult. The first two were his two worst fears, but the last one he knew wasn't just derived from fear, it was also borne out of guilt. There's nothing I can do now to atone for what I had done. I've never felt remorse before, so why now?
Upon his arrival at the owlery, Lucius rolled up the sleeves of his shirt before beckoning his owl Zeus to a lower perch so his letter may be attached. The shadow of the bird's wings as Zeus flew off brought Lucius' attention to the dark mark. It looked different today and he eyed it curiously in the sun light. He seldom ever looked at it as he despised the reminder of the darkest years of his life, but he distinctly remembered that it had become very cloudy once Voldemort had disappeared from the world. He frowned as he pulled the pale skin around his mark taut to look at the outline he swore had not been defined for nearly fifteen years.
"You were right, the muggle was murdered with the killing curse." Lucius looked up from the journal he had been writing in at Narcissa's announcement. She had just arrived in his study and he couldn't stop the corners of his eyes crinkling from the smile he had as he looked at Narcissa. "The snake skin you brought me belonged to a Maledictus witch, although the curse is in full affect and she won't be able to change back into her human form."
"How unfortunate." Lucius put his journal to the side to give his wife his full attention. There wasn't a hint of sorrow in his voice.
"The witch was also made a Horcrux, it seemed." Narcissa pursed her lips in thought. "I think I am going to have the children take a look at the snake skin themselves so they have at least one educational experience this summer. It was an interesting find - It seems that when she was turned into a Horcrux, it interacted with the blood curse and caused the species of her form to change, which is why she had ended up shedding."
"That is fascinating, but a Horcrux? Why make a living being one?" Lucius was happy he had not reported the break in to the Aurors. If the Horcrux was created in the Riddle home, there was no doubt they would try to pin the traces of the illegal magic on to him as the property was under his name.
"I never considered making one, so I can't say I see the logic behind it either." She gave a tight smile, but she glanced down at his arm. "There hasn't been any changes to your mark, has there?"
Lucius paused and when he spoke, his voice was hushed as if someone had the ability to listen to their conversation. "You think he somehow came back from the grave -?"
Narcissa held up a hand after giving her head a quick shake. "For my peace of mind, please just humor me, Lucius."
He was confident there would be no change, but he still pulled at his cuff so he may peer down his dress shirt sleeve. "Not a blur out of place." Narcissa nodded as she tried not to make her sigh of relief so obvious. "You worry too much. We both know he's gone for good. Even if he had made a Horcrux and was kept alive because of it, it's nearly impossible to make a second."
Narcissa spared him a polite smile.
Lucius and Narcissa worried for years if the reason the mark never disappeared was because it was a hint that Voldemort may have still been alive somehow. As the years passed and the Dark Lord never came back, they chalked up the lack of a disappearing mark simply meant that the marks she created were etched into their skin a little too well.
We had that conversation before the Quidditch Cup though, so I am positive any change in my mark may have been triggered by the Dark Mark being cast in the air. No reason to worry. He ran through the reasoning several times to verify it was sound before he headed back towards the manor. The Dark Lord is long gone. I should be worrying about convincing Narcissa to let me join her full time in the orphanage. That woman never wants to let me help her without a fight.
When Hermione woke up on her birthday, she wasn't surprised to see gifts at the foot of her bed, but she was surprised to see the amount of gifts she had. In addition to the book she received from Ron, the candy from Harry, and the new school supplies from the Malfoys (everything was Dragon bound or made of gold – aside from the pewter cauldron), she had received three additional presents. Two she could easily identify as magazines, but one was in a large envelope.
Hermione lifted the large, black manila envelope that she knew was from Draco. Despite the lack of signature. She carefully untied the strings and pulled out the paper that was inside. It was beautiful, as Draco's drawings always were and she found herself trailing a finger along the curve of the drawing's face. Her face. Draco had gifted her a portrait and she couldn't stop the warmth spreading through her at the small details she kept noticing the more she looked at it. He made her hair the perfect amount of frizzy at the end of the day, and he didn't shy away from giving her a real smile, buckteeth and all. She nervously licked at the front of her teeth at that, afraid of what he thought of them if they were prominent enough for him to sketch, but she turned her attention to the freckles he sprinkled on her face. It was another, much smaller insecurity she had as she had always been targeted for her teeth and hair before anything else, but the shading of it was impeccable – she had to appreciate the work he put in it. Her favorite detail about the drawing though, was the scar on her brow. After she had woken up to her bleeding almost a fortnight ago, the scar now went all the way through her brow instead of it being nestled in the middle of her eyebrow. It had grown on her, as she now agreed with Draco that it made her look as tough as she wanted to feel, since it no longer looked like she cut herself with a razor.
Hermione hugged the drawing to her chest and tilted her head back. She felt as if she was both soaring in Gryffindor tower, and sinking into her bed. She had hoped that not being in the same house would provide her crush the ability to fade, but the feelings only seemed to intensify. She constantly was looking forward to her and Draco's next secret meeting, and the thought of him always brought a smile to her face. Hermione started to fear if she let the unrequited feelings continue, she would go mad.
She placed the drawing to the side along with her giddiness that Draco brought her and reached for one of the Magazines. She laughed when she saw the newest edition of The Quibbler in front of her. She flipped it open to see a homemade birthday card made out of parchment looking back at her. Luna had taken the time to draw swirls and stars that were charmed to spin or blink in and out of view. Hermione opened the folded card and at the very top was Luna's scratchy and spaced out hand writing that was still much more legible that Ron's. 'This is a Nargle free gift. Store with care.' Hermione made a mental note to set a date with Luna for them to study together as she still had not done so, before she continued reading:
Many happy returns to you on your birthday, Hermione. This edition does not include spectrespecs, but dad is looking into releasing an edition that does have them! He agreed with me when I mentioned that it would be most helpful for his subscribers to be aware of the creatures around them.
I can't wait to hear which article you liked best this time. I personally enjoyed the one about Stevie Nick's pet Diricawl.
- Your friend, Luna Lovegood.
Hermione blinked several times before checking the table of contents to find the mentioned article. Not once did she ever think that there may have been wizards parading around as Muggle celebrities, but lo and behold, she came across not just the article, but a very accurate caricature of the rock star posing with the large, birdlike creature.
Setting the magazine down after giving the article a quick skim, she picked up the remaining gift. The last magazine was no doubt from Lavender and Parvati. It was a Cosmopolitan magazine and they had used sticky notes (one of their 'muggle discoveries' made by Lavender who made it her personal mission to horde every color made) to bring attention to articles that addressed how to approach and get the attention of your crush and other features of the like. The one that had her pause though, was a quiz.
Hermione didn't know if she hated that she actually allowed herself to take the 'Does he fancy you back or are you just a friend?' quiz before moving on with her morning routine, or if she hated herself for blushing for taking the quiz anyway after acknowledging it was probably a load of rubbish. If your answer is YES to any of the below questions, give yourself one point. If the answer is NO, do not give yourself any points.
1. Does he set time out of day his to see you?
Well, of course he does. We make plans to study often enough. Hermione lifted a finger to keep track of the points she accumulated.
2. Does he bring you to family gatherings and events?
That hardly counts. Hermione kept a finger down as she raised a judging eyebrow instead. I should just stop taking this quiz now. She didn't.
3. Does he remember small details you've told him?
Hermione thought back to yesterday when she and Draco were in the library. He had somehow coaxed her into venting about the frustration she had with Ron for not putting her notes from class in the color coded order she kept them in, when he copied them. Draco then took the binder from her while she was mid rant, and reordered it into the exact sequence she kept it in. She had only brought the subject up to Draco once before when she was debating if alphabetical order would be a better method to stay organized. Yes, he does.
4. Does he encourage you to do that one thing you've been wanting to try?
She didn't know whether she should smile or growl at the question. On one hand, he had not discouraged her like she thought he would when she brought up S.P.E.W to him initially - She finally renamed the organization, but now he refused to help her anymore until she changed the name again. "Who would want to join something that sounds so ghastly?" He asked when she announced the name change. After she snapped at him, he defended himself by saying that he only wanted to see her put her full effort into a cause she cared about. I suppose that would count as a 'YES'.
5. Does he complain you do not spend enough time together?
Hermione felt her heart pick up its pace as she lifted another finger. Draco was constantly pouting and complaining that it wasn't fair she saw Harry and Ron more than him. She teased him about it relentlessly.
6. Did he want you to meet his friends?
She paused as she thought about it. He wasn't eager to have me acquainted with Blaise, but he wasn't against it. Hermione kept her finger down, unsure of how to answer.
7. And finally, Have you guys ever had a moment when you felt like he wanted to kiss you?
Hermione stared at the question before closing her eyes and trying to clear her thoughts and feelings to have a more objective view as she brought up the memory again.
"Draco?" Hermione's heart was beating much too fast and she knew it wasn't because of the dancing. Draco was looking at her like he wanted to say something - or do something. It was similar to the look that Ron gave her before, but she welcomed it feeling her heart flutter in response. He didn't respond when she called out her name, but he did start to lower his face to hers. She froze, not knowing what his intentions were.
Her eyes widened as another finger flew up. He had the same look Ron had... And Ron fancies me so maybe – With a racing heart, Hermione flipped the magazine upside down to read the fine print at the bottom of the page: 0-2, Sorry, he doesn't like you. 3-4, Nothing more than a friend. 5-7, I hear wedding bells! Hermione looked at her hand that held five fingers completely flexed, she had scored five out of seven which apparently meant that Cosmopolitan thought that he wanted something with her.
She threw the magazine to sit with the rest of her presents at the end of the bed. Utter bollocks. Hermione decided that she needed to focus on getting through Monday and another birthday without her parents, rather than let a gossip rag dictate her love life.
But even as the Gryffindor pulled her hair into her usual messy bun, or brushed her uneven teeth, she couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, Cosmopolitan was right.
She secretly hoped it was.
Harry, Ron, Neville, and the twins were staring at Hermione like she had just started speaking troll, grew multiple heads or said that she was a Seer. With the bite of bread that had just fell out of Ron's gaping mouth, she thought that he imagined all three had happened.
"Ron, that's disgusting." Hermione grimaced and only felt a little bad when a slight brush appeared on his face. She sighed and was going to continue with the pitch she had been making when George asked a question.
"How many members have you got?"
"Well," Hermione hoped no one caught the way her eyes flicked over to the side of the courtyard where a group of Slytherins were sitting – Draco included. "Well – if you two join - five."
"Five? Who had you told before us?" Ron's eyebrows were pulled together as he frowned at Hermione, thinking she had started to tell others about her organization before her best friends.
"No one," Hermione didn't miss how easy the lie floated off her lips. "I'm counting you two already," she pointed at him and Harry. "As I'd like for you to be our treasurer and Harry to be our secretary."
"Really?" Harry asked, being pulled out of his one sided staring contest with Que Chang who was sitting with Marietta Edgecomb, another Ravenclaw, and several Hufflepuffs.
"And you think we want to walk around wearing badges saying 'spew' on it, do you?" Ron countered.
"S-P-E-W!" Hermione crossed her arm over her chest as she spelled out the acronym, the tin with the single galleon in it settled beneath one arm. I was going to put Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status," Hermione once again glanced at Draco, who was now pushing his hair back as he smirked in her direction, leading her to believe he heard her raising her voice at Ron. "But it was a mouthful." In the crowded courtyard, she heard his faint laugh. "So Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare is the heading of our manifesto." She brandished the sign up sheaf of parchment and offered it to Fred and George.
"This is what you've been researching in the library, then?" Harry glanced at the sign up paper the Twins were reading before looking at Hermione to see she was digging in her bag for a quill.
"Yes, Elf enslavement goes back centuries. I can't believe no one's done anything about it before now." Hermione was just about to go into detail on what she hoped to accomplish Fred passed the parchment back, without their signatures.
"Until I see some elf signatures on there, we're out." Fred shifted his bag that was hanging on one shoulder, higher up. "George and I have a little project of our own we're working on anyways."
Hermione slightly deflated, despite the kind decline. "You should try talking to some of the elves here, they'll tell you how much they like their jobs." Fred added.
"I haven't seen a single house elf in the three years we've been attending Hogwarts." Harry stated.
"A sign of a good house elf then." George cut in, causing Fred and Ron to laugh at the glare Hermione threw. "Go to the kitchens. You can get there by going through one of the doors in the entrance hall and taking the stairs downwards. You'll end up in a basement corridor, with loads of food paintings. Tickle the pear on a painting of a bowl of fruit and you'll find all the house elves to talk to."
"Just don't piss them off too much. We like to stay friendly with them." Fred warned. "Let's go, George. We have an owl to send off."
"How come they never tell me any of this stuff?" Ron said with the last piece of bread lodged instead of his cheek so he could speak. "It's always you two -"
"Oh, Ron, think about it though! Can you imagine if I can get house elves to speak up against their own oppression?" Hermione was beside herself. This is the best present I could have gotten today! Lucius won't be able to refuse.
"Hermione – open your ears," Ron said loudly. She could feel the unfinished argument they had at the Quidditch World Cup starting to reappear. "They. Like. It. They like being enslaved!"
The happy bubble that started to build in her popped. "That's ridiculous, Ron!"
"That's ridiculous, Ron!" Hermione turned around to see that Theo was the one who had mocked her, his cronies Crabbe and Goyle behind him.
"Oh, look what the kneazle dragged in." Hermione threw over her shoulder before she looked back to Ron and Harry, intent on ignoring whatever Theo tried to throw back at her.
"Yeah, the orphaned trio." Hermione's jaw dropped as she whirled around, not believing someone actually delivered that low of a blow. "Oh wait, Ron you still have your parents, right? You should volunteer to go up for adoption, mate, then your family wouldn't have to struggle so much.
Hermione rushed forward, ready to take Theo on not just for Ron's sake, but for Draco's too, but she felt arms wrap around her to restrain her.
"Guys, stop! Snape is right there!" Neville said, wiggling with Hermione while he tried to keep his grasp on her. Hermione stopped just as Snape walked past them, his robes billowing in the wind behind him. He has to charm them to float like that. There is no way that the material is that fluid. Hermione found humor despite her angry thoughts and she felt half of a smile appear on her face. I read one bloody magazine and now I think I can challenge Parvati in knowledge of fabrics.
Sensing that Hermione was no longer going to attack Theo, Neville let her go. She straightened her uniform out, but Theo was far from done with them. "You know Ron, if you insist on keeping your parents, you should at least get a facial scar like these too so you aren't completely the odd one out."
This time, Hermione didn't rush forward with Harry and Ron, but she did step in front of Ron while Neville held on to Harry's sleeve. "He's not worth it, Ron. Are you done here, Nott?" Hermione placed the S.P.E.W. Collection tin back in her bag.
"Aw, you're not still mad at me, are you, Kitten? I know you must have drank it by now." Hermione felt her hand twitch, itching to enclose around her wand's hilt to hex Nott to high heaven. She didn't know what to say to say in that moment and it had her clenching her teeth. Breaking her typically urbane composure seemed to be enough for him though. "No matter, I really came to talk to Weasley, anyway." Theo held out his hand and Crabbe slapped an issue of The Daily Prophet into it. Hermione couldn't help but think that Nott had trained Crabbe and Goyle better than Draco ever had. Her thoughts halted though once he started reading at a loud volume, grabbing the attention of everyone in the courtyard:
FURTHER MISTAKES AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC
It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."
"Isn't - Isn't your dad the head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts, Weasley?" Nott looked up. "Imagine them not even getting his name right. It's almost as though he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?" he crowed. A crowd hard started to gather around them, and Nott's dark eyes danced around, delight filling his features before he straightened the paper with a flourish and read on:
Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was involved several weeks ago in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene.
"And there's a picture, Weasley!" said Nott, flipping the paper over and holding it up to his face, as if he really needed to get a close look. "A picture of your parents outside their house — if you can call it a house! Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"
Ron was shaking with fury, and Hermione was conflicted on if she should do the right thing or what she wanted to do.
"Get stuffed, Nott," she heard Harry say. "C'mon, Ron -"
"Oh, the article isn't done yet." Nott's eyes once again fell on Hermione and she closed her eyes. What ever he says next, you will not react. He is due for karma to be handed to him, but you will not act, not yet and not in front of everyone. Hermione did her best to imagine how Narcissa would act so she could mimic the unperturbed air the woman practically exuded when she needed to.
Perhaps this is why the Weasleys had been denied custody of, now fifteen year old, Hermione Granger, who had lost her parents in a tragic murder that she witnessed in the Summer of 1993. The girl was left with severe mental scaring that an already questionable household, like the Weasleys, would just exacerbate.
Before her eyes flew open, she could already feel the eyes of the surrounding student body on her. Nott was practically grinning ear to ear, knowing what rumors were bound to be spread now, but before the rest of the article could be read, Draco had ripped the news paper from Nott's hands. "Give me that. Your bloody cawing was making my ears bleed." Hermione was both elated and suspicious on what Draco's next move was. Surely, there's no way that he can trick others to think he isn't defending me again. Draco looked down at the article before a sneer broke out on his face. "You skipped over some vital information about the Weasley's, Nott." Of course.Hermione huffed, knowing the verbal onslaught was not going to stop, but be redirected away from her.
Ron, however, had had enough. "Malfoy, I swear -"
"On what? I'd ask if your word was as good as gold but," Draco's eyes slowly raked over Ron's person. "I don't think you've ever even seen gold."
Harry and Neville both jumped on Ron as Hermione stepped forward and pulled out her wand. "Enough! Incendio!" Nott, Crabbe, and Goyle stepped back to retreat as the paper Draco was holding burst into flames. Instead of retreating himself though, Draco pulled out his wand in defense. Hermione eyes widened as if to ask 'what are you doing?' but Draco slightly shrugged one shoulder, his meaning was clear: 'it was just a reaction'. Both teens stared at each other, unsure of what to do or say next.
To either their fortune or misfortune though, neither had to do a thing. There was a loud BANG, several surprised screams, and Draco was gone. In his place, a pure white Angora ferret.
"THINK YOU CAN PULL YOUR WAND ON A LADY, DO YA?" Professor Moody was limping across the courthouse to the ferret. He was the only one who was moving a muscle as every other student was terrified – or in shock like Hermione was, realizing that Draco was the ferret. She took a step forward to pick Draco up, but Moody was quick on a wooden leg. He half put himself between her and Draco, before he flicked his wand, sending Draco into the air. "Did your parents not teach you proper etiquette?" Draco started to fall to the ground, but Moody sent him up once, twice, three, times in the air so Draco appeared to be bouncing. "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do."
Hermione watched with open-mouthed horror as the ferret flew through the air, his arms and legs flailing helplessly. "Professor, stop!"
"I don't think so, lassie. I have a lesson to teach -"
I can't interfere magically, I could hurt Draco and if Moody and I cast the wrong spell at once. "Professor, please! I pulled my wand on him first -" Hermione's elevated voice caught the attention of a Professor McGonagall who seemed to just be passing by the courtyard in the same direction Snape had just gone.
"Professor Moody!" McGonagall was gripping the front of her long, robes in one hand while she held a pile of books in the other.
"Hello, Professor McGonagall," Moody said with the same energy that one would if they were commenting on the weather. He never took his eye off of the still bouncing ferret, but his magical eye did swivel wildly to land on McGonagall.
"What are you doing?" Professor McGonagall followed the ferret's progress through the air.
"Teaching."
Hermione inhaled sharply at Professor Moody's cheek before she shrieked, "PROFESSOR, THAT'S A STUDENT!"
McGonagall dropped her books at once. "Moody, is that a student?!"
"Yep," He replied without hesitation.
"No!" McGonagall's wand was out in an instant, and a loud snapping noise sounded. Hermione cast a cushioning charm on to the ground before Draco fell the ten feet, landing on his arse. Draco's face was pink, and his hair looked even more pale as thin strands were plastered to his forehead. Hermione forgetting entirely they were surrounded by students, started to walk towards him. Draco saw her movement and gave a slight shake of his head, telling her to keep her distance.
"Moody, we never use transfiguration as a punishment!" There were few times Hermione had seen her Head of House so angry – which was saying a lot. As professional as the Professor was, Hermione was still unsure if Seamus' Irish temperament was more explosive than McGonagall's Scottish one.
"Come on, let's go." Neville was pulling at Hermione's sleeve, uncomfortable being around a livid McGonagall. It was understandable after he had been at the mercy of her wrath several times last year, and Hermione thought that it would be better for at least Draco's sake, to get Ron and Harry's prying eyes away from the scene.
Thankfully, Harry nor Ron objected when Hermione hinted at them leaving by mentioning she wanted to get started on their charms homework.
"Don't talk to me," Ron said quietly, staring intently at the space before him as they made their way back to Gryffindor tower.
"Why not?" Hermione expected him to give at least three reruns about what her other best friend had been through, just as Ron often did with Quidditch matches.
"Because I want to fix that in my memory forever."
Hermione rolled her eyes as Neville and Harry laughed with Ron, but she was at least content she didn't have to worry about possible getting into another row with Ron about publicly defending Draco. They did, however, almost get into a spat about his new title for her Slytherin friend: Draco Malfoy, Salazer's Bouncing Ferret.
Even though Hermione was no longer doing her research for S.P.E.W, she still scarfed down her dinner as if she was going to be on her way back to the Library. Instead of immediately running off though, her escape was delayed by Hera, Narcissa's owl, dropping off a last minute parcel at dinner. Something she imagined had only been allowed due to it being her birthday. Hermione fed the owl a bit of liverwurst before opening the box to reveal four homemade treats: A chocolate cauldron cake, an apple tart, a miniature Chantilly cake, and several pieces of treacle fudge that looked much more decadent than the ones Hagrid made around Christmas time. Every treat was presented on top of a lace patterned, paper doily.
There was a letter stuck to the lid of the cake box and Hermione opened it eagerly to be greeted by Narcissa's calligraphy:
Many happy returns on your birthday Hermione,
I was unsure of what pastries your friends would be interested in, so I decided to include a small selection, although I will say the Chantilly cake was baked with you in mind. I do know you prefer sweets with real fruit in it, so I am confident you'll enjoy it.
I hope your special day was filled with many highlights.
Sincerely,
Narcissa Midase Malfoy.
'I hope your special day was filled with many highlights.' Hermione's eyes landed to the empty spot on the Slytherin's table where Draco once was, but she suspected he had already left for the music room she was to be meeting him in. I wouldn't say highlights, but it was definitely eventful.
"What's that you got there?" Harry asked, nodding to the box of sweets.
"Narcissa sent us desserts for my birthday! They're home made, would you like the cauldron cake or the treacle fudge?"
Harry looked over at Ron after a moment's hesitation. "You want the cauldron cake or treacle fudge?"
Ron, who had just been listening to Neville rant about the Herbology book Professor Moody had lent him, glanced over and saw the parcel Hermione had in front of her. "Were those sent by the Malfoys?"
"Yes." Hermione replied slowly, not liking the look of hesitation on Ron's face.
"No thanks, 'Mione." Ron looked down at his own food, a grimace on his face, but for once he seemed as if he wanted to avoid an argument.
"And why is that?" She asked as Harry removed the cauldron cake from Hermione's box. "Harry doesn't have a problem with where they came from."
She gave Ron a pointed look just as Harry had sunk his teeth into a ginormous bite of the chocolate dessert. Ron looked slightly alarmed, but not as much as Ginny as she watched the teen she fancied eat a dessert made by the hands of Narcissa Malfoy. Harry swallowed the treat shortly after so he could speak without food obstructing his speech. "I actually do have a problem from where they came from, but I don't have a problem with sweets. I don't trust the Malfoys, but if they wanted to harm Hermione, it would have been over the summer. That's what she keeps saying, isn't it? And I did receive food from Hermione over the Summer. They could have easily poisoned me then." Hermione knew that Harry was aware that the food had actually come from her childhood home, but she appreciated his attempt at wanting to sooth his friend's nerves. She wasn't surprised that it was Harry who was taking her side as he was usually the agreeable one. Even with Ron being in a particularly good mood after watching Draco be turned into a ferret, he wasn't going to ;et go of any preconceived ideas about the Malfoys.
"And what about me? I had you-know-who," Ginny lowered her voice to a malevolent hiss as she said the moniker, "in my head for an entire school year thanks to Lucius."
Ron made the same thinking face he often did when playing wizard's chess as he considered Harry's words. "Technically they gave you the diary over the Summer holiday." Ron's skill with a chess board did not translate to social situations, though.
"I don't believe you! You're supposed to be my brother." Ginny got up from her seat and stormed out of the Great Hall, her food only half-eaten. Hermione was filled with sadness watching her friend leave – she still hadn't been able to corner Ginny into a conversation to explain that she did not actually have a crush on Harry, she simply wanted Parvati and Lavender to stop interrogating her.
Harry took another bite of the fudge, but with less enthusiasm as he did so. Ron had apparently been convinced with Harry's reasoning and asked if the offer was still on the table to take the fudge off of her hands. She happily handed it over to him and watched her two friends eat a bit before heading up to the music room. Hermione had not only missed Draco, she was worried about him. She knew first hand how cruel Slytherins could be with their teasing and didn't think they were capable on holding back on a member of their own house.
Once she was able to set her sight on the gray tapestry that hid the occupied music room on the third floor, her heart rate seemed to pick up speed. She both loved and hated the feeling of anticipation that filled her whenever she was going to meet with Draco. On one hand, it felt like every part of her felt alive, and she knew deep down it was because having a crush on Draco was the simplest thing in her life. It was easy to fancy him.
Hermione had started to get the grasp that life was littered with trials, tests, and tribulations, so to have something that came easy to her was off-putting. Her worst fear though was that she would never get over her feelings if he did not feel the same. Rejection was where her nerves were currently stemming from.
None of that right now, she chastised herself as she drew closer to the music room. Your day has been decent enough if you forget about Nott. There's no reason to plague your own thoughts with negativity. After fighting the effects of the tapestry, she couldn't keep the broad smile off of her face at the sight of him sitting at the piano. She didn't say anything upon entering as she stood in the doorway, but she didn't need to. He immediately stopped playing and stood to greet her as she closed the door behind her, the parcel in her hands. "I saved you the apple tart. I thought you'd prefer that to the cauldron cake or treacle fudge Harry and Ron claimed."
The smile that appeared on his face was one of the genuine ones he seemed to reserve only for her. "I love mother's tarts. She picks the fruit from the gardens."
"Makes sense." She breathed. Hermione and Draco hovered for a moment before both became flustered from eyeing each other. It was something that seemed to be happening more often when they were alone together.
Hermione looked down at the parcel as Draco rubbed the back of his neck before he gestured to the pillows and blankets he had arranged for her to lounge in. "Did you want to -"
"Sure!" Her voice was too chipper as she sat down in the nest of bedding material, but he didn't say anything about it. He nearly walked past her to take his original seat at the piano bench, but she tugged on his hand, inviting him to join her. "Get down here and eat with me."
"And sully my finest robes to sit on the floor like a beggar?" Draco sat down next to her, a teasing smile on his face as he settled on to his side, propped up by a single elbow. "Only because you asked nicely."
"And not because it's my birthday?" Hermione opened the parcel and handed him the apple tart. "Does that mean if I ask nicely enough, you'll act like a normal person any day of the week?"
"Absolutely not, I can trace my lineage back to royalty. I'd hate to piss off the wrong ancestor by forgetting how great I'm destined to be."
"Language," she warned as she laughed at his melodramatic reply. Hermione picked up the mini cake. It fit in the palm of her hand and was completely white save for the blueberries and raspberries covered in powdered sugar on the very top. She was about to conjure a spoon for her to use when she caught sight of Draco looking at her cake with a surprised expression. "What?"
"You didn't eat with Potter or Weasley?"
"I ate dinner with them, but I figured they could have dessert with each other." She shrugged a shoulder as if there wasn't a bigger reason behind why she chose to save devouring the sweet with Draco. "Plus we seldom get the chance to eat together while we're here. So why not?"
"I suppose." His reply was distracted as he watched her lift her wand. "Auri." With a wave, two forks appeared in midair. She frowned at them before passing him one before digging the fork into her cake. "I meant to conjure spoons but I suppose this isn't terrible for my second attempt at conjuration."
"You wanted a spoon? Why not summon a dessert fork?"
"My parents and I always used spoons on the occasion we ate cake." It was said after a sigh and she could sense Draco stiffen at the mention of her parents. No, I said this school year would be a normal one where I chose to keep striving for happiness. After she swallowed her first bite, she gave him a mischievous grin. "And I rather not waste my time eating with a trident when regular silverware works just as well, thank you very much."
Draco knew Hermione was the one who was just egging him on this time, but the inner gentleman within him couldn't help but feel affronted she referred to a dessert fork as a trident. "Keep it up, Princess, I'm warning you."
"Ooooh, I'm so scared."
After mumbling about how lucky she was that it was her birthday, Draco and Hermione fell into silence while they ate. This time, it was comfortable and she found herself feeling more than content - she was happy, although there was a topic she was wanting to address with him. She didn't speak until they both put down their forks and decorative paper the desserts had been placed on.
"Draco?"
"Yes, Hermione?"
"Do you want to talk about Professor -"
"No." His tone was definite, and he scowled at the empty space between them as he remembered how humiliated he felt to be transfigured into an animal. Hermione pushed her trash away from her and laid on her side, facing him with her hands acting as a pillow, although there were plenty pf cushions around them for her to use.
"It was still wrong what Professor Moody did. I made a complaint to Dumbledore."
Draco's face softened as he looked at her. He didn't think anyone ever went to Dumbledore in his defense - actually, he knew it. He was a bully, one who even made his own house scared of him to earn their respect, so he doubted the Headmaster would have even given a reprimand to the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. "You didn't need to. Moody brought me to Professor Snape who took care of the situation."
Hermione had opened her mouth to tell Draco he needed to call Moody by his official title of professor, but let it shut with a snap. Draco was obviously still angered by the situation and she would rather not stir him up over a still sore subject. "What did he do?"
Draco smirked. "Gave Nott detention after sending an owl to my parents. They're sure to be following up with Moody soon."
Hermione didn't know whether to laugh or groan as she rolled on to her back, knowing a probable Buckbeak situation was on the horizon. While Moody was human and at fault, he wasn't a terrible Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. He was second only to Lupin – not that the bar had been set high with Lockhart or Quirrell. "You know," Deciding on a change of subject, Hermione let her head loll to the side to look at Draco's face once more, only to catch him giving her that look again – the same one she was aware that she returned. His expression face was serene, but the half lidded eyes were attentive, as if he was hanging on to her every word. His lips were slightly parted and Hermione felt heat rising to her cheeks as she wet her own. "We're almost halfway through our time at Hogwarts."
Draco felt like a moment had passed between them, knowing he had been caught staring at her, but he forced himself to continue the conversation rather than get lost in the day dream he started to have. "That is true." He cleared his throat as he laid down next to her, as the arm he was leaning on was starting to go numb. They both looked up at the ceiling, trying not to get too distracted with the presence of the other.
"What do you want to be once you graduate? O.W.L.S are next year and I don't doubt you'll want to start studying for them – if you haven't already." Draco thought that he had perhaps offended Hermione when her reply wasn't immediate. He turned his head to see she had an intense look on her face. The movement he made must have snapped her out of her train of thought as he didn't miss how her eyes came back into focus when she faced him again.
"Happy. Truly happy." She whispered. If they weren't so close, he would have missed what she said entirely. "I spend so much time thinking about the past, calling out for parents that will never answer, and I really should just..." Her lips pressed together to stop her voice from being too wobbly as she continued. "I should live in the moment more. And I am working on that, but it's really hard and sometimes the fleeting moments of happiness just don't feel like enough." More than once she had caught herself failing to laugh at something Ron or Harry said and she felt odd trying to force herself to get back in the moment for her friends sake. She felt like an impostor in her own skin if she had to force it. She didn't want them to worry about her, and unlike Draco, it usually took a few beats before they caught on when something was amiss. "I dropped the extra classes I was taking after an entire year of hell, thinking that stressing myself academically was how I could make my parents proud of me when I have letters from them stating they would always be proud. I now think they were worried I would do something like hyper focus to the point of barely functioning." Hermione ground her teeth together, telling herself it would be the last time she did so once she stopped herself from crying at the intense word vomit she was experiencing. She rubbed a finger against the scar on her forehead as she finished. "I think they would want me to live in the moment and be happy. If not for them... for myself."
Draco could tell she was speaking from a place he may not have understood, but he made a silent promise that he would try to. "The question would then be, what makes you happy? Is it saving the House Elves? You could dedicate your life to that and let it be your legacy, we have enough gold in our vaults you wouldn't have to worry about procuring a lucrative career." Hermione's eyebrows released the tension they had been holding for her entire rant, grateful Draco was an amazing listener.
"Maybe..." Hermione opened her mouth before quickly biting her bottom lip in thought on if she should continue the genuine conversation, or change the subject entirely. It would be risky. "Being surrounded by those I hold closest to me would be enough. Maybe, I should just... be brave and bold." With Parvati's advice giving her the confidence boost she needed, Hermione closed the space between them and crashed her lips on to Draco's.
He tasted like the sour apple that his tart had been based off of and something she could not quite place, but what she did recognize, was that her world seemed to stop. Her overthinking paused as it conceded to the happiness starting to fill her. Kissing was a new experience for her, but that didn't stop her from putting her all in to making the honest effort to connect with him in a way that she not just dreamed of, but feared. Hermione only faintly remembered her mother warning her about building her home in someone else, but she was living in the present – and Draco was starting to become home for her, it was easy.
Draco hadn't expected Hermione to make a move ever and he realized it was stupid to think that if she returned her feelings. She wasn't like the other girls he was used to; girls like Daphne or Pansy who tried to embody the meaning of dainty so they didn't make waves in society – not that there was anything wrong with that, he had simply come to realize it wasn't what he wanted. Hermione was assertive when she knew what she wanted and danced to the beat of her own drum. Her politeness was not to be mistaken for weakness. She was abrasive when she wasn't careful and she did not care how long she needed to explain her point of view before someone accepted it. Hermione was everything he wanted to be in his life, she held qualities he hoped to one day possess himself. With each passing day, he found himself wanting to break away from what he knew, to feel like he was his own person, to breathe.
And that's how he kissed her. She hadn't moved as she was unsure of what to do for the second time that day so when he kissed her back, she let her dominate nature fall to the wayside and let him lead. He kissed her like his lungs needed the air from hers to survive and that her warmth was the only thing that could thaw the cold, tough love he had been raised in. He wrapped one arm around her waist as another settled into the nest of hair situated at the nape of her neck. Draco kissed her until he remembered how selfish of a human being he was and that he thought he would never be enough for her. I don't deserve her, I don't deserve this.
"Hermione," He brought his hands from her back to her shoulders and gently pushed her away from him. "We shouldn't. I don't -" Her eyes fluttered open and alarm flooded her flushed features. "I don't see you that way."
The silence that followed his false declaration was violent, as he felt himself being torn apart. He forced his face to look uncomfortable, like he had just put a stop to something they shouldn't have done. It was the opposite of how they both felt a moment ago, as the comfort of each other's presence had always felt right.
"Oh my god," Hermione held both hands up to her face, tears springing to her eyes. She had never been so embarrassed before. "I'm an idiot!" Hermione stood. I can't believe I did that! It was that stupid magazine, I swear! She wanted to explain all of this to him, but she could hardly look at him, opting to keep her eyes on the floor as she regained control of her breathing.
"Hermione, I'm - I'm sorry." Draco didn't look at her as he spoke either, letting the burning in his throat from apologizing etch the pain of the moment into his memories. He knew his guilt would either double at the sight of her and hedidn't trust himself not to take back his words by kissing her now swollen lips again.
Hermione completely covered her face, wishing she could just disappear. "It was - I'm so stupid -" He's going to think I'm too weird to be around. He isn't going to see me the same way, I've ruined it all!
"Stop calling yourself that." Draco couldn't stand to hear her call herself names and he stood up, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, her hands still pressed to her face. "The last thing you are is stupid." Remember this moment, he told himself. She's crying because of me. I'll only keep making her cry if I get any closer to her. "You'll get over me and you'll find someone loads better who fancies you the way I do."
His words got through to Hermione, just not in the way he had expected them to. She pushed herself away from him with a bit more force than she meant. "Why are you saying that? Why did you even kiss me back?" She swiped at her tears with the back of her hand.
There's the anger I was waiting for. "It was just a reaction."
Her face threatened to crumble then, but she didn't allow it to as realization that Draco was intentionally putting space between them dawned on her. "So when you tried to kiss me over the Summer, what was that in reaction to then?" The way he continued to avoid her stare told her everything she needed to and a whimper escaped her lips as her body threatened to force a sob out. "What is it about me then? Am I just undesirable? Am I too much of a know it all? Is it my teeth, my – my - " Her eyes snapped back up to his face, after she had spent several moments searching the floor for answers.
"Don't even go there." He warned, but she didn't listen.
"My blood?" She challenged. "Am I not good enough for you?"
Draco opened his mouth to object, but he hesitated. It didn't matter to him, but he doubted he could bring her home to his parents as someone he was involved in. Lucius had made it clear that Hermione was an exception in certain cases. Draco was raised to only court with marriage in mind and he didn't have enough faith in his parents for it not to be an issue. Draco ran a hand through his hair. He tried to take a step closer to her, but she only took a step back. "I'm quite literally insulted you would even still think that of me," He licked his lips and he could still taste the sweetness of her cake on his lips. He wiped the back of his hand against his lips, not allowing himself to indulge in his want of her. The action only seemed to anger her more. "I fancy you, okay? But I'm the one who isn't good enough."
Hermione shook her head at him, remembering some of her parents last words about the Phantom of the Opera play they had seen the night they were murdered. "It's my decision to decide if you're good enough for me." She walked up to him, and took his hands in hers. His head was in his arse, but she cared enough to help him pull it out, just as he had helped her with her feelings so many times before. "Draco, you've done absolutely nothing -"
"I knew about the World Cup." He panicked as the words flew out of his mouth. Draco had actually made a list of things to say to deter her if they had ever gotten to this point, but his admission of the Quidditch Cup was very low on that list. He didn't know why his brain automatically jumped to saying it, but now that the truth was out, he embellished on it. "Theo told me about it. Him and his dad were in cloaks that night." Even if his parents were in on it, he would never tell Hermione. Not destroying the second parental relationship she was still building was the only kindness he would be able to spare her tonight. "I was simply caught up in the moment -"
She dropped his hands as if they burned her. Oh, no. "That's why you wanted to go back to the tent." He only nodded, not bothering to finish what he was going to say. "You knew and you had a plan to keep us out of the way." She put a hand over her mouth that hung open in horror. "That muggle and his family, Draco -"
He didn't forget that detail, but he still winced at the mention of the innocent casualties Lucius had later informed them of. "That wasn't planned and neither was the Dark Mark -"
"BUT IT HAPPENED!" Her hands lit up in flames, something she hadn't let happen in months. Harry and Ron were right! "I can't – I don't believe it."
"Hermione -" Look at her. Look at what I've done. A person like me could only cause her pain.
"No! Just –" She clutched her head and doubled over. "Get out!"
Draco, not sure how to handle a Hermione who had literally burst into flames, ran. His gut painfully churned as he did, knowing she would never see him the same way again. After he reached the stairs, he stopped running and pressed himself against the cool stone of the castle. He tried to regain his composure, but all his brain wanted to do was remember the good times between him and Hermione – the only pleasant memories he was sure to have with the witch now that she would never trust him again.
His self loathing turned into anger at that point and he whirled around to punch the suit of armor that stood guard next to him. "Fuck!" Draco gripped the roots of his blonde hair as the sound of his punch echoed through the hallways. Why did I bring up the Quidditch cup! What is wrong with me -"
"Mr Malfoy," Draco straightened up immediately, hearing McGonagall's stern voice. "Would you like to explain why after you shouted an expletive that no one of your age should be repeating, you assaulted school property?"
"No, Ma'am." He ground out through clenched teeth. The last thing I am going to do is vent about my problems with McGonagall's favorite pupil.
McGonagall pursed her lips and turned so she was facing the stairs. "Very well. Ten points from Slytherin, and to avoid any other damage to the priceless artifacts that are in our school's hallway, I suggest you allow me to escort you back to the Slytherin common room."
Draco didn't say a word as he followed the Scottish witch, his heart sinking with every step as realization started to dawn on how much he actually messed up.
A/N: Hello, hello everyone! PLEASE do not hate me. I promise they'll be getting together this school year.
Side note, the next update may be delayed by a week. If I am unable to have the next chapter posted by 11/29, it will for sure be up by 12/6.
Happy thanksgiving if you all celebrate and welcome new readers!
