Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Challenges and Assignments): Assignment 10
A Study of Magical Objects: Founding Fathers (And Mothers)
Task #2: Helga Hufflepuff's Cup - Prompt: Write about someone showing acceptance (restriction: the character can't be a Hufflepuff)
Word Count: 388 (Google Docs)
Summary: Hermione tells Harry and Ron that she's dating Draco.
Genre: Friendship
Rating: K+
Acceptance
Hermione didn't know how to tell Harry and Ron.
Of course, 'it' wasn't something normal (well, nothing about Hermione Granger's life could be called normal).
It was complicated. After the war, Hermione had started associating with Draco Malfoy, who had been surprisingly sorry for his actions. Eventually - she didn't know when - they had started to develop a sort of friendship that went way further than normal friendship.
On Christmas, he had kissed her under the mistletoe.
They'd been dating ever since.
But it was a secret.
Hermione wondered why she hadn't ever got up the courage to tell Harry and Ron. She was Hermione Granger, after all, the girl who hadn't broken under Bellatrix Lestrange's Cruciatus Curse; the girl who'd helped defeat Voldemort, and she didn't have the guts to tell Harry and Ron a single sentence?
Yep.
Pathetic, she thought. Absolutely pathetic.
"Hermione?" Harry appeared in the doorway, looking concerned.
"Yes, Harry?" Hermione said, surprised. She tried to desperately slow her heartbeat rate.
"What did you call us here for?" Harry asked. "Are you hurt?"
Oh, sweet, sweet Harry...always thinking about her safety before his.
"Me, hurt?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're the one who nearly got himself sliced in half during an Auror mission! Not me!"
Harry looked sheepish. "Sorry." Then he added, "What did you call us here for, Hermione?"
"Yeah." Ron appeared behind Harry. "I'm wondering that too, 'Mione."
Hermione's heart gave a jolt. She swallowed. "Well…"
Harry and Ron stared at her, completely unimpressed.
"Well…" Hermione swalloweda again. She burst out, "Well-you-see-I'm-dating-Draco."
"What?" Ron asked, clearly trying to figure out what she had said.
Slow, Hermione, she thought. "Well, you see, I'm dating Draco."
Harry blinked. "Erm...Draco Malfoy?"
Hermione nodded slowly. She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable blow-up.
Instead, she heard the sound of laughter. She opened her eyes incredulously. "Why are you laughing?"
"Because," Harry choked out, "It's pretty clear that you think that we won't accept you because of this."
That actually was true.
"And you're...not?" she asked nervously.
"No," Ron shook his head. "I mean, I'm pretty bummed that you've fallen for Malfoy, but we can accept it. You're our best friend, after all. You've been with us through thick and thin. How could we not accept this?"
Hermione smiled.
All was well.