I'm usually not one to dole out praise or even come across as genuinely proud of someone. There's always a first for everything, though, right?

I'll admit that I have been rather cruel towards a particular pair of Hogwarts sweethearts in the past, but I want to take the time to commend them on their relationship. Their road to love certainly hasn't been easy, and outside influences have tried to dissuade them from being together. No matter what has been thrown at them or was designed to stand in their way, these two have found a way to come out on top.

So to Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy, I tip my hat.

~xoxo, Gossip Witch

"Well, I'll be damned," Harry laughed, shaking his head as he read over the latest blast one more time. "The witch has a heart."

"Who has a heart?" Hermione asked, taking a seat beside Harry on the couch in the common room. She looked over his shoulder and noticed the piece of parchment, and rolled her eyes. "Who is she tearing to shreds this time?"

Harry laughed and handed the piece of parchment over to her. "Why don't you see for yourself?"

Hermione let out a sigh and snatched the piece of parchment out of his hands, giving it a quick read. She felt her cheeks flush as she read over what Gossip Witch had to say. She bit back a laugh as she skimmed over the part of the blast that talked about her tendency to be cruel. Cruel wasn't the word Hermione would have used to describe Gossip Witch's typical treatment of her relationship. Even though Hermione knew it wasn't going to last long, she was going to bask in Gossip Witch's kindness for a little while.

"Still think she's tearing someone to shreds?" Harry asked, nudging her in the leg with his elbow. He laughed when Hermione's eyes met his in a glare.

"I think she's buttering us up for something," Hermione said, folding the parchment in half and tucked it into her pocket. "If she thinks this little gesture will make up for saying I'm the tenth most eligible witch in Hogwarts and I'm dating the tenth most eligible wizard, then she's got another thought coming."

"I wouldn't put that energy out into the atmosphere if I were you," Harry warned, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at her out of the corner of his eyes. "At least you were included. How would you have reacted if she skipped you completely?"

"I wouldn't have cared," Hermione replied, crossing her arms over her chest and nodding her head. "I think the whole thing is egotistical and self-centered."

Harry rolled his eyes and pushed himself up off the couch. "Try again," he laughed, leaving Hermione alone in front of the fire.

Hermione opened her mouth to respond but closed it with a sigh as she sank into the couch. She slipped the blast out of her pocket and skimmed it over again. A giddy smile pulled at the corners over her lips. Hermione couldn't believe the words on the page after every dirty little rumor that Gossip Witch loved to spread. There was a heart deep down inside of that crazy witch.

Hermione and Draco's relationship hadn't been easy, and no one expected them to survive the rumors of a Harry and Hermione romance. The best way that Hermione could explain their relationship was that they were like oil and water; though they could happily cohabitate, they weren't supposed to mix without vigorous shaking. The thought made Hermione laugh, but it was true.

Lucius and Narcissa would never approve of their son falling in love with a mudblood, but Draco didn't care about his parents' approval of his relationship. It pained Hermione to think that she had become a wedge between Draco and his parents because they were such a close-knit family, but Draco always assured her that he had chosen her and that his parents would come around. As much as Hermione wanted to believe him, she knew the truth. Draco's relationship with his father would never be the same as long as they stayed together.

Hermione tucked the blast back into her pocket with a heavy sigh and made herself comfortable on the couch. She watched the flames dance as she drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

~xoxo~

Draco watched as the flames engulfed the piece of parchment, shaking his head. As much as he loved Hermione and wanted to be with her for the rest of his life, there was part of him that continued to nag him about what was expected of a Malfoy. Draco scrubbed his hands over his face as he tried to wipe the last conversation he had with his father out of his mind.

"There's a contract in place," Lucius warned before taking a sip of his wine. His eyes narrowed in on Draco's face from across the table as he returned the goblet to the table.

"With who?" Draco hissed, furrowing his brow as anger bubbled up inside of him. Of course, his father would wait until he announced his relationship with Granger to inform him of his familial expectations.

"You'll find out when the time comes," Lucius replied as a smirk pulled at the corners of his lips. He noticed Narcissa sitting to his right with a frown on her face. As much as he loved his wife and his son, he needed to remind them both that he was in charge of this family. Some expectations came along with the Malfoy name, and Draco would live up to him whether he liked it or not.

"You mean when you've decided that my relationship with Hermione is over," Draco yelled, slamming his hands down on the table as he pushed his chair away from the table. "Just because you disapprove of the mixing of bloodlines doesn't mean that you can control my life. And if you are just bringing this up because you want to remind me that my inheritance is tied to his contract, then you can keep your damn money. I never wanted it. I never asked to be a Malfoy."

"But you are," Lucius replied, his mouth drawn into a fine line as he looked his son up and down. "Now, take a seat and finish your dinner. We can discuss this later."

"I'm leaving," Draco said, shaking his head. He walked over and placed a kiss on his mother's cheek before storming out of the room.

Narcissa could hear him mumbling under his breath as he left, but she let him be. She reached for her wine and lifted the glass to her lips, taking a large sip before returning the glass to the table and pushing her chair away. Narcissa turned to Lucius and shook her head. "I hope you're happy with yourself."

"He'll come back. He always does," Lucius replied, nodding his head.

"I do hope you're right," Narcissa said, leaving Lucius alone in the dining room to think about his decision to basically disown his son if he didn't choose to follow the family legacy.

Coming back to the castle and finding the latest Gossip Witch blast waiting for him on his bed was the last thing Draco had wanted to deal with. Tonight had been an eye-opening experience for him and left him with a lot to think about.

Draco collapsed on the couch in the common room and closed his eyes. Maybe if he slept for a few moments, all of his problems would just fade away.

~xoxo, Gossip Witch ~

Want to be a part of the Gossip Witch fun?

This story is meant to be slightly interactive. Submit anonymous blasts about the students at Hogwarts and you might find your prompt used as inspiration in a future chapter! Submit your blasts to the xo-gossipwitch blog on tumblr.

Thanks for continuing to inspire this story!