A/N: Hey everyone! I am so sorry that this update took me so long! Please forgive me! Looks hopefully at reviewers Well, here's the next chapter, I hope you like it. It took me ages to write! I have a severe case of wrtiers' block at the moment, so that is why, I've also been reading other stories. My sister is also on the computer, since we only have one. I hope you enjoy the chapter. Leave a review!
Hogsmeade Trip.
Over the next few months, the Quidditch training got harder, workloads increased and people thoroughly looked forward to the first Hogsmeade of the year. As everyone sat around on one weekend in the sunny, though chilly day, they all completed some of the homework they had been assigned by their many teachers. Two such students were sitting out underneath a tree by the Lake, working on their Arithmancy homework.
'Draco, what answer did you get for this question?' Asked Hermione, she was obviously deep in thought from what her voice portrayed.
'Give me a look.' He said. He leaned over to sit mostly behind her, looking over her shoulder. Hermione could feel his warm breath on her neck and shivered slightly, enjoying the feeling of having him so close to her. Unfortunately for her, Draco noticed. He moved closer to her, making sure his chest touched her back and put his hand on her waist. Hermione's breath caught in her throat and she took a quick side-ways glance at him. He smirked at her, resting his head on her shoulder and looked at the question on her sheet.
'I'm not sure, let me see the sheet.' He whispered to her. He reached around her and took it from her, making sure he was as close to her as possible. Hermione was shaking slightly as he took the sheet from her. He held it close to his face and read the question.
'I think the answer is twenty, thought I wouldn't be sure.' He whispered softly to her again. Hermione, who was still shaking, nodded jerkily and took the page back from him in her shaky hand. He sat behind her for a while longer before moving away, a small smirk on his handsome features. He saw her face when he moved back to his original position and saw that she was blushing heavily. His smirk got a little bigger as the kept up their working. Every so often, Hermione would pretend to need help on another question so she could feel the familiar feeling of closeness from him. She loved feeling him close to her. They finished their work after a couple more hours and headed back into the castle for Lunch. They split ways at the Great Hall with a small smile or a wink to each other and walked off to their respected tables. Hermione walked back humming with her head back down by the lake with Draco sitting close behind her. As she sat next to the boys on the table with that same dreamy smile on her face, they noticed and gave each other curious looks.
'Hermione? Are you okay?' Harry asked wearily.
'Perfect.' Hermione answered with a sigh and went back to eating the food she had put on her plate. The boys exchanged more strange looks, but dropped the subject and took another approach.
'Hey, Hermione, where were you before Lunch? We didn't see you at Breakfast and couldn't find you in the Common Room.' Ron asked her.
'Oh, I was sitting down by the Lake with Draco, doing some Arithmancy homework.' She answered. Harry and Ron exchanged huge grin with each other and looked back at her. They knew what must have happened to make Hermione this happy.
'So, did he ask you out or something?' Ron asked, he was still unable to get that huge grin off his face.
'No, he didn't. I just asked him the answers to a couple of questions, that's all.' She answered, trying to be nonchalant.
'What's the bet she asked him deliberately?' Ginny asked. She joined them, having heard a bit of the conversation a little already and knew what they were talking about. At hearing Ginny's comment about her fake questions, she turned bright red.
'Ooooooo. Hermione you naughty girl! You did! How much do you like him?' Ginny asked and they went into a full blown conversation about how much Hermione liked Draco and Harry and Ron lost the track pretty much as soon as they started talking excitedly about it. They rolled their eyes at each other and continued eating and having their own conversation.
After Lunch they went back to the common room and talked and worked until dinner. Harry wrote a thank you note to Sirius for the answers he gave him about his questions, and Ginny and Hermione spoke more on the matter of Hermione and Draco.
They walked down to dinner together and had fun talking, eating and laughing. Hermione, who was facing the Slytherin table, kept glancing up to look at a certain blonde man that also kept throwing her looks over his plate. Whenever they caught each other's eyes they would blush or smirk and look away. Ginny caught them at this once or twice and elbowed her in the ribs. Hermione looked at her and cast her a horrid look. Ginny just smiled and wiggled her eyebrows at Hermione, looking from her to Draco. Hermione blushed heavily and turned back to her plate of food. Ginny giggled silently and turned back to eating herself. Draco saw all of this and laughed lightly to himself.
When they woke the next morning, the first thing Hermione noticed was the amount of people crowded around the noticeboard. She went up behind the big group.
'Alright, alright, I'm guessing you've all seen what's on there, move away and let others see it too.' Hermione said in her loud commanding voice of a prefect. She saw the notice that they were all fawning over. The first Hogsmeade trip for the year. Hermione smiled happily and nearly skipped down to breakfast. She ate something quickly and went down to sit by the lake. Harry and Ron joined her soon after and they sat and talked for a while until they were joined by Ginny and Luna. Soon after, they found Draco and Sierra walking towards them. Draco was the one to bring up the Hogsmeade visit the week after next.
'Hey, are you guys going to Hogsmeade the week after next?'
'Don't know, we usually go. Don't see why we aren't this time.' Harry answered him.
'Hermione, could I talk to you for a second?' Draco asked.
'Sure.' She answered, getting up off her position on the ground, and walking a little way off to talk to him. When they reached their destination, Draco turned to face her and took her hands in his.
'Hermione, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come with me to Hogsmeade next weekend?' Draco asked. He stared into her eyes confidently. She smiled brightly at him and threw her arms around his neck.
'Of course, Draco!' She said. He hugged her back tightly. When they pulled back, he smiled at her brightly.
'I'll meet you in the entrance hall at 10?' He asked.
'Sure. I'd love that.' She said. She leaned up to give him a kiss on the cheek before turning around and walking back to the others. She left him to walk back with a huge smirk on his face. He sat down beside her and watched her, joining in the conversation every once in a while. When they set about going inside again, Hermione noticed Sierra and Harry talking animatedly about something. She had thought for some time about Harry's affections for her and held the others back for a bit to let them walk together.
'Let them walk together, they seem to be hitting it off.' She told them. They nodded and Ron smirked.
When they met up with Harry in the Common Room again, they saw that he was extremely happy about something. He was humming for Merlin's sake. And he had a goofy grin on his face.
'Let me guess, you asked Sierra to go to Hogsmeade with you, and she said yes.' Ginny asked, reading the expression on his face. Harry nodded, not taking that stupid, irritating grin off his face.
'Hey, as far as I know Harry isn't the only one with a date. Judging by the kiss on the cheek she gave Draco, Hermione has her own little date going on next weekend. Remember, Madam Puddifoot's is the best place for couples.' Ginny teased, smirking at the look on Hermione's face. Hermione herself had gone bright red. Harry and Ron looked at her, and started laughing manically. Hermione glared at them and Ginny went over to hit them both in the head. But they still didn't stop until five minutes after Ginny had spoken.
'So, Ron, are you going to Hogsmeade with anyone, seeming as you probably don't want to walk around with Ginny and her boyfriend, and you'll have to stay here, or walk around by yourself. It's your call.' Hermione said from behind the covers of the book she was reading.
'I'll go with Dean and Seamus and Neville. That solves that problem.' Ron answered. Hermione looked up from her book to look at Ginny.
'Isn't Dean Ginny's boyfriend? That leaves one less person that you can hang with.' Hermione then had a brilliant thought. She was smirking. Hermione instantly ditched her book and went to sit with the younger girl. They started to talk in excited whispers.
'We'll be back, I have to talk to Draco.' Hermione answered. She and Ginny got up and ran out of the room. Harry and Ron exchanged confused and scared looks. The girls came back into the room with huge smiles on their faces and ran up to the girls' dormitories.
'Hey! What did you do?' Ron called after them.
'You'll find out soon enough!' Came the reply.
'Damn girls, come on, I'm starving, let's go down to Lunch.' Ron said. Harry nodded and cast another worried look at the dormitories.
The girls met up with them soon after they reached the Great Hall, they looked over to the Slytherin table and smiled knowing smiles at Draco, who gratefully smiled back and nodded at them, looking pointedly at the person next to them. They started to congratulate themselves and celebrate during Lunch by saying a toast.
'To a brilliant set up.' Ginny said and the girls clinked glasses, drank deeply and started laughing at the curious expressions on the boys faces.
'Imagine there faces when they actually find out what we've done.' Ginny said between fits of laughter, this just made both of them laugh harder.
Draco was watching them from the Slytherin table and couldn't help laughing at them. The scene in itself looked comical. Everyone around him looked at him like they thought he was crazy, but he just raised an eyebrow at them and they all went back to eating.
The rest of the week of the Hogsmeade weekend couldn't come fast enough for Harry, Ginny and Hermione. By now Ron had found out that the girls had set him up on blind date. He just wished that they hadn't set him up with the likes of Eloise Midgeon, or Millicent Bullstrode. By the time it did come, Hermione was the first up, rummaging through her trunk for something perfect to wear to Hogsmeade. She woke up Lavender and Parvati with her rummaging around, and they started to help her get ready. They helped her with her hair after she put her clothes on and did her make-up in nice, natural shades. When they were done, they stood back to take a look at their creation.
'Not too shabby if I say so myself.' Lavender said.
'You look stunning Hermione. Whoever you're going with to Hogsmeade with will fall absolutely in love with you!' Parvati said.
'If he isn't already!' Hermione said nervously. She got up and hugged both girls tightly.
'Thank you.' Hermione said.
'No problem Hermione, hopefully we'll see you and your mysterious date around today!' Lavender said.
'Maybe.' Hermione said. She walked downstairs to find everyone sitting around the fire.
'Hermione! You look great!' Ginny said. Her comment made the boys turn around to look at her. She was wearing a simple light blue Turtleneck shirt, black pants and had her normal black boots. Her hair was down and in soft curls that flowed over her shoulders, though she was wearing a beanie. It had started to snow this morning, it just showed that winter was in full swing.
'Stop it Gin, my dates probably going to kill anyone that looks at me the wrong way.' Hermione said, standing behind everyone.
'Speaking of the man, you might have to tell him to keep his hands off of you. He might not want to.' Ginny said. Hermione blushed lightly, making her look, if possible, even prettier than she already was.
'Shall we head down?' Hermione asked. They nodded and made their way down to breakfast. They ate quickly and waited outside in the Entrance Hall for their dates, which turned up quickly. She really wanted to see the look on Ron's face when he sees his mystery date.
Hermione and Ginny were finding it hard to keep their laughter down as they saw the others approach them. Sierra looked beautiful and Ron had to hit Harry on the back to stop him drooling on the floor after he had seen her.
When Draco first spotted Hermione, his eyes went wide and Ron's blind date's mouth dropped open. She never knew that Granger, of all people, was that pretty.
'Hey,' She said when they made it to them. 'How are you?' She asked.
'I'm fine. You look absolutely beautiful.' Draco said. He took her hand and kissed it.
'Well, isn't Ron going to know about who he's going to spend the day with? I want to see the look on his face before I go find Dean somewhere in this crowd.' Ginny said, now her smile had turned bright and she wasn't able to keep her laughter in for much longer. Neither could Hermione.
'Ron, meet your date, Pansy Parkinson.' Hermione said. Pansy smiled at him.
'You've got to be kidding Hermione, this is a joke isn't it?' Ron asked silently with wide eyes.
'No Ron. Seeming as you were going to be left out, we thought that you might like to have some alone time with Pansy.' Hermione said. Ron blushed at Pansy and she smiled again.
'Come on. I think we better start heading down. Let's give the blind dates time to get to know each other.' Draco said smirking. Hermione, Harry, Sierra, Ginny and Draco walked off over to Filch to get ready to leave.
'How about we meet in the Three Broomsticks for lunch? We might see you guys around Hogsmeade, see you.' Hermione said once they got there.
'Yeah sure, see you.' They replied, and walked off to different directions. Draco took Hermione's hand.
'Where do you want to go?' He asked. He was clueless as to what she wanted to do, seeing as he knew next to nothing about her.
'Do you want to go see the Shrieking Shack? I've always felt drawn to that place.' Hermione said.
'Sure, let's go.' Draco said. They walked off hand-in-hand to the Shrieking Shack. They stood, watching it, and talking to each other for a while until he saw that she was starting to get incredibly cold. She was shivering like mad and a red flush had come to her cheeks. He went behind her and put his arms around her, hoping to warm her up somewhat. Hermione, who hadn't been expecting this, snapped her head around to look at him. He started to take his arms away from her, thinking that she thought it was too soon, but she took his hands in hers and held him close. Draco smirked and hugged her tight. She leaned back into his chest and took in the scene before her and what was happening. She smiled contently, enjoying the strong arms that were held around her.
'Hey, do you wanna go and look around the shops? We could go get some lollies from Honeydukes?' Draco suggested. Hermione turned her head and looked at him, smiling.
'Sure, why not? Then it should be about time to meet the others in the Three Broomsticks.' She said. Draco let go of her and took her hand again. He smiled at her and they walked back into town. They made their way into Honeydukes, crashing into Ron and Pansy. They were holding hands and Pansy was actually smiling and laughing. Ron looked like he was having the time of his life. They walked in there and bought sweets, walking out together and running straight into Lavender and Parvati.
'Hermione! Oh my god! You are possibly the most lucky girl in Hogwarts! How did you manage to get him?' Lavender asked.
'Actually, he asked me.' Hermione said. Ron and Pansy were laughing because they remembered the chaos on the train and in the carriage about Draco's crush on her. They walked off to the Three Broomsticks which they had just seen Harry and Sierra enter.
'Wow. I never thought that this would happen. Nor the Ron and Pansy coupling. Gryffindor and Slytherin are definitely getting closer, aren't they? Well, see you Hermione. Have fun with your mystery date.' Parvati said. The two girls walked off giggling. Hermione shook her head at them and took Draco's hand again as they walked into the Three Broomsticks for something warm to eat and drink. They found the group sitting around a table at the far end of the Pub. They walked over and took their seats beside each other at the end of the booth.
'Hey guys!' Hermione said as they sat at the table.
'Hey Hermione, Draco.' Harry said. Harry was holding Sierra's hand under the table and gently massaging it with his fingers. She was smiling and held his other hand with hers. Ron and Pansy had started snogging on the other side of them and were being ignored because of it. Hermione rolled her eyes at them and rested her head on Draco's shoulder. He took a strand of her hair and twisted it around his finger.
'So what did you guys do?' Draco asked Harry and Sierra. Harry turned a little red and Sierra laughed slightly. Draco raised an eyebrow at them and Hermione chuckled.
'Well, I took her to Madam Puddifoot's. I heard about it from the girls that giggle constantly in our common room. They can be useful sometimes. When they're not, I'll tell them off, but just as I was about to tell them off, I heard them mention the place, then I told them off, but anyway, they gave me the idea. I took her there and, well, let's just say tea and a fluffy, pink, confetti-filled, lovey-dovey place like that and me don't mix very well.' Harry said. Hermione started laughing harder and Draco even laughed a little.
'One thing you should know Harry, Sierra doesn't like places like that.' Draco said. Harry rolled his eyes.
'I got that when she started looking really uncomfortable. I asked her if she wanted to leave and she nodded her head vigorously and it looked like she was pleading with me to leave. We got up to leave and the woman that owns the place sat us back down and started singing to us. We both went bright red and tried to leave again, making all these excuses and when we finally were able to leave, we got to the door and a huge dumping of confetti landed on our heads. Then I turned around to see who put it on us and ran straight into the Lady again, who I suspect was Madam Puddifoot herself. I got tea all down my shirt and on my pants, making it look like I pissed myself. Sierra was laughing her head off at me,' at this Harry grabbed her around the waist and started to tickle her, making her and everyone at the table laugh even more, 'then I just took her outside and I ran into Hagrid. I was that desperate that I even let Hagrid clean me up. You know how bad he is at magic with that umbrella of his. Oh well. We walked around Hogsmeade for a while after that, then came in here.' Harry ended. They were still laughing about his little mishap for a while after he finished talking. Harry, who was the only one not laughing, made the others move so he could get the Butterbeers. He returned shortly with them, and the others had calmed down in their laughing. Ron and Pansy had surfaced and were talking in small voices to each other. They drank their Butterbeers and talked for ages, until Harry heard a tapping on the window behind him. He turned to see Hedwig sitting on the sill outside.
'Hedwig?' He said. Everyone looked up at the window and Draco got up to go outside and get the letter from her. He returned back to the table with it and Hedwig had taken off back for the castle. Harry opened the letter to find Sirius' handwriting. As he read the letter, his brow furrowed. Hermione and Ron looked at him with confusion and Draco and Sierra looked at him with worry. After he was finished with it, he handed it over to Draco to read.
'Here, this letter is more for your eyes than mine.' Harry said. He looked around the pub and saw Rita Skeeter sitting down the other end of the pub with her Quick-Quotes quill in hand and a fresh sheet of paper under it.
'Skeeter.' Harry muttered. Draco read the letter silently.
Dear Harry,
Please inform Draco that Bellatrix and Lucius just invaded my house. They didn't find me because I had locked myself into my room, I didn't want them to find me and take me to Voldemort, so I stayed out of the way. I did hear Lucius mention a letter that he got from Rita Skeeter. Apparently it said something along the lines of Draco fraternizing with the enemy and falling in love with a muggleborn. Of course, they did say the other word, but I hate it, so I don't say it. They came into the house and went straight for the room with the family tree in it. They found Draco's name and blasted it off. Warn him that if he goes home, then he will be tortured and killed. Lucius was saying that he would be the one to do it. He would also disinherit the boy. Tell him he can live with me. Oh, and read tomorrow's paper. It'll be highly interesting. Tell Dumbledore too. Make sure the boy and his cousin stay safe. As well as yourself.
Snuffles.
'Well, tell him I take up the offer and that if I ever see my father again, then it will be too soon.' Draco said in a low voice. Hermione had her head on his chest, silent tears were making a trek down her face at the fact that it was because of her he wouldn't be allowed to go home.
'Draco, I'm so sorry.' Hermione cried.
'This has nothing to do with you. I fell for you, you never made me do what I did. It's not your fault.' He stated. 'Is Skeeter here?' He asked Harry. Harry nodded and looked behind him. Draco looked in the window that reflected to the other side of the room and saw her sitting and looking very pleased with herself as she drank her Butterbeer.
'Bitch.' Draco muttered. 'Come on, let's get back up to the school, we'll have lunch there.' They made their way back up to the school in silence. When they got there, Hermione and Draco went up to the Great Hall and ate, Harry sent a return letter to Sirius, saying that Draco took up the offer and thank you for warning him, Ron and Pansy found and empty classroom and Sierra sent a letter to her father telling him what just happened with Draco and where he was staying for the rest of his life. Harry also asked Sirius if Sierra could stay and Sierra, in turn asked her father. They sent their letters and went back to the Great Hall for lunch. They were soon joined by a dishelved looking Ron and Pansy. They ate and then found an empty classroom where they could talk in private.
'I'll tell Dumbledore tomorrow and show him the letter that Snuffles sent us. Then he will give his verdict. What I want to know is how the found out about Grimmauld Place.' Harry said.
'So do I. Dumbledore's the Secret Keeper, that should be enough said.' Hermione said.
'Nope, all of the Malfoy family know about the place because of mother and Aunt Bella. They pretty much grew up in that place hearing about Voldemort and Death Eaters. They would have been able to find it easily.' Draco said.
'But what about the protection that Dumbledore and the order put up? They can't have able to get past that.' She replied.
'Do remember that you're talking about Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange here. They have gotten into the Ministry of Magic and out again without so much as a millimetre of trouble coming their way. I think that they would be able to get past a couple of protection spells.' He answered. They sat in silence for a while before Hermione sighed.
'There isn't much we can do until Dumbledore investigates the place. We might even have to wait until after Christmas to know what really happened in more detail. Let's try and think of something a little happier. Please?' She didn't like the aura in the room and she was desperate to change it. They spent the rest of the time in the classroom talking about what happened over the holidays, Harry's was by far the most interesting, with the Dementor attack, being swept off to Grimmauld Place, and spending the rest of his holidays with his criminal of a Godfather, his ex-defence teacher, friends, and members of the Order. Though, they didn't mention the Order, they didn't want to give away anything that Dumbledore might punish them for later. During their talk, Professor Lupin came in and gave his condolences to Draco about not being able to go home with his family. Draco just gave a hollow laugh.
'Professor, I couldn't be happier to get out of that hell hole!' He said.
'Well, I'm glad about that. I've talked to Dumbledore already, Snuffles sent me a letter using Hedwig too, and he wants you and Sierra to read it, then destroy it. This is the location of the Order of the Phoenix HQ. You can't tell anyone. Literally. Dumbledore's the Secret Keeper and you can join if you wish when you're of age and out of school.' He explained. He handed Draco and Sierra the note that had the address on it, watched them read and destroy it, before smiling and leaving.
'Well, now I have a place to live where I'm not an absolute outcast and hated.' Draco said. Hermione took his hand and kissed it gently. He wrapped his arm around her and held her close. He put his head close to hers and put his mouth to her ear.
'I also get to spend more time with my girl.' He whispered. Hermione blushed lightly and leaned into him.
'That'll be fun. I can't wait.' She whispered back. Draco's smirk got huge and kissed her forehead, hugging her tight. She chuckled a little and smiled up at him.
They talked again until a very welcome dinner came, and then an even more welcomed bed.