A/N IMPORTANT: I'm really sorry guys and I hope it doesn't bother you, but I'm now going to update every two Tuesdays, as I don't have enough time to do a chapter every week. As an apology, I've written a longer that usual chapter this week. Thanks as always for the reviews guys, I do read all of them :-)
Chapter 24 - The Ring On The Chain
Draco had left the potions classroom feeling very disorientated and shocked. Snape had fallen for Harry Potter's mum? Draco amused himself whilst walking up to the head dorms, by picturing miniature Snapes looking part like Harry. He could see a glowering boy with emerald green eyes and jet black hair going down to his shoulders, waiting to be sorted, and McGonagall's shrill voice saying, "Snape, Harry." But then he got slightly weirded out as the virtual sorting hat sorted the boy into Slytherin. The prospect of Draco having to share a dorm with Harry and possibly become friends with him was just not okay. But, it was with a grin on his face that he entered the heads' common room at 8:45 that evening.
"What happened?" Hermione asked, leaping up from the sofa as soon as he walked in.
"Calm down," Draco smirked, closing the door and sitting next to her. She waited. Draco didn't know whether to tell her or not. He decided to tell. "Snape's furious, I'm not going to pretend he isn't. But he's accepting it - kind of. He's teaching me Occlumency," Draco explained, straight to the point. Hermione's jaw dropped. "What?" Draco asked.
"You're learning Occlumency?" Hermione asked, shocked. Draco looked at her as though she were a bit dim. "If the Dark Lord finds out that we... Aren't enemies, then he'll kill us," Draco said, not bringing himself to say "that I love you." It was too much. Hermione noticed this and tried to ignore it.
"So you... Can you do it?" She asked tentatively.
"I obviously held him out for a little bit, yeah."
"Obviously?"
"Well I can do pretty much anything," Draco smirked. Hermione glared at him.
"Yet you can't admit to yourself that you are completely infatuated by me," Hermione thought. She didn't say it though, although she did grin to herself to which Draco looked at her oddly. "Tried the coffee yet?" Draco smirked.
"Yes, and it's delicious - and mine," Hermione teased.
"Hey what?! No that's not fair!" Draco retorted.
"Tuff!" Hermione laughed, getting up and going to her dorm, "I'm going to bed, night!" She called, twisting the door knob.
"Night," Draco sighed, getting up also.
-.
The following week, Draco had improved drastically in both his patronus and his occlumency. He hadn't yet managed to produce a full patronus, but his shield was holding for much longer. Snape was not however warming to the idea of Draco liking a muggleborn and the tension in the unused potions classroom on Mondays after dinner was at its highest.
However, come Tuesday the 2nd of December Draco was feeling even more tense than he had the night before. So was Hermione. "Ginny I need your help!" Hermione burst all of a sudden. The two girls were sitting in the Gryffindor common room in one of the squashy armchairs opposite the roaring fire. It was hard to tell that there was an icy blizzard beyond the window with the raging heat the fire was producing. The two girls had been concentrating on their Herbology essay, but now Hermione could not stop twirling her hair stressfully and fidgeting with her quill.
"How come?" Ginny asked politely. She blinked, put down her quill and mentally prepared herself for a 'Hermione discussion.' These usually entailed Hermione overthinking or over stressing about something. "I've been thinking for so long and I don't know what to do and it's really stressful and what if it's not right or -"
"Get to the point," Ginny interrupted.
Hermione drew a long breath and exhaled. "I don't know what to get Draco for Christmas," she said as calmly as possible. Ginny burst out in fits of laughter. Hermione just scowled and retorted, "Ginny I'm serious! He's not like Harry or him," she still wasn't going to say Ron's name, "He's different."
"Ooh," Ginny teased, "Have we found something Hermione can't do?" She carried on giggling.
"What do I get a guy who has everything?" Hermione asked, pouting. Ginny stopped giggling to think about it. "Literally everything," the head girl added.
"Chocolate?" Ginny suggested. Hermione just looked at her like she was a twat. "What?" Ginny asked, "Everyone likes chocolate," she reasoned.
"I'm pretty sure I can't get a Malfoy chocolate for Christmas," Hermione scowled.
"Expensive chocolate?" Ginny asked.
"No! Look, this is my first Christmas with him. I want the present to be worth while," Hermione explained, groaning.
"A set of dress robes?"
"I wouldn't know what colour," Hermione muttered, sheepishly.
"Jewellery?"
"He's a boy, Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed, annoyed. She stood up and started to pace.
"A broomstick?"
"I wouldn't know where to start with that sort of stuff," Hermione groaned, tearing at her hair. Ginny grinned.
"Luckily, I do," the red headed girl smiled. Hermione stopped pacing and turned to look at her. "A firebolt," Ginny said simply.
"They're really expensive Ginny..." Hermione mumbled.
"You'll have enough, and you wanted a special gift. Get him a firebolt and he'll love you for life," Ginny said firmly, getting up and packing her half complete essay away. Hermione stared as Ginny closed her tattered copy of '1000 Magical Herbs and Fungi'. "I'll take you into Hogsmeade on the next trip and we'll buy one then. Agreed?" Ginny asked. Hermione nodded and smiled.
"Yes thank you, I really appreciate it," Hermione smiled, starting to pack away too.
"When is it by the way, the next Hogsmeade trip? You've not told us yet," Ginny asked, shouldering her bag and walking with the head girl towards the portrait. "A week on Saturday," Hermione replied, opening the portrait and stepping over the ledge of the portrait hole. "Where you going?" Ginny asked.
"The library," Hermione answered, shrugging.
"Really? Again? Hermione you've nearly done all your studies and finished all your head girl nonsense. I am so not sitting in front of another book today and pretend to be vaguely interested," Ginny complained. Hermione looked at her with a slightly annoyed expression.
"But there's so much to learn!" Hermione argued back.
"No!" Ginny snapped firmly, "Come and hang out with someone other than Madame Pince."
"Fine. Where," Hermione groaned. No one said anything for a while, Ginny leading the way down the moving staircase. "How about Hagrid's," Ginny suggested. Hermione shrugged and nodded.
"Yeah," she agreed, "Hagrid's sounds like a good idea." So they made their way down the staircase and out through the entrance hall into the grounds.
.
Meanwhile, Blaise was arguing profusely with Draco about girls. "I am not getting her lipstick!" Draco argued loudly, "And no Blaise, I don't care if Daphne is into makeup I really don't give a damn!"
"Mate, all girls are into makeup!" Blaise remarked into the empty Slytherin boys' dorm.
"Well apparently Granger isn't," Theo said dryly to Blaise.
"Then there's something wrong with her," Blaise muttered. Theo clapped a hand to his forehead and sighed, turning away.
"Excuse me?" Draco asked quietly, inches away from Blaise.
"Nothing," Blaise mumbled.
"I thought not," Draco said coldly, stepping back. There was an awkward silence. Then Theo asked, "Man Draco why d'ya have to pick the awkward ones?"
"She's not awkward, Theo. I just don't know what to get her for Christmas," Draco said angrily.
"Hey boys!" Pansy grinned, walking in and posing, slamming the door shut and grinning. All three heads turned.
"Hey Pans this is a boys' dorm!" Theo complained, edging towards his bed to stand in front of a pair of screwed up underwear.
"Yeah? And I'm in it. Are you complaining?" Pansy asked testily.
"No," Blaise replied immediately, grinning.
"Thought not," Pansy replied, showing off brilliant white teeth. Draco shook his head in disbelief. "Mate you've got a girlfriend!" The head boy told Blaise.
"Plenty room for one more," the boy grinned. All heads turned to look at him in disbelief. "In the room obviously," Blaise added on, grinning. Draco just looked away. There would have been a time where he'd laughed but it just didn't feel appropriate anymore. Pansy chuckled and sat on the bed opposite Blaise and Draco. "Theo what are you doing over there? Come join," Pansy smirked at the boy. Theo subtly hid the underwear under his duvet and joined the boys on Blaise's bed. "So what you guys shouting about?" Pansy asked.
"We were not shouting, Pans," Draco said, annoyed.
"Okay then. What were you guys arguing in raised voices about?" She asked, correcting herself. Draco glared at her.
"Christmas presents for Draco's not quite girlfriend, Pansy," Theo explained. Draco clapped his hands to his face and groaned. Pansy stared at all three of them and laughed. "And just to clarify," Blaise added, "He doesn't want to get her makeup."
"Obviously, it's Granger," Pansy said, "I don't think she'd be too happy about receiving makeup."
"Yeah that's what I told Theo," Blaise lied, to which both Draco and Theo burst into complaints.
"Hey shut it!" Pansy yelled, grinning at her friends aggression. "Have you thought about getting her a book?" she suggested.
"She's read the library, Pans. Chances are is that whatever book I get her she'll have read," Draco groaned.
"Clothes?" she asked
"Yeah! You could get her some dress robes!" Blaise exclaimed.
"It's not like your short on cash," Theo added. Draco thought about this.
"No," he declared after a while, "She may not like them."
"Oh come on Draco! You could buy her a house but you'd think it's too big!" Theo burst out, "Stop debating with yourself and get her a cheep tattered necklace if you're so worried."
"I'm not worried," the head boy spat. Then he stopped again. "But you're right," he carried on slowly, "I could get her jewellery."
"That was a joke -" Theo began but Pansy cut him off with a girly squeal.
"Yes!" She squealed, "Dazzling gems and diamonds -"
"No, Pans. She's not into that sort of thing," Draco said.
"What is she into then?" Theo asked, tired.
"Books," the other three declared.
"When's the next Hogsmeade trip?" Blaise asked.
"A week Sunday," Draco clarified.
"No it isn't," Pansy interrupted.
"Yes it is," Draco insisted.
"Um, no it isn't!" Pansy argued.
"For fuck sake Pansy - yes it is!" Draco argued back.
"Really?" Pansy questioned.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Draco demanded.
"It means, Draco, that it's a week Saturday," Pansy clarified.
"No it's not, don't be thick!" The head boy sneered.
"It is, and I can prove it," Pansy sniped.
"Of course you can," Draco agreed sarcastically.
"Ask Granger," the brunette smiled.
"Fine!" Draco snapped.
"Fine," Pansy smirked. There was a long pause, in which Draco and Pansy stared at each other.
"So... When's the next Hogsmeade trip?" Blaise asked.
"A week Sunday!" Draco shouted just as Pansy exclaimed, just as loudly:
"A week Saturday!"
Theo sniggered. Blaise however just looked somewhat pissed. "Look," he said, "Can someone just ask Granger when it is because I really need to do quidditch practice at some point."
"Fine! I'll ask her and tell you after dinner!" Draco snapped, yanking his bag from the floor and storming out muttering, "Honsetly!" as he went. Pansy snorted just as the door slammed shut. "Whatcha getting Daph?" Pansy asked Blaise, grinning.
"A voucher," Blaise grinned deviously.
"What?" Pansy and Theo both asked.
"For free se -"
"No Blaise just no mate!" Theo exclaimed whilst Pansy howled with laughter.
"I'm jest messing mate!" Blaise laughed, "I'm getting her a dress!" Pansy nodded and chortled whilst Theo revived himself.
"Do you know her size?" Pansy chuckled.
"Uh yeah, obviously. I've slept with her enough -"
"I don't want to know!" Theo yelled, getting up off the bed and storming out, just as Tracy walked in with Millicent. "Girls! See ya Blaise," Pansy smirked, waving at the boy and walking over to her friends. All three girls walked away laughing.
.
"Spero," Draco muttered upon reaching the portrait to the head dorms. He swung the portrait open and stepped in. To his disappointment, he realised Hermione wasn't in. "Damn," he muttered, opening his bag and deciding to finish his Herbology essay. Throwing the parchment onto the table along with his copy of '1000 Magical Herbs and Fungi', Draco took out an eagle feather quill, a pot of black ink, and slumped down onto the sofa.
.
Meanwhile in Hagrid's hut, Hermione and Ginny were discussing Christmas with Hagrid. "It's gonna be a treat," the half giant beamed, "You wait you just wait! It'll be a Christmas yev never seen!"
"What's so good about it?" Hermione asked.
"I'm not supposed to tell yer," Hagrid sighed.
"Oh go on Hagrid!" Both girls begged.
"No!" Hagrid said firmly, "It'll spoil the surprise!"
Hermione and Ginny spent the next ten minutes trying to get Hagrid to tell them what this year's Christmas would entail, but Hagrid was not telling. Eventually, Hagrid cleared his throat. "So," he began, "I've got freshly baked mince pies in the fire, plenty to go around." He got up and, using what looked like a pillow as an oven glove, took a tray of mince pies from the fire and dumped them on the table. "'Elp yerselves!" He boomed and took a large pot of tea off the hook above the fire and poured out three giant mugs. Hermione and Ginny both exchanged glances before gingerly taking a mince pie. They'd both been accustomed to Hagrid's cooking before. Hermione blew on hers before taking a nibble of crust pastry. To be fair, it wasn't all too bad. "Hagrid," Ginny spluttered, "Exactly how much alcohol went into these?" Hermione looked doubtfully at her mince pie and took a larger bite.
"Only a couple o' bottles," Hagrid shrugged. Ginny nodded with raised eyebrows. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut as the sudden burst of alcohol hit her and she put her pie down. "Maybe ease down a little with the alcohol, Hagrid," Hermione said.
"I suppose it was a fair bit," Hagrid agreed, putting one whole into his mouth.
After washing the mince pies down with tea, both girls insisted that they had to get back up to the castle for dinner and waved goodbye to Hagrid. "I'll see yer both at breakfast tomorrow then!" Called Hagrid, waving from his door.
"Bye!" They called, beginning their trek back up to the school.
.
"Better than the library?" Ginny asked once they'd started up the track.
"Definitely," Hermione laughed, "Thanks."
"No problem," Ginny smiled, "So how's your secret not quite boyfriend?"
"Shhh!" Hermione giggled. Ginny looked around dramatically.
"Nope, no one insight," Ginny clarified. She waited.
"Oh fine," Hermione sighed, smirking. "He's alright."
"So you think he's hot?"
"What?! Ginny!"
"Do you? Because I'm not going to lie - he kinda is."
"Oi!" Hermione squealed, elbowing her friend in the ribs before saying, "Yes I think he's attractive." Ginny giggled.
"What's it like?"
"What's what like?" Hermione asked.
"Having a boyfriend - sorry - having a not quite boyfriend always around to talk to."
"Oh. Well there's a lot of kissing -"
"Hermione!?"
"What?"
"It's just, you don't really seem like the person who goes round kissing boys all the time."
"Yeah, well... He kisses me," Hermione clarified.
"So he loves you."
"He likes me," Hermione corrected.
"No, he loves you," Ginny insisted, "He loves you because he's got enough gut to put his reputation on the line."
"Reputation?" Hermione questioned, half annoyed.
"Hermione. He's. A. Malfoy," Ginny said, pronouncing each word sharply.
"You think he loves me? You really think so?" Hermione asked, not convinced.
"Hell yes Hermione!" Ginny cried out. Hermione smirked.
.
They sat with Neville, Luna, Dean and Seamus during dinner but, having almost died of boredom due to the constant quidditch talk, Hermione decided after a quick bowl of soup to go up to her dorm and finish her essay. Draco, seeing her leave, left his half eaten steak and kidney pie with Blaise and Theo and walked after her. He caught up with her at the steps and called, "Granger!" She turned round and looked at him, smiling awkwardly.
"Yes?" she asked, pausing on the stairs.
"When's the next Hogsmeade trip?" he asked. Hermione stared at him.
"A week Saturday. Why?" she asked. Draco looked outraged. "Why?" She repeated.
"You told me it was Sunday! We agreed Sunday!" He complained.
"I never! It's always been Saturday!" Hermione said, aghast.
"But... Never mind," Draco sighed, trying to figure out a way to get him out of this.
"Why?" Hermione asked again.
"Pansy and I had a disagreement," he said sheepishly. Hermione laughed and carried on up the stairs, saying something like "good luck" as she went. Draco reddened slightly and prepared to face a smug Pansy. Going back into the great hall, he lost his appetite for the rest of his steak and kidney pie.
"So?" Pansy asked, smirking.
"Basically, she messed up and had to change the dates to Saturday without telling me," Draco smirked.
"So basically, you were wrong," Pansy grinned.
"Hey! No I wasn't!" Draco retorted. They bickered.
.
Once Hermione had reached her common room, she noticed Draco's Herbology paper on the table. It looked like it was finished so Hermione walked over to it and decided to read it over, not to copy it but simply to check it. She supposed she was just used to marking Ron and Harry's homework now.
However, just as she'd started on the third paragraph, something caught her attention other than the magical healing properties of the mandrake. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a long, silver thing hanging out of Draco's bag. Curious, she stopped reading and scooched up the sofa to Draco's bag and took out the silver item with caution. She noticed, to her slight surprise, that it was a chain. She chuckled and wondered why on earth Draco would have this in his bag and was just about to put it back when she noticed that there was a silver ring attached to the chain. Peering at the ring, Hermione saw a tiny inscription on it and tried to make out what it said. She had half a mind to cast engorgio on it but thought better of it. This wasn't her's, after all. Why did Draco have this in his bag? Briefly, she wondered if it was given to him by Pansy but it just didn't seem in character. "What is this?" She murmured, turning it over slowly in her hands. The portrait opened.
Draco stopped dead in his tracks in the portrait hole. First he spotted his bag knocked over, then he spotted Hermione and then, to his horror, he saw the ring. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Draco yelled, storming over and snatching the chain from her grasp. Hermione jumped and darted to the opposite side of the sofa. "Draco what -"
"Why the fuck would you do that? Go through my bag!" Draco yelled. Hermione sat there dumbstruck. Surely he wasn't being serious. "Draco it's just -"
"You could have damaged it! You stupid mudblood!" Draco seethed. She gasped. Emotions filled Hermione's head as she sat, horrorstruck. She shook her head and stood up, backing away towards the kitchenette, eyes brimming with furious tears. "How dare you," she growled. Draco looked at her, unaware of what he'd said. "You're nothing but an arrogant pureblood are you! I trusted you!" She screamed. She'd trusted Ron too.
"Hermione what the fuck are you -"
"You promised! You promised never to call me that," she screamed, furious. Draco's eyes widened as he realised what he'd said. "Hermione I'm sorry," he tried, but Hermione was dashing towards her dorm. "Hermione!" Draco yelled, darting in front of her and grabbing her by the shoulders.
"LET GO OF ME!" She screamed but Draco held her firmly.
"Please," he said as steadily as he could, "Please Hermione I swear I didn't mean it."
She shook her head and let the tears roll down her cheeks. "Shut up! Just shut up!" She yelled, wrenching out of his grasp and drawing her wand, pointing it directly at his throat. "I trusted you!" She yelled at his face. He winced but stood still.
"Hermione please I'm sorry! Just forget it okay?"
"Forget it?!" Hermione repeated, furious, "You just called me a -"
"It's just a word! A stupid name! It means nothing! Please... Hermione please..." Draco begged, gripping her shoulders.
"It's not just a word," she uttered. Draco stiffened.
"What do you mean?" Draco asked.
"It means dirty blood. It means you regard me as less important than purebloods. It means you didn't regard your promise and therefore I can't trust you. It means... It means you never regarded me as an equal," Hermione said through clenched teeth, "And it means that I was stupid to even think you could -"
"Stop," Draco growled, angrily.
"Excuse me?" Hermione snapped angrily.
"I said stop! I said sorry! You can't even begin to comprehend how fucking sorry I am! And you, saying you think I don't like you. You know what that means don't you? It means that you can't trust me or believe that I actually might just like you. Just stop it Hermione. I made a mistake. I've apologised and honestly I feel terrible and guilty about calling you that but I've been with you this whole year, supported you even, and you have the nerve to say I don't like you? That I don't care. That I don't regard you as an equal? Well you got one thing right Hermione, I don't regard you as an equal."
She gasped. He had half a mind to just storm out of the room but thought better of it. She needed to know. He sighed and let go of her shoulders. "I can't regard you as an equal because you're better than me, and I regard you and your feelings and opinions more than mine. Hermione I need you," he finished, earnest. Her face softened and he pulled he into a tight hug. "I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear. There was a long silence which hung in the air.
"I'm sorry I took the chain out of your bag," she said into the silence after a while. "Just promise me you'll never go into my bag again," Draco murmured. She nodded into his shoulder and they both walked back over to the sofa and sat down next to each other. No one said anything. The only thing to be heard was the steady tick of the clock above the kitchenette and the breaths each other took. "Why did you do it?" Hermione asked after a while, once they'd both settled down. "Hmm?" Draco asked.
"Why did you call me a mudblood?" She asked, leaning her head onto his shoulder. "I... I was angry - no furious - at you for touching that," he replied.
"I didn't know..." Hermione faltered.
"You shouldn't need to know, Hermione," Draco said indignantly, raising his voice slightly, "It's my personal belongings and you shouldn't have been near them let alone going through them!"
"It was just the chain and I only took it out because it was hanging out and caught the light," Hermione said in her defence.
"And that makes it right?" Draco asked stonily. Hermione fell silent.
"Sorry," she murmured.
"No," Draco sighed, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lost it. It's just... The chain... It means a lot to me. You wouldn't understand."
"I do," Hermione sighed gravely. They fell silent again.
"If you don't mind me asking," Hermione began quietly, "Why's it so important?" Draco began to fidget, not knowing how much he trusted her. He did trust her, so why was he finding it so hard to tell her things? He settled with the truth - the whole truth. "It's kinda childish really," Draco sighed, scratching the back of his ear, "But it's the only thing my mother genuinely gave me. I mean, of course I got brooms and sweets and everything I wanted but my parents had never given me anything with... What's the word? Sentimental value. It all happened on the day before I left for my third year here, mother sat me down in one of the living rooms and opened a rather dusty, ancient wooden box. Call it a family heirloom or whatever but it's been passed down through the Black family for generations. I don't... Exactly know how old it is, but mother told me that her parents gave it to her - as their youngest child - after she'd turned 13. Aunt Bellatrix had been given a load of expensive stuff as she was the eldest and... Mother never speaks of her other sister. Anyway the ring's worthless, you wouldn't get a sickle off it, but it was the only thing she ever gave me that meant anything to me. It's like... Now that my family's... Well... And I'm not exactly welcome... Anymore..." He trailed off, suddenly unable to carry on. Hermione didn't know what to say - she didn't want to break whatever trance was keeping him stable. His clouded over eyes suddenly focused and he cleared his throat. "So. In short, that was the first real gift I got, something worthwhile. Something that reminds me of how it used to be. Before father went psycho death eater and mother became less independent and more like a servant. Before all this fucking shit had to happen. Can't Potter just kill him, so that my family can be left alone? So that things can go back to how they were!" Draco asked angrily, flinging his head back and groaning. Hermione again didn't know how to react. She'd already been through this with him. "He's doing all he can," Hermione said softly but Draco just clenched the ring, which was still in his hand, harder and felt a surge of hate rush through him. "He's not doing enough though is he?! Why don't you just tell me where he really is?! Come on, I know you know!" He shouted angrily, looking at her.
"You know I can't," Hermione scowled. Draco shook his head and put the chain back into his bag, feeling a little calmer. His face looked less stressed, anyway.
"Why do you hate that word so much Hermione?" Draco asked a couple of silent minutes later. An owl hooted distantly outside. Hermione glanced at the clock. "Oh gosh is that the time?" Hermione yawned. Draco read the clock. It was fairly late but he was sure Hermione was just avoiding his question. "I'm turning in, night!" Hermione smiled, getting up heavily and plodding over to her door. "Night," Draco sighed, thinking "Definitely avoiding the question." He'd opened up to her so why the hell was she not trusting him? Surely something had happened to make her hate the word so much. He heard the click of her door and followed suit.
A/N So, I don't think I've got anything to say this week apart from see you Tuesday after next.