A/N: Hi everyone!
Super sorry that I didn't update earlier...My computer went down, so I couldn't update...but it's all good now! :)
Thank you all so much for all of the reviews! I am super happy!
One bit of bad news: I probably won't be able to update for a bit...I will be a little bit busy...
But remember! More reviews mean quicker updates :) If you guys can blow me away with the number of reviews, I will update soon! :)
One thing about the kiss, I know you're all anxious for it, but I promise you. ITS COMING SOON! So be ready :) *rubs hands together evilly again*
And I got Draco's eye color right this time! :D YAY!
This is actually my longest chapter yet, so I hope you all enjoy it!
Hermione POV
The next morning, I woke up feeling bright and happy. Last night was so much fun, and seeing Draco truly smile at the stars was a sweet moment.
I picked up my necklace and bracelet and held then close to me. I smiled.
"Mornin'' said a very sleepy Draco, walking out of his bedroom, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Good morning." I returned. He yawned and pulled out his wand, doing a quick clean-up spell on himself.
He suddenly looked more awake, his stormy gray eyes bright.
"Today's a holiday. We're heading home for a week." he noted.
"Thank you, captain obvious." I joked. He rolled his eyes. "You gonna miss me?"
"You wish." he grinned. "It'll be nice to finally get away from you."
Suddenly, there was a light rapping sound on one of the windows. We both turned to see a large gray owl with an envelope in it's mouth sitting outside he window.
I didn't recognize it, but Draco apparently did. "Renstel?" he whispered, and he hurriedly ran to the window and opened it. He took the envelope from the beak of the large owl, and it flew off.
"What is it?" I asked, curious.
"My parents." he said. I stiffened. They had accepted me, but I was still a little intimidated by them.
He opened the envelope, took out the letter, and began to read out loud.
"Dearest Draco, since you are having a vacation this week, and will be heading home, your father and I have decided to have a little party. A get-together. The party will be tonight, at precisely 7 o'clock. I presume that you will be home by then. The reason I decided to owl you about it, though, is to tell you to bring your delightful new girlfriend, Hermione Granger, provided you're still a couple. Please owl me a response. With love, Mum." he read. He looked at me. "So...do you want to come home with me for the week?"
After contacting my parents and talking to them, they agreed to let me stay the week at the Malfoy Manor (of course, they were extremely happy to hear that I had a boyfriend).
I came back to our room to see Draco sitting in a chair, flicking his wands as his clothes began packing themselves into green and black bags.
"You're so lazy." I said.
He flashed me a smile that made me feel warm inside. "Thank you."
I rolled my eyes and went to my bedroom. I began getting out my clothes and bags, and packing them by hand.
I didn't notice Draco standing in the doorway, so his voice startled me. "Why are you packing by hand? We are wizards, remember? We use magic." he said, frowning.
I shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I've gotten used to it."
He came closer to me, so I could hear his quiet breathing next to me. "How do you fold it?" he asked, looking intensely at my bags.
I laughed. "You just do." I replied.
"That's a great answer." he said, sarcastically. "Teach me."
I stared at him. "The great Draco Malfoy, laziest man on Earth who can't live without magic wants to learn how to fold clothes like a muggle? Surely my ears are deceiving me! Oh no! The end of the world is coming!" I yelled.
"You're such a drama queen. Must you exaggerate everything?" he asked.
"Yep. That's what makes talking to you so fun." I said grinning. He tugged on my ponytail.
"Teach me." he repeated, picking up one of my shirts.
I spent the next half hour teach a very confused Draco how to fold clothes. He failed.
But after a while, he finally managed to fold one perfectly. Then he gave up. Isn't he charming?
I asked Draco to take my bags down to the train for me, so I could talk to Ginny, Harry and Ron. I had to tell them, but I doubted that they'd take it easily.
I found them in the Gryffindor commons. "Hi everyone." I greeted.
"Hi Hermione. Ready for the vacation? You're heading back to your parents, aren't you?" asked Harry.
I shook my head. "Actually, I won't be with my family for this vacation. I've been invited to stay at the Malfoy Manor." I said, fiddling with the hem of my off-the-shoulder pink shirt.
Harry and Ginny stared at me, while Ron's jaw that was filled with chocolate frogs, dropped open. He quickly swallowed. "I'm sorry. That sounded like you just said you were spending your week at the Malfoy Manor." said Ron, chuckling weakly. They all looked at one another.
"That is what I said." I said, nervously.
Ron exploded. "WHAT? YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! MALFOY?" yelled Ron. I nodded.
"His parents invited me." I said.
"It might not be safe." said Harry, worriedly. Ginny, who already knew about the Malfoys accepting me looked at Harry. "I don't think so, love." she said.
He looked at her, frowning. "What do you mean?"
"Well, Hermione's met Draco's parents, and they've accepted her." said Ginny, quietly. I nodded.
Harry's jaw dropped. "Wow, I feel so out of the loop." he said, scratching his head.
Ron was still in shock. "Please tell me you're joking. Malfoy? Come on Hermione! I thought this was a bet!"
"It is. But it kind of got into something different." I said.
Ginny stood up. "Well, as long as she's happy. If she wants to stay with Draco, I'm not going to stop her."
"I agree. But I'm still a little shocked. I'm surprised at myself for taking this so well." grinned Harry.
"Well, I don't. Malfoy is a ferret!" said Ron. Ginny rolled her eyes. "Why do you care so much, Ron? You're going out with Lavender, not Hermione, remember?" she asked.
Two red blotches appeared on Ron's cheek. "Yeah, well..." he mumbled.
"Anyway, I've got to go." I said. "I'll owl you." I told them.
Ginny stepped forward. "Good luck, 'Mione."
I might need it.
"Hey." said Draco, as I joined him in a train compartment. We would be heading back to platform 9 3/4, and then we would be apparating to the manor.
"You feeling alright?" he asked, squeezing my hand.
"Fine. Just a little nervous." I sighed.
"Don't worry. If my parents can accept you, the rest of my family will have no choice but to do the same." he said, grinning. He pulled out a soda can. "Here. Try this muggle drink I got." he said, handing it to me.
I took the can, and pulled the little can to open it. As soon as I did, a fountain of drink shot out at me, drenching me in "Sunkist".
I gasped, and Draco began laughing. "Refreshing, isn't it?" he asked, in between laughs.
I glared at him and kicked him. "I hate you." I said, pulling out my wand. I did a quick cleaning spell, and kicked him once more.
"Ow! Sheesh, Hermione. I still have a bruise there from the last time you kicked me." he said, complaining. "Which was, like, a week ago."
"Good. It'll remind you." I retorted. He grinned.
"Anyway, it's a formal party tonight. Any idea what you're going to wear?" he asked me.
"Oh, you didn't mention that." I said, biting my lip. "What am I going to do?"
He scoffed. "Don't worry too much. I'm sure my mom will find something for you." he said.
I smiled, and suddenly, the door burst open. "Hi there." said Blaise, grinning wickedly. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything."
"Nope." said Draco. Blaise took a seat next to me. "So you're heading home with us?" he asked.
"If you mean to the Malfoy Manor, then yes. Draco's parents invited me." I said.
He turned to Draco. "Really?" Draco nodded.
"Wow, Hermione. And they didn't accept Pansy..." he said, shaking his head.
This confused me. "They didn't?" I asked, confused.
"No. They thought she wasn't proper enough to be a Malfoy." said Draco, lazily. "I didn't really care. She was really annoying."
"Where is she now?" I asked. I hadn't seen her at Hogwarts recently.
"I heard she headed out because of some family thing." said Blaise.
"Hello everyone. Thank you for riding the Hogwarts express. We will be reaching platform 9 3/4 in about five minutes. Please take your luggage with you. Thank you, and we will see you all in a week." came a voice out of nowhere.
Draco stood up and grabbed his bags from a top shelf. He handed me my red bags.
"Green is better." said Draco, handing me the last of my bags.
"I disagree." I shot back.
We got off the train, and Blaise, Draco and I grabbed our things and apparated to the manor. It was a lot of fun.
"Whoa!" I exclaimed, as my feet hit the ground. We stood in front of a large mansion with two large doors. Draco lightly knocked on the door, and within seconds, they opened to reveal a small pale woman with bright blue eyes. "Oh hello everyone." she said. She walked forth to hug Draco and kiss him on the cheek. Next she walked to Blaise and hugged him. "Good to see you dear." she said. Finally she turned to me. I held out my hand. "Hello, Mrs. Malfoy." I said, smiling. I expected her to shake my hand politely. I did not expect her to pull me into a warm hug. "It's great to see you, Hermione dear. Do call me Narcissa." she beamed. I was shocked. What happened to the whole "Malfoys hate Muggle-Borns" thing?
I smiled and nodded as Draco grinned at my confused expression.
"I see they have arrived." said a low voice that still scared me a bit. A pale, grey eyed man who looked just like Draco stepped out from behind a door.
"Hello father." said Draco, calmly.
"Draco. Blaise." he said, curtly. He turned to me, and I stiffened.
"It's great to see you again, Mr. Malfoy." I squeaked. Draco watched my closely.
"Hello Miss Granger. I assume you've been doing well? I hope you've been helping us keep Draco and Blaise out of trouble." he said, with a small smile on his face.
I just about fainted, and Draco grinned.
"I've been doing my best." I said, grinning. The butterflies that had been stored in my stomach left in a heartbeat. It was almost comfortable here. His family was so kind.
But then I heard a voice that gave me goosebumps. "Cissy? Who's here?" A woman with messy, curly black hair came out from a room, her high cheekbones casting shadows from the light.
A smile lit her face. "Drakey! Come give Auntie Bella a hug." she said, spreading her arms out and walking towards him. They embraced and she turned to Blaise. "Zabini, you're looking well!" she exclaimed. He grinned.
Finally, she turned to me, and her smile vanished. She jumped back. I expected the worst and even flinched. "Hermione Granger. Muggle-born. Draco's girlfriend. Been accepted by the family." she said, putting one long, pale finger on my face. I shivered. Draco was watching me closely, his shoulders tense. Suddenly, Bellatrix grinned. "Welcome to the family."
I breathed a sigh of relief, and Draco's shoulders relaxed.
"Bella, you shouldn't scare her like that." said Narcissa, smiling lightly. "Alright. Draco, be a gentleman and take Hermione's bags and show her to her room. Blaise, you know where you're staying." she said.
Draco groaned and picked up my bags. "Come on." he said, already heading up the long black staircase.
We walked down a corridor, and finally, Draco stopped at a room. "Here we go."
I pushed open the door, and gasped. The room had a large bed in the middle, a balcony, and even a bathroom.
"Whoa." I said, gasping.
Draco set down my bags. "So how is my family?" he asked.
"They're incredibly nice. I was so afraid. Especially when Bellatrix came down." I confessed. "I was so afraid she'd attack me. But she was completely calm. And your mother even hugged me! I'm muggle-born! I'm so confused! I thought your family hated muggle-borns." I said.
"After the defeat of the Dark Lord, our family decided that enough was enough. We didn't care about blood circumstances too much anymore." he said. "As for Aunt Bella, she first started freaking out when my parents told her about you and me, but my mother convinced her to be okay with you. My mother really likes you."
"I can tell, and I'm really grateful for it." I said, smiling.
There was a light knock on the door, and Narcissa's head poked through the crack. "Is the room alright?" she asked.
I nodded. "It's perfect, thank you." I said.
"Wonderful. Now, Draco, go down and get dressed. The party starts soon. And Hermione, you should get dressed as well." she said.
I opened my mouth to say something, but Draco beat me to it.
"Um, mother, Hermione didn't bring a gown." he said. Narcissa looked at me. "Is that so? Don't worry. Bella and I will help you find something. We have lots of things you can borrow." she said, smiling warmly.
"Thank you so much." I said. "But I don't mean to be trouble..."
"Nonsense." said Narcissa, waving her hand. "Not at all. Draco, dear, go away." she said. I almost laughed at how frank she was. Draco must get it from her.
Draco just winked at me and walked out. "I'll send Aunt Bella up." he called, as he left.
A couple seconds later, Bellatrix popped into my room. "Drakey says you need me." she said.
About an hour later, I was all dressed up. Somehow, the pair had managed to find me a strapless snow white gown that blossomed out from the waist, and had a beautiful design on the top. They had fiddled with my messy brown hair to turn it wavy. They had spent quite a bit of time on my make-up as well. I was a feeling a little bit awkward during to whole time, but it was worth it. I looked stunning.
"Ah! That was fun." said Bellatrix, smiling.
"Thank you so much!" I said, still fingering my silky hair.
"No need for thanks. We don't have any daughters around here to dress up, so this was a great deal o fun for us." said Narcissa. "Now, the party is starting! Let's all get going!" she said.
I walked down the long staircase in a pair of white heels, and as cheesy as it sounds, I felt like a princess.
Draco, who had been talking to Blaise at the bottom of the stairs turned to stare at me in amazement.
"Yes, I'm gorgeous." I said, smirking. No use in having low self-confidence.
"Well, isn't someone conceited." said Draco, smirking.
"Not as much as you, dear." I said, smirking back. "But you agree, I look dazzling."
"Yes, but I look better. I always do." he said.
"I have to disagree with that." I said, although it was true. He did look nice. Even though he was wearing almost casual clothes (a pair of black pants and a green shirt), he still looked pretty sexy. Oh gosh. Did I just think that?
He just smirked, and held out his arm. "Care to dance?" he asked. I took it, smiling. He put an arm around my waist and pulled me close to him. I put my arms around his neck. Even though I was wearing heels, I was still shorter than him. Damn it.
I could smell his clean, fresh smell, which was somehow soothing to me. He spun me around and twirled me, and I was in bliss. We danced, and one thought stayed in my head for the longest time.
I could stay like this forever.
A little later, we retired to the patio outside of the main hall.
"It's a little strange. My opinions about you and your family have changed so much over this year." I said.
"Really?" he asked.
"Yeah. You went from an annoying ferret to a sweet guy. Oh wait. Never mind. You're still an annoying ferret." I teased.
He glared at me. "Well, I would say that you've changed, but you're still a stuck-up know it all." he said, teasing me.
"Yeah, well, somethings don't change." I said, a soft smile on my face.
"Yeah." he started leaning towards me again, and my brain went fuzzy. Oh my gosh is he going to kiss me? Again? Do I want him to kiss me?
He was about 5 inches from my face when a voice rang out, scaring both of us. "Draco! You won't believe how good these drinks are!" yelled Blaise. He saw us our position before we quickly moved away from each other, our faces completely red.
"Shit! I just messed it up! Sorry! I'll leave now!" said Blaise, backing out.
Draco stood up. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I'm going to go back in now." he said, looking away.
"Ok." I said, my face equally red.
What is wrong with me?
A/N: Blaise! You messed them up! :)
But don't worry :) The time will come for their kiss :)
So PLEASE REVIEW! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! :) More reviews mean faster updates! :)
So I really hope to see you all soon!
Luv,
Cherri