"You weren't so keen on being verbal when you first saw us a while ago." Draco sneered, not lowering his wand an inch.
Ron nodded. "I know. I was upset. Please, let me explain myself."
George and Angelina lowered their wands, and soon Harry and Ginny followed suit. Hermione dropped her stance as well, but Draco refused to let down his guard. "You guys can listen to him, but I'm standing guard." He spoke with such ferocity that no one dared to contradict him.
They all sat down again, but in a semicircle. Ron sat down in front of the now closed door with his hands on his lap for all to see. "Alright, now speak your mind, Ickle Ronniekins." George smirked. "Spill your deepest secrets."
Angelina nudged her boyfriend, but Ron seemed to mind neither George's sarcasm nor the name he used to hate so much. Hermione unthinkingly put the palm of her hand on the back of Draco's calf and gently squeezed it. This gesture made Ron Weasley's nostrils flare.
"They're going out, so there's nothing wrong with that." Ginny said, not missing anything. Ron glared at his sister and then swallowed. "Guys… Jane was giving me love potions. I didn't want to be with her. I love you, Hermione." He gazed at Hermione, who had gone stone cold.
Draco finally lowered his wand as Ron's words struck him. What if Hermione… No. It doesn't matter whether Weasel was hoodwinked or not. She loves ME.
Hermione was mouthing words silently, and everyone else had stiffened and was processing Ron's words. In her own mind, she was thinking, So, he didn't cheat on me after all? I cheated on HIM? Oh no. No. This can't be happening. I would be with Draco either way.
"Hermione." Ron pleaded. "We can still get back together. I'll forgive you for everything. I won't even try to kill the Ferret. Please, I love you, and if it weren't for Jane, I would've proposed to you by now. I was intending to. You have to believe me."
Hermione had started absentmindedly mouthing unintelligible words. George and Angelina looked uncertain. Draco was deathly pale, his eyes locked on Hermione. Harry looked at Ron as if he were seeing him in a new light. Ginny, however, seemed to have no qualms about glowering at Ron without hesitation.
She marched straight up to her brother, and slapped him across the face. "How DARE you lie to me, to us, to Hermione, you DESPICABLE arse, you DISGUSTING pig, you DISGRACEFUL moron! I cannot believe your nerve, Ronald Bilius Weasley, by making up an excuse for your choices by way of a love potion. How stupid do you think we are, huh? What are we to you? How DARE you play on our emotions, on our kindness, on our LOVE for you."
Ginny raised her hand to strike again, but Harry darted forward to restrain her and pull her back to their original spot. George stared at his sister with a sort of new kind of reverence, and Angelina's mouth had literally dropped open in awe. Draco had fallen to his knees, and Hermione was now supporting him, although she was still speechless. It was Draco who finally broke the silence. "Anyone mind explaining what just happened?" he asked weakly. Hermione nodded feebly, feeling faint. What in the world was going on with Ginny? How was Ron lying?
Harry answered, for Ginny was still red in the face from her outburst and was shaking uncontrollably, her fist still raised in the air. "Ginny's right, guys. Ron's lying. I'll explain, but first, let me take some precaution." Without blinking an eye, Harry cried, "Petrificus Totalus!" Ron was put under the Full Body-Bind Curse, and Harry continued his explanation without further interruption.
"First of all, what Ginny said about Jane's letter provides excellent proof that Ron could not have been under the influence of a love potion. She specifically said she wanted to be famous as well as get divorced from her husband to start a new 'fabulous' life, if you recall. Her plan was obviously to create a huge scandal to drive Dawlish away, as well as have every reporter in Britain trailing her. This way, she would be free, and would also be very desirable in the public eye. Marriage to a wealthy, handsome, and young suitor would come right along, and everything would work out just as she had planned. So, the question is, if she had a love potion, why would she drug Ron, and not me?"
George nodded slowly. "Of course. A woman like her would definitely go for you, the big, juicy 'Boy Who Lived.' You're right. No one in her right mind would try and go for Ron, not if she wanted to create a sensation to rock the country. A love potion is definitely out of the question."
Harry nodded, and then continued. "Secondly, we were all training to become Aurors, Neville, Ron, and myself. Coincidentally, we were also being trained by a full-fledged Auror himself, and a veteran one at that. I think we would've been able to see the effects of a love potion had Ron truly been under the influence of one. Don't forget, I saw him in sixth year after eating Romilda Vane's love potion-spiked Chocolate Cauldrons. You can ask Professor Slughorn if you don't believe me. Ron was absolutely crazy. I would've noticed, being his best mate and all."
Hermione gave the bound Ron a horrified look. This was not the sweet, caring, loyal boy she remembered. Ron had never fibbed to her or Harry before for as long as she could recall, and this obscene lie was a frightening move for the once-honest, pure Ron. She closed her mouth again and hugged Draco tight, glad that Ron's subterfuge had not tricked them. Not that she would've left Draco, but had Ron convinced everyone else that he was under the influence of a love potion, she would be the guilty one, and everyone would try to persuade her to give Ron another chance, as it wasn't his fault.
Draco, on the other hand, massaged Hermione's arms as she gripped him tightly, burying his chin into the crown of her head. Everything was alright again. Weasel's frozen. Hermione's with me. Potty's turned on his best friend. And Weaselette… someone needs to remind me to thank her. Although he would never admit it, Draco was also rather impressed by Harry's quick thinking and deduction skills. Alright… so maybe I owe Potter, too. I'll do something important for them, and that's a promise.
Hours later, Hermione, Draco, the Weasleys, and other friends were gathered outside the Burrow and watching George's fireworks blazing in the night sky. Ron had been left, bound and gagged, in Ginny's room, and no one but Draco, Hermione, Ginny, Harry, George, and Angelina knew. Everyone else stuck to George's story that Ron was feeling ill without further question. Hermione was secretly slightly amused at how Mr. and Mrs. Weasley hadn't even bothered to check up on their son, proving that they were still put out at his behavior, even if they didn't show it.
It was close to midnight, and Hermione was ready to make her New Year's wish. Draco had his arm draped around her shoulders, and she felt warm and snug with her wrap around her. All the males were whooping at the spectacular images in the sky, and even Hermione shrieked once or twice at a particularly stunning firework. They were standing with Ginny and Harry on one side, and with Neville and Hannah on the other. Luna and Rolf had gone home early to spend the rest of the evening with Rolf's parents. One minute until midnight.
"What are you thinking of right now?" Draco's warm breath tickled Hermione's cold ear as she counted down the seconds to the New Year.
"I'm making a wish." she replied sweetly, pecking him softly on the cheek.
"Pray tell, what is that wish?" he asked, nuzzling her cheek with his own now.
"If I tell you before I make it, it won't come true." she replied seriously.
Before Draco had a chance to respond, everyone around them had started shouting, "TEN! NINE! EIGHT! SEVEN! SIX! FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE… HAPPY NEW YEAR'S!"
Wild cheering and hysterical whooping filled the area, and Hermione made her wish. After she was done, she turned to look at Draco, whose eyes were closed and brow furrowed in concentration. When he finally opened his eyes, Hermione saw that they were sparkling with tears.
"Draco, what's the matter?" she asked, alarmed. He grinned at her in response, and said, "I'll tell you in a moment. First, tell me what your wish was."
"Well… I wished for… I want you to be happy. Forever." she said, unable to get the words out. In her mind, she had just wished for Draco's perpetual joy and content, but the thought was ineffable. She hoped he understood her words.
It seemed that he did, for he grinned even wider. "That's funny." he remarked. "I wished for you to be happy forever, also. What a coincidence!"
Hermione gasped, and then asked accusingly, "Did you use Legilimency on me?"
Draco chuckled and replied, "My dear Hermione. I am only an Occlumens. Legilimency, no matter how tempting it is to be able to look into other people's minds, is really not my thing. Anyways, I don't need it to read you. To me, you're an open book."
He smirked Hermione's favorite smirk before leaning down to whisper in her ear again. "Anyways, happy New Year, love."
The rest of the holiday break was very calm and peaceful, with the exception of Dawlish's New Year's Eve suicide hitting the headlines of the Daily Prophet on New Year's Day. Jane Dawlish was interviewed on almost every radio station on the Wizarding Wireless Network. Narcissa was absolutely disgusted, so instead of listening to popular tunes on the device, she had some house-elves bring in various instruments and perform for them instead. Hermione would've objected to this, but the elves seemed so happy to be able to express their musical talents, and they also switched out when they tired of playing, so that she simply curled up next to Draco on the couch in the living room and read daily letters from her friends and wrote back as well.
Draco was in the middle of reading his new Muggle books, Narcissa was taking up her new hobby of knitting hats for the house-elves, (they didn't mind clothes now, as they were pretty much being paid for their services anyways), and Lucius continued to play endlessly on the rug with Crookshanks in front of the roaring fireplace. Everything was so cozy and comfortable, that Hermione actually dreaded going back to Hogwarts for once.
Ron hadn't been heard from since the party at the Burrow. Ginny had written that Molly had kicked him out of the house for his outrageous behavior, but he was working for George now. Hermione was relieved, for as strange and conscience-less Ron had become, she knew that somewhere deep inside, was still a good person. Perhaps, over time, they could all become friends again. Harry complained in his letters about how Ron was now more famous than himself, the Boy Who Lived. It seemed that Ron and Jane's scandal, coupled with Dawlish's grotesque suicide, was re-exploding the Wizarding community again. He wrote jokingly that George kind of liked it, though, for now, his shop was always crowded with reporters, journalists, girls after Ron's fame, and regular shoppers.
Zacharias wrote, too, although it was brief. Hermione could tell that he was lonely without his friends and Heather, but he wrote that his father had insisted that he not go out for the rest of the break to recover fully and properly from the Vanishing Sickness, and his mother had insisted that he spend as much time with his family as possible before being shipped back to school.
The days quietly slipped by, and when it was time for Draco and Hermione to Apparate back to Hogwarts, Hermione found herself tearing up as Narcissa embraced her warmly. Lucius paid more attention to bidding farewell to Crookshanks than his son and his son's girlfriend, but that was to be expected. Draco rolled his eyes, amused, when Narcissa smacked her husband for being so uncaring. Thus, Lucius stiffly shook Draco's and Hermione's hands, and Hermione could feel a single tear sliding down her right cheek as she and Draco Disapparated.
They landed right behind the sofa of Montecino Tower, and Hermione quickly wiped her tear away before Draco could see. They turned towards the twin fireplaces, and jumped when they saw Kreacher there. It was nearly dinner-time, and the elf had prepared a hot meal for them on the class coffee table.
"Master Draco and Mistress Hermione," he croaked, bowing low, "Welcome back."