Chapter Six

Friendly match

Draco growled when he heard the alarm clock go off, wrapping his arm around Hermione and pulling her close to his chest.

"Fuck, I really don't want to get up today."

After turning it off, she rolled over in bed until she could see his face.

"Is that awful to spend time with the Weasley family?"

"A fucking nightmare."

Hermione snorted and sat up, searching for Crookshanks with her eyes. He was still in his bed in one of the corners of the room.

"I hope you don't do anything today that I wouldn't do," she said, standing up.

Draco gritted his teeth and jumped to his feet.

"What I have to suffer because I'm with you," he muttered under his breath, locking himself in the hall bathroom.

Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed, picking out a jumper Mrs. Weasley had given her and some jeans for the day.

When she entered the kitchen, Draco choked on his coffee.

"What are you doing with that tacky thing on?" he asked, wrinkling his nose as he looked at the purple jumper with the Gryffindor crest in the middle.

He was wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, just enough to keep the Dark Mark from showing on his left arm. Hermione snorted, sitting down across from him and pouring coffee into the cup Draco had left on the table for her.

"Molly gave it to me last Christmas and I'm sure she likes to see me wear it."

"I'd forgotten those damn jumpers existed, you've got ten of them."

"You're in a really bad mood... Is it because you're going to the Burrow? And why did you make coffee today?" Hermione said, frowning.

"I need something strong to get me through what's coming," Draco murmured, raising both eyebrows and taking a large sip from his cup.

Hermione laughed softly, sighing.

"They're all going to be nice to you, Draco."

"I doubt it. The only one who treats me nicely is your friend," he growled, referring to Ginny.

"It's not like you're very nice to Harry or Ron either."

"One is your ex-boyfriend and the other pretended to be in love with you just to spite me. Excuse me if I'm not keen on spending time with them."

"Harry was just joking."

"Yes, and it was just as much fun as when he pretended to be you. Bloody Potter..."

Hermione started coughing, and had to put her cup down on the table so she wouldn't spill her coffee.

"When did he do that?"

Draco clenched his jaw and folded his arms, leaning his back against the chair.

"Right, I didn't tell you... it was shortly after you gave me this," he commented, fingering the blue stone bracelet on his left wrist.

"You never take it off, though I don't think another magical creature would try to enter your mind anymore," Hermione replied, smiling.

Draco shrugged.

"It's a gift from you," he said in a low voice, looking at her intently.

Hermione blushed, looking down at her breakfast.

"Tell me about Harry pretending to be me," she asked, searching his eyes again.

Draco sighed, shaking his head.

"You'll think it's funny, but it wasn't. He and your Weasley friend set it up. They were brewing Polyjuice Potion, they spent a month planning the whole thing... One day, she showed up at the entrance of the Slytherin common room looking for me. I went out to talk to her and she told me that you looked really weird, and that you were going to the lake."

Hermione raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. She wanted to hear more of the story.

"I ran out to look for you and I saw you on the shore, starting to go into the water. I thought you were experiencing the same thing that happened to me with the mermaid and I followed you. I managed to grab you before you sank, and pulled you out of the lake."

Hermione pressed her lips together, but Draco could tell she was trying to hold in her laughter and narrowed his eyes.

"It's not funny, I was quite scared. I was just wondering why you did that when your body started to change. A few seconds later, the one in front of me was Potter," he hissed in a deep voice, clenching his fists.

Hermione covered her mouth with both hands, surprised and unable to stop laughing.

"I didn't smash his face in because his girlfriend was in front of us, but he deserved it," Draco added, slamming his fists on the table.

"Where was I to have missed all that?" asked Hermione, trying to remember her last year at Hogwarts.

"Surely with your dear ex-boyfriend Weasley," he grunted, pursing his lips.

Hermione shook her head as she finished her coffee.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me until now."

"I'd rather not remember that day, Granger."

She reached a hand across the table and Draco's face softened. He immediately grabbed Hermione's hand and laced their fingers together.

"It turned out all right in the end," she said, grinning.

Draco gave her a crooked smile and her heart skipped a beat. They were both startled by a tapping on the window near the fireplace.

Hermione frowned and got up, leaving the kitchen. Pig, Ron's owl, was watching her through the glass. She opened the window and the little bird flew in, crashing into one of the lamps. Draco came out when he heard the bang, looking at the owl with a pout.

"Clumsy as ever, Pig," Hermione muttered, unrolling the piece of parchment the owl was carrying in one of its paws when it landed on the back of one of the armchairs.

She recognised Ginny's handwriting and read the message, grimacing at the end.

"What is it?" asked Draco, moving closer to her but keeping some distance from Pig.

"Ginny wants us to go to the Burrow now. They're going to play a Quidditch match before lunch," Hermione said, twisting her lips downwards.

Draco gave her a mocking look, running a hand through his platinum blond hair.

"What a good idea... I like watching you fly."

Hermione glared at him.

"You've improved since I started teaching you," he added, cocking his head to one side.

"That's not true, I still suck at it," she snorted.

Draco took a few steps until he was in front of Hermione and lifted her chin with one hand, forcing her to look him in the eye.

"That's why I like watching you fly. It's the only thing you're bad at."

Hermione snorted and he chuckled, leaning down until their lips met.

"I'm going to get my broom and my uniform," Draco whispered, disappearing up the stairs at full speed.

Hermione sighed, braiding her hair with her fingers. If she was going to fly, she needed to keep it pinned up or she would look like a lion once she was done. Draco's arm wrapped around her waist and his lips brushed her ear.

"Let's see if you can beat me today."

Hermione was about to reply, but gasped as she felt the typical tingle of every time they apparated somewhere. She blinked several times and saw that they were on the outskirts of the forest next to the Burrow, just in front of the dirt path that led to the house.

"Are you going to play against me?" she asked, glancing at Draco.

He let go of her waist and held one of her hands, starting to walk. In the other hand, he carried his Nimbus 2001 and a bag.

"Of course, against you and Potter."

Soon after, Hermione knocked on the front door of the house as she heard Draco sigh. Mr. Weasley opened it.

"Hermione! I see you got Ginny's owl. Come in," he said, stepping aside.

Hermione entered the house that was like a second home to her. From the window, she saw several people in the garden and heard their voices arguing as they handed out the brooms from the shed.

"Welcome, Malfoy," said Arthur, rather seriously and offering him a hand.

Draco gritted his teeth and shook it.

"Minister," he murmured, nodding.

Draco didn't resent him as much as he had before. He had had to participate in the rebuilding of Hogwarts with his family as punishment but, after that summer, Mr. Weasley forgave the three of them their crimes and gave them a second chance. And, on his first day as an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries, Draco discovered that he had been admitted because the Minister himself had interceded on his behalf. He wasn't allowed to be an Auror, but now that he thought about it, it was much more interesting to be an Unspeakable.

And his father Lucius had managed to get back to work at Gringotts, though not in an important position like before the war.

"In this house I'm just Arthur Weasley. There's no need to be so formal," Arthur commented, laughing softly.

"All right, Mr Weasley."

"Just call me Arthur. They're waiting for you in the garden."

Draco nodded again and followed Hermione, who was already at the back door. As they passed through, they saw that there was a huge wooden table with twelve chairs in the area where the floor was made of stone. Luna stood near the old shed, looking at the plants around it curiously, and the others were in the centre of the garden.

"Where's Marissa?" he asked when he didn't see her.

"She's in Ireland with her family until the end of the month."

Draco snorted, nodding. He didn't like being the only Slytherin with all those Gryffindors.

Harry smiled at the sight of Hermione and ran to her, wrapping his arms around her.

"Careful, Potter."

Harry pulled away from Hermione, but left a hand on her waist and looked at Draco with a spark of amusement in his green eyes.

"You still haven't gotten over my little joke?" he asked in a mocking voice.

Draco narrowed his eyes.

"I'll never forget it," he spat through his teeth.

"Don't start arguing about it again," Hermione said, glancing back and forth between the two of them.

Harry laughed and waved his wand, levitating one of the Weasley family's old broomsticks to them. Hermione took it reluctantly.

"Teams?" Harry asked, glancing sideways at Draco.

He gave him a smirk.

"You and I captains, just like last time."

Although Draco had never been to the Burrow, he and Hermione had been to the small clearing nearby, where the Weasleys played Quidditch, several times.

Harry nodded, turning his head towards the Weasley brothers.

"Ron, you're with me."

Ron nodded and walked over to them, greeting Hermione with a kiss on the cheek. Draco squared his shoulders and cursed under his breath, causing her to look up at him and giggle at his jealous look.

"Weasley, help me beat them," Draco said, searching Ginny's brown eyes.

"My pleasure," she said, hopping on her broom and smiling.

They kept picking until only Hermione and Percy were left, the ones who played the worst. Harry chose Hermione because he knew it would be more fun if she and Draco were on different teams.

After disillusioning themselves so Muggles couldn't see them, they flew up the hill, with Luna on the same broom as Ginny. Once there, they were surrounded by trees and there was no danger. Hermione cast the Muggle repelling charm anyway. She didn't like taking chances.

"Whoever gets to a hundred points first, wins," George proposed, handing one of the bats to Charlie.

They all nodded and rose into the air as Harry conjured three smoke rings on either side of the clearing. Hermione clutched her broomstick nervously and heard a derisive snigger from Draco, who had already changed into his Slytherin Quidditch uniform. She shot him a poisonous glare and stood in the middle of the pitch, next to Ginny.

George and Charlie stood to the sides, bats at the ready. Luna came over with a small wooden box Ron had brought and opened it. There was a yellow quaffle and a black bludger inside.

"Whenever you're ready," said the blonde girl, looking up at them.

Percy stood in front of the goalposts on the left and Ron flew to the ones on the right.

Harry nodded, looking down at Luna, and she let go of the small chain holding the bludger. It shot upwards and Hermione gasped, tilting her broom too far back to dodge it. Draco flew to her and held her broomstick with one hand, steadying it.

"Don't be nervous," he muttered, glancing sideways at her.

She growled through her teeth, gripping the broom so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

"Now!" Luna shouted, throwing the quaffle upwards.

Harry and Draco pounced on it and Harry caught it, dodging Ginny and swinging his broom upwards.

Draco and Ginny followed him but Hermione stayed lower, looking down at where the two beaters were. She saw George wink at her before hitting the bludger and she yelped, swooping down to avoid it. Charlie was behind her a second later, throwing the ball in Ginny's direction.

"Hermione, catch it!" Harry shouted, throwing the quaffle at her and turning sharply to dodge the bludger.

Hermione gulped and flew towards the quaffle, catching it with both hands. She placed it between her knees, holding it with one hand, and with the other she gripped the broom and flew towards Percy.

He frowned and stood in front of the centre hoop, preparing himself in case she threw the quaffle at him.

Hermione sighed, gripping the quaffle tightly with both hands. She pretended to throw it into the right hoop, and when Percy moved, she threw it with all her might into the left.

"Hermione opens the scoring!" Charlie shouted, flying down to her and patting her back affectionately.

She smiled, a little blushing, and looked up. Harry was smirking in her direction, and as she noticed Draco, she saw him raising an eyebrow and his eyes sparkling with mischief.

Percy threw the ball to Ginny, who spun to the right and dodged Hermione. Harry managed to take the quaffle from her and tossed it back to Hermione.

She put it back between her legs and started flying towards Percy. A giggle next to her startled Hermione and she turned her head, meeting Draco's grey eyes. In a single motion, he snatched the ball from her and spun in the air, flying in the opposite direction as fast as he could.

"You have to dodge him, Hermione!" Harry protested, speeding up to catch Draco.

Draco threw the ball to Ginny and she spun her broom, hitting the quaffle with her foot. The yellow ball shot towards the goalposts and went through the one on the left.

Ron's curse echoed throughout the forest. Ginny and Draco high-fived and flew back, grinning. Hermione wrinkled her nose as they reached her position and Draco winked at her.

Harry sighed, knowing his team was going to lose. Hermione was trying so hard, but Draco and Ginny were a very good team.

"Coming here was a good decision in the end," Draco mumbled, chuckling.

His broom was leaning against one of the walls of the wooden shed, next to Harry's Firebolt.

Hermione grunted and walked away towards the table, where most of the Weasleys were already seated. Draco's smile disappeared as he saw Ron sit down in the free chair next to her.

"Come on, Draco. Sit with me, we blondes have to support each other," Luna proposed, standing at his side and glancing at him with amused eyes.

He nodded and sat down directly opposite Hermione, with Luna on one side and George on the other.

"You're good, Malfoy. We kicked the crap out of them today," George commented, raising his wine glass as he gave Hermione and Harry a smirk.

"The team with Hermione always loses. There's no credit to you for winning," Ron protested, snorting.

"Ronald!" Hermione shouted, elbowing him in the ribs.

"Don't listen to him, sweetheart. You're getting better and better at flying," said Mrs. Weasley, sitting down next to her husband.

She waved her wand and trays of food spread around the table. Everyone began to help themselves to their plates.

"I've been looking forward to you coming to my house, Malfoy."

Draco looked up at the sound of Arthur's voice. He frowned, not knowing what to say.

"I would never have guessed you'd end up friends with my children," Mr. Weasley added, smiling.

"We're not friends," Ron clarified, glaring at Draco and earning himself another nudge from Hermione.

"You could say we tolerate each other now," Draco confirmed, taking a sip of wine.

"I do consider you my friend," Luna said.

Draco's gaze softened and he gave the blonde girl a small smile.

"And I like you, though you'll always be my favourite ferret," Ginny murmured, giggling.

Harry and Ron laughed too, and Draco narrowed his eyes.

"Leave him alone," Hermione protested, frowning.

"Right, Malfoy's our guest and if you say things like that to him he won't want to come back," Charlie said with his mouth full.

"I hope you'll come more often. You're always welcome here," Molly added, smiling in his direction.

"Thank you," Draco replied, nodding.

"By the way, the area around the shed is full of gnomes," Luna said suddenly.

Ron rolled his eyes and his sister shook her head.

"We chase them away every summer, but they always come back," Ginny replied, sighing.

George started talking about the new products he and Ron were selling in their two Weasley's Wizard Wheezes shops. The one in Hogsmeade had been open for a year and a half and was proving to be a great success.

Draco was grateful for the change of subject, he didn't like having all that family hanging over him. He glanced at Hermione and saw a big smile on her face.

Just to see her like that made accompanying her to the Burrow worth it.