Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
A/N: New chapter is here! Romance is in the air!
Chapter 9
Breaking Free
It was morning.
The birds were chirping outside. Harry slowly opened his eyes and yawned. He felt something beside him move. He fully opened his eyes and found Pansy sleeping with her head on his chest. Harry found his one hand around her waist. It was not new to him at all. This incident had happened a few times since they had started sharing a bed together. But she would roll on to the other side after awhile and Harry used that moment to get up from bed before she woke up every time.
Harry did not mind cuddling with her. Actually, he kind of enjoyed it. He took a deep breath and looked at her and found her eyes open. He got nervous and looked back at her. Pansy rolled back on her side of the bed.
"Never mind, Potter. I have been a cuddly sleeper since birth." Pansy said in her sleepy voice.
"It's okay. I don't mind," He sheepishly replied.
"Huh! You have no problem with anything." Pansy said. "Not in marrying me, cuddling with me."
Harry's cheeks turned red.
"You just have problem when I kiss you," Pansy smirked.
"Well you kissed me because of your issues with Zabini. I could not let it go," Harry said.
"What if I kissed you without any issues?" She raised an eyebrow.
Harry looked into her eyes trying to understand what she really meant. "I don't know. Maybe I won't mind." He stammered. "You are up early today."
Harry tried to change the subject.
"Because you were taking in all the oxygen in here and that caused a mini earthquake in your chest or should I say, my pillow," Pansy retorted.
"So, I don't mind cuddling but I can't breathe?" Harry asked her.
"The least the better," Pansy smirked. "Don't want to ruin my beauty sleep."
"I think, there will be a bigger earthquake next time on your pillow, Parkinson" Harry smirked.
Pansy raised her eyebrows. "For the first time you mind something. Potter, I am so enjoying it."
"Well, it concerns my lungs" Harry joked.
Pansy shook her head with an amused look on her face. "Not funny. I hope you make the next one funnier."
Then she got up from bed and went into the bathroom. Harry smiled to himself.
….
The marriage law had started changing almost everything in Hogwarts. The students were forced to team up with their fiancés in every group work. They were literary stuck with their partners in bedroom, in schoolwork, in everywhere.
That is why, a beautiful afternoon found Draco and Hermione studying together on her desk in their room. Hermione was the top student of her class. Draco was just second to her. The fact that he could best anyone but her, always annoyed him.
Hermione looked at Draco while he was writing on his parchment. She actually enjoyed doing group projects with him. He was very serious regarding studies and could add vital contribution to their work. She never got this from Harry or Ron. She was mostly their tutor. But Draco was equally competent as her. He discussed and debated with her about projects and assignments. She felt that their dynamics increased their efficiency.
Draco said, "I am done."
"Me too. So we have only Charms assignment left," Hermione replied.
"How about we do it tomorrow?"
Hermione nodded. "Sure. We need break today."
Draco was eyeing her collection of books on the shelf. "What are these books? They don't seem familiar."
"Um... they are written by muggle writers." Hermione carefully replied.
"Oh! I once read Shakespeare."
"Really! How come?" She was quite surprised.
"Well I was curious, I guess." Draco replied. "I have to admit I enjoyed his writing."
"Yeah, he is an amazing writer." She said. "If you want, you can borrow books from my collection."
Draco seemed quite surprised. "Well, which one do you recommend?"
"Umm here this is my favourite novel, Pride and Prejudice."
Draco hesitated and said, "I don't know, maybe someday."
"These are here, you can take whenever you want." Hermione smiled a little.
Draco nodded, took his books and left the desk. Then he went out of the room. Hermione sighed.
She had been quite unsuccessful in her research. She was on the verge of quitting. She had talked to McGonagall, Kingsley, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Mad-Eye Moddy, Percy Weasley and Andromeda. All of them confirmed her what Draco had informed her in the first place. The law was one of a special kind. It could not be undone for at least next 20 years.
She was now entertaining the notion of marriage with a Malfoy and a divorce as he had promised in their deal.
…
"So after we get married, I will be a duchess!" Ginny said excitedly.
Blaise nodded at her.
"Tell me more about this whole thing." She said.
"Too much excited for the perks of marrying a Zabini?" Blaise smirked.
"Oh! Don't be cocky! Tell me." She rolled her eyes.
"Well, you will be addressed as Lady Ginevra, Duchess Consort of House Zabini. You will have to hold some parties and dinners; and attend some. You will have to maintain some protocols too."
"That sounds fun." She replied.
"If you say so, my lady" Blaise closed the gap between them and put his hands around her waist.
They had slept with each other on the party night. After that a month had passed. They had become quite comfortable with the physical attraction and sexual tension between them. Ginny put her hands in his hair and kissed him. He returned the kiss with force and urgency. Soon their kiss became steamy and passionate.
…..
Daphne and Ron were also following Draco and Hermione's footsteps. They had started to study in the library twice a week. Daphne had always been serious about studies and Ron as usual was getting help from her.
"Okay. I am done checking your potions homework," Daphne said.
"Thank you." Ron said. "I am having some trouble with Transfiguration assignment."
"Yeah, for that assignment I was thinking of taking help from another book." Daphne replied. "Let me grab that."
Daphne went to the shelves. The book she was looking for was in the upper shelf. So she started climbing the ladder. Ron went there and stood beside the ladder.
"Do you need me to hold the ladder?" Ron asked.
Daphne looked down at him. "No, I got it."
She had found the book. She grabbed the book and slowly started to climb down the ladder. When she was in the middle of the ladder, her hands accidentally brushed against a book in the mid shelf. The book (like the monstrous book from third year) moved on its own and tried to get out of the shelf. This sudden movement startled Daphne and caused her to lose control and fall from the ladder.
Ron with his quick reflexes caught her with his both hands. He looked at her and found her eyes closed with fear. She slowly opened her eyes and looked into his eyes.
Ron's heartbeat raised. He leaned in subconsciously. "You okay?"
Daphne touched his face with her left hand and closed the gap. Ron took a deep breath and touched her lips with his. Her lips were soft and tasted like cherry. She put both of her hands around his neck and kissed him back.
…...
Later at night Hermione wore a nightgown and got ready for bed. She just opened the door of the bathroom and saw Draco dismissing an elf from the room. She walked towards Draco who was standing beside the bed.
"What was the elf doing here?" She asked.
"I ordered that to do some chores." He replied.
"That?" Hermione raised her eyebrows. "It is he or she. House elves are also people."
He frowned, "They are not. Wizards and witches are people. They are just elves."
"No, they have feelings, Malfoy. They are not objects." Hermione retorted.
"Of course, they are not objects. They have whole another class for them- House elf."
"But they are almost like us. Why can't you just consider them as people?"
"Because they are NOT people, Granger. I just remembered you had a bullshit group named SPIT or something."
"It's S.P.E.W." She exclaimed. "And the house elves deserve much better. They deserve freedom and opportunities to do whatever they want!"
"Granger, what they want is to serve us and do as we command. They are born this way. You cannot change a natural process."
"But they should be given respect, wages and the rights they deserve. They are brainwashed to be slaves; that does not mean they cannot develop their situation." Hermione said.
Draco looked into her eyes. "You feel for these poor souls and that is weird. But changing the situation is quite impossible, Granger."
"That is why I will do whatever I have to make it happen," Hermione replied. "And it is not weird…. aaahhhh" Suddenly Hermione's feet, wet from her bath, slipped; she and Draco fell on the bed with her over his body.
Their faces were dangerously close to each other. His hands were around her waist and her hands were lying on his chest. Hermione could smell his musky cologne. Their noses were touching. His grey eyes seemed like to absorb her conscious and everything. The whole world was blank to her except his grey eyes and his lips and his breath and his smell.
They stared at each other in this position for like 6-8 seconds. There was suddenly a knock at the window and they both came back to their senses. An owl was pecking at the glass of the window.
Hermione hurriedly tried to get up. But her hastiness made her slip again and she fell on Draco. "Ouch!" Hermione cried.
"Granger, could you be more slippery?" Draco raised his eyebrow.
"Hey! I just took a bath. That is why my feet are wet." She tried to get up again but this time Draco put his hands on her waist and stopped her.
"Let me handle this." Draco said. He rolled their bodies over on the bed and then he was on top of Hermione. She had a startled look her face. Her heart started to beat faster.
Draco slowly got up and stood on the floor. "There you go"
Hermione slowly sat on the bed. Draco opened the window and took the letter from the owl. There was a Malfoy crest seal on the envelope, so it was for him obviously. He took the envelope, put it on the table and went into the bathroom.
Hermione was left thinking about what had just happened between them.
A/N: If you have any suggestion or wish regarding the story, let me know. Please Review and tell me what you think.
