Title: Fata Viam Invenient - Chapter 1/?
Summary: Years after their graduation from Hogwarts, with Voldemort gone, Draco marries Hermione and settles down to what could have a been a beautiful and peaceful life.
Yet trouble has been brewing on the horizon since that fateful day they exchanged vows, and someone's out to break that blissful atmosphere into pieces.
Author's Note:
I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Berna for thinking up the title, the quotes, part of the plot.. oh heck…
(I didn't even have a decent title for this thing!) and to her little sister, Cat, who heard this story first.
Chapter One: The Brave G.I. Jane That She Is
*An old man turned ninety-eight
He won the lottery and died the next day
It's a black fly in your Chardonnay
It's a death row pardon two minutes too late
And isn't it ironic...dontcha think
It's like rain on your wedding day
It's a free ride when you've already paid
It's the good advice that you just didn't take
Who would've thought...it figures
Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
When you think everything's okay and everything's going right
And life has a funny way of helping you out when
You think everything's gone wrong and everything blows up
In your face
Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
Life has a funny, funny way of helping you out
Helping you out – Alanis Morrissete "Ironic"
*** June 10, 2001 ***
Professor McGonagall was speaking. "And as this year is drawing to a close, I'd appreciate it if you made extra efforts for House points. The Leaving feast will commence on June 28, and there shall be a Ball at June 30…" the rest of whatever she was saying passed by Draco Malfoy, who was rather drowsy. Beside him, Hermione sat up, straight and attentive, hanging on to every word that passed from the Headmistress' lips. Draco's dusky eyes were already half-closed when Hermione gave him a quick jab in the ribs with her elbow. Draco jumped and stared at her incredulously. She smiled and stood up, slinging her ever-present bookbag over her shoulder. "You were drooling, darling. Come on, get up. We're dismissed."
Draco looked around the empty room sleepily and drawled "Another Head Boy, Head Girl, Headmistress meeting. Another night wasted… when I could be up in my common room snogging the girl of my dreams." He looked pointedly at her. She laughed softly and touched her hand to his cheek. "Draco, you know I wouldn't go up to your common room if you paid me a million Galleons." Draco twisted his fingers into her hair, saying quietly "Well, how's 'when I could be snogging the girl of my dreams right now?'"
She smiled and tilted her face up for his kiss. "Perfect."
"Have you given our happy little secret away to Potter and Weasley yet?" he murmured against her neck. "No... I still don't think they'll... understand." she replied. He pulled her away and stared at her with his smoky eyes. "Hermione, you'll have to tell them, sooner or later. It'll be worse if they find out about this on their own." Hermione shrugged. "But..." "No buts. Believe me, it's never advisable to lie to your friends." His eyes clouded over for an instance, as though lost in memories too painful to be talked about. "Now, how about you march on upstairs like the G.I. Jane that you are, and tell them everything." She looked up at him, her brown eyes teasing. "Everything? Including the little romp up in the Astronomy Tower?" Draco laughed, and it seemed as if it reached down to her very bones. "Well, not everything." he smiled, letting her melt into his arms.
"I'll see you tomorrow." she whispered, as they parted in front of the Fat Lady. "Definitely." Draco kissed her one more time and walked down the corridor. Both Hermione and the Fat Lady watched him saunter down the dark hall. As Hermione turned towards the painting to say the password, the Fat Lady raised an eyebrow at her. "Handsome man you have there, young lady." Hermione sighed and smiled. "I agree."
As she walked briskly across the Gryffindor common room, she steeled herself for whatever Harry and Ron's reaction may be. Hermione collapsed into the chair beside Harry, sighing deeply. "Where have you been, Hermione?" Harry asked, not taking his eyes off the chessboard. "Library." Ron answered for her, at the same time directing his knight to take Harry's bishop. Hermione grinned at Ron, but shook her head. "Nope. I've been at the weekly Head Boy/Head Girl meeting."
Ron's reaction was immediate and startling. He jerked his bright-red head up from the chess game and stared at her. "Did Malfoy do anything to you?" Hermione almost threw her hands up in exasperation. "You seem to think that he's still the brainless snob you met on the first day of school, eh? Well, that's old news! Draco's changed! He's so much nicer now, and he's very polite and well-mannered, not to mention a very good student... why do you think he was made Head Boy?" Ron aimed his queen towards a square near Harry's king. "Because Daddy had made a *very* generous donation towards the school, and it was by pure coincidence he was made Head Boy *and* Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team?" Harry laughed dryly at Ron's 'witty' remark. Hermione eyed him curiously. He had been acting quite indifferently towards her right after the second bout of exams ended. Did it have anything to do with the fact that Draco was made Head Boy and he wasn't?
She shook off the feeling of impatience and faced Ron. "Ron! You have to accept the fact that he just isn't the parvenu he was before! And Lucius Malfoy is dead, everyone knows that!" Harry told his pawn to go forward a space and turned to look at Hermione. "What if you're wrong, Hermione? What if Lucius is still out there? What if Draco still is the condescending arsehole he's been for first four years of school? What if?" Hermione was stunned by this rather sharp tirade she got from one of her best friends. And what was that glittering in Harry's verdant eyes? Anger? Annoyance? Pain?
Ron laughed and waved away the uncomfortable atmosphere.
"Why do you keep asking us about that white-haired git, anyway? It's not as if you're in love with him... are you?"
As Ron laughed at what seemed to him the funniest thing in the whole world, Harry turned away from Hermione and concentrated on the game. To Hermione, there was something in the way he bent over the pieces, in the angry way he began to recklessly order his pieces around...
She sighed and looked at Ron, who was still chuckling. "Ron, Harry... I am."
Ron wiped tears from his eyes and pointed his knight to the next square. "What, Hermione? I couldn't hear you. I thought you said something about you REALLY being in love with Malfoy. That slimy piece of dragon dung..."
Hermione reddened. "I am!" she blurted out, just as Harry threw down his queen and yelled: "She is!" at the top of his lungs.
There was a silence that seemed to last an eternity. Finally, Ron looked from one to another and said weakly "Well, I guess Malfoy isn't so very slimy after all."
Harry glared at Ron and strode up the staircase to his dormitory, leaving behind a very uncomfortable atmosphere.
Ron looked down at Hermione, who, kneeling, had begun putting the chess pieces back into the wooden case. "Hermione?" he laid a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, eyes brimming with tears. "Don't worry, he's just... getting over the shock of it." Ron laughed dryly. "I'm trying to recover myself... It's just so… ironic, don't you think?" As the tears began to fall, he fished in his pocket and brought out a handkerchief. "Uh... 'mione?" Ron grinned sheepishly. "Um... he's not so bad." Hermione got up and threw her arms around Ron's neck, crying freely. Ron blushed deeply and patted her gingerly on the back. "You know who I ... mean. Mal- Draco is a pretty nice guy..." She pulled away and whispered a thank-you under her breath, before running up to her dormitory.
Ron watched her fly up to her room, before he turned and went up to his own, quietly shaking his head and muttering incoherently about a certain "bloody silver-haired, pale-skinned dungpile..."
That same night, Hermione stared up at the velvet canopy and thought of that unnatural glint in Harry's eyes. It was only as she rolled over and closed her own brown ones when she realized exactly what it meant. It wasn't true anger, nor was it annoyance... it was jealousy.
*** June 11, 2001 ***
The next day dawned clear and bright, which was less than could be said for Hermione and Harry's attitude towards each other. They were talking, yet Harry didn't seem to be very interested in striking up a conversation, while Hermione's eyes were constantly shining with unshed tears. Ron was beginning to feel quite uncomfortable by the end of the day, and he finally cracked while they were studying in the Gryffindor common room that evening.
"Harry, could you… could you please pass me that parchment beside you?" Hermione's voice was weak and tremulous. Harry did not lift his eyes from his work, but he handed the parchment over. "Th-thank you." Hermione lowered her head and began to write out her beginning paragraph.
Ron looked at them, sitting apart, lost in their own world of anger and resentment, and he suddenly jumped to his feet. "What is wrong with you two?! Hermione, will you stop being so… quiet?! You didn't even raise your hand the whole day today! Harry, do you have any idea how unnatural that is for Hermione? You really shouldn't mind who she falls in love with, because it's a purely natural reaction! Why don't you just find some private corner, kiss and make-up, because this silence is just… getting to me!"
A ringing silence fell. The few people left in the room stared blankly as Harry and Hermione glowered. Finally, Harry got to his feet, speaking under his breath. "I wouldn't 'kiss and make-up' so easily, you know, since she's already been snogging Malfoy. You know what this is, this is… fraternizing with the enemy!" he picked up his bag, gathered his quill and parchment into his arms, and strode across the room. Soon, he had vanished out the portrait hole.
Ron collapsed into a chair, tentatively watching Hermione, who seemed on the brink of tears again. She got up as well, but left her homework on the table. "Ron, don't stay up for me… I'll be back late."
Ron watched her dash out of the room, and he smiled in spite of himself. "She just has to stop hiding in that damn library."
But Hermione was definitely not headed for the library. A few moments after Harry's blow-up, she skidded to a stop in front of the blank stone wall that was the entrance to the Slytherin common room. She took several deep breaths, and intoned out loud "You are sunlight, and I moon."
Suddenly, a separate panel slid open in the wall, and Hermione stepped inside.
Draco emerged from the shadows, whispering softly "Joined by the gods of fortune. Midnight and high noon sharing the sky." It was Draco's private quarters in a room connected to the Slytherin common room. Hermione had one too, but it was nothing as beautiful as Draco's.
He smiled at her and reached out a slim hand to caress her hair. "I changed that password just for you." She smiled weakly, but despair took over her fair features once more. She moved closer, her eyes flat. "Draco… he's angry. Harry just can't… accept it." Draco looked only mildly concerned. "Hermione, he was probably in love with you too. I know how it feels, to have one's heart broken… only to have the girl of my dreams come along and pick it all up… piecing the shards back together in a special way only the cleverest witch in Hogwarts could."
Right before Draco's lips met hers, Hermione whispered to herself… as if she needed assurance… "Yes. He was just jealous. It shall pass."
***June 15, 2001***
Hermione laid her hand on Draco's chest, staring quietly into the fire. Classes had ended, and they were curled up on the velvet green couch in Draco's quarters. The fire had been magically charmed so it gave off no heat, yet the pretty green flames merrily danced along the logs. "What are you going to do after graduation?" she asked him, out of the blue. Draco was quiet for a while, then replied slowly, reverting back into his lazy drawl.
"Nothing."
Hermione reached up and playfully stroked his cheek, patting the smooth skin. "Well, you can definitely afford to, can't you? I'll probably become an Auror… Harry plans to go for training as well…" Draco just continued to stare into the fire. Then his dawn-tinted lips silently formed the words. "My mother." Hermione sat up, watching the unreal expression on his face. He seemed lost in some world far beyond her each, where she didn't exist, where there was only one Draco Malfoy, still under his father's power, feigning arrogance and a strong personality to hide the scars of a cruel parent and the terror of living under the Dark Lord. Hermione shuddered, despite the warm weather. She touched his shoulder gently, and he jerked back into reality, his silvery grey eyes startled.
He looked at her, and the hard, sharp, pained look in his smoky eyes softened. "Sorry."
Hermione raised a hand to silence him. "Draco… I understand." He looked at her for a moment, simply watching her, with no emotion, yet no hostility either. And without a word, he bent towards her and drowned out her next words with a sweet, simple kiss.
***June 19, 2001***
School was getting rather strange, as half of their professors stopped teaching them, saying that they had nothing left to teach. The other half piled even more work on them, claiming "You are all leaving Hogwarts and preparing to venture out into the magical world alone.". That was spoken by Professor Trelawney on their last day of Divination.
They were all crammed into that hot, perfumed room of hers for the last time in their lives, and it was all Harry and Ron could do to keep from shouting in joy. "To help you prepare for your new beginnings, I shall read your future, and tell you about all that you must do to live your lives to the fullest." she gazed around at all of them. Ron nudged Harry and whispered "Silly bat probably thinks this is some kind of –year-end treat." Harry snorted. Professor Trelawney glanced at them and called out in her mistiest voice "Weasley… approach. I shall help you foresee what is to come in your life, and I shall help you learn how to…" Ron got to his feet, muttering "Yeah, yeah… how to live my life to the fullest… I could be racing around on the Quidditch pitch by now… that's life in the fullest…"
"I see… money." Professor Trelawney whispered, laying her hands on Ron's head. Ron's eyes widened. "Really?!" She shushed him and continued on. "I see… a woman!" The class hooted, and Ron turned ruby red. "A dark-haired woman… with beautiful eyes… Weasley… she loves you…" The
Gryffindors whooped loudly, and it seemed impossible for Ron to go any redder. Behind Harry, who was actually interested for the first time, Lavender was teasing Parvati, who was just as red as Ron.
Professor Trelawney took her bony hands off Ron's head and motioned for Neville to come forward. As Neville got up and very promptly fell down again, Ron mimicked Professor Trelawney by gripping his hair and saying in a wispy voice "I see… a lot of red hair!" Harry laughed, but watched intently as the professor placed two fingers on Neville's temples.
After she had predicted 'many injuries of many sorts' for poor Neville, she beckoned Harry to come forward.
Harry sat down across from her and closed his eyes, well aware that everyone in the room was watching him. Professor Trelawney stared at him through her huge spectacles and placed her palms on Harry's head.
"Oh… unhappiness in store for you, my dear." Her voice seemed to be coming from very far away. "Unhappiness… jealousy… grief. True love shall be snatched away, my boy, and you shall try to snatch it back… and fail miserably. I sense danger… loss of control… my boy, beware the white woman encased in stone." Harry crinkled up his forehead. How true can this be? He wondered. "I see… loss of power, and incarceration, yet you shall be freed… at a terrible, frightful cost. You shall take one's life for your own… and you shall not be spared any guilt, my boy… my boy…"
Harry's eyes flew open. Professor Trelawney looked very pale, and his classmates looked upset. Even Ron was watching him strangely.
"What happened?" Harry croaked as they left the room. The professor had dismissed them early, and they all ran off in different directions, but Harry and Ron headed to the common room to talk to Hermione. Ron blinked at him. "I can't really say. But she went all rigid, and she wasn't' saying anything… just opening her mouth and closing it again, like some kind of glittery, bony fish…" Harry looked at him quizzically. "But I heard her talking to me." Ron looked at him. " I don't really understand this…" Harry looked down at his hands, slender and tan. "Neither do I."
***June 21, 2001***
Draco stood beside her desk, and dropped a small box onto the polished mahogany surface. He then took out a falcon-feather quill and wrote a short note.
"Dear Hermione,
Happy 17th birthday, darling! Just a little token of my affection. I know you keep your birthday a secret, but seeing how Weasley and Potter are treating you… well, I didn't want you to think everyone forgot your birthday. I most definitely didn't.
Love, Draco."
Draco grinned and conjured up a small blue candle. This he lighted with a bluebell flame, and set down on the note, beside the silver-and-gold wrapped box. Then he left.
Hermione came in much later, and was deeply surprised to see a present for her. She knew that it had to be from Draco, as he and the teachers were the only ones who knew the password to her quarters. She read the note, smiling, and began to unwrap the box. But the minute she touched it, the ribbon began to unknot itself, and the wrapping paper fell off neatly. Hermione stared at the velvet box, and it slowly opened to reveal a pair of amethyst earrings, shaped into small hearts. with silver studs. Hermione smiled slowly, happy tears beginning to prickle in her eyes. "You didn't forget." she whispered.
***June 22, 2001***
"Don't you think you and Hermione should make up already?" Ron asked, nudging his pawn to go forward two spaces. Harry looked up sharply. "Why would you say that?"
"It's getting uncomfortable."
"And?"
"Well, she looks so… hurt."
"And I'm supposed to care? Hey, knight on D9, move over that way."
"Yeah, Harry. You're supposed to care. You're – no, we're her best friends."
Harry was quiet as he pointed his castle to step forward. Then he said "Fine. I'll be nice. But I won't apologize."
Ron stared down at the chessboard. "Okay, no one asked you to apologize. Just be nice to her again."
He talked a bit to the pieces, moved his bishop to the side and laughed out loud. "Checkmate! It's all over, brother oh boy!" he crowed.
*** June 25, 2001 ***
The last Hogsmeade weekend of the year came right after they received their test results… and
exactly five days before the Ball. Harry and Hermione seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement not to discuss Hermione's love life at all. This topic, however, seemed inevitable that day in the Three Broomsticks.
"So Hermione, who's taking you out to the Ball?" Parvati smiled at her from across the table. Hermione smiled to herself. She knew exactly who was taking her, but there was no way in heaven or in hell she was going to tell them. There was such a thing as the element of surprise, you know. Hermione caught Draco's eye over his brimming mug of butterbeer, and she gave him a discreet wink. He blew a kiss back, and immediately pretended to be occupied with his seal ring.
Parvati waved a heavily-jeweled hand in front of Hermione's face. "Hello?! I just asked you a question!" Hermione blinked at her. "Oh, that's a secret! You'll just have to wait until the Ball." Then she turned to Ron, who was sitting beside Parvati, with one arm draped over her shoulders, and she smiled. "Don't worry, Ron. Viktor Krum's not flying his broomstick all the way from Bulgaria just to dance with me."
Ron heaved a huge, fake sigh while Harry chuckled. Then, Hermione leaned towards Harry and Ron, dropping her voice down to a whisper. "Please don't tell anyone Draco's taking me." She blushed. "I kind of… wanted it to be a surprise." Ron grinned widely at her, nodding his head exuberantly. Harry nodded as well and straightened up almost immediately.
Suddenly…
"Hey! Guess who Hermione's taking!" Ron bellowed across the table, his blue eyes gleaming with rascality. "He's a handsome, dashing Slytherin, and everything he does is an act of grace and poise… guess who?!" Hermione stared at Ron, dumbstruck. Across the room, Draco stood up abruptly, knocking over his mug of butterbeer. Ron grinned mischievously at the two of them and yelled out loud again "It's Goyle!" The pub, which had fallen silent at the outrageous first words, exploded in laughter. Hermione, who had almost fainted in relief, suddenly felt a hand touch hers. She looked up… straight into Harry Potter's burning green eyes. "Can I talk to you?" he whispered under the chuckles of the crowd. Hermione nodded, and grabbing her bag, she followed him outside, past Draco, who was watching them shrewdly.
"What's wrong, Harry?"
The sun shone down brightly, warming their cheeks and lips, flushing them a slight pink. Harry had led her to a quiet corner of Hogsmeade, where the trees offered a bit of shade. He turned around and smiled at her, and Hermione wondered at the change that came over him while he was in Hogwarts. He had grown into one of the finest men she had ever seen, with beautifully chiseled features, a slender body, those sparkling green eyes… and of course, the scar. Harry looked up at the sky, as if trying to remember the main reason he had drawn her away from the celebrations. "Hermione, I know that… Draco's taking you to the Ball… but…" he turned those emerald eyes upon her again. "is there any chance of you rethinking your choice of a… date?"
Hermione stood there, just looking at him. There was something in his eyes that made her feel as if she said "No." she would have broken his heart beyond repair. It was longing, a frail sort of hope, a bit of despair… and something else. "Love." she realized, startled. She dropped her eyes to her hands, nervously twisting a certain ring on her finger. "Draco gave me this ring… right before the end of sixth year. He said something… *Save the last dance for me.*"
Hermione met Harry's gaze, straight and definite. And with one word, she proceeded to crush his hopes and dreams into irreparable shreds. In one word, a part of Harry was lost forever, lost to one certain blond-haired, handsome Slytherin seventh year.
"No."
One deep breath. One painful smile. One tear in his eye. And one broken heart.
Harry took a deep breath, smiled and tried to pretend that he wasn't crying. "Okay. I kind of knew you'd say that." He turned away, still smiling, still hurt. "I guess we'd better be getting back…" he gulped. "Draco will be looking for you."
The minute Harry had turned away, Hermione knew she had been too harsh. At once, she tried to take it back… that one word that had stabbed her best friend in the heart. But it was too late.
No matter how she pleaded, cajoled, apologized, Harry would hear nothing to it. He simply kept walking back to the pub, still smiling that smile that betrayed his true pain. "It's okay, Hermione… I understand. I'll just ask someone else…" Finally, Hermione could take it no longer. She grabbed his hand, causing him to spin around to face her.
"Harry, I'm really, truly sorry. I know I shouldn't have said it that way. I promise, you won't be left alone at the Ball. I'll help you find a date, someone who's much, much better than me… I should have broken the news to you more gently…" she broke off, aware that she was babbling. She blushed, not daring to look up at him. Then she felt his fingers on her face, gently tilting her face up. "Hermione, I already knew." She started. "About Draco and I? How…?"
Now it was Harry's turn to blush. "I was walking past the Charms classroom one night… under the Invisibility Cloak… then I heard some… sounds. I walked in… and you were there. With Draco, I mean." He looked past Hermione's reddening face to the sunlit landscape behind her, recalling the memory of that painful day…
*He was off to get food from the kitchens for the party celebrating the end of the exams. He walked freely under his Cloak, rehearsing the simple remark he was going to use to get that precious chance to ask Hermione to the Ball. It would be his last chance to finally admit to her everything. Even though he wasn't even completely sure about everything. He wasn't sure exactly when he had fallen in love with her. He wasn't sure if it was the way her hair always caught the light exactly at the same moment he was staring at her, framing her face with a golden-cinnamon halo. Or was it how she always got the exact answer at the exact time?
"Who cares?! This is love… and you don't have to be exact about love!" Harry grinned and set off down the Charms corridor, enjoying every moment of being invisible. He passed the half-open Charms door, and… stopped dead.
Muffled noises were coming from inside, and Harry, getting curiouser and curiouser, silently slipped in.
In a few minutes, his eyes, which had slowly adjusted to the dim light, widened in horror and shock.
It was Hermione, and she wasn't alone. Draco was with her… or to be exact, all over her.
Harry watched, frozen to the spot, as Draco's lips traveled down Hermione's neck, doing everything Harry had longed to do since fifth year…
It was then, when Harry understood, while spying on something he should never have seen, that there was something 'exact' about this moment.
That was the exact moment he had realized that Hermione was never to be his.*
Harry blinked and looked back at Hermione, at the embarrassed expression distorting her lovely features. "She's grown so much..." Harry thought sadly. This was true, for at seventeen, Hermione was no longer the uptight, bookish and bossy girl she was when they had first met on the train... yes, she still tended to take authority whenever a groupwork was assigned, and yes, she still treated books as respectfully as she treated Professor McGonagall... but she had definitely taken a turn for the better.
She had grown a slender figure that made other girls turn green with envy, and her hair had tamed down into a beautiful tousled head of golden-brown curls. But Hermione wasn't conceited. It was the last thing she could ever be, priding herself in her studies and grades instead of her latest boyfriend. And all these, bravery, diligence, cleverness, charm and beauty all added up to one Hermione Granger. The only one Harry Potter ever loved.
"Harry?! You saw us!" An anguished shriek brought Harry crashing back to earth. Hermione was now red in the face, and wringing her hands nervously. Harry tried to placate her... "I really didn't see that much. I left almost immediately... because..." his voice dropped dramatically. "I couldn't stand it anymore." Suddenly, at theses words, spoken so very innocently, laced with a tinge of pain... Hermione softened. "Harry, I..." she took a deep breath, and tried to recall the speech Parvati and Lavender made her memorize "in case one of your friends fall for you." (according to Lavender herself.) "Harry, you're a wonderful person. You're really sweet and kind, and you've been almost nothing but nice to me my whole time here in Hogwarts." Harry's eyes held a quizzical expression at this. "I just wanted to say this, Harry..." Hermione continued, screwing her face up. "I don't... think we'd be compatible." Suddenly Harry grabbed her by her upper arms. The smile on his face made Hermione forget everything... her carefully-planned lines, the exact tone of voice and face expressions she was going to use... they were all swept away with one ardent smile on the lips of the boy with the scar.
"You're wrong there!" Harry grinned and shook her slightly. "We're so compatible, we're practically the school Lover Boy and Girl!" Hermione's mouth dropped open in protest. Harry ignored that and continued his mad tirade. "Look, everyone in school thinks we're together, oh hell, half of them even think we've slept together once or twice!" Hermione's mind was screaming "Bloody murder!" but she was speechless. "If we went to the Ball together, we wouldn't even be creating a commotion anymore, since everyone thinks we're madly in love with each other, right?!" Harry beamed, his glasses knocked slightly askew. This was too much for Hermione.
She pulled away and straightened her robes. "But we aren't! We aren't madly in love with each other! There's absolutely nothing going on between us but-" she groped for the right word to say to the now stunned Harry. "-best friendship! And I'm going to prove that! Come June 30, I'll show everyone that I am not Hermione Potter!" She spluttered, looking almost nothing like the elegant and graceful Hermione that graced the halls of Hogwarts during every Yule Ball.
Harry stood there, a small smile on his face, watching Hermione rant on and on. Finally he gave up and seized her hand, saying in a mock-bored tone: "Oh come on! Ron would have probably finished my mug of bitter-butterbeer by now!" He winked slyly at her. "And Draco's probably waiting for a good, toasty snog from you!" Hermione stopped dead and smiled back at him. "I'm too tired for snogging. Do me a favor and take my place tonight with Draco, okay?"
They laughed and set off down the road. As they walked arm in arm, Hermione heard herself saying "No hard feelings?" And Harry bent down, and with a chaste, friendly little kiss... "Nope, not at all."
But maybe, just maybe… his tears hadn't stopped yet.
*** The same day, just outside the Three Broomsticks ***
Ginny came running out to meet Harry and Hermione, a smile stretching across her freckled face. "I just got permission to go and pick my own dress robes for the Ball!" Hermione stared at her with pleasant surprise. "Really? But I thought the Ball was only for us seventh years? Unless…" Harry grinned down at Ginny and finished Hermione's sentence. "Someone invited you? Who?" Ginny's face suddenly lost the excited, happy look, and she stared down at her scuffed shoes. "Um… Blaise Zabini."
Harry opened his mouth to protest, but Hermione, throwing him a quick look to shut him up, smiled down at the embarrassed Ginny. "Hey! He's cute! Have you ever seen the way his blue eyes shine when he tells a good joke? You're a lucky girl to snag that cutie… now, why don't you accompany me to the Raycyn Ravishing Robes shop? I still have to pick my dress robes too, you know!" Harry smiled at Hermione as Ginny's face brightened. "Yeah, Ginny. Slytherins aren't all bad, you know?" He nudged Hermione imperceptibly. She frowned at him and led Ginny down the road, calling over her shoulder "Tell Ron and… *ahem!* that I'll be in Honeydukes after the robes shop!"
Ginny bounced along beside Hermione, unleashing all her pent-up energy. "I can't believe he asked me out! I waited and waited for someone to ask me to the Ball, because I really, really! wanted to attend, but then, all of a sudden, after their Potions class, Blaise comes up to me, all shy and smiling… and asks me to go with him! I was so surprised!" she continued on this vein for a few minutes, while Hermione let her mind wander, occasionally nodding and saying a positive word or two.
Suddenly, Ginny stopped in the middle of the path and gazed up at her. "Who's taking you? You never told me! Wait, let me guess… Ron?" Hermione laughed, her perfect teeth gleaming in the bright June sun. "No way! You've seen him and Parvati together…" Ginny agreed and they continued to walk towards the other end of Hogsmeade, where the famous Raycyn Ravishing Robes shop was located.
A passerby would occasionally hear snatches of their giggly conversation, such as…
"How about Dean Thomas?" "Isn't he going with that pretty girl from Hufflepuff… Kate?"
"Neville?" "Oh no, he confessed to me that he was taking your friend, Nadine Matre… oh! I shouldn't have said that!"
Then, Ginny unknowingly blundered onto a painful name, like accidentally kicking a bruised shin.
"Oh, why hadn't I asked this before?! It must be Harry!"
Hermione stopped and raised an eyebrow at the red-head. "Harry? Now what makes you say that?" Ginny shrugged. "Well, you've been the best of friends since first year, and you're always together… you know what I mean." Ginny winked. "Does he snog good?" Then she laughed out loud at Hermione's shocked expression. "Just kidding, Hermione. Keep your robes on."
It was only when they had entered the colorful, buzzing robes shop when Ginny ventured another question. "So it's really Harry, isn't it?" Hermione answered from inside the dressing stall, where she was trying on some of the robes that had taken her fancy. "No, Ginny. It's not Harry. I won't tell you who he is, either. It's going to be a surprise." Hermione smiled at her reflection, and took out her wand. "Adiotido" she whispered, performing the simple charm that would transform her hair into the style she was going to wear to the Ball. After her hair had been charmed into a beautiful updo, she twirled around in front of the mirror, loving everything she saw.
"Hermione, could you help me…" Ginny walked into the dressing room, a bundle of differently-colored robes in her arms. They all tumbled out, however, when she saw Hermione.
"Hermione!" she squealed, rushing over. "It's beautiful! Harry would love you in this…" she trailed off, quenched by the look Hermione gave her. "Well… it's a splendid dress robes, and the color fits you perfectly. Oh, Hermione, you'll be the star of the Ball!" Ginny's eyes twinkled for a moment, giving her a whole new look.
Ina few moments, they had Hermione's hair back in it's naturally tousled state, and the dress robes packed and paid for. Now came the tougher task of getting Ginny a dress.
Robes after robes was tossed aside as the search became wilder and wilder.
"No, the color is absolutely horrid."
"The neckline's too low, don't you think?"
"Still too low…"
"Ginny! Ron will kill me if I let you out in that robes!"
Finally, with a tall pile of robes on the floor, and just one left on the rack they had been ruffling through…
"This is perfect." Ginny said, with the note of satisfaction very pronounced in her voice. She spun around in front of the mirror, not unlike Hermione's own revelry in finding the perfect dress robes.
A silky maroon dress clung to her curves, making Hermione feel as if little Ginny had really grown up. She recalled Ron's words, spoken one cold, rainy day back in March, in a tone of wistful irritation. "Ginny's growing up too fast… before I know it, she'll be running around in dress robes and hanging on to every guy's arm." Suddenly Hermione stood up. "Ginny! It's maroon!" Ginny pouted dramatically at her reflection and said "Exactly. It doesn't clash with my hair, and it's a pretty good color for the evening …" she trailed off and looked at Hermione. "Ron's not going to like that." she whispered.
"But it's so pretty!" Ginny flopped down onto a chair, all grace lost in the exasperation of the moment. Oh yes, the robes was pretty, with a neckline Ron wouldn't complain about, with a nicely-cut sleeveless bodice that showed off her ivory arms, and the kind of skirt that was currently the fashion among the girls in Hogwarts… close-fitting and fanning out into a slight flare at the bottom. Ginny frowned. "Well, I don't really care anymore! I'm wearing this whether he likes it or not!" Hermione laughed. "That's the spirit!"
Ron wasn't too angry about the dress robes when he found out. Apparently, Hermione had told Harry, and Harry let it slip to Ron, clearly thinking that it was an excellent joke. "Ginny! Maroon?! How could you walk into Raycyn Ravishing Robes Shop and buy a maroon robes, for pete's sake?" Ron pointed at the price tag, his face matching the robes Ginny held up in front of him. "How much… five Galleons and fourteen Sickles…" Ron was breathing very heavily now, and Ginny looked as if she was on the edge of tears. Hermione quickly jumped in. "Ron, calm down! I paid for some of that!" Ron glared at her. "Maroon! How could you let my sister…" Hermione shot him the Bossy look. "It's Ginny's first time at this kind of Hogwart's event, and I want it to be perfect for her. She's your sister, is it a fact that I would care for her more than you do?" Ron seemed to deflate, as if someone hit him with an especially powerful Pricking Charm.
He took a deep breath, glanced at the beautiful maroon robes one last time and dropped his arms to his side. "Okay… Fine, Ginny." He looked over at his sister and smiled. "So… who's taking you? You still haven't told me, you know." Ginny paled and ran up to her dormitory, calling "It's a surprise!" over her shoulder.
*** June 26, 2001, Gryffindor common room***
Another endless chess game for Ron and Harry. Another endless book for Hermione. Another endless day of sunshine.
Hermione sighed and shut her book, setting it down on the table with a loud *thump*. "So, tell me… who are you taking out to the Ball?" Ron chuckled to himself. "You know who I'm taking." And he shot a wink at Parvati, who was sitting across the room talking about her dress robes with Lavender. Harry persuaded his knight to move to the next square and looked up at the two of them, his eyes a bit troubled.
"I don't have a date yet." He said. Ron dropped his queen. ("Ouch! Hey, watch it!") "Huh?! Harry, you told me you had your eye set on a special girl… and she was going to say 'yes' any day soon… what happened?" Harry kept his eyes on the chess board, not looking up. "Well… she kinda… turned me down." Ron guffawed and clapped a hand to his forehead. "Whaat?! A girl, turn down the Boy-Who-Lived?! What a joke!" Hermione resisted the urge to smack Ron halfway across the room, and patiently said "She had her reasons, Ron. She was… er… taken." Ron shook his head at Harry, adopting a Percy demeanor. "Harry! I suggest you acquire a female partner to the Ball at once! It is most improper to attend without a partner!" Harry looked like he was torn between laughing and smacking Ron halfway across the room as well. "Ron, look…" Harry sighed. "I'll make you a deal. By the end of this day, I've got one of the prettiest girls in Hogwarts as my date. I'll swear that on…" Harry grabbed the nearest book he could find, the huge volume Hermione was reading. "On… Allures and Admirers – How to attract the most handsome guy in your school." They broke apart laughing, Hermione turning pink.
Of course, just like the first time back in fourth year, getting a date was much, MUCH harder than any of them expected. Harry had a pretty hard time finding the special girl who would make his last night in Hogwarts extra-special… "but I found her already. Someone just got to her first" he thought as he wandered down the fifth-floor corridor aimlessly. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he blundered right into somebody. "Oof!" she cried out as she fell to the floor. Harry straightened his glasses and bent down instantly to pull the girl up.
"Berna!" he exclaimed, once the girl had composed herself.
Berna looked up at him as she pulled her robes back into shape, pleasant surprise plain on her fresh young face. "Harry? Hello, it's been a while! You haven't shown up for our study group in a long time. How are you?" Harry grinned. "I'm fine. How are you?" They set off down the hall together, talking and laughing.
Berna Guerrero was a very pretty Ravenclaw prefect who had been organized a study group that Harry had joined when seventh year started. She was clever, trustworthy, and very good in giving advice. In fact, she was the only girl in the whole of Hogwarts who knew about Harry's unrequited love for Hermione Granger. She was also the one who had helped Harry get up the courage to ask Hermione out, before everything fell apart because of a certain dragon with a bad idea.
"I was just going down to the lake to do some thinking. Would you like to come along?" Berna asked, gathering up her books. "Why not? Thinking is something I haven't done lately." Harry walked along beside her, cleaning his glasses on his shirt. "And why is that?" the girl asked, clutching her books to her chest. Harry looked at her intently and decided that he could tell her everything.
"Berna, listen. You know that I … like Hermione, right?" When the girl nodded, her hair swinging, Harry began to walk faster, his eyes on the stone-flagged floor. "Well, how would you feel if… the one you loved was madly in love with another?" he glanced up at her, his eyes burning. An expression of sympathy appeared on Berna's face and her eyes crinkled in concern. "I'd feel terrible, Harry. Bu I can't really say that I know how that would feel…"
A little voice awoke inside the Ravenclaw girl, whispering in a sinister tone. "Ah, you lie again. Berna, You know very well how that feels… don't you?" And Berna had no choice but to agree.
They left the castle and set out across the grounds, the crisp grass crackling under their feet. The sun was already in the west, and the birds were singing a sunset serenade, while the lake rippled of it's own accord. As they walked towards the privacy of the trees, Harry began to divulge most of his inner feelings to Berna. "Strange, isn't it? That you trust her so much…"
"And then she just told me… no." Harry had removed his glasses and was tensely running his fingers up and down the frame. Berna watched the nervous movements of his hands before raising her blue eyes to his face, which looked amazingly fragile and naked without the glasses. "Harry, I… I really don't know what to say…" she looked over the lake, up at the sky… at the birds flying over the dark waters. Then Harry did something unexpected. He took her hand in his, still watching her with those sparkling green eyes of his. "You don't have to say anything, really. I'm just glad you… listened." Berna flushed a bright pink at the warmth of his hand. "Is this really Harry Potter? Is this the wizard who defeated the Dark Lord before he was barely a year old? Is this the naïve youth I once saw wandering through Hogwarts back in my first year? Is this the one who plaintively begged me to help him with his History of Magic assignments? Is Harry Potter really holding my hand?" This all flashed through her head at amazing speed.
All of a sudden, it was gone. The warmth, the gentle pressure, his hand. Berna moved her hand away, suddenly unsure of what to do with it.
"What are you going to do now?" Berna cupped her chin in her hands and leaned forward, watching Harry intently. Harry leaned back against the tree and looked out over the lake, shining in the brilliant June sun. "I really don't know. Hermione's not mad at me, but I have this feeling that after this Ball's over…" he looked over at the sixth-year girl. "Our friendship will never be the same again." Berna nodded, her chestnut hair cascading over her shoulders. "So who are you going to take to the Ball now?" she asked the figure reclining under the tree. Harry shrugged indifferently and lazily closed his eyes. Berna smiled to herself and kept quiet.
After a moment of comfortable silence, Harry blinked his eyes open. "Berna, are you going to the Ball?" Berna, startled, blushed and looked away. "No… no one's asked me yet." Harry tossed a small pebble into the lake. "I don't mean to boast, but I'm finding this whole 'Boy-Who-Lived' business a bit tiring. Girls were lining up to ask me to the Ball - " At this, Berna suddenly began decapitating buttercups. "- and none of those girls were… right for me." Harry's green eyes suddenly clouded over.
"I'm having such a hard time looking for the perfect girl, Berna. There was one, who I thought was going to be The One… but she was stolen away from me by some Slytherin." Berna's eyes, the color of the sky on a shining, cloudless day, shone for a brief moment. "Hermione and Draco?" Harry nodded, his face expressionless. More silence. The two teens watched the sun swing lower and lower, each absorbed in their own thoughts.
"He really doesn't know, does he?" Berna watched the young man at her feet. "He doesn't know that the one girl who loves him for what he is, not what she will become when she is with him, is right here beside him." She smiled sadly, twirling a bit of her hair between her fingers. "He doesn't know that I've loved him ever since I first laid eyes on him… as a bewildered second-year, lost in the halls of Hogwarts. He doesn't know that the strong, smart Berna Guerrero is actually falling to pieces because of Harry Potter. He doesn't know that when I've finally lied to myself and persuaded him to find another date, that I have brought about the breaking of my own heart. He doesn't know that I love him, does he?" The sun was going down, and Harry's time to find a date was running short. "He doesn't know. And he will never know."
Harry watched Berna out of the corner of his eye. She seemed troubled, like she wanted to say something very important, yet something else was holding her back. 'What? What's keeping her from saying whatever she wants to say? Her heart? Her mind? Or maybe her pride…" Berna picked buttercups and shredded them, taking petal after petal. It was an act of nervousness, of uneasiness. "She's been extremely helpful to me this year 'round. Giving me advice on how to treat Hermione better, how to drop little hints… not to mention working out that nasty sixth-version Rune translation for me." Harry now turned around and gazed at Berna openly. She glanced back at him, through eyes sapphire. "Maybe she likes me. Maybe she doesn't. She's pretty, intelligent, and she's got a terrific personality… kind and reliable… Well, it's the least I can do for a excellent friend… and Ron's going to kill me if I come back without a date."
"Berna?"
"Yes, Harry?"
"Would you like to come to the Ball with me?"
Silence.
Berna's eyes shone, all the affection she had felt over the years spilling out… finally. Harry smiled at her, his beautiful emerald eyes twinkling. "I take that as a yes?" he laughed.
"Oh, Harry!"
The sun set, casting bright orange light over the land, illuminating the expressions of happiness on two teenagers under the tree by the lake. But as the day ended, and the sky grew ever darker, something seemed false in the contented scene under the wavering leaves.
If the truth be told, only one of the two people under the tree was truly in love with the other.
***June 27, 2002***
"Well, that's it then?!" Ron grinned as his bishop stepped bravely forward. Harry's king jumped up and flung his tiny crown to the black and white chessboard. "Checkmate, brother! It's all over!" Ron laughed as Harry's face paled. "How do you do it?" he asked, stunned. Ron shrugged gleefully. "Style. Oi, you owe me a bag of Every Flavor Beans, mind you, and taste-test the funny-looking ones first."
Hermione smiled as she watched them put away the pieces. "Like brothers. Harry found his brother in Ron. I'm glad for them." Hermione was an only child, and after seeing how the Weasley family was so pleasant, she felt lonely at times. But only in summer and in the holidays, when she would stay with her parents in their snug bungalow. Here in Hogwarts, she was surrounded by brothers and sisters…
Speaking of sisters, Parvati Patil wandered over to where Hermione sat alone, curled up on the couch. "Hey, Hermione. What are you reading? School's almost over and you're still studying?" Hermione laughed and pulled the book away. "No, this is for the Ball." She turned the book over. "How To Fix Your Unlucky-In-Love Loser Best Friend Up With The Most Gorgeous Person Available… by Margarita Margie." Parvati read out loud. She suddenly looked up at Hermione, her brown eyes reproachful behind long lashes. "You aren't fixing Ron up with anybody, are you?" Hermione shook her head, her curls bouncing. "Definitely not, Parvati. You and Ron are meant to be." She winked. Parvati looked over to where Ron and Harry had started a tussle over the last Chocolate Frog. "I hope you're right. He's just so… charming." she sighed dreamily as Ron gave out a crude burp. "Uh, yes… Ron's a terrific guy. He's got a great sense of humor." Hermione patted Parvati's hand in a motherly sort of way.
"So, who are you fixing up? If it's not Ron… it must be…" Parvati looked back to where Harry and Ron were now engaged in some kind of playful tussle, with Ron cracking Harry's glasses, and Harry pushing Ron to the floor. "Oh! Who are you fixing Harry up with?!" Parvati squealed.
"Ssh! That's exactly what I want to know! I can't fix him up with anybody, since he waited until the very last moment to go hunting for a date. I don't know if he's found one already, because he and Ron made a bet yesterday that Harry could find a date in twenty-four hours." Hermione lowered her voice.
Parvati thought for a while then called out across the room. "Harry! Have you found a date yet?" At that, Ron stood up, wiped his nose and said "Yeah, Harry! That's another bet you've lost!" Harry brushed himself off and stood up, carrying his cracked glasses in one hand. "No, I didn't lose that bet! I found a date already… and wouldn't you like to know who she is?" Ron laughed and pretended to punch Harry. "No Harry, I don't want to know who you're date is. The thought of Millicent Bulstrode in one of those flimsy dress robes is too much for my weak stomach." Harry handed Hermione his glasses for repair and grinned. "Nah, Millicent was taken. So I found another one."
Ooh! Do tell us! We're dying of curiosity!" Parvati cooed. "Well, not really dying, but…" Hermione cut in with a patronizing tone. Harry shushed them and leaned close.
"You know that good-looking Ravenclaw prefect?" Harry asked them, his eyes twinkling. Ron screwed his face up, thinking. "Harry! All the Ravenclaw prefects are guys!" he said loudly. Hermione and Parvati turned to Harry, who was blushing a deep red. "A guy?" Hermione asked slowly. "A guy?" Parvati raised a perfectly-plucked eyebrow. "A Ravenclaw prefect?!" Ron shuddered.
Harry sighed deeply. "No, no, no. The other Ravenclaw prefect."
"Oh! Berna Geh… Goo-weh… something!" Parvati piped up. "Guerrero." Harry said pointedly. Hermione clapped her hands in delight. "Oh, I know her! She's the pretty, quiet one, with the big blue eyes… oh Harry! You're perfect together!" All of a sudden, the conversation of a few days ago returned to her mind. *"We're so compatible, we're practically the school Lover Boy and Girl!"* For a few moments, she was quiet, amazed at the emotion in that sentence, then she smiled up at Harry, glad he found such a beautiful girl. Ron cuffed Harry in a friendly way. "Good for you! Ginny says she's a real muffin."
"Who did I say was a real muffin?" Ginny walked into their little circle. "Berna Guerrero, the Ravenclaw you take Astronomy with." Parvati said. "Oh, her. What about her? I think she's the one we caught snogging Jason McKone in the broom cupboard." Ginny replied matter-of-factly. Then she chortled at their shocked expressions. "I was kidding. That might have been May Lopez. What about Berna?" Ron jerked his thumb at Harry. "This lucky guy here gets to take her out." Ginny's eyes went wide. "Really?! How nice!"
Hermione extracted herself from the giggling, laughing crowd of people and went to the tapestry that separated her private quarters from the rest of Gryffindor Tower. She recited the password under her breath, lest anyone hear her. "Where we sing until dawn of our fears and our fates." she whispered to the tapestry, which was a lovely dark blue cloth woven with silver stars and a golden moon. She waited a moment more, then walked right through the tapestry and the wall behind it.
She emerged into her private quarters, which was a lovely bedroom with a bathroom connected to it. There was also a room where she could study and read, and it had a door which led to the Great Hall. She dropped down onto her red and gold bedspread and closed her eyes.
"It's perfectly okay. He's got Berna, and I've got Draco. We're happy."
"Are you sure about that?
"Oh yes. He seemed so happy when he told us about her."
"Maybe he was just hiding it, Hermione."
"Hiding what? Harry wouldn't hide anything from me, I'm his friend."
"Exactly. He loves you. Not Berna, not anyone else."
"No. Harry… wouldn't do… that."
"I hear doubt in your tone. You don't trust yourself either, do you?"
"Shut up! All I want is Harry's happiness…"
"What if you were his only happiness? Would you give yourself up?
Knowing that you don't love him?"
"I love Harry like a brother!"
"Ah… but does he love you as a sister?"
Hermione jerked awake, and sat up abruptly. "Damn." She whispered, and ran off to the Slytherin common room.
"Hermione? What's wrong?" Draco took her by her hands, leading her forward into his room. She glanced up at him, at his fair features, his beautiful blond hair, his smoky eyes that made you want to tell all your tales to this aristocratic god. Hermione looked away, trying to find the right words to tell her boyfriend that she was mildly jealous of her best friend's date.
"Draco… Harry's found a date. She's beautiful and smart, everything I ever wanted to be… and guess what… I hate her guts."
Nope.
"Draco, how would you feel if your best friend started dating a girl who doesn't like you? Who absolutely despises you because she thinks you used to date her man?"
No way.
"Hermione? Is something wrong? Tell me."
"No Draco. Everything's fine."
***June 28, 2001***
It was a wild night, full of overflowing mugs of butterbeer, plates of food fit to make anyone gain fifty pounds in one sitting, and of course, the magic that tingled in the air.
Harry grabbed a cracker and pulled it, in the midst of the laughing, talking crowd of Gryffindors. Bright red smoke gushed forth, accompanied by several small fireworks that spiraled towards the enchanted ceiling, which was already a deep blue-black speckled with silver dots. Several trinkets fell out of the cracker, like a bright pink bonnet with lurid green blossoms, Russian dolls in the form of Hogwarts professors, a Pocket Sneakoscope and – to the amusement of his classmates – a tiny Harry Potter figure.
Mini-Harry looked up at the original Harry, grinned widely, took off his glasses and started polishing them on his robes. Ron guffawed and held up a tiny wand. "Look at this! It even has it's own Firebolt." He handed the wand to the Mini-Harry and it promptly shot a Pimple spell at Lavender, making her shriek in horror at the sparse blemishes that had begun to pop up on her nose. Ron quickly pocketed the Harry figurine and tried to look innocent.
Harry laughed at this and offered Hermione the bonnet, which she grudgingly placed on her head. She looked over at Ron, who was now tickling the Mini-Harry and whispered "You've really gone and gotten yourself famous, haven't you?" Harry swallowed a mouthful of chicken and replied "I didn't even do anything, you know." Hermione rolled her eyes and started opening the Russian dolls. "Harry, everyone seems to think You-Know-Who disappeared because of you. Oh look!" The Russian dolls were quite interesting. The biggest one was Professor Dumbledore, complete with spectacles and brilliant blue eyes. Inside the Dumbledore doll was Professor McGonagall. "Amazing how even her doll seems to be stern enough to scare you into doing your homework." Ron whispered. Next was Professor Snape, then Professor Binns, Professor Trelawney, Professor Sinistra, the tiny Professor Flitwick, up to Professor Albot, the half-dwarf teaching Care of Magical Creatures.
Harry touched the Professor Albot doll and said quietly "Shame Hagrid had to leave for France." Ron clapped him on the back. "Ah, who knows? Maybe by now, little Hagrid/Madame Maxine babies are using the Eiffel Tower as a jungle gym." Hermione smiled. "But Harry, why does everyone seem to think you were the one who made You-Know-Who disappear?" Harry pushed his glasses up. "Dunno. Probably because I'm the most likely person to pin it on."
The Mini-Harry stuck its head out of Ron's pocket and yelled in a small voice "Stupefy!" and aimed it's wand at Ron's pinky. "Hey!" Ron bellowed, tugging at his little finger. "I can't move it anymore!" The Mini-Harry jumped onto its broomstick and zipped away, speeding in between the surprised Tables. It zoomed past Berna Guerrero, who laughed and pointed, past Millicent Bulstrode, who grunted and swung a heavy arm at it, but missed, past Professor Snape, who looked extremely caustic and right under Crabbe's nose, who snorted and blundered his elbow into Draco's mashed potatoes. All of a sudden, an elegant hand gracefully shot up and caught the tiny Harry.
"Aha… very nice Firebolt you have there, Potter." drawled Draco Malfoy. Over at the Gryffindor table, Ron looked irritated that his toy had been confiscated by the Head Boy, Harry merely looked annoyed, and Hermione was suppressing giggles at the sight of the three boys.
Dumbledore stood up a few moments later. As usual, the mere sight of the Headmaster stilled the room. "As you all might already know, there is plenty cause for celebration tonight. First of all, Voldemort – " at this, a few people gave out collective gasps. "– has not been sighted for three years. We hope, with all our hearts, that he has retired from tormenting the magical and Muggle worlds." A few people looked over at Harry, who looked pointedly back. "Secondly, we are here to recognize the graduation of the eight thousandth, four hundredth and fifty second batch from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Plenty of thunderous applause greeted this. "In this batch, I have seen courage far beyond most, intelligence enough to be most proud of, loyalty and diligence to pave the way for a great future, and ambition that will ensure power on the side of Good. I have also seen a few things which have amused me greatly, such as that Chocolate Card Collecting Club that ended in a tussle over the Agrippa card." Ron turned red at this. He had organized the club back in sixth year, and he had jumped on an impudent seventh year who wouldn't give up his Agrippa card.
Dumbledore continued "This batch holds promise of great wizards and witches, all fit to be great leaders… not to mention great eaters." he smiled. "The third cause of celebration is simply because it is a wonderful evening and there has been constant sunny weather all throughout. Plus, the house-elves are grand chefs, and now, I urge you all to continue partaking of their wonderful concoctions! Thank you!" With that, Dumbledore sat down and asked Professor Snape to pass the cream puffs.
Draco watched the Gryffindors chatter and cheer among themselves, a boiling, unnamed emotion rising up in him. He picked out Hermione's face among the crowd, smiling as well, but she kept looking around hopefully, as if anticipating a surprise. Finally, Draco stood up and walked across the Great Hall towards the other Table. As he approached, several Gryffindors looked up at him with something close to dislike. He walked over to where Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting with Seamus, Dean, Parvati, Lavender and Ginny. Hermione eyed him at once, and he winked cryptically at her before…
"Hello, little people." he drawled coldly. Harry looked up, an expression of mild distaste on his face. "What do you want, Malfoy? Here to show off the shiny Head Boy badge for the last time?" Ron frowned. "I highly suggest, Malfoy, that instead of over-polishing that thing, you just give it a good hard shove up your –" "Weasley… careful, careful… Wouldn't want points taken off Gryffindor for foul language, would you? Its never too late to do that, the House Cup will be awarded at the Ball." Ron casually replied "It's worth a hundred points from Gryffindor any day just to see your smirking, ugly kisser rubbed in the dirt, Malfoy." "Ron!" said Hermione, looking from Ron to Draco reproachfully.
Draco looked at her and grinned. "Oh, Potter, Weasley, I would have expected more from you. The Sorting Hat was quite right in not putting you in Hufflepuff. Aren't they loyal in Hufflepuff? Don't they… remember their friends' birthdays?" he continued, lowering his voice down dangerously. Then he strode back to the Slytherin table, his black robes billowing out behind him , giving him the elegant air of a true Malfoy.
Ron stared blankly after him. "Huh? I'm pretty glad I'm not in Hufflepuff-" Dean Thomas, who was taking Hannah Abbott to the Ball, glared at him, and Ron added hastily "But they're a great house… it's just that I love it here in Gryffindor so much. And what the hell is that arsehole talking about and he kept dropping dark hints…" Ron trailed off and looked at Hermione, who was turning a bit pink. Harry had stopped eating and was staring at her with the same puzzled expression. Then…
Ron stood up and announced in a loud voice to the rest of the Gryffindor table: "Ehem! Join me and raise your glasses in a little toast to the finest example of Gryffindor bravery sitting at this table. It was Hermione Granger's seventeenth birthday a few days ago, and I'd like to wish her a very happy birthday!"
Ron plopped back down and joined in a raucous singing of "Happy Birthday" for Hermione, who was really blushing by that time. Harry, who was sitting beside her, gave her a small, friendly hug, and whispered in her ear "I'm really sorry we forgot your birthday. Kiss and make up?" He grinned.
Hermione looked at him for a little while then leaned forward for an honest, friendly kiss. When she pulled away from Harry, she realized that the whole table was watching them, and they now broke into cheers of laughter. She grinned up at Harry, who was turning as red as she was, and sought out Draco among the sullen-looking Slytherins.
When she found him, he was leaning back in his chair, a small smile upon his delicate lips. She mouthed the silent words "Thank you." And he simply winked back.
As Hermione left the Great Hall with the throng hours later, full of food and feeling rather soporific, she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She turned around and saw Berna Guerrero, smiling shyly. "Um… Hermione? I just wanted to wish you a very happy birthday." Hermione smiled back, glad that the girl wasn't bitter towards her. "Thanks, Berna." Then as Berna turned around, Hermione thought a bit and called out.
"Oh Berna?"
"Yes?"
"Have fun at the Ball!"
Berna blushed. "Thanks."
Hermione found her way to the Fat Lady and recited the password to the common room. "Bravado." The door swung open and Hermione climbed in, greeted by cheers. "I don't think I'll be going to bed very soon." she thought, as Parvati swooped down on her and gave her a tight hug.
Meanwhile, Harry had left the Great Hall much later than he wanted to. Colin Creevey, who was assigned to take pictures for the yearbook, wanted some shots.
"That's nice, Harry."
"One more, Harry…"
"Smile, Harry!"
Finally, Harry dragged himself away and began to climb the staircase. When he reached the top, someone stepped out of the darkness. "Potter."
It was Draco, silvery-gray eyes gleaming. "What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry watched him coolly. Draco came forward and held up the Mini-Harry, who was struggling to get out of Draco's loose fist. "I believe this is yours?" Harry pocketed the figurine and looked back at Draco, who had now folded his arms, watching him with taunting amusement. "Potter… *tsk tsk* How could you forget her birthday?" Draco's tone was mocking, but with considerably less ice than before. Harry looked away, out the window, where the cold stars were still glittering. "I was… caught up in my… business." he said, slowly. Draco stepped closer. "Potter, you'd better not hurt her."
Suddenly Harry's ire flared up. "Me? Hurt her?! Of all the people here, I'd be the last one to harm Hermione! You'd be the first name on the list!" Draco shook his head leisurely. "Wrong there, Potter."
Harry was still irked. "You're just leading her on, aren't you?! You're just there for the… for the… sex!" He spat. Draco was fully taken aback. "Potter, you stupid git. Listen! I'm not the carnal arsehole you think I am. Malfoys like pleasure, but I happen to put love over lust. So don't meddle with us, Potter, because Hermione's in safe hands."
Two red spots appeared on Harry's cheeks. "I still don't trust you, Malfoy. The only reason I'm putting up with you is because Hermione happens to love you very much, and the last thing I'm going to do is break her heart by beating the daylights out of her boyfriend who happens to be nothing more that some twat like you-." Draco moved back. "I'm not going to hurt her, because I don't hurt anyone I care for. So I suggest you meander up to your room and start reading the book entitled 'How To Stop Being Such a Stupid Biased Slimy Bigheaded Jerk' It'll probably teach you a few things… " Draco turned around and stared to climb down the staircase. Harry couldn't restrain himself, and he called out. "I don't think I have that book. You've probably read it already, so can I borrow yours?" Draco raised his voice as he walked away. "Ask Weasley. He's been living on his big brother's copy ever since he could read!"
And in spite of himself, Harry chuckled.
The common room was still noisy when he got back, the Gryffindors having thrown their own feast. Harry wandered over to where Ron was sitting with Hermione, amidst a good-sized pile of presents. Hermione was grinning at what Ron sarcastically called the 'resourcefulness' of her fellow Gryffindors. Apparently, the ones who felt guilty about forgetting her birthday had instantly transfigured ordinary items into birthday presents. Hermione giggled as she held up a bright neon pink butterfly hair ornament Parvati had given her. "Look, it's still flapping it's wings." Harry laughed, reached over, took the butterfly from her and fastened it onto a curl hanging over Hermione's face. "Nice touch, then." Ron grinned. Then Hermione chortled good-naturedly and showed them Neville's gift. It was probably supposed to be a tea set, with a tortoise for the teapot, and something else for the cups. Ron picked up one of the white cups and made a face. "Hermione, you aren't really going to drink out of this, are you?! The handle still looks like some kind of tail!" Harry pointed to another cup. "And this one's still furry." "Ew." they said collectively. Hermione giggled again. "Over there, Seamus is looking for his pet mice."
"Has anyone seen them? There's five of them, and… damn! They were here before dinner…" called Seamus, scratching his sandy-brown head. Ron counted the cups. "Five." he said, fighting to keep a straight face. They watched as Neville approached Seamus cautiously and explained something, making sure to keep his voice down so Hermione wouldn't hear. Harry, Ron and Hermione broke out into laughter.
The night was surely one to remember, with Fred and George dropping by to set off some of their own fireworks, and to show off some of the latest innovations for the future Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, which Fred and George planned to set up once they turned twenty-one, and moved away from the eagle eye of Mrs. Weasley. George nudged Harry and whispered "This'll drive Filch crazy. Slip it out on the last day, stand back and watch his eyes pop out!" George handed Harry a packet of 'Unmoppable Mud! Sure to keep you on your hands and knees trying to wipe it away for the next three weeks!' Harry chuckled and watched as Fred lit a firework that he didn't recognize. "What's that?" Harry pointed to the firework, which had 'June 21' emblazoned on the front. George grinned, and his freckles seemed to redden. "Made it ourselves. You just watch Hermione's face when she sees this!" Fred stuffed his fingers in his ears as the firework shot up to the ceiling. Everyone cringed, expecting a huge hole in the Gryffindor tower, but right before it reached the top, it shattered into a thousand brilliant sparks, forming in red and gold glitters the words 'Happy Birthday Bookworm!' Hermione laughed out loud and thanked the twins profusely, kissing them on the cheek. Fred and George blushed identical shades of red and slunk off, muttering something about getting more food.
It was well past one in the morning when the half-birthday, half-grad party ended, with people yawning and shaking their heads. Ron trundled up the staircase, giving Parvati a very passionate goodnight. Finally, it was only Harry and Hermione left in the room. Hermione got up and cast a Floating Charm on her gifts, making them trail behind her. "I'm too tired to carry them all up." she sheepishly explained to Harry, who was reclining on his favorite chair. He smiled and waved to her.
Hermione had only taken the first step up the staircase when she heard Harry call her. "Hermione, wait." She turned around. "Yes?"
Suddenly Harry had stood up, crossed the room quickly and pulled her into a warm hug.
Hermione's eyes widened in surprise. Harry's arms around her… holding her so close, like he never wanted to let go, his warmth, his scent, his touch. She could feel his heart beating beneath her cheek, like a steady drumbeat, reassuring her. "Harry…" she began, unsure of what to say. "Happy birthday, you know-it-all." he whispered into her hair, in his laughing tone of voice. Hermione smiled, and closed her eyes, leaning into the hug, which was getting farther and farther from friendly.
Then she felt a touch of cold silver against her cheek. "My earrings." she realized. Then Draco's face flashed in front of her, warm, open, trusting… and she broke away from Harry. "Harry… goodnight." she said, breathless. And she practically ran all the way up to her dormitory, her makeshift gifts trailing behind her.
Harry stood there for what seemed an eternity, his face thrown into shadow, giving no clue of what he really feeling inside.