A/N Wow everybody. This is, by far, my most popular story. Thank you to EVERYONE who reviewed, lovya! ^_~ I'm writing this as fast as possible to keep up with your demands. Special thanks to star*dust (as always, my dear blond friend) SPW (hehe, Minx is demanding some spotlight in Behind the Scenes. She's rather miffed, and just came back from a long chat with your phoenix) NyghtMistress, daydreamer, Britz, and Sarah Fellowrighter, who have left either more than one review or a really really nice one that made my head swell up. If I forgot you and you left more than one review, I apologize profusely, and just leave me another one, yell at me, and I'll make sure to mention you in Ch 7. Read and Review!
Dedication: Okay, okay. This PARTICULAR Ch is dedicated to Sierra Charm as an apology for forgetting to mention her as Willow Weeping in my story 'In Loving Memory'. Sorry dearie. However, after much thought, I've decided to dedicate the rest of the story to SPW for giving me such a cool part in her fics 'Emerald Fire*' and 'Indigo Fire*' Go read that after you get done her, dears. It's really good.
Geez, I don't think I've ever left an A/N on this story before. I'd better stop babbling. ON TO CHAPTER SIX! Enjoy!
For the Love of the Land
~I pledge my loyalty to Honor, Justice, and Hogwarts~
Part Six
"We're progressing nicely." Luna said, helping Neville to his feet. "Now, about those robes I mentioned the other day, it is simply a spell to change the color of your robes and add hoods. Cho, come here."
Cho stood and walked over to Luna. "So how does this work?" She questioned.
"Well," Luna said, as if trying to find the words to properly explain. "Just...you'll have different colored robes. It's not a big deal, really." She shrugged. "Okay, just point your wand to yourself and say 'Borsroloc'."
"Okay," Cho replied, pulling out her wand, and following Luna's instructions. "Borsroloc." A flash of light swooped around her less than a second, and then she was donning a hooded robe of pale baby blue, like the sky on a cloudless spring morning. It suited her nicely, Hermione noted.
"Hermione," Luna said, motioning for her to come forward and do the same.
"Borsroloc." Hermione said. She looked down, and started in surprise to not find herself wearing the mandatory black school robes, but lavish turquise, like the tropical sea.
She watched as Neville, Ginny, and Draco went through the same process. Neville had a deep forest green; Draco, a icy gray that matched his eyes; and Ginny, a fiery red the matched her hair to such a perfection that you could not tell her locks from the robe. Luna smiled with satisfaction.
"There you are." She said. "Now..." She looked off into space for a moment, as if trying to remember something. Then she shook herself out of it. "That seems to cover everything of importance. You may take your leave." She turned to sit down at her desk.
"Erm, Professor?" Neville said, as the others tried not to laugh TOO loud. "How do we change the robes back again?"
"Oh, right." Luna said, blushing ever so slightly. It was the first blunder the five had ever seen her make. "The spell is 'Disborx' okay?" She then turned back to her papers, avoiding their laughing eyes.
"Disborx." The five said in almost perfect unison.
"We sound like Valley Girls." Hermione said, rolling her eyes. The others (all purebloods) looked at her curiously.
"Never mind," She sighed as they left. Luna swallowed hard, forcing the memories back.
Hermione was the second Muggle born to ever be chosen as a Defender. Lily Evans had been the first.
* * *
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all sitting down to breakfast in the Great Hall right before they left for the Hogsmeade trip. Ron and Hermione sat very close, and kept looking at each other in a way that Harry had never seen before. That wasn't entirely true, Harry thought with a grin. Hermione had been looking at Ron that way for years.
He laughed aloud, remembering that Ron had been completely oblivious. His friends both turned and raised their eyebrows.
"And WHAT, precisely is so funny?" Hermione asked.
"Just...you two!" Harry doubled over. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Men." She said.
"Excuse me?" Ron replied, in a voice of mock hurt.
"I said, 'men'. Got a problem with it?" She challenged. Ron pretended to think for a moment.
"I don't know, what do you think Harry?" Harry had just emerged from his laughing fit. He looked from one to the other...and began laughing again. Ron shrugged.
"Guess that's a 'no'" He said.
"Good...what were we arguing about again?" Hermione asked. As Ron and Harry collapsed with laughter, thousands of owls swooped into the Great Hall. Hermione looked up desperately. She was still awaiting a reply from Aunt Charlotte, whom she had written a week ago telling her the good news of her and Ron.
The brown school owl dropped a piece of parchment right into her eggs. Eagerly, Hermione opened it and read the letter.
Dear Hermione,
Congratulations! I told you one day that fickle Ron boy would come around. It looks like you have found someone serious. Uh oh, better not tell your father!
How was the dance? You must write and tell me as soon as possible. I remember my first dance with your Uncle Bill. If you had as much fun as I did, I'm sure you have a lot to tell me.
Things are going fine her in old Muggle Kent. One of the cats, Sprinkles, is going to have kittens any day now. How are things at Hogwarts? And your studies?
I can't wait to meet Ron. This summer, perhaps? You simply must come this summer; I don't know what I'll do without you. Keep in touch! The cats and I miss you!
~All my love,
Aunt Charlotte
Hermione smiled. Yes, she did intend to go there this summer and not to Nova Scotia, thank God.
"Who's that from?" Ron demanded, trying to read the letter over Hermione's shoulder. She hid it from him, grinning.
"No, Ron, It's none of your business!"
"C'mon, please?" He whined, snatching for the letter.
"No!" She said, trying desperately to keep the piece of paper out of the reach of Ron's long arms. Harry just rolled his eyes, and looked the other.
Why am I watching Ginny again? He questioned himself as he saw the red haired girl laughing with some of her friends. And why did he suddenly think she was beautiful? And what, in Merlin's name, was that peculiar feeling tugging in his chest, drawing him nearer to Ginny Weasley?
* * *
Ginny bit her lip, forcing herself to turn back to the conversation her friends were having. Why did her eyes wander to him? She could NOT have feelings for him. He certainly didn't have feelings for her.
"Ginny?" Gabbie said, waving a hand in front of the girl's face. Ginny shook herself mentally to bring herself back to reality.
"Yeah, yeah," She replied, sounding distracted. She went back to studying for Potions. All her friends simply shrugged; they had noticed that, as of late, it always seemed as if Ginny weren't all there. However, that was Ginny for you, always shifting. She'd come around.
But, little did they know, Ginny was NOT going to come around for quite a while. Perhaps it was because she was the youngest, but Ginny was the first to have her schoolwork and social life affected by being a Defender. The only classes remaining in what Ginny considered 'high marks' status were Defense Against the Dark Arts and Care of Magical Creatures, for obvious reasons.
Ginny struggled through the day, disgusted with herself for her mark on the written Transfiguration test McGonagall handed back that day. She was not any happier when Luna sent her a summons directly after dinner when she needed to study. However, Ginny did not regret her decision to be a Defender. Such a thought had never even crossed her mind. She had been brought up to do everything she could to fight the Dark Lord, and now she had the chance to really make a difference, and she wasn't about to pass it up.
"Okay." Luna said as the five took the seats they had grown accustomed to. Cho sat on the end near the window, Neville on her left, followed by Hermione, Ginny, and finally Draco. Since the dance, Ginny found her chair was closer to Draco's than it had been before. But who was moving; Draco or Ginny?
"I just thought of something today that I probably should have started preparing you for quite a while ago. You do realize that I cannot and will not help you with your strategies on fighting Voldemort when he comes?" This was met with murmurings from the five students. "You will have to sort that out on your own. I suggest you let Hermione and Cho do most of the mechanical work, since they are the brains here. And because Hermione knows the layout of the school better that the rest of you." Hermione blushed, and swore she saw Luna wink at her. Could it be that Luna knew Hermione had access to a map of the school?
"Draco and Ginny are good brainstormers." Luna continued. "They'll probably come up the beginnings of anything you put together as far as where to place people and quickly getting from point a to point b and other such necessities. Neville, you have a knack for knowing what is needed, and therefore you'll probably bring up 'hey we need to have a backup plan for this' or 'what if this happens'. Don't be afraid to speak up, even if it sounds stupid. Trust me, many situations that sound stupid here are likely to happen out there.
"And with that, I'd like to leave you alone to congregate. Besides, I think you five need to get a tad bit better acquainted." Luna smiled as if she knew something they didn't. "I don't know when I'll be back, so just leave whenever you feel it is time. I'm not your babysitter." And without another word, she shut the door behind her.
"So," Hermione said, trying to ease the uptight atmosphere. "I think we should start by sitting in a circle?"
Everyone obliged, and people started mumbling. But in a few moments actual language was produced, and Ginny was amazed by what was getting accomplished in such a short time. In excited voices they would interrupt one another, bursting with ideas and suggestions.
However, teenagers are rarely able to stay on one topic for very long. They get bored and wander on to something else, as was the case tonight. 45 minutes after Luna left, they were not discussing battle tactics at all.
"So!" Said Cho loudly over the uproar of laughter at Draco's ridiculous (and rather rude) bar joke. "A priest, a warlock, a Frenchman, a rabbi, and a blond go into a bar, and the bartender says 'what is this, a joke?'" The other four went into uproars of laughter. As Ginny giggled, she studied the way the others laughed. Hermione's shoulders shook and she had a hand over her mouth. Neville laughed with a wide, good-natured smile. Draco laughed with either his head back or bent forward, an odd contradiction. He never laughed for long, but his eyes would laugh to, if he was sincerely amused. Ginny couldn't help but think he was cuter than usual when he laughed.
"Oh my god!" Hermione exclaimed after checking her watch. "I must go upstairs and study, I have a charms test tomorrow!"
"Aw, c'mon Hermione." Neville said. But Hermione refused to be wavered and left. Soon Neville too left, claiming he had the same test and needed to study a lot more than Hermione did. Cho left shortly after that, claiming she promised a friend she would help her with some essay or another. Ginny realized, with a surge of uneasiness and excitement, that she was alone with Draco. Her uneasy feelings and her brain overtook her excitement, though she couldn't ignore the fact that her heart had started beating much more quickly than was normal.
"Well, I guess I had better get back to the common room." She said, standing up and heading for the door. She was reaching for the doorknob when Draco grabbed her other arm.
"What?" She asked, rather annoyed.
"Don't you know that a Malfoy never takes 'no' for an answer?" He asked. Before Ginny could ask what he was talking about, they were dancing.
Surprised, Ginny allowed herself to be swept around and twirled, and (to her shock) she found herself enjoying it. It was funny, there was no music and no beat, but she and Draco moved in perfect unison...as if it had been a well rehearsed act for the stage.
"You're a very good dancer." Ginny remarked as they slowly twirled in a circle. Draco smiled...or smirked. Ginny found it rather hard to tell the difference with him.
"My mother made me take lessons for years, so I should hope so." He responded. They danced in silence for a few more minutes, and Ginny couldn't help but notice that her heart was beating faster than normal and her breathing was irregular. The more aware she was that she was in Draco's arms, the more she thought that she DID hear music, a beautiful, exotic tune from the part of her mind responsible for daydreams and inspiration.
"Would you mind if I asked you a personal question?" Draco asked. Ginny laughed.
"Yes, but I can't promise that I will answer." Draco twirled her out, and then back again.
"Is Seamus your boyfriend?" He asked. Ginny frowned.
"No." She said. "We just went to the dance, that's all. I told him that we weren't serious, and he seem okay with it."
"Can I ask you another question?" He said.
"Why don't you just ask instead of asking to ask first?" Ginny said. Then she giggled at herself. "That made no sense, did it?"
"Actually, I think I got the general gist of it," Draco said.
"Well then you understood it better than me. But go ahead with your question." Ginny replied.
"Do you still like Harry Potter?" He said this with his eyebrows raised, and for some reason Ginny knew this meant that he was really curious. Once again she frowned.
"Why do you want to know?" She replied, deciding to answer his question with a question. He shrugged, his steps and movements never faltering.
"Just curious." Something about the way he was looking at her made Ginny sigh, and give in.
"Not really." She said. "Not like I used to at all."
"Good." Draco said. "Then I won't get in any trouble." And without warning, he halted in midstep, wrapped his arms around Ginny's waist, and kissed her.
The soft music Ginny had been hearing exploded like a blooming daylily, nearly deafening her. Ginny kissed him back, feeling herself being lifted off her feet. This was the love she had been looking for all these years. Not in Harry, but in his enemy, Draco Malfoy. Ginny felt as if she were being swept by a current, moving so fast that she was still. It was exhilarating and chaotic and hopelessly wonderful.
When Draco pulled away, Ginny discovered that her arms were around his neck, and she didn't remember putting them there. Without her even knowing it she was grinning broadly.
"So, Miss Weasley, do I kiss as well as I dance?"
Dedication: Okay, okay. This PARTICULAR Ch is dedicated to Sierra Charm as an apology for forgetting to mention her as Willow Weeping in my story 'In Loving Memory'. Sorry dearie. However, after much thought, I've decided to dedicate the rest of the story to SPW for giving me such a cool part in her fics 'Emerald Fire*' and 'Indigo Fire*' Go read that after you get done her, dears. It's really good.
Geez, I don't think I've ever left an A/N on this story before. I'd better stop babbling. ON TO CHAPTER SIX! Enjoy!
For the Love of the Land
~I pledge my loyalty to Honor, Justice, and Hogwarts~
Part Six
"We're progressing nicely." Luna said, helping Neville to his feet. "Now, about those robes I mentioned the other day, it is simply a spell to change the color of your robes and add hoods. Cho, come here."
Cho stood and walked over to Luna. "So how does this work?" She questioned.
"Well," Luna said, as if trying to find the words to properly explain. "Just...you'll have different colored robes. It's not a big deal, really." She shrugged. "Okay, just point your wand to yourself and say 'Borsroloc'."
"Okay," Cho replied, pulling out her wand, and following Luna's instructions. "Borsroloc." A flash of light swooped around her less than a second, and then she was donning a hooded robe of pale baby blue, like the sky on a cloudless spring morning. It suited her nicely, Hermione noted.
"Hermione," Luna said, motioning for her to come forward and do the same.
"Borsroloc." Hermione said. She looked down, and started in surprise to not find herself wearing the mandatory black school robes, but lavish turquise, like the tropical sea.
She watched as Neville, Ginny, and Draco went through the same process. Neville had a deep forest green; Draco, a icy gray that matched his eyes; and Ginny, a fiery red the matched her hair to such a perfection that you could not tell her locks from the robe. Luna smiled with satisfaction.
"There you are." She said. "Now..." She looked off into space for a moment, as if trying to remember something. Then she shook herself out of it. "That seems to cover everything of importance. You may take your leave." She turned to sit down at her desk.
"Erm, Professor?" Neville said, as the others tried not to laugh TOO loud. "How do we change the robes back again?"
"Oh, right." Luna said, blushing ever so slightly. It was the first blunder the five had ever seen her make. "The spell is 'Disborx' okay?" She then turned back to her papers, avoiding their laughing eyes.
"Disborx." The five said in almost perfect unison.
"We sound like Valley Girls." Hermione said, rolling her eyes. The others (all purebloods) looked at her curiously.
"Never mind," She sighed as they left. Luna swallowed hard, forcing the memories back.
Hermione was the second Muggle born to ever be chosen as a Defender. Lily Evans had been the first.
* * *
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all sitting down to breakfast in the Great Hall right before they left for the Hogsmeade trip. Ron and Hermione sat very close, and kept looking at each other in a way that Harry had never seen before. That wasn't entirely true, Harry thought with a grin. Hermione had been looking at Ron that way for years.
He laughed aloud, remembering that Ron had been completely oblivious. His friends both turned and raised their eyebrows.
"And WHAT, precisely is so funny?" Hermione asked.
"Just...you two!" Harry doubled over. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Men." She said.
"Excuse me?" Ron replied, in a voice of mock hurt.
"I said, 'men'. Got a problem with it?" She challenged. Ron pretended to think for a moment.
"I don't know, what do you think Harry?" Harry had just emerged from his laughing fit. He looked from one to the other...and began laughing again. Ron shrugged.
"Guess that's a 'no'" He said.
"Good...what were we arguing about again?" Hermione asked. As Ron and Harry collapsed with laughter, thousands of owls swooped into the Great Hall. Hermione looked up desperately. She was still awaiting a reply from Aunt Charlotte, whom she had written a week ago telling her the good news of her and Ron.
The brown school owl dropped a piece of parchment right into her eggs. Eagerly, Hermione opened it and read the letter.
Dear Hermione,
Congratulations! I told you one day that fickle Ron boy would come around. It looks like you have found someone serious. Uh oh, better not tell your father!
How was the dance? You must write and tell me as soon as possible. I remember my first dance with your Uncle Bill. If you had as much fun as I did, I'm sure you have a lot to tell me.
Things are going fine her in old Muggle Kent. One of the cats, Sprinkles, is going to have kittens any day now. How are things at Hogwarts? And your studies?
I can't wait to meet Ron. This summer, perhaps? You simply must come this summer; I don't know what I'll do without you. Keep in touch! The cats and I miss you!
~All my love,
Aunt Charlotte
Hermione smiled. Yes, she did intend to go there this summer and not to Nova Scotia, thank God.
"Who's that from?" Ron demanded, trying to read the letter over Hermione's shoulder. She hid it from him, grinning.
"No, Ron, It's none of your business!"
"C'mon, please?" He whined, snatching for the letter.
"No!" She said, trying desperately to keep the piece of paper out of the reach of Ron's long arms. Harry just rolled his eyes, and looked the other.
Why am I watching Ginny again? He questioned himself as he saw the red haired girl laughing with some of her friends. And why did he suddenly think she was beautiful? And what, in Merlin's name, was that peculiar feeling tugging in his chest, drawing him nearer to Ginny Weasley?
* * *
Ginny bit her lip, forcing herself to turn back to the conversation her friends were having. Why did her eyes wander to him? She could NOT have feelings for him. He certainly didn't have feelings for her.
"Ginny?" Gabbie said, waving a hand in front of the girl's face. Ginny shook herself mentally to bring herself back to reality.
"Yeah, yeah," She replied, sounding distracted. She went back to studying for Potions. All her friends simply shrugged; they had noticed that, as of late, it always seemed as if Ginny weren't all there. However, that was Ginny for you, always shifting. She'd come around.
But, little did they know, Ginny was NOT going to come around for quite a while. Perhaps it was because she was the youngest, but Ginny was the first to have her schoolwork and social life affected by being a Defender. The only classes remaining in what Ginny considered 'high marks' status were Defense Against the Dark Arts and Care of Magical Creatures, for obvious reasons.
Ginny struggled through the day, disgusted with herself for her mark on the written Transfiguration test McGonagall handed back that day. She was not any happier when Luna sent her a summons directly after dinner when she needed to study. However, Ginny did not regret her decision to be a Defender. Such a thought had never even crossed her mind. She had been brought up to do everything she could to fight the Dark Lord, and now she had the chance to really make a difference, and she wasn't about to pass it up.
"Okay." Luna said as the five took the seats they had grown accustomed to. Cho sat on the end near the window, Neville on her left, followed by Hermione, Ginny, and finally Draco. Since the dance, Ginny found her chair was closer to Draco's than it had been before. But who was moving; Draco or Ginny?
"I just thought of something today that I probably should have started preparing you for quite a while ago. You do realize that I cannot and will not help you with your strategies on fighting Voldemort when he comes?" This was met with murmurings from the five students. "You will have to sort that out on your own. I suggest you let Hermione and Cho do most of the mechanical work, since they are the brains here. And because Hermione knows the layout of the school better that the rest of you." Hermione blushed, and swore she saw Luna wink at her. Could it be that Luna knew Hermione had access to a map of the school?
"Draco and Ginny are good brainstormers." Luna continued. "They'll probably come up the beginnings of anything you put together as far as where to place people and quickly getting from point a to point b and other such necessities. Neville, you have a knack for knowing what is needed, and therefore you'll probably bring up 'hey we need to have a backup plan for this' or 'what if this happens'. Don't be afraid to speak up, even if it sounds stupid. Trust me, many situations that sound stupid here are likely to happen out there.
"And with that, I'd like to leave you alone to congregate. Besides, I think you five need to get a tad bit better acquainted." Luna smiled as if she knew something they didn't. "I don't know when I'll be back, so just leave whenever you feel it is time. I'm not your babysitter." And without another word, she shut the door behind her.
"So," Hermione said, trying to ease the uptight atmosphere. "I think we should start by sitting in a circle?"
Everyone obliged, and people started mumbling. But in a few moments actual language was produced, and Ginny was amazed by what was getting accomplished in such a short time. In excited voices they would interrupt one another, bursting with ideas and suggestions.
However, teenagers are rarely able to stay on one topic for very long. They get bored and wander on to something else, as was the case tonight. 45 minutes after Luna left, they were not discussing battle tactics at all.
"So!" Said Cho loudly over the uproar of laughter at Draco's ridiculous (and rather rude) bar joke. "A priest, a warlock, a Frenchman, a rabbi, and a blond go into a bar, and the bartender says 'what is this, a joke?'" The other four went into uproars of laughter. As Ginny giggled, she studied the way the others laughed. Hermione's shoulders shook and she had a hand over her mouth. Neville laughed with a wide, good-natured smile. Draco laughed with either his head back or bent forward, an odd contradiction. He never laughed for long, but his eyes would laugh to, if he was sincerely amused. Ginny couldn't help but think he was cuter than usual when he laughed.
"Oh my god!" Hermione exclaimed after checking her watch. "I must go upstairs and study, I have a charms test tomorrow!"
"Aw, c'mon Hermione." Neville said. But Hermione refused to be wavered and left. Soon Neville too left, claiming he had the same test and needed to study a lot more than Hermione did. Cho left shortly after that, claiming she promised a friend she would help her with some essay or another. Ginny realized, with a surge of uneasiness and excitement, that she was alone with Draco. Her uneasy feelings and her brain overtook her excitement, though she couldn't ignore the fact that her heart had started beating much more quickly than was normal.
"Well, I guess I had better get back to the common room." She said, standing up and heading for the door. She was reaching for the doorknob when Draco grabbed her other arm.
"What?" She asked, rather annoyed.
"Don't you know that a Malfoy never takes 'no' for an answer?" He asked. Before Ginny could ask what he was talking about, they were dancing.
Surprised, Ginny allowed herself to be swept around and twirled, and (to her shock) she found herself enjoying it. It was funny, there was no music and no beat, but she and Draco moved in perfect unison...as if it had been a well rehearsed act for the stage.
"You're a very good dancer." Ginny remarked as they slowly twirled in a circle. Draco smiled...or smirked. Ginny found it rather hard to tell the difference with him.
"My mother made me take lessons for years, so I should hope so." He responded. They danced in silence for a few more minutes, and Ginny couldn't help but notice that her heart was beating faster than normal and her breathing was irregular. The more aware she was that she was in Draco's arms, the more she thought that she DID hear music, a beautiful, exotic tune from the part of her mind responsible for daydreams and inspiration.
"Would you mind if I asked you a personal question?" Draco asked. Ginny laughed.
"Yes, but I can't promise that I will answer." Draco twirled her out, and then back again.
"Is Seamus your boyfriend?" He asked. Ginny frowned.
"No." She said. "We just went to the dance, that's all. I told him that we weren't serious, and he seem okay with it."
"Can I ask you another question?" He said.
"Why don't you just ask instead of asking to ask first?" Ginny said. Then she giggled at herself. "That made no sense, did it?"
"Actually, I think I got the general gist of it," Draco said.
"Well then you understood it better than me. But go ahead with your question." Ginny replied.
"Do you still like Harry Potter?" He said this with his eyebrows raised, and for some reason Ginny knew this meant that he was really curious. Once again she frowned.
"Why do you want to know?" She replied, deciding to answer his question with a question. He shrugged, his steps and movements never faltering.
"Just curious." Something about the way he was looking at her made Ginny sigh, and give in.
"Not really." She said. "Not like I used to at all."
"Good." Draco said. "Then I won't get in any trouble." And without warning, he halted in midstep, wrapped his arms around Ginny's waist, and kissed her.
The soft music Ginny had been hearing exploded like a blooming daylily, nearly deafening her. Ginny kissed him back, feeling herself being lifted off her feet. This was the love she had been looking for all these years. Not in Harry, but in his enemy, Draco Malfoy. Ginny felt as if she were being swept by a current, moving so fast that she was still. It was exhilarating and chaotic and hopelessly wonderful.
When Draco pulled away, Ginny discovered that her arms were around his neck, and she didn't remember putting them there. Without her even knowing it she was grinning broadly.
"So, Miss Weasley, do I kiss as well as I dance?"