Author's Note: I am inspired again to continue on writing this fic, and neglect my other fic which I haven't updated in a while (btw, it's a Draco/Ginny fic), but that's alright with that one since I am suffering from minor writer's block when it comes to what else to write for the next chapter in that fic. Anyway, I am really seeing the end is nearing for this sequel to Draco & Hermione's saga, but the end isn't as near as like the next chapter per se! Oh no, it most certainly won't be ending next chapter! *lol*
Disclaimer: Alas, if I owned the rights to HP then I would be a rich gal now! *lol*
Summary: Draco & Hermione were suppose to start their 7th year at Hogwarts as a couple, but due to a misunderstanding the previous year that dream soon crumbled and now they are to start their 7th year picking up the pieces of their tattered lives...
Setting: 7th Year
~*~*~*~*~
XII. Forever Chain
By the start of the next term every student noticed a particular silver chain bracelet that Draco Malfoy seem quite attached to it. He hasn't worn any jewelry since he started attending Hogwarts so him suddenly sporting a silver chain bracelet all the time sparked some interest, mostly from his female admirers. Even Pansy was dying to have a close-up look on his bracelet, but Draco often hid it underneath his robe sleeve.
He and Hermione still kept their distance from one another during the day, but unlike in previous months, there was no sign of cold hostility coming from either one of them. At most they were often caught stealing glances at each other when they thought no one was watching. In all their classes Draco would be found seated beside Harry while Hermione sat on Harry's other side. They often annoy Harry with their notes being passed on to each other since he was asked to pass it on, but they often made it up to him after class by helping him out with some of their homeworks.
Ron was feeling somewhat left out of all this. He still hasn't accepted the fact that Harry and Draco are indeed friends. And Hermione's relationship with Draco soon became less...oh, shall we say chilly? Whenever he asked Harry what was up with him and Draco, his best friend would just shrug and say things changed. Hermione, on the other hand, wouldn't bother giving him a verbal reply. She'd just shrug and smile fondly at him before dragging Harry on the side to talk about something that often excluded him. He was beginning to get pissed off at his situation with his two best friends now. He felt rejected all of a sudden as Harry and Hermione discovered a new friend in Draco Malfoy.
Draco was on his way back to the Slytherin dungeon when he was stopped en route by Ron who appeared from the shadows of the tall pillars.
"Got a minute, Malfoy?" he asked.
Draco merely smirked and continued walking, "What do you want, Weasley?"
Ron fell into step beside Draco, following him towards the Slytherin dungeon. "I just want to get some things straightened out with you." he answered a matter-of-factly.
Draco raised an eyebrow and glanced at Ron over his shoulder, "Straighten what out?"
"Your relationship with Hermione for starters."
"What about it?" he asked carelessly.
"I'm curious to know why is it that suddenly, since Christmas, you two seem to be...oh, I don't know, friendly towards each other again?"
Draco raised an eyebrow, "Why? Is that a crime?"
Ron's temper was soon starting to come to its boiling point. Draco was acting so smug about this whole conversation that right at that very moment he had a sudden urge to ram his fist down Malfoy's throat!
"The last time you were friendly with her she ended up deflowered and used, not to mention brokenhearted and hateful of all men!" Ron knew the latter part was a white lie, but he was on a roll and he wanted to make Malfoy feel guilty for what he did to Hermione the year before.
"That's not going to happen this time, Weasley, I can guarantee you that." Draco replied in an equally level voice that was devoid of any emotion whatsoever.
"Says who?" Ron challenged.
"Says me, now buzz off!" Draco shoved him aside and went on his way, but Ron wasn't that easily to be ignored. He grabbed Draco's arm before the other boy could take another step away and stopped him.
"If you hurt her again, Malfoy, I swear to you you're going to pay." he threatened, his grip on Draco's arm tightening before he shoved him aside and went on his way.
~*~
"So he's still friendly with the Mudblood?" Lucius snarled as he spoke to his informant hidden in the shadows of the big tree in the hidden forest. It has already gone past ten in the evening when he summoned for his trusted informant to meet with him in private in the Hogwarts ground.
"Yes. It was a pretty disgusting and pathetic scene, really. Your son sitting with Potter and Granger in class acting all chummy together." replied his faceless informant.
Lucius remained silent for a while, digesting everything that he has been told that has happened at Hogwarts since his last meeting with his son over a month ago.
"And you said Draco's sporting a bracelet made of pure silver?" he inquired, remembering that important piece of information that was relayed to him. If he knew his son well, Draco never wore any jewelry--ever (a/n: Uhm...I'm not really sure if Draco's into wearing bracelets and rings or even necklaces, but I'm just simply assuming that he doesn't give a damn about any of those stuff hence why Lucius is curious).
"Yes. He was actually wearing it with pride." the faceless informant snarled.
"Did he disclose who gave it to him or where he got it from?"
"No. Everyone's been asking him where he got the bracelet, but Draco was tightlipped about it."
"Very well." Lucius nodded curtly, "Keep a close eye on him as usual and update me again in our next meeting. I'll send you an owl the next time we're meeting."
~*~
Hermione walked on numb feet by the lakeside. Her fingers interlaced with Draco as they walked in silence after he told her his latest encounter with Ron. Lately Hermione noticed something wasn't right with Ron. He has been distancing himself from her and Harry. She tried drawing him in to the circle that she drew for herself, Harry and Draco and lived in companionable harmony, but Ron wouldn't have any of it. She knew her other best friend was still carrying a grudge against Draco. After all, it was only twelve months ago that Ron Weasley watched her crumble into nothing but a crying, brokenhearted witch.
"I kept on telling myself that he's only worried about me, like Harry is every time whenever I'm around you, but lately..." she paused and took a deep breath, her hand tightening its grip on his. "Sometimes I feel that the Ron I met and got to know over the years has suddenly disappeared, replaced by someone who doesn't want anything to do with me or Harry anymore." she pouted.
Draco stopped walking and faced her. Cupping her cheek in his hand, he forced her to meet his eyes and smiled. "He's just worried about you, Mione. But unlike Harry, Ron has a different way of showing his concern for you without having to reveal too much about himself and his real feelings for you." he explained.
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean is, Mione, Ron Weasley has been secretly in love with you!" Draco announced, to Hermione's utter surprise.
"Ron's in love with me?" she echoed, her dark eyes widening like a pair of flying saucers. "Impossible!" she denied.
Draco quirked an eyebrow, challenging her to believe what she just said.
"Mione, I think Weasley's been head over heels in love with you for years, but he was just too damn chicken to say anything about it!"
"But...but...oh bullocks." she disentangled her fingers from his and crossed her arms over her chest, "I can't believe Ron felt that way about me. I mean, does Harry even know about it?"
"Potter and I never discussed another bloke's personal love life, Mione." Draco answered with a huff, "Besides, it doesn't really take a genius to figure out that Weasley's been mooning over you."
"Well I'll be damned!" she muttered.
Draco frowned and tilted his head to the side, studying her face, "Why are you having a hard time believing all this, Mione? Surely Weasley must've dropped quite a few hints about his feelings for you." he teased.
"If he did, maybe I was too blind to notice it. I mean, I know he got all pissed off when I went to the Yule Ball with Viktor Krum back in our fourth year. I think he was so damn jealous around that time and...well, he was so pissed that I am even friends with Viktor." she explained, "But I never saw Viktor in any way other than as a good friend. And...around that time...how could I look at Viktor as a possible boyfriend candidate when...uhm..." Hermione chewed on her lower lip, trailing off in her sentence and not having the heart to continue. This wasn't really the time nor place--let alone the person--she wanted to discuss this with. Sometimes some things are better left unsaid.
This, however, sparked Draco's curiosity and prodded some more for her to continue what she was saying. He was genuinely intrigued with what Hermione started saying that he wouldn't be satisfied unless she told him what it was she was thinking about.
"Nah, forget it. It's nothing." she shrugged, "I was just reminiscing about the past."
"C'mon Mione. I honestly thought back then that you and Viktor indeed got together! You couldn't imagine how surprised I was when the following school year you didn't make any mention of your escapades with Krum and whatnot!"
She raised an eyebrow, "You did?" she asked in amazement.
"Now you're straying away from answering my question." he said disappointedly, "If Krum wasn't boyfriend-material to you back then, who was?"
Hermione took a deep breath. If she were to have a relationship with Draco, the least she could do was be open with him. And besides, whatever she felt back in her fourth and fifth year at Hogwarts was so long ago. It wouldn't matter either way.
"For one complete, insane moment I fancied myself in love with my best friend." she replied, gnawing on her lower lip as she looked away from Draco.
"Which one?" Draco frowned.
Hermione looked back at him, surprised to hear confusion in his tone. But what was she really expecting to hear in his voice? He couldn't possibly ridicule her for thinking she fancied one of her two male best friends!
"It was Ron." she admitted, "I thought I was in love with him during our early years here at Hogwarts, but after hitting a road block when it comes to him fancying me back, I decided to move on."
"So you fancied Weasley too, huh?" he smirked. It was then that Hermione noticed a tinge of jealousy lace his tone and that made her smile.
Walking up to close the distance separating them, she cupped his face in her hand and rubbed her thumb against his cheek. "For a moment in time I thought I was in love with Ron, but now that I reflect back on it, I realize that whatever feelings I felt for Ron back then was nothing but mere infatuation."
"And now?"
"And now...well, let's just say that he's an overprotective friend of mine that I couldn't seem to just shrug off." she shrugged.
"And what about us?" Draco questioned.
"What about us, Draco?" she asked teasingly.
Draco frowned, "You know what I mean, Hermione."
"Hmm...you want to know what I really feel about you?" she grinned.
"Well...yeah! I mean, don't get me wrong, love, but I am still having a hard time believing that we're actually here--together at last--and just plain ol' happy!"
"Oh Draco..." she cooed and let her hand slid down to his wrist where her present rested. Lifting his hand up to eye-level, she met his cool gray gaze from across the silver metal and smiled sweetly, "Who is wearing the Granger's Forever Chain bracelet, hm? You know an heirloom such as this one that has been in one's family for centuries aren't given out easily to anyone." she reminded him.
At that Draco smiled and pulled her into his arms, bending his head he captured her smiling lips into his for another one of their searing kisses. It felt like a whole year has passed since he last tasted her sweet, succulent lips when only they had last kissed at lunch time when they decided to meet for a quickie soon after they were done eating their meal.
~*~*~*~*~
to be continued...
A/N: Who is Lucius's informer and eye around Hogwarts concerning our star-crossed lovers? Guess, guess, guess! *lol* Some of you may or may not guess who it is, but of course I know who that meanie is and I won't tell. You'll just have to find out along with Hermione and Draco who is betraying them & telling the scoop to Lucius about what's been going on between them...and as always I do appreciate reviews!
Queen Li: I'm so glad you're over your writer's block! And since I'm off from work tomorrow, I'll sit in front of my comp and read your story tonite! *grins*
Draco's one and only: Yeah, I agree with you that sometimes the best ending to great stories/movies happens when one of the lead characters receives an untimely death. Makes it more dramatic and all...good idea, but as always I'll ponder on that one...
iLoVeToMFeLtOn: thanks for liking both A Different You, A Different Me and Life Goes On. I'm sure you'll find out what Lucius's reaction is in this chapter in the next succeeding chapters so just read on, aight?
chairgirl: Why'd you think Ron's still a sucker?! *lol* And yeah, I try to make Harry very likeable as possible in this fic
mattpenn: thanks for liking the Draco-Harry friendship. I know in almost every fic those two are always at each other's throats, well this time around I want to change it a bit
Potterfan: thank you for saying that!
Demon Wolf: well good luck nevertheless in bugging the hell outta your folks! ^_^
Quistis88: *lol* well let's just say that I live in the capital city and thanks for saying there's never too much fluff!
Brookie: Thanks for liking the bracelet idea. I just need to have something that will symbolize their relationship one way or the other. And what do you mean they're back together for the time being??? *LOL*
Laney: Thank you so much for staying up late finishing up the other story! *lol* And thanks for liking both this one and A Different You, A Different Me
Dracos lover: Well I certainly agree with you that they're good together. And I know nearing the end of the previous chapter I got carried away writing about the fluff, but I think it just fits since they're both basking in the glory of their newfound love, hehehehe
Angela: Trust me, I pulled my hairs out trying to think of a much better name, but in the end I ended up giving the bracelet that name. And I'm trying to update Fallen for You at the same rate as I'm updating this fic, but right now I'm suffering from some writer's block regarding Fallen for You hence why I'm just updating Life Goes On right now
PenScribble: Thanks for noticing. And I'm doing my best to write much longer chapters because...well, simply because longer chapters are good! *lol*
Dasiee: I'm sure going to finish this fic...but the updates might come like a few days in-between simply because I have to work 2 jobs :-/
Slytherin's Angel: Oh no, please don't cry! hehehe, and why do you think you'll cry anyway?! BTW, thanks for liking the previous chappie
Hannah4Daniel: Awww....well I do hope that you and your best bud resolved whatever it is the reason why your best bud didn't talk to you, and I'm glad I was able to make your day *smiles* PEACE OUT!