UNDER MY SPELL
Emma Malfoy—I know! Rupert Grint's expressions were the best! I loved the "Can we panic now?" line!! Plus the time right before they went into the forest to see Aragog, he says something like, "Follow the spiders, Hagrid said. Why couldn't it have been follow the butterflies?" Hehe. Okay, enough COS talk. Okay peeps, here comes the next installment of my story…Oh, and none of it really belongs to me…
CHAPTER SIX: THE PARTY
Harry swept through the corridor, down the hall, and entered his classroom. After this seventh year class, he had to go inform Dumbledore that he wouldn't be able to attend the Halloween Feast because of his engagement party.
Even though he was a teacher and thereby impartial to his students, the seventh years he taught were his favorites. That class challenged his knowledge of the dark arts and often resulted in debates between him and his students. Although he always proved his position, some of his brighter pupils raised good points. It was like teaching a class full of Hermionies, he mused. Well, nearly.
He chuckled to himself as he straightened out his papers and prepared the day's lesson.
Harry heard the bell ring and unlocked the classroom door. The seventh years began shuffling in, red of cheek and nose from their Herbology lesson outside in the late fall chill.
He watched the boys crowd toward the back, while most of the girls congregated at the front. Some braver souls bridged the gap and smiled at each other.
I remember seventeen, Harry thought. He wanted to remember just the times when he and Ginny went for walks around the grounds and stole romantic moments alone, but that wasn't all that plagued him at that age. By then, he had participated in the death of Voldemort and had watched the two women he loved most—Ginny and Hermione—recover from a horrid experience at the Death Eater Camp. And at the start of seventh year, Dumbledore involved them all in a new mystery that resulted in...Damn it, he promised himself when he woke that morning not to dwell on the fact that this was the sixth anniversary of Neville's death.
Harry looked at the papers in his hands—notes on advanced dark incantations—and up at the expectant class. Then he tossed the papers in the rubbish.
The class looked a little perplexed, and he heard a few whispers of curiosity. Harry cleared his throat and leaned on his desk.
"Everyone knows today is Halloween. But what some of you might not know is that six years ago today, a good man died. His name was Neville Longbottom, and I want to tell you his story."
The class sat in silence as Harry spoke. No one dared to interrupt. They listened to him recount the details of Voldemort's death and subsequently Neville's, and also about Cornelius Fudge's involvement in the whole scenario.
When the bell finally rang, Harry simply held up a hand, and the class stayed seated.
"Tonight is my engagement party. The woman I love once told me something I'll never forget. She said, 'Just be thankful. Just be glad to be.' I want everyone to remember that." Harry took a deep breath. "You're dismissed."
The class filed out in somber silence.
Harry swallowed, and found his throat to be as dry as dust. He conjured a glass and some water, and sat gingerly behind his desk. He ran his fingers through his hair and scratched his head, as he often did out of habit. He noted with a little annoyance that he needed a trim, but immediately dismissed the thought to the back of his mind.
He was going to get married in seven months. His life was plowing ahead, and he was happy. He was in love. But Neville had been in love too.
Harry shuddered. You'll drive yourself crazy over this, Potter, he thought. Just pull yourself together and go talk to Dumbledore about tonight.
***
"How about here, Mum?" Ginny asked. They had taken all the furniture out of the living room to make room for the party. Halloween décor graced the walls and windows, and Ginny had insisted on a few floating candles to remind her of feasts at Hogwarts past. Now she was trying to arrange the pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns in a tasteful fashion.
"It looks fine to me, darling. But then again, it looked just as well in the other three places you had it." But there was no annoyance in her voice, just amusement. Her daughter was entitled to the moments of insanity that came with getting married.
"What time is it?" Ginny asked impatiently.
"It's only eleven, honey," Molly replied calmly.
"What time did Hermione say she'd be here?"
"She said she'd be here in the early afternoon to help if she could manage to get out of work. Sit down a minute, sweetheart, take a breath. Everything is going smoothly."
Ginny looked around and laughed. "I guess the floor will have to do." She plopped down and patted the spot beside her. Molly sat, and Ginny let out a little sigh. "I guess I'm being sort of silly. Sorry mum, I must be driving you crazy."
"Oh, Ginny, you're entitled. It's tradition. I drove my mother crazy when I was planning my wedding too."
"I bet the boys didn't make you this nuts," Ginny commented.
"Well, they had their moments, I'll tell you. Percy was the first, so it was all new to me. One of my babies was leaving the nest to start one of his own. Of course, being Percy, he sat everyone down one afternoon to plan the entire wedding. Penny's parents were…impressed with his sensibility. There were charts and lists and everything was color coded." Molly laughed. "But oh, the twins were another story. They didn't plan a double wedding, it just sort of made sense. They proposed to the girls on the same night without knowing that they did. It was so hysterical, and just like them. Then Charlie married Mallory, and I have to say that was quite a shock. I didn't see that coming. Now you and Harry. I have no idea what to do with Bill, but I imagine Ron won't be too far behind you." Molly smiled tenderly.
"Hermione will be happy to hear you say that, I imagine."
"Oh, well, you know Ron. Can't rush him into anything, not even a chess move."
***
"Lance, we're out of wolfsbane. Can you put some on the order forms?" Hermione asked as she bustled around the lab. She was trying to get the majority of the grunt work done for the day so she could take off early. Her boss usually let her take time off when she asked for it because she asked so rarely. And she hadn't taken a sick day since she started the job five years ago.
"Sure, Hermione. Anything else?"
"Hmm, looks like we're low on powdered horn of bicorn. Better order a case. Is there anything else I should check on before I go?"
"I think you should look in on Greene and Addleson in lab four. They looked ready to curse each other this morning," Lance replied.
"I'll see what I can do. But those two need new lab partners. They just can't get along, and if they continue disrupting the department, someone is going to get hurt," Hermione said briskly.
"At least we get along well," Lance said.
"That we do. All right, I'll look in on Sara and Elliot, then I have to leave." Hermione gathered her briefcase and headed out the door.
"Hot date in the middle of the afternoon?" Lance called from behind her.
Hermione turned and laughed. "Afraid not. But I'm going to my roommate's parent's house to help decorate and prepare for her engagement party tonight."
"Oh, that's great. Halloween is the best."
"Yes, well…" Hermione remembered a Halloween six years ago that wasn't so great. She shuddered. She had lost Neville and almost lost Ron…Hermione shook her head to stop her train of thought. "I'll, uh, see you tomorrow Lance."
***
The Chudley Canons had the day off from practice, but Ron sat in his cramped office doing paperwork. He just couldn't seem to concentrate. He needed to get out of the stuffy office and smell some fresh air. He needed to see Hermione.
Ron pushed away from the old desk and grabbed his cloak. This stupid paperwork will have to wait 'til tomorrow, he thought. He remembered that Hermione said she'd be going to the Burrow early on, but he guessed she'd go home before that. So that's where he'd go. I'm in the mood for a Honeydukes sweet anyway. He smiled and Apparated to Hogsmeade.
Ron unhitched the whitewashed gate and made his way up the cobblestone walkway to Hermione and Ginny's cottage. He tried the door, and found it unlocked. Yep, she's home all right.
He walked into the small living room, then through the swinging door into the kitchen. No Hermione in sight. He turned and started up the stairs. "Hermione?" he called down the hall.
She popped her head out of her bedroom. "Ron? What are you doing here?"
"That's a friendly welcome," he replied easily.
She smiled and shrugged. "I thought you had to work today."
"I did. I left."
"I always admired your work ethic," she said caustically.
He grinned. "I knew there was more to me than good looks, charisma and charm."
Hermione chuckled. "Are you headed to the Burrow?"
"Not quite yet. I wanted to see you."
"Well, here I am." She came out into the hall and stood, hands on her hips. She had changed out of her work clothes and now donned jeans and a cotton blouse. Leave it to Hermione to make casual dressy, Ron thought, amused.
"I couldn't concentrate at work. I want to—"
"Yes?"
"Go for a fly on my broom with you," he finished.
Hermione smiled uneasily. "I have to change and I…uh, haven't been on a broom in years." She had never told anyone she was terrified of heights.
"Good. Let's go." He grabbed her arm and led her down the stairs. He stopped at the hall closet and pulled out her cloak, threw it over her shoulders, and stomped out the door.
"Ron, I told Gin that I'd be there to help—"
"She'll get over it." Ron magicked his broom from his room at the Burrow.
"I've never heard you use that spell," Hermione said.
Ron shrugged. "It's useful."
"But full of holes. I'm developing a new version of that spell at work. The old one tends to damage the object in translation, but my version creates a shield that protects—"
"That's absolutely fascinating honey. But I have the broom," he looked down at it, "and it looks fine to me. So, let's go."
"But Ron—"
"No buts. Get on."
Hermione sighed. It might be fun…oh, what the hell?
Soon they were lifting off the ground and sliding slowly up to the clouds. She was holding onto Ron's sides lightly, then made the mistake of looking down.
She started and the broom curved sharply left. She let out a little squeal.
"Sit still or we'll fall off," Ron said lightly.
"Oh, good Lord Ron, bring us back down. We're so high!"
"Calm down, sugar. Hold on tighter."
"You bastard, you planned this didn't you?" Despite her pride, she gripped his waist tighter.
"Maybe. I know you don't like heights, so I—"
"You know? And you still took me up here—"
"Shh. Just relax, I won't let anything happen to you. Don't you trust me?"
"Of course I trust you. What kind of a question is that?"
"Just a question. And you answered it, so there you go. Now, close your eyes and breathe in and out slowly. Isn't it a beautiful day? Clear and crisp and full of fall. Okay there?"
"Okay." Hermione took a breath and let it out, with somewhat of a hiss. She felt Ron shake a little with laughter, but ignored him. Then she slowly opened her eyes, and felt what Harry and Ron must feel whenever they flew. She was soaring, skimming the clouds and heavens. She laid her head on Ron's back and tilted her head down slightly so she could see the town. She watched the mini houses dart by, and saw tiny specks that were people walking down the roads.
"Better?" Ron asked.
"Yes," she sighed. "Much better."
They rode for another twenty minutes, looping around the skies over Hogsmeade. Then Ron landed smoothly on the lawn outside her house.
He jumped off the broom and helped Hermione down. "I'm sorry if I scared you. I didn't mean to. I just wanted to run off some steam because today's, you know, and I almost…well, um…and I felt so trapped. And I needed you," he said softly.
"I felt the same way." She looked up at him, then stood on her tip toes to kiss him.
"We should get to the party." Ron wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Yeah, we should. But another hour won't hurt anything."
***
By nine o'clock, the party was in full swing. Harry was slow dancing with Ginny, and Ron with Hermione. The girls wore long dresses of black with kimono sleeves. Draco surveyed the cozy scene with cool detachment. He knew that the party had started an hour ago, but he wanted to slip in relatively unnoticed. He leaned against the wall near the bar and helped himself to some bourbon.
He made mental notes of the people who were there; Fred and George, their wives, the rest of the Weasley siblings, and a girl he couldn't place dancing with…what was his name? Oh yes, Charlie. He also saw Fleur Delacour talking with the oldest Weasley. Interesting.
If he made himself known, he wondered if he'd be welcomed or kicked out. Probably the latter, considering his reputation with this family. Maybe if he just—he stopped himself. He was here to do a job, and to do it, he had to make nice.
That's when he saw another familiar face. Seamus Finnigan was standing in the corner talking to Lavender Brown. Lavender Finnigan, he corrected himself. Those two had gotten married, what was it, five years ago? Draco also noticed Dean Thomas standing nearby, and a few girls he recognized but didn't know the names of.
The song ended and people started making their way toward the bar and Draco. Now or never, he thought, and strode forward to give his regards to the happy couple.
Draco knew the moment Harry saw him. Harry's face went from one of elation to despair and disgust in a split second.
Harry strode purposefully toward Draco. He didn't want Malfoy to spoil this party for Ginny. It was important to her, and to him if it came down to it.
"Is that Malfoy?" Ginny asked in a hiss at Harry. "What's he doing here?"
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out."
When Harry approached, Draco swallowed his pride and stuck out a hand. "Congratulations, Potter."
Harry listened for the sarcasm and malice, but he didn't hear it. Cautious, he shook Malfoy's hand.
"And congratulations to you too, Miss Weasley." Draco extended his hand to Ginny.
Ginny wanted to scream at him, to yell, to make a scene, but she corked her anger and shook his hand harshly. "Thank you, Mal—Draco," she said stiffly. "Please, call me Ginny," she added just as tightly. She wasn't going to let that no good prat ruin her engagement party. She had worked her ass off to make everything perfect for Harry because Halloween was a day of bad memories for him, and bloody Malfoy wouldn't take Harry out of his good mood if she could help it.
Ron saw Harry and Ginny making their way across the room, and then he saw why. Malfoy. That bastard is going to upset things, he thought. What was this? He was shaking hands with Harry and Ginny. What is he playing at?
He started to stalk over to give Draco a piece of his mind, but Hermione grabbed his arm. He looked back at her and she shook her head. "Cool off before you make a scene," she advised.
Ron nodded, but didn't comment. After a few deep breaths, he too stomped toward the bar, Hermione at his heels.
"Malfoy." The way Ron said it, one would think it a curse.
"Weasley," Malfoy replied, but sincerely.
Ron didn't care how big of a goody-two-shoes he was being. He'd get to the bottom of Draco's newfound personality, make no mistake.
"What are you doing here, Draco?" Hermione stepped forward, her tone brisk and warning.
"That's just what I wanted to know," Ron added sharply.
"I saw the engagement announcement in the Prophet and decided to give the bride and groom my regards in person."
They just looked at one another. Well, Ron glared and Draco's usual sneer was replaced with a look of mere curiosity and innocence. Hermione raised her eyebrows at Harry, but he simply shrugged. None of them knew what to do.
Perfect, Draco thought, they're falling for it.
"Now Ron, how many children do Fred and George have now? And Percy?"
Why was Draco Malfoy being…human? Ron answered him uncertainly, "Fred and Angelina have a boy, Todd, and twin girls, Piper and Lark. Katie's pregnant with their first. Percy has two, Kaleb and Jonathan. You married?" Ron thought that'd throw him off.
"No. You?" Draco asked slyly, already knowing the answer. It was his business to know the answer.
Damn, he's good. "No." He glance at Hermione. "Not…yet."
"Ah. And who is that lovely woman Charlie's with? I don't seem to remember her from school, but she looks familiar."
"That's his wife Mallory. They got married two years ago," Ginny piped up.
"Yes, yes, Mallory Duncan. From the Weird Sisters. I remember now. And was that Fleur Delacour I saw a few minutes ago?" Draco was rather enjoying this pleasant façade.
"Yeah. Bill's been dating her for awhile," Ron said tentatively.
Hermione was confused. Something was off here, she decided.
"Catch me up, will you Hermione?" Lavender and Seamus have been married for a long time. Any kids?"
Hermione shook her head. "No, but they plan on them."
"Very nice. And those girls are?" Draco asked pointing.
"Eloise Midgen and Belle d' Lamartine," Ginny answered.
"Where's Parvati Patil?"
"Couldn't make it," Ginny added sharply.
"Sorry to hear it. Well, it was good to see you all again. It's been too long. Let's not make it another six years before we see one another again," he said, once again extending a hand to Harry, then Ron. "I'm sure I'll see you all at the next Cannon's game, am I right?"
"Yeah."
"Draco ignored the choppy response. "Good. Well, enjoy the rest of your party. I have another engagement. Good evening." And on that note, Draco left the Burrow, with Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny staring after him.
***
Despite the hour, Draco knew he'd find his boss in the office.
"I have some information that might interest you, and perhaps justify my salary," Draco said, handing over his notes.
His employer flipped thought the pages and nodded. "Yes, this is what I'm looking for. But I want more."
"I know. These people don't exactly like me, so it'll take time."
"I understand. But time is of the essence."
Haha, I'm finally done! This chap turned out pretty long, and I'm proud. Sorry it took years, but that's too bad. I like this chap a lot, and I hope you do too. Hope I can update again soon!