CHAPTER TWENTY SIX: Unexpected Explanations
If there was one thing about a meeting with Dumbledore that Draco liked, it was that he always seemed to arrive ten minutes later than planned. Hermione too was grateful for this today, as they, although late, entered Dumbledore's office less than a minute before the Headmaster did. As he entered, Hermione pulled her cloak around her, remembering the revealing state of her attire. The white haired man smiled at her and Hermione smiled back, although a bit nervously.
"Good Afternoon Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said as he slid behind his desk. "I suppose you may be wondering why I've called you here. Not to worry, you are not in trouble, but I do have some explaining to do." Draco and Hermione exchanged looks of nervousness before turning back to the smiling old man. "First of all, I'd like to remind you of the test next June. I know, despite recent events, you have both put a lot of time into your studies and I am proud of both of you.
"Nextly, Miss Granger," he said, turning to her. Hermione looked a little surprised, but smiled nonetheless. "I believe you asked me a question a few weeks ago, and I think now would be an appropriate time to answer it. The test, however important and a major component, is not the reason I have asked solely you two to come for this extra bit of time. It has been many years since I have seen a student with the extraordinary marks that either of you have received, as well as your maturity and people skills."
Draco had to suppress a laugh. **Maturity? If only you saw us ten minutes ago, dear Headmaster.** The elder, unaware of this, continued speaking.
"Due to completely coincidental, yet favorable, circumstances and the edition of a few new courses, Hogwarts has, as of next year, two job openings. On behalf of myself and the faculty, Professor McGonagall in particular, we would love for you to join our staff," he said and the two teenagers dropped their jaws in comical unison.
"Us? TEACH here?" Draco stuttered, not noticing Hermione's ecstatic aura as excitement over-rode her shock. Dumbledore nodded, eyes sparkling.
"I realize that this is a big decision on your parts and I do not expect an answer straight away, however the sooner you decide, the better. If you choose to accept our offer, the rest of your seventh year will be spent in training and sitting in on classes. The reason you are here now is simply because we were planning on telling you sooner and beginning your training over a month ago, but obviously things were put on hold. Now, I want you to think good and hard about this, talk with each other if you like, and report back to me with your decision. I won't keep you any longer, unless you have questions?" the headmaster said, grinning. Hermione smiled sweetly, her eyes filled with excitement, while Draco simply stared in shock.
"What are the positions, exactly, Headmaster? As in, what would we be teaching?" Hermione asked, much farther into this than Draco. He seemed to snap out of his state at her question, however, and looked at Dumbledore, anticipating his answer. The man smiled in a proud and fatherly way, then proceeded to answer her.
"Excellent question, Miss Granger. I apologize for not answering it sooner. For you, Miss Granger, Muggle Books and Literature," he said, then paused. Hermione looked, if possible, more excited. Her mind was obviously made up. Draco smiled lovingly at her; he knew she would love that. Then, when Dumbledore didn't speak again, Draco turned to him.
"And for me?" he asked eagerly, but still professional. Dumbledore's eyes seemed to light up at the question; he obviously knew he had them both hooked.
"Mr. Malfoy, if you agree, you will be teaching Apparation." Once again, jaws dropped. "I realize that this seems a bit irrational, as you only received your license a few months ago, but both you and I know that you are experienced far beyond your years in that field. The ministry has required us to have an Apparation course for sixth and seventh years, much as muggles have driver's education programs. Needless to say, you were our number one candidate," he said and turned to Hermione. "As were you, Miss Granger. Madam Pince seemed to think you and only you could do the job. Now, are there any more questions? I know this is a lot to think about, what with the holidays coming up, but you can always come back if you need to."
"Oh!" Hermione said, remembering something. She smiled and blushed, embarrassed at her outburst. "This seems a little silly now, but we were planning to ask you something anyway, Headmaster, I'd almost forgotten," she explained.
"Well, proceed Miss Granger," he said, still smiling. Hermione looked to Draco, who was also grinning, then turned to the headmaster.
"Right, well... it IS almost Christmas, and customary for the Head Boy and Girl to decorate the castle accordingly. May we do so, despite the fact that there are no students other than ourselves?" she asked politely.
"Actually, I was going to ask you to do so myself, but I must have gotten caught up in this teaching business. I would be much obliged if you would decorate the castle. You may keep your work up until the students arrive if you like. Who minds a little post Christmas mistletoe? He said, then held up a finger, "Oh, just a moment..." the older man said and pushed his chair back, standing and taking a step to search through a nearby bookshelf. "Let's see...oh! Here we are!" he said and extracted a dusty green book. Then, Dumbledore reseated himself and placed the book on the desk in front of him. He smiled and pushed it toward Hermione. "Here are all the spells and charms you should need, although you probably already know most of them. If there is nothing else, you may be excused, and do have fun."
"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said and took the book. She turned to Draco, as if to ask if he was ready to go, and he gave a nod. Draco stood and Hermione followed suit. They thanked the professor again and exited the room, smiling.
Outside the office, Draco's smile dropped a bit. Hermione noticed and took his hand. Draco looked at her and his smile reaffixed itself.
"Wow, I totally wasn't expecting that," he said and Hermione seemed ready to jump up and down.
"Neither did I; isn't it wonderful?" she asked happily as they started walking.
"I suppose, I just don't know. Me, a teacher? I've never even considered it," he said, looking down the hall at nothing, mind weighing the possibility.
"You'd make a fine teacher, this will be fun," she assured him.
"Easy for you to say; you got reading. Everyone knows how to read, my students will be totally clueless," he said in his usual, pessimistic, point of view.
"My students will know how to decipher the written code of the English language, not read. There's more to reading than words on a page, Draco" she said, not angry, just opinionated. Draco smiled and kissed behind her ear.
"I know love, I'm sorry," he said and Hermione smiled before going back to reassuring him.
"This is a great opportunity for you, for both of us, and it's Apparation. It's not like you don't know how to do it," she pointed out.
"Yes, but do I know how to teach it?" he thought out loud. Hermione smiled at him, so paranoid and nervous.
"That's what training is for. Plus, if we both take the jobs, we won't have to leave the castle and the teachers. I know I'd miss them otherwise, and we'll get to live together right after school ends without my parents getting all suspicious." She paused and sighed, "I wouldn't make you if you didn't want to, but I think you should at least seriously consider it." Draco looked at her, surprised, as if she were speaking parsle-tongue.
"Are you kidding? Of course I'm going to do it. If Dumbledore thinks I can, I'm convinced. That guy knows everything," he said and Hermione laughed.
"Good," she said, then looked at her watch. "Hey, it's not even two yet; do you want to start decorating?" she asked, excited. Draco smiled, obviously wanting to, as she knew he would.
"Sounds like a plan, love," he said. Hermione smiled deviously and giggled. "What?"
"Now every time you call me that, I'm going to think about Snape," she said, laughing. Draco looked horrified.
"I guess I better stop that then," he concluded with a heavy swallow. Hermione stopped smiling abruptly.
"No! Don't...I was just kidding, I promise," she pleaded and Draco smiled at her innocent desperation.
"Okay, okay," he said and kissed her ear again, "I won't." Hermione sighed as they entered the lobby.
"Good. Hmm, let's do the lobby first, then the great hall, it's a pretty big project. We can do the halls afterward, just run around and enchant things. Our common room should be last; we can do that late and not bother anyone," she said as she took survey of the room. Then, she spun to face him. "What do you think?" she asked. Draco shrugged his shoulders as he shed his coat and took out his wand.
"Works for me; as long as there's snow, I'm happy," he said with a smile.
"Okay; we can do snow in here if you want, we won't need it in the great hall; it already snows in there," she said, once again looking around.
"No, we have to do it over the staircases; tradition," he explained. Hermione smiled.
"If you say so," she said, opening the book in her hands. She skimmed it, searching for inspiration. Hermione's eyes lit up as she came across something interesting. She looked up from the book and took out her wand, flicking it, then dragging it around the air. Draco watched as he room turned to ice. Ice sickles sprouted from the ceiling and banisters, walls frosted over and glistened, stairs, doors, and benches all glazed with a thick coat of the magical blue-ish ice. Draco smiled at her handiwork and reached out to touch a nearby wall. The icy coating was surprisingly warm to the touch.
"Nice," he said with a smirk and Hermione smiled.
"Thanks, but I'm not done yet," she said and crouched down near the wooden floor. Hermione touched her want to the redwood below and smiled as it turned to ice before her eyes, spreading from her wand-tip like ripples in a lake. When it was finished, she stood. Taking one more look around her, Hermione sighed and flicked her wand, adding the same green garland and wreaths she had seen up every year to her ice fortress. "Okay, now I'm done," she said and Draco raised an eyebrow at her, gesturing to the boring green shrubbery. Hermione shrugged. "Would it be Christmas without that awful stuff?" she asked and Draco laughed.
"I suppose not, but don't think I'm going to let you have all the fun, love," Draco said and tapped his wand on the non-slip ice floor. A shimmer of light cascaded across it and Hermione looked from the unchanged floor to her blonde co-worker.
"What did you do?" she asked, honestly not seeing a difference. Draco smiled and pointed his wand at the floor.
"Look closer," he said and she did, dropping to her knees. Upon closer inspection of the ice floor, which held an unusually glass like translucency, tiny fish and mermaids could be seen swimming below the surface, all wearing tiny Santa hats or reindeer antlers. She laughed at the unanticipated sight.
"That's adorable," she said and stood. Draco smiled, glad she liked it. Hermione took one more looked around, satisfied. "Is it done? That was easy," she said.
"I guess," he agreed, "I don't see what else we could do. The great hall will be more time consuming, what with the trees." Hermione nodded and shrugged her shoulders. She took off her coat and placed on the bench with Draco's before walking to the doors of the great hall. She smiled at him and he followed, kissing her upon arrival. "Damn mistletoe," he said, looking up. Hermione faked a pout and pushed him playfully. Draco smirked, "Did I say that out loud?" Hermione rolled her eyes and entered the empty dining hall, Draco in tails.
"Would you like to do the honors?" she asked, holding out the book to him. Draco smiled and waved it away.
"Thanks," he said and took a quick view of the room. "How about we go a little more traditional?" he suggested and gave his wand a few flicks. Hermione watched with a smile as the walls turned a crimson red, the windows tinted themselves red and green, as well as the candle flames took on more festive coloring.
Draco paused for a moment, then went back to work. Two large trees sprouted on either side of the head table and gold and silver decorations blossomed from the branches. A magic star hovered above each, one red and one green. Once again, Draco paused to survey his handiwork. He sighed and flicked his wand once more, the horrid green garland once again snaked around the room.
"You're right; it's mandatory."
"Not necessarily. May I?' she asked, holding up her wand. Draco nodded and held out is arm, inviting her spells. Hermione smiled and gave a flick. The terrible indoor shrubbery changed from it's prickly green self to a sheer fabric of gold and silver. It elegantly looped around the room, coming to a large holly wreath behind the head table.
"Much better," Draco agreed. Hermione looked thoughtful.
"Yes, but now it needs more green," she stated and looked toward the clear afternoon sky reflected on the ceiling. She smirked and raised her wand. There was a gallant flick and a white light flew from her wand and hit the ceiling, spreading and sparkling away. Draco looked from the ceiling to her, suspicious and bewildered. "Green snow," she explained. Draco smirked.
"Excellent," he said, turning his face back to the ceiling. Hermione smiled and Draco looked around. "Are we done?" he asked, skeptical.
"I don't know, I think it's missing something. We have trees, garland, and plenty of festive coloring...what is it?" she asked, speaking aloud to herself.
"Table accents," Draco concluded and raised his wand. A plush boarder snaked around each table, some red with silver bullets, some green with gold, and little snow globes popped up along the center. Hermione took a step closer to the table to view a globe, and smiled at the tiny ice skaters who danced continuously.
"It's us," she said, noting the blonde haired male with a brunette companion. Draco smiled, obviously formulating a smartass comment.
"No it isn't; I can't skate like that," he said, leaning down to kiss her ear. Hermione giggled and tapped the globe with her wand. Instantly, the blonde skater slipped and fell. Tiny moans were heard from each globe as he hit the ice and the brown haired girl skated up and knelt beside him. Hermione smirked and looked at her boyfriend.
"Okay, now it's us," she said. Draco gave her the attack mode look, but instead of running away, she kissed him square on the lips. Draco kissed back and when they broke away, he smirked.
"We've set off the alarms; Snape will be here any minute," he said and she laughed. Hermione gave Draco another quick kiss and smiled at him.
"Even if we did, I don't think Snape is planning on coming any where near us for at least today; not after what we did to him this afternoon," she said and Draco smiled.
"Feeling a bit guilty, are we?" he asked as Hermione slid her arms around his neck and linked her fingers behind him. She smiled.
"No, I could hex that jerk and not feel guilty, but I have to admit that it was pretty evil," she pointed out. Draco nodded.
"Yes, much unlike a Gryffindor. I believe I'm rubbing off on you, love," he said, not smiling until he finished. Hermione smirked and moved closer to him.
"Well, keep rubbing. I like it," she said and kissed him. It wasn't a moment before the doors burst open and none other than Snape entered.
"MISS GRANGER! MR. MALFOY! What are you doing?!" he bellowed. Hermione broke away and sat hard on the bench behind her, head in her hands. Draco was far too angry to keep himself under control this time and lashed out without warning.
"What the hell is your problem?! That's the third time today you've snuck up on us, how the hell are you doing it anyway? There is no way that this is all coincidental," Draco yelled at the professor. Snape just stood there, looking un-intimidated, but Draco saw the subtle fear in his eyes.
"Draco," Hermione said in surprise, but Draco kept his eyes on Snape.
"I forbid you to speak to me in that manner, Mr. Malfoy. I'll have you know that I was going to leave you be this time, but a certain comment from Miss Granger changed my mind. Not only is it against school policy, I was not about to let you do so in the great hall...people eat in here," he explained, attempting to remain superior.
"Since when is kissing against the rules? Damn, I know a lot of people with license for expulsion-" Draco began, but was cut off by Hermione, who gasped and stood.
"Wait, did you think we were going to..." she began and Snape rolled his eyes, "Professor!" she yelled in outrage. Draco, who had just gained understanding of Snape's line of reasoning, turned pale and broke in.
"Whoa, wait... As you can see, we are both fully clothed, with not intentions of changing it, I assure you," Draco said, however unconvincing. Snape rolled his eyes again.
"Of course not, Mr. Malfoy. No one ever does," he said sarcastically. Draco was beyond angry; he attempted to lunge at Snape, but Hermione held her hand against his chest. However gently, Draco could not break her like that, and she knew it.
"I am so fucking sick of you and your damn arrogance! How dare you think you can just degrade people like that? My father was a better person than you'll ever be, you bastard. Snape, I suggest you either tell Hermione the real reason why you've been stalking us, which we all know is because you love her, or you make up something and leave. Your presence is unwelcome here," Draco yelled at Snape and the professor turned white. He was better at keeping a straight face now than he had been a few hours ago, and simply smirked.
"Think what you will, Mr. Malfoy, but I suggest you watch your language or our dear Headmaster maybe be reconsidering a promise or two he has made," he said, walking back toward the doors. "I'll leave you to your decorating, lovely as it may be. Please, no 'kissing' in the Great Hall," he added, actually using finger quotes. Snape slipped through the hall doors and Hermione turned back to the fuming Draco. She kissed his red hot cheek quickly and tried to calm him, but to no avail. His eyes were filled with hatred, directed at the door.
"Run, Draco. Please... I'm afraid you might do something irrational if you don't calm down," she pleaded. Draco didn't need to be told twice; he ran directly to the hall door. Hermione was one step ahead of him and locked the door with her wand before he made it there. Anger and frustration building, Draco agreed with Hermione. He took off running and did three laps around the great hall before he even realized what he was doing.
Draco forced himself to do three more without stopping, letting the anger leave with each ragged breath. When he felt almost normal again, he ran back to Hermione and sat down beside her, panting. She smiled and handed him a goblet of pumpkin juice. Draco took it and looked at her, still unable to speak.
"Dobby came in to see what the ruckus was about. It took me a minute, but I convinced him you were fine and asked him to fetch you a drink. Go on, you'll feel better," she said and kissed his sweaty cheek. "It's not tea," she whispered. Draco smiled and sipped the cool drink.
"Thanks," he said, finally regaining himself a little. Hermione didn't say anything, simply watched as Draco gulped down the juice.
"Better?" she asked and Draco nodded, his breath coming back again.
"Thanks for locking the door; I would have killed that guy," he said, leaning back. Hermione took his hand in hers and smiled.
"I know," she said with a sigh. Draco took a deep breath and looked at her.
"Are you mad at me?" he asked. Hermione looked back to him, surprised. "For what I said," he explained, looking regretful. Hermione smiled reassuringly.
"No, of course not. You weren't thinking clearly, plus I think it was more embarrassing for Snape than for me." Draco smiled, relieved. He didn't want Hermione mad at him, not now, not ever.
* * * * * * * * * *
The couple stayed in the great hall only a few more minutes, then decided to get back to decorating, careful to avoid the dungeons entirely. Upon reentering the lobby, Hermione sighed.
"That garland really is terrible," Draco said, trying to keep his mind off of Snape. Hermione agreed and nodded to show it.
"Yes, but green would look best with the ice," she pointed out. Draco nodded.
"Well, why does it have to be this ratty...plastic-y stuff?" he asked and searched in his pocked for his wand. Hermione just watched him, hoping Draco had an idea to save her cavern from becoming an eyesore. Draco took out his wand and smiled victoriously, then gave it a flick. A bright green light struck the garland and rolled along it, leaving behind a shimmering green, glass-like, rope, much less of a clash from the blue-ice wall. Hermione grinned.
"Beautiful," Hermione whispered and turned back to Draco. "I love it," she told him. Draco smirked and took a step toward her.
"I love you," he said and leaned in for a kiss. Hermione kissed back for a while, then her mind sparked. She kissed him for one hard moment, then pulled away.
"Snape," she said, nodding at something over his shoulder. Draco looked as if she had just turned into Voldemort. He spun around, eyes searching for the slime ball potions master. He saw know one and turned back to her, looking confused. Hermione was smiling.
"That was NOT funny," he scolded, trying to look angry. Hermione kissed his cheek and smiled.
"I don't know... I kind of thought it was," she said. Draco rolled his eyes and stepped a bit away from her, keeping her hand in his. The duo walked up the stairs to the next floor to continue their decorating, making sure to enchant some lovely snow above the staircase. Hermione now took a more traditional approach; wrapping garland around the banisters, hanging holly and mistletoe in the air, and, of course, enchanting snow over each staircase they passed.
Draco, sick of all this holiday cheer, tried to make it less sentimental and more fun. He sprouted a few Christmas cacti, all wearing adorable and oddly colored Santa suites, changed the suits of armors' axes to candy canes, and made sure all the torches burned red or green with miss matching smoke.
Hermione strung magical lights, charmed to work off of magic waves and not electricity, on the floor near the walls, glowing a bright blue.
"Blue?" Draco asked when he noticed them. Hermione shrugged.
"Well, being Christmas, we have tons of red and green, then quite a bit of gold, which is close enough to Hufflepuff yellow. I feel sorry for the Ravenclaws," she said as they strolled along, each shooting spontaneous little spells about the corridor.
"The ice is blue," Draco pointed out. Hermione shrugged and smiled; the lights stayed blue.
* * * * * * * * * *
By seven o'clock, they had made it all the way to the ninth floor, which held only the entrance to the astronomy tower. The two went into the empty classroom on Hermione's request and were lounging on a couch, eyes on the glass ceiling. Hermione failed to suppress a gallant yawn and Draco kissed her head. Hermione was settled on his chest, arm draped around him. Draco had one arm over the back of the couch and the other on Hermione's back, running gently over her hair.
"Are you hungry, love? We haven't eaten since this morning; if you can call what you did eating," Draco said, hoping she would say yes. It wasn't that big of a problem, but he had noticed how little she ate. Hermione shrugged her shoulders and sighed happily, shifting herself a little more on Draco's chest and holding him close. He sighed, **That's what I thought she'd say...** "Well, I think we're about done, save our room. Shall we go back downstairs and see how everything is holding up?" he asked, really wanting to get her to eat something.
"If you want, Draco," she agreed, but it was obvious that she didn't want to move. Hermione paused for only a moment before sliding off of him and sitting up. Draco brought his hand from the back of the couch to rest on Hermione's cheek. She smiled as he kissed her, mind reeling with previously heard gossip. Evidently, almost every student couple to date had, at least once, made out in this exact spot. **Ironic....and creepy. Yes, very creepy," she thought as they kissed.
Hermione always seemed to know what Draco was feeling; he was easy to read. When he had asked if she was hungry, she knew he was worried. Her mother had always been worried that she wasn't eating enough and Hermione had always felt angry, in a very mild sense, about it. The fact that Draco felt that way not only brought a trace of deluded anger, but also contentment and fear. Hermione was happy only because that was, once again, more proof that he cared for her; but the idea brought more fear than anything else. When her mother had said something, Hermione knew she was just being a mother. When Harry and Ron had mentioned something once or twice, she was worried only for a moment before dismissing it as overprotection.
Now, Draco was worried. This scared her; it could mean that either Draco was becoming overprotective as well, or she really wasn't eating enough. Hermione didn't like the sound of either of those things and decided there was only one solution; eat. Not obsessively, just more than she did now. If, even with her change in habits, Draco still insisted she eat, Hermione would know he was turning into Harry and Ron. She couldn't let that happen; she had promised him, after all.
When the kiss ended, Hermione decided that now was as good a time as any, considering she was a little hungry, and agreed to dinner.
"While we're downstairs, we might as well eat something. Now that you mention it, I am rather hungry," Hermione said and Draco smiled. He kissed her once more before standing and holding out a hand to her. Hermione sighed happily and took it, standing as well. The two made their way out of the tower and down the winding staircases to the ninth floor. There were still nine more staircases to descend, as the great hall was on the ground level, but the couple began with smiling faces.
A/N I'm not gonna make Hermione anorexic, don't worry. When I wrote this I was having the exact same problem; my mom was all 'Aren't you going to eat? Are you hungry? Don't you EVER eat anything?' and then my grandma got in on it and I was kinda mad...so I put down my feelings on the subject here. But no, she's not anorexic. I promise.
PRF:
Daisy- I assure you, all your questions will be answered in due time... haha.
Sakke Yuy- Ohayo miss Sakke. I'm sure they all will! And don't worry; there's TONS more... even when I try and say like... I WILL do Christmas within the next twenty five pages, I end up writing seventy five more before I get there...lol
Icess- America- Yes, that's what it said, and it will be explained later. Congrats. You were the ONLY one to pick that up, lol! And Percy is Ron's older brother. Everyone hates him, I don't see why you should be an exception, lol. There Bill, then Charlie, then Percy, then the twins, then Ron, then Ginny. Weasleys, so very many!
Purplerks - I'm writing I'm writing! Eep! Lol. Yes, and thank you!
Hannah Grey - Lol, I still think you're exaggerating...lol. Yes, I know it's weird, but think about it... he didn't actually have a fatherly figure to explain to him about such things, and he didn't go to school so he had little contact with kids who he could pick it up from, so it was just like a new weird thing and he decided to try it, without really knowing what he was doing. And he THOUGHT he loved this Selene chick, but remember that they were like 10, and who falls in love at 10?
Ezmerelda- I'll put you on my list! Thanx for reading, and for your endless compliments... I do not deserve them :o)
Dark Vampire- We all love the fluff, and Snape scares everyone! Lol! Yeah, I get that whole 'WHY AREN"T YOU EATING?' lecture all the time, lol.
Karly- I still say you post it. I'm DEFINITELY sure I've read worse, lol
`div- Thanx. And yeah, that comes up more later. Did you actually read past chapter one? Lol... its okay if you didn't review. One is more than I could hope for!
Lyn- As with everyone who leaves their email, I've put you on the mailing list. If you wish to be taken off, just tell me... no hard feelings. Thanx for reading!
Tom Felton's babe - Yes, I agree, and I'm not writing the sex part. Don't need to, don't want to, and I don't wanna mess it up, lol. I agree, Snape is creepy, and all people would write S/HG fics need SERIOUS help. I mean, ew... that's like Harry and McGonagall....ew! Oh, and I've put you on the mailing list, but lemme know if you want off. Cute email, is that a myownemail account? So is mine, lol...
Starry Skies- Okay, phew... scared me for a second there...lol. Thanx for reading, once again!
Coolsome- Okay..... that's a very interesting suggestion, but no... Mia's staying a mudblood. Snape is DEFINITELY not her dad, and Snape and McGonagall would NEVER get any where near close enough to rear children.... lol, good try though. I've read stories with similar plot lines...
If there was one thing about a meeting with Dumbledore that Draco liked, it was that he always seemed to arrive ten minutes later than planned. Hermione too was grateful for this today, as they, although late, entered Dumbledore's office less than a minute before the Headmaster did. As he entered, Hermione pulled her cloak around her, remembering the revealing state of her attire. The white haired man smiled at her and Hermione smiled back, although a bit nervously.
"Good Afternoon Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said as he slid behind his desk. "I suppose you may be wondering why I've called you here. Not to worry, you are not in trouble, but I do have some explaining to do." Draco and Hermione exchanged looks of nervousness before turning back to the smiling old man. "First of all, I'd like to remind you of the test next June. I know, despite recent events, you have both put a lot of time into your studies and I am proud of both of you.
"Nextly, Miss Granger," he said, turning to her. Hermione looked a little surprised, but smiled nonetheless. "I believe you asked me a question a few weeks ago, and I think now would be an appropriate time to answer it. The test, however important and a major component, is not the reason I have asked solely you two to come for this extra bit of time. It has been many years since I have seen a student with the extraordinary marks that either of you have received, as well as your maturity and people skills."
Draco had to suppress a laugh. **Maturity? If only you saw us ten minutes ago, dear Headmaster.** The elder, unaware of this, continued speaking.
"Due to completely coincidental, yet favorable, circumstances and the edition of a few new courses, Hogwarts has, as of next year, two job openings. On behalf of myself and the faculty, Professor McGonagall in particular, we would love for you to join our staff," he said and the two teenagers dropped their jaws in comical unison.
"Us? TEACH here?" Draco stuttered, not noticing Hermione's ecstatic aura as excitement over-rode her shock. Dumbledore nodded, eyes sparkling.
"I realize that this is a big decision on your parts and I do not expect an answer straight away, however the sooner you decide, the better. If you choose to accept our offer, the rest of your seventh year will be spent in training and sitting in on classes. The reason you are here now is simply because we were planning on telling you sooner and beginning your training over a month ago, but obviously things were put on hold. Now, I want you to think good and hard about this, talk with each other if you like, and report back to me with your decision. I won't keep you any longer, unless you have questions?" the headmaster said, grinning. Hermione smiled sweetly, her eyes filled with excitement, while Draco simply stared in shock.
"What are the positions, exactly, Headmaster? As in, what would we be teaching?" Hermione asked, much farther into this than Draco. He seemed to snap out of his state at her question, however, and looked at Dumbledore, anticipating his answer. The man smiled in a proud and fatherly way, then proceeded to answer her.
"Excellent question, Miss Granger. I apologize for not answering it sooner. For you, Miss Granger, Muggle Books and Literature," he said, then paused. Hermione looked, if possible, more excited. Her mind was obviously made up. Draco smiled lovingly at her; he knew she would love that. Then, when Dumbledore didn't speak again, Draco turned to him.
"And for me?" he asked eagerly, but still professional. Dumbledore's eyes seemed to light up at the question; he obviously knew he had them both hooked.
"Mr. Malfoy, if you agree, you will be teaching Apparation." Once again, jaws dropped. "I realize that this seems a bit irrational, as you only received your license a few months ago, but both you and I know that you are experienced far beyond your years in that field. The ministry has required us to have an Apparation course for sixth and seventh years, much as muggles have driver's education programs. Needless to say, you were our number one candidate," he said and turned to Hermione. "As were you, Miss Granger. Madam Pince seemed to think you and only you could do the job. Now, are there any more questions? I know this is a lot to think about, what with the holidays coming up, but you can always come back if you need to."
"Oh!" Hermione said, remembering something. She smiled and blushed, embarrassed at her outburst. "This seems a little silly now, but we were planning to ask you something anyway, Headmaster, I'd almost forgotten," she explained.
"Well, proceed Miss Granger," he said, still smiling. Hermione looked to Draco, who was also grinning, then turned to the headmaster.
"Right, well... it IS almost Christmas, and customary for the Head Boy and Girl to decorate the castle accordingly. May we do so, despite the fact that there are no students other than ourselves?" she asked politely.
"Actually, I was going to ask you to do so myself, but I must have gotten caught up in this teaching business. I would be much obliged if you would decorate the castle. You may keep your work up until the students arrive if you like. Who minds a little post Christmas mistletoe? He said, then held up a finger, "Oh, just a moment..." the older man said and pushed his chair back, standing and taking a step to search through a nearby bookshelf. "Let's see...oh! Here we are!" he said and extracted a dusty green book. Then, Dumbledore reseated himself and placed the book on the desk in front of him. He smiled and pushed it toward Hermione. "Here are all the spells and charms you should need, although you probably already know most of them. If there is nothing else, you may be excused, and do have fun."
"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said and took the book. She turned to Draco, as if to ask if he was ready to go, and he gave a nod. Draco stood and Hermione followed suit. They thanked the professor again and exited the room, smiling.
Outside the office, Draco's smile dropped a bit. Hermione noticed and took his hand. Draco looked at her and his smile reaffixed itself.
"Wow, I totally wasn't expecting that," he said and Hermione seemed ready to jump up and down.
"Neither did I; isn't it wonderful?" she asked happily as they started walking.
"I suppose, I just don't know. Me, a teacher? I've never even considered it," he said, looking down the hall at nothing, mind weighing the possibility.
"You'd make a fine teacher, this will be fun," she assured him.
"Easy for you to say; you got reading. Everyone knows how to read, my students will be totally clueless," he said in his usual, pessimistic, point of view.
"My students will know how to decipher the written code of the English language, not read. There's more to reading than words on a page, Draco" she said, not angry, just opinionated. Draco smiled and kissed behind her ear.
"I know love, I'm sorry," he said and Hermione smiled before going back to reassuring him.
"This is a great opportunity for you, for both of us, and it's Apparation. It's not like you don't know how to do it," she pointed out.
"Yes, but do I know how to teach it?" he thought out loud. Hermione smiled at him, so paranoid and nervous.
"That's what training is for. Plus, if we both take the jobs, we won't have to leave the castle and the teachers. I know I'd miss them otherwise, and we'll get to live together right after school ends without my parents getting all suspicious." She paused and sighed, "I wouldn't make you if you didn't want to, but I think you should at least seriously consider it." Draco looked at her, surprised, as if she were speaking parsle-tongue.
"Are you kidding? Of course I'm going to do it. If Dumbledore thinks I can, I'm convinced. That guy knows everything," he said and Hermione laughed.
"Good," she said, then looked at her watch. "Hey, it's not even two yet; do you want to start decorating?" she asked, excited. Draco smiled, obviously wanting to, as she knew he would.
"Sounds like a plan, love," he said. Hermione smiled deviously and giggled. "What?"
"Now every time you call me that, I'm going to think about Snape," she said, laughing. Draco looked horrified.
"I guess I better stop that then," he concluded with a heavy swallow. Hermione stopped smiling abruptly.
"No! Don't...I was just kidding, I promise," she pleaded and Draco smiled at her innocent desperation.
"Okay, okay," he said and kissed her ear again, "I won't." Hermione sighed as they entered the lobby.
"Good. Hmm, let's do the lobby first, then the great hall, it's a pretty big project. We can do the halls afterward, just run around and enchant things. Our common room should be last; we can do that late and not bother anyone," she said as she took survey of the room. Then, she spun to face him. "What do you think?" she asked. Draco shrugged his shoulders as he shed his coat and took out his wand.
"Works for me; as long as there's snow, I'm happy," he said with a smile.
"Okay; we can do snow in here if you want, we won't need it in the great hall; it already snows in there," she said, once again looking around.
"No, we have to do it over the staircases; tradition," he explained. Hermione smiled.
"If you say so," she said, opening the book in her hands. She skimmed it, searching for inspiration. Hermione's eyes lit up as she came across something interesting. She looked up from the book and took out her wand, flicking it, then dragging it around the air. Draco watched as he room turned to ice. Ice sickles sprouted from the ceiling and banisters, walls frosted over and glistened, stairs, doors, and benches all glazed with a thick coat of the magical blue-ish ice. Draco smiled at her handiwork and reached out to touch a nearby wall. The icy coating was surprisingly warm to the touch.
"Nice," he said with a smirk and Hermione smiled.
"Thanks, but I'm not done yet," she said and crouched down near the wooden floor. Hermione touched her want to the redwood below and smiled as it turned to ice before her eyes, spreading from her wand-tip like ripples in a lake. When it was finished, she stood. Taking one more look around her, Hermione sighed and flicked her wand, adding the same green garland and wreaths she had seen up every year to her ice fortress. "Okay, now I'm done," she said and Draco raised an eyebrow at her, gesturing to the boring green shrubbery. Hermione shrugged. "Would it be Christmas without that awful stuff?" she asked and Draco laughed.
"I suppose not, but don't think I'm going to let you have all the fun, love," Draco said and tapped his wand on the non-slip ice floor. A shimmer of light cascaded across it and Hermione looked from the unchanged floor to her blonde co-worker.
"What did you do?" she asked, honestly not seeing a difference. Draco smiled and pointed his wand at the floor.
"Look closer," he said and she did, dropping to her knees. Upon closer inspection of the ice floor, which held an unusually glass like translucency, tiny fish and mermaids could be seen swimming below the surface, all wearing tiny Santa hats or reindeer antlers. She laughed at the unanticipated sight.
"That's adorable," she said and stood. Draco smiled, glad she liked it. Hermione took one more looked around, satisfied. "Is it done? That was easy," she said.
"I guess," he agreed, "I don't see what else we could do. The great hall will be more time consuming, what with the trees." Hermione nodded and shrugged her shoulders. She took off her coat and placed on the bench with Draco's before walking to the doors of the great hall. She smiled at him and he followed, kissing her upon arrival. "Damn mistletoe," he said, looking up. Hermione faked a pout and pushed him playfully. Draco smirked, "Did I say that out loud?" Hermione rolled her eyes and entered the empty dining hall, Draco in tails.
"Would you like to do the honors?" she asked, holding out the book to him. Draco smiled and waved it away.
"Thanks," he said and took a quick view of the room. "How about we go a little more traditional?" he suggested and gave his wand a few flicks. Hermione watched with a smile as the walls turned a crimson red, the windows tinted themselves red and green, as well as the candle flames took on more festive coloring.
Draco paused for a moment, then went back to work. Two large trees sprouted on either side of the head table and gold and silver decorations blossomed from the branches. A magic star hovered above each, one red and one green. Once again, Draco paused to survey his handiwork. He sighed and flicked his wand once more, the horrid green garland once again snaked around the room.
"You're right; it's mandatory."
"Not necessarily. May I?' she asked, holding up her wand. Draco nodded and held out is arm, inviting her spells. Hermione smiled and gave a flick. The terrible indoor shrubbery changed from it's prickly green self to a sheer fabric of gold and silver. It elegantly looped around the room, coming to a large holly wreath behind the head table.
"Much better," Draco agreed. Hermione looked thoughtful.
"Yes, but now it needs more green," she stated and looked toward the clear afternoon sky reflected on the ceiling. She smirked and raised her wand. There was a gallant flick and a white light flew from her wand and hit the ceiling, spreading and sparkling away. Draco looked from the ceiling to her, suspicious and bewildered. "Green snow," she explained. Draco smirked.
"Excellent," he said, turning his face back to the ceiling. Hermione smiled and Draco looked around. "Are we done?" he asked, skeptical.
"I don't know, I think it's missing something. We have trees, garland, and plenty of festive coloring...what is it?" she asked, speaking aloud to herself.
"Table accents," Draco concluded and raised his wand. A plush boarder snaked around each table, some red with silver bullets, some green with gold, and little snow globes popped up along the center. Hermione took a step closer to the table to view a globe, and smiled at the tiny ice skaters who danced continuously.
"It's us," she said, noting the blonde haired male with a brunette companion. Draco smiled, obviously formulating a smartass comment.
"No it isn't; I can't skate like that," he said, leaning down to kiss her ear. Hermione giggled and tapped the globe with her wand. Instantly, the blonde skater slipped and fell. Tiny moans were heard from each globe as he hit the ice and the brown haired girl skated up and knelt beside him. Hermione smirked and looked at her boyfriend.
"Okay, now it's us," she said. Draco gave her the attack mode look, but instead of running away, she kissed him square on the lips. Draco kissed back and when they broke away, he smirked.
"We've set off the alarms; Snape will be here any minute," he said and she laughed. Hermione gave Draco another quick kiss and smiled at him.
"Even if we did, I don't think Snape is planning on coming any where near us for at least today; not after what we did to him this afternoon," she said and Draco smiled.
"Feeling a bit guilty, are we?" he asked as Hermione slid her arms around his neck and linked her fingers behind him. She smiled.
"No, I could hex that jerk and not feel guilty, but I have to admit that it was pretty evil," she pointed out. Draco nodded.
"Yes, much unlike a Gryffindor. I believe I'm rubbing off on you, love," he said, not smiling until he finished. Hermione smirked and moved closer to him.
"Well, keep rubbing. I like it," she said and kissed him. It wasn't a moment before the doors burst open and none other than Snape entered.
"MISS GRANGER! MR. MALFOY! What are you doing?!" he bellowed. Hermione broke away and sat hard on the bench behind her, head in her hands. Draco was far too angry to keep himself under control this time and lashed out without warning.
"What the hell is your problem?! That's the third time today you've snuck up on us, how the hell are you doing it anyway? There is no way that this is all coincidental," Draco yelled at the professor. Snape just stood there, looking un-intimidated, but Draco saw the subtle fear in his eyes.
"Draco," Hermione said in surprise, but Draco kept his eyes on Snape.
"I forbid you to speak to me in that manner, Mr. Malfoy. I'll have you know that I was going to leave you be this time, but a certain comment from Miss Granger changed my mind. Not only is it against school policy, I was not about to let you do so in the great hall...people eat in here," he explained, attempting to remain superior.
"Since when is kissing against the rules? Damn, I know a lot of people with license for expulsion-" Draco began, but was cut off by Hermione, who gasped and stood.
"Wait, did you think we were going to..." she began and Snape rolled his eyes, "Professor!" she yelled in outrage. Draco, who had just gained understanding of Snape's line of reasoning, turned pale and broke in.
"Whoa, wait... As you can see, we are both fully clothed, with not intentions of changing it, I assure you," Draco said, however unconvincing. Snape rolled his eyes again.
"Of course not, Mr. Malfoy. No one ever does," he said sarcastically. Draco was beyond angry; he attempted to lunge at Snape, but Hermione held her hand against his chest. However gently, Draco could not break her like that, and she knew it.
"I am so fucking sick of you and your damn arrogance! How dare you think you can just degrade people like that? My father was a better person than you'll ever be, you bastard. Snape, I suggest you either tell Hermione the real reason why you've been stalking us, which we all know is because you love her, or you make up something and leave. Your presence is unwelcome here," Draco yelled at Snape and the professor turned white. He was better at keeping a straight face now than he had been a few hours ago, and simply smirked.
"Think what you will, Mr. Malfoy, but I suggest you watch your language or our dear Headmaster maybe be reconsidering a promise or two he has made," he said, walking back toward the doors. "I'll leave you to your decorating, lovely as it may be. Please, no 'kissing' in the Great Hall," he added, actually using finger quotes. Snape slipped through the hall doors and Hermione turned back to the fuming Draco. She kissed his red hot cheek quickly and tried to calm him, but to no avail. His eyes were filled with hatred, directed at the door.
"Run, Draco. Please... I'm afraid you might do something irrational if you don't calm down," she pleaded. Draco didn't need to be told twice; he ran directly to the hall door. Hermione was one step ahead of him and locked the door with her wand before he made it there. Anger and frustration building, Draco agreed with Hermione. He took off running and did three laps around the great hall before he even realized what he was doing.
Draco forced himself to do three more without stopping, letting the anger leave with each ragged breath. When he felt almost normal again, he ran back to Hermione and sat down beside her, panting. She smiled and handed him a goblet of pumpkin juice. Draco took it and looked at her, still unable to speak.
"Dobby came in to see what the ruckus was about. It took me a minute, but I convinced him you were fine and asked him to fetch you a drink. Go on, you'll feel better," she said and kissed his sweaty cheek. "It's not tea," she whispered. Draco smiled and sipped the cool drink.
"Thanks," he said, finally regaining himself a little. Hermione didn't say anything, simply watched as Draco gulped down the juice.
"Better?" she asked and Draco nodded, his breath coming back again.
"Thanks for locking the door; I would have killed that guy," he said, leaning back. Hermione took his hand in hers and smiled.
"I know," she said with a sigh. Draco took a deep breath and looked at her.
"Are you mad at me?" he asked. Hermione looked back to him, surprised. "For what I said," he explained, looking regretful. Hermione smiled reassuringly.
"No, of course not. You weren't thinking clearly, plus I think it was more embarrassing for Snape than for me." Draco smiled, relieved. He didn't want Hermione mad at him, not now, not ever.
* * * * * * * * * *
The couple stayed in the great hall only a few more minutes, then decided to get back to decorating, careful to avoid the dungeons entirely. Upon reentering the lobby, Hermione sighed.
"That garland really is terrible," Draco said, trying to keep his mind off of Snape. Hermione agreed and nodded to show it.
"Yes, but green would look best with the ice," she pointed out. Draco nodded.
"Well, why does it have to be this ratty...plastic-y stuff?" he asked and searched in his pocked for his wand. Hermione just watched him, hoping Draco had an idea to save her cavern from becoming an eyesore. Draco took out his wand and smiled victoriously, then gave it a flick. A bright green light struck the garland and rolled along it, leaving behind a shimmering green, glass-like, rope, much less of a clash from the blue-ice wall. Hermione grinned.
"Beautiful," Hermione whispered and turned back to Draco. "I love it," she told him. Draco smirked and took a step toward her.
"I love you," he said and leaned in for a kiss. Hermione kissed back for a while, then her mind sparked. She kissed him for one hard moment, then pulled away.
"Snape," she said, nodding at something over his shoulder. Draco looked as if she had just turned into Voldemort. He spun around, eyes searching for the slime ball potions master. He saw know one and turned back to her, looking confused. Hermione was smiling.
"That was NOT funny," he scolded, trying to look angry. Hermione kissed his cheek and smiled.
"I don't know... I kind of thought it was," she said. Draco rolled his eyes and stepped a bit away from her, keeping her hand in his. The duo walked up the stairs to the next floor to continue their decorating, making sure to enchant some lovely snow above the staircase. Hermione now took a more traditional approach; wrapping garland around the banisters, hanging holly and mistletoe in the air, and, of course, enchanting snow over each staircase they passed.
Draco, sick of all this holiday cheer, tried to make it less sentimental and more fun. He sprouted a few Christmas cacti, all wearing adorable and oddly colored Santa suites, changed the suits of armors' axes to candy canes, and made sure all the torches burned red or green with miss matching smoke.
Hermione strung magical lights, charmed to work off of magic waves and not electricity, on the floor near the walls, glowing a bright blue.
"Blue?" Draco asked when he noticed them. Hermione shrugged.
"Well, being Christmas, we have tons of red and green, then quite a bit of gold, which is close enough to Hufflepuff yellow. I feel sorry for the Ravenclaws," she said as they strolled along, each shooting spontaneous little spells about the corridor.
"The ice is blue," Draco pointed out. Hermione shrugged and smiled; the lights stayed blue.
* * * * * * * * * *
By seven o'clock, they had made it all the way to the ninth floor, which held only the entrance to the astronomy tower. The two went into the empty classroom on Hermione's request and were lounging on a couch, eyes on the glass ceiling. Hermione failed to suppress a gallant yawn and Draco kissed her head. Hermione was settled on his chest, arm draped around him. Draco had one arm over the back of the couch and the other on Hermione's back, running gently over her hair.
"Are you hungry, love? We haven't eaten since this morning; if you can call what you did eating," Draco said, hoping she would say yes. It wasn't that big of a problem, but he had noticed how little she ate. Hermione shrugged her shoulders and sighed happily, shifting herself a little more on Draco's chest and holding him close. He sighed, **That's what I thought she'd say...** "Well, I think we're about done, save our room. Shall we go back downstairs and see how everything is holding up?" he asked, really wanting to get her to eat something.
"If you want, Draco," she agreed, but it was obvious that she didn't want to move. Hermione paused for only a moment before sliding off of him and sitting up. Draco brought his hand from the back of the couch to rest on Hermione's cheek. She smiled as he kissed her, mind reeling with previously heard gossip. Evidently, almost every student couple to date had, at least once, made out in this exact spot. **Ironic....and creepy. Yes, very creepy," she thought as they kissed.
Hermione always seemed to know what Draco was feeling; he was easy to read. When he had asked if she was hungry, she knew he was worried. Her mother had always been worried that she wasn't eating enough and Hermione had always felt angry, in a very mild sense, about it. The fact that Draco felt that way not only brought a trace of deluded anger, but also contentment and fear. Hermione was happy only because that was, once again, more proof that he cared for her; but the idea brought more fear than anything else. When her mother had said something, Hermione knew she was just being a mother. When Harry and Ron had mentioned something once or twice, she was worried only for a moment before dismissing it as overprotection.
Now, Draco was worried. This scared her; it could mean that either Draco was becoming overprotective as well, or she really wasn't eating enough. Hermione didn't like the sound of either of those things and decided there was only one solution; eat. Not obsessively, just more than she did now. If, even with her change in habits, Draco still insisted she eat, Hermione would know he was turning into Harry and Ron. She couldn't let that happen; she had promised him, after all.
When the kiss ended, Hermione decided that now was as good a time as any, considering she was a little hungry, and agreed to dinner.
"While we're downstairs, we might as well eat something. Now that you mention it, I am rather hungry," Hermione said and Draco smiled. He kissed her once more before standing and holding out a hand to her. Hermione sighed happily and took it, standing as well. The two made their way out of the tower and down the winding staircases to the ninth floor. There were still nine more staircases to descend, as the great hall was on the ground level, but the couple began with smiling faces.
A/N I'm not gonna make Hermione anorexic, don't worry. When I wrote this I was having the exact same problem; my mom was all 'Aren't you going to eat? Are you hungry? Don't you EVER eat anything?' and then my grandma got in on it and I was kinda mad...so I put down my feelings on the subject here. But no, she's not anorexic. I promise.
PRF:
Daisy- I assure you, all your questions will be answered in due time... haha.
Sakke Yuy- Ohayo miss Sakke. I'm sure they all will! And don't worry; there's TONS more... even when I try and say like... I WILL do Christmas within the next twenty five pages, I end up writing seventy five more before I get there...lol
Icess- America- Yes, that's what it said, and it will be explained later. Congrats. You were the ONLY one to pick that up, lol! And Percy is Ron's older brother. Everyone hates him, I don't see why you should be an exception, lol. There Bill, then Charlie, then Percy, then the twins, then Ron, then Ginny. Weasleys, so very many!
Purplerks - I'm writing I'm writing! Eep! Lol. Yes, and thank you!
Hannah Grey - Lol, I still think you're exaggerating...lol. Yes, I know it's weird, but think about it... he didn't actually have a fatherly figure to explain to him about such things, and he didn't go to school so he had little contact with kids who he could pick it up from, so it was just like a new weird thing and he decided to try it, without really knowing what he was doing. And he THOUGHT he loved this Selene chick, but remember that they were like 10, and who falls in love at 10?
Ezmerelda- I'll put you on my list! Thanx for reading, and for your endless compliments... I do not deserve them :o)
Dark Vampire- We all love the fluff, and Snape scares everyone! Lol! Yeah, I get that whole 'WHY AREN"T YOU EATING?' lecture all the time, lol.
Karly- I still say you post it. I'm DEFINITELY sure I've read worse, lol
`div- Thanx. And yeah, that comes up more later. Did you actually read past chapter one? Lol... its okay if you didn't review. One is more than I could hope for!
Lyn- As with everyone who leaves their email, I've put you on the mailing list. If you wish to be taken off, just tell me... no hard feelings. Thanx for reading!
Tom Felton's babe - Yes, I agree, and I'm not writing the sex part. Don't need to, don't want to, and I don't wanna mess it up, lol. I agree, Snape is creepy, and all people would write S/HG fics need SERIOUS help. I mean, ew... that's like Harry and McGonagall....ew! Oh, and I've put you on the mailing list, but lemme know if you want off. Cute email, is that a myownemail account? So is mine, lol...
Starry Skies- Okay, phew... scared me for a second there...lol. Thanx for reading, once again!
Coolsome- Okay..... that's a very interesting suggestion, but no... Mia's staying a mudblood. Snape is DEFINITELY not her dad, and Snape and McGonagall would NEVER get any where near close enough to rear children.... lol, good try though. I've read stories with similar plot lines...
