Draco felt something pecking at his chest and woke to see his loyal bird with a parchment attached to his leg. He unraveled the letter eagerly.
iDear Draco,
Of course I could date a Slytherin! How could I say no after what happened yesterday? What do you mean, "despite what Harry might have told you"? Did he say something to you last night? And how does he know about us? He and Ron seemed angry when they entered the common room yesterday and Harry wouldn't even look at me. I'm going to talk to him today. As for Pansy, I'm not worried. We have to try to keep this a secret because you're right, it would be a disaster if anyone found out.
Your's Always,
Hermione/i
Draco smiled at Hermione's signature. She'd dotted her "i" with a heart. His smile faded slight as he reread part of her letter. iI'm going to talk to him today./i There was no way this could turn out well.
* * * *
(A/N: After those four asterisks it changes to Hermione's point of view. I know so far this has all been from Draco but I felt that this particular role was Hermione's. And she needed to play that part.)
Hermione was hurrying frantically to catch up to Harry who had left the Great Hall quickly after breakfast, leaving her and Ron behind. She'd finally caught up to him and grabbed the back of his robes.
"What's wrong Harry," she asked.
"I saw you fraternizing with the Ferret Boy last night, that's what," yelled Harry.
Hermione stopped and her eyes became glazed in tears.
"What are you doing with him Hermione? What could he possible have to offer you," he asked in a softer tone.
"You don't understand. He's not," she saw Harry looking at her in shock and stopped talking.
"You're right. I don't understand it," he shouted again and after seeing Hermione flinch he hugged her and said quietly, "but if you really do love him I'll try to."
Hermione pulled back from Harry and looked at him. She hugged him tightly and whispered, "thank you."
She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up at Harry, "I'll meet you in Transfiguration, okay? I have to do something first."
Harry nodded and walked off to class. Hermione took out a Muggle pen and a piece of parchment and quickly scribbled a note to
iDraco,
I talked to Harry and everything's okay. After you finish dinner tonight meet me outside by the Dark Forest. I love you./i
Hermione hurried to class and took her seat beside Harry. He smiled at her and she glanced at Draco across the room. She looked down at her desk and pointed to the note. He nodded and Hermione turned her attention to Professor McGonagall. After class when all the students had left Hermione made sure to walk by Draco and casually drop the parchment on the ground. She headed to her next class.
* * * *
(A/N: We're back to Draco's POV)
Draco had read Hermione's letter a dozen times since Transfiguration. He couldn't wait until dinner, which was just a few minutes away. Draco was in the bathroom, trying to smooth down his silver-blonde hair. He shrugged to himself in the mirror and ran to the Great Hall. Draco tried his hardest to ignore Pansy. He wouldn't let her ruin his good mood. Draco was on his second plate of mashed potatoes when he noticed Hermione leave the Great Hall. He waited a few minutes before following.
He ran as fast as he could to the edge of the Dark Forest. He saw Hermione standing there. She had taken off her robe and hung it on a tree branch. She was wearing a skirt, with knee socks and the traditional shirt and tie uniform. Draco ran up to her and put his hands on her face, kissing her softly. He paused to look into her eyes. Hermione traced a scar on the side of his left eye with her finger, which Draco took hold of and held. She leaned against a solid oak tree and Draco kissed her, his hands working their way under her shirt and up and down her back.
"I knew it," a shrill voice screamed suddenly.
Draco turned to see Pansy standing there, pointing at them, her mouth opened wide in shock. Draco returned his gaze back to Hermione whose hand was now over her mouth.
"Pansy you can't tell anyone about this," Draco explained.
"I can't tell anyone? Why? You're a traitor Draco! A shame to Slytherin," she screamed.
Hermione had reached her robes and pulled out her wand, pointing it at Pansy.
"Don't you dare say that about him," she said between clenched jaws.
Draco gave Hermione a look of fear and worry. Hermione looked into Draco's eyes and her arm returned to her side. Pansy was already running back to the school.
"Come on, we have to hurry. God knows what she's going to say," Draco muttered, grabbing Hermione by the hand and rushing to the Great Hall.
By the time they had reached the Great Hall Pansy was in the shrieking incoherently. Draco and Hermione had pushed open the door and everyone had instantly focused their eyes on the couple's joined hands. They dropped their hands quickly and Hermione looked down at the ground, fidgeting with her fingers nervously.
"See! It's blasphemous," shrieked Pansy, pointing at them.
"Well your vocabulary has finally improved Pansy," was the only reply Draco could give.
Harry stood up from the Gryffindor table and walked beside Hermione. He took hold of her shoulders, raised her head and tried to coax her into looking up.
"Look. She's still with Potter! You think she really meant what she said in those letters," Pansy continued.
Hermione and Draco both looked at each other and Pansy.
"How did you," Hermione couldn't force the words out of her mouth.
"Silly little Draco left them lying on his bed. Perhaps I should read them outloud," Pansy reached into her robes, pulling out several rolls of parchment, "Let's see i'Dear Hermione, I meant everything I said to you outside the Great Hall. Let me know that you got this letter and that no one intercepted it. I'm afraid of what would happen if word got out about us.'/i Well I guess you've found out Draco," Pansy paused to look at Draco and Hermione who were too taken aback to move, "i'I suppose I never asked you this properly but, do you think you could date a Slytherin? Love, The Bouncing Ferret Boy.'/i Did the Mudblood think up that adorable little pet name," Pansy yelled accusingly.
Draco drew his wand with lightning speed and charged at Pansy, "Don't you dare call her that you disgusting-"
"Draco," Hermione stopped him, reaching where he stood and look at him, "this isn't how we deal with this."
"So now you take orders from the muggle lover, what's next? You start following her around like a lovesick dog," Pansy whined.
Draco took out his wand and was ready to curse her when another voice stopped him.
"Petrificus Totalis," Harry shouted.
Pansy's frozen body collapsed to the ground. Harry stood tall beside Draco and Hermione, glaring around the Great Hall, challenging anyone who dared insult the couple. Dumbledore stood up.
"That's enough," Dumbledore said calmly, "you three, in my office now. And someone please find Madam Pomfrey. She'll need to fix up Ms. Parkinson. The rest of you, to your house dormitories, at once."
Dumbledore exited the Great Hall and Harry, Hermione and Draco followed. They reached his office where he recited the password "Lemon drop". The Headmaster took a seat and his desk and waved his wand to make three chairs appear for each student there.
"Now," Dumbledore said rationally, "please explain to me exactly what happened."
Draco explained how he and Hermione had met at the edge of the Dark Forest to talk and Pansy had found them and gone nuts. He conveniently left out the detail of what they were doing when Pansy discovered them but Dumbledore seemed to know anyway.
"Well there's no need to ask what you two were doing," Dumbledore said, making Hermione blush a deep red, "but I see you've done nothing wrong beside leaving the castle after dark. Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger, you're free to leave. Harry, I'm afraid I must talk to you about the spell you cast on Ms. Parkinson."
Draco and Hermione left Dumbledore's office, hugged briefly and went their separate ways. Draco went straight to bed, avoiding the glares he received from the Slytherin students who were waiting for him in the common room.
iDear Draco,
Of course I could date a Slytherin! How could I say no after what happened yesterday? What do you mean, "despite what Harry might have told you"? Did he say something to you last night? And how does he know about us? He and Ron seemed angry when they entered the common room yesterday and Harry wouldn't even look at me. I'm going to talk to him today. As for Pansy, I'm not worried. We have to try to keep this a secret because you're right, it would be a disaster if anyone found out.
Your's Always,
Hermione/i
Draco smiled at Hermione's signature. She'd dotted her "i" with a heart. His smile faded slight as he reread part of her letter. iI'm going to talk to him today./i There was no way this could turn out well.
* * * *
(A/N: After those four asterisks it changes to Hermione's point of view. I know so far this has all been from Draco but I felt that this particular role was Hermione's. And she needed to play that part.)
Hermione was hurrying frantically to catch up to Harry who had left the Great Hall quickly after breakfast, leaving her and Ron behind. She'd finally caught up to him and grabbed the back of his robes.
"What's wrong Harry," she asked.
"I saw you fraternizing with the Ferret Boy last night, that's what," yelled Harry.
Hermione stopped and her eyes became glazed in tears.
"What are you doing with him Hermione? What could he possible have to offer you," he asked in a softer tone.
"You don't understand. He's not," she saw Harry looking at her in shock and stopped talking.
"You're right. I don't understand it," he shouted again and after seeing Hermione flinch he hugged her and said quietly, "but if you really do love him I'll try to."
Hermione pulled back from Harry and looked at him. She hugged him tightly and whispered, "thank you."
She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up at Harry, "I'll meet you in Transfiguration, okay? I have to do something first."
Harry nodded and walked off to class. Hermione took out a Muggle pen and a piece of parchment and quickly scribbled a note to
iDraco,
I talked to Harry and everything's okay. After you finish dinner tonight meet me outside by the Dark Forest. I love you./i
Hermione hurried to class and took her seat beside Harry. He smiled at her and she glanced at Draco across the room. She looked down at her desk and pointed to the note. He nodded and Hermione turned her attention to Professor McGonagall. After class when all the students had left Hermione made sure to walk by Draco and casually drop the parchment on the ground. She headed to her next class.
* * * *
(A/N: We're back to Draco's POV)
Draco had read Hermione's letter a dozen times since Transfiguration. He couldn't wait until dinner, which was just a few minutes away. Draco was in the bathroom, trying to smooth down his silver-blonde hair. He shrugged to himself in the mirror and ran to the Great Hall. Draco tried his hardest to ignore Pansy. He wouldn't let her ruin his good mood. Draco was on his second plate of mashed potatoes when he noticed Hermione leave the Great Hall. He waited a few minutes before following.
He ran as fast as he could to the edge of the Dark Forest. He saw Hermione standing there. She had taken off her robe and hung it on a tree branch. She was wearing a skirt, with knee socks and the traditional shirt and tie uniform. Draco ran up to her and put his hands on her face, kissing her softly. He paused to look into her eyes. Hermione traced a scar on the side of his left eye with her finger, which Draco took hold of and held. She leaned against a solid oak tree and Draco kissed her, his hands working their way under her shirt and up and down her back.
"I knew it," a shrill voice screamed suddenly.
Draco turned to see Pansy standing there, pointing at them, her mouth opened wide in shock. Draco returned his gaze back to Hermione whose hand was now over her mouth.
"Pansy you can't tell anyone about this," Draco explained.
"I can't tell anyone? Why? You're a traitor Draco! A shame to Slytherin," she screamed.
Hermione had reached her robes and pulled out her wand, pointing it at Pansy.
"Don't you dare say that about him," she said between clenched jaws.
Draco gave Hermione a look of fear and worry. Hermione looked into Draco's eyes and her arm returned to her side. Pansy was already running back to the school.
"Come on, we have to hurry. God knows what she's going to say," Draco muttered, grabbing Hermione by the hand and rushing to the Great Hall.
By the time they had reached the Great Hall Pansy was in the shrieking incoherently. Draco and Hermione had pushed open the door and everyone had instantly focused their eyes on the couple's joined hands. They dropped their hands quickly and Hermione looked down at the ground, fidgeting with her fingers nervously.
"See! It's blasphemous," shrieked Pansy, pointing at them.
"Well your vocabulary has finally improved Pansy," was the only reply Draco could give.
Harry stood up from the Gryffindor table and walked beside Hermione. He took hold of her shoulders, raised her head and tried to coax her into looking up.
"Look. She's still with Potter! You think she really meant what she said in those letters," Pansy continued.
Hermione and Draco both looked at each other and Pansy.
"How did you," Hermione couldn't force the words out of her mouth.
"Silly little Draco left them lying on his bed. Perhaps I should read them outloud," Pansy reached into her robes, pulling out several rolls of parchment, "Let's see i'Dear Hermione, I meant everything I said to you outside the Great Hall. Let me know that you got this letter and that no one intercepted it. I'm afraid of what would happen if word got out about us.'/i Well I guess you've found out Draco," Pansy paused to look at Draco and Hermione who were too taken aback to move, "i'I suppose I never asked you this properly but, do you think you could date a Slytherin? Love, The Bouncing Ferret Boy.'/i Did the Mudblood think up that adorable little pet name," Pansy yelled accusingly.
Draco drew his wand with lightning speed and charged at Pansy, "Don't you dare call her that you disgusting-"
"Draco," Hermione stopped him, reaching where he stood and look at him, "this isn't how we deal with this."
"So now you take orders from the muggle lover, what's next? You start following her around like a lovesick dog," Pansy whined.
Draco took out his wand and was ready to curse her when another voice stopped him.
"Petrificus Totalis," Harry shouted.
Pansy's frozen body collapsed to the ground. Harry stood tall beside Draco and Hermione, glaring around the Great Hall, challenging anyone who dared insult the couple. Dumbledore stood up.
"That's enough," Dumbledore said calmly, "you three, in my office now. And someone please find Madam Pomfrey. She'll need to fix up Ms. Parkinson. The rest of you, to your house dormitories, at once."
Dumbledore exited the Great Hall and Harry, Hermione and Draco followed. They reached his office where he recited the password "Lemon drop". The Headmaster took a seat and his desk and waved his wand to make three chairs appear for each student there.
"Now," Dumbledore said rationally, "please explain to me exactly what happened."
Draco explained how he and Hermione had met at the edge of the Dark Forest to talk and Pansy had found them and gone nuts. He conveniently left out the detail of what they were doing when Pansy discovered them but Dumbledore seemed to know anyway.
"Well there's no need to ask what you two were doing," Dumbledore said, making Hermione blush a deep red, "but I see you've done nothing wrong beside leaving the castle after dark. Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger, you're free to leave. Harry, I'm afraid I must talk to you about the spell you cast on Ms. Parkinson."
Draco and Hermione left Dumbledore's office, hugged briefly and went their separate ways. Draco went straight to bed, avoiding the glares he received from the Slytherin students who were waiting for him in the common room.
