Nowhere but Up
Chapter 1 - Life
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story, sans for the plot. Oh, and JK Rowling is Queen.
Hermione's POV
I walked down the hallway with a newfound sense of pride. All seven years of school, I was never the one who defied the professors, let alone the headmaster, yet Harry had done so far too many times to count. And now, I, the muggle-born witch with a nose permanently glued to her nose, had done what she'd long to do since the moment she saw Harry fight off Voldemort in their first year.
My happy appearance couldn't have lasted for longer than ten or twenty minutes. It soon dawned on me that I was going to have to find a place to stay. 'Well,' I thought as I made a right and continued walking down the corridors. 'I could always stay with Cho Chang. Or maybe Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan. Yes, Dean and Seamus would probably be the best bet. Better give them a call instead of just showing up.'
Cho and I had been friends ever since the start of our sixth year, seeing as how she gave up trying to spite me and just asked out Harry herself. She realized that he had no interest in me other than someone he could get answers from or an occasional friend now that he'd become quite fond of girls, Cho in particular. However, Harry then discovered how much more healing time Cho needed before she'd get over Cedric's death, but I had come to that realization since the time I saw Cho's face when Dumbledore announced Cedric had been murdered.
Dean and Seamus, right into their seventh year, discovered something that shocked all of us. They had always wondered why, even when girls were attracted to them, they never seemed to find an attraction for girls, and so had everyone else. Then the two discovered their homosexuality, and even though the whole school was a bit creeped out at the fact, everyone came to accept it. After all, it wasn't like they were hitting on every guy in the hall, because they already figured that they should just stay together. And even so, they wouldn't kiss or hold hands in the common room and corridors and such - they kept mainly to themselves. But now that I knew that they were already in a relationship, for an odd reason I'm not sure of, I grew closer to them and we became best of friends - the three of us. Again, I was the only girl in this newfound friendship.
I finally reached my office. It was going to be hard to find a way to say goodbye to all of my students. They were like family to me, and I loved them with all of my heart. But it had to be done. After all, I couldn't just say goodbye to Harry and take them all with me! Oh, but that's what I wanted to do so badly my heart ached and my head throbbed. "What am I going to do?" I said to myself, as a few tears formed and dripped off my cheek. "How am I going to support myself? Yes, I have friends who would understand, but I wouldn't feel right just barging in on them. 'Maybe I should just run back up to Harry's office and tell him it was all just a joke, a gag from an old friend. But then he'd see that I was just a big coward and laugh. He knows me all too well to expect a joke such as that from me.'
Then it struck me - Malfoy. He indefinitely hated me, but the way he had look at me and the way he spoke. . . It was like I wasn't speaking to Draco Malfoy, but some angel in his body, with his voice, with the spite in his eyes whenever he spoke of Harry Potter or Ron Weasley. 'But what if he laughs at me when I ask him?' I thought, still pondering. 'What if his kindness was just a show so he could make fun of me when I ask of him something?' But that was a chance I was going to need to take.
As quick as I could, I ran out of my office and down the halls. Surely he couldn't have gotten too far, could he? No, actually, he hadn't. When I came out of Harry's office, I probably missed him, because he was standing right outside the door. I slowed my pace to a mere walk. My legs were beginning to tremble and my face felt like it was on fire. But I walked right up to Malfoy and smiled as sweetly as I could. He glared back at me menacingly, but I stood my ground.
"I take it you wanna stay with me while you're out of work?" He said, turning a nonchalant look to Parvati Patil, Divinations professor, who was walking down the corridor with her cards trailing her. "Well, come on then."
"But. but how'd you know?" I said, grabbing his hand attempting to hold him back, but he was too strong for me and I fell flat on my face when my legs didn't move and his kept on going. "How did you know what I wanted?"
"Did you know that you think out loud?" He said, helping me up and casting what looked like a genuine smile upon me.
Draco's POV
She's sad, actually. Why couldn't she have just gone with her little friend Weasel or that wretched whining girl Cho Chang? But. . . why was I giving in? Why was I letting her stay with me in the Malfoy estate? Had I grown soft over all these years? Or was there something, in my subconscious, that told me I needed her? 'Perhaps she is going to aid me in the triumph of myself being able to make Hogwarts and all other witchcraft and wizarding schools in the England area completely without halfbreeds and halfbloods. But then again, it would be a Mudblood helping me to do so? She would never agree on such a thing, would she?'
My brain was beginning to ache. It was hard enough to be Minister of Magic, but to be able to pull through diabolical schemes without Wonder Boy noticing, now, that was downright near impossible. I screwed up my face in concentration, but I tried to make my deep train of thought appear unnoticed to Granger who was standing to the my right, gazing up at me. Every time I moved my head, she would move hers. She would follow, with her own, my eyes, and never let me out of her sight. "Ahem," I said, stopping and returning her gaze. "Why have you turned to me?"
Her face became long as her mouth opened and her brow curled. She seemed to be dawdling on what exactly to say, so I just grabbed her hand and continued on walking. Perhaps she thought it would be better to stay in the company of someone as great as myself? Or maybe it was because she knew I had inherited the Malfoy estate after Lestrange killed Father and mother went insane and all. Yes, just another typical Mudblood moocher trying to gain some wealth off of decent, honest working purebloods like myself.
"Well, Draco," she finally said after about another minute of walking. "I thought it to be a better choice of living quarters. After all, you know that I've made some pretty nasty enemies over the years, and once I leave Hogwarts, I'd be completely vulnerable to any attacks they might bestow upon me. I know that as you, the Minister of Magic, your house would be safe and, well, with you guarding it, I'm sure there'd be no need for any extra spells cast upon your home, whether necessary or not."
I shot my best smile at her. "You must take me for a fool, don't you?"
"Beg your pardon?"
"You expect me to believe that crock coming from you? There is a damn good reason you chose to ask me, though I'm not sure there was one for me accepting you into the Malfoy Manor, where only purebloods are suppose to take residence."
Her face turned red. She knew that I had caught her red handed, and that there was really no way to resist. "Yes, you're right. There was a damn good reason I asked you: I want my own room and a place where I can think. Cho has kids, young ones at that, and Dean and Seamus won't leave me alone for ten minutes, bless they're hearts. So yes, I'm a selfish Mudblood who needs to rely on hardworking purebloods like you to get along in life. Happy?"
My lips curled into a wide grin of satisfaction. "Oh, to best you, 'tis like hot cocoa on an early winter's mornin'." Her cheeks puffed up like ripe melons and I could have sworn I saw her blow some steam out of her ears. "Now, Granger, I suppose you'll be coming at the end of term?"
"Yes, Malfoy. I think that we should go on a first-name basis now that I'll be living with you and all. I'll travel by Floo powder, if that's all right. It's the most convenient and because I have so much baggage, the best choice."
"Yes, yes. I will see you then."
I let go of her arm and allowed her to head off towards the other corridor, away from the Great Hall in which we had reached. As she walked further and further down the hall, her sight faded smaller and smaller. It was still unknown to me why I had agreed to let her stay with me, but that didn't seem important now. What was important was Father's portrait keeping cool. The only place I could think to put her was in the guest bedroom, and that was where it hung.
Chapter 1 - Life
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story, sans for the plot. Oh, and JK Rowling is Queen.
Hermione's POV
I walked down the hallway with a newfound sense of pride. All seven years of school, I was never the one who defied the professors, let alone the headmaster, yet Harry had done so far too many times to count. And now, I, the muggle-born witch with a nose permanently glued to her nose, had done what she'd long to do since the moment she saw Harry fight off Voldemort in their first year.
My happy appearance couldn't have lasted for longer than ten or twenty minutes. It soon dawned on me that I was going to have to find a place to stay. 'Well,' I thought as I made a right and continued walking down the corridors. 'I could always stay with Cho Chang. Or maybe Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan. Yes, Dean and Seamus would probably be the best bet. Better give them a call instead of just showing up.'
Cho and I had been friends ever since the start of our sixth year, seeing as how she gave up trying to spite me and just asked out Harry herself. She realized that he had no interest in me other than someone he could get answers from or an occasional friend now that he'd become quite fond of girls, Cho in particular. However, Harry then discovered how much more healing time Cho needed before she'd get over Cedric's death, but I had come to that realization since the time I saw Cho's face when Dumbledore announced Cedric had been murdered.
Dean and Seamus, right into their seventh year, discovered something that shocked all of us. They had always wondered why, even when girls were attracted to them, they never seemed to find an attraction for girls, and so had everyone else. Then the two discovered their homosexuality, and even though the whole school was a bit creeped out at the fact, everyone came to accept it. After all, it wasn't like they were hitting on every guy in the hall, because they already figured that they should just stay together. And even so, they wouldn't kiss or hold hands in the common room and corridors and such - they kept mainly to themselves. But now that I knew that they were already in a relationship, for an odd reason I'm not sure of, I grew closer to them and we became best of friends - the three of us. Again, I was the only girl in this newfound friendship.
I finally reached my office. It was going to be hard to find a way to say goodbye to all of my students. They were like family to me, and I loved them with all of my heart. But it had to be done. After all, I couldn't just say goodbye to Harry and take them all with me! Oh, but that's what I wanted to do so badly my heart ached and my head throbbed. "What am I going to do?" I said to myself, as a few tears formed and dripped off my cheek. "How am I going to support myself? Yes, I have friends who would understand, but I wouldn't feel right just barging in on them. 'Maybe I should just run back up to Harry's office and tell him it was all just a joke, a gag from an old friend. But then he'd see that I was just a big coward and laugh. He knows me all too well to expect a joke such as that from me.'
Then it struck me - Malfoy. He indefinitely hated me, but the way he had look at me and the way he spoke. . . It was like I wasn't speaking to Draco Malfoy, but some angel in his body, with his voice, with the spite in his eyes whenever he spoke of Harry Potter or Ron Weasley. 'But what if he laughs at me when I ask him?' I thought, still pondering. 'What if his kindness was just a show so he could make fun of me when I ask of him something?' But that was a chance I was going to need to take.
As quick as I could, I ran out of my office and down the halls. Surely he couldn't have gotten too far, could he? No, actually, he hadn't. When I came out of Harry's office, I probably missed him, because he was standing right outside the door. I slowed my pace to a mere walk. My legs were beginning to tremble and my face felt like it was on fire. But I walked right up to Malfoy and smiled as sweetly as I could. He glared back at me menacingly, but I stood my ground.
"I take it you wanna stay with me while you're out of work?" He said, turning a nonchalant look to Parvati Patil, Divinations professor, who was walking down the corridor with her cards trailing her. "Well, come on then."
"But. but how'd you know?" I said, grabbing his hand attempting to hold him back, but he was too strong for me and I fell flat on my face when my legs didn't move and his kept on going. "How did you know what I wanted?"
"Did you know that you think out loud?" He said, helping me up and casting what looked like a genuine smile upon me.
Draco's POV
She's sad, actually. Why couldn't she have just gone with her little friend Weasel or that wretched whining girl Cho Chang? But. . . why was I giving in? Why was I letting her stay with me in the Malfoy estate? Had I grown soft over all these years? Or was there something, in my subconscious, that told me I needed her? 'Perhaps she is going to aid me in the triumph of myself being able to make Hogwarts and all other witchcraft and wizarding schools in the England area completely without halfbreeds and halfbloods. But then again, it would be a Mudblood helping me to do so? She would never agree on such a thing, would she?'
My brain was beginning to ache. It was hard enough to be Minister of Magic, but to be able to pull through diabolical schemes without Wonder Boy noticing, now, that was downright near impossible. I screwed up my face in concentration, but I tried to make my deep train of thought appear unnoticed to Granger who was standing to the my right, gazing up at me. Every time I moved my head, she would move hers. She would follow, with her own, my eyes, and never let me out of her sight. "Ahem," I said, stopping and returning her gaze. "Why have you turned to me?"
Her face became long as her mouth opened and her brow curled. She seemed to be dawdling on what exactly to say, so I just grabbed her hand and continued on walking. Perhaps she thought it would be better to stay in the company of someone as great as myself? Or maybe it was because she knew I had inherited the Malfoy estate after Lestrange killed Father and mother went insane and all. Yes, just another typical Mudblood moocher trying to gain some wealth off of decent, honest working purebloods like myself.
"Well, Draco," she finally said after about another minute of walking. "I thought it to be a better choice of living quarters. After all, you know that I've made some pretty nasty enemies over the years, and once I leave Hogwarts, I'd be completely vulnerable to any attacks they might bestow upon me. I know that as you, the Minister of Magic, your house would be safe and, well, with you guarding it, I'm sure there'd be no need for any extra spells cast upon your home, whether necessary or not."
I shot my best smile at her. "You must take me for a fool, don't you?"
"Beg your pardon?"
"You expect me to believe that crock coming from you? There is a damn good reason you chose to ask me, though I'm not sure there was one for me accepting you into the Malfoy Manor, where only purebloods are suppose to take residence."
Her face turned red. She knew that I had caught her red handed, and that there was really no way to resist. "Yes, you're right. There was a damn good reason I asked you: I want my own room and a place where I can think. Cho has kids, young ones at that, and Dean and Seamus won't leave me alone for ten minutes, bless they're hearts. So yes, I'm a selfish Mudblood who needs to rely on hardworking purebloods like you to get along in life. Happy?"
My lips curled into a wide grin of satisfaction. "Oh, to best you, 'tis like hot cocoa on an early winter's mornin'." Her cheeks puffed up like ripe melons and I could have sworn I saw her blow some steam out of her ears. "Now, Granger, I suppose you'll be coming at the end of term?"
"Yes, Malfoy. I think that we should go on a first-name basis now that I'll be living with you and all. I'll travel by Floo powder, if that's all right. It's the most convenient and because I have so much baggage, the best choice."
"Yes, yes. I will see you then."
I let go of her arm and allowed her to head off towards the other corridor, away from the Great Hall in which we had reached. As she walked further and further down the hall, her sight faded smaller and smaller. It was still unknown to me why I had agreed to let her stay with me, but that didn't seem important now. What was important was Father's portrait keeping cool. The only place I could think to put her was in the guest bedroom, and that was where it hung.